• Abroad
Claire

Claire

Monday, 07 September 2015 17:19

Donostia Social Club at Kerb

This is what it's all about - small portions, home-made food, disco music - and plenty of it. I had a crab open sandwich draped with just one seductive marinated white  anchovy and a blob of mustard mayo for £3 at Donastia Social Club's Basque food wagon at Kerb. Next door was (at last!) a stall selling a good selection (3) of interesting fresh fruit drinks - melon, raspberry lemonade and plum juice sodas at £2.50 from Square Root London.

 

Wednesday, 15 April 2015 12:57

Goodbye Robert...

robert

My favourite Masterchef contestant has gone. I liked him from day one when he said his mother said 'don't be surprised when you haven't got any money at university if you spend it all on sea bass'. Just the scrutiny alone is enough to put you off a competition like that. Close-ups of your most awkward and defeated moments; silly mistakes. But he didn't ever make revolting sticky toffee pudding which if I was a judge would have instantly disqualified the contestants the three times it came up. Like chocolate fondant (yawn...) What about other puddings?! St Clements (or Lemon Delicious...) Queen of Puddings, Eve's Pudding, Apple Charlotte?

But let's hear it for Robert, for eating sea bass at university and for all the other 21 year old aspiring cooks in the country who are brave enough to enter and put pansies on their food.

 

Saturday, 28 March 2015 01:09

A Scotch egg with a chocolate twist?

scotch egg

'We are always discussing new flavours and combinations and wanted to come up with some way of combining chocolate eggs into one of our products,' says Mr Dun a Scottish butcher. 'We did some experimenting with a plain pork sausage meat with the Creme Egg in the middle which we found was very tasty...' Sounds so revolting I'm tempted to try it. 

Monday, 13 October 2014 10:58

Plump Pumpkins at Alder Carr

Haven't been to Alder Carr Farm for months and so set off for a sunny Saturday lunch with Mum. It was very busy - because it clearly has some of the best produce in the area and an interesting lunch menu that goes on until 3pm. We shared a paté dotted with pistachios, venison pie (with chips - sometimes I just have to have the gravy with chips...) and then a dessert pear, served with their own first rate coffee ice cream. It was all tasty and great value. The seasonal and locally sourced evidence is right there in the huge display of bright orange pumpkins and squash - to remind us that autumn is here.

Tuesday, 07 October 2014 13:59

The Restaurant Show...again

Well we think it has got a bit tired really - the magazine is thin, the 'street food corner' announcing the commercialisation of street food - uninspiring, sold out of brand new H vans by bored staff, pricey, using weird ingredients (when was Sangria ever made with sherry and sugar-free lemonade?) The sales pitches out of touch (with the exception of the coffee machine suppliers who gave us a great coffee and the best, most relevant and interesting information) and the stands with just a jar of sweets...well...is your budget REALLY that bad? And what happened to wine tasting?!

But I did get a years supply of quite nice pens, spoke to a few genuinely well informed and passionate foodie suppliers (mostly the ones who we already know who actually make what they sell like the cheeses, the bread, the juices and the ice cream) and we found just one brilliant and inspiring brand new idea - from Croatia - that we really want to keep to ourselves but will feature as Dish of the Day when we get back in touch with them.

Sunday, 21 September 2014 18:11

T2

There is floor to ceiling tea here at T2; different varieties and combinations including White, Black, Oolong, Tissanes, Floral and more. Tea paraphernalia like those specialist tea strainers and infusers that you can't find anywhere else that are essential for herb leaf tea, and lots of tea making for tasting - which when I got there was the perfect late morning pick-me-up (I tried French Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast). There is a Tea Society, a High Tea Society and a Secret Tea Society and a weird teapot that pours it out of the bottom...and they're from Australia, and have just arrived in the UK. 

tea shop

Saturday, 06 September 2014 00:00

Meatopia

Well they chose the right name for this! As suffolkfoodie had complimentary tickets we went to take a look at Meatopia at London's Tobacco Dock, and taste everything of course. At £5 a go for small portions it was hard on the pocket but once we had fought our way through the smokers, the smoking barbecues and the hacking of bones we found the most exciting thing there...whole Somerset goats wrapped in chicken wire on the outdoor fire pit ... and a very long queue for the roast ox which was going to be at least another four hours according to the woman basting it every few minutes. Great delicious tasting food - but now all I really want is some lentils.

Pouring with rain all day but the ackee and saltfish, curry goat and jerk chicken keeps on coming at Notting Hill Carnival.

Thursday, 07 August 2014 18:04

On the Beach for Fish and Chips

It's still there, it's still worth a day out and so I went with Dad and we had Lemon Sole and chips twice. And very crispy batter and moist fish it was too (he told me to write that, but it's true)

dunwich 3

Borough Market that is, I thought it would be jaded and expensive but was totally wrong. The best walnut and gorgonzola pasta ever (£3.50) fresh oysters shucked while you wait - next door to a Prosecco stand, scallops fried to order and mountains of other things too tasty to mention.

seafood at Borough Market 1

 

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