Author: jamesclay

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No more wifi

An interesting article from LA about how some coffee shops are not just getting rid of free wifi, they are getting rid of wifi full stop!

Coffee shops were the retail pioneers of Wi-Fi, flipping the switch to lure customers. But now some owners are pulling the plug. They’re finding that Wi-Fi freeloaders who camp out all day nursing a single cup of coffee are a drain on the bottom line. Others want to preserve a friendly vibe and keep their establishments from turning into “Matrix”-like zombie shacks where people type and don’t talk.

I do like to go to coffee shops and have been known to use the wifi. I agree though that sometimes you go into some coffee shops and everyone is huddled behind their laptops using Facebook or similar. Coffee is about the conversation.

Photo source.

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Wild Rocket

Found this at my local Tesco.

It’s a packet of unwashed wild rocket.

Certainly felt a lot fresher than the stuff in bags (and I hope a lot less chemicals too).

Of course the obvious thing to do is not buy the stuff, but grow my own rocket.

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Merguez aux Lentilles de Puy

Though I always have reservations about Café Rouge there is one item on the menu that I do like that always tempts me to try the place again, and that is Merguez aux Lentilles de Puy or grilled spicy Merguez sausage on a bed of puy lentils in a ceramy sauce and topped with a rocket salad.

They do a very good merguez sausage and it is always very well done, well cooked and nice and spicy.  The lentils were quite good too.

However the dish was let down by something as simple as rocket leaves. They were not fresh, old and somewhat manky! A disappointment using not just old rocket leaves, but ones that looked as if they were verging on going off.

Once more Café Rouge disappoints, I need to learn from this.

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Jamie Oliver, I do like your Pesto

Last week I mentioned how disappointed I was with Jamie Oliver’s Italian Sausages. Well this time I was trying out his pesto.

To be honest I was a lot more impressed.

Unlike other pesto I have used, this had a lovely smooth flavour, you could taste the basil, you could taste (and feel) the pine nuts, the parmesan was not overpowering as it sometimes can be in pesto and the olive oil was subtle without the harshness of cheap oil you find in some cheap pesto.

It worked well with the linguine I had.

I will be buying it again.

Jamie Oliver, I do like your Pesto!

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Roasted Pork Belly

The traditional way of cooking pork belly is to slow roast it in the oven for a couple of hours.

I placed the belly pork on the root vegetables and seasoned it. I then placed this in the really hot oven, turning the temperature right down to 160. I then left the pork to roast for about two hours. This may not seem long, but it wasn’t a huge piece of pork like a leg joint.

Sometimes though you don’t have the time…

Another method I use is to score the skin on the belly and then cut the pork belly into one inch cubes (3cm). Place the cubes of pork on a roasting tray, and cook for about 30-40 minutes in a hot oven. Ensure that the pork belly is really dry before putting it in the oven. I seasoned mine with black pepper. You don’t need to add salt, but it does help to remove some of the moisture.

The end result is tender pieces of tasty pork with a crispy crackling.

I served mine with salad and crusty bread.

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Caffe Nero

Had a nice coffee at Caffe Nero, an espresso.

Out of the many chains you can buy coffee from, I do quite like Caffe Nero.

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Fusilli Pasta

I do eat a lot of pasta, and this is one of my regular recipes.

It is a simple recipe that is quick and easy.

In a pan cook off some diced onions, pepper and pancetta.

Cook the fusilli pasta in lots of boiling water. The key for me for cooking pasta is lots of water. I don’t use salt and I most certainly don’t add any oil to the water.

Once the pasta is cooked, add the cooked onions, pepper and pancetta. Also add creme frache and grated parmesan. Season with black pepper and serve.

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Red Pepper, Basil and Tomato Salad

A nice accompaniment to grilled meats is a salad. This recipe is one of my regular salads and is very simple to make. It consists of lettuce, halved cherry or small tomatoes and thinly sliced pointed red pepper. This time I also added some basil leaves.

I dress the salad with olive oil, white wine vinegar and ground black pepper.

Simple, refreshing with a hint of heat from the pepper (red and black).

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Hedgerow

The foraging season is approaching, even today I saw ripe blackberries.

A great book to help you is now available, Hedgerow (River Cottage Handbook).

Hedgerows, moors, meadows and woods – these hold a veritable feast for the forager. In this hugely informative and witty handbook, John Wright reveals how to spot the free and delicious ingredients to be found in the British countryside, and then how to prepare and cook them. First John touches on the basics for the hedgerow forager, with an introduction to conservation, safety, the law, and all the equipment that you may need. Next he guides us through the tasty edible species to be found. Each one is accompanied by photographs for identification, along with their conservation status, habitat, distribution, season, taste, texture and cooking methods – not forgetting, of course, some fascinating asides and diversions about their taxonomy and history. Over 40 species are covered, including bilberries, blackberries, cloudberries, common mallow, dandelions, hedge garlic, horseradish, pignuts, nettles, sloes, sweet chestnuts, water mint and wild cherries. Then John describes the poisonous species to steer clear of, including warnings about any nasty ‘lookalikes’, along with their identifying photographs. Finally, there are 30 tempting recipes. Introduced by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, “Hedgerow” is an indispensable household reference, and an essential book to have by your side for every trip into the countryside.

Buy Hedgerow (River Cottage Handbook) now from Amazon.

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Basil & pine nut margherite

If you are looking for an interesting pasta starter than the basil & pine nut margherite fresh pasta from Sainsbury’s Taste the difference range could be a good choice.

The egg and spinach flower shaped filled pasta is stuffed with a basil and pine nut filling (a bit like pesto).

Cooking in just a few minutes I served mine with a quick sauce made from creme frache and parmesan cheese, then adding some freshly ground black pepper.