OBICA MOZZARELLA BAR, SOUTH KENSINGTON

If you read my blog regularly, you will know that my favourite Italian restaurant is Gola (Gola) and I rarely ever go to any other Italian restaurant as they are never as good. However I did make an exception last night and I was very pleasantly surprised.

I am a huge fan of burrata cheese (creamy mozzarella) - I remember the first time I ever had it - Miami 2005 - and my love is still going strong!! Whenever it is on a menu I will have it and so nearly wet myself when I realised there was a restaurant where they serve burrata in several different ways.

Obica Mozzarella Bar is a casual Italian restaurant concept based on using the best Mozzarellas di Bufala Campana, with traditional Italian recipes and high-quality Italian handmade products. It is prepared “in sight” like in a sushi bar - the hams, cold meats and mozzarellas are displayed and assembled like you would expect the sashimi and rolls to be in a Japanese restaurant. The restaurant is modern with lots of glass and simply decorated as the emphasis is on the food.

Pascal & I had reserved a table through top table (Top Table) but as it was 7.30 on a cold Monday night, the restaurant was pretty empty, however it soon started filling up rapidly. We chose a table by the window and ordered a couple of drinks and looked at the menu - I was at a loss at what to choose.

We ordered a lovely bottle of wine - a Chianti - it was so delicious, we ended up ordering two!

There is plenty of choice on the menu - for starters I was torn between the aubergine parmigana or burrata with datterini tomatoes and homemade basil pesto or "La Degustazione Obika" which is what we went for in the end.

Wow - it was impressive! A tasting board of Bufala classico & burrata, aubergine caponata, basil pesto and sun dried tomato pesto, cherry tomatoes, spinach, foccacia and then three different types of meats - prosciutto crudo di parma 20 mesi, prosciutto cotto alla brace and mortadella di prato.

It was delicious and we ate every last morsel - the sun dried tomato pesto was a little spicy for us but we still wolfed it down along with everything else. We nearly had a fight over the burrata & caponata!!

For mains there is a choice of pasta, pizza, steak, chicken, fish and salads and we both went for pasta! Pascal chose the fresh pappardelle with sausage and tomato ragu (I actually wanted it too but thought for the blog I should have something different) so I decided on the ravioli stuffed with fresh ricotta and porcini and topped with butter and thyme. I was also tempted by the lasagne so will definitely have that next time.

Unfortunately the pictures aren't great as the restaurant was pretty dark and so don't do the food justice.

Both dishes were amazing - we devoured everything - I was especially happy as they gave me my own bowl of Parmesan so I could have as much as I wanted. The ricotta & porcini went perfectly together and the fresh thyme really made it. The ragu was incredible and the pasta cooked perfectly al dente - plus everything was very prettily presented. What a fabulous meal! I cannot wait to come back here again.

My only complaint is it is opposite the impossibly glamorous KX gym - nobody wants to see skinny gym bunnies while you are stuffing your face!!

Obica Mozzarella Bar

96 Draycott Avenue,

London

SW3 3AD

Tel: 020 7581 5208

Email: southken@obica.com

PRET-A-PORTEA AT THE BERKELEY HOTEL, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

Arabella & I were invited for afternoon tea at the Berkeley Hotel yesterday to celebrate our gorgeous friend Dolly's 13th birthday. Arabella had never had a formal afternoon tea before and my last one had been nearly 5 years ago so we were terribly overexcited! The Berkeley afternoon tea is a fashionista's heaven as all the cakes and treats are inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world (I definitely learnt a thing or two)! 

We arrived at 2.30 and the place was heaving - this is obviously the "cool" place to be. It is served in The Caramel Room which is brightened up with colour popping menus and brightly coloured crockery.

Service was extremely efficient and friendly - we ordered champagne and tea and the waitress immediately bought out a plate of sandwiches for everyone. She offered a more simpler selection for Arabella however she was happy with the more grown up ones (she can't be fussy as she is constantly my recipe guinea pig)! The sandwiches were egg mayonnaise in brioche, ham & mustard, smoked chicken mayonnaise, smoked salmon and cream cheese and cheese and chutney. All the breads were different and homemade and it tasted delicious!! 

Being the piglet that I am, I polished my plate off very quickly and immediately was offered another - I said a huge yes! The waitress overheard Arabella commenting on how much she loved the smoked salmon one and in a blink of an eye, Arabella had a plate of just those - she was delighted (as was I because I then shared with her)!

Being such a savoury girl I was more than happy with the sandwiches but then the cakes arrived and my sweet tooth very quickly appeared!! It was all so pretty you didn't want to touch it….well, that feeling lasted for about a second!

The bottom tier was more savouries - it is difficult to remember exactly what it all was other than incredibly tasty! There were shot glasses of watercress soup, swordfish carpaccio, a goat's cheese cheesecake, aubergine something and a roasted vegetable tart. The swordfish was so incredible we ended up ordering plates of it on its own - tender but meaty if that makes sense.

As I mentioned each cake is modelled on an outfit or accessory from the latest fashion season:

The Burberry Prorsum heart patterned ginger biscuit trench with caramel icing (as modelled by Arabella).

The Saint Laurent essential autumn red "Classic Duffle 6" Victoria sponge cake bag - Arabella had about 5 of these and they were her favourite. The Vivienne Westwood Anglomania oversized checked mint green macaroon, the Miu Miu polka dot jaconde and Gianduia mousse topped with playful orange neck scarf (this was my favourite). Then the Giles antique gold chocolate feather set on a base of Sacher Torte and the Oscar de la Renta orange bavarois emphasised with shocking pink chocolate embroidery.

Then the Gianvito Rossi chocolate over-the-knee boot biscuit with ankle strap, the Emporio Armarni violet cassis mousse and light Curacao jelly topped with chocolate swirl and the

Jean Paul Gaultier gold quilted banana and caramel cremeux with passion fruit compote accessorised with leopard print chocolate shard (I didn't have a chance to try all these as I ate so many sandwiches but it all looked so pretty).

It was all delicious - once we finished a plate it was refilled with more and then when we could eat no more we were given the remainder to take home in a doggy bag. The waitress made sure Arabella had a pink bag with her favourite delicacies in and was also given a princess wand as a gift much to her delight! She felt like it was her birthday.

What an incredible afternoon - not good for my waistline as now all I want to do is try out the afternoon teas around London - I have been researching today and saw that Dean Street Townhouse even offer mac and cheese and welsh rarebit with there's so I am definitely going there next!!! I always think I prefer lunch or dinner as it is more of a meal but this has really changed my tune….I cannot wait for my next one. Plus Arabella was in Heaven - it was perfect for children sandwiches and cake - a proper party!!

Pret-A-Portea at The Berkeley Hotel

Wilton Place, Knightsbridge
London 
SW1X 7RL
Tel: 020 7107 8866
Email: dining@the-berkeley.co.uk

PASTA CARBONARA WITH PEAS & BACON

After the success of the last Pinterest recipe - I thought I should try another one from the website and as we had eaten the healthy fish, now was time for something not so light - pasta carbonara - Arabella's favourite.  Pascal normally cooks his own recipe which I have to admit is excellent however I liked the look of this one as it has peas in it….a bit of green never does you any harm. I actually recognised this recipe from Jamie's Dinners cookbook although as I lost that book in the divorce I never had the chance to cook it! (Had I known I was going to turn into a bit of a chef I wouldn't have given up the cookbooks so easily)!!!

I followed the recipe as it was written and although it was very tasty, a few alterations are needed to make it perfect!

Ingredients for 4 people:

500g pasta - I used fusilli but you could easily use penne or farfelle instead
1 egg
150ml double cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 rashers of pancetta or smoked streaky bacon (when I do this again I will use 500g lardons which is a bit more than Jamie suggests)
4 big handfuls of fresh podded or frozen peas (don't be shy)
3 sprigs of fresh mint leaves, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (as much as you like - I even had grated cheddar cheese too - such a piglet)!

The recipe suggests frying the bacon however I grilled it as it is slightly healthier. This took the longest time as I had to cook it in 2 batches and each batch took about 8 minutes each. Next time I would buy lardons and fry them as it would be a lot easier and less time consuming.

While the bacon is grilling, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. If you have dry pasta it is best to put it on while you are cooking the first batch of bacon as it will take about 10-12 minutes (check the packet instructions). 

I used fresh pasta which took 4 minutes so I only started cooking it when the bacon was nearly finished. 

If I were to use lardons I would start cooking them first and after a few minutes start the pasta, as the lardons take about 7/8 minutes.

While the pasta cooks chop the mint (I used scissors) and once the bacon is cooked roughly slice it - (I used scissors once again, so much easier). Then start whisking the egg and cream together.

It doesn't matter what order you do this - you could even whisk the egg and cream and chop the mint before you start cooking everything - if you are cooking alone this could be the easiest and less stressful option (I always get quite uptight when everything has to be done at once and find preparation is key although here I was lucky enough to have my sous-chef Pascal).

Add the peas to the pasta for the last minute and a half - this way they will burst in your mouth and taste lovely and sweet. 

Once this is cooked, drain in a colander but make sure you save a little of the cooking water.

In the big pan, add in most of the mint, all the bacon and the whisked egg and cream. It's important to add this while the pasta is still hot.

Then mix all together and add some salt and pepper (definitely needed pepper) and some of the reserved cooking water if necessary to loosen it up - I added about half a cup's worth (loving how pretty it looks)!

Sprinkle with Parmesan and the rest of the mint leaves and serve as soon as possible!

Delicious - the mint and the peas make this recipe - the carbonara does not feel heavy at all and instead tastes so fresh - Pascal & I loved it. Arabella says she would prefer it without the mint but she loved the peas (but as life isn't fair I would still add the mint)! 

I will definitely be cooking this again although I would add more bacon/lardons as I mentioned earlier. This was a perfect recipe - very yummy and very easy!

SALMON WITH ROASTED GARLIC & ROSEMARY

I think I was one of the last people on earth of my generation to have an iPhone - I was addicted to my pink blackberry, especially bbm and I always found the typing on the iPhone impossible. However last year, I finally switched and now I can't believe I didn't do it years ago. I am officially obsessed with it and all the different apps can keep me busy for hours.

My current favourite is Pinterest, it is AMAZING as there is so much to look at. Pinterest is basically a pinboard-style photo-sharing website where you can collect and organise the things that inspire you ranging from pictures of exotic destinations, art & craft ideas, home and decor inspiration and obviously my favourite category is the food and drink one! If you like something, you "pin it" and you can create different mood boards for each subject - in essence it is a virtual pin board and you can have as many as you like. 

My food boards are a plenty - I have one for sweet treats, another for starters, another for diets, another for lunch, another for burgers and then the biggest of all is my one for main meals. After collecting so many new recipes I thought I better start actually cooking from them and I started off with this salmon dish.

As you probably know by now I think it is important to have fish for supper at least once a week and salmon is full of benefits for your body, brain, health and even looks - apparently it adds sparkle to your hair, nails, skin and eyes. This recipe looked very easy, very quick and very healthy so perfect for a quite Tuesday night at home.

Ingredients for 2 people:

2 salmon fillets (around 250-300g)

2 garlic cloves (I love garlic but this might be too much for some people, if so just half the amount)

1 tbsp of fresh rosemary, chopped

Sea salt & black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220 C / 200 C (fan). Chop the garlic and rosemary into small pieces….I used scissors for the rosemary which made it much easier! 

Line a baking tray with baking paper and then scatter the garlic and rosemary over the salmon. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper - I did 3 twists of each grinder on each fillet!

Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. I did 12 minutes but it was slightly too long for me but it is up to you….next time I will do 10. You just need the salmon to be flaky.

Finally serve with some vegetables - I had mushrooms roasted with garlic and salt (stay away from my breath)! Arabella had carrots as she is not a fan of mushrooms.

It was a very simple, easy recipe and it was delicious - the combination of garlic and rosemary pairs beautifully with the salmon. It is also so low calorie - my salmon fillet was 120g and with the garlic and rosemary it was maximum 220 calories. I didn't use oil with the mushrooms and instead used Fry Light olive oil spray and you couldn't taste the difference yet it was 6 calories rather than 119 - that is maths I like!!

The whole meal was 265 calories - great for the new year diet and tasty too. It's not something I would serve for friends to be honest unless I did an amazing side dish but it is great for an everyday evening supper. Arabella enjoyed it too and it is much more exciting than just plain salmon.

I would recommend this as a quick easy healthy supper - and I think if you try it you will be very pleasantly surprised!

WAGAMAMA, FULHAM BROADWAY

In my gap year (a very long time ago) I worked at Pizza Express & ate my body weight in pizza (Quattro Formaggi with pepperoni & mushrooms with extra Parmesan) however I must have really overdone it as I rarely go now, the same goes for other chain restaurants such as Strada, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Zizzi's (apparently French for willy!), and I I have never even stepped foot in a Nando's…..am I missing out??!!

One place I do love is Wagamama and luckily Arabella is a huge fan too. I once took Pascal to one but it was a recipe for disaster….we sat on a shared table and he couldn't understand a thing on the menu….he said he would never go again, (although I have to say despite his complaints, he must have enjoyed the food as there wasn't a grain of rice left on his plate)!!! 

I do understand some of the reasons why he doesn't like it - the shared tables are so annoying - who wants to sit close up with a stranger?? And my major beef with Wagamama is that they just bring the food out when it is ready - not necessarily when the rest of the table's food is ready. Other restaurants manage…why can't they?

Anyway it is not enough to put us off and with Pascal at a meeting, Arabella & I headed straight there as it had been a while. I will admit I don't really understand the menu and as I am so unadventurous I never try anything new….Arabella is the same. The food is inspired by traditional Japanese ramen bars & Asian flavours and includes sushi, teppanyaki, curries, salads and obviously ramen.

We started off with salted edamame beans. These were very good although a bit too salty even for a salt addict like me and especially for a child. Although after wiping some of the salt off they were delish.

I think the starters are the strongest part of the menu - there are always so many I want (or at least know), such as the different types of gyoza (dumplings), the chilli salt squid and the chicken yakitori and they all look yum - however I am still trying to be "healthyish" so we didn't indulge. 

For mains I always have the yaki soba which is teppan-fried soba noodles with bean sprouts, chicken, shrimp, eggs, peppers, white and spring onions, garnished with fried shallots, pickled ginger and mixed sesame seeds.

I like it so much, I have never tried anything else here! It is basically like a chicken chow mein and the ginger just makes it - I would recommend it - it really hits the spot! It is not particularly low calorie (728 cal) but it is filling and feels like a treat. It is way better than any stir fry I have ever made at home.

Arabella likes the chicken katsu which is chicken breast deep fried in panko breadcrumbs served with sticky white rice, carrots, sweetcorn and a choice of either katsu curry or amai sauce on the side.

Arabella couldn't resist a piece of chicken while waiting for me to take the photo! She ate the entire plate and it's nice that they include some salad especially as carrot & sweetcorn is her favourite.

We didn't have pudding as it's a week night but we were both full anyway….apparently they are very good though. 

Ok so Wagamama is not a gourmet experience, it has some annoying features (communal tables etc) but for something quick, easy, cheap and different, it is perfect - plus it is very family friendly. The staff are approachable and will help with any questions you may have about the menu. There are Wagamama restaurants everywhere - 101 in the UK alone and in 17 different countries - they are uniform and you know what you are getting and for a creature of habit like me - that is a good thing!!

Wagamama

Upper Level,
Fulham Broadway Shopping Centre,
London
SW6 1BW
Tel: 020 7386 8017

MISHKIN'S, COVENT GARDEN

My first weekend back in London with Pascal and I knew exactly where I wanted to go….my favourite place….Covent Garden. I regretted it once I was on the tube though, it was so packed you could hardly breathe!! It was worth it when we were there, we looked at the shops and watched the street entertainers and then it was time to eat. Covent Garden is packed with so many good restaurants although I chose Mishkin's as I wanted to go for a very long time. I once went to the next door restaurant Opera Tavern and was massively disappointed but luckily not this time.

Mishkin's is another eatery by Russell Norman (Polpo, Polpetto, Da Polpo & Spuntino) - I have been to  Polpo and Spuntino & enjoyed the food although the interiors weren't really me….a bit too casual….(I am just not cool enough)!! The same has to be said for Mishkin's, exposed brick walls, checkered floor, paper napkins, small rickety tables & chairs (too close together)…on the plus side there are some nice red booths. Pascal said in France that this place wouldn't even pass for a cafe let alone a restaurant!! Anyway it is important to keep an open mind…

We were given menus and ordered drinks as soon as we sat down - a g&t for me & a Hendricks for Pascal. I had read that service could be a bit slow but that was not my immediate impression. They made our drinks quickly however they did then sit on the bar for a while….I was tempted to go and get them myself!!

Once they finally arrived we tucked in and checked out the menu - I could have ordered pretty much everything…hot dog, burgers, mac & cheese…..ideal!! Pascal was not so enamoured, he was hoping for something a little posher! Mishkin's has the reputation of being a kind of Jewish deli but it is not kosher and it is more about American comfort food.

Pascal & I decided to share the blue cheese and mushroom mac and cheese, a Reuben sandwich & a couple of beef, onion and Swiss cheese sliders (I had a single and Pascal had a double). I also wanted a hot dog, the lamb burger and the salt beef sandwich but I didn't want to gain a stone over the weekend!!

It was all delicious. The slider was incredible - soft bun, enough cheese, tasty beef, onions and perfect pickles.

It was one of the best burgers I have had - I just wish it had been bigger. I could definitely have had another - Pascal adored his too.

The Reuben was filled with lots of pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese & Russian dressing on toasted Rye bread with pickles. This was also heavenly and I enjoyed every last bite.

Last but not least - the mac and cheese with blue cheese and mushrooms.

Amazing - lots of cheese with big chunks of mushroom. To be honest I couldn't really taste the blue cheese as it was mixed with the other cheeses (mozzarella, Parmesan and cheddar) but it was all yummy. It was almost as good as mine :-)

The portions weren't huge and now looking back on it I regret not having more,  I definitely could have squeezed in another mini burger! Looking back on similar places I have been to this past year, this definitely comes up top - I much preferred it to Spuntino and Polpo…and to Patty and Bun, Meat Liquor, a billion times over.

Pascal and I both agreed we would go back, I like the fact it is open all day and I loved the food. The place was a bit casual for me, it's perfect for a quick lunch but not a long lazy one nor for supper, plus one thing I forgot to mention is they served wine in tumblers - a pet peeve of mine. However when I enquired about wine glasses, the waiter basically told me that they didn't have them and wine was better in a tumbler as it's like a big shot glass…..it did make me chuckle but Pascal was appalled….this place is certainly not French!!!

Mishkin's

25 Catherine Street, 

London

WC2B 5JS

Tel: 020 7240 2078

PS They take bookings and do takeaways.

CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

Apparently if you repeat an action 10 times it becomes a habit….I have some very good habits such as exercising every weekday or keeping up to date with all my admin however unfortunately I have some very bad habits too such as thinking a weekend = gorging and binging on food and alcohol!

I have been very good with my alcohol intake all week however as soon as it hit 7pm on Friday night the idea of an ice cold g&t popped into my head!!! Plus I wanted to cook something naughty!! I figured as we weren't going out to supper where I would normally have bread, butter, pre-starter (!), starter, main etc, I could cook something indulgent and that is just what I did….although it turned out not to be half as naughty as I thought!!

Ingredients for 4 people:

350g mini chicken fillets, diced
382g jar of Discovery Fajita Season & Sauce
1tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion, diced
2 yellow, red or orange peppers, deseeded & diced
8 tortillas
100g grated cheddar or gruyere cheese (I probably used much more)
230g tub of sour cream & chive dip
230g tub of guacamole
2 tbsp green jalapeños (optional)

Mix together the diced chicken and fajita seasoning.

Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan and then add the seasoned chicken, onions and peppers. It looks quite pretty!

Cook for 8-10 minutes until the chicken in cooked through with no pink meat and the peppers are tender.  Then stir in the fajita sauce and cook for another couple of minutes until heated through.

Spoon an eighth of the filling on to the centre of each tortilla.

Sprinkle over with some grated cheese (I put in as much as I could!). 

Fold over the four sides to form neat, square parcels….mine weren't that neat I have to say and were more rectangle…I think I overdid the filling!!! 

Place the parcels, joint side down, on a foil lined baking tray and cook under a medium grill for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden brown. 

I made a bit of error here and cooked them under a high grill for 4 minutes as I didn't read the recipe properly (old habits die hard) and so burnt them!! (They were still very good though!!)

Serve with a spoonful of each dip and a scattering of jalapeños if you like a bit of spice!!

They were very good despite the burning!! I made the mistake of overfilling the parcels (piglet behaviour) so they weren't very neat and I definitely didn't have room to cook more than 3 at a time. It didn't matter as it was only Pascal and I and we shared the 3 and were full after that. If I was cooking this for others I would take more care!! 

You could smarten this recipe up and use steak rather than chicken or even make it vegetarian….I think I would definitely add some mushrooms next time. I have to say I preferred these ones to the ones I used to have in Tequila Max in Bristol as these are grilled rather than deep fried…a lot less calories too! I am not a spice fan but if you are I am sure you could add some chillies inside the parcels too….the options are endless! 

Normally I feel unhealthy and fat after cooking mexican but I didn't after these. I will definitely be cooking them again but will try not to burn them next time!! We have leftovers so I might have a go now….