Sausages and mash... a lunch blog

Had sausages and mash for lunch. A really quick lunch made with Somerfield sausages (from their "best ever" range). Bit low on the blog updates as it's been a very hectic week at work and whilst I have been dining, it has all been work related and it didn't seem very appropriate to take photos of my dinner with clients!

Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese: Day 2 - the leftovers

Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese

Tonight's meal... a relatively quick Bolognese sauce cobbled together from a corner shop grocery trip - onions, garlic, celery, organic Italian passata, lean premium beef mince, butter, milk, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Tagliatelle All 'Uovo. Forgot to buy stuff like pork, carrots and fresh herbs... so dried herbs and no carrots.

Simmering the sauce...

The base of the sauce...

Felix Dennis "Did I Mention The Free Wine?" Tour, London and TP reviewer of the week!

Yesterday evening, courtesy of trustedplaces, I attended the last London date of the Felix Dennis 2008 "Did I Mention The Free Wine" Poetry and Wine tour at The Shaw Theatre on Euston Road. It was organised for tp users by Niamh from Trustedplaces / Eatlikeagirl and last minute I was able to make it down to attend my first ever poetry recital. Lots of people had dropped out due to usual reasons and so there were six of us. So I drank fantastic claret - Margaux Margaux Bordeaux 2004 and Carina drank the Domaine Bernard Fleuriet Sancerre 2007. I'm not going to pretend that I know that much about wine except that I know that I do like a good Sancerre, if i must drink white wine and that a Margaux is a good claret (says Niamh!). Amusingly, and quite openly lots of people of the 200 or so attendees had turned up only for the free wine and canapes. The canapes were good, better than average but the wine was so good that one of the younger attendees proceeded to throw up, in the auditorium I must add, towards the end of Mr Dennis's reading... Poor thing. I suppose it was a Friday night.

Felix Dennis is quite the character (check out wikipedia). A man from humble beginnings to the publishing tycoon who sold US publishing arm to a private equity group reportedly for $300 million and who was joint 95th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2007 (fortune estimated at £750 million). Unfortunately Mr Dennis's deep bass tones sent quite a few into a similar sleep across the two readings. His poetry was fun, poignant and a intellectual journey is structure (if you were able to stay awake). I might pick up his nursery rhymes book...

I feel more cultured for saying that I went. Result. And I'm the TP reviewer of the week! Double thanks Niamh!

Hotel Amour, Paris, France

Hotel Amour
8 rue Navarin
75009 Paris
France

Tel: 00 33 1 48 78 31 80

www.hotelamour.com (don't bother it hasn't worked in months).

Date of stay: 13th October, 2008

Hotel Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Food Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Hotel Amour caused quite a stir when it opened a couple of years ago by graffiti artist Monsieur André (of super hip Le Baron and Le Paris Paris night clubs) and his friend Lionel. This hotel has appeared on hot lists (Conde Nast Traveller’s 2007 Hot List) and Hip Guides.

Outside the hotel quietly buzzes a pink neon “Amour” sign in a quiet street only a stones throw from La Pigalle, in the very much up and coming South Pigalle (SoPi) area of Paris. There are 20 rooms in the hotel each designed by Artist or designer friend of the owners ranging from lime green with a wet room to glossy black with a baths at the end of the bed. These include the Artistic styles of Sophie Calle and Pierre Le Tan, and it must be noted that there are no phones nor TVs. On entering the hotel the reception is just about the smallest you will have ever encountered in a hotel, about the size of a postage stamp, or a broom cupboard complete with photocopier where the receptionist might stand.

Our room had glossy black floors, walls and ceiling, with a bath at the end of the room (in the room) and a tiny WC which doubled as a wardrobe. The bed was comfortable and warm, the shower whilst a pain to use in this open plan configuration, it was powerful and hot, and you are provided with good quality plush towels and luxury Kiehl’s goodies. You cannot help but notice the Yanagi butterfly stool and other designer items around the room and the hotel as well as the dodgy pornographic books in the rooms and images on the walls all over the hotel.

I felt the highlight of the hotel experience was the lively bistro on the ground floor which was busy with Parisians as well as guests. During Spring and late Summer the little courtyard at the back is perfect all night parties and lazy afternoons drinking coffee. The food here is simple but good French home cooking with staples such as Steak Tartare and Argentinian Steak frites over lunch and dinner and standard fare over breakfast.

For dinner, at 11.30pm, I ordered the grilled Onglet of Veal, with shallots, haricots verts and mushrooms. EUR 17. The veal was beautifully tender and cooked exactly to spec. Rare and the second Veal of the day for me! The bistro was so dark I was unable to tell by looking at it at the time but the photo below is testament to this. Even the vegetarian on our table admitted to being jealous. Even the butter was delicious.

Breakfast at 9am consisted of oeufs brouillés – three eggs scrambled and a coffee. EUR 11. A little too “wet” for me but very good when compared to the standard lumpy heat lamp hardened hotel scrambled eggs. The butter again was delicious, I wanted to a massive chunk home with me!

I had a good experience here making good use of the bistro and the bar until the very early hours of the morning much to the displeasure of the barstaff. The staff are young and as trendy (and thin) as the clientele who seem to be a mixture of fashionistas, singletons and artists. I would recommend this to open minded single travellers or young couples and to these, Hotel Amour is a great place to drink, eat, sleep, and meet interesting people. It is certainly not for everyone though. Rooms are from EUR 105 for a single and EUR 140 for a double.

Paris by photos...

Le Moulin de la Galette, Paris, France

Le Moulin de la Galette
83 Rue Lepic,
Paris, 75018
France

Tel: +33 (0)1 46 06 84 77
http://www.lemoulindelagalette.eu/

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5) Excellent

Date of visit: 13th October, 2008

Meal: Lunch

The Moulin de La Galette, the last Montmartre windmill, was painted by many famous painters including Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso, and is situated near the top of the Montmartre district in Paris. Often that you find yourself disappointed by famous places as they do not meet expectations. With a rich and vibrant history dating back to the 18th Century it is does not disappoint.

Straight off the Eurostar, on a beautiful and warm (almost hot) October day reaching 25C, we arrived for a 2pm lunch reservation and chose to do our lunch meeting outside in the tiny terrace area. We were promptly brought menus in both French and English and a separate sheet for the Prix Fixe titled "Propositions For The Lunch" from which we chose 3 courses for 25 Euros, a glass of house red, house white and a bottle of Evian. Our drinks were promptly served and out waiter was friendly and talkative in both English and French.

My starter was "La Ferme" - "The Farm", boiled Chicken with vegetables and Duck Foie Gras in pressed into a Terrine accompanied by a Horseradish Fine Mousse and Mustard Seeds and a little side salad. An absolutely perfect start and fantastic cooking and presentation.

As quickly as our starter was swept away after finishing, our main courses were brought over. My first choice of Steaklet of Duck was not available so I chose the veal option which was off menu. Out came some beautifully cooked veal on a bed of sauteed potatoes, shredded cabbage, onions, olives, and mushrooms all gracefully garnished.

I took a moment to cheekily take a photo of my dinner guest's main of Saint-Jacques à la Plancha, et Petits Légumes - Scallops à la Plancha, and small vegetables.

For dessert - Gâteau aux noix, mousse légère aux marrons, Sorbet au lait d’Amande. A moist yet dense walnut cake accompanied by a velvety smooth Almond Milk Sorbet and a smoky light Chestnut mousse.

Every course was perfect, and in reality just the right portions for lunch. At 25 Euros for the three courses and coffee, lunch here is a bargain. This restaurant is a hidden gem full of history in a beautiful area of Paris. A true Parisian landmark atop this restaurant, which could've so easily be turned into a tourist trap has instead been turned into a trendy and gastronomically notable bistro by Michelin-starred chefs Antoine Heerah and Cédric Bernard. Excellent!

El Bulli

Fresh back from Paris... and I'm determined to get a table for El Bulli or the Fat Duck on or around my birthday next year. El Bulli are officially supposed to be taking reservations for 2009 season from tomorrow according to press releases, but their website suggests otherwise. Fat Duck is two months in advance so the booking reminders are set in iCal. I didn't get a bounceback on my email to El Bulli... so the wait begins...

To Paris...

Up and early and off to Paris. It's a hot day in Paris today (24 degrees) so I'm travelling extra light. When we get into Gare Du Nord we can walk to the hotel, venue or restaurant within 20 minutes. The plan so far is to eat at the La Moulin De La Galette, get some meetings out of the way, go to the venue, see the bands, watch the bands play live, and then roll onto a bar and then Hotel Amour to sleep it off!

I came across Twelve Hours in Paris on Chocolate and Zucchini... which could be a source of inspiration!

Cafe Espana, Soho, London, W1

Cafe Espana
63 Old Compton Street
Soho
London, W1D 6HT

Tel: 020 7494 1271

Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

Date of visit: 12th October, 2008

Meal: Dinner

Having just come back from Barcelona I felt the urge to eat Spanish food and a quick net search pointed us at Cafe Espana. Cafe Espana certainly has a lot to live up to - The reviews on lots of sites were glowing, apart from some tell tale reviews from various sites. With expectations set high, it is easy to be let down. The restaurant itself is extremely cramped and we were levered into our tiny area by the stairs upstairs. I had to be careful not to knock the table behind my chair as I skillfully squatted and slid into my seat.

We chose the seafood paella. Paella is the quintessential Spanish dish perhaps one of the best ways of judging a restaurant. Whilst we were able to order very quickly, the dish took 55 minutes to arrive and all we had to quench our hunger was some freshly cut stale bread and a little butter.

When the food did finally arrive, the dish was certainly impressive looking and enough to feed a family of four. But we were quickly disappointed. Whilst seafood ingredients were seemingly plentiful, there were only two king prawns and the rest were tiny shrimps in their shells so small that after you had gone through the effort or deshelling them, there was only smallest crayfish sized shrimp - the effort was hardly worth it. The mussels had been so cooked that they had shrunken and become chewy, the fish was full of bones, the calamari was tough and chewy and we had an assortment of peas ranging of brilliant fresh green to dull brown and mushy. And worst of all the rice had become mushy. Paella rice should be dry and separate when done, not creamy like risotto.

Risotto di mare, with two glasses of house white came to £27. Perhaps in hindsight we should've ordered tapas and perhaps it was a bad day for the restaurant's kitchen. The cooking is standard Spanish fare and there are certainly no culinary flares. Their home style food at knock down prices has certainly won fans but I dare to disagree and unfortunately the Paella here gets two thumbs down.

Deliverance (East), London, EC1

Deliverance, EC1
Tel: 0844 477 1111
www.deliverance.co.uk

Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

After spending most of the day making my way back from Barcelona and then dropping by Cha Cha Moon for lunch (we had shopping to do on Carnaby Street and I wanted to do a review but forgot to take any photos) before going home, the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. So, perhaps as we do once every two weeks, we reached for the take away folder. Mainly a vetted selection of local services 90% being curry, 5% pizza and the remainder... one of whom is Deliverance.

Online ordering is an convenient and easy as can be. The website is well designed although there are some features missing or hidden. We placed our order at 19:22 for 20:15 (ASAP) delivery and it did in fact arrive at exactly the right time. My girlfriend's Deliverance Special pizza was of reasonable size (as advertised) and as far as pizza topping goes was well thought out and balanced, with Parma Ham, Piquillo peppers, Italian Salami, olives, wood smoked ham, and sun dried tomatoes. But it wasn't hot.

My Chicken Tikka Masala was a slightly different affair. Whilst the chicken chunks are substantial, they are not "Tikka" marinated Tandoor oven cooked but just large chunks of chicken breast meat. It is supposed to the "real food" version of the dish and whilst the ingredients are fresh, and whilst there are 0ver 49 recorded variations of Chicken Tikka Masala, it was not what I was expecting. The same went for the Pilau Rice which was flavourless and ultimately both were very disappointing.

The ice cream not made by Deliverance but by Jude's - Dark chocolate with Chocolate Chunks.

Let's not be mislead. Deliverance is purely for ease and convenience. The food is so terribly inconsistent that any item of the menu could be inedible to plesantly surpringly and sometimes hints of inspiration. Not this time I'm afraid and paying £28.50 for this stamps "mug" all over my face.

Torre d'Alta Mar, Barcelona, Spain

Torre d'Alta Mar
Passeig Joan de Borbó 88
Torre Sant Sebastià
Telefèric Port Veil
08039 Barcelona
Spain

Tel: 93 221 00 07
http://www.torredealtamar.com

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

The 360-degree view of Barcelona that can been seen from this ex-light tower sets your head spinning with its magnificence. Rising to 75 metres above sea level by way of a private lift from ground level, you have spectacular views of the city, the beaches, and the sea all below you and rising and rolling hills that surround the city.

The luxury restaurant has a modern and cosmopolitan feel and attracts a more discerning clientelle but during lunch service is perhaps a bit more relaxed. Typically the restaurant gets busy at around 3pm on a Friday afternoon.

A meal for three...

Aperitif of Cream Of Corn with Hawaiian Sea Salt

Cod Sashimi with courgette

ENTRANTES FRIOS / Cold Starters

Jamón de Guijuelo Reserva
Superior Cured "Guijeulo" Ham - served with bread smothered with ripe tomatoes and garlic, then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil

Futomaki de bogavante azul
Tartar Stew of Royal Crab - served with a light Melon Gazpacho and mint caviar

Tomato and Green Salad

ENTRANTES CALIENTES / Hot Starter

Gambas de playa a la sal
Salted Beach Prawns - huge succulent and juicy deep red prawns

SEGUNDOS PLATOS / Main Course

Arroz de langosta
Rice with European Lobster in a fish soup

Arroz cremoso de mare
Rice with prawns, langoustines, crayfish

DESSERT

Cheesecake with raspberry ice cream

Spanish coffee with cognac

With such an array of dishes, the highlight starter was the Futomaki de bogavante azul - Tartar Stew of Royal Crab. A superbly fresh tartar of crabmeat with a curiously refreshing melon gazpacho and mint caviar for a touch of molecular gastromy. And one of the main reasons for the dinner, the Arroz de langosta, a paella rice dish with deshelled succulently cooked sea fresh lobster served in a fish soup added at the table. Such perfect rice, with grains that fall away from each other with ease, cooked to the right level of al dente. With so much food between the three of us, the dessert was a little too much but beautiful nevertheless.

The cuisine is high-altitude, high-class Mediterranean cooking, with modern interpretations of Spanish and Catalan classics, mainly seafood, with international influences. The view is spectacular and during the day you are able to see the rolling hills, gothic architecture and shimmering blue Mediterranean. With a view to match the excellent food. This is one of the top restaurants in Barcelona and worth a visit if you have a heavy wallet to unload. Expect to spend around £90 a head here.

Restaurant Cal Pep, Barcelona, Spain

Restaurant Cal Pep
Plaça de les Olles 8, Born,
08003 Barcelona
Spain

Tel: 93 310 79 61
www.calpep.com
calpep@calpep.com

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Cal Pep is a favourite amongst locals and highly regarded as serving the very best in tapas in downtown Barcelona and perhaps all of city. It is a short walk from the Basilica Santa Maria Del Mar. There is no menu and everything served is on a day by day market fresh basis. Chef Pep personally goes to the markets in the morning to get the freshest of produce and so for example, if the baby octopus is not good in the morning, you will not be able to order it that day.

We arrived after 9pm on a Thursday night and it took over half an hour to be seated at the bar which is, I am told, the best place to enjoy the food - right in front of the action. You are advised to get a drink and look at what everyone else is eating and devise what you would like to eat. With eyes far bigger than our stomachs we ordered dishes including tuna steak tartare, sea bass, beautifully cooked steak with sautéed potatoes, chickpeas and baby octopus, fresh clams with garlic butter (almost as if they were plucked from the sea fresh), fried whitebait with a fried egg and more.

Seven dishes with traditional bread lightly brushed with tomatoes, and garlic, a bottle of rioja, a glass of cava, an espresso and a spanish coffee (cognac and coffee shot) came to just over EUR120. The service is fun with constantly joking staff and the wine is fantastic. Locals do still go which is surely a great sign. I look forward to returning to Barcelona on a holiday trip and visiting Cal Pep again!

Almirall, Barcelona, Spain

Almirall
Aragó 625,
08018 Barcelona
Spain

Tel: +34 932 463 540

A short walk from the Me Hotel, Cafeteria Almirall is in an area of rapid redevelopment also known as the Innovation District, a waterfront business park housing over 200 international companies, many of them technology related. With its location very much out of the tourist area, it's very unlikely that you will randomly come across this place. I went for a typically late Spanish time lunch by myself on a two day business trip to Barcelona for the start of one of my client's European tours.

I was presented with a set menu in Spanish and unfortunately neither of the waiters was able to speak English. As soon as I had ordered my food and bottle of water a basket and slightly tough bread arrived. First course was spinach tagliatelle with bolognese sauce with accompanying plate of freshly grated parmesan cheese, pleasant and filling. This was followed by Calamares - whole baby squid with garlic butter and a side salad. Another good dish. I chose a Mandarin Tart from the trolley to finish with.

At 10 euros the meal is an absolute bargain especially when I went to pay for my meal and found that my drink was also include in the deal, in addition to an espresso. I was amazed at the sheer value and the food wasn't bad. Not great but good for 10 Euros. You would be very hard pressed to find a comparison in London.

Me Hotel, Barcelona, Spain: Prologue

So I am sitting in my hotel in Barcelona I am here for the start of the Fall Out Boy tour tomorrow and today as it turns out is the official launch of the Me hotel, a towering 30-storey glass complex. The band will be launching the Angels and Kings bar here - it's global domination! It's overcast and the odd drops here and there constantly threatened me as I reached the beach, a good 20 minute walk from the hotel. There is construction all over the town it seems but the architecture is amazing, a mixture of wildly contemporary and classical. I need to find time to see some Gaudi architecture and check out the rest of the city... this city is beautiful.

Brasserie Chez Gerard, Manchester, M2

Brasserie Chez Gerard
Albert Square
2-8 Commercial Union House
Manchester M2 6LW
Tel: 01618 347633

Rating: 2 stars (out of 5) - OK

Hung over and hungry, Peter, Al and myself stumbled out of the Midland Hotel and across Albert Square for an afternoon lunch. I'm pretty sure that we'd all been to a Chez Gerrard in London at least once, it was a safe bet.

We had a friendly waitress, who most importantly plugged my blackberry and charger into the nearest available power point, which was behind the bar. It was her first day and she was eager to help. We were seated by windows on rattan seats with views of the Albert Square. After ordering, we were served reasonably fresh baguette served with a choice of beurre douce d'Isigny and the delicious Beurre d'anchois (anchovy butter).

I had ordered the Salade Poulet - chopped lettuce with chicken, citron mayonnaise, and 2 slices of baguette toast. Unfortunately pretty bland cubes of breast meat over some romaine, little gem and posh lettuce leaves.

My main of Tajine de légumes, a Morrocan Casserole with vegetables and chick peas, served with cous cous was as described. The vegetables weren't overcooked and soggy which was good but the flavour felt incomplete. At least I felt healthier for eating it.

The toilets were a little musty and unpleasant smelling but the rest of the restaurant was clean. At a cost of £8.95 for the two courses, the meal could've been great value if the dishes had been a little more flavourful and interesting.

I'm on Metrotwin

As a British Airwaves Executive Club member I was invited to join Metrotwin their new website a couple of weeks ago... I've read that other bloggers have joined so I thought I'd give it a try.

Looks interesting...

Canteen, Spitalfields, E1

Canteen

2 Crispin Place, Spitalfields
London, E1 6DW
0845 686 1122

Rating: 2 stars (out of 5) previously 3 stars

The word Canteen makes me think of school. I remember the canteen at school serving a variety of mainly English and globally inspired dishes with it's daily salad bar and puddings. I had plenty of choice when I was at school and it wasn't all that bad as the kitchens improved dramatically by the time I was in sixth form. The Canteen group of restaurants are informal with all day menus serving up British cuisine. We've had good experiences many times before and had always considered Canteen to be a safe if slightly more expensive than average option in Spitalfields.

I started with the soup of the day, Pea and Ham, which is generously portioned with two pieces of multi-seeded thick brown bread with two little portions of butter. I prefer a little more vibrancy of colour in my pea and ham soup which was more a muddy green with the smallest visible signs of ham. Unfortunately for the peas and blended ham in the soup, the saltiness of the soup was simply overpowering. I am not one that has ever sent a dish back but I was only able to endure just over two-thirds of it.

For my main, I chose to have fish and having had the lemon sole on a recent visit, I chose the Plaice, Chips and Tartare Sauce. My dish arrived with overwhelmingly large piece of Plaice which completely dominated my plate spilling over the top and bottom sides of it. Surely a larger plate was in order. Salt on the mind, my waitress had to mention that my fish had already been pre seasoned with English sea salt. Great big massive chunks of it. And again, the salt was overpowering and the delicate plaice almost indistinguishable from the salted batter.

I chose to finish with an espresso whilst my fellow diner had a dessert. The espresso being the best choice of the night after the wine - a bottle of Sancerre 'La Vigne Blanche' (Henri Bourgois, 2006, Fr). A fruity wine with a really delicate and floral fragrance. A £7 bottle of wine marked up to £30... I've seen this wine for anything between £24 and now £30 in restaurants.

I must say that I like what Canteen is trying to do, serving up honest British grub made with daily fresh ingredients sourced from good producers, but unfortunately on this occasion it was unable to please on any level and two starters, two mains, one side, a bottle of wine, a dessert and espresso the bill came to over £80! I will not be visiting again in a hurry.