Reuben Rebel

I finally made Reuben sandwiches.  I looked at a million different recipes and did a little tweaking.

I owe the most to this recipe:

zingermans-reuben-sandwich-recipe.

Zingerman's sounds like the most amazing deli but it is in Michigan, so a bit far to go for a sandwich.

http://www.zingermansdeli.com/

Here is my version...

Ingredients for four sandwiches:

1 loaf of rye bread
12 slices of corned beef or pastrami
Russian dressing, recipe follows
sauerkraut
12 slices Swiss cheese
Melted butter or olive oil

Russian Dressing:
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Hot sauce to taste
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons chopped parsley 
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon minced dill pickle
Fresh lemon juice,good quality creamed horseradish and Worcestershire sauce to taste.

First make the Russian dressing.  Some recipes I've seen use thousand island dressing which is both gross and wrong.  Basically just mix all the ingredients together and leave to meld, I made mine in the morning and left it all day in the fridge.  It was sublime.

The Zingerman's recipe had you bake your whole rye loaf for fifteen minutes to crisp the crust.  I wouldn't recommend doing this.  I don't know if the rye bread I used wasn't quite right.  It was really tasty (it was from Birds, the only place I could find it in Derby on the day I made these sarnies, Jack Rabbit's had sold out and Baked only do rye on a Saturday,) but it was a total bitch to slice after crisping up in this way. The bread went all kind of holey inside and I was lucky to salvage four slices.  I don't see the point when you are frying the sandwich in its entirety, which crisps everything up nicely anyway.

Sooo, warm up your oven to around gas mark 4. Pop your pastrami in some foil, sprinkle with water, wrap it tightly and place it in the oven, leave for about 15 minutes.

Slice your rye loaf (I sliced mine lengthways, which is quite greedy).

Plaster a slice of bread with Russian dressing.  Top with a layer of hot meat, sauerkraut and a couple of slices of cheese. Top with another slice of bread, also spread with Russian dressing.

Brush the outside of your sandwich with melted butter or olive oil.  Place in a hot frying pan, cover with a lid and weigh down with something heavy (i used the mortar part of my pestle and mortar, turned upside down, perfect.)  When it smells done, turn it over and do the other side.

Scoff half a sandwich with fries (and leftover Russian dressing to dip them in).

Go to a gig, drink four pints of cider.  Come home and eat the rest of the sandwich whilst watching and slagging off Florence and the Machine at Glastonbury.  Go to bed.

Darleys

Here is a review of Darleys that I wrote a couple of months ago and did not publish at the time...

Perched right on the river Derwent in the village of Darley Abbey, Darleys is clearly the place to come for a special occasion meal.  There were all kinds of celebrations taking place during the lively Saturday afternoon we visited, from a 60^th birthday to a demure hen do.

Upon arrival, friendly staff ushered us to the bar for an aperitif.  We sipped a sparkling Chilean white and first impressions of the dated maroon décor were immediately forgotten as we guzzled the complimentary home-made crisps (baked fresh each morning) and unctuous olives we were presented with.

Having chosen from the reasonably priced set lunch menu, we were settled at a table and our starters arrived quickly.  Ham hock, locally sourced and perfectly seasoned, came with satisfyingly stodgy yellow corn bread and an abundant Dijon mustard foam.  Nori wrapped salmon with a ginger and soy dip was enlivened by a decadent strip of crispy salmon skin.

Mains were a classic free range chicken dinner and a richly flavoured daube of slow cooked Derbyshire beef, served with thyme dumplings and a bacon sauce.  The intriguing Romanian Pinot Noir we drank complemented both dishes perfectly.

The faultlessly executed food is sadly let down by the restaurant’s interior design, from which no amount of ostentatious crumb sweeping and wine pouring could fully distract us.  Mosaic mirrors, floral curtains with monstrous pelmets and jewelled light fittings vie for attention.  It’s lucky for Darleys that the food and atmosphere more than make up for the disastrous décor.

The Pelican Brief

I've wanted to go to the Pelican Club since it opened, I am a huge fan of cool and friendly Nottingham cocktail bar Tilt and this is a venture by the same people.  The Club is all about dinner and jazz - Italian food and cocktails.  Obviously this is proving popular with Nottingham's movers and shakers as sadly we could only get a table early doors, 18:30 to be precise, with a polite request that we vacate our table by 20:30.  Our table was in the bar area, which is decked out with loads of old jazz record sleeves.  Said sleeves also serve as cocktail menus.  The atmosphere on Saturday was lively, with a good crowd seated around the bar.

We started with a Spritz, Aperol and Prosecco, the perfect aperitif in my book.  I'd made the mistake of reading a few Tripadvisor reviews and was concerned about the accusations of stingy portions being levelled.  However we need not have worried.  We shared antipasti; a board of good quality charcuterie and cheese meant for two, between three.  We also shared another starter of Tomino cheese wrapped in more charcuterie and baked, delizioso!  I skipped the primi and went straight for a secondi of pork belly served with chicory salad leaves.  Crisp, unctuous and terrifyingly salty, but in a good way, this pork meant business.  My amici had primi pasta and a burger from the specials board which I tried and coveted. So a meal consisting of mainly meat and cheese, washed down with a good Orvieto.  Heavenly,  Just a crying shame we missed the jazz, as the music was not scheduled to start until ten.  We were sitting right in front of the stage, so as we were finishing off our meal the musicians were setting up and tuning up, what a tease.  Well at least I'm briefed for next time and will be booking a late table well in advance.  

http://www.thepelicanclub.co.uk/

Anchorage - Sheffield

After all these years Sheffield still feels a little like home and I'm always glad to be back.  This time to see Kate Tempest at The Plug, not with the boy, but with the blonde!  (Thanks AA Gill.)

When I was a student the height of sophistication was probably Champs on Ecclesall Road, or the Pizza Express on Devonshire Green where one of my male house mates always took his potential conquests if he wanted to impress :-)

Sheffield has changed a lot since those days and one new addition is the glitzy West One Plaza, located at the corner of Fitzwilliam Street and Devonshire Street.  The 'Plaza' felt a little soulless but we went there specifically to check out Anchorage, a bar and 'East Coast Kitchen' which had caught my beady little eye.

http://www.anchoragebar.co.uk/

The menu is extensive and varied with a good selection of American cut steaks and even a meat and cheese Deli counter.  I'm a sucker for a Reuben and so it was a given what I'd have as soon as I clocked one on the menu.  The Anchorage Reuben was the best I've had (although I've not yet fulfilled my dream of a visit to NYC which could change things).  The salt beef especially was darn good.  I wasn't quite so sure about the Blonde's Mac 'N' Cheese burger,which started off very tasty but morphed into a ball of stodge which she was ultimately unable to conquer.

The restaurant, situated upstairs, was quiet when we arrived early on a Saturday evening but quickly filled up.  Service was perhaps a little on the rapid side but friendly and efficient, if a little impersonal.

After eating we retired downstairs to the bar and sampled some of the great beers (I especially liked the Tiny Rebel beer they had on tap and could not resist a bottle of Berliner Kindl).

The cocktail menu looks impressive too.  The atmosphere in the bar was laid back and welcoming, with an exceptionally friendly bouncer, as is the Sheffield way.

Anchorage is so well run and well thought out it almost has the feel of a chain, not in a bad way, just the slick 'thought of everything' ness.  The bar is run by the  Rootstock Trading Company, a Sheffield based events and marketing company who also run a couple of other Sheffield bars and the city's Tramlines festival.  They also manage Monster Energy's presence in Ibiza, which gives you some idea of the level of slickness.  So,while not entirely convincing and authentic, if you suspend your disbelief and go along with the vibe, there is plenty here to make you want to drop anchor for a while.

http://www.tinyrebel.co.uk/

Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant June 2014

 The boy and I have set up a little gourmet fund, supposedly not to be touched until our 40th birthdays (which are a long way off, obviously!)  However we couldn't resist dipping into the fund during a trip to Devon, as we were staying a short drive (okay four hour round trip but it was worth it) from Rick Stein's famous Seafood Restaurant in Padstow.

http://www.rickstein.com/The-Seafood-Restaurant.html

We went for lunch on a warm sunny Sunday in June.  Padstow was heaving with tourists and
Rick's restaurant was a little oasis on the harbour front.  The restaurant has all the trappings of a high class dining establishment, as well as some pretty out there art on the walls.

We had already decided to go for the sharing 'Fruits de mer' platter; what better way to judge the merits of a seafood restaurant!  Although we didn't order starters we were presented with olives and homemade walnut bread with seaweed butter which was most unusual and delicious.  We sipped a glass of chilled white wine and waited for the main event.  The equipment soon started to arrive...

I have eaten such a platter once before when living and working on the west coast of France.  I was a little anxious about not knowing which implement to use for which crustacean but I needn't have worried, it was all very intuitive...

The platter was piled high with lobster, oysters, mussels, winkles, langoustines and several types of crab - a celebration of seafood, with only shallot vinegar and mayonnaise needed to accompany it.  Other diners turned to look and smile at us as we cracked and picked our way through the pile.  Cheering us on or smirking at our novice shellfish eating skills?  Nah, doubt it,  I think it is one of those things where you just need to go for it....and go for it we did.

It took a while but was one of the most satisfying and celebratory dining experiences i have had, and I must admit to a little decadent thrill at leaving such carnage behind!

We later heard that Rick was around at the restaurant that evening so we were really sorry to have missed meeting him and would like to apologise for the state in which we left his tablecloth.  Definitely a meal worth the pilgrimage - we'll be back if we are ever in the area.

Whilst I'm on Padstow just a quick mention to the Chough bakery (yes you do pronounce it Chuff, which is what caught my eye) http://www.cornishpasty.com/

Where we purchased fabulously fresh pasties to have for supper that night.  Thanks Padstow.

Sensational Sète!

In July we were lucky enough to go to Sète in France for the final weekend of this year's Worldwide festival.  Worldwide is a week long festival curated by Giles Peterson with loads of great music happening day and night in various venues around the town. Sète is a charming Mediterranean port town and a great place to hang out anyway, so add a festival and you've got a winning combination of great music, mega sound systems, cheap wine, friendly people from all over Europe, glorious sunshine and unspoilt beaches.  Not to mention good food!

http://www.worldwidefestival.com/ 

Sure, any boutique festival worth its cider in the UK has an all singing / and dancing / pop up / dress up / gourmet restaurant these days but you will probably pay massively inflated prices for a meal.  Stick with the masses and you will be eating out of cardboard cartons surrounded by overflowing bins.  No matter how much choice is offered by the vans around you (and it can be good) after the third day I always struggle to find something really appealing and may well end up eating mushy peas cold from a can (true fact).  Here you have a great many restaurants to choose from and don't have to suffer the slight indignity of festival food.  

Our day in Sète generally started off with a hangover.  We had brought along a suitcase full of alka seltzer which helped to neutralise this, (alka seltzer makes you bullet proof, I overheard someone exclaim on the beach - so true) as did breakfast in bed at our fabulous little hotel, les Sables d'Or.  Rolled in at 5am and want breakfast at midday?  No problem just call the reception and within two minutes a lovely smiley French lady appears with a tray laden down with good filter coffee, orange juice, bread, croissants, jam, and butter.  RECOMMEND!

http://www.hotel-sablesdor.com/

Thus fortified we'd head to the beach, a short walk away, for a day of music and chilling, stopping en route for gallons of alarmingly cheap rosé wine served from a massive refrigerated tank by a very sarcastic man.  Bliss.

At the beach bar they served big platters of huitres, (oysters) which were amazing, and mussels (not so amazing, still beardy).  We also sampled a delicious octopus pie (like a minced octopus pasty type thing) recommended by a man named Dan who has come to Sète for Worldwide the last four years in a row and is very much in the know. 

On the beach there is music all day and as long as you have your rosé in a plastic glass there is no problem taking it into the festival "bit".  It is a bit stricter at night and at one point we did use a baby to smuggle in a bottle of rum but that is another story...all in all an absolutely blissful time was had by all, I really hope we can return next year and thanks to the friends who suggested we come along :-)

More please Westmorland!

Yep, I've had a rather long break from blogging, I was getting bored and it was feeling like a chore.  I wasn't inspired anymore.  Plus, with a plethora of instagrammers and Facebook foodies to contend with I no longer felt special, my voice was being drowned out in the clamour.  Recently though, with the days growing mercifully longer and lighter, I have once more felt the urge to write about food.  My appetites have been stimulated writing a number of reviews for the Nottingham and Derbyshire Food & Drink Guides.  In the last few months I've eaten at venues as diverse as the Derby Casino, the Ostrich in Longford, A Thai restaurant in Burton and a pub in Nuthall where I sampled a fabulous venison carpaccio and got insulted by the bar staff. (Reviews to follow once the guides have been published!)

I'm glad to be back and will continue in the vein in which I left off, by telling you about anything that inspires or excites me in the world of food and drink.  This week it isn't a recipe or a restaurant but a motorway services on the M6. 

Services suck.  You know what to expect; overpriced Costa Coffee, Krispy Kreme donuts and the horror that is Scotch egg bars (one of these once fuelled me for an entire weekend in Scotland, but that is another story.)

Between Junction 38 and 39 of the M6, near the Cumbrian village of Tebay, you will find a services with a difference.  Westmorland services is the only independently owned and run services in the country and boy, does it show.  We stopped on the way up to Scotland last week for a very impressive breakfast.

We Marvelled at the pleasant, airy canteen space, and ate looking out onto a duck pond.  We used the clean, pleasant toilets, which have showers, a make up area in the ladies and vases full of fresh lilies.  Best of all is the shop.  Not a Scotch egg bar or Rustlers burger in sight, this is one of the best farm shops I've had the pleasure of setting foot in.  Mining a rich vein of local Cumbrian produce, as well as niche groceries from further afield, it has a butcher's counter to die for and rows and rows of homemade pies.  We left laden with organic duck eggs, pheasant sausages and rosemary jelly.

I am almost looking forward to my next slog up the M6 if it means we get to stop here, and I'd thoroughly recommend you make it a pit stop.  We even saw a duck getting on a coach.  Word.

http://www.westmorland.com/tebay-services