Reds Barbecue

I'm a southern girl and I believe anything past Birmingham is the North. So you can imagine my surprise when my mother informed me that she was moving to Leeds. Would it not be closer for them to travel to France? My mother has lived on the south coast for nearly all of her life, so this was to be a big change and a chance to experience a whole new area with new culture and new traditions... and pie barms. 

This was 18 months ago, so as you can imagine, I have visit Leeds now a couple of times and the city itself is a very vibrant and exciting place, with one of the best shopping areas I have ever come across. There are also plenty of culinary treats to try (Shears Yard and Friends of Ham are highlights), so on this particular visit, Rob and I tried out Red's Barbecue. 

As London barbecue fangirls, we were reticent about the North's take on our favourite food. But Red's didn't disappoint. The whole style behind Red's as a concept is very exciting - using barbecue as a 'religious' experience and quoting from 'The Good Book' was something I've never seen before and gave it a different edge.

I started with the Bourbon Cask Smoked Manhattan made with Wild Turkey Rye (recommended for bourbon lovers!) and chilli chocolate bitters smoked in bourbon soaked oak. This was a fantastic start to our meal. My cocktail was brought in a decanter, filled with smoke and poured out in front of me. I wasn't expecting this level of theatre from a casual barbecue restaurant, so the pleasant surprise put me in a fantastic mood. The drink itself was delicious, sweet and smoky.

To eat, I went for the Jacob's Ladder Beef Rib - my personal favourite, accompanied by Sweet Potato fries. The beef is smothered in their Unholy Barbecue Sauce, which was 'divine'. The meat fell off the bone and had an incredible depth of flavour. The fries were crispy, sweet and salty and were the perfect tools to try out the varied range of sauces on offer!

Unfortunately we were too full for dessert, but I will definitely be returning to Red's on my next trip to the city centre. A must try!

Best Eats of Frankfurt

Today's guest post comes from Kate of Relokate - check out her blog: http://relokate.eu/

Hey there, my name’s Kate and I am a serial expat travelling the world who is currently living in Frankfurt, Germany. 

Today, I want to share with you some of the beat eats of Frankfurt, my current home away from home, and hopefully help you in planning where to eat on your European adventures! 

Margarete 

Maragarete is pretty fancy as restaurants in Frankfurt go. The menu has a vast selection of different foods to eat from typical German to cuisine, to steaks, salads and so much more. I recommend going with a large group, all ordering different foods and enjoying a bite or two of each thing ordered! I highly recommend Grüne sauce (green sauce = a herby, yoghurt sauce of goodness) with boiled egg and bread as your starter meal! After all, Grüne sauce is one of Frankfurt’s signature dishes! 

Helium 

Not only does Helium serve great food, but the atmosphere inside and outside of the restaurant makes you feel instantly drawn to it. Helium is a club in the evening, which means it’s decked out to the nines with disco lights, a full bar and plenty of seating for either a coffee or a full blown lunch meal. I recommend visiting Helium in the summer, sitting outside to enjoy the people watching opportunities and ordering a burger, I can promise you won’t be disappointed! 

Good Times 

This is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE place to go in Frankfurt. Good Times is actually a nickname for the bar and it’s constantly stuck between that name and “Ohne Name” (no name), as the bar quite literally doesn’t have a name. Good times is the kind of place you can go for a coffee meeting with new friends, cocktails with old friends and lunch with just about anybody. Seriously, the food is that good! ‘Good Karma Chicken’ is the sandwich to order on the menu if you want to give your taste buds a little something different and ultimately, be totally satisified. I also highly recommend a ‘real hot chocolate’ which is sent straight from the heavens. 

Souper! 

If sitting in garden chairs covered in plankets or even standing to eat are your thing, then Suppe is for you. Whilst those things do not sound appealing, you definitely shouldn’t knock it until you’ve tried it! Suppe even has a garden swing you can sit on to enjoy their delicious soups. I highly recommend the Indian Curry Soup, which is the favourite of anyone who has tried it. The wonderful guys at Suppe are there to serve your delicious soup, hand out all the free bread and cheese you could want and all with a wonderful smile on their faces. Suppe is a little bit like Frankfurt’s worst kept secret, so keep this one to yourselves ;). 

For more on the best eats of Frankfurt and to see all the wonderful things Frankfurt has to offer, head over to my city guides.

Duck and Waffle

Back in September, two of my very best friends came up to visit me and to see Martin Freeman in Richard III - which was absolutely excellent! All being big foodies, I took this as my opportunity to rope in a couple of dining partners for Duck and Waffle, who I have been desparate to visit since they opened their doors. So let me talk you through the best meal I've ever eaten...

We started with cocktails overlooking the incredible view that comes with having a restaurant on the 42nd floor of the Heron Tower. I had a Bacon & Caramel Manhattan (’piggy’ bourbon, DWΣ Salted Caramel Liqueur, vermouths – served sweet style), Kat had a Hemingway (Bacardi Superior rum, maraschino liqueur, lime and grapefruit juices – clarified) and Alex had a Duck & Stormy (Gosling’s dark rum, ginger beer – bottled and bagged).

It is recommended at Duck and Waffle to share smaller plates between you in order to experience as many dishes as possible.

We started with a warm Rosemary and Garlic Bread with a lovely chewy crust and a soft, fluffy centre. I could have stayed and eaten this bread alone all night. We would have had a lovely date, this bread and I.

Next was the Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut with apricot jam and smoked paprika sugar. Cheek is one of my favourite cuts of meat and this did not dissapoint - a light and fluffy savoury doughnut stuffed with melt in the mouth meat, complimented beautifully with the slight spice of the paprika and sweetness of the jam.

 

Next came the Smoked Mozzarella with granola, sage, honey and amalfi lemon. This was the dish of the evening for me. The mozzarella was delightfully creamy and not too rich due to the addition of the lemon, which added a beautiful uplifting fragrance to the dish. The granola gave a lovely crunch and sweetness. It is unlike anything I have eaten before but was so wonderfully balanced in flavour and texture.

What followed was the dish of the night for my two fellow diners - roasted octopus with chorizo, potato, lemon and caper. Octopus is often a gateway seafood for non-seafood lovers, providing a solid and meaty texture (not too fishy). One of go-to home meals is octopus with chorizo, potatoes and green beans. The addition of capers to this dish was a stroke of genius, perhaps I will start adding them to my salads!

We finished our savoury adventure with the classic Duck and Waffle - crispy leg confit, fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup. So simple but so delicious. If you are to visit this restaurant, you cannot leave this dish off your order. The confit leg alone is divine.

We couldn't resist the dessert menu, so I opted for the Orange posset with Aperol granite and pineapple crisp. If you are too full for a rich dessert - this is ideal. The posset was light, creamy and bursting with citrus, the aperol granite was incredibly refreshing and that pineapple crisp was nearly too beautiful to eat... nearly!

We also sampled the pistachio & dark chocolate macaroon sandwich with drunken cherries and crystallised white chocolate - a dessert for anyone wanting their chocolate fix. A work of art to look at and a delight to eat.

All in all, this is probably the best meal I have ever eaten - the food was fantastic, the service was perfection and the location is beyond words. I can't wait for my next visit!

Panko Crusted Tofu with Lemongrass Broth, Noodles and Poached Eggs.

I've had a weekend of solitude and of relaxation, mix that with the return of Masterchef the Professionals and I start cooking - a lot! I had some smoked tofu to use up from earlier in the week and on researching tofu recipes, I came across this interesting Japanese influed recipe frmo Bon Appetit (all recipe credit goes to them, of course). This is a very nourishing and healthy recipe with a lot of interesting flavours and textures. I have changed the text in the recipe a litte bit as well as teh ingredients to match what I had to use on the day.

Panko Crusted Tofu with Lemongrass Broth, Noodles and Poached Eggs.

I have tried to organise this in sequential order for you to follow.

Serves 1 


Radishes and Tofu

• 5 small radishes, trimmed, sliced
• 50ml organic cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 packet of firm tofu - sliced thickly
•  2 tablespoons cornstarch
•  2 large egg whites
• 1/2 box of panko breadcrumbs 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon  sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Vegetable oil

• Mix radishes, cider vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt in small bowl. Cover; leave to absorb for 1 hour.
• Stack several layers of paper towels on work surface. Arrange tofu on towels; drain 30 minutes, patting tops dry occasionally.
• Whisk cornstarch and egg whites in shallow dish until cornstarch dissolves. Put panko breadcrumbs into another shallow dish. Mix salt, sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in small bowl.
• Working with 1 piece at a time, sprinkle tofu on both sides with salt mixture. Dip tofu into egg-white mixture, then crumb mixture to coat on all sides. Put to one side.

Lemongrass Broth

Ingredients

• 500ml water
• 1 handful of coarsely chopped cabbage
• 1 large white onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 fresh mushrooms
•  2 large whole lemongrass stalks, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 large head of garlic, cut crosswise in half
• 1/3 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint
• 1/3 cup (packed) chopped fresh tarragon

• Combine first 6 ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes.
• Turn off heat under broth. Add basil, mint, and tarragon. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain into another large pot, pressing on solids in strainer. Boil until reduced to enough for cover your portion of noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
  Noodles, Garnishes and Poached Eggs
  • Soba Noodles (enough for one portion - personal preference!)
  • 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce 
  • 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • Lemongrass Broth
  • 6 Radicchio leaves coursely chopped
  • Cook noodles in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly and drain again. Transfer to large bowl; mix in hoisin and oil to coat.
  • Add enough oil to a pan to reach depth of 3/4 inch. H. Fry tofu, 4 pieces at a time, until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  • Bring Lemongrass Broth to simmer in large pot. Add radicchio. Add noodles; simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Poach your egg (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/technique/how-poach-egg)
     Transfer each egg to small bowl. Add broth, noodles, and vegetables.  Top with 2 tofu pieces. Serve pickled radishes and eggs (eggs should be added to soup so yolks will enrich broth).
  
  
  
  
  
  

The Great London Coffee Series - Peloton & Co

Crisp Autumn days with crunchy russet leaves and bright blue skies deserve good coffee and warm jumpers. I used to be unable to drink coffee at all without my heart feeling like it was about to burst through my chest. But after many years of slowly dripping caffiene into my body, I can enjoy the drug of choice for London's workers. A large part of my job is understanding coffee bars and how they integrate into the hospitality business, so naturally my interest in coffee has expanded vastly over the last year - I am even a trained barista! 

 I am now a coffee snob and proud. 

As a result of this, a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to win a copy of London's Best Coffee's Speciality Coffee Map of London (2nd Edition) via their Facebook page. Their are so many fantastic independent coffee shops in London and without a guide to tell you where they are, you can drown in the number to choose from. 

This weekend, whilst at Old Spitalfields Market, we hit our first map shop - Peloton & Co.

 

Typography geek that I am - I love the logo at Peloton & Co, what a great font! It is half bicycle shop/half coffee bar and is as hip as East London requires. They use their own house blend coffee - Butterworth & Son Espresso and use Goodwood non-homogenised milk to compliment.

I had a Flat White and Rob had a Cortado. As a first test of the coffee map, it was definitely a winner. It was so beautifully smooth and naturally sweet, and gone way too quickly. Even the cortado, with it's bitter kick of strong espresso was delicious. Even the blue Peloton & Co cups were impossible not to fall in love with. 

A must visit for anyone in the Spitalfields area.

Best Eats of Glasgow

Back in July, Rob and I managed to get a couple of days away together. Keen on exploring a cultural and foodie centre, we opted for Glasgow. With such limited time and so many culinary hot spots to explore, we were ruthless in picking restaurants. Below are the few that made the cut.

The Dhabba 

In North India, roadside diners are commonly known as Dhabbas - This indian restaurant in Glasgow replicates that cuisine with finese and true expertise! Recommended by The Guardian as one of the Top 10 Curry Houses in the UK. 

We ate Shuruvaati Thal - a starter platter of king prawn, lamb, chicken and vegetarian bites. Followed by Masala Machli - Juicy monkfish in a sauce of caramelised onions, tomatoes and peppers, Bhuna Gosht with lamb that was 'melt in the mouth' tender, and we garnished our curries with garlic naans the size of my head - an incredible depth of flavour, and a lovely smokey finish.

Cafe Gandolfi

Once part of an old cheese market, this rustic cafe is the perfect spot for a Scottish breakfast.

Deagh Bhiadh, Deagh Bheannachd - Well fed, well blessed. The Gaelic proverb displayed on the wall of the Cafe Gandolfi is the owner's aspiration for everybody who eats there. We started our day with Freshly Squeezed Pink Grapefruit Juice, cheek pursing sharpness and sweetness balanced perfectly. Rob took on the Full Scottish Breakfast - Stornoway black pudding, bacon, beef sausage, cherry tomatoes, potato scone, field mushrooms and scrambled eggs... and toast of course! Whilst I opted for the slightly more modest Eggs Hebridean with Stornoway black pudding. By far the best black pudding I have ever had accompanied by silk eggs and a rich hollandaise, it was enough for a post breakfast nap. 

Bread Meats Bread

We happened to be staying around the corner from Bread Meats Bread and saw it by chance. It peaked our interested immediately - clever restaurant name, good styling, burgers?! So we gave it a try. As you know we're both big fans of American style food, so we hoped it would fill the beef shaped hole in our lives. We ate a Fullhouse Burger - Brioche Bun, American Cheese, Smoked Brisket, Gravy, Tobacco Onions, Pickles and Sauce, as well as the Chicago Goumet Dog with mustard, tomatoes, onion and pickle relish. We then shared a Classic Poutine. If you have never tried the Canadian masterpiece that is Poutine - you are wasting your life, go out and get some NOW. The classic poutine is Chips with Cheese Curds and Gravy. It's not chips, cheese and gravy. It's different, honest. You'll fall in love or your money back (Georgie guarentee*) *No money will be refunded.

Riverhill Cafe

For our last morning in Glasgow, we searched for a great cup of coffee. It had been two days and I needed caffiene - I'm a Londoner! Riverhill ticked all of the boxes. I was finally granted a delicious flat white - smooth, rich and creamy. Rob opted for a Black Pudding Sausage roll, which was beautifully rustic and had a great texture and flavour. Continuing my Canadian theme - we were in Glasgow after all... I tried a Nanaimo Bar. This particular nanaimo was vegan and extremely filling. A traditional nanaimo has a wafer-like base with a custard layer and chocolate topping, but this was a healthy coconut version, made with dates and cocao instead of chocolate. Guilt free cakes at their best!

I Love Doughnuts But...

I have been a little absent from my blog of late, but I haven't been any less obsessed with food. I have begun to make one change however, and that is a promise to myself and my body that I will try my very best to eat cleanly and heathily wherever possible - as well as cutting my meat intake by half.

So I still love doughnuts, but I've just been eating a little less of them and have been getting interested in healthy alternatives to my favourite sugary snacks. The clean eating promise comes from my want and need to nuture my body as there is nothing more important than looking after ourselves. There is a definite awareness that comes with clean eating, and in taking up this challenge, it has really highlighted for me how little I think about what I'm putting into my body - things that would before seem like a normal snack or a drink are things that I no longer want to consume.

This new lifestyle started after I watched the BBC2 Horizon documentary series - 'Should I Eat Meat?', and I was shocked by the effect that meat production is having on the planet. One third of the world's land is used for arable farming, just so we can feed the animals that we eat. Our current meat intake in the UK averages at 220g of meat per day and in order for meat production to be sustainable in our current environment, we need to half that intake. This is a change I thought I could easily make - it would save me money and improve my health. It's been a month or so now and I have definitely decreased my meat intake - some days I don't eat meat or dairy at all. It's made me realise that I don't really miss them.

However being a big foodie and with food being a part of my career as well as my personal passion, I wanted to give myself the freedom to eat animal products if and when I wanted to, as long as I was adhering to my reduction rule. As I cut down on my intake, I started to cook more vegan meals - ones that were piled high with the most delicious vegetables, eating dried fruit for snacks, drinking cold pressed juices and getting really obsessed with avocados. My eating was becoming cleaner, so why not make that a permanent change in my life?

I have also been spending a lot of time on Instagram (you can find my account here: http://instagram.com/skye2612 ), where I post a lot of pictures without writing blog posts to go alongside them. In exploring this, I have found a lot of other accounts that are passionate about clean eating and alternatives to what we are so used to eating. 

Although I still love eating out and am thoroughly obsessed with Crosstown Doughnuts, you will notice a change in some of the things I am cooking and writing about. I hope to share my finds with you - particularly if I find any new good and healthy snacks, as well as my usual food porn.

August Snack Pick

So this is a little late in the day, but my goodness did August fly by! Where did my summer go? Mine was monopolized by two new restaurant openings and concept development that I have enjoyed immensely. Despite the ups and downs of the graduate programme experience, I can wholeheartedly say that it was worth it. For the first time in forever (sorry, frozen haters) I genuinely love my job.

I digress! But I needed to get that out.

My snack of choice for August is The Collective Coconut and Lime Yoghurt.

I have never particularly been a fan of yoghurts, with the exception of the Rolo variety, or Petit Fillou Little Desserts. However these substantial tubs of creamy heaven have converted me to the way of the yoghurt.

The Collective do a great range of flavours and I have been very temped by their Russian Fudge pot. But hats off to the Coconut and Lime! Thick, creamy and full of texture from real coconut niblets, it's balanced perfectly by the sharp lime coulis element, creating a moorish wonder. Our fridge has been fully stocked with these beauties.

If I had to draw one issue with this yoghurt, it would be the use of the non-word 'Tropo' on the design. Will everyone please stop abbreviating words? It's totes innappropes.

July Snack Pick

Say Hello to the Bounce Energy Ball. 

I can quite safely say that I am addicted to these. They come in eight different flavours, but I have to champion the Coconut and Macademia Protein Bliss Ball. 

At first sight, it looks a little weird and the texture is a bit of a surprise, but not only are they packed with protein, fibre and antioxidants, they taste incredible. If you're craving a mid morning or afternoon snack, these are a great way to fill you up and because they're so filling, there's no risk of a binge session. 

For something that tastes so insanely delicious, these are the the health benefits for you:

• High in Fructose
  
  • Slow Release Energy

• High protein
  
  • Contributes to growth and/or the maintenance of muscle mass
  • Contributes to the maintenance of normal bones

• High fibre

• High in vitamin E
  
  • Contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress

• High in manganese
  
  • Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism
  • Contributes to the maintenance of normal bones
  • Contributes to the formation of connective tissue
  • Contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress
    
     

So you want to get your hands on one now?! You can purchase Bounce energy balls from Waitrose, Tescos, Holland and Barratt, Wholefoods, POD, GNC, Planet Organic and Nutricentre. 

 

Well done Bounce. This is ultimate guilt free snacking. 

Taste of London 2014

I went to Taste of London last week. For those who aren't familiar, Taste is a restaurant festival showcasing some of London's most exciting places to eat. Each restaurant has 3 or 4 showstopping dishes on the menu for you to try. Plus lots of bars, foodie stalls and giveaways!

I did spend most of my time wandering around completely wide eyed but I managed to snap a few pics to share with you.

Starting with Meatliquor. You know I love Meat Liquor, and Meat Market and Meat Mission. All the Meat boys endeavors. We had Cheeseburger Sliders and Monkey Fingers (buffalo chicken strips) - juicy, moreish and meaty.

 

From Plum and Spilt Milk, I had an Elderflower and Berry Jelly with Clotted Cream. I'm not normally a jelly fan, but this was fantasticly fresh, fruit and indulgent.

We had fresh Strawberry ice cream Gordon Ramsey's Maze, covered in popping candy! Almost looks too good to eat.

Next up was Italian fare from L'Anima. They were shaving huge truffles everywhere! 

I tried the Burrata (my favourite cheese at the moment) with pomodoro and anchovies. I was a little disappointed by this one - the cold tomato sauce left a little to be desired.

 

 

There were lots of chefs to fangirl over. Here are some that I took photos of :) 

 

Thomasina Miers

Michel Roux Jr.

 

 

Gizzi Erskine

We also saw Monica Galetti and Valentine Warner. I was grinning like an idiot with excitement.

Time for a VIP champagne break with Laurent Perrier and a free promotional recipe book. 

Next onto my newest obsession - Duck and Waffle. I had Barbecue Crispy Pigs Ears. They were so tasty, but I couldn't eat the entire bag. Luckily I saved it and we shared them later in front of the telly. It was very romantic.

 Now for my absolute favourite thing I ate. A creation by Andre Garrett. This was a Peanut Butter Parfait with Chocolate Mousse and Meringue Topping and a secret core of salted caramel. Heaven.

 

We finished off our summer excursion with a cocktail. I had the French Spring Punch, which tasted like an alcoholic lemonade. Perfectly refreshing in the summer sun.