Sunday 12 December 2010

Cornershop Cake

OK. Picture this. The weather is dreadful. There is snow and we are not talking about the sort of downfall that makes you dream of lightly dusted picture perfect mince pies. This is the triple iced grotty stuff, bane of the commuter and the sort of barrier to travel that means that anyone who would even consider going further than the corner shop is clearly deranged.

The day is long, the sky overcast and you need cake to while away the hours before dinner. Cue a recipe for the lazy foodie.



Ingredients
Tin of peaches (or pears, or any tinned fruit knocking around in the cupboard)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
125gr unsalted butter
125gr caster sugar
2 large eggs
125gr sieved self-raising flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grease and lightly flour your ovenproof dish.
Dump the fruit into the bowl and space it out evenly.
Beat together the butter, caster sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. If the mixture is a little dry, add some of the fruit juice from the tin and then spread over the fruit. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with any of hot custard, ice-cream or creme fraiche. Whatever you eat it with make sure a large steaming mug of tea is involved.

The above takes all of ten minutes if you have a hand mixer so this leaves you time to flick through your latest copy of Olive, watch Nigel Slater on Iplayer or update your food blog.

With apologies for the poorly lit cake piccies and thanks for the recipe inspiration - adapted from Jamie Olivers "Sheila's Pud".

Murray's

Every so often you watch the Soprano's or the Godfather and you wish you had an authentic Italian restaurant using lemons flown in from Amalfi, vegetables that have been chosen and handled with care and a cracking regional wine list. Well, I have yet to find one, since I live in the fair county of Essex, but if you live near to Weston Super Mare then this restaurant must be visited.

Murray's is principally a delicatessen featuring outstanding Italian produce and the restaurant a few shops down is supplied by them. The Murray family took over this much loved restaurant, then called Olives, seven years ago and renamed it. It is here I was first introduced to wine from Cantine Giacomo Ascheri of Bra, the sort of outstanding local producer whose products they specialise in stocking. The family influence is also about to get interesting as they have recently bought Bordeaux Quay in Bristol so watch out for some interesting changes.

The service is polite in a relaxed local restaurant kind of way, the menu simple, but the output heartwarming and consistent. Canneloni comprised small gently spiced tomato rich mince sausages wrapped in light pasta sheets and a drizzle of melted mozzarella. The pear tart was authentically served with a small glass of Moscato D'Asti, the apple tart pastry was crisp and topped with delightfully crunchy Amaretto biscuits.

The foodies obvious choice for an Italian in the area may be the starred Casamia in Westbury-on-Trym but we were left so satisfied the alternative may have to wait. After all, I haven't made it through to the end of the wine list yet.

Saturday 4 December 2010

Gaucho Grill

I confess the steak bug has not so much bitten as tied a big serviette round its neck and sat down at the dinner table. Gaucho is the daddy of all London steak restaurants and is so succesful it is now a chain owned by a private equity company. The look has not changed. Cow hide covers the walls, the Argentine Parillada feel is maintained by its almost exclusive focus on its main dish and the wine list is primarily Argentinian, a little expensive but helpfully colour coded for those who find the task of choosing stressful rather than a pleasure.

Lighting is still an issue bought on by the heavy wood and shuttered windows. On my first visit some years ago I nearly fell down the stairs it was so dark and every visit since has reminded me why every man can find at least one use for the keyring torch he received last christmas.

Steaks are laid out on a board and introduced at the table. Service is good and the atmosphere is almost exclusively male, enthusiastic and focused on the ubiquitous steak though there is a fair selection of menu choice that differs from the star of the show.

The star in question is excellent. Juicy, a little charred, well tenderised and enthusiastically seasoned before hitting the grill. This is not fine dining, it is civilised carniverosity.