The perfect drink.

The perfect drink.

When I fancy just a glass of wine and amazing cheese, there is only place for me, and that’s La Cave à Fromage. You go in. You tell them you want cheese and you want wine. They bring it to you. It’s amazing. End of story. 

When I fancy just a glass of wine and amazing cheese, there is only place for me, and that’s La Cave à Fromage. You go in. You tell them you want cheese and you want wine. They bring it to you. It’s amazing. End of story. 

This year I have decided to make more of an effort to learn how to cook food from Laos. I’ve often been in the kitchen with my mother and various aunties when they’ve been making this food, but I have never taken the time to write everything down. Thanks to my favourite Lao Cook, it would appear I won’t have to. Food From Northern Laos: The Boat Landing Cookbook and Traditional Recipes of Laos are two books are definitely the next cookbooks I’ll be purchasing.

One of my favourite things to eat at Ottolenghi is the fried cauliflower with tahini. Naturally, when Mr. Ottolenghi shared this recipe via The Guardian, I was all over it. It’s not the easiest salad to make, but it is so worth the effort. Yotam Ottolenghi’s fried cauliflower with tahini recipe Ingredients 500ml sunflower oil 2 medium cauliflower heads, split into small florets, weighing 1kg in all 8 spring onions, each cut into three long segments 180g tahini paste 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 15g chopped parsley 15g chopped mint, plus more to finish 150g Greek yoghurt 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp pomegranate molasses, plus more to finish Malden sea salt and black pepper Roughly 180ml water Instructions: Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Lay in a few cauliflower florets at a time and cook for two to three minutes, turning so they colour evenly. Once golden-brown, transfer to a colander with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with a little salt and leave to drain. Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower. Next, fry the spring onions, also in batches, for a minute. Add to the cauliflower and leave to cool down. Pour the tahini paste into a large mixing bowl and add the garlic, herbs, yoghurt, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and seasoning. Stir with a wooden spoon as you add the water. The tahini sauce will first thicken and then loosen up as you add water. Don’t add too much, just enough to get a thick yet smooth pourable consistency, a bit like honey. Stir the cauliflower and onion into the tahini bowl, taste and adjust the seasoning. You may also want to add more lemon juice. To serve, spoon into a serving bowl and finish with a few drops of pomegranate molasses and some mint.

One of my favourite things to eat at Ottolenghi is the fried cauliflower with tahini. Naturally, when Mr. Ottolenghi shared this recipe via The Guardian, I was all over it. It’s not the easiest salad to make, but it is so worth the effort.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s fried cauliflower with tahini recipe

Ingredients

  • 500ml sunflower oil
  • 2 medium cauliflower heads, split into small florets, weighing 1kg in all
  • 8 spring onions, each cut into three long segments
  • 180g tahini paste
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 15g chopped parsley
  • 15g chopped mint, plus more to finish
  • 150g Greek yoghurt
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp pomegranate molasses, plus more to finish
  • Malden sea salt and black pepper
  • Roughly 180ml water


Instructions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Lay in a few cauliflower florets at a time and cook for two to three minutes, turning so they colour evenly. Once golden-brown, transfer to a colander with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with a little salt and leave to drain. Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower. Next, fry the spring onions, also in batches, for a minute. Add to the cauliflower and leave to cool down.
  2. Pour the tahini paste into a large mixing bowl and add the garlic, herbs, yoghurt, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and seasoning. Stir with a wooden spoon as you add the water. The tahini sauce will first thicken and then loosen up as you add water. Don’t add too much, just enough to get a thick yet smooth pourable consistency, a bit like honey.
  3. Stir the cauliflower and onion into the tahini bowl, taste and adjust the seasoning. You may also want to add more lemon juice.
  4. To serve, spoon into a serving bowl and finish with a few drops of pomegranate molasses and some mint.

Bourdain eating Sup Tulang.

The Company Shed is one of the places that only those truly obsessed with food in the UK go on and on about. It’s almost a litmus test for foodies. If you mention it and the other person’s eyes light up, then you know they are serious about their love of food.

Here’s why coming here takes commitment.

  • It’s not close. From London, it’s an hour and 15 minutes train ride and another 15 minutes in a taxi. It costs £24 return for the train ticket (per person) and £20 for the taxi (each way).
  • You can get stuck there. There is only one road in and out of Mersea and when the tide is high, you just have to wait until it goes down.
  • The place is not fancy. It’s literally a shed. It’s like being in your uncle’s rustic seaside cottage. If your uncle was a fisherman.

However, once you take your first bite of the impossibly fresh seafood, all the adversity melts away. It is worth every effort and I highly recommend it if you’ve not already been. 

Here’s what you’ll need to bring with you:

  • Bread and butter. All they provide is the seafood and some salad. That’s it.
  • Wine.
  • Any sauces you like to have with your seafood. If you’re a purist (like I am) ignore this. 
Had some saffron kicking around that I wanted to use, so I decided to try a fish stew. I couldn’t find a recipe I like, so I stripped it down to the basics: saffron, fish, scallops, fish stock, tomato paste, white wine, shallots, onion and garlic. Turned out well. Served it with a Parmesan crusted baked polenta. A good experiment.

Had some saffron kicking around that I wanted to use, so I decided to try a fish stew. I couldn’t find a recipe I like, so I stripped it down to the basics: saffron, fish, scallops, fish stock, tomato paste, white wine, shallots, onion and garlic. Turned out well. Served it with a Parmesan crusted baked polenta. A good experiment.

Tried this ricotta stuffed mushroom recipe from Jamie Oliver. Made it into a salad by adding rocket and grated Parmesan with a drizzle of olive oil.

Tried this ricotta stuffed mushroom recipe from Jamie Oliver. Made it into a salad by adding rocket and grated Parmesan with a drizzle of olive oil.

The best som tum I have had in London, 101 Thai Kitchen. Fermented crab and fish sauce make a huge difference. Blow your head off spicy.

The best som tum I have had in London, 101 Thai Kitchen. Fermented crab and fish sauce make a huge difference. Blow your head off spicy.

Finally found decent duck larb in London at 101 Thai Kitchen!

Finally found decent duck larb in London at 101 Thai Kitchen!