An Edible Voyage

June 2020 Often on tapas menus one finds the same dishes over and over again so I found it refreshing to come across the creative dishes of Arbequina.  Think spicy, melt in the mouth nduja spread on to toast with sweet honey and earthy thyme, or rich and tender chicken thighs contrasting with the crispest skin, the zing of romesco and the sweet bite of spring onion.  There are also plenty of old time favourites making an appearance on the menu too, with patatas bravas and an exceptional onion tortilla.    For dessert, their custard tarts are famous around Oxford, and their Santiago tart is gooey, almondy and paired with poached apricots and cream. Beverages haven't been left behind either, with an inspired drinks menu.  My favourite thing to do is order a White Negroni as an aperitif - more subtle and balanced that it's traditional counterpart, the citrusey, aromatic flavour of the bergamot really shines through. Find Arbequina on Cowley Road...

June 2020 I am a complete convert to pomegranate molasses.  Always one to substitute ingredients for what I have in store, on first glance at this recipe sent to me by a friend, my immediate reaction was pomegranate molasses?! Definite substitution.  However coincidentally, later that day, another recipe caught my eye in a magazine and scanning through the ingredients, I noticed that too called for pomegranate molasses.  It seemed this was something I needed to invest in. And I'm so glad I did! This Iranian dish is typically eaten of the longest night of the year to celebrate the coming of winter, so I was a full 6 months out.  But it sounded so delicious, there was no way I could wait another 6 months to try it.   Fesenjoon is made from 3 main ingredients - walnuts, chicken and pomegranate.  Ground walnuts are boiled for 2 hours before any other ingredient is added, eventually thickening to the texture of an Indian curry sauce and giving a ric...