Solyanka. St Petersburg, Russia

January 2017
Solyanka, a soup of meat and pickled vegetables has a piquant, briny flavour.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Aubergine Parma Focaccia Sandwich

Image
February 2021 Bread is my weakness.  I could live without crisps, biscuits, sweets, maybe even chocolate, but not homemade bread.  Consequently, my kitchen experiments often involve trying out different types of bread. When it's a good one, focaccia is one of my favourites - I remember working as a waitress in an Italian restaurant in my teens and the best part of the shift was getting to eat any of the leftover focaccia, baked fresh each afternoon, at the end of the night.  But I was a little anxious as to how it would turn out since I've had plenty of too doughy/ salty/ oily focaccias over the years - it seems a difficult one to consistently perfect.  I'd also seen an Instagram post from a restaurant serving focaccia sandwiches, among which was an aubergine parmigiana filling.  I wanted it. But sadly lockdown prevented me from being able to go there to get one so I decided I had to make my own.  The focaccia itself was actually surprisingly quick and easy...
Read more

Pastel de Nata. Portugal

Image
Pastel de Nata. Those words alone are likely to spark endless debates on which city, which bakery produces the best, and even what it is that constitutes 'the best'.   I have to say, when trying to choose the coveted 'best' it is a tricky one.  Pasteis de Belem in Lisbon has pasteis de nata as good as you would expect from the place claiming to be the original.  Still using the secret recipe from 1837 when the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos started selling them to raise money for the closing convents and monastery, the tarts have perfectly flaky pastry and ooze creamy custard. Hot on their heels though, is Manteigaria, with shops in both Lisbon and Porto.  Watch the bakers as they work, and eat hot from the oven perfect tarts, filled to the brim with caramelised custard.  They also serve a delicious breakfast bowl with oats, berries and nut butter if you feel you need some breakfast before your pastel de nata...but I won't judge you if these glorious tarts are your...
Read more

Fish, Salcombe, UK

Image
May 2021 I always find that sun plus a salty breeze in the air makes me crave fish and seafood straight from the ocean, and The Crab Shed is just the place for satisfying that craving.  Situated on the quay, fish is landed straight on to their doorstep.  This is some seriously fresh fish.  The menu keeps things simple, allowing the flavours of the fish and seafood to take centre stage.   I don't usually go for fish and chips because I don't generally like batter, or chips...weird I know! But a taste of my partner's battered haddock could almost persuade me otherwise - so crispy and so incredibly light. Find The Crab Shed in the Creek car park, a little way from the hubbub of the town centre on the tranquil water's edge behind Island Street. 
Read more