Creamy Sausage Penne

Yes, I know. I have been awful with posting this past month. I have to say, though, my excuse is fairly legitimate; I have been job hunting and trying to settle Missy into childcare. Both of them hard work, especially with a munchkin that is going through a bit of separation anxiety - poor thing!

I have been pretty active in the kitchen - I even made some more bread - and I have even been taking some pictures. I just haven't had any time to type or upload anything. Hopefully I ll get a bit better again soon! We have had some pretty nice meals too - including a lovely cauliflower puree with pan fried scallops. Yum! This recipe is a little easier on the wallet, however. You can buy any good quality pork sausage for this, just make sure that the flavourings in the sausage actually work with pasta and cream! I just bought some simple Gloucester Old Spot sausages.

Serves 2

250g penne
2-3 good quality pork sausages
1 onion
dried chili flakes or 1 whole fresh chili, chopped
half a glass of white wine
1 tsp of tomato paste
150ml double cream
a few leaves of fresh basil
olive oil
pepper
Grated Parmesan

Chop the onion into thin slivers and fry off lightly in a little olive oil. Once softened put the heat up and add the sausage meat - removed from the skin. Break up the sausage meat in the pan and brown it off. In the meantime, boil the pasta. Once the meat has browned add the chili and the white wine. Once the wine has reduced by half, add the tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the cream. Cook until the pasta is ready. Finally add the torn basil leaves, a good grind of pepper and the pasta. Stir and serve with a little grated Parmesan.

Smoked Trout Salad with Horseradish Dressing

I haven't posted for ages and I do apologise! I don't really have an excuse, other than the fact that I seem to be cooking lots of the same at the moment (weather is very confusing too!), so I don't have much new to write about. I could have had something great to write about last week; I went to the Hand and Flowers with my husband for dinner. 3 days after it was awarded its 2nd Michelin Star! But I forgot my camera and I didn't feel it would be fair of me to write about something that I couldn't show you images of. All I will say is that the food was amazing and we will be going again very soon, I hope!

In any case, this salad is really tasty, filling and fresh. I first made it 5 years ago and have adjusted it over time. It is no Hand and Flowers food, but its tasty and probably cheaper!

Serves 2

2 fillets of hot smoked trout
1 ripe avocado
150g of salad leaves
1 tbs of flaked almonds

for the  dressing

juice of 1/2 orange, freshly squeezed
pinch of salt
pepper
1 tsp of creamed horseradish
1 tbs of olive oil

Place the salad into each plate and flake the fillet of trout over the leaves (check for any bones at this point). Cut up the avocado in cubes and add to the salad and sprinkle the almonds on top. For the dressing whisk the orange juice, salt, pepper, horseradish and olive oil until combined (check for seasoning and heat and add more horseradish if you like). Drizzle the dressing over the salad and enjoy.

Bread (BLW)

Bread is such a great thing to have in the house, especially if you have a baby (and if you are Greek!). But I always feel guilty offering her shop-bought bread, as it has salt in it. I know it doesn't seem like much, but a little salt here and there, adds up. So when I was making pizza the other day, I decided I would double the quantity of dough and make some plain bread as well as the pizza. Home made, salt-free bread sounds like a nice thing to offer your little one, right? Guilt-free toast for my baby! I also managed to find some salt and sugar-free peanut butter in a local shop, so what a perfect afternoon snack would a peanut butter sandwich make?

Here is the recipe - exactly the same as the pizza base. I will be trying it with added things, like seeds or nuts and will update it if it works! But for plain white bread, it does work. 

280g of strong plain white flour
2 tsp of easy-blend yeast
250ml of warm water
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt (if NOT doing BLW)

Sift the flour and yeast into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the water and olive oil into the well and mix together into a soft dough. Tip it out into a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Return to a clean bowl (dust the bowl lightly with flour before adding the dough, so that the dough doesn't stick), cover with clingfilm or a damp towel and leave in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until more than doubled in size.
After it has doubled in size turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock out the air and knead again briefly. Place in a lightly floured loaf tin, make a slit across the top of the dough and bake at 200 fan oven for 25-30 minutes, till risen. Remove from the tin as soon as it comes out of the oven and tap under the loaf - it should sound hollow. Allow to cool on a rack.

Pizza (BLW)

I have been watching the Great British Bake Off on TV for the last few weeks quite obsessively. And I have to say that baking has always scared me a little, but this show makes it seem even harder! It's strange, because I have made profiteroles in the past (yes, from scratch!) and I have baked many cakes, but I guess this show highlights all that can go wrong too. And the judges are very harsh!

So when making pizza came to mind the other day, the thought of making the salt-free dough from scratch was quite intimidating. In any case, I persevered. What is the worst that can happen? I waste a little flour and water, right? I followed the recipe for the dough, with a few breaks to attend to a crying baby - currently going through a little separation anxiety or something... It worked! Obviously, the toppings were made up as I went, but the base turned out beautifully! I was/ am so proud!

Serves 2 (hungry) people, plus a mini one

for the base:

280g of strong plain white flour
2 tsp of easy-blend yeast
250ml of warm water
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt (if NOT doing BLW)

for the topping

6-8 anchovy fillets
1 red onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 grated courgette
8 cherry tomatoes
4 tbs of passata
100g of grated mozzarella (or buffalo mozzarella if you feel extravagant)

For the dough base, sift the flour and yeast into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the water and olive oil into the well and mix together into a soft dough. Tip it out into a lightly floured surface and knead for at least 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Return to a clean bowl (dust the bowl lightly with flour before adding the dough, so that the dough doesn't stick), cover with clingfilm or a damp towel and leave in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until more than doubled in size.

After it has doubled in size turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock out the air and knead again briefly. Roll it out roughly and lift it into a large oiled baking sheet. Stretch it out carefully with your fingers to reach the edges of the sheet. Add the passata and spread it our thinly. Add any topping of your liking - the toppings above are just guidance. For babies, I would leave out the anchovies, as they are very salty. Sprinkle with cheese and place in a preheated fan oven at 200. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the base is crisp.

The satisfaction of eaten a home-made pizza is great, The fact that it tastes so good is a fantastic bonus...

mini pizza, for my mini girl

Roganic

It was my birthday last week and as always we 'buy' each other meals or food instead of presents! I feel so lucky that my husband loves food just as much as I do! He booked Roganic for lunch for the two of us. I hadn't really had time to look at their menu in much detail before we went, so I didn't really know what to expect. All I knew about it, was that they often use quite 'strange' ingredients that I wouldn't really have heard of or eaten before.

Once again, it was a bit of an ordeal leaving Missy - more because I was late getting ready, than anything else... We got there 40 minutes later and I felt calmer the moment I walked into the small, yet light, dining space. The tables are well-spaced and the ambiance relaxed. The staff are very friendly and made us feel comfortable instantly.

And once again, we looked at the menu for no reason at all; we knew we were going to go for the 10 courses! It was my birthday after all! My husband went for the matching wines too - all from the Leth winery in Austria.

The first hint of brilliance arrived in the form of a canape: Squid ink crisp with aioli smear, cucumber foam and linseeds (or at least we think they were linseeds, but I was washing my hands when the canape arrived, so I missed the description!). It was amazing. Light and refreshing, yet full of flavour.

Then the bread arrived. Or should I say breads! There was chestnut flatbread, Irish soda, potato and buttermilk, and Pumpernickel. All delicious, rich in flavour and fluffy in texture. The Irish soda was almost like a cake! All served with whipped salted butter.

1st course: Heirloom tomato, poached lambs tongue and dill custard. It was amazing! One of the nicest things I have ever eaten, and I don't even like lamb that much! The dill custard was pure genius, rich in texture, but so light in flavour! The whole dish was very velvety, with a crisp texture coming from the dehydrated tomatoes.

 

2nd course: Braddock White, puff ball mushroom, barley flakes and marjoram. The Braddock White is a type of duck egg. A deliciously creamy, slow-cooked duck egg, with mushrooms and crispiness and a marjoram oil drizzled on top. Very good indeed!

3rd course: Cured and smoked River Tweed trout, Watts farm peppers and crab apple. This course was genius! It arrived at the table in a glass cloche filled with smoke (no picture I'm afraid!) I think this was a contender for my favourite course and was one of those things that I will never forget eating. It sounds simple, but the texture and flavour of the trout was fantastic and it worked so well with the roasted red and yellow peppers and the apple puree. Dreamy stuff!

4th course: Pig and smoked eel, black mustard, sea purslane and pickled corn. This course had us split in terms of its success. My husband loved it, I thought it was fine, but not great. I found something on the plate left a slight bitterness on the palette - possibly the black mustard? The pig and eel croquettes were delicious, though and the sea purslane was a lovely salty and crunchy addition.

5th course: Grilled langoustine, purple sprouting, elder and loganberry oil. This was another great course. The langoustine was cooked perfectly and it had a great barbecued flavour. The loganberry was a pleasant surprise and it complimented the langoustine so well. Perfect middle course to get us back on track for the rest of the meal!

6th course: Royal kidneys cooked in chicken fat, snow peas, goat's curd and clam juice. Royal kidneys are potatoes, for those who didn't know - I was one of those! The whole dish was also finished off with crispy chicken skin. It was all very delicious and extremely rich. My husband enjoyed it more than me - I found it a little too rich and strong in flavour.

7th course: Skate belly, young beet root, caramelised cauliflower, King scallop. This was definitely the second contender for best course. The fish was perfectly cooked, almost nutty from the butter it was cooked in. The beet root worked really well with it and the caramelised cauliflower puree was out of this world. It was sweet and creamy and delicious and I could have eaten tonnes of it! This was a perfectly balanced dish and I wish there was a device that could allow me to 'save' those flavours.

8th course: Cumbrian rose veal cooked in buttermilk, cobnuts, mead and wild cabbage puree. The final contender for the best course! The veal was cooked to perfection, tender as anything and so moist! Yet again this dish achieved the perfect balance of richness with freshness - all the ingredients working together in unison to create something great. I 'll let the picture speak for itself!

Cheese course: We decided to share a little cheese too, as we obviously hadn't had enough food already! The cheese, all British (goats cheese with ash, Wigmore, a Gouda-esque cheese, a blue cheese and a whisky rind washed cheese) was served with oatcakes and raisin and nut bread, a apple and celery chutney and pears stuffed with pickled walnut.

9th course: Bilberries, dried caramel, natural yoghurt and iced lemon thyme. This dessert does not read great on paper. It sounds a little strange and, well, not quite dessert-like. But it was lovely. It had good sweetness, acidity from the yoghurt and freshness from the iced lemon thyme. Very refreshing - a great first dessert!

10th course: White chocolate sorbet with rapeseed, plums and meadowsweet. This WAS a dessert. The chocolate sorbet was fantastic - so smooth and creamy. The plums were soft and sweet and it was all served with a rapeseed cake crumb.Yum yum!

The meal was finished off with a bayleaf milkshake, a jammy dodger and a raspberry and vanilla cream sponge. What a treat! I must say I wasn't a great fan of the milkshake - but I always find bayleaf a little strong in flavour. And, boy, did this milkshake taste of bayleaf! The jammy dodger and the sponge were both great though. What a lovely way to end the perfect meal!

On the way home we were discussing the meal - the ambiance, the service, the food etc - and decided that this actually was the best tasting menu and one of the best meals we have ever had! And I don't mean to brag, but we have eaten in some good places! I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Roganic
19, Blandford St, London, W1U 3DH

Warm Chickpea and Tuna Salad (BLW)

Sometimes it is difficult to constantly create fun and interesting things to eat every day, both for yourself and for the little ones. I often have an inspirational idea and by the time I have loaded the buggy and headed out to get the ingredients, I have forgotten what that was, so its all back to square one again... I am sure babies and children don't mind a little repetition with their food, as long as it tastes good and its not the same Every day!

Anyway, this time I managed to give her something new again, and it is also a great option for two reasons; 1) It is extremely easy and cheap to make and 2) babies can practice their pincer grasp! So all in all, cheap, fun and entertaining! What else do you want from a lunch?

Serves 1 plus baby

1 tin of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 tin of tuna
1/2 lemon
1 tbs of chopped parsley
pepper
1 tbs olive oil

Add the chickpeas to a pan with a splash of water and warm gently for 10 minutes (to help soften them a little more). Add the tuna and stir through. Take off the heat and add the juice of 1/2 lemon (or to your taste), a grind of pepper, the chopped parsley and the olive oil. Stir well and serve once cool enough for baby.

Warm Butternut Squash Salad with Yoghurt Dressing (BLW)

I love places, where not only the food is good, but they also give me inspiration to cook things at home. Don't get me wrong, one of my favourite things on earth is going to a fancy restaurant, where I get pampered and served dishes that I could never even dream of attempting in my own kitchen. But sometimes, a simple cafe is perfect to order some food and get some ideas about your weekend meal. This recipe was created after visiting one of these places: Ottolenghi. I went to Ottolenghi in Islington many, many years ago and started cooking variations of this recipe just as many years ago. I seem to remember it was a grilled aubergine salad with yoghurt dressing that inspired me in the first place.

Yoghurt in savoury dishes is commonly used in Greece (tzatziki is one obvious example). It works really well with warm, spicy dishes, and gives a beautiful, rich and slightly cooling aspect to the dish. I 'm not sure if it is because I am Greek or not, but Greek yoghurt is so yummy! Much prefer it to other yoghurts! Anyway, I am done promoting Greek food yet again! Here is the recipe - which is not Greek! :)

Serves 2 and baby

2 butternut squashes
2 red peppers
150 g mange tout
2 hand fulls fresh baby spinach
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp paprika


for the dressing


200g Greek yoghurt
2 cloves of garlic in their skins
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs finely chopped parsley


Turn the fan oven on at 180 degrees. Skin the butternut squashes and cut them in approximately 1.5 inch chunks. Cut the peppers into long slices. Place is a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil and the paprika. Add the garlic cloves in their skins to the tray and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the squash has softened. In the meantime, boil the mange tout until they are al dente (leave a few to boil for longer for baby). After 20 minutes in the oven, remove the garlic cloves from the tray (return the tray to the oven, if the squash needs more cooking). Peel the garlic cloves and chop them finely, then add them to the yoghurt, along with the extra virgin olive oil and the chopped parsley. Mix well.


To assemble the salad, lay a hand full of spinach in each bowl, then top with the mange tout and the roasted squash and peppers. Top with some (or plenty) of the dressing and serve. For baby you can offer whatever vegetables you feel comfortable with (I offered squash, peppers and mange tout with no dressing, as she still finds yoghurt a little sour!). Enjoy. x

Pasta with Pesto (BLW)

When I was growing up in the 90's I fell 'victim' to a variety of fads; platform shoes, bright coloured trousers and the Macarena... I do not appreciate the 90's very much because of all this! Had I been older and wiser, I would have known better, but I was young and gullible. In fact the 90's, as a decade, didn't produce much to boast about really, other than the fact that, for some reason, Pesto became quite widely known and used. For that we can thank the 90's!

Pesto in its original, fresh form is a thing of beauty! It has great flavour, texture, colour and is extremely versatile. You can have it plain with some pasta, for a healthy, easy meal. You can add it to fish or meat, add it to a salad or a vegetable side dish. It is definitely a handy thing to have in the fridge. But it has to be homemade - the jarred versions are just not good enough, often leaving a slightly bitter taste in the mouth.

It is such an easy thing to prepare and is really worth making in big batches and keeping in the fridge (you can top the jar with some oil, to protect the pesto and it lasts for ages). This recipe makes enough for a pasta meal for 2 plus baby and some leftovers to be used to flavour another dish (meat, fish or veg).

For the pesto

40g of fresh basil (remove the big stalks)
80-100ml of good quality olive oil
2 tbs of pine nuts (you can lightly toast them in a pan, but I don't)
squeeze of lemon
pepper
2 tbs of grated Parmesan

Put the basil in a food processor and add half the olive oil. Blend together, until it is paste-like. Add one tablespoon of pine nuts and some more oil and blend again. Add more oil if you feel like it needs it (the mixture shouldn't be too thick and the oil helps make it creamier). At this stage add a squeeze of lemon and the pepper and blend again. Set a little bit aside for the baby, then add the remaining pine nuts and the Parmesan and blend for a few seconds, so that the pine nuts retain their crunch.

At this stage you add it to some boiled pasta (around 250g dried pasta for 2 people), along with some of the water the pasta was boiling in (a few tbs). Serve immediately with a little more grated Parmesan. Buon Appetito! x

BLW on her tray. Do not be fooled by the 3 bits of pasta (plus one in each fist). She can go through loads, if she is hungry!)

Nona's Cephalonian Meat Pie - Kefalonitiki Kreatopita tis Nonas

Pies are a big deal in many countries of the world. Before we went travelling, I had no idea how much pride Aussies and Kiwis took in their pies. They were sold everywhere and, to be honest, that was our main sustenance for our 10 days on South Island. Similarly the British are pretty big on their pies too. Beef and ale pie served with mash, mushy peas and gravy - oh, so good!

Kefalonia is also one of those places that prides itself for its pies (and it is a Cephalonian thing, not an overall Greek thing). Yes, you can find Spanakopita (spinach pie) and Tiropita (cheese pie) throughout Greece, but things like Salt Cod Pie, Artichoke Pie and most importantly Cephalonian Meat Pie (hence the name), are unique to Kefalonia. I love these pies. But I have to prepare non-Greeks to the fact that they are nothing like a British pie. There is no gravy involved. In fact, what keeps the filling together is the rice. Rice is a very common ingredient in Greek pies.

This Cephalonian Meat Pie is my Nona's mother's recipe and it is a meal in its own right; it has rice, meat, herbs, spices and flavourings and is surrounded in pastry. You can have a side dish with it, if you like, but you will be full! It is almost a challenge to eat it really - you know you are getting full, but it is too good to stop eating... and you know how much effort whoever made it put into it too, therefore you HAVE to finish it!

This dish really is a treat. We usually only get to eat it 2-3 times a year at home. But when we do, we savour it! This summer, I can't take credit in making it myself... My mother made it for Missy's Christening dinner. Yes, it is a fiddly dish to make, but first of all it tastes delicious and secondly, it can feed an army, so at least you wont have to cook again for a while!

Serves 8 to 10 Greeks

For the filling:

500g pork (shoulder or other braising cut)
500g lamb or beef (any braising cut)
150g feta, crumbled
80g of parmesan, grated
1 onion, chopped
120g long grain rice
200ml beef or lamb stock
5 tbs olive oil
2-3 tbs lemon juice
3 eggs
3 garlic cloves
10 prunes, pitted and chopped
100ml passata
1 tbs mint
1 tbs dill
1 tbs parsley
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt
pepper

For the pastry:

500g plain flour
1 egg
150ml olive oil
200ml milk
salt

To make the pastry, blend the oil evenly with the flour and a pinch of salt, then mix in the egg. Gradually add enough milk, till the pastry can be handled without being too sticky. Knead the pastry. You can use the pastry immediately or refrigerate before use.

Sweat the onions in the olive oil and set aside. Cut the meat into large chunks and brown them in the oil (brown a few pieces at a time, so as not to 'boil' the chunks if there are too many in the pan). Add the onions back in with the meat, cover with the stock and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the pot and gently stew for 1 hour.

Remove the meat from the stock and cut into cubes. Reserve the stock.

Grease the pie dish (a dish of around 2 litres capacity and 5 cm high) and line with 2/3 of the pastry. Mix all of the ingredients together except the stock and add further seasoning to taste.  Add the mixture to the pie dish then add around 150ml of the stock on top.  Lift the filling gently to ensure that the stock is evenly distributed. The stock should just cover the filling - if there is not enough stock, top up with white wine or water. Seal the top of the pie dish with the remaining pastry and bake for 1 hour (or until the pastry is golden) at 160 degrees in a fan oven.

Cephalonian Meat Balls - Polpettes (BLW)

I was looking through my older posts and I realised I don't actually have many recipes from Kefalonia other than the Avga me Ntomata really... So I thought I should rectify this and cook something Cephalonian. This recipe is a really good introduction to the traditional flavours and cooking from the island. It has cinnamon, tomato and garlic flavours, and has a very homely, comfort-food feel about it. Perfect for a rainy Sunday at home.

It is a fairly easy recipe to follow, though its not my usual quick meal. But it is definitely worth the extra time, if you have it spare. I grew up on these meatballs and this recipe is fool-proof in accomplishing the fluffy texture of the meatballs with the rich flavour of the sauce. It is usually served with long grain rice and some grated hard cheese. We decided to cook it without any salt, so that Missy could actually share the exact same meal with us. I was really surprised to find that it didn't seem to really miss the salt. It seems that the rest of the spices and herbs season the meat enough, so it does not taste bland in any way. Obviously, if you want to add salt, I am sure it will only help make it taste even better.

Dinner for the whole family

Serves 3-4 (and a very hungry little person)

For the meatballs:
500g beef mince
1 grated onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 tsp of chopped fresh mint
2 medium eggs
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 teacup of soft white bread crumbs, soaked in water then squeezed (use fresh bread, as opposed to stale bread for this recipe)
2-3 tbs flour for coating the meatballs
salt (optional if BLW)
pepper

For the tomato sauce
75ml olive oil
400g of passata
1 cinnamon stick
salt (optional if BLW)
pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp butter

Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together and knead well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Shape the mince into balls and flatten slightly on the top and bottom (about the size of a large egg). Flour them lightly and fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side in the olive oil. Set aside on a plate.

In a separate pan put the oil, passata, cinnamon stick and seasoning and bring to the boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the lightly fried meatballs. Gently simmer in the pan for about 45 minutes, adding a little water if required and checking the meatballs don't stick to the pan. About 15-20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the sugar and the butter to the sauce and stir gently.. Serve with boiled rice or mash and a little grated cheese.

My portion

Missy's portion, which she ate with her hands. We are still finding bits of rice all over the house...

Luardos - Whitecross Street Market

When you write about food all the time, you can often repeat yourself. A lot... I do apologise if any of you are starting to notice this, only a few months after my first post! So here goes the repetition: I love burritos! Since I stopped work and can't have them weekly any more, I dream about them weekly instead.

So I thought I would pay my husband a visit at work for lunch last Friday and we ventured to Whitecross Street Market. I had never been before and I was completely overwhelmed and excited by the variety and number of stalls there, but most of all, by the smells. I could smell bbq'ed meats, Thai curry, Indian curry and all sorts of other delicious things. But I had to focus. I was there for one reason and one reason only: Burritos from Luardos. I had read about this place in a few blogs and magazines and I wanted to check it out and compare it to my favourite burrito in London - Daddy Donkey.

When we arrived at the stall the queue was one of the longest on the street. 'Good start', I thought. If there are so many people willing to wait in the heat and waste their precious lunch break time, it must be good. We eventually got to the front of the queue and I started getting excited. I saw the menu; nice and simple. There were just four options - chicken, pork, steak or veggie. I ordered a chicken with extra guacamole for myself and a steak with guacamole for my husband.

Chicken burrito

Steak Burrito

I quickly took a few pictures of the 'construction' of the burrito and we rushed to a nearby park to consume the goods. We both bit into our respective burritos and a long satisfied 'mmmm' came out of our mouths. It was rather good. The steak was extremely tender and deliciously spiced. The chicken was also really tender though not as flavoursome. All together it was a very good burrito, but not as good as others I have had in London. It was a little lacking in overall flavour and tasted a little 'watered down'. It wasn't as rich as I would have liked. Having said that, the guacamole was fantastic and the burritos are cheaper than most other places I have been to in the UK.

What was left of the meal...

I will definitely be going back to Whitecross Street Market, but although I will return to Luardos, I will probably try a couple of other stalls first.

Luardos 
Pitch 39, Whitecross Street Market, EC1Y 8JL

Coconut Noodles with Fish

I absolutely love Asian food. This love started when I was introduced to Chinese food around the age of 10 (this may seem late to you, but in Greece we didn't really have too many international restaurants when I was growing up). My uncle took us out to an Eat All You Want Chinese restaurant. Not a buffet Eat All You Want, but a 'order what you like' Eat All You Want Chinese restaurant! I think we only got through the starters we ordered so much. Oh, and the duck with pancakes. Mmmmm, Eat All You Want duck with pancakes! I had to unbutton two buttons that day!

Since then, I have fallen in love with Indian food, mostly from my University days, Thai food and, more recently, Japanese food. When I went traveling with my husband a year ago we really enjoyed the food in Cambodia and Thailand. The flavours were always so clear and fresh, and I completely fell in love with Fish Amok (a Cambodian Fish curry) and Phad Thai. We also did a brief Thai cookery course and learned how to do make beef Massaman curry. That was a fun day.

Unfortunately in spite of my love of eating Asian food, I have never been great at getting the balance of flavours right when cooking it. I mean, when I follow a recipe it works out just fine, but when I am just improvising its not quite right. In European food I tend to have a good instinct as to what works and how much I need to use of each ingredient. But Asian food is more complex and uses ingredients I am still familiarising myself with. In any case, this time I got it right! It worked and I am proud.

Serves 2

2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs red curry paste
1 red onion
1 can of coconut milk
1 tbs of fish sauce
200g of white fish fillet, cut into chunks (I used Hake - cheap and tasty)
100g french beans
100g baby corn
100g mushrooms
1 tbs crunchy peanut butter
300g rice noodles (that is the weight once cooked, so around 150-200g dried)
squeeze of lime

Heat the oil in a wok and add the curry paste. Fry off for 1-2 minutes, then add the chopped onion. Once the onion has softened a little, add the coconut milk and the fish sauce. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes then add the fish and the vegetables. Cook for a further 5 minutes and then add the peanut butter and the prepared noodles. Heat through and add a good squeeze of lime. Serve while hot.

Apolafsi Taverna - Lixouri, Kefalonia

Places bring out different feelings in people. The home you grew up in, the playground you used to play hide and seek in, the sea you learnt how to swim in... We all get attached to places for one reason or another. For me, Kefalonia is special. Not just because I spent every single summer of my life there, or because it is beautiful or because I have family and friends there that I know I will see every year I go back. It is special in a magical way. It draws me back every year - even when I have been off travelling the world, I have to spend at least a few days in Kefalonia to feel myself again.

I know I am not being 100% objective here. I grew up spending every summer there, in my Nona's house, close to the beach. I learnt how to swim there, I learnt to ride a bike there and I ordered my first drink in Lixouri. But it definately has something special about it even to people who don't have a direct connection with the island. I see that from many friends and family who came over once to visit and are still coming all these years later!

One of the places that I have been going to from a very young age, and that is still one of our favourites to visit while we are out there, is Apolafsi Taverna. It is just outside of Lixouri and has great views of the bay looking over to the other side of the island. The interior of the Taverna hasn't changed much over the last 40 years, with its mosaic floors and large ceiling fans, but the outside space is beautiful and a great place to spend a warm summer's night stuffing your face with good food.

The Taverna is family owned and the quality of cooking has remained consistant throughout. I have probably ordered everything on the menu (and off) and I have never had anything bad there. The pre-cooked dishes (Stifado, Cephalonian meat pie, Kokkinisto etc) are all pretty heavily spiced with cinnamon and cloves, but if you like that kind of thing, you will very much enjoy them.

Last Sunday night I went there with my husband for a fairly quick dinner alone, as missy was behaving in her sleep! We weren't too hungry, as Nona had cooked another big lunch, but we decided we could handle a couple of starters to share and some meat and fish. We ordered fried tomatoes and fried courgettes with some tzatziki to dip them in and then fried red mullet and beef stifado.

The fried starters were both good, though the tomatoes were amazing! They retain their shape in the flour batter and they just get crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The tzatziki was a perfect accompaniment with the starters as the cooling yoghurt and cucumber cut through the hot, rich batter. I thought I wouldn't have much tzatziki, as I felt quite tired and raw garlic can just send me straight to bed, but I couldn't resist...

The fried fish was good, though not the best I have had there. They were not quite crisp enough, but the flavour was good. The beef stifado was very good and extremely tender. As I mentioned, it has quite a strong flavour of cloves, but the stifado can take it as a flavouring. The fries on the plate were also great, having absorbed some of the stifado juices.

I do love this place, mostly because of its familiarity, but also, of course, because of the good food, friendly service and lovely ambience. We paid 33 euros for all that (including bread, a litre of draught Greek beer and a bottle of water). It is not as cheap as it used to be, but Greece isn't in general any more (we can have the euro dicussion another time!). If you ever happen to be in Lixouri or even the other side of Kefalonia, it might be worth the drive over.

St David Coffee House - SE23

You are probably wondering how it is I managed to visit a Coffee House in Forest Hill, when I am in fact currently in Athens... that is a very valid question. The answer, however, is not that interesting; I visited St David a day before I left for Athens (amongst half a dozen times I have been there previously!). This time I managed to get pictures and everything - how accomplished of me!

I first heard about this place from Di (the owner of Jacks SE22), so my husband and I went to check out the coffee a few months ago. We kind of got hooked and would use the excuse that baby needed the extra sleep after her swimming on Saturday mornings and drove there to get coffee (and hot chocolate for me, as no decaf available). It worked for everyone concerned; Missy would get an extra 30 minutes sleep in the car and we would get our morning drinks and pastry to take away.

We eventually decided a trip to sit in was due, as we noticed a Sourdough toastie with Montgomery Cheddar (from Neal's Yard, no less!) on the blackboard. How exciting! Melted Montgomery Cheddar - can it get any better? Well, after sharing one with my husband, I can say that it can get better: there are chopped spring onions in there too and it comes with a lovely fresh salad of tomatoes, peppers and onions to cut through the gooey, rich, melting cheese. Dreamy stuff, really.

We also ordered a ham and mustard sandwich, which was perfectly suited for the hot weather of that day. Cold ham, cold, chunky tomato, crunchy lettuce and mustard for the kick. I can't say I am a big fan of ham sandwiches usually, but this one was worth the money and the space in my stomach.

My husband ordered a macchiato, which was very good (they use Square Mile coffee beans and know how to get the best out of them!). Coffee there is consistently good, which is more than you can say for most coffee shops in London. Their cakes and pastries are good too and there is always good variety, just to make indecisive people's (like us) lives that little bit harder.  Last time we had an apricot frangipane tart to share. It was fluffy and buttery and perfectly sweet from the fruit.

All in all, I really love this place and would go much more frequently on my own if it didn't involve walking up a great big hill (you would have guessed from the name Forest Hill, right?). The interior is fantastic, with lots of vintage everywhere you look. I always feel like I am visiting an aunt in Greece, in a good way! It is very welcoming to families and babies and the owners and staff are always helpful and friendly. If you are ever in South East London, pay them a visit.

5 David's Rd SE23 3EP

Off for my Summer Holidays!

The day has finally come! I am going back to Greece for the last 3 weeks of Summer. I am looking forward to it for some relaxation (plenty of hands on help from the Big Hungry Family there) and also for the food! Yes, what else would I be thinking of?! The only thing that scares me a little is the flight over with missy, on my own. It is all planned out in my head and I have plenty of distractions for her with me, but it all depends on her mood on the day, so wish me luck! And I apologise to the person sat next to me on the plane in advance (I too used to be one of those people who would tut if I saw someone with a baby sat anywhere near me... the irony).

I am, of course, going to be taking plenty of pictures and blogging as many recipes as possible. I imagine that 99% of the food I shall be consuming will be Cephalonian recipes. I mention this because, just with all countries in the world, there are many differences in regional cooking. Cephalonian food is influenced by Greek (obviously) as well as Italian and British (the island was occupied by the Venetians and the British till 1864 - there is a little history lesson for you...).There is plenty of garlic involved as well as lots of cinnamon and plenty of herbs. One of the famed dishes is the Cephalonian Meat Pie. I hope I will be able to dedicate a whole post on just this recipe!

The only issue that may come between me and you for the next few weeks is the Internet connection (or lack of) on the island. But, push come to shove, I will post them all once I am back in Athens or London. I promise plenty of delicious family recipes, lots of pictures and hopefully some stories from our time out there. I wish you all a lovely rest of the Summer. x

Banana French Toast (BLW)

When I looked into the possibility of following Baby Led Weaning I was warned about the potential messiness that it can cause. NOTHING, though, could have prepared me for what it is actually like! There are all sorts of things covering her chair, Oatabix on the walls and I tend to discover bits of food under her chin, behind the ears, on the back of her head and in the belly button - yes you read this right! It is all part of the fun and I am relieved I will be off to Greece for a few weeks soon, where she can be as messy as she likes, as we will be eating outdoors and she will be naked.

Despite knowing that it is all part of the fun, my OCD self cannot quite cope with the idea of curry on the ceiling, so I am trying to keep to drier things - hence fish keftedes and this french toast. This is until the feeding is a little more established and her aim and concentration skills improve a little more (though throwing bits of food on the floor is part of the learning curve, as I understand it).

This is a pretty easy recipe (ready in 15minutes from start to eating) and is a good option for a family breakfast - though the adults may like some crispy bacon on the side. The banana in this dish replaces the need for sugar and therefore makes it a little healthier.

Serves 2 plus hungry baby

2 large eggs
1/2 cup of milk
3/4 of a banana
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4-5 slices of bread (or as many as you need to use up all the liquid)
1 tbs of butter

Whisk the eggs and the milk in a bowl. Add the banana and mash it in, then add the cinnamon and mix all together. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture on both sides and place in a preheated frying pan once the butter has melted. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.

She seems to enjoy most things bread related and finds it really easy to chew and swallow. This was definitely a successful recipe and one that I will be making again soon, especially as it was also a hit with me and my husband!