The Big Foodcrawl

Crawling round London cooking & eating my way through restaurants, cafes, stalls markets & more


Ask me anything  


Greek-style slow roast lamb rack


Pork rib broth with cinnamon and anise

Pork rib broth with cinnamon and anise


Pumpkin Red Thai Curry

Pumpkin Red Thai Curry


Venison Stew with Quince & Prunes Ingredients 1Kg venison diced 1 large onion 3 large parsnips, peeled and chopped to 1 1/2” chunks 2 handfuls prunes, soaked for a few hours 1 tbsp quince jelly 2/3 btl red wine 1 pint beef stock 1 bay leaf 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked 1 tsp juniper berries, lightly crushed 1/2 grated nutmeg Knob of butter 1) Brown you venison in olive oil and set aside 2) Add a but more oil to the pan, fry the onions for 10 mins 3) Add the parsnips and fry for 5 mins 4) Return the venison to the pan, and add all other ingredients bar the knob of butter 5) Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and Site uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally 6) When ready add the knob of butter, season to taste and serve along side mashed potatoes, and sautéed cabbage seasoned with black pepper and mustard

Venison Stew with Quince & Prunes

Ingredients

1Kg venison diced
1 large onion
3 large parsnips, peeled and chopped to 1 1/2” chunks
2 handfuls prunes, soaked for a few hours
1 tbsp quince jelly
2/3 btl red wine
1 pint beef stock
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1 tsp juniper berries, lightly crushed
1/2 grated nutmeg
Knob of butter

1) Brown you venison in olive oil and set aside

2) Add a but more oil to the pan, fry the onions for 10 mins

3) Add the parsnips and fry for 5 mins

4) Return the venison to the pan, and add all other ingredients bar the knob of butter

5) Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and
Site uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally

6) When ready add the knob of butter, season to taste and serve along side mashed potatoes, and sautéed cabbage seasoned with black pepper and mustard


Reblogged from juliaew

juliaew:

awh man everyone made so many “MOVING TO CANADA!!!” jokes before and now that Obama won I’m picturing a sad Canada just standing there with a pillow and sleeping bag like “so you guys aren’t coming over, eh? oh… that’s okay….”

(via recoverykitty)



Rich dark chocolate tarts with salted peanut brittle- from the new Gordon Ramsey book- the guy’s got serious issues but you can’t fault his cooking skills

Rich dark chocolate tarts with salted peanut brittle- from the new Gordon Ramsey book- the guy’s got serious issues but you can’t fault his cooking skills


Salmon salad with grilled veg and walnut bread at Le Petit Auberge on Upper Street, Islington. For £6.95 I though it was a bargain, especially or the area. The service was a liiiitle ramshackle but it was a busy Sunday lunch and they were all super polite- just run off their feet. Overall experience 7/10, I’ll definitely be going back

Salmon salad with grilled veg and walnut bread at Le Petit Auberge on Upper Street, Islington. For £6.95 I though it was a bargain, especially or the area. The service was a liiiitle ramshackle but it was a busy Sunday lunch and they were all super polite- just run off their feet. Overall experience 7/10, I’ll definitely be going back



Curry Laksa at The HAre and Tortoise 1-13 The Brunswick. This is a very good and very reasonably priced restaurant, with generous portions, super quick service and a large selection of delicious japanese dishes. The only trouble is that it’s so good that theres sometimes a bit of a queue. However it is definitely worth the wait. This enormous bowl of coconut noodle soup cost just over £7 and was a perfect balance of creamy and spicy and absolutely loaded with chicken, prawns, tofu, squid and noodles. A wonderfully satisfying lunch on a day when I really really needed one. 

Curry Laksa at The HAre and Tortoise 1-13 The Brunswick.

This is a very good and very reasonably priced restaurant, with generous portions, super quick service and a large selection of delicious japanese dishes. The only trouble is that it’s so good that theres sometimes a bit of a queue. However it is definitely worth the wait. This enormous bowl of coconut noodle soup cost just over £7 and was a perfect balance of creamy and spicy and absolutely loaded with chicken, prawns, tofu, squid and noodles. A wonderfully satisfying lunch on a day when I really really needed one. 



Reblogged from fitvillains
fitvillains: An interesting thought when it comes to comparison: nothing can make you feel inferior without your permission. It’s a very powerful thing to own your beauty. It’s freedom. It means that just because she (or an altered image of ‘she’) is ‘beautiful’, doesn’t mean you’re not. Or that you’re not worthy of all the things you think she’s worthy of. Or that you’re not ‘enough’ in some way. Takeaway: You don’t have to measure up to ever changing beauty standards: you just have to meet your own. And those, you get to set yourself. :)

fitvillains:

An interesting thought when it comes to comparison: nothing can make you feel inferior without your permission.

It’s a very powerful thing to own your beauty. It’s freedom. It means that just because she (or an altered image of ‘she’) is ‘beautiful’, doesn’t mean you’re not. Or that you’re not worthy of all the things you think she’s worthy of. Or that you’re not ‘enough’ in some way.

Takeaway: You don’t have to measure up to ever changing beauty standards: you just have to meet your own. And those, you get to set yourself.
:)
Prawn and Tomato Broth 2 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1 fennel bulb 4 handfulls raw, or cooked king prawns (shelled, de-veined etc) 6 large tomatoes 10 cherry tomatoes 1 cup fish stock 1 cup white wine 1 tsp cinnamon 1 handful chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley 1) heat the oil slowly in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add the garlic and fry slowly for about 3 minutes 2) If using raw prawns, add now and fry until nice and pink 2) Add the sliced fennel and fry for 5 minutes 3) Add the tomatoes, stock, wine, cinnamon and prawns if using cooked prawns. Bring to the boil then put a lid on the pan and leave for about 10 minutes. 4) Take the lid off and reduce the stew by a third. 5) Add the parsley and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper 6) Serve with rice, cous cous, pasta or crusty bread.

Prawn and Tomato Broth

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 fennel bulb

4 handfulls raw, or cooked king prawns (shelled, de-veined etc)

6 large tomatoes

10 cherry tomatoes

1 cup fish stock

1 cup white wine

1 tsp cinnamon

1 handful chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley

1) heat the oil slowly in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add the garlic and fry slowly for about 3 minutes

2) If using raw prawns, add now and fry until nice and pink

2) Add the sliced fennel and fry for 5 minutes

3) Add the tomatoes, stock, wine, cinnamon and prawns if using cooked prawns. Bring to the boil then put a lid on the pan and leave for about 10 minutes.

4) Take the lid off and reduce the stew by a third.

5) Add the parsley and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper

6) Serve with rice, cous cous, pasta or crusty bread.

Onion Jam   Ingredients (makes about 3 jars)   1.5kg Onions 1.5 tbsp oil 675ml balsamic vinegar 3 cups jamming sugar (sugar with added pectin)     Instructions  1) Chop the onions as finely as your eyes can take  2) Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and add the onions  3) Cook for about 15 until going translucent  Pour in the vinegar, turn up the heat and bring to the boil  4) Add the sugar, turn the heat down to a simmer and stir continuously until the mixture is thick and glossy  5) Pour into warm, steralised jars seal and allow to cool.  6) Keeps for several months in the fridge     Special Match: Hard goat’s cheese

Onion Jam

 

Ingredients

(makes about 3 jars)

 

1.5kg Onions

1.5 tbsp oil

675ml balsamic vinegar

3 cups jamming sugar (sugar with added pectin)

 

 

Instructions

 1) Chop the onions as finely as your eyes can take

 2) Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and add the onions

 3) Cook for about 15 until going translucent

 Pour in the vinegar, turn up the heat and bring to the boil

 4) Add the sugar, turn the heat down to a simmer and stir continuously until the mixture is thick and glossy

 5) Pour into warm, steralised jars seal and allow to cool.

 6) Keeps for several months in the fridge

 

 

Special Match: Hard goat’s cheese

The Fish Counter at WoodGreen’s Morrisons is really surprisingly good

The Fish Counter at WoodGreen’s Morrisons is really surprisingly good


Ginger & Peppercorn Squid 

(serves 4 as a starter or very light main)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1kg squid, prepared ad cut into rings, or squares scored in a criss-cross pattern

2 tbsp seasoned corn flour

1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tbsp peppercorns, soaked for an hour in warm water, then drained and patted dry.

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat

2) Coat the squid in the cornflour

3) Add the ginger, peppercorns and the floured squid to the pan and stir continuously to avoid burning

4) Add the sweet chilli sauce and stir until everything is thoroughly coated, serve while piping hot.


Spinach with Chick Peas & Bacon

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

500g spinach

1 400g chickpeas

180g smoked bacon lardons

Salt and pepper to taste

(Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side)

1) heat the oil slowly over a medium low heat, add the garlic and fry gently for about 3 minutes

2) Add the bacon and fry until cooked trhough

3) Add the chickpeas and allow to form slightly brown patches from the hot oil

4) Add the spinach, season and cover until the spinach is thoroughly wilted

5) Serve as a side to a chicken or seafood dish, or serve as a main with rice, cous cous or crusty bread


Mussels with Cider & Cream

1 tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

2 banana shallots, finely sliced

1 large/ two small carrots, diced

1 Stick of celery, diced

1 kg Mussels

300ml cider

3 tbsp cream

1 large handful parsley

Salt & Pepper to taste

1) Slowly fry the garlic and shallots, carrot and celery in oil over a medium low heat.

2) When beginning to look translucent add the mussels, turn the heat up and pop a lid on.

3) after 5 minutes, take the lid off pour in the cider and reduce by half

4) Take the pan off the heat, add the cream, parsley and seasoning.

5) Serve with a chunk of crusty bread