Guardian Gallery now feature my photos!

Guardian gallery up now: http://tinyurl.com/dlujkb

My Maltese stew recipe features on the Guardian

Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/cxvy4z

How amazing is that? I even took screenshots. The fantastic thing is, it's my mother's birthday today and the original recipe is hers.

Coffee list updated

For those still interested, I'm still expanding (slowly), my independent coffee list.

Newest to the list is Farm Collective, a little place right next to my work, who will do Flat Whites on request (depending who is the barissta behind the counter)

Please comment on this post, if you have any more to add.

Things I have been cooking as of late...

Winter is a lovely time to dig out the stews, soups and roasts. Especially when you've got a great glass of wine to go with it (my current favorite is Piccini Chianti Riserva, 2005. Can currently get it for £6.99 at Sainsbury's, normally £9.99, goes especailly well with tomato-based pasta dishes and game).

Last week, I made a fantastic venison stew, based on an old favorite recipe from Waitrose, the recipe calls for chicken stock, but I prefer to use lamb – it gives it a more intense flavour. I do love Waitrose though - it's one of the few local places I can get the more particular ingredients that I can't from the local Sainsbury's, without having to trek out to the crowded Borough Market.

I have also gotten back into my bread making, embarking on flatbreads for breakfast, that don't need any proving. It's quick and delicous on a cold winter morning. I mix in cumin seeds and a pinch of salt crystals for texture and taste, of course you can make the recipe how ever you wish - I even had raisins suggested to me as a sweet alternative. I'll find the recipe this week and copy it out for you all soon!

Also the usual comfort foods, like Minestra and Brodu – another Maltese recipe, a broth full of vegetables and chunks of chicken, recipe below.

Brodu Tat-Tigeg (Maltese Chicken Broth)

Serves 4

5 chicken drumsticks (preferbly free range)
1 onion (roughly chopped)
1 large carrot (peeled and sliced into half-centimetre rounds)
1 large potato (peeled and chopped into large chunks)
1 courgette (peeled and sliced into half-centimetre rounds)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
small bunch of flat leaf parsely, chopped finely
a handful of peas
100 g small shell pasta (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste


Method:
In a large pan, place the drumsticks and onion and pour in cold water, enough to submerge up to about 5 cm above. Bring to the boil and simmer for about half an hour.

Then, add the potatoes, carrots, parsley and tomato paste, stir through and simmer for about 10 minutes, and the peas and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Season well with salt and pepper.

At this point you might want to take the chicken out, strip the meat off and add back into the pot if you don't want it on the bone. Alternatively, take it out all together and serve cool after the broth with cheese and bread.

Add pasta if you like and cook according to the packets instructions (usually about 10 minutes in the rapidly simmering broth). Serve.

Independent Cafés/Coffee Houses

In light (more like celebration) of the news that Starbucks is closing the vast majority of it’s outlets in Australia, I’m going to compile a list of independent coffee shops in London that could be used as recommendations. Aussie/Kiwi run coffee shops will be highly prized - I have only found a few places where I can order a flat white and not be looked at like I was speaking a foreign language.

Here's the list so far, if it starts getting too long, I'll try and create a seperate page for it:

Taylor Street Baristas
The Punch Tavern
99 Fleet Street,
London, EC47 1DE

1A New Street
Liverpool Street
London, EC2M 4TP

Source, 27d The Quadrant
Richmond Upon Thames, TW9 1DN

Sacred Café
13 Ganton St (just off Carnaby Street)
Soho
London, W1F 9BL

Ray's Jazz Cafe At Foyles
113-119 Charing Cross Road,
London WC2H 0EB

Flat White
17 Berwick Street,
Soho, London W1F 0PT

Canela
1 Newburgh St,
London, W1F 7RB

The Providores
109 Marylebone High Street,
London, W1U 4RX

Monmouth Coffee Company
27 Monmouth Street,
Covent Garden,
London, WC2H 9EU

2 Park Street, Borough,
London, SE1 9AB

Melrose and Morgan
42 Gloucester Avenue
Primrose Hill,
London NW1 8JD

Milk Bar
3 Bateman St
Soho
London, W1D 4AG

Farm Collective
91 Cowcross St
Farringdon, EC1M 6BH

Caffé Vergnano 1882
62 Charing Cross Road
London, WC2H 0BB

Bless My Mum!

When I spoke to my mother a week ago about my embarking on writing a Maltese cookbook, her immediate reaction was to tell a family friend she is staying with (my parent's are currently in Malta for a holiday). Last night when I got home from work I found a large heavy package waiting for me, in it was some very old Maltese cookbooks, a set I recognised as being one's that bride's in Malta received as part of their dowry box. I was astounded, but the hard work is to come, since all the recipes are in Maltese and needs to be translated. While I can read alot of it, some words I have trouble with and will need help with, I can understand spoken Maltese, but reading it is another matter.

So exciting!

Knife Skills

I'm sure like quite a few of you, while you can cook and make things taste great, something that should be a principle skill, like how to be fast and efficient with knives isn't your strongest point?

Well, if it is yours, it sure isn't mine. So I'm looking into Knife Skill courses. So far I can only find the one by Leith's that you have to book for umpteen months before hand. Does any one who reads this know of any other cookery schools, etc where I could learn?