Eat Like a Girl - A London Food Blog & Travel Blog - Always Cooking, Eating & on the Move

January 21, 2015

High Jinks and Fantastic Food at the Water Masterclass at Melbourne Food & Wine Festival

Water Masterclass? Am I losing it? No, dear friends, I spent a day at a Water Masterclass near Melbourne, Victoria last year, and it was one of the best days of last year. And I had a lot of very good travel days.

Every year at Melbourne Food & Wine Festival there is a masterclass based around the theme of the festival. The 2014 theme was water, ergo, water masterclass and 50 excited people gathered by the river at 8.30am, sparkling wine in hand, and boarded a bus to regional Victoria. We were to spend the day in the company of the UK’s Nathan Outlaw, Peter Gilmore of Quay in Sydney, and local chef Aaron Turner, now based in Nashville, who had returned home for the event. Expectations were high.

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Buckwheat Waffles with Rhubarb, Apple & Candied Hazelnuts

Article

January 19, 2015

5 comments

by Niamh

Buckwheat Waffles with Rhubarb, Apple & Candied Hazelnuts [Recipe]

Good morning? Is it safe to come out? I have been in hiding, taking an enforced break, so that I could catch up with everything else (work, book writing, the small matter of publishing a book myself), for it was all becoming a bit overwhelming, and I was losing sight of myself. But I am back now, and I am not very good at taking breaks anyway. My break actually turned out to be an intensive whirlwind of writing, cooking and planning; plotting travels too, and lots to share here. Mainly in my pjs, but you can forgive me that. And maybe you are guilty of wanting that for yourself?

I wanted to just indulge myself this morning, and write forever about Australia. One of my favourite places to visit, but not just me, the Economist listed four Australian cities in the Top 10 best places to live. I could easily live there, maybe even move in the morning for a bit, but London’s tentacles tend to keep me here. I love London, but you know, the weather, and everything is expensive, and I will likely forever have to rent. Sometimes, it grates. As it should.

Australia, yes! But then I thought, maybe I should indulge & nourish you first? Set you up for a week of travel joy before I head to France, and share some more. I will share a lovely new waffle recipe, and then come back with stories, when you are comfortable and well nourished. For these are very good and healthy too. [Read more]

Beluga Lentil & Egg Salad with Home Made Salad Cream [RECIPE]

Article

January 5, 2015

4 comments

by Niamh

Beluga Lentil & Egg Salad with Home Made Salad Cream [Recipe]

I fell off a wagon that I wasn’t even properly on this evening. You could say that I tripped. On an innocent wander to the shop, I spied some curious lentil crisps, all bagged into nice tidy individual portions, so you know, they assume that we can all behave. I never buy six bags of anything like this, as I have no restraint when it comes to bags of crispy things, be they innocently low calorie or proper actual and delicious crisps. But I can’t resist something new, especially lentils masquerading as crisps. I had to try them.

You see I have a problem with crisps, and this has nothing to do with January. This is a commitment that I had to make to myself years ago, the only wagon I hop on, the NO-6-PACKS-OF-CRISPS-WAGON, and I fell off it today. Spectacularly. I inhaled that six pack of crispy intensity in 45 minutes. Guilty bag after guilty bag. I put them away, I took them out again. Eventually, I gave up, surrendered, finished the lot, and felt sick for a bit.

And, I was doing so well, too.

As for the January wagon, well why bother? January is a grey month and everyone is spent. If there is any month that needs an injection of joy, it is this. Moderation is for the whole year, and while I am terrible at putting this into practice, this is what I need to do. I want to exercise more restraint all year round, not just for a few weeks now. I say restraint, this means I aspire to live normally, and exercise a bit more.

Real food, full fat, occasional but not too much sugar. Food that has little distance from the hands that made it, reared it, or planted it. Lots of lovely real life affirming food that I put together myself at home, and take pleasure in doing so. And January is a great time to go to restaurants, with everyone else feeling guilty at home, it is so easy to get a table. January is, if anything, a month for comfort, culinary trips down memory lane, plans for the future and cleaning out the clutter from the past. [Read more]

Here is to a big, expansive and gorgeous 2015.

Article

December 31, 2014

8 comments

by Niamh

Happy New Year Lovely Readers! 2014 in Photos, and on to 2015

You know I spent a long long time crafting a post that was so rammed full of images and randomness that it might have made your phone explode if you tried to load it. Perhaps your head too. My brain started to melt and I feared a serious injury, so I thought that something simpler and more direct is in order. Would you be even interested in a detailed round up? Maybe not.

So: Happy New Year! I wish you much happiness, joyful encounters, the minimum of stress and lots of happy cooking.

When I look back on 2014 I see smiling faces, wonderful places, orangutans (which I am now fully obsessed with) and fabulous plates of food. There was some wine, at times too much wine, but I can never say no, if the wine is good. And that is how I like it. [Read more]

Article

December 17, 2014

2 comments

by Niamh

Recipe: Potato and Leek Soup with Bacon and Kale

I have quite a few Christmas recipes up my sleeve, but lets take a break from the chocolate, the alcohol and the spice, and think about a comfortable Christmas lunch for the days before and after the crazy indulgent one. I am thinking soup, and who doesn’t love soup? Nourishing and soothing, soup is what I reach for when I am ill, or when I need comfort. Oh, and toasted sandwiches too.[Read more]

Article

December 16, 2014

6 comments

by Niamh

Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles

I wondered about sharing these photos, I really did. I had to rush them before dashing to the airport, and I risked it, and got up at 6am to make them, because I really wanted to share this recipe with you. It is perfect for Christmas. Stress free and it takes a little care but otherwise, just fine, anyone can make these. Of course life and work intervened, and I was too busy in Germany and too tired at the end of every day to do any decent writing. So, here it is now.

Salted Caramel

But then the photos, I can’t help but think they look like I dug up some mushrooms and then coated them in fine soil. I can’t worry about this though, isn’t it much better that you get the recipe? And maybe a little reassuring to see that, yeah, you can make truffles, and they might look a little rough, but hey! They are still delicious. There aren’t enough hours in the day and there is plenty of other bothersome things, I shouldn’t worry myself so much about photos of truffles.

Or should I?

Anyway, lets drive on. You must make these. All you need is a little salted caramel from my recent recipe, some cream, some good dark chocolate, and some cocoa, and then we are all set.
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Article

December 13, 2014

1 comment

by Niamh

The Story of the Real Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena at Acetaia Pedroni, Emilia Romagna

Acetaia Pedroni, near Modena

In a small town outside Modena, there is an acetaia called Aceaia Pedroni. Here they make balsamic vinegar, the real balsamic vinegar, and the Pedroni family have been making it in this location since 1862. Now run by Italo, 80 and his wife Franca (who still cooks in the family taverna), they make balsamic vinegar and some wines, including lambrusco and pignoletto (local sparkling wines).

Italo, with his vinegars

We all know balsamic vinegar, but few of us know the real stuff. The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (which it must be called by law) takes a minimum of 12 years to mature through a patient process of evaporation and careful management in a family of at least five barrels, called a battery. This process is protected and governed by law, and the vinegar and acetaia are checked by government representatives.

The barrel batteries

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar starts with grapes, Trebbiano (a white grape) in Acetaia Pedroni’s case. These are gently crushed, now by machine, but before by children primarily, as it needed to be gentle. The grapes are then cooked and reduced to create a grape must. This must is fermented in batteries of barrels, some of which are ancient, as a balsamic barrel is never thrown out, it is repaired, sometimes by putting a new barrel on the outside but always keeping the old barrel, as this is where flavour is. A battery must have a minimum of five barrels, from small to large, each one increasing in size.

The acetaia, complete with confessional. The land used to be owned by the church but it is now owned by a collective of families and has been for hundreds of years.

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Article

December 9, 2014

9 comments

by Niamh

Salted Caramel (Perfect as a Sauce, on Toast, or Just Eating With a Spoon)

Homemade Salted Caramel (it is actually very smooth, but I was rushing this shot to get to the airport, and poured it hot into the glass, don’t do that!}

Christmas is on its way, there is no longer any denying it. I am woefully under prepared, as is my form. I just paid through the nose for my flight home this year for a start, which eats into every other Christmas budget. I guess all of the other ex pats must be very organised this year. After that, there is not a child in the house washed, as we would say at home. (Calm down dear, I haven’t had any children since my last missive, it merely means there is nothing organised and we can’t even see where organised might be, over the horizon).

However, I have some recipes to share that will help you be a bit more organised for Xmas, and that will make me feel a lot better. A good place to start is a lovely salted caramel, and it is something that every cook should have in their armoury besides. It is so easy, as long as you watch over it, as it will burn as soon as you stop to look at it. I burned my first batch this morning, and I have made it many times. Watch it carefully, and it will behave, I promise.

My salted caramel is very simple, and very quick. It is thick, but pourable, and a perfect Christmas condiment. It is a great gift too, if you make it late enough. It will keep in the fridge for a week or so too.

How to eat it? It is a perfect sauce for most desserts. It is superb on toast for a luxurious Christmas breakfast. Or you know, like nutella, you may just want to eat it with a spoon.[Read more]

Article

December 3, 2014

21 comments

by Niamh

Your Guide to Wines for Christmas (Chosen by Me, In Partnership with M&S)

I recently worked with Marks & Spencer to come up with a selection of wines from their range to give you some inspiration for Christmas. From fine wines to eclectic tipples, some of them are bargains, all are priced well. After all, we want more than one bottle to get us in the festive swing, so I like to buy great value wines as well as something special. I suggest some food too, and as we will all be overwhelmed with Christmas by the time it comes around, something a bit different from the usual festive fare in some cases. It goes without saying, but I had complete free range to do whatever I wanted here, and I was quite impressed with the options. Enjoy!

The Novice – For someone who’s just starting to appreciate wine

You like wine, but you don’t know too much about it (although I expect you probably know more than you think). You probably let others pick from the list when you are out for dinner, but you are hosting Christmas, and so you would like some lovely wine with it. For you, I recommend the Wine for Every Course (Mixed Case of 6) for £85. Here, Marks & Spencer have put in the leg work, and selected some excellent classic wines. I have also selected some individual bottles so that you could put together your own. Perfect for impressing all of those visiting Christmas relatives!

Starting with a bright champagne aperitif from Louis Chaurey (perfect with the treacle smoked salmon, bresaola and parma ham I have included with this); Pouilly Foumé from Mathilde de Fouvray, a dry elegant white from the Loire Valley. With hints of lemon, it is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, but it will challenge your perceptions on this grape if you are used to the bigger brand alternatives. An elegant rioja follows, full of ripe fruit flavour and a little spice, Maison du Tastelune Burgundy Pinot Noir offers a very smooth fruity and mellow wine. To finish, two sweets, a Sauternes from L’Or du Ciron to enjoy with dessert and a single harvest Royal Palace Colheita port from 2001, to sip by the fire after dinner. Sweet wine is very under rated. I love to finish my meal with one, sometimes choosing it over a dessert.

The Parents – Your parents or your spouse’s parents, this bottle shows you have a little decorum and distinction!

1-IMG_6357_1_tweaked

When I go home at Christmas, I like things to be simple and easy, but good, of course, and a little bit of a treat. For this selection, I moved up the wine list a little and chose more expensive characterful rich red wines, which we had with lovely dry aged steak (simply spiced with some Calabrian chilli and aromatic with sage). These wines are confident, warm and friendly, with a little spice, and they will keep everyone happy.

From the new world, the Californian Joseph Swan Zinfandel (£30), a bolshy full flavoured wine with some pepper and fruit, perfect with steak. Also the Hay Paddock Harvest Reserve Syrah from New Zealand (£20), another powerful red but not jammy and overly sweet, which you may think lots of new world syrahs (shiraz) are. Moving up the wine list, for a special meal at home is the Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Vieux Gres (£39), with lots of food, spice and pepper. I think with wine matching we tend to overthink a little, the best wine to drink with your dinner is the one you have (or want to drink). But also, it helps to think of it almost as a sauce.

The Connoisseur – The person who has their own carafe!

Well, you are a connoisseur, so you don’t need me to tell you what to drink, but I feel that I need to point you in the direction of Marks & Spencer gold medal winning sparkling wines. Effortless Christmas fizz, for a fuzzy morning. You are welcome. I tried two, the first the Oudinet Cuvée Brut NV (at £25 a bottle, a great price for a good champagne).
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Article

December 1, 2014

14 comments

by Niamh

Beef Cheek Chilli

anc Beef Cheek Chilli

Beef cheek chilli is a gorgeous dish. Tender, robust and sublimely yielding, once you do the initial work, it basically cooks itself. The best bit? It is a relatively cheap cut of meat, and has a wonderful deep flavour and texture. Winner. You will find yourself buying this instead of steak for dishes like this, I promise you.

When I first started making chilli, I would make it using minced beef, and yes this is fine, but once I started to experiment with other meat cuts like shin and cheek, I could see that a chilli has much more potential than the one that I was making.

Then there are chillies to think about. I used to make beef chilli with whatever chilli I had, then I progressed to smoky punchy chipotle, and then, with an appetite for more and a geeky drive beneath it, I decided to explore different chilli combinations. Then I could see what all the fuss with chilli was about. Layers of chilli playing with the beef, enhancing it, some bringing searing heat, others smoke and others a low rumble. You can make your beef chilli as hot or as mild as you want, and you can make it really interesting. Chilli can be good, and chilli can be superb. Lets talk about a superb one.

Beef Cheek Chilli (made with just one cheek on this occasion)

Beef cheeks are a terrific cut of meat. Easier to source now than before, as we all become more aware of cheaper flavourful cuts and the importance of nose to tail eating. Ask your butcher to get some in for you if you can’t find them anywhere, that is what I do. They need long slow cooking, and start firm and obstinate, but under that low gentle heat, they yield gently and let the chillies mix in.

I use three chillies for this dish: chipotle, pasilla and ancho. The chipotle brings smoke and a low throaty rumble, the pasilla is hotter but just medium hot and quite fruity and the ancho is medium hot too, with more of a sweet dried fruit flavour. I use a combination of three, with more chipotle. It results in a nice hot chilli, not in a face melting way but it will definitely warm your cockles on a chilly night.

Beef Cheek Chilli

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Article

November 28, 2014

15 comments

by Niamh

Chicken Rendang (In Partnership with Le Creuset)

Chicken Rendang Recipe

This post was sponsored by Le Creuset. They asked me to write a one pot recipe and to choose one of their pots to cook it in. I fancied something spiced, slow cooked and full of character, so I settled on a rendang inspired by my travels to Malaysia. I chose a shallow pot that would aid evaporation, caramelisation and intensification of the sauce (a 30cm shallow casserole, in lovely Marseille blue).

Le Creuset 30cm Shallow Casserole in Marseille Blue

I have been to Malaysia twice in the past year, to the tip of it in Langkawi, and the bottom, Sabah, Borneo. I love it there for many reasons. The monkeys (who can resist?), the rainforests and the gorgeous seas, the sandy beaches and the mangrove trees. Best of all is the food, seasoned with punchy aromatics and a little spice. Where India has spices, Malysia has aroma – galangal, lime leaves, lemongrass, lots of fresh turmeric – and slow cooked tender meats, bright fish, with sometimes funky undertones from fermented fish. For this project, I settled on a chicken (ayam) rendang, the perfect food for a chilly November.[Read more]

Article

November 24, 2014

14 comments

by Niamh

UPDATES: Project Bacon & Eat Like a Girl, the Next Evolution

As one door closes, another opens.

This year has been a a year of surprises and challenges. A difficult year, when I look back I see myself overwhelmed, sometimes panicking and all consumed with Project Bacon, but you know what? It is nearly there. We have the final photography days this week and then my creative portion will be almost complete. The rest doesn’t worry me so much. My art director is brilliant, as is my editor, and my book could not be in better hands. I will switch my attention to more practical matters like printing and distribution, which will be a relief after all of the angst that writing a book can bring.

The hardest bit with writing a book is that bit that you should love the most. The manuscript. When in the zone it can be wonderful, but more often than not it is torture. Writers block, panic, fear, too much time alone, constant reassessment of your work, frustration, and ultimately a book that was at times painful to write, but one that you are proud of, and want everyone to have.

Nearly there, still in the trauma portion.

It is clear that I undertook a project much bigger than what I realised, and it wasn’t that I couldn’t do it, but at the same time as I was, everything else became very busy too. And that everything else is what pays my rent, and keeps everything stable, so it is very important too. Project Bacon was always my priority, but it generates no income yet, and in the end has cost much more than I forecast (as with every project, ever, I know).

Looking back now I can see that through pushing myself very hard all year, braving the waves of total overwhelming panic, not sleeping enough, not looking after my health and seeing so much more of the world, and all for work reasons, I am in a much better place now. I look at my work and think, YES, this is where I wanted to be, and it was traumatic getting here but I now see what needs to stay and what needs to go.

There are things that I do, but they are not practical, and they need to stop. I need to work smarter so that I can have more downtime. I still want to be the sole writer here, but I want it to grow, so I am working that out now. This blog is almost 8 years old, and while it has grown with me over the last almost 8 years, it needs to change too. I travel more, and am at home less, and Eat Like a Girl will reflect that a bit more. There will also be more work with sponsored partners (but more content around it as I go). As always I will tell you here first, as I always value your feedback.

Once Project Bacon is complete, all energy becomes refocussed here and also on myself (I have already initiated a health kick which I will share here as I go). Content will be more regular, there will be a kick ass redesign which brings it more up to date, there will be lots more recipes and more travel stories. I have a another project which I will wait to announce in a few weeks, maybe early next year, and things will make a lot more sense then. [Read more]

Article

November 21, 2014

14 comments

by Niamh

Roast Pumpkin, Kale, Feta & Pomegranate Salad

Yes, more roast pumpkin. But you probably have some left over from the last recipe, and I bet you are not averse to roasting some more. Or is that just me?

In Winter my salads become a little more robust. More kale than lettuce, wilted or crisped, chunks of pumpkin or similar dense veg, roasted into submission. No salad should be heavy, so I lift mine with spritely dressings, this time a pomegranate molasses and lime dressing with no oil, so you know, healthy and lower calorie (I did say I was going to try, right?). Over this, soothing pops of sharp creamy feta, and then to give it some sparkle, a gorgeous sprinkle of juicy pomegranate seeds.

It is winter? Who cares, when you have this salad? I quite like winter anyway.

Some very pretty lilac kale that I happened upon – but any kale will do

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November 20, 2014

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by Niamh

[Preview] Sharing Stories: An Italian Dining Experience & an Exclusive 2-4-1 Ticket Offer for Eat Like a Girl Readers (In Partnership with Peroni Nastro Azzurro Alta)

This post was sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro Alta. I attended the preview dinner of Sharing Stories: A New Italian Dining Experience, details of which are here. The dinner is a once off, on Wednesday 26th November at Daphne’s in London, and includes 3 cocktails, complimentary Peroni Nastro Azzurro Alta, and a bespoke menu created by Daphne’s head chef. A special 2-4-1 offer is available exclusively for Eat Like a Girl readers. Details are at the end of the post. The dinner is to celebrate the launch of Alta, a new sharing bottle designed to be enjoyed with friends. All photos were provided by Peroni, the editorial is mine.

To showcase the launch of the new Alta bottle, Peroni is hosting an exclusive supper club at Daphne’s in South Kensington. Sharing Stories: An Italian Dining Experience will be a multi course feast created by Daphne’s Head Chef, Michael Brown. It will bring to life the diners’ most memorable Italian experiences through taste, smell and sound. The entire night will be created from the diners’ impressions of Italy, with each course inspired by the guests’ memories. These will also shape the cocktails, décor and music for the evening giving guests an entirely bespoke experience.

Daphne’s, where Sharing Stories will be hosted, is a well respected and very popular restaurant which has been serving classic Italian food in Kensington for 50 years now. The food was very good and plentiful, seven dishes in total, including sensational gamberoni with chilli and garlic, an excellent mushroom risotto and beef carpaccio served with lots of fresh truffle. There was lots of Peroni, served in the new Alta bottle, and the cocktails were twists on classics, with – of course – some Peroni involved.
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November 17, 2014

9 comments

by Niamh

Almond Crusted Tuna with Chilli Roast Pumpkin, Wilted Lettuce, Tomato & Curry Leaves

Almond Crusted Tuna with Chilli Roast Pumpkin, Wilted Lettuce, Tomato & Curry Leaves

Almond crusted tuna frequently pops up my idea periscope when my mind wanders. I first had it in Sicily a few years ago in San Vito Lo Capo, when I was a judge for the International Cous Cous Festival (yes, I really was, and it was bonkers, and a lot of delicious fun). There are many almonds in Sicily, pistachios too, and they appear a lot in the cuisine. Almond crusted tuna was one of my favourite dishes that I tried, a fabulous alternative to breaded fish, the tuna remains crisp and is – obviously – nutty.[Read more]

Article

November 14, 2014

7 comments

by Niamh

A Postcard from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

An Orang Utan in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

An Orang Utan at Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

I have stacks of recipes to share with you all, and was in the midst of writing one up for you, when I thought: no, I really don’t want to do that right now. What I have to do is share some pictures from Sabah with you first. It is a wonderful place, and while I am here I am keen to share it with you.

Sabah is in Malaysian Borneo. A tropical part of the world, it has sea and rainforest, monkeys and bears, and lots of fantastic food, particularly seafood. I have been busy since my arrival, that won’t surprise you much, and have seen and eaten lots. The food has been wonderful, as good as I had been told, but I would be telling a lie if I didn’t tell you that it was the wildlife that stole my heart.

Oran utangs (translates as man of the jungle), proboscis monkeys (so called because of their massive nose, they are also called belanda, Malay for Dutchman, as it was thought that the Dutch colonisers had similar large bellies and noses) and cheeky little macaques (which were rifling through the rubbish and stealing eggs at breakfast this morning) featured but there was much more.

A proboscis monkey! Native to Borneo. Curious and divine. Bigger than you think too!

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November 7, 2014

4 comments

by Niamh

Next Stop: Sabah & Brunei

What a week! A very good week, I spent the bulk of it at World Travel Market in London, where I met lots of inspiring people and spoke about food & travel blogging. 4 full days, and a blissful early night followed, so rare, and very much needed. I am shattered, but I have lots to do, for I am going to Sabah and Burnei on Sunday. And that is exciting, isn’t it?

Sabah is new to me, in Malaysian Borneo, and a whole new world of food is waiting to greet me. Many of you will know it already, and possibly have even been to a wedding there, as many people travel to marry on their tropical shores. We start in Kota Kinabulu, and explore Sabah from there. I will be doing lots, highlights among these being lots of terrific eating, a cooking class, visiting markets, heading into the jungle, and I am very excited that we are going to see some Orang Utans at the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre.

Brunei

Ulu Ulu, Brunei

Brunei chicken curry, with river ferns and young papaya

The view over the rainforest canopy from the foot of the scary scaffolding

At market in Brunei

Sun dried prawns

Sun drying fish

A lady at market

The Sultan’s palace

Durian o’clock at the market in Brunei

Sizzling spicy chicken bums at the night market in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

Ginger flowers at the night market in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

Frying chicken at the night market in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

At the night market in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

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October 29, 2014

8 comments

by Niamh

Cardamom and Turmeric Chicken Curry

Today has been stressful. Yesterday was worse. Because of stupid but unavoidable things, in isolation fine, together brain stuffing. Delayed planes, trains and automobiles (yes, all three), a broken front door, mysteriously vanished side gate, and lots of other dull stuff. My brain was starting to tense, my heart was pounding and I was being taken away by fury, a red mist.

What a bloody nightmare, eh? What to do? Sort the essentials, ignore the rest, withdraw from the world for a bit, and think of curry.

Chicken curry to be precise, I don’t think you can beat it if it is made right. A nice plump chicken from a happy home, whatever cut you fancy, or the lot. I bought a small bird, brought it home and removed it from the carcass, which I will use soon for stock along with the chicken skin and wings. I removed the leg, thigh and breast, the legs I kept whole, the rest I diced chunkily, and added all of the meat to a creamy turmeric bath. I love fresh turmeric, but dried will do, added to yogurt and chilli, the colour and the possibilities lifted my spirits. I put it in the fridge and let it rest.

After a couple of hours, and I was starting to feel better, I sautéed some finely chopped onion in some coconut oil (any oil will do, I had that). It soothed me to see it gently sink into the oil and release its own tension. I gave it time and cooked it gently, until soft. Then I added ginger, garlic, and more fresh chilli. I toasted some spice, cardamom seeds, cloves and black pepper. I ground them until a powder, and added them to my onion mix.

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October 24, 2014

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by Niamh

Homemade Matcha Soba Noodles & A Recipe for Matcha Mari Soba

Matcha noodles! Well, why wouldn’t you make them? You surely want to try them. I had the good fortune of eating superb matcha soba when I was in Kyoto last year, and they pop up from my memory to say hi frequently. Sure, you can buy green tea / matcha noodles in speciality shops here, and they are decent, but they are not a patch on the real thing. Of course. But, then you hear that it takes 3 years to learn soba making, 32 years to perfect it (!) and that it is very tricky. But you know what, you still really want to give it a go. Right?

Right.

Let us get down to the details. There are two things that we need to think about here. Soba and matcha. Soba means buckwheat or buckwheat noodle in Japanese. Buckwheat isn’t actually a grain, it is a seed that is grain like, and is not related in anyway to grass, it is actually closely related to rhubarb and sorrel (both very characterful plants, as is buckwheat). It has no gluten, so it takes skill and knowledge, the kind of knowledge that lives in your muscles and your palms, after years of getting to understand soba dough, to get the buckwheat to combine so elegantly with water to form noodles. Not just any old noodles but noodles that you would get on a train across town for, maybe even to another city, maybe even on a plane to Japan.
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October 23, 2014

4 comments

by Niamh

Rice Soup with Chorizo, Pumpkin, Kale & a Poached Egg

Chicken and ham broth with rice, pumpkin, chorizo, sage and a poached egg

I don’t like telling you what to do, but on this occasion, I must. It is almost the weekend, and it is very much Autumn, so what I need you to do, is to go out and buy a couple of raw chicken carcasses (most butchers will have them, and failing that 500g chicken wings), some ham bones, if you can get them, or a ham hock. You see with these, and some veg, you can make a sublime broth which will keep you in gorgeous soups for the week, as I have done. I just needed soup and lots of it.

A home made broth is wonderful, far surpassing any commercial pretenders. Even those home made ones you see in shop fridges will not have been made with the love and care that yours can be made with at home. Love and care brings flavour, and health, and joy. I am insisting that you give this a go.

A good home made stock will have clear strong flavours, but it is gentle too, and only ever supports what you add to it, it never dominates. Shop bought stocks, especially the cubes, always do. It is an effort, but making a big batch when you have the time is very rewarding, the bulk of the work lies in waiting for it to be done.

There are many things you can do with this stock. A steaming mug of it on its own brings great pleasure and sustenance. With shredded chicken, leftover or not, some spring onions, some coriander and some chilli, you have a vigorous bright chicken soup, with a ham backbone. It also freezes well. [Read more]