13 October, 2011

Recipe: Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

As a child, I was picky with my food. Veggies were out, anything with chunks, anything green – I wouldn’t eat. So when my mother insisted on making a healthy meal of Cabbage Rolls in her Crock-Pot at around age 8, I immediately turned my nose up. Stews and vegetable soup? No frickin’ way was I going near it. From about that time, I always associated her oh-so-80s Crock-Pot  with limp, overcooked vegetables and chunky soups – and even though I quite like chunky soups now, I was a little dubious about the slow-cooking machine.

As I understand it, the Crock-Pot was more of an American thing – and while they’re trying to make a comeback over there, they’re trying make somewhat of a debit over here.

Their PR team got in touch with me ages ago to try a Crock-Pot review. They sent a lovely box of veggies, which I immediately knew I probably wasn’t going to use. I had a Eureka moment instead. What better way to bring the Crock-Pot to the UK than to slow-cook a delicious American classic: Pulled Pork.

I was inspired from a few different recipes online, but for the most part, this concoction was all mine. Most of you know that I’m far from an expert in the kitchen (having things cooked for you can be so much more reliable!), but I have to say this one is a winner.

Please note, that as an American, I still have my American measuring cups. I love them, and I still think that way, so most of this recipe (bar the pork) reflects that.

Ingredients:

  • 500g pork shoulder cubes
  • 1 medium white onion, minced
  • 1/3 cup smokey whiskey (Note: MAGIC INGREDIENT. I used Jura)
  • 1/3 cup quality maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup  ketchup
  • 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce (do yourself a favour and don’t use Tabasco. Go Original Cholula or Frank’s)
  • 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
  • 1 teaspoon corse sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • As many twists of ground black pepper you want
  • Fresh from the bakery onions rolls (or baps, if you will)

Method:

Add all ingredients into the pot. Turn on  the lowest setting, wait 8 hours and then shred the pork with a fork. That’s it.

Before:

And after (served with chips made from my beloved Acti-Fry):

I can not tell you how delicious and easy to make this was.  Spicy, sweet and fantastically tender. The only downside is that next time I make them, I’ll have to wait another 8 hours to eat them.

Welcome back, Crock-Pot, I imagine you will go far.

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10 October, 2011

Heron – Paddington

I love how, every now and then, London can floor you with surprise. The city is an incredibly rich example of multiculturalism, but I have to say that this is the first time I ever felt like I was in a completely different country.

It was a Friday night, and I was out at after-work drinks with DQ. Slightly giggly due to too much wine and not enough food in my stomach, I suggested that instead of going home and being boring, we go out for dinner. A quick look at Urbanspoon showed Heron – a Thai restaurant within a pub just down the street. DQ remembered going there once or twice for lunch and thought it was pretty good, so we headed down.

The Heron is basically a sports pub, typical of the locals you might imagine in some small English countryside town, where the guys have nothing to do but drink a few pints and watch the footie. TVs with Sky Sports were positioned all around the bar so that wherever you were sitting, you could have a view of whatever match was featuring that night. Even worse, there was no food to be seen on any of the tables.

Just as we were about to walk out and try to find somewhere else, I saw a staircase. It couldn’t hurt to have a look. That’s when it happened. We walked through to a small room, where immediately, all eyes darted to us, like we were obviously in the wrong place and must be looking for the bathrooms. Undeterred, we sat down and our server, a nervous-looking girl with broken English asked if we’d been before because their dinner menu was just in Thai, and she could possibly try to translate it for us, but it is quite long and she might struggle.

The blasting Thai karaoke music on the big screen TVs and garish disco lanterns all around made it difficult to concentrate, but we eventually settled on a minced pork with chili, a sort of Tom Yom soup with giant prawns and spongy omelet-type squares of eggs and a dish of spicy Thai sausages. Naturally sensing that this was not exactly the type of place where you can get spring rolls with sweet chili dipping sauce, this was proper authentic Thai.

The rest of the evening was kind of a blur of fantasticness. The food was amazing. The chili in the pork was hot enough to singe your eyebrows, and the soup was a multi-layered example of the balance that Thai food should exhibit – the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, sour and bitter. The sausages were bursting – almost chorizo like in spice and flavour. It was a beautiful thing.

On top of that – the entertainment. I mentioned before the karaoke tracks playing on the TVs? Nothing compared to when one overly-keen budding star of the London/Thai karaoke circuit at the 12-top next to us, grabbed the mic and belted out a version of Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’ that could have quite easily made the ‘train wreck’ compilation of auditions on Britain’s Got Talent. By the end of the song, everyone in the restaurant was joining in. The experience was unreal, completely foreign and so much fun. It was like we were on holiday.

The bill came to £45 for two with two beers a piece and a side of rice. It’s not takeaway prices, but it’s worth it. In fact, I’ve actually hemmed and hawed whether or not to write about this place, simply because I want it to remain a secret, but at the end of the day, Heron can not go unrecognized as the most authentic Thai experience in London.

Heron on Urbanspoon

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3 October, 2011

Regular service to resume shortly!

Things have been quiet recently, I know.

The reason? I’ve been out gallivanting around China and Tibet, where there wasn’t really been a lot of internet-ing happening on my end. It was an amazing experience, but it’s put me slightly behind in terms of writing.

On top of that, I’m in the midst of flat moving hell.

These factors combined mean that writing about my dinner has sadly taken a back seat. Normal service will return shortly. I promise.

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9 September, 2011

The Best Cupcake in London (revisited?)

A long, long time ago, my friend TikiChris invited me to take part in the Londonist judging of the Best Cupcake in London. It was a career highlight.

The winner, by a landslide, was Faircake, who produced a jaw-droppingly amazing White Chocolate and Limoncello pieces of heaven:

Two years later, I’ve found myself wondering if we really ought to have another competition, because I’ve tried two different bakeries recently that I think could give Faircake a real run for their money.

The first: The Vanilla Rainbow Bakery in Richmond, which I got to try at work – the byproduct of a client meeting where everyone was apparently watching their figures…

The cake was spectacularly moist, and the  butter cream frosting whipped to perfection. I only wished I’d grabbed a picture of it.

Shortly after declaring my love for Vanilla Rainbow, a friend of mine suggested I try his cousin’s bakery, PJR Cupcakes. Within 24 hours ‘The Cupcake King‘ himself, hand-delivered 12 good-sized cakes to my front door.

I am a very lucky girl.

While the cake wasn’t quite as fluffy as Vanilla Rainbow, it had a good spring, and the cream cheese frosting on the Red Velvet cupcake was delectable. So pretty too!

So, Chris – what do you say? Time for another round of judging?

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25 August, 2011

om nom nom’ing in Iceland: Fjöruborðið – Stokkseyri

You simply can’t go to Iceland without having lobster. Lots and lots of it. Which is precisely what we did at Fjöruborðið, a small, but famous seaside restaurant on the southern coast of the country, about a 45 minute drive from Reykjavik.

The menu is simple. You choose how much lobster you want, the trimmings and wait until the bring you out a bowl of goodness.

We chose the 3-course feast, which started with an incredibly rich bowl of lobster soup scented with a hint of nutmeg and luscious chunks of tender lobster meat. The communal main course came with 300g each of lobster, new potatoes, salad, couscous

Each lobster was smaller than I would have imagined – more the size of a giant giant GIANT Tiger Prawn. Messy and succulent, each was an absolute delight, smothered in the best garlic butter I’ve ever had. And even though 300g doesn’t sound like a massive amount, I had never been so full in my life by the time we finished.

We waited about 30 minutes before we could even contemplated dessert. I’m still not sure it was a good idea to have it at all. On one hand, the giant Mars Bar Meringue, fresh Carrot Cake and decadent Chocolate cake were all incredible, but on the other, I think my stomach could have likely burst by the end.

The meal was amazing, but I have to say the highlight of the experience may not have even featured food at all. On the drive back to Reykjavik, we stopped on the side of the road to take pictures of this:

The perfect end to a perfect evening.

Fjöruborðið
Eyrarbraut 3a
825 Stokkseyri
Iceland
Tel: 00354 483 1550

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22 August, 2011

Wagamama – Westfield (an ode to Pork Dumpling Soup)

Food bloggers don’t normally write about chain restaurants unless there’s a *slightly* more sinister reason behind it (like Chris of Cheese & Biscuits’ amazingly hilarious encounter at the Aberdeen Steak House. Best post ever).

Most chain restaurants are either horrible, or just good ol’ reliable places to eat that don’t really warrant any sort of commentary. For me those reliable places are Nandos, Busaba and Wagamama. I eat at all three fairly regularly, but have never felt the need to say anything.

Until now.

Because last night at the Wagamama at Westfield, I tried the Pork Dumpling Soup, and I was blown away.

wagamama pork dumpling soup

For £9.10, you are treated to a bowl of tender sweet char sui pork dumplings, slices of spicy sausage, a hard-boiled egg, leeks, spinach and spring onion served brimming to the top in a lovely aromatic lemongrass and coriander broth. It was fantastic – and it’s probably the first single dish at a chain restaurant I’ve gone out of my way to praise.

Wagamama is almost always reliable (the Chicken Katsu Curry DQ had was just as good as it always is), but I do love how every once in a while, ‘reliable’ can still be amazing.

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19 August, 2011

Bob Bob Ricard – Soho (revisted)

Those who talk about Bob Bob Ricard generally mention three things: the awesome ‘Press for Champagne’ button installed at every table, the absolutely stunning and unique decor and the staff’s reluctance to ever let anyone order tap water. It’s always ‘Still or Sparkling’ as pointed out in an Evening Standard article earlier this week. The latter certainly remained true, as every time someone at our table took even a sip of our £4 per bottle water, it was promptly refilled, clearly in an effort to make sure we worked our way through as quickly as possibly so we’d have to order another.

This was my second visit to ‘the Bobs’, the first being a blogger event, and just as before, the incredibly eclectic menu of both British and Russian favourites did not fail to impress me.

I started with the only dish I’ve had there before, the Scallops, Black Pudding and Apple (£10.50), and it was just as good as I remember it. It even managed to change the mind of a staunch Black Pudding Hater at our table.

Unfortunately, the Chilled Tomato Soup (£6.75), complete with a futuristic over-the-top presentation, was a total miss. The first sip was pleasant, but shortly after it descneded into what I can only describe as the Gardens of Hell. A bit like drinking grass, really.

Across the mains, the Vareniki (£14.50) were lovely little dumplings bursting with a fantastic combination of truffled potato and mushrooms, topped with tiny fried onion rings.

The Veal Holstein with Quail’s Egg, Anchovies and Truffled Mashed Potatoes (£21.50) was quite the hearty portion or pounded veal, served schnitzel-style. It made me very glad I didn’t go with the extra side dish our server tried to up sell. The serving of potatoes was much more than ‘a garnish’, as she tried to suggest.

I was tempted by dessert. The souffle looked lovely, and I remember just about dying for the salted caramel ice cream, but as our food settled, I felt as if my stomach might pop if I put anything more into it. Still, when a small plate of Profiteroles (£6.50) arrived at the table on the house (presumably because I tweeted I was going that night), I couldn’t turn them down. The Rose Petal and Earl Gray and Chocolate, in particular, were fantastic.

The buzz around Bob Bob Ricard seems to have decreased since last year, but I still found it to be fairly consistent with my last experience there. If one ‘not great’ dish and overly attentive service are the main detractors, I’d say they’re doing alright.

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9 August, 2011

Princess Victoria – Shepherd’s Bush


The Princess Victoria is in Shepherd’s Bush, but just barely. It’s a good 20 minute walk West from Shepherd’s Bush Market station down a rather unpleasant stretch of Uxbridge road, which in 30 degree heat and a pair of high heels isn’t very nice at – especially when you’re late for a working lunch with a journalist friend.

But upon arrival, you’re immediately transported into the refined and elegant surroundings of what clearly is a gastropub with a fantastic interior design budget. Gorgeously striking navy walls, vintage chandeliers, old newspaper clippings framed on the wall and the sort of chairs and tables that cost £600 a piece at Portobello Road Market make it a rather lovely place to have lunch.

The menu is standard posh gastropub with a rather large selection of nibbles, bar snacks, starters, mains and desserts – probably a good 30 dishes in all.

We decided to go for a variety for starters, including the Chorizo Scotch Egg (£3.50):


It was small, but packed a punch. I know I’m going to cause some groans from a few readers on this, but there is a thing as too much chorizo. The casing completely overpowered the quail’s egg. I really wish they would have opted for a full-size hen’s egg instead.

The Gazpacho (£5.50) was a more popular choice, especially for such a hot summer day. It was fresh, light and perfect. It could stall other gazpachos flat, I was assured.


There was a similar reaction to the plate of Oysters, and unbelievable value for £10.50.


For my main, I went with a sharing plate normally reserved for the starters section: the Pork plate (£12.50):

So much pork has made my memory a little fuzzy as to what was on the plate (and the Princess does not list her menu on her website, for shame), but I do remember some salami, pate-type spread, homemade blood sausage and something I can only describe as shredded-pork heaven rolled in bread crumbs and fried to perfection. Yum!

Also on the table was the Potted Shrimp (£8-ish), which on the smaller side of starters-as-mains. We weren’t impressed as a whole, especially at the layer of butter over top that weighed down the sweet, fresh prawns.

The one proper main on the table was the Guilt Head Sea Bream (£15-ish):

A generous portion of fish, but unfortunately no sides unless you count the smear of pureed cauliflower (which I do not). It was a decent dish, but from my view it looked a little too oily once you got past the thin layer of skin, and my friend left hers half uneaten.

Despite the mixed bag, I really did enjoy the Princess Victoria. We made a few wrong choices, but I’m quite confident there is enough on the menu for even a table of 10 to be happy all around. For those who live in the area, I can imagine it being a fantastic place for a lazy Sunday lunch or a post-work drink.

Princess Victoria on Urbanspoon

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4 August, 2011

om nom nom’ing in Iceland: Cheap eats in Reykjavik

Two things about Iceland that you need to know before you read this post:

  1. It’s awesome
  2. I’ve always always always wanted to go, so regardless, I’m probably going to be a bit biased

But seriously, what an amazing, bizarrely wonderful place. In three days, I managed to hit the beach, see a glacier, trek through mountains, get up close and personal with a giant waterfall, go whale watching (though admittedly I spent the whole time below deck, violently sea sick), eat puffin and whale (perhaps in retaliation for not being able to see them on a boat), and not once see the night sky.

It’s also not as expensive as one would have you believe – at least food wise. Our proper nice meal was lobster at Fjorubordid in the slightly dodgy-looking/slightly-charming seaside village Stokkeyri, but in all honesty, it deserves its own post.

Instead, here is a quick roundup of cheap eats in Reykjavik should you find yourself there on a limited budget.

In terms of Icelandic cuisine, you must absolutely not miss what is literally the most popular restaurant in Reykjavik: Baejarins Beztu Pylsur. Just your normal everyday hot dog stand.

For about £2, you get ‘the works’ a classic Icelandic mix of spicy mustard, sweet mustard, fried onion, raw onion, and remolaði – a mayonnaise-based sauce with sweet relish. It was amazing.

Also not to be missed, the lobster soup at Saegreifinn - The Sea Baron. Luscious and rich, with huge chunks of fresh lobster. We ate outside looking over the harbour of fish boats, and it was a total delight.

And of course, what trip to Iceland could be complete without trying those adorably cute puffin and morally-compromising whale? We tried both at Tapas Barinn, an Icelandic/Spanish small plates restaurant in the heart of the city that had a dining room darker and redder than Satan’s soul – which means none of my pictures turned out. So here’s this instead:

The verdict? I liked both. Smoked puffin tastes like smoked duck, and surprisingly Mink Whale tastes like beef. They weren’t the kind of thing I’d jump through hoops for, but both were pleasant enough!

My surprise of the trip was the hamburger at Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar (“Búllan”), considered to be the best in Iceland. For about £8, you get a burger, fries and a coke. It was an absolute bargain, and truly was up there with the best I’ve ever had. It put #MEATEASY and The Meat Wagon to shame.

It is more than possible to eat well on a budget in one of the most expensive countries in the world. Reykjavik isn’t huge – only about 180,000 live there – so you really can see and do (and eat!) quite a lot in a few days. It was one of the best trips I’ve had, and for about two weeks I’ve been telling everyone to go. If you get the opportunity, take it.

 

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21 July, 2011

Kateh – Madia Vale/Little Venice

A hidden gem, would be the only way to describe Kateh - mainly because it is actually quite hidden. Tucked away on a quiet tiny street just off the canal in Little Venice and next door to my favourite local pub (The Warwick Castle), it’s barely visible unless you know it’s there.

Kateh promises authentic Persian cuisine and ‘service of the highest standard’ in a ‘warm and relaxed’, and I’m happy to say they delivered on all fronts. Though converted from a typical Madia Vale mansion, the restaurant is tiny – only 75 covers – which unfortunately makes it a bit noisy during the dinner rush. We contributed with the ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ of delight with our meals.

To start, we were brought ‘Persian Olives’:

Great, meaty ‘grow hair on your chest’ olives, is more like it! Absolutely brilliantly paired with a walnut paste, which was more the consistency of a pesto, and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds for a bit of zesty sweetness.

My starter was the Koofteh Berenji (£ 5.50):

Definitely my favourite dish of the night. Delicious Persian meat balls with a lovely surprise centre of plums. I’ve never had a meatball that melted in my mouth – It was incredible.

The second starter was Tiger Prawns (£8.50):

Although slightly overcooked, the garlic, peppers and slightly citrus-y sauce made it a winner.

On to the mains, and my only complaint is a lack of variety. Each dish in the ‘meat’ section looked strikingly similar. Generally, a skewer of lamb with rice and only a slight difference in how it was prepared.

Mine was the Chenjeh (£ 11.00):

Amazingly tender, which I always consider a feat when grilled on a skewer considering the size of the pieces. The kitchen clearly had a grasp on cooking times. The marinade, with spices I could quite put my finger on, was a perfect balance of rich salty and sweet. However, the saffron rice, as you can see above, was a bit of a cheat being a quarter saffron and three-quarters regular.

The other main was the Koobideh (£ 8.50):

Anything minced and grilled is bound to be a bit more tough, so I’m definitely glad I went with what I did. Still, the spices were spot on.

Desserts were an absolute delight, particularly the Koolouche Roodbar (£ 5.00):

Continuing with the sweet fruit/rich nut theme I found in my starter, we were presented with a warm date and walnut cookie with homemade cinnamon ice-cream, which I can confidently say is the best dessert I’ve had all year. It’s reason enough to make the journey to Maida Vale .

The Persian Saffron Ice Cream (£ 4.00) was also lovely, though it couldn’t hold a candle to the cookies.

As of the date of this post, Kateh has a 100% score from reviewers on Urbanspoon. It deserves it thoroughly. Go, go now.  (Although I almost don’t want to tell you that for fear of it being too busy for me to get in next time.)

Kateh on Urbanspoon

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