Tomorrow I will be starting a month long internship with Sainsbury's Magazine! Not only am I excited to work with such a successful magazine, but it will provide a useful insight as a career in food is my ultimate goal! As well as gaining some valuable experience, I will be able to learn a lot about what they do at the magazine and hopefully blog about any exciting projects I am involved with.
As well as getting an idea of the marketing and PR that takes place at Sainsbury's magazine, I will also have the opportunity to eat plenty (yay!) thanks to their in house test kitchen! It really doesn't get much better than that.
A 9-5 job and the daily commute to London may mean I will be slightly MIA on my blog, apologies in advance!
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Friday, 28 March 2014
Bill's - A review
There has been a lot of hype around the Bill's restaurant chain and they seem to be popping up everywhere I go. I have only ever heard good things about Bill's, and I'm a sucker for any restaurant with a seasonal menu and fancy interior design. My first visit to Bill's was for dinner at the converted church house restaurant in Reading. The location and interior of the restaurant is very impressive. The atmosphere was good, and so was the food.
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The menu at Bill's covers breakfast, lunch, dinner and even afternoon tea. They offer a wide range of unpretentious dishes including; burgers, meze, steak, salads and pies. Today, my mum and I went for lunch at the Leamington Spa Bill's. To drink we both had coffees, one americano and one iced. Iced coffee is my favourite thing ever, the it did not disappoint. I had the chilli and lime crusted salmon served on noodle salad. The salmon was pan fried, so it was crispy in parts and was a bit drier than I am used to, but the flavour was lovely, slightly spicy but fresh. The buckweat soba noodles were delicious - fragrant, salty and tangy.
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Although the setting wasn't as impressive as the Reading branch, the inside still had the rustic, eclectic and semi-industrial feel that is consistent throughout all of the Bill's restaurants. I happen to really like the relaxed style, and I am particularly keen on the shelves stacked with jars, bottles and boxes of various foodie treats that you can buy and take home.
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Although the food was really tasty, the dishes are in my opinion slightly too pricey for such laid back dining. The dishes aren't fancy, and a fish finger sandwich for £8.50 seems like daylight robbery in the eyes of anyone, let alone a student like me!
The menu at Bill's covers breakfast, lunch, dinner and even afternoon tea. They offer a wide range of unpretentious dishes including; burgers, meze, steak, salads and pies. Today, my mum and I went for lunch at the Leamington Spa Bill's. To drink we both had coffees, one americano and one iced. Iced coffee is my favourite thing ever, the it did not disappoint. I had the chilli and lime crusted salmon served on noodle salad. The salmon was pan fried, so it was crispy in parts and was a bit drier than I am used to, but the flavour was lovely, slightly spicy but fresh. The buckweat soba noodles were delicious - fragrant, salty and tangy.
Although the setting wasn't as impressive as the Reading branch, the inside still had the rustic, eclectic and semi-industrial feel that is consistent throughout all of the Bill's restaurants. I happen to really like the relaxed style, and I am particularly keen on the shelves stacked with jars, bottles and boxes of various foodie treats that you can buy and take home.
Although the food was really tasty, the dishes are in my opinion slightly too pricey for such laid back dining. The dishes aren't fancy, and a fish finger sandwich for £8.50 seems like daylight robbery in the eyes of anyone, let alone a student like me!
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Recipe: Two souper easy soup recipes
Beethoven once said, 'Only the pure in heart can make a good soup', and I couldn't agree more. I distinctly remember the time my mother first bought a Kitchen Aid blender when I was younger, and how that for a while after that, soup was pretty much all we ate. I have learnt most of what I know about cooking from my mum, and the majority of my soup recipes are derived from the period in my life when she was blending anything and everything she could get her hands on. I remember as a child whenever anyone asked me what my favourite food was, I would tell them it was carrot and coriander soup. In retrospect, on the 'My favourite food' displays at school, carrot and coriander soup did seem like quite an unusual choice amongst all of the crayon drawings of fish fingers and chips and sticky toffee pudding. But it was what I liked, and I still love it to this day. When most people think of soup they think of a watery, flavourless substance that closely resembles the cabbage soup Roald Dahl once wrote about in Charlie and the chocolate factory. But I can assure you, soup doesn't have to be bland! Here are two soup recipes that are quick, easy, and relatively cheap. Enjoy!
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Spicy butternut squash and red pepper soup:
(Makes 4-5 generous bowls)
1 butternut squash
1 red pepper
1 onion (I prefer red)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 litre of chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
1 teaspoon of chilli powder/ A pinch of chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to season
A splash of milk/cream
(you can also add any other vegetables you have lying around. Sometimes I add some tomatoes or carrots if I have some)
The easiest way to do this is to roast all of the veg together. I would recommend chopping the squash into 2cm cubes as they can take a while to soften if they are much larger than that. Leave the red pepper and onion in relatively large chunks and throw it all into a baking tray with a generous coating of olive oil and the crushed garlic. If using chilli flakes I would recommend adding them to the baking tray at this stage (these are very hot, so use with caution!)
Whilst the vegetables are softening in a medium to hot oven, make the stock. If using a cube just dissolve and hot water and set to one side.
The veg should be cooked after around 20 minutes, but prod the squash with a knife to check it is soft. Once it is cooked, transfer the contents of the baking tray into a large saucepan and pour in the stock. I use a handheld blender to cut down washing up, and blend it in the saucepan til there are no lumps. Add a splash of milk or cream for added richness.
Once blended, taste and season. The measurements above are just a recommendation, so add little by little and taste as you go.
Broccoli and Stilton soup:
(Makes 4-5 generous bowls)
1 head of broccoli
1 onion
1 stick of celery
2 leeks
1 medium potato
2 tablespoons of olive oil
A knob of butter
1 litre of chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
150g stilton
Pepper to season
Roughly chop an onion and gently sweat in a large saucepan with olive oil (you can add a splash of water if they start to catch). Add the roughly chopped celery and leeks, and the peeled and diced potato. Cook on a medium heat with a knob of butter and cover with a lid for 5 minutes.
Next poor in the stock, add the chopped broccoli and cook for 15 minutes occasionally stirring.
Make sure the broccoli is cooked, and when it is blend thoroughly. Once blended, crumble in the Stilton and stir through. Season with pepper (the salt from the stock and Stilton should make the soup sufficiently salty)
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You can serve both of these soups alongside bread, cheese or pate on toast, or even some home made croutons. Alternatively, you can have some heated in a mug for a healthy, warming snack.
I recommend storing the soup in air tight tupperware in the fridge and heating it up portion by portion as and when you need it. I wouldn't advise keeping it longer than a week.
Spicy butternut squash and red pepper soup:
(Makes 4-5 generous bowls)
1 butternut squash
1 red pepper
1 onion (I prefer red)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 litre of chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
1 teaspoon of chilli powder/ A pinch of chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to season
A splash of milk/cream
(you can also add any other vegetables you have lying around. Sometimes I add some tomatoes or carrots if I have some)
The easiest way to do this is to roast all of the veg together. I would recommend chopping the squash into 2cm cubes as they can take a while to soften if they are much larger than that. Leave the red pepper and onion in relatively large chunks and throw it all into a baking tray with a generous coating of olive oil and the crushed garlic. If using chilli flakes I would recommend adding them to the baking tray at this stage (these are very hot, so use with caution!)
Whilst the vegetables are softening in a medium to hot oven, make the stock. If using a cube just dissolve and hot water and set to one side.
The veg should be cooked after around 20 minutes, but prod the squash with a knife to check it is soft. Once it is cooked, transfer the contents of the baking tray into a large saucepan and pour in the stock. I use a handheld blender to cut down washing up, and blend it in the saucepan til there are no lumps. Add a splash of milk or cream for added richness.
Once blended, taste and season. The measurements above are just a recommendation, so add little by little and taste as you go.
Broccoli and Stilton soup:
(Makes 4-5 generous bowls)
1 head of broccoli
1 onion
1 stick of celery
2 leeks
1 medium potato
2 tablespoons of olive oil
A knob of butter
1 litre of chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
150g stilton
Pepper to season
Roughly chop an onion and gently sweat in a large saucepan with olive oil (you can add a splash of water if they start to catch). Add the roughly chopped celery and leeks, and the peeled and diced potato. Cook on a medium heat with a knob of butter and cover with a lid for 5 minutes.
Next poor in the stock, add the chopped broccoli and cook for 15 minutes occasionally stirring.
Make sure the broccoli is cooked, and when it is blend thoroughly. Once blended, crumble in the Stilton and stir through. Season with pepper (the salt from the stock and Stilton should make the soup sufficiently salty)
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You can serve both of these soups alongside bread, cheese or pate on toast, or even some home made croutons. Alternatively, you can have some heated in a mug for a healthy, warming snack.
I recommend storing the soup in air tight tupperware in the fridge and heating it up portion by portion as and when you need it. I wouldn't advise keeping it longer than a week.
Thursday, 27 February 2014
Make it at home recipe: Zizzi's strozzapreti pesto rosso
I've always been a firm believer in steering clear of pasta dishes when eating out. This is simply because I think of pasta as something really simple that is so often just cooked at home. Having been to Zizzi a number of times, I have tried most of their dishes, and despite being a pasta dish, their strozzapreti pesto rosso is easily one of my favourites. It's creamy and pesto-y with a bit of spice with tender chicken breast and spring onions and topped off with a bit of parmesan or cheddar, it is perfect comfort food.
I was browsing the Zizzi blog and found the recipe for the dish online and simply had to try and replicate it. The ingredients list wasn't extensive, and I happened to have most of it in the cupboard anyway making it the perfect student dish! The only thing that may be slightly more rare in a student kitchen is harissa, which is what I used for the 'chilli paste' listed on the recipe. 'Strozzapreti' is actually the name given to the thin tubes of pasta used in the Zizzi dish, however I couldn't get hold of the specific kind used in the restaurant so opted for penne, which worked just as well (but slightly less glamorous!) I also used a chicken stock cube instead of the vegetable stock listed in the ingredients, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.
The dish was really easy and didn't take a great deal of time to make. It tasted almost identical to the dish served in the restaurant and at a fraction of the price. Looks like I may have to find a new favourite dish to order at Zizzi!
If you want to try out the recipe yourself then click here. (Note that this recipe serves 2 people)
I was browsing the Zizzi blog and found the recipe for the dish online and simply had to try and replicate it. The ingredients list wasn't extensive, and I happened to have most of it in the cupboard anyway making it the perfect student dish! The only thing that may be slightly more rare in a student kitchen is harissa, which is what I used for the 'chilli paste' listed on the recipe. 'Strozzapreti' is actually the name given to the thin tubes of pasta used in the Zizzi dish, however I couldn't get hold of the specific kind used in the restaurant so opted for penne, which worked just as well (but slightly less glamorous!) I also used a chicken stock cube instead of the vegetable stock listed in the ingredients, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.
The dish was really easy and didn't take a great deal of time to make. It tasted almost identical to the dish served in the restaurant and at a fraction of the price. Looks like I may have to find a new favourite dish to order at Zizzi!
If you want to try out the recipe yourself then click here. (Note that this recipe serves 2 people)
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Five Guys - A review
Reading's first Five Guys diner opened late last year and I cannot believe it's taken me this long to try their famous burgers, but it was SO worth the wait.
Five Guys originates from Washington DC where their first diner was opened in the 80s. Since then they have been talked about everywhere, and are very often dubbed by the press (as well as by many people I know) as '"the best burger ever". It was both the reputation and the laid back relaxed diner style really drew me in. The décor is classic American fast food style without looking too kitsch or making you feel like you'd just stepped onto the set of Grease.
Upon ordering I was a little confused because the menu looked quite limited. Then I noticed the 'Toppings' section at the bottom which included a variety of tasty accompaniments to go inside your chosen burger or hot dog, free of charge. From burger staples like mustard and pickles to fast food firsts like steak sauce to jalapeños, you can pretty much design your meal to be exactly how you want, and that's the beauty of it.
After much deliberation, I went for a cheeseburger with ; ketchup, mayo, lettuce, grilled onions and gherkins, just to keep it simple (if you can call that many toppings simple!). I was a little surprised to see there wasn't a meal option, but chose to have one refillable drink and fries as well, would've been rude not to.
Although I chose the 'little' portion of fries from the menu, the portion was in fact not little at all but actually very generous! (I guess that's the American heritage shining through) So generous that I failed to finish them, which is a rare occurrence for me. The chips were perfect. Not too crispy or greasy, and they had their skins left on which is always a winner for me! The only criticism I have is that they were slightly too salty, but that didn't stop me from enjoying them.
As for the drinks - amazing! They have the self service drink machines stocked with every type of soft drink you could ever want, and that is no exaggeration. CocaCola in orange, vanilla and lime flavours, cloudy lemonade flavoured peach or strawberry, raspberry Fanta, Powerade and even water if all the choice was just too much to cope with. I'm pretty sure I could have stayed there all day trying all of the flavours.
The burger, the star of the show, lived up to my expectations and more. Fresh ground beef handmade patties are cooked in a way that makes them so amazingly juicy, I don't think any other burger can match their standards. Combined with the classic melting American burger cheese and all of my chosen toppings, heaven in the softest of buns.
Although the meal was really really good and was everything you want and more from a fast food joint, a fast food joint is just what it is. I thought a total of just over £13 was a lot to pay for what some people may see as a glorified Big Mac. Saying that, I did thoroughly enjoy it and it was a good feeling to eat in the knowledge that all of their food is fresh and made with high quality ingredients. If you ever have a fast food craving, I would fully recommend Five Guys, and although the price is slightly steep, it's so worth it, even if it's just for unlimited raspberry Fanta!
Five Guys originates from Washington DC where their first diner was opened in the 80s. Since then they have been talked about everywhere, and are very often dubbed by the press (as well as by many people I know) as '"the best burger ever". It was both the reputation and the laid back relaxed diner style really drew me in. The décor is classic American fast food style without looking too kitsch or making you feel like you'd just stepped onto the set of Grease.
Upon ordering I was a little confused because the menu looked quite limited. Then I noticed the 'Toppings' section at the bottom which included a variety of tasty accompaniments to go inside your chosen burger or hot dog, free of charge. From burger staples like mustard and pickles to fast food firsts like steak sauce to jalapeños, you can pretty much design your meal to be exactly how you want, and that's the beauty of it.
After much deliberation, I went for a cheeseburger with ; ketchup, mayo, lettuce, grilled onions and gherkins, just to keep it simple (if you can call that many toppings simple!). I was a little surprised to see there wasn't a meal option, but chose to have one refillable drink and fries as well, would've been rude not to.
Although I chose the 'little' portion of fries from the menu, the portion was in fact not little at all but actually very generous! (I guess that's the American heritage shining through) So generous that I failed to finish them, which is a rare occurrence for me. The chips were perfect. Not too crispy or greasy, and they had their skins left on which is always a winner for me! The only criticism I have is that they were slightly too salty, but that didn't stop me from enjoying them.
As for the drinks - amazing! They have the self service drink machines stocked with every type of soft drink you could ever want, and that is no exaggeration. CocaCola in orange, vanilla and lime flavours, cloudy lemonade flavoured peach or strawberry, raspberry Fanta, Powerade and even water if all the choice was just too much to cope with. I'm pretty sure I could have stayed there all day trying all of the flavours.
The burger, the star of the show, lived up to my expectations and more. Fresh ground beef handmade patties are cooked in a way that makes them so amazingly juicy, I don't think any other burger can match their standards. Combined with the classic melting American burger cheese and all of my chosen toppings, heaven in the softest of buns.
Although the meal was really really good and was everything you want and more from a fast food joint, a fast food joint is just what it is. I thought a total of just over £13 was a lot to pay for what some people may see as a glorified Big Mac. Saying that, I did thoroughly enjoy it and it was a good feeling to eat in the knowledge that all of their food is fresh and made with high quality ingredients. If you ever have a fast food craving, I would fully recommend Five Guys, and although the price is slightly steep, it's so worth it, even if it's just for unlimited raspberry Fanta!
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Brand focus: Drink Me Chai
I am a hot drink fiend. I
wouldn’t make past midday without having had a coffee in the morning and I
drink tea like my life depends on it. Before bed, I avoid tea and coffee simply
because of the caffeine, so sometimes opt for hot chocolate or just a glass of
milk, until I recently discovered my new favourite bedtime drink; chai latte.
Having only ever had chai latte in coffee shops, it had never even occurred to
me that I could make it at home. The brand ‘Drink Me Chai’ offer a wide range
of ‘just add hot water’ powdered latte mixes in a variety of flavours
including; vanilla, green tea and mango.
The brand itself was the brain
child of Amanda Hamilton who thought up the idea when visiting an Indian market
where they sold spiced, sweetened tea. After selling her tea on her own market
stall and making a few tweeks to the recipe, Drink Me Chai is now the top
instant Chai product in the UK. On their website you will find a number of chai
based demos and recipes including spiced chai, honey and yoghurt muffins which
I have to try! Did I mention how lovely their packaging is?
The first flavour I purchased was
vanilla, and despite not loving really vanilla-ry flavoured things I loved this
drink! I found I liked it most with a drop or two of milk in it, as well as a
smidge of cinnamon flavoured Monin coffee syrup. Seeing as I was adding the
cinnamon flavour to the drink, next I decided to try the spiced flavour and
although, yes, it was more fragrant and still delicious, I actually preferred
my own vanilla-cinnamon concoction. Seeing as I liked these two flavours so
much, I can’t wait to get my hands on the other flavours to give them a try.
Their website says they have a chocolate one too!
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
You're a wizard Harry!
A couple of weeks ago it was my boyfriend's 20th birthday and being a huuuuge Harry Potter fan I decided to bake a cake for him dedicated to the film franchise. I came up with the idea when we visited the Harry Potter studio tour over the summer. They had a section devoted to the food featured in the films, including the feast at the Yule Ball and of course, Harry himself's first ever birthday cake, given to him by Hagrid in the first film. I can remember how delicious I thought the cake looked when I first watched the film and wanted to replicate it as accurately as possible - spelling mistakes and all.
After tracking down a photo of the cake on Google, I went about making a simple sponge mix and making 2 cakes, carefully cutting the top off one and sandwiching them together the make the cake higher, like it is in the film. Next I made copious amounts of butter icing, and coloured one lot a light pink and the other a bright green. Once the cake had cooled, I used a palette knife to spread the pink icing generously all over the top and sides of the cake. I then gently traced the letters onto the cake with a sharp knife (replacing the Harry for Louis of course!). I then used a home made icing bag to ice on the letters in green icing, it didn't matter if they were messy because Hagrid's cake is a bit rough around the edges!
I was really happy with the outcome and think that it is quite an accurate replica. I was hoping that Louis would get the reference and not just think I had made him a bit of a messy cake with spelling mistakes! It went down a storm, and tasted delicious too.
For a simple sponge recipe, I always follow using half the amount of ingredients as you do eggs. For example for this cake I used:
6 eggs
12oz softened salted butter
12oz caster sugar
12oz self raising flower
After tracking down a photo of the cake on Google, I went about making a simple sponge mix and making 2 cakes, carefully cutting the top off one and sandwiching them together the make the cake higher, like it is in the film. Next I made copious amounts of butter icing, and coloured one lot a light pink and the other a bright green. Once the cake had cooled, I used a palette knife to spread the pink icing generously all over the top and sides of the cake. I then gently traced the letters onto the cake with a sharp knife (replacing the Harry for Louis of course!). I then used a home made icing bag to ice on the letters in green icing, it didn't matter if they were messy because Hagrid's cake is a bit rough around the edges!
I was really happy with the outcome and think that it is quite an accurate replica. I was hoping that Louis would get the reference and not just think I had made him a bit of a messy cake with spelling mistakes! It went down a storm, and tasted delicious too.
For a simple sponge recipe, I always follow using half the amount of ingredients as you do eggs. For example for this cake I used:
6 eggs
12oz softened salted butter
12oz caster sugar
12oz self raising flower
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| A picture of the cake from the film on the left and the cake I made on the right |
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| Harry receiving his cake from Hagrid in the Philospher's Stone |
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| Yule Ball drinks at Harry Potter sudios |
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