Grazing on ‘picky’ food is absolutely my favourite way of eating. It’s possible this stems from Sunday tea when I was a child, not being a character that enjoyed the rituals of 1970’s mealtimes or what they had to offer…I did love Sunday tea. This would be a selection of small plates of seafood, some salads, a little bread a little cheese and so on… or on occasion it would be some nice ham, and celery, always celery. Continue reading Meanwhile in London…
Malabar Prawn Curry
South Indian food is a bit of a theme in our house, not merely because we love food from India, but also because South India has an abundance of seafood dishes to offer, making it very attractive to us.
We love these Keralan flavours, from the traditional Malabar cuisine. Spicy and rich, yet tamarind sour with an undertone of coconut. I always struggle to choose my ‘death cell’ flavours but these must feature, therefore I must cook with them… Continue reading South India via south London
It is fair to say that we enjoy poking around in French markets when we are down in the Pyrenees and that our menu, when for the two of us, is dictated by what we find in those spectacular places filled with local seasonal produce. I make the distinction of the ‘two of us’ as often we are catering for masses of friends and family staying with us and that is a different kind of planning process! Continue reading Conceived in La Boqueria, Born in Borough…
It’s been a bit of strange week, returning from an extended trip in France. On our return, my Uncle Little D suffered stroke although thanks to swift action by my aunt, Little P, a miracle stroke drug administered at an early stage and some stonking NHS care he is doing well and is already back home with few ill effects…..amazing.
The working week ended on a high note as Rocket’s boss, had kindly arranged for us to have a meal out in town as his birthday gift for this year so last night was elected as a fine time to dine out at Cafe Murano. http://www.cafemurano.co.uk/ Continue reading Friday date night
I use to work near a pub where they did a comfort dish of penne in an Italian sausage tomato sauce. It was rich and very moreish – the sausage sort of melts into the sauce and enriches it in a delicious way. Continue reading Bang On!
Aitch, as well as standing for our family name, is also for ‘hundred’ and this will be my hundredth post so a few weeks ago when Number One called to ask if we thought a family barbecue would be a good celebration for her birthday and also for Rocket’s, I resolved that this would be a fitting subject for my next and ‘special’ post.
Further plotting and planning took place as Number One wanted a lazy, long afternoon and evening with some good food. The second requirement of many that were to develop was breakfast ‘out’ somewhere the next day. So the plan was hatched and we embellished it as we went along, as we tend to do… Continue reading The Aitch Team
The Bluebird Restaurant – Kings Road, Chelsea, London.
Anyone who knows me understands that I am a Chelsea girl, by which I mean I am a lifelong follower of Chelsea Football Club, along with generations of my family. It’s not a choice, I didn’t wake up one day and say I think I’ll like Chelsea…it’s something that was predetermined and “what is done, is done and cannot be undone”. Continue reading Chelsea Chelsea! Chelsea Chelsea!
Pan Roast Pollack with Crab Crushed potatoes, Lemon and Lime Chive Butter sauce.
This will be one of my favourite posts, purely on the grounds that it ticks a lot of my boxes: sustainable British fish that is bang in season, a subtle flavour of crab running through the potatoes and the delicious zing of the butter sauce. More than that though, it’s not extravagantly expensive due to a cunning cheat and it’s ridiculously quick to make. There is, unquestionably, a lot of butter in the sauce but the clue is in the name! Continue reading Never mind the Pollacks
Whole baked Brill with Clam Broth
I’m not a fan of Valentine’s day, on the grounds that it is almost entirely a commercial exercise, a recipe for rip offs, and most importantly kind of smug. When single you may feel like everyone else is in this loved up club and there are times in life when that may be a bit depressing…and I don’t like to think that someone might feel lonely or low.
However I don’t have anything against people enjoying themselves…loved up, single or otherwise.Neither do I think everyone who is single is sad and lonely, having spent many happy single years – and I am definitely not against romance. That’s my position, just thought I’d clarify it! Just to prove I am romantic, the soundtrack for our lives and the backdrop to our lovely Saturday was courtesy of Van Morrison – here you go…listen along while you read… Continue reading A Simply Brill day
It was so grey and wet here in earlier this week in London, I decided to have some sunshine food in the form of tagliatelle and salmon, a friend gave us some cavolo nero from their garden so I added that into the theme.
After I had lightly poached and flaked the salmon, I blanched the cabbage and when the tagliatelle was cooked in lightly salted water and drained , I popped the salmon cabbage and little lemon zest into the pan with plenty of black pepper a little Cornish sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice . In a separate pan, I warmed through a some Creme Fraiche and ran that through the warm pasta.
Simple and very speedy.
I feel like this…
Who knew that my death cell pudding, favourite all time dessert follows the route the Tour De France just took? I suppose the Kent part is pushing it a bit and it didn’t go to Scotland this time…but they probably travelled through Kent to get to the next stage, and there is a strong alliance between Scotland and France – okay that is tenuous at best… Continue reading Yorkshire Puddings, Kent Strawberries, London Syrup, Scottish Ice Cream…
Liver – still the 1970’s
There is no really funny story attached to this, albeit I’m sure that somewhere along the line the eating of a flip flop could raise a smile. Continue reading Foods that have scared me – No2
My cousin Petal, her husband The Banker and their lovely kids are visiting us from the States. They have been out and about doing their thang and we have been away at a wedding so last night we had a relaxing meal at home together. Continue reading Simple Salmon met a Pie Man…
In my spotty youth my ‘boyfriend’ for a few years was of Pakinstani origins, his father having been born in Lahore and his mother being from south London.
As you do in your teens, we spent time just loitering, and often around and about his father’s business premises. Masood, would often finish his work, load his workers and ourselves into some battered old vehicle and cart us off to the east…..that is the east end of London. Aldgate to be precise. He liked a taste of home and the Lahore Kebab house in Umberston street, E1 was just the thing. Continue reading Memories of Lahore…
Cocktails and Tapas,
With rickshaws well driven,
Brown paper hen bags and chalk boards within,
These are a few of my favourite things..
Continue reading “Henguins” at Ice Bar with rain macs and mittens
Wednesday was the new Thursday this week. Why not totally spank my health regime with a trip to a Kennington Institution – Ghandi’s.
Rocket is away to Scotland tomorrow so we are out on a Wednesday – this will cause a great deal of confusion for me at 6am tomorrow when the alarm goes off and I get up and stagger around with one leg in my knickers and one eye stuck shut. Back to the tale… Continue reading M’hat M’Curry
I like to exercise my democratic right – I’m not saying that doesn’t occasionally blow up in my face though.
I’ve always felt conscious, prickly even about the late stage in history that provided the female vote in this country, less than 100 years of female emancipation in the UK. Just one good long lifetime ago, I’d have been denied that right. Those brave women did me a huge service and I will never forget it nor will I ever fail to exercise the right they gifted me. Equality may be a way off yet but at least I don’t have to throw myself in front of horse – someone did that for me and I am deeply grateful. Continue reading London has voted
In Search of the Catfish Café... 