Mushroom Heaven

April 2, 2014 //

My friend has just started a new job at a mushroom company in Hampshire and I am glad to say that she bought me a beautifully wrapped box of mixed treasures from the range this weekend when we met up. I am always inspired and amazed by my friends and what they achieve and Nic is right up there on that list. In the couple of weeks she has been there settling in, she has already sussed all the varieties, started to get things under her belt and has a clear view on what she wants to do to make her mark in the future.

The glorious daffodil fields at Virginia Water…with a rather wet Lola the dog & her stick!

We spent a glorious day discovering Virginia Water with her Hazel & Lola. I don’t know if it was the clock change or the sunshine, but it truly felt like Spring had sprung. The 3 km walk around the lake actually turned out to be a 6 mile walk around the lake, so I felt justified in indulging tonight and concocted a mushroom medley for dinner.

My fabulous mushroom medley

The mushrooms were a revelation. Not only were the varieties brand new to me, but the flavour and ‘performance’ were equally exciting. These mushrooms had very little water coming from them, which I am told is down to the way they are cultivated, and so the texture and flavour was the best I have had. My mixed box contained….

Nameko: little orange treasures that taste sweet and nutty

Horse – the chunky pale yellow miniature Champagne corks

Shiitake – the only one I knew, but a much better version with intense flavour

Maitake (also called Hen of the Woods) – the feathery one which tastes as good as it looks, peppery and intense

White Shimeji – the little white baby mushrooms that not only looks great but are sweet in taste

Thyme was picked fresh from my indoor garden wall

I thought the most respectful thing to do was to keep the mushrooms as the hero and so all the rest was there to accompany and complement rather than take over. So clearing the dregs from the kitchen, I opted for a touch of garlic, butter, cream and some thyme from my indoor garden, along with lots of seasoning. Served with a simple polenta flavoured with a bit of pecorino and topped with a few more cheesey shavings and a drizzle of olive oil, this was a yummy way to end a lovely day with the Nic ensemble.

How I made it:

Ingredients:

Selection of mushrooms

clove of garlic

1 spring onion

Pecorino

cream

butter & oil

– prepare the mushrooms and chop as necessary

– melt the butter & oil in a frying pan and gently fry the garlic and onion

– once soft, add the mushrooms and fry gently until soft and caramelised

– add a dash of cream and stir through fresh thyme leaves. Season well

– serve on polenta with a final grating of pecorino and drizzle of good olive oil.

Ta da

Tags horse, maitake, mushroom medley, mushrooms, nameko, polenta, shiitake, white shimeji

Categories British, Food, Recipes

Sweet Streets of Food

March 27, 2014 //

When I travel I like to plot my list of food shops to visit on a map so that I can focus my energies in the right areas. You generally find that there are some key streets or areas that become the focus for great food places and once you wander around you find others to inspire as well.

In London, my favourite is Marylebone High Street, closely followed by Columbia Road on a Sunday. It’s Abbot Kinney in LA, La Boqueria in Barcelona and a tour of the vineyards off the beaten track in Cape Town. You get the idea.

This weekend, we were at lunching at friends who live in Clapham and it’s not generally an area I know well. But I have read about many places that seem to centre around Northcote Road and my cake-making crony was waxing lyrical about a new patisserie that had opened on her doorstep, so I went to investigate before lunch. She was right – this is one to add to your food discoveries.

Firstly, all the craft trades are well represented on the Northcote Road, with butchers (Dove & Hennessy’s), bakers (Breadstall) and cheesemongers (Hamish Johnston) all doing a great job along with the historic market which dates back to the 1860’s. But more interestingly is the fact that many new concepts are launched here. The original Jamie Oliver’s Recipease was created nearby on St John’s Road and Franco Manca is a centrally situated serving up their signature sourdough pizzas which was the first outpost of the original Brixton Village pizzeria.

Queuing for the marvellous meringues

The new place to discover is Aux Merveilleux de Fred. You can read about the history of these creations on their website, but needless to say, there is a very good reason why they translate into ‘wonderful’. The concept originated in Lille and now has two outlets in London, the second one here almost on the doorstep of my friend’s house! Here you have two perfect meringues bound together with cream and coated into a perfect ball of sweetness that seem to be incredibly popular, if you note the queue of people waiting to pay £1.70 for a mouthful of meringue. They are created in front of the customer and make the most perfect gift with beautiful boxes just like all the best French patisseries.

Les Merveilleux assembled front of house for all to see

A wonderful meringue, made at home

Luckily enough, my friend is in her own right an award winning cake maker and she told me very clearly not to buy anything from there as she had made her own, so after an indulgent long lunch we were treated to her version which disappeared in a melting moment. When you are as talented as she is, you too would conclude that you could do it yourself for a much better price, but my skills are not in that league, so know that you can find Fred’s on the Northcote Road or in South Kensington!

These meringues are only one of a few French patisserie outlets that have crept over the pond recently. The other one I have visited in the past weeks is La Patisserie des Reves at the top of Marylebone High Street (my fave – remember). This is an impressive shop with bold domes of patisserie screaming from the central table, although I have it on good authority that the pastries are not baked fresh, but only baked off, so not as wonderful as their Parisian counterparts.

Clever domes of patisserie grace the central table here

Nevertheless, they are pretty impressive and sit alongside the revival of doughnuts, the cronut imposters, the macarons and all the other classic French pastries that have been inspired by our renewed interest in baking. Thanks Mary Berry. We like this fashion and look forward to ever more concepts travelling across the channel.

A dome of Tarte Tatin

Tags Abbot Kinney, Aux Merveilleux de Fred, Franco Manca, Hamish Johnston, La Boqueria, La Patisserie des Reves, Marylebone High Street, Northcote Road, Recipease

Categories Food, Gifting, Retail

Adventures in Amsterdam

March 16, 2014 //

I have just returned from a long weekend in Amsterdam. This was my first time there and it was great to share it with my Dutch friend who showed me a insiders guide to the city.

It really is a beautiful place with lots of streets over the bridges to browse and little places to discover plus loads more that I am sure I missed. You feel a real sense of history here with the old Dutch buildings lining the canals and the sandy ground giving way underneath resulting in some precarious abodes.

We went on a bit of a research trip and it was fascinating to see just how far the international brands predominate. It is difficult to discover anything new when the streets are lined with the same places you see internationally across all ends of the retail spectrum from Hugo Boss to MacDonalds. I also wanted to see how the design was influenced locally and once again was disappointed to see so many cafes and eateries conforming to the same pseudo industrial look that pervades so many cities nowadays. We pondered what the new look should be, as I am a little bored of chalkboards, upcycled lights with Edison bulbs and recycled wooden crates.

The 2012 showcase Starbucks

Mind you, it was refreshing to see for myself the showcase Starbucks that was designed in 2012 as the precursor to more individual and less branded coffee shop chains. The attention to design was refreshing picking up on local Dutch cues and even two years later, it is cosy and inviting.

SLA’s salad bar is encapsulated in a glass free conservatory feel frame

Decor is pared back and natural and the kitchen is open to peak into keeping that natural honest tone

Decor is pared back & natural and the rear kitchen is open to peak into keeping that natural honest tone

There were two outlets that particularly inspired us. Firstly SLA. It means salad and is indeed a salad bar. I am told that the Dutch approach healthy food in a more holistic way. They better understand grains, superfoods and often link spirituality with healthy eating. SLA encapsulated these principles without falling foul of being too worthy. They just kept everything clean and simple in design. The menu is small: soup, salads, juices & sweets made in their kitchen and there is a good make-your-own section allowing you to pick and choose what you want, from the leaf & veg, to the grain, the dressing and the toppings. The choice of grain include things like black quinoa and amaranth. The choice of home-made dressings include superfood ingredients such as spirulina, pomegranate vinegar and spelt syrup. They are all tasty and healthy at the same time, which can sometimes challenge even the best cooks. We came away believing this concept would go down well in yummy mummy land.

Each counter merchandises a different recipe and recipes are changed weekly

The other place that was new to me was Bilder & de Clercq. They tell me that this concept was inspired by a place that the owners saw in Berlin but whatever the driver was, it is interesting to see this retail outlet made up of bespoke counters that pull together ingredients for different dishes. Recipes are printed on easy to follow leaflets and ingredients are weighed out, assuming an element of store cupboard ingredients will be at home. Everything you could possibly need to make the dish is merchandised on each counter including kitchen utensils, recommended wine matches and of course the product itself, both chilled and ambient.

Simple signage and clean VM make it easy to shop including the wine recommendations and any store cupboard ingredients you may need to top up with

I think it was the care and attention to the visual merchandising that really clinched it for me. Whether I would spend that sort of money on a meal that I still have to make at home is another thing, but clearly enough people are buying into the concept as it recently expanded to two outlets. I am sure as convenience continues to be a key driver that more cities will develop this idea.

La Place is still worth a look and see

Other retail offerings that were worth a nose are La Place which looks a little tired so many years on but still shows the potential for a fresh food offering with open production, simple counters and made-to-order service. There are also a couple of PapaBubble shops in town. And you really have to go and see the hammock shop at the flower market. Sadly, I couldn’t squeeze one into my hand luggage!

Lovely jars of pesto, mustard etc. are refilled by regular locals

The weekend markets remind me just how good organic produce can be presented. And the green footprint is enhanced with fill your own stalls of condiments, milk and yogurt. Lovely old pottery pickling jars of home-made pesto make the best of the herbs and it is common practice to bring your own jars to be filled. All very lovely.

Harking back to the pancake houses of old…

Restaurant wise: we didn’t get to De Kas so I will have to go back for that one. We really wanted to eat the local specialities, by visiting Brown Cafes, partaking in Dutch apple pie, croquettes and also pancakes. I went to the oldest pancake house in town: “Upstairs Pannekoekenhuis“. The vertiginous stairs take you up to a tiny little room that has been serving pancakes made on two gas rings since 1962 in this typical Amsterdam house dating back to 1539. They say this is the smallest restaurant in Europe with only 4 tables so it is advisable to book, although I managed to get a seat at the counter giving me prime viewing of the kitchen and the cook.

Amsterdam is highly recommended and a place I know I will return to so that I can discover even more.

Tags Amsterdam, Bilder & de Clercq, De Kas, Dutch design, Dutch pancakes, La Place, organic markets, Pannekoekhuis, Papabubble, SLA, Starbucks, superfoods

Categories Recipes, Restaurants, Retail

Escape to Cape Town

March 2, 2014 //

Clifton Beach, Cape Town

I made my annual pilgrimage to Cape Town as a last minute trip this year. It is always great to escape the UK weather and given the recent rain, it was fantastic to find an opportunity to get away between my other commitments and forget the real world for a short while.

It’s not just the weather that gets me on that 12 hour flight. The first reason to go is that it feels like home from home to me and that’s all down to having the most fabulous friends there who welcome me into their place with open arms. And I realised more than ever this year that they share my outlook, my way of life and my interests. We may not see each other for a year and may not even make much contact over that year but as soon as I step over the doorstep, it is as if that year in between was yesterday. That’s the best sign of friendship I can think of.

Every year I am interested to see what is new. And this year, Cape Town is the World Design Capital following in the footsteps of cities such as Turin, Helsinki and Seoul. So my expectations of this great city were high … and it didn’t disappoint. With design front of mind, I discovered Weylandts this year. I can’t figure out why I have never been there before and was pleased to find some fabulous lights for my new home. You really can’t beat the prices with the exchange rate more than ever in my favour, and the South African designs were spot on. This multi storey warehouse of beautiful stuff is well worth visiting.

It got me thinking about just why this city is so inspiring. I think it is embedded in the fact that South Africans are just so straight up and honest. Some people find that difficult to relate to but in the retail and food world, it means that you get a very true experience that is what it needs to be without having to try too hard. And because the country is so vast and isolated from others (unlike Europe, for example) businesses just get on with doing what they want to do with creativity and purpose. Finally, there is more of a culture of support than I see in other places. When a new young someone wants to put an idea into practice, they get encouragement and help rather than a queue of people hurling cynicism or trying to knock them back. It all adds up to lots of innovation and passion that translates directly to the consumer.

The big explosion over the past two years has been in coffee which I will talk about next time. So what else is there to report back on?

Firstly – Karen Dudley. She has been fronting her Kitchen for a few years now which was the restaurant of choice for Michelle Obama when she visited Cape Town. Given Karen’s philosophy and food, you can understand why. It certainly isn’t on the usual tourist path of restaurants but it is in the trendy Woodstock area so not too far off the beaten track. In the past year, Karen has published her second cookbook “Another Week in the Kitchen” and opened The Dining Room in the adjacent building.

Trolley service!

We visited for dinner and had a lovely meal hosted by the chef herself. As with her first place, it is as if you are in Karen’s home eating whatever she has prepared that day. The decor is eclectic with mismatched cutlery, plates and funky decorations. The menu is short with starters served from a trolley, a choice of two mains and desserts. The team are incredibly attentive and Karen herself just oozes interest and joy in the food that she offers.

Cosy cafe at Schoon de Companje

Coffee roasting

Lovely produce section

Another of my favourites from last year has had a makeover. Set in Stellenbosch, Schoon de Companje is the next iteration of a great bakery and cafe that I saw last year. Now the space has expanded to include butchery, coffee roasting, wines, ice cream making and produce in addition to the bakery and cafe. The whole atmosphere is cosy and relaxed with natural wood, lovely displays and a simple menu. It’s definitely worth a trip on the way to exploring the vineyards in the area.

The other discovery was a new market at the city farm in Oranjezicht. It may be small but I can see this one growing, if you pardon the pun. The stall holders focus on local produce along with some home made delicacies. It seems there is a lot of focus on gluten free, carb free and raw foods in Cape Town at the mo and here you will find people doing a good job of making yummy healthy treats as well as a central braai for tasty lunchtime eats.

Craft brewing, hand bottled and all at the back of a spacious bar and restaurant

The final place to report back on in this post is the Taproom. Once again, this new place is to be found in the Woodstock area which is most definitely the area to discover when you are out there. Here they are hand bottling home made craft beer and serving a short menu to accompany the Devils Peak liquid. It was just a very good example of the beer fashion with production there on site and open to be seen by all who visit, not as a theme park but as a real brewers. Once again it is straight forward, simple and yummy.

Tags Cape Town, Devils Peak, Karen Dudley, Schoon de Companje, Taproom, Weylandts, World Design Capital

Categories Design, Food, Restaurants, Retail, South Africa

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Sweet Streets of Food

Adventures in Amsterdam

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