The latest offering from renowned chef Angela Hartnett is a collaboration with Luke Holder at the gorgeous Lime Wood estate in Hampshire. It would be difficult not to love this place, set amongst the idyllic New Forest, it is like stepping into an aristocratic country club.

A menu flourished with Angela’s passion for Italian cuisine, seasonal British and the forest surroundings, accompanied by an impressive wine list. You have the option of leaving your menu in the hands of the chefs, a concept I like when you are going to be treated with dishes which don’t appear on the menu. However it seemed that here is was just going to be a selection of what you see in front of you.

Before I start on the food, let’s talk about those plates. Gorgeous and so fitting for the country garden surrounds.

Only at this time of year do you get to taste the deliciousness of morels, so I don’t pass up the opportunity. With farfalle, wild garlic and a buttery reduction it was perfect in its simplicity.

Another seasonal treat is white asparagus, slightly sweeter than its green cousin it is quite the elegant stalk. This pairing with shrimp and brown butter was pretty exquisite. Salty, sweet, silky and crunchy; a perfectly balanced journey with each mouthful.

The main event was meat. Quite a substantial amount of meat. Rib eye for two complete with smoked bone marrow. Slightly over cooked by my medium rare standards but was still juicy and the bone marrow delicious.

Dessert became non negotiable as soon as I discovered the delectable dessert wine selection. I am such a sucker for sticky! And why have one dessert and one glass of wine when you can share two of each. First up was a tarty lemon posset, lemon curd and lemon sorbet topped with salty oats. Such an awesome combination the sour and the salty was divine. Paired with a French riesling it was all over far too quickly. 
The final offering was a smooth vanilla tart with rum soaked prunes. Rich and creamy with deliciously drunken fruit, it was washed down with a more full-bodied Spanish muscat. Like drinking nectar from the gods.

By this stage we were pretty content and jolly, so it was time to retire to the lounge bar for a digestif.

The whole experience at Hartnett Holder & Co is very pleasant indeed, gorgeous setting, attentive service and fresh seasonal food. The bill is a little higher than what I would expect to pay outside of London but it makes for a special treat.

Hartnett Holder & Co: Lime Wood, Beaulieu Rd, Lyndhurst, Hampshire SO43 7FZ England

This tasty warm salad is perfect for meat-free Monday’s. We all need more of those. Cauliflower is such an underrated vegetable, I think because it was abused through many a childhood, boiled to a mush and completely void of any taste. I am urging you to give it another go, and this dish definitely does the cauli proud. Fennel is awesome in it’s own right, and with the nutty chickpeas and a lemon yogurt dressing, meat is amiss.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower, leaves removed and cut into florets, not too small.
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small red chili, chopped
250g baby spinach, washed

For the dressing:
250g natural yogurt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
Juice of 1 lemon

Roasted almond flakes to serve

Method:

Heat the oven to 180C. Spread the cauliflower and the fennel evenly in a roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a little oil in a frypan, add the red onion and fry until transparent.

Add the chili and the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

To make the dressing combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

Once the cauliflower and fennel are ready (they should not be completely soft, you still want a crunch to them both), remove from the oven and place in a large bowl .

Add the chickpeas to the bowl and the spinach and toss through.

Serve into bowls and place a good helping of the yogurt dressing and scatter with the almond flakes.

With spring supposedly immanent, rhubarb supplies are dwindling. And this makes me sad. It hasn’t been a great season for my pink fingered friends. Such a long and cold winter they struggled to come out and play, something I can relate to. Before they disappear for good, grab a bunch of rhubarb and roast, bake, poach or pickle it today.

I love upsidedown cakes (you may have noticed from my last baking post), as they really bring out the best in the fruit and look so pretty at the same time. Also because I suck at icing and decorating cakes, so this self method really is ingenious!

The ginger cake base goes so deliciously well with the tarty rhubarb and the sticky brown butter sauce is so so good. Serve warm with some vanilla icecream or equally as delicious cold with some natural yoghurt. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

50g butter
250g brown sugar
400g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2cm chunks
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
200ml buttermilk
75ml vegetable or sunflower oil
2 tsp grated ginger

Radishes, sesame & gochuchang

From the lads behind Upstairs at The Ten Bells, The Clove Club is their latest and first permanent London fixture. Located in the historic Shoreditch Town Hall, they have fitted out a front bar and a separate dining room. It’s ambitious, youthful and everyone’s talking about it.

A much larger dining room and open kitchen makes the experience a little less intimate than their Ten Bells gaff, nevertheless the open space, high ceilings, wooden tables and blue tiles give an almost boarding school diner feel that works. The acoustics need a little tweaking, or maybe I am just getting old!

Buttermilk chicken & pine salt

An eight course set menu is presented which ticks all the boxes, seasonal, interesting and sounds delicious. It’s so nice to just sit down and be fed. No tricky menu decisions, no food envy at the table, just a continuous flow of deliciously executed food morsels.

Kicking off with the prettiest of pink radishes with a chilli mayo dipping and black sesame. Crunchy and with peppery leaves they were rather delightful. A signature dish followed, Colonel Sanders step aside. Crispy battered buttermilk chicken with secret (pine salt) herbs and spices. It was just a shame there was only one heavenly piece each. Last of the sharing starters was thin lashings of smoked duck ham. Something I hadn’t ever come across but would like to meet again.

Mackerel, pickled rhubarb & Tokyo turnip

Beautifully plated, sashimi mackerel with the whitest of turnip slithers and of course what every dish is missing, pickled rhubarb! I could have done with a little more pickle but perhaps I am a little greedy!

Grilled squid, tarragon and green radishes

My pick of the mains, the squid was perfectly cooked and absolutely divine with the tarragon puree. Fragrant, salty and damn delicious. And green radishes…where can I source these, so pretty.

Rib of beef, ramson & potato

Mmmm beef. I think this dish silenced the table. A juicy portion of beef with very pungent wild garlic dollops and crispy potato cigars. Excuse me whilst I wipe the drool from my keyboard.

Blood orange, sheep’s milk mousse & wild fennel

This is honestly the best desert I have eaten in a long time. It was totally unexpected and so fricking good. A wild fennel granita gave it a very vegetative flavour, the dish on a whole was quite savoury. The sheep’s milk mousse was creamy and sublime and the crispy milk wafers added a textural crunch. Blood orange ribbons were quite fun and with segments of the fruit tucked in giving the dish a tart squeeze. It really was amazing. Could even be served as a starter.

And finally a second desert. Who doesn’t love a menu with two deserts! A salty caramel ice cream with barley and oats. Again an interesting mix of sweet and savoury which totally worked.

Eight courses, all beautifully executed and seriously tasty. The experience doesn’t leave you feeling as though you need to be rolled out of the restaurant but pleasantly content and reminiscent of all the delicious goodness you have just consumed. And at £47 I think it is amazing value.

The Clove Club: Shoreditch Town Hall 380 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT

Get your baking apron on and whip up this delicious delight for the weekend. Very easy for the non-bakers and guaranteed to impress. The plums give a gorgeous colour and slightly tart taste, serve warm with double cream or vanilla ice-cream, you cannot go wrong.

I made this whilst in Australia in January and plums were in abundance. These little beauties were courtesy of my cousin Caroline’s tree and were deliciously sweet. Plums are available in supermarkets almost all year round or you can wait until they are in season and scoop them up from your local farmers market.

Ingredients

175g butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
800g firm plums, halved, stones removed
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
vanilla ice-cream or double cream, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 6cm-deep, 22cm round cake pan. Line base with baking paper.

Melt 50g butter. Drizzle evenly over base of pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Place plums, skin side down, in pan to cover base.

Using electric beaters, beat remaining 125g butter, caster sugar and vanilla on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Using a large spoon, gently fold in almond meal and flour. Spoon mixture over plums. Smooth surface.

Bake cake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a serving plate. Serve with ice-cream.

Nom nom nom

Obama, Bill Cosby, Sarkozy, Oprah and now Lady Rhubarb, all have something in common. We have all scoffed the famous chili at the Washington landmark which is Ben’s Chili Bowl. For over 53 years this american diner has been unchanged, the counter, booths and the homemade chili. And it all works just fine.

Really there is no need for a menu. I’ve come for the chili so it has to be Ben’s Original Chili Half Smoke. A mixed pork and beef sausage grilled and served on a warm steamed bun with mustard, onions and spicy chili sauce. It’s Bill Cosby’s favourite! The chili isn’t too spicy  but it’s quite rich and finishing the whole bun is a food challenge, which of course I passed!

For the ultimate chili experience you have to double up with the chili fries. Drenched in chili sauce the soggy fries disgustingly good. And when you thought it was all about the chili, the chocolate thick shake at Ben’s is the best I have ever had. So thick that I left with sore cheeks.

When in Washington a visit to Ben’s must be on the itinerary. A famous landmark and the best chili you will find. You can even visit the gift shop next door and take your little piece of Ben’s home with you.

Ben’s Chili Bowl: 1213 U Street NW Washington DC

I feel slightly violated. There is one dirty burger in the hood. It’s damn dirty and it’s damn good! But let me clarify a very important equation here, the overwhelming enjoyment of this burger directly correlates with the overwhelming degree of ones hangover. And when I shuffled into this shed, in a car park, on a Sunday afternoon I was feeling pretty filthy.

The menu won’t make your already thumping head hurt with tricky decisions. There is only one choice. Cheeseburger. You might have to deliberate over crinkle cut fries or onion rings, but to keep it simple I went with both.

What constitutes a dirty burger? You unwrap the paper to find it swimming in its own filthy juices, buns already separating as it slides towards you with a cheesy grin. Giving it a squirt of tomato sauce, reconstructing the mess between my hands, sucking back my drool, I took my first bite. Turning to my friend with a mouthful of dirtiness I exclaimed, ‘Fuck this is good!’ Soft brioche bun, a thick patty of quality beef with loads of pepper, cooked medium rare, a ton of oozing cheese, lettuce, tomato and the all important pickle.

In between mouthfuls you can scoff a few crunchy crinkle cut fries with lashings of mayo and wash it all down with a chocolate thickshake. I have to warn you that the onion rings are pretty punchy. Red onion slices in think doughnut batter and covered in rock salt. If you can finish the whole serving you are a machine.

Like any hit your state of euphoria is short lived. The meat sweats had already kicked in as a dragged myself back to bed. Feeling dirtier than when I left. But somehow I think I will be back for another fix soon.

Dirty Burger: Around the back – 79 Highgate Rd NW5 1TL

So they say it’s now autumn. I feel a little ripped off on the seasons front in the UK. I think we really only get two. Spring and winter. There is no in-between, we certainly don’t get a summer. So as far as I see it we are now in winter. But at my local farmers market this weekend it was clearly evident that we are in fact in autumn. Parsnip, squash, beetroot, leeks, purple kale and boxes and boxes of British apples and pears. And it’s all screaming out for soups, roasts and delicious puddings.

This cake is triumphant in its simplicity. It’s all about the pear and perfectly complimented with a hint of almond. Adapted from a recipe by River Cottage’s, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, it a perfect autumnal bake.

Ingredients:
150g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
75g self raising flour
75g ground almonds
A good pinch of cinnamon

For the caramelised pears:
3 medium pears (reasonably firm)
25g unsalted butter
1 tbsp granulated sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170°C/gas 3. Grease a 20cm-diameter springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

2. Peel, core and quarter the pears.

3. Melt the 25g butter in a saucepan over a medium high heat. When it’s bubbling, add the sugar and stir gently until it has dissolved into the butter. Add the pears and cook gently, turning once or twice, until they have softened and are starting to colour, 5-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour with each to stop the mix curdling.

5. Fold the remaining flour, the ground almonds and the cinnamon into the mixture, mix well. Scrape into the prepared tin. Arrange the pears on top and pour on any buttery juices left in the pan.

6. Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

7. Stand the cake in its tin on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then release the tin. Serve the cake warm with icecream or clotted cream.

Partridge confit on potato and pea risotto

I have finally dined at The Ledbury. Having lived in London for almost four years now, it has been one restaurant on my must do list since I moved here. And it certainly lives up to its reputation. I was surprised by its obvious lack of stuffiness, rather it exudes elegance and understated class. The staff very friendly and welcoming instantly make you relax into what is a very memorable dining experience.

Boasting two Michelin stars, the food is all class. At the helm of Aussie chef Brett Graham, each dish is as exciting in flavour as it is beautifully presented. I started with a stunning potato and pea risotto with a crispy partridge confit.

Aubergine glazed in black sugar and garlic with spinach shiso

One of the stand out dishes was from the vegetarian menu,  silky aubergines sweetly charred with sugar and garlic with a sharp spinach purée. Subtle Asian flavours really complimented the smokey aubergine.

Brill with black quinoa

A succulent piece of brill was topped with crunchy black quinoa and drizzled with a hint of cream. Slightly sweet in flavour it was absolutely delicious.

Blackberry cheesecake

And then came dessert. We deliberated for some time over our choices, and clearly noticing the difficult decision we had to make, after ordering three, five desserts were presented at our table! Our waiter cheekily saying, we thought you better try all five! A little embarrassed but like kids in a candy store our eyes lit up! And so we gluttonously tucked into our dessert buffet.

I think the squeals of delight at each mouthful were justification enough that we were very pleased with our windfall!

Blackberry cheesecake was a perfect balance of sweet and tart. Smashed up plums, meringue, sorbet and marshmallow was the ugly duckling of the desserts, a confused concoction on the plate but a delight to taste.

Plums and meringue

We dived into a passionfruit soufflé which was at least 3 inches in height and delicately dreamy. A ridiculously rich chocolate torte was the devil’s dessert but perfectly paired with savoury lovage icecream cutting through the sweetness.

Pavé of chocolate with milk pureé and lovage Ice Cream

And of course these delights could not be enjoyed without the perfect dessert wine. A German Riesling with delicious pineapple notes was far too easily consumed.

It is no wonder that The Ledbury has been pronounced London’s best restaurant, it is a sensational experience and one that I hope to enjoy again very soon.

The Ledbury: 127 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London W11 2AQ

It’s no secret that Copenhagen is a foodie mecca. And it’s not only the acclaimed restaurant Noma which is sensationalising Nordic cuisine. As it happened Noma was closed for the summer so I was excited to discover where else to eat in this gorgeous city. Because let’s face it sometimes you want to eat without having to wait three months for a reservation.

Baked avocado with almonds

The uber sleek interior of Geist has you questioning if you are perhaps sexy enough to be dining at this restaurant. It’s dark and shiny and the staff are ridiculously good looking. The menu definitely pushes the Nordic gastronomy limits and we were not afraid to dive in whole heartedly. One of the many triumphs was baked avocado with almonds. Why haven’t I thought of this dish, so simple yet so damn good.

Lobster

Grilled mackerel with wilted sorrel and garlic purée was definitely ensuring I wouldn’t be attacked by vampires later that night.  Crab with deliciously sweet cherry tomatoes was a lovely pairing and thin slices of pink liver on top of porcini mushrooms was ridiculously rich but very tasty.

Vanilla icecream on black olives

The crescendo of my evening came with dessert and the ultimate pairing of sweet and salty. Vanilla ice-cream on a bed of crushed black olives and sprinkled with licorice shavings. Sounds bizarre but it really is brilliant!

Geist is definitely excelling in creating a sophisticated dining experience. Sleek surroundings, exceptional service and adventurous food. If you do go there be sure to order coffee, it’s worth it for the playful accompaniment!

Geist: Kongens Nytorv 8  1050 Copenhagen, Denmark

Oysters

Relative new comer to Copenhagen’s restaurant scene is Kødbyens Fiskebar. Located in the meatpacking district, the restaurant is literally in the middle of a car park surrounded by the many sheds of the meat traders. And even more bizarrely it’s a Fish Bar. In keeping with the industrial feel of its surroundings the restaurant is basically a shed, polished concrete floor, white tiled walls and aluminium furnishings. Industrial cool with the clientèle to match.

So it’s all about really fresh seafood, the menu is divided into the raw bar and the hot kitchen. Plump and juicy oysters are a must, four varieties to choose from depending how adventurous you are.

Razor clam

It seemed a bit wrong to order razor clam from Scotland but I’m glad I did! Served on delicate maltbread crisps and with fennel, tarragon and dill it was super fresh and delicious.

Cod with parsley dust

Larger dishes from the hot menu are a choice of three fish varieties all served with carrots, potatoes and some fancy garnishing. The fuss free approach to the interior is definitely not applied to the presentation of the food. The dishes are all such beautifully presented that it does throw you off a little.

Wild dark chocolate

I had already read reviews which stated that dessert was a must, and we were not disappointed. A spectacularly rich chocolate ice cream with a raspberry granita and white chocolate raspberry panna cotta was sublime.

Mutsu Apples

Apples every-way was a stunning dessert, not just visually. A crisp apple sorbet, apple sherbet, apple pure, dried apple slices and raw apple. Add a bit of chocolate, goastmilk and white chocolate marshmallow meringue droplets and you have a very impressive dessert.

Kødbyens Fiskebar is doing something pretty unique in serving really amazing, well constructed food in a very unpretentious relaxed environment. And it really works. They also offer a great selection of wine and you can kick on with some punchy cocktails at the bar.

Kødbyens Fiskebar: Flæsketorvet 100, 1711 København, Denmark

I found a couple of very cute brunch spots in Copenhagen. Tucked away on a trendy side-street in Frederiksberg, Granola is a nostalgic 50′s diner. Freshly brewed coffee, old school milk shakes, ice-cream parlour, extensive breakfast offering and all day open sandwiches, it is a really cute spot.

Chicken and bacon sandwich

We were too late for the breakfast menu but the open sandwiches and salads were delicious and with a glass of freshly squeezed apple and ginger juice it was perfect.

Granola: Værnedamsvej 5  1819 Frederiksberg C, Denmark

Sweet Treat

Over on the hippy island of Christianshavn, Sweet Treat is a gorgeous little find. A little hipster in an effortless way it serves great coffee and a small selection of homemade treats.

Fishball sandwich

The freshly made smørrebrød (open sandwiches) are definitely worth a try, the fish-ball sandwich, with chopped cucumber and homemade remoulade on rye bread is seriously good.

Sweet Treat: Skt. Annæ Gade 3A   1416 København K

Copenhagen, you had me with your waterways, stunning design and ridiculously good looking people and now you have me wanting more with your dining options. I will be back, and maybe next time Noma will have me!