Fava

Fava is the yellow split pea with which you can make puree. It is creamy and when served warm can be the most comforting food in the world.
Fava from Santorini island is the best, hence a bit more expensive. Any type will do of course. Greeks have it as an appetiser (or dip) but it can also be served as a main dish.

Ingredients:
500g fava (yellow split peas)
1 big red onion well chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 big lemon
capers (optional)

Wash fava well and then boil with the garlic for about an hour and a half. During that process try to get rid of the dark bits on the top of the water, not the fava, just the grey froth. Here you can either boil the fava for another 30 minutes adding half a cup of olive oil and salt & pepper or if you want you can use a food processor. I usually let it boil more. If you do use the food processor, after you are done, put the fava in the pot again and heat it up adding olive oil and seasoning.
Serve warm or cold with raw chopped onion on top and lemon juice. Capers on top are usually great too.

In The (Duck) Soup

With a menu that changes EVERY day, Duck Soup on Dean Street, in Soho is the best new(ish) place in town. The artichoke was meaty and delicious. The surprise was the combination of blood orange, pink radicchio and ricotta. The raw seabass was an interesting dish, even for non-fans of raw fish like my friend and I, but we really enjoyed it, especially combined with bits of blood orange.
Highly recommended. Booking essential.

Porn Star Martini

Birthday is coming up and the only drink to put me in the mood to celebrate could be this one:

25ml vanilla vodka
25ml Wyborowa Vodka (or plain vodka if you do not want to be that particular)
25ml passion fruit liquer
1 tbsp passion fruit puree
10ml lime juice
fresh passion fruit to decorate
50ml Champagne (in a shot glass)


Shake well all ingredients apart from champange. Pour in martini glass. Serve with a shot of champagne. 
Keep some Alka Seltzer next to you for the morning after.

Vietnamese Prawn Pho

This is an altered version of the beef Vietnamese noodle soup, also known as Bun Bo Hue.
I was in a nostalgic mood this week and since it used to be my daily lunch when I was working somewhere around Kingsland Road a few years ago, I decided to cook it at home.
We were organising a very tight budget film festival back then, we were all very tired and the spiciness was always the best kick to keep the team going. We had actually renamed it 'Raise The Dead' soup. I miss those guys so much!
Here is the seafood version of it.

3 cloves of garlic, thinly chopped
1 stick of lemongrass / 2 teaspoons of lemongrass paste
4 birdseye red chillis chopped
2cm piece of ginger squashed slightly
6 spring onions trimmed and sliced diagonally
600 ml fish or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons fish sauce (optional) 
400g cooked king prawns (other seafood like squid, mussels and scallops can be used of course)
250-300g rice noodles
200g bean sprouts
lime cut in wedges
hand full of coriander leaves ( I used parsley instead)

You can play a bit and add other ingredients like babycorn, green beans, soya beans, cabbage etc.
Pour the stock into a medium size pan, add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger and two of the chillis and briskly boil for about 15 minutes to create the basic broth. Taste it and if neccessary add the other two chillis. Turn down the heat, cover the pan and leave to simmer for a further 15 minutes. This will allow the flavours to really develop. 
Add the prawns to the soup, and add three of the spring onions, the fish sauce and the herb of your choice. Reserve a little of the herb for garnishing. Put the lid back on the pan.

In a pan of boiling water, cook the bean sprouts for 1-2 minutes, or until they are just tender. Drain them and add them to the soup. Place the rice noodles in the boiling water and cook for as long as the packaging instructions indicate.
Divide the cooked noodles between bowls. Pour the soup over the noodles. Garnish with a little of the coriander or parsley leaves, a few slices of red chilli and spring onion. Serve with a wedge of lime. Mint can also be used, I just do not like it.

Pasta with kale, lentils & caramelized onions

250g green lentils (I used black Beluga lentils instead)
water
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely sliced
1-2 tablespoon good quality runny honey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
450g kale (or you can go for cavolo negro a.k.a. black cabbage)
250g pasta of your preference

While lentils simmer- I am lazy so went for a packet of Merchant Gourmet- heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and honey, stirring for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook until soft and golden.
While onion cooks, cut out and discard stems and inside ribs from kale. Steam kale until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer kale with tongs to a colander to drain, pressing lightly. Keep the water at a boil in the pot covered.
Coarsely chop kale and add to onion along with lentils, then simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Add pasta to kale-cooking liquid and boil following package instructions. Drain pasta. Toss everything together. Serve with a bit of Parmesan cheese.

Murder Salads : Roasted Cauliflower With Grapes

Winter salad that can be served with quinoa or brown basmati rice. You will need: 

1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
90ml olive oil

Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp red grape vinegar1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp honey         
100g seedless red grapes, halved
80g grated cheddar
30g sesame seeds 
40g toasted pumpkin seeds

Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Toss the cauliflower with half the oil, salt and some black pepper. Spread on an oven tray and roast for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, pour in serving bowl and mix with the grated cheddar, so the cheese will melt with the warm cauliflower. 

In a small bowl or glass whisk the remaining oil with the vinegar, mustard, honey and a pinch of salt. Add the pumpkin, sesame seeds and the grapes into the bowl with the cauliflower and the cheese. Pour over the dressing, toss gently, adjust the seasoning to taste and serve. 

If it is snowing outside like it is here today, it will taste somehow a bit better. I can't explain why, but trust me on this. It will. 

Chicory Braised With Sundried Tomatoes & Slivered Garlic

This recipe was in a book without cover in the play area of my favourite cafe. I had to take a photo in my phone and then improvise as it turned out to be too dark to read. It was not bad but I am sure the original recipe was much better.
4 chicory heads
olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp bouillon power dissolved in 250ml water
10 pieces of sundried tomatoes
dried basil
50 g grated parmesan (but I think the original recipe suggested Gruyere)
salt and pepper

Cut the chicory in 4 long quarters but make sure you get rid of any leaves that are not fresh. Heat the olive oil and add the chicory. Fry for a few minutes till brown, toss and add the garlic. Fry for a few more minutes. Add the water with the dissolved powder in and bring to quick boil, then reduce to simmer and cover with the lid. Braise for at least 10 minutes, checking frequently so the ingredients won't burn or dry. Remove the lid and add the sundried tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes and remember to add the basil while stirring.
By the time the dish is cooked there should be at least half of the liquid left. Sprinkle with cheese on top. Serve with bread or rice. Quinoa was not a bad companion either.