Saturday 31 March 2012

Warm Sushi and Fish Tale Miso

So here's my first sushi experience in Japan. I went for a bowl of hot rice with warm sashimi over the top. Wasn't expecting the warmth, I'm obsessive over hot food- ask Downie who watches me obliterate my porridge most mornings in the Blue Sky Cafe (cool as, don't care what they say) but the warmth was fine as the fish was beaut. Not sure what half of it was, like....



When done I sipped my Miso. I was very jetlagged after an 11 hour flight (despite the bed in first class... Thats right, first class... the only way I travel) so i was pretty dreary. However I was soon awoken when this guy popped up from beneath the tofu




Snake was less impressed by a visit from our little Miso-swimming friend so I drank his too.

Despite me being a fish lover, unexpected body parts in food are my limit. That's the Japanese equivalent of finding chicken foot in your Heinz tomato soup.

Sayonara. Andrews x


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

LOOK whats in Japan

Move over Cadburys, there's a new bar of choc on da Tokyo block.





When perusing the chocolate aisle in my local Family Mart i found this bad boy lurking amongst the octopus crisps and green tea flavoured doughnuts.

Elbows at the ready girls!!!! (Look Mag in-joke. Sorry readers)

Love and peace signs, Andrews.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday 29 March 2012

A Beige Birthday

Due to constant demands, I'm posting possibly the chicest birthday spread known to man.

Jon 'I just don't get it' Gorrigan hit the big 31 and to celebrate East London's 'The Welly', (gastropub to end all gastropubs, also available for wakes) put him on a spread only rivalled by the ritz. (sore point, shouldn't have mentioned it, Kate Andrews? the favourite?! What?)

Consisting of cheesesticks, quiche and babybell, bang on trend and bringing retro back.

Sweet that Jon even managed to match his skintone to the spread. Til next year...where hopefully we'll see the return of boiled eggs and cheese and pineapple on sticks.

Tuesday 27 March 2012

A Suprise Suckling Pig

Sats night saw me (Andrews), Snake, Grace and Lawrence hit Clerkenwell to dine at the Zetter Hotel for Lozzas birthday..... Or did we....

In actual fact the Zetter was a decoy on my behalf ("got us discount through work innit") to make Loz think that's where we were going when actually we were headed to St John. Just as well really as St John was all Loz banged on about in the car on the way there #sucklingpig #bonemarrow to replies of "urgh sick.... sounds rank". Good bit of acting hey?!

We 'trotted' into St John under the guise of 'checking the joint out' and even after Loz's friends shouted SURPRISE he was still none the wiser #slow.
Anyway down to business...The food.

Before we start - BOAR off veggies (a.k.a. Lesser People), the following is for pig lovers only.
To start, celariac and mussell salad. Amazing.




Once we'd filled our chops with that it was onto bone marrow on toast.

As i'm not big on meat I would have preferred peanut butter but couldn't find it on the menu...




Next the piece de la resistance (or whatevs) ....
Suckling pig.




Here piggy piggy!!




Oink oink




Major LOLZ




The outofthisworld pig came served with the most amazing stuffing I've ever eaten (modelled by Athene and Jake).

Nope this wasn't your ordinary paxo, it was onions, apple, apricots, lungs, liver and brain. SOW good. And I don't even like meat that much. A revelation.

As if we hadn't pigged out enough
then came dessert in the form of best apple crumble ever- admittedly I hogged the custard.




And er... Christmas pudding with butterscotch sauce




Lots of red swine (sorry, wine) later, the table looked like a pig sty and we left with doggy bag fit for a pack of Alsatians. Amazing.




Happy birthday Lawrence!!!!
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday 25 March 2012

Posh Petrus Dine


I was über excited for Petrus for two good reasons. 1) Kate claims a PR ate there and nearly cried because it was the best thing she had ever eaten. 2) it sounds a bit like my name. The Stofberg's ascended en mass (prepare for a lot of plate posing) and we had a jolly old time.

Pre starter starter- posh dine standard. Basically a yummy fish cake in tartar sauce. (No tears yet)


                   Ballottine of foie gras and duck. Basically rich meat cake (moist eyes no tears)

Rita with her sea bass- looking proud and every so slightly like Harry Potter's mum.



Sam looking smug over his sea scallops. They were a taste sensation.


Paps with Langoustine, Dorset snails?! and crispy chicken wing (apaz it worked, I remain unconvinced)

Me with my pork lion and suckling pig belly (I LOVE MEAT)





Sam's lamb with sweetbreads(not what you think) roasted butternut squash and pine nuts


Gareth's beef wellington (I was slightly jels on this it looked amazing, both him and my dad  ate theirs so fast none of us where offered a taste, apparently they forgot, greedy.com)

    My chocolate sphere which then had chocolate poured over it....


                                                                                                     FIT!

                Burgh more chocolate felt like Augustus Gloop.

                                My fave pud bite white chocolate covered popping candy ice cream and mini cornettos



Marga and her star anise creme brulee, with liquorish. She found the plate posing hiler!


All in all it was a delightful, fun dinner, no one cried which was a shame , and although the food was 5 star I  wasn't blown away. Maybe it was the hype, maybe it was the name but I just expected a little something more WOW.

A Sunday Sausage Roll

After being inspired by a rival food blog, getinmygob we <3 you. I decided to make some sausage rolls, the turtles excitement could only possibly be surpassed by Liverpool winning the league....Seriously if I get sent anymore pictures on Steven Gerrard celebrating a goal I won't be responsible for my actions,

So The pressure was on!

Ingredients,




Chop up red onion, I used my BRAND NEW chopping equipment, middle age I'm coming to get you.





Oven fry with some fresh sage.





Get some good quality sausages and take out of the skin... This looks gross and rude. lolling (maybe nearing middle age, doesn't mean I have to act it)









Flour a board an roll out some puff pastry, and cut in half








Mix the sausage meat and the cooled down sage and onions and some breadcrumbs, and place down the middle of the pastry.





Glaze the pastry with some egg and milk wash.










Chop into size and place on a baking tray. Fold the pastry over and seal with a fork.





Cook in the over for 25 mins.










The most delish sausage rolls ever, even better than greggs, which coming from me #greggsnumber1fan is saying something.

And I've never seen the turtle so happy, instant marriage material, done.

Nellist

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Perfect Steak

So ... The turtle, whose cooking skills start and end with omelette and chips, reads an article about how to cook the perfect steak in the Times and decides that he MUST cook us one.
Now for someone who would opt for iceberg in a sandwich over rocket and salad cream over mayo, this began to slowly fill me with fear.
His recipe which he repeated to me about 30 times thoughout the day went as follows:
1. Buy steak.. I made him buy fillet for fear he may go go for braising.
2.Leave out for an hour to breathe.
3. Get a frying pan so hot, you can't hold hand above it.
4. Depending on thickness of the steak, cook for 1 min per cm on each side.
5.Warm oven for a minute then serve.
The result: it actually turned out extremely tasty, despite the fact I couldn't help myself interfering which resulted in us both telling the other to F-off. Ahhhh sweet.




Good work Currie, maybe there's hope for you yet. Looks like those similarities with Simon Rimmer just keep on coming.

Nellist

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Aubergine Parmigiana

Now on the fash desk this meal is a firm fave. Wheato Downie can eat it, calorie concious Kate can eat it, no carbs after 3pm Petro can eat it, and it incorporates both my number 1 and number 2 favourite ingredients. Cheese and tomato ...
Total winner, and Only 188 kcal per serving, but whose counting, obvs not us.
I decided to whip one up for last weeks pack ups, serve with rocket and Parma ham and I was the lunch envy of the rest of the team.
Step one:
Griddle aubergines, buy from local Indian shop and not tesco
#powertotheindependetretailers








Fry off red onion and garlic








Add in the tinned tomato, basil and seasoning




And begin to prepare, layer tomato, grated Parmesan, aubergine and repeat








Top with mozerella and put in the oven for 40 mins








Et voila - delish, low in kcals and easily reheated for chic lunching in the blue fin canteen. Pizza express eat your heart out. Result.
Nellist
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday 20 March 2012

NOPI Brunch

As a fan of Ottelenghi (never actually knowingly tried any of his stuff but it looks BEAUT) I was well up for trying out Nopi for brunch.

Me, Sweeney, Jonesy and Grace met up for chats over Shakshuka, french toast with star anise sugar, courgette fritters with lime mayo and borlotti bean stew with chorizo.

I went for this



Shakshuka; a rich slightly spicy tomato sauce with braised eggs and topped with creamy smoked labneh (er.. It's a cheese idiots!!)

Omg. Delish.

Jonesy of course opted for courgette and manouri cheese fritters with a lime mayo




Amazing. I tried some.

So just as we had finished and discussed how much we all enjoyed it I made a trip to the ladies.

WOW. I'm not joking.... The BEST toilet experience ever. Nope, I'm talking finding a winning lottery ticket or a cracking ingrown hair but these toilets are something else!!

You're encased in wall to wall mirrors making it tricky to work out where the toilet doors are - or even the door to leave. It's totes Crytal Maze but super swank at the same time. Fun times!!

The pics don't do it justice but trust me it's that good - I revisited purely to get these so APPRECIATE.






Amazing brunch and the best bogs in London. They've got a USP right there.


Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone