On the bread line

Rumble rumble went the Tube train as it shot along the Piccadilly Line. Rumble rumble grumbled my stomach, chiming in harmony with my mode of transportation. Ah, the joys of the morning commute. My morning porridge – though packed with fruit, nuts and seeds and totally delicious – hadn’t quite hit the spot but I had a plan to fill the hole and sate my tummy tiger. Luckily, I reached my destination before my stomach started actually talking to my fellow travellers.


I’d heard tell, through the realms of Twitter, that the Gail’s Bakery that The Boy and I had visited only last month had been closed for a day for refurbishment. To celebrate their shiny new store, they were giving away free bread (true story!). Needless to say, I am a sucker for free food so I didn’t need to be told twice. Thankfully, the South Kensington branch isn’t too much of a diversion to prevent me from popping in on my way to work and indulging.

Being greeted with a smile and a warm pain au chocolat was a great way to kick-start my day. The staff were wonderfully bright and breezy for pre-9am (can you tell that I’m not what you’d call a morning person?). I adore passion and the ladies here obviously love what they do. Why wouldn’t they when they are surrounded by glorious coffee and quality cake?

I was gifted a reassuringly crisp loaf of San Francisco sour dough bread swathed in one of their trademark thick brown paper bags. Sour dough is one of my very recent discoveries but, for me, it’s the antithesis of the usual sponge-y supermarket loaf. Gail’s San Fran loaf has a thick robust crust with a thin skin of flour (floury fingerprints - a tell-tale sign that I’d been sneaking bread!) and a light, chewy crumb. It’s great simply sliced and used for a sandwich but I think that it truly comes into its own when you toast it. I like it crispy on the outside but with a hint of raw chewiness in the middle. Slather it with honey or jam and it’s an absolute delight! Try it and you won’t think of bread in the same way again.

Bread aside, their newly refreshed South Ken branch is looking mighty fine! Go and check it out for yourselves.

Gail’s has ten bakeries in the city of London and their South Kensington branch is open from 7am on weekdays.

Where to drink in Nottingham

My travels took me to Nottingham to visit a good friend who is travelling around Australia for a year or so (yes, I am positively green with envy!). If you're there and fancy a drink, take a look at our recommendations!

Time for tea?

White Rabbit Tea House
12 Hounds Gate, Nottingham NG1 7AB Tel: 0115 924 0227

A very cute venue (complete with beautiful tea sets and bunny salt sellers) that's a little like a crowded front room. There was an amazing selection of homemade cakes on display but we were in need of lunch so we nibbled on panini's. We had a melty Mozzarella, Tomato and Red Pesto which was tasty but it was the Chorizo, Jarlsberg and Jalapeno chilli Panini that really stole the show. Slightly let down by surly service.

Homemade
20 Pelham St, Nottingham NG1 2EG Tel: 0115 924 3030

A fantastic place for all occasions. We had tea and cake while the others around us wolfed down ginormous breakfasts with glee. It seemed to be popular on a Sunday with students merrily nursing their hangovers and exchanging banter about their nights out. The service is friendly and fast and the food is simple, classic and tasty. It was shortlisted for an Observer Food Monthly prize and you can see why. A real winner!

After something stronger?

Coco Tang
45 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham NG1 2GN Tel: 0782 588 9370

Below the cobbled streets and fashion boutiques of Bridlesmith Gate, you'll find sleek and slinky Coco Tang. It's an intimate basement venue with a small dancefloor. Go for their ingenious cocktails – our favourites were Haribo and Black Forest Gateaux. Happy hour 8pm – 10pm everyday and free entry all night too!.

Bar of goodness!

Try as I might, I can't help but love to snack. I do my best to go for healthy options but sometimes I (like everyone out there) need a little convenience in my life. I have a dreadful sweet tooth too so I was delighted to happen upon Nakd bars in the supermarket while on a sneaky hunt for chocolate.

They're soft, chewy bars of simple ingredients with no weird additives to speak of. My favourite bar is the cashew cookie (above) which is made up of a virtually fifty-fifty combination of cashew nuts and dates.
Their simplicity means that they're gluten, wheat and dairy free which makes them an easy go-to for those that suffer with allergies or intolerances.

Despite its distinct lack of ingredients, it tastes remarkably like cookie dough and one bite leads to another... Before I know it, the entire bar is gone! Which has got me wondering... How easy would they be to make? Have a look at my cashew cookie bar recipe to find out!

Salmon & Samphire Maki

This time last year, I was trawling the food markets of Bristol and whipping up mayonnaise in search of a suitable birthday tea for The Boy. You may (or may not) know that The Boy has a passion for sushi - we're regular Yo Sushi dwellers (despite his best intentions) and he has been a domestic sushi master since a course earlier in the year. He loves the process of making maki and California rolls as wells as quick-and-speedy hand rolls.

This year, I ordered some fresh sushi-grade fish from the amazing Source in Bristol who have a fantastic selection of fresh meat & fish as well as lots other delicious and tempting things on offer. You can get everything from nori and local chili sauce to freshly baked cakes and marinated olives. It's amazing and, to top it off, the staff are friendly and pretty knowledgeable too. It's well worth a visit. They also have a café restaurant that I'm dying to try. One day! Anyway, I went to pick up my order of filleted mackerel, salmon and scallops but a handful of samphire and a piece of salted caramel and cherry brownie somehow found their way into my basket. I really couldn't resist!

Samphire is a fantastic post-season alternative to asparagus. It's actually a kind of seaweed which is in season from June until September. It's a natural partner to fish but it's also great with meat too. It's versatile and really refreshing if you cook it right - thankfully, this isn't difficult. I would recommend picking through the samphire when you're ready to cook and removing any brown or squishy bits. I thought that it'd be a lovely texture in the sushi so I blanched it for minute and then refreshed it in cold water to keep it succulent.

The Boy and I then spent a very companionable half hour making sushi. It's therapeutic and difficult in equal amounts - if you're a perfectionist, it may drive you mad but you do get to eat your attempts whether they're millimetre perfect or not. We made maki with raw salmon and samphire which was absolutely delish as well as mackerel california rolls and scallop nigiri.

A Guide to Food in Fowey

 The view from Polruan to Fowey, Cornwall

When Summer curls her languid fingers across her warm palm and beckons in the warm weather, all I can think about is getting outside to enjoy it. The Boy and I followed our seasonal calling and drove our batter little car down to Fowey to spend a glorious long weekend in Cornwall. We couldn't have struck it better with the weather, which my shoulders will vouch for. Here are a few of the delicious places that we discovered that we tried while we were out and about...

Cone Zone, 4A Webb Street, Fowey
A stones throw from the harbour, Cone Zone sells amazing ice creams from the awesome Langage Farm as well as some tempting sandwiches and hot drinks (should the English weather take a turn for the worst). Ask for a hot chocolate dip with your cone - your choice of ice cream (a single scoop is £1.80) is popped into a cone and then rolled in melted chocolate which solidifies providing a pleasing contrast in texture. The cool snap of chocolate gives way to smooth creamy ice cream in a way which can only be described as totally flipping YUM. I love their chocolate chunk ice cream while The Boy thinks its a complete heresy to have anything other than their blackcurrant and cream concoction. Thunder and Lightening honeycomb ice cream is pretty special too.

The Galleon Inn, 12 Fore Street, Fowey
For a drink or two after a day spent at sea, pootle no further along the quay than The Galleon Inn. A friendly pub that offers live music (even if it is slightly dubious "jazz"), a relaxed atmosphere, estuary views from their terrace and delicious Cornish cider. Pay a visit on a Sunday afternoon as any left over roast potatoes and gravy from the Sunday lunches are left on the bar for everyone to enjoy. It might sound weird but don't knock it 'til you've tried it. A pint of Cornish Orchard cider in one hand and a crispy roast potato in the other makes for a very contented afternoon.

Kittows, 1 - 3 South Street, Fowey
A sunny weekend calls for a barbecue. Many barbecues (barbecii? No.) if possible. Our digs had a chiminea so with our burning implements sorted, we needed meat to cremate. Kittow's provided meaty sausages and juicy marinated spare ribs as well as a free bag of sausage scrag ends. We grilled the sausages and ribs over hot charcoal which lent a fabulously smokey flavour to the meat. We enjoyed the sausage meat for breakfast the next day and were all the more flavoursome for being free! They offer nationwide delivery through their website and also offer a very tempting deli.

Fowey Fish, 37 Fore Street, Fowey
Having caught and foraged for some fantastic fishy treats, we wanted some bits and bobs to go with our seafood feast. We spotted some samphire in Fowey Fish's window which looked perfect. We got a huge bag for a mere £1.80. Bargain!

Crumpets, 1 Fore Street, Polruan-by-Fowey

Hop on the ferry across the estuary to Polraun or pootle across in your own vessel and climb the hill to find this quaint little tea room. They have a lovely selection of homemade treats on offer - look out for the "Things on Toast" section of the menu. Freshly made crab sandwiches (£5) and Cornish pasties (£4) are available to enjoy from the comfort of their sunny café or to take away and devour elsewhere. We were kept entertained by their amazing sugar pots with integral tongs...

Simple things for simple minds like us... 

Fishermans Arms, Fore Street Goland, Fowey
Take a short pootle up the estuary, a left fork next to the china clay depot and then pop under the railway bridge on the left hand next to a level crossing on the river. Less than ten metres on your left will be the Fishermans Arms and you can moor up more or less right outside at high tide. There's space to park on the road in front but beware as the road is liable to flood (though its still passable) when the tide is high. They have a lovely little menu but the specials board is where its at. We enjoyed whitebait and breaded mushrooms (both £5) to start - pub grub perfection! I had a smoked fish platter (£10.80) while The Boy had a vegetable curry with sweet potato and chickpeas (£8.50). Both were lovely though the curry was a real revelation - nicely spiced with plenty of fragrance.

Snapshot: Adnams Beer

There's nothing quite like a good British beer. Or ale for that matter. I'm not particularly well versed on the subject so I'm afraid I'm not 100% on the difference. Anyway, a friend came back with from a trip to his ancient home counties with a lovely present - Adnams Broadside. I've never heard of the Adnams brewery before but it has a very interesting values when it comes to sustainability and the environment. They have their own charity, which supports good causes in their local area, and even turn their food and brewery waste into biogas. All in all, a pretty lovely company, really.

Oh and the beer is tasty too! The Broadside that my friend brought around was really tasty and full of flavour. I think I'd drink it on its own because its got a fruity taste that can stand up on its own.

Mud Dock, Mission & Milkshakes (or Photo’s and Burrito’s)

Food and drink in interesting company can lead to flashes of group inspiration. On this particular dark night, fuelled by chorizo stew (truly delicious) and Lidl Viognier (not recommended), wine glasses and beer bottles were clinked and waved as we toasted our future endeavour. A photography field trip. How very grown-up!

I have a great camera but I’m something of a rookie when it comes to the technical side (as opposed to the ooh-look-how-pretty side) of photography. In contrast, two of my friends are keen and competent clickers so we decided to spend a day behind our respective lenses in each other’s company. This may not seem very food-orientated but the day was nicely broken up into chunks of photo-taking time interspersed with coffee stops.

Sun deck of the Mud Dock, The Grove, Bristol

The perfect spot for people spotting though it became increasingly packed with couples, squabbling families and groups of friends “doing brunch” and comparing hangovers. The café itself is shares its premises and owners with a bike shop, Cycle Works, which makes for some interesting passersby. The terrace has lovely views over the river and one of Bristol’s three (I think) swing bridges. We intended to use it as a meeting point, a convenient, sunny place from which to plan our route but half an hour of chatting, catch up and general geekery later, we left with latte-filled tummies (£2.50 a mug) but no formalised course. Ah well.

Window seat of Mission Burrito, Park Street, Bristol

I’ve been keen to try the Bristol branch of Mission Burrito for a while and with our shutter fingers starting to tire, we decided to stop in on a quest for sustenance. It proved to be a fantastic place to pause in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Park Street. Again, the window seat is a fantastic place to people watch – the canopy kept us nicely shaded from the surprisingly strong Spring sunshine. This branch is a big change from the St Michael's Street branch in Oxford that I know and love; there's space to sit and enjoy your food. Saying that, the food is more of the same delicious, speedy, satisfying fare. I went for a carnitas burrito, which at £5.95 isn't cheap for lunch but you get a lot of bang for your buck and it fills you up until...

At the bar of Rocatillo's Diner, Queens Row, Bristol

Milkshake time! Rocatillos is an American-style diner nestled on Clifton's "Triangle" which does kick-ass breakfasts but their real headliner is their MILKSHAKES. Seriously. For £3.95, you get a stainless steel jug of delicious artery clogging goodness. I had to share with one of my friends otherwise it would've been waaaay too much to handle after everything else. My other trip companion went for an 'Extra Thick' milkshake which lived up to its name - you could stand a spoon up in it without any sway!

And later... Highbury Vaults (on St Michael's Hill) for a swifty pint in their shady courtyard garden. Lovely though my glass was dirty. Bleugh.

Pitney Farm Shop and Goose Eggs for Lunch

 Pitney Farm Shop in the sunshine

Hasn’t the weather been glorious!? I adore the sunshine and have been in my absolute element for the last few days. The Boy and I share a two bedroom first floor flat for the last year and a bit; it’s great but the one thing that I’m missing is a garden. I long to grow my own fruit, vegetables and herbs (not everything can be grown on a window cill like this or on our drive way like this) as well as soaking up the sunshine while something yummy sizzles on the barbeque. But most of all, I miss being able to spend time outside when the weather is so good.

It seemed natural on Saturday to jump into the car on Saturday and set out on a mini-adventure in search of Pitney Farm Shop which I’d seen featured on Fiona Beckett’s Food and Wine Finds. I was delighted to see that there was positively reviewed small business relatively nearby to where we live. I had originally thought that I might cycle there but, at over 12 miles each way, I didn’t have time. I would be tempted on another day though.

Organic Swiss Chard

The shop was remarkably easy to find despite being nestled in the midst of the Somerset countryside and the pretty village of Pitney. We pulled off the narrow country lane and into the yard, dodging hens as we parked. The shop is located on the working farm with a little ‘Veg Shack’ shed full of organic vegetables sourced as locally as possible (though their onions, avocadoes and lemons were from Spain when we visited) and a little shop with all sorts of goodies. They stock various cuts of meats, sausages and meatballs, chocolate, cheeses, pastries, cakes and chutneys as well as local beer. The shop is small itself but is perfectly formed and absolutely stuffed full of delicious morsels – I particularly liked the pasties, which are baked locally and have a sign guiding you to your chosen flavour by the orientation and number of slits in the pastry.

Clever Pasties

We chose some different types of kale, some white onions, a very ripe avocado and some local Maryland cheese. While the lady behind the counter rang through our purchases, our gaze was drawn to a large dish of fresh goose eggs next to the till. Both of us were tempted so we added two to our basket for lunch.

 
Eggs, eggs, everywhere!

After we had paid up and our eggs had been lovingly swaddled in tissue paper, we crossed the yard to say hello to the newborn lambs in the barn. The Boy was very patient while I crooned and cooed over the tiny delicate lambs (so fluffy!) which had been born only that morning. The barn holds cows and pigs as well as older lambs and a few rogue chickens which had obviously escaped from the large runs of free-range chickens on the other side of the farm. It was evident that the escapees were very happy with their freedom – we spotted several clutches of eggs dotted around in cosy spots.

Later, we enjoyed a delicious lunch of soft boiled goose eggs with early British asparagus for dipping. Size aside, goose eggs aren't really any different to hens eggs. Taste-wise, they taste pretty much the same but you get more of the good stuff. To soft boil, place in a saucepan and cover with cold water (this is to prevent them from cracking as they cook). Put on the hob on a medium heat. When the water starts to boil, time them for 8 minutes and you should come out with a nicely hard white and runny yolk though this does differ depending on the size of the egg. A yummy lunch time treat!

Review: The Mission, Bristol

Five Minute Photoshop Time! Mission comes to Park Street



I miss Oxford. Having spent several happy gastronomic, dance-able and stressed-out university years there, am sometimes hit with a wave of nostalgia for the spires, the pretentious rah’s and the various lovely eateries.

One of my favourites finds of my final year was a small but perfectly formed quick-fire Tex Mex place called The Mission. It was an instant hit with local and students (of both the Colleges and Brookes) alike due to their glorious, instant gratification burritos. Customers were invited to mix it up and personalise their foil wrapped goodies - pick a meat: chicken, steak, carnitas (pork) or vegetables then sauce it up with salsas, rice or sour cream. Think Subway but, well, nicer! All come in at under £6 if you don't include any extras. Bargain!

The newest branch of The Mission is now open at 62 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5JN. I'll be checking it out very soon!

Review: Martin's Chocolatier

My lunchtime was brightened by the lovely gents in Martin's Chocolatier. I hadn't noticed them before and on speaking to the guys behind the counter, it seems that they're a new addition to the Bristol shopping experience. They've only been open for a week! They have a large selection of chocolates which you can buy by weight or they also have a variety of boxed chocolates for sale.

More importantly for me, they have a café set up so that you can enjoy the finest hot chocolates and cakes while resting your poor shop-til-you-drop feet. Now, I can't resist trying out the newest place on the block (price permitting) so I wandered in and took advantage of their Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer on all drinks. I ordered a house blend (half milk, half dark) hot chocolate to enjoy there and a dark chocolate orange hot chocolate to take away. If you "drink in", your drink is served complete with a yummy chocolate from their selection to try. Their home blend comes highly recommended by yours truly; a delicious middle ground between smooth milk and rich dark chocolate. The dark chocolate orange was absolutely devilish and is set apart from other chocolate orange drinks(a vice of mine) that I've tried as it doesn't have a synthetic edge to it.

I will be back with a friend to try their cakes very soon.

Martin's Chocolatier can be found at 72 Horsefair Road, Bristol BS1 3JS. Tel 0117 927 9433

Mayonnaise

Cooked and smoked shell-on prawns and dressed crab with homemade mayonnaise

It's The Boy's birthday and I wanted to treat him to a tasty meal for two with the minimum amount of complex preparation so that I could maintain (at least for a while) an air of calm and sophistication. Yeah right. Anyway, I didn't want to be running around like a headless chicken and worrying about timings rather than enjoying the company of the birthday Boy.

The day started at 5:30am when I was up to make The Boy a cup of well-deserved birthday tea at his habitual weekday wake-up time. I didn't get a chance to think anniversaire fayre until my lunch break where I trotted off towards St Nicholas' Market in Bristol. Fate was on my side as I didn't realise that Wednesdays sees the Farmers Market invade the pedestrian street, selling fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish as well as much more.

I selected single cream from Jessie's Ladies, which proved to be totally divine from the tasters that were out. I also selected a few handfuls of smoked and cooked shell-on prawns and a dressed crab from one of the fishmongers. I was thinking too much about my menu to notice the name of many of the stall holders but I did procure half a loaf of ciabatta from a friendly baker. This was supplemented with a few bits and pieces and turned into an indoor picnic feast of baked Camembert with caramalised balsamic onions, homemade basil pesto and a seafood plate that you can see above.

I decided that now was the time to give homemade mayo a go and I've got to say, it's not as hard as I expected. Give it a go yourself...

Mayonnaise

You will need: (to feed two keen dippers)
1 egg yolk
125ml sunflower oil
25ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt

- Remove all of the ingredients ahead of time so that they are at room temperature
- Place the egg yolk in a mixing bowl (pop a teatowel underneath to stop it sliding about)
- Whisk the egg yolk with a generous pinch of salt until it starts to look thick and sticky
- While whisking the mixture, pour a slow thin but steady stream of sunflower oil into the bowl. The mixture will start to thicken and become paler.
- When the mix comes together into a consistency that you like, add the sunflower oil while whisking quickly until completely combined. If the mixture is too thick, add a drizzle of water and whisk. Repeat if required.
- Add mustard and lemon juice and whisk again.

Variations & Tips:
- As my mayo was for dipping, I wanted it to be slightly runnier and added a dribble of water to the mix.
- Stir in chopped herbs at the end to add flavour. Dill and fennel tops would go well with fish and cooked meats while finely chopped sundried tomatoeswould go well with cruditeé.

The Newt Beer Festival

We've spent a merry few hours in North Petherton at the fantastic annual Newt Beer Festival. With the allure of 101 different bitters, ales and stouts to sample this year, we decided to cycle along the tow path from our town so that we could enjoy a drink or two. The weather was fantastic and the live music on offer added to the atmosphere.

A festival for all the family (would you believe?) with face-painting and trampolines for the kids while Dad (or Mum?) takes part in the Yard Competition...

All the fun of the fair!

Summer is the season of the fair and we food-geeks are somewhat spoilt for choice in the coming months. This is very much the case this weekend as there seem to be numerous food events going on all over the place. To me, it seems slightly counter-intuitive to spend what often totals months organising a packed few days of fun on a weekend that clashes with things that will pull the public away from your proceedings.

Bristol and Bath, two culturally rich cities less than 11 miles from each other, are throwing separate foodie celebrations. Sadly, this also clashes with Theo Jansen's public showing of his kinetic sculptures at Exeter's Summer Festival – it may not be food but this really shouldn't be missed. Decisions, decisions… for quite a while, I really couldn't choose – they all look so good. This time, I've decided to stay true to my culinary leanings; I hope that my waist line (and feet) will forgive me with time! Sorry Theo, some other time? (Please!?)

First impressions are good though. Bath have been incredibly organised; I've already received my advance ticket in the post with the program which is pretty informative though their website could be more useful. Bristol are lagging far behind as they haven't confirmed anything with me though their website is more comprehensive. I'm looking forward to having a good mooch around, sample lots of glorious products and take in some talks. If you're in Bristol on Saturday, I hear that the Whiteladies Road Farmers and Fair Trade Market is having a relaunch party with all sorts of fun stuff going on.

Bristol Wine & Food Fair runs from 2nd until 4th July and can be found at the Lloyds Amphitheatre and Waterfront Square at BS1 5LL.

Bath Food & Drink Festival can be found in the historic Royal Cresent on the 3rd and 4th July with talks from the wonderful Antonio Carluccio and Richard Bertinet

Source, Bristol

Today is a bit of an occasion and I needed food to suit. Now, you would think that being in central Bristol, it would be easy to find fantastic food shops right on my doorstep. Sadly, this hasn't rung completely true; mainly because I've been limited to places that I can walk to and back in under an hour. I was particularly after good meat but butchers shops don't tend to spring up in central locations. I did a bit of net browsing to see what I could find but, again, was left a little stumpted.

My colleagues recommended having a wander around St Nicholas' Market on Corn Street as it features a variety of shops and stalls under one roof. The place itself brings back memories of my college days - buying chunky jewellery and sipping tea amongst the smoulderings of incense. If you traverse the main hall, you emerge into the more lofty passages beyond that holds a feast of food shops. Most of these sell takeaway food or meals to enjoy there and then. Not really what I was after... I passed The Real Olive Company without being able to resist the allure of their mixed olives (£3.20/100g) and stuffed vine leaves (35p or 4 for £1.20). There's a great looking cheese shop which is well worth a look (and a sniff!) but just across and technically (I suppose) outside of the market, I found Source.

Source doubles as a restaurant and food hall tucked away in the heart of Bristol. They have an amazing butchers and fishmongers counter selling everything from cornish mackerel to buffalo rump steak. They also have a case of fine looking puddings and cheeses to choose from with a selection of fresh fruit and veg plus all the condiments you could ask for on sale. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful; they're obviously passionate about what they do and very knowledgeable. Their website isn't up and running completely yet so drop in. A fantastic place.