One Night in Jail: Dinner at Barbutis

Here's my mug shot!

Gravesend, Kent is by far a grey cloud of ugliness and sadness.  FYI I'm allowed to say that because I was born there and still live just a stones throw away.  It's not always been this way though and there are, on occasions a glimpse of sophistication and rejuvenation once more.  Mostly along the heritage walk, aka the old high street.  One of these glimpses can now be found in oddly placed restaurant Barbutis.  A locally sourced, a la carte restaurant, positioned within the entrance of a now pitifully pointless market (I'm hoping Mary Portas might be able to sort that one out for us!)

We were first introduced to the restaurant via a review in a National newspaper and almost couldn't believe our eyes.  A high end restaurant in Gravesend???  I've not seen any other marketing for it, so assume it must all be from word of mouth and I'm desperate for little establishments like this to survive, not only in the current economic climate but also in places near me that are left to fall into disrepair.  So here's me doing my bit.  

Situated in the the old police station, Barbutis has an extra quirky factor to it and you know I love quirky! Although most of the tables are within the main dining area there are the odd few that have their very own cells. My sister and mother once visited for a sneak peek during the day, when it first opened, and they were quick to tell me it was rather eerie in those cells.  You'll be pleased to read that with the warm welcome of the lighting and friendly staff in the evening it wasn't anywhere near spooky, although I did get a chill whilst visiting the bathrooms. 

I'm a sucker for history, so the images of the old police officers all through the decades placed around the rooms was a nice little touch.  We were in Cell 1 for my sisters birthday and although not surrounded by lots of other tables and guests the cell still managed to accommodate it's own little atmosphere.

You can look to spend around £40 per person, without drink, so it doesn't come cheap (although it's not heinously expensive either), which is why it's even more surprising it's residence is Gravesend.

We began with complimentary tomato and basil soup which I have to admit I didn't love and would have been disappointed if I'd ordered, however the presentation was cute.

I began with chicken liver parfait with truffle butter, a red onion marmalade and brioche.  The sweetness against the savoury was sublime and I'm obsessed with truffles at the moment so this definitely hit the spot.

One of my sister's and I followed that with the Roast "Aylesbury" Duck, served with a confit leg croquette, braised red cabbage, wilted baby gem, in a red wine jus.

Despite loving that, I wish I'd ordered this...

Venison in a dark chocolate jus with parsnip crisps and a summer fruits pudding.  Divine!

We followed up with desserts, in which I tried the sticky toffee pudding which was satisfactory.

The meal was definitely worth the money but the mains were the most outstanding of the three courses we all tried.  If you're based near Gravesend in Kent I hope you may show your support and venture here for some good food in an unusual setting.

Barbutis is open Thursdays through to Sundays.

The Stove on Sunday: Barefoot Contessa's Truffle Butter Turkey

Thanksgiving always holds a special place in my heart after spending it with friends in Massachusetts, back in 2005, so my mum always tries to create a pseudo Thanksgiving dinner for me.  Our guilty pleasure is American TV chef Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa.  We love her and her recipes as well as finding some of her idiosyncrasies quite irritating.  Her poor husband, Jeffrey, only ever seems to be cooked chicken because it's his favourite and she says "How good is that?" an awful lot.  On the build up to Thanksgiving, the Food Network were running all of her Thanksgiving episodes, including this rather indulgent recipe for truffle butter turkey.  We decided to test run this for a potential new way of cooking our turkey at Christmas, as it's no secret that it's not the most delicious of poultry.

Ina only used the crown of the turkey rather than the full thing, which we never do, as some of the more tasty meat is the dark meat in our eyes and cooking without the bones can make it dry also.  However, we decided for the sake of the test run, we would just use the crown too.  After all, we're not really American and it's not really Thanksgiving to us, so a whole proper turkey seemed a little bit extravagant for a Thursday evening.

You will need:

Turkey Crown (or whole Turkey)

3 oz Truffle Butter

Fresh Thyme

Some Black Garlic (this was our own addition)

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

How To:

1. Place the turkey in a roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels

2. Release the skin from the meat carefully, so as not to tear and begin to place the truffle butter underneath.  We actually mixed our truffle oil with standard butter instead.  We also had black garlic recommended to us by a friend, so we also placed a few cloves of this under the skin too.

3.  Press your hands across the turkey skin in order to evenly distribute the butter.

4.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil across the meat before placing into the oven at 325 degrees F for approximately three hours, remember half way through to cover the turkey with foil so as not to burn the skin.

5.  Serve with your favourite roast vegetables.

On tasting the meat it was a little dry, which we attributed to the fact we were just using the crown but it was quite impressively flavoursome considering it was cooked without the bones and the dark meat.  It had a richer taste than usual but it did not overpower.  Considering we spent somewhere near the region of £70 for our turkey last year and it didn't taste as delicious as this one we figured that we could actually get away with purchasing a much cheaper turkey and instead cook it in this manner to ensure the flavour.  To ELLE and Back brings you another credit buster, in the form of a turkey dinner, of all things!

We also took on board Ina's table decoration ideas...

"How good is that?" *wink*

The Stove on Sunday: Heston's Pine Scented Mince Pies

As far as I'm concerned as soon as Halloween and Bonfire night are out of the way you have free reign to begin  building up to Christmas.  In fact, I, like many, am far more enamoured with the anticipation of it's arrival, the festive activities, foods, smells, tastes and sounds than the actual day.  So I hereby declare this the first official festive post of the season.

I have an obsession with Heston Blumenthal's experimental menus but as we all know they come with a fairly hefty price tag.  Luckily for us, Waitrose's collaboration with him has continued this year, meaning we can sample some extraordinary dishes at a mass market price.  Cast your mind back to last years Heston's Orange-Filled Christmas Pudding fiasco for example-they were like gold dust.  My Christmas pudding connoisseur mother was devastated she never found one.  (Do not fear, we have three stocked away for this year already-we take Christmas puddings very seriously in my house!)

Whilst my mother begins sampling Christmas puddings from every supermarket and deli in the local area, to ensure we have the best for Christmas Day well in advance (see, serious), my attention is always drawn to the mince pies.  You can imagine, therefore, my excitement when Waitrose started flaunting their Heston Pine Tree Scented Mince Pies.  Mince pies that smell like a forest of Christmas Trees.  Swoon!  I was even more thrilled when, without even voicing my delight, some appeared in our kitchen a few weeks ago, courtesy of the mother.

They didn't last five minutes, obviously, as I was dying to try them and self-control has never been one of my finer points.  The box contains six mince pies and a sachet of pine scented icing sugar.  Essentially it's the icing sugar that contains the magic ingredient, as opposed to the actual mince pie.  The instructions highlight that the mince pies should be warmed in the oven and then sprinkled with the icing sugar in order for them to reach their maximum potential.

They did exactly what they said on the tin but there were a few things that I found a little disappointing.  The mince pies aesthetically aren't that attractive and resemble more of a sausage roll.  The wow factor is of course the scent, which would be ideal for parties but personally I feel the presentation lets them down a little.  I would probably think twice about serving these up at a Christmas soiree based on looks alone.  The mince to pastry ratio was also a little off and there was definitely more mincemeat required.  The ingredients used for Heston's mincemeat are fairly unique and high end (lemon curd, apple puree and rose water), for a mince pie, so it would have been wonderful to be able to identify those.  Waitrose and Heston are both synonymous to luxury and although the concept is most definitely indulgent the flavour, due to too much puff pastry, was basic in my opinion.  However, as a consumer we're really buying into the gimmick of the pine scent, of which there was a definite Christmas Tree aroma as we brought them into the living room.   The smell, of course, captured Christmas and en mass served on a plate at a party would be magical.

If you get the chance to pick some up, do, as they're such a fun and quirky slant on mince pies that add an extra special touch to any festive meal but don't expect your taste buds to be wowed.  If possible I'd actually recommend stocking up on a few packets for the pine scented icing sugar alone and instead sprinkle over a tried and tested luxury mince pie of your choice.

*Image taken from www.grocer.co.uk

The Stove on Sunday: There's more to Pumpkin than just the Pie

Since I was a little girl we have always had a pumpkin hollowed out around Halloween, the contents strewn away because what really can you make with pumpkin?  Twenty years ago the answer escaping our lips would be, pretty much nothing.  Maybe pumpkin pie but that's really far more popular in America and something that my mum was never interested in attempting.  So the orange pulp would make it's way to the black sack, long forgotten once October 31st had arrived and our scary jack o'lantern was adorning our front step.  Twenty years down the line though our fridge is stocked full of pumpkin, scooped and awaiting it's tasty end.

I'm sure you'll all agree that butternut squash is a far superior tasting version from the same family but here's some of my favourite recipes to ensure you're not wasting any of that Halloween fruit...

Pumpkin Mash


An old primary school friend of mine's mother once told my mum that she used to use the inside of pumpkin to make a cheese topped mash.  This was the first recipe that we ever used our discarded pumpkin insides for.

How To:
1.  Simply boil both pumpkin and an equal amount of potatoes, depending on number of people eating
2. Once boiled, drain and add a dollop of butter, cream cheese and season with pepper
3.  Mash the contents of the pan and then place in an oven proof dish
4.  Cover the top with grated cheddar cheese
5.  Place in oven at 180 degrees celsius and cook until cheese has melted and the top is golden brown

Spiced Pumpkin Soup


This was prepared last night for a bonfire and firework party and served inside the hollowed out pumpkin which looks festive, fun and impressive!

How To:

1.  Finely chop an onion and soften and lightly brown in a saucepan
2.  Cube your pumpkin insides and add them and some sliced carrots to the onions until soft, about ten minutes
3.  Add a pint and a half of either vegetable or chicken stock and simmer for approx 40 minutes
4.  Whilst simmering add a spoonful of marmite, a teaspoon of garam masala, a couple of pinches of nutmeg, a tablespoon of brown sugar and half a teaspoon of cinnamon, as well as seasoning with salt and pepper
5.  Puree the mixture and test for seasoning, add more pepper if you're looking for it to be a little spicier
6.  Pour into the hollowed out pumpkin and serve with....

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds


These are a great accompaniment to soup, especially the spiced pumpkin soup above.

How To:
1.  Spread the pumpkin seeds on an oven tray
2.  Drip olive oil across them and season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper
3.  Roast at 180 degrees celsius for about 20 minutes
4.  Sprinkle over soup

Penne with Pumpkin Sauce


A new edition to the recipe book, this was attempted this week and was enjoyed by all.

How To:
1.  Thinly slice both your pumpkin and an onion
2.  Place in a pan and cook until softened
3. Add a sprinkling of nutmeg and pepper
4.  Add half a cup of heavy cream to the mixture and stir
5.  Cook your pasta, as normal and once drained add to the sauce
6.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese to top

I'm also intrigued with a pumpkin stew, as seen on Nigel Slater this week and this recipe for pumpkin custard but if you're a traditionalist then here's a great inventive recipe for pumpkin pie.

The Stove on Sunday on Wednesday: An Italian Kitchen

Do you know that the last time I did a Stove on Sunday post was the 28th of August.  That's a month and a half ago!  What have I been doing on Sundays, or the rest of the week for that matter, that has prevented me from posting a damn food post on the correct day.  Due to said lack of Stove on Sunday posts I have become a tad precious about it..."I can't possibly post about food any other day, it has to be sunday!  I can't post about wintry treats until I have written my Italian food posts yet either..." and so I've done nothing about either one.  Well I need to nip that in the bud immediately, as it's mid October, Halloween is looming upon us and I have loads of autumnal bakes and wintry soups (not sure I do have a soup to write about but I panicked and needed a winter food) and lord knows what else to blog abut for sure.  So here it is, on Wednesday, The Stove on Sunday: An Italian Kitchen.

Whilst visiting Tuscany in August ,we dined out in some rather yummy and reasonable restaurants, as well as creating some delicious Italian themed treats back at our apartment.  Both nights we dined in, we dined out in the garden.  I dressed the area to allow for a twinkling retreat for our evening meal.

For our first meal, myself and my sisters organised the menu.  We began with bruschetta which was warmed on the barbecue.  For this I sliced ciabbatta bread whilst my sister softened red peepers in a pan.  Using handmade pesto I spooned enough to lather the top of each piece of bread with it.  Placing the peppers on top of the pesto and tearing a piece of buffalo mozzarella for each, we placed them on the barbecue long enough for the mozzarella to begin to melt.  Such easy preparation but makes for a great starter!

As the main meal we recreated a dish we'd had in a restaurant in Tuscany a few years back.  Again, very simple, steak placed on rocket leaves with shards of parmesan cheese on top.  No pictures I'm afraid but you can take my word for it, it's good.

The real wow factor dish of the week though was my mothers stuffed courgette flowers.  Courgette flowers are not readily available in the UK and some of you potentially are gasping at the thought of them.  I guess you may be able to get them from a specialist food store but I've never seen them anywhere.  If you do ever come across them, here is what they look like...

Quite an Italian speciality, my mum recalled a recipe she had seen quite some time back for them and decided to attempt it.

You Will Need...
Courgette Flowers
Ricotta Cheese
1 Lemon
Flour
Sparkling Water
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

How To...


1.  The courgette flowers were prepared but my mother still used a paper towel to wipe the insides.  If they are not prepared you may want to google what should and shouldn't be left in.

2.  Mix the ricotta with lemon zest and and salt and pepper to season.

3.   Fill each flower with the ricotta mixture.

4.  Create a batter with the flour and sparkling water.  We actually had to use beer because we picked up the wrong water but it worked just as well, hey it may have even been yummier!

5.  Place each stuffed courgette flower in the batter to cover and then place them in a frying pan half filled with extra virgin olive oil.  You could deep fry them but we decided to shallow fry them instead, although there was a little more oil than normal to ensure it cooked all the batter.

They should come out looking something like this...

If you do come across them then I really recommend using them for a dinner party.  They're so extraordinary and unusual that I think everyone would be mighty impressed at the effort.  I was a little disappointed with the flavour but I doubt that's nothing a little more seasoning couldn't rectify.  They were a great combination of textures too, crunchy on the outside only for it to ooze with creamy warm soft ricotta on the inside. I also think a nice dip accompaniment could add another dimension to the delicacy.

We served them with a tomato and pesto salad, Tuscan sausages and pasta with a meat sauce.

The Stove on Sunday: French Food in Chamonix

Cheese features highly in my food posts, most recently seen in my The Stove on Sunday post on Goat Cheese Tarts.  So, if like me, you are dairy obsessed then read on because this promises to be the ultimate cheese post!

We stopped over in Chamonix for one night, on the way to Tuscany, as seen earlier in the week in Chamonix in Pictures.

Upon arrival we headed straight out for our evening meal and ended up making quite a brisk but impeccable choice to dine at Le Carlina.  The outside tables, although a little chilly, despite the patio heaters, was incredibly atmospheric and it felt very French to watch the passers by and look out to the snow covered mountains whilst drinking red wine.

All of us had quietly decided that cheese would be our order of choice and after much deliberation and debate we decided to get the fondue and the raclette to share, as none of us could decide which we would prefer.

The raclette looked something like this...

I love the simplicity of this meal, after all it is just raclette cheese heated to be eaten with side dishes such as potatoes and bread.  There is no skill required and yet it is potentially one of the most delicious meals going. I have had this before in Switzerland but we all agreed that the cheese was particularly creamy and good at Le Carlina and it was hands down the best we have tried.

Both this and the fondue came with accompaniment dishes of different hams, including bresaola and chorizo, mini gherkins, mini pickled onions, bread and potatoes.  The fondue had a slight twist to it and was expertly chosen by my sister @holly_mcnally.  With the promise of mushrooms accompanying the fondue we were shocked to discover that instead of a side dish they were in fact incorporated into the actual cheese dish.  We were further shocked to see that instead of whole pieces it had been added as a kind of liquid form.  You could distinguish the mushroom flavour but on the same hand it was not too overpowering as, mushroom hater @hannah_mcnally happily appreciated.

Fondue has been sampled by myself on many occasion and although a frequent orderer of it I am usually hugely disappointed upon eating.  Perhaps it's the gruyere, perhaps it's the kirsch but either which way, after several mouthfuls the waves of sickness set in and I am utterly horrified at the site of any more cheese.  This, as you can imagine, due to my declaration of love for cheese, leaves me distressed.  Surprise, surprise though I could have kept on going with this version from Le Carlina.  I have no idea if they used a different cheese, or a different alcohol or a different ingredient in general but this was more than tolerable and I ate way too much of it.  This and my dad's version made with cheddar and beer are the only fondue's I can honestly say I love.  Hopefully I'll get the chance to post my dad's version some time.

We topped the meal off with a coffee that makes me realise that no matter how much I love Starbucks it will never be as awesome as this...

None of us could manage dessert, except this girl...

She had two scoops, one Ferrero Roche and the other Kinder.  The choice was insane and highlighted once again how rubbish ice cream parlours in the UK are.

The following morning we stopped by the local Boulangerie to pick out something for lunch for the second part of our journey to Tuscany.

This extraordinary brioche caught our eyes and although we didn't buy it that time around, when my parents came home via Chamonix they kindly picked it up for our breakfast back in England the following morning.

The pink clusters, we initially assumed, were some kind of dried fruit, perhaps strawberries but on further investigation we discovered they were praline.  I have no idea why or how they were pink but it tasted like sweet popcorn and is apparently made with sugar syrup.  It was a different twist to your standard brioche and was perfect adorned with butter and eaten with a fresh pot of the most stunning hazelnut coffee my parents had bought me in Italy.

The lunch we chose from the boulangerie was actually croque monsieur's for most of us and although I don't have any pictures of the best croque monsieur I've ever eaten we did try and re-create them upon my parents return.

You Will Need:
White Bread
Beschamel Sauce
Cheddar Cheese
Ham
Mustard
Pepper to season

1.  Layer one slice of bread with mustard and then the beschamel sauce
2.  Place ham over the sauce and follow by grating a thick layer of cheese onto the ham
3.  Season with pepper
4. Place the second piece of bread on top to create a sandwich
5.  Layer the top of the sandwich with mustard and beschamel sauce
6.  Grate another layer of cheese on top of the sandwich
7.  Season with pepper
8.  Place in a preheated oven of 180 degrees
9.  Cook for around 20 minutes or until golden brown

Hopefully they should turn out something like this...

We ate these and the brioche out the front of our house looking out to this, which just made them picture perfect moments...

And then, as most of us British know, the rain came.

On a final note, those on the East Coast of the States, friends, readers, family etc I hope you have not been too affected by Hurricane Irene and have/are keeping safe.xxx

The Stove on Sunday: Caramelised Onions

I'm sat here eating cold pizza that I created last night.  It really is so simple to do and not at all time consuming and it honestly packs a punch on the taste buds.  Move over Pizza Express.  I've done a post on how to make your own pizza here (you need to scroll down to the Non-New Yorker Weekend section for the recipe) but last night I topped it with smoked cheese and caramelised onions.  Last time I made caramelised onions they were rock hard and not particularly appetising along with being an absolute bitch to get off the bottom of my mum's pan.  Oops!   But I totally nailed it last night and again it was so simple.  I have no idea how I managed to screw it up the first time. 

Whilst my pizza was cooking I melted some butter in a hot pan and added chopped onions to soften.  Once softened I literally just poured a healthy amount of brown sugar, straight from the packet and continued to cook on a slightly lower heat.  Once the onions were really soft, I added the final ingredient, balsamic vinegar and continued to cook until they looked soft and syrupy.  I then distributed them across the pizza once it had finished cooking.

No pictures unfortunately because my camera is still being held hostage in France, although it will be back later today.  I just felt like I needed to tell you how simple it is to make one of my favourite pizza toppings!  My parents are requiring a snack later for when they return and I have a sneaky feeling I may be recreating this.

The Stove on Sunday: Decorated Cupcakes

Firstly, let me please express my deep annoyance at approximately three blog posts sat in my "draft zone" that are now completely inapplicable.  I haven't been able to keep up with my regular posts such as Movie Monday, Something for the Weekend and The Stove on Sunday recently, but I'm hoping that starting today, business as usual should resume!  So with all that said let's talk about cake...

...I love a good themed event, especially if the baked goods that accompany it take advantage of said theme.  If you've been a follower of the blog since the beginning you may recall my How to throw a FABULOUS party, McNally style: Under £200, in which Sex and the City themed cupcakes made by moi were featured here and Charlton Football Club cupcakes (that didn't quite turn out the way I wanted them to) here.  You will also probably recall my annual Halloween festivities showcasing these gruesomely green treats here.  See, I'm all about the theme.  Basically my sheer "themed cake" excitement always gets a little out of hand when you follow certain famous bakeries on facebook and twitter, especially when one store is particularly conveniently located a stones throw from your office.   

A cupcake, despite how tasty it may be, is nothing without some kind of awesome decoration.  It adds the fun factor and let's be honest we choose based on visual appeal.  So nothing has been more appealing to me of late than Wimbledon themed cupcakes!  It's finals day today and then alas it shall all be over, as well as these dreamy delights.  

If like me you'll be watching from the comfort of your home why not grab some of these from one of the Hummingbird Bakery London stores for £2.95 per cake.  Lola's are also producing some particularly apt versions, in the form of Pimms cupcakes.

What better way to bring a Wimbledon-esque atmosphere to your living room!

Just when I thought we couldn't be tempted further, both bakeries have now added July 4th themed cupcakes to their repertoire, available until tomorrow.

Hummingbird's Version

If, like me, you'd love to be able to create some eyecatching decorations then Hello Cupcake! needs to be a staple in your kitchen.  Everything from bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon tops to a Van Gogh, they have some truly kooky designs with simple to follow instructions.  My copy came from Urban Outfitters but you can also order it from Amazon at £6.34.

To keep up to date with Hummingbird and Lola's tasty treats follow them on facebook and twitter, all links below.  And here's a nice little 4th of July inspired How To...from the people that brought us Hello, Cupcake!

Hummingbird's Twitter and Facebook

Lola's Twitter and Facebook

*Images taken from Hummingbird Bakery's Facebook (link above), Lol'a Cupcakes Facebook (link above) and http://www.hellocupcakebook.com/ 
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The Stove on Sunday: Starbucks' New Breakfast Menu

"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are, can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall! Decaf! Cappuccino!"

~Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

 

That would be me then.  My name from time to time has been known as Starbucks due to my sheer adoration of coffee and my utter distress at not having one near me at Uni, years ago.  So, okay, I'm sure there is better coffee BUT there is something about this entire brand that me and I guess the rest of the world have a deep rooted obsession with. 

Train from Boston to Bridgewater, MA February 2007

Starbucks, London, December 2007

Starbucks, Bluewater UK, April 2007

New York cab August 2008

Starbucks, Boston, nr South Station February 2007



Friends house July 2009



I visit this establishment every day for my tall skinny cappuccino or, if weather permits, skinny iced caramel macchiato but the only food I actually enjoy consuming here is the cheese and marmite breakfast panini.  I've built up somewhat of an addiction to this moorish delight.  Overall I am quite underwhelmed with Starbucks' food offering.  Their sandwiches, for me, don't have enough filling and although I love a good cake I'm never really enticed by any of theres and think they're a tad overpriced in comparison to other baked goods stores.  With lunch competition like Pret and Eat in London, I can't ever see Starbucks being able to win market share of the food lunchtime trade with their current menu.  I have been known on occasion to purchase my lunch elsewhere and visit Starbucks solely for my beverage and I think a lot probably do the same.  Where they could really nail it is in the breakfast business. 

 

 We're not like the States, there's not a million and one pancake joints or breakfast bars, even brunch is strictly a weekend event and even then it tends to be a bit of a wild goose chase to find a reputable restaurant to indulge.  From living in Massachusetts for a while and with three Dunkin' Donuts on campus a breakfast out was always easy to come by so I was more than impressed when I visited the Holland Park Starbucks to discover that they have dipped their toes a little further into the breakfast pool.

 

If you haven't spotted it yet in your local Starbucks, their new breakfast menu consists of...

 

Buttermilk Pancakes

 

Porridge

 

Natural Yoghurt

 

and of course, all their trusty favourites.

 

The coolest thing about the three meals mentioned above is the fact that you can customise these to your mood.  Fruit compote, mango compote, maple honey and granola are all available for 35p to add to your order.  More than reasonable. 

 

On Friday I picked up the buttermilk pancakes, which were warmed through for me, and two mini tubs of the maple honey.  The pancakes, on consumption, were nice.  They weren't "wowee out of this world" nice but they filled a whole and I had no complaints.  If you want wow factor then of course you're going to have to visit somewhere that actually cooks them fresh but good luck with that.  One tub of the maple honey would not have been enough for the pancakes but two, I have to admit, was a little too much, the sugar rush was immense!  I think Starbucks should have thrown a butter or two in the bag though as well, maybe if you ask they would but personally I think it should be a requirement with every order.

 

My pancakes were, I think £1.60, I can't quite recall and I also can't find it anywhere on their site.  With the added extras amounting to 70p my total breakfast cost was £2.30 which for what I got was just right.  I'd think twice if I had to pay any more.

 

For food on the go when your mornings just not working out these breafasts are more than adequate.  I'll be visiting again for sure, although my heart is still reserved for my cheese and marmite panini.  In summary, if you're bored of the choice between a croissant or a chocolate croissant that EVERYBODY else just sells then head to Starbucks for a little more choice!  (Or if you want to learn how to make super low in fat pancakes that are still delicious then check out this post here.)

 

Now for some weekend hilarity, here's a little Love Story (read a post about the real movie here) meets Starbucks skit I did back in the day when I dreamed of being a comedy actress and potentially Starbucks new advert.  Eh Starbucks?  Wadda ya say?!  If you've seen the movie you'll get the references and if you know me, then this might be mildly amusing...

 

 

*Images taken from http://www.brandchannel.com/ and http://www.starbucks.co.uk/ 

The Stove on Sunday: Goat Cheese Tarts and Currant Danishes

I'm obsessed with goat's cheese.  Anybody that really knows me, will predict that if the ingredient is on the menu, that's the meal I'll go for and God forbid there's two!  My mother hates the stuff so creating something in our kitchen with it is strictly forbidden.  Last night seemed to be the perfect time to defy this rule though, with her gone for the evening.  My sister and I decided to take full advantage of this opportunity and cook up one of my favourite Barefoot Contessa recreations, Goat Cheese Tarts.

I've made smaller versions of these before as they are a wonderful summer lunch dish with a side of salad but last night we upped the anti and went for full size tarts, one each.  Greedy!  I don't really consult the recipe anymore so some things may be slightly different from Ina's version.  Or if you're not vibing the tart, how about you head on over to this Something for the Weekend post I did back in September last year which features a goat cheese pizza....see, obsessed.

You will need:

1 packet of puff pastry (or a recipe to create your own if your that brave)

1 large tomato

2 large onions

4oz goat cheese

1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper

How to:

1.  Defrost the puff pastry and then roll out.  When reached the desired thickness, make sure it's not so thin that it breaks, place a small plate over and cut around with a knife.  Then create another circle within this circle by scoring with the knife.  Make sure you don't cut right through though as you don't want to seperate the pastry from each other.  Prick the middle circle all over with a fork.  Doing so means that the middle circle will not puff whilst the outer circle will, to create a border for your tart.  Repeat for your second tart.

2.  Sautee the onions until brown, seasoning with salt and pepper.  I also added some balsamic vinegar to give some extra flavour and caramelise the onions slightly. You could add white wine instead though, which I have been known to do on occassion.

3.  If you have a trusty servant, like myself, then hopefully they will have grated the parmesan for you whilst you were concentrating on the onions.  Place some of the parmesan over the middle of the tarts to cover this area completely.

4.  Place all of the onions over your parmesan.

5.  I like to slice my goat cheese so it sits on the top, I had 2 thick slices per tart but you would only need one thick slice per tart for smaller versions or you can even crumble, dependant on your preference.

6.  Slice the tomatoes and place one slice on top of each slice of goat cheese.

7.  Sprinkle the last of the parmesan over both tarts and place in a preheated oven  at 180 degrees celsius for 20-25mins. 

 They should eventually look something like this...

These make two huge tarts that could be eaten individually or sliced and teamed with salad or you could make 4 smaller versions with the same amount of ingredients.

Most likely you will have some puff pastry left over and if you fancy yourself being a true domestic goddess, my recommendation would be to pop in the fridge for the morning so that you can make a quick indulgent breakfast synonymous with a Sunday morning in the McNally household, Mini Currant Danishes.  The ingredients are usually things found rattling around your cupboards, the currants for example are leftovers from my Christmas baking rampage (don't worry best before date was Nov 2011).  There are no strict amounts with this, it's more a shove on what you need kind of recipe.

You will need:

Leftover puff pastry

Currants

Brown sugar

Butter

Cinnamon

How to:

1.  Roll out the remainder of the pastry and line with a thin layer of butter.

2.  Sprinkle a healthy amount of currants and brown sugar.  I also like to add a light sprinkle of cinnamon too.

3.  Roll the pastry up and then slice to form the mini danishes.

4.  Place on a baking tray and add a dab of butter on the top of each danish.

5.  Pop into a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius for 20-25 mins.

Serve with coffee.  Bliss.

The Stove on Sunday: My Favourite Food Blogs

Diet deprivation has lead me on a downward spiral. I've fallen into some kind of baking obsession. I am consumed with the overwhelming need to make light fluffy cupcakes with extraordinary icings, melt in your mouth brownies and a whole hoard of other delectable delights. Instead I've signed up to like a million food blogs, most with a baked goods emphasis. There is a list the size of my arm of recipes I can't wait to try once I'm back from Marbella but I'm climbing the walls with desperation to start creating now!

In my baking rampage I have come across some superb blogs that I wanted to share with you in place of a recipe I've tried of late (because I haven't tried any...ugh).

So, in no particular order the baking beauties are as follows...

Bakerella

Just take a look at these super cute Easter cupcakes...

Need I say more?!

Baking Bites

Since clicking Google Friend Connect about a week ago I have been dying to try this Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe.

This kind of naughty treat reminds me of when I used to live in the States and for those that know me you'll also know that my coffee obsession runs just as high, so this is a must!

Beantown Baker

Fast becoming one of my favourite blogs full stop, no matter whether the recipe is savoury or sweet she seems to encompass all the things I love.

Molly Bakes

All things Cake Pops...

Confessions of a Chocoholic

I have been following Bianca's blog for some time, partly because she lives in Boston so it's like reading about my home away from home.  Not only does she blog about sumptuous meals she recreates from her dining experiences but also she relates back a lot to personal experiences and her family, in relation to food.  For that reason there is something so comforting about travelling with her on her food journey, that literally makes it feel as if you can hear her speak.



Bianca's French style scrambled eggs with truffles.  Divine.



The Cupcake Project

For the inventive baker.

The Busty Baker

I discovered this blog on Friday via the Beantown Baker and these pumpkin muffins have me in a tizz!

The Cupcake Blog

Posting pictures from other baking blogs means that not only do you grab some cute ideas but you also discover even more cupcake blogs.

Violet cupcake from the cupcake blog via la despensa del gnomo

Tiptoes in the Kitchen

Hayley was an American exchange student at my University.  She's a bit of a sporadic blogger like myself but when she does post it's the romance of her food writing that makes reading addictive.  I particularly loved her post entitled The Heart and Soul of a Little Bakery

The Boston Foodie

For his Doughnut of the Week posts alone, it's a must read.

Drooling...but must remember "No carbs before Marbs!"

*Images taken from the respective blogs unless stated otherwise