A Very Bored Cook
Sunday 30 January 2011
I've moved....
Hope you like the new version...
Saturday 31 July 2010
This might be worth a read - Criterion Restaurant
The Criterion, however, is rather busy. A restaurant with a long and sometimes slightly chequered past is overcoming all the doom and gloom of recession and is fast becoming THE restaurant to go in Central London.
Slap bang in the heart of Town Criterion is famous for being the place that Stamford took Dr Watson to in order to introduce him to the great, if slightly crazy Sherlock Holmes on Arthur Conan-Doyle's famous book. It was a restaurant then, and still is. Now independently owned with a newly (and extremely carefully) cleaned gold mosaic ceiling, some oversized chairs and decent lighting it still oozes grandeur and sophistication.
I had been looking forward to my lunch there for a while and had been instructed that I ought to try a signature dish or two. Greeted with a chilled glass of fiercely bubbling Champagne we got comfortable in the afore mentioned oversized chairs and began to discuss the reason for our lunch - London Restaurant Festival which, I might add, is going to be epic!
The bread was subtly placed on the table with some very homemade looking butter, I was of course aware that Chef Matthew Foxon is known not only for the wondrous food that come out of his kitchen, but for the time, effort and creativity that goes into it all. The butter had, of course, been churned on site and the bread (that smelled divine) baked on site as well. I, rather reluctantly abstained from the bread an butter because, being the greedy little so and so that i am I had ordered a starter that contained scallops and truffles and a main that included a fillet steak and Fois Gras - all this for a Wednesday Lunch!!!
My starter of pan fried scallops, pea and truffle puree, pancetta, pea cress was just heavenly. The truffle in the pea puree was so finely balanced that all flavours could be distinguished, and the scallop - perfectly cooked was divided in two by a fantastically crispy bit of pancetta.
The main course, although I really really didn't need it on a weekday lunchtime, was heaven. Look at the picture below, it really did look like that! I must say, for all my expensive tastes, I usually prefer a Sirloin Steak,but this fillet was beautiful, gorgeous and pink and tender and and and...... The Pont Neuf Chips in their little basket were some of the best tasting chips I've had in a long time, and because of the basket, they didn't go soggy in the jus!
We tried several desserts... All miniature versions of the normal menu. And I can't fault them.
All in all, the service was fantastic, the food was divine and the place itself; really something that has to be seen to be believed (in a good way!!). Here comes the cliche, this restaurant really is, I believe, rising from the ashes and is set to be great, very great indeed.
Keep an eye out for the Criterion as you walk through Piccadilly and during the London Restaurant Festival.
It is at this point that i must come clean - I have just started working there. But, for those of you that don't know me, I am utterly terrible at marketing and thus writing imaginative copy, so what i have written is all true! Friends will back me up in that one... Cross my heart.
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Beautiful Scrumptious Stromboli
8 slices wafer thin ham
A large handful of Basil
Begin by making your dough.
- All the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the yeast granules and the salt. Also add the Oil and stir it through so everything is mixed up. (The oil will seem like a pretty pointless addition as it's only one tsp but it makes all the difference).
- Make a well in the centre of the bowl, pour some of the warm water in and begin to bring the mixture together. Best to try to use only one hand at the start to keep the other hand free to add more water.
- Add the water bit by bit until the stuff in the bowl resembles dough (I don't have a photo, but you've all seen the Hovis or was it Lurpack adverts!)
- NOTE: If the mixture is crumbly add a bit more water, if it sticks to your hands add more flour. You MAY not end up using all the water so don't feel that you HAVE to use it all up to make mud pies!
- Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for around 10 minutes - a seriously good stress buster (or, get someone else to do it - that's what i did!)
- Place the kneaded dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with a lightly oiled piece of clingfilm (just place it on top of the dough - this is not to seal the bowl with....
- Leave the bowl in a warm place to rise for at least 2 hours, it will end up double the size and will smell gorgeous!
- Knead the dough again and once again leave to rise for another couple of hours.
- Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Bash the dough a bit so it is in a round lump, then take a rolling pin and roll it flat (it'll look like a pizza base (but it's not strong enough to do the spinning around in the air so I wouldn't recommend trying it!!!)
- Add the tomatoes, ham, grated mozzarella and fresh basil. Black Pepper.
- Roll up and place on a non-stick baking sheet (large one) or some baking parchment if like mine, your baking sheets are so old they aren't non-stick anymore.
- Crack the egg into a cup, give it a quick whisk and brush the dough with the egg wash.
- Pop it in the oven for around 25 minutes.
- It'll come out looking golden brown and scrumptious!
- BEWARE - HEALTH AND SAFETY!!!! The inside will be so so so hot, so if you don't want a furry tongue for a week, leave it to cool for a little while!
- Once it's cold cut it up as you would with a baguette and serve to the ravenous picker-knickers!
- Goes well with a small dollop of Hellman's!
Warning to those with dentures - the ends are a little hard - the boys played cricket with one of the ends!! The rest of it is blooming gorgeous!
Monday 26 July 2010
I began this love with eggs Benedict years and years ago on holiday, on my Gap Yaaaaaar actually, in Australia. If there is one thing that the Aussies can do – it’s Breakfast! Until then, going out for breakfast had consisted of ’Full English (no mushrooms though, thank you so much)’ or a tres tres rapide croissant et cafe noir. Never had I sat and enjoyed the rich, creamy calorific joy that is Eggs Benedict. These days I have to limit myself because, let’s face it – the 150ml of melted butter that goes into enough Hollandaise for 3 people is a weeny bit unhealthy! And you can’t say ‘why do you have less sauce?’ to a Northerner like me – it just doesn’t work!
So, Hollandaise, my style!
2 medium egg yolks
150ml Melted butter (everyone says it has to be unsalted, but whatever butter you have, use it) 100ml white wine vinegar
5 – 10 peppercorns
Pinch of fresh or dried tarragon
Few drops of lemon juice
To prepare:
• Put the white wine vinegar into a microwave proof dish/jug with the peppercorns and tarragon. Microwave for 10 minutes. During that time the vinegar will reduce and will also absorb some tarragon and pepper flavours.
• Melt the butter – all the chefs say do it in a saucepan and skim off the froth – I say, use the microwave (again) all the fat will sink to the bottom and just be sure to only pour the clear stuff when you’re using it.
• Have a pan of boiling water with a heatproof bowl over it ready, I have a plastic jug with a handle that I used and it worked a treat.
• Egg yolks and 2 tbsp the white wine vinegar mixture into the jug/bowl. Using electric whisks beat them together until very pale yellow and frothy.
• Add about a tablespoon’s worth of the melted butter to the pale yellow froth and whisk until it’s fully combined with the froth.
• Continue to add the butter in a very slowly drizzle keeping the whisk switched on while drizzling. If you do this from a jug the white grubby bit at the bottom will stay there and you’ll only get the clear stuff.
• Once you’ve got towards the end of the jug of butter, have a taste of the sauce (switch the whisk off first obviously – SAFETY FIRST). It should look yellowy creamy in colour and look like runny mayonnaise.
• If, when you taste it, it takes the skin off the back of your throat then add more butter. If all you can taste is butter then add a little lemon juice and a drop more of white wine vinegar.
Getting the right flavour is about trial and error. If you add more of anything make sure that the whisks are on and ensuring everything is blended through.
• Toast a muffin
• Add your scrummy extra topping
• Put the egg on top, pour the Hollandaise over the top.
Tuesday 13 July 2010
The Good Life
Monday 12 July 2010
So, what am I actually doing with this blog?
For those of you who know me; you will know the following about me:
- I'm potty about food
- I love cooking
- I love eating
- I spend all my money on attempting to be glitzy and cool
- food shopping, for me, is like a smoking addiction - I can't really afford it but I always find the money somehow!
- I have had the nick-name 'Bridget' (as in Jones) thrust upon me on several occasions
So, in brief I decided to save some money by starting this blog, I will therefore not go out so much and start to become a geeky recluse. That's the idea, anyway.
I will eventually loose any tan that i have ever had, become deficient in Vitamin D and probably only communicate through Facebook and Twitter (oooh yes, I'm on Twitter as well - told you i was cool!). I might also develop a nervous twitch or a stutter just for effect.
Seriously though - I want (along with every other celebrity chef on the planet) to cook food that is:
- Yummy
- cheap
- fresh
- quick
- healthy - well most of the time
I want people to see that you don't have to head straight to the ready meal aisle in the supermarket!!
So that's that!
Next post is going to be mainly photos of lots of gorgeous veggies that we picked this weekend!!
Thursday 8 July 2010
Slowing Down....
I love it there, it's really really hot but there was lots of lovely breeze so we didn't have to worry about baking in the shade.
I had hoped to take lots of holiday foodie snaps but my 'waterproof' camera, it seems, isn't waterproof anymore.....Hmmmm. Very disappointing! So out of the window goes my planned blog schedule of lots of scrummy looking pictures of divine kebabs and authentic ummmm spaghetti bolognese, well, yeah, I wasn't hugely adventurous I must admit.
But the problem is, I've come back with a bit of a writers block. I've missed a week of the foodie season so am totally confused as to what i should be cooking (apart from broad beans... not a huge fan, it's got to be said!)
I can't talk about 'The Good Life' again because I'll get carried away and start waffling - again.
What next?
Well hopefully the new job will provide me with some good inspiration.
I don't know if anyone reads this but any ideas or thoughts on:
a) how I'm doing in general
b) what you would like me to write about
Greatly appreciated...