Back from the dead... with a Christmas 2017 roundup...

So 2018 started off a little unexpectedly...

I've had to take a year away from university to resolve some things which have been nibbling away at me for a while - slightly heartbreaking since I absolute love uni. 

But it also means I have a little bit more free time to resume some of my old passions  - and food is always high on that list. 

Christmas 2017 was a typical 'Cambridge Christmas', which means that you have a six week holiday but can only really afford to take a week off to do Christmassy things as the rest of the time you have a pile of work to be wading through. I wasn't able to really do much of that work but I still tried anyway...so cooking and food wasn't high on my list of priorities. 

All the same, I made time for some sugary, spiced goodness over the festive period! Here are my 2017 takes on mince pies, booze, and trifle...

For mince pies this year, I was determined to try something new!

I'm not a huge pastry lover and was wondering how to upgrade the humble mince pie. In 2016, I attempted to do this through making my own mincemeat (using my favourite brandy - Hennessy). It was good but it wasn't *WOW I HAVE TO EAT ALL OF THESE IN ONE GO* good. 

2017, I topped the mincepies with a frangipane - and am here to report back that they were certainly an improvement! 

I still think they can be taken to the next level but am not quite sure how at the moment. Marzipan? Cherry? Jam? Icing? A different pastry bottom? 

Paul A. Young has some recipes for mince pie brownies which I am very curious about... but that will have to wait for another 10-11 months. 

on the topic of mince pies... ever wondered what to do with your leftover mincemeat? 

Marcus Wareing has you covered with these delicious mince pie cocktails. We had them towards the end of cooking the Christmas dinner but I think they would have been more appreciated on boxing day with a mince pie. They were certainly delicious though, but very strong! You can whip one up with vermouth, bourbon whiskey, angostura bitters, mincemeat, a few cloves, and some orange peel. 

For our Christmas dinner dessert, trifle is always on the menu. It has always been the traditional dessert in our family and my mum made a killer one. 

BUT I've yet to nail her recipe and every year I hear the same from my dad... NOT ENOUGH SHERRY. 

So last year, instead of competing with my mum's masterpiece, I opted for Nigella's Black Forest trifle. It was LUSH... seriously so, so good. You have to make it at least once. But perhaps spare it for a different day of the year than Christmas as it is extremely rich. 

This year I went for a Lily Vanilli recipe - 'Very Boozy Sherry Trifle' - surely this would appease the Irish father?! 

Alas, not quite. Next year I think I'll just serve him trifle with a pouring jug of Harvey's Bristol Cream next to it. But it was still a great take on a traditional trifle - no jelly or cream and so it wasn't at all slushy and all the fresh fruit made it feel a lot lighter and refreshing after the heavy Christmas dinner. 

Best of all, it is SO worth making home-made custard. I had never done it before - always cheating with Bird's custard (there is enough to prep on Christmas, right?) - but this year I used that strange looking and overpriced vanilla pod that had been in the cupboard for probably much too long and it elevated the custard to a heavenly level. 

Would highly recommend this recipe - and Lily's Sweet Tooth book - which I will make another post reviewing. 

Hope you had a good festive season. 

CHOCOLATE ft William Curley and Paul A. Young

I would say that the vast majority of the western population love chocolate. However, this isn't going to be a blog post celebrating the Curly Wurly or the Kit Kat but real, 70% cocoa solids chocolate. I hope this doesn't come across as pretentious. The reason I wouldn't categorise most chocolate bars as 'real' chocolate is that  they are generally higher in sugar and fat than cocoa solids.

Like most of the population, I also love chocolate. I used to be slightly addicted to chocolate. Not a day would go by where I wouldn't consume something that contained chocolate. Whether that was a cookie, a few squares of dark chocolate, a hot chocolate... it would be every day! Fortunately, I've managed to get my love for chocolate under control after a few diet changes and abstaining over lent. Although I consume it less often, I still love it and think it's just an amazing food.

However, with a love for chocolate (not quite a passion yet) I asked my brother for the book 'Couture Chocolate' by William Curley for Christmas. I've only really gotten around to reading it thoroughly and, if you also love chocolate and are a confident cook, I couldn't recommend this book more highly. It transformed my love for eating chocolate into a genuine interest into this food and I can't wait to get into the kitchen to start trying out some recipes from the book.

Picture from Amazon.co.uk

It covers the history of chocolate, how to taste chocolate, the individual components that make up chocolate and there are so many recipes - none which are impossible to try at home.

One of my obsessions is finding unusual flavour combinations that excite my palette. Indeed, desserts with a savoury component are a huge food trend in 2016. Chilli and chocolate is quite well established now as a flavour pair and it is one of my absolute favourites (the Lindt Chilli Chocolate bars are divine when paired with the right white wine). In Couture Chocolate there are chocolate recipes containing tarragon, olive oil, matcha, salted caramel and so many other exciting flavours. It is the kind of book which will spark your imagination and really encourage creativity in the kitchen.

The book is beautifully put together and the content makes it absolutely worth its price of twenty-four pounds. Ask for it as a present or treat yourself!

I've also recently stumbled upon chocolatier Paul A. Young after watching him on Paul Hollywood's Pie and Puds BBC programme. He has a YouTube channel with instructional videos on how to temper chocolate and make various chocolates. I've found his videos so helpful in learning techniques and they are incredibly easy to follow. If you are getting into chocolate making, definitely go over to his channel and subscribe!

I have made it my mission to go to both William Curley's shop in Belgravia and Paul A. Smith's shop in central London to sample their chocolates so I know exactly how good 'real' chocolate can and should taste.

However, in the meantime, here is a list of my top 5 chocolate goodies -

1. Anything from Patchi!
2. Anthon Berg Chocolate Liquers £14.50
3. Lindt Excellence Chilli Chocolate £1.99
4. Lindt Lindor 60% Dark Chocolate Truffles £4.89
5. Reeses... I love peanut butter...what can I say?

Musings on Red Velvet - published 4 months later!

So I've had the urge to blog over the past few weeks - probably now that I have a lot more free time since handing in my final project. I just uncovered this post that I never got round to finishing or publishing. It's still not finished, but seeing as I plan on returning to Red Velvet very shortly, I thought I would post this as a precursor: 

Happy weekend foodies. So, I've had a very strange and hectic January, both filled with great news and some not so great news. Safe to say, 2016 definitely didn't start out as I thought it would. If you're looking for the red velvet talk, skip ahead a few paragraphs as I'm going to start off with a ramble!

I think after a few weeks of feeling both stressed and under the weather, I'm gradually starting to get things back on track. Which, I hope, also means that I will get back on track with all the plans that made for this year as well (hello blogging!). 

Last year was filled with a lot of studying and not-so-fun evenings sat at my desk trying to cram as much as I could before various exams and interviews. 2016 started off with achieving my biggest goal, so for the rest of the academic year, I feel like I will have a lot more spare time than I've ever had (and I probably will have for the next three years at least!). 

For someone who is so often bogged down in studies, it's a strange feeling having spare time and deciding how to spend it. It's also quite scary and I have to admit, I've felt lacking purpose for a short while now. However, I'm determined to make the most of this time as it is a genuine luxury and will be a rarity for me. So - and yes, we are finally getting to the bit about red velvet cakes - I spent this afternoon chilling in the kitchen and baking with my flat mate. I have no doubt that this sounds totally mundane to most people my age but when you're a workaholic, taking an afternoon to do something in complete leisure, is a significant event. 

Now... the cake!!

In my *cake-eating life* red velvet was a late-arrival. I think I only really noticed it one it started becoming the in thing. However, I've always been drawn towards it and would instinctively choose to bake it for a party or pick it out from a cupcake bakery.

I think it's the combination of a mellow chocolate hit and the tangy yet sweet cream cheese that just sings the most balanced harmony of flavours and keeps me coming back for more. Red Velvet is mysterious. There is no flavour implicit in its naming. It conjures images of something divinely smooth and luxurious yet warming. 

Admittedly, when a few years ago I was totally reliant on cake mixes from packets (and I still have a soft spot for Betty  Crocker's Supermoist collection) but I am really trying to cook more from scratch now... the only problem is.... when there are so many recipes online claiming to be *the best* which one do you pick?

Today I tried this recipe... adapted from a Hummingbird Bakery recipe. The cupcakes themselves turned out well. For cupcakes, the red velvet should be more moist and dense than the cake recipe as there won't be layers of icing running through. The hummingbird recipe allows for this so that the cupcake is wholeheartedly satisfying without being overly light and fluffy so that the it takes away from the flavour of the cake itself.  The frosting was less successful. We hesitated from adding in the total amount of icing called for in the recipe as it would have made it too sweet but this meant that the mixture was not firm enough. Icing is always the hardest part! Cream cheese being especially difficult. 

Finding the perfect balance for a red velvet cake also comes down to personal taste. I'm still not convinced I've found the *perfect* recipe. Alas, I think a lot more experimentation and testing is in order! And I'm also keen to try using beetroot in the recipe as some believe that that is where the red colour originated from.

There is more on the elusive Red Velvet to come very shortly...

Review: The Boston Tea Party, Bath, UK

I think I have a new favourite breakfast place. 

Boston Tea Party is a chain of all-day breakfast diners across Bath, Bristol and the surrounding areas. I normally am not a fan of chain restaurants - under most circumstances it would turn me off. However, after having breakfast here, the fact the Boston Tea Party is a chain makes me immensely happy - alas I have the opportunity to sample this menu in multiple occasions as opposed to only when I visit the city of Bath. 

The Boston Tea Party delivers on all front. 

The menu is really very good. There is a wide choice ranging from your standard fry ups (with veggie and vegan options), pancakes with compote and yoghurt or syrup and many variations of toppings on toast.

They were offering sourdough bread, pumpernickle, baps and bagels with salmon, sardines, eggs any way you like, nutella and banana, avocado and hummus…. the choice was really exciting and they are flexible if you want a combination different to what is listed on the menu.

No matter if you are looking for a hearty breakfast or something lighter, there is an option available. The price range reflects this. 10 for the hardcore fry up, 7.50 for the standard (see below), 5.50+ for pancakes and anything from 4.50 - 7.50 for *insert whatever tickles your fancy* on toast. 

The food was top quality. It arrived promptly and all worked perfectly. 

The drinks were also of a very high quality. The latte was silky smooth and the Chai latte was just the perfect winter warmer.

I will be returning as soon as I can to The Boston Tea Party. It is a top spot for breakfast. Whatever you’re in the mood for.

Review: Mildreds, London, UK

I am always on the look out for vegetarian restaurants. As a non-meat eater, finding places that offer veggie options can be difficult. However, you know that if you are going to a specialist restaurant, you are not just going to be getting a choice of 3 or 4 options (if lucky) but a whole menu to choose from and more chance of an all-round more interesting and creative dining experience. Vegetarian restaurants have to make the extra effort to offer something that little bit extra.

That is what Mildreds brings: exciting and unusual food that makes it a must for veggies to visit (bring your omnivore friends as well! They will undoubtedly be impressed).

10 minutes from Oxford Street, and a 5 minute walk from the famous Carnaby, Mildreds is in a great location if you're in Soho and don't want to be swamped on one of the busier streets in central London.

That being said, if you arrive any time after 6pm expect to have to wait for a table. We arrived around 5:30pm and had to share a table. After 2 courses and a round of coffees we left around 8:00pm and, walking out of the door, overheard that the waiting time was up to an hour. However, despite the fact that we definitely stayed longer than we really should have, there was no pressure to leave and if you do have to wait for a table, there are many tempting cocktails on the menu to try out.

Now on to the food!

I was keen to try a number of items on the menu, however, being a big fan of beetroot (and always on the hunt for the ultimate veggie burger) I decided to try the Polish burger.

It was so good and so filling. The burger does not come with any sides but it's so hearty that you really don't need them. If you are extra hungry then you can order them for an extra £3. Which, when added yeti the price of the burger at £7, is actually incredibly reasonable for top quality food on central London.

My dining buddies ordered the Tofu burger and the Sri Lankan Curry. Both enjoyed their meals. I was able to try the curry and it was absolutely delicious and not too westernised. I almost regretted not ordering it.

For dessert, I ordered the Peanut butter chocolate brownie. I was already so full but this was my 19th birthday cake do I couldn't miss out!

It did not disappoint.

Mildreds is a new favourite and I will most definitely be returning next time I am in the region. Well priced, great food and a relaxing atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of the West End.

As soon as I got back home I started  searching for recipes for beetroot burgers and that beautiful curry and was delighted to find that Mildreds has a cookbook featuring all the favourite recipes. It is available for purchase in the restaurant and on Amazon.

✭✭✭✭½

Review: Modern Art Oxford Cafe, Oxford, UK

I so badly wanted to like this cafe.

Salad bar? Check. Wide range of veggie options? Check. Good prices? Check. 

However, there were a number of things which really disappointed me with the cafe at Modern Art Oxford. 

Walking into the cafe early on a Sunday morning, we were the first customers. We walked up to the counter and asked about what is included in the 'meal deal' (salad plate, dessert and hot drink) - the staff didn't really seem too sure. So they called over another staff member who I can only assume was higher up on the ladder. However, he didn't seem to know either. Not off to a great start.

Next we asked what was in the various baked goods. They were serving frittatas and slices of pizza - all looked great but none were labelled and the staff were obviously clueless as to what they were. 

After being told that the pizza was vegetarian, I was pretty annoyed (understatement) to bite into it and find it contained salami under the tomato.

They replaced it quickly, nevertheless, the damage had been done. The actual salad components were tasty enough and if you are looking for a cold plate, it's a good enough cafe to stop by.

However, there are better places to go for lunch in Oxford. And more interesting selections of salad available.

If visiting, I would stick to the salad bar section and avoid the cakes. We ordered the coffee cake and it was certainly not freshly baked. It was sickly sweet, over creamy and did not taste remotely of coffee. Any redeeming qualities of the salad selection were quickly overpowered by the taste that this cake left in my mouth.

Overall, I was disappointed with the cafe here and, with so many great eateries in Oxford, I doubt I will be returning.

✭

Review: The Raven of Bath, Bath, UK

This seems to be *the* place to eat pie in Bath. And drink ale. Good ale.

I would actually go as far as to say this is one of the best pies I’ve eaten.

Three Kings Pie:  Turkey Smoked Bacon, Parsnip and Cranberry.

The Raven of Bath specialises in pies - and there are always at least three vegetarian pie options on the menu (hurray!!). Better news? All the gravies are vegetarian. Yep, all. There was a choice of three: 

Raven Ale and red onion

Red Wine and thyme

Sage and onion

If that choice of gravy doesn’t make you mouth water then I don’t know what will. 

Deer Santa Pie: British venison, British bacon, puy lentils, winter vegetables, juniper, thyme and port.

The pies are served with either mash or chips. I haven’t tried the mash but the chips were very good and chunky enough to soak up the gravy. 

And before I forget, the pies are served with a single cherry tomato. Superfluous or quirky? I can’t decide. 

I ordered the Heidi Pie with the Red Wine and Thyme gravy. It was both sweet and savory and not too salty. As far as pies go it was very good quality. Supplied from pie minister (all hail), the pastry was done to perfection and it was actually full! Not a half full piece of pastry with a crumbly lid on as seems to be the case with a lot of substandard pies. 

Heidi Pie (topped with sesame seeds): Goat's cheese, sweet potato, spinach, red onion and roasted garlic.

The Raven of Bath is continually packed in the evenings, a mark of a good pub. You might have to wait a bit for a table and then aggressively leap on one as soon as you see a group leaving… but it’s definitely worth it. 

✭✭✭✭½

Review: Friday Brunch at CuiScene, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi, UAE

If you've lived in the United Arab Emirates for any period of time, you will know that brunching is serious business.

However, for me, the Friday brunch at the Fairmont stands far above the rest.

Welcome to foodie heaven. Literally. This is as good as it gets.

The choice of foods available is just incredible. But what separates Fairmont from the others is the fact that it is not a case of quantity over quality but an incredibly high standard of both. 

Walk down the stairs of the hotel towards CuiScene and you are greeted with a complimentary mojito and able to sample the incredible canapés on offer (pictured above). Caviar, salmon mousse, crab cones... they not only look stunning but are packed full of flavour. 

If you are going to Friday brunch, skip breakfast. Actually, skip dinner the day before as well. It really is a case of how much can you eat in one sitting because you will want to try everything.

Having had my fair share of brunching experiences, I think the best way to approach an experience like CuiScene is to go in with a tactic:

1. Don't take too much of one thing. Lots of small plates. Sample a bit of everything.
2. It's open for four hours, stay for four hours. Eat slowly.
3. Don't drink anything fizzy.
4. Skip comfort/carby foods. Whilst they serve pizza and baked goods, you can eat get a takeaway any time you want. You won't find scallops cooked especially for you on any takeaway menu so save room for them instead.
5. Don't fill up on mains. Trust me. The salads, starters and fish dishes are the real stars of the show at Fairmont.

Oh! and wear something comfy. A lot of ladies go in bodycon dresses and heels. For what reason I will never know. You might look great in a bodycon leaving the house but after four hours of foodie heaven you will probably regret dressing to impress.

CuiScene opens at midday and people start leaving around 4pm. They won't chase you out but don't expect the food supplies to be replenished.

For both the quality and the quantity of food, it is really exceptionally good value. It starts at 269 AED (50 GBP) for the non-alcoholic package. With 'hops and vines' it jumps up to 319AED (57GBP) and with unlimited champagne, 489AED (88GBP).

I cannot recommend Fairmont highly enough. It is on my list of places to visit whenever I visit Abu Dhabi. 

★★★★★

Review: Lily Vanilli Bakery, London, UK

I first heard of Lily Vanilli when my Mum bought me 'A Zombie Ate My Cupcake" many, many years ago.

I have since been intrigued by this baker and keen to sample her food. Upon researching her bakery, I was slightly disappointed to discover that she was not serving bleeding heart cupcakes year-round but perhaps I was being slightly unreasonable... (what can I say... I am a total horror fiend...)

Despite this discovery, the constant feed of pictures of sweet treats on Lily Vanilli's instagram page convinced me that the bakery was worth visiting and so, upon making a trip into London, it was the first place that I put on my list to visit.

The cafe opens only on Sundays and is located off Colombia Road in Shoreditch. For a tourist, it is out of the way and really not ideal. This was the major clinch for me. Unless you happen to live in Shoreditch or Bethnal Green, It's certainly not a convenient place to pop for coffee and cake.

Nevertheless, I went... I sampled... and I left - very satisfied.

Although, I do m think after traveling for so long to get there my expectations were a little too high.

However, the friand was yummy. It was really, really, good. Sticky, savory and sweet, gluten free and vegan. It was definitely good. Good enough that it made me start googling similar recipes as soon as I got home. The coffee was good as well.

Pear, parsnip, ginger and chilli cake

It was a little pricey... three and a half pounds for a cake is just about reasonable... bump it up to four pound twenty just to sit on the bakery bench for fifteen minutes and it was enough to raise my eyebrows. I ordered a friand and a coffee and it came to almost seven pounds.

By all means, if you live within a reasonable travel distance, I would go and try it out. If I am in the area again, I will most certainly return. However, if, like me, the yearning for sweet friands, brownies and cupcakes involved taking a tube ride and a tedious bus journey, maybe just purchase Lily's Sweet Tooth book instead.

✭✭✭✭1/2

Review: Cereal Killer Cafe, London, UK

I have long loved cereal.

The cereal aisle of the supermarket is my ~zone~. I can easily pass a good half an hour just walking up and down... looking at all the pretty packaging... daydreaming about sugary goodness*....

if cereal is your thing... then this cafe is a MUST. Actually, even if you have a normal relationship with cereal (i.e you don't spend half an hour trying to decide whether to buy Golden Grahams or Captain Crunch) this cafe is worth going to just for the sheer novelty.

It had been on my list of places to visit in London and I'm so so glad I did. I will most definitely be returning. Asap*.

I went to the branch in Shoreditch. Admittedly, the cafe does not draw attention to itself. I actually walked straight passed it and then had to backtrack to find it (thank goodness for trusty Google Maps...)

I think for the best cereal-eating experience, it's best to go before the crowds start building - perhaps before 11am. It may be nonchalant but it certainly drew a consistent line of customers.

The choice of cereals is insane. It's too difficult to choose. I could have quite happily just sat there all day and sampled them all.

I visited early November and was beyond delighted to see that they had some of the Halloween cereals (USA imported!) still in stock. I thought I had missed the opportunity to sample Count Chocoula as I was unable to attend their week of spookiness, where they decked out the cafe in cobwebs and spiders, but low and behold I just managed to get my hands on some!

So here is my frankenstein bowl of cereal:

Is there any cereal in there? Absolutely! Just Count Chocula buried under very generous (they were certainly not stingy!!) helping of candy corn, reeses pieces and a happy hippo!

It was heaven in a bowl. Ugh. Absolute sugar overload and worth every penny. I was over the moon.

So... the cafe which has generated such controversy and hype... I'm certainly a fan. I would recommend this cafe without hesitation.

Go for the experience. Go to say you've gone.

Go for the sugary, sugary cereal goodness. 

★★★★★


*Ironically enough, despite being totally and utterly in love with cereal, on a day-to-day basis, I am actually a porridge eater.

*I didn't get round to sampling the hot chocolate as I was too full but I am eager to return and try it - from pictures, it looked beyond awesome.