An Edible Voyage

August 2021 Whilst out for dinner with a friend, I casually mentioned my upcoming trip to Moldova and she was straight on to her coffee app to inform me that there are precisely two speciality coffee shops in Chisinau.  So, obviously, I had to visit both! First up was YOCO Coffee And Drinks.  Along the M3, the main road running south out of the city, around 4 miles from the city centre, it's not the most convenient place to get to, but I decided to combine it with my morning run (not my most scenic...), much to the bemusement of all the locals who were probably wondering why on earth I was trying to jog down pavements which are consistently more hole than paving.  Once inside though, it's the complete opposite of the Chisinau traffic chaos outside, cool and calm with simple yet sophisticated decor.  The flat white was exceptional and they make their own cold brew. Next up was the much more accessible Pasio.  The outside looked a bit like a chain coffee shop and ...

January 2021 At the end of last year, I discovered a book, The Little Library Year.  I saw it advertised in a magazine and thought it sounded right up my street.  I love cooking, I love reading, and this is a book that takes you through each season, suggesting weather appropriate recipes using seasonal ingredients, as well as books suited to the time of year.  A great book to leave on the coffee table and dip in and out of as you please.   I automatically opened it at the front and began reading, but then remembered it was autumn so flicked towards the back and started from there.  Recipes have a short passage talking about the book they were inspired from and I like how my cooking then feels part of a story. In the long, dark days section, there is a whole chapter devoted to toast.  I'm a big toast fan.  So simple, yet so comforting.  Even when I'm not hungry, the smell of toast whets my appetite, and it's truly impossible to ever only have ...

January 2021 Homemade sourdough is one of my all time favourite things to eat.  Nothing beats that slightly chewy, tangy, still warm from the oven first slice.  Then later on, toasted, it's the perfect vehicle for all sorts of toppings - simply slathered in marmite (another favourite of mine), generously loaded with Bloody Mary inspired smashed avo and a fried egg... I'm salivating just thinking of the options. Anyway, it can prove (excuse the pun) tricky to make a good loaf as the mercury barely creeps above 0 degrees over winter.  There just isn't the warmth to excite the starter, and getting a good rise during the proving stage takes forever.   One very chilly winter evening, I spontaneously decided to make a loaf but realised I needed to generate some heat.  I fed my starter, covered it with cling film, set the oven to 30 degrees C, and put my starter in for an hour or so.  Already it looked excited enough to make the dough and it sat next to me pr...

September 2019 Weekend brunch at Drop Coffee is an exciting affair - you won't find your standard brunch items that appear on every cafe's menu here.  Instead there are interesting twists on favourites.  I struggled to choose between Avocado 1.0 and Avocado 2.0 because 1.0 came with a sous vide egg, and I do love a sous vide egg... But I went for 2.0 as it sounded like a delicious combination of flavours.  Avocado and pickled carrot with garlic cream on toasted sourdough - bags of fresh flavours highlighted by the kick of garlic. A guilt-free yet totally delicious brunch. Find it at Drop Coffee, Stockholm, and enjoy alongside one of their own roasted coffees.