Category

Brunch

Category
Brunch

Dine Out: Let Farzi Café’s Brunch Menu Spice Up Your Lives

London’s latest Indian, Farzi Café, has the full ability to present first impressions of grandeur, over-priced food and flashiness but it is, in fact, quite the opposite. The Indian import landed in London last year, with venues already present in India and Dubai. Sitting proudly amongst theatreland, next to the Only Fools and Horses Musical, it’s blatant that this restaurant has landed itself a real whopper of a spot in the capital, turning heads with its golden hued signage amidst a sea of concrete buildings.

The restaurant offers two levels of dining alongside opulent colours of luxurious gold and emerald green, which hint towards the Indian heritage. Downstairs is the more intimate of the two areas, with plush sofas and darker lighting. Upstairs, where we found ourselves seated, is a more airy and bright space, equipped with a statement bar and open kitchen to appease the people-watching desires of guests.

Proceedings began with a truffle negroni. Farzi has a booming drinks menu which includes a 12-drink heavy Ayurvedically-inspired tasty cocktail menu, cleverly based around your star sign. Aries, for example, makes use of inhouse hemp shrub with a heady hit of coconut and cardamom, whilst Leo presents itself as a delectably light and refreshing spritz, with aromatic bergamot.

Brunch, the boozy stopover between breakfast and lunch, brings people together to raise glasses and natter, and Farzi Café sure does a good one. Try their feasting menu and expect an eclectic journey through India’s complex and colourful food scene.

To begin, we delved into a barley and apple salad with aerated dahi Bhalla; an exquisite dish with a fluffy texture I’d never tried before. The fermented rice pancakes served with feta and baby asparagus playfully mixed the tastes of sweet and sour, with feta wholesomely complementing its rice pancake counterpart. The quesadillas with butter chicken, kidney beans and smoked cheddar were a favourite of my dining companions who raved about their crispy exterior and soft oozy cheese.

When it came to the main course, it was all about one thing… Chateaubriand. As one of the most succulent cuts of beef, it’s a pleasure to try any cuisines take on it, and Farzi’s didn’t disappoint. A dark crust on the exterior from the lick of the hot flame grill and masala spice rub was a beautiful contrast to the perfect pink medium rare that we ordered. The presentation brought a theatricality to the course, as the beef was sliced and draped on a long metal skewer horizontally.

If that wasn’t enough, the waiter slowly poured the rich and spicy tomato jus along the skewer, creating a lagoon of sauce which we were ready to dive into. Tender, smoky and luxurious were the words that came to mind. We almost forgot about the sides as the beef was stealing the limelight however it would be rude not to mention the assortment of Indian breads including naan and roti, all glistening with butter ghee and garlic. These were the perfect vehicle for the black lentil daal that was served as well.

Bottomless drinks are available for two hours and include Cobra beer, house wine, prosecco and soft drinks. The inclusion of beer, wine and soft drinks made for a nice change to most brunches, which tend to offer just the one drink, typically leading to a mimosa-related hangover! We also chose a classic old fashioned­ – a recommendation of the waiter – happily opting for their Indian take on it which included a subtle hint of cinnamon. It’s not always wise to mess with the classics but seeing as cinnamon pairs delightfully with whiskey and bitter orange notes, we gave this adaptation a thumbs up.

And, to keep stomachs lined, I highly recommend delving fork first into Farzi’s exemplary dessert platter, featuring candied sweet lime fondant with lemon cannelloni, strawberry short cake and the best coconut sorbet I ever did eat! Farzi Café’s mission is to get Indian cuisine back “in-Vogue” and certainly dispels the inherited view of Indian resto interiors being stuck in the 1980s with their beige, leather embellishments. Farzi is luxe and the food follows suit with its modernist influence leading to customers being shy to ruin the artistic decadence in front of them. Big on table theatrics but at a low cost, Farzi Café has a lot of qualities I look for in a restaurant; reasonable prices, funky looking dishes and service with a smile.

Farzi Café can be found at 8 Haymarket, West End, London SW1Y 4BP. For more information visit www.farzilondon.com

by
Keep Reading
Brunch

Wellbeing Recipes with International Flavours

We are living in a strange world at the moment, one where we are now housebound for the foreseeable future to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Here in the UK #TeamCoco are bringing you new ways to enjoy travel without having to leave the safety of your own home, and what better way to feel worldly than to experience new recipes with international flavours.

We have added a few of our favourite wellbeing recipes for you to try at home while in lockdown, for the days when you need some much needed self care.

Yakult and Yuki Gomi – Udon Noodle Salad with Ginger and Carrot Dressing

Taking inspiration from ikigai, the Japanese concept which encourages us to find richness in our lives – our “reason for being”, Yakult have teamed up with Japanese chef and teacher Yuki Gomi to create some simple and nourishing recipes so we can all enjoy the joy of Japanese food at home.

Ingredients (serves 2)
150g Dried soba noodles, 6 Plum tomatoes, 6 Stems of broccoli (boiled or steamed), 6 Sugar snap peas (boiled or steamed), 50g Red cabbage, ¼ cup Edamame (boiled), 1 cup Mixed salad leaves, ½ tbs Peanut oil, 1 Medium carrot, 1 Small red onion, 1cm Peeled ginger, 80ml Olive oil, 50ml Soy sauce, 50ml Rice vinegar, 1tbs Mirin, 1tbs Honey
Optional
Sesame seeds, Spring onion, Chives, Shiso leaves, Coriander, Cress
Method
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 6-8 minutes. While the noodles are cooking, add a cup of cold water to the pot 2 or 3 times. This will improve the texture of the noodles. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop them cooking further. Mix with oil and place them in a bowl for serving. For the dressing, add the carrot, onion, peeled ginger, olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin and honey into a food processer. Liquidise until smooth. Slice the tomatoes into bite size pieces, and add these and the salad leaves onto the noodles. Pour the dressing over, just before serving.
Yuki’s Tip
For garnish, use sesame seeds, thinly slices spring onions, herbs (chives, shiso leaves, coriander) and cress. Cooking time depends on the noodle brand. Please refer to package’s instructions for specific timing. You can use sunflower, peanut or olive oil.
Visit www.yakult.co.uk

Essilor.co.uk – Sweet Potato and Spinach Quesadilla

Looking for ways to help maintain healthy eyesight? This South American themed recipe from eye health experts Essilor.co.uk is eye wateringly tasty and has all of the essential nutrients to promote good eye health.
Sweet potatoes and spinach are both essential sources of vitamins and minerals that promote eye health. Packed with beta carotene, the body converts beta carotene in sweet potatoes into vitamin A, a nutrient that helps prevent dry eyes and night blindness. Beta carotene and vitamin A also may help reduce the risk eye infections.

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 sweet potato, 2 tortillas, 100g spinach, 1⁄2 jalepeno chilli – chopped, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 garlic clove (crushed), 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, salt and pepper for seasoning.
Method
Pierce the sweet potatoes and cook in an oven at 200 degrees for 50 minutes, or until soft. Let the potatoes cool and scoop out the inners. Heat some of the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic, heat for 1-2 minutes until brown, add the sweet potato flesh, spinach, jalapeno and cumin. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally, season accordingly. Spread the filling on one half of each of the tortillas and fold shut, brush with oil on each side and cook on a hot griddle pan for 3 minutes or until brown.
Recipe from Essilor.co.uk (www.essilor.co.uk)

The Good Plates – Monkfish, Chickpeas, and Walnut Gremolata

Chef and mental health ambassador Andrew Clarke has created The Good Plates recipes in conjunction with nutritional therapist Ian Marber, designed to help maintain positive mental wellbeing.
The below Mediterranean recipe was created for David Lloyd Clubs’ The Good Plates, an interactive dining experience pop up where the interiors, food, music, and seating layout were all designed to complement positive mental health.

Ingredients and Method
The Monkfish
600g Monkfish on bone, skinless. Warm unsalted butter or olive oil. Salt and pepper. Steam at 51c for 25-30 mins, pat dry and rub with oil or butter, season with salt & pepper, finish on hot charcoal grill basting with oil or butter, rest and keep warm.
Chickpeas
300g dried chickpeas (soaked overnight), drained. 1 onion. 1 carrot. 1 celery stick. 1 leek. 6 cloves garlic. 1 red chilli. Bouquet garnis (rosemary, thyme, bay). 100ml extra virgin olive oil. Put all contents in saucepan, fill with fresh water, bring to boil for 10 mins, reduce to simmer, cook for 1.5/2 hours until soft (make sure always covered with water), cool down and store in the liquid, season when cool.
Whole Roast Chickpeas
200g of drained chickpeas. 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. 1 sprig rosemary. 2 cloves garlic. Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Warm olive oil in pan with rosemary and garlic over a medium heat, add chickpeas and increase heat, cook for a minute or two until they have firmer texture, season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, keep warm.
Chickpea Puree
300g of chickpeas and just enough of the cooking liquid to cover. 50ml extra virgin olive oil. 1⁄2 1 lemon juice. Salt & pepper to taste. Put all ingredients except the salt & pepper in blender, blitz at high speed until smooth puree, add more cooking liquid if not blending well, season and keep warm.
Pickled Baby Onions
200g pomegranate molasses. 50ml merlot vinegar. 200g baby onions. Roast onions over fire or coals until skins blacken, once cooled remove charred skin, warm molasses and vinegar, pour over onions and keep warm.
Walnut Gremolata
50g roasted walnuts. 25g parsley. 1 lemon zest. 1 garlic clove. 50ml walnut or extra virgin olive oil. Salt to taste. Roughly chop walnuts and parsley, put in small mixing bowl, grate lemon zest, finely grate in garlic, add oil and season.
Assembly
On large plate put chickpea puree in the centre, monkfish can sit on top, put roasted chickpeas over monkfish (allowing any to naturally fall off), dot pickled onions over and around, finally top with gremolata and serve immediately.
Visit https://bit.ly/39fBxhR for more recipes from The Good Plates

by
Keep Reading
Australia

Timmy Green: what exactly is Australian cuisine?

When you think of Japanese cuisine, you might be thinking of raw fish. When you think of Indian cuisine, you might be thinking tandoori. What about Australian cuisine then? The answer is probably all of the above. With Australia’s post-war multicultural immigration policy, the diverse communities in the country have created a brilliant melting pot of culinary greatness. If you want to understand the diversity of Australian cuisine, you could do a lot worse than paying a visit to Timmy Green in Victoria.
The restaurant is named after the owner’s late brother, a patriotic Australian cowboy who embraced everything about traditional farm life. The menu takes inspiration from his love of the land from items like grass-fed and 28+days dry-aged steaks to popular sharing platters like the Aussie BBQ meat board with locally sourced lamb tomahawk, herb & fennel sausages, and smoky BBQ back ribs, etc.

Vegetarians and pescatarians are also well-catered for here. During our visit, we tried an extremely appetising tuna tataki; tiger’s milk used to cook this dish is always an ideal starter with liberal doses of lime juice to help whet the appetite. My vegetarian guest ordered the smoked aubergine tacos and you can’t fail to admire the audacity of the dish which brings together Middle-Eastern, Mexican and Korean cuisine all under one creation. It was served with avocado cream, pickled cucumber, house kimchi, slow-baked carrot, and coriander.

Portions are on the generous side especially if you order their signature, famous chicken parmigiana. It is always a winning formula for success if you can include tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan and panko coated chicken schnitzel in the same dish. When we tried the dish, the meat was moist and tender and it also came with prosciutto and hand-cut chips. Considering the menu isn’t particularly lengthy, they do offer plenty of vegan-friendly options such as fire-roasted aubergine and fragrant roasted butternut squash and carrot curry.

Sides are more often than not treated as an afterthought, but at Timmy Green, they are not-to-be-missed, especially the Korean hot potato which includes 15 layers of crispy potato gratin flavoured with spicy habanero sauce and served along with pickled kohlrabi and crispy onions.
We were defeated by the size of the main courses, but if you do have a spacious dessert stomach, you can try some of their Australian classics like pavlova and Melbourne Mars Bar cheesecake ball.
Timmy Green is also well-known for being one of the most popular places for brunches with Londoners, so there is no reason not to check out the restaurant soon.

https://www.daisygreenfood.com/venues/timmy-green

by
Keep Reading
Brunch

Yaasss, It’s Pancake Day Tomorrow!

Do you have all the ingredients to make your own pancakes at home, are you buying in ready-made pancakes, or heading to a mate’s house for Shrove Tuesday treats?

Whatever your decision, we’ve got the low-down on how to enjoy this one-day pancake feast whether at home alone, with your fam, or with your besties.

Traditionally, way back when people fasted in the run up to Easter, shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day was the day to feast before Lent, it’s when people emptied their cupboards of flour, eggs, sugar and milk and anything that was going to go off, and turned into either savoury or sweet pancakes.

We love pancake day at #TeamCoco, I mean, who doesn’t?

Manuka Honey Pancakes with Melora

Our favourite culinary day of the year is the perfect opportunity to get creative in the kitchen and show off your flipping skills, and Melora has got you covered. With their delicious range of convenient Melora Manuka Honey Squeeze bottles, Pancake Day will be a doddle.

If you have a sweet tooth but are also ingredient conscious, you could try rolled oats pancakes topped with one of the tasty Melora Manuka toppings!

Ingredients for oat-based pancakes:
100g rolled oats, ground to create oat flour, 1 ripe banana (approx. 90-100g), 90ml Unsweetened Almond Milk (can use Oat Milk too), 1 tbsp Melora Honey & Manuka Squeeze, 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 2 tsp Baking Powder, 2 Medjool Dates finely chopped

Method:
Grind 100g of oats in blender. Add the banana, almond milk, Manuka Honey, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract and baking powder. Blend for 1-minute until combined. Leave mixture to thicken for 5 minutes. Finally stir in chopped dates so they are evenly distributed. Spoon ladle of mixture (enough to make 6 pancakes) onto non-stick pan. Cook on a low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add your favourite Melora Manuka Squeeze and you’re ready to devour.

Melora’s bottles come in a variety of flavours including Honey & Manuka, Honey & Lemon, Honey & Blueberry, Honey & Cherry and Honey & Ginger.

Available from www.melora.co.uk, currently 1/3 off £7.99 (Usually £11.99), for 400g.

The Ultimate Pancakes with Hotel Chocolat Pecan & Salted Caramel Chocolate Spread

You already know what type of pancakes you are making, and all you want are endless chocolate filled deliciousness on your plate. Then look no further than Hotel Chocolat, and pick up their Pecan & Salted Caramel Chocolate Spread for a simple, yet completely indulgent Shrove Tuesday treat.

Available from www.hotelchocolat.com, priced at £6 for 160g.

Simple and Classy Posh Cow Butter Pancakes

If you are thinking that your pancakes should be classy and unfussy tomorrow then you need to call into M&S and pick up some brand new Posh Cow Butter.

You can opt for savoury with the Posh Cow whipped with Smoked Sea Salt Butter, or you can go sweet with the Posh Cow whipped Blossom Honey & Cinnamon Butter. Simply make your pancakes with your favourite recipe, and when finished, stack them and add lashings of Posh Cow Butter – then delve right in!

Available from M&S stores across the UK, priced at £2.80 each (150g).

Japanese Soufflé Pancakes with Aldi

Try your hand at cooking fluffy and delightful Japanese Soufflé Pancakes – that don’t fall flat. Top with Raspberries and Whipped Cream.

Ingredients:
2 x Eggs (separate yolks and whites), 1 ½ tbsp whole milk, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 30g plain flour, ½ tsp baking powder, 3 tbsp caster sugar, vegetable oil, icing sugar, whipped cream, raspberries, mint leaves.

Method:
Add the milk, egg yolks, vanilla and 1 tbsp of caster sugar into bowl. Beat with large whisk until thick, smooth and creamy. Sift the flour and baking powder, fold into yolk mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until they turn pale white. Slowly add 2 tbsp caster sugar, whisking as you go. Continue to whisk until egg whites are glossy and hold a stiff peak shape when you remove whisk. Put frying pan with the 4 crumpet rings, on the lowest heat possible. Lightly coat the pan and rings in oil and leave to heat while you continue making mixture. Using metal spoon, lightly fold whisked egg whites into yolk mixture, folding gently ensuring to keep a light, fluffy texture. Gently pile 3 tablespoons of mixture into each ring. Leave to cook for 5 to 6 minutes until pancakes have risen and firmed enough to be able to carefully flip over in the ring. Cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes and then ease the pancakes out of their rings – run a sharp knife down the sides if you need to loosen. Plate, dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream, raspberries and mint leaves.

All items available from Aldi. Alternatively take your pick of different pancakes to make at home with Aldi’s Traditional Pancake Mix (89p), or go American style with the American Pancake Mix (£1.29), for the ever-so-fluffiest of pancakes.

A Rewarding Pancake Day with OLIO The Sharing App

If you want to do something rewarding this pancake day, as well as eating pancakes of course, then the UK’s favourite sharing app OLIO is encouraging British households to strip their cupboards of the food they know they won’t eat and share it with neighbours who might.

If you take it back to basics, Pancake Day is all about food waste – stripping the home of food that isn’t going to be eaten so it didn’t end up in the bin for Lent.

According to waste reduction charity WRAP (www.wrap.org.uk) the average British family throws away £730 worth of food a year, amounting to £14 billion of household waste a year.

Tessa Clarke, co-founder of OLIO, explained: “If you think about it, Pancake Day was the original zero waste day for many households. Nowadays, we’re all guilty of keeping unwanted food in the back of the fridge or the cupboard until it goes off and has to be binned. Why not use Pancake Day as the day to do a thorough clear-out and reduce food waste within the home?

“Those unwanted tins of butterbeans, the forgotten lemons in the fruit bowl or even the half bag of coriander in the fridge may not be useful to you – but they could be to somebody close by!”

OLIO has over 1.7million users across 49 countries who, to date, have shared over 3million portions of food. 50% of listings are requested within the hour, while 75% are requested within 24 hours.

Visit www.olioex.com to find out more, or download the OLIO app on your mobile.

by
Keep Reading
Afternoon Tea

Coco Crush: 6 Tasty Treats

We have been super healthy all month at #TeamCoco (well, almost all month), so it’s time to let our hair down, dive head first into our January payday funds, and enjoy a tasty treat or two.

February is basically here, and with it brings the month of love, so why not love yourself and tuck into something delicious, nutritious, and thoroughly enjoyable?

Check out these delectable foodie treats and divine drinks to get you through the month ahead. We have included a seriously good sugar alternative, a flavoursome Mexican recipe, a super selection of cooking sauces, a rich vegan cheese, a mindful cup of tea, and an excellent rose negroni cocktail.

What’s not to love about February!

Natvia

Natvia is a great tasting sweetener made from 100% naturally sourced GMO-free ingredients. It tastes deliciously sweet, with no bitter aftertaste, or nasty chemicals – typical of other artificial sweeteners. If that wasn’t enough, Natvia has zero calories per serving. That’s 100% less calories than sugar.

Natvia is created from a unique blend of organic Stevia (a sweet leafed plant) and erythritol (a natural nectar found in melons and grapes) making it 100% natural.

Not only for your morning cuppa, try sprinkling Natvia over porridge, baking your best Mary Berry cake creation, or even adding to savoury sauces, such as curry or bolognaise, for that extra special touch.

Priced at £5 (300g), available from Tesco stores and tesco.com

Old El Paso

Old El Paso, the UK’s favourite Mexican food brand is bringing the celebrated
Super Bowl party to the nation as they join forces with NFL as the official UK partner of Super Bowl LIV.

This weekend is Super Bowl Sunday. Traditionally, it was an American celebration, but with American Football growing in popularity Mexican food brand Old El Paso want to show you how to throw the infamous Super Bowl Party in style.

Why not try half-time Halloumi Fajitas? Recipe below:

Ingredients: Halloumi, veg oil, mixed peppers, black beans, sour cream, jalapeños, avocado slices, Old El Paso Crispy Crumb Seasoning, Old El Paso Flour Tortillas, Old El Paso Salsa.

Method: Slice halloumi into 1cm thick slices and mix with veg oil and Old El Paso Crispy Crumb Seasoning, to coat. Pan fry halloumi alongside peppers until lightly golden and crispy on each side. Microwave Old El Paso Soft Flour Tortillas 35-40 seconds. Lay the crispy halloumi on the warm flour tortillas; add black beans, avocado and cooling sour cream. For a real kick add jalapenos and finish with Old El Paso Salsa. Serve

Old El Paso Fajita Kits, Salsa, and Flour Tortillas available from most UK supermarkets.

Bay’s Kitchen

Bay’s Kitchen, the innovative new range of award-winning FODMAP-friendly, gluten-free certified, vegan-approved, stir in sauces. Featuring six tasty flavours – Mild Korma, Thai Green Curry, Tikka Masala, Jalfrezi Curry, Sweet & Sour, and Tomato & Basil.

Low FODMAP is the only scientifically approved diet to help relieve IBS sufferers from symptoms like uncomfortable bloating, changes in bowel habits, fatigue and stomach cramps.

Priced at £3.95 (per 260g jar), available from Morrisons, Ocado, and bayskitchen.com

Camelia

So, you enjoyed Veganuary and are continuing into the next few months, and want to up your game when it comes to a cheeseboard. Check out the tasty brie-like vegan alternative Camelia.

This bloomy rind fermentino is an organic 100% plant based vegan cheese made from cashews and macadamia nuts, and it makes a vegan cheeseboard burst with flavour.

Priced at £8.95 (100g), available from abelandcole.co.uk

Tea Makers of London, SANE Blend

The Tea Makers of London have partnered with mental health charity, SANE, to support their vital work in campaigning, researching and providing care for those in mental health crisis, and together they have created a special herbal blend.

With months of tea trials and expert blending, a special herbal infusion has been created – Refreshing SANE Herbal Blend.

The tea is a comforting herbal infusion of chamomile blossoms, tangerine and rose blossoms. This refreshing loose leaf tea makes for a delicately aromatic infusion, ideal for enjoying during a quiet moment in the day. This is a mild and sweet blend with citrus notes and ginger, perfected with wellbeing in mind.

Priced at £7.95 (80g caddy), available from theteamakers.co.uk

Lanique Spirit of Rose Liqueur

Have you ever tried Lanique Spirit of Rose? When you drink Lanique you’re drinking the true Spirit of Rose. Enjoyed for over 200 years, throughout European aristocracy by kings, queens and emperors, Lanique is the pure distillation of 18th century splendour recreated in this modern world.

Lanique have suggested trying a Lanique Rose Negroni and we are all over it. A floral twist on a bitter classic, this serve packs a high-spirited punch with a delicate rosy finish.

You will need:

12.5ml Lanique, 12.5ml dry vermouth, 25ml gin, 25ml Campari. Simply serve over ice and garnish with an orange wedge.

Priced at £31.95 (70cl), available from masterofmalt.com, alternatively visit lanique.co.uk for more information about the brand and for other cocktail recipes.

by
Keep Reading
Brunch

Merry Vegan Christmas

There are some rather delicious food & drink gifts to buy for your vegan friends this Christmas, so #TeamCoco has put together a list of three favourites that even non-vegans will love. You’re welcome!

Obviously no Christmas food list is complete without cheese and pickle, yet vegan cheese can be so unbelievably tricky to buy. Check out this rather fabulous vegan cheese and pickle hamper.

Branston x La Fauxmagerie. Priced at £25, available from https://lafauxmagerie.com

Limited Edition taster hampers are available until the end of December, and contain Farmhouse by Kinda Co. & Branston Small Chunk Pickle – a semi hard cheddar style cheese made from cashew nuts, with a strong cheddar profile and sweet buttery notes. Papa Rica by I Am Not Ok and Branston Original Pickle – a smooth, smoky cashew cheese with a bold hit of paprika. Muenster by The Arty Vegan and Branston Smooth Pickle – a perfect smoky vegan cheese to spread on crispbreads.

Don’t we all look forward to a festive tipple at Christmas, and what better than creamy, nutty, caramel vegan cocktail.

The Infusionist Caramel and Hazelnut Rum Liqueur is a vegan rum, priced at £9.99 per bottle from Aldi – www.aldi.co.uk

Caramel Frost Cocktail

50ml The Infusionist Caramel and Hazelnut Rum Liqueur, 25ml vegan almond milk substitute, 25ml vegan plant double alternative to dairy cream, 2 drops of Aldi’s Moroccan Almond Extract, Moser Roth vegan-friendly Luxury Dark Chocolate

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with cubed ice
2. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker turns cold
3. Strain into a chilled coupette (or martini glass)
4. Garnish with grated Aldi’s Moser Roth Luxury Dark Chocolate shavings

Firetree Collection, Gift Box Five Bar, priced at £35, available from www.firetreechocolate.com

Firetree, the super-premium vegan-friendly chocolate brand gift box has been created to emphasise Firetree’s taste, quality and premium credentials and are the ideal presents for all your vegan friends and family this Christmas.

Containing 5 bars of beautifully crafted chocolate, ranging from 72% to 84% cocoa, grown in volcanic soil – a true exploration in taste.

by
Keep Reading
Brunch

Delivering sustainability all the way at Lino, London

There are plenty of restaurants out there these days who like to use buzz words like ‘locally-sourced’ and ‘sustainable’ but do they deliver where it matters? Lino, situated between Farringdon and Barbican puts their money where their mouth is, so it isn’t just kitchen ingredients that are sustainably sourced but they’ve also upcycled restaurant decor fittings to offer a modern, industrial sheen to the proceedings with items like salvaged light fittings.

The kitchen team at Lino are just passionate chefs at heart so they pickle, ferment, bake and cure everything they use on their menu onsite. They mould their menu around what seasonal shrubs, vegetables, herbs, and fruits that are available.

Careful consideration has gone into every dish to ensure delivering a powerful taste memory long after you leave the restaurant. Sauerkraut and cheddar croquettes with truffle mayonnaise is one of their most popular dish and it’s not hard to see why that is the case with every mouthful an explosion of umami richness and particularly heartwarming during these wintry conditions.
This was likewise the case for their celeriac and truffle soup, which was much thicker in viscosity and richness than I would normally expect from similar offerings elsewhere and it had a lovely textural contrast with the crunch from the toasted hazelnuts.

I am not normally the kind of diner that opts to go vegetarian for all my courses but I did find their Delica pumpkin ragu pasta topped with walnuts and stichelton irresistibly appealing. The dense, orange flesh of the Delica pumpkin helped to give the pasta a vivid, mouthwatering colour and the fruit itself has an intense, buttery flavour. On top, you can taste the slightly caramelised notes due to the higher sugar content.

My guest opted for the Yorkshire lamb which by all accounts was equally tasty especially as it was served with salt-baked turnips and black garlic and had a decent distribution between the fattier and leaner parts of the meat. Although we had no room to try most of the sides, it was interesting to see such a British classic like pigs in blankets appear on the menu.

Being next to St Bartholomew’s Hospital, I did wonder if most of their guests are consultants from the hospital or visitors to the hospital, but during our visit, there was a varied clientele from people on business meetings to just diners appreciative of the modern British culinary offering.

https://www.linolondon.co.uk/

by
Keep Reading
Brunch

Dine Out: Turtle Bay

Amidst the hustle and bustle of York there are plenty of quaint cobbled streets to wander down and take time away from the busy shoppers off the beaten track. One of those streets is Little Stonegate, just a stone’s throw from the world-famous York Minster, yet it feels like it could be miles away from the crowds and bustling Yorkshire city.

Little Stonegate plays host to many different restaurants from across the globe, you’ll find British, Italian, Thai, Latin American, Spanish, American, and Caribbean. And, Caribbean is where #TeamCoco girl Rachel McAlley spent a lazy, relaxed, food filled afternoon dining at Turtle Bay.

The word reggae is written in neon lights above the Turtle Bay door, and once inside the restaurant, the sounds and the smells of the Caribbean hit you like a rum punch. The cocktails are intoxicating, the menu takes you through a journey of flavours, the music playlist includes ragga, reggae, salsa, calypso, dancehall and there’s a huge wall filled with speakers.

We opted for a couple of virgin passion punch mocktails (£4.50 each or 2-4-1 happy hour) and a ginger beer (£4) to ease our way from the Yorkshire chill into the Caribbean spirit while browsing the vast menu. First on our radar was the beach sharing platter (£14) which included jerk pit chicken wings, bbq pork ribs, coconut milk and panko fried squid, bara roti, cucumber chutney and pickled veg. The absolute best flavours from these sharers were the panko squid and the bbq ribs, mouthwateringly good in fact.

Our mains were difficult to choose because there were just so many, and as there is also a brand new brunch menu we didn’t know whether to go for the brunch option or for something from the main menu. We decided to stick with the classic mains, so our first choice was from the soul food section of the menu, 24-hour buttermilk marinated, panko coated chicken thighs, mac ‘n’ cheese and pickled vegetables (£10.90), our second main was from the burgers and roti section, which included the surf side burger; a fish patty, crispy squid, mango mole, rocket and jerk mayo (£7.50). The stand out dish was the fish patty burger, the combination of mango sauce, fried fish, and soft bread bun were totally scrumptious.

Not that we needed any side dishes, but obviously it would be rude not to, so we went for the three side plates option (£8) including spiced fries, dirty curry fries (+£1), and grilled halloumi cheese (+£1). ‘Hello’ to the dirty curry fries dripping in cheese, oh my word they were good!

With absolutely no room for dessert, we wobbled back out to the streets of York to join the mayhem of the Christmas markets, both seriously full and exceptionally fulfilled.

If you are in York and fancy a little Caribbean cuisine then Turtle Bay is a must visit, it will leave you feeling content and comforted.

We must give the brand new brunch menu a brief mention as it looked ace, the bottomless brunch includes any brunch dish from the menu with unlimited bellinis, cocktails (not part of happy hour), and unlimited draught red stripe (£25 per person).

Turtle Bay, 11 Little Stonegate, York, YO1 8AX
01904 733 995
www.turtlebay.co.uk

by
Keep Reading