Ribstock lineup Ribstock has announced its line-up for this Saturday, and I have to say I’m intrigued to see what some of them will come up with.  Back again after last year are The Rib Man, Red Dog Saloon and Cattle Grid.  When it comes to new contenders, from their names it sounds like BBQWhiskyBeer, Blue Boar Smokehouse and Prairie Fire BBQ will be completely in their element at a rib cook-off. I’m expecting good things from Carl Clarke and Neil Rankin, and I’m downright intrigued to see what’s cooked up by Nanban, a new Japanese bar opening in London soon, and Roti Chai, an Indian cafe/restaurant that I’m a huge fan of.  Combine all this with a hot sauce competition (featuring some of the same contenders plus a few others), a couple of free beers and a free festival cocktail (which basically means X Large!), and come rain or shine we’re in for an absolute treat this Saturday. If you’re coming, see you there! 
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Ribstock lineup

Ribstock has announced its line-up for this Saturday, and I have to say I’m intrigued to see what some of them will come up with. 

Back again after last year are The Rib Man, Red Dog Saloon and Cattle Grid. 

When it comes to new contenders, from their names it sounds like BBQWhiskyBeer, Blue Boar Smokehouse and Prairie Fire BBQ will be completely in their element at a rib cook-off. I’m expecting good things from Carl Clarke and Neil Rankin, and I’m downright intrigued to see what’s cooked up by Nanban, a new Japanese bar opening in London soon, and Roti Chai, an Indian cafe/restaurant that I’m a huge fan of. 

Combine all this with a hot sauce competition (featuring some of the same contenders plus a few others), a couple of free beers and a free festival cocktail (which basically means X Large!), and come rain or shine we’re in for an absolute treat this Saturday. If you’re coming, see you there! 

Shane Connolly at Heal’s Although food is my first love, I do have a growing passion for gardening, and with this in mind I attended an event on Tuesday that went one step further – floristry. The event was hosted by Heal’s on Tottenham Court Road, where renowned floral designer Shane Connolly (who was artistic director of flowers at the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011) was in conversation with Rona Wheeldon, author of the Flowerona blog.  As well as discussing his background and the beginning of his career (“it all started with a pack of seeds…”), Shane shared insights into his work for the royal wedding (where the bouquet included lily of the valley, hyacinths and, of course, sweet williams), his creative approach, the challenges of floral artistry and how Constance Spry and others have inspired his work. I was keen to hear his tips on using flowers in the home, and his answer was keep it simple, don’t blindly follow the latest fashion, go with what you like and find your own style & taste. Choose seasonal and local varieties, in much the same way you would with food. Later on, flicking through his book, I was excited to see that several of his arrangements and displays do actually include food, from vases holding regal looking artichokes to bowls of plump, rust-coloured tomatoes scattered with flowers as a table centrepiece.  Tickets to the event included prosecco and canapés (I had prawn tempura, tomato & pesto bruschetta, mini caramelised onion tarts and mini cupcakes) at the lovely Heal’s Quarter Cafe, and we each left that evening with a little bouquet of beautifully scented sweet peas and a Heals goodie bag.  You can see images of the event here on the Flowerona blog, and keep an eye out for further Heal’s events on their blog, Heal’s Reveals. 
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Shane Connolly at Heal’s

Although food is my first love, I do have a growing passion for gardening, and with this in mind I attended an event on Tuesday that went one step further – floristry. The event was hosted by Heal’s on Tottenham Court Road, where renowned floral designer Shane Connolly (who was artistic director of flowers at the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011) was in conversation with Rona Wheeldon, author of the Flowerona blog. 

As well as discussing his background and the beginning of his career (“it all started with a pack of seeds…”), Shane shared insights into his work for the royal wedding (where the bouquet included lily of the valley, hyacinths and, of course, sweet williams), his creative approach, the challenges of floral artistry and how Constance Spry and others have inspired his work.

I was keen to hear his tips on using flowers in the home, and his answer was keep it simple, don’t blindly follow the latest fashion, go with what you like and find your own style & taste. Choose seasonal and local varieties, in much the same way you would with food. Later on, flicking through his book, I was excited to see that several of his arrangements and displays do actually include food, from vases holding regal looking artichokes to bowls of plump, rust-coloured tomatoes scattered with flowers as a table centrepiece. 

Tickets to the event included prosecco and canapés (I had prawn tempura, tomato & pesto bruschetta, mini caramelised onion tarts and mini cupcakes) at the lovely Heal’s Quarter Cafe, and we each left that evening with a little bouquet of beautifully scented sweet peas and a Heals goodie bag. 

You can see images of the event here on the Flowerona blog, and keep an eye out for further Heal’s events on their blog, Heal’s Reveals. 

It’s back!  Ribstock – 10 chefs, 10 ribs, 1 winner. An epic cook-off. Last time it poured with rain but still managed to be one of the highlights of the summer.  Hosted by Tweat Up and Street Feast London at The Merchants Yard in east London, this year the event promises to be bigger and better. I can’t wait and I know I’m not the only one – 700 tickets went on sale today, and within 8 minutes of the link going live on Twitter there were 118 left. Now all I have to do is wait patiently until 22 June. 
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It’s back! 

Ribstock – 10 chefs, 10 ribs, 1 winner. An epic cook-off. Last time it poured with rain but still managed to be one of the highlights of the summer. 

Hosted by Tweat Up and Street Feast London at The Merchants Yard in east London, this year the event promises to be bigger and better. I can’t wait and I know I’m not the only one – 700 tickets went on sale today, and within 8 minutes of the link going live on Twitter there were 118 left. Now all I have to do is wait patiently until 22 June. 

Taco Wars I love the street food culture that has emerged in London over the past couple of years, particularly the markets and collectives that bring the vendors together across the city. But I think my favourite thing of all is the cook-offs that see them compete not just against each other, but also against traditional establishments too. This Saturday was Taco Wars, hosted by Tweat Up and Street Feast London, where 10 restaurants and street food favourites battled for the title of Best Taco.  With Karl and five friends, I went, I tasted and I voted. There were some decent tacos, some pretty good tacos, and a couple of bloody brilliant tacos. I loved the simple, traditional approach that some of them opted for, but I was blown away by the imagination and creativity that had gone into the others. Here’s a run-down of the entries, in the order that we tried them:  Buen Provecho: Pork Pibil taco     * JOINT 3RD PLACE * “Banana leaf-wrapped achote-marinated pork, pickled onions and habanero salsa” Sometimes simple is best and although this was one of the least-adorned tacos of the day, it was actually one of my favourites. Some might consider it unimaginative, but I think it was actually very brave, and it definitely paid off.  Breddo’s Taco Shack: I’m Not Your Father     * 2ND PLACE * “50 day aged Dexter short rib cooked in a chipotle umami broth, topped with candied chili, special salsa and crumbly cheese” What this description doesn’t mention is a little added surprise - popping candy! Everyone else seemed to think this was a little OTT but I thought it had a brilliant effect, crackling and fizzing as I walked back to the table so that it sounded like the ribs were still sizzling from the grill, and then popping away in your mouth (bit of a weird sensation, but then it is popping candy). There was a little pipette of hot sauce, and some super-hot pickled habaneros that you could add on the side. It all made for a very fun taco, and even without all the “bells and whistles” the taco itself was a good’un.  Benito’s Hat: Milk-marinated beef belly “Topped with coriander, onion, lime and avocado salsa verde, homemade corn tortillas” I really liked the two key components of this taco: fantastic homemade tortillas and incredibly tender beef belly (which I’m not sure I’ve ever had before). The lime & avocado salsa verde was less avocado and more lime than I’d have liked (and I’m a big fan of lime). Overall this was simple and nice but, for me, not much more than that.  L.A. Sueno: You Fowl Hipster Swine     * JOINT 3RD PLACE * I love that this one came with a bit of back story, an elaborate and colourful description to emphasise how much thought went into it…  …which I’m relieved to say the taco lived up to. Fair play, these guys went all out. The meat was duck heart and pork, which had a lovely flavour. The crispy carrot stuff on top was a nice texture, as was the homemade queso fresco. Personally I didn’t think it needed the blueberries. The hot sauce on the side was certainly hot, it reminded me a little of The Ribman’s Holy F*ck sauce I thought (presumably because they’ve used the same chillies? I’m not sure). Also I’m a sucker for great packaging, and I love how L.A. Sueno served their taco up.  Kimchinary: Two cheeks, one taco “Slow braised Bulgogi ox cheek, soju and gochujang battered cod cheek, Korean pickled tartar, kimchi and toasted seaweed” I’ve never even heard of some of the ingredient in this Korean taco (proof that I’m a complete impostor at this food blogging stuff). Kimchinary’s was by far the prettiest taco on offer, with flavours to match. The ox cheek was super, and I love anything breaded and deep fried so the battered cod cheek was always going to go down well. Lots of strong flavours here, definitely my kind of ‘taco’.  Bahn Mi 11: Imperial BBQ pork “Marinated in caramel and lemongrass and made lusciously fresh with pickles, avocado and coriander” I have very fond memories of Bahn Mi from our trip to Vietnam (don’t worry, not about to launch into a Gap Yah-style yarn), of baguettes packed with shredded pork, pate, tangy pickles, fresh herbs and hot hot chillies. I’d had very high hopes for this taco from the Bahn Mi 11 street food vendors, but I’m sad to say it was a little plain.  Toma Mexicano: Marinated British beef “Loaded with salsa roja, salsa aguacate, pico de gallo and queso” This, for most people, is the definition of a taco – meat, tortilla, salsa and cheese. I think you need a couple of ‘classics’ in this kind of competition, something traditional amongst all the weird and wonderful options. Every element of the Toma Mexicano taco was done well, it was a real pleasure to eat.    Casa Morita: Tacos al pastor “48 hour marinated, spit-grilled pork, onion, coriander, lime, tomatillo & avocado salsa and a golden ray of pineapple” At Ribstock last year, Redhook (the winners) had a stunning salsa alongside their ribs, made with red onion, red cabbage, carrot and pineapple. I thought of that when I saw the juicy slivers of pineapple that Casa Morita was tucking into their tacos, and my mouth watered. The description for this taco looks so right, so appealing, but the reality was so far from this. It was greasy, and it was bland. It was not tangy, and it was not juicy. This was my least favourite taco. Let’s say no more.  Santana Grill: Slow-simmered chilorio pork “Santana spices and rehydrated dried chillies” The meat in this taco looked incredible – dark, smoky and intense. It had a good texture and it was juicy, but the rehydrated dried chillies were the overriding flavour (and I don’t mean spice-wise). I like strong flavours, but this was strong in the wrong way for me.  Luardos: Beer battered fresh king prawns     * 1ST PLACE * “Special sauce, coriander, fresh red chillies, mango salsa and sesame cabbage” We didn’t actually try this one last, but I wanted to end on the winner. I had high hopes for Luardos and their taco promised sun & sea in a tortilla wrap. I knew it was right from the first bite. A flashback of eating fish tacos on the beach in Sihanoukville (did I mention I took a Gap Year?) and the deal was sealed, Luardos got my vote.    Taco Wars was a brilliant way to spend a day. As well as the free beers that came with our ticket, we also made the most of the cocktails – I had a super strong Negroni and a festival sized mojito. The Old Fashioned was delicious too, and I’m told there were margaritas being made in a cement mixer.  Sorbitium Ices were on-site with an impressive selection of non-traditional ice-cream and sorbet flavours. One of the (many) advantages of going with lots of people is that you’re likely to get a taste of everything. Between us we had the sea-salted caramel (always good), sour cherry & almond (my fave), rose & spices & pistachio brittle (2nd fave), apricot & honey (3rd fave), dark choc & chipotle (wonderful), and avocado & lime (which Nina has since re-recreated at home to wonderful effect).  When we left, we were seven very full, very happy people, full of plans to return to The Merchants Yard for Ribstock in June…   
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Taco Wars

I love the street food culture that has emerged in London over the past couple of years, particularly the markets and collectives that bring the vendors together across the city. But I think my favourite thing of all is the cook-offs that see them compete not just against each other, but also against traditional establishments too. This Saturday was Taco Wars, hosted by Tweat Up and Street Feast London, where 10 restaurants and street food favourites battled for the title of Best Taco. 

With Karl and five friends, I went, I tasted and I voted. There were some decent tacos, some pretty good tacos, and a couple of bloody brilliant tacos. I loved the simple, traditional approach that some of them opted for, but I was blown away by the imagination and creativity that had gone into the others. Here’s a run-down of the entries, in the order that we tried them: 

Buen Provecho: Pork Pibil taco     * JOINT 3RD PLACE *

“Banana leaf-wrapped achote-marinated pork, pickled onions and habanero salsa”

image

Sometimes simple is best and although this was one of the least-adorned tacos of the day, it was actually one of my favourites. Some might consider it unimaginative, but I think it was actually very brave, and it definitely paid off. 


Breddo’s Taco Shack: I’m Not Your Father     * 2ND PLACE *

“50 day aged Dexter short rib cooked in a chipotle umami broth, topped with candied chili, special salsa and crumbly cheese”

image

What this description doesn’t mention is a little added surprise - popping candy! Everyone else seemed to think this was a little OTT but I thought it had a brilliant effect, crackling and fizzing as I walked back to the table so that it sounded like the ribs were still sizzling from the grill, and then popping away in your mouth (bit of a weird sensation, but then it is popping candy). There was a little pipette of hot sauce, and some super-hot pickled habaneros that you could add on the side. It all made for a very fun taco, and even without all the “bells and whistles” the taco itself was a good’un. 

Benito’s Hat: Milk-marinated beef belly

“Topped with coriander, onion, lime and avocado salsa verde, homemade corn tortillas”

image

I really liked the two key components of this taco: fantastic homemade tortillas and incredibly tender beef belly (which I’m not sure I’ve ever had before). The lime & avocado salsa verde was less avocado and more lime than I’d have liked (and I’m a big fan of lime). Overall this was simple and nice but, for me, not much more than that. 

L.A. Sueno: You Fowl Hipster Swine     * JOINT 3RD PLACE *

image

I love that this one came with a bit of back story, an elaborate and colourful description to emphasise how much thought went into it… 

image

…which I’m relieved to say the taco lived up to. Fair play, these guys went all out. The meat was duck heart and pork, which had a lovely flavour. The crispy carrot stuff on top was a nice texture, as was the homemade queso fresco. Personally I didn’t think it needed the blueberries. The hot sauce on the side was certainly hot, it reminded me a little of The Ribman’s Holy F*ck sauce I thought (presumably because they’ve used the same chillies? I’m not sure). Also I’m a sucker for great packaging, and I love how L.A. Sueno served their taco up. 

Kimchinary: Two cheeks, one taco

“Slow braised Bulgogi ox cheek, soju and gochujang battered cod cheek, Korean pickled tartar, kimchi and toasted seaweed”

image

I’ve never even heard of some of the ingredient in this Korean taco (proof that I’m a complete impostor at this food blogging stuff). Kimchinary’s was by far the prettiest taco on offer, with flavours to match. The ox cheek was super, and I love anything breaded and deep fried so the battered cod cheek was always going to go down well. Lots of strong flavours here, definitely my kind of ‘taco’. 

Bahn Mi 11: Imperial BBQ pork

“Marinated in caramel and lemongrass and made lusciously fresh with pickles, avocado and coriander”

image

I have very fond memories of Bahn Mi from our trip to Vietnam (don’t worry, not about to launch into a Gap Yah-style yarn), of baguettes packed with shredded pork, pate, tangy pickles, fresh herbs and hot hot chillies. I’d had very high hopes for this taco from the Bahn Mi 11 street food vendors, but I’m sad to say it was a little plain. 

Toma Mexicano: Marinated British beef

“Loaded with salsa roja, salsa aguacate, pico de gallo and queso”

image

This, for most people, is the definition of a taco – meat, tortilla, salsa and cheese. I think you need a couple of ‘classics’ in this kind of competition, something traditional amongst all the weird and wonderful options. Every element of the Toma Mexicano taco was done well, it was a real pleasure to eat. 

 

Casa Morita: Tacos al pastor

“48 hour marinated, spit-grilled pork, onion, coriander, lime, tomatillo & avocado salsa and a golden ray of pineapple”

image


At Ribstock last year, Redhook (the winners) had a stunning salsa alongside their ribs, made with red onion, red cabbage, carrot and pineapple. I thought of that when I saw the juicy slivers of pineapple that Casa Morita was tucking into their tacos, and my mouth watered. The description for this taco looks so right, so appealing, but the reality was so far from this. It was greasy, and it was bland. It was not tangy, and it was not juicy. This was my least favourite taco. Let’s say no more. 

Santana Grill: Slow-simmered chilorio pork

“Santana spices and rehydrated dried chillies”

image

The meat in this taco looked incredible – dark, smoky and intense. It had a good texture and it was juicy, but the rehydrated dried chillies were the overriding flavour (and I don’t mean spice-wise). I like strong flavours, but this was strong in the wrong way for me. 

Luardos: Beer battered fresh king prawns     * 1ST PLACE *

“Special sauce, coriander, fresh red chillies, mango salsa and sesame cabbage”

image

We didn’t actually try this one last, but I wanted to end on the winner. I had high hopes for Luardos and their taco promised sun & sea in a tortilla wrap. I knew it was right from the first bite. A flashback of eating fish tacos on the beach in Sihanoukville (did I mention I took a Gap Year?) and the deal was sealed, Luardos got my vote. 

 

Taco Wars was a brilliant way to spend a day. As well as the free beers that came with our ticket, we also made the most of the cocktails – I had a super strong Negroni and a festival sized mojito. The Old Fashioned was delicious too, and I’m told there were margaritas being made in a cement mixer. 

Sorbitium Ices were on-site with an impressive selection of non-traditional ice-cream and sorbet flavours. One of the (many) advantages of going with lots of people is that you’re likely to get a taste of everything. Between us we had the sea-salted caramel (always good), sour cherry & almond (my fave), rose & spices & pistachio brittle (2nd fave), apricot & honey (3rd fave), dark choc & chipotle (wonderful), and avocado & lime (which Nina has since re-recreated at home to wonderful effect). 

image

When we left, we were seven very full, very happy people, full of plans to return to The Merchants Yard for Ribstock in June… 

 

Kefalonia

We’ve recently come back from an 11-day break in Kefalonia. Unlike the drier landscape of some of the other Greek islands, Kefalonia is lush and green. The sea is clear, bright-blue, and the perfect temperature for a swim, even in early May.

We stayed in a bungalow suite at the White Rocks hotel, a pretty resort that provided more or less everything we needed – most days, we rarely felt the need to leave the hotel except to stock up on Mythos beers from the local supermarket, for some evening drinks on the balcony (overlooking the sea!). 

We were staying half board so we made the most of the buffet breakfasts and lunches, which were actually really very good. Thick greek yoghurt with fruit and muesli for breakfast, followed by coffee and delicious pastries. There was everything for a full English breakfast too, and a selection of cheese, hams and breads if you fancied something more continental. And there was always a dessert spread, with little fruit tarts or profiteroles or creme brulees. At breakfast! 

I was a bit apprehensive about the buffet dinner but I was never disappointed. There were always interesting Greek options (moussaka, spinach and cheese pie, all manner of delicious things with aubergine and local cheeses) that surpassed the Greek food we had in other nearby restaurants. There was a grill area with a chef chargrilling something different every day –  pork chops, chicken souvlaki, salmon, sea bass, burgers. And, of couse, more wonderful desserts. 

We hired a car for a couple of days to drive around the island, visiting Skala in the south and Fiskardo, a gorgeous town in the north. It’s a fun island to drive around, with winding, coast-hugging roads that provide spectacular views. 

We chose Greece because we were looking for sun, sea, sand and great food. It definitely ticked all four boxes. 

Here’s a photo roundup of our favourite eats:

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No Greek holiday is complete without a proper Greek salad. Karl had these for lunch almost daily at our hotel. 

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One of the many stunning little desserts at the hotel, this is a piece of honey and pistachio cake. 

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Pork and chicken souvlaki with pitta, salad and chips, at a restaurant in Skala, a seaside town in the south of the island. 

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Baklava!

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My birthday lunch – grilled jumbo prawns at a restaurant in Fiskardo, a gorgeous town in the north of the island. 

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Karl’s grilled squid with pesto and chips, at the same place. 

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Iced coffees became a daily essential. Mine (left) was a nescafe frappe, Karl’s was a freddo cappuccino. 

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Cocktails at sunset. These are Singapore Slings, a firm favourite of Karl’s (was it because it came with a little umbrella? Who knows). 

And lastly, this is what happens when you put Karl in charge of taking the photos: 

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Making macarons So my friend Nina has been trying to make macarons (macaroons?) for a little while now, but it turns out they’re fiddly little buggers, near impossible to get right. Her solution was to book a macaron making class, and she invited me to go with her.  In all honesty, I’ve never intended to make macarons from scratch. I’m not particularly good with baking, it’s all too precise (although regular baking has nothing on macarons when it comes to precision), and I’m quite happy blowing a tenner in Laduree as an extra special pay day treat.  BUT, I am a good friend, and I do really love macarons, and I really should try a bit harder with the baking, so I said yes.  It was actually quite a fun thing to do. There were nine of us, split into three groups of three. Each group made a different flavour of macarons, and at the end we shared them all out equally and got a box to take home. My group made green ones with a lime buttercream (which turned out to be my fave), while the others made coffee with a coffee buttercream and chocolate with a chocolate ganache.  The thing I didn’t realise about macarons is how temperamental they are. Getting the mixture right depends not only on the ingredients, equipment and techniques you use, but also on the weather and the number of people in the room because these last two factors affect the air humidity, which can make or break your macaron.  There are all sorts of things to look out for, a hundred and one tricks and tips to remember. Weirdly, I think that’s why making them is so appealing – the challenge of achieving the perfect homemade macaron can probably become addictive. I haven’t actually got embarked on this challenge yet, but I have a stash of egg whites in the freezer that would lend themselves brilliantly to this sort of experiment… so watch this space!  Note: The class was by Caroline Hope, who runs a whole series of Afternoon Tea classes. We booked the Tantalising Tea-time Treats: French Style Macaron class, which is priced at £75 per person, although we used vouchers from Time Out. 
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Making macarons


So my friend Nina has been trying to make macarons (macaroons?) for a little while now, but it turns out they’re fiddly little buggers, near impossible to get right. Her solution was to book a macaron making class, and she invited me to go with her. 

In all honesty, I’ve never intended to make macarons from scratch. I’m not particularly good with baking, it’s all too precise (although regular baking has nothing on macarons when it comes to precision), and I’m quite happy blowing a tenner in Laduree as an extra special pay day treat. 

BUT, I am a good friend, and I do really love macarons, and I really should try a bit harder with the baking, so I said yes. 

It was actually quite a fun thing to do. There were nine of us, split into three groups of three. Each group made a different flavour of macarons, and at the end we shared them all out equally and got a box to take home. My group made green ones with a lime buttercream (which turned out to be my fave), while the others made coffee with a coffee buttercream and chocolate with a chocolate ganache. 

The thing I didn’t realise about macarons is how temperamental they are. Getting the mixture right depends not only on the ingredients, equipment and techniques you use, but also on the weather and the number of people in the room because these last two factors affect the air humidity, which can make or break your macaron. 

There are all sorts of things to look out for, a hundred and one tricks and tips to remember. Weirdly, I think that’s why making them is so appealing – the challenge of achieving the perfect homemade macaron can probably become addictive. I haven’t actually got embarked on this challenge yet, but I have a stash of egg whites in the freezer that would lend themselves brilliantly to this sort of experiment… so watch this space! 

Note: The class was by Caroline Hope, who runs a whole series of Afternoon Tea classes. We booked the Tantalising Tea-time Treats: French Style Macaron class, which is priced at £75 per person, although we used vouchers from Time Out. 

Ottolenghi’s quinoa and grilled sourdough salad We’re in between seasons at the moment - for the past two days, the weather has been flitting between bright warm sunshine and grey drizzle. With the occasional pelting of hailstones. And a chilly breeze. And then more sun.  This has made cooking a bit tricky… do I stick with warm rainy-day food, or is it time for light summertime suppers? We’ve settled for a bit of both. Karl has a pot of chilli bubbling away on the hob, but we’ve also been making the first salads of the year.  One of the best so far has been this quinoa and grilled sourdough salad from Ottolenghi’s Plenty. It’s a brilliant cookbook but some of the recipes involve a hell of a lot of ingredients and processes. This, thankfully, is not one of those recipes. The ingredients list is very straightforward, and the most time-consuming and complicated bits are boiling quinoa and putting bread in the oven. Hardly rocket science.  As well as being fresh and filling and healthy and so on, the absolute best bit about this salad is the way the toasted bread – with a neon gloss of olive oil and a bit of sea salt – soaks up the tangy dressing so that it just starts to soften. 
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Ottolenghi’s quinoa and grilled sourdough salad

We’re in between seasons at the moment - for the past two days, the weather has been flitting between bright warm sunshine and grey drizzle. With the occasional pelting of hailstones. And a chilly breeze. And then more sun. 

This has made cooking a bit tricky… do I stick with warm rainy-day food, or is it time for light summertime suppers? We’ve settled for a bit of both. Karl has a pot of chilli bubbling away on the hob, but we’ve also been making the first salads of the year. 

One of the best so far has been this quinoa and grilled sourdough salad from Ottolenghi’s Plenty. It’s a brilliant cookbook but some of the recipes involve a hell of a lot of ingredients and processes. This, thankfully, is not one of those recipes. The ingredients list is very straightforward, and the most time-consuming and complicated bits are boiling quinoa and putting bread in the oven. Hardly rocket science. 

As well as being fresh and filling and healthy and so on, the absolute best bit about this salad is the way the toasted bread – with a neon gloss of olive oil and a bit of sea salt – soaks up the tangy dressing so that it just starts to soften. 

Turkish eggs You know I love my breakfasts, so I was particularly excited a couple of weeks ago when I discovered this one on the Recipe Rifle blog. It’s like the eggs in pots that I make from the Little Paris Kitchen book, in that it’s a pot of some form of dairy (in this case yoghurt) and a runny-yolked egg, except that this is much much easier to make.  With eggs in pots, I’m still mastering the art of cooking it exactly right so that the white is cooked but the yolk is still runny. That’s not a problem with Turkish eggs, because you poach the eggs separately, and therefore exactly to your liking.  There are three components here - a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt mixed with a teaspoon of olive oil, which goes into the bottom of your pot; a poached egg that is placed on top of this; and a butter & dried chilli mix that is drizzled on top. For this, you heat about 20g butter gently for about 10 minutes until it *just* starts to brown, then take it off the heat and stir in a big pinch of chilli flakes. That’s it, there isn’t even any seasoning because it’s not necessary, the tangy yoghurt and smoky spicy butter provide more than enough flavour. (Note: these amounts are per person). The whole thing gets a sprinkling of parsley, and you eat it with thick slices of toasted bread (sourdough is good) or pitta. 
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Turkish eggs

You know I love my breakfasts, so I was particularly excited a couple of weeks ago when I discovered this one on the Recipe Rifle blog. It’s like the eggs in pots that I make from the Little Paris Kitchen book, in that it’s a pot of some form of dairy (in this case yoghurt) and a runny-yolked egg, except that this is much much easier to make. 

With eggs in pots, I’m still mastering the art of cooking it exactly right so that the white is cooked but the yolk is still runny. That’s not a problem with Turkish eggs, because you poach the eggs separately, and therefore exactly to your liking. 

There are three components here - a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt mixed with a teaspoon of olive oil, which goes into the bottom of your pot; a poached egg that is placed on top of this; and a butter & dried chilli mix that is drizzled on top. For this, you heat about 20g butter gently for about 10 minutes until it *just* starts to brown, then take it off the heat and stir in a big pinch of chilli flakes. That’s it, there isn’t even any seasoning because it’s not necessary, the tangy yoghurt and smoky spicy butter provide more than enough flavour. (Note: these amounts are per person).

The whole thing gets a sprinkling of parsley, and you eat it with thick slices of toasted bread (sourdough is good) or pitta. 

Eating out: Kebabs on the Southbank For some, the first hint of summer means sunglasses and sunhats, bare legs and open toes. For me, it’s a signal that it’s time to start eating outside!  On Saturday I headed to the Southbank with Nina & Paula for the Alchemy festival, an event at the Royal Festival Hall that brought together the various and wonderful aspects of Indian culture – music, film, fashion, literature. We were there for the food.  There were all sorts of stalls offering everything from dosas to dopiazas. Paula sought out her all-time favourite Indian snack, papdi chaat, from Horn OK Please while Nina and I were drawn in by the tempting smells coming from the Zouk kebab stall. Smoky, spicy, barbecued lamb mince, nestled in naan bread, smothered in chilli and mint sauces. Perfect for a sunny day.  We followed it up with a couple of masala chais, served in little clay cups, and then headed to the bar to enjoy a couple of beers and this incredible view.  Of course by Monday the grey skies were back, and it was as if the sunny weekend had never happened… typical! 
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Eating out: Kebabs on the Southbank

For some, the first hint of summer means sunglasses and sunhats, bare legs and open toes. For me, it’s a signal that it’s time to start eating outside! 

On Saturday I headed to the Southbank with Nina & Paula for the Alchemy festival, an event at the Royal Festival Hall that brought together the various and wonderful aspects of Indian culture – music, film, fashion, literature. We were there for the food. 

There were all sorts of stalls offering everything from dosas to dopiazas. Paula sought out her all-time favourite Indian snack, papdi chaat, from Horn OK Please while Nina and I were drawn in by the tempting smells coming from the Zouk kebab stall.

Smoky, spicy, barbecued lamb mince, nestled in naan bread, smothered in chilli and mint sauces. Perfect for a sunny day. 

We followed it up with a couple of masala chais, served in little clay cups, and then headed to the bar to enjoy a couple of beers and this incredible view. 

Of course by Monday the grey skies were back, and it was as if the sunny weekend had never happened… typical! 

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