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The opening night of the Underground Restaurant.

February 10, 2009 11 Comments Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

French vintage bottle openers

French tire-bouchons

My guests arrived on time. My emo teenager sat in the corner on a rocking chair looking like a scene from ‘The turn of the screw’. Then, greeting her with almost choking relief, my sister arrived to waitress. After handing them a complimentary glass of kir royale to celebrate the opening night, people were seated for the first course.

I introduced several food bloggers to each other, Bellaphon, Foodrambler and Londoneater, the virtual colliding with the real. Which is partly the point. This is ‘put your money where your mouth is’ time. Anybody with a digital camera, a way with words and a budget for eating out, can put up recipes, review food. How many food bloggers then invite you over to actually try the food for yourself?
I disappear into the kitchen where the Guardian photographer has set up. I am tempted to go all Nigella on her, licking spoons artfully for the camera. She tells me to stop it immediately.
I have a table of friends here, a writer Caroline Simpson and two famous astrologers, Bethea Jenner and Michael Day, but otherwise I don’t know anybody. 
I confess only half-joking to the Guardian photographer that this is all an elaborate scheme to find a boyfriend. I have no one to cook for, my teenager won’t eat hardly anything, so I invite strangers over.
Horton Jupiter arrives saying his plus two will not be coming as they are too drunk. These are the people for whom I made extra mousse au chocolat. I think for the future I will ask people to ‘donate’ in advance via paypal. I was annoyed as I had turned down reservations for tonight.
I cover the kitchen surfaces with bowls to serve the roasted cherry tomato soup, placing a basil leaf in the middle of each, accompanied by a hunk of warmed up herb focaccia.
The gratins are cooked, the potatoes are soft in their cream but the tops need browning. I juggle with the various Aga ovens, alternating which dish of gratin will go in the roasting oven. I’ve cooked 4 baking tins worth of gratin, enough for 15 people.
Horton comes into the kitchen and strokes my Aga. We discuss Jeremy Clarkson’s comment that Gordon Brown is a “one-eyed Scottish idiot”. 
Which I say is “factually true”.
 Horton then  announces that David Blunkett could not possibly be a good government minister “because he is blind. Der!”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” I ask.
“He’s a stupid right-wing twat.” states Horton.
“Yes. He should not be in government because he’s a stupid right-wing twat, agreed, not because he is blind.”
My sister shoos Horton out of the kitchen. The Guardian photographer, who has been a witness to this exchange gasps. “You can’t say stuff like that!” 
I smirk to myself: well done Horton, you just lost the politically correct vote, she is from The Guardian after all.
Soup bowls return. We start to plate up the gratins, a relay with myself digging them out of the tins, my teen rushing them over to my sister who will add the two salads. I look over and realise my sister has piled the salad up high. The plate looks like something Popeye would eat.

“No, no, no. Not like that. Smaller. A scoop. Then trickle the dressing over!” I command.

The main course served, I go into the living room and have a little chat with each table. I’m playing so many roles here; cook and hostess. I’m wearing a smeared white apron. 
When the plates return I notice somebody hasn’t eaten their gratin. I have to stop myself going to tell them off. This is a mother’s restaurant after all.

Bompass & Parr jelly

Bompas & Parr

Blackcurrant jelly

Blackcurrant jelly
The charming Bompas & Parr, who make art jellies for installations and parties (last week they did Mark Ronson’s party) are here. They have brought some jellies in a cool box. Asking for a bowl of hot water to ease the jellies, elderflower and blackcurrant, out of their moulds, they serve them to each table as a ‘palate clearer’.
Finally the chocolate mousses are served with a chocolate-dipped candied orange slice. A couple of people leave their candied orange slices. They are so good I scoop them off the plates and eat them up later.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    February 10, 2009 at 10:58 am

    I’ve really enjoyed reading all of the posts about this. What a great idea.

    Niamh

    Reply
  2. MsMarmitelover

    February 10, 2009 at 11:00 am

    Thanks Niamh,
    Welcome to my blog!
    Hope to see you one night?

    Reply
  3. Browners

    February 10, 2009 at 11:09 am

    Sounds brilliant. Looking forward to the 21st. Very keen.

    Reply
  4. Sue George

    February 10, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    Just read the piece in the Guardian – I’d really like to come one night too.
    I see you are an astrologer as well – very very interesting!
    Sue

    Reply
  5. MsMarmitelover

    February 10, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    Hi Sue and Browners,
    Welcome!
    Sue if you’d like to make a reservation contact me at
    theundergroundrestaurant@gmail.com

    Astrology and food…I might do a theme night!

    Reply
  6. Aron

    February 10, 2009 at 2:02 pm

    If I’m ever in England I’ll make a reservation. Sounds like a good time. 🙂

    Reply
  7. thora

    February 10, 2009 at 6:46 pm

    Excellent writing and I’d love to come some time. Laughed a lot at daughter / mother relationship.

    Reply
  8. MsMarmitelover

    February 10, 2009 at 6:58 pm

    Thanks Thora.Sounds like you recognize it.Email for booking at top left hand corner.
    You never know Aron.

    Reply
  9. Animal Disco

    February 10, 2009 at 7:46 pm

    ML, I am massively, hugely proud of you. What a wonderful evening! I sooo wish I could have been there. I’m doing my damndest to make darn sure I’m at the next one. Meanwhile, I salute you! Fabulous.

    xxx

    Reply
  10. Canal Explorer

    February 11, 2009 at 7:50 pm

    Ooh, it sounds amazing! I’m so disappointed I was out of the country and couldn’t make it! I’ll definitely be there for Valentines yumminess this Saturday, then off to the Space Hijackers Party.

    Can we have a link to the Guardian article please??

    X

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The 10th anniversary of my supper club says:
    January 21, 2019 at 10:31 am

    […] in 2009 I started The Underground Restaurant, a home restaurant or supper club. My first night to go public was February 9th. I was both terrified and […]

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

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msmarmitelover

Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Apple rose blossom tarts with rose jam. Rose Appl Apple rose blossom tarts with rose jam.  Rose Apple Blossom Tarts

Serves 8

Equipment: 
Microwave
Cupcake or muffin tin

I use a red-skinned apple to make these, to get a hint of blush at the edges of the ‘petals’.

Ingredients:
4 Pink Lady or Royal Gala apples, cored, cut into quarters, sliced thinly into half moons
1 lemon, squeezed
1 pack all butter readymade puff pastry 320g, on a roll, cut into 8 strips about 6 cms long
100g of melted butter
1/2 jar of rose jam
1 or 2 tbsp cinnamon or cardamom, ground 
Pinch maldon salt
2 or 3 tbsp icing sugar

Instructions

Prepare a bowl of acidulated water (cold water with lemon juice) to prevent browning.
Core the apples, and cut them in quarters. Slice thinly into half-moons (a mandolin is useful for this). 
Put them into a large bowl of cold water with the lemon.
Microwave the bowl of sliced apples for 5 minutes until soft enough to bend slightly but not cook them.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Roll out the puff pastry. Divide into 8 sections by cutting the roll into quarters then halving each quarter. You will end up with 8 approximately 6cm strips.
Brush the strip with melted butter then paint with a layer of rose jam. You can then dust with either ground cinnamon or cardamom.
Lay the apple slices along the top of the pastry strip, overlapping them. Fold up the bottom half of the pastry strip to make an pleat with the skin side of the apple half moon poking over the top.
Roll up the folded pastry strips until they look like a rose made of apple at the top
Place ‘rose’ side up, in a buttered cupcake tin
Repeat until all are done and bake for 20 -30 minutes.
Using a tea strainer or small sieve, sprinkle with icing sugar.
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