Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Romantic Food Ideas For Valentine’s: Queen of Tarts

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Frostie

The perfect savoury starter developed from the Good Housekeeping Institute’s famous Triple-Tested recipes, a team of expert GHI chefs have created and tested this dish to ensure it satisfies every time.

Queen of Tarts

Hands-on time: 15min

Cooking time: 25min

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the puff pastry:

225g (8oz) strong white bread flour
225g (8oz) butter, chilled
1tbsp lemon juice

For the filling:

300g (11oz) light cream cheese
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
200g (7oz) pack hot-smoked or smoked salmon, skinned and flaked
4 spring onions, finely sliced

Method:

Sift the flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt. Dice 50g (2oz) of the butter. Flatten the rest into a 2.5cm (1in) thick slab.
Rub the diced butter into the flour. Then, using a knife, stir in the lemon juice and about 280ml (9½fl oz) cold water to make soft, elastic dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cut a cross through half the depth.
Open out the ‘flaps’ and roll out the dough, keeping the centre four times as thick as the flaps.
Put the slab of butter in the centre and fold the flaps over it. Gently roll out to make a rectangle measuring 40.5 x 20.5cm (16 x 8in). Mark off three equal sections from top to bottom. Fold the bottom third of the pastry up over the middle, and the top third down. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30min (or freeze for 5-10min).
Repeat the rolling, resting and turning four more times, ensuring the folded edges are to the sides each time.
To make the tarts, preheat oven 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Unroll puff pastry and cut or stamp out six individual-sized heart shapes, about 9cm (3½in) diameter. Arrange hearts on baking sheets, spacing a little apart. Score a border 1cm (½in) from the edge of each heart. Use a fork to prick pastry well inside the border.
Bake pastry hearts until golden and risen – about 20-25min. Remove from oven and use the back of a spoon to press down the pastry carefully inside the border to make room for the filling. Cool completely, then tip/scrape out any loose crumbs from the cases (so they won’t get into the filling).
To make filling, mix together cream cheese, most of the lemon zest and dill, and some seasoning (if mixture is too thick, loosen with a little milk). Spoon into cooled tarts, level gently, then top with the flaked salmon and spring onions. Scatter over the remaining lemon zest and dill, and some freshly grated black pepper. Serve.

Leek And Lentil Hotpot Recipe | Vegetarian Food

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

My husband has stopped eating meat, which means I have had to develop something of an imagination when it comes to cooking. I came up with this dish after being inspired by a lentil and tomato dish I had at an Italian restaurant in Putney called The Italian Boys. This is completely different, but I was greatly inspired by the combination of tomato sauce and lentils. So here is my take on it.

I have called it a hotpot after my husband suggested it. It tastes amazing, if I do say so myself.

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

You will need:

3-4 Leeks.

A tin of chopped tomatoes.

Lentils (150-200g)

3 carrots

A tablespoon of olive oil

A dollop of butter

La Rosmarina sauce. (We get ours from Fattoria La Villa but you can buy it from somewhere else or make your own. The ingredients are tomatoes, extra virgin oil, fresh rosemary, garlic, salt and hot chilli pepper. Only use a tiny amount of the hot chilli pepper, you want a slight kick, this is not a spicy dish).

Method

Thoroughly clean the lentils and then add them to a pan. Pour cold water over them and then bring to the boil. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Next clean and chop the leeks and the carrots. Then take a frying pan and add a dollop of butter or spread. Add the leeks and the carrots and sauté them for 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the leeks and carrots are cooked add the lentils and then the rosemary sauce. Finally, add the tin of tomatoes. Stir it all together and make sure it is all hot. Job done: Leek & Lentil Hotpot. It is quick and easy.

If you can’t get your hands on some La Rosmarina sauce, although I recommend that you do, add some fresh rosemary, a clove of garlic, a touch of salt and a very slight amount of hot chilli pepper to the dish. The hot chilli pepper can be taken out altogether if you do not want any spice, or add a little more if you are so inclined.

This is an amazing dish that really locks in the flavour and is very healthy. If you cook it for yourself, let me know what you think.

The Queensbury Pub and Dining, Willesden Green

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Paloma Kubiak

In the cold air as we walked up to The Queensbury, the decorative lights and laughs from within welcomed and warmed us inside where we were led to the back of the pub to the separate and more formal dining area.

As we were seated, in my head, I kept saying ‘mirror, mirror on the wall’ as one side was wholly decorated with retro mirrors while the back of the room featured wallpaper with rows upon rows of faces. The interior was homely and relaxing and the guests kept coming in throughout the evening to be wined and dined.

I started off with the crispy butternut squash and ricotta risotto balls with pine nuts and sage butter (£6.50). They were beautifully presented as a trio on the plate, and the individual bundles were surrounded by the sage butter and the flecks of pine nuts.

Perfectly brown and crispy on the outside, inside the risotto rice was sticky and was speckled with a whisper of butternut squash that added a hint of fleshy sweetness.

My fiancé went for the gin cured salmon with cucumber relish, caper berries and lemon dressing (£7.45). The dish was beautifully smoked and the deep-orange slithers had a tangy, moist texture which complemented well against the bitter taste of the capers.

He then plumped for the slow cooked lamb and vegetable stew with colcannon mash (£12.95) from the specials menu. It was a hearty meal delicately spiced and the lamb was very tender. The distinctive smell of the meat was masked by the herbs and spices and the colcannon mash, an old Irish recipe, was sweet, smooth and sour all at the same time.

Hoping to be a bit more adventurous, I ordered the seared pheasant breast and confit leg with spiced cabbage sweet potato rosti and a juniper jus (£13.95). The pheasant, a slightly darker, gamier meat to its competitor, the chicken, was again presented perfectly. The deep red of the tangy, soft cabbage against the deep green crispy kale was both pleasant on the eye and on the palette.

For dessert, we ordered the pear bakewell cheesecake with a mulled berry compote (£6.50) and a sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream (£6.50). Every mouthful of the sticky toffee pudding was deliciously wicked and sweet and the blueberries added little bursts of sharpness cutting the sugary rush. The cheesecake was a refreshing twist to the cold American classic and you could really taste the grainy flavour of the pears.

Throughout our three courses, Saul, the assistant manager and our waiter for the evening, was polite, friendly and knowledgeable.

We don’t venture out much to north London as we live in the south east, but we had a lovely evening at The Queensbury. The voices and laugher remained as we made our way back to the station heading for home.

The Magnum Restaurant Review Edinburgh

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Melissa Volpi

The Magnum restaurant’s dining room glitters like gold. There are rows of fairy lights draped across each street facing window and magnum sized bottles of champagne decorating every shelf.

This is a room full of unexpected surprises – especially after walking through a rather dingy bar to get to it. The restaurant’s atmosphere is quiet and intimate. There is plenty of space between each table, making it the perfect venue for a private candlelit meal.

Our well-spoken waitress sits us at a table for two in one corner of this room. We have a window to our right, which overlooks Albany Street (where this restaurant is located) and a view of the dining room bar to our left.

The dining room bar is very different to the main bar that you have to walk through en-route to this small restaurant… there are no punters propping up the bar here, just the bar staff preparing drinks.

The table settings are relaxed (two sets of cutlery, side plates and paper napkins) and the restaurant and bar menu is urban chic – it’s a folding wooden menu.

There are five starters on the menu and all are under £7.00. There is homemade soup of the day, one game dish, two fish dishes and a vegetarian option. The gazpacho topped with hand picked Scottish crab, avocado cream, pepper brunoise and baby tomato finished with olive oil tempts both my partner and I. But, as crab meat can sometimes be a little overpowering for us, we decide on the carpaccio of spice rubbed duck and the Scottish smoked salmon with warm dill pancakes.

On scanning the wine list, we come across this quote: “Wine is bottled poetry” by Robert Louis Stevenson. I quite agree and order a bottle of the house white for us to try. My rule when dining out is this… if a restaurant has good quality house wine, then you know it is a good restaurant.

Starters

When our waitress places our duck and salmon starters in front of us, my partner and I both look at each other and smile. It is not just the dining room that is full of unexpected surprises at The Magnum, it is the food too. We were both expecting pub style food – something hearty that tastes nice more than looks nice. But, the presentation of both these starters is superb. It’s not fine dining, but it is colourful and creative.

My carpaccio of spice rubbed duck is laid out on the plate like a bicycle wheel. The long, lightly pink fingers of duck stretch outwards like spokes from the Romanesco floret, fennel and baby leaf centre and the small circular drops of burnt orange syrup between each piece of duck resemble the nuts and bolts.

I cut a mouthful of duck and dip it into the syrup. It is exceptionally thin, just as carpaccio should be, and has a delicate texture. It melts in my mouth, leaving a pleasant sweet and sour aftertaste.

My partner’s salmon looks festive, reminding me of a Christmas cracker. A rectangle shaped handful of lambs leaf is secured between two half moon shaped smoked salmon and dill pancakes. A mound of parsnip crisps on either side of the salmon remind me of the ends of a cracker, making me want to pull them.

My partner dips a piece of salmon into the accompanying horseradish cream and nods his head in appreciation.

Maincourse

Again, the maincourse menu offers five possibilities, ranging from £14.50 to £22.50.

We both stick to the same theme for our maincourses. My partner carries on the fish theme and orders the pan-fried sea trout with a chorizo, podded pea and saffron potato fricassee and a warm caper and tarragon dressing. And I carry on the game theme by ordering the seared venison haunch with soured cabbage, Montbeliard sausage, green beans, baked beetroot and rosemary jus.

Seared Venison Haunch

It’s hard to find good restaurants that offer seasonal game on the menu in Edinburgh. But, The Magnum is one of them.

I smell the seared venison haunch before I see it – there is an earthiness and a Scottishness about the smell that is truly unique. And the taste is equally as memorable. It feels like a heady mix of heather and moor has exploded in your mouth. We are what we eat, as the saying goes, and our red deer feast on the very best that the Scottish Highlands have to offer…

The presentation of this dish is spot on too. Three seared cuts of haunch rest on a bed of cabbage and green beans, and two thick chunks of sausage are marinating in the beetroot and rosemary jus that encircles this dish.

My partner’s sea trout rests on top of the chorizo, pea and potato fricassee mix. It looks colourful and is just as rustic as my venison dish. The portions are substantial here, but my partner’s plate is empty within minutes – which is always a good sign.

We feel contentedly full, but order desserts’ anyway after reading that Cranachan cheesecake is on the menu. Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert containing oats, cream, whisky and raspberries. It’s normally served as a trifle, so it will be interesting to try it cheesecake style.

Dessert

The Cranachan cheesecake with red berry coulis and raspberry compote and the chocolate and macadamia nut pudding with chocolate sauce and white chocolate and rosemary ice cream look stunning on the plate. Both portions are small and simple. The Chef has let each dessert take centre stage and has only added as much condiment as is necessary, which makes a nice change. You feel that you are eating little works of art, rather than tucking into a diabetics nightmare.

The Cranachan cheesecake tastes like traditional Cranachan, but the addition of the shortbread base and the thick raspberry compote topping transform it into a modern master. The Chef has also used a few pieces of dried Scottish heather as decoration on the plate, which is not just noteworthy but poignant.

The chocolate and macadamia nut pudding with chocolate sauce is as decadent as it sounds. But the white chocolate and rosemary ice cream ice cream cancel out the American heritage of this dessert and give it a refined look and taste.

Our thoughts

The Magnum restaurant in Edinburgh is not a posh eatery. It is a relaxing and informal hidden gem that I am loath to publicize – only because I want it to retain its quiet, intimate charm.

The Chef uses local and seasonal produce and is not afraid to cook traditional Scottish dishes. He has cooked us a meal that is proud of its roots. One that uses the best of our resources. And one that fills us with comfort after a long day battling the cold.

The Magnum restaurant is one of only two game restaurants in Edinburgh that I would recommend. It is a restaurant for everyone. A place where you can breathe and sit back and not worry about what you’re wearing or how you look. It’s a place to go for good food. But then, I knew that at the beginning of our meal after sampling the house wine. My one restaurant rule has never failed me yet: if a restaurant has good quality house wine, then you know it is a good restaurant.

Contact details:

For reservations call: 0131 557 4366

The Magnum Bar and Restaurant is open 7 days.

Sunday to Thursday from 12 pm to 12 am

Friday to Saturday at 12 pm to 1 am

Website: http://www.themagnum.webeden.co.uk/

Two Star Twist On Christmas: The Square Restaurant Review

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Jane Cable

New Bond Street wins the battle of the Christmas lights, no question. Even a grey Thursday morning couldn’t dull the shimmer of silvery peacock feathers and they must look even more spectacular after dark. But we weren’t going to hang around to until nightfall – we were in London for lunch at a very special restaurant.

We discovered The Square in Bruton Street a couple of years ago. Chef patron Philip Howard had just won the fish course of The Great British Menu and we were entranced by his fresh, classic style of cookery. To be honest I was also entranced by his silver fox good looks… much like my own husband’s… and the fact we could actually afford to eat in his two Michelin star establishment in Mayfair.

That’s when you know a successful restaurant is all about the food. The set lunch in the run up to Christmas was £50 and I believe it’s still substantially less for the rest of the year. There are bottles of wine on the extensive list for under £30 (and over £1,000). Ours was £55 and a quite superb Barbera. The one tiny fly in the unctuous ointment of our visit was that the young lady sommelier tried to upsell us to one double the price. Last time we were at The Square the fantastic Egyptian master of the wine list had carefully price pointed the desert wine we chose to exactly the same area as the bottle we had ordered – and that was very impressive.

But the rest of the service was outstanding. Although the restaurant is dressed formally its staff have a twinkle of humour and fun about them which makes it anything but starchy. Plus you only have to glance in their direction (or less, but more of that later) and they glide, smiling, across to your table in an instant.

It being Christmas, we started with a glass of champagne and very soon our amuse bouche arrived; a tiny rounded glass of cauliflower puree topped with a crisp bacon and sage crumb, sharp cranberry flavours and sitting on a bed of turkey jelly. You hear chefs talking about balance and this was it – a perfect microcosm of Christmas dinner.

We opted for different starters. My better half went for the terrine of English partridge and foie gras with air dried pear, quince puree and mead jelly. He especially liked the idea of English partridge… we once went to a small restaurant in Brighton and he asked whether the partridge on the menu was English or French… and we were rather amused when the answer came back “chef says it’s from Sussex.” He didn’t seek to question the origin of The Square’s offering; he was too busy eating it.

I chose the lasagne of Dorset crab and scallop because its cappuccino of shellfish and champagne foam is one of The Square’s signature elements. It was rich and light at the same time, and a perfect accompaniment to the delicious minced crab, sandwiched between the thinnest layers of a rather brilliant green – presumably festive – pasta.

For the main course we both headed straight for the roast haunch of Windsor Park venison with beetroot and port puree, roast chervil root (not a tiny parsnip, oh husband mine) and smoked ham and potato galette. The meat was cooked rare and finely sliced over the galette (a simple but time-consuming way of raising the humble potato to a heavenly level) and a bed of shredded sprouts. It was cooked to perfection but the real star of the show was the beetroot puree; sweet, rich and such a vibrant colour, it brought the plate to life on both table and taste buds.

The menus were brought back to us and we discussed our choice of desert. A very brief discussion really; husband of course went for cheese and because I’m not keen on the Brillat-Savarin which constituted the cheesecake, I decided on the Christmas pudding soufflé with chestnut and macadamia nut brittle ice cream.

We were somewhat surprised to see the cheese trolley appear at our table before the waiting staff had taken our order. “You do want it, though, sir” our young French waiter insisted “And you’re having the Christmas pudding soufflé, madam.” The psychic approach is certainly taking service to new levels. He also seemed to instinctively know which cheese to select for my husband, having been given the lead that Epoisses was essential. A Waterloo from Hampshire (“Like our French camembert…”), a goat cheese from the Auvergne, a very high class Cheddar and a blue from Carmarthen before scraping out the last of the Epoisses box to leave a huge dollop on my husband’s plate. I swear I can still smell it now.

The cheese was whisked away to reappear a little while later with my Christmas pudding soufflé, which was served with the understated theatre of a ball of ice cream being dropped into it, followed by hot brandy sauce. It was sublime. Every element of a Christmas pudding was there; spices, peel, plump raisins, but wrapped up in a lightness which is unforgettable. If it hadn’t been for Colin McGurran’s langoustine terrine (Frost, August 2014) it would have easily been my dish of the year.

We ordered our coffee and as we waited there was another delightful treat in store as we were offered a clementine from a beautiful wooden trug. It was the perfect finish to a rich meal, and apart from a few simple wreaths in the restaurant windows, one of the few visible concessions to the festive season. As I said, at The Square – it’s all about the food.

To find out more about The Square, visit www.squarerestaurant.com.

Jane Cable, December 2014

Gaucho Sloane Restaurant Review

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

The Gaucho has a reputation that precedes it. Quite a few people were jealous that I was reviewing it, more so than any other restaurant I have reviewed. It was all apparent why when we arrived. To begin with, the decor is stunning. The chairs are comfortable: high-backed with a black and white animal print. The entire place is just stylish. The atmosphere is not stuffy and there are a few families here with (well-behaved) toddlers.

Our waiter, Ewan, is incredibly knowledgable. He knows everything about the food and the wine. His recommendations are also excellent.

Our meal is started off with some bread and Chimichurri sauce, a staple in Argentina. It is made from parsley, garlic, fresh pepper, olive oil, red pepper and red wine vinegar. The bread comes in a good variety: there is some corn bread and some cheesy bread to go with the ordinary bread. All tastes great and fresh.

For our starter I have the pan-fried scallops with watercress purée, smoked pancetta and confit red peppers and my colleague has the crab caustic with egg, lime and avocado. The scallops are perfectly cooked and the sauce is wonderful, the smoked pancetta on top really works too. The crab is delicious and unique. It is presented on top of mashed potato. The avocado is perfect and the hint of egg is unusual but works well. It is complex and creative. The potato is smooth and well seasoned. It holds everything together.

For my main I have to have a steak, the Gaucho is famous for them after all. I have the churrasco de lomo: spiral cut, marinated for 48 hours in garlic, parsley and olive oil. It is 400g of pure heaven. Even more impressive because I cannot have it medium rare as I am pregnant but the chef manages to make it taste amazing, even though it has to be well done. This is the best steak I have ever had in my life. High praise indeed as I have eaten a lot of steak. It is just perfect and you can tell that a lot of time and effort went into it. Our waiter, Edwan, brought out the steak in advance to show us. The cows are grass fed and roam around an area of Argentina three times the size of the UK. I have a garlic hollandaise sauce on the side which is simply divine. However, the steak is so marinated and delicious it could be eaten on its own.

My colleague has pork belly with pumpkin purée, glazed button onions and buttered cabbage. He says it is a triumph: perfectly cooked pork with sweet caramelised onions and cabbage. It has a fantastic, sweet, sticky sauce that is not heavy and is divine with the pork.

For our sided we have baked and grilled sweet potato, brushed with butter. It is perfect. We also have some perfectly cooked buttery curly kale.

To drink we have mocktails. I have a virgin mojito that tastes just like the real thing and my colleague has a fruit punch. Both are excellent. I could drink a virgin mojito everyday.

For dessert I have a chocolate and raspberry alfajores: milk chocolate and raspberry parfait cake with italian meringue and crushed raspberries and my colleague has dulce de leche cheesecake, a salted dulce de leche. Both desserts are delicious.

Gaucho also have an extensive and wonderful list of Argentinean wine. Make sure you have some. There is also the Bar Galante next door. It is a beautiful bar, very stylish and perfect for sipping a cocktail or two.

I can highly recommend Gaucho. It is right at the top of my list of the best restaurants in London. Just superb.

Gaucho – Sloane
89 Sloane Avenue
London
SW3 3DX
Phone: 0207.584.9901
Fax: 0207.584.0045

Toulouse in Instagram Pictures Part 3: Food | Travel.

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

Following on from Part 1 and Part 2 here is the part people have really been asking for: food! French food really is amazing and I had some amazing meals. As you can see from the pictures. Our Toulouse Travel Guide is here.

Breakfast at the Citiz Hotel. They had a great buffet spread.

Dinner at J’GO Toulouse. The best pork and chips I have ever had in my life. While we were having dinner a brass band started up outside and played ‘Funky Town’ and other classic songs.

Pate, bread and salad.

Pork and chips. This was the best pork and chips I have ever had in my life.

Pork and chips. This was the best pork and chips I have ever had in my life.

Chocolate fondant.

We had an amazing Lunch at La Chai Saint-Sauveur. Their veal was superb, followed by strawberry pie and a cute strawberry macaroon. The second picture is Esme’s vegetarian meal.

Salmon with pate and beetroot sauce. The salmon was marinated and divine. Esme’s vegetarian dish. Asparagus and onion on pastry. Veal and Asparagus with onion and pastry. Strawberry Pie with a cute strawberry macaroon.

Py-R Restaurant, Toulouse. The food was absolutely divine.

Bread and bread stick. I love the dish.

The starters. Yummy.

Poached egg, pork knuckle baked broth, cantal paste, peas just creamed, vegetable tray: red shell onions, sprouts, broken hazelnut shortbread.

Peas just creamed.

Hake, Avocado guacamole, celery paste cooked in a sugar, fennel, cherries, Pedro Ximenez, Jerez Almonds, leeks vinaigrette, beans, chorizo bellota, crunchy noughat nuts.

Chouchou, red fruits, Vanilla cream, Air Pepper.

All of the restaurants were amazing. The food was out of this world. I highly recommend a visit to all if possible, at least one if not.

Have you ever been to Toulouse? Make recommendations below.

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