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TEA and TAKES

Monthly Archives: July 2014

Summer Mediterranean Delight at Pera

27 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by Fiona in Thoughts

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Tags

angle, dips, goats cheese, humus, lamb dishes, Mediterranean cuisine, Pera, pitta bread, restaurants in angel, tastecard, vegetable mezze


mix vegertable mezze pera (1012x720)Pera (1024x576)If you’re in the mood for a varied Mediterranean menu then look no further than Pera in London. Situated on Upper Street between Angel station and Highbury and Islington Pera is a delightful restaurant, especially in Summer as they open out the front doors so you can sit and enjoy a glass of wine whilst watching the busy people of London pass you buy.

I discovered Pera when searching for a restaurant that accepted Tastecard and straight away the restaurant stood out as it had top marks and a high number of fantastic reviews. Mediterranean food is one of my favourite cuisines and after having a peep at the menu and seeing they had such a varied menu I was excited to head down and try it out.

The restaurant is decorated beautifully with it’s wooden decor, little trinkets and big open window section which lets you sit out the front. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful in providing suggestions on what to eat. Craig was set on the lamb cutlets which were glazed in a honey and oregano sauce served with sautéed potato and we both wanted to try the mix vegetable mezze. I couldn’t decide what to have and finally opted for the chicken shish however, when we went to order we were informed that with a tastecard you are only entitled to 2 starters and 2 mains. That wasn’t a problem as it meant we could try even more dishes. As we were getting the mezze main to share I decided to mix two starters as a main and opted for the grilled mixed sausage skewer and the goats cheese served on bed of mix leaves topped with caramelized red onion and smoked red pepper. The sausage skewer consisted of chorizo, cumberland sausage and Sucuk (Turkish sausage) served with mix leaves and toasted baguette. The portion was a little on the small side however  the taste was very good and before the starters we were given freshly baked pitta which came in handy to have with the sausages plus I then had a big size portion of goats cheese and salad.

goats cheese with salad and caramelized onionsIt was bread overload by the time our mix vegetable mezze platter arrived which consisted of Humus, cacik, smoked aubergine with yogurt, ezme salad (chilli tomato onion cucumber salsa), ratatouille served with pitta. The ratatouille and smoked aubergine were the highlights to this dish as they were flavoursome without being too oily, I have had aubergine before and found it can sometimes repeat on you if there is too much oil. Craig’s lamb cutlets were extremely tender and the honey sauce was sweet and addictive, I kept dipping my pitta bread in it to soak it all up.

mix vegetable mezze (1024x576)

We were heading to the cinema after and were pushed for time however when I next go back I will most certainly get dessert, the cakes looked incredible. I would say it’s worth even just going in to Pera to get a cake which are kept behind a glass counter as you go to pay (good bit of marketing there as I was super tempted just to pick one up for the road).

Good value for money, lovely staff and delicious food Pera is extremely reasonable (especially if you have tastecard) and will leave you full and satisfied and most likely coming back again.

 

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Macaroons: The Coconut Kind

20 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by Fiona in Food, Recipes

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Tags

barnsley food market, Coconut macaroons, dessicated coconut, macaroons, sweet treats

Coconut Macaroon

Coconut Macaroon

Coconut Macaroon

Coconut Macaroon

Macaroons- what comes to mind? I’m guessing the colourful pastel cakes you’ve previously seen being made on Bake off or in the windows of French Patisseries. However last weekend I came across a different form of macaroon and this was the plain coconut one made from desiccated coconut, sugar and egg. I came cross this delightful treat at a market up in Barnsley. Served warm at the cost of £1 or 3 for £2.50 I can honestly say I savoured every bite. Cripsy on the outside, sweet and melt in the mouth on the inside I simply couldn’t get enough of them. Therefore as soon as I was home I was already searching for a recipe on how to make them.

On searching the net I came across several different recipes, some using condensed milk, others using chocolate and cream however the one I opted for uses quite simple ingredients and is a fabulous recipe if you want to just whip something sweet up at the drop of a hat.

Ingredients

100g Desiccated Coconut
90g Caster Sugar
2 egg whites
1tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp plain flour

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 160C/fan. Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper. Mix the coconut, sugar, flour and vanilla extract into a bowl together until combined. Next add the egg whites pouring slowly so it is absorbed into the mixture and mix together until you have a slightly sticky mixture.

114 (1024x683) 2) Using a spoon, dollop the mixture on to a baking tray and shape he mixture into small dough ball shapes. Bake in the oven for 15 mins, the tops will turn a golden brown colour but make sure not to overbake. 116 (1024x683) 119 (1024x683)

Coconut Macaroon

Coconut Macaroon

These macaroons have become a household favourite and since first baking them I have made 4 more batches. I can’t believe I’ve never tried them before. They are fabulous for an after dinner treat and served best warm. So far I’ve had them plain but they’d be fabulous dipped in melted chocolate so I might just have to try that next. Enjoy!

 

 

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Authentic Mexican Cuisine at Cafe Pacifico

13 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by Fiona in Thoughts

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Tags

Authentic Mexican Food, blogger nights, Cafe Pacifico, Fajitas, food journal, food meet ups, guacamole, history of tequilla, mescal, Mexican cusinine, mezcal, refried beans, shrimp tacos, smoky tequilla, tequilla, zomato

Cafe Pacifico

Cafe Pacifico

I’d never heard of Cafe Pacifico until last week but now I’m so glad I have. A Mexican restaurant situated in the heart of Covent Garden, just near Pineapple studios and next to Foundation Bar, Cafe Pacifico is London’s first Mexican cantina and opened back in 1982. Serving a selection of modern and authentic mexican food cafe it’s easy to see why it was packed out even on a Wednesday evening. Thanks to the lovely people at Zomato I was fortunate to head down to Cafe Pacifico and sample some of their cocktails and delicious food. Continue reading →

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A taste of Georgia at Marani, Mayfair

05 Saturday Jul 2014

Posted by Fiona in Food, Recipes

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Tags

Chkmeruli, Dumplings, Elarji & Bazhe, Georgian art, Georgian restaurant, Marani, Mayfair, Snickers, zomato

Marani

Marani

20140626_181006 (1024x768)

Marani

Marani

Last Thursday night was my first blogger’s meet up with Zomato and it was held at the beautiful hand decorated Georgian restaurant, Marani, based in Mayfair. On arrival I was given a tour of the restaurant and informed about the Georgian artist who came over from Georgia to paint and curate the restaurant in the space of 6 months. The restaurant was decorated with beautiful paintings, chandeliers made from wine glass bottles and intricate crafted candle sticks and was simply stunning yet extremely homely at the same time. The staff were extremely attentive and polite and guided me to our table upstairs which was beautifully presented and allowed me the opportunity to sit down and meet with other bloggers. It wasn’t long before food was brought out which consisted of, Elarji & Bazhe (polenta & cheese balls with an almond dipping sauce), Chkmeruli (corn-fed grilled baby chicken in a garlic & cream sauce) as well as Georgian breadsticks and a delicious light and zesty cucumber and tomato salad. Continue reading →

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About Me

Hi I’m Fiona, a twenty something foodie living in London who loves nothing more than cooking, eating, listening to stories and exploring. I created Tea and Takes as a way of bringing my two loves together: food and film.
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