Looking for a Good Cup of Joe in London?

There is an abundance of coffee places in London - some good, some bad, some terrible and some truly excellent.  Here are some of my absolute favourites: 

Benugo - there are 6 of these cafes in London, all offering superb coffee and good food.  Check them out in Clerkenwell, St. Pancras, City Road, Curzon Street, Westfield and Great Portland Street.

Bean about Town - these small mobile vans offer great coffee with a smile at low prices.  You will find them parked and ready to serve around Clapham North, Kentish Town, St. Katharine Dock, Camden Lock and Kensington Olympia. They will be opening one in Dalston soon too. 

Look Mum No Hands - this cafe/bike shop opened earlier this year and has quickly become a popular hang out for the East London crowd and their fixed gear bikes.  They serve excellent strong coffees. 

Caravan - right in wonderful Exmouth Market, this new bar/restaurant serves up great coffees.  And they serve them with a glass of water which I love. 

Brill - also in Exmouth Market.  Excellent coffee and they sell records too.  It will always have a special place in my heart as I used to hang out there while waiting to meet Mr. Sprinkle after work (this was before I moved to London).  Brill doesn't have a website, but you can't miss it if you're in Exmouth Market. 

Lasco - one of my most treasured places in London.  An antique shop in an old mansion by Vauxhall Station where you can spend hours looking at everything from old chimneypieces to dining tables to radiators.  End or begin with an excellent coffee in their cafe where they also offer breakfast and light bites. 

Monmouth Coffee - quite a London institution where you will find people queueing  for their delicious java on Saturdays when Borough Market is on.  They also serve excellent breakfast.  A special place as this was where 3 girlfriends and I held our final meal club before graduating from uni.


Got any comments or recommendations?  Please let me know! 

Pork Chop Stew

This morning I took out some pork chops from the freezer without the faintest idea or inspiration about how to prepare them for dinner.  The cold weather helped.  By early afternoon I had come to crave a warm, hearty stew though I wasn't quite sure about the suitability of pork chops for this.  I decided to give it a go using some cellery hearts and beans.  The result was excellent. Try it out for yourself! 

To feed 4 friends:
4 pork chops
1 can of tomatos
1 can of Cannellini beans
2 washed and chopped cellery hearts
sage
smoked paprika
2 peeled and chopped red onions
2 peeled and chopped cloves of garlic
0.4L water
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Heat some oil in a big pot.  Add the onions and fry till golden.  Add the pork chops and garlic.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoonfuls of sage and 1 tablespoonful of paprika. Fry for a few minutes.

2.  Add the chopped celery hearts.  Fry for another couple of minutes.  Drain the beans and add together with the canned tomatos.

3. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes with a lid on.

I served the stew with boiled potatos, but this dish would go well with rice, bread or maybe even couscous.

Whitecross Street Market

Nothing brightens up a drab day in the office like a trip to Whitecross Street Market situated 5 minutes by foot from Old Street Station.

Every day you can find an impressive number of vendors selling delicious meals including salads, burritos, pasta dishes, falafels, curries, noodles, and tapas. 

I am addicted to the £4 salad from Sunny's Olive Tree.  I need a substantial meal in the middle of the day to keep me going throughout the afternoon so I was sceptical the first time I tried the salad, but it really fills you up.  The ingredients differ from day to day, but you can always count on fresh vegetables, humus dressing, sundried tomatos, couscous and beans. It comes with a piece of foccacia. For about £1 extra you get feta cheese and olives.

                       This just made my day! 

Killing 2 Birds with One Stone: Stir Fry

I tend to food shop in bulk much to the despair of Mr. Sprinkle who has more than once given me a severe silence treatment after making him carry home enough pasta and meat to feed our street. I can't help it; well-stocked kitchen cupboards make me feel at ease, and I firmly believe that when you see a good deal in the shop, you gotta jump at it!

Running out of kitchen basics like rice or eggs have become known as "major supply chain failure" in our home. I take it from my mum.  Growing up I would go to the supermarket with her once a week and buy in bulk.  I can count the number of times we ran out of something essential on one hand. She is a lean mean supply chain manager and alas, I am trying hard to follow in her foot steps.

Anyways, what the heck does buying in bulk have to do with stir fry you may rightfully ask at this point.  Well, when you buy highly perishable goods like vegetables in bulk it may sometimes be difficult to use them up before they expire.  A stir fry is an excellent and healthy way to use up excess vegetables sitting in your fridge.  And that is exactly what I did last night.

Just make sure to always have the following basics in your kitchen: sesame oil, fresh ginger, fresh chillis, garlic, oyster sauce and rice.

To feed 4 people:

Sesame oil

1 fresh chopped and deseeded chilli

a couple of slices of peeled, fresh ginger

2 cloves of peeled and chopped garlic

400 g of  chicken in bite-sized pieces

3 peeled and sliced carrots

2 chopped bell peppers

2 sliced pak choi

1 chopped broccoli head

2 peeled and diced white onions

a handful of washed and sliced mushrooms

sesame seeds

fresh ground pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoonfuls of sesame oil in a wok or big pot.  Add the chilli, onion, garlic and ginger and let it fry for a minute.

2.  Add the chicken and let it fry till golden.  Add some fresh ground pepper.

3. Add the carrots, mushrooms and bell peppers.  Fry for a few minutes.  Then add the rest of the vegetables.

4. Add a bit of oyster sauce and mix everything around.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve!

This stir fry goes well with rice or noodles and a dash of soy sauce.

If you don't have all the above vegetables then go for it anyways - our fridge was bursting with greens just about expire last night so I saw little choice but to go all-in.

Five Flies in Amsterdam

I was in Amsterdam this week in the name of work.   Great city, though my exposure to the "Venice of the North" was unfortunately pretty limited as I was stuck in a hotel most of the time for a conference.  

I did, however, have one excellent meal at a restaurant with the rather unappetising name Vijff Vlieghen which translates to Five Flies (apparently this was the last name of the first owner).  

We had a delicious four-course tasting menu at an old table covered with the famous blue and white Dutch ceramic tiles.  What more could you ask for?  Not much.  

Now I realise that for this post to qualify as a proper review I should list what I ate and comment on it.  That ain't gonna happen as I was hungry and out with clients so I didn't write down what I ate.  I can, however, tell you that every course was - pardon the cliché - an explosion of amazing flavours.  Should you ever find yourself in Amsterdam then make sure you check in at this restaurant, dating back to 1939. 

Traditional Morocco: Harira

I read a recipe in The Times two weeks ago on how to make the tradtional soup of Morocco, Harira.  I've already cooked it twice and, let me tell you, it is fantastic!  Harira is quick to prepare, but takes about two hours to cook so you may wanna save it for a Saturday or a day when you're working from home.

Something between a soup and a stew, Harira is tasty and well, just plain comforting.  It is like stepping onto a heated floor after a steaming hot shower and tucking into a big fluffy bath robe.  

To feed 4 people:

olive oil

2 peeled and chopped onions

3 chopped garlic cloves

1 can of tomatoes

2 cans of chick peas

70g of brown lentils

tomato paste

ground cumin

paprika

1 bay leaf 

400g-500g of lamb shoulder

1 litre of beef stock 

salt and pepper

1. Cut the lamb shoulder into bite-sized pieces.

2. Heat some olive oil in a big pot.  Add the onions and garlic.  Fry for a few minutes.  Add 2 tablespoonfuls of paprika and 2 tablespoonfuls of cumin. Add the lamb and fry for another minute

3. Add the canned tomatoes, the bay leaf, 3 tablespoonfuls of tomato paste and the beef stock.  Bring to a the boil before turning down the heat and letting it simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on.

4. Rinse the lentils under cold water and drain the chick peas.  Add both and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour.  

5. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. 

You can eat this hearty dish on its own, with bread or perhaps with a bit of rice if you are really hungry. It is traditionally served with lemon wedges - haven't tried, but I can see why that would work. 

The Awesome Farmers' Market by Oval Tube Station

Just came back from my usual Saturday trip to the Farmers' Market by Oval Station in South London.  I've been going almost every week since moving to the area over a year ago.  Slowly, but very surely I have tried the various cheeses, meats, vegetables, baked goods, fish, and drinks for sale in this little churchyard. It is a really cosy market with friendly vendors, proud of the products they are selling.

We picked up a few treats for the coming days: 

• 1 pheasant for £3.75 (you can get 4 for £12!)
• 3 packs of the best sausages ever for £10
• salmon mousse £2.75
• goat cheese with chives and garlic £4.00
• porcini mushroom paté from The Parsnipship  £2.50 

The market is open every Saturday from 10am - 3pm. 

We had the salmon mousse, goat cheese and porcini mushroom paté for lunch with fresh bread from The Old Post Office Bakery.  The bakery is located on Landor Road (7 min. walk from Clapham North Tube Station).  You can also find their delicious bread and cakes at the market.