Our Flats First BBQ (w/ mac n' cheese recipe)

At first glance you are probably wondering what it is you are looking at in the picture here. The title should help a bit with that. This is the menu list for our BBQ that we had at our flat last weekend. I didn't have any other pictures to put with this blog since the day of our BBQ my hands were a bit full juggling from being a host, finishing the side dishes and trying not to burn anything too badly on the grill (all of this while trying to enjoy a frosty cold one).

   

We really lucked out with the weather that day. A mix of clouds and sun, but the temp was nice and we had no rain. So I would call that a fine English day. We tried to go with a lot of the American BBQ classics but with a bit of a twist in some places. On the grill we had Burgers (of course), Grilled Veggies, some Sausages from our local butcher, and Chicken but not your everyday chicken, I went with Jamaican Jerked style. Our sides were fresh Salsa & Guacamole (that went fast), Cole Slaw (an American classic, but mine wasn't swimming in mayo), raw veggies with Spinach Dip, Garden Salad (because man can not live on meat alone) and the perennial favorite straight from every ones childhood, Mac N' Cheese (and yes it was the backed one with the yummy crispy topping)! 

           

And by request here is the recipe for that dish. Keep in mind I don't think I have ever made any measurements will making Mac N' Cheese so this a total guestimation on the amounts.

Mac N' Cheese

What you need:

• Stock Pot, Large Pot, Whisk, Spoon, Small Mixing Bowl, Colander, and a Baking Dish or Casserole

What to put in it:

• 1 Lb of Pasta (I went with the classic Macaroni or Elbow)
• 4-5 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese (the more the better!)
• 1 Cup Grated Parmesan
• 3-4 Tbsp Butter plus 1 (Melted)
• 4-5 Tbsp White Flour
• 24 oz Whole Milk -Room Temp (If you use lowfat or skim it really doesn't do the dish justice, be bad and treat yourself, plus what difference will it make when you are using that much cheese)
• 2-3 Cups Brad Crumbs (preferable Panko)
• Tabasco or Cayenne Pepper
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• Salt & Pepper

What to do with it:

• Get some water boiling in the Stock Pot and add some salt to it, once it is going add the pasta a cook per the instructions on the packaging
• Turn oven on to 350 F
• Heat 4-5 Tbsp of Butter in the Pot over med-low heat
• Add the flour and whisk till it combines, then add the milk while whisking
• Continue to whisk the milk till it thickens, this is called Bechamel Sauce
• Add the Nutmeg and now stir in the cheeses, you can turn the heat of now
• Season with Salt & Pepper along with a touch of the hot stuff
• Drain the pasta when it is done and place back in the Stock Pot
• Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining butter (melted)
• Add the Cheese sauce to the Pasta and mix, then pour into your Baking Dish and top evenly with the Bread Crumbs
• Place into oven and cook till the Mac is bubbling and the topping is golden, probably around 10-15 minutes depending on your oven (but keep an eye on it)
• Remove from the oven and dish it up!!! Mmmmmmm!

Spiced Monkfish with Eggplant/Shroom/Potato Hash

The Fish portion of this recipe (Page 144) is from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite cookbook (with just a little tweaking from me). This is a great cookbook with a ton of easy and healthy recipes to choose from. For all of you that are sceptical of British cooking especially the healthiness of it, this cookbook has those influences and many more. It's not just 'Fish and Chips' and "Bangers and Mash' any more. The side is my own little creation. Hope you like it! 

    

     

What you Need:

-Non Stick Pan (Med), Baking Dish, Med Pot, Tongs,  Spoon, Regular Plate

   

What's in It:

• 2 Monkfish Fillets (Skinned and Boned)
• 1 Tsp 5-Spice powder
• 1 Tsp Sweet Paprika
• 1 Tsp Salt 
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• Lemon (Wedges)
• Olive Oil
• Small Eggplant (1/2 inch cubes)
• 4 Sm. Potatoes [Yukon] (1/2 inch cubes)
• Handful Button or Brown Mushrooms (Rough Chopped)
• 2 Tbsp Cilantro (Chopped)
• 2 Shallots (Diced)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (Sm. Dice)
• 1 Inch of Ginger (Sm. Dice)
• 1Tsp Garam Masala
• Salt & Pepper (Too Taste)
• Baby Corn

    

What to Do with It:

1. Wash and dry your Monkfish fillets, set oven to 400 F
2. Combine the dry spices on your plate and roll the fillets in them
3. Put a little glug of Olive oil in the pan and heat on med/high
4. When the pan is hot, place the fish in the pan and cook about 3 minutes a si
   de till golden/brown, then set aside
5. Wipe out the pan and add a little more oil, heat on med
6. Get some water boiling in your pot
7. Put the potatoes in and brown, then add the eggplant and shrooms (about 5 minutes)
8. Put the fish on the baking dish and into the oven for 6 minutes
9. Add the garlic and ginger, saute for a minute
10. Add in Cilantro to the pan and toss
11. Place Baby Corn into the pan of water
12. Meanwhile the fish should be ready, remove and let sit for a minute 
13. Slice the Fish and plate with the Hash and corn, serve with wedges of lemon.
14. Relax and Enjoy!!!

Asia de Cuba

So this past Saturday the misses and I had a bit of a 'Spa Day' at Harrods. Actually it was just a shave and a trim for me but that's just fine. Of course all that pampering can be exhausting and you work up quite a appetite, i needed dinner plans for after. So I asked a friend of ours for a restaurant suggestions, since he and his wife make it a point to go out and experience new places to dine in London. I chose to check out one of there top picks which ended up being a restaurant called Asia de Cuba.

         

Of course from the name you can tell what type of cuisine is served. Asia de Cuba does a very nice job of combining both ingredients and cooking styles of Asia and Cuba. Flavors combine and switch from the zing and richness of Cuba and the freshness of a variety of Asian styles. Portions are definitely "Texas Size", which for those of you who don't know what that means, it is a reference to the saying that 'everything is bigger in Texas'. Hence the portions are huge and sharing is the key to ordering dishes at Asia de Cuba. We shared an appetizer, the Calamari Salad 'Asia De Cuba', which was delicious. Crispy calamari, hearts of palm, sweet banana chunks, cashews, crisp greens and a sweet orange/sesame dressing. Very good and very big. For our main we shared the pork spare ribs with pineapple and sides of plantain fried rice w/ avocado salsa and wokked Chinese long beans (sample menu). All very tasty and the pork with meltingly tender. Along with great food they offer a tasty beverage menu with some creative cocktails featuring ,of course, rum. The bar features the largest selection of sipping rums in London. A nice wine selections is available too. Ambiance is lively and the decor is highlighted by their towering 'art columns'.

   

All in all I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a couples night out and especially for a place to meet friends so you can share a variety of their innovative dishes.

"The Sandwich"

To finally actually answer the poll that I posted so long ago and that didn't have a clear winner, here it is. "The Sandwich"is the name we affectionately call a concoction that we have been eating for years now. The inspiration for this sandwich, I'm not ashamed to say, comes from Martha Stewart. She may have gone to jail and to many of the more hardcore Foodies she might be the Antichrist, but she does occasionally come up with some tasty meals/treats. 

  

This sandwich has become a bit of comfort food for us and has never lost it's appeal. Everyone we have shared this will agree this is a delicious 'sammie'. The ingredients may vary and there is no set amount or combination, so here is the basic outline of "The Sandwich".

What's in It:

• 1 Loaf Ciabatta Bread (the Fresher the better)
• Approx. 1/4 lb Prosciutto (Paper Thin)
• Sm. Jar Artichokes in Olive Oil
• Couple Handfuls of Arugula or 'Spring Mix'
• Handful Roasted Peppers (Slices)
• 3 Med-Large Balls of Fresh Mozzarella (Sliced) Buffalo is possible
• 1/2 Sm. Red Onion (thinly Sliced)
• 2 Med Vine-Ripened Tomato (sliced)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar (good stuff if you got it)
• Salt and Freshly Cracked Pepper

What to do with It:

1. Slice the bread and sprinkle Olive Oil on the bottom half, Balsamic on the top
2. Layer on the Prosciutto, then the Artichokes and Pepper, then Tomatoes 
3. Season with S & P, then add onion and a splash of Olive Oil
4. Add on the greens then the Mozzarella, season again
5. Place top half of Ciabatta
6. Cover with towel and then put something heavy on top - this mushes all the goodness together and combines the flavors along with making the sandwich thin enough to fit in your mouth

Enjoy!! I know you will!!

Stavanger: A Culinary Destination (Who would have known)

It's been a while since I've written (bad me), but here is a post that I had meant to finish up shortly after the trip was taken. Not to long ago my fiance Shira had a business trip to Stavanger, Norway. I decided to meet up with here near the end of the work week so we could spend the weekend there. I didn't know much about Norway or Stavanger outside of it being called the "Land of the Midnight Sun", due to the ridiculously long days in the summer. Unfortunately it wasn't summer time so the weather was a bit cold and wet. Regardless f that I can definitely see the charm of this little city and can image it as the great base for the outdoor adventure that's at it's doorstep. 

  

My biggest surprise and the reason for this write up is the culinary scene. The Norwegians, much like the British aren't renown for the traditional culinary prowess of their culture. Fresh fish and a huge repertoire of pickled items is about the extent of what most people think of when Norway comes to mind. Surprisingly there was a huge range of dining options to choose from for our weekend in Stavanger soI did a fair amount of research on restaurants before the trip (as any true 'Foodie' would) and was excited at the prospects.

   

Our First dinner was a local fish restaurant, Sjohuset Skagen located just off the water (the Vagen). The cuisine was fairly traditional Norwegian and I must say that it was really tasty. No flair but honest food prepared expertly. The first Cod of the season was on special so "When in Rome", of course we had the Cod special. I first started with a Gravlax which was the best that I've ever had and of course some regional brew. Following that was the main course of Cod, fresh veggies (some of them pickled), and of course the starch of choice thereabouts, Potatoes. Everything was simply done but very tasty, kudos to Norwegian cuisine.

   

Also while we there we had some very flavorful burgers (actually some of the best that I have tasted since moving away from the states) for lunch at a small restaurant in the city center called Soleado. Mornings consisted of aromatic coffee and pastries at a french style cafe. Another tasty dinner was at a Tapas restaurant (they seem to be everywhere in Europe) called Emilio's Tapas Bar. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the Tapas were at this place. Very authentic dishes, all the classics that you would expect - Jamon Ham, Manchego Cheese, Olives, Bacon wrapped Dated, Octopus and many, many more. A great treat!

The last place of mention is Craigs Kjokken(Kitchen). This was a restaurant that was recommended on many websites and also by some coworkers of Shira. This was a quite posh place whose food could be best described as modern Norwegian. They have only one set menu of 6 courses (you can choose how many and which courses you want) and it changes daily, all depending on what is available. If I remember correctly they try to use a lot of local ingredients in their menus. Unfortunately I can't completely recall all the plates that we had (went for 5 course, skipping the cheese course) but there was a starter, soup, 1st, 2nd, and dessert course. If there is some interest in what we actually had please let me know and I will confer with my Foodie Fiance and we'll try to recall our meal in detail. Craig's does offer wine pairing for each of the courses and has a pretty extensive wine list. So in a nutshell the whole meal was fantastic, the portions were just right and all the dishes were a nice blend of Norwegian staples with a twist or at least regionally inspired. I would definitely recommend this place for a visit.

Well I hope you are as surprised as I am to all the tastiness that can be found in Stavanger, Norway and if you do get a chance to visit, check some of these places out. Cheers!