Saturday, April 28, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Ethical eating: underground restaurants and food cycle
Following a growing trend to eat ethically sourced food, I have been plagued by the excess and ease of food in our society. This has been made even worse by my love of good food! However, I have been getting involved with a charity, food cycle, which receives donations of food from organisations and companies that would otherwise dispose of it. In Manchester this is used to provide food to those who need it most, making a vegetarian, healthy version of a soup kitchen, aiming to provide tasty nutritious meals.
On a recent trip to London, however, I went with my mother to food cycle's community cafe, which has a similar ethos of using food that would otherwise go to waste to make a tasty meal; this time bringing the local community together. Donations are 'what you think it's worth'. We started the meal with spring vegetable bruschetta, then a hearty lentil and vegetable spag bol, and finally banana chocolate brownie. Eating this ethically sourced food in a sunny garden in residential London, made this a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Slightly more in keeping with my food obsessed travels, I have also been very enthusiastic about underground restaurants recently. Although these may also seem very extravagant, they actually cut out some of the consumerism that restaurants, especially the chains that fill our high streets, bring us daily. There seem to be a variety of terms used: supper clubs seem to invite people into their homes; pop up's are in more commercial settings but with an air of uncertainty and change; underground restaurants are more regular, but still have that homely affect.
So, in London, I went with some friends to an underground restaurant on Upper street - Pip's Barn. It really was in a barn, just behind the main street, and was so different from the hoards of restaurants on Upper street that I completely understood what the comment on their website meant: 'there's nowhere to eat on Upper Street'. At first this seems incredulous, but when there I see their point. There's nowhere to eat like Pip's Barn in Upper street!
We had a 3 course Sunday lunch, with fresh seasonal ingredients, sitting on bales of hay, with a huge brie decorating the disused warehouse, smiling at us from the makeshift kitchen. There were jars of preserved lemons, which immediately made me happy (I do love preserved lemons). A fresh salad was followed by preserved lemon and artichoke roast chicken, smashed potatoes (NOT smash) and greens. Dessert was rhubarb fool. The whole experience lasted 3 hours, and was a delight. I thoroughly recommend to everyone.
Now I think it's time to start fine tuning my supper club menu!
Following a growing trend to eat ethically sourced food, I have been plagued by the excess and ease of food in our society. This has been made even worse by my love of good food! However, I have been getting involved with a charity, food cycle, which receives donations of food from organisations and companies that would otherwise dispose of it. In Manchester this is used to provide food to those who need it most, making a vegetarian, healthy version of a soup kitchen, aiming to provide tasty nutritious meals.
On a recent trip to London, however, I went with my mother to food cycle's community cafe, which has a similar ethos of using food that would otherwise go to waste to make a tasty meal; this time bringing the local community together. Donations are 'what you think it's worth'. We started the meal with spring vegetable bruschetta, then a hearty lentil and vegetable spag bol, and finally banana chocolate brownie. Eating this ethically sourced food in a sunny garden in residential London, made this a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Slightly more in keeping with my food obsessed travels, I have also been very enthusiastic about underground restaurants recently. Although these may also seem very extravagant, they actually cut out some of the consumerism that restaurants, especially the chains that fill our high streets, bring us daily. There seem to be a variety of terms used: supper clubs seem to invite people into their homes; pop up's are in more commercial settings but with an air of uncertainty and change; underground restaurants are more regular, but still have that homely affect.
So, in London, I went with some friends to an underground restaurant on Upper street - Pip's Barn. It really was in a barn, just behind the main street, and was so different from the hoards of restaurants on Upper street that I completely understood what the comment on their website meant: 'there's nowhere to eat on Upper Street'. At first this seems incredulous, but when there I see their point. There's nowhere to eat like Pip's Barn in Upper street!
We had a 3 course Sunday lunch, with fresh seasonal ingredients, sitting on bales of hay, with a huge brie decorating the disused warehouse, smiling at us from the makeshift kitchen. There were jars of preserved lemons, which immediately made me happy (I do love preserved lemons). A fresh salad was followed by preserved lemon and artichoke roast chicken, smashed potatoes (NOT smash) and greens. Dessert was rhubarb fool. The whole experience lasted 3 hours, and was a delight. I thoroughly recommend to everyone.
Now I think it's time to start fine tuning my supper club menu!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Yummy treats for that post-nights zombie feeling
This weekend I've been working nights, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been active in the kitchen. For breakfast which slightly doubles as dinner as it's at the end of my day) I made hallumi, avocado and sweet chilli baps. Tangy, creamy, salty and delicious. Dinner was a little more adventurous. Pork belly curry with rhubarb, star anise and coconut milk with coriander coconut rice. The rhubarb gave a tanginess that would normally come from galangal, but added a fruitiness that worked really well with the pork. Nothing beats tiredness like a full tummy.
Supper club menus to follow!
Supper club menus to follow!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Madrid and Valentines Day
Last week we went to Madrid for Valentine's day. Some of the culinary delights included 'tostadas', little pieces of toast with delicious toppings ranging from fresh anchovies to iberian ham, calamari, tortilla and lots of olives. The tapas bars were streaming with people, and around ten o'clock there was no way of finding a seat. You would never imagine there is a recession and unemployment of 30-40% when the streets are brimming with tipsy Spaniards, even on a cold Sunday night. Enjoy every moment.
Sometimes simple food is the best. The Madrid special consists of slow cooked chorizo, black pudding, chicken and a piece of meat, with carrots, potatoes and chickpeas thrown in. So tasty and simple. The city centre was also full of small bars and tiled restaurants that seem to have grown up over the last ten years: at least I don't remember them being so plentiful before. The only things that were missing were a big of dulce de leche with my flan and some chimichurri with my steak!
Sometimes simple food is the best. The Madrid special consists of slow cooked chorizo, black pudding, chicken and a piece of meat, with carrots, potatoes and chickpeas thrown in. So tasty and simple. The city centre was also full of small bars and tiled restaurants that seem to have grown up over the last ten years: at least I don't remember them being so plentiful before. The only things that were missing were a big of dulce de leche with my flan and some chimichurri with my steak!
Adventerous french cooking
My mother recommended a new series about Raymond Blanc combining two of my favourite things: cookery and travel. It has inspired me this week to make everything I cook as tasty as possible. This weekend I made coq au vin and lemon tart. With the left over sweet pastry I made some little spiced biscotti. Now I just need a cookery course in France and I'll be set.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Winter seasonal vegetables
The first week of the vegetable box delivery has been a success! Although the overflowing box of root vegetables was slightly overwhelming at first, it has definitely helped my resolution to eat more vegetarian. Parsnip and celeriac soup, mushroom, leek and feta fritatta, carrot, parsnip and potato gratin and a simple cauliflower cheese have made up the warming dishes of the weekend. Although I seem to be craving a lot more cheese and eggs than when I was eating more meat, I'm starting to rediscover the variety vegetables can provide in the kitchen. Besides, cheese can never be a bad thing from my point of view! These have been simple dishes, nothing fancy, but so satisfying,
Monday, January 30, 2012
Seasonal affective disorder and rediscovering the kitchen
When it's so grey and miserable outside, it's easy to lose enthusiasm about activities that used to bring so much joy to life. I've recently rediscovered that time to myself, in my own home, is of the utmost importance to my mental well-being. For me, an integral part of this is involves cooking. Although I normally prefer to cook for others, entertaining and such, in my latest introverted mood cooking simple meals for my husband and me has revived me and made me feel human again after a hectic month.
As part of the new year January health revival, I've also decided to eat less meat. With my husband being from Argentina and a huge lover of all things from a cow (the opposite of my Hindu upbringing, where cow loving means a completely different thing), I've found myself eating meat almost every day. Shock horror, especially to my almost vegetarian and hugely anaemic mother. So I'm trying to remember the good old vegetarian recipes of my vegetarian teenage years. So we also started ordering seasonal, local vegetable boxes. More to come of how that goes, and whether I can really cook healthy, seasonal vegetarian food without driving my husband crazy...
When it's so grey and miserable outside, it's easy to lose enthusiasm about activities that used to bring so much joy to life. I've recently rediscovered that time to myself, in my own home, is of the utmost importance to my mental well-being. For me, an integral part of this is involves cooking. Although I normally prefer to cook for others, entertaining and such, in my latest introverted mood cooking simple meals for my husband and me has revived me and made me feel human again after a hectic month.
As part of the new year January health revival, I've also decided to eat less meat. With my husband being from Argentina and a huge lover of all things from a cow (the opposite of my Hindu upbringing, where cow loving means a completely different thing), I've found myself eating meat almost every day. Shock horror, especially to my almost vegetarian and hugely anaemic mother. So I'm trying to remember the good old vegetarian recipes of my vegetarian teenage years. So we also started ordering seasonal, local vegetable boxes. More to come of how that goes, and whether I can really cook healthy, seasonal vegetarian food without driving my husband crazy...
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