Our chilli plants are doing brilliantly at work. The first batch of chillies have been harvested so we are now at the stage of pollinating the flowers for a second growth.
To see our unique way of pollinating our plants have a look at the video below. Be sure to turn the sound up nice and high.
Dug a dug a dung.
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Gaucho Grill
Victoria and Alex gave us a very good pre meal analysis. Expect glitz and glamour; immaculate mear; slick service; steep prices; good chips. But occassionaly watch out for inconsistent service, greasy vegetables and listen to how you should have your steak.
Armed with this wealth of advice it all seemed to correct as we shown to our table amongst a dark and sultry dining room. A huge space, crawling with money and girls who had spent hours getting ready and men who were about to spend a fortune.
We settled in and were shown the array of steaks on a wooden board. The waitress gabbled through the description so rapidly we didn't catch a word she said. But Victoria had given us a good sumamry so we weren't too fussed. I ordered a 400g lump of rib eye which the waitress advised me to have medium. I insisted that it should be pink and she said it would be. Cowie ordered a trout ceviche and a prawn and palm heart salad.
The trout ceviche wasn't. It was a collection of three generous slices of cured trout. But it hadn't been cured in citric acid. Now I am clearly no Peruvian but I did think that lemon or lime juice was the central ingredient. A bit like ordering toast and getting bread. It was very tasty, just a bit of a problem for anyone who gets annoyed by misdescriptions.
Then onto the main show. The warm up was over and the headline act was taking the stage. My mega steak arrived with great cermeony. Lots of bernaise. Some chips. A big hunk of....
O dear....
Massively overcooked steak. Grey and rigid it stood lifeless like those a performance artist in Covent Garden. And the chips were cold.
We called over the waitress with a smile and a firm look. She whisked it away and told the chef to cook a fresh one. Meanwhile Cowie devoured her prawn and palm heart salad. It was tasty but incredibly stingy. Cowie counted six medium sized prawns. And then realised that they had all been sliced in half so she had actually only had 3! Three prawns! Not good enough.
10 minutes later my replacement steak arrived. I could hear it mooing as it arrived. As I sliced it in half I could hear the staff collectively sigh with relief. Or maybe I could hear myself. It was tender, juicy and tasted of animal. You could really taste the beef. A delightful piece of meat. The bernaise sauce was fantastic but the second bowl of chips were as cold as the first. Disappointing.
Our carafe of Malbec was delicious. But we didn't need it pouring for us. If you are given a jug of wine the protocol is that you pour it yourself. Cowie only wanted one glass. Having finished her first glass the waitress steamed over and agressively filled it to the brim leaving me with 3/4 of a steak to eat with no wine. Yet another irritant. Cowie and I swapped glasses. But we shouldn't have had to.
Scanning the room we completely agreed that this is one of the best restaurants we have been to for people spotting. Over Cowie's left shoulder was a girl tarted up to the nines wearing a short black dress, some scary heels with a tattoo on her foot. The both fesated on well done steaks whilst drinking glasses of rose topped up to the brim. Kissing and fondling their way through the meal they were having a great time.
It's also great fun to watch the chef at work on the grill. With an earpiece wedged into the side of his head I was surprised he managed to completely balls up my steak.
It was one of the best steaks I have had in London. But given that the first was awful the overall mark averages out as being well below par. Add to that Cowie's measly prawn salad and the abysmal service and you've got glitzy money trap. Give me the steaks we had in Buenos Aires or the USA anyday.
Armed with this wealth of advice it all seemed to correct as we shown to our table amongst a dark and sultry dining room. A huge space, crawling with money and girls who had spent hours getting ready and men who were about to spend a fortune.
We settled in and were shown the array of steaks on a wooden board. The waitress gabbled through the description so rapidly we didn't catch a word she said. But Victoria had given us a good sumamry so we weren't too fussed. I ordered a 400g lump of rib eye which the waitress advised me to have medium. I insisted that it should be pink and she said it would be. Cowie ordered a trout ceviche and a prawn and palm heart salad.
The trout ceviche wasn't. It was a collection of three generous slices of cured trout. But it hadn't been cured in citric acid. Now I am clearly no Peruvian but I did think that lemon or lime juice was the central ingredient. A bit like ordering toast and getting bread. It was very tasty, just a bit of a problem for anyone who gets annoyed by misdescriptions.
Then onto the main show. The warm up was over and the headline act was taking the stage. My mega steak arrived with great cermeony. Lots of bernaise. Some chips. A big hunk of....
O dear....
Massively overcooked steak. Grey and rigid it stood lifeless like those a performance artist in Covent Garden. And the chips were cold.
We called over the waitress with a smile and a firm look. She whisked it away and told the chef to cook a fresh one. Meanwhile Cowie devoured her prawn and palm heart salad. It was tasty but incredibly stingy. Cowie counted six medium sized prawns. And then realised that they had all been sliced in half so she had actually only had 3! Three prawns! Not good enough.
10 minutes later my replacement steak arrived. I could hear it mooing as it arrived. As I sliced it in half I could hear the staff collectively sigh with relief. Or maybe I could hear myself. It was tender, juicy and tasted of animal. You could really taste the beef. A delightful piece of meat. The bernaise sauce was fantastic but the second bowl of chips were as cold as the first. Disappointing.
Our carafe of Malbec was delicious. But we didn't need it pouring for us. If you are given a jug of wine the protocol is that you pour it yourself. Cowie only wanted one glass. Having finished her first glass the waitress steamed over and agressively filled it to the brim leaving me with 3/4 of a steak to eat with no wine. Yet another irritant. Cowie and I swapped glasses. But we shouldn't have had to.
Scanning the room we completely agreed that this is one of the best restaurants we have been to for people spotting. Over Cowie's left shoulder was a girl tarted up to the nines wearing a short black dress, some scary heels with a tattoo on her foot. The both fesated on well done steaks whilst drinking glasses of rose topped up to the brim. Kissing and fondling their way through the meal they were having a great time.
It's also great fun to watch the chef at work on the grill. With an earpiece wedged into the side of his head I was surprised he managed to completely balls up my steak.
It was one of the best steaks I have had in London. But given that the first was awful the overall mark averages out as being well below par. Add to that Cowie's measly prawn salad and the abysmal service and you've got glitzy money trap. Give me the steaks we had in Buenos Aires or the USA anyday.
Firefly Drinks
Just a quick post to say that Firefly drinks are on to a good idea with the packaging. For each of the drinks in their range they feature a photo on the front of the pack that sums up the mood that the drink is intended to generate. For "Wake Up" below the picture is of a bloke jumping with energy...
The photo was taken by someone called Phillip Spears
What a stroke of genius from Firefly. Simply take an inspiring photo that sums up the mood that their drinks are trying to evoke, send it in and if they think it is better than what they already have they use your picture instead. Great marketing idea. Basically it is a much better version of what Jones Soda and Veddett beer do. I can imagine it working really well for Sharyn Wortman's Today was Fun teas.
The photo was taken by someone called Phillip Spears
What a stroke of genius from Firefly. Simply take an inspiring photo that sums up the mood that their drinks are trying to evoke, send it in and if they think it is better than what they already have they use your picture instead. Great marketing idea. Basically it is a much better version of what Jones Soda and Veddett beer do. I can imagine it working really well for Sharyn Wortman's Today was Fun teas.
Taste of Bath
Describe Taste of Bath in one sentence:
"Smaller, wetter, friendlier, more interesting version of Taste of London."
Controversial? Possibly... True? Probably.
Taste of London is great fun. It's a fair reflection of London's impressive range of restaurants. But we felt a bit bored by what was on offer. It all seemed a little bit samey. Nothing massively adventurous. Nothing that blew our socks off. Nothing ground breaking. All very expected.
Taste of Bath was similar and to be honest we were a bit underwhelmed to begin with. Not to mention soaking wet!
Lots of good old fashioned dishes such as roast fillets of lamb from Wheatsheaf...
... and well cooked sea bass from Fish Works. Delicious but hardly adventurous.
Mum would have been pleased to see the flowers on the lamb.
I tried some pork belly from Bells Diner that was going really well until I popped a few of the sultanas on my plastic fork and almost spat it out. The combination of boozy sherry that they havd been soaked in destroyed the dish completely. What a shame.
So far so provincial. But then we came across Chris Horridge who cooks at Bath Priory. He did really well in this year's Great British Menu - his style involves using minimal ammounts of oil, salt and sugar. He uniquely always ensures that his dishes are nutritious as well as tasty. One by one I spent my crowns on his dishes.
His birch sap cured duck was delicate, clean, full of flavour and a breath of pure, fresh air. A bit like when you crawl into the bathroom and brush your teeth after a heavy night on the booze. As the brush and paste do their work the taste of raw garlic, onion, kebab and beer fade away leaving you feeling human and revitalised. The tangerine paste added a beautiful swathe of colour and sweet acidity. And the seeds added a soft gritty texture.
In fact the plate looked just as good once I had hoovered it all down - which surely must be the sign of a good dish!
We went away and were drawn back to his roasted scallop with lemon balm foam, which wasn't as exciting to look at as the duck but was a delight to eat. The scallop was meaty and the foam was light and fragrant. A hugely welcome alternative to the ubiquitous cauliflower or pea puree combination.
We then did another circuit before I convinced Cowie to go for the pud. It was a blackcurrant and redcurrant jelly type thing with space dust and mango paper. Sublime. Light. Zingy. Rammed so full of flavour I wondered whether he had laced it with LSD. The picture doesn't really do it justice but it probably helps to get the idea across.
We left feeling inspired. Delighted to have come face to face with Chris Horridge's food. Eager to find an excuse to book ourselves in for a foodie weekend.
"Smaller, wetter, friendlier, more interesting version of Taste of London."
Controversial? Possibly... True? Probably.
Taste of London is great fun. It's a fair reflection of London's impressive range of restaurants. But we felt a bit bored by what was on offer. It all seemed a little bit samey. Nothing massively adventurous. Nothing that blew our socks off. Nothing ground breaking. All very expected.
Taste of Bath was similar and to be honest we were a bit underwhelmed to begin with. Not to mention soaking wet!
Lots of good old fashioned dishes such as roast fillets of lamb from Wheatsheaf...
... and well cooked sea bass from Fish Works. Delicious but hardly adventurous.
Mum would have been pleased to see the flowers on the lamb.
I tried some pork belly from Bells Diner that was going really well until I popped a few of the sultanas on my plastic fork and almost spat it out. The combination of boozy sherry that they havd been soaked in destroyed the dish completely. What a shame.
So far so provincial. But then we came across Chris Horridge who cooks at Bath Priory. He did really well in this year's Great British Menu - his style involves using minimal ammounts of oil, salt and sugar. He uniquely always ensures that his dishes are nutritious as well as tasty. One by one I spent my crowns on his dishes.
His birch sap cured duck was delicate, clean, full of flavour and a breath of pure, fresh air. A bit like when you crawl into the bathroom and brush your teeth after a heavy night on the booze. As the brush and paste do their work the taste of raw garlic, onion, kebab and beer fade away leaving you feeling human and revitalised. The tangerine paste added a beautiful swathe of colour and sweet acidity. And the seeds added a soft gritty texture.
In fact the plate looked just as good once I had hoovered it all down - which surely must be the sign of a good dish!
We went away and were drawn back to his roasted scallop with lemon balm foam, which wasn't as exciting to look at as the duck but was a delight to eat. The scallop was meaty and the foam was light and fragrant. A hugely welcome alternative to the ubiquitous cauliflower or pea puree combination.
We then did another circuit before I convinced Cowie to go for the pud. It was a blackcurrant and redcurrant jelly type thing with space dust and mango paper. Sublime. Light. Zingy. Rammed so full of flavour I wondered whether he had laced it with LSD. The picture doesn't really do it justice but it probably helps to get the idea across.
We left feeling inspired. Delighted to have come face to face with Chris Horridge's food. Eager to find an excuse to book ourselves in for a foodie weekend.
Crab Mayonnaise
On a cold, windy, rainy Saturday we thought it was a great idea to go to the seaside! How insanely British. Ferries were grounded (or whatever they do to ferries). Sea gulls thought it was a bit too blustery to take off. And a young chap on a skateboard was using his jumper as a sail to propel himslef up a steep slope. A solitary windsurfer was giving the coast guard a heart attack. Lyme Regis was in its element.
We bought 2 large crab from a very friendly fishmonger who assured us they were Lyme Regis crabs that had been delivered yesterday night. Not last night then? Great bloke.
His array of fish was breathtaking.
I asked him what his best fish of the day was and he immediately pointed at 4 immaculate skate wings. Rosy pink and frilled like a large feather. I mischeviously asked whether skate was endangered... and he said there was tonnes of it out there. Quite different from what you read in the papers.
Whilst we were having a much needed cup of hot chocolate he took the dodgy bits out of the crab and cracked the claws. We left 20 pounds lighter with 2 crabs weighing well over a kilo each. Glorious chaps. The colour of Stafforshire bricks.
As we drove home to Somerset, Hector and Bella, Cowie's whippets could barely control themselves as the crabs took pride of place in the boot and began to smell enticingly fishy. We fully expected to find them both tucking when we left them in the car to pay the River Cottage store in Axminster a visit. But when you think about it, Crabs are pretty much dog proof. But probably not cat proof.
We bought some fantastically dense bread and a couple of disappointing Cornish pasties and set off through the storm back home.
The whole Cowie household joined forces. Tamysn made a few roulades for a hunt event, Cowie made the main course of garlic lamb and DAvid and I teamed up to take on the crab.
David used a combination of Rick Stein's fish book, a mole grip and a hammer to delicately prepare the crab. I used a fondue prong to tease the meat out of the infuriating creviches in the crabs body. It's a gentle balance between getting all the meat out and making sure that there isn't any shell in the ricey meat.
All that was missing was a compressor unit and a jack hammer!
Having weened all of the meat out I embarked on a journey to create the ultimate mayonnaise.
Tamsyn had bought some unfiltered, organic extra virgin olive oil which was deliciously bitter and flavoursome. Bright green and thick it created a luxurious mayonnaise. Given that this was my debut I very carefully followed a combination of Constance Spry and Jamie Oliver's recipes adding a little drizzle of olive oil to the creamed yolks, salt and cayenne pepper. Gradually as the mixture got thicker I let it down with some lemon juice and white wine vinegar.
There's something really satisfying about making mayonnaise from scratch. But it's also terrifying to see the amount of oil that is needed to make it!
Cowie toasted some of Hugh's bread (which was fantastic) just before we gorged ourselves on crab and mayonnaise.
Pure bliss. Simple and so in sesason. In fact it was so good we didn't progress beyond our starter... Cowie's lamb was put back in the fridge!
And we've now got some great stock to make a crab risotto with... mmm.
We bought 2 large crab from a very friendly fishmonger who assured us they were Lyme Regis crabs that had been delivered yesterday night. Not last night then? Great bloke.
His array of fish was breathtaking.
I asked him what his best fish of the day was and he immediately pointed at 4 immaculate skate wings. Rosy pink and frilled like a large feather. I mischeviously asked whether skate was endangered... and he said there was tonnes of it out there. Quite different from what you read in the papers.
Whilst we were having a much needed cup of hot chocolate he took the dodgy bits out of the crab and cracked the claws. We left 20 pounds lighter with 2 crabs weighing well over a kilo each. Glorious chaps. The colour of Stafforshire bricks.
As we drove home to Somerset, Hector and Bella, Cowie's whippets could barely control themselves as the crabs took pride of place in the boot and began to smell enticingly fishy. We fully expected to find them both tucking when we left them in the car to pay the River Cottage store in Axminster a visit. But when you think about it, Crabs are pretty much dog proof. But probably not cat proof.
We bought some fantastically dense bread and a couple of disappointing Cornish pasties and set off through the storm back home.
The whole Cowie household joined forces. Tamysn made a few roulades for a hunt event, Cowie made the main course of garlic lamb and DAvid and I teamed up to take on the crab.
David used a combination of Rick Stein's fish book, a mole grip and a hammer to delicately prepare the crab. I used a fondue prong to tease the meat out of the infuriating creviches in the crabs body. It's a gentle balance between getting all the meat out and making sure that there isn't any shell in the ricey meat.
All that was missing was a compressor unit and a jack hammer!
Having weened all of the meat out I embarked on a journey to create the ultimate mayonnaise.
Tamsyn had bought some unfiltered, organic extra virgin olive oil which was deliciously bitter and flavoursome. Bright green and thick it created a luxurious mayonnaise. Given that this was my debut I very carefully followed a combination of Constance Spry and Jamie Oliver's recipes adding a little drizzle of olive oil to the creamed yolks, salt and cayenne pepper. Gradually as the mixture got thicker I let it down with some lemon juice and white wine vinegar.
There's something really satisfying about making mayonnaise from scratch. But it's also terrifying to see the amount of oil that is needed to make it!
Cowie toasted some of Hugh's bread (which was fantastic) just before we gorged ourselves on crab and mayonnaise.
Pure bliss. Simple and so in sesason. In fact it was so good we didn't progress beyond our starter... Cowie's lamb was put back in the fridge!
And we've now got some great stock to make a crab risotto with... mmm.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Berocca Blogger Relief Pack
A week or so ago I entered the Berocca blogger relief competition and somehow sneaked through and won. They sent me a blogger relief pack which is full of things to clutter up my desk a bit more. All of it themed around stress busting...
Here's the blurb from their site:
"Blogging can be stressful. We live in a world where millions of people
read and demand new content from websites every day.
The Blogger Relief Pack comes to the rescue of those tired minds. Be part of the Blogger Relief campaign to rescue those we rely on to feed our insatiable hunger for the weird wide web.
If you’ve got a blog, fill in your details and you could receive a Blogger Relief Pack from Berocca. Keep on blogging and we’ll feature some of the best blogs we see on this page in the coming weeks."
So in my pack I got:
A tube of Berocca and a branded glass
A stress pen holder
A stress relief button that triggers an explosion on my computer screen
In addition to this was a stress ball that has been causing chaos and a device that makes the sound of popping bubble wrap. Odd. But fun.
It's a great idea and has introduced me to Berocca. Having never tried it before this programme has transformed me into a bit of a brand fan... I've already written about Berocca three times now. Not to mention I have now got Berocca related goodies strewn around my desk.
Importantly, I opted in to this promotion and have been given the chance to opt out. This fits in very well with Seth Godin's marketing principles. I wonder if similar schemes could work for our brands?
Monday, 7 July 2008
Taste of London Round Up
We went to the Taste of London last year and loved it. So we decided to go back. Looking back at last year's post it is interesting to see how the world has moved on. I was slimmer and had bigger hair. But the food was fairly similar. And in the case of Le Gavroche, identical!
With eager apetites and a spring in our steps we devoured the Taste of London as if rationing was about to be imposed tomorrow...
Highlights included:
The Nintendo stand where you can learn to cook using your Nintendo DS. Very cool. Really want one of these. Hint hint.
Cowie loved the Moody Muesli stand.
Their range and names are brilliant. For a snapshot of what they are like you can't go too far wrong with reading this exract from their website:
"There are four recipes available at the moment: The ‘Stop the Clock mix’; The ‘Hair of the Dog mix’; The 'Aphrodisiac mix'; and The 'Healthy Bowel mix', or as I like to call it: 'Poosli!'; although I’m busily working (and munching) away to create the next surprise in the series."
Cowie and I fell about laughing like the scatalogically minded children we are! Poosli...
In terms of the restaurants we had 3 clear favourites...
1. Le Cafe Anglais: Parmesan Custard and Anchovy on Toast.
Utterly awesome. The best thing I have put in my mouth this year. For more ranting and raving from me click on these two lins. Link 1. Link 2.
2. Trinity: Pigs Trotters on Toast
Not completely amazing. But delicious and mind expanding. You go to restaurants to try things you wouldn't normally cook at home. You go to events like Taste of London to be even more adventurous. Whislt this wasn't the most spectacular dish in the world I really liked it and now want to put pigs trotters in everything!
It has also made us really want to go to Trinity in Clapham Common.
3. Kai: Braised Brisket Beef & Bun
Cooked super slowly it tasted sweetly of cinnamon. Whilst this may not sound amazing it was really interesting. Another example of having our taste buds stretched - if that doesn't sound too painful!
We had a few dodgy dishes such as the pork belly from Saltyard which was dry and the beans were undercooked. Also, Angela Hartnett's stand York and Albany had a very dull menu which was a shame because I would have been interested in guzzling her food...
# San Daniele, melon and mint salad
# Rigatoni with tomato and rocket
# Tiramisu with Savoiardi Biscotti
My one regret is not to have devoured the short rib cottage pie from Trinity. It looked awesome and smelled brilliant. I was just too full!
We had a a great evening and are already looking forward to next year's event. Since the Taste of London we have also been to the Taste of Bath which you will be able to read about soon.
With eager apetites and a spring in our steps we devoured the Taste of London as if rationing was about to be imposed tomorrow...
Highlights included:
The Nintendo stand where you can learn to cook using your Nintendo DS. Very cool. Really want one of these. Hint hint.
Cowie loved the Moody Muesli stand.
Their range and names are brilliant. For a snapshot of what they are like you can't go too far wrong with reading this exract from their website:
"There are four recipes available at the moment: The ‘Stop the Clock mix’; The ‘Hair of the Dog mix’; The 'Aphrodisiac mix'; and The 'Healthy Bowel mix', or as I like to call it: 'Poosli!'; although I’m busily working (and munching) away to create the next surprise in the series."
Cowie and I fell about laughing like the scatalogically minded children we are! Poosli...
In terms of the restaurants we had 3 clear favourites...
1. Le Cafe Anglais: Parmesan Custard and Anchovy on Toast.
Utterly awesome. The best thing I have put in my mouth this year. For more ranting and raving from me click on these two lins. Link 1. Link 2.
2. Trinity: Pigs Trotters on Toast
Not completely amazing. But delicious and mind expanding. You go to restaurants to try things you wouldn't normally cook at home. You go to events like Taste of London to be even more adventurous. Whislt this wasn't the most spectacular dish in the world I really liked it and now want to put pigs trotters in everything!
It has also made us really want to go to Trinity in Clapham Common.
3. Kai: Braised Brisket Beef & Bun
Cooked super slowly it tasted sweetly of cinnamon. Whilst this may not sound amazing it was really interesting. Another example of having our taste buds stretched - if that doesn't sound too painful!
We had a few dodgy dishes such as the pork belly from Saltyard which was dry and the beans were undercooked. Also, Angela Hartnett's stand York and Albany had a very dull menu which was a shame because I would have been interested in guzzling her food...
# San Daniele, melon and mint salad
# Rigatoni with tomato and rocket
# Tiramisu with Savoiardi Biscotti
My one regret is not to have devoured the short rib cottage pie from Trinity. It looked awesome and smelled brilliant. I was just too full!
We had a a great evening and are already looking forward to next year's event. Since the Taste of London we have also been to the Taste of Bath which you will be able to read about soon.
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Silk
Image from Flickr - fdecomite
Gilly and I hadn't seen each other for far too long, so we had a look on Top Table and found a few 50% and 2 for 1 offers to decide between. An hour or so later we had decided to pay Silk on Great Marlborough Street a visit.
Their concept is pretty interesting: they serve a range of dishes from along the ancient silk trading route. A mix between Indian, Middle and Far Eastern cuisine with a of sibtle spicing and dishes with amusing names.
Neither of us could find the restaurant to begin with. This isn't helped by the map they provide on their website. Neither is it helped by the lack of any prominent signage outside. Probably the result of some weird planning restrictions. It's tucked away inside a hotel so needless to say the restaurant was empty.
Gilly and I settled down and immediately started chatting only to be interupted in order to be told about the concept and how old the room was. Given that we were in mid conversation and that we had read about the fact that the dining room is located in an old courtroom on the Top Table and Silk website, we really didn't need to be told again. This kept happening throughout the meal which was annoying.
We shared both of our starters and main courses... the scallops with a zesty foam were succulent and accurately cooked. The zingy foam was tremendous. It made for a fantastic change from cauliflower or pea puree.
My medium rare venison was more medium well than medium rare which was odd because they made quite a fuss of telling me how their chef was going to cook it. Putting that to one side, like Gilly did with a stray peanut on his plate, the venison was very cleverly spiced and accompanied by a cheeky green sauce. The best thing about my starter was the name. I simply couldn't resist a dish called "Jangli Maan".
Main courses were good too. My lamb chops were accurately cooked. Singed on the outside and juicy in the middle. They had been marinaded delicately in a range of yoghurty spices. Not much heat, but a lot of flavour. I wish I had a better grasp of Easter flavours so I could tell you what it involved... but I don't!
Gilly's vast wild tiger prawns were sweet and juciy. Well cooked once more and full of interesting and slightly unexpected flavours.
The food is really very good. But the atmosphere and service are both big negative factors. There's probably a reason that courtrooms are unusual in the restaurant business. They remind you of school dining rooms and the prospect of being in prison. Neither school's nor prisons have a great reputation for fine food... apart from that one in Italy of course.
If it hadn't been on a 2 for 1 offer from Top Table it would have been very expensive, but this way it made for a great chance to catch up and try some interesting food. Neither of us could see this one staying around for very long. So get here whilst you can, or wait for the next one which will probably be called Phoenix.
Parmesan Custard and Anchovy Toast Continued
Cowie and I went to Burgundy over the weekend and had a wonderful time with the whole family. Each night a team of two cooked something different. Needless to say it was all fantastically French and delicious.
Whilst researching what to cook with Tamsyn I stumbled across an old Floyd book.
Flicking through it I found none other than a recipe in the hors d'oeuvres section for cheese custard.
And then over the page for anchovy toast!
A reflection of Rowley Leigh and Floyd's shared love of rustic French food? Or copywright infringement? Probably the former!
Either way, I can't wait to eat at Le Cafe Anglais in order to shove another Parmesan custard tart in my mouth whilst nibbling some crunchy anchovy toast.
Whilst researching what to cook with Tamsyn I stumbled across an old Floyd book.
Flicking through it I found none other than a recipe in the hors d'oeuvres section for cheese custard.
And then over the page for anchovy toast!
A reflection of Rowley Leigh and Floyd's shared love of rustic French food? Or copywright infringement? Probably the former!
Either way, I can't wait to eat at Le Cafe Anglais in order to shove another Parmesan custard tart in my mouth whilst nibbling some crunchy anchovy toast.
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Parmesan Custard and Anchovy Toast
Just a quick post to say that if you ever get the chance to eat Rowley Leigh's food make sure you have his parmesan custard and anchovy toast. It is out of this world...
In fact it was so good I have even dreamt about it and think I might be adicted. Get me a cab immediately to Le Cafe Anglais!
More on Taste of London to come...
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