Musings on Madrid

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I’d been to Madrid fleetingly in the past, but never really got to experience what the city had to offer. It was therefore, with great excitement, that my husband and I decided to spend a long weekend, catching up with good friends, enjoying the local food scene, whilst admiring the incredible art scene that the city has to offer. Unbeknown to me, it also has the most stunning 125-hectare park in its centre called ‘El Retiro’, which is a UNESCO World Heritage. It is beautifully laid out with a boating lake, glass-encased ‘Palacio de Cristal’ and the Prado museum and botanical garden near by. It’s great for walking, cycling, jogging around and I imagine on a balmy summers evening is perfect for a picnic under one of the trees. I loved the calm serenity of the place and the fact that its design had clearly been well thought out. It even felt safe walking through it after nightfall (see photo below). I think it is so important to have beautiful green spaces in cities for locals and tourists to fully enjoy.

I thought it would be helpful to outline a few of my recommendations, which may be of help to you if you decide to embark on a similar trip.

Let’s start with food (obviously!)

La Castela is an excellent restaurant, located on the eastern side of El Retiro park. At the front is the standing-tapas-bar, which was packed and buzzing and the restaurant is at the back (you need to book the restaurant) with elegant madrileños seated at tables with starched white cotton tablecloths. There was a definite friendly vibe and the food offering was delicious. Our Spanish friends booked this for us all as our welcome to Madrid supper and it definitely hit the mark in spades. Apparently Michelle Obama bought her daughters here when she was visiting Madrid!

One of our Spanish friends happens to be half Mexican, so gave us one of his favourite tacos recommendations for lunch one day. It is called Takos Al Pastor and provided us with some tasty tacos, which hit the spot. We would have liked some more hot sauces on the tables but that aside we enjoyed this place for a quick bite. Don’t be put off by the queue. It moves quickly and you’ll be seated in about 15 minutes.

Taberna La Dolores is a vibrant tapas bar nestled in the heart of Madrid at Pl. de Jesús, 4. It was the perfect pitstop after the Thyssen (my favourite art gallery in Madrid). It served some delicious pintxos and tapas, and the place was full of old Madrid charm.

Taberna De La Señá Daniela (I did a reel about this place on my instagram so do check it out for more idea of the ambiance of the place)

Our plan was to sit in the restaurant part of this establishment, for a more leisure lunch, but alas we were only given the option of tapas at the bar as we arrived quite late for lunch. So we perched on high stools and chose some tasty eats to give us a send off before we headed off the airport. There was a distinct absence of green vegetables, however we did order some tasty broad beans, bubbling in olive oil with jamon; most things tended to come with some pork product too. The croquetas de jamon were huge, piping hot and delicious.

One day we went for lunch with our friends at their country club outside Madrid. The views of the Sierra de Guadarrama in the distance were spectacular, with snow still clinging to its peaks.

For lunch I was intrigued by one dish our friend chose to eat, which apparently is Spain’s answer to comfort food. It’s called ‘Arroz a la Cuban’ aka Cuban rice and  consists of white rice, fried eggs, tomato sauce, and fried bananas (or plantains). It’s savory-and-sweet combination is popular with all ages – both father and 9yr old son ate the same dish. I’m so intrigued that I plan to make it soon. What are your thoughts on this?

Galleries

We visited 4 galleries/museums over the long weekend. My favourite was the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection was founded in the late 1920s by Baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza to represent key developments in Western art from the 13th to early 19th centuries.

His son, Hans Heinrich, later expanded it to include modern works up to the 1980s. Originally housed in Switzerland, the collection was moved to Madrid, where the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum opened in 1992. Soon after, the Spanish government acquired it. Today, the collection includes around 700 works spanning seven centuries of Western art.

It is useful to note that the permanent collection is free to visit on Mondays between noon and 4pm and temporary exhibitions are free on saturdays between 9-11pm.

The Prado Museum is considered the Grand-Daddy, or perhaps Dame, of art galleries, not just in Madrid, but in the world. You would need at least a week to look at everything – the place is huge, with over 8000 paintings, 3000 engravings and 2800 decorative art pieces and more than 6500 drawings. The surface of the museum occupies 42.000 m2 so make sure you have comfortable trainers to get your steps in. So as not to have art overload I would suggest coming a couple of times and having a plan of what you would like to see.

The museum’s name comes from the Spanish word “Prado,” meaning “lawn,” referring to the area where it was built, once known as the Jerónimos’ lawn. Originally called the Royal Museum, it wasn’t until around 1920 that people began referring to it as the Prado, the name it is known by today.

Interestingly you aren’t allowed to take any photos in the Prado, which I think is a shame. Apparently it is for crowd control around certain paintings, but as far as I could see certain paintings still had crowds despite everyone keeping their iPhone cameras away.

It is free to visit Monday to Saturday 6-8pm and on Sundays and public holidays 5-7pm. Queues are long so be prepared to wait and by the time you get in you only may have an hour – so is it worth it? Possibly if you intend to go in the Prado a few times.

Reina Sofia Museum is the third in the ‘Golden Triangle’.  It is housed in the former General Hospital of Madrid, an 18th-century neoclassical building. With over 200,000 pieces of art only 5% is on display. What is on display is pretty impressive. Picasso’s Guernica (see above) lots of other works by Dalí, Miró, Maruja Mallo, Luis Buñuel, and Yves Klein, represent different artistic movements such as surrealism, cubism, and expressionism.

It is free to enter Monday-Saturday 7-9pm and on Sundays from 12.30-2.30pm

Whilst at the museum I met a charming American lady who was waxing lyrical about the Museum of Romanticism, so we decided to check it out and were so glad that we did. It is situated in a neo-classical palace once owned by the Marquis of Matallana, the museum reflects the city life of the gentry of Madrid during the Romantic period. It reminded me of a smaller version of the Wallace Collection in London – a time-capsule house museum showcasing 19th-century bourgeois life during Spain’s Romantic era. It displays art and daily objects that showcase the era’s passionate, aesthetic, and daily life.

It is free all day Sunday and after 2pm on Saturdays. It has a little cafe and courtyard garden (see above) to relax and muse over what you have seen.

Flea Market

If you love a flea market and a vintage find then head to El Rastro operating from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the La Latina neighbourhood, specifically around Calle Ribera de Curtidores. Established in 1740 it has been thriving ever since. It offers thousands of stalls selling antiques, clothing, vintage items, and, souvenirs. My husband’s idea of a nightmare, we wandered around for maybe 30 minutes, however, with I could happily spend a few hours nosing around looking at all the antiques. There is a lot of tat, obviously, but some finds are definitely to be had as well if you have a good search.

A few other tips

  1. At the airport we bought a 4 day travel card, which hindsight was not needed as we only went on the subway/tube/underground 3 times in total. The rest of the time we walked around.
  2. We stayed in an Airbnb 200m from the Reina Sofia Museum so a perfect location for us.
  3. To take advantage of the free entry to the museums really work out your timings of visits to capitalise on this.
  4. We loved the little baked cheesecake shop called Luna & Wanda – having lots of flavoured cheesecakes such as tiramisu and biscoff- although we opted for the original which was absolutely delicious with some tea back at our apartment. There are a few outlets so worth checking out.
  5. A fantastic deli worth visiting is Petramora in the neighborhood of Las Salesas, at 40 Barquillo Street. It champions small and medium producers of quality food in Spain. It started out as an online gourmet store, but now has a physical store. They had such an amazing array of produce – meats, cheeses, tinned anchovies, olive oil and so much more. Perfect if you have an apartment during your stay to pick up a few snacks and breakfast offerings.

We feel we really only scratched the surface of Madrid and would definitely go back to explore further. Would you add anything to my list – be it food, art galleries or other museums? Leave a comment below so others can see and add to their lists.

Happy Easter

Torie

Interesting ingredients, Indian Cooking and Art Collaboration and the tastiest Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe

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Interesting Ingredients

I hope you have all been having a good week since I last checked in here? I have been busy running my Indian cooking classes (that include a little spice tour first – to set the scene). I love seeing all the different fruits and vegetables that are available. My clients and I sampled fresh yellow dates from Egypt, known as ‘barhi’. They are fresh, crunchy and crisp – much like an apple, and have a slight chalkiness about them but with a delicately pleasing sweetness. I also couldn’t resist a photo of the alluringly beautiful ruby red, shiny, sweet and hot habanero chillies. I like to use these from time to time, just don’t touch your eyes after handling them.

The bitter melon (photo below) always intrigues clients. Also known as ‘karela’, it is one of the ‘healthiest vegetables in the world’, according to ‘Dan Buettner’ of Blue Zones fame. For those who have not come across the ‘blue zones’, it is a term coined by Dan to describe five places in the world which has the highest concentration of centenarians – places such as Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya Peninsular, Costa Rica; Icarian, Greece, Loma Linda California. There is fascinating documentary on Netflix about the Blue Zones for those who are keen to know more. Worth a watch.

Anyway back to bitter melon. It is nutrient dense, packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, A and E, iron, potassium and great for blood sugar management with compounds such as ‘charantin’ that are believed to act similarly to insulin. It is a key ingredient in the Okinawa diet (one of the key blue zones as described above), often eaten with tofu. I am convinced Roald Dahl must have got the idea for his ‘snozkumber’ in the BFG from the vegetable ‘bitter melon’ – what do you think? Can you see the resemblance? They range in size. The ones I took photos of are small but they can reach to half the length of my arm. I really like the taste – but they are a little surprising when you first taste them due to the bitter afternoons. I like to thinly spice them and then shallow fry until bronzed. Then a pinch of salt and then they are perfect. Once you have acquired a taste there are lots of recipes that stuff them and chop them into large chunks. I’ve avoided putting them in both my cookbooks as I feel that if that was the first recipe you chose from my book, then the likelihood is that you may not try any other recipes ;o).

Indian Cooking and Art Collaboration (few spots left)

In a couple of weeks – Friday 27th March I am doing a fun collaboration with artist Emma Thistleton. We are both keen swimmers, so hatched this plan last year at the Lido to arrange a fun day together. There are still a few places left if those who are keen to join.

Let me explain the order of the day. Arriving at Emma’s house (near to Wandsworth Common) at 11am you will be greeted by some warming chai and some homemade dhokla – a Gujarati steamed savoury sponge cake, which you can find in my first cookbook ‘Chilli & Mint’. Then Emma will begin with some relaxed and fun drawing exercises to get the creative juices flowing. Absolutely no experience is required, we promise. Then I will take over and we are going to cook some delicious Indian food for lunch together. This will include:

  • Sri Lankan Dal
  • Amma’s Mango Chutney
  • Bengali Egg Curry
  • Chaat Salad
  • Spiced okra munchies

We will then sit down to a leisure lunch together. After our feast Emma will demonstrate block printing – pomegranates, limes, leaves and some wonderful boarders and then will guide you through designing and making your very own tote, tea towel and napkins, which you will take home.

Everyone will also go home with a signed copy of Chilli & Mint: Indian Home Cooking from a British Kitchen (OR Seven Kitchens if you already have Chilli & Mint).

The cost of the day in total is £160 per person and is limited to 8 people. There are a few places left.

IF you are keen please email me directly chilliandmint@gmail.com The event will take place at Emma’s house near Wandsworth Common.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Have you ever tried a chocolate Guinness cake before? It’s rich and delicious and a great go-to celebration cake. My husband had a big birthday earlier this week and I asked him what cake he would like. Pondering for a moment he toyed with an espresso coffee cake and a chocolate Guinness cake. The Guinness cake won out and is an absolute keeper. You may be wondering what Guinness brings to the party. Let me tell you. By adding Guinness it really enhances the chocolatey flavour and gives the cake a dense and yet moist texture. Do try and let me know how you get on.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

225g unsalted butter

225ml Guinness 0.0 (non alcohol)

250g caster sugar

100g cocoa powder

2 large eggs

150ml soured cream

1 tsp vanilla paste

275g self raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Topping

250g full fat soft cream cheese

100g icing sugar

1 tsp cornflour

150ml double cream

dark chocolate with sea salt (or whichever you fancy!)

  1. Begin by preheating your oven to 180 degrees fan.
  2. Line the bottom of your cake tin. Now don’t get too focused on the size. I used a large loose bottom cake tin which is 26cm (10 inches) in diameter, but you can use a lot smaller. It will be a lot thicker cake OR you can use two smaller cake tins and then have a more traditional cake with a cream cheese filling in the middle and on top. It is totally up to you. You don’t need to rush out and get a larger tin! Grease your cake tin too.
  3. In a large pan, on a medium to low heat, add the block of butter. You don’t need to cut it down – it will melt easily. Add the alcohol free Guinness – you can use regular Guinness if you prefer. Once the butter has melted, take off the heat.
  4. Add the cocoa powder and caster sugar and mix in well.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the soured cream and vanilla paste and then add to the pan. Stir well.
  6. Sift in the self raising flour and bicarbonate of soda. Stir well and then pour into your cake tin.
  7. Bake in your preheated oven for 50 minutes. Use a skewer to check that it is cooked inside. If it comes out clean it is done. If it comes out gooey, leave the cake in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

To make the Topping

  1. Either by hand or use the whisk handle on your Kitchen Aid (or equivalent), whisk the cream cheese for 30 seconds and then add the icing sugar gradually and the cornflour.
  2. Again either by hand or using your mixer, whisk the double cream until soft peaks form. Then gradually add top the cream cheese/icing mixture.

Only add the topping once the cake has cooled completely. Finally grate some dark chocolate on top.

Enjoy. I am off to Norfolk next week to talk about my new book ‘Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India’s Culinary Heritage’ and demo some recipes at the glorious Old School Books in Burnham Market. I will be there first ever event – no pressure there ;o). The event has sold out so I am super excited about it.

A Mini Break in Budapest

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Over half term, my husband, youngest teen daughter and myself headed off to explore Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, a city that none of us had visited before. I do love exploring new places – typically heading off on foot to explore the streets so as get a real sense of the place. The city was officially formed in 1873 by merging three distinct settlements – hilly Budda and Obuda on the west bank of the Danube River and flat Pest on the east bank, forming what we know today as ‘Budapest’. The Danube acts as a central artery connecting the historic, quiet, and residential Buda with the vibrant, commercial, and bustling Pest.

We opted to stay in Pest in a beautiful property called Boho Hotel, which is part of the ‘Small Luxury Hotels‘. It was elegantly designed – more minimalist chic than Boho, but the staff and ambience of the hotel were warm and friendly. The bedrooms were good sized – with the most comfortable mattresses and pillows ever. The pillows were incredible long and narrow, I had never seen anything like it before.

The bathrooms had a large bath and then a separate rain shower and toilet room. I was intrigued to see British toiletries brand Penhaligon installed in the bathrooms. As the winter Olympics were on we were pleased that the hotel rooms had huge TV’s so we could catch up on the events at the end of the day touring the city.

The hotel also offered a large sauna in the basement with a hot tub and lounging area, which was the perfect way to relax after a day of touring. You could also book a massage too should you wish to. In another basement at the other end of the hotel was a pool table and sofas to relax and read. Breakfast was included in the price and offered a wide range of sweet and savoury options.

I thought it would be helpful to list a few things to pop on your to-do/see list when you visit the city. I feel we only scratched the surface so I hope a few of the ideas below might intrigue you to seek out.

1.Visit a thermal bath – Budapest is known for its spas and thermal baths since Roman times, so it is a must to seek one out and bath in its medicinal waters. The three most famous are:

Széchenyi Thermal Bath, which is the largest, featuring 18 pools and is an eye catching yellow with Neo-Baroque architecture.

Gellért Thermal Bath, which is both inside and outside with an art nouveau vibe but is closed for renovations until 2028.

Rudas Thermal Bath, which was founded at the time of the Ottoman rule so has a distinctive hammer vibe about it with an Ottoman dome and an octagonal rooftop pool.

They all have their own rules regarding compulsory bathing hats or not, male or female only times and so forth. After a lot of research we opted for more of a local bath which was nearer to our hotel – described as ‘a bit off the beaten track and therefore quite authentic’ called Dardár Baths.

It had a Finnish sauna, a couple of inside pools at 35 and 38 degrees centigrade and a cold plunge. Outside were a further couple of hot pools which we enjoyed the most – being in nature is really calming and relaxing. We found it clean and user-friendly. We didn’t need to wear swim hats and could all go in together. You need to obviously remember a swim suit, flip flops and towels. I believe you can borrow the latter if required. They have large lockers that you can leave all your belongings. There is also the option of massages as well. For £9 you can wallow and hang out there all day so it was quite busy with local mature residents of Budapest catching up with friends and bathing.

2. Visit Central Market, also known as Great Market Hall

Restored in the 1990s the Neo-Gothic building was pretty spectacular. It has two storeys filled with Hungarian foods – a lot of salami – and crafts including a lot of Christmas decorations. I made a beeline for the hot and sweet smoked paprika in the pretty blue and white tins. The upper level has lots of eating options, where you can stand and watch the throngs below or sit down in a canteen style eatery. We devoured a few large Hungarian sausages known as kolbász, that are seasoned with a distinctive blend of spices, most notably paprika, served alongside some fries, pickles, and mustard. Delicious and £27 for the huge plate below.

3. Explore Old Buda, visit the Hungarian National Gallery and stroll around Fisherman’s Bastion

Heading over one of the bridges, walk to old Buda with its impressive view across to the parliament building and Pest. Housed in several wings of Buda Castle is the Hungarian National Gallery which has some spectacular art work. You could literally spend hours here and if the day is overcast, wet or snowy it is a good place to keep warm and enjoy the art. Below are few that caught my eye.

Over on the old Buda side there are some wonderful streets to wander down and churches to admire. You’ll also see Fisherman’s Bastion a Neo-Romanesque and Neo Gothic panoramic terrace built between 1895 and 1902 to celebrate the 1000th birthday of the Hungarian state. It looks like a medieval fortress with a sprinkling of ‘Disney magic’ and has seven, white-stone towers, arches, and courtyards connected by stairways and is located just behind Matthias Church. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and a popular must see when visiting Budapest.

4. Ride on Budapest’s iconic yellow trams, known as villamos. You need to purchase a ticket before getting on and then activate them in the machine once you board the tram. The tube/underground/metro works really well too. Make sure you go on the M1 (yellow line) which is the oldest and features historic tram like carriages built in 1896 and runs below Andrássy Avenue.

5. Walk along the Danube and then board a river cruise

Stroll along the Danube and you will find many companies offering river cruise. We found one that was about to leave so secured some tickets and headed down the river to watch the sunset. We sat above deck initially all wrapped up warm and then when the weather dipped dramatically we headed downstairs to the warmth to watch the world go by. The cruise offered glasses of bubbly and orange juice and lasted around 45 minutes.

I noticed a rather charming wooden boat known as the ‘Kisfaludy Paddle Steamer’ as we cruised by, which apparently is a 2014-2015 replica of the first 19th century steamboat on Lake Balaton. You can book a trip on it here.

6. Art lovers will adore The Museum of Fine Art

We initially had plans to visit ‘The House of Terror Museum’ to learn more about the history of the region. It was raining and the queue was long and apparently not going anywhere. After talking to some fellow Brits at the front of the queue we learned they had not moved in 45 minutes and were letting people out but not in. I can’t stand queueing at the best of times so we all agreed we would give it a miss and head on to The Museum of Fine Art.

Housed in one of the most spectacular buildings the museum is as much an architectural masterpiece as it is an art gallery. The permanent collection houses Egyptian antiquities, European art and sculpture across the ages, classical antiquity. You could spend days in here without even seeing the exhibitions which are on for a few months – The Civilisation of the Qin and Han Dynasties is on at the moment.

7. Enjoy the local cuisine, as well as the international food on offer.

We couldn’t go to Budapest and not have some goulash so we headed to Mama Goulash. They don’t take reservations so there is always a long queue. Not to be discouraged we were given an option to eat outside under a warming lamp so agreed to skip the queue and eat our goulash and schnitzel – thin breaded fried meat cutlet. It was tasty and well priced. We didn’t linger as it was February and just a little chilly.

Another couple of restaurants that were on my radar but sadly didn’t visit were:

Hungarikum Bisztro

Rosenstein

Kádár Etkezde

Café Kör

We did however eat a tremendous ramen virtually next door to our hotel at Ramen Nikko. My love for Japanese food runs deep so I’m afraid it won out over local Hungarian food – please don’t hate me ;o).It doesn’t actually have a website and is very much a place you turn up. It’s on Krúdy utca 6, 1088 – literally next door to Boho Hotel. It’s on instagram as @ramennikko and run by friendly Japanese folk.

Another night we visited a family run Vietnamese called ‘Ciao Siagon‘ – again walking distance from our hotel and really delicious. Again it has no website and we simply turned up. It is located Vas u. 2, Budapest. On instagram it is @ciaosiagonbudapest my pho and Banh Cuon – steamed rice rolled filled with mince pork, shrimp and wood ear mushrooms, topped with crispy shallots and served with Vietnamese ham and fresh herbs were superb.

One coffee shop worth a mention was Salt Bakery which is just along from St Stephen’s Basilica. Lovely ambiance and great coffee.

8. Explore the Jewish neighbourhood

Not far from where we were staying was the Jewish neighboured. We wandered the streets, checked out the vintage shops and visited Karavan – where a number of street food trucks enticed passers by. We tried the local Lángos, which consists of a fried dough base with sour cream and cheese. You can have additional toppings but we opted for the traditional variety. It comes from the Hungarian word for ‘flame’. Originally they were made in a brick oven – similar to a tandoor and the dough would be slapped against the ovens hot walls until crisp. It was hearty and I guess comforting in cold weather. I am glad I tried them but probably won’t rush back to get another.

9. Visit Memento Park

We missed this one but if you are visiting in the spring or summer I think it would be great to go and visit. The park includes 42 Soviet-era statues, including Lenin, Marx, and Engels. If you are interested in Cold War history, communist-era propaganda, art, or photography friends have said it is worth a visit although does require a tube and bus ride and walk to reach it, so only for the truly committed.

10. St Stephen’s Basilica

A short walk from our hotel was St Stephen’s Basilica, which is really impressive. It is the largest church in Budapest and the third largest in the whole of Hungary.

The basilica features a mix of neoclassical and neo-Renaissance styles with a Greek cross floor plan. Its 96-meter dome offers spectacular views of Budapest for those who want to go to the top. It’s interior has marble columns, gold leaf decorations, and mosaics of St. Stephen’s life and Hungarian religious history. There is even a mummified hand of Saint Stephen – a sacred relic of Hungary’s first king. It is displayed in a glass cabinet for those are curious to see. Apparently it was found preserved when his tomb was opened in 1083. Each August 20th it is paraded around the basilica.

Have you visited before? Do add any recommendations in the comments below so others can take notes.

Chinese Steamed Eggs – A tasty ‘mouthfeel’ dish

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How are you all surviving with the deluge of rain that we are having in the UK? It’s relentless isn’t it. It’s no wonder that us Brits are renown for talking about the weather non-stop, as it is so pertinent to our very existence. At least I have opted for a relaxation/pastime that does not depend on the weather – swimming outside – rain or shine you are always going to get wet. Followed by a sauna, and you can guarantee that your day will always seem brighter.

In a bid to be more consistent on here I wanted to kick off the weekend by sharing a super quick and tasty breakfast or lunch recipe for Chinese steamed eggs, which has a wonderful ‘mouthfeel’ to it. Fuchsia Dunlop talks about ‘mouthfeel’ in her excellent book ‘Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet -Sour Memoir of Eating in China‘ – I highly recommend this book if you have not read it. In Chinese cuisine they have a specific word for mouthfeel – ‘kougan’ and this is often considered equal or as important to flavour. The mouthfeel for this dish comes in the form of a smooth and silky sensation – a term known as ‘hua’. The other sensations in the Chinese vocabulary are ‘cui’ – for anything that is crunchy or crispy, ‘Q’ for anything that is chewy, bouncy or rubbery in texture – noodles being a great example and ‘nuo’ for soft and gelatinous dishes – particularly braised dishes.

It takes around 15 minutes to make (including preparation) but there are a few important steps to remember.

1. After whisking the eggs it is important to strain them – this makes sure that the steamed eggs will be completely smooth.

2. The water that you add to the strain eggs need to be the same amount in weight to the eggs. It needs to be warm so I suggest half the amount is boiling water and the other half is cold. I like to add 1/4 cube of chicken or vegetable stock to the water. Give a good stir to allow the stock cube to dissolve, then strain into the whisked eggs.

3. Cover the bowl with the egg mixture with some clingfilm with a few little holes in top – this is to prevent in water from the steam dripping into the bowl. (See the photo below which shows the bowl with steamed eggs that had clingfilm in the front of the photo and one without in the back. Without will make the eggs uneven on the surface.

4. Use a sharp knife to make incisions evenly across the top of the steamed eggs, then turn the bowl and make more incisions so that you have a lattice effect.

So below is the recipe in detail.

Chinese Steamed Eggs

Serves 1

2 eggs, whisked

warm water (weight of the eggs + half again 1:1.5 ratio)to get the right temp water mix half boiled water/cold water

1/4 cube of chicken or vegetable stock

1 small spring onion, green part only, finely sliced OR 1-2 chives, finely sliced

1 tsp light or dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

small pinch of white pepper, optional

  1. Place a bowl on a weighing scales and weight the eggs. Make a note of the weight.
  2. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and leave to one side.
  3. Using a separate bowl or measuring jug add the half boiling/half cold so that it is warm and add 1/4 chicken/vegetable stock cube (you don’t want it to be too salty). You are looking for a ratio of 1.5x the weight of the eggs (example: 100ml eggs add 150ml of warm water). Stir well and then add to the bowl with the whisked eggs.
  4. Sieve the eggs and stock and place into your serving bowl. Remove any bubbles that have come to the surface.
  5. Add boiling water to the bottom of your steamer. If you don’t have one simply use a pan that is wider than your bowl. Place a cookie cutter or trivet on the bottom of the pan and cover with boiling water so that the water is up to the cutter/trivet. Bring to a rolling boil.
  6. Cover the serving bowl with cling film and prick it a couple of times with a sharp knife. Gently place in the pan and cover with a lid with a small hole in the top to allow the steam to escape.
  7. Turn the heat down to medium/low and allow to steam the eggs for 9 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to sit for a further 3 minutes.
  8. You will be able to see that the eggs are nicely steamed and will jiggle a little if you give the pan a little tap. (see the jiggle below)
  9. Be careful removing from the steamer. Remove the clingfilm and then use a sharp knife to make a series of straight incisions along the top and then turn by 90 degrees and make more incisions so that you have a diamond lattice effect.
  10. Spoon the soy sauce and sesame oil on top, followed by a pinch of white pepper and spring onions or chives and dive in and enjoy the ‘kougan’ and comforting taste. I love it and hope you will too.

Please note:I don’t add any salt to the eggs to begin with as I find the chicken/veg stock and soy sauce adds enough salt to the dish.

Have a great weekend everyone. Wrap up warm and stay dry.

Torie

My Go-To Breakfast Choice…..at the moment

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I definitely gravitate towards a savoury breakfast pre or post my cold water swim and sauna. As a side note, I am so pleased that the sauna revolution is growing from strength to strength the length and breadth of the UK. It is so good for you and with a cold water plunge or swim is a mood uplifter. Even in the dreary rainy days it is transformational. Trust me – give it go.

Anyway back to savoury breakfasts…..It was only during my first pregnancy that I gave pain au chocolate a look in and really craved them most days. Typically though give me masala dosa, dim appam/egg hopper with chutneys or perhaps idli and sambar, Vietnamese pho or eggs in any form with some miso sesame toast (yes that is a thing from the wonderful August Bakery) with marmite on the side.

At the moment, however I am gravitating towards an oat congee type affair. Congee, for the uninitiated, is a popular Asian rice porridge which is broken down to become a smooth-ish, thick-ish, comforting soup. Typically the rice is cooked slowly over an hour or two (1:8 or 1:10 rice/water ratio) when the grains break down and burst and the dish becomes creamy and soft. You can make it with white or brown rice, the latter naturally offering a fibre packed meal. It has all manner of toppings – sometimes chicken, pork or fish is added. In Japan it is known as ‘kayu’, in Korea as ‘jus’, in Myanmar ‘hsan pyoke’, in Indonesia ‘bubur’, Thailand ‘jok’ and in the Philippines it is known as ‘lugaw’.

With the dark winter days, coupled with rains and general gloom we are having in the UK, my version of congee will definitely lift the spirits and put a spring in your step. It uses porridge oats instead of rice and uses no oil or butter and literally takes 7-8 minutes to make – the time it takes to boil an egg.

My favourite sprinkle condiment at the moment is known as ‘Kyoto Kyo-Ra-Yu Furikake’ and I love to sprinkle this over the finished dish. I first had it in Japan when I visited in 2023 and 2024 and I am completely hooked, regularly asking friends to bring it back with them when they visit Japan. I have found it online here in the UK – not cheap, but use it sparingly and you won’t be disappointed. It is crunchy with sesame seeds, chilli, garlic and fried Kujo leeks.

So to the recipe itself. I would love to hear what breakfasts/brunches are getting you through these winter months. Comment below and let me know.

Oat Congee with Fresh Turmeric, Black Pepper, Ginger and Garlic

a couple of handfuls of porridge oats (as much as you want to eat)

1/2 tsp fresh or ground turmeric, skin removed

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp heaped fresh ginger, finely grated

1 tsp garlic, finely grated

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1 tbsp soy sauce, dark or light

water to cover

3 spring onions, cut in half and sliced lengthways

1 egg

1 tbsp fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, finely chopped

a sprinkling of Kyoto Kyo-Ra-Yu Furikake or chilli oil or seasoning of your choice

 

  1. Bring water to the boil in a small saucepan and then gently lower your egg into the water. If you want it soft boiled aim for 6-7 minutes.
  2. In a medium sized pan add the oats – I have purposely not given a precise amount – just use as much as you would use to make porridge. A couple of handfuls should be sufficient.
  3. Finely grate the fresh turmeric (ground turmeric is fine too), ginger and garlic and add these to the oats along with the freshly ground black pepper and salt.
  4. Cover with boiling water so that it is just above the oats and stir well. Add a little soy sauce to taste. Add a little more water to loosen as required. It should only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat when it has softened.
  5. Meanwhile heat a small frying pan and add the spring onions and allow to wilt and lightly char then remove from the heat and keep to one side.
  6. After 7 minutes drain the egg and rinse under cold water. Gently use a teaspoon to break the shell from the egg and remove.
  7. Now to plate up. In a bowl add the porridge/congee and then add the charred and wilted spring onions, freshly chopped coriander (leaves and stalks), gently cut the egg lengthways and lay on top of the porridge/congee. Add a splash more soy sauce if required. Finally sprinkle some Kyoto Kyo-Ra-Yu Furikake or your favourite condiment on top.
  8. Devour and enjoy.

Additions: Instead of spring onions you could add tender stem broccoli, sugar snaps, green beans, mange tout – simply add them in the boiling water with the egg for a minute then slice lengthways (for the tender stem). Sometimes I like to add wilted spinach which I place in a small pan with a splash (literally) of water to help wilt.

PS: It is important to add black pepper with the turmeric, as the piperine compound in the black pepper helps with the absorption of curcumin in the turmeric by 2000%, which boosts its anti-inflammatory effects.

Let me know how you get on. I hope you will love it as much as I do.

Best

Torie

Chicken Tikka Masala – always a crowd pleaser

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Chicken tikka masala and butter chicken are both firm curry house favourites here in the UK. They are very similar in that they both have a mild tomato sauce with Indian spices. The main difference is the amount of butter and cream. The butter chicken, as the name suggests has a lot more more butter and a less intense tomato sauce. It is also cooked in a pan where as the chicken tikka masala is charred and cooked in a tandoor or grill before it enters the sauce and pan.

To be honest, I rarely cook this type of curry and I have never seen any family members in India cook it either. Whilst cooking in the tandoor is very much Indian, the history of this curry is disputed with many saying that was ‘created’ for a Western palate by a British Pakistani chef in Scotland in the 1970’s whose customer requested a mild tomato sauce for their chicken tikka pieces. It was such a hit that it became a firm fixture on the menu with other curry houses following suit. I certainly remember it being a standard curry to order at university curry nights out.

Whether it is truly authentic or not it is much loved across the UK. It is creamy and more buttery than my usual curries, but eaten now and again is a complete joy.

 

 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4-6 (if serving with other dishes)

4 chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

marinade

3 tbsp full fat natural yoghurt

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp ground paprika

1 tsp ground garam masala

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

juice from half a lemon

1 tsp salt

1 heaped tsp garlic paste

1 heaped tsp ginger paste

 

 

Creamy tomato sauce

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or regular butter

2 tbsp oil

2 white onions, finely chopped

1 heaped tsp ginger paste

1 heaped tsp garlic paste

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground garam masala

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp ground paprika

1x tin tomatoes or 400g fresh tomatoes, blitzed

200ml water

1 tsp jaggery/brown sugar

1 tsp salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

150ml double cream

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp dried methi/fenugreek leaves OR coriander leaves

  1. First you need to marinate the chicken. Mix all the marinade together and then cover tightly with cling film/foil and place in the fridge for an hour – to overnight.
  2. Spread your marinated chicken out on a large baking tray and brush with a little oil. Place under a hot grill (240 degrees C) for 10-15 minutes so that it begins to char. Turn over halfway so that it chars on all sides. It does not need to be cooked all the way through at this stage as it will finish off cooking in the sauce. Do keep an eye on it though when it is under the grill as it can char very quickly and you don’t want it to be completely burned.
  3. In a deep wide pan (a wok would work well) heat the ghee/oil and gently fry the onion so that it begins to bronze – this will take around 6 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic paste.
  4. Add all the spices followed by the blitzed tomatoes, black pepper, salt and jaggery/sugar and water. Allow to simmer on a gentle heat for 7 minutes, by which time the sauce will have thickened sufficiently.
  5. Add the chicken to the pan and coat in the tomato sauce. Gently pour in the double cream and the final tablespoon of butter and simmer on a low heat for  15 minutes. Taste test to see if more salt is required.
  6. Finally add the dried fenugreek or fresh coriander. Drizzle a little more double cream before serving.

Honey and Smoked Paprika Spatchcock Partridges on a Rocket Pesto

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Recently I was watching ‘Masterchef the Professionals’ and chef Monica Geletti set the challenge of spatchcocking a quail and making a rocket pesto (series 12, episode 4 if you want to take a look). She made it look ridiculously easy, but of course being under pressure of being on TV for the first time the chefs didn’t find it quite as easy as she made it look. It did however, give me the idea of replicating said dish at home as we had some partridges sitting in my freezer, and whilst a little bigger than quail, will require the same method of cooking albeit for a few minutes longer.

She set the challenge at 15 minutes to do the whole thing – prep and cook the quail and make the pesto. It took me a little longer, but not too much – largely owing to the fact I was cooking for three and not one. The result was absolutely delicious and I think spatchcocking game birds is definitely the way forward. Excuse the poor quality photos – I cooked it in the evening when it was dark outside, so taking photos in those conditions is never going to give you the perfect shot – but you get the idea.

 

Spatchcock Honey and Smoked Paprika Partridge with a Rocket Pesto

3 partridges/quail

2 tbsp runny honey

2 tsp smoked paprika powder

1 garlic cloves

70g pine nuts

110g fresh rocket

good glugs of extra virgin olive oil (around 150ml)

approx 50g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

 

 

 

  1. First prepare the game bird (quail, partridge etc) by cutting up the backbone and remove the innards from it.
  2. Turn it over and then press down hard so that it lays flat.
  3. Now you want to make a rub. You could mix honey with smoked paprika – which I did, or you could use sumac, garam masala, cumin, curry powder – lots of options.
  4. Once you have covered the bird with the rub, heat a griddle pan and when it is hot place the bird down firmly into the pan, breast side first – you want to sear the outside so that it creates the charred lines across it. This will take a few minutes.
  5. Then turn it over and after a further minute, remove the bird and place on a plate whilst you continue to sear the remaining birds. Once they have all been seared place back into the griddle pan or a roasting dish and cook in an oven preheated to 80 degrees fan – for 7-10 minutes (around 7-8 for a quail, and 10 for a partridge which is a little bigger). To check that they are cooked simply give then a gently prod with your finger. When they are done the flesh will feel firm.
  6. Whilst it is cooking, lightly toast off the pine nuts in a frying pan (do NOT add any oil) so that the oils are released naturally.
  7. Place the garlic into a pestle a mortar and pound it until smooth and then add the rocket, followed by the pine nuts. You can do all of this in a mini blender but I think it is nice to have a little bit of texture, hence preparing it in a pestle and mortar.
  8. Add a little of the oil and some parmesan. You need to taste and see if you need more of any of the ingredients as it is very much down to personal taste. Season as required.
  9. Once the partridge has cooked sufficiently, remove from the oven and cut in half lengthways.
  10. To plate up, place a bit of the rocket pesto in the centre of the plate and smear into a round circle, wider than the bird.
  11. Then place the halved bird on top of the pesto, leaning one half at angles onto the other.
  12. I also accompanied with a few roast potatoes and some kale, which I had lightly cooked in some oil and some chilli flakes.

To follow I skipped pudding and instead opted for a cheeseboard with some fresh fruit. All in all a deliciously decadent meal and yet very easy to prepare.

Smoked Salmon and Soba Noodle Bowl From Kelli Foster’s NEW book “Buddha Bowls”

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I adore meals that can be eaten in a bowl, that are packed full of goodness and flavour. Going through my kitchen cupboards you will find all manner of bowls of different sizes and depths depending on what’s going in them. You can therefore imagine my delight when I came across Kelli Foster’s, new book “Buddha Bowls – 100 nourshing one-bowl meals”. Kelli is a food writer and editor for the daily food magazine on the web called ‘The Kitchn’ based in New York.  Buddha bowls are nothing new and the term has been banded around now for many years, along with “bliss bowls’, “nourish bowls” or “power bowls” but Kelli’s book is wonderfully original, with so many great sounding recipes that you actually want to cook. Turmeric-ginger cauliflower and lentil bowls, Moroccan-spiced chickpea bowl, chipotle sweet potato bowls, chicken kofta bowls, harissa chicken bowls, spinach and mushroom pesto breakfast bowl the list goes on. Making a decision on which to cook first is hard.

I opted to show you all the ‘smoked salmon and soba noodle bowls’ recipe as it is exactly the sort of thing that I make for myself and the family for lunch in the holidays or weekends. All the ingredients I already had in my pantry and fridge and it really is very straightforward to make. It’s super healthy and flavoursome so a win win.

At the beginning of the book Kelli has included a wide range of sauces to go with the various buddha bowls – for example chimichurri, creamy feta, essential pesto sauce with any herb of leafy greens, miso-ginger, tahini. The book is then split into chapters: breakfast bowls, fish and seafood bowls, chicken and turkey bowls, vegetable bowls, fruit bowls.

Photograph by Maria Siriano in the book Buddha Bowls by Kelli Foster published by The Harvard Common Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group

The recipes are all inventive, sound delicious and beautifully photographed. The ‘green goddess quinoa bowls with crispy tofu’ looked very appetising and will definitely be on the menu over the summer holidays for my family.

Photograph by Maria Siriano in the book Buddha Bowls by Kelli Foster published by The Harvard Common Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group

For those with a sweeter palate then the ‘blackberry millet breakfast bowls’ are perfect in the coming months when blackberry season is in full swing. I love overnight oats for breakfast so this will be a good one to try.

Photograph by Maria Siriano in the book Buddha Bowls by Kelli Foster published by The Harvard Common Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group

I also love the idea of the ‘quinoa and chicken taco bowls with cilantro (coriander to us Brits)- lime dressing. How divine sounding hey!

This book is bursting with ideas that the hardest thing you will find is actually deciding on which to opt for. It’s priced at £14.99 and $22.99 in the US and $29.99 in Canada but on one certain retailer you can pick up a copy for under £10 – click here.

I am running a competition until Sunday 5th August on my instagram where you can WIN a copy of the book by simply doing three simple things:

  1. follow me on instagram
  2. like my post with the salmon noodle bowl photo
  3. tag 2 friends who might be keen to win the book.

There will only be one winner and they need to be based in the UK. Good luck.

Smoked Salmon and Soba Noodle Bowls

serves 4 (gluten free)

4 tbsp (60ml) tamari (similar to soy sauce but contains little to no wheat)

1 tbsp (15ml) rice vinegar

1 tbsp (6g) freshly grated ginger

1 tsp (5mo) toasted sesame oil

1/2 (half) tsp honey

200g dry buckwheat soba noodles

1 cup (120g) shelled edamame

4 ounces (115g) thinly slices smoked salmon

1 medium seedless cucumber, peeled and julienned

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced

shredded nori (seaweed)

red pepper flakes

  1. First make the dressing by whisking the tamarind, rice vinegar, ginger, sesame oil and honey together in a small bowl; set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions and then drain them and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Boil the edamame for 5-7 minutes until cooked, strain and rinse under cold water.
  3. Stir the sauce together once more and toss the noodles with 1 tablespoon (15mp) of sauce.
  4. To serve, divide the soba noodles among bowls. Top with edamame, smoked salmon, cucumber and avocado. Drizzle with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with nori and red pepper flakes. (I forgot the latter until after I had taken the photos!)

Absolutely delicious and super quick to rustle up. Enjoy.

NOTE: chilliandmint kindly received a copy of Buddha Bowls. All views and opinions are her own.

Cod, Potato and Spinach Curry

1 Comment

 

 

With the weather being pretty amazing here at the moment in the UK I like to cook quick speedy meals that are packed full of flavour and are not too laborious to make. I had a kilo of cod in my freezer, which I defrosted, so thought that a fish curry was called for, eaten in the garden. Bliss.

I love a good fish curry and have lots on my blog that I would recommend (not biased or anything!): Mild Indian cod curry, Sri Lankan tuna curry, speedy salmon curry (excuse the dodgy photos on this one – it’s when I first started my blog), Bengali mustard fish curry.

The one I want to show you today takes 15 mins max – in fact most fish curries take no time at all. I used cod, but you could use any firm fish – pollock, salmon, trout, bhetki, tuna, monkfish. My cod was filleted and then I simply removed the skin and then cut it into slightly larger than bite size pieces. It will be in a red gravy and this is not because of tomatoes – there are none in it – instead from the paprika and Kashmiri chilli powder, the latter is not spicy hot, instead adds great colour to a dish. Do not be put off.

 

Cod, Potato and Spinach Curry

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

1 heaped tsp turmeric powder

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 inches of ginger, skin removed and finely grated

4 fresh green chillies, sliced in half length ways (add less if you prefer less heat)

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp salt, to taste

1 heaped tsp paprika

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp mango/amchur powder

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 large potato, chopped into 1 inch cubes

250ml water

1 kg cod, filleted, skinned and cut into large bite size pieces

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

1 tsp jaggery/brown sugar

 

  1. Use a large, wide, deep pan ideally. Heat the oil and when hot add the cumin seeds. They will sizzle almost immediately. After 10 seconds add the onion and move around the pan for a further couple of minutes before adding the coriander powder, turmeric and garam masala powder. Turn the heat down to prevent any of the spices burning. Move around the pan and then add the garlic and ginger.
  2. After about a minute or two add the flour, which will gently thicken the curry, and move around the pan. Add the paprika and Kashmiri chilli powder and then add the cubed potato.
  3. After a further minute add some water so that it covers the potato. Add the fish and coat in the masala. Add a little more water, to cover the fish and place a lid on the pan and cover for 5 minutes.
  4. Gently move the fish, without breaking it up, around the pan and add the mango powder, sugar and sesame seeds. Return the lid on the pan and simmer away for a further 3 minutes.
  5. Add the fresh spinach and continue to cook for a further 3 minutes or until the potato has softened. Add more water if you prefer a more saucy curry. Check on the taste and add more salt/sugar if necessary.
  6. Keep the lid on the pan to keep in the heat before serving. It works well with rice or Indian breads.

 

 

 

 

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

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Last year when I attended the Ballymaloe Food and Drink Literary Festival one of the first things I did upon arriving, was to take myself to their beautiful living room and order tea and scones – as you do!  Needless to say it set the tone for the whole weekend, but one very lasting memory was that they served their scones and clotted cream not with strawberry or raspberry jam, BUT with rhubarb and ginger jam. It tasted sublime and I made a mental note to try making some at some point back at home.

Now ok it’s taken me a year but I got there and it tastes great so was keen to share it with you. My mother celebrated her birthday the other day and invited some friends over for tea. My youngest daughter and I made cakes (an elderflower and lemon drizzle, in honour of the recent royal wedding and a carrot cake) and scones and some mushroom tartlets with sour cream and parsley. My eldest daughter baked her legendary chocolate cake and my father made a wonderful Victoria sponge and scones with raisins.

As a side note, scones you can make ahead as they are great to freeze – I made around a 100 for my brothers wedding tea – the recipe is here and it works really well. So whilst strawberry and raspberry jam were on offer for the traditionalists, my rhubarb and ginger jam tempted those who wished to try something new and exciting. Hope you like it too.

Strawberry jam (left) my Rhubarb and Ginger jam (right)         Mama

 

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

1 kg of pink rhubarb, washed and cut into 2cm pieces

1kg of jam sugar

50g stem ginger

1 lemon, zest and juice

4cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

 

Before you begin you will want to clean and sterilise the jars that you are planning on using.

  1. Place all the ingredients into a large plastic bowl, stir thoroughly and then cover and leave to one side for a couple of hours, stir a couple of times over this period,  so that the sugar dissolves and the flavours all harmonise together.
  2. Place a plate into the freezer.
  3. Use a large stainless steel pot – you do not need a preserving pan – and pour all the ingredients from the bowl into the pan. Place on a medium heat and stir so that the rhubarb tenderises and a setting point is reached. This will take no longer than 15 minutes.
  4. To test for setting point, simply remove the plate from the freezer and spoon a little jam onto the plate. Within a minute the jam will have little wrinkles if you move it with your finger. If it is still too runny, leave it to cook a little longer and try again.
  5. If setting point has been reached, remove from the heat and leave for a couple of minutes before pouring into the sterilised jars. Seal immediately and label. I find this easy fill funnel great for jam and chutney making.

 

 

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