As the name suggests, the School of Wok is an Asian and Oriental cookery workshop tucked away in Chandos Place, just behind the Strand and only a few doors down from my favourite fast Mexican food joint Wahaca. I'd visited their dining room previously as the location for a few Edible Experiences pop-up events, and certainly heard whispers about their expert tutorials amongst London's food-loving community.
1. When I visited Spain last summer I fell in love with the traditional pintxos bars, and was amazed to discover an impressively authentic replica much closer to home in the form of Pix Bar. Last week I visited with fellow food lovers Selina from Yummy Choo and Laura from Digest Magazine, and as I predicted they were equally taken with the stunning display of tapas on offer.
With items priced at either £1.95 or £2.95, Pix is very friendly on the purse, but because everything looks so appetising you still need to keep an eye on your growing stack of skewers. Thankfully for greedy folks like me, Pix have introduced "infinity Sundays" where you can enjoy 90 minutes of unlimited pintxos and cava for only £29.95. There's a tray of churros and chocolate sauce ready with my name on it for my next trip...!
If, like me, you're a novice when it comes to baking, I'd recommend starting out with a loaf cake. Also described as a "bread", these look great without the need for complicated frosting or multiple layers, and can be filled with pretty much anything you fancy: fresh fruits, dried fruits and nuts, chocolate and coffee...even bacon!
Whereas previously my cookies have crumbled and my brownies have burnt, my lovely fruity loaf cakes have never let me down. Indeed, I was so stunned by my first beautifully risen bread that I even let its memory live on in the logo for this blog.
Oh boy...this is another one of those situations where I include a photo in a round-up and promise that more photos are "coming soon"...and then realise 3 months later that I still haven't shared them...! Apologies, my bad (and note to self, I really must stop doing that!).
So back in Spring the London food scene was going wild over Story, an intimate new restaurant near London Bridge from former Noma chef Tom Sellers (not to be confused with American chef Thomas Keller or moustachioed actor Tom Selleck). Established food critics and unknown food bloggers alike were fighting for reservations, particularly once word spread about fantastical dishes such as the "beef dripping candle" starter and "Three Bears' porridge" dessert.
It's been months since the last time I posted one of these random montages - even though I like writing them and apparently you like reading them. As ever, there's a whole host of excuses, but I won't bore you with these now. If you follow me on Twitter, you can probably figure it out. The main thing is that I'm finally BACK with another selection of my favourite foodie moments from the past week, plus some other random musings...
1. Check out this incredible (overflowing!) duck slider courtesy of Donostia Social Club - just looking at it makes my mouth water! I'd heard rumours of great things being produced by these relative newcomers to London's streetfood scene, and decided to check them out for myself at KERB Saturdays in Kings Cross. I loved the concept of a pintxos bar attached to a food truck, and would have happily perched there all afternoon sampling their tasty tapas (and perhaps a few Sangrias...!). This duck was rich and tender, with a clever contrast from the sliced apple and Basque cider sauce. Their juicy prawns a la plancha with shallot salsa were also delightful. One to watch...
Full disclosure: this meal was a total and utter freebie, hands up. I'd never heard of Soho Joe, the family-run pizza restaurant on Dean Street, but I was invited to visit their new sister restaurant Cookhouse Joe on Berwick Street, and the promise of a combination of Lebanese dishes and rotisserie chicken enticed me.
It seems like there's a big difference between the chosen style of cooking when my boyfriend is in our little London flat, and the meals I opt for when I'm home alone.
If I'm making dinner to share with my man, the focus is on hearty, rich dishes such as sausage stews with potato wedges, spaghetti and meatballs, or roast dinners that we can then pick at throughout the rest of the week.
If the situation calls for a solo supper, normally I aim for something lighter and simpler, often incorporating healthy seafood with other "power foods" for a nutritional boost and a smugly virtuous glow.
