Time for a coffee

September 10, 2010

Not quite like the photographs…

Enjoyed reading this blog article about the differences between the fast food you see in the advertising and the fast food you actually get.

People around the world know fast food as one of the most reliable distributors of disappointment ever produced by the business world. We know that if we ever feel the need to complain about something, we can just grab a page out of a coupon booklet, adorned in pictures of juicy burgers, then go have a party. Why, the restaurants themselves usually plaster their walls with pictures of juicy burgers – often hanging right over your table – so that you need only open your eyes to find something to compare your food with, while you eat it. Needless to say, the results of my little project were unsurprising… which shouldn’t be a surprise.

My favourite part is that the food in many of the advertising pictures wouldn’t actually fit in the boxes that they are supplied in!

September 9, 2010

Calamari and Calzone

Went to Bottelino’s again.

For starters I had the calamari again.

I do like calamari, this was okay, certainly not the best I have ever had, but also not the worse. Would be nice if they were a little more authentic. Next time I go I must have something different, though looking at another table I don’t think I will go for the mushrooms. Quite liked the look of the anti pasta.

They do a lunchtime special at my local branch where any pizza or pasta is just £4.95, so I decided to try the calzone.

It comprises a pizza base folded and stuffed in this instance with bolognaise sauce and mozzarella cheese.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as other pizzas I have had at Bottelino’s, it was a little too rich for me.

Overall not the best experience I have had, but didn’t put me off going again.

Bottelino’s is an independent chain of Italian restaurants in Bristol and North Somerset.

September 8, 2010

Borlotti Beans

Sometimes speed and ease is what is needed in the kitchen. I do use tinned pulses and beans a fair bit in my cooking. Though I know I can buy dried, soak and cook them myself, I do find that using tinned is quick and easy. It also allows for last minute changes to recipes or what I am going to cook for dinner.

One problem I do have is that sometimes a regular sized tin of pulses or beans is too big. So I was pleased to find these small tins at my local Waitrose of Borlotti Beans.

I have used these for salads and for cooking, as with my recent pork and borlotti beans recipe.

What is also nice about these is that the beans are not in brine, so less salty.

September 7, 2010

Griddled Pork Medallions

The griddle is a nice way of cooking medallions of pork.

It chargrills the surface, adding flavour, whilst keeping the meat moist and tender.

Very nice.

September 6, 2010

Deep Fried Combo

Sometimes I wish pubs that serve food had a little more imagination.

Look at this combo starter for sharing.

Most of the stuff on that platter is deep fried!

I guess that is what most people want from a combo starter, personally I would have liked them to use fresh ingredients rather than processed stuff out of the freezer that is then thrown into the deep fat fryer. I know there’s some salad and at the far end is some chicken and garlic bread, but why not take a leaf out of the Spanish tapas cookbook or a Greek meze cookbook and be more creative.

September 5, 2010

Griddled Chicken

I took some chicken breast and between two sheets of cling film and flattened it with a rolling pin.

I then brushed the chicken with olive oil and seasoning.

This was then placed onto a hot griddle and cooked for a few minutes on each side.

Delicious.

September 4, 2010

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew

Now I don’t drink instant coffee if I can help it. If no real coffee is available I will drink tea. I have “accidently” drunk instant coffee now and again, well I have taken a sip and then put it down!

Though I did see these Starbucks VIA Ready Brew not only in my local Starbucks but also in my local supermarket.

I decided that I would give them a go. As well as instant coffee the sachets also include microground coffee, which I hoped would make it better than instant coffee.

Made a cup…

Okay, even though it is better that most instant coffees, it still tasted like instant coffee. It’s okay and would do at a pinch. I can see taking some when staying at hotels in order to have coffee in my room. In the meantime I will continue drinking real coffee!

September 3, 2010

Italian sausage and red wine tortelloni

Tried the Italian sausage and red wine tortelloni from Morrisons.

After cooking it in a pan of boiling water for about two minutes I drained the pasta and added a couple of spoonfuls of creme fraché. I served the pasta with some freshly grated parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

Though the texture was good, I did feel that the pasta lacked any distinctive flavour. I certainly couldn’t taste any red wine in the pasta filling and the sausage was not very apparent in the filling. Overall I was disappointed with the pasta.

September 2, 2010

More Paella

Took some courgette, onions, pepper and some pancetta, and fried them together in a large heavy pan with a splash of olive oil.

I then added the paella rice, and it always makes sense to use paella rice, and never any other kind of rice.

Ensuring the rice was coated in the onions, pepper and oil, I added a splash of white wine. I then added saffron and chicken stock. The saffron I had infused in hot water. This helps to bring out the traditional yellow colour in the paella.

Simmer for twenty minutes adding more stock if required.

A few minutes before serving I added cooked prawns and slices of chorizo. I was using cooking chorizo which I had cooked separately. A handful of chopped parsley adds flavour and colour.

The dish was the put together and served.

I would have liked to use more shellfish, but all I had was prawns to hand, nice to have used squid and mussels.

I made mine quite dry this time, in the past I have added tinned tomatoes which makes for a more “wet” paella.

September 1, 2010