Coffee of Note.

Good morning and a Happy Friday to you, food lovers!

I am afraid I am becomming a bit of a coffee addict. Tea has taken a backseat for the time being as I explore and learn about new types of coffee. It also makes it much easier to get going on the last day of the week when you know there is a gorgeous bank holiday waiting for you on the other side.

Yesterday I had a Flat White from POD (St Giles branch), which I really enjoyed and is better than a lot of usual high street chains. However this mornings coffee trumps even that. 

This mornings Flat White comes courtesy of Notes, from their St Giles Coffee Barrow Stall. 

They have their own roastery, where they process a gorgeous bean and they roast their beans slightly lighter than usual, ensuring a delicate flavour that really compliments the natural sweetness of the milk. With three shops - Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and Trinity Leeds, and a number of coffee barrows serving the same excellent product (St Giles, Borough Market and Fleet Street), there is no excuse not to get yourself a Notes coffee this weekend! Even you northerners. 

They even do a larger Flat White containing three shots of their delectable espresso. I am feeling so pumped right now!

Street Feast London at Hawker House

I have to admit something. I'm not a trendy person. I wear jeans from GAP and my boyfriends fleece and I binge watch early 2000 US teen dramas. I barely ever leave South West London, let alone venture East. So when my good friend suggested we try out Street Feast London at Hawker House on a *gasp* Saturday night, I could feel my slippers begin to fuse to my feet.

But also as a youthful person in this country's vibrant capital, it would be a crime not to throw caution to the wind occasionally, take my slippers off and leave the house. I will do it for you food, my love.

Hawker House in Hoxton is a new venue for Street Feast London. An indoor night food market where you can sample a great variety of street food and cocktails. Running from 5pm til late with free entry before 8pm, we arrived at 7pm and Hawker House looks a little like a homeless shelter, complete with hipsters crowding around a burning oil drum. But inside, it was already full of people eating and enjoying cocktails such as Hot Buttered Rum.

On Tonight's menu was Hawker House cocktails, where we sampled margaritas and hot toddys. The classic margarita was lifted by fresh orange, bringing a different dimension to the usual version. At £10 a pop, they do provide you with quite large portion. I personally headed to the Whisky Bar where I discussed my options with the knowledgeable bartender. Talking me out of the regular buffalo trace and into the buffalo trace reserve whisky, the reserve had a much smokier taste with a more complex depth of flavour than its cheaper counterpart. Later we sampled the Whisky Bar Old Fashioned made with Wild Turkey Rye. A treat.

Food was provided by Smokestak - a moist, smoky selection of ribs with tender meat, which left you with gloriously sticky fingers. Then The Slider Bar, where we ordered 3 Chilli Cheeseburgers. I'm yet to find my ultimate chilli cheeseburger (MeatLiqour comes the closest by far), and although these looked like little bites of heaven, they only had one taste - GARLIC. I usually love garlic. I will eat raw cloves when I'm poorly, but this was so unexpected. No chilli flavour... Was there cheese? If there was it must have been GARLIC CHEESE. We were all left with perplexed expressions.

Then there were the tacos, also done by The Slider Bar. Petite little morsels of juicy goodness. Chipotle beef and Chicken tacos were both flavoursome yet a little sloppy. I suffered through the drippings of Caitlin's juice onto my arm while she munched and I held the tray.

For dessert we indulged in a couple of Apple Crumble Sundaes from Sorbitum. These were perfect for a winters night and a really innovative way to use ice cream in colder weather. The caramel bourbon sauce was the highlight.

The best dish of the night was Baba Gs Lamb Biryani. This was bought by Rob (lover of Biryanis) as a 'still hungry' afterthought. But it turned out to be the dark horse at Hawker House. Fragrant, soft meat that melts like butter, the best lime pickle I've ever tasted and more layers of Biryani goodness. I'm not usually a fan of rice based dishes but this was so delectable that I will definitely be tracking them down again. Best Biryani we've ever had.

So Hawker House is worth a punt. Providing you get there early and are prepared to spent a bit of hard earned cash exploring their culinary delights.

Grilled Marinated Lamb and Stove Top Dauphinoise

Weekends. They call for long, lazy cooking for delicious and indulgent dinners. I like to spend at least one day at the weekend exploring a new recipe from one of my books, taking my time while I prepare it and enjoying the warm fullness I feel as my head hits the pillow. Weeknight meals are often quick, rushed and convenient (unless you fancy eating at 10pm - which is fine for Rob but a little less ideal for me), so the indulgence to be able to cook anything I like on a lazy Saturday or Sunday is enough to get me excited for the weekends.

Grilled Marinated Lamb and Stove Top Dauphinoise

If you're stuck for a weekend meal, this one is a good mix of quick and slow. The slowness coming from the overnight lamb marinade and dauphinoise and then a final quick grilling of the lamb that fills your kitchen with the most delectable scent. These recipes come from Nigel Slater's Real Food.

Serves 2

Lamb Ingredients

- 4 large Garlic Cloves (crushed)

- 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

- 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- 2 tsp Herbes de Provence

- Freshly Ground Black Pepper

- 2 Lamb Fillets (about 250g each - I would recommend Neck Fillets)

Dauphinoise Ingredients

- 500g Waxy Potatoes (Charlotte or Maris Peer are the best for this)

- 1 packet chopped Pancetta

- 2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)

- 2 Handfuls Fresh Rocket (Arugula)

- 200ml Double Cream

- 100ml Whole Milk

- 30g Grated Fresh Parmesan

Method

Mix together all your ingredients for the lamb marinade and massage into your lamb fillets. Leave overnight if you can, but if you're doing it on the same time then make sure you leave it for at least an hour.

Thinly slice your potatoes. If you've got a mandoline then that is ideal, but if not then take your time with a sharp knife to get some thin slices.

Fry your potato slices with some butter until they are beginning to brown slightly.

Add your pancetta cubes and fry until they are nice and crispy. 

Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.

Add your rocket to the pan with the double cream and milk. If you can add a lid to your pan at this point then that's perfect. I didn't have a lidded frying pan, so I made a substitute lid out of tin foil. 

Cook at a low/medium heat for 10 minutes.

While your potatoes are cooking away, take a griddle pan (ideally) and get it nice and hot. Add the lamb and give it a good press down so that grill lines will start to form on the meat. 

Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. You want your lamb to still be pink inside. Cook for longer if you like you're not a fan of this. 

Remove the lamb from the pan and place on a chopping board. Cover with tin foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid from your dauphinoise and stir in a your fresh parmesan. Cook for a few more minutes and then remove from the heat.

You're now ready to serve! :)