Rye Bread

I should be cleaning the house or packing for the weekend or writing my recipes or sending a birthday present but I'm not. I'm eating fresh rye bread with molten butter and salty smoked salmon. 

It was the bag of flour in the cupboard that inspired me. 

Scales meet design

I didn't think of scales as beautiful and then I met these. They have become a staple in my kitchen, sitting in the utensils drawer just next to the salad servers, all tiny and tidy.  

Supper in a Pear Tree

Pop up restaurants have taken London by storm. We are on the catch up, chasing New York who always seem to have their right foot an inch further forward.

If you aren’t yet familiar with them, expect to find an achingly trendy location, loved food and insider foodie knowledge (perfect conversational fodder).

My favourite yet is ‘Supper in a Pear Tree’, run by two beautiful sisters, Annabel & Charlotte. Included in the hot ticket is not just a delicious dinner but - and here’s the point of difference - an authentic, real life drawing class!! I loved it.  There were candles, charcoal, nudity, glasses of wine, even oysters!

Annabel (who incidentally works with Skye Gyngell) produced the food. She introduced each course with adorable things like ‘Pickled beetroot that I grew, dug, peeled and pickled’. We ate pulled pork buns and pickled carrots and chocolate mousse cake and chicory cream. We laughed and chatted and drew. It was like Enid Blyton for grown ups. I can’t wait to go back for a top up of homemade rhubarb vodka and chocolate dipped mint leaves. 

Have a look! - www.supperinapeartree.co.uk

Boy's birthday

As soon as my cards have disappeared into a drawer it's time to reuse the wrapping paper and celebrate N's. I baked a cake and Jasper played with the new presents. 

Duck & Waffle

Every year we go through the same rigmarole. 

My birthday arrives, same date (6th), same month (May) each year  and around Christmas time the conversations begin as to what the celebration might be. It's fair to say that Nick has a difficult decision on his hands. Of a morning I might say, 'You know, I'm totally chilled; it would be really lovely to just be you and me'. Come the evening my tune has changed, 'It's just I'd really like to do something big, let's go all out.'

This year was always going to be a little more tricky; the added pressure of a waving an old decade away and welcoming a new one in, was difficult to ignore. 

Feeling confident Nick decided to leave the evening location a suprise. I sensed the nerves. Seven o'clock came around, as it so often does, and we caught a train to London Bridge. 

Duck & Waffle was to be our destination. An elevator glided up to the 40th floor, ears popping, tummy's jumping, eyes wide. 

The cocktail bar was a triumph. A truffle infused whiskey sour arrived and then began Nick's victory dance; the boy had done good. 

Smoked cow ricotta, spicy ox cheek doughnut and roasted octopus made up the first half. Adverts were a phenominal glass of Sauvignon blanc and the second half began with gusto. A siganture duck & waffle to share was like an American sitcom on the plate; not super complicated and a touch on the sweet side but you couldn't help going in for another bite. Coffee, green tea, apple, caramel and the bill brought everything to a delicious close. 

We left, tummy's sinking and eyes closing but with a fuzzy warm feeling inside. Nick was whooping all the way home, and the next morning and then next day and the next day... 

Food Photography

I've been trying my hand a taking food photographs; not just ones with an iphone but proper, sophisticated ones. It's definitely more difficult that you'd think but I think they are a lovely way to capture a recipe before being chomped. 

Here is a couple that have been snapped recently. 

Cloudy Apple Lollies with Elderflower

In a concerted effort to eat less chocolate I've tried to keep lollies in the freezer. A cold solution to the sweet cravings. So far so good, and this is my favourite. Apparently lollies aren't just for three year olds! 

ELDERFLOWER LOLLIES WITH CLOUDY APPLE JUICE

Makes 4 lollies

Prep Time – 5 minutes

Freezing Time – 4-6 hours

Ingredients

280ml cloudy apple juice

2 tbsp. elderflower cordial

1/ Measure out the apple juice and elderflower cordial into a small jug and stir. Then pour into 4 x 80ml molds. Freeze for 4-6 hours, or overnight, before releasing and eating straight away!

Tip – If the lollies aren’t releasing easily from the molds, briefly dip them into hot water. 

Dirty thirty.

   

 

I disappeared for a while am am sorry if you visited and found no trace of me. It's been a busy weekend. I turned thirty and was spoilt with cake, rays and restaurants. Here are a few snapshots but I will go into more detail just as soon as i've caught my breath. 

Cakes for the Dr

Dr Nick asked me to bake some cakes for the ward; his placement had reached an end.  Flirting his fellow workers with cake might make them miss him.

 I love a little project like that. Baby elderflower & raspberry cakes won the cake race and they left this house this morning, hanging from the Dr's handlebars.