Illustration by Chobopop
Hand To Mouth is about to enter a short period of self imposed radio silence and competitive eating.
Have a great Christmas and New Year wherever you are, and see you in 2010 for more food related shenanigans.
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Archive for December, 2009
Happy Christmas
Thursday, December 24th, 2009Soupe A L’Oignon
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
It’s bloody cold in London right now, and add hangovers into the mix from all the Christmas partying, you need some seriously restorative food to get you back on an even keel. This French onion soup ticks all the boxes in terms of comforting, warming and tasty sustenance, and will have you ready for that next session of festive boozing before you can say zut alors!
Ingredients
Olive oil
Large nob of butter
1kg of onions
5 fat cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
70ml French brandy
150ml French white wine
750ml chicken stock
750ml beef stock
Vedett & Cheese
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Earlier in the year, the missus and I went to Ghent in Belgium. It’s a really cool little town about half an hour on the train from Brussells; the perfect place to visit for a long weekend.
One of the things we really loved about the trip was the discovery of a beer called Vedett. It’s a classic blonde Belgian lager, with a really crisp and clean taste, and comes in these really lovely curvy green bottles.
The way Vedett behaves as a brand is also pretty cool. From the little penguin logo, to the really quality merchandise which includes chairs, blankets and glasses, it’s obvious that it’s run by really creative people. (more…)
Local Hero #8 Mangal Ocakbasi
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
I was first taken to Mangal 1 6 or so years ago by my friends Lou and Liam who lived down the road in Hackney at the time, and I’ve been going back ever since. Back then it had a real impact on me because I’d never really been anywhere like it in the UK before. It’s completely unpretentious, a bit ramshackle, and when you step through the door you feel like you’re in a different country.
You immediately get hit by the heat and smell of grilling meat from the massive open barbecue style grill that is slap bang in the middle of the restaurant. And that’s what the Turkish ocakbasi restaurants are all about. Meat and fire. The menu is dominated by kebabs, mostly lamb and chicken, although you can also get quail and offal too. I suggest you go with a few friends, because you’re going to want to try everything, but I can heartily recommend the following. (more…)
Pimp My Porridge
Monday, December 14th, 2009
We all know that porridge is healthy, but as is often the case with healthy stuff, it can get a bit boring. Luckily porridge is also a good base for other flavours, so try out this slightly tropicaaaaal version. I’ve used ‘mugs’ as a measurement as I can’t really be bothered to be precise in the morning. And use coconut chips as opposed to dessicated if you can. This quantity will serve 2.
Ingredients
1 mug of jumbo organic oats
1 mug of semi skimmed milk
3/4 mug water
Handful of coconut chips
Small handful of dried cranberries
French Chicken Sandwich
Friday, December 11th, 2009
One of the joys of roasting a chicken is that there are usually leftovers. In fact, we normally buy a bigger bird so there’s more chicken left. This French chicken sarnie is one way to do those leftovers justice. It may be a bit more fiddly than your average sandwich, but as usual, the more love you put in the more flavour you get out.
Ingredients
Leftover roast chicken
Good quality French baguette
Mayo
Dijon mustard
Black pepper
Olive oil
1/2 clove garlic
Rocket
Local Hero #7 Nordic Bakery
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Luckily, my day job allows me to escape the office from time to time to get some head space and thinking time. There are a number of places I like to go for a bit of peace and quiet, and the Nordic Bakery is right up there with my favourites.
As the name suggests, it’s a Scandinavian style cafe, specialising in bread. The food and bread are good; simple Nordic fare including rye bread open sandwiches and cured fish, but the killer for me are the amazing cinnamon buns and the coffee.
An ode to SFC
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009From the serious and worthy to the complete opposite side of the spectrum, this video by East London grime crew Red Hot Entertainment is an ode to the Junior Special meal offered at their local KFC imitator, Southern Fried Chicken. It really made me chuckle.
London is awash with KFC immitators who knock out chicken of a very dubious quality at very low prices. From the lyrics it’s clear that the ‘Junior Spesh’ consists of a piece of chicken (leg or wing), a portion of chips and a can of drink, all for £1.50. Not a bad deal.
Don’t forget, mayo is an extra 20p.
