MONEYSUPERMARKET WITH THAT HUNGRY CHEF

Tommy Tucker had to sing for his supper, and a couple of weeks ago I had to cycle for mine. I went to an event hosted by MoneySuperMarket, where we powered the chef's hob by cycling for five and a half minutes - the same amount of time it takes to switch energy tariff on their website.

I'm getting ahead of myself though... We arrived at Jenius Social to be greeted with glasses of bubbly (the perfect pre-cycling refresher!) and some delicious canapés made by chef Pratap Chahal, a fellow Grub Club chef, who's cooked at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, Chez Bruce, Cinnamon Club and Galvin Bistrot, amongst others. Pratap also has his own range of food products, making sauces, chutneys and pickles that you can buy direct from his website, or from Selfridges or various delis in London and the UK. We nibbled on Goan spiced pulled pork on toast with smoked yoghurt and coriander; smoked salmon and South Indian spiced cream cheese rolls wrapped in beetroot jelly; and spiced mushroom, spinach and feta fritters.

 

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HKK WITH SQUARE MEAL, LIVERPOOL ST

When the words Chinese food and Michelin star ping into my inbox it doesn't take me long to clear my diary and say yes to the invite, which is what happened when Emily invited me to join her and Square Meal at HKK in Liverpool Street to sample their tasting menu and drinks flight. At £88 per head for food, plus £40 for the matching drinks it's not cheap but then again, it is Michelin starred, you'll leave very full and quite drunk, you can book a table in advance, and it's top notch Chinese food - probably the best I've ever tried. So as a treat, I think it's definitely worth it.

 

The restaurant is large, with tables nicely spread out so you have plenty of room, though we were sitting in the private dining room around a table for 12 people that has a window straight in to the kitchen so you can see all the food being prepped. We started with a glass of bubbly, followed by a glass of cold sake to accompany our first course, which turned out to be my favourite. Duke of Berkshire pork belly mantou - a steamed bun that had been deep fried to give it a crunchy texture on the outside, while it retained its soft, cloud like texture inside, and was filled with a slice of rich, sticky pork belly. Next was chrusanthemum supreme seafood soup - a delicate flavour and gelatneous texture, I really liked this, though others didn't care too much for it. It is a gentle dish, with a subtle seafood flavour, and was paired with a warm version of the sake we'd tried with the pork bun.

 

  

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ULTIMATE BURGER / TOMMI'S, CHELSEA

Sometimes there's nothing better than a juicy, melty, big burger for dinner (or lunch). You know the ones - messy to eat, dripping everywhere and a struggle to fit in your mouth?! I've tried a lot of spots in London to find the ultimate burger but I really think you can't beat making your own at home. With the right bun, top quality mince meat and a killer burger sauce made with a couple of secret ingredients, you can't go wrong. Here's my favourite burger recipe, though of course you can change the type of cheese or bun you want to use, and the salad and sauces but try this one first and let me know what you think.
 
Makes 2 big burgers
 
400g organic beef mince
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
4 slices bacon
2 thick slices blue cheese
2 tsp tomato ketchup
2 tsp chipotle and smoky bourbon tabasco sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp mayonnaise
Splash Worcestershire sauce
2 brioche buns
2 gherkins, thinly sliced
2 iceberg lettuce leaves
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
 
Split the mince into two, season with plenty of salt and pepper and roll each half into a ball. Press down to make a patty that's about 3cm high. Leave to one side while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
 
Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. When hot add the bacon rashers (you don't need oil as the fat will release from the bacon while it's cooking). Cook til the bacon is crispy. Remove and leave to one side. Brush or wipe oil over the burgers and put the burgers in the hot pan. Lightly press down with a spatula then leave to cook for 3 minutes.
 
While the burgers are cooking make your burger sauce using all of the ketchup, chipotle and bourbon tabasco, mustard, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce. Mix all of the sauces together.
 
Flip the burgers over, lightly press down again, brush the tops of the burgers with some of the burger sauce, and cook for 2 minutes. Put the cheese on top of the burgers, then place a heatproof bowl over the burgers and cook for 1 more minute. The cheese should just be starting to melt. Turn the heat off and leave the burgers as they are while you assemble the buns.
 
Split the brioche burger buns, and add a dollop of burger sauce to the base bun half. Top with sliced gherkins and tomatoes. Add a burger to each base bun, top with bacon, lettuce, avocado, more burger sauce then finish with the top half of the bun.

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RON DIPLOMATICO at VILLAGE EAST, BERMONDSEY

I go to a lot of events where I get to eat delicious food and drink amazing drinks, but what I particularly love doing is meeting the people behind these brands. A couple of weeks ago I headed to Village East on Bermondsey Street for a private dinner with the family who own and run Venezuelan rum brand, Ron Diplomatico.

The evening started with one of the best cocktails I've had in a while. I don't know if it was that I wasn't expecting to actually like it as I'm not a fan of sweet cocktails (which I thought it would be), or that it was so unlike anything I've tried, but the almond daiquiri, made with Diplomatico Blanco rum, Orgeat (almond) syrup, fresh lime and Bob's Abbott's bitters was top notch. A little bit sweet from the almond but with a sour tang from the lime and bitters.

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CARNIVAL FIESTA, TENERIFE

Until a couple of weeks ago I had no idea that the second biggest carnival in the world takes place in Tenerife... ?! Tenerife is the largest of Spain's Canary Islands and is situated in the Atlantic, to the South West of Morocco. It has a population of around 900,000 and every February hosts a huge five-day carnival, attracting over quarter of a million people from all over the world. The streets of the capital city, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (which is actually twinned with Rio de Janeiro), transform into parties and there's music, colour, glitter and feathers everywhere you look.

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MUSCADET MAGIC

Normally the only time I'm awake at 5am on Saturday morning is when I haven't made it to bed yet, but a couple of weeks ago I tucked myself up in bed early(ish) on a Friday evening, ready for my alarm to go off at 5am the next day. Bleary eyed and not quite capable of anything involving make up or matching socks, I stumbled downstairs to a waiting taxi, to be whisked off to Billingsgate Market where I met a group of equally foggy food bloggers. We were there for a day with the ever flamboyant and way-too-lively-for-that-time-in-the-morning wine expert Douglas Blyde, who wanted us to go shopping for fish and seafood that we'd use to make a dish to eat with a glass or three of Muscadet later in the day. We stumbled into the market and found our way to Piggy's Café for some breakfast.
 

 

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MILLI'S KITCHEN SPANISH POP UP - THIS WEEK

If you're in Soho this week or next, then promise me you'll pop in to The Sun and 13 Cantons on Beak Street to try out some of Milli's amazing Spanish food?

Milli's doing a Spanish pop up at lunchtime and dinner time at The Sun and 13 Cantons, serving up delicious dishes like squid ink croquettes, sliced sirloin steak with potatoes and aubergine with honey, to name just a few. The tapas dishes range from £4-10 and there are about five vegetable, five fish and five meat dishes to choose from. They're also serving sherry, and smaller nibbles, so even if you haven't got time for a whole meal, I'd really recommend you pop in for a nibble and a drink!

Lunch is from 12-3pm Tuesday - Sunday, and dinner from 6-10pm with spaces still available on 26th, 27th and 30th October, and 2nd, 3rd (when I'm going) and 4th November. To book a table email info@milliscatering.co.uk or if you're going for lunch then just drop in.

Photos 100% stolen from Milli's blog, and taken by the wonderful Bec

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MY LAST 2 POP UPS OF 2015

I'm not really sure how it's already Autumn, and all the shops think it's nearly Christmas, but somehow it's getting towards the end of the year!! I've got two more public pop ups lined up, one in November, and one in December, so wanted to let you know about them in case you want to come along to one (or both!?) I've had great fun with pop ups this year - I've raised over £3,500 in total for charity from various events, and have done pop ups in Gloucestershire, on top of the BBC centre car park and lots of other weird and wonderful locations. We did one in the garden during summer where we ended up having to move all the furniture and guests inside after the starters as it started raining!

So what have I got planned for my last two events? The first one's on Saturday 21st November - I'm still confirming a location, but it will be in West London, within walking distance of Shepherd's Bush. The menu for 21st is as follows, and if you want to come, but there's something you don't like or can't eat on the menu, just mention in the comments section when booking and I can make you alternate courses.

Pomegranate fizz welcome cocktail

 

Tempura oyster, cured salmon, pickled leeks, homemade bread

 

Game pie, parsnips, wilted raddicio and winter greens salad

 

Sticky toffee ginger pudding, pears, gingerbread ice cream

 

British cheeseboard with salted biscuits and chutney

 

Spiced chocolate truffles with Teapigs tea or coffee

 

As with most of my events, both my November and December pop ups are bring your own booze, so you can bring a bottle of two of your favourite. Tickets for the November event are here. Tickets for both events are priced at £35 per person, which includes a welcome cocktail, four courses, and tea or coffee with homemade truffles.

 

Saturday 5th December sees my final public pop up this year - between doing lots of private events for Christmas, hen dos and annual functions. Again, the 5th December is BYOB, and anything you don't like on the menu or can't eat can be replaced with something you do eat!

 

The menu for December is: 



Welcome cocktail - cranberry fizz

 

Venison tartare, horseradish, juniper pickled onions, homemade bread

 

Ox cheek bourginon, cauliflower puree, wilted raddicio, greens and squash salad

 

Chestnut pavlova, candied hazelnuts, chocolate sauce

 

British cheeseboard with salted biscuits and chutney

 

Spiced chocolate truffles with Teapigs tea or coffee

 

Tickets for December 5th are here.

 

I'll leave you with some photos that were taken at my September pop up by the lovely Karin Pringsheim.

 

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A NIGHT AT THE HIPPODROME

Girly nights out have been a real blessing recently - time with old friends, where you chat about everything and nothing for hours and hours. One of these recent evenings was spent with Georgie at Leicester Square's Hippodrome Casino - a huge, 24 hour casino, that houses two floors of gaming, as well as a lovely restaurant - the Heliot Steakhouse - and a theatre that hosts up to two shows a night. We went along to try it all out, starting with dinner at the Heliot.

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CONFIT DUCK / CHESTNUT PASTRY - FRENCH RECIPES

Last weekend I went to Paris for a couple of days, and in between lots of walking and drinking coffee and wine (not at the same time!) I ate as much French food as possible - snails, steak, rum baba, steak tartare, oysters and a croissant for my final breakfast. Then yesterday I went to check out the soon to open Les 110 de Taillevent on Cavendish Square - an exquisite French restaurant that serves up lots of classics, alongside newer dishes (lamb sweetbread and crayfish vol au vent) with wines paired to each dish. So you could say I'm enjoying French food and wine at the moment! With all these great opportunities to eat out, it is also nice to cook at home, so I've been working with Expedia on their "world on a plate challenge" which celebrates the ultimate foodie holiday destinations around the world, which obviously include Paris. I've come up with a couple of recipe ideas below - not necessarily 100% French, but using delicious French ingredients with a bit of a twist.

CONFIT DUCK, CELERIAC PUREE, PLUM SAUCE

Serves 2
2 confit duck legs
Half small celeriac
250ml whole milk
25g butter
25ml double cream
Salt and pepper
4 plums
1 shallot
2 star anise
1 tsp coriander seeds
100ml water
50ml soy
50g caster sugar
Coriander
Pomegranate seeds

Put the duck legs, flesh side down, in a frying pan and heat gently for 20 minutes.

While the duck is cooking, peel the celeriac and chop in small squares. Add to a saucepan with the milk and top up with water so the celeriac's fully submerged. Cook for 10-15 mintues, or until soft, then strain, and blend with the butter and double cream, and salt and pepper to taste. (You could also make this dish with pulled pork instead of duck, and add some truffle paste or truffle oil to the celeriac puree at this point).

To make the plums sauce, finely chop the plums and shallot, and add to a pan with the star anise, coriander, water and soy sauce. Cook for 10 minutes, then blend and sieve.

After the duck has cooked for 20 minutes flip it over so it's skin side down and cook for a further five minutes.

To plate up, take two flat soup bowls and divide the celeriac between the two. Top with shredded confit duck, chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds, and finish with the plum sauce.

Photos by Chelone Wolf - Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

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BREAKFAST AT LIMA FLORAL, COVENT GARDEN

As I eat out a lot in the evenings I try and eat as healthily as possible during the day to balance it out. That means a banana for breakfast and greens or salad for lunch. For me, this works well and means I can indulge in the evenings without feeling guilty. However, an invite to Lima Floral for breakfast looked too good to turn down, so Lucy and I went to check out their new morning menu. Lima Floral is the sister restaurant to Michelin starred Lima, and is on Floral Street in Covent Garden. They've just launched a new breakfast menu taking inspiration from the Peruvian flavours of their main menu.

We started with coffee and fresh orange juice. Both were great, and exactly what was needed that early in the morning.

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LES GOURMETS DES TERNES, PARIS

I love Paris. It's such a beautiful city, it's cheap and quick to travel to from London, and it has so many great restaurants serving brilliant food. I booked a little weekend trip for myself and popped over last Friday. Having recently visited the lovely Rendezvous Bar in London, part of the trio of Les Gourmets des Ternes restaurants (one in Knightsbridge, where Rendezvous is, one in Maida Vale, and one in Paris) I was invited to try out the Paris branch while I was there. The Paris branch is the original restaurant of the three, having been open since 1962. It's a celebrity favourite and the walls are adorned with photos of the owner with various celebs, while the paper tablecloths are covered with prints of handwritten messages from them.

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