An epicurian weekend...

Unusually this weekend I've eaten out - not once, but twice. After 4 months in Bristol it was about time too, as up till now I've only been out just once!

Last night I went out for Thali. Originating in roadside restaurants in India, the name Thali actually refers to the metal serving dish, rather than the meal itself. Indeed in India Thali's vary from region to region along with local palettes and cuisines.

Served either in a dish with compartments, as pictured, or on a tray with a number of individual bowls, the main attraction - the curry - has a range of accompaniments. Mine was a chicken curry with rice, Tarka Dahl, pickled vegetables, mixed vegetables with coconut and a mango chutney. Taken together it created a wonderfully balanced meal with the heat of the curry offset by the sweetness of the pickled veg and the cooling coconut. Unlike many Indian restaurants, the portion size was, while filling, not excessive.

If you're in Bristol you can find Thali here!

Today I went to Carluccio's for lunch. This is chain cafe/deli trading on the name and reputation of Antonio Carluccio, the TV chef. As with any chain, the waitress was keen to upsell, but we were content with the fixed price menu!

For starters I had a lovely Chicken Liver pate which was so smooth it must have been pressed through a sieve - the resultant texture was luxurious and beautiful. My only slight criticism was that the butter seal was slightly too salty and detracted form the subtle taste of the pate itself. Having made pate myself in the past, I feel inspired to give it another go and see if I can achieve a similar result. I'll keep you posted on any developments if I do!

For my main course, I had the Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter. This was surprisingly light with a beautiful clean taste coming from the sage. Sometimes you can't beat simple but well executed food and this was it.

So, after four months of settling in, I've finally made a start on a gastronomic tour of the restaurants of Bristol. There are many more to explore and future reviews may well appear!

Andrew

Today's Recipe - Mushroom Bruschetta

Following my recent move, and the replacement of an hour-plus commute with a half hour stroll into town, I've finally started to cook a bit more often which has been really enjoyable.

Recent highlights have been a version of a Nigel Slater recipe for Lamb Chops with Bacon Pieces (e-mail me if you'd like more info on this - sounds odd, tastes gorgeous) and a Chicken Carbonara using Aunty Delia's version as its starting point.

Today I had leftover mushrooms to use up and some thyme freshly planted in the garden, so I made use of both to make a simple Mushroom Bruschetta (OK, it was served on toast, but that's splitting hairs!) Here's my method:

In a pan heat some olive oil with a knob of butter. When hot, add the mushrooms and saute, reducing the heat slightly. Once they are almost ready to serve add some fresh thyme, black pepper and a splash of lemon juice.

Meanwhile drizzle slices of french bread or ciabatta with olive oil and toast both sides. Serve on a warm plate with the mushroom mixture heaped on top.

Of course, you could use different herbs, add garlic, use ordinary bread (as I did), add soy sauce or any one of a number of things to either jazz this up or adapt it to what you have available. Recipes should always be your starting point not a cut and dried route map - I just hope I've whetted your appetite.

Andrew

Fantasy Menus 1

Welcome to my restaurant, as yet un-named although suggestions are welcome!

The menus are constructed of dishes I've made, dishes I've eaten or dishes I've dreamed up or played around with. These posts are not about recipes but rather about tantalising your tastebuds.

Wednesday 10th March 2010

Carpaccio of Seared Venison Loin,
Quail Scotch Egg
and a Beetroot and Rocket Salad dressed with a Balsamic Reduction

Tournados of Chicken with Haggis
served on a bed of Mashed Potato and Spinach
with a Chasseur Sauce

Warm Baby Figs in a Port Syrup
served with Vanilla Mascarpone

Bon Appetit!

Andrew

A Taste of Scotland

Over the past couple of weeks I've been enjoying various products I brought home with me after being away at Christmas. It is now an annual tradition that I raid Tesco (and normally the local bakers) for a range of Scottish "delicacies".

Although I try not to be too parochial and I'm quite settled here in England there are nonetheless a few things I miss from home. Or rather, I miss the ability to buy them when I want them - even when I lived in Edinburgh I didn't necessary regularly eat the things that I now seem to crave!

So, what was in my bag this year?

A Mother's Pride Plain Loaf - Tall and thin bread with a thick crust at the top and bottom (though not on the sides) and a denser texture than normal bread - magic toasted and spread with soft cheese!

Simmers' Butter Biscuits - Savoury biscuits great with butter and cheese or pate - or honey!

Tunnock's Caramel Logs - Caramel Wafers are quite widely available, but I think I prefer these chocolate covered caramel biscuits which are rolled in toasted coconut!

The ingredients for a Scottish Cooked Breakfast:

Tattie Scones - A type of pan cake made with potatoes
Lorne (Square) Sausage - Beef Sausage Meat in square slices
Scottish Black Pudding - Although Black Pudding is quite widely available, I prefer the Scottish type which lakes the lumps of lard that goes into the Northern England type.
Haggis Slices - A practical way of cooking Haggis for breakfast - or sandwiches!


Andrew

Shock, Horror: Cream is fattening!

If you were to go out to dinner, would you expect a menu to detail the calorie count of a slice of Black Forest Gateau? How about if you fancied an ice-cream with cherry sauce and a flake, would you be surprised at the fat and sugar content?

I suspect that, for the vast majority of people, the answer to both these questions is no.

So how about if you fancied an iced coffee drink? Perhaps one made with full fat milk, cherry flavoured syrup, chocolate and cream? Wouldn't it strike you as obvious that it's not going to be the most slimming drink ever? If you had one a day for a month, wouldn't you expect your trousers to be a bit tighter?

For these reasons, I was surprised to see this news item on the BBC News website today. The World Cancer Research Fund has examined the nutritional tables available from the main coffee shops and decided to highlight that creamy drinks can lead to being overweight and a higher risk of cancer.

Now I'm sure the charity does a lot of good work in it's day job of "funding cutting edge scientific research" into cancer but there are a number of responses that sprung to my mind. These ranged from, "it's not exactly rocket science" to " No sh*t, Sherlock".

I'm all for people making informed choices - particularly in a retail environment - but surely some things are blatantly obvious? Sugary, Creamy drinks contain lots of calories. Large Sugary, Creamy drinks contain more. No-one buying a Large Dark Berry Mocha Frappuccino is going to think they've gone for the healthy option.


Andrew

P.S.... In case you're wandering, a large McDonalds milkshake contains almost as many calories. Look out for a story regarding the dangers of those - coming to a "News" outlet near you sometime soon.