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Archives for October 2018

Borough Market Cookbook Club – Celebrating the actual Cookbook !

October 20, 2018 by admin

Borough Market Cookbook Club (BMCC) – It’s too much of a mouthful !

A lot of people have asked me about BMCC, so rather than constantly repeating myself I thought I should write a quick overview of the most recent event to demonstrate how it all works.

BMCC was set up a little over 2 years ago,  and is a club free to join, and for “anyone who loves good food, good cookery books and good company “ as quoted in their website. It is organised and run by Food Writer Angela Clutton who is also food historian on BBCs RIP Off Britain, and Co- Chair of The Guild Of Food Writers. She is also the most lovely and charming person, and it is one of my great pleasures that I have gotten to know her via the BMCC.

Angela starts dishing up at the BMCC

I believe the membership is currently running at something like 500-600 foodies, and when you imagine each event can only accommodate a maximum of 16 persons, it is somewhat difficult to get a place. Attendance is ran on a balloting system to give every one a fair chance of participating at an event. Events take place – well until the end of this year anyway – twice per month. Basically a Cookbook is selected and if you are lucky enough to be one of the attendees, you are invited to choose a recipe , e mail Angela and – provided your chosen recipe has not already been taken – you prepare the food at home and bring it along to be tried and tasted by your fellow Cookbook members. It is not a competition in anyway, and this is very important. Nobody is out to judge you or your food. Rather it is a relaxed social environment where, even if your food does not turn out as you had planned, we can all laugh at it or at ourselves.

You are asked to present your meal and talk a little about your experience in preparation, how user friendly the recipe was, and generally your thoughts about the book in its entirety. Recently the format has changed so that 2 events are planned around one Cookbook, so even more recipes can be tried and tested. The two events are held within a week of each other and some recipes are duplicated on the second event, and – as Angela has told me- the results are often quite different in styling or appearance, and some people’s views of the same recipe can vary wildly to another’s.

The Event actually takes place in Borough Markets kitchen above their Admin office. It usually lasts two and a half hours, and taking into consideration you are tasting 16 meals plus whatever Angela prepares herself ( usually another 3 or 4 dishes) you leave suitably full and sated! Borough Wines also provide a few bottles of free wine to help lubricate the tongues, and it is a great chance to make new friends. I have been lucky enough to be involved in half a dozen of the events now, and at some you are meeting foodies who you have met at previous events. At the same time there will always be newbies who have recently joined the club, or never been lucky enough to attend previously. They run a waiting list too ( as people’s plans do sometimes change) and it is worth participating in this as I have attended before via the wait list. The only issue then is that you are attending at short notice, and you have to act quickly to determine a recipe and to organise ingredients etc – especially if you want to do a practice run before the event itself. Personally I always like to try the recipe once before presenting at the Club – at least to try to avert a disaster ! BMCC also recognises SE1 residents and this is a card you can play, as have I, ( only once a year ) to ensure a place at the table.

I have challenged myself at a few of these events to come up with something I would not have tried before. Angela cites one of her favourite e mails ever as my one to her starting off “ I am just about to order my Pigs blood powder”. I was planning to have a go at homemade Black Pudding from Shaun Hills Cookbook SALT, and had established that as Joe Public you cannot get your hands on fresh Pigs blood, and I wanted to ensure that my Reconstituted version would go down well at the club. Angela, as usual, encouraged me to proceed and leave my comfort zone big time !

This weeks event was even more special, and Angela was very excited about it, as we were to make dishes from the newly released Borough Market Cookbook. So for the first time ever the BMCC was to experience food from its own Cookbook, that Angela had a hand in, but – as she was very clear to point out – only a small band in, the lions share of the writing and recipes all put together by Ed Smith, an award winning food writer. Ed has his own food blog Rocketandsquash.com and released his debut Cookbook in 2017 On the Side: a sourcebook of inspiring side dishes. The Borough Market Cookbook is beautifully presented and laid out, and runs through the seasons providing you with recipes and ideas celebrating the most fantastic seasonal produce. There are also fab articles about the Market with focus on different traders and other historical events that still take place in the present day – like this Sundays annual Apple Day !

Anyway back to this weeks event. I had chosen to bake Muffins. I had never prepared something sweet in my previous outings at the event, and I do not usually bake or prepare many desserts at home. So in the spirit of getting outside that old comfort zone again I went with Ed’s unusual recipe for Persimmon, Walnut and Nutmeg Jam Muffins. This recipe falls under the Autumn Section of the book and states that Persimmon is usually found from mid September onwards and all throughout Winter at the Market. Do you think the market had them ? Nein. Not one trader ! One explained it was due to the long hot summer. Another offered me Kaki fruit , a variety of Persimmon which are very astringent and inedible until very ripe. These were a long way off ripe – hard as bricks and yellow rather than orange and I only had 48 hours before cooking my muffins ! In desperation I went West – visited Harrods food store. None. Then Selfridges who, as luck would have it , had received a few trays of some very ripe( maybe over ripe)  fruits 10 minutes before I walked in. So I had my fruits, and I was able to present in accordance with the recipe.

This particular occasion there were 15 Ladies and my good self. I am used to being outnumbered on such events but usually I have one or two male supporters, but not this time. No complaints however from my side ! The Ladies produced some wonderful food and the dishes were so varied. It’s a wonderful way to sample dishes you have seen in the book and are considering cooking as you can try other people’s efforts first.

Amongst the dishes were :

An Autumn Panzanella – A lovely salad using Carola Nero and Ciabatta as compared to the usual summery Tomato version

Swede and Stilton pie – which had been chosen to overcome the latent dislike of Swede by its creator ! Anything with Stilton is fine by me !

 

 

One Pot Golden Chicken and Judion Beans – Basically bigger than butter beans from Brindisa.

 

 

 

Cod ,Smoked Haddock and Romanesco bake – one of Angela’s contributions.

Heritage Tomato,Olive Tapenade and Belper Knolle Tart. The chef had prepared this 3 times in the past 48 hours, one to practice, one she burnt, and then one to bring along to the event !

 

 

 

Winter Squash Red Curry – which contained 6-10 dried Thai Red Chillis (7g), and blew your head off but I loved it. Seriously recommend reducing Chilli content dramatically if you are not into spicy food  !

Chorizo and Piquillo Pepper Tray Bake – a version of the Chorizo/ Rocket/Pepper Sandwich that Brindisa serves as a great take away.

Sage and a Honey Baked Figs with Ginger Butter Biscuits – lovely combination of Sage and a Fig which I had not experienced before

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roast Plum Pavlova – I am not ordinarily a Sweet Fan, but this was maybe my dish of the night as the Plums had been macerated and Baked with Tarragon which worked spectacularly well !

There were other dishes but I did not photograph all – a great Venison and black bean Chilli will be one to try at home.

Anyway it was a fabulous evening with some wonderful food and next week the Borough Market Cookbook will be celebrated again on the second event before other books are tried out during November and December.

Angela as ever is supported by a great team in the kitchen who ensure the evening runs smoothly and also enables everyone to go home with the Utensils, Baking sheets, pots etc that they arrived with,  and with a box of surplus food to also take home. There was a lot to get through, as always, so doggy bags are appreciated. I am so happy I got involved with the BMCC, but don’t want to shout it too loudly as it will be even more difficult to secure a place at future events !

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: LATEST NEWS

Gunpowder -Indian Smash and Go !

October 14, 2018 by admin

You can even sit outside if you can cope with the wild tunnel effect !

Gunpowder – Indian Smash and Go!

People who know me – and luckily for the Worlds Gene Pool there are not many that suffer this terror – appreciate that I am a bit of a thespian. Not that I have dared to tread the boards myself but that I am a keen, enthusiastic supporter of the Theatrical arts in terms of attending shows on a regular basis. Indeed I maintain a record of every show I go to ( or have for the past 5 years anyway) and I average between 45-50 shows a year, which even I can understand puts me in some kind of Victorian Hall of entertainment almost once a week, every week all year round. That must qualify me for being a Theatre critic – No ? Note to self – Must look up the opportunities there !

Anyway, when walking towards London Bridge Station Saturday afternoon I noticed a Gentleman walking towards me looking a lot like the British treasure and Academy awarded Actor Mr.James Broadbent. In the knowledge I was attending a Theatrical extravaganza that very evening at The London Bridge Theatre starring same Mr.Broadbent then his appearance so close by should not come as a huge surprise, but anyway, to walk by him some hours before seeing him on stage was a pleasant coincidence. Coincidence or fate ?

Walking into Gunpowder Restaurant at 6.15 a few hours later for a pre – Theatre Dinner,  who should be sitting alone at a table to the side of us – none other than the same MrBroadbent, with obviously the same idea as us – filling up with spices before the show ! I would not dare to disturb this acting Icon during his intake of Gunpowder’s finest Indian cuisine, but as he finished up and was undoubtedly about to take the long walk to his dressing room  – I would guess about 25 metres – to appear within the hour as Hans Christian Anderson, I felt I had to say something. Words were exchanged, very pleasant ones in fact, and he ended up by saying that this evening was only the second show, they had changed things from the first evening, and that he hoped we would be forgiving ! What a charming and modest man, and his demeanour warmed me to him even more ! Now I have got this little star struck episode out of the way I can concentrate on the job at hand – that of reviewing Gunpowder – the restaurant that shall always be known, henceforward, as the one where I had dinner with the famous Mr.James Broadbent !

Gunpowder started its life as a no booking tiny restaurant just off Spitalfields market, and whilst the non booking policy had delayed my attendance there,  I had visited, and had been mightily impressed. Further establishments owned by the same people behind it – Madame D’s and Gil and Sepoy also opened within a 100 metre radius of the original restaurant, specialising in specific regional foods. I had not managed to visit these when I read that they had already closed, but more or less at the same time it was announced that Gunpowder would be opening a second site at the One Tower Bridge complex – a stone throws away from my residence – marvellous !

It is along the same windy corridor that houses The Ivy, By Chloe and Tom Simmons, and enters a complex that surrounds the aforementioned Bridge Theatre that is now becoming a bit of a gastronomic destination, with Rosas Thai, the wonderful Coalshed, and Prosecco House already in operation, and others to open in the near future. Being part of the new complex it shares the same glass fronted non descript box as others, is over two floors and has tables millimetres apart  – Almost resembling a modern style greasy Joes cafe. When I say this there is of course lots of polished wood and comfy looking booths at the back, but I know a few Greasy Joes designed in the same way – hence it resembles a sleeker updated model of the same. It certainly gives the impression it is ready for a quick turnaround of diners, and serves like one too. Nothing against that if all you are looking for is a rapid intake of spices, but I am going for – not a place to linger over a long leisurely Dinner.

A quick dinner was certainly all that was required for this first visit as we had pencilled in an hour 15 minutes before taking our seats around the corner for our evenings entertainment. We need not have worried timewise. We were seated, given menus, provided with the requested tap water and the requested bottle Dunk IPA (£5) for me, and we were ordering within minutes.

What’s needed to combat the Spices !

After being asked if it was our first visit, and establishing that we had been to the original Spitalfields site, we were advised it was more or less the same concept and food – sharing plates – Ta -Dah ! How very original. Excuse the irony – but the sharing plates did look good ! So first off we ordered the Vermicelli Venison Spiced doughnut (£5) and Chicken Lollipops Madras Style (£6).

A Hedgehog or a Testicle you decide !

The doughnut arrived looking like a huge golden hairy testicle with a little side dish of fiery sauce. Cutting it open it did look and taste rather spectacular and whilst I was enjoying the spicy sauce Mrs.W thought it was a little over powering. However she has less of a constitution for spicy food, so whilst I was busy enjoying this she went for the chicken lollipops, which were three little chunks of the bird sitting on the end of a bone smothered in a more modestly spiced madras sauce.

Lollipops – Chicken Style

The chicken skin was glutinous and fatty and complimented the sauce beautifully and actually represented quite a generous portion for the price. Next up came the half portion of the Sigree grilled Mustard Broccoli (£6.50) which was definitely Mrs.W’s cup of tea. It came with a huge knife standing proudly piercing the centre of the Vegetable.

Stabbed Broccoli

Not a huge fan of this fibrous Veg, but must admit it was very well prepared, not over cooked, nice crunch and for me the mustard sauce did its job – masking the taste of the Broccoli! However it was also over spiced according to Mrs.W and she was already getting a little concerned.

Karwari Soft Shell Crab (£9) followed, and it’s appearance was almost as though it had been frozen in time – it was looking so intact and crab like I was sure it was still alive and would run off the plate, balancing the lime wedge on its back, as it scuttled under the table. However as I pulled a claw there was no movement and I realised it had been prepared just perfectly. Velvety White crab meat inside , a little spice in the sauce on top and a squeeze of lime to counter this.

It’s running away !

One of the famous dishes in the original restaurant is the Maa’s Kashmiri Lamb Chops and these are also on offer here. You must order a minimum of 2 (£7.50 each) but they are amazing. They arrive as two little babies huddled together, Glistening pink inside, charred in all the right places and accompanied by a vibrant Coriander sauce.

My beautiful 2 little babies !

These ended up both on my plate as Mrs.W does not eat lamb ( oh, I forgot !) and were enjoyed to the full, however even I was getting concerned about the amount of food already eaten when the last dish arrived. A huge plate of Aunty Sulu’s Wild Rabbit Pulao which was priced at £15 – more of a main course as described to us – and indeed it was a healthy looking portion of food despite me not knowing who Aunty Sulu is – but I am sure she cooks well ! Chunks of rabbit, some on the bone, some off, so you need to be careful, fried onions, spicy rice and little jewels of berries – unsure what they were ( Barberrys ?) but they gave a welcome juicy fruitiness to the intensely aromatic dish. My first mouthful just screamed and exploded cardamom to me, and then cinnamon, and then spicy hotness. Again too much for Mrs.W, and enough to prompt me to order Dank IPA Number 2.  I was thoroughly enjoying the mouthfeel the spice was providing and also grateful Rabbit was being used in Indian cooking, but with no assistance from Mrs.W the dish was to defeat me in terms of quantity. We had seen others taking out food if they were similarly defeated, and whilst the Manager advised us he could not take any responsibility for allowing us to take out the food (especially rice, which is understandable) the beauty of living a 2 minute walk away is that we could deliver our “Doggy bag” home before attending the show

Can anyone introduce me to Aunty Sulu ?

Unfortunately this review cannot be regarded as comprehensive as no dessert was sampled, or indeed no wine this time around. However from the relatively small menu a least half the dishes were tried and I enjoyed them all. Quickly served, quality ingredients and a great thump of spice in every dish – other then the lamb which was more delicately prepared. On the other hand the level of spice was too much fur Mrs.W, so it is down to personal taste. However Gunpowder sits in the middle of Indian Fine Dining establishments such as Indian Accent/ Gymkhana and the traditional  good local Indian. It has a place, a niche, and represents excellent preparation and cooking with twists on old Indian traditional food, and new dishes which do not disappoint. They serve you quickly and then you are ready to move on. In our case moving on to see Mr.Broadbent on stage. I hope he enjoyed his visit there to as he will be appearing at The Bridge for 12 weeks, and therefore could become more than familiar with the menu.

What did we think of the show ? Well, it’s in preview so I don’t want to give the game away. It is written by Martin McDonagh who wrote The Lieutenant of Inishmore that finished its West End run recently, and was the Writer,Producer and Director of Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri amongst others.  I will say however it represents intriguing new writing, is a macabre fantasy studded with black humour that manages to point a humorous finger at England, Belgium and even Trump, hysterical in places, mind boggling in others, and has such an unbelievable pretext which the writer anticipates or expects you indulge him in, and if you do not you may struggle with the whole concept of the play. There, I think I have said enough without giving you a clue what it is all about !

Gunpowder Rating  – Very Hot Pan 4/5

Service 5/5 

Gunpowder, 4 Duchess Walk, London, SE1 2SD

Gunpowderlondon.com

The Bridge Theatre – A very,very,very Dark Matter Rating – Also 4/5 ! 

 

 

 

 

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