Review: The Gibson

We encountered the Gibson by chance whilst traipsing around Old Street, Shoreditch, the other weekend. From the outside it's very discreet, with frosted windows; the sign on the outside is barely visible until you're right up next to the door. Once inside, you feel like you've stepped into another era, with cool music and dimmed lighting. The cocktail menu is extensive and extravagant (although the prices are reasonable). Feel free to ask the knowledgable and friendly staff for some advice or you might be lost for choice. We tried the Ponderosa (pictured below), which boasts a host of intriguing ingredients and is topped with beef jerky! Another option was the Wizard of Oz, of which the strongest flavour was the "smoked corn hair". The selection of different cocktails at The Gibson will blow you away!

Taste of London Festival

We spent last weekend in London and took a trip to Tobacco Docks for a visit to TASTE Food Festival! The location was amazing and left us feeling very festive. The event included workshops, demonstrations and interviews with some of our favourite chefs including Dan Doherty from Duck and Waffle, the beautiful Gizzi Erskine, and even DJ BBQ from Jamie's FoodTube!

The festival was filled with hundreds of stalls from big food companies and small producers. There were ridiculous numbers of booze stalls and we sampled everything from glitter-infused sparkling wine (they looked like lava lamps!) to some very expensive ports, and lots of festive mulled ciders and flavoured liquors. No wonder then that we all left feeling a little tipsy and extremely jolly!

Our favourite demonstration hands down goes to the amazing Dan Doherty, who showed us how to make an incredible ox-cheek doughnut and prepared a pretty spectacular crispy duck kebab with burnt aubergine, yoghurt, sriracha sauce, cumin, sumac and coriander (pictured above), designed especially for the charity Action Against Hunger. Later on we were able to sample the duck kebabs ourselves, and let us tell you they did not disappoint! We were so inspired that we bought the Duck and Waffle cook book (review soon).

Gizzi Erskine had some sneaky tricks up her sleeve and showed us how to make a delicious prawn cocktail, with prawn-infused oil that we will be sure to be making in the very near future. Christian Stevenson (A.K.A DJ BBQ) was getting to know a host of chefs at the 'A Question of Taste' stage. We managed to catch him in his break for a photo and a chat; we even showed him our portobello mushroom burgers!

The festival was completely amazing. Some of our favourite exhibitors include City of London Distillery (amazing gin!), T2 (for all the teas you could ever desire), Sipsmiths (delicious British spirits), Yorkshire Drizzle (buy the cherry balsamic vinegar), Mr Hugh's (the truffle oil!), Natural World (so many nut butters, our favourite was Sesame & Date) and Borough Broth Co (for some extremely nutritious bone broth: we recommend the chicken). 

We can't wait to go next year!

Roasted Red Pepper & Parsley Focaccia

Focaccia is one of the easiest and most versatile breads to make, and the flavours can be changed to suit your menu or your mood! This recipe makes a pretty big loaf so you don't need to skimp on servings. Swap your red peppers and parsley for sundried tomatoes, olives, basil, or even mozzarella!

Ingredients:

- 500g strong white bread flour
- Sea salt
- 7g yeast
- 350ml tepid water
- Olive oil
- Handful of breadcrumbs
- Roasted red peppers, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced
- Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- Ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

How To Do The Thing:

1. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of sea salt. In a measuring jug, add the yeast to 350ml of tepid water and stir together. Pour the yeast mixture into the mixing bowl, add a tablespoon of olive oil, and combine everything with a spoon. When it becomes too sticky, take the mixture out of the bowl and knead together on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes. Once thoroughly combined, flip the mixing bowl and place over the dough to rise for 45 minutes.

2. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into a ceramic dish. Knock the air out of the dough, place inside the dish and stretch to fill the dish. Add all the toppings and prod the dough all over with your fingertips. Cover the dish with a damp tea towel and leave the dough for another 45 minutes.

3. Place the dish into an oven preheated to 200 C and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the bread begins turning golden brown. Enjoy!

Panko Portabello & Halloumi Burger

This isn't one of those cop out meat-free burger recipes. Incredibly meaty and delicious in it's own right - this burger really is something special.

Ingredients:

Burger:

- 2 Portobello mushrooms
- 100g Plain Flour
- 2 Eggs
- l00g Panko Breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Slice of Halloumi
- 2 Brioche buns
- Barbecue sauce (We will be posting a recipe soon!)

Kale Slaw:

- 1 Carrot
- 250g Kale
- 1 Red onion
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 tsp White Sugar
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes

How To Do The Thing:

1. Set up a breading station for the mushroom with 3 plates; flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Coat the mushroom in flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs.

2. To make the slaw firstly remove tough stalks from your kale. Grate the carrot and julienne the red onion into short thin slices. In a bowl mix together the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, chilli flakes and sugar. Pour over the vegetables and use your hands to crunch the kale, helping it to break down. Leave to sit for at least 15 minutes.

3. Add the oil to a frying pan on medium-high heat. Fry the breaded mushroom in the oil until golden brown on both sides. Heat a griddle pan on max heat and cook the halloumi until char lines appear.

4. Assemble the burger by adding a handful of the slaw on the bottom slice of brioche, followed by the breaded mushroom, halloumi, and finally a dollop of barbecue sauce. Tuck in!

Istanbul: A Brief Food Tour

Istanbul is one of the most exciting cities, full of colours smells and unusual sounds; you can't miss the calls to prayer as they echo from every mosque across the city five times a day! Take a trip up the Galata tower for a 360 degree view of Istanbul.

Local street vendors sell bread rolls and grilled corn on the cob with lots of salt and butter so you're never more than 50 metres from a quick and tasty snack. Don't miss a trip to the spice bazaar where you can find more spices than you ever knew existed!

Sightseeing can be tiring but there are plenty of cafes to rest your feet. You can get some amazing Turkish coffee but beware, it's potent stuff! Definitely best served with a side of Turkey's famous baklava. We stopped at a lovely cafe near the Hagia Sophia, a well needed stop after visits to the Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern.

 If you're really hungry grab a pede from one of the many tiny food outlets. Pedes are pod-shaped pizza-like breads, usually topped with cheese and meat. They're great value and a local dish. 

Make sure you head to the Grand Bazaar, you'll never find another place like it. Haggle for anything from hand painted bowls to beautiful woven rugs to knock-off handbags! We recommend going here for your Turkish delight and tea. They vacuum pack your goods so they're easy to transport and don't go off in your suitcase.

Near the Galata bridge you can buy some delicious local 'fish & bread': freshly caught grilled fish with salad in a roll. Cheap and insanely tasty! At the same time grab some deep-fried dessert; little light and crispy rings dripping in a sweet syrup - you'll love them if you have a sweet tooth.

And let's not forget the Turkish tea! We drank so much of this tea, it's cheap and refreshing and great with a spoonful of sugar. You can buy Turkish tea everywhere and it's perfect to drink at any time of the day or night. It's safe to say that if you're in Istanbul you'll never be short of options on where to eat and what to see. Other delights include Boreks (cigarette shaped cheese pastries), Menemen (a paprika egg breakfast dish) and of course you can't stop in Istanbul without trying a kebab!

Seafood Linguine

The linguine is cram jammed full of delicious seafood and could give any Italian restaurant a run for its money. The ingredients aren't cheap but definitely worth the splurge! This recipe is ideal for seafood lovers.

Ingredients:

- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Red chilli, finely diced
- 3 Cloves of Garlic
- 1 Small glass of White Wine
- A handful of Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
- 450ml Fish Stock
- 200g Chopped Tomatoes (half a tin)
- 200g Linguine
- 250g Cooked Prawns with shells on
- 200g Mixed Cooked Seafood
- Pinch of Salt
- Parsley, finely chopped

How To Do The Thing:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the chilli and garlic and cook - stirring frequently - for 3 minutes. Add the wine, and cook until the liquid evaporates by half.

2. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and then simmer until the sauce has reached a consistency of your liking.

3. Put your linguine on to cook in boiling water and with a pinch of salt.

4. Add the shelled prawns and seafood and stir to warm them through. Season to taste with salt, and then add the parsley. Drain the linguine and add to the pan containing the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce for 30 seconds to combine all the flavours. Garnish with the remaining parsley.

Sweet Methi Chicken Curry

In this recipe, pureed caramelised onions and tomatoes are combined to make a luxuriously smooth and sweet sauce. It's important to use chicken thighs instead of breasts as they are less likely to dry out when cooking for a longer time, as in this recipe.

Ingredients:

- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 700g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into equal chunks
- 2 red chillies, finely sliced
- 4 tbsp tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp fenugreek
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp garam masala
- 1/2 tbsp chilli powder (add to taste)
- Salt, to taste
- Large handful of spinach



How To Do The Thing:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium frying pan over low heat. Add in the onion, salt, and sugar. Cook - stirring frequently - for about 45 minutes, or until the onion turns a deep golden brown.

2. Once the onion has caramelised, empty the contents of the pan into a food processor. Return the pan to the hob and add the ginger and garlic, cooking over medium heat for three minutes so that the spices become aromatic. Add the contents of the frying pan into the same food processor as the onion and blitz into a smooth paste. Add water to the processor if required.

3. In a large frying pan on medium-high heat, add the remaining 4 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add the chicken thighs and cook for 7 minutes. Add the chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes. Now, add the onion paste into the pan and stir into the chicken. Cook for a further minute before adding the tomatoes.

4. Add the fenugreek, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, salt and water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and then simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce has become reached a consistency of your liking.

5. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Serve with basmati rice.

Katsu Chicken Curry

Katsu is not your typical curry, but it's one of our favourite japanese dishes! If you're in a hurry or low on cash you can buy inexpensive pre-breaded chicken and cook it in the oven. We enjoy our curry with a tonne of sauce, but for aesthetics there's only a bit in the pictures below! 

Ingredients:

For the Katsu Sauce- 

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion, roughly chopped

1 Carrot, cubed

3 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

1 Red Chilli, cut into thin strips

2 tbsp Plain Flour

2 tbsp Curry Powder (we used HOT!)

500ml Chicken Stock

1 tbsp Honey

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

For the Breaded Chicken-

A handful of Plain Flour

1 Egg

100g Panko Breadcrumbs

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Spring Onions, to garnish

How To Do The Thing:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, garlic, and most of the chilli (receive some for later). Cook - stirring frequently - for about 7 minutes. Now, add in the flour, curry powder, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the honey, garam masala, and soy sauce. Cook on a low heat for 20 minutes.

2. While the sauce is cooking, you have time to bread the chicken. Lay out 4 plates; 1 sprinkled with flour, 1 with beaten egg, 1 with the breadcrumbs, and 1 to place the breaded chicken. Coat each chicken steak in flour, then egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Once all the chicken is breaded, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

3. Pour the sauce into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Cut the cooked chicken into thin strips, and serve with steamed rice. Garnish with thinly sliced spring onion and red chilli.

Toblerone & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

We bake these cookies all the time, they're so simple and delicious and you can change the ingredients depending on your fancies. Add a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder for some naughty triple chocolate cookies or add some chopped nuts. This recipe make A LOT of cookies so you better be sharing!

Ingredients-

- 225g Golden Caster Sugar
- 225g Caster Sugar
- 250g Unsalted Butter
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 450g Self-Raising Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 200g Dark Chocolate (70% cocoa is best!)
- 200g Toblerone

How to do the Thing-

1. Preheat the Oven to 180°C. In a large bowl beat the Sugar and Butter until it is a creamy consistency; whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Sieve in the flour and combine the ingredients to ensure the mixture is smooth.

2. Chop the dark chocolate and Toblerone roughly into chocolate chip sized chunks. Mix the chocolate into the cookie dough mixture so that the chunks are evenly distributed.

3. Roll the cookie dough into small round balls and place them on greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Make sure the balls are a good distance apart to avoid merging of cookies in the oven. Bake the cookies in the oven for 7-10 minutes depending on how you soft you want them.

4. Once cooked, leave to cool for a few minutes, then tuck in!

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos rancheros, or 'ranch-style eggs' is a traditional Mexican breakfast, but we think it's great at any time of the day. You can easily modify the recipe to suit your tastes, or even improvise with what ingredients you have lying around. You could add leftover onions, rice, guacamole, or simply tinned beans.

Ingredients:

- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Red pepper, chopped
- 1 Green pepper, chopped
- 1 Red chilli pepper, finely diced
- 2 Cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 Can of chopped tomatoes
- 4 Eggs
- 4 Tortillas
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 50g Mature cheddar cheese

How To Do The Thing:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add both peppers, chilli, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce should now be thick.

3. Using a spatula, make a well within the sauce. Crack an egg into the well. Make a well for each of the eggs. Leave the eggs so that they poach in the sauce.

4. Heat the tortillas in a microwave on high heat for 20 seconds. Spoon the eggs and sauce into the tortillas. Season with salt and black pepper, and top with the cheese.

Wild Mushroom & Truffle Oil Pizza

This pizza recipe makes the tastiest crispy base and the toppings are amazing. It sounds pretty extravagant but we got the mushrooms in a single box of British specialty mushrooms for £2 from Sainsbury's and you only need a tiny amount of truffle oil so you can make your bottle last for months. We both agreed that this is one of the tastiest things we've ever made!

Ingredients:

For the base:

- 1/3 of a sachet fast-acting yeast (approx 2.5g)

- 100ml tepid water

- 165g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

- Half a tsp of salt

- 1 handful of breadcrumbs

For the toppings:

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 200g of mixed wild mushrooms (shiitake, buna-shimeji, shiro-shimeji, eryngii, oyster mushrooms, enoki, golden enoki, maitake)

- 100g mozzarella

- 1 tbsp dried thyme

- Parmesan, for garnish

- Sprinkling of sea salt
- 1 tsp of truffle oil

How To Do The Thing:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the tepid water. Add the flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and pour in the yeast. Combine well with a wooden spoon. Lightly dust a clean surface with the flour and knead the dough well for 10 minutes, or until the dough has become elastic. Scatter a surface with breadcrumbs and place the dough on top. Leave the dough to rise under a wet tea towel for 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 9). Stretch the dough out into a pizza shape, making sure that the dough is of even thickness; the dough should be just larger than a dinner plate. Scatter breadcrumbs onto a baking tray and place the dough on top.

3. In a large frying pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Chop the mushrooms roughly and add to the pan. Add a pinch of sea salt to the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Cut the mozzarella thinly and cover the pizza with the cheese. Scatter the mushrooms making sure to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle the thyme over the pizza and drizzle with olive oil, ensuring that crust has a thin coating of oil. Finish by pouring over the truffle oil, adding another pinch of sea salt, and garnishing with Parmesan.

5. Put the baking tray into an oven preheated to and bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the base of the pizza has started to become crisp. 

Fennel Risotto with Chilli Garlic Prawns

This risotto is one of our favourites! It's surprisingly easy to make and looks impressive so great for showing off if you're have guests for dinner. 

Ingredients:

- Large knob of salted butter

- 1 medium onion

- 100g risotto rice

- 1 tsp Vanilla extract

- Juice of half a lemon

- 1 litre of fish stock

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tsp of fennel seeds 

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 1 de seeded red chilli

- 200g Raw, deveined prawns

- Large handful of spinach

- Large handful of garden peas

- Parmesan

How To Do The Thing:

1. Add the butter to a large pan on medium heat. When melted, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the risotto rice and stir rapidly to coat the grains in the fat. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and stir to combine. 

2. Heat the stock in a large pot. Once the rice has been toasted, add a ladle of fish stock to the pan, constantly stirring. Once the stock has been absorbed by the rice, add another ladleful. Continue adding stock in this way until the rice begins to plump up - about 30 minutes. 

3. In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. When hot, add the fennel, garlic, chilli, and prawns. Cook for about five minutes, or until the prawns turn pink. 

4. Once the rice is cooked al dente, pour in the prawns. Now add the spinach and peas. Stir well to combine all the flavour. Now you are ready to serve. Garnish with grated Parmesan.

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