Fringing and Food Part Two

Ok, so when I said no chain restaurants....I didn't really mean no restaurants OWNED by the same person...

After our very fried and very yummy meal at The Sea Dogs we just had to try The Dogs, the original restaurant created by David Ramsden three years ago.  Same quirky atmosphere, same mis-matched furniture and crockery, same great service and choices.  David opted for the steak with chips (they were huuuuuge and thrice fried) and I had a small (not really that small) portion of barley risotto with goats cheese and fresh green vegetables (peas, runner beans, courgettes) and a salad of chickpeas, fennel and apple.
 

Followed by white chocolate cheesecake with strawberry compote for David...and....the best dessert all trip

Whisky Jello with toasted oatmeal cream and raspberry sherbert. This was such a yummy yummy treat that I am going to try desperately to replicate it at home.

Just a little treat...how great are the bus seats in Edinburgh??

Fringing and Food Part One

We've been honeymooning (belated) up in Edingburgh for the last few days and loving every moment of it! Festival shows, the tattoo and....the FOOD! We ate so so so well I can't even begin to describe all the amazing food we devoured (but I'll try)!! 

We tried really hard to eat in bistros and avoided those chain restaurants that crowd the high streets here in Chelmsford...we needed something different and we were determined to find it up in Edinburgh.  It started at Sea Dogs a quirky seafood restaurant in New Town that I had read about in this month's edition of delicious magazine.  It was great! You can order smaller size dishes and mix and match, or opt for a proper main course:

David's deep fried hake with chips and mushy peas 

My choice of Tomato and fish chowder and cured sardines with red cabbage coleslaw...mmmmmmmm

Followed by Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cheesecake for moi and get this...DEEP FRIED CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ICE CREAM FOR DAVID!! 

The decor was totally awesome...mis-matched furniture and crockery , red melamine jugs of water and this funky wall... 

It wasn't until the next day that we realised that David's entire meal, minus the mushy peas had been fried! ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww but oh so yummy!! 

beetroot risotto...why haven't i thoguht of this??

So Dom over at Belleau Kitchen posted this FANTASTIC blog a couple of days ago and I couldn't wait to try it! Lucsious red beetroot stock and little cubes of beetroot combined with parmesean cheese and handfuls of chopped parsley and basil. Yum yum! I wasn't sure about using the beetroot stock to cook the rice in, I thought maybe...a little...too...earthy??  But, I was so wrong! It was sweet and mixed nicely with the stronger beetroot chunks and salty cheese...

yum yum yum!!!

I had to go into London today so...I took a little detour and

did your eagle eyes spot it?? 

that's right...Ottolenghi!!! 

roasted red peppers, green bean salad, beetroot with goats cheese and eggplant with tahini

followed by gluten free polenta and lemon cake!

soba noodles with aubergine and mango

The moment I cracked open Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty I knew that this was the recipe for me! Soba noodles, aubergine and mango! Yes please! I love soba noodles...but I usually love them when they are cooked by someone else and mixed with all sorts of other "yogi" foods that I wish I could afford to buy and serve all the time....you know acai berries, millet, quinoa, flax flakes, soba noodles...those things...anyway, this recipe was the excuse I was looking for!! (little secret...I bought the soba noodles about 2 months ago! they have been waiting for an aubergine to arrive in the veggie box...and this week...it did!!)

This fantastic recipe takes a bit of prep (but can be made a couple of hours ahead) and I think would make a great take along salad for a bbq or party!! I quickly pan fried from tofu to accompany and...perfecto!!

slightly overripe tarte aux nectarines

I thought that I got a great deal over the weekend at the market....6 nectarines for 1.50! I couldn't resist! I asked the fruit man to select the firmest nectarines possible...and he assured me that they were all firm...and they seemed firm...firm, firm, firm, FIRM.  Once home I put them out on a plate and left them to ripen...that was Saturday...by Monday morning one was totally moldy and the rest soft....soft, soft, soft, SOFT!!!  grrrrrrrrrrr

They were slightly too soft, in hindsight, for what I had planned for them, but...hey ho! you live and you learn right?

My mum makes this lovely creamy and totally addictive sour cream peach pie, which I really wanted to emulate. That wasn't really on the cards though (I don't have a pie plate, and well...I didn't have sour cream...hmmm) so I opted for a simple tart shell filled with sliced nectarines tossed in cornstarch and sugar. 

David had his with the hugest scoop of vanilla ice cream I have ever seen, I had creme fraiche instead...and then...we both had ANOTHER PIECE!