Sugar Thursday

I'm trying to write this while tweaking out a little. I had to taste everything I made tonight (obviously) but as a result am coming down from a major sugar high. 
But, I regret nothing. NOTHING! 
It's all so tasty. totally trashy, but sometimes the best things are!

NYT cookies
If you haven't heard of the New York Times Cookie recipe then you are missing out. This article won the James Beard award a couple of years back for what they proposed was 'the perfect cookie recipe'. Having interviewed many bakers around the city they determined there are 4 things that are required to have the perfect cookie.
1) It needs to be 6" across. That way you have the crispy outer edge, gooey middle and a ring that combines the two
2) The dough needs to 'settle' for at least 36hrs. This lets the butter, eggs and flour to fully absorb. It gives the cookies a nice caramel-y taste and a all over consistent golden brown color. 
3) There needs to be a ratio of 40-60 chocolate-cookie. The chocolate should be dark and preferably in disks, that way, in every bite is some chocolaty goodness. 
4) Two Words: Sea.Salt. 

 I decided to take half the batch up a notch. By adding bacon. Yum! 
Chop up some cooked crispy bacon and mix it into your already made dough before you roll it in a ball and place it on the cookie sheet. 

Funfetti & Oreo cake. 

This is super complicated so bare with me for a sec. 

Take funfetti batter and pour half into the pan. Place Oreos at even intervals and then pour the remaining half of the funfetti dough over it. Bake as normal. 

Got it? Good.

Can you see the sink hole in the middle?

A beautiful sunrise in London this morning. 

Picture/ Food

Picture
Food (Beet Ravioli with goat cheese, hazelnuts & Chives)

Lantana

New Zealanders seem to be taking over London! If you haven't tried Lantana for brunch yet I would highly recommend it, especially on a sunny morning like my friend and I got to do. 

The inside is light and airy and so is its food. They have lovely dill pancakes with smoked salmon, corn fritters with bacon, toasted banana bread and freshly squeezed juices. I have never been disappointed by their food which is always flavorful and never overbearing and heavy. 

It's the perfect place to sit in a sunny spot and linger over coffee and a newspaper. 
13, Charlotte Place W1T 1SN

Taken by Katrina

I Heart Chia

I picked up a pack of Chia Seeds at Trader Joe's before I headed back to the UK this past week and I'm so glad I did. These things are amazing!

I've started to make my own smoothies for breakfast each morning (and by started I mean the past 2 mornings-so going really well so far!). I've been putting a tablespoon in the mixture before I put it in the fridge to enjoy the next morning. 

Little did I know that this is actually a great thing to do because they turn into little gooey bubbles. It's like I'm drinking a mini bubble tea smoothie each morning which I LOVE. It also thickens the smoothie so even though I made it the night before with just banana, yogurt and milk, it's lusciously thick the next day. 

But the best part!? They are so good for you! They're rich in omega-3 (great for heart, digestion and joints), fibre and protein. When I have my smoothie at 9am I'm not hungry again till 12pm (this is actually a big deal for me because I'm normally hungry again at 10:30am). 

I think there are many more things I can make with them (including a type of Chia seed pudding) so I'm only just getting started!

here

Recipe to try them with: Strawberry smoothie with banana, lime and coconut milk

here

Back!

Yes, I did disappear for a bit. It's been a crazy week & a bit and couldn't find a single moment to sit down at the computer. But it was a fun crazy week & a bit. Let me regale you with what I've done! 

FIIIINNINALLY made it to Pitt Cue (or it's little truck on the south bank) and managed to try the pulled pork. 
It was pretty good, very good actually. But the best parts were the sides. Homemade pickles where you can still taste the cucumber heritage, fresh slaw to counterbalance the heavy pork and amazing fried shiitake mushroom. 
There were no lines at the truck so definitely a great way to get the Pitt Cue taste without the Pitt Cue wait. 

Oysters from Wright Brothers- a great place to stop and rest your feet at borough market. 
I learnt a little bit about this shellfish while there:


The colder the water, the bigger and fatter the oyster! 


I don't know why you wouldn't want the biggest, fattiest and juiciest oyster but apparently some people dont. NOT ME! 
I would highly recommend visiting Wright Brothers, getting the 'sample platter' with 3 different types of oysters (2 of each) and a pint of Guinness. Then, when you've tried that, just order an entire platter of the Lindisfarne. THEY'RE THE BEST. 

The rooftop at Selfridges- with the Daylesford cafe
Thank goodness for the Olympics. Central London has been pretty quiet this weekend and therefore managed to check out the rooftop at Selfridges without having to wait! 
A bit massively overpriced but atmospheric. Never managed to check out the mini golf but looked fun and people seem to be enjoying themselves. 
We shared a lovely bakewell tart that wasn't too sickly sweet but just perfectly satisfied my niggiling sweetooth craving. 
I was very envious of those who had decided to have the full traditional tea. They bring over small stacked open crates (like what you would store wholesale vegetables in) with bitesized sandwiches on whole seeded buns with fillings like smoked salmon or egg. On the second small crate was the scones. Not huge but they looked very moist and well made from where I sat. 
They were also selling jelly (or jello depending who you are) in molds by Bompas & Parr (they also designed the mini golf course). The jelly of the day for us was gin & violet. They were very small and therefore perfect as a little snack with your drink. 
They also serve wine up there so I imagine it would be an amazing place to get an afterwork drink while looking over London. 
Go enjoy the garden rooftop while playing mini golf and escaping mad Oxford St below!

Opening Ceremony at London Live in Hyde Park. SO proud to be a Londoner. Bring it on world! 

 The best cinnamon role from Nordic Bakery

Fried custard and courgette flowers from Brick Lane Market

Writing this all down really makes me realize how much my life revolves around food. 
Let me know if you try any of these places out!

London Happenings #3: Supper Clubs

I love the idea of supper clubs. So secretive and private and full of surprises (or that's what I imagine them like, but my description sounds a bit like a boy with commitment issues). 
Here are just a few around London: 


White Room Supper Club

here

Run by a professional with a passion for food. It's about meeting new people and eating good food. Suggested donation is 35 pounds and it's BYOB. 


Italian Supper Club
I think they sum it up well-

The main ingredients of our events are food, wine and people - the first two must be Italian and the third one should simply have a big smile when they arrive and a bigger one when they leave.

Who doesn't want to go to an event described like that! Each event is at a different location and is capped at 30 people and costs 35 pounds including a wine pairing for each course. 

Saltoun Supper Club
Twice a week they turn a flat in Brixton into a restaurant for 16 people. They offer a set 4 course menu with a vegetarian option including homemade bread and treats. As is typical with supper clubs, BYOB. 

here

+65
Singapourian Supper Club that has been getting a lot of press. Their menus look adventurous and exciting and most importantly, delicious! 

here

The Secret Larder
North London supper club run by James Ramsden every other Thursday 

here

 I can't wait to try some of these out! Have any of you been to a supper club in London?

Summer Salad

Peach, mozzarella, fennel, roasted corn salad with shrimp. 


I'm pretty smug with coming up with this all by myself because it was good, really really good. Has exactly what it says on the box and is super easy. 


I grilled the peaches, sautéed the shrimp in some butter and garlic, grilled the corn on the cob and then tossed it in with some pea shoots, mint, chopped fennel, mozzarella, a little olive oil, balsamic and a touch of orange juice and orange zest. BAM- one of the best summer salads you'll have (if I do say ever-so-smugly myself).

This picture doesn't do it justice, you must go make this yourself. now. 

Weekly Wrap Up

My favorite internet finds from the week!

1) Yes/ No pillow 
2) DIY sequined clutch from Style me Pretty
3) No bake chocolate oreo cherry tarts
3) The Lodge on Lock Goil- Amazing hotel in Scotland with a tree house!
4) Blanca Monros Gomez ring
5) Printed Leather clutch

Meat Liquor

FINALLY went to Meat Liquor over on Welbeck St W1 (just off Oxford St).  
I've been wanting to check out this place since it opened almost a year ago. The planets aligned this past Saturday and we managed to get in for lunch. 


The benefit of lunch is that there wasn't much of a queue and we could walk right in. The downside of lunch is that we couldn't fully enjoy the 'liquor' side beyond a beer and a glass of wine (well, we could have, but unfortunately I had some important work to get done that afternoon). It was also pretty dark inside, which is a little bit annoying for us lunch time crowd as I enjoy being in sunlight in the summer, it also means I couldn't offer any of my own photography.


However, this was MORE than made up by its amazing burgers! 

here

here

The burgers were phenomenal. 
Meat Liquor gets that burgers should be juicy, the patties should be thick and the relishes should be strong. 

here

Find on the menu 'dead hippie'(2 patties with special dead hippie sauce), phili cheese steak and chicken wings among others. I thought the fries were good but no different than the skinny fries I could have gotten from the gastro pub down the road. They also offer chili cheese fries and onion rings but it was only lunch and still had to save room for dinner!


All in all, I would recommend it and would go back...for dinner. It was great food but ambience wise, wasn't great for lunch. 
The queue might be worth it for 20mins (or 40mins if you're with good company) but I might draw the line there. 


All I can say for the liquor side is their cocktail menu looked long, inventive and reasonably priced- good qualities in any bar. 

Weekend Snaps

I hope you had as good a weekend as I had- full of good food and friends. 


Gluten Free Blueberry & Raspberry pancakes

I realized I had never made American pancakes. Sure, I've made English pancakes, but never the big fluffy filling kind. UNTIL TODAY! And, if I do say so myself, they were delicious. 


Recipe:
1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (self-raising). I used Amy Ruth's that I picked up at Marylebone Fair.*
1 egg
1 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons salter butter
squeeze of honey (but wonder whether maple syrup will also be delicious) 
2 tablespoons of Vanilla Macadamia Nut Sugar**
Blueberries & Raspberries 


Mix the wet then add the dry.


*You can make this non-gluten free by just not using regular, gluten filled, flour. Same measurements. 
**This is an ingredient I picked up in Maui years ago (see picture below). To be honest, any sugar will do or even a sugar substitute. With gluten free cooking you need something to counterbalance the bitterness of the flour.

 

Also enjoyed an amazing Midsummer Feast with my Swedish friend... for which I made Salsa for (didn't say I was logical). 

 More Picked Herrings than I thought existed. 

 Smorgasbord!

 Random Salsa?

'Eggs with Eggs' boiled eggs with fish roe

And to finish it all off- a glass of wine in the sun

Hope you had a good weekend too!

Strawberry & Blueberry Salsa

The whole world needs to go make this right now. I promise it won't disappoint.
It was so easy and tasty that I feel it will be my go to summer accoutrement forever more. 

I give you: Strawberry & Blueberry Lime Salsa. 
(adapted from How Sweet it is)


1 Handful of blueberries
4-5 Strawberries 
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
Mint Leaves
Onion (I used white as that's what I had but red would work just as well)
1 bunch of Cilantro/ Coriander 
Salt & Pepper


This is not an exact science so change the ratios however you wish. The lime cuts the sweetness of the fruit so I wouldn't suggest cutting it down unless you'd rather something closer to a coulis than a salsa. 


Directions: Put them into a blender and blend. BAMM your done.


I served it with pan fried cod and a salad but I think this would be good with tortilla chips, burgers or any type of fish. 


Enjoy!

Ye Olde Marylebone Fayre

Twas Ye Olde Marylebone Fayre this prior Sunday and boy was it full of frivolity! 


Every year on Father's Day Marylebone High Street shuts down to cars and has a street fair (or as they call it 'Fayre'). All the local shops and pubs, plus some extra, set up stalls on the street and Marylebone becomes THE place to be. Live music, amazing food and Pimms galore- fun for the whole family! 

It is also a chance to discover new shops and products. For example Concoction, a haircare brand, where you can blend your own add ins with your choice of smell. 

The idea is interesting but I've used it only once so can't make a judgement yet. I'll let you know!


Second discovery was La Paire- beautifully simple sandals by Amy La.

all photos found via. their website here

Read more about what was at the Marylebone Street Fayre after the jump.