Gin glorious gin – hot toddies all clustered – while we are in the mood

While obviously, Oliver wasn’t singing about Gin (or you would rather hope not given his age), having found Gilberts Gin Garden, I rather felt like breaking into song.  Set under the arches at George Gilbert Scott’s stunning Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Station is a quirky little drinking venue sponsored by Hendricks.

Laid out like Alice in Wonderland’s Grown Up Garden with gold fish in cages, white metal furniture, fake grass and a sofa made out of half a bath, you can’t help but be charmed.  My friend and I visited on a warm summers evening having visited the British Library exhibition on Propaganda (thoroughly recommended) and use the unusual gin cocktails to wash the nasty taste of tyranny out of our mouths.

I went for a The Delicate Rose which combines Hendrick’s gin with rose petal tea, pink grapefruit, elderflower and cucumber and my friend chose to try a decidedly grown up G&T with elderflower and thyme.  Mine arrived in a Hendrick’s tea pot which I was seriously sizing up to ascertain just how easily I could fit it into a handbag but I’m sure the waiter (who was using a telephone box as a service station) may have noticed.

We were given seriously tasty popcorn– signature smoked butter and black peppercorn if you must know –  to accompany our drinks and apart from the noise from the all to close road, all was perfect.

If you are in London and fancy dropping in to a little bit of wonderland, don’t hesitate to visit the Gilberts Gin Garden but do it quickly as I fear that it may well disappear with the autumn winds

L xx

Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @littleofwhatyou

Leftover Terrace Pie

When I was growing up, my mom always had a way with left overs due to her military approach to menu planning.  Roast on Monday followed by cold meat on Tuesday with jacked potatoes and so on.  Therefore, while I live on my own and love cooking, I find that I am willing to eat the same meal for a couple of days so that I don’t waste anything.  It just seems right and with an estimated 7.2 million tons of food being thrown out in the UK every year, I also get that nice green virtuous glow.

So on Saturday, I was lucky enough to buy a huge T-bone steak at a butchers on the Walthamstow market for just under £7.  Far too much to eat in one go but so lovely with spicy potato salad and a glass of prosecco – or two.   On Sunday, I noticed the remains lurking in the fridge and decided on my take on cottage pie.

I realise that this is likely to get me hug drawn and quartered by the purists but it works with all meats as well as canned tuna and is a really lovely meal.

Leftover Terrace Pie:

·         4 potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces

·         Remains of a t-bone steak or beef (or the protein of your choice)

·         1 large onion, chopped

·         Bacon lardons (around 100g as they are more for flavour)

·         250g mushrooms (I used a multi pack of different types)

·         100ml of Prosecco or white wine

·         2 cloves (or 1 teaspoon) of garlic

·         Worchester Sauce to taste

·         Vegetable Oil

1. Add prepared potatoes to boiling water and turn the heat down and cook until a knife slides into them easily and they are just right for mashed potato.
2. Put a little vegetable oil in a pan on the head and add chopped onion – sauté. Add bacon and mushrooms frying until they reduce.
3. Remove the beef from the t-bone and chop into small pieces then add to the muchroom mixture.
4. Add a glug of wine to the mixture and some garlic paste (or finely chopped cloves) as well as some Worchester Sauce (I tend to leave this out if I am using tuna).  Then fill a pie tin with the mixture
5. Remove the potatoes from the stove when they are done and make your version of buttery mashed potato heaven.  Sprinkle this on top of the mushroom / beef mixture in the tin creating peaks and then bake at a moderate heat until the peaks crisp.

Enjoy with the remainder of the wine

Lx

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @alittleofwhatyou

I learnt as much as I forgot at this wine and food tasting

I like wine and I’m not afraid to say that I do.  In addition having grown up in Cape Town which is a stone’s throw away from some of the best vineyards (or wine farms) in the world, I do know my Chardonnay from my Chablis.

However, I am always willing to learn more and when I saw a Groupon Deal to undertake a wine and food tasting, I jumped at it.  It would almost be rude not to as I do seem to drink rather a lot of it.

So having picked up my friend (who had been on a 2 week detox) we made our way to La Pietra Restaurant - a surprisingly modern Italian on Commercial Road – and made our way down to the basement where the tasting was taking place.  

The instructor was from the Italian Sommielier Association (or some such trade body) but – as would characterise the whole night, she rattled through the introduction so fast, she could just as well have been from the Institute of Actuaries.    

However, what she did mention the following excellent tips:

• ·    Food brings its own flavour and so does the wine so they are supposed to create something better but different.
•  ·    If a food is from a specific region (e.g. Carbonara from Rome) then drinking a wine from Lazio is probably the best idea as ‘what grows together, goes together’.  It makes sense – if the residents of Rome who have been eating the dish for thousands of years recommend a wine, then they might be right. 
•        When pairing food and wine use Concordance (i.e. echos the flavours) or opposition (i.e. balances the flavours) so for example

a. Chenin Blanc goes well with Clams as it is clean/crisp which matches the seafood

b.Buttery Chardonnay goes well with creamy light cheeses as it again echos the flavours

However

c. Olives with young red light wines goes well as it diminishes the taste of the tannins. 

d.  Roquefort and sauterne works well together as they neutralise but complement 

•       Bubbly is a pallet cleanser which also works well with things like garlic bread.  I took this a sign that I obviously need to drink more of it.

All this knowledge was imparted at break-neck speed as we tasted wine and ploughed our way through the following menu:   

• ·         10 Min THEORY + focaccia - Wine: Prosecco Dogarina DOC Extra Dry
• ·         Starter - Charcuterie (San Daniele Ham, Coppa, Felino Salami) - Wine: Qalath Merlot IGT
• ·         Starter - Cheese (Sardinian Pecorino, Sheep/Cow cheese, Goat Cheese) - Wine: Qalath Merlot IGT
• ·         First Course - Lasagna Bolognese - Wine: Sangiovese del Rubicone, Soledoro 2012
• ·         Main Course - Smoked Pork Shin with Mashed Cannellini Beans - Wine: Promesa Rioja Crianza 2009
• ·         Dessert - Tiramisu' - Wine: Leyenda Pedro Ximenez half bottle NV

All in all as we stumbled out into the night, I can say I learnt a lot but forgot even more as I enjoyed the food so while the evening was excellent, I would have happily killed for the notes before my next dinner party!

L xx

Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @alittleofwhatyou