48 hours in London – What to do!

Last weekend I went over to London to visit my friend, Aoife. I had such a great weekend that I just had to get back to blogging so I could tell the Internet all about it! It was my third time in London and although I would never live there I really do love the buzz and vibe of the city.

In April, when I last went to London, my friends and I missed our flight because we were in the bloody bar! Like one minute away from the gate! So I went directly to my gate this time round, after a quick stop off in duty free to treat myself to some perfume! Aoife and I really wanted to make the most of the weekend and visit a few different markets and restaurants so I was on the ball and did my makeup and hair on the train into the city so we didn’t waste any time!

On Friday night we went to Dalston Yard Street Feast, which is a night market that runs over the summer in 3 locations. The place was buzzing when we arrived around 10pm and there were a lot of people who had clearly been out since 5pm! I immediately loved the look and feel of the place! We started off with a cucumber G&T in the Gin Store while we tried to figure out what we wanted to eat. I wasn’t too hungry so I decided to get a cheeseburger slider and some chili fries from Slider Bar. The guy taking the orders was fucking everything up and it REALLY annoyed me! The slider wasn’t even that great and the fries were average so it was pretty disappointing. Aoife on the other hand got an amazing brisket burger and Cajun fries from Smokestak. They cook their meat in a 4.5 tonne custom fabricated smoker train! The meat was crazy tender and the Cajun mayo was TDF as Aoife would say. TDF – To Die For. Serious order envy on my part!

The market closes up at midnight so afterwards we nipped into Farr’s School of Dancing for another G&T and some people watching. The bar has a really cool vintage theme and is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.

The next day we were up bright and early to seize the day! We rented the London bikes, which are only £2 for the day, and cycled to Victoria Park. Once we got there we had brunch at the famous Victoria Park Pavilion. I opted for bacon and egg on sourdough bread and Aoife got eggs florentine. The food was really good and it was so nice to be sitting outside on the picnic benches beside the lake. The lake was so nice in fact that Aoife decided we should rent a pedal boat and have a little tour around it! I’m not sure if we got a dodgy boat or what but it was REALLY hard to get the thing moving and turning! We ended up getting stuck in some weeds and at one point I honestly thought we were going to have to be rescued! We eventually got back to the pier though and I was happy to be back on dry land. I don’t think I ever laughed so much!

With legs like jelly we got back on our bikes and cycled through the park and towards the Olympic stadium. We got off the bikes at the back of the stadium and had to walk the entire way around it to get to the entrance. Aoife is not the best tour guide. She wanted to go to the man-made Beach East to check it out and once we got there we went straight to Pub Tropicana for a drink and to cool off! It was gloriously sunny and about 24 degrees!

Next up was a quick train ride to Greenwich for a look around the naval college and a cup of coffee. I really liked it here. It’s much more laid-back and European than the other spots we visited. I guess I’m just not much of a city girl! We headed back to Aoife’s apartment then to chill out and rest our feet!

Once we finished our episode of ‘come dine with me’ (seriously, I’m always either eating, thinking about what to eat or watching programs about people eating!) we got ready for our night out! We had decided we were going to go to Brick Lane for an Indian so I had done a bit of research to choose the best place to go. I found this blog really helpful when making the decision!

So, we ended up going to Cinnamon! It was BYOB so we brought two bottles of wine with us. Classy ladies! The trick to getting a good deal for your meal is to know where you are going and then act really interested in the restaurant beside that place! We ended up getting 20% off our bill. I wanted to hold out for a free drink too but sure what are ya gonna do?!

I got the bhuna and Aoife got the butter chicken. We shared some poppadums, garlic naan and bombay aloo too. It was A LOT of food! We both enjoyed our meals but I would have like if the bhuna was a bit spicier. There was literally no kick from it. Aoife also said that, while the butter chicken was nice, it wasn’t like any other she’d had before and it was more yellowy than red. The highlight of the night was when the waiter informed us – AFTER we had eaten our meals – that eating rice at night makes you fat! He then proceeded to tell us he was a personal trainer and whipped out his phone to show us a picture of his bicep. So weird!!

After dinner we walked up to Shoreditch high-street and ended up in Dragon Bar. Having eaten so much Aoife was convinced that we would not be able to get drunk. Let’s just say we proved her theory wrong! It was a great night just dancing around drinking more wine. I have to say, I just love the music in the bars in London. There was a lot of RnB and rap which is right up my street and which you don’t really get in Ireland so I was having the time of my life! It also helped that no-one knew me so I didn’t have to be self conscious about my hella-cool dance moves! Girl got SWAG!

Me being me, I left my phone in the bar but the lovely barman kindly text MY DAD to tell him they had it so I had to drag a very poorly Aoife back to the bar the next day to retrieve it and immediately delete many embarrassing Snapchat story entries which, thankfully, had not sent yet! Once we’d gotten that business out of the way we stopped off at Shoreditch Urban Street Fest for a feed. I got a pepperoni pizza, which was crap, and Aoife got an Argentinean steak sandwich, which was delicious. Second bout of order envy of the weekend!

Having put Aoife through enough, we parted ways at Liverpool street station. I was tired, a bit peaky and pretty emotional at this point with the thought of a flight home but it was so worth it for such an amazing weekend!!

So, what do you like to get up to when you’re in London? Leave a comment if you know of any places, restaurants or activities I should check out next time! Follow me on Twitter – @Shlawlor and add me on instagram – @lovefoodbaby

Review of The Gourmet Kitchen, Irish Village Markets

Yet again I found myself walking towards Merrion Square last Thursday afternoon for the Irish Village Market. I brought my lunch in specifically to avoid this but it’s like my belly takes over from my mind around midday and when I woke up from my hungry trance I had eaten an entire bread roll and a pile of chips!!

I went early this time, at 12pm, and the place was very quiet! I’d say this has a lot to do with the sudden change in the weather which has everyone staying indoors and thinking about buying their winter coat rather than their lunch! However,I was happy with the peace as I strolled around looking at what the market had to offer. I was having curry that night so I stayed away from those stalls, even though they all smell so good! I eventually landed on The Gourmet Kitchen. The smokey barbecue smell just called to me!!

 

I opted for the Flame Grilled 28 Day Dry Aged Sirloin Steak(Cooked Pink) – Served on a toasted Ciabatta with fresh rocket, red onion and a choice of Sauce. I’m a traditional gal so I went for pepper sauce. I actually don’t think I have enough words in my vocabulary to explain how good this was! The steak was pink, juicy and tender with no grizzle or fat. The sauce was amazing too, it had a great kick but didn’t over power the meat. It also wasn’t poured on so thick that my bread turned soggy. It was literally the most perfect steak sandwich I have ever had in my life, it could even have been the best steak I’ve ever had in my life. I find more often than not when you order a steak it just doesn’t hold up to your expectations but this is not the case with the Gourmet Kitchen.

 

For the steak sambo and chips (which were perfectly nice too) I paid €9. I’m pretty sure it was only meant to be €8 but I only noticed afterwards and to be honest after eating the sandwich I really wasn’t that miffed! My only complaint about the Gourmet Kitchen is that it doesn’t have a Bricks and Mortar store because I want to eat there, like every day!

 

Please, please, PLEASE try these guys out ASAP. Maybe even tell them I sent ya, I might get a free steak out of it 😉 Let me know if you visit them! Leave a comment, find me on Facebook and add me on instagram – @lovefoodbaby

They are currently operating at the following markets…Every Tuesday located at the Stillorgan LUAS Station from 11.30am – 2pm

Every Wednesday behind the convention centre at Spencer dock from 12 – 2.

Every Thursday at Mespil road on the grand canal from 12 – 2
and at Merrion Square Market 12 – 2

Every Friday 11.30am to 2.00pm  on the banks of the Grand Canal at the junction of Northumberland Road and Percy Place, Dublin 4. and in Sandyford at the junction of Carmanhall Road & Ravens Rock Road in Sandyford industrial estate from 12 – 2

They also recently started trading at Howth market every Saturday and Sunday from 11-5! Its just opposite the train station!

Beginners guide to a fairly decent Sunday roast!

Hello everybody! I hope everyone is having a lovely week, we’re nearly there – only two days to go till FREEDOM for the weekend! As you all know a few weeks ago I decide to attempt my first roast! I decided it would be best to start off easy and focus on getting the meat just right so I didn’t do roast potatoes this time round! It’s on my to-do list for the next time I cook a roast!

 

I followed this recipe to the letter and my meat turned out really juicy and tender!! I did throw some baby boiled potatoes into the oven dish though!!

 

When the meat was done, I took it out of the dish and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes! In the meantime I put my liquid through a strainer and then spooned out my carrots and potatoes and popped them back in the oven to stay warm. I was then left with a great stock to make a gravy out of!! 

 

Gravy is a big thing in my family. My dad takes longer to make the gravy than any other part of a Sunday meal and, even though he seems to just use anything he finds in the fridge, it always turns out amazing!! For this reason, I stole some frozen gravy from my parents freezer to have with my first roast! I actually feel so much pressure to make a great gravy so I chickened out! I did add a little bit of my stock as the gravy was quite thick so I didn’t leave it go to complete waste! 

 

Anyway! All my short cuts and failings aside, the meal turned out great! Mark even said it was the best roast he had ever had (*cough, think it was because of the gravy, cough*). The carrots were really nice with the herbs and the meat was very succulent!

 

I promise the next time I make a roast that I will make roast potatoes and gravy! I just need to figure out how to do all this aaaaand have it all ready at the same time! Preasure!!!!! Let me know if you have any tips! Leave a comment, find me on Facebook and add me on instagram – @lovefoodbaby

Thai Curry recipe straight from an ex-Indie Spice chef!!

Ingredients (serves 6)

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• 4 large or 6 regular chicken breasts.
• 2 tins coconut milk
• 1 jar of red dragon thai curry paste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 onions
• 2/3 peppers – any colour
• 1 tub of mushrooms

 

Method

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1. Roughly chop all of the vegetables. Chop or crush the garlic. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
2. heat a tiny amount of oil in a large pan. Add the coconut milk and stir until all the lumps are gone.
3. Once the milk is smooth add in the curry paste and stir.
4. Throw in all the vegetables and raw chicken and stir to cover in the sauce.
5. Sprinkle a generous amount of pepper into the sauce and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, cook up some rive or noodles.
7. Serve and enjoy.

A little note from lovefoodbaby

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This is by far my favourite recipe. It was handed down to me by my boyfriends mother who was given it from an actual Indie Spice chef!! It’s unbelievably easy to make and absolutely perfect for cooking in batches and freezing or making a big pot for a dinner party. It tastes a lot more complex than it actually is, you’ll have everyone thinking your a top class cook!!

 

Let me know if you decide to try out this recipe! Leave a comment, find me on Facebook and add me on instagram – @lovefoodbaby.

Review of Angel Park Eatery, Lower Mount Street

Last Friday I went to Angel Park Eatery to grab lunch to go. A friend in work goes here a lot and her food always looks amazing! Thanks for the recommendation Laura Jane! Angel Park eatery is a  wholly Irish owned company who pride themselves in using locally produced Irish produce. They do not use any processed bouillon, sugar or fillers, they just use pure and natural ingredients! It is located on Lower Mount Street Just beside Merrion Square in Dublin.

I got the chicken and satay peanut noodle salad – Sautéed chicken, grilled peppers and onions served on a bed of satay peanut  noodles and mixed leaves. The portion size is perfect. It comes in the same size silver chinese box you get your drunken 3in1 in of a Friday! At €6.50 it’s a bit more expensive than your 3in1 but it really was worth it. This salad was really fresh and tasty and I felt satisfied after it! They also do gourmet sandwiches, wraps and hot dinners. This picture really doesn’t do the salad justice! I immediately regretted my decision to take it our of the box to photograph it as all the good stuff is on the bottom, at least it gives you an idea of size! That’s a dinner plate.

I ordered my lunch using the ‘downthesofa’ app which Chopped use also. Unfortunately when I arrived to pick up my lunch I was told their app was broken at the moment which was disappointing. An email or text to let me know this earlier would have been appreciated. However all the staff were really friendly and made up my salad in a heartbeat. I have used this ordering app before with chopped and it was great so I would recommend using it with Angel Park Eatery in future as it can be very busy and you don’t want to waste your lunch queuing! It also ensures you’ll get what you want as when I arrived at 1.45pm they were pretty much cleared out! You just need to order by 12.40pm online (12pm for chopped).

There is a basement seating area if you want to sit in although I chose to go back to the office. I definitely recommend Angel Park Eatery as a different and healthy alternative to the Deli roll from your nearest Spar for a healthier and tastier lunch! Visit http://www.angelparkeatery.com/ and click order online to sign up to the app. While you’re at it, don’t forget to find me on Facebook and add me on instagram – @lovefoodbaby.

Review of BóBó’s, Dame Street

On Wednesday myself and my sister met for dinner. After a quick trip in to Abercrombie to spray perfume all over ourselves we were ready to head to bóbó’s on Dame street.

Finally I’m hitting somewhere from my list! To be honest I’m broke this month because I got a little over excited on payday and did ALOT of online shopping so I’m paying the price now. I actually won a free burger by commenting on one of BoBo’s Facebook pictures with my personal profile which is why I could afford to go. Anyway! Back to the food!

The place was much bigger than I expected, the walls are all painted with cows and the green tile floor is cool. I nipped straight to the toilets to wash up before ordering. No soap! This is pretty much my only negative comment about the place so fear not, it’s all sunshine and roses from here on out!

I decided to go for the Emancipator – tomato, lettuce, bacon, cheese, onion rings and deli mayo. Shin got the Colm – lettuce tomato bacon and guacamole. We shared a skinny chips with rosemary. Shin got a glass of red wine and I got a pint (!) Of TK red lemonade. I thought it was great when I saw it. It’s so Irish and it reminds me of my nanna who always had it in her house.  She was a fan of Jameson, red lemonade and TWO ice cubes, no more, no less.

Dear Lord when the burgers came out I was a little scared. They’re massive!! Julia Roberts would have difficulty getting this thing in her mouth! The chips portion was massive too, thank God we decided to share! After cutting it in half I attempted my first bite. Ladies be warned, it’s a messy meal. I do not recommend this as a first date! It really was good though! The bun was really light and fresh and the burger was cooked to perfection. I usually enquire about sauces or ask for them on the side but I decided deli mayo sounded harmless enough. This was a bit of an error on my part. There were obviously gherkins or something in it which I wouldn’t be a huge fan of and I found it was so strong I couldn’t taste anything else but once I scraped most of it off it was much better. The chips were nice, I couldn’t really taste the rosemary but there was a gorgeous paprika spice mix on the table which was lovely on them.

All in all I really enjoyed the meal although I would have liked a slightly bigger plate to work with. The staff were nice but not in your face and the selection was great. I particularly like that they have things like half chips/half onion rings and chips with coleslaw on their menu because these are things people want but wouldn’t always ask for or, if they do, the waiter doesn’t know what to charge and it turns into a huge deal.

I recommend this place for a casual get together with friends, it’s chilled and unpretentious.  Maybe just up the music volume a bit BoBo’s, I’m not even sure I heard any and it could definitely add to the atmosphere if it keeps with the tone of the place.

People! Let me know if you head to BoBo’s! Find me on Facebook and instagram – @lovefoodbaby.

My weekend of cooking!

I had no big plans last weekend so I decided to get some good cooking done. My menu plan –

Friday – Chicken Jalfrezzi

Saturday – Chilli Con Carne

Sunday – The Sunday Roast

I hit my first speed bump on Friday when one after work drink with a departing colleague (miss you Tracey) turned into four or five. Clearly I was not going to be making a curry when I got home. Take away it was!! I had a feeling that would happen so I purposely took the chicken out of the freezer so that I would have to make it on Saturday if I didn’t make it home on Friday. I’m my own worst enemy.

After my at home bootcamp (Mark was working and couldn’t bring me to the class) I made a start on the curry. I tried out the Patak jalfrezzi jar as I’d heard good things. I just chopped up some onions, peppers and chicken and threw it all in to a pot with the sauce. I didn’t even fry anything first. You can feel the enthusiasm emanating from me, I know. It actually was lovely though! I didn’t even taste it until Mark got home and said it was nice! I definitely recommend it for a quick easy meal.

Once that had cooled down I portioned it and put it in the freezer for another day because I has big plans for my dinner – Chilli con carne sitting on the couch in front of the telly watching a movie and drinking a fizzy drink! Bliss!! I fried up some onion and garlic then threw in a spoon of cayenne pepper and stir quickly. Then I added the mince and browned it. Once I poured out the excess fat I threw in a jar of mild chilli con carne sauce from lidl and simmered for twenty minutes. Simples!! While that was going on I chopped up some potatoes into wedges, drizzled with oil, salt, pepper and paprika and but in the oven. They take between 20 and 45 minutes depending on the size.

Wedges and mince on our plates, I set everything down on the coffee table with a bowl of nachos and some salsa, sour cream, guacamole and parmesan. It’s a great meal to pick at! We also had 7up in wine glasses, we’re fancy like that!!

I feel my roast deserves a post all of it’s own so I’m going to write it up and post it on Sunday, just in time for you to try your own!  Find me on Facebook and instagram – @lovefoodbaby.

I made a three course meal!

A couple Saturdays ago myself and Mark decided to stay in and watch the UFC. Afterwards, sticking with the fighting theme, we watched The Raid: Redemption. It’s a really good movie with very impressive fight scenes! Oh wait, this is a food blog, my bad! Where was I?

I can’t just sit in doing nothing on a Saturday so I decided to make an occasion out of it and make Mark a three course meal. I enjoy cooking and have been trying to learn and improve my skills since moving out. Being the fantastic  girlfriend that I am I made all of Mark’s favourite foods – tomato bruschetta, spicy meatball pasta and eton mess. All pretty simple really!

For the bruschetta I put an onion and a large clove of garlic into a blender to chop them very finely.  You can rub the garlic on the bread instead if you prefer. Then I quartered 3 tomatoes, took out the seeds and juice and chopped them into small pieces. If you read my Review of Stoop Your Head you will understand why the centre had to be removed – I just don’t trust it!

Mix everything together with a little olive oil and a good shake of salt, pepper and basil. Drizzle your bread with olive oil (I used a ciabatta bought in super value) and toast on both sides. Simply pour your tomato mixture on top of the bread, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve!  This starter is great because it’s so easy and you can prepare it in advance to avoid getting frazzled if you have guests over!

I followed the recipe below for my main course –
http://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/food/recipes/2011/1011/2700-meatballs-in-spicy-tomato-sauce/

I prepared the meatballs, fried them, added the sauce and then set it aside.  Once we finished our starter I just had to cook the pasta and reheat the sauce so there was only a ten or fifteen minute gap. Don’t forget the parmesan on top and for the table!

The one thing I’ll say about this recipe is that the meatballs were quite soft and fell apart. I think they should have been fried longer than the recipe states before adding the sauce and the sauce should simmer a bit longer. It could also be due to fact I forgot to soak the breadcrumbs in the milk and just threw both in separately. I just got so excited about using my new blender to make the breadcrumbs and I got lost in the moment! I never said I was an expert…

Finally – desert! Eton mess is perhaps the easiest desert ever and it’s soooo good! Crush up a meringue nest, add a dollop cream (or ice cream) and then throw loads of freshly chopped strawberries on top! Perfection! You can add other berries and drizzle with chocolate sauce if you like. You could even garnish with a sprig of mint if you’re feeling fancy, the possibilities are endless!

So why not try making these dishes yourself and let me know how you get on! Find me on Facebook and instagram – @lovefoodbaby. Oh! I did notice that all the food I made was red, the colour or LOVE! This was not intentional, I’m afraid I’m just not that smooth!

Arrabiatta Recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 regular or 4 large chicken breasts
• 3 onions
• 3 peppers
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 litre of Passata Sauce
• 1.5-2 teaspoons of chilli flakes
• A pinch of sugar
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1. Chop up all the vegetables and crush the garlic. I tend to use red peppers but you can use any colour and even add courgette and black olives if you like.
2. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces.
3. Heat a drop of oil in a large pot or frying pan. Add the onions and garlic and quickly fry for one or two minutes.
4. Add the raw chicken (yes raw!), remaining vegetables and passata sauce to the pot and stirr well.
5. Add in your chilli flakes (more or less depending on how hot you like it), pinch of sugar and a good dose of salt and pepper. Stir well.
6. Leave to simmer for about 35 minutes. Cook your pasta while you wait and serve!

Note: You can allow the sauce to cool down and then freeze it in portions. 

Find me on Facebook and instagram – @lovefoodbaby.

Review of Stoop Your Head, Skerries

After a rare Saturday night in last week I woke up on Sunday feeling fantastic so myself and Mark decided to go for lunch in Stoop your Head on the harbour in Skerries. I love Stoops, the food is always perfection and the view out to sea is so impressive!

We treated ourselves to a bottle of wine and had a long lazy lunch together. For starters Mark had the soup of the day – vegetable (surprise, surprise!) – It was fine, a little salty perhaps.  I had focaccia with a flat cap mushroom and salad, drizzled with garlic and thyme butter and topped with parmesan shavings. I hadn’t tried this before and I was not disappointed! The focaccia was crispy and hadn’t become soggy at all. The mushroom was cooked to perfection  with just a little bite to it and the combination of garlic butter, parmesan  and balsamic vinegar was ‘melt in your mouth’ amazing! I highly recommend this dish!

For mains we both had the Asian chicken salad. This is the second time I have ordered this salad because it is REALLY good! It is unlike other Asian salads you may have had before which generally have a dark hoi-sin sauce. The chicken is marinated in Asian spices and placed on top of a salad of leaves, red onion, roast red peppers, shoots and cherry tomatoes.  The dressing is a light, slightly creamy mustard seed sauce which complements the chicken perfectly. Incase this all sounds too healthy for you, it is served with a choice of chips, baked potato, baby boils, mash or savoury potatoes. I opted for the savoury potatoes.

Of course it is typical that the one Sunday I decide to make the effort, curl my hair and wear my new white top I would put my knife to a cherry tomato and shoot the tomato juice all over my lovely top and ends of my hair. This could only happen to me!

Ruined outfit aside, I cannot compliment Stoops enough for their food. It never disappoints and at €65 for two starters, two mains and a bottle of wine it is amazing value. When compared to other restaurants in Skerries it is far superior in every way!

Find me on Facebook and instagram – @lovefoodbaby.