ROSIE LOVELL

OXTAIL IN BRODO. It's not all about tomatoes you know.

2012-01-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is categorically the worst time of year. Christmas is over. Nothing is going on. Money is sparse. And the tax man is calling. The only thing to do then, is to cook hearty warming foods full of comfort and reassurance. In response to my, frankly, suicidal mood today, I'm cooking Orecchiette in Oxtail Broth. I love Italian broths. Not the Italian food that most people think of. Not tomatoes and sharp sweet sauces but deep pale meals cooked over long periods of time, invented before America was found and the tomato pillaged the character of all subsequent dishes. Don't get me wrong. I really love tomatoes. It's just that there was life before the tomato you know. A life full of delicate subtle-sweet European vegetables and meaty broths.

I bought my oxtails from my nearest butcher 'Dombey's' in Market Row, Brixton. This meal is clean and fresh and has almost improved my mood! Oh and by the way, ordinarily I would use tagliatelle but we haven't got any at Rosie's at the moment so I've made do with another favourite.

For the broth:

400g oxtail joints
3 litres of water
1 tsp all spice berries
2 bay leaves
1 stick of rosemary

Place the oxtails in a medium saucepan. Cover generously with water and add to this the all spice berries (for a deep wintery aroma), bay leaves and rosemary. Bring the pan to a gentle boil and then lower the heat to a lazy simmer. Place a lid on the pan and continue to heat for 2 hours or until the meat is soft and succulent and falling off the bone. Strain the broth into a jug and set aside. Shred the meat off the oxtails and set aside. Discard the aromatics.

For the rest:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and diced
1 leek, trimmed and finely sliced
1 big glass of white wine
lots of maldon sea salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
Orecchiette
a few leaves of fresh basil

Heat the olive oil in large pan on a moderate flame. Throw into the pan, the carrot, celery and leek. Sweat, stirring often, until it's all soft. Now add about a litre of the stock that you have kept aside. And also the wine. Simmer for a few minutes and then add the stripped oxtail meal. Season. Boil the orecchiette until really soft. Serve all together in bowls with shredded basil and more pepper.

....and some more Baking.

2012-01-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

This week seems to have flown by. I had planned to have this recipe up by Wednesday and I find myself here on a Sunday night with a heaving belly after a massive Sunday lunch! Hey ho, here you go. It's a bloody delicious Pistachio and Orange cake, dense and wet and really good. And the really good bit is that it was photographed by the inimitable Lisa Barber, a local to the shop. She very very helpfully offered to come down to the shop when she saw that I was baking this peach of a cake. Isn't Brixton brilliant? I couldn't wish for a better community. For more recipes like this, you can preorder my new book here. This cake really is the ticket. The pistachios combined with the orange zest is a well worn path that works every time, like an old friend. And the introduction of ground almonds adds a fantastic moist sponge that rises just as much as is needed, from the beaten egg whites.

Dense Orange & Pistachio Cake

2 oranges, zest and juice
330g butter
330g golden caster sugar
5 large free range eggs, 3 separated
a pinch of salt
110g ground almonds
220g plain flour
160g natural yogurt
100g pistachio nuts, roughly broken
2 tbsp caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 26cm round spring form cake tin and line the bottom with grease proof paper. Place the orange zest in a bowl with the butter and sugar. Using a hand held electric whisk beat until this forms a light and pale mix. Now add the 2 whole eggs and the 3 egg yolks (keeping the remaining 3 egg whites aside.) Beat until smooth again. Add salt and fold in the ground almonds and flour. Now beat the remaining egg whites so that they form stiff peaks, using a hand held electric whisk. Fold these into the cake batter at the same time as the natural yogurt and then fold the batter out into the cake tin. Scatter over the broken pistachio nuts and place in the oven for 45 minutes or until just firm. Make a syrup with the remaining orange juice and a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar. Pour this over the cake and let it infuse in the cake tin for an hour. Remove to a cake plate and serve with a good old brew.

JANUARY BAKE OFF... starts now

2012-01-14T09:22:00.001-08:00

I feel like baking. I feel like eating hunks of meat. And generally, I feel like hibernating. So thank goodness we just had our kitchen done and are the proud owners of a Rangemaster mega-cooker, not just with a grill, or even one oven, but two bloody ovens, ideal for roasting, baking, toasting and generally turning me into a massive pig. Since we re-opened Rosie's Deli Cafe after the Christmas break we've been making these fantastic cookies, daily. They have been satisfying my desire to turn on the oven and warm up the joint. And again today, at home, I find myself making these same cookies to take round to my best friend Helen's house for dinner. Here's the recipe, for which the original blue print came from Olive Endeacott, a friend of mine who lives down the road in Catford and is a budding baker. They are perfect for a healthy January, being packed full of seeds and oats. However, the heftly injection of butter will ruin your diet! Bad luck.

OLIVE COOKIES

Makes about 14 Cookies.

240g jumbo rolled oats
240g plain flour
240g golden caster sugar
a big handful of...
sunflower seeds
linseeds
pumpkin seeds
black sesame seeds
a generous pinch of salt
240g unsalted butter
4 tbsp whole milk
3 tbsp runny honey

Preheat the oven to 160-180C, depending on how good your oven is. Grease a couple of baking sheets. Measure out the oats, flour, sugar, seeds and salt. Mix these together in a bowl. Meanwhile melt the butter in a pan with the milk and honey. Pour this into the dry goods and thoroughly mix together into a thick mix. Roll the cookies out between your palms gently and place on the baking trays, with a little space between them. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they are golden at the edges and slightly splayed. Leave the cookies to cool and firm up on the baking trays and them remove to a tin.

Now I just need to get the seeded bloomer out of the oven. I fear it will never get any respite. Next time, I'll be extolling the delights of a PIstachio and Orange upside down cake....

Malaysian Encounters.

2012-01-09T09:42:00.001-08:00

2011 was frankly ridiculous. I organised our wedding, our housemove and 2 work trips abroad. So when we finally arrived Kuala Lumpar I was desperate to kick back and enjoy being cut off for a few weeks. The food we encountered was confusing and strange, not always very nice, but nevertheless exciting. Assam Laksa was the first really mental thing we ate - a murky broth full of dried ground fish and fat noodles. Served with a tiny lime and serious chilli kick, this was my least favourite meal. Malaysian food is a strange mixture, being a fusion of many cultures - Indian, Chinese and Nonya (Malay/Indonesian food). The overriding theme which we encountered everywhere was dried fish. This becomes the base seasoning for a lot of Malay cooking.

The best food we ate in Penang was actually the Chinese food. Teksen Restaurant was a treat of place with a really chic interior of matching metal stools and a seriously gorgeous fine boned girl running the show. The food was punchy, with a lot of dishes coming in scorching clay pots. My favourite dish was by far the winged beans which came with chubby prawns and a light sambal (a pickled sauce common in Nonya foods). I'll definitely be testing out a few sambals and if anyone can tell me where to get the winged beans I'll buy them a grateful drink! They have a fantastic firm crunchy texture and delicate flavour which takes chilli really well. Plus with their increased surface area you could really drench them in a good sauce.

The street food which we encountered, piping from every corner of Georgetown's alleys was predominantly chinese in origin. I have a new respect for chicken satay. Popular on the '90's fusion menu in dodgy local restaurants and therefore pretty undesirable, my opinion of chicken satay was always low. But that was until I tasted real satay. We drank beer on the pavement and watched a seriously dexterous woman twiddle and turn her sticks rammed full of either pure chicken meat or liver and gizzard. With each rotisserie turn she dabbed the meaty sticks with a brush. It wasn't until we got really close and started quizzing her that we worked out what was going on: the brush was actually 3 sticks of lemongrass tied together and split at the woody end. And the liquid she was dipping the 'brush' in was actually an infusion of lemonglass water and oil. Served with some slithers of cucumber and a dark satay source (which probably had dried fish in it and also dried chillies) we happily downed our beer and mopped up the atmosphere of these smoggy but fun streets.

Back from Provence in time for Supper

2011-10-26T01:43:00.000-07:00

I've just spent two weeks filming in Provence. It was pretty varied as food adventures go: I went wild boar hunting (and had to lug the laden beast back up the mountain), tasted the most celestial lemon tart on this earth, wedged into the terraces of Menton, and sliced my thumb open in Nice market. And on my return I'm really excited to be working tomorrows supper. It's the usual deal: BYO, 6.30pm-9.30pm. And next week look out for the Chocolate Truffles! Here's the menu, to get the juices flowing.

Red Lentil and Roasted Red Pepper Soup - £4

Vinci Olives, Coriander Hummous and Sourdough Ciabatta - £5

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Charcuterie and Salad: Prosciutto, Coppa, Fennel Salami and a Spinach and Parmesan Salad - £8

Butterbean, Chorizo and Dill Casserole - £7

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Apple Tart with Creme de Marron and Vanilla Yogurt - £5

Goat's Cheese with Apple Jelly and Toasted Hazelnuts - £4

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Espresso and Fresh Mint Teas - £1.50

MODERN TAPAS NIGHTS

2011-09-25T01:38:00.000-07:00

We're now open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. The menu is looking delicious for next week:

Juicy Vinci Olives, Cumin Hummous, Fresh Anchovies and Sourdough Ciabatta - £6

Spiced Sweetcorn and Ginger Chowder - £4 (V)

Coppa with Salsa Verde Flageolet Beans - £5

Marinated Feta and Soft Pepper Tomato Salad - £6 (V)

Warm Chorizo and Tomato Salad - £5

Charcuterie Plate - £6

Baked Balsamic Peaches with Vanilla Yogurt - £5

Fresh Goat’s Cheese with Brogdale Apple Jelly and Toasted Hazelnuts - £5

We start serving at 6.30pm and last orders are at 9pm (hopefully this will be moving to 10pm shortly). Just bring a bottle and come and settle in to the deli. Loads of love xxx

Who's coming for Supper?

2011-07-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all of you.
Sorry for the absence. I've been busy getting married and trying to finish my next book 'Recipes to Remember". And it turns out it's not for the faint hearted!
But now i'm back on track and ready to cook you all some suppers.
We will be running 'The Stephen Rose Supper Club' for three nights over the course of August:

Thursday 11th
Thursday 18th
Thursday 25th

There are a mixture of tables for 2, 4 and 6.
As per, the menu will be a never ending array of mezze, themed each time (tbc)
To book in, please email rosie at rosiesdelicafe dot com asap and we'll send you the link to secure the booking.
It is a byo evening and things kick off at 7pm. the price per head will be £30
But please do let us know any essential dietary requirements.
Now form and orderly queue!
lots of love,
Steph and Rosie xxxx

EGGS AND BRADY'S. With relative ease

2011-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

I realised two goals today. One ridiculous, and the other, an old time fantasy. I will start with the first: I've never really known how to boil and egg. It's embarrassing but true. I suppose I always rely on the internet or Delia, so have never cemented the process in my mind. Faced with 40 eggs to boil this morning for a catering job, I knew that my ignorant days were up. And by now, looking at my mountain of egg mayonnaise, I have truely mastered the art. It's not hard either. Here is a food proof method:

Place as many eggs as you like in a pan. Nearly cover entirely with water. Place the egg pan on a high heat and bring it to the boil. Time 3 minutes. Then immediately turn the heat off and fit a lid for 8 minutes. Then place the eggs under a running tap. Keep them covered with cold water until you want to peel. The shell will come away easily and no shredded edges will be in sight.

The second achievement of the day is less culinary, but may lead to some cooking. There is a derelict site in Brixton which has long been a fantasy of my imagination. Brady's is a pub with a beautiful clock tower covered in graffiti and tumbling with weeds, best seen from the train station. I have adored it on countless worse-for-wear mornings in bright sunlight. It must be my inner Marianne Faithful. Word on the street is that Jimmi Hendrix played his first gig here, and in the 80's it was a squat pub and there are still people in the neighbourhood with happy hazy memories of this hub. Stepping back in time and walking around the falling down bar and up the stairs to the mentally falling down rooms was an absolute delight. Hopefully some day soon everyone will be able to see this amazing old hang-out. And if I'm lucky I might get to do some cooking here.

A Surprisingly easy Chocolate Tart

2011-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last summer I made quite a few chocolate tarts. They are killer dense and rich and actually very easy. All you do is blind bake your pastry and then filll with molten chocolate before letting it set. So you don't even need to do the whole back-in-the-oven to set bit. After a delicious run-in with a new orange and pistachio chocolate bar, I took it upon myself to emulate the moorish bar in a dense and decadent chocolate tart.

For the pastry I followed a recipe from Tamasin Day-Lewis' book, 'Art of the Tart' which is a great fall back for understanding each type of pastry tart and all the multifarious incarnations. For the chocolate filling, heat double cream until it is nearly at boiling point. Pour this over the same amount of broken chocolate and flavour with salt and orange zest. Pour this into the baked pastry case and scatter over crushed pistachio nuts. It's basically like making a massive truffle. Leave the tart to cool before refrigerating to fully set.

SCHOOL DISCO in the deli

2011-05-18T12:27:00.001-07:00

I'm still writing away down here, trying to finish my next book, testing recipes and having a great time thinking about designs. But the deli is still pumping and today we cleared the tables aside and have a party session with my friends from Coldharbour Lane. They are utterly exhausting and the only thing for it was to try and distract them with some Toddla T. I haven't had so much fun in years.

THERE IS A REASON...

2011-04-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

...that I've been so quiet. And it is going to have to stay that way for a bit I'm afraid. I am writing a next book. It's very exciting and I'm working really hard on recipes, testing, writing, conjuring. The book will be published by Kyle Books. They are a great team and I'm super happy that we are again working on the designs with ed grace.

But if I told you what I was cooking all the time, it might rather ruin the surprise. However, this one was too juicy not to document. Tonight I tested one of the recipes: Lancashire potato cakes packed with capers. I have to say they are bloody delicious and eaten with a massive swipe of homemade egg mayonnaise, I couldn't be happier.

CORRECTION!

2011-04-07T09:10:00.001-07:00

Joanna's vintage stall will now be on SATURDAY 16TH APRIL.
sorry for any inconvenience...
xxx

VINTAGE CERAMICS AND SPANISH ANTICS

2011-04-04T05:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday April the 9th will see a gorgeous vintage china stall outside Rosie's. i'm really excited about this and know i will want to buy everything! Joanna will be open for business from 10am until about 5pm. she's got lots of tea sets, mid-century designs, tablecloths and even some amazing glassware so come on down and take a look before it all goes.

Steph and I will be doing out next supper club on the 14th April.
We are taking a slightly different route,
and as a one-off we are offering a never-ending supply of european tapas.
here's an idea of what you can expect:

Sardines Escabech
Nettle gnocchi with wild garlic sauce
Mustard seed glazed Celery with cumin and white wine
Bulgar wheat with chicory, orange and dill
Spiced peas
Fish stew
Barcelona Lentil salad
Sundried tomato and olive pate
Herbed yogurt tzatziki with Soughdough
Blood orange and Campari jelly
Salted Honey Truffles
Mint Teas

to book, please email rosie@rosiesdelicafe.com asap and we can slot you in.
it's 7pm, byo, cash only, £25 per person....
don't be shy!
xxxx

BONITO in San Agustinillo

2011-02-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

I've just got back from Mexico (so excuse my ramblings because I'm pretty jet-lagged!) We travelled around and had a fantastic time. The Colours (bright), the smells (smoky), and most of all the people (just seriously sunny) were really the ticket. But as is often the case, my favourite meal was not only the simplest but also the cheapest. At the village of San Augustinillo, Oaxaca state, I walked past the Miscelenia (a road side buy-whatever-you-need vegetables, water, sweets and corona shack) each day. There was always a gaggle of women and children and footballs but most of all, a massive barbeque binding these together. On our penultimate day I saw a rangy mexican weighed down by the mornings catch: Bonito, which is like a small tuna. I new where to go for lunch!

The Bonito where gutted and simply sliced in half and barbequed. This is the way that most of the fish came on the coast. Plain and simple and smoky. But the lovely ladies hanging in the back kitchen then flaked it off the main fish and made a hash with white onions (seemingly the most commonly used onion in Mexico), some tomatoes and green chillies and maybe some orange zest (we couldn't quite tell?). It was served with tacos and limes for squeezing. Just so simple and so bloody good we couldn't believe it! We were on a real high from such a delicious and fresh lunch and celebrated with Sorrel icicles and more holiday Micheladas.

I may well write a few other posts going off on one about our lovely holiday food, so please bare with me... xxx

FYI

2011-02-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

Hey Hey, in my absence, regarding supper club bookings, please contact stephaniecboote@hotmail.com. She's Stephen to her friends and will happily book you all in for our March Suppers. xxxxx

OAXACA coming at'cha

2011-02-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

I'm devastated to say I'm off to Mexico on Friday. Poor me. I'll be away til the beginning of March with The 2 Bears, hopefully with lots of new ideas and kapow flavours. I can't wait. All the best! xxx

3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER

2011-02-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

Hey Hey. So, after the success of Thursday's supper club, Steph and I have decided to do 3 more in March.
They will be held at 7pm on Thursdays the 3rd, 10th, and 17th of March.
The evening comprises of 4 courses and is £25 per head, byo, cash only.

The first supper, on the 3rd, will be spring-like and green and something like this:

Spicy Pea Soup with Feta
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Creamy Lamb Ragu with dill.
Giant Cous Cous with Preserved Lemons
Courgette Salad
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Earl Grey Rice Pudding with Berry Compote
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Sea Salt Truffles with Marsala Coffee
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The food is always delicious and warming and really homely.
Just to give you an idea of the style, Steph's been making amazing scented and salted truffles
and I'm partial to meaty casseroles and big salads.
We may also do some more themed nights -
an Indian and a Mexican Night are in the pipeline...

To secure your places, please follow the paypal link HERE
Please make a deposit of £10.00 per person.
Please understand we are not doing this to be officious.
We have been forced to do so after some unfortunate last minute cancellations that have left us in the lurch!

Please email rosie@rosiesdelicafe.com with the night you wish to come, any dietary requirements, or just tell us your secrets.
Looking forward to feeding you all in the spring!

lots of love,
Steph and Rosie ("The Stephen Rose Supper Club")

WHO'S FOR A BRITISH ONION?

2011-02-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

I got sent a box of goodies last week by British Onions. But it wasn't just onions. It was all sorts of other store cupboard essentials. The task was to make an onion gravy so they sent Mushroom Ketchup, English Mustard, Worcester sauce and Marmite. These are supposedly the key ingredients to making a good gravy. Like a good pupil with a job to do, I set about my gravy exercise.

My american cousin Rachel was due for dinner, so in uncharacteristic style I made bangers and mash and she, poor thing, had to suffer my experiment! It's not really my sort of food. Nursery food too much perhaps. And not enough scope for tweaking and playing with flavours. However, I soon realised that I could have some fun. I cooked up the onions in butter and olive oil until they were beginning to stick and turn golden (one regular onion and one red). Then I added a tablespoon of plain flour to give the gravy some body. It's not unlike making French Onion Soup really. I added some water and turned the heat up high. I added some star anise to give real depth and then some molasses to make it sticky and sweet. A dash of Chianti, some Marmite and Mushroom Ketchup (which smells more of cloves than mushrooms) and we had some really good axle grease. Once the sausages were browned and cooked I poured the gravy over the sausages so the flavours would combine, and placed it back in the oven for a further 10 minutes. Accompanied with some carrot and potato mash, it turns out that bangers and mash aren't as boring as I thought, so long as there's some good deep warm flavours to wash it down. Don't forget though, the key is definitely the star anise and molasses.

OUFF. The menu tonight is looking nice...

2011-02-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

MARMALIZING THURSDAY

2011-01-27T05:09:00.001-08:00

CALLING ALL SUPPER CLUBBERS...

2011-01-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

We've been a bit lazy in January, but I am sorting it out. NOW.
In doing so, we have a supper club on Thursday 3rd February.
I'll be cooking with my gorgeous friend Steph Boote who has worked in kitchens all over London, including a stint at Rosie's.
So far the menu, which costs £25 per person, is looking like this:

Creamed Cauliflower Soup with Cumin and Truffle Oil
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Slow Cooked Lamb with Preserved Lemons
Warm Jumbo Cous Cous
Roasted Beetroot Salad with Beet Tops, Orange and Parsley
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Earl Grey and Cardamon Rice Pudding with Fruit Compote
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Truffles with Marsala Carajillo
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Supper starts at 7pm and the deli closes at 10pm.
It's byo and cash only.
To reserve a table please email me back ASAP with any dietary requirements at rosie@rosiesdelicafe.com,
and also make your reservation payment here
(This is non refundable if you cancel, and refundable if we cancel, due to previous cancellations leaving us in the lurch!)
We are really excited about this menu and can't wait to feed you!

Speak soon.
xxx

OOH-LA-LA. who's coming for breakfast?

2011-01-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

Perfect apple and blueberry muffins. They'll be at Rosie's tomorrow. xxx

HERCULES. I'm having a LOVE AFFAIR with a Tartlet

2011-01-20T06:15:00.000-08:00

I'm hungover today. We went to see Hercules and Love Affair at Heaven last night with the fat white duke and got a little bit carried away. I think being amoungst the glayterrati gave me a light head. The new album has been playing in the deli all week, and I'm totally obsessed with 'My House' which has an awesome video on youtube. So I was champing at the bit to see what they are like live. The band weren't half good too, with loads of jumping around in jumpy-suits. Though in a very suburban way, I'm still trying to work out what sex everyone was! And just to top off the night, The Horse Meat Disco were playing records afters, which is always a pleasure, not least because it is my constant goal to turn them straight. I fear I am loosing this battle.

Anyway, I've got one of those all day hunger-chain-smoking-delirious hangovers, and there's isn't a great deal in the house. Or so I thought....
There's puff pastry, a few eggs, some celery, leeks and rather pathetic looking nob of goat's cheese left over from the afore mentioned pizza session. Not so bad. I rolled out the pastry and sauteed some onion, celery and leeks. The edge of the pastry was brushed with a beaten egg and the vegetables tipped into the centre. The remaining egg was poured on top and a few roundels of cheese positioned. Into a very hot oven (240C) for about 10 minutes, and straight out onto my plate. Washed down with a pint of Earl Grey tea, and things are looking up. It's gooey from the cheese and the pastry, puff, never ceases to amaze me. I may just have a dance to 'My House'. It's where I am, after all.

THIS DISH IS A BUTTER BEAN QUEEN

2011-01-18T11:24:00.001-08:00

Since Christmas we've been making a delicious butter bean casserole every day at Rosie's. It's been selling swiftly and is really easy. Think of it as a pasta sauce with swimming beans and you'll be away. I highly recommend it with a little toasted bread for mopping. It's the perfect week day lunch.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 courgettes, diced
3 tins of chopped tomatoes
4 tins of butter beans, drained
1/2 bunch of fresh dill, roughly chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan on a medium flame. Add the onions and sweat. Then add the garlic, paprika and cumin seeds. Stir frequently. Now add the courgettes and allow everything to cook for long enough to saute but not brown. Tip in the tomatoes and turn the heat up so that it really bubbles and reduces. When it is thick add the drained beans and dill. Heat for just long enough to heat through the beans, and then serve in a bowl with some thick bread.

You can play around with this recipe. We have. Try adding some diced carrots along with the courgettes, or replacing the dill with parsley, or adding a finely chopped chilli. Easy Peasy. xxx

FINGER LICKIN' CHICKEN and other stories

2011-01-17T11:02:00.000-08:00

We've been eating really well lately. It's something to do with spending time at home (January), doing conscientious shopping trips and being quite frugal (again, January). Last week I had my dear friend Flora for supper and cooked some delicious salads. The best was one with lentils, fennel and mackerel. It was crunchy and satisfying and washed down with far too much wine, made for a delicious girls-night-in. This blog is usually pretty frivolous but after watching all the Big Fish Fight programmes on telly, I really must stress how much it has moved me, and I hope you too. Hopefully from now on, people will be using sustainably caught fish. The mackerel I used for this salad was just that, made by a company called 'fish forever' that we sell at Rosie's. Please do find it, where ever you live.

The weekend was a gorge-fest. Raf made pizza. It's super easy making pizza and we had a really good time choosing toppings for each batch (tomatoes, aubergine, mozzarella, goats cheese, balsamic onions, coppa and all topped with a sprinkle of rocket) and the real trick was using a cast iron slab to bake them on. We got it really hot and then eased each pizza on to it to really crisp up the bottoms. And Raf really does have natural kneading hands, lucky for me. The base was absolutely perfect. I just need to get him making me daily bread and I'll have it taped! Next time we do pizza, I want to try a distant Florentine memory. I know it involved potatoes, rosemary and taleggio (the first time you eat taleggio it changes your world)... watch this space.

And now on to the whole point, the chicken. We roasted one last night and stuffed the skin with a delicious butter packed with chillies, basil, lemon zest, clementine zest and garlic. All pretty obvious. But this morning I stripped the remaining meat off of it and made a stock with the carcass. It's the three day chicken frugality challenge. The meat has gone into a puff pastry pie with leeks, carrots and loads of wilted spinach in a white sauce. That's coming out just before EastEnders for a cosy night in. And tomorrow's supper will be risotto, utilizing the chicken stock. It really does take things up a notch if you make risotto with real stock. You should try it.

FRESHEST PASTA for my Mum

2011-01-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

Last nights supper was the epitome of easy. It may not seem it, but honestly fresh pasta is a breeze. I kneaded in the afternoon, and we rolled when we got home. NOTHING beats freshest egg pasta. Especially if it is accompanied by a quick tomato sauce (we used yellow cherry tomatoes, pancetta, basil, parmesan and some lemon zest) and my Mum and her delicious white wine. I'd like to recoin the phrase "Supper of Champions". It's meaty and supple and keeps you full for hours. Go on. Try it.

YIKES. THAT WAS EARLY

2011-01-11T11:45:00.000-08:00

So, the first Breakfast at Rosie's went off really well. Here's what happened (translation: we made muffins, egg pastries, and did some merchandising) Bring it on. xxxx

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

2011-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

To kick off the year with a bang we thought we'd start opening an extra 2 hours early. I know. Pretty nuts. But the muffins are coming out so well this week, we thought we ought to offer them to you on your way to the tube and say morning too. As you can see, Coffees are going to be £1.50 before 9.30am, so get your skates on and come and say hello. xxx ps. and do let me know if there are any requests for breakfast whims - fruit salad? croissants? Just say the word. x

MEAT FEAST

2010-11-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

Having moved to South East London a few months ago, I was beginning to wonder where in Peckham I might buy some decent meat. There are reams of Halal butchers along Rye Lane that serve a community, but aren't really for me. I've tried the lamb countless times, and it doesn't matter how long I cook it. It always comes out tough and flavour-low. There WAS a tiny butcher on Peckham Park Road but I thought it must have gone. Last time I lived down here, was a long long time ago, and the call for good meat seemed unlikely. My father alerted me to Buntings again, promising me it was still there and even sold rabbit, and so I headed down today, in search of Pheasants for Sundays lunch. It was a real treat. The two brothers that run the joint (third generation) were friendly and more than passionate, almost religious, about butchery (which is always attractive). We talked for ages and I managed to spend a mere £16 on 3 different meats. Their selection is admirable and inexpensive.

And like a really good butcher, they had lots of advice for me. Going meat shopping in a place like this becomes an event in its own right (and although I love a good bean supper, makes me very sorry for vegetarians). And recipes are allowed to evolve and change with a good butcher's advice. The shop is more Old Kent Road than Peckham town, and I am told that their customers come from all over London. Buntings has the compulsory nostalgic awning and the window is piled with all sorts of meats: venison (I'm already thinking what to stew with this), french hens, their own sausages (the lamb and mint looked really fat and good) and most of all, it's piled high with atmosphere. An old guy came in after me. Obviously they all new his name. He ordered half a dozen eggs and some lamb chops. The three men chatted away about the football and he waxed lyrical about the eggs ("Jumbo! Once you've had these love, you'll never want a supermarket egg again")

So, in the oven I have a hunk of Buntings Belly pork (though we had a good debate about whether to use belly or shoulder) slowly cooking, to make Nigel Slater's Rillettes. And in the fridge I have a massive British Chicken, quartered for me by the brothers, ready to make a moroccan casserole on Sunday for Mark and Lucy. And also, inspired by the egg man, I have a couple of lamb chops for supper tonight, nestling in oil and salt and pepper with a little near frozen garden rosemary. Supporting places like this means they will be there next time you go shopping. The nights are drawing in, lets eat meat!

PAMPER-ME HAMPER

2010-11-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

Hello hello,
It suddenly occurred to me that christmas is coming. It must be the shock of the cold that reminded me. So, I thought I'd better get my icy-skates on and organise our Rosie's Deli Christmas Hamper. I've decided to go along a more permanent route this year, including not just food, but all the other lovely stuff we sell at the deli: a Stuart Gardiner tea towel (he's now doing a season fish design too) and also -obviosuly- a copy of Spooning with Rosie. Added to this, there'll be the classic best sellers from the deli, including chilli jam and cassoulet to name just a couple. I'm aiming to charge about £60 a pop, and have it all in a lovely seagrass basket. We will deliver (with in reason) around South London, so please give me a shout if you would like to place an order. rosie@rosiesdelicafe.com

No. 67. The South London Gallery triumphs

2010-11-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to get to No. 67, The South London Gallery's latest cafe, for ages. Finally, with a little hangover, we headed down the hill and found ourselves wedged in, ordering from a beautiful waiter, and I for one was feeling really excited. It all boded well: lovely soft lighting, and fantastic shell of a building, a really tempting menu, and that particular cafe noise which combines steam and noise and clatter of plates. It always makes me feel at home.

We ordered a chorizo sandwich and pork rillettes. Both really hit the spot. The chorizo came as an open sandwich, and I am pretty sure they were the Brindisa parilla chorizo that we sell at Rosie's. Wet and hot, they really are the ticket. The rillettes was coarse and tasted of bay leaves, just as it should. Both plates came with really nice chewy slightly burnt bread, which -very much in fashion- tasted like sourdough. The other dishes on the menu all looked a bit too big for our lunch, but definitely made me want to return and eat more some other time.

What really set this place apart was the coffee. Not that it was totally amazing. I am one of those really annoying customers (who I myself hate) who can't just order a coffee. Instead I feel the need to give strict instructions, as what I like to drink is not a named coffee... "please can I have an espresso, in a double espresso cup, with exactly the same amount of warm milk". It's not a macchiato, or a capo or a flat white. It's a mini something. And our dish of a waiter, got it spot on. I respect him, not only for making it, but that he didn't appear to have spat in it either.

All in all, I can't wait to walk back down the hill and patronise such a lovely local cafe. Honestly faultless.

ANGELS AND GYPSIES

2010-10-23T00:59:00.000-07:00

JELLY BELLY

2010-10-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

I feel a special coming on at Rosie's. The Russet jelly appears s- far- to have worked! It's got a really delicate nature and I think will be delicious with the Monte Enebro goat's cheese that is coming tomorrow from Brindisa. I really can't wait to try it, but must wait for it to set.

And while we are talking jellies, this is Magz' one, with grape and chilli. It's delicious with eggy bread, and I should think that's what we'll be eating on Sunday morning after a night on the town. It's sweet and has the perfect after-tingle from the chilli.

Lord, Preserve Me!

2010-10-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

I was really inspired last weekend by my dear friend Steph. Not only is she beautiful, AND clever, but she is a really passionate and ever evolving cook. She was making crab apple jelly. For some reason I thought that jelly making would be hard, so always steered away from it, in favour of chutneys and packed preserves. But Steph made hers look so easy that when I saw Russets today, I thought I'd give it a shot.

And having consulted Jams, Pickles and Chutneys, Best-kept Secrets of the Women's Institute, it seems that the mathematics of making a jelly are quite simple: once you have boiled your preferred fruits and flavours (mine are bay leaves, ginger, rose hips and sage), strained the liquid, you measure out each pint and equal that with a pound of sugar. Once boiled you remove the scum and get it to setting point. It sounds pretty simple... I wonder whether it will work!

And by the way, I thoroughly recommend that Women's Institute book. I've used it countless times as a consultant, and found mine at the Battersea Sunday Market, for a few pounds. The market is also a fine way to spend an afternoon, rummaging through books, records and cheap bleach. My favourite of past times.

So, I've boiled the russets along with the jazzy garden findings and have placed the pale mix in a muslin. It's swinging from a precarious nail with a saucepan underneath to catch the sweetness. At the moment, it tastes pretty tart, but once I've added the sugar and reboiled, it should be perfect. Watch this space.

7 REASONS TO LOVE KENT

2010-10-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

I've spent a bit of time in Kent over the past couple of years. I love it. Earlier in the summer we went down to stay in James Endeacott's static caravan. It was BLISS. Here are just some of the reasons why I love it round there.

Wheeler's fish soup with rouille. This was delicious and really full on. Like a concentrated sip of the sea.

Wheeler's AGAIN. A smoked haddock chowder with a quails scotch egg.

Broadstairs formica cafe for tea, cake and gelato.

JoJo's lovely warming soups at lunch time on a blustery day.

Caravan supper. A bake with pumpkin, potato, tomatoes, Rooke's bacon and eggs.

Supper at JoJo's. This was a special - Sardines with Chorizo and Black Pudding. JoJo's is the perfect eating experience. Especially if you get a place on the bar, and see Nicki in action.

Mutton Koftes.
Please don't all go at once, because I like it just the way it is!

JAZZ UP YOUR EGGS

2010-09-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

I love eggs. They are magic fast food. But I do scramble a lot of them in the Deli and so sometimes when we are having a lazy breakfast, I want to do something a bit more with them. The other day I made an accompanying fry of onions and garden tomatoes, chunky and browned and very nice with some pure scramblers.

And today, I've done my usual. I work and work and then forget to eat. Suddenly my hands are shaking and I can't understand why nothing is making sense. Food! I need food! This usually combines with opening the fridge and seeing that there's not a bean in the house. But there is a garden.

So today I've fried up a few (ropey) courgettes, and an onion. I've found some ripe tomatoes in the garden, cracked 2 eggs over the top and chopped off a load of chervil (a very delicate aniseedy herb). It's delicious and now I can get back to the toil.

What ever you've got growning in the windowsil would be good here - a chilli plant? Some thyme or basil? The world is your oyster xxx

CHECK IT!

2010-09-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

Our lovely new "Glove and Hate" oven mits from Stuart Gardiner. Come check them out in the shop, and even buy them. They are hanging above the window for you all to see.

RE-INSPIRED

2010-09-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

After spending the weekend at Harvest @ Jimmy's, I've come home fueled with ideas and tricks and a buzzing heart. I was on stage for 2 days, hosting the chef's demo stage. It was AMAZING (and terrifying) and I feel like I've now had a master-class with all the big wigs: The Hairy Bikers, Angela Hartnett, Atul Kulchhar, Mark Hix, Oliver Rowe, Tommi Miers, to name just a few.

The main lessons were:
1. Always use sharp knives. I'm now sharpening mine each time I start cooking.
2. Season food at the beginning of cooking, and then you will need to add less at the end, and it will be more rounded.
3. Use FRESH whole spices, not stagnant dusty spices from the back of the cupboard.

This has come in perfect timing as we are going over to some friends tonight armed with supper as they've just had a baby. I've spent the day cooking, not for the deli, not for a supper club, but just for good friends. The pressure is off, and the juices have been flowing. Here's what I've been cooking....

I bought the baby aubergines from Choumert Road Market in Peckham, and the apples and plums were off the market in Brixton. Now we've just got to jump in the car and head up to Green Lanes. A day well spent.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS and a harvest festival.

2010-09-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

Today, we welcomed a new addition at Rosie's. A lovely church pew that my Dad introduced me to. It was kindly donated to us by a man called Julian (a friend of Daddy's), who arrived bright and early in a van, deposited the prayer bench, and swiftly departed. What a nice man! As the floor outside the shop is bumpy, to put it mildly, I had to call on my dear old friend Patrick to come and do some DIY. With the help of the lovely Neri, they sawed, glued and bolted the pew, so that not even a crack-head could run off with it. And then Stav generously came and sat on it! Aren't I lucky?

This generosity has put me in really good spirits. Which is good, because this weekend I'm venturing up to Ipswich to host the food stage at HARVEST AT JIMMY'S. If any of you are going, come and say hello, and moreover check out the incredible chefs that will be there. And when I'm not wittering on over there, you can find me watching Kitty, Daisy and Lewis over on the music stage. Toot toot. xx

MACAROONS. The dilemma.

2010-08-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

I had a load of egg whites left over after making a mountain of Dark Chocolate Ice cream. The inevitable thing to do is make meringues but I didn't fancy that this morning. Macaroons came to mind. Those lovely Laduree sorts with bright deep colours and cream fillings and perfection written all over them. But they are just not me. Not at the moment anyway. Mostly my food isn't perfect. It's more the mountainous sort. And I'm also contrary so tend not to want to make things that everyone else is making. It just seems to faddy. Sometimes I cut off my nose with this attitude, but there seems no joy in reading the book that everyone else is reading on the tube. So I'm making the North American sort to serve with coffees at Rosie's.

It's not complicated. Think of it like an action packed meringue and it's easy.

120g egg whites (4)
200g caster sugar
a pinch of salt
400g sweetened coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

Place the egg whites, sugar and salt in a large bowl over a saucepan with a little water (a bain-marie). Whisk this constantly over a low heat until the mixture is soft and aerated and warm. This will take about 10 minutes, and I used my Kenwood mixer. Now take the bowl off the heat and fold in the vanilla and coconut. Chill for 2 hours to firm up. Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a baking tray with oiled grease proof paper and heap little mountains of macaroons, allowing space between each. You should get about 12 out of the mix. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are tinged with brown and gold.

Maybe one day I'll pluck up the courage to make the pretty sort.

PESTO AND PRIZES

2010-08-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I've just hacked down all the basil and with the help of Jamie Oliver's Pesto recipe made a lovely pot of joy! I followed his recipe exactly, which is rare for me. It never ceases to amaze me though, how little you get for your leaves. My bowl was piled high with pickings and I've managed to make one solitary pot. That aside, it's bloody delicious and tart and tangy and tastes of Peckham (in a good way).

On a seperate note, I ran a competition last week. The prize was a £50 voucher and the game was to tell me your favourite food blog. There were loads of great ones. I particularly liked Kimberly's Homesick Texan and also Buster's The Spice Spoon, but the winner is definitely Nikki's The Recipe Rifle. I can not tell you how much I laughed, reading Esther's posts. No swear word is spared and the food looks delicious. I thoroughly recommend a peruse. Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions. It was a great read. If you want to check out the competition entries, click Here.

A SUMMER PILE UP

2010-08-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've had the most peaceful day today. Plodding around at home, tinkering in the garden and making more Sailor Jerry ice cream. So I wanted a simple supper with health and greens to set me up for the week. It proved delicious. The capers give a sharp shock and the herbs and garlic throughout are real tasty, so soaked in lovely olive oil. Here's how to do it.

Par boil some dwarf beans. Cook some penne. Fry 4 crushed garlic cloves in loads of olive oil with 3 anchovy fillets. Add the beans and cook on low for 5 minutes. Add a tin of tuna and some fresh herbs from the garden (mine were thyme, chives and basil). Rip a dried chilli in two and toss in. Finally add the pasta and coat in the mix. Squeeze over half a lemon and serve up a bowl, topping with some juicy capers. Add a little salt to taste.

Now, I must get back to 101 Dalmations. xxx

CRAB AND FRESH CORN CHOWDER

2010-08-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

We've been eating corn all week. Lovely fresh ones off the market, still in their coats. And they are dead cheap, which is convenient. They've been proving very soothing to my intense cold. (Going to Standon Calling without a tent is a very bad idea.) Corn is delicious just as is it, boiled and golden with dripping pepper salt butter. But tonight calls for something different. I need chillies and ginger and a wet warm bowl. Chowder!

It's super simple. Dice 3 potatoes and slice a large onion. Fry in oil with some ground turmeric. Add some shredded ginger and 2 birds eye chillies. Make some stock and add, along with a can of coconut milk. Simmer for 20 minutes. Now add a handful of green beans, the corn off of one cob and a tin of crab meat. Give this just a moment to warm through and serve up with some coriander leaves and a little toasted sesame seed oil on top.

Now, if I don't feel better after this, I'll eat my foot.

FREEBEES! Spread the word...

2010-08-09T01:52:00.000-07:00

I'm going to run a competition, after buying a load of wicked stuff from a website called Cookware CSN. There are a load of other sites too. They sell everything from lights to whizzers, and I got a perfect Kenwood mixer from them, which has come in very handy in my recent ice cream craze. The prize is a £50 voucher to spend in any of their online shops.

So, to enter the competition, just leave a comment below with your email address, telling me what your favourite food blog is. The person who selects the best food blog will win the voucher. I'll pick these 7 days from now.... SPREAD THE WORD, FORWARD TO FRIENDS, AND RETWEET AS YOU LIKE! GOOD LUCK XXX

LATE NIGHT @ ROSIE'S. Looking good.

2010-08-07T03:52:00.001-07:00

NEW PRODUCTS! Stuart Gardiner Seasonal Stuff

2010-08-05T01:34:00.000-07:00

We've just got a batch of Stuart Gardiner's lovely aprons in the Deli. They show what's in season each month and are dead pretty - perfect for present. Come check them out, try them on, and have a good look at the lovely design. You could even buy one too!

FRESH CORIANDER SEEDS FROM THE GARDEN and lunch for Daddy

2010-08-01T04:24:00.000-07:00

I found fresh coriander seeds in my garden today. I had already noticed that it had gone to flower, and had been using the flower heads in salads, which are really pungent and pretty too. And now more spoils - the seeds are big and juicy and pale green and have been the source of much excitement this morning. I'm going to dry them and then toast them for more salads. It's brilliant how various and much you can get even from a the smallest of plants and what pleasure it brings.

And today's plat du jour is for Daddy, who's coming over for a spot of lunch.

Par boil some new potatoes.
Fry a fennel bulb with some dill and caraway seeds and an onion.
Add the potatoes.
Boil an egg.

Then I'm off to the the Brixton Splash for a spot of the Blacker Dread sound system.

LATE NIGHT @ ROSIE'S

2010-07-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

This week we did a late night opening with Salad Club. It was great fun, and we were washed up and packed up by 10pm which is very unusual, and makes me think we must be getting a little bit better at our evening suppers.

Salad Club is made up of Ellie Grace and Rosie French. Rosie is on maternity leave at the moment, but still managed to make it down with little Alfred (pictured below in all his glory, post nappy change, and much happier), which was a real treat. The evening was rounded off with the attentions of one of Coldharbour Lane's tramps, and it wouldn't have been Brixton if something like this hadn't happened!

Both Ellie and I loved the atmosphere, and it was great to have loads of tables laid up outside on a cool summer evening. Everyone chatted away and had a long dinner without the usual rushing of a restaurant booking. The joy of supper clubs is that your plot is all yours for the evening, not just your allocated slot. So it's more like being at home really, just without the washing up.

The Menu:

Chilled Cucumber and Dill Soup.

Chickpea, Chorizo, Mint, Feta and Roast Squash Salad.
Red Thai Rice with Coppa and Roasted Fennel.
Butter Bean, Courgette and Parsley Salad with lots of garlic.

Mango and Rose Water Ice with Stewed Berries and Lime, Cardomom & Almond Shortbread

Pots of Mint Tea to polish it off.

For Future events contact Salad Club or rosie@rosiesdelicafe.com....

HONEYCOMB SUCCESS. Phew

2010-07-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

After this mornings catastrophically disastrous ice cream attempt, I've taken on a much more simple and immediately gratifying task: honeycomb. Having seen this on one of my favourite TV shows, Come Dine with Me (WAG's special) I thought I couldn't go wrong. And sure enough, it's looking perfect. It's super easy. Fool proof even. As mine is setting I'm trying to work out how I can encorporate it into a pudding or even ice cream, with out ballsing it up!

3 tbsp golden syrup
150g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder

Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Measure out the golden syrup and sugar into a large wide saucepan. Place this on a low-medium heat. It will gradually all incorporate and melt together. When it has been bubbling gently for a few minutes it should start to turn golden. At the point where it is a red brown at the edges, swirl the pan a few times and then take it off the heat. Now quickly add the baking powder (or bicarbinate of soda). Use a whisk to swiftly beat together. It will bubble in a very satisfying way. Then tip this out onto your baking paper so that it can set immediately. Leave for 2-3 hours to fully set and then go at it with a hammer. I can't wait.

A RIGHT OLD ETON MESS!

2010-07-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

Today I tried my hand at a new idea I've been brewing: ice cream with berries and meringue (like Eton Mess). The reason why it's been on my mind is that when you make ice cream you have loads of left over egg whites. The natural thing to do is make meringues in this instance, and then I thought, why not use summer fruits and make it like a frozen Eton Mess. Only it really did turn out a mess. When I added the meringue, it stopped freezing, and also churning in the maker. I've deposited in the freezer, and can only hope that magic will take its course! Watch this space....

MORO STYLE SARDINES FOR SUPPER

2010-07-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

I just bought some sardines on a bit of a whim, and then didn't really know what to do with them. Moments like these, I usually turn to a handful of cook books. Whilst my office is packed to the brim with recipes and books, there are some that I return to time and time again. The Moro books are a constant source of inspiration, and so this is where I found the guide lines for tonight's supper. The recipe appealed to me because I love the combination of fish and vinegar - roll mops and boquerones are two of my all time favourites, mostly because of their hangover soothing qualities. Try either of these on buttery toast and you will feel whole again!

6 Sardines, gutted and scaled
some gram flour (because that's all I had)
2 tbsp olive oil
80ml red wine vinegar
1 fresh bay leaf
some dried thyme, on the stick
1 tsp of green pepper corns
1 dried chilli
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 head of dill flowers (off my gone-to-seed-dill plant)
a generous pinch of salt
a generous pinch of sugar
1/2 a red pepper, very finely sliced
1/2 an onion, very finely sliced
2 tsp capers in vinegar

Pat dry the sardines and then dust with the flour. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and then fry the fishes until they are golden. This will be about 1 minute on each side. Remove to a shallow serving dish.

Using the same pan, place on a medium heat and add the vinegar, and then in close succession, the bay leaf, thyme, the pepper corns, chilli, fennel seeds, dill and sugar and salt. It will simmer and the delicious sharp flavours should slightly catch the back of your throat. Now add the finely sliced pepper and onion and simmer for a few minutes to soften but not totally cook. Immediately pour the mix over the sardines, and then scatter over the capers (another of my favourite vinegar related ingredients). Leave this to sit for a few hours before serving. It's good to note that Sam and Sam Clarke, of Moro, recommended leaving this to melge for up to 48 hours. I'm too hungry though, so haven't got the patience for that!

HELLO SAILOR! it worked a treat

2010-07-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Horay, my ice cream worries are over. It's clearly all about the addition of alcohol. The Sailer Jerry's and Raisin ice cream was just perfect. Easy to scoop, eggy, speckled with vanilla and just plain good.

SAILOR JERRY'S ICE CREAM

2010-07-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

My relationship with ice cream varies, according to how successful my achievements. To satisfy my desire for proper ice cream, I bought a seriously expensive maker from Cuisinart which is quite a hit, but not as perfect as I'd like. Ice cream is tricky because you want it to live up to the trashy stuff, creamy, homogenous and sweet, and yet you also want it to be seriously rich and custardy and proper. With my home made stuff, sometimes it comes out too hard after the freezer process and doesn't seem to have the 'scoop factor'. It's more about chipping away! So I've been reading David Lebovitz for cold tips, and got some great information from his blog. I recommend it. He really gets down to the nitty gritty of what each ingredient does to the mix, which really helps in understanding the whole process.

A few weekends ago we were given a bottle of Sailor Jerry's Rum. It is named after a famous tattooist who had one of the first salons in Honolulu, and did those great designs for a beefy naval forearm, and the bottle is beautifully labelled in the same way. The rum itself is really vanilla strong and so I thought it would lend itself well to Rum and Raisin ice cream.... and I've followed my reference recipes carefully, so fingers crossed we'll get that scooping going! As this is an alcohol heavy ice, and alcohol doesn't freeze, it can't go wrong?

For the Custard:
500ml full fat milk
600ml double cream
1 vanilla pod
5 egg yolks
230g caster sugar
a pinch of salt

For the rest:

3 handfuls of golden currants
enough Sailor Jerry's Rum to cover these

Place the milk, cream and vanilla pod in a heavy bottomed medium pan on a low flame. When it comes just before the point of boil, remove from the heat and cool for 20 minutes. Then scrape out the vanilla pod and get every last dot into the mix. Now beat together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until it is creamy, light and a little stringy. This should take about 4 minutes. Pour in a little of the milk and beat. Then pour in the rest and thoroughly mix. Place this well combined mixture back into the pan and place on a very low heat, stirring frequently. It should begin to thicken after about 15 minutes, but do not let it split, which is easily done.

Measure out the currants and the rum, soaking them together. Let them sit while your custard cools. When it is room temperature, add the rum and raisins and get out your icecream maker. Churn for 20-25 minutes or if you are doing by hand, beat intermittently over the course of 3 hours, returning each time to the freezer. When you have finished churning, place the soft ice cream in a container and freeze over night.

I'll let you know how mine goes!
xx

TZATZIKI and The Vineyard

2010-07-08T02:08:00.000-07:00

3 Camberwell Grove , London, SE5 8HA

Raf and I decided on an impromptu dinner last week. I’m usually pretty strict about these things and tend to cook at home. Because it’s my job but also because everything is cheaper at home. But going out for dinner has some very appealing merits: someone else does the washing up; you are the consumer and you decide; I always learn stuff about the way other people cook.

The Vineyard has been going for years and is a classic no frills local Greek. The owner sits in the corner, sipping his beer, and keeping a watchful eye on the stream of gorgeous young waitresses, giving nods and gestures to clear tables and take orders, more like a booky at the races than a restauranteur. The food is predictable but mighty good. Kleoftico, Tzatziki, Calamari and all the other things that you make you feel more like Shirley Valentine than your bog-standard self.

The dish that really struck me at the Vineyard, was the Tzatziki. I suppose I make posh stuff – bunches of fresh mint, thick yoghurt and lots of cucumber, and all the other variations. But here, and I totally trust that they are authentic, they use dried mint, thin yoghurt and a smattering of grated cucumber. It’s interesting to see how much we turbo-up dishes that are actually very simple and plain. Brits do the same with Curries. In India, they use one or two leaves of coriander on top of a dhal, but we chop in whole overpowering bunches. I don’t think either is better. But they are notably different.

For the Vineyard’s Tzatziki, buy live natural yoghurt, add a couple of teaspoons of dried mint, crush in a garlic cloves and grate in a little cucumber. They serve this with good pitta. For mine, use strained Greek yogurt, a sliced spring onion, ½ a finely chopped chilli and a diced, deseeded cucumber. I could eat this little treat with anything. Try it with baked sumac courgettes or with a rack of lamb, or as I did at the Vineyard, by dipping deep fried white bait in, like cru d’etes with humous.

FRANK'S CAMPARI AND SUNBURN BAR

2010-07-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

Alice and I arranged to meet up on Sunday. She lives up east, so jetted down on the new East London line, and we made our way to Frank's Campari Bar. For those of you with your ears and eyes shut, this is Peckham's hippest hangout, masterminded by the lovely Frank (derrr!) I met Frank a few years ago outside Kings Cross station. And he hasn't changed a bit. He is polite and passionate about his projects and has a dangerous glint in his eye. I imagine girls fall for him left, right and center.

But the bar. It's rough and up on top of the Peckham multistory. Basically, you wouldn't imagine there's anything up there. As you walk round and round, escalating your way up, installations and noises and bits of art confuse you, along with the smell or acrid urine. And then, with the sounds of a choir of Hallelujahs in your head, you see the bar. Bold and red with aprons drying over the roof top, you can see the whole of London from here. Who would have thought it? We found our spot, and ordered from a menu that might seem a little plain. But I know Frank, and know he is a purveyor of all things tasty, having been brought up among the Portuguese cafes of Stockwell.

Naturally we ordered the moniker drink, campari, which was offered in a number of forms. We opted for something a bit breakfasty, with orange juice, which is just how I love it. The detail was that we didn't just get these, we got a lovely caraffe of water too. These are the things that make a meal special. It's the extra mile. Nothing fancy, but it just shows that they are thinking.
So apart from a killer view, and a great breakfast cocktail, we ordered tomatoes on toast, two sausages and a grilled mackerel with a fennel, orange and chicory salad. Most of the items on the menu are sort of plain and small. Think of it like a British fusion tapas and you will get your head around it. It seems odd to be ordering just sausages. But look at them! They were fat, wide and absolutely delicious. And the tomatoes on toast, again plain and potentially boring, were sweet and tart and swimming in their juices and oil. The bread (chewy sourdough) mopped it all up and was spiked with garlic and thyme. When things are simple, you want them to be simply effective. And these dishes definitely were. Added proof, as if we needed it, that good ingredients, when they are good, make for the best food. The last dish that arrived was the Mackerel. Grilled up on the roof and served with this delicate aniseedy salad, it was perfect. The presentation wasn't much, but that's the whole point. It's just good food, not tarted around with. My only reservation, which is a lazy one, is that whole fish are a bit of a pain to eat, because you've got all that boning business.

Alice and I were so immersed in the delights of Frank's that we didn't notice the scorching going on. We left with Lobster backs and happy bellies. And that small and lovely adrenaline rush, which comes of a wholly satisfying experience. Bravo Frank! But don't tell everyone. Because I love my Peckham, just the way it is.

JUST SUPPER

2010-07-06T02:23:00.000-07:00

With excess yellow courgettes I made a real nice dinner last night. Slice them in half, pour over some olive oil and sea the crunch over some sea salt. The finishing tweek is a generous douse of Sumac (delicious and tangy and sour) before baking for an hour at 180C. I served it with a sort of tzatziki with chillies and spring onion, and a salad with my favourite new ingredient: china rose radish sprouts. It made for the perfect light supper on a hot evening.

ADDICTIVE SHOPPING

2010-06-29T12:28:00.001-07:00

I'm terrible at multi-tasking, but in the best way. I spend ours, if left untended, perusing the internet with the telly on, cruising around websites doing imaginary shopping, sometimes with the radio shouting too. It comes in many forms: ebay imaginary cars; flat searching along with imaginary mortgage plans; and my biggest weakness of course being homeware. And I've just found a really good site called CSN. It's got everything from ceiling lights to hand mixers. Right now I can't decide between a Kenwood and a good knife. If I concentrate hard on Gok and the TV, it might stop me spending more money! If anyone has any ideas on what I should get, give me a shout. xxx

THREE TIMES A HOTTY

2010-06-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Today has been pretty humid, so I've made a spicy salad for supper. Sweet from the nectarines (from North Cross Road), creamy from some standard inexpensive feta, refreshing from the lambs lettuce and spicy from a combination of CHINA ROSE RADISH SPROUTS (I've vowed to learn more about these exciting things. There's loads out there to play with), finely sliced CHILLI and homemade CHILLI OIL. I'm banking on it being pretty KAPOW. It's super easy to make and only depends on preparation, so you can whip it up in no time. It'd make an ideal picnic addition, so here's how you do it...

a couple of handfuls of lambs lettuce
1 nectarine
150g feta
20g organic china rose radish sprouts
1 whole big mild chilli (test a slither first)
2 tbsp homemade chilli oil (recipe in my next book...!)
1/2 a lemon

Lay out the lambs lettuce on a large flat serving dish, and then core the nectarine, slicing it into slithers. Scatter these around the plate and then crumble on the feta, draining any excess water in the pack. Take a few pinches of the radish sprouts (these are peppery and hot) and decorate over the plate. Now really finely slice the chilli and also scatter over the salad. Finally, carefully pour over the chilli oil and squeeze over some lemon. A grind of pepper will complete this.

THE POUNDSHOP / GLASTONBURY CAPSULE

2010-06-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

I really love the pound shop. But when it comes to Glastonbury, it's just essential. Here's my capsule to get me through, what is always, an ordeal! For the grand total of £10 I'm going to be sorted, and so are my girlfriends. There'll be enough Alka-Seltzer to go round, and if there isn't then we are really beyond the pale.

THE FINAL CHAPTER. Tokyo Times

2010-06-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sitting in my office, looking out onto my garden in SE5, Tokyo seems like a million days away already. It's amazing how quickly time warps and memories fade. This is definitely one of the benefits of the blogging world, as it forces you to recount and recall and re-enjoy it all.

The last note on Tokyo is the party time we had. It couldn't have been more whirl wind. We arrived and immediately met Ricki and headed straight for Dommune where Matthew Herbert was interviewed and then played a set. Dommune is a tiny bar by a beautiful cafe that streams music related fun and it was certainly that. We squished into this little dive bar, drank Umeshu sodas and the whole things was aired as we did so. The dog was dressed to match the girl that ran the place and the enthusiasm was electric. They are doing a really cool thing and hopefully this sort of stuff is the future of media. And Matthew even played my favourite song at the end "The Audience".

Now, the whole reason we went to Japan was because Raf of The 2 Bears was booked to play a festival called The Big Beach. What a brilliant excuse for the odyssey. We arrived at the festival which was seriously sweltering, having driven all through Tokyo, across futuristic bridges and strange industrial landscapes. And it was mad. The back stage area was full of models, all the usual humourous Japanese mini food and Johnnie Depp lookalikes. We goofed around with Jaymo and Andy George, and Raf and Nathan played a wicked set to screaming girls. Then we were on to the after party with The Chemical Brothers. Pow! We got home at 9am, having watched the sun rise over the city, whilst listening to Luther Vandross 'Never Too Much'. We drew down our black out blinds and for just a moment, Tokyo had been ours.

Now all I have to do is pack for Glastonbury and pray for good weather...

MY FAVOURITE DAY IN TOKYO

2010-06-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

One of our best days in Tokyo was when we had finally arrived. Properly. The first few days of a long haul are always pretty wierd. Everything is exciting and new and you feel like jumping in the deep end, and yet exhaustion dominates. That is, until about the third day and then everything begins to settle into place. We started the day with a trip around Tsukiji Fish Market. I never knew tuna was so massive, varied and most of all, expensive! And it's not just the tuna. There's a million kinds of prawn, clam, octopus and every other fish on view here. Knee deep in fish water, we waded around, marveled at what we saw and salivated at our potential sushi breakfast. The atmosphere in this market is electric, not half because everywhere you stand or walk you are in the way. The market workers all career around on little gas fueled tanks that they stand in. And they go at quite a speed between the overflowing stalls, shouting and tooting as they go. They whiz, wiggle and do quick 360 turns with an urgent abandon and it feels more like Mario Kart!

So the day had started brilliantly. I can't really remember what we did after that, but all I do know is we were quite drunk by sun down. We found a lovely bar in the Shibuya district and felt suddenly very at home in Tokyo. The climax of the evening was finding this wicked and quite down at heel 'pub'. This is where things got messy. It wasn't any old bar, it was Dancho's Inards bar. Most of the stuff that he served was from the inside of pigs, cows and chickens. THIS is why I went to Japan. As you can see, we made friends quickly, they ordered for us (as all the signage was in Japanese) and I peered over the bar to see the handiwork and got more and more excited as the dishes got sent out. Behind the bar, Dancho smoked, as did the bar maid and everyone seemed pretty drunk and most of all to be really enjoying the food. Our friends ordered sake and dishes for us and explained this it was 'labour food', as in, simple food for worker, I suppose. And finally I saw what I'd been looking for... raw cows heart and liver, sliced like sashimi with a sesame oil and salt dipper. It was so exciting. I can't claim that I loved it, but it made me feel fantastic, like a rush of blood to the head. I think adrenaline was at full pelt by this point. More sake. And then the finale. Most good sushi places you get a leaf of Perilla or Ohba with your fish. It's a leaf that looks like a knettle, but has a fine and aromatic flavour, a little kick, somewhere between mint and basil. Dancho didn't just serve up the sea bream with perilla, he lay over it the perilla flowers. I have never been more excited in my whole life. Honestly. And he was so cool and nice and dishy. If I ever go back to Tokyo, I don't even know whether I'd know how to find this place but it is simply the best. And I think it might have been the cheapest meal we ate out there

THE WOMEN'S INSTITUTE, should be a hoot

2010-06-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'll be doing something very new to me: a demo with the Borough Belles. It's a bit nerve making but I think it will be a blast! More to follow...

MOOLI JAPANESE SALAD?

2010-06-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at a Japanese Salad: Shredded Mooli, Seaweed and Pickled Ginger with a Sesame dressing....

TOKYO-TASTIC. Mind boggling and fantastic. Part 1

2010-06-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's really hard to know where to start when talking about Tokyo. We've just got back from a week in this extreme and confusing city. It is full of contradictions. We stayed in Shibuya, which is like Leicester Square, busy, young, a bit seedy and full of food. And yet Tokyo is actually quite calm at the same time. All the Japanese people we came across were quiet and polite and massively accommodating. It's expensive, and yet what you get for your money is always worth it. An acute sense of design is everywhere. Whether it's the packaging (extensive, to the point that if you leave your parasol in a hotel, they package it for you, lock it up and return it pristine), the signage, each bit or architecture which blows your mind or all the beautiful and extensive tableware. Everything works too. You meet the train and it actually comes. And the rules are stuck to. It seems like a place that functions on a really high level because of just this. People walk on the right side of the underpass and smoke in their designated areas. I loved it.

Each take out eatery, whether a food hall in a department store, or a chain coffee shop does it to the limit. Here is a doughnut shop. They don't just do a few things ok, they do just this, and it is the absolute best. Everything is like this. It really does bend your mind. And because bread is not a massive part of their diet, the sandwiches look more like sushi: they are tiny, and packaged in a tube, with crusts cut off, showing perfect cross sections on the filling. Again, a beauty and an extreme precision reigns over.

Snacks in foreign countries are always exciting, but never more so than in Japan. Partly because we couldn't understand a thing (which meant that we spent pretty much all of our trip, exhausted and confused and reading maps upside down) and partly because their tastes and staples are very different. When abroad I spend a lot of my time worrying that I am not eating enough. Three meals a day is not enough to taste a nation, so I try and ram in as many snacks as I can in between. These little treats seem to me, to show as much about national tastes are the high brow meals. This is a picture of one of our midnight feasts. On the left are some sweet crisps, the texture a bit like Wotsits but dark and chocolaty. They were delicious. Next round up top was an odd sesame flavoured frozen desert that had more in common with a trifle than an ice-cream, with layers of finely sliced sponge, but an almost potato texture. The yogurt drink was ace, but just like ours and the chocolate "Ghana" was very like our unctuous galaxy. So we have more in common than we may realise?

And the games. Kids everywhere go to booths and play computer games and karaoke. It's obsessive and you can stay in these places all night. You see them emerging, knackered and cross eyed, or you see them snoozing in the morning in cafes, totally relaxed because they wont be robbed (you could leave your bag at a table unmanned and it would be there when you returned. Sadly this is not something us Britons can say we share. ) But when you are in these places, you begin to understand why they are addictive. Noisy, bright, anonymous and wierd, they dull your senses and they are genuinely fun.

It's a funny place Tokyo. It hits you in the face, and in a really good way.

SUMMER SUNDAY LUNCH

2010-05-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

This was so simple. I biked to the Peckham Farmers Market, got a cut price £5.00 Grey Mullet, and returned it home like an -albeit urban- hunter gatherer. Sandwiched between slices of lemon, stuffed with a bunch of dill, salted and oiled, it was wrapped in foil and placed on the bbq for about 20 minutes.

And the potato salad was made with a lot of garden spoils. I made a dressing by wizzing up mustard greens (peppery), basil, mizuna and garlic tops with lemon juice and olive oil. As we are off on holiday for 10 days, I harvested all the chive tops too and scattered them on top.

Now for the Eastenders Omnibus. xxx

LEFT TO MY OWN DEVICES...

2010-05-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

I love my kitchen. So much so, it makes me emotional.
I've had a lovely time in it this afternoon. I tested a warm chorizo and cherry tomato recipe that's been playing on my mind.
And then I thought I'd go the whole hog and test my new favourite bread with Linseeds, Sunflower seeds and Nigella Seeds.

Now all i have to do is watch Luther and merrily munch my way through it.

YELLOW TOMATOES IN A SALAD WITH ORZO

2010-05-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

There's a glut of beautiful tiny plum tomatoes in Brixton Market at the moment. Crushed, they make an excellent and very sweet Panzanella. And today it got more interesting. Now there's scented yellow ones. Here's what Steph and I made: (it's very simple)

Halved baby yellow tomatoes, a finely sliced red onion, a handful of salty black olives, and a massive wide leafed bunch of parsley, roughly chopped, some orzo pasta cooked in stock, and some toasted pine nuts. Dress with lots of nice olive oil and some italian white wine vinegar.

The salad is sweet with all sorts of tangy bits too, and it's wet because the tomatoes are so ripe. The weather's set to be good on Sunday, so surely this is the new pasta salad of choice? It makes for a sunny bowl. And next time I'm going to add a few anchovy fillets too.

SUNDAY AT THE HORNIMAN, getting a tan

2010-05-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was a serious affair up in Dalston at Greco-Roman. It was at the Shacklewell Arms, which is a brilliant pub with a pumping back room, and a laid back front bar. We danced, ate jerk chicken and drank far too much. So Sunday was the perfect antidote: friends, sunshine, and a tip top picnic in the Horniman Gardens. This spot is one of my favourites in London. The garden is beautifully designed and dripping with flowers at the moment: unusual black cow parsely and perfect bleeding hearts. And the view of London from here is second to none.

I made a thai chicken salad which had loads of red onions, carrot, crushed peanuts, poached chicken, chilies, lime and thai basil. It's a really easy salad and something I always fall back on.

Sarah made the most delicious slaw with poppy seeds which I'm definitely going to steal! It looked beautiful, spotted with these dark seeds. We've done loads of cooking together, in France and England, and our teaming up always works a treat. Alice arrived with even more spoils, and gossip too (gossip and hangovers are the best).

These are the days that make me feel happiest. When I was little, I imagined my grown up life. I imagined being with friends, laughing loads, eating delicious food and watching the sun go down over London. And I've got it. Thank god. We even managed to play some music out of Raf's phone like offensive teenagers.

DELIGHTFUL DEPTFORD

2010-05-19T03:57:00.000-07:00

The spoils of the day. China, pork pies, tinned figs, nasturtiums and you can just peek the incredible plastic deck chair that I know is going to be fought over on every sunny day!

I've been meaning to go to Deptford Market for a few weeks now, after my friend Charlie came by with tales of 40's guitars, 80's channel and naughties bleach. It was a hoot from start to finish. Steph and I arrived at 9am and rocked the place. Bar a few miserly stall holders we found some serious spoils and chatted to lots of funny men.

Every desire was satisfied: we ate delicious indian cake and had fresh juice sitting in the blinding morning sunlight; bought cut glass, and cut price old china for affogato at Rosie's; stumbled upon the Deptford Project and had a nice coffee served by a dishy and shambolic looking boy-man; went to a classic old school butcher for a perfect pork pie; and even bought a deck chair from underneath a rather scary looking dog called Alfie. Get yourself down there for anything from cheap lighters to G plan furniture, tinned figs to Russian Tarragon. And laugh all the way. Now I'm ready to have another the crack at my turkish delights. I feel like I've been on holiday.
Carrot, Orange and Pineapple juice, with Steph's new Lamp. The Deptford Project, which not only has lovely staff but a sun trap garden, good looking food, and is in an old and beautifully designed train carriage.

We slammed on the breaks when we found Wellbeloved the butchers. I've just hoofed a pork pie from them that hit the spot - perfect jelly, nice meat and a firm pastry.

And there was a lot we held back on. We could have bought a beautiful old Singer sewing machine for just £3, a slimming Brigette Jones pair of knickers, and a lot of tinned sardines. The world is your oyster down here. Just keep your eyes peeled and enjoy the ride.

GARDENING PROGRESS

2010-05-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've finally been able to thin some of my seeds. Progress is very exciting. And it's also a learning curve. I was recently chided for being a "half job jones" (what ever that means!) so I'm keen to show that things can reach completion in my hands. In honour of this self improvement we bought some roof drains over the weekend so that I could think the leaves that I planted a while back. And very exciting it has been too. The mustard leaves and spicey salad mix have grown the fastest so they have been awarded prime seats in the yard, in the new gutter. They are set to flourish, and if they don't I'll be having serious words.

And look! My dwarf yellow beans are beginning to show signs of obedience too. I love having them on the window sill of my office, so every day I closely watch their growth while I tap away. Sometimes I even think I can see them growing before my eyes. What japes.

YOU CAN'T BEAT A BUTTY

2010-05-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

After a triumphant Saturday Curry session with all my mates (onion bhaji, dhal, chicken with black cardamom, lime rice, walnut mint chutney) we cleaned the house and headed off to Kent. I've been meaning to stop off at the Blackheath Tea Hut for yonks. And it didn't disappoint: we had bacon and egg butties and tea (out of polystyrene, which really improves the flavour). I recommend it. The service was perfect and the lady behind the counter was having a good old Sunday morning hum/dance to 'Do The Locomotion'. If you have to drive out of London, through Blackheath, make sure you stop here. They even have a rather too friendly finch that will stay and chat to you while you eat your bap. Back in the car, we turned up the Noonday Underground, and headed off. Pretty good stuff all in all.

WHEN IT SEEMS THERE'S NOTHING IN THE FRIDGE...

2010-05-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

This happens to me a lot. It seems like there's nothing in the fridge. A too soft aubergine; some unloved spring greens; you know how it goes. But limitations make for the best creations. I ended up doing a sort of Asian thing, which is often where I end up leaning. If you've got the store cupboard essentials - soy, honey, and some ginger and garlic, you should be just fine! Here's what I ended up having, with all the Sunday night TV to sooth and rest me for the week ahead:

1 mug sticky rice
1 lemon grass stick

1 aubergine
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 whole spring greens
2 handfuls of green beans
3 garlic cloves
1 dried chilli
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce

Place the rice in a medium pan. Using the same mug, measure 1 ½ mugs of water and add to the rice. Roughly chop the lemon grass into a few chunks and add to the mix. Place on a high heat until it reaches the boil, and then turn the heat to low until nearly all the water has been absorbed. Then fit a lid, turn the heat off, and let it sit while you prepare the rest.

Slice the aubergine in half and then slice into finger width pieces. Salt the pieces in a colander and set aside to draw out excess moisture for about 20 minutes. Rinse under a running tap to rid of salt.

Shred the greens and blanch, along with the beans. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok until it is seriously quivering. Add the aubergines, and fry until they are browning. You will probably need to open a window, as this gets smoky. Finely slice the garlic and chilli and also add, quickly adding the greens and beans before anything burns. Turn the heat down if necessary. Mix together the honey, soy and fish sauce. A jar is good for this. Pour over your vegetables, and simmer for a few minutes.

A SUPPER FOR GLUTONS

2010-05-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday we went out to Corsica Studios for the launch of Girls Music and didn't get home til 7am. We had a brilliant night out, with all our mates, but Saturday as a result was a right-off.. except for this little triumph:

Poached Eggs with Asparagus and Hollandaise.

I love Hollandaise sauce, and have been known to polish off a whole ramekin in one sitting. Disgusting, when you think of how much butter is in each serving, and yet it is so unctuous and tart and decadent I just can't help myself. My Mum used to make it at Christmas to go with poached salmon and so it also brings back comforting memories of darkly lit rooms and treats.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

170g melted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
3 egg yolks
a pinch of salt

Melt your butter so that it is bubbling and set aside. Heat the lemon juice, vinegar and bay leaf in a small pan for a few minutes so that it is also bubbling and then take off of the heat and remove the bay leaf. Beat the egg yolks thoroughly with the salt in a large bowl. Now gradually add the vinegar, beating all the time. Finally add the melted butter, a trickle at a time until the sauce is thickened and smooth.

Enjoy your treat. It's the perfect antidote to a night out.

BRIXTON MARKET LATE NIGHT SHOPPING

2010-04-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hey hey,
Just some news from sunny Brixton:
Market Row will now be open for late night shopping on THURSDAY NIGHTS TIL 10PM!
This means that the deli will continue to serve delicious coffees, ciabattas, cakes and salads into the balmy evening. As you can see, it's looking pretty juicy.
Come on down...
xxx

OH SO BRITISH. It's BBQ season

2010-04-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

The way we embrace barbecues is like the way that we all strip off as soon as there is a slither of sunshine. In true British style, we've had 3 BBQs this week. It's ridiculous. The first one this week was freezing, and we had to pile on jumpers in the dark to grill our ribs. But it's super fun too. The marinading has got off to a good start - Raf's best at this, as he relishes pestling and squirting and putting in a bit of everything: CORIANDER SEEDS, STAR ANISE, KETCHUP, SOY SAUCE, CUMIN, GRATED GINGER, A SCOTCH BONNET. The Lot!

And the perfect accompaniment to a BBQ is a nice hard salad. I've been playing around with the combinations, but Saturday's salad was a mix of: WHITE CABBAGE, SPRING ONION, CHINESE PEAR, MINT, CORIANDER AND DEEP FRIED SHALLOTS. And the icing on the cake was having Alice in the garden with us. We devoured, and then practically keeled over. Roll on summer fun.

Oh, and I can highly recommend popping on a few long peppers. Put them on first, and they will gradually caramelise and soften. When they are charred, move to the side of the grill to keep warm. When you are ready to eat, remove the peppers with the other BBQ spoils, slip their skins off, and serve with a bit of Balsamic vinegar, and some chopped Marjoram.

I LOVE BREAKFAST...

2010-04-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats a lazy morning, coffee, and a boiled egg on toast.
You know you are going to achieve after a start like this.
Especially with a bold douse of brown sauce.

BAKING BREAD, in my new homestead

2010-04-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

This whole moving house business is proving rather inspiring. I've got just a little obsessed with baking bread and so loaves, but also everything else seems to be coming out of my ears at the moment. Even an impromptu apple tart, because Jamie was round and I know how he loves all things sweet.

The bread baking has been a journey of trial and - sometimes - error. To start with I did a wholemeal and spelt bloomer, which was nutty and well risen and and malty sweet.

Then I did another which wasn't so great. It was full of walnuts which was delicious and slightly bitter, but I used some rye flour which made the breakfast chew rather hard work.

On Easter Sunday I made a flat bread with nigella seeds and crusty on the top with lots of sea salt.

And finally today I'm trying a more risen white loaf full of Fennel seeds. As I sit here, I'm waiting for it to rise. It really is the most exciting process.

SELFRIDGES O'CLOCK!

2010-03-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've started doing a monthly blog for Selfridges. For the first one click here. It's all very exciting

OUR FIRST MEAL IN SE5, we are going to thrive

2010-03-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

The new flat is amazing. I find myself rushing home, as soon as I can, to bond with the new kitchen, rearrange glasses and bore Raf to death with countless options on kettles and speakers, placing of books and how thickly to bunch curtains.

After the first Peckham shopping trip (tinned tomatoes, every canned pulse on offer, and a fair amount of pound shop spring bulbs) we christened our new kitchen. Among our spoils we found brown chick peas, and so made a really nutty humous. I've never seen these peas anywhere else, and it was just a small indicator of the fun and food we are going to eat in this lovely flat. Chutney will reign, befriended by cheese and herbie salads. Cakes are going to bake, and garlic is definitely going to flourish. I can hardly wait.

I PACK MY BAG

2010-03-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

And in it I put..

a lot of saucepans.

I'm moving house and so the long slow and strange process of packing has begun. It's a nice excuse to go through all my possessions, wrapping each glass and ornament in newspaper, and contemplating when, where and who. In a week I'll be in our new little garden flat, ready to start planting wild garlic (thanks to Jake Tilson's Tips) and bonding with the new hob. But until then, my cooking endeavours are going to be pretty stunted.

I'm really looking forward to my new neighbourhood. Having lived in Peckham years ago, I can't wait to get back to a few gems:

PERSEPOLIS
PECKHAM FARMERS MARKET
CHOUMERT ROAD MARKET

And what's double exciting is that these are just the places I always used to go. Some years on, there's going to be a whole load of new things to discover too. And that's not even considering Raf's smelly socks I've got to get used to.

See you there. xx

TEA WITH THE GIRLS

2010-03-14T16:34:00.001-07:00

I am a disgrace. I have eaten nothing but cake today.

DINNER TONIGHT, ultimate raving respite

2010-03-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

OXTAIL BROTH WITH FENNEL, CARROTS, CELERY, PAPPADELLE

MOTHER'S DAY CAKES

2010-03-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

These cakes are for my Mum. Sadly, she's not actually going to be able to eat them, as she's in Ely, and I'm in London (packing up my flat for the big move to Peckham). I should have sent her a card, and I should have sent her flowers, because she's a great Mum. But cards are a waste of money, and flowers are really expensive.

So these (stewed plum) cakes go out to her, and herald everything she has done for me: she taught me to cook, sew, laugh and occasionally clean; she's wiped up my tears from scratches and heart ache; she's even stepped in when we are short staffed at Rosie's. Thank god for a day, Mothering Sunday, where we get to reflect on how great our mums are.

FRIDAY NIGHT IN, then out

2010-03-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

My friday night was delicious - a fennel and dill seed Parppadelle for supper, followed by The Big Chill House to see Sam Sure & Giacomo (great stuff, and both rather dishy) and the The Rhythm Factory with one of The 2 Bears. I may be suffering a little today, but this dinner was the perfect fuel for a night on the town: packed with aniseedy flavours, warmth, moisture and light egg pasta.

HORAY FOR THE TERRINE

2010-03-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

It worked a treat. Clearly Elizabeth David's trotter trick is genius because it appears to be wrapped in a delicate jelly. And I'm quite chuffed with the bay leaf action too.

Roll on tonights dinner with this, roast potato bread and green salad.

PS

2010-03-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

I have to concede, I stole this from Food Stories, but I just love it! And as I'm moving back to Peckham in a few weeks, after a 4 year absence, I hope Helen wont mind... roll on Choumert Road market, Persepolis and all the other delights of SE5.

SUNDAY TERRINE, course and figgy

2010-03-07T04:59:00.000-08:00

I am making a pork terrine today. I've never made one before so it's quite exciting. I've lined the dish with unsmoked bacon, whizzed up belly pork and pure alabaster fat, along with green pepper corns, dried figs and white wine. The guide to the recipe came, as is so frequently the case, from Elizabeth David, who suggested placing a pig's trotter on top. Hopefully this will seep unctuous fat and gelatin that will seal the pate. I'll let you know how it goes...
Enjoy the sunshine
xxx

HASH DAY WEDNESDAY

2010-02-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get those days when you are working so hard that you forget how hungry you. Incidentally I get this with needing the loo too. But back to the hunger: all of a sudden you are so famished that you feel you might keel over. These are the times for instant food. What I mean by this is food that this instantly delicious and fulfilling (and Oreos for pudding, why not). Today I had just one of these light headed hunger strikes. To remedy the situation, and given that I had practically nothing in my kitchen, I made a wicked hash with fried potatoes, strips of red pepper, lots of garlic and a few eggs. With a little brown sauce on the side, this was just the ticket.

ANOTHER PANCAKE WAY

2010-02-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

Pancake day always arrives earlier than I think. But then, I forget whether it's summer or Christmas most of the time. So there it was, sprung upon us, but without spring. To make a change, we made savoury ones stuffed with Spinach, Béchamel sauce and three cheeses (Feta, Pecorino and Lancashire for a worldly combination).

We popped it in the oven for about 20 minutes, and ate with a plain cos salad.
Needless to say, pudding was also pancakes, but the more traditional ones that really make the heart sing - just plain old lemon and sugar. It takes you right back doesn't it?

HOT TIP AND CHIPS continued

2010-02-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

It's strange having published a book. You hand in this piece of work that has taken years to formulate, as if it's set in stone. And then those recipes are cooked exactly as you have described by complete strangers. The pleasure is meeting the people that have bought Spooning with Rosie, and talking to them about what they have cooked, which recipes are their favourites and which ones work best.

I continue to cook the recipes in the book, but like all recipes, both before and after publication, they continue to evolve. I've recently started baking a lot of Marmalade Muffins, but have added to the original recipe, adding pumpkin seeds to the top, that gradually roast during the baking. I wish I'd thought of this at the time! But here they are, just so you know.

And I have got a new hot tip for you too. Today I made a French Lentil Soup. The left over celery leaves were difficult to think what to do with. But I put them in a tart with blue cheese, St Agur, and they were pungent and fantastic and totally waste-not-want-not.

GRAZIA BABY!

2010-02-15T12:32:00.001-08:00

DEAL BREAKER

2010-02-14T02:47:00.000-08:00

Failing a holiday far far away, we went to Deal the other weekend. It certainly wasn't sweltering but it certainly was lovely. This is a town I feel much fondness for - it's run-down-ness and that it has lots of junk and charity shops. And it doesn't boast shops selling made to look old tat either, which is a great relief. I suspect that the pebble beach puts a lot of Londoners off which is fine by me.

This sort of a break prompted foods that are hearty and wholesome and require long cooking (we had nothing to do but read and cook for 4 days which was bliss). The first munch was a very British snack of sour cheddar on bread with chutney.

But what I really had my heart set on was a deep red fish soup of the European variety. We made a stock with scraps from the fish monger and bought flakey white fish to add later on. It was delicious.

Of course a seaside trip would not be complete without fish and chips. These were from the sea front and were 'banging', as Raf would say.

I was determined to visit Deal's lovely Black Douglas cafe also. A favourite pursuit of mine is to nip off early and get coffee and treats. It's always a solo delight, and I usually do some writing while I'm at it, savoring someone else's food for once. Having been single for most of my life, these solitary pleasures remain important and private and as much a delight as ever. I had a cardamon cake and a really good coffee and worked away on ideas in my little note book, staring out to sea. It was grey and blustery and was as good as any foreign trip.

DINNER ON THE CHEAP. and perfect rice.

2010-01-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

Dinner on the cheap can be great. I usually opt for Indian variations as there is so much that can be done with some lentils and a cup of rice. The key here though is in a well stocked spice cupboard. I still have pots that I brought back from India that are so fragrant and unlike what gets imported to the UK: the cardamom seeds are bright green and the mustard seeds are big and black. They take me straight back to the good times. And you really can never have too many cumin seeds in the kitchen.

The other night therefore, I made a sweet and sharp dhal, with coriander rice and a red onion raita. But RICE. Rice is hard to do. I have to really challenge myself. The natural instinct for me is to rush things, and get impatient. This does not lend well to rice cooking, which is all about patience and quiet confidence. It should be light and airy and in the case of basmati, each strand should be separate. There shouldn't be a burnt bottom to your pan, and the ratio of water to rice should be such that you never need to drain it. It's a holy grail. Last night however, the rice turned out just right. Here's the thing:

for 2 people

1 cup of basmati rice
1 1/2 cups of water
1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
a generous pinch of salt.

Measure out the rice and water into a medium saucepan. Place this on a high heat until it reaches the boil. Now turn the heat down to low. When you can no longer see any water, place a lid on the pan and turn the heat off. Leave the pan to sit for at least 20 minutes. Only at this point do you mix the rice.

MEDICINE CAKES. for when everything else aches

2010-01-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

January frankly, has been hard work. No holiday. No warmth. No joy to be honest. The culmination came today. I didn't get out of bed til midday. To remedy my morose state I decided that there was only one thing to do: turn up my favourite new record (Fionn Regan The Shadow of an Empire) and make some cakes. These aren't just any cakes. They are seriously medicinal cakes packed with sweetness and lidded with unctuous gloopy winter toppings. I'm keeping the recipes for my next book, so this is just to whet your appetite!

First up was a new super chocolatey cupcake. The cake is made with callets and cocoa, the topping a dark chocolate ganache, and finally pipped with a pound shop bon bon.

The next cakes were a date recipe I've been hoarding for ages topped with sticky toffee.

Now I'm going to put on The 2 Bears Ministry of Sound Radio show and make some curry. Things are getting better.

BOROUGH ON FRIDAY

2010-01-23T10:42:00.000-08:00

First stop was The Ginger Pig to see Charlie. He sliced us off a dark and well hung beef fillet tail for our thai salad, wrapped a lovely french rack of lamb (that I'll be roasting on Tuesday for Grazia) and we chatted about the woes of a blunt knife in the kitchen. Check out Charlie's Blog for insider butchery knowledge here.

Next was the oyster search. We are making Friday nights in, with these slippy friends, an institution. We tried the more formal stops like Applebees. Generally the going rate for oysters here is £1. Then, harking back to a skiving Friday about 4 years ago, we retraced our old steps to Richard Haward's Oyster table. Back then we held hands nervously and gorged on shots of shell fish. Yesterday we confidently ordered our spoils, and for 80p a pop. Not bad, so long as you own a good shucking knife.

By this point feeling a bit faint, we ordered some lovely fruity drinks from The Organic Juice bar, and had a really nice chat with the owner. He told us the history of his back bar, and we got more Borough top tips from a veteran.

Pretty good for a Friday. Dinner was delicious and a stuffing three courses. A market trip, a good dinner and an early night makes January more bearable - and comes highly recommened!

THURSDAY SPOILS

2010-01-21T07:37:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY SPOILS

2010-01-19T02:00:00.000-08:00

You know those days when you have an odd collection of foods in your kitchen, and you don't quite know what to do? Seeing the wood from the trees can be hard. I had just this the other day, and my Dad was due for lunch within the hour. Leftover peas with chilli and cumin, and seemingly not a lot else. This is the time to start foraging in the back of the fridge. Luckily I found a big old jar of standard black olives. Within minutes the cogs were ticking and I'd found half a jar of oily anchovies. I whizzed these up with a cornichon to make a paste to smear on the remaining ciabatta. A bit like a tapenade.

With the left over peas, I tossed in some shredded round lettuce leaves that were also hiding in the fridge. Topped with some friendly boiled eggs to nestle on top (it's always good to have some eggs around for these times) it was a verdant treat.

And thanks to Charlotte P, we had a few delicious Victoria Passion fruit sponge slices. It was really rather good, all left overs considered, and proof you don't always need to drop another £20 in the shops to have a nice lunch. No wastage either. Hurrah.

BOB BOB RICARD OFF THE CUFF, even if the bill is a bit rough

2010-01-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

We went to Bob Bob Ricard the other night. It was impromptu, after a few beers with some of the Crystal Palace football team (I've never met a footballer or been to a match, but am now rather tempted by both. They were lovely.) So there we were, hungry, on a cold night in Soho. Bob Bob Ricard was our first port of call. I've been meaning to go here for ages as there was an amazing review about a year ago, selling the all day serving of breakfast, lunch and dinner (a massive selling point if you like eggs benedict at any hour of the day like me.)

We had the most lovely service, hilarious back ground conversations to over hear - a mistress stamping her foot at her lover, and him sucking her neck and cornering her in the boothe - and a delicious dinner. It's bloody expensive but really you can not fault Bob Bob Ricard on any level. The shepherd's Pie was as if dreamt by the gods. If you imagine how you want your perfect pie to be, this is it: a sweet rich gravy, chunks of meat, tender peas, and a perfect moussy potato topping. Raf had a burger so attentively cooked, that it made my teeth ache with longing. But on top of this, it's the detail that really makes this place. Each booth has the BBR emblem, the milk jug, tea strainer and place mats were all the perfect design and demeanor for the joint.

This is a place to go and get your monies worth. You'll feel special and tended and though not blown away by the actual menu, what was on offer was utterly faultless. Go for a treat, but make sure, like my neighbouring girl, you have yeilding sugar daddy.

ANOTHER DAY another date

2010-01-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

I dreamt of dates all night. It's probably because I bought date syrup yesterday and it really got me rooting around for recipes using it. I found, what today has turned out to be, a delicious cake recipe on a blog called divinetaste, which is well worth taking a meander around. Mine came out softer I think, but fingers crossed it'll fly off the cake shelf tomorrow.

I made a few alterations to the divinetaste model, mostly obviously, that in the topping, instead of just using butter and sugar, i added the date syrup again. It was delicious and toffee like and got more and more sticky as it cooled. I highly recommend you give this cake a go.

SATURDAY NIGHT WITH FRIENDS

2010-01-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

After a busy Friday night out and about around London town (a classy combo of Fabric followed by Tinseltown) , I wanted to make a wholesome meal for friends on Saturday night. Luckily I'd ordered a rack of Lamb. It took minutes to roast and was melt in the mouth buttery good. Although this cut of meat may seem a bit expensive, it's really worth the investment. And if you allow your guests to get hands on with it, everyone will be clutching bones by the end of the meal, with messy but happy faces. I would have taken some pictures of the finished product, but trying to hold everyone back for devouring the rack proved too hard. Added to this, our friend Rosie, a new candidate in the meat eating world after 15 years vegetarianism, took down 2 massive pieces, so it must have been alright!

After that we had a winter pudding of poached pears with a lid of almonds and a sweet brown flour. The edges crisped up real nice, slightly biscuity and full of crunch. But the middle of the pudding was sweet and wet and full of comfort, especially good, off set by the swanky Creme Fraiche that I bought from the wholefood shop in a daze. My heavy hungover bags proved to be a real treat.