From black gold to golden goodness!

I WON TIME OUT LETTER OF THE WEEK THIS WEEK!!!

And midsummer's day came and went, as ever in sub zero gloomy weather and prompting the predictable comment 'can you believe it's midsummer?'

And in the same way as England's footballers each get paid the same amount as the GDP of the smaller nations that beat them and in the same way there's a near first round coup at Wimbledon and in the same way we're all going to be stung by huge tax rises at today's budget, 'yes, we can believe that it's midsummer!

n.b. why didn't we set a deal with the England team that for every World Cup match they fail to win, they pay back some of their extortionate unjustified earnings to refill the nation's empty coffers...

Midsummer also marks the end of the British asparagus season so...

This week's Food of the Week is Oil (...and not the BP variety)

Did you know 95% of the world's olive trees are found in the mediterranean region and Spain accounts for over one third of the world's olive oil production?

If you ever travel to Andalucia, drive through the area close to Baena and you'll be blown away by a polka dot frenzy of olive trees as far as the eye can see in every direction. Alternatively, the best olive trees I've ever seen were in Puglia (the heel of Italy and biggest region for italian olive oil production) where the trees are ancient and gnarly, looking as though they're about to come to life!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil doesn't make you fat

True or false?! I don't have clinical evidence to prove this but I was once told by a very slim Sicilian Mamma who was merrily sloshing oil over every foodtype possible that I shouldn't worry as good oil goes straight through you and doesn't make you fat. Fast food and processed food make you fat.

I'll leave the math to you!

There are huge numbers of olive oil varieties - from different olive types to different methods of extraction to just basic industrialised olive oil made up of any old olive. The million dollar question always remains...

How much should you spend and is it worth it?

...and as always the answer is 'depends'

For day to day use in cooking, I think it's fine to have a good quality cheap-ish oil that's not specialist

For salads, or dishes where you will really taste the oil, I think you should spend a bit more and have an oil which adds to the dish rather than takes a supporting role

How much you spend is up to you but £12-15 for one litre of excellent olive oil is a good investment as you'll only use a little at a time.

Where can I find good olive oil?

Taste is subjective so you need to try different oils. Personally, I like Brindisa's choice of Nunez de Prado oil (helped by the fact my big sister helped the old men put the labels on the bottles) but my favourite by a long way is Giuseppe at Borough Market's Calabrian extra virgin olive oil.

Beautiful oil, beautiful flavours from varieties that I've never seen anywhere else and oil that is clear in warm temperatures and cloudy and thick in midwinter. Put this oil on anything and you'll love it AND it's about £12/£13 a bottle!

Giuseppe has funny hair and a strong Italian accent. He is passionate about the food from his home town selling all sorts of beautiful produce from n'duja to wild oregano to jars of olives so jampacked with herbs they ooze the wild aromas of Southern Italy.

Sometimes Giuseppe disappears for a siesta but you'll probably find him under the counter of his stall!

Normally, you can find him in the Jubilee section of Borough Market on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Note to tree huggers
If you want to reduce your food miles, try RAPESEED oil that is produced in Britain. Great for frying anything as it has a really high smoke point (better than olive oil) with lots of health benefits and now becoming more widely available. I haven't found one that is as tasty as Giuseppe's for use in salads yet but I'm sure it won't be long

Note to gourmets

Walnut oil (France) or Pumpkin seed oil (Austria) are beautiful oils with amazing flavours that make something really really special. They're expensive though but you can find walnut oil off the side of the road in Dordogne (see pic) or pumpkin seed oil cheap as chips from the supermarkets in Austria if you have holidays planned!!!




Restaurant of the Week

No restaurant of the week this week. It's World Cup and Wimbledon so everyone's staying in!

GOOD LUCK CLAIRE AND FEDERICO WHO ARE GETTING MARRIED THIS SATURDAY!!!

Hot & Cheesy

Week 6

Is it me or is retro the one thing that never goes out of fashion? From Abba to flares to Dynasty style shoulderpads, it's always the rage. Depending on how long her new husband will last, maybe Katie Price's next target will be Peter Stringfellow, so she too can be on trend. Do we care?!

And apparently the retro thing is happening in food too. From the ubiquitous prawn cocktail (slightly updated to include crayfish now) to the comfort food of fish fingers (but this time made of real fish) to the nostalgia of jam roly poly, it's all back in vogue.

So in keeping with that retro theme, and in response to a request, this week's Food of the Week is...

Cheese Fondue!

For anyone lucky enough to be able to go skiing, this is a fairly predictable menu choice. Apparently it was also fairly predictable on dinner party menus in the 70's (as was throwing your keys in the middle of the table) and is back in fashion once more (key swapping non-obligatory). So dust off those skewers and get melting.

Like anything, the final result will depend greatly on the ingredients that go in and the official recipe for a fondue is a combined weight of 600g made up of three Swiss cheeses (important to be authentic), about half a bottle of white wine (leaves plenty for the cook), a bit of cornflour and a few tablespoons of kirsch. Plus some pepper, garlic and accompaniments (Abba compulsory). Full recipe below



Three really good Swiss cheeses to use in a proper cheese fondue are gruyere (6 parts), vacherin fribourgois (2 parts) and bergkase (2 parts). The best gruyere that I have found in London is at KaseSwiss. With the best balance of salty/sweet/creamy/nutty-ness, I am officially addicted. And after two weeks' additional storage due to snow delayed flights, friends still raved over the vacherin fribourgois from the same supplier.

n.b. for those who can't get to London, Waitrose's gruyere is acceptable - it's just not nearly as good as this one!

So what's the difference?

KaseSwiss sources the best quality traditional cheeses from Switzerland by working with small owner operated cheese makers. Because of this, the flavours are much more distinct than those of cheeses large supermarkets can source on a large scale.

Really, you have to go and try some and then you'll know what I mean!

Best Way to Serve

Once your fondue is bubbling, serve with pickled baby onions, gherkins and chunks of white bread to dip into the cheese

Health warning! Don't drink water with fondue as it doesn't mix well with the cheese. Stick to the white wine! (A Swiss person told me that)

Where can I buy them and what's it going to do to my bank balance?



Price: £25 for 1kg
You can also get a fondue mix so you don't have any of the faff which costs £12.

KaseSwiss is in the Jubilee part of Borough Market on Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays

Restaurant of the Week

Brindisa

This week's choice is Brindisa, now at three locations at London Bridge (Tapas Brindisa), Soho (Tierra Brindisa) and South Kensington (Casa Brindisa).
www.brindisa.com



You may recognise the Brindisa name as the makers of La Chinata paprika which I mentioned a few weeks ago. Their restaurants are great - don't waste your money on big commercial chains when you can eat here!



I've only eaten at the London Bridge branch but everyone I know who has eaten at the others says that they are even better so I would have no hesitation in recommending them. Cost-wise it's medium spend at about £30 per head

Why is it good?
1) The food is fresh, you can see it being made/carved/chopped and it's a great atmosphere
2) They have interesting and more authentic tapas than any chain could offer
3) They have a good selection of wines by the glass

A must is the pimientos del padron (watch out for the 1 in 15 which blows your socks off), the tortilla and any of the hams.

n.b. you can't book at London Bridge

Fondue
Cut a clove of garlic in half and wipe around the inside of the fondue pot
Add the white wine and heat, then gradually add the grated cheese. Mix some cornstarch and kirsch into a paste and add in slowly.
Keep stirring and add more wine if the mixture gets too thick.

Something to Warm You Up...!

Week 2

As I trudged through the slush and the snow of the past week, it became very apparent that most people [sensibly] choose to stay indoors when it's so cold. Personally, I like it when it's freezing cold so long as a) it's sunny and b) I have 20 layers of clothes on although I have started to be known as Tinky Winky on those occasions.

Susan's Thought for the Week
Staying in is the new going out in January.
Instead of spending £20 on an average meal in a restaurant, spend £10 on nicer ingredients for a great home cooked meal. You eat well and you just saved yourself [at least!] a tenner.

So it's new year and we're strapped for cash and it's cold so we're staying in.
And I thought I'd let you into a little secret...!

Food of the Week

La Chinata Smoked Paprika (Hot).



I love this stuff! A friend gave me a tin a long, long time ago and it gestated in the corner of my cupboard for an even longer time as I wondered what to do with it. And then I tried it one day and the world was transformed.

This smoked paprika gives a warm and smoky flavour to your dishes. It won't make you sweat (unless you add half the tin) but it does give a real zing to things that could otherwise be a bit dull.

It comes from Spain and this particular brand comes from an area west of Madrid called 'La Vera' which is known for its high quality red peppers. The paprika is made from ground red peppers which have been smoked over oak fires to dry them. Apparently there are sweet and bittersweet varieties too but I haven't tried them - let me know if you have!

Best Way to Serve

I use smoked paprika in anything that is slightly creamy, so it goes really well in creamy pasta sauces, stroganoffs or just plain chicken (or seasonal turkey) in a white sauce. Mix it with mayonnaise (try it with eggs), creme fraiche and serve it hot or cold with canapés or main meals.

So do your roast chicken on a Sunday. Pull off what's left of the chicken meat and make it into a zingy chicken supreme on Monday (recipe below) and then boil up the chicken carcass to make stock for a chicken based soup on the Tuesday.

And if you really don't like cooking, then buy a ready meal and stir in a spoonful - you won't be disappointed!

Where can I buy it and what's it going to do to my bank balance?



Brindisa Shop by London Bridge, open Tuesdays to Saturdays: www.brindisashops.com
Also in some Sainsburys
£2.75 for a 70g tin that will last you ages.

Restaurant of the Week

This week's choice is Mirch Masala with branches in Tooting (the best!), Norbury, Southall, Croydon, Ilford and Commercial Road
www.mirchmasalarestaurant.co.uk
Curry always keeps you warm!


Oven baking rotis

Why is it good?
1) It's proper curry made by people who know how to make good curry for people who know what good curry tastes like.
2) It's cheap and friendly! (You're unlikely to pay more than £15 a head - bring your own alcohol)
3) You can see your food being prepared in the open kitchen and there's definitely no ready to use sauces in here

Try the Chilli Bhajia, the Lamb Tikka (or Lamb Cutlets) as starters. Karahi Ginger Chicken is packed full of ginger and the Karahi Kebab Egg curry is delicious. Also try Karahi Corn-on-the-Cob for something a bit different!





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Zingy Chicken Supreme

Melt a knob of butter in a saucepan and add in half a small chopped onion. Fry on a low heat until the onion is translucent. Add in a dessertspoonful of flour and mix it all up to a lump free (apart from the onion) paste. Keep stirring as you add in half milk and half chicken stock, a bit at a time, until you have a smooth sauce that isn't really runny but isn't like treacle either.
Season with salt and pepper and stir in a teaspoon (or two - you'll have to keep tasting to see how you like it) of your special secret magic ingredient also known as smoked paprika. Add in the left over meat from the roast chicken that you've torn off the carcass and cook until it's heated through. You can add in some chopped mushrooms or leeks as well if you want to get to your 5 a day. Serve with rice.