Naked Joy

Sorry, I haven’t been in contact for a while but well, lets just say that work has been hectic, I’ve had a chest infection and I’ve had lots to sort out in my personal life. But I’m back, damn it and now ready to blog for the rest of the year.

So what have I discovered recently. Well, we all like wine delivery. Yes, a nice man who delivers the wine of your choice to your front door - Woo Hoo. What is not to like? Recently, I tried Naked Wines which is not only does that but also appeals to the foodie in me! 

Essentially, they focus on funding independent wine-makers so you get wine which not only is excellent (says she half-way though a bottle of Prosecco Sacchetto - Extra Dry) but you help independent thinkers like you make more wine. O the total joy.

Is it expensive? Well, they do schemes whereby they give you a certain amount of money for every order you make so while the wine is not inexpensive, it isn’t hugely expensive and ultimately, it costs less than buying a bottle at your local off liscence.

So what did I buy (apart from the excellent bubbly I am currently sipping). Well, some spicy South African Shiraz, a Gooseberry Infused New Zealand Savingon blanc and a glorious pink bubbly.

I can’t recommend them enough - indeed, as they support the independents us foodies love, I feel you are almost obliged to try this.

They deliver to the US, UK and Australia so no excuse not to try it

L xx

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Mustard-Cauliflower Soup

I buy vegetables with a degree of optimism!  Yes, not only will I get my five a day but hell, I will aim for 6 ....   Mmm, lets say the best laid plans.

So occassionally, I need to do something useful with the remaining vegetables so I've now got a selection of soup recipees which make excellent use of left over veggies.

One of my favorites is Cauliflower soup with mustard.   To start, take two onions and chop them finely before frying in a little oil.  While they are frying, cut up a head of cauliflower into chunks and add to the onion - stirring as it fries.

Then add about a pint of chicken stock (I'm sure vegetable stock would work for the vegetarians) - you can always add a little more water if it doesnt quite cover the cauliflower.  Also add three peels of lemon zest (just use a potato peeler) and a little salt.

Simmer until it is soft and then blitz.  I like the lemon flavour so don't remove the zest but if you want something more subtle, then remove it before blitzing.  Return the mixture to the heat and add 1 / 2 teaspoons of whole grain mustard.  Again, this is a personal taste thing so taste as you add it.

Lovely - Now a littl e hint, don't worry if the soup is grey.  Sounds awful but there is utterly nothing wrong with it.   When you serve, it is lovely to add a sprinkle of chopped garlic chives or a drizzle of truffle oil (that is of course also ideal for a dinner party)

Try it

L xx

Don't forget to follow me on twitter @alittleofwhatyouwant

Quirky with a touch of magic

My friends and I regularly try new cultural experiences.  We’ve been to see the Lipizzaner Horses, Louboutin Exhibition and Degas paintings but this month we decided to focus on stepping outside our foodie comfort zone.

And thus we ended up at Abracadabra Restaurant - which bills itself as the best Russian restaurant in Central London (Jermyn Street) .  I’m not sure about this claim (being in PR and a deep sceptic) but I certainly think it might be the most bling.  Apparently, it was refurbished at the cost of £4.8 million in 2005 and – wow – what a job it was.

Everything is slightly gaudy, slightly Russian and each booth has an individual style.  We had the Venetian Mask booth and while the sofa chairs could certainly do with a little spot on, it was wonderful in a delightfully kitsch way.

But what about the food?  It is a delightfully bizarre mix of mainstream European (Pizza, hamburger) with an emphasis on Russian and Georgian.  To start, we had Khachapuri which was (as the waiter described it) a little bit like naan with cheese – utterly lovely.  The starter section is peppered with the phrase ‘ideal with Vodka’ which made me smile.

While I didn’t try it – the Borsch looked great and I will definitely be returning to see what this is like.  Mains were Goluptsi (mince stuffed cabbage leaves with excellent mash), Chicken Kima (chicken stuffed with soft cheese) and Cossack Lamb Casserole (nice lamb stew).   All were excellent and to be thoroughly recommended.

The only down side is that Abracadabra was rather quite on Wednesday night and it would have been far better if it was busier.  However, the booths are a lovely idea as we had a girly natter and catch-up.

All in all, I like Abracadabra with all its idiosyncrasies – it is an odd little restaurant with slightly tarnished glory that captured my heart.

Lxx

Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @alittlebitofwhatyouwant

Superstitious - Yes but only if I care

You have found me in a meditative moment as I return to work after a weeks holiday and look to pick up the pieces and ties that bind me to clients, friends and – in fact – reality.  This has left me pondering about superstitions.

Am I superstitious?  I suppose I am but only if I care.  Do I read my horoscope each day?  Yes.  Do I read the man I loves? Yes.   Do I firmly believe that good or indeed bad luck comes in threes? Yes.   Will I be drowning black cats any time soon?  Not likely.    Sacrificing chickens? Not a fan of blood.

Why do I feel like this?  I suppose this is trying to make sense of the vagaries of life.  Spirituality helps but even the most religious people I know often seem stumped as to why this is ‘part of Gods plan’ – although they never seem to doubt that it is.

Personally, I have the fear and I think this is quite often a women thing that if I put too much faith and hope into something – I will watch it disintegrate before me.  If life is too good then obviously it isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel but a bl**dy great freight train.

I suppose this is bred from disappointment but also I think that it is tempered by experience and – dare I say this – instinct.  While obviously “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain”, buying an umbrella is not a bad idea either.

So, I will continue to ‘watch for signs’ but try to celebrate when I can and live in the moment – between checking my horoscope of course ( :

L xx

Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @alittlebitofwhatyouwant

An Ocean Basket

I don't eat fish in London as I don't think it is fresh enough.  I utterly understand that this is likely to get me stoned in Billingsgate Market and many chefs will get huffy but having lived in Cape Town, I just don't like the fish.

I'm even more picky today as I'm just back from Cape Town (which incidentally is one of the most beautiful cities in the world - but I am biased) and have been gorging myself at The Ocean Basket.  This is a local (South African but with branches in Cyprus, Dubai and Mauritius) chain restaurant (breath - its a good chain restaurant) which does some of the best Calamari that I have ever tasted.

So let me introduce you, first the restaurant is wooden chairs, paper table clothes and tiled floors with a enticing menu and touches that make me smile.  When seated, you are presented with the menu and drinks are taken quickly and with a smile.

Nothing ground breaking but the wine list is not bad at all for a chain restaurant but then again, the one I went to was only 30 minutes from Stellenbosch.  Bread, butter and a plate with chilli, garlic and tartar sauce are brought as a matter of course which is brilliant as it means the cooking is simple and you can ramp the flavour up as you prefer.

I had calamari three ways (incidentally, it cost £7 so not bad price wise either) as a main and my brother and I shared 'prince' prawns as a starter.  Not only is the food fresh and the calamari tender but they are not shy of using butter which is really lovely.

The calamari (Cajun, deep fried and lightly fried) is served with rice or chips or salad.  The rice is Saffa Rice so yellow and tasty rather than white and flavourless. The menu ranges from fish fillets to mussels, calamari, prawns, sushi and platters - with a slight nod to Greece in that you can get the basics like humus if you are a vegetarian.

Desserts are pretty standard although for tourists, you may wish to try the Don Pedros which are glorious.

Can't recommend it more and must say I've never had a bum meal at this restaurant so it is definately worth a try.

Lxx

p.s. It is a family restaurant so you can take the children as well as your older relatives and the staff will deal with everything with ease

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Tarte Flambee

I love pizza. Not the nasty traditional kind that you get in your local pizza take-away which if you go for the thick crust resembles cheese on toast. Bad cheese on toast. No, I love pizza by real Italians - thin, crispy and sprinkled with toppings - full of flavour but unfortunately, full of fat. Yes, pizza isn’t a diet food - and as much as I appreciate the attempt by weight-watchers, it just isn’t right.

But - woo hoo - I’ve found an alternative - tarte flambee (which for all those in the UK, is currently in the freezer section at Lidl). It is essentially pizza from Alsace (which is one of the regions of France - close to Germany) which is bread dough rolled out very very thin.

It is then covered by crème fraiche, onions and lardons. It can also be decorated with gruyere, mushrooms, munster cheese and it even comes sweet with calvados. It is baked in the oven - similar to pizza - but is so thin that while it gives you the pizza hit, it has far fewer calories.

The edges are slightly crunchy (almost like phylo pastry) and the centre is slightly soft but not sloppy at all. OMG, it really is so very good and I’ve found a pusher in London at the

The Delaunay near Aldwych.