Fight for your rights.

The Spectator is currently an advert on trains into London. It reads "In 1952 a woman knew her place. In 2012, she's still there." At first, I thought this was some reference to the so-called 'glass ceiling' then I realised it was meant to refer to the Queen. God Bless you Ma'am, but I don't know may people (male or female) who'd want your job for love or money. And that ad got me thinking. Yes, women are so much better off in 2012 than we were in 1952. Women in 2012 go on holiday on their own, they go to the pub on their own. We earn our own money and we have free reign over our bodies.  We dress how we please and we please ourselves. To be fair,  I  consider myself a feminist (did that word even exist in the 1950's?) The word has been bandied around and used as an insult for a while. But women's rights still matter. 


 We may have never had it so good in the UK, on the first day of these Diamond Jubilee celebrations, but consider other parts of the world. In Afghanistan, there are peace talks which involve the Taliban. Is this peace at any price, and if so, is it worth it? President Obama recently said "We are better off when women are treated fairly and equally in every respect, whether it is the salary you earn or the health decisions that you make,". "Fight for your seat at the table, or better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.". Mr Obama, does this only matter in the West? Are you really going to subject Afghan women again to a lack of education, a lack of medical care and a life of not being able to leave the house on their own. The coalition forces are desperate to get out of Afghanistan, seeing it as a war they can't win. But at what cost to the rights of women? "Men are fundamental and women are secondary," the Ulama Council said in a statement on Friday, according to a translation by the Afghanistan Analysts Network. President Hamid Karzai published the statement on his website. So what happens now? Do the Western powers pull out, having given the Taliban some form of power in the new Afghan government? At what cost to the women there? And will a million people march through the streets of London to protest against that? I would certainly. Watch this space. 

A meat-free Monday

Last night, I took my committed vegetarian friend, who sometimes lives with me, to Tibits in Heddon Street. Prior to her moving in and out of my flat (long story - not very exciting), I had always viewed vegetarians with something approaching disdain, and the food as a side dish to the main event of meat.

But I am prepared to concede that I was wrong (yes, it stings to say that). A few months of cooking veggie dishes has left me feeling fabulous and with a realisation that there's a lot more to vegetarian food than the dreaded tofu - which, to their eternal credit, I didn't see any of on the menu at Tibits.

Tibits have catered for corporate events that I have attended before, and the food has always been fresh and high quality. I was keen to see how this would translate in the restaurant. We arrived and the very lovely duty manager explained the concept to us - you are seated and peruse the menu, then are invited up to the buffet boat to make your selection of hot and cold foods, before paying by weight and ordering your beverage of choice at the bar.

The food boat

Because we are super greedy (and there's nowt wrong with that) we piled our plates high and hit the bar to order some cocktails. The food was fantastic, a real mix of flavours and tastes that dispels the myth that vegetarian food is boring. There was so much choice that we struggled, as did others around the food counter,  to decide between all the various dishes, including vegetable antipasto, Moroccan carrots, Asian glass noodle salad, karhai paneer and many others including pasta, falafel, quinoa and chickpea salads, quiche, pasta and healthy greens - a combination of sugar snap peas and edamame beans. All this, plus rice and bread for those who want to carb load. As you'll see from the pictures below, we didn't hold back.

The vegetarian piles her plate high.....

As do I.

Despite the fact that there was a mixture of hot and cold foods on the same plate (although you can choose two small plates should you be so fussy), all the flavours combined really well together, nothing was too spicy or too chilled and everything tasted sublime. A particular favourite of mine were the stuffed and deep fried jalapeno peppers, one of my all time loves and very, very good.

Stuffed jalapenos = one very happy me.

I've chosen and photographed a few of my favourite dishes below as these were the ones that really stood out for me. First up is the karhai paneer - a mildly spiced curry of paneer (take note - one million times better than tofu), vegetables and ginger. This was wonderful, warming, gentle spices and silky soft paneer cheese.

Karhai paneer

Another hit was the vegetable antipasto, which was proving popular with all the customers there, chunky vegetables, expertly cooked and dressed, exactly the sort of thing you'd find in kitchens across the Mediterranean. I think a lot of what puts people off eating vegetables is that we tend to overcook them and then serve them plain, but perfectly cooked and dressed, I reckon we could get everyone eating more vegetables!

Vegetable antipasto

And let's not forget the cocktails that we ordered at the bar. As it was a Monday we only had the one, but we definitely made the right choice - Indian summer (well, the sun did show its face in London yesterday) - Malibu, chopped coriander and mango lassi. Wow. Not too sweet, with quite a kick and the added addition of one of my favourite herbs (do other people have favourite herbs? Or am I just weird?). I'd go back for the cocktails alone!

Indian summer - here's hoping!

So, to sum up, the food was superb, the staff were friendly and helpful and the cocktail was great. If you are a vegetarian bored of being served the same old goats cheese and portobello mushroom combo that you get in most restaurants, or fancy a meat free feast, then Tibits is your place. Although I won't be giving up meat altogether, I think everyone could benefit from eating less meat (see the link to the meat free Mondays website below) for a variety of reasons and I'm converted to eating better vegetarian food on a regular basis. And for anyone who thinks vegetables aren't filling, I was stuffed by the end of the meal and I only had one, admittedly rather large, plate. Stuffed. As in so full, I was sleepy and content by the time I got home. I'll definitely be going back to Tibits (you can take away as well) and salute them for making vegetables and grains way more exciting than most people (including myself) thought possible.

http://www.tibits.co.uk

http://www.meatfreemondays.com/

'Twas the night before payday

..... and I had not a penny in my bank account. How, how do I always do this? I got home ravenous and had to raid the freezer and the cupboards to make an impromptu dinner, based on whatever was available. I didn't even have a bloody onion in the house. Fortunately, we always have loads of garlic. So, out of the freezer came the chicken livers and the frozen half tin of chopped tomatoes and into the frying pan went some olive oil and an abundance of chopped garlic.

"Ewwwwww" say several people when I mention chicken livers. But cooked properly they are divine, meaty, tender, full of flavour and very cheap - even an organic pack will only set you back around £2. 

So the garlic is happily softening away, filling the flat with that delicious smell. Into the pan go the frozen chopped tomatoes, some tomato puree, a large slug of red wine - yes, we have wine in the house, but no onions, typical - and plenty of salt and pepper. I also added some ready prepared chopped chilli, which we always seem to have in a jar in the fridge.  Let it bubble and then turn down and leave on a low heat. Put some pasta, that other store cupboard staple, on to cook, plenty of water plenty of salt. 

While the pasta is cooking away, chop the chicken livers into small pieces. (I sent the vegetarian who currently resides with me out of the kitchen at this point). Fry them until the outsides are brown over a high heat - about 2-3 minutes tops. Then add them to the tomato sauce and leave on the lowest heat. You only want the chicken livers to cook ever so slightly more, they should be still pink in the middle. Taste the sauce and see if it needs more seasoning. AT the last minute, throw in half a can of cooked canellini beans, or whatever beans you have in the house. 

Once the pasta has finished cooking, stir the sauce into it and serve. Simple, cheap and tasty. And I made enough for lunch the following day - proper austerity measures! Picture below: 

Fusili alla fegato

Welcome 2012 - doing what makes me happy.

Well, London welcomed in its Olympic Year in true style, those fireworks were just wonderful.

Picture courtesy of the Sunday Mirror! 

And now 2012 is upon us. Whilst we look forward, we also look back at the year that was. Those stories that make the news headlines always seem to contain tragedy - the earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan (and the subsequent tsunami in the latter); the Norwegian massacre; the London riots; the eurozone crisis. But 2011 also brought many good news stories - the Royal Wedding of William and Kate; the clean up campaign that followed London's riots; fledgling democracies in the Middle East

For me, 2011 was personally tumultuous, as I decided to end my long term (8 year) live in relationship. It's the main reason as to why I've been neglecting my blog for sometime. For anyone going through the same thing, keep your head held high, it's painful and horrid, but it will get better - that tired old cliche about time being a great healer really is true. The love and support of friends and family has also been incredible, and I salute you all.

So 2012 is the year I please myself. It's when I travel where I want to go, eat out where I want to eat, sleep with whomever I please and generally enjoy myself. It's the year that I take off on the round the world trip I've wanted to do since I was about 18, visiting 14 countries over 5 and half months. I will also be (trying to) concentrate more on my blog, documenting great food, fashion and what makes London such a wonderful place to live in - while I'm still here (I leave in October)!

Thank you to everyone who read my posts in 2011 and I hope you continue to do so in 2012. I wish you good health and every happiness.

Coq of the City

Take one very sunny Friday. Add a top notch City restaurant with great views. Mix in a £25 for three courses set menu. And there you have a recipe for a perfect Friday lunchtime while the boss is away.

Last Friday we escaped the office and headed to Coq D'Argent in the City http://www.coqdargent.co.uk/.  We had booked the extremely good value three courses for £25 set menu (available at weekends, which appear to include a Friday in the City), as we are sadly not in possession of an expense account. We were shown to our table with its great views over to the Monument and the Shard. We ordered a Kir and settled in to peruse the rather lovely menu - certainly one of the best set menus I have seen this year.

I ordered the snails to start. I've never really been a big fan since the time when I was in Normandy aged 8 years old and my mother told my brother (then 5) and I that they were mushrooms and that we should just eat them. My brother chose the moment the entire restaurant of chic French people went silent to shout 'uuurrgggh, they're snails'. He's always had impeccable timing. So, I've steered clear of snails, but have never really been a fussy eater and have always been a fan of the philosophy 'if you fall off the bike, get back on it'. Snails it was then:

They were beautiful. Fat old shells, meaty molluscs inside and drenched in garlicky, herby butter - perfectly mopped up with the never ending bread you are offered.

The main course was venison with a crust of pistachio and cocoa nibs, served with mash and baby vegetables:

The venison was perfectly cooked, still pink (I love that when you order meat in a French restaurant they serve it how it should be done as opposed to how the customer wants it done, which is so often overcooked) and very tender. The pistachio and cocoa nib crust was perfect, the slight bitterness of the chocolate balancing the rich gamey sweetness of the meat. As you can see from the picture, the accompaniments were not too much, which meant that we could go on to the dessert course - hurrah!

As a slight aside, Coq D'Argent has recently won the Louis Roederer Wine List of the Year 2011. I was given the wine list to make a choice - gulp - and was a bit freaked out by both the size of the selection and some of the prices. Note to people - at the back of the wine list is a very reasonable and very lovely selection of wines, from which we had a very nice bottle of Argentinian Malbec for £35.

So, we ordered the red wine, and we still had most of the bottle left - therefore our third course had to be cheese. Five different cheese, served at room temperature (so often not the case and one of my pet hates to be eating fridge-cold cheese), we lingered and finished the bottle while stuffing ourselves full of the well thought out selection of cheese, which included one of my favourites, the Normandy Livarot. The cheese was a £4 supplement, but as the whole menu still worked out at less than £30 a head, it was excellent value.

I can't recommend the £25 set menu here enough. It's such a treat to be able to enjoy this restaurant without paying through the nose, for those of us not lucky enough to be able to entertain clients!  And the fact that they don't compromise on quality with their set menu is as it should be, not the bonus we have come to almost expect from such deals. Choose a sunny day when you can escape for a couple of hours and go and enjoy.

Yesterday, I had lunch for the first time with a fellow food blogger who writes the excellent http://itrustcowsmorethanchemists.blogspot.com.  Dayna had suggested that we go to Elliot's in Borough Market and a quick check of the menu on their website http://www.elliotscafe.com/ reminded me of how good she is at knowing the latest fabulous places to go to. 

The omens were good - Marina O'Loughlin had reviewed Elliot's for that morning's Metro, raved about it and given it four stars. We got there expecting it to be heaving, but only had to wait a couple of minutes to be seated. It's a lovely little building on Stoney Street, with natural light coming in from the huge skylight at the back and a big sharing table at the front of the restaurant. 

We ordered a bottle of Prosecco and settled in to peruse the menu. I have it in front of me now, and just reading it is making me salivate. We decided to order two or three starters and share them, mainly because I am greedy and wanted oysters, as well as a more 'substantial' starter dish. The oysters were enormous, sweet and fresh and tasting of the sea. My only quibble was that as well as the traditional shallot and red wine vinegar to accompany them, there was a very odd teriyaki style sauce with them, best avoided. Other than that, they were superb: 

We observed hundreds of plates of shoestring fries with aloli coming out of the kitchen and decided that we were going to get ourselves some of those. Messy as hell to eat, but temptingly moreish, just grab a handful dip in the gorgeous, heavily garlicked aioli, ignoring the fries that scatter across the table in your wake: 

The third starter dish we chose was soppressata with spiced cherries. Wonderful finely sliced Italian salami with pickled spiced cherries that I thought we may come to blows over: 

Having lingered gloriously over our starters, the delightful waitress asked if we were ready for our main courses. Bring them on we said! Dayna had a beautifully poached piece of plaice, with the roe still in it. Cooked to perfection so it was ever so slightly opaque, it fell off the bone and was light and lovely.

 

It was accompanied by a fennel, tarragon and radicchio salad, which looked beautiful, but I'm ashamed to say I did not try it (I know, I know, schoolgirl error) because I was busy stuffing my face with my lamb cutlets and kidney, served with green bean and anchovy salad. And, as an added bonus, there was more of that wonderful aioli on the plate - hurrah! 

 

Because I am a complete glutton, I was a bit concerned that this would not be enough food for me, especially owing to the lack of carbohydrates on the plate, but I needn't have worried. The lamb cutlets were fat, pink and tender and the kidney was that perfect, slightly sharp tangy antidote to the sweetness of the cutlet meat. The green bean and anchovy salad was perfectly dressed, with sweet onions and mint included in the tangle - divine! 

We were too stuffed  to even think about pudding, so we paid the very reasonable bill and sauntered out into the Borough Market sunshine. I now see it as my duty to go back so I can try the desserts and report back. It'll be no great hardship. 

Front Row at Fashion Week

Saturday evening at Somerset House. Torrential rain. Ridiculous bondage shoes that making traversing over cobbles nigh on impossible. But such petty things as walking matter little when I am front row at London Fashion Week for the John Rocha collection. It's crazy busy, as all pre-shows are, with everyone bustling around, the photographers assembling at the end of the catwalk,  and everyone eyeing each other wondering who's who and who's sitting where. The the lights dim, the audience hushes and the models emerge in their amazing creations.

Simple white dress and head piece

Black feather dress



John Rocha leads out his models at the end of the show.



The clothes are simple and stunning in either black or white with no hint of colour, the fabrics they're made of do the talking for them. Feathers, chiffon and subtle layering make the clothes sit so lightly on the body, lending the models and ethereal air which is heightened by the sculptures they wear on their heads, which seem like wings.

The collection is beautiful and eminently wearable, with full flattering skirts and high necklines continuing the ladylike theme that's starting to dominate this season. The work that goes into designing and making these clothes is simply incredible - the cut, fit and finish of the material all combining to sit and drape elegantly on the body as per the designer's wish.

John Rocha isn't mentioned a lot in the 'best of the week' articles written as Fashion Week draws to a close, the journalists preferring to concentrate on other big names such as Vivienne Westwood and Burberry. But someone I met at Fashion Week said that he often goes into the store when John Rocha's new collections come in and spends a couple of hours just looking at and touching the clothes. It may sound mad, but after seeing this collection, I totally get it.