Monday 30 August 2010

Onion Pie recipe


This is a little improvised recipe from a Moomin Finnish Cook Book I received for my birthday present from Judith (thanks!).
As a Japanese, any recipe book without photos are strange.. but somehow feeling like in the Moomin world in the book, and experiencing Nordic simplicity before inspire me and I picked this super easy pie recipe.
It's like a quiche, great for side dish or snack or lunchbox.
I was lazy to use the shortcrust pastry today.. but you can make it using oats and grated carrots into the base for adding more flavour. 
I can see many variations of this recipe with bacon, peppers and tomatoes etc

Ingredients:
Pie/short crust pasty (frozen or chilled)
2 large or 3 medium onions
oil
100ml cream
1 beaten egg
salt and pepper
120g grated cheese (Cheddar or Emmental)
photo 1
photo 2

photo 3

1: roll the pasty and put on the oven-proof dish (photo 1)
2: bake this for 5-8 min in oven 200 degrees, then take out (leave the oven at 200c)
3: slice the onion in strips and fry until transparant soft (just before it gets brown!) (photo 2)
4: mix cream, egg and cheese and season with salt and pepper
5: put softened onion in 2
6: pour this into pre-baked pasty dish and oven cook for 15-20 min until golden on top (photo 3)









Saturday 28 August 2010

Family Tree shop *cute and ethical goods that make you smile*

Family Tree
53 Exmouth Market,
London,
EC1R 4QL  
0207-278 1084
http://www.familytreeshop.co.uk/

A Japanese/English couple Takako and Matthew started this shop over 6 years ago.
I used to go to college very near but the shop opened right after I graduated and despite that fact that I love the area, I hadn't been there at all until my friend introduced me to temporarily work there when they need help (couple now have a cute little baby). 
The shop is in Exmouth Market, off Farringdon or Kings Cross station, close to Angel also, and it has such a nice community feeling throughout the street with all catering putting up authentic Indian/Spanish/Italian/English dishes for lunch time, everyone saying hello to each other. It smells yummy this time :)
The shop sells interior, baby stuff from their signature Washi (Japanese craft-made paper) lamp shades, indie designers' handmade accessaries, porcelain, cushions to baby clothes, books, cards etc. It's one of these places your eyes shine and you smile as if you're suddenly on holiday in Paris or Tokyo within the shop.
Perfect to find some original gift for your special friends wedding, baby births, new homes, birthday as it's sometimes hard to be "original" when we see same things all over from Ikea, Paperchase, Habitat, Gap or Accessarize.
They change the goods all the time, so you better grab what you love from your visit quick!
For the stocked goods, they even do postal service for those who are too far/busy.

Friday 27 August 2010

Sundried Tomato in oven recipe


I absolutely love Sundried Tomato!
Yet, I find most of them "too dry" to my likeness.
My favourite one is from Sainsbury's Take The Difference range, Sun Blushed Tomatoes which is not as "dried" as Sundried, but half fresh. This range doesn't come cheap and the oil for this isn't olive oil, so I decided to make my own.
Every time I see ripened cherry/mini or normal tomatoes on reduction, I have a couples of packages and I always stock a good quality extra virgin Olive oil with me.
I have tried this recipe in one scorching hot day in June on my balcony, which took about a day and half sun light, but in this country, we are not lucky with strong sun to make this possible option..unfortunately, so stick to the oven option!

It's super easy.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes cut into slices or half if it's mini/cherry tomatoes
Italian herb mix (dried) 1 tbl spoon 
1 clove of garlic crushed or sliced
Plenty of olive oil (Extra virgin if you can) to cover
A jar
Pinch of sea salt
photo 1 (after 30 min)

1: Cut/slive the tomatoes onto a oven tray
2: sprinkle sea salt and oil over it
3: Leave in 80-100 degree oven middle shelf for 3-4 hours (photo 1) until dried as you like
4: Take out from the oven and cool down
5: Put in a jar with herbs and garlic, finally pour olive oil until the tomatoes are all covered
Done! (photo 2)
This should last a good month or so, great in salad, pasta, nibbles etc
photo 2 (after 3 1/2 hours) *bit over-done as I was out!

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Kara-age (Japanese Chicken Fritters) recipe

photo 3

This is one of the most popular nibbles for beer/sake dish, also for picnic.
You would stop going to KFC if you can make this at home.
You can add so many different things for different results, but here I will introduce pretty basic one with some personal touch :) (shiso this time)
Onion and Sake make the chicken so succulent and tender, it's almost a magic!
When grating onion, I have to wear a swimming goggle not to weep(!), but in this way, onion gives lots of juice which softens the chicken as well as seasoning.
Shiso is very Japanese herb we all love, but if you can't get it, chopped basil would do or seaweed powder or Nori pieces to wrap the chicken before frying would make very Japanese flavour. If you like it spicy, you can sprinkle some chili powder in the mix.

Ingredients: (serves 4 people)

Chicken Thighs (skinned) cut into bite size about 500-800g
Flour & Cornflour mix 5 tbl spoons each or enough to coat the chicken
little Salt and white pepper 
Soy sauce 4 tbl spoons
Sake (or vodka or white wine) 3 tbl spoons
small piece of ginger grated
one medium onion grated
1-2 garlic cloves crushed
3-5 Shiso leaves (basil would do)
one medium beaten egg (optional)
Sauces for dip (Ponzu or Mayonnaise or salt/pepper)
Photo 1





photo 2

1: Cut the chicken thigh into bite sizes and season with salt and pepper
2: Grate onion, ginger and garlic into the chicken in a bowl (photo 1)
3: Add all sauce (soy, sake and beaten egg) into the bowl to coat the chicken 
4: Cut Shiso leaves into small pieces and put in chicken mix
5: Leave to season in the fridge for at least an hour to overnight (photo 2)
6: In a small plastic bag, put flour and corn flour (this will be the coating for frying) *you can do in a bowl but plastic bag is easy not to make mess*
7: Put plenty of oil in a small pan or frying pan (plenty enough to cover the chicken when frying)
8: Dip the chicken pieces into this flour bag to coat the chicken thoroughly *only right before frying (otherwise it gets soggy)
9: Fry the chicken pieces into the pan until golden (about 3-5 min)
10: To take the excess oil from chicken, put chicken onto newspaper 
11: Serve! Eat while hot. (photo 3)

It's good with on its own as it has plenty flavour already, but I recommend some side dip sauces such as Ponzu (STRONGLY recommended!!!), Citrus salt, Mayonnaise, Yuzu pepper.

*Ponzu is Japanese sauce with citrus elements such as yuzu orange, you can make this by simply mixing 1 part soya sauce preferably Dashi Shoyu (dashi in soy sauce already), 1 part squeezed citrus juice, some Dashi powder (if not with Dashi Shoyu) melted into soy sauce by heating the sauce slightly (then cool down before serving)








The Hinds Head pub meal review (Bray, Berkshire)


The Hind's Head
High St, Bray, Berkshire
SL6 2AB
01628 626151
http://www.thehindsheadhotel.com



I was curious as everyone is about Heston's Fat Duck restaurant.
I think you still need to book in advance for over 6 months.. and the course menu is £150 per head with service charge, oh well.. when I'm rich sometimes..
My friend Haruka took me to Heston's pub The Hind's Head which is opposite Fat Duck in a small village Bray for a nice lunch one afternoon as my birthday present (how sweet!) few weeks back.
There is no singing puddings or bleeding deer meat or edible snow or stone etc here, it's rather quintessential British gastro pub menu.

I had 3 course set for £30, fish cakes for a starter, then moved onto Sausage and Mash, then I had legendary Quaking pudding (very old recipe that only available here) which is actually shaky and wobbles like what Heston did in his Medieval banquet on TV. 
Fish cakes were delicate and with good homemade tartar sauce, Sausage and Mash was, well, pretty normal to my taste but mash was gorgeous, I can tell they use only good potatoes and good butter and maybe some cheese? then Quaking pudding was something to "experience". Served warm and the introduction of its history was shown before on a nice piece of paper and lovely waitresses would tell you the history. It's like Panna Cotta with chai flavour (Cinnamon and Cardamon etc).
fish cakes
Quaking Pudding














I personally couldn't eat all of it, it was too milky and flavoury. (No photo on Sausage sorry, I was busy eating!)
The pub has very lovely atmosphere, very old wooden interior throughout with its own history (built in 15th century).

Bray village was so small with merely 2 pubs and a church, 1 hospital and 2 shops, we were expecting to leisuring around whole day in a country but we were done after an hour walk after the lunch.
To burn the lunch out, we walked back to the Maidenhead station (30min walk).
Thanks Haruka!

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★★☆
Price:★★★☆
Service:★★★★
Interior/Decor:★★★★
Menu:★★★★
Overall points:★★★★(3.8)

Burgh House Buttery Cafe review (Hampstead)

Burgh House/Hampstead Museum
New End Square
Hampstead
London NW3 1LT
House / Museum 020 7431 0144
The Buttery Cafe 020 7794 2905     
http://www.burghhouse.org.uk/visit/buttery.aspx


I visit this very "English village garden experience" cafe everytime I receive some guests at mine. I always wonder how Hampstead is slightly neglected by people who live in London..
It's 15min on tube and you can enjoy the English countryside, very cute one with the gift of Hampstead Heath being easy reach where you can wonder for ages, picnic, dog walking, even swimming in a pond.
This tea house is little hidden yet 4 min walk from high street/tube station on the way to the heath, in front of where John  Constable (19th century English painter) used to live. (Along with many novelists, painters, artists all preferred to live near the heath, e.g. George Orwell, Syd Barret, Keats, T.S. Eliot, A.A. Milne, Lucien Freud, Sigmund Freud, Lee Miller etc.. )
They cater proper lunch dishes, but I always settle on tea and scone, of course served with homemade jam and clotted cream. fruit scone with jam/cream £2.75, pot of tea £1.75 and I have it in the garden looking out for seasonable flowers there. At this moment, I already feel being in the countryside :) merely 20min walk from home..
If you need some fresh air of countryside and can't afford it? then visit Hampstead.

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★★★
Price:★★★★
Service:★★★☆
Interior/Decor:★★★★☆
Menu:★★★★
Overall points:★★★★ (4.2)



Tuesday 24 August 2010

Oliver's Fish and Chips review

Oliver's
95 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4RL
0207 586 9945
http://www.oliversfishandchips.com

This is my very local new celebrated place, good old fish'n'chips diner.
Very cute (bit too posh to be called a "chippy") decor and fresh fish made by people who cares about food.
I call this particular block of street a "dead spot" (except for ever so great Sir Richard Steel's pub next door-one of my favourite pubs-), because it's 10 min up from all the attraction of Camden and 20min to Hampstead, very residential otherwise, anyone passing by would be local people only. This used to be one of the only kebab houses in NW3 and it was bad business then, it was all empty all the time and it closed after less than a year. Posh people don't need to stuff their mouths with deep fried unknown objects after drinking? There are so many Sushi places than Chips or Chicken places in NW3.
Then there came Oliver's Fish & Chips.
I was excited to go and try from the day they were still furnishing the place as soon as I could manage to read with my tilted neck through half covered glass "Fish and Chips" sign.

As well as traditional Chippy menu of Cod, Haddock (£5.50), Mushy peas (£1), Curry sauce (£1), they even have Northern speciality Deep fried Mars bar (£1.50) !! and they have little cosmopolitan menu as Open Ciabbata Specials (Grilled fish, Salad, Chips and a piece of toasted Ciabbata £6.95-8.95) and Cod bites in corn etc.
I had the traditional Cod and regular chips with curry sauce today.
I can tell that Cod was fresh and very good quality, battered in thick golden crust and chips as it should be. I was probably served a fish which was fried 30~60 min ago, and this crucial time left some marks.. It wasn't as freshly fried crunchy as I expected and I needed to put a lot of Tartar sauce and vinegar. Curry sauce was pretty spicy, so I was surprised since my love of chip shop curry to be very stewy mild like Japanese curry. Mushy peas are good and sweet, but lacked salt, I guess this all means all are fresh and served without much seasoning to enjoy the wholesomeness of the food.
I can easily become obsessed with food, so I have to say my expectation was too high.
Yet, for the price, quality, service,decor, menu, it's totally a celebration of "Good Old Fish'n'Chips" with impressive effort and attention.
I will definitely go back and try the Ciabbata special next, I can see myself going back not too long from now already!


Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★★★
Price:★★★★
Service:★★★★
Interior/Decor:★★★★☆
Menu:★★★★☆
Overall points:★★★★(4.1)






Sunday 22 August 2010

Green Pesto recipe

I started growing some vegetables and herbs in my balcony this summer.
Thanks for the "proper" summer sun in this June/July, they all grew really well (then stopped growing or extremely slow since August..), so far I have Sweet Basil, Red and Yellow peppers, Cherry tomatoes, Japanese basil family Shiso (my favourite herb! which I'm determined to contribute some recipe/idea here soon), Chili and Mint.
Having seen a easy recipe on my friend's recipe book (Italian recipe by Harumi Kurihara), I stripped naked my basils and made my own green pesto.

To be honest, I made it without any precise recipe, but roughly to make a small amount (about 4 servings)
1-2 package of basil or medium whole basil plant 
8-12grams of pine nuts
5-8 table spoons of extra virgin oil
1 clove of garlic 
sprinkle of sea salt


grind all ingredients in a food processor or grinder until smooth.
Voila! that's it, all in 2 min.
You can add Parmesan cheese if you like, but I prefer vegan version simply it last longer and I can sprinkle it when I eat.
looks like this 





It's SO good that you will never have to/want to buy one from supermarkets.
I personally like to have it with some seafood in Fussili pasta.


Today's lunch :)
with Japanese soy-marinated scallops and mozzarella cheese
 Bon Appetit!


Saturday 21 August 2010

Ottolenghi review (Islington branch)

Ottolenghi
287 Upper Street, London N1 2TZ
0207-288-1454
http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/

Ottolenghi deserves all praises and compliments they ever received over the years from Guardian times to their little cafe/bistro branches.
I love the fact that it's not quite called a "restaurant" but more of a cafe feel where you can have a full dinner or a naughty cake and coffee anytime of the day.
I had their pear cake (baked in a square tin) and cafe latte (£8 with tip) while my friend Christina had their Beef with coriander mayo and Marinated Aubergine grill served with selection of breads and olive oil.
Their breads are out of this world especially the cornbread with chili. That was so good I spent some time searching the recipe and baking anything close to theirs became a bit of my recent obsession. Off course the olive oil quality is very very good.
The cake is just perfect.. wordlessly perfect. All the food as you can see when you choose over the counter instead of looking at any pictures on a menu or imagining are so loyal and even better than how it deliciously look.
Their branches are all located in well-desired posh areas and I just hope the quality of their food spread all over the country soon.

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★★★★
Price:★★★
Service:★★★★
Interior/Decor:★★★★
Menu:★★★☆
Overall points:★★★★ (4.2)

Necco Japanese canteen/Japas review

Ok, after all this time, I realized that I am very picky/fussy and very Foody person I can't stop talking about food topics both cooking and dining out.
So I decided to dedicate the topics here.
I will review the food I ate and I post photos and recipe on those I cook.
Welcome to the first blog!

Necco
(Japanese Cafe Bar)
52-54 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE
0207-713-8575
www.necco.co.uk

Necco is a new Japanese canteen/cafe/Japas in Exmouth Market.
I popped in as I was helping my friend's shop Family Tree opposite the bar and I can't ignore any new Japanese restaurant/Sushi bar.. Mind you, being Japanese especially from Osaka (the kitchen of Japan) I can be very critical about food.
The decor is all done in Pink! very pink indeed from menu to chairs to walls and signs etc.
Necco (neko) is "cat" in Japanese.
The staff are friendly, I'm impressed with the ideas on menu. Japas (small size dishes to nibble to accompany the drinks or when you're little hungry) and Japanese cakes (Matcha Green tea cakes) and Sake/Shochu wines and lunch boxes and Sushi selection.
I love the idea in general of a place where you can have just tea, coffee and cake, lunch, nibble or full dinner.
I had California roll sushi take away. Made to order. Very reasonable £2.50 for 6 pieces.
I also tried their lunch bento box you can pick one small dish, one main dish comes with portion of rice (white or brown) and pickles for £5. The main/side dish changes daily and they all cook on site, it's like having your mom behind the kitchen, very homey food we tend to cook.
Down side of for me is that, the quality of the food I had (Chicken Teriyaki, Curry, chilli spiced Aubergine) were all something I could cook at home maybe better.. Curry especially was very blunt and tasteless stew.
So my verdict is, good for lunches when you want choices of home cooking Japanese and tea/coffee with home made cakes, but not a praised restaurant quality. The shop decor is a bit too much mish-mush tastes all thrown together too which I didn't like well.

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★☆
Price:★★★
Service:★★★☆
Interior/Decor:★★
Menu:★★★
Overall points:★★★ (3)