POLPO O'CLOCK

Dinner time in the hood! Can't wait for my octopus/potatoe salad.

GOOD MORNING!

Today's breakfast: Cherry, grape, blueberry, strawberry and pineapple salad.

DISH OF THE DAY

Roast pork with loads of herbs and garlic. Can't beat that smell!

NEARING SUMMER!

Just back from fruit shopping on the market; Sun's shining - It really can't get any better!

Quiche Lorraine & Greens for Lunch

Mood Of The Day

Spring has definitely sprung - More lemon and ginger.

Perfect brew for this weather!

TEA TIME! Fresh ginger and lemon

Simple, very refreshing and thirst-quenching!

RIDLEY ROAD MARKET AND ITS SPICES

NEARING SPRING!

1st picnic on Regent's Canal, March 4th, 2013

THE SNOW HAS ARRIVED - SOUP TIME!

My favourite soup of the moment:

- 1 cauliflower

- 2 broccolis (cut them into small dices)

- 1 carrot

- 2 large potatoes

- 1 parsnip

- 2 table spoons of olive oil

- 4 table spoons of double cream

- 4 garlic cloves

Boil cauliflower, carrot, parsnip, potatoes, garlic for 30 min. Boil the broccolis separately for 7-8min. Add the broccoli cubes to the other pan.

Add some olive oil, double cream, salt and black pepper.

Peppers are a summer vegetable but they are still harvested in early fall. The following recipes are super simple and bring back the best summer memories around the table. Some fish lovers should add to the following ingredients some fresh tuna and celebrate the dish with some aromatic southern Italy's aromatic white wine such as those of Campania.

-Recipe from Naples:

Ingredients:

(serves 6)

5 tbs raisins

6 large red peppers

200g dry breadcrumbs

24 black olives

12 anchovy fillets

2 tbs chopped parsley

1 tbs chopped basil

3 tbs capers

125ml olive oil

Method:

Pour some boiling water over the raisins and allow them to swell for half an hour.

Wash the peppers and cut around the stems with a small knife, then remove the stem and the seeds attached. Shake out any remaining seeds and season the interior with salt and pepper.

Make the stuffing by mixing together the raisins, the breadcrumbs, the pitted and chopped black olives, the chopped anchovy fillets, the chopped herbs and the capers. Moisten this mixture with half the olive oil, season with black pepper and a pinch of salt, and proceed to fill the peppers with the mixture.

Stand the peppers in an ovenproof dish and pour the remaining olive oil over them. Bake in a moderately hot oven (180C) for one hour. The peppers are best served at room temperature.

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-Recipe from Sicily:

Ingredients:

(serves 6)

6 red peppers

6 aubergines

125ml Olive oil

5 tbs thick tomato sauce

30 green olives, pitted and chopped

2½ tbs capers

Method:

Char the peppers on a hot grill or on the open flame until the skins blacken and blister. Rest them in a sealed plastic bag for 20 minutes and then peel off the skin. Slit the peppers down one side and scoop out the seeds.

Peel the aubergines and dice into centimetre cubes. Fry them in olive oil for 10 minutes until they soften, then remove from the heat. Bind the aubergines with the tomato sauce, olives and capers, and season well.

Spoon the aubergine mixture into the peppers and then place them in a gratin dish, slit side down. Anoint with olive oil and bake in a medium oven (160C) for one hour. Best served at room temperature.

ANOTHER ITALIAN ADVENTURE

Back from 3 weeks in Italy, from Venice to Milan via Verona, Brescia and the mountains.

What a wonderful trip it has been. Meeting up with some very inspiring and colourful people, visiting some incredible places dedicated to food and wine – In other words, it has been a fantastic experience to cook a variety of dishes every day after visiting the Rialto market in Venice every morning and discover some amazing cheeses inland, alongside some very unique wines such as the Amarone (red) wine which has the particularity to be made from dried grapes, and some irresistible Soave, ideal with fish and other Mediterranean delights.

Also, we truly enjoyed the beaches, the long evening reading on our beautiful roof terrace, our long strolls on the markets drinking spritz... A true quality time where bright and robust flavours from the freshest ingredients met some unforgettable moments with passionate food experts.