Chocolover

Hands down this is my favourite thing in the whole wide world, and everyone who knows me knows that. My friend recently sent me a seductive link of a chocolate roulade being made that I just had to share for any other chocolovers out there. Nothing like good food porn on the weekend.

http://vimeo.com/30482523

Due to my obsession, I wrote a little piece about it and how I sometimes (well most of the time) get carried away. Do excuse the obvious connotations, but it was definitely a laugh writing this. 

Chocolate.

Ah how this word bears the baron of my soul. I am obsessed with chocolate and everything about it. Every sense is tantalised. From the wrapper that cradles it to the ingredients that worm their way through your body. I can never resist it  and never know why. The idea of it completely encapsulates and overpowers my conscience. Maybe this is due to the temptation of the pristine packaging, the glistening foil within, or the dark (sometimes light) shiny surface reflecting the light. I don't know. But, every thought of it begins clockworks in my brain. Thoughts are produced too triumphant for me to resist. I know I am close. So close that I cannot wait any longer. I break the seal. As the cocoa begins to run wild, the array of flavors waft  towards me and my mind prepares to take the first bite. It prepares to let go and get lost in the magic. Snap. My ear twitches as I break that first piece, knowing that there is no turning back. As the chocolate begins to melt between my finger tips my tastebuds start to salivate, the idea of eating it makes time slow down. I feel uncertain. What will encompass me? What will be unlocked? The anticipation is too much, I take one last look and... BITE IT! The first crunch sends shockwaves contracting every muscle in my body. But as the wonders are released I suddenly relax and feel somewhat comforted and alive. As it swirls and coats its cave the rest of my body sinks. I forget where I am, what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. All that matters is the sweet bliss being created. The 600 potential flavours start to reveal their infinite possibilities, as my rationality is engulfed. I no longer feel like my physical self, but a spirit exploring a whirlwind of sensations. But it doesn't last long. It starts to fade. The only thought that enters my brain is to recreate, prolong, this moment. Do it again. So I do. The second time being better than the first. The trance is enhanced and brings new levels of satisfaction. Being human all I want is more. So I keep going, keep elongating the moment. But there comes a point where the love unlocked turns to hatred. Suddenly I don't feel so invincible, but rather broken down. My stomach starts to scream as I continue to force the sugary sensation upon it, “It’s too much, too much!” But I don't listen, I don't care because the memory of that moment is too powerful. The moment where I know what I am about to do. But that's just it. It's only a moment and no more. After that point my body is no longer innocent and pure. It just delves deeper and deeper into the unknown, as it gets swallowed by the deep dark mass of the bean. 

I hope you enjoyed my romantic love story with a bar of chocolate. Despite the bad ending, as with every fairy tale there is a happy one waiting to be told. So have no fear I shall be posting some fantastic things on chocolates I love and recommend, as well as recipes involving it. Over and out :)

TheFatFlat

In Edinburgh I live with 3 other lovely ladies, all weird and wonderful in their own mystical ways. 

The African one, lets call her Matuki, is the one you would go to to find out anything, everything and about everyone. She is fantastic at marketing, even though she studies classics, and she was quick to brand our twisted little family. (As the picture above shows). 

My other flatmate, the Greek/South African/ Portugese/ whatever else you can think of adding into the mix, stuck to this by whipping up a delicious Greek feast for us fatties and a couple of others who we tried to convert. 

And just so the final one doesn't feel left out, stay tuned to find out more about the French one. She has many culinary skills similar to the likes of those at Laudrée, Le Meurice et La Patisserie de Reves. She makes the Champs-Elysees of cakes, roasts and soups! Unfortunately there was a crisis with her baguettes and comté cheese production and she  had to leave us for a few short days. So she missed out on this delightful soiree. 

Sticking to what we know best, and in order to feed the masses, we had a traditional greek salad and fakes (otherwise known as lentil soup or peasant food - no joke, this is what would be eaten widely in greece because it is very filling and very cheap to make). The jumble of cultured flat mate is fantastic at making these. They are my absolute favourite, especially when I'm feeling down, I always feel loved after a bowl of these (and another and another and another). We call it "Yiayia's (Grandma's) cooking!"

Greek salad is very easy to make and the concept comes from what foods are available to you. So, if we were in Greece, for summer, the tomatoes would be in abundance, gorgeous cucumbers would raid the fridge and red onion would peak out the ground! The locals would have fresh feta at the ready and dried oregano, hand-picked fresh from the mountains. And not to mention, the staple ingredient, Greek Olive Oil. Far better than Extra Virgin, in fact it is so Virgin that not even Balsamic could de-purify it. But, alas, we are not in Greece but in humdrum Scotland, so Lidl and Tesco's versions of all that had to do!

Classic Greek Salad:

Ingredients:

- A whole cucumber
- 1 Red Onion (large)
- As many tomatoes as you can fit (organic is best)
- A Block of Feta
- Dried Oregano
- Salt, Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Parsley (optional)

Method:

1) Chop up the tomatoes, onions and cucumber into desired segments toss them in a salad bowl

2) Add the block of feta on top (as done in greek restaurants) or crumble it over the top

3) Sprinkle Oregano

4) Drizzle Olive oil, and Lemon Juice

5) Season and add chopped parsley if desired

Et voila, Kali Orexi! (Bon appetite!)

As for the Lentils the recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

- 8oz Red Split Lentils

- 1 white onion, finely chopped

- 1 carrot, finely chopped

- Oregano, Bay leaf Black Pepper

- Tomato Paste, 1 tbsp

- few cloves of garlic, depending how much you like

Method:

1) Boil the Lentils for 10 minutes in a pan

2) Drain the Lentils

3) Place 2tbsp of olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion 

4) When softened add the garlic, carrot and herbs

5) After a couple of minutes stir in the lentils, to absorb the flavour

6) Add enough water to cover the lentils and leave on a low heat to simmer for about 30-40 mins, stir in the tomato paste about half way through

7) When you have your desired texture, serve up and eat away!

Goes lovely with some warm crusty bread! Courtesy of Lidl of course.

Overall, it was a great evening, the only thing missing was the ouzo! But with great friends, phenomenal food and atmospheric music what more could one ask for. This is a must try! I hope you enjoy, and thanks again to the mixed up mumbo jumbled weird one for cooking :) S'agapo! (I Love You).

ShundayShellfish

http://www.theshipontheshore.co.uk 

Today is Greek Easter Sunday. As I am stuck up in Edinburgh my parents decided to come up and celebrate with me for an unconventional Easter Sunday. Usually we have a table full of heavy foods such as lamb, magiritsa and tsourekaki and lots and lots of family. I'm sure you have all seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Just imagine that. But today we celebrated differently, with the fruits of the sea, 'Fruit De Mer' to be exact. I chose to go to Ship on The Shore, in Leith. I have been reading about this place for about a year, but because it is out of our 1 mile Edinburgh bubble I never took the opportunity to go. Well, I had been missing out! I can safely say I now know why it was coming top of all the reviews. From the staff, to atmosphere, location and ultimately food phenomena! This must be on your list of places to try if you love seafood or are a foodie.

It is a beautiful restaurant, that looks more like a pub, but has a very chilled and friendly atmosphere. My favourite kind of place, not pretentious or pompous. Just fantastic food, sensational service and an amiable atmosphere. (And yes I did try and use alliteration for these words as best as I could remember from my school English lessons.) As I walked in the first thing that caught my eye was the seafood platter, better known as 'Fruit De Mer'. My eyes were fixated on it until we were led to our table. 

Scallops on the Fruit De Mer

Oysters on the Fruit De Mer

Luckily, my mum, sister and myself opted for the Fruit De Mer 'Royale' - Oh yes terribly posh!  It was an astounding array (ooo alliteration again!) of shellfish. We had everything from langoustines, lobster, smoked salmon, grilled salmon, oysters, clams, razor clams, mussels, scallops, crab and mackerel. With sides of chips and salad, not to be forgotten! Very crucial part of the meal. My mouth is just watering by rewriting this, and I am stuffed at the moment!

Fruit De Mer Royale - In all its glory

Everything was amazing. I especially liked the razor clams and the claws of the langoustines (far nicer than crab ;) ). It comes served cold over ice, but there is a warm option if you aren't too keen on cold shellfish. They also have smaller and cheaper options if you still want to try some but not make a hole in your wallet. The great thing is they have all sorts to choose from, and if someone in your party isn't a fishy one, then they have other options such as steak! Which looked good from the sneak peak I got from the table behind us.

Its Alive!!!

 I have to mention that today I tried my first raw oyster, and boy was it an experience I won't forget. I did not know that you are meant to just swallow them whole and not even chew them. Unfortunately, it was one of the worst things I have put in my mouth. It felt like a slimey blob sliding down my oesophagus. (If you would like to experience that moment stay tuned as I will get a video up as soon as I sort my blogger out!). However, if you like oysters they looked incredible. I just shan't be swallowing one again any time soon. Very unlike me to not like a food!

 

 Anyway, aside from these shenanigans it is a brilliant place to go. As for pricing I would say it's medium - high priced, with the Fruit De Mer costing between £60 - 90 for 2-3 people. But for the quality of food and quantity it is well worth it for a special occasion! I would definitely recommend this place in the summer as well as they have some nice tables outside to sit by the mouth of the river. Leith is a gorgeous part of Edinburgh that I would love to go for a drink when the weather gets warmer. 

 If you have your car or your bike get on it and go to Leith!

GetFrisky

 The sun was shining in Edinburgh today, so what better way to enjoy the sun than with a froyo! Frisky opened earlier this year and it took me a while to try frozen yoghurt. I did not like the concept at first as I thought nothing could be better than ice cream. But I admit, I have been converted to a yoghurt loving freak. This is my absolute favourite place for a sugary treat. The amazing thing is it is fat free, uses raw cane sugar(best of all the sugars out there), pro-biotics and other lovely super foods so it isn't even that naughty. Which is great because it means you can eat lots of it :)

 My favourite at the moment is natural topped with passion fruit, lychees and mango or blueberries. The combination is just an explosion in my mouth. I love it! However, when I first tried natural I did not like it, so for a while mango was my favourite flavour. I would recommend this also, but nothing beats natural as you can go crazy with toppings. I am not a huge fan of the chocolate flavour, I'd rather have chocolate chips on top. It is quite pricey, so it is not an everyday treat, but the portions are large in comparison to what you get with an ice-cream serving, so you get your moneys worth.

It is an all round great place and the staff are super friendly - bonus! If you ever visit Edinburgh, I would definitely recommend this place. Its froyo is far better than the ones I have tried in London and I prefer the atmosphere. Also added amazingness, its open until 11pm, so any midnight craves can be pleasantly satisfied! So, go get frisky!

Here is the website for more info: http://www.friskyfroyo.com

                                             

Speltified

Bursting Blueberries

Yesterday I bought Spelt flour for the first time. Personally I find that regular flour bloats my tummy, so I am on the hunt for better alternatives. Many say rye is meant to be a good alternative but it was worse than normal bread - my flat mates and I looked pregnant for weeks after eating the stuff.  But back to spelt. I was excited to start baking with spelt this morning that I could not sleep. I had so many ideas running through my head this morning that I had to get up. I thought I'd keep things simple and start with easy concepts that I could later develop.

The first idea that came to me was pancakes. I have never actually made American style pancakes before I always used to make Crepes. But I thought today was the day this had to change. So I was flicking through recipes online to find ones with the least hassle. I came across one that seemed pretty simple and it was, but the actual taste that resulted was rather bland. So for next time I have conjured up some ideas that I will try (and I'll write down so you can try as well), as well as some last minute tweaks I made whilst eating that created a delightful treat.

Basic Ingredients:

- 1 cup of flour (any kind)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup soy milk
- 2 tbsp oil (veg or olive)

Adaptations for next time:

- Instead of sugar you could try mashing a banana, I think this gives more sweetness than sugar and is healthier too!

- Another thing I added to one batch, and would like to experiment more, is orange zest. Though I'd add orange juice as well, and go ahead with spices such as cinnamon (can also use other citrus fruits like lemon or lime)  

- Go crazy with anything you like, such as; nuts, dried fruit, real fruit, chocolate, spices, juices and anything else you could fit in a pancake.              

Method:

1) Put the stove on medium heat with a pan on it

2) Combine the 4 dry ingredients in a bowl

3) Then add the milk and oil

4) Mix until smooth

5) Now take a spoonful of mix onto the pan (about one small ladles worth)

6) When bubbles (as shown in the pic on the left) start to form or the edges stiffen, flip the pancake
7) And plate up!

Now this method is for a simple pancake mix, but I would recommend experimenting with different flavours! Some I did today were blueberry, cinnamon and raisin and cinnamon, raisin and orange. I liked the sweetness of the blueberry ones but the ones with orange had the most potential I thought. In fact a recipe I would like to try is with banana, orange, raisin and chocolate chip.

Because the initial pancakes were bland I got bored. So I went to the cupboard, got the chocolate (milk and white, though dark is healthier!) out and placed it on the pancakes and whacked them in the microwave to melt. I then added raspberries on top and OMG it was an oozing, melting, electric sensation on my tastebuds. I went crazy, chocolate mad and ended up eating the entire pancake batch with as many chocolate combinations as I could think of.

However, this is not healthy and I do not recommend as part of a daily routine. So, if you do like your chocolate I recommend getting small chunks or chocolate chips adding them in the batter so they melt with the fruit and spices to make an amalgamation of phenomenality to tantalise your tastebuds.

I don't think I will be having pancakes for breakfast for a while now, but I will continue this experimentation very soon! Go crazy with flavours, the more the better!

Breakfast fit for a princess

 My second Spelt attempt was in bread making and this was very, very simple and worth doing no matter what. Its so easy that it only takes 3 mins to prep! All you need is;

- 500g Spelt flour
- 10g fast action yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 150g mixed seeds (whatever you fancy)
- 500 ml warm water

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 200C

2) Combine all the ingredients, adding the water last

3) Mix well until a dough forms

4) Dump into a greased loaf tin (I used a square one for variation)

5) Bake for an hour

6) Before serving warm for another 10 mins out of the tin

PLEASE NOTE: a big mistake I made was using greaseproof paper. It stuck to the bread and I couldn't get it off. All you need to do is flour the sides of the tin, because the bread actually pulls away from the sides of the tin.

Otherwise, I was very happy with the outcome and don't see why this shouldn't be a weekly occurrence. Its so simple and easy to make and not much can go wrong!

Spelt is a wonderful nutty grain and well worth a try! And if you like experimenting there's lots to get cracking with :)

FatAthyDoesBrunch

My mum had a load of her university friends over today, and what was meant to be a brunch ended up as lunch, but I tried out a few new things that I wanted to share with you! I had a variety of ideas that I wanted to play around with, but due to time constraints and other factors I had to settle down.

Being Greek I felt it was about time I attempted to make Hummus. I have to say, its not in my blood, I definitely need to work on my chickpea skills.

To give me a start I used the instructions on the Tahini pot to make it, but I would not recommend doing this as it does not give you the right consistency or flavour! A rough outline of what I did is as follows:

Ingredients:

- 1 can of chickpeas

-115g Tahini

-A lot of Lemon Juice

- A lot of Olive Oil

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- Cumin

- Paprika

- 6 Garlic Cloves (Use more or less depending on what you like)

Method:

1) In a food processor blend the chickpeas and tahini

2) Add Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Seasoning and the Paprika and Cumin

3) Add approx. 3 tbsp tap water until you get the consistency you desire

4) Serve with a dash of paprika on the top, a swizzle of oil and a sprinkling of parsley (which I forgot to do - typical)

The second dip I made was a basil pesto. (I also made enough to work as a pasta sauce). Compared to my hummus this worked out very well and I shall definitely be making it again and trying weird adaptations to see what flavours can be enhanced.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups of fresh basil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2/3 cup of olive oil
- 1/4 cup of pine nuts (+ extra to serve)
- 1/2 cup of cheese (Pecorino, or another sheep's milk cheese)
- Seasoning

Method:
- In a food processor blend all of the ingredients together until you have a nice thick paste

- Toast some pine nuts and mix through the pesto for an alternative texture

- Serve and garnish as desired :)

Basil Pesto Pasta

As well as being greek I am also half cypriot. So in order to stick to both my roots I thought I had to do something with Halloumi Cheese (Cypriots put this in EVERYTHING!).

Because I love Spain and all the foods it has to offer I decided to also use some chorizo to make a simple yet delicious halloumi and chorizo salad. All I did was dry fry the chorizo to release its fats in a frying pan. Then when it had gained a bit of colour I added cubed halloumi and a little seasoning. It is cooked once browned but not burnt. I tossed this over some fresh salad leaves and a little lemon juice. I would recommend to eat this immediately to get the full juiciness of the cheese and chorizo.





My next venture was Roasted Vegetables (Well

actually my mum put them together, I just stated what was to happen to them!) This is a really simple but yummy dish. All you do is chop up your desired vegetables, we used; peppers, garlic, aubergine, courgettes, red onion and baby vine tomatoes. Toss these with olive oil, balsamic, seasoning and a bit of thyme and fling in the oven for about 40 mins (make sure to cover the tray with aluminium foil to keep all the lovely flavours inside!) Just before serving I crumbled some goats cheese that helps accentuate the sweetness of the vegetables to make a wonderful harmony of flavours and colours!

Marinated baby artichokes

 The next part was the best part of 'brunch', dessert (although I guess technically you don't serve dessert at brunch, but we are far from conventional!)

Classic FatAthyFruitSalad

FatAthy's OJ

For this part we had a variety of cheeses, grapes, chocolates, ice cream, crackers and a couple of other things I attempted. The first is pictured here on the right. Caramelised Onion Jam. This is REALLY simple to make but one of my favourite things of all time and if you love cheese boards this makes a wonderful compliment. To make this all you need is a little oil, balsamic, honey/dark brown sugar and 3 onions (red or white - though I've tried both and red is definitely nicer!) To begin with heat 3 tbsp oil on a low heat. Place the chopped onion and slowly sautee for about 15-20 mins, until softened through completely. Then to caramelise add 3 tbsp of balsamic and honey (or sugar) for another 10 mins, still on a low heat. Serve immediately if you like it warm, for example on a burger. Or place in a clean jar and store in the fridge. This would also work as a fantastic topping on pastry with a little cheese crumbled on top. This is definitely worth a try!!!

Leonidas Truffles

 My final venture was a recipe by Raymond Blanc (But I tweaked it a little - mostly because we didn't have all the ingredients). This is a very nice light cake, perfect after a hoard of food.

oven explosion :D

 The link for the recipe is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lemon_cake_29430
The only changes I made were I used brandy instead of dark rum and golden caster sugar instead of caster sugar (enhances the lemon flavour I think!)

Hope you enjoyed some of the things I had to show and that you get to try some out!

BusyBee

Yesterday, myself and my sister went in search for Indigo.

Indigo is part of One Aldwych Place near the Strand and Covent Garden.

It is quite different to how I imagined from the reviews I'd read. 

I imagined it as a light airy place, very quiet and peaceful, but it was the complete opposite. Nonetheless, I kind of liked it! It had a vibrant atmosphere with lots of people, but I think next time I'd rather go for a drink there, unless I was in a large party then I'd definitely opt for dinner. 

I also think that lunch time has a very different atmosphere so I'll have to give it a try and let you know!

The actual restaurant is on the Mezzane level, but the bar is very visible from the balcony and is buzzing with people after work. If you are one of the busy bees of central London this is definitely worth a try. Furthermore, if you are after a lively, quick dinner (especially pre-theatre) this is a great place to try out, as the food and staff are fantastic. It is on the pricey side of things, but for central London it does not break the bank, with an average main costing between £16-25. However, they do have meal deals such as 2 courses for £19. 

However, I would not recommend this place if you are looking for something more discrete and personal. You can barely hear your own thoughts at the table, but on the plus side the food is nice and the staff are very accommodating and friendly.

Below I have pictured what myself and my sister ordered. 

Pork Belly with Crispy Asian Style noodles

Salad with avo, cucumber, spring onions and prawns.

 Actually this is another thing to mention that makes Indigo unique. If you are a salad lover (and a fussy one!) this is a great place to try. They have a 'Build your own salad' for £9/£16. You can choose from one meat/fish/veg option, 3 condiments, and finally a dressing. If you want to tailor your salad beyond what they have on the menu they are very willing to help achieve your every wish. A great place to try, buzzing, full of life and amazing decor.

 Here is the link if you want to find out more: http://www.onealdwych.com/food-drink/indigo.aspx