The piece of romantic advice we love is this: be with somebody who looks at you like you look at your food coming at a restaurant. We might need to amend that, though: be with somebody who looks at you like we look at a good spread at Haggle. Continue reading
If you’re looking for a caffeine hit that’s a little more weird and wonderful than your standard flat white, look no further than the oh-so-trendy Alchemista. Continue reading
Forget pitchers of woo woo and purple rain – there’s no excuse now there’s a swanky new cocktail bar in town, full of creative and surprising concoctions. Continue reading
Of all my food weaknesses I’d have to say bread and salted butter is my greatest. After having a week off work testing bread recipes I’ve certainly eaten plenty of slices this week!
This stuff disintegrates on the tongue and has the silkiest feel, shortly followed by the strongest kick of citrus I’ve ever experienced. It thickens up pretty quick, and you wont want to browse through your phone whilst you whisk away because you might just be mesmerised by the most beautiful shades of yellow melding together in the pan. Continue reading
Sometimes I just absolutely have to bake cookies. There’s no negotiation. Luckily 9 times out of 10 I have all the ingredients in ready to whip of a bowl of dough. After reading Michelle’s post last week about slice and bake chocolate chip cookies I had to give them a go. So Friday afternoon Matilda and I played in the kitchen and made cookies. I didn’t freeze them but just left them in the fridge overnight. The recipe is from Tara O’Brady at Seven Spoon’s book and is my new favourite cookie recipe. So so easy and tastes amazing.
It’s been a while since I revisited caramelised white chocolate and I forgot that it’s actually a doddle to make. I had a couple of bars of Lindt white chocolate lying around from Christmas – how these didn’t get eaten I don’t know, White chocolate is like crack to me. I heated my oven to the lowest heat – 130 C/266 F – and spread chopped white chocolate over a clean oven tray. At ten minute intervals I stirred the chocolate around the tray with a spatula until it was smooth and golden. I transferred the melted chocolate to a small tray and let it re-set in the fridge before I chopped it into caramelised white chocolate chips. Just try not to eat them all before they go into the dough. It’s basically a homemade Caramac bar.
I had Matilda’s wonderful assistance the second time as well and whilst I was taking the photos she brazenly walked up and helped herself to a cookie. I said if she was going to pinch the cookies she could at least be cute and hold a plate of them as well >.<
These cookies are crisp and buttery on the edges and soft in the middle. The caramelised white chocolate works perfectly with the pecans and a hint of sea salt on top balances everything out. Just as in Michelle’s post you can of course freeze the dough in balls if you only want a few at a time. If you want to make a full batch then leave them in the fridge overnight. Letting the dough rest is like magic and the difference between baking straight away and waiting overnight is very noticeable. They are definitely worth the wait.
This is my favourite kind of baking. Throw everything in baking. This tray of blondies seriously disappeared in less than 24 hours. I didn’t even have a full tray to photograph because it was too dark when it came out of the oven and there was no way we weren’t going to eat them until the next morning. Sorry, I have no self control when it comes to eating cake.
British tomato season is upon us! They’ve come a long way since first being cultivated in South America in around 700AD – literally, as tomato seeds spent six years in a satellite orbiting Earth. In addition to being the base of loads of sauces, they’re full of vitamins and anti-oxidants, which almost certainly means pizza is a health food. At the very least, we can feel virtuous with dishes like basil tagliatelle with fiery cherry tomatoes or avocado, tomato, and goat’s cheese toast. For a more robust meal, look towards baked cod bruschetta with hot tomato & aubergine salsa, or if breakfast’s your thing, a Mexican hash brown stack. Continue reading
This month the focus is on radishes, a woefully under-appreciated gem. Best while small, from planting to picking they take about a month, which means they’re a great crop for supremely impatient people. They’re even low-waste, as their tops can be used too, by sautéing or blitzing into pesto. Most importantly, though, is their flavour – although peppery while crisply raw, when roasted their heat mellows, and they’re glorious on their own with just butter and a little salt. Intrigued? Maybe try them with dairy, in a smørbrød with goat’s cheese, radish and rosehips, or with burrata. The humble radish can also jazz up other veg of the season, such as in this roasted radish and asparagus tart, and even take a role in dessert, like this cinnamon ice cream with maple roasted radishes. Continue reading