Aubergine, Slow-Roasted Tomato, and Chickpea Tagine

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Susan

I regard the aubergine – that great, glossy, globelike sex organ of the nightshade – with something akin to worship. I didn’t always feel this way, however. Growing up in pre-culinary revolution New York, I only ever encountered the aubergine in eggplant parmigiana, in Bronx Italian restaurants. There, sliced thin, breaded, fried, and concealed under masses of garlicky tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, the aubergine was flabby and insipid. Why order it when you could have pasta? Or clams casino? But the aubergine crept up on me. I first comprehended the Power of the Aubergine Continue reading →

Kateh Restaurant

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Susan

Kateh sits in a enchanting little lane in Maida Vale, not five minutes walk from the no-man’s land where the Westway meets the A4 (the fitting setting of J.G. Ballard’s Concrete Island). Globe lamps hang outside and there is a silvery olive tree in the front garden. Inside, the restaurant is narrow and Continue reading →

Fig, Leek, Blue Cheese, and Rosemary Flatbreads

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Susan

Flatbreads are a lovely appetizer at a dinner party. The trick is planning ahead: if you make your dough and prep your toppings well ahead of time, assembly and baking takes only a few minutes. Easy peasy, right? This recipe is made with a yeast dough, with a slow, cold fermentation, somewhat similar to some pizza doughs. (The cold fermentation helps develop flavour.) Also like a pizza, the flatbreads are baked at a high temperature, which yields a crisp crust and nice caramelisation on top. Figs, blue cheese and rosemary are a natural combination for the topping; the leeks add sweetness, moisture, and depth. But really, you can top your flatbreads with anything you like. Continue reading →

Medlar: What A Gem

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Susan

If you have not yet had the unmatchable pleasure of dining at Medlar you must drop everything and make a booking immediately.

I have been trying to get to Medlar for months. (I am not just saying this because by now everyone has eaten there, written a (glowing) review, and I am trying to catch up.) It has been difficult, however, to persuade my London compadres to voyage to a part of Chelsea where there are no nearby tube stops. So I took advantage Continue reading →

Tamarind-Apricot Semolina Cake

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Susan

It’s National Baking Week! Having dumbly watched National Chocolate Week and National Cupcake Week whizz by without making a thing, I figured it was time to get off my arse and show some, er, British home cook spirit. I have a nascent obsession with tamarind and have been fantasising lately about incorporating tamarind into baking. This cake shows WHY MY HUNCH WAS RIGHT. Continue reading →

Plantains in Spicy Ginger-Tomato Sauce

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Susan

For the past three days, I have been in a quandary hated by food bloggers the world over. It’s called, “Goddammit, No Good Pictures.” I made this delicious plantain dish on Friday as part of my austerity regimen* and since then have been wrestling with the fact that thanks to the hideous fluorescent lighting in my kitchen, every photo I took was utter shite. After three consecutive nights of relishing the leftovers, however Continue reading →

Tamarind, Chile, and Ginger Marinade

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Susan

I would like to talk about the holy trinity. No, I don’t mean leeks, carrots and celery. The holy trinity I’m talking about is tamarind, chile, and ginger. In fact, I think there is no more blessed union, or, if you prefer, no hotter ménage á trois. The marinade (really, a wet rub) I made using these ingredients as a base literally cannot be improved upon. It is rich, complicated, savory, tangy, and spicy. In short, it is freaking AWESOME. Continue reading →

Brunch at NOPI

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Susan

It’s official: London has discovered brunch. Even two years ago, you couldn’t find brunch anywhere except hotels, and said “brunch” consisted only of fry-ups (coyly masquerading as “English breakfast”), granola bowls, and the occasional forlorn Eggs Benedict. All that has changed, and as an American (i.e., brunch addict) I’m ecstatic about it. So when friend C turned up on an early Sunday morning flight from San Francisco, brunch was the Thing To Be Had. And, judging from the buzz, NOPI was the place to have it. Continue reading →

Fried Brussels Sprouts with Spiced Lentils and Sumac

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Susan

It’s been a little while since I’ve done any home cooking posts, for which I apologise. This is because I’ve been whooping it up and dining out in a manner quite unbefitting my modest means. (A good friend flew all the way to London from Oakland, CA to visit; what else could I do?) But, winter comes equally for the grasshopper as for the ant. And so it was I found myself staring into a nearly empty fridge wondering what the hell I could make for dinner. Continue reading →

The Venerable Al Waha

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Susan

Al Waha is a west London institution. In 2008, Colin Firth called it his favourite table in London (cue photo of Colin Firth looking impassive, clever and hot as ever). Reportedly, it’s the only Lebanese restaurant listed in Charles Campion’s 2006 London restaurant guide. All this, and more, I learned Continue reading →