#Truckstop

The guys behind Streatfeast (which has started again at Dalston Yard), Ginstock and most recently Ribstock are back again with another street food heaven. Truckstop is found in Wood Wharf, offering stunning views of Canary Wharf, the first Thursday and Friday of August and September.
Brilliant food courtesy of all kinds of street food trucks, a bar courtesy of Rotary Bar & Diner with craft beer and pint-sized cocktails and a Taco Shack by Breddo's Tacos, all with added #vibes of course, make this an epic night of food and fun. I went with my two besties and we were determined to try most of what was on offer.

We started with a veggie sushi roll from newcomers to the streetfood scene Maki Matcha.

Yummy, but not as good as the chicken one would have been I'm sure. Little disappointed to find there was no fish version, but I guess that's their selling point.

Then we went on to Anna Mae's incredible Mac and Cheese.

We just had the original with no toppings, but it was so delicious even without pesto and crispy bacon on top. In fact it was so good, we went back for a second tub later....

Then we had Cheeky Italian's Meatloaf Dog. A half pork half beef meat loaf, with a fontana cheese centre in the middle all in a tomato sauce. This was my absolute favourite of the night!!

I did want to try some of the fried chicken that was on offer, but Spit and Roast, Motherclucker and Funky Chicken all had the longest queues of the night. I'm not entirely sure what the craze is for fried chicken at the moment, but I wasn't prepared to wait an hour to get my food when there was plenty more choice to be had!! Hopefully next time I can try.

Then we had some chaat from Jhal Murie Express. My friends got super excited about this because he was recently featured on Rick Stein's India. I have never had chaat before, but I can tell you it was very good.

Next up was some pizza from Born and Raised. We went for goat's cheese, caramelised red onions and watercress on a beetroot infused dough. Extremely good stuff.

Purple dough from the beetroot!

We sat with views out over the docks and the Wharf and had a break before dessert came.

We started with the Dognuts from FishDog. Basically really really incredible light and fluffy Spanish churros (almost like a long doughnut pastry) with the best salted caramel sauce. I nearly didn't get a picture we scoffed them so quickly.

And finally we had frozen yoghurt, from a great little truck I've never seen before that uses actual frozen fruit and combines it with yoghurt to create a frozen yoghurt. It leaves the yoghurt with the most potent flavour and some chunky bits of fruit left in. We had the mango and strawberry flavours.

The machine they use to make the froyo. 

Very happy customers!!

The sun started to set and the buildings came alive.

Such a beautiful setting for a food fest.

If I've tempted you to go to the next one of the 1st and 2nd August, a little tip. Tickets cost £10 and if you book online in advance you get that £10 back in truckstop dollars to spend at the bar!

I'm definitely going back for more!!

Oh yeah, she touched it.

Healthy Chocolate Pudding

This recipe was taken from a lovely blog, With Style and Grace.

Look at this lovely, rich chocolate pudding.

So tempting....so delicious....so rich....so.. healthy?!

My mum tried it (the Queen of baking) and even she couldn't tell what was in it. She thought it was a normal chocolate pudding made with cream and eggs.

What would you say if I told you it had a secret ingredient...that it really wasn't that rich at all.

Wanna know what makes this so healthy??

Inside is.....


AVOCADO!!!!


Yes seriously!

This seriously chocolatey chocolate pudding is made using avocado!!

And it's so simple to make. Chuck everything into a food processor and you are good to go.

For 2 people.....

Take 2 medium avocadoes. Scoop out the inside and chuck em in the food processor.

5 tbsps of cocoa powder.

Then add 3 tbsps of honey (or 6 medjool dates....but I can't be bothered with pitting them. If you make it with dates let me know how it is!)

 2-4 tbsps of coconut milk (I used half fat)

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tsp of orange zest

Then whizz it all up till smooth.

Looks good, right?

And serve with fruit, salt, or an extra drizzle of honey on top.

Tah-dah!

Hawksmoor, Spitalfields Bar

I love chocolate. I love salted caramel.

Almost a year ago now, I saw a post on Hawksmoor's Twitter flaunting the delights of what they called a "salted caramel rolo". I didn't need to see a picture, the name alone made my mouth fall open. Forget some of the best steak in London that Hawksmoor is famed for, oh no I just wanted my mitts on that baby.

I have been trying to get my hands on them ever since, but had never found the time. That is until a few weeks ago. I went with a friend over to the bar in Hawksmoor, Spitalfields. 

Open up the side door and head down to the basement, where you asre greeted with some spectacular mood lighting. Although it was bright sunshine outside, down there it felt like it was always 9.30pm.

As soon as we sat down tap water was brought over without us even having to ask. A fantastic and much appreciated touch, one that we really noticed as it doesn't happen enough. The service throughout was excellent.
We had some gorgeous cocktails, one gin and marmalade, one gin and London Pride, and then started to feel a bit peckish.

Hawksmoor has a new bar menu, so we thought we might as well try out a few things. We skipped out on burgers having already tried them before (delicious, by the way) and tried a few of the more interesting sounding things on the menu.

We ordered ox cheek nuggets, ox cheek french dip, pig's head poutine, smashed watermelon and triple cooked chips with lime pickle mayo. Did I mention we were hungry?

It was an absolute feast! Where to begin....

Well our absolute favourite was the ox cheek nuggets. So tender and tasty, they also added a blob of melted cheese in the centre of the nugget that added to the deliciousness of these gorgeous little things. The mayo that came with the chips was so zingy, a real treat.
The pig's head poutine was rich and tender. Sat on a bed of chips, cheese and gravy it was a posh and I'm sure much tastier version of French Canadian fast food. 

The Ox cheek French dip came in the most beautiful brioche bun, the dip was delicious and again the meat was perfectly tender and moist.

The watermelon smash was our healthy bit....refreshing chunks of watermelon and cucumber with mint and a bit of heat came from a few pieces of chilli.

We were so full by this point, but oh no there was no way we were giving up!! The dessert menu at Hawksmoor is incredible, too many things sounds too delicious.

We went for peanut butter shortbread with salted caramel ice cream. The shortbread was thin and crisp, and the peanut butter flavour was not too overwhelming, but perfectly subtle enough to complement the  salted caramel ice cream. The flavours did not compete, which can be the case when the salted caramel is too strong or visa versa.

The came the absolute cherry on top of my already wonderful meal.

Salted. Caramel. Rolos.

My happy face.

They were pure perfection. Everything I had been hoping for, they did not disappoint in the slightest.

The salted caramel flavour was strong inside the crisp, cold chocolate shell. It melted and oozed out but still held its shape. I still recommend popping these whole however, for the full effect of the flavour.

Simply beautiful and so worth the wait. 

Next time is steak time.

My Amazing Mushroom Risotto

People in my closest circle know that mushroom risotto is my signature dish. Not gonna lie, it is pretty epic. And the best thing is, it's so simple and easy to make. It might take a while to cook, but the execution is so simple!

A lot of people think making a risotto is difficult. I'm not quite sure why this is. A misconception perhaps, maybe one too many rubbish risottos in half-decent Italian restaurants.

To make my epic mushroom risotto for two people, you will need:

100g chestnut mushrooms

100g exotic or wild mushrooms (some supermarkets sell these in packs, if they're loose look for chanterelles, morels fresh porcini (cep) or portobello)

500g vegetable stock in boiling water

75ml white wine

150g arborio rice

1 medium onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

parmesan or creme fraiche to serve

knob of butter

olive oil

Firstly, wipe all mushrooms with a damp kitchen towel and slice. 
Then in a large sauce pan, heat the butter and oil over a medium heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook for about one more minute. Then add the washed and sliced mushrooms.

Once cooked, add the rice and cook for about a minute or two until it looks translucent. THIS PART IS IMPORTANT!! It helps the rice to soak up the liquid better.

Then add the wine and stir the rice frequently. 

When that has been soaked up by the rice, add one ladle of stock to the pan and stir until it has been absorbed. Then continue this process adding only a ladle at a time once it has been absorbed. Make sure you stay by the pan and stir all the time. Stirring helps the rice to soak up all the liquid, so your risotto will be nice and soft at the end. This will take time, about 30 to 40 minutes. You should notice at the end the rice becoming bulkier and it becoming more difficult to stir.

Keep stirring....

...and stirring...

Until the rice has become much thicker and softer

There should still be some liquid left in the pan, it should not be completely dry.

Have a little taste of your rice. It should be nice and soft. If not, add a little more water and stir till the rice has no bite left to it. 

Season to taste, spoon it into bowls and sprinkle some parmesan shavings on top or when in the pan, stir a spoonful of creme fraiche through.

And voila. The best risotto you will ever eat!!

L'étranger, South Kensington, and the Glory of a Set Menu

Some foodies might think they will never be able to see the light inside a Michelin starred or well-renowned restaurant, simply because it is far too expensive. But this is not the case. Many offer set menus, which are a great and cheaper alternative to a la carte menus. You may not get as much choice or it maybe subject to terms, such as dining between 6-7 Mon-Fri (usually the pre-theatre times), but that is a small price to pay for what is essentially a great deal for foodies and great value. We are able to taste what the restaurant has to offer and may be tempted in the future to save for the full experience. For example, for £36 you can have a 3 course lunch at the 8th best restaurant in the world, Dinner by Heston Blumethal or for £35, plus petits fours and an amuse bouche, you can dine at South Kensington's Michelin starred The Ledbury. 

My sister and I were heading to the Royal Albert Hall one Friday night to see a performance of Swan Lake by the English National Ballet. It started at 7.30, so obviously we needed no excuse to go on the hunt for good early bird menus in the area. We went for L'étranger in South Kensington, a much-talked about French-Japanese fusion restaurant which also serves a wide range of sushi and sashimi. It also does an excellent deal of 2 courses for £22 or 3 for £25!

We were the first table in so I could take a good look around the place. The main dining room is fairly small, but modern and decorated in a dark, chic style. The tables were elegantly set out and the cutlery reminded me of a designer's sketch of a dress; a sexy lady wearing a  flowing dress - yes, I can deduce that all from a knife. The windows are covered by boudoir style beading, allowing privacy. To the side is a private dining room that doubles up as a wine cellar.

First up, drinks. I had a seriously good cocktail. So different and interesting, however I'm still not entirely sure what was in it. The menu simply said "a blend of ginger and mandarin liqueurs". It went down far too easy.

-All dressed up for the Royal Albert occasion as you can see. Not awkward at all for travelling on the underground at 5pm....

They very kindly offered us an amuse bouche to start, which consisted of crab and crayfish with seaweed, sesame seeds and lemon. A taste of the fusion to come. I'm afraid I was not a fan of eating a lemon, with skin on and all, it was all a bit too sour for me, completely obliterated any taste there might have been of crab and crayfish.

After giggling over a myriad of spelling mistakes on the menu, it was so time to decide my main course,  a hard task because they all sounded so enticing. A wagyu beef burger with sumo polenta truffle chips and cheese fondue was very tempting but in the end I went for confit chicken and nori salt with stuffed courgette flower and monkfish cheek with a pea purée and xeres reduction.

So stylish, neat, precise, colourful and appetising. Marrying French and Japanese might sound like a near on impossible task, but let me tell you this dish was incredible. I actually moaned when I put the food in my mouth. The flavours coming from the oh so tender chicken along with the monkfish and the Japanese salt were incredible. It has to be tasted to be believed. The dishes turn out accomplished and classic but the Japanese lends a modern twist to each dish. An exciting, interesting and new take on things.

My sister had pan fried seabass with sweet corn purée, grilled baby courgette and squid ink. She too said it was excellent.

Unfortunately I had spied a dessert on the a la carte menu, which trumped all others, the Earl Grey and dark chocolate crème brûlée. However, I had to settle for a mango nougat parfait with caramel sauce, not a bad second choice!

It was very nice, a very nice nougat parfait, for I don't remember tasting much of the mango. But the pure caramel sauce made me quickly forget about that!

My sister had a trio of ice creams and sorbets. She ordered mango and lime and strawberry sorbets and a blueberry ice cream. The prettiest pops of colours arrived in front of her:

Candy colours!! I got to taste these and the flavours were not subtle in the slightest! Really just what you want from ice cream and sorbets. Flavours that pack a punch.

The service was attentive and not over-bearing. Our water glasses were always filled without us asking once. Although my waiter had a tiny bit of an issue with a very shaky hand when he was handing me my cocktail! I felt bad for him because I didn't mind or even care at all, I didn't want to pay much attention so he didn't feel too embarrassed but I think he was a little.

L'étranger definitely succeeded in enticing me back in the future for another meal, which is what the set menu is there to do. In fact, I would be willing to fork out £90 (when the money starts rolling in though, of course) to see the tasting menu in action (also includes the crème brûlée!) I really was that impressed. 

York Day 4: York Cocoa House

York Cocoa House looks like it has been in York for years and years. In reality, it only opened last year. As you can probably tell from the name it serves a lot of chocolatey treats, in the form of their signature hot chocolate, milkshakes, brownies and cakes and even some savoury dishes with chocolate. It also sells it's own homemade chocolates and truffles and also does some chocolate making classes, which I would love to try at some point. Great idea for a day out.

The shop and cafe is styled like it's from the Victorian era. The lovely, friendly staff wear little aprons and tunics and the menus are big wooden boards.

If you're after something more substantial, they serve a very interesting lunch menu, all including some kind of chocolate, with treats such as goat's cheese and red onion pizza - with a chocolate ganache, or smoked salmon, with white chocolate and wasabi cream.

I have tried many a brownie here. They do all sorts, with chocolate chunks, with maltesers, caramel and orange among many more. They do lots of cakes, including an incredible stout and chocolate cake! Now, I'm not fan of beer, but this rich, gooey, fudgey cake with a hint of something that came from the beer left me gasping for more! They are all homemade and in never ending supply, as they are constantly coming out of the kitchen with more. The hot chocolate is rich and full of chocolate flavour, made with real chocolate pieces, however not too thick like many hot chocolates can be.

I visited recently and went for something I've never tried before, a white chocolate and lemon  tart. As you can see from the picture below, it was very soft, moist and had a wonderful punch of lemon flavour. It was more of a lemon tart, with a very subtle flavour of white chocolate running through. Their coffees come with some kind of chocolate as standard, usually a homemade chocolate button, but this time they gave me a whole homemade truffle! 
Although hot chocolate is their signature drink, they do not forget about their coffee; they serve a lovely, strong coffee.

After only being in York for a few months this has already become my go-to cafe in York. It never runs out of brownies and cakes at the end of the day if you are wanting a late coffee, unlike some other cafes in York. Being a chocolate lover, the cakes never fail to disappoint, which is the main reason I keep returning, it is chocolate heaven.