Cocorino: Focaccia

Tags

Coffee, coffee shops, flat white

Hello, my name is Sarah and I am a coffee addict. Ever since experiencing seriously good coffee in Vancouver last year, I have been on the hunt for The Best Cup of Coffee. Moving to London has made my job considerably easier. Since this is a highly-scientific caffeine-fuelled experiment, I’ll keep the parameters the same, rating each coffee on taste and latte art, noting the size, price and beans used. Since the environment is half of the experience, I’ll also sum up the decor and any food available, along with what I like to call the Linger Factor®. Part of the joy of coffee shops is sitting down with a good friend (or book), settling back and letting the buzzing background noise wash over you, lulling you into a caffeine-induced relaxation. Or alternatively, for many-a-freelancer (myself included), setting up shop with your Mac and seeing how long you can use it as an office space before you have to buy another coffee.

Once I have tried every single coffee shop in London, I’ll give you my final verdict. Or you could just use my thoughts as a launching pad to go on your own coffee-exploration. Please, pass on your recommendations. All I ask is that it’s within the M25 and it’s not Costa or any other establishment that serves up coffee-flavoured milk. So, for the first review: Cocorino Focaccia & Gelato.

Cocorino Focaccia & Gelato

Coffee ordered: Flat white
Flavours: Smooth caramel notes, roasted hazelnuts with a lovely late bitter aftertaste.
Latte art: Despite a good crema, there was a bit too much foam, resulting in a bit of a squiggle. If you squinted, it could be a swan, maybe, but it was a wasted opportunity.
Size: 8oz/227ml glass
Price: £1.95
Beans: Drury Coffee

Decor: Simple, pared-back wooden floorboards and panelling, with a tiny bench and space for sitting along the wall. Really, the whole Focaccia side of the café is only about 4m wide, and half of that is taken up by the counter.
Linger Factor: Low. The limited space means you’re probably going to be facing a wall with other customers queuing along the counter close behind you. The wooden stools suggest it’s a nice place to stop and sip, but once you’re done, move on.
Food: I probably didn’t visit at the best time of day (just before closing) but what was left looked incredible- big bowls of glistening roasted veg, focaccias packed to bursting with mozarella, sundried tomatoes and pesto. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu includes salads, pastas and focaccia, along with daily specials such as slow-cooked ox tail. They also have a selection of cakes – I had a gloriously dense, chewy slice of banana bread.

Verdict: If you’re in the area, and can get a seat, it’s a nice place to pop in for lunch or coffee and cake. It’s good value, too: a flat white under £2 is a rare thing. They also have a fantastic gelataria next door, which is worth checking out!

Location: 18 Thayer St, W1U 3JY. 5 minute walk from Bond Street.
Contact: 020 7935 0810, cocorino.co.uk

Molecular Gastrono-what?

Tags

Canapé, Catering, Molecular gastronomy, Somerset House

One autumnal evening a couple of weeks ago, I went to Somerset House to sample some ‘molecular gastronomy’ from catering company Bubble Food. If you ever get the chance to go to Somerset House at night, do — it’s beautiful lit up. But it was all just a mere taster of the strange and wonderful things waiting inside for us…

We were ushered into a dark, smoky room that housed a giant tree in the centre. It had what looked like conkers hanging down from the branches. On closer inspection, they looked remarkably like profiteroles. Well it wasn’t long until someone’s curiousity got the better of them. With a mischevous glint in their eyes, they plucked a profiterole off the tree and bit in. Goat’s cheese and beetroot.

Other canapés included spherical balls of olive-flavoured liquid (masquerading as an olive) and impossibly-thin sugar discs sandwiched around a smidgin of goat’s cheese and beetroot purée (again).

Then we entered the grand dining room, which for all its basic wooden floor and bare white walls was one of the most impressively adorned dining tables I’ve ever seen. We’re talking floating vases of flowers, spot-lit clouds of wire and a somewhat disconcerting perspex table (no surreptitious loosening of belts here…)

The starter continued the Harry Potter theme with witches-hat style domes covering out plates. They were, in fact, trapping smoke. Upon lifting the glass domes, smoke tumbled out to reveal a smoked risotto mousse. Unfortunately risotto is one of those things whose brilliance is in its texture, so digging into a rice-flavoured, smokey mousse when you’re expecting a creamy, rich risotto with a bit of bite is somewhat of a disappointment.

The next course, while visually stunning, also just fell a bit short of the mark. Monkfish dumplings with chorizo caviar, crispy fennel spikes and jasmine black quinoa sounds incredible but the monkfish was just a little too chewy and overdone, and the amount of dumpling overpowered any flavour that had survived. That said, the chorizo caviar was fun – little spherical balls of pomegranate liquid that popped in your mouth. Much preferable (in my mind) to actual caviar. The quinoa had a lovely deep flavour too and smooth texture – very different from the quinoa you traditionally associate with healthy salads!

Dessert, while rich, was almost enough to redeem the entire meal. We were each presented with a perfect chocolate ball, shimmering like a celestial planet that had fallen out of orbit. When everyone was ready, the waiters came and poured a hot yogurt sauce over the top, resulting in the most beautiful and unique shapes as the chocolate ball melted in different places. As holes and caverns opened up, a dried fruit medley tumbled out, which was paired with a white chocolate ganache. All in all, very rich, but very delicious.

It was a spectacular evening, no doubt. Not all the food tasted as good as it looked, but the canapés in particular were fantastic, and it’s certainly not the kind of thing you could do yourself at home. If you’d like to book Bubble Food for a show-stopping party (with lots of ‘ooh’s and ‘ah’s), or want to find out more information, visit Bubble Food.

Related articles

• Molecular gastronomy in your own kitchen (telegraph.co.uk)

Tortas de aceite

Tags

Almond, Aniseed, Biscuit, Olive oil, Pastry, Seville, Spain, Tortas

Recently I’ve noticed a new addition to my local coffee shop; alongside the almond croissants and Violet cupcakes are some beautifully wrapped Tortas de Aceite (Olive oil cakes). However, at £2.25 a pop I never quite took the plunge. Luckily for me, though, M&S have just started stocking them so sent in a few packs for us to try…

These flaky, sweet Spanish pastries are shaped like traditional Spanish flabreads and have been made in Seville for over 100 years. I say pastries, but really it’s a cross between a pastry and biscuit… in fact, there isn’t really any British product to compare it to. There are two flavours: traditional olive oil or almond olive oil, but both are studded with aniseed. It’s not too overpowering, but is unusual addition that complements the caramelised sugar crystals scattered on top perfectly. It’s a lovely combination of sweet and savoury in each bite.

Intriguingly, the ingredients are remarkably simple: Wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil (20%), sugar, almond (15%), anise seeds, salt, sesame and natural anise essence. Whenever I see percentages in ingredient lists, it makes me want to piece together a recipe and try to make them at home… Maybe another day! Until then, I’m quite happy to let Tortas Gaviño individually handmake them for me in Seville. They are pricey, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one now I’ve tried them — dip into coffee, eat as a snack, use them as a delicious aniseedy vehicle for cheese… Seriously good. Try one at your peril — you won’t be able to stop.

What’s the damage? £2.95 for 6 (or around £2-£2.50 from coffee shops)
Stockists M&S, local coffee shops & delis
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Autumn feeds

Tags

Autumn, Carrot, Pumpkin, Recipe, Soups and Stews, Winter warmer

The leaves are turning, the nights are drawing in and rich, autumnal food awaits. It’s amazing how nature reflects its bounty — when the earth is a carpet of reds, browns and golds, we’re blessed with juicy cranberries, sweet chestnuts and glorious squash of every shape and size.

Coincidentally, it’s just at this time of year, as the days turn crisp and chilly, that we crave steaming bowls of soups — a form to which squash adapt rather well. This recipe was just made by what I had to hand, but any similar squash or root veg would work just as well.

Pumpkin & carrot soup
Serves 4

1 medium cooking pumpkin, peeled and deseeded
4 medium carrots
1 yellow pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 vegetable stock cubes
½ nutmeg
3 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed
sour cream and chives, to serve

Roughy chop the pumpkin, carrots and pepper and tip into a large saucepan. Add the garlic, crumble in the stock cubes and pour over 1.5 litres of boiling water. Stir well until the stock cubes are dissolved. Simmer for 20-30 mins until all the veg is soft, then take off the heat and leave to stand for 5 mins.

Grate in the nutmeg, add the tarragon and blend together until smooth, then season to taste. You probably won’t need extra salt as the stock cubes are quite salty, but a good grinding of black pepper will pep it up a bit. Ladle into bowls, and swirl through 1 tbsp sour cream. Finish with a few snipped chives on top.

Breakfast like a king…

Tags

Brownies, Chocolate, Coffee, Emily's Brownies, Gifts, Kopi

Yesterday, as I staggered off the tube after a 1¼hr commute, I was in desperate need of a good coffee and some sugar. Time was not in my favour though, so I dashed to my desk, resigned to another mediocre cafetière coffee. However, my rather lowly expectations were about to be blown out of the water. For, with rather fortuitous timing, not one, but two delectable products had been sent in that very morning.

KOPI coffee

Emily's Brownies

Coffee
+
Brownies
=
Happy Wednesday

KOPI Coffee (Guatemala Finca Santa Clara Genuine Antigua blend) was probably the best ground coffee I’ve ever had. Smooth and fairly strong, but so lacking in any bitterness or astringency that you could guzzle it like water. Sweet and nutty aftertastes leave you feeling like you’ve just eaten a dark chocolate praline. KOPI are a coffee subscription service, where they deliver a different 250g bag of gourmet coffee to your door each month. It’s pricey but if each coffee is as good as this, I’m tempted to put it on the Christmas list.
What’s the damage? £7-9/month, depending on length of subscription
Order from KOPI.co.uk
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (nearly lost a ♥ for the price, but in reality it’s still a heck of a lot cheaper than Starbucks)

Emily’s Brownies are some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Rich, but not overly sweet, chewy on the top, gooey in the middle and with a subtle hint of orange. The moment you unwrap the beautifully packaged box, the sweet chocolate-orange scent wafts over you, making them impossible to resist (even at 10am). Handmade in the North-East of England, you can add a personalised message and deliver them anywhere in the UK with next-day delivery (£5), perfect for those last-minute forgotten birthday panics. Otherwise, 24-48hr delivery is free.
What’s the damage? £18 for 12
Order from emilysbrownies.co.uk 
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

The Hairy Bikers’ Perfect Pies

Tags

Book review, Cooking, Filo, Middle East, Pastry, Recipe, The Hairy Bikers

The Hairy Bikers have a lot of fans. I am not one of them. I do, however, love pies. So when a copy of The Hairy Bikers’ Perfect Pies landed on my desk, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. However, on balance, I love it.

Split into categories such as double-crust pies, handheld pies, potato-topped pies and plate pies, Perfect Pies celebrates The Pie in all its forms, from all corners of the globe. From Middle-Eastern burek to Spanish empanadas, French galette des rois (King cake) to North American Pecan pie, it makes you realise how ubiquitous the humble pie has become across the world.

There are tarts and quiches, pasties and canapes, suet puddings and hot pots – you name it, this book’s got it. The superb ‘How to’ section at the back gives you step-by-step instructions to make 9 different types of shortcrust, rough puff, flaky freezer, sweet and hot-water crust pastry, with tips on how to get the perfect pastry and avoid soggy bottoms. There’s also an ingenious ‘Leftovers’ section with ideas on what to do with all your pastry off-cuts, so nothing goes to waste.

Each recipe is accompanied with beautifully rustic photographs and I’d defy anyone to flick through without finding at least 10 recipes you want to try right away! I decided to make the Spinach & feta filo pie (recipe below). I adapted it slightly, halving the recipe and trying to make it a little lighter using cooking spray instead of butter between the filo pastry sheets. I also used a loaf tin to make it a deeper pie than the original recipe.

I’ve got to say, the end result was delicious. Cut through the crisp, crunchy filo and the mellow flavours of the ricotta are set off perfectly against the tangy feta. Rich and comforting without being too filling, and just as good cold the next day as piping hot out of the oven.

The Hairy Bikers’ Perfect Pies (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) is published on 13 October, RRP £20. You can buy it from Amazon for £9 delivered.

Spinach & feta filo pie
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
260g young spinach leaves
2 large eggs
250g pot ricotta cheese
1/4 nutmeg
large pinch dried thyme
200g feta cheese, drained
1 tbsp plain flour
5 filo pastry sheets
low-fat cooking spray/oil
5g butter, melted
You’ll also need a 23cmx13cm (2lb) loaf tin.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Gently fry the onions and garlic for 15 mins until softened. (TIP: Don’t be stingy on the onion time– you’d be amazed how much an extra 10 mins releases and develops the flavours). Add the spinach and cook for a further 5-6 mins. Tip the spinach mixture into a sieve or colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible using a ladle or wooden spatula (it will be hot!) Make sure you get every last drop out, or your pie will end up soggy.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the ricotta until well mixed. Grate in the nutmeg and a generous amount of black pepper. Add the thyme, crumble in the feta, sprinkle over the flour and stir well to combine. Once the spinach mixture has cooled a little, stir this in too, making sure you’ve broken up and distributed the spinach evenly.

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Take 5 sheets of filo pastry and measure out the size you need to line your loaf tin with enough overlap to cover the top. I used about two thirds of a sheet. Cut off the excess, wrap in cling film and keep for another recipe (such as ‘Deli tomato & cheese filo tartlets’, in the Leftovers section). Take one of the trimmed pastry sheets and place it on a board. Spray about 7 times with cooking spray and brush the oil over with a pastry brush. Lay the next sheet on top and repeat, doing the same for the remaining sheets until you have a stack of 5 oiled sheets.

Line your loaf tin with the stack of filo pastry, then tip in the spinach and ricotta mixture. Fold the excess pastry over the top of the mixture, and use a rounded knife (or spatula) to push the sides of the pastry down into a little parcel, to seal the mixture in. Finally, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for 45-50 mins, until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling has set. Cool for 10 mins before serving.

PER SERVING 427 kcals, protein 21g, carbs 23g, fat 28g, sat fat 15g, fibre 3g, salt 2g

Farmison

Tags

celebrity chef, farmison, Shopping, small producers, supermarkets, Supply chain

Chefs spend years building up contacts with suppliers to ensure they get a reliable, knock-em-dead product every time. Until now, the only way to get access to the best produce has been either to eat out or track down the suppliers yourself.

Farmison was created to save you the hard work. They offer a huge range of meat, veg and cheese from over 75 of Britain’s best independent suppliers, all in one place.  From Isle of Man Rare Breed Lamb Barnsley Chops to Middle Loin of Rare Breed Tamworth pork, it’s more varied that your local butcher, let alone your local supermarket.

You can mix and match from a huge variety of meat and cheese and order your veg box, too, all from one central website. P&P is free with orders over £50, or £4.95 otherwise. Order by 4pm, and Farmison place orders with the suppliers individually that evening. The next morning, the suppliers pack up their products, and send them to Farmison. They then put everything together and send it out to you by overnight courier.

The site navigation is one of the best I’ve seen — you can quickly and easily see different types of cut, find cheese by country, type, milk or treatment (including a section on ‘pregnancy friendly’ cheeses) and decide what type of veg box you want. Each product page has a wealth of information ranging from breed and maturity (meat) to texture and taste notes (cheese). Although there isn’t a search facility yet, hopefully this will come in the near future!

Often small suppliers struggle to get their products known, yet at the same time, consumers are always hunting for the best. Farmison bridges the gap between the two. So next time you do an online shop, why not support small British producers and take a look at Farmison instead?

New customers can enjoy 10% off everything at Farmison until 31st October 2011. Enter the code FARMVC1011 at the checkout to receive your discount. 

The Icecreamists

Tags

breast milk ice cream, Covent Garden, Gelato, Ice cream, Icecreamists, Matt O'Connor

I found myself in a strange situation at work yesterday. I’ve been freelancing at a well-known diet magazine and was offered a mini cupcake by some kind colleague who I’d never met. Of course, it was worlds away from the food mag world, where cakes, bakes (and recently, turkeys) come out of the Test Kitchen at regular intervals, but I’m the kind of person who can’t leave a scrap of food on her plate, let alone turn down free food. For once, though, I let them pass me by. ‘Gosh, you are good,’ she said. If only she knew that the reason I was so strong-willed was that I had just spent my entire lunch hour testing 13 of The Icecreamists new Autumn/Winter ice creams.

For those of you who don’t know The Icecreamists, they’re the guys who hit the headlines earlier this year for serving breast milk ice cream. Yes, really. That, by far and away, is their most popular flavour, even after taking it off the menu, according to founder Matt O’Connor. Even now, they’re inundated with requests, but apparently it was only ever meant to be a satirical statement, questioning why it’s OK to consume any mammal’s milk. But I digress. What they really should be known for is making damn good gelato.

There are normally about 10-15 gelatos and sorbettos on offer, most of which are made every morning in the basement of their Maiden Lane cafe. Piled high in martini glasses (there is no ‘small’ portion) and with fantastical names such as Sex Bomb, The Vanilla Monologues and Cold Sweat, you get the idea that these guys are breaking the mould when it comes to ice cream.

Some of the flavours to look out for in the next few weeks (yet to be named) are:

• Black Vanilla — showcasing the creamiest vanilla gelato but with a hint of charcoal and natural food colouring. Try it served in one of their iconic black cones.
• Mulled Wine — Ice cream isn’t just for summer. This is a scoop of pure Christmas.
• Pistachio — Perhaps not as innovative, but this one just focuses on being the best pistachio ice cream ever. Contentious issue, but you’re not going to know until you try it! Incredible.

My lunch hour finished with Roberto Lobrano (of Carpagiani’s Gelato University, no less), demonstrating a simple yet brilliant gelato dessert. Simply take a basic custard gelato (before adding flavours), and drizzle over a couple of tbsp of aged Moderna balsamic vinegar. Stir and beat together slowly until the alcohol in the balsamic starts to melt the ice cream, to almost reach a pouring consistency. To serve in Icecreamists style, tip into a martini glass and serve. The result is a deliciously sweet gelato, with a slightly acidic, oaky finish that leaves you longing for more.

The Icecreamists have two branches, one in Covent Garden Market and the other nearby on Maiden Lane. Visit The Icecreamists for more info.

Related articles

• The Icecreamist… Bizarre, but good. (tamsinwressell.wordpress.com)
• Gay Ice Cream Bar Pops Up (thefoodielist.co.uk)

One Blenheim Terrace

Tags

british, food, London, restaurant, restaurant review, review, St John's Wood

Last night I went to the launch of One Blenheim Terrace. Located in the leafy neighbourhood of St John’s Wood, this intimate restaurant focuses on classic British dishes, stripped back and delivered with a twist. We were served miniature versions of 3 of the best starters, mains and desserts, each with a paired wine or beer. The full menu for the evening is below, but here are some of my highlights. 

Baked potato – Baked potato consummé with sour cream and chive froth
Incredible – like drinking a baked potato (much nicer than it sounds!) Comfort food in a shot glass. I also heard that the dish in its full form comes with the consummé served in a glass teapot, which you pour over sour cream and chive gnocchi, garnished with edible flowers.

Duck à l’orange – Roast mallard, braised endive, confit leg spelt & orange sauce
The spelt was a beautifully earthy balance to quite a sweet orange sauce, which complemented the duck brilliantly. Worlds away from the garishly overpowering sauce you often get with duck à l’orange.

Rice pudding & Jam – Rice pudding brûlée with damson jam
Just finding rice pudding on the menu made me smile, but the fact that it was well-balanced with the sweet, almost sauce-like damson jam, just the right consistency and topped with a crisp shell of caramelised sugar made it fantastic. It was also paired with a lovely 2009 Elysium Black Muscat Quady, which amplified the damson and berry flavours magnificently.

Of course, not all the dishes worked perfectly – the white Alba truffle was a bit lost atop the Benedict sauce in ‘Eggs Benedict’, which was a shame. And the ‘Cheesecake’ with cheddar cheese and whisky jelly was quite savoury and fell somewhere between the dessert and cheese courses – but perhaps that was the point. On the whole though, the food was excellent.

The driving force behind One Blenheim Terrace is Ed Shaerf. He’s an accomplished chef, having worked at establishments such as The Ivy, Sugarsnap and Claridges, but this is his first solo venture. He’s passionate about serving serious food, with serious service, in a playful style and light-hearted atmosphere. The menu takes you back to your childhood, celebrating the best of British produce and food, while delivering beyond expectations on taste, presentation and innovation. This is Great British Food at its best.

Price: Starters around £9, Mains around £20. However, dine before 7:30pm and the set menu is £16 for 3 courses.
Setting: Modern bistro, with a lovely heated outdoor terrace
Locaton: NW8 0EH, 10 minutes walk from St John’s Wood (Jubilee), Maida Vale (Bakerloo) and Kilburn High Road (Overground).
Contact: 020 7372 1722, oneblenheimterrace.com
Rating: ♥♥♥♥