Come Dine with Celenika and Greg! (The Final Installment of CDWM)

The final installment of our Come Dine With Me competition was upon us.

We knew that visiting Cel and Greg would involve travelling far far away. Further away than France, outside of the EU, and certainly outside of our time zone, to a land where they (to quote Alex) “haven’t yet adopted the 24-hour system…When you ask them the time they just grunt, point to the sky and say…’Sun God is sad’”. Our final Come Dine With Me evening involved travelling, all the way to Zone 5, back in time to Bromley for a 70s themed meal!

This was the first meal where full fancy dress had been adopted by all involved, and stepping into Cel and Greg’s well-themed living room, there were squeals of delight at seeing each other’s outfits and wigs (and also a bit of a tumble from an over-excited Sofia whose 6 inch platforms didn’t combine well with stairs). There was a real sense of occasion of this final meal in a competition which had already stretched to just over a year (385 days to be exact). Tonight was the night where we’d finally find out all the scores and crown the winner with that most coveted prize…ultimate glory!

The table was decked out very nicely, with the now obligatory table confetti. We studied the table placeholders with delight with ‘Disco Dave’ became an instant favourite.

Re-invented as 70s icons, I did hope that the preview menu, which featured classics such as Prawn Cocktail, would as per the tradition of our competition, be a ruse for a much more elaborate menu. As we unrolled our pretty pink scrolls we were not disappointed. PHOTO Extensive, with the now traditional alcoholic courses (two no less), and scrumptious sounding sweet endings AND cheese, we oohed and aahed in anticipation of home-made biscuits and home-made truffles, and all decided we would make sure that we paced ourselves so that we could sample everything!

Time for starters. None of us knew what river cobbler was, but we all agreed that we liked rocket leaves and pesto dressing, and so hopes were high. We were not disappointed – the dish was like a fish cake, the prawn texture was great and the river cobbler was similar to cod. There was a spicy kick to it, which always rates highly with me, and the rocket and lemon were a suitably punchy accompaniment.

Next it was time for psychedelic sorbet! Neon blue in colour, it was served ambitiously with mint and a bottle of vodka, encased in ice and fruit. Sadly I got a little bit over-excited and drowned my sorbet in neat vodka, which didn’t do it too many favours flavor-wise, but it did add to the general merriment of the evening.

Thankfully it was then time to soak up the alcohol with a substantial main course. The menu had promised Coq au Vin, and that’s what we were getting! Cel had soaked a chicken in wine for an entire day, and it had been cooked to tender perfection. The sides were also delicious – thyme new potatoes, braised red cabbage, carrots and green beans. Nicely presented with lots of colour on plates that were empty very quickly!

Then another boozy and colourful course – Gin Mint Fizz – a very green it was far better than an after dinner mint!

All the Come Dine With Me meals have featured brilliant food, but Cel and Greg had perhaps the best and most organized entertainment of all (all jokes of burlesque puppet shows aside). Greg deftly demonstrated his prowess in creating a ‘basic’ balloon animal, and we were instructed that we’d only be able to have dessert once we’d mastered our own – Generation Game style! Amie, our very own closet-mechanic engineer had no problem in figuring out how to create a range of poodles. The others took a little longer but managed to create acceptable animals. Disco Dave fashioned his balloons into an elaborate headgear, ignoring any instructions on how to create animals. Mine was awful – most optimistically it looked more like a misshapen rodent than a dog!  Luckily, we were served dessert anyway, and it was utterly splendid! Flourless chocolate cake with vanilla cream, blueberries and raspberries.

The cake was sublime – soft and so very deeply chocolatey, it had a wonderful texture and when it was combined with the cream and the tangy tartness of the berries, it was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had!

Somehow, we still had space for cheese and lovely oatey and super thin homemade biscuits. A perfect way to end the meal.

It’s become tradition that at any event hosted by my friends, I will put on my pyjamas at the first opportunity. That evening was no exception! I was pjyama’d up and ready for the after-dinner entertainment. Not a gladiator fight between Alex and Sofia, but a film quiz! With video clips, cups of tea, and home-made chocolate truffles on sticks, this really was ideal entertainment!

Final video diaries and scoring for the evening was completed, and Disco Dave, being an observer to the competitive process was instructed to calculate the scores for each of the meals that we’d had (all scoring had remained secret throughout the entire, year-long competition). The anticipation was palpable around the coffee table as the scores were read out…at 34/40 and forth place was…me (fair play I thought – a good score but I hadn’t been as technically adventurous as the others, or had as many courses, but mine was the only meal with featured a fire and a fight!) Then in joint third place was Amie with her French themed evening and tonight’s meal with Cel and Greg (36/40 – both really excellent meals and evenings, which a lot of effort had gone into, and very deserving of the high scores)…. So now, we could barely contain our excitement as the two arguably most competitive teams Alex and Sofia and Jerome remained!! Who would win? Alex’s meal was the one that had set the bar so high right from the start with incredible attention to detail, presentation and technical skill, whilst Fia and Jerome had produced as many courses of really lip-smackingly tasty oriental food and been the original innovators of the G&T sorbet! Disco Dave heightened the unbearable tension with dramatic pauses a plenty and announced SECOND place…as…

…

…

… Sofia and Jerome! This led to an intial shout of joy and elation from Alex swiftly followed by gulps of intense FEAR, as he suddenly had visions of Sofia hurting him for beating her to first place) and then in a twist of brilliant announcing, David announced a joint score of 38/40 to Alex!

Hurrahs and huge relief all round (none of us really wanted Fia and Alex to scrap) there was much much congratulation to our equally deserved winners. It had been a truly excellent competition, with all the meals being a triumph, and the most impressive meal that any of us had cooked before. We’d had such a good time, and everyone we knew had become involved in what was a talking point for us all. We mutually decided a year off was needed, but that this was something that we’d do again…Forget the Olympics – Come Dine With Me 2012 awaits!

Heavenly Macaroons from Ladurée

 I was lucky enough last year to sample these utterly heavenly macaroons (or more correctly, 'macarons') from Ladurée thanks to Astrid, who bought us a large selection from Paris.  I'd never tasted anything like this before - the melt in the mouth texture (without a hint of chewiness, so often found in other, less superior macaroons) was divine, and the intense fruity flavours were quite unexpected.  Beautiful!

Cake of the Day: Cupcakes from Leandri's Baby Shower

It's grey, drizzly and cold outside.  Here are some cupcakes to brighten your monday morning (thanks to Jaime at Dindindies, who organised a beautiful baby shower for Leandri and is available for all your party organising needs!)

Kathleen's Lemon and Poppyseed Cake

I am exceedingly lucky to have sampled a lot of good home-made cake recently.  This one however stands out in particular as being quite different to any lemon cake I'd sampled before.

Not overly sticky and almost savoury from the poppy seeds, Kathleen's square cake of joy was intensely lemony and tangy in flavour, and as light and moist as you would ever want cake to be.

Original recipe here courtesy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in The Guardian.

Jamie's Italian, Riverside Level, The Oracle, Reading

My birthday is on a tricky day.  On the second day of the new year, it's not easy to find an activity to follow the weeks of excitement which have just passed.  Last year I'd had a surprisingly great day with my friends in Basingstoke.  Wanting to continue in a similar fashion, this year's birthday venue was going to be somewhere I'd never previously had a memorable meal...Reading Town Centre!  An unlikely place for Jamie Oliver to have set up a branch of his latest 'Jamie's Italian' venture, I was intrigued, if not a little sceptical.    I can't deny - I had visions of lengthy queues, tiny portions and mockney pretensions, but it still remained an appealing option for a birthday lunch, given the novelty factor of having anything so trendy in Reading of all places!

Housed on the very busy Riverside area of the Oracle shopping centre, (it's not particularly exclusive - there's a big McDonalds opposite), I was relieved not to see a queue outside (particularly as you can't book a table for less than 6 people).  In fact, the wait for a table was only around 5 minutes (more than acceptable), and I was delighted that we were led to a table upstairs which was far more spacious and impressive than the rather cramped downstairs eating area.  The circular room, overlooking the river, with views into the kitchen and very high ceilings, felt modern and relaxed, and whilst there were some overly commercial traces of Jamie (ie displays of his books to purchase), there were others, such as the style of the specials board, that differentiated this place from other Italian chains - I'd been expecting something like the ubiqutous Carluccios for example, but this place felt distinct and somehow a bit more special. In the summer al fresco dining is possible on the balcony - I made a mental note and hoped the meal was going to be good, so that I could return on a balmy summer evening.

Birthday rules make cocktails the drink of choice.  Only a small selection existed but I was suitably impressed by my Rossini, which was served with a strawberry layer at the bottom of the glass of Prosecco, which when stirred became a hot pink colour and tasted divinely fruity and bubbly.  Starters were ordered (the freshly baked 'top italian bread' selection, and a vegetable antipasti 'plank'). 

The breads arrived rapidly, and the conical presentation was quite wonderful.  Composed of foccacia brushed with a tiny smidgen of garlicy, herby goodness, and crispy flat bread, and sourdough, I struggled not to devour it all at once, even though there was no sign of the antipasti.  Two tins of italian chopped tomatoes had for some reason appeared on the table.  Slightly odd free gifts perhaps?  David was brave enough to ask of their significance, and we were told the 'plank' of antipasti would rest on them.  All fair and good, but the novelty was lost by the antipasti not arriving for a good 15-20 minutes after the tins.

But when they did arrive, they were exciting and artful and very gratefully received.  The presentation again was perfect, and our plank boasted chargilled marinaded vegatables, a teeny tiny ball of buffalo mozzarello, pecorino with chilli jam, crunchy italian coldslaw, olives and an aubergine caponata.  All tasty tiny bites, and I was pleased with the variety and quality.

Appetites whet, we were ready for mains, and they arrived in a suitably timely manner.  My concerns about small portions appeared entirely unfounded, as we were both presented with huge plates of freshly made on the premises, pasta.   We'd both believed David's Rabbit Ragu Parpadelle was going to be of the tomatoey variety, but instead it was of a creamier variety, with lovely warma and comforting herby flavours.  I hadn't felt very adventurous, and had opted simply for the 'Beautiful Bucatini Carbonara'.  The thick tubes of pasta were perfect for soaking up the sauce, and the leeks were a lovely addition to the dish.

Utterly stuffed, there was space for neither dessert nor coffee (especially as we had plans to spend the rest of the afternoon in Reading's fantastic real ale pub - The Nags Head), so we ended the meal feeling service and value rated pretty highly (and the toilets were also very swish).  We'd enjoyed not feeling at all rushed, especially somewhere so popular, and we had enjoyed everything we'd eaten, and felt it really was quite different to the Italian chains on the high street.

Utterly bizarrely, as we left I took a couple of pictures of the outside of the restuarant.  Almost immediately a security guard from the Oracle informed me in no uncertain terms that the shopping area I was in was private property, and the photos I'd taken were therefore the property of the Oracle. World gone mad indeed.  We left the consumer madness of said shopping centre and continued the wonderfulness of my birthday afternoon at The Nag's Head with a huge selection of real ales and ciders (including some brilliant ones from Mr Whitehead) along with some Connect 4.  Who would have thought there was so much fun to be had in Reading?

A Fluid State 2010 (02-05 Dec 2010. London)

A host of King's Brambling cocktails

It was an exceptionally cold evening. Trudging around the Liverpool Street area looking for the secret location of ‘A Fluid State,’ I wondered where I was going to hide my wellies and surplus layers at what I suspected would be an uber trendy event.

In a move that highlighted my inability to be fashionably late, we were one of the first people to walk into the industrial 8,000sqft space which hosted this more-drinky-than-foody-festival. Unsure of what to expect, given that the website had rather obliquely described ‘Experiences’ and Art, I gratefully stashed all my surplus clothing into the cloakroom and enjoyed the efforts made by the organisers to transform the ticket desk into a 60s style airline. We were greeted by the air hostesses in gold lamé outfits, presenting us with 'passports' and boarding passes for our ‘flights’. Any sense of incredulity was swept away by our welcome cocktail –‘King’s Brambling’ – a fruity concoction (lime, blackberries and apple juice), with a kick of ginger liqueur (The King’s Ginger). I love ginger, and this boozy start was a sign of things to come...

 

Cactus Smoothies & Cherry Bomb Smoothies

We found ourselves in ‘The Garden of Eden’ the first of our ‘Experiences’. Still clutching our cocktails we welcomed a sample of soup from Crussh and chatted to the MD (Christopher Fung), who enlightened us as to the company’s philiosophy.  We also marvelled at the bravery of a scantily-clad ‘Eve’ (brave not only because of the freezing temperatures, but also because of the snake she had draped around her), and at a beautiful tree of forbidden fruit- dehydrated apples, which were shrunken but so sweet and fruity that the powder dry texture remained delicious, coated in a thick layer of dark chocolate.

Forbidden Fruit

The flight worked as follows: there were three elements to each experience - like three courses. The first was an Ocho Blanco Tequila Cactus Smoothie; green and mild, almost like you might expect a courgette to taste like if it was smoothified.  It was infused with a 'kiwi and starfruit jerky'! The tequila wasn’t strong, but I began to worry about the mixing that was going on drinkwise as we sampled the next drink/sweet combo, the Bourbon Acai Cherry Bomb with dark chocolate ganache by Damian Allsop. The dark chocolate and rich, sweet boozy cherry flavour was fantastic together. Allsop’s theory is that chocolate should be made with water and not cream, thereby creating a flavour more pure than others. The final course was the one that felt like dessert – an organic sorbet of wheatgrass (which was green and light) with a crispy, biscuity tuile of bees pollen (you could see tiny dark orange flecks on the tulle) served with more Kings Ginger Liqueur. Delicious!

After the ethereal nature of the Garden of Eden, it was time for something darker and more substantial. The ‘Twilight Hours’ proved a welcome contrast in terms of atmosphere, but the glamour of the evening continued as we were served Louis Roederer champagne, before entering a secret chamber, inhabited by irreverent monks. We were seated at tiny tables, and each encouraged to don hoods (conveniently sewn into the walls above our heads) and confess our sins. We were then served a deliciously dark Meantime London Porter which was the perfect accompaniment to the hearty Game Stew that followed. The brief sit-down meal, in what felt like a dark and secret small space, was a welcome change to the normal food festival nibbling that we’d been in indulging in.

Fantasy Island: Preparing the Dragon's Breath Popcorn

Then time for a complete change as we entered the kitsch ‘Fantasy Island’ area. Performers, lurid colours and green screen technology were just a minor distraction from the genius of the deconstructed pina colada cocktails on offer (it made my mind boggle, but Spherification was involved, and the result was amazing). The sense of wonder that accompanied ‘Dragon’s Breath’ popcorn (served with liquid nitrogen), Pink Pigeon  rum and pineapple crisps left us wandering out of the area in a bit of a daze. A hungry daze…

Deconstructed Pina Coladas (and the joy of spherification)!

Scotch Egg Joy

As we stumbled back into the cold London night we reflected on an evening which had been an experience quite unlike any other. Pricey – around £54 in total for the entry ticket and the three experiences, we felt it entirely worth the money given the quality, innovation and artistry involved in everything that we’d sampled. Having never experienced a food or drink event which was this imaginative or special, this is highly recommended, and we will most definitely be returning next year!



The final area we visited (we left out one area – ‘The Palm Upper East Side’- the Mad Men inspired gin bar having imbibed far more alcohol that food already) was the least visually exciting, but promised the most substantial food offerings. Alcohol, however, was still the primary focus of this experience. Entitled ‘The Reconciliation’, this was a tequila tasting zone, but each tasting was paired with a tapas sized tasty morsel. The first sample was Heradura Reposada Tequila matched with a light and beautifully citrusy seabass ceviche. It was easily the most delicious savory bite of the evening so far. More substaintial and much appreciated was the second dish of chilli, coriander and lime scotch egg created by Eat My Pies.  Beautifully presented and with a lovely consistency, this wasn’t spicy, but lovely salty and comforting food with more Ocho Blanco tequila. Finally, a dessert, a chocolate tequila slammer with more Damian Allsop chocolate – blissful!



Wheatgrass Sorbet with Bees Pollen and Tequila

Oval Lounge, 24 Clapham Road, The Oval, Kennington, London, SW9 0JG

1st January 2011.  I woke up face-down on an airbed under a huge christmas tree in Amie's living room, after a night of New Year's Eve perfection (dinner, bubbly, london fireworks, extreme booze-fuelled boardgame competitiveness) with just one thought...an extreme desire for that classiest of hangover-busting breakfasts, EGGS BENEDICT.

Blindly reaching for my blackberry, I googled 'Eggs Benedict Oval London', found the Oval Lounge's website, and promptly fell back asleep (at this point, hours of sleep had totalled around 4, and there was no chance that my hangover addled brain would be able to develop any sort of plan to find a specific pre-planned breakfast venue). 

Hours later, venturing outside and back home in state of dazed new year bafflement, myself and the boy decided the best plan of action was to head home and stop at any breakfast serving establishment that came our way.  Realising we had a wait for our bus, we decided to walk round the corner of Oval station to see if there were any suitable breakfast places.

Seconds away from giving up when we passed place after shut place, I had a sign...  Quite literally, a sandwich board sign.  The boy hadn't yet spotted it, but like a woman on a breakfast mission, I power-walked towards it. 

There's nothing quite like the unexpected joy of finding the exact type of venue you had in mind!  The Oval Lounge was perfect.  We made a bee line for the comfy sofas, and very much appreciated the chilled out music and relaxed atmosphere.  The breakfast menu wasn't vast, yet boasted a healthy option, a full english option, a veggie option and, AN EGGS BENEDICT OPTION, served with toasted buttered english muffins, hollandaise sauce and a choice of ham, crispy bacon, or spinach. 

What Joy!  The eggs were perfect - soft and runny yolks with hot crispy, salty bacon and fluffy buttery muffins.  Also served with divinely juicy mushrooms and respectable tomatoes and enjoyed with freshly squeezed orange-juice, I was convinced that 2011 was going to be a good one!