Road Tripping for Cake...Afternoon Tea in the Scottish Borders

Yesterday a handful of the Edinburgh Cake Ladies took to the road in search of cake.  2 cars of giddy ladies headed south into the Scottish Borders to Cammerlaws Farm where we were warmly welcomed by fellow cake lady Pam and her mum, Anne.  

photo courtesy of Alison

Pam and Anne have been thinking about opening up their farm house for Afternoon Tea and decided to road test it on some Cake Ladies...make sense.  

We were welcomed with a glass of prosecco and nibbles in the sitting room where we gabbed away until it was time for the main event.  In the dining room we were met with the most glorious site...cake stands piled high with dainty tea time treats PLUS 3 whole cakes on the side board! 

A selection of savouries including ham, cheese and celery, and cucumber sandwiches along with a cute little croissant filled with ham and camembert.  The scones were perfect, and the raspberry jam (award winning) and clotted cream were plentiful (very important).  I am ashamed to say I couldn't finish all my sweets, but the choux buns (filled with honeycomb cream), the shortbread and brownies were delicious, and I have it on good authority (David ate the leftovers I brought home) the meringues and rocky road were perfect.  

Before we tucked into the 3 large cakes on the side board we had a little walk around the farm (mainly to oooh and ahhhh over the newly born calves) to take in the countryside and make a bit of room for those cakes.  A Victoria Sponge, Maple and Pecan Tart and a lovely Clementine Cake were waiting for us when we returned from our walk.  More tea, more chat and more cake...how perfect. 

The day ran so smoothly you would have thought that Pam and Anne had been hosting tea parties on a regular basis.  Afternoon Tea at Cammerlaws Farm gets two sticky thumbs-up from me.  

For more information check out the Cammerlaws Farm Facebook page.  

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Middle Eastern Supper Club @insideoutchef

I'm beginning to wonder what I did before I met the Cake Ladies.  Recently it has seemed like every week I am off at some event with one or more of them.  Last night was no exception....as a group of us descended on Insideout Chef's Supper Club.

Watermelon and Dukkah

We were greeted by Wendy and her husband, Ian, and offered a refreshing watermelon drink and canapes of pesto palmiers and chunks of watermelon served with a Dukkah dip (toasted and finely chopped nuts and spices).  The watermelon with dukkah was amazing, I had never tasted anything like it.  

We sat down to an amazing mezze platter of dips, salads, stuffed vine leaves and lamb meatballs.  In all honestly I could have just grazed away on the mezze all night (there was loads of it) and had to keep reminding myself that there were more courses to follow (not that that stopped me from overloading on hummus and labna). 

Mezze Platter

After the mezze there was a soup course of chickpea and lentil soup, which was very warming, and then we were served the main course of chicken tagine, couscous and a salad.  After a short break the pudding arrived...sticky orange cake with an awesome pistachio topping, served with an orange and date salad.  

The evening was lovely, the food...the company...the setting...everything.  

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Dining Out...In: An Evening at Charlie and Evelyn's Table

This weekend saw the return of Charlie and Evelyn's Table to the Edinburgh Supper Club Scene and I was lucky enough to snag a spot.  Run by the talented, and lovely, Chris and Rachel Rowley, this supper club is proud to be Edinburgh's first (they started welcoming guests in Jan 2010) and after a move, renovation and the arrival of a baby they are back in the kitchen with a summer's worth of menus.  

It seems like ages ago that I *finally* took the leap into the supper club scene, and since then I have been eager awaiting the return of Charlie and Evelyn's Table...and so, bevvies in hand fellow Cake Lady Michelle and I wandered over...not knowing what to expect.  We had both read (and heard) rave reviews from friends who had been before, so we knew that everything was going to be lovely...but there was still those flutters of anxiety and excitement.  Putting yourself, and your entire dining experience, into the hands of a chef and waiting staff is one thing...sitting down to a table of 12 strangers...is another. 

We were warmly welcomed and made to feel at home and began talking to those who had already arrived.  Promptly the remaining diners joined us and we were officially welcomed by Rachel.  There was a really nice mix of people, some who had been before, some who had read about it months ago in Sainsbury's Magazine, and others (like us) who knew people who had been before (and raved).  Chris came through to talk about the menu and then produced hot from the oven stilton gougeres and wonton soup spoons filled with seared tuna with a wasabi dressing.  We chatted and soon were invited into the dining room. 

When Charlie and Evelyn's Table started diners actually ate around a table that belonged to Chris' grandparents...Charlie and Evelyn.  That table is now Chris and Rachel's family dining table, it sits in their new kitchen and is part of a different side of their life.  Now guests sit around a considerably larger table...with Charlie and Evelyn watching from the mantle piece. 

Our menu was designed around the main course, Individual Beef Wellingtons, which were the special request of some return diners.  As an amuse bouche we enjoyed a tuscan tomato and bread soup, followed by a starter of salmon rillettes with toast, and then onto the main course of beef wellies.  Everything was lovely, and the attention to detail was perfect.  I enjoyed every bit of my meal, but...of course...it was the dessert that got the gold star from me. 

Lemon and Rosemary Tarts with creme fraiche.  This tart was the perfect end to the meal.  The pastry was wonderful and the lemon curd didn't score too high on the pucker scale.  The thing that won me over was the rosemary.  It makes sense when you think about it, lemon and rosemary go well together...with roast chicken and potatoes...but they also work surprisingly well in a savoury dish.

Another wonderful night out...in! A return visit is definitely on the cards. 

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two words...PUDDING CLUB

Do I have your attention?

A few months ago I received a text from a cakey friend in the know alerting me to Edinburgh's next hot supper club...devoted entirely to puddings...3 courses of puddings to be exact.  I didn't even have to think twice about snapping up a spot at the table.  

The big pudding event finally rolled around last night and I couldn't have been more excited.  Unsurprisingly, most of the guests were fellow cake ladies...as if we could stay away from an evening devoted to worshipping sweet delights...so you can imagine how much the room was buzzing with sugary  appreciation.

Hosted by the lovely Wendy, who runs the bespoke catering company Inside Out Chef, we dined on an incredible array of puddings.  Just like a supper club we were welcomed into Wendy's home, unlike a supper club there was not a savoury to be seen!

When Wendy emailed a couple of weeks ago to give us her address and reveal the official menu for the evening she kindly noted that starters would be served at 7:20...helpful to encourage people not to be late, but for those of us who were eager and notably early it was like torture having to wait.  If I am honest I was pretty much ready to go from the moment I woke up. Fortunately everyone was very prompt and after a glass of perfectly sweet pink lemonade we took our seats for the main event.

We started with a trio of shooters of pomegranate and sparkling wine jelly, chocolate mousse and a strawberry topped buttermilk panna cotta.  The portions were seriously generous and while they were all super tasty the buttermilk panna cotta was my favourite of the three.  It was creamy and smooth and the buttermilk lent it a slightly zingy taste...perfect.

The main course consisted of three substantial puddings. First we were presented with individual portions of Sticky Toffee Pudding served with jugs of custard.

Followed by a giant pavlova topped with strawberries, kiwi and passionfruit.  There was one PER TABLE to share out family style.  I know...share.  Obviously the diners who signed up to pudding club love their desserts as much as I do but it is safe to say that our table of 5 was dominated by a number of greedy-guts (moi included).  We didn't have any problem polishing off this huge pavlova (in fact some of us were spotted having a further helping at the end of the night).

The main course was rounded off with a selection of cheesecakes...baked rum and raisin and a no bake blackberry cheesecake.  Both equally as creamy and equally as moorish.

You wouldn't think that there was much space left after 7 portions of pudding...but there was.

A trio of ice creams to round off the meal.  Coconut and Ginger, Keylime Pie, and Red Ripple served with a light little shortbread.  I'll admit to being almost defeated by the time the ice creams rolled around, but managed to try them all.  I loved the ginger one, hands down.

A really lovely evening with great food and excellent company.

As well hosting pudding and supper clubs Wendy can cater afternoon teas and meals in your home and has recently launched her bespoke freezer fills, check out her website for more details (and details of future pudding clubs!).

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My first proper Supper Club experience

March has been one of those months where everything seems to happen at once.  It is almost like my social life went into hibernation over the winter and decided it was time to wake up now that the days are getting longer.  

Last night I attended my first proper supper club.  Supper clubs are as hot as pop-ups right now and judging by the popularity and flurry of frantic emails it takes to get tickets these new dining experiences are here to stay.  

I've been a bit nervous about going to a supper club.  I love the idea of really awesome and well thought out menus served up in someone's home...it's the not knowing people bit that's freaked me out a bit.  I mean you go to a restaurant not knowing anyone but your dining companion, and other than the staring at fellow diners' plates you don't need to/aren't expected to interact.  But at a Supper Club it is like being invited along to the friend of a friend of a friend's house for a dinner party.  Interaction is part and parcel of the whole experience.  Luckily, last night I was in good company...those infamous Edinburgh Cake Ladies.  

I joined 18 other ladies at Kitchen Porter last night, run by Mark and Mary Porter, in a secret location in Edinburgh.  I was in good company, I was in good spirits and I was ready to eat!

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup 

Red Mullet on Fennel Puree 

Duo of Scottish Border Lam with mash

And for dessert Mark served up a deconstructed carrot cake.  I don't have a picture of it.  I was too busy eating it...and the half my neighbour couldn't finish...and the other small piece brought out as extras...2.5 pieces and didn't manage of picture.  Just before Mark served up dessert I wandered through into the kitchen to get my dessert beer...a Chocolate Porter...where Mark confessed that he was nervous serving up cake to Cake Ladies...but he needn't have worried.  It was spicy and moist and the carrot sorbet and candied carrots were wonderful.  

A great first supper club in my books! 

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