An Edible Voyage

August 2021 Pedro Ximenez. The taste of the sweetest, molten raisins. A perfect pairing for roasted stone fruit and chocolate.  Combine that with French toast made from chewy, tangy sourdough, and what ensues is the most indulgent brunch, made for a leisurely weekend with a perfect cup of coffee and a good magazine. For this creation, I simply roasted apricots with a little Pedro Ximenez and piled them on to French toast with some vegan chocolate ice cream I had made previously from soaked cashews blended with coconut milk and melted chocolate, chopped almonds and cocoa nibs. It had crunch, it had fruitiness, it had creaminess, and that kick of Pedro Ximenez.  One seriously stylish brunch. 

November 2019 I pretty much lived in this cafe whilst in Copenhagen.  Everything is pant-based but that certainly doesn't mean their offerings are lacking flavour or creativity - their brunch was a taste sensation!   For the sweet tooth, enormous stacks of fluffy banana pancakes with silky cashew cream and the sweet, tart crunch of freeze dried raspberries.   For the more savoury inclined, a smorgasbord of dehydrated peppers and aubergines, and raw crackers to dip in sweet potato puree and mushroom pate; rice paper rolls with sprouts and pickled red onions; tahini avocado with sweet pops of balsamic pearls; rye and sourdough bread - a feast of nutrients to set you up for the day. The turmeric latte was the best I've ever taste, with the addition of ginger juice giving it an addictive spicy kick. Find it all at Plant Power Food, Copenhagen.

April 2020 This was a lockdown accident! I decided to make a dish called 'Creamy Cashew Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Kale', only to find I didn't own the 3 key ingredients.  A bit of improvisation, however, hugely paid off! In the recipe, cashews are blitzed with garlic and lemon to make a sort of pesto so I substituted almonds.  I had made some tomato and red pepper granita the previous day and thought the sweetness of the red peppers could make up for the lack of sundried tomatoes.  Can you put ice on your hot pasta dish?  It seems yes! The result was a creamy, yet fresh and citrusy sauce, with a touch of heat from the garlic, and sweetness from the granita which gave refreshing little cold 'pops' on my tongue.  A few dry fried almonds sprinkled on top finished it off, adding a satisfying crunch and toasted flavours.