Mexican food is not Tex Mex! Having lived in Houston Texas for many years we were led to believe that Mexican food, is, what they served in such restaurants/diners such as Pappasitos Cantina, Gringos Mexican Kitchen or Ninfa’s on Navigation ( don’t you love the name, a really seedy part of town!) But as much as we enjoyed going to one of these, it was always the same, a huge amount of deep fried tortilla chips, with lashings of salsa and guacamole. Then for the main course, it was always a plate which included, refried beans ( think calories) Mexican rice, some salad, some tortillas and meat or fish of your choosing. I always ended up saying ” hold the rice and beans!”

Now however there is a new menace on the block, in the USA and the U.K. It is called Chipotle! Founded in the USA, it has now spread to Europe, including the UK. The one near me in London always has queues outside, especially at lunch time and I am not sure why! They market themselves as “Food with Integrity” , but Wikipedia reports that, MSNBC health .com rated it as one of the worse 20 , in the USA. It has had numerous serious outbreaks of various forms of food poisoning over the years, including E Coli, Salmonella and Novovirus ! And on top of that half of what they serve is not even Mexican ( Burritos and Tofu for example) oh, and one final note, each burrito is only about 1,000 calories! Which is even more than a Big Mac. !Steer clear is the message!

Here, in Mexico City, and not even in a high end restaurant but just a local one, it is much more refined and much better food. So we were at La Capitale, neighbourhood  restaurant, in an area called Condesa. 

 we had tortilla chips with guacamole , tostadas with tuna, small tortillas with shrimp, pulled pork ( pubil) and some tortillas with fajitas ( arranchera) steak. Take a look!

Another visit to L’Outa, for the willowy brunette a birthday. I could say that at times she can possibly be a picky eater, but that would be unfair. She only eats good food,almost no rubbish,by her own admission she does not go out of her comfort zone as far as food is concerned, having said that, snails for example are a hit!

So once again, we had an amuse Bouche of the cream vegetable soup, again very acceptable . For our starters, the three of us chose a risotto , albeit three different ones. A risotto au fromage, a risotto with scallops and a risotto aux cepes. All arrived at the same time, all were perfect and all were al dente. And as they were three very different risottos, they had been cooked seperately.  

  

  

 

All three Risotto were served with a Parmesan crisp, which are very easy to make, but add a very nice finishing touch.
For mains, Himself chose the beef whilst the girls went for the Gambas, which I have to say were wonderful , having had ‘Food Envy’ on the previous week, I was very pleased to have chosen them this time round.

 

 
The birthday girl had the café gourmand, which although it was as copious as the previous week, it was in fact different, with a mini tarte au citron, a mini lemon meringue pie, some type of caramel pudding with a runny middle, a passion fruit mousse, a coated profiterole with chocolate filling and another with sorbet cassis, and a cookie! It also came with a birthday sparkler!

  It was a Thursday night and I did a head count, 40 people and a few extra tables around the corner, not bad, as it certainly does not cater for the average skier or tourist.

   
Come summer we will return. However I commented to Madame that they were not on Twitter, no, she replied but in the guide Michelin. A strange phenomomen , I looked up Guide Michelin, it directed me to the web site, which then promptly told me that as my app. account is UK based, I could not access it, but redirected me to the UK site. And Guess what the App is not available in the UK, Catch 22 I guess!

Having said previously ( and several times) that here in the mountains, most restaurants serve, Ham, Cheese, Potatoes, cream and Charcuterie, and understandably , they cater to the tourists. However we do not consider ourselves, tourists ?semi residents, if you like, as we even get resident discounts on the ski lifts .

So, there is one restaurant that fits the bill, as being not the usual run of the mill and it is L’Outa, in Les Gets. When we first saw the restaurant, we thought it to be a very smart antique shop, refined old pine fittings and soft lighting. But we were wrong, it is a lovely  smallish restaurant, with about 30 covers. It also has a wine bar, ( yet to be tried) and a salon de thé ( also yet to be tried) . It is owned and run by Jaqueline and Phillipe François ( I think he could be the chef), she is the front of house and head waiter, and slightly dotty. One time when we called, to ask if they were open, Madame responded, oh I don’t know, call again in the morning ( I have to admit it was out of season). So we have been there now, several times, both winter and summer and out of season . In the summer we eat outside in the garden and in the winter of course inside where it is warm and cosy , we have never been disappointed.

So, we went again, with new acquaintances,( she being French, him English) who had not been before and hopefully they will return.  

So
we chose, between us, a soup du jour, which was creamy winter vegetable with a cream and lard chantilly, Lard? Yes whipped cream mixed with lard! Spends awful, but in fact I would never had guessed that ingredient, on a blind tasting test!

  a scallop risotto and escargot served in a small casserole with fois gras and  chanterelles. 

  All of which were excellent . We were actually served a tiny portion of the soup as an amuse Bouche,  so we all had the chance to sample it. For mains, three of us went for monkfish, which again was very good indeed, but I think I have to admit to having food envy,
when I saw the Gambas arrive. 

  I am hoping they will still have that on the menu, when we go again next week! No room for dessert except, our young skinny friend who chose  the Café Gourmand, which was more than enough for two and her husband duly helped out. 

 So chatting to Madame before leaving, she said,  “bones vacances” I informed her that our young friends worked here! Oh she replied that is why she speaks such good French! I am French, was the reply! But Madame was nonplussed by this! Of course, as I said she is a bit dotty! But very nice all the same!

As I have said before, our normal Christmas dinner, is not normal, and is perhaps not for everyone, as in principle I do not cook on Christmas Day . And this for someone, who just has to cook, is a bit of an oddity. However, Number one son and his bride also love to cook. NBG is more of a cook and Mrs. G  # 7 ( I have lost count, so numerous are we) is more of a baker. So they complement each other well.

 

 So off to market I went and returned with 4 dozen oysters and it was decided to make Oyster Rockefeller , NBG got to grips with the shucking and cleaning of the shell, ( so no bits of shell were left with the oysters…….. Very Master Chef here). Actually Mrs. G7 commented that she had never heard of Oysters Rockefeller until  she watched ” Master Chef, The Professionals” ( British Version, ) when one of the Skills test was to make them, one of the classics that these chefs, need to know.  

 Researching all things Oysters, I came up with as many variations of Oysters Rockefeller as there are cookery books on Oysters. For Starters, it is claimed that the original was created by a chef working in Antoines restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 1900’s.Someone,dining there declared that they were as rich as Rockefeller!  Not surprising really as a) New Orleans is on the Gulf coast of the USA, where Oysters, Shrimp ( read very large ones) , Crawfish and Soft shell crabs abound, and b) the home of good food in the USA, or should I say rich food, not necessarily all good, lots of fried food, but having said that, Oyster Po-Boys are one of my favourites.

So back to Oysters Rockefeller , the version outed on British master chef included  a small shallot, cream, nutmeg and egg yolks. Others include chopped celery, bell peppers, spring onions, parsley, dry breadcrumbs, bacon, watercress, herbs such as marjoram, basil, black pepper, Herbsaint, Tabasco  and Worcestershire sauce. The three things that they have in common, are onions ( normal, shallots, or Spring ) spinach and of course Oysters!

The master chef version simmered the oysters in their juices for a very short period of time, though looking in my Louisianan books I find nothing of this, but as I have said, there are many options here.

So I would allow  ( for four people) 4-6 oysters per person,

•  3 green onions chopped,   4 tablespoons butter, plus 4 0z soft butter, 
• 1/2 pkt frozen spinach, ( defrosted and well drained) of course you can use fresh but you will have to cook and drain it before use.   
•     2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs, I try to use the Japanese Panko breadcrumbs ( available in good grocery stores and Asian food markets,)
• Some bacon pieces cooked until crisp and cut into bits
• Dash of Tabasco and 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce.
• Some grated Parmesan ( optional)

Shuck the oysters, and clean the shells and make sure you have removed any bits of shell. Traditionally, an oyster knife is used along with a thick rubber glove or even better a steel mesh one ( as in suit of armour) as the last thing you want to do is to slice into the palm of your hand. However help is at hand for the more novice ” shucker”! I found a little device which is cheating but works well. I found it for about £3 in a fish shop, so if you love oysters , look out for one of these, no chance of ripping your hand apart here ( instructions come on the label)

 

 Melt the 4 tabs butter and sauté the onions, add the spinach and cook for a minute or two to heat through. Add the breadcrumbs,bacon,Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in the rest of the butter.Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste. 

Arrange the oysters shells on a baking tray so that they do not tip over. Put the oysters in the shells and put a teaspoon of filling on each and top with the grated Parmesan ( if using). Bake for 10 mins @ 450F/230C/Mark 8. Serve piping hot with warm crusty French bread.

Eldest daughter was eating oysters at the age of two, though I have to admit that she promptly threw up, but Hey Ho, she loves them now. Have not tried them on her brood as yet, though I suspect that” Truly Scrumptious” would love them. It is a pity that in the UK they are now fairly expensive, once upon a time they were the food of the poor, but now? Another joy of Oysters is that they can be grilled over charcoal and will open by themselves! Joy!And Enjoy!

On wet and windy Friday evening, we ventured out to another of Groden Ramsey’s  restaurants, this one was Maze, on Grosvenor Square, London. I am sure that most of you will have heard of Gordon Ramsay, be it from his multitude of appearances on Television, or by visiting one of his many restaurants, around the world. He currently has 14 Michelin stars, in a total of 36 restaurants. ( 13 in the UK, 10 USA, 5 Europe and 8 in the rest of the world, mainly middle east and Asia). He has held three stars at his flagship restaurant in Chelsea since 2001.

But we went to Maze, which has one star ( I think that at one stage it had 2) . We had bought the meal as part of a charity auction and so the basic meal was prepaid.In the set up at Maze there is more than one venue, there is Maze grill and Maze sushi bar, a bar and the restaurant. However,it seems to be more openplan  than one would imagine, hence the noise level is high, especially as the decor is minimalist.  The bar was overflowing with trendy folks and the background music was more foreground than background and it was ( I think) techno music, maybe better than elevator music, but neither would be my choice.

From the start, the staff and the service was impeccable ( including the doorman, and I would not envy his job, on such a night). Maze is renowned for serving French classics infused with Asian flavours and the kitchen staff  are obviously trusted with his reputation and  certainly deliver.  We had bought the five course tasting menu, which in fact became a six course as it included a soup and a sorbet. Apart from the soup and the sorbet, where there was no choice, all of the others, were an either, or option, so we did take one of each so that we could share and compare.  See for yourselves. 

  

 
 

 
 

  

 
 

  

 
 

  

 
 

  

 
 

 
Will we go back, maybe, there is no doubt that Gordon sets the bar high, but here, given the noise, maybe not, but that will not stop us from sampling any of his other establishments when the occasion arises.

In the USA, there is a restaurant chain called the Cheesecake Factory , which I have mentioned previously, there they have a multitude of flavours and styles. Me, I am not normally a baker, but on high days and holidays I do occasionally splurge. 

 
 One of my standards was always a very basic cheesecake, but this weekend I upgraded it to a more visually exciting cheesecake, although in reality it was simplicity itself.

To make my cheesecake you will need a 23 cm ( about 91/2″) Spring form pan ( one which releases the bottom when unclipped) preferably a non stick one, so much easier to clean and to release  the cake.

  
The cake is surrounded by a rich pastry crust, which is made by tipping all of the ingredients into a food processor.

Heat the oven to 180 C place the rack in the middle of the oven.

For the pastry you will need

• 260 g (2 cups) plain flour
• 2 tablespoons of caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 140grams cold unsalted butter 
• 6 (1/2cup) cream beaten together with an egg yolk.

1. Put all of the dry ingredients into a food processor
2.  Cut the butter into chunks,add to the food processor and wizz of a few seconds until it stops clonking.
3.  With the machine running pour in the egg/cream mixture, the mixture should form a damp ball very quickly. If it is not forming a ball add a few more drops of cream.
4. Remove the dough from the machine and knead it lightly together.
5. Grease lightly the springform tin
6. Divide the pastry into three and rollout one third into a rough round about the size of the tin. Place in the bottom of the pan and using your knuckles press it to fill the pan up to the edges.
7. Roll one third out into an oblong about the size of half the diameter of the tin, place it on the sides of the tin and repeat with the rest of the pastry. Again using fingers and knuckles press the pastry bottom and sides together to make a smooth lining to the pan. 
8. Put in the refrigerator until ready to use

For the Filling 

• 650-700 grms scream cheese (Philadelphia type, but do not use the light variety )
• 1 1/2 cups (375 MLS) single cream or sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1/2tsp lemon zest
• 3 large eggs ( separated)
• 1/3 Cup caster sugar + 2/3 Cup ( 75 grms  and 150 grms)
• Some whipping cream and raspberries , smooth apricot jam all for decoration.

To make the filling.

1. Put the cream cheese which has to be at room temperature, into the food processor, and wizz for a few minutes until smooth.
2. Add the cream, lemon zest, vanilla essence, sugar (150 grms) and egg yolks.
3. Beat until mixed making sure to scrape the sides down so that everything is incorporated.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff and then add the rest of the sugar, beat until stiff again but smooth and not dry.
5. Fold the whites into the cream cheese mixture gently until fully incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the chilled pastry case and place in the middle of the oven and bake at 180 C until the the top is puffy and the sides golden. The top will be a little soft. Remove from oven and place away from draughts as they will cause the cake to sink.Some sinkage  will occur.

Leave to cool and then carefully remove the springform sides.

When totally cool, refrigerate for several hours. 

In a pan or microwave proof container put the contents of about 1/2 a jar of smooth apricot jam, add a teaspoon of brandy or whiskey and heat gently until very liquid. 

If the top of the cake has sunken a little or if the edges of the pastry ar uneven, then carefully slice off the top. Brush away any crumbs that remain., pour over the melted apricot jam but only onto the cheese part. Beat the additional cream until stiff and “Pipe” around the edges and decorates with raspberries.

It is very easy and fairly large will serve at least 12. Keep refrigerated . 

   

There is a lot in the news about food, always has been and I assume always will be. What is good for you, what is bad for you, too much sugar, too much fat, eat lots of it, avoid as much of it, and so on it goes. Recently the news was processed hams, bacon and sausage were terrible for you. However it all has to be taken into consideration. If you had nothing but a diet of Bacon ( bad), baked beans ( Bad) sausages ( Bad) fried eggs ( ?) steak ( red meat =Bad) along with ketchup ( Bad) then one would assume that you would not be long for this world. However, the average person does not eat like this, everything in moderation and most importantly Variation.

In this weeks Sunday Times ( UK) there was an interesting article on Granola, another of the “In” foods, and of course depending on the brand or type of Granola you choose there are many variations in quality and price.

“As the clean-eating epidemic ravages the middle classes, scoffing a flapjack (oats, sugar) feels like a filthy-pawed act of rebellion. Munching granola (oats, sugar), however, is a byword for wellness, a superior lifestyle breakfast choice for the savvy and nutrition-conscious. From Hemsley and Hemsley to Gwyneth Paltrow, every healthy-living guru has a seed-heavy, coconut-friendly recipe ” (The Sunday Times.)

One of the “in” Granolas, is the one created by 22 year old model and food blogger  Danielle Copperman. 

According to the Sunday Times , Copperman is in New York, but her cereal venture began after she’d moved out of her parents’ house in Bath and was eating granola three times a day, not realising it was “full of sugar”. After discovering her mistake, she says, “I set myself a rule that all I was going to eat was going to be natural”. However, she “was always running out of the door at 6 or 7am for shoots”, didn’t have time to cook eggs, didn’t like porridge, and had complicated her breakfast habits by banning gluten. “I just wanted something that would give me more of a boost.”

Experimenting in her kitchen, Copperman created the blueprint for Qnola, a granola that is 25 per cent quinoa which she says is much higher in protein, has amino acids and antioxidants and is relatively low in sugar. “I didn’t want to be eating something that was still really high in sugar even if it was natural.”

However, I am not sure how much of a nutritionist she is. When looking at the Glycemic index of various types of sugar, with Glucose weighing in at a hefty 100, Sucrose ( table sugar) 65, Honey at 61,  and moving down the scale Maple Syrup at 54, Otange Juice 50 and Agave and Fructose at a lowly 13.

So, Agave which is a plant native to Mexico and Agave syrup is 55-95% Fructose and Fructose is metabolised by the liver. It is not suitable for diabetics and has no nutritional value whatsoever . It also can not be heated as it gives off harmful toxins. And finally on agave syrup it has been banned by the Glycemic Research Institute of Washington.

Meanwhile, I like Granola, sprinkled over my yogurt and berries, but I like to make my own as then I have a better idea of what I am eating.

 

 
So to make my Granola, I use 

200 grms nuts, ( I prefer pecan or a mix with unsalted cashews)

1 Cup large cut oats

1/4 cup oil, ( I use light olive oil)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 beaten egg white

 Heat the maple syrup with the oil, when warm, add the nuts chopped, keep on the low heat and stir for about 5 minutes. When the nuts are golden add the beaten egg white and stir in. Remove from heat and stir in the oats until throughly mixed. Spread onto a nonstick baking tray and bake at 170 C for 20 mins. Be careful to keep an eye on it and stir from time to time to avoid the edges burning.

Leave to cool and mix well, when totally cool put into an airtight container, will keep for two or three weeks easily.

 

  
 Further reading can be found on the Times website. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/article4604660.ece?shareToken=cb593d9f450a8b8204d1504164c2cb6d

Many restaurants have sister restaurants but this is a one and two for the eponymous restaurant that is the Ivy. The Ivy is in fact in two parts, the Ivy and the Club at the Ivy. Anyone can go to the Ivy, (providing you can get a reservation) it is affordable and a fun place to go and people watch. The Club at the Ivy, is a private members club and I assume that is where all of the A-Z listers hide out. The Ivy, is part of Caprice holdings, which includes Daphne’s Caprice, J. Sheekey and Scotts (16 in all). The Ivy is very discreet, hidden down a side street in Londons west end, as is Caprice and J. Sheekey. The new off shoots, The Ivy Chelsea Garden ( March 2015) and the Ivy Market Grill ( November 2014)  are more visible, one on the Kings Road in the Chelsea area of London and the other right on the very busy square of Covent Garden. 

 We tried the Ivy Market grill and the first thing we noticed was that we were able to book for 8 people. Many of central London better restaurants will not take such a booking, maybe for lunch but not for dinner. The second thing that we noticed was it was the same very smart interior and very smooth service. So how was the menu? It too was similar in feel to the Ivy. An eclectic choice to suit all tastes and for central London it was affordable. The restaurant is open from 8 am until late, so open for Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Pre theatre dining, Dinner and Post theatre! So fine dining all day ! We were spoilt  for choice, but I chose the seared scallops which were just wonderful, they were served with truffle creamed potatoes, Parmesan crisp and shaved truffle.  

 However for me the test was Fish and Chips. This is my all time comfort food, and if I were a condemned woman, it would be my request for my last meal. But, if it were not up to scratch then I would be sorely disappointed. Although this my number one meal, I rarely have the chance to eat it hence I am really fussy where and when I eat it. Not for me if the batter is soggy, not for me if the chips are floppy and cold. They both have to reach my standard. The batter has to be crisp and dry , the chips, firm, hot and crisp. 

Deal on the south coast is a small old town ( dating from before the 13 th Century) is the home to an old fashioned Fish and Chip restaurant, the kind which sells Take Aways in the front and has a small un inspiring restaurant in the back. Their Fish is perfect, but the chips are very English, a bit boring. Then there is Sittingbourne, a town in the middle of Kent, which has seen better days. They too have an old fashioned kind of Fish and Chip restaurant, where they even serve Kiddie size portions ( you have to be a big kid to eat it as the portion size is not small) for OAP’s. Again they reach the mark with the fish, but fall short in the chip department.  

  Move on to Marlow in Buckinghamshire to the award winning 2 Michelin starred Pub of Chef Tom Kerridge. He, who currently has a Pop Up restaurant in Harrods. Again, he has great fish with wonderful crispy batter, but for the chips again fell short. I am convinced that they are extruded, they were crisp but the interior was just not right and in dong some research I discovered that many chefs use this method,i.e.  make mashed potato and pipe it out in exact lengths before deep frying. 

So onto the Ivy Market Grill, and bingo, the Fish and Chips hit the spot, the batter was crisp and dry and so were the chips and hot! Wonderful. And the Mushy Peas, well forget those, no one serves real mushy peas these days. 

 Mushy peas are dried marrowfat peas which are first soaked overnight in water with bicarbonate of soda then rinsed in fresh water and simmered with a little sugar and salt until they are soft and mushy. Very often food colouring is added to keep them green. Nowadays, many restaurants serve “Mushy Peas” but in fact what they do is take peas ( probably frozen) cook them and then mush them a bit. I have to admit this way of eating peas is preferable to either balancing them on the tines of your fork ( English style) or using your fork as a shovel ( American style) , but they are Not Mushy Peas!

Only one of us tested the desserts, but it looked an impressive Baked Alaska. We left the Ivy Market  Grill more than satisfied with our new find and I am sure we will return. 

 One final note, according to my sources, Richard Caring who owns this group of restaurants, was the man behind the Brasserie style cafes called Côte. This chain has now been moved on but the new kid on the block from th same team is Bills. Cheaper than Côte, marginally, not as slick as Côte, but it works, we love it as there is one about 30 seconds from my front door, so what’s not to like?