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Are you a real vegan?

April 6, 2009 4 Comments Filed Under: Uncategorized

vongole/clamsSteve Hatt's fishmongers in Islington. I think he only employs male models.
Making spaghetti vongole al cartoccio, msmarmitelover's supper club
Making spaghetti vongole al cartoccio, msmarmitelover's supper club
Making spaghetti vongole al cartoccio, msmarmitelover's supper club
Making spaghetti vongole al cartoccio, msmarmitelover's supper club
spaghetti vongole al cartoccio, msmarmitelover's supper club
spaghetti vongole al cartoccio, msmarmitelover's supper club
I love this picture. They look like an Italian family.
The Underground restaurant, msmarmitelover's supper club, London
trifle on the table, The Underground Restaurant, msmarmitelover's supper club, London
Do love a bit of leopard skin!

Once I had decided the menu the big problem was how to do the spaghetti al cartoccio? For 22 people on an Aga? which, by the time the main course has to go out, is losing its heat. Initially I planned to serve it ‘family style’, where you have a big dish in the middle of each table. But I couldn’t obtain wide greaseproof paper. There were a few experiments with trying to glue bits of greaseproof paper together with flour and water, but they wouldn’t make a seal. I settled on 22 individual packets, which worked very well. 
Take good pasta such as Barilla Spaghettoni which cooks for 11 minutes. Cook it in salted water for 8 minutes. In another pan you melt your shallots, parsley, garlic, olive oil and white wine, then add the vongole. Quite rapidly they should open. Discard any shells that do not open or which are broken. 
Then take a handful of pasta, place it in the middle of your section of cut greaseproof paper (about half a metre), add a ladle of the vongole sauce (or whatever sauce you are using) then fold up the sides. Holding it together in the middle, you then bring the ends up, twist them together an put the package in the oven for 5 minutes.
I thought it tasted wonderful. Anything ‘en papillote’ really absorbs the flavours. 
It was spectacular brought to the tables, each guest unwrapping their package like a big sweetie, steam escaping as they did it. A real pleasure to watch people tucking in.
Menu
Cocktail of lemon vodka, elderberry syrup, cava and blue curacao caviar
Olives marinated in garlic and lemon
Portabella mushroom with mushroom pesto and goats cheese
Green olive focaccia
Spaghetti al cartoccio (with vongole or red pepper sauce)
Rocket and watercress salad with parmesan shavings and pine nuts, dijon mustard dressing.
White trifle with Malibu soaked sponge, amaretti biscuits, mascarpone, raspberries, meringues, topped with white chocolate.
Coffee
The only real hiccup was the fact that there were apparently three vegans coming. But two of the vegans weren’t vegans, they had given up meat and fish for Lent. One guy didn’t like cheese. A woman didn’t like dairy or wheat. I asked my slightly nervous front of house to ask everyone who came in who is the vegan? But nobody fessed up. 
Then some other people started to say they didn’t eat vongole. But when I went around to give seconds, I noticed they had shells on their plates. So they did eat vongole in fact. Confused? Me too. 
Then a rather drunk man weaved his way into the kitchen and said:

“My girlfriend is vegan and you aren’t giving her vegan food. I don’t care myself. I eat anything.”

“Is she a real vegan?” I ask, slightly accusingly, only realising once it came out of my mouth that this was a strange question

“What’s a real vegan?” he said.

“One that doesn’t say I want vegetarian and then when I go around with seconds says I’ll have some of that vongole?” I tried to explain wearily. “Didn’t the front of house ask you all if you were vegan?”

“No.”

“Why didn’t you speak up then?”

“We were being English.”

I went out to apologize to the vegan girl.

“I’ve done a special vegan menu for you. I always cater to vegans, but obviously I don’t know what you look like when you book online so…”

It was frustrating because I had separate mushrooms for the vegans with no goats cheese, a special dessert, everything…

I would say most of my menus are vegan but on occasion I make something with fish. 
I really must get more organised. Some people send me emails specifying and then I forget their names on the evening. All I knew is I had 3 non-fish eaters stroke vegans. But couldn’t remember what party they were with. I’m not front of house so if you are vegan please speak up when you arrive. If you’ve told me beforehand I will have made an option for you.

The white chocolate, mascarpone, Malibu, raspberry trifle

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Comments

  1. kelsie and mel

    April 6, 2009 at 8:22 am

    hey ms. marmite — i had a fantastic time helping out on sat. the pasta was glorious. was there any trifle leftover?

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    April 6, 2009 at 4:39 pm

    you seem to be making lots of effort to cater for different diets.

    not your responsibility if adults are too english/unassertive to speak-up!

    Reply
  3. Canal Explorer

    April 8, 2009 at 2:17 pm

    How silly of them not to say anything!! And then complain at the end… (obviously not too embarassed to do that part!).

    I’m guessing either she’s not be vegan for long or isn’t that bothered about it, because vegans quickly have to get used to having to speak up for themselves (or go hungry).

    What a shame. Next time your vegans don’t bother to claim their treasures, send them my way! The vegan chocolate mousse you did that time for me was AMAZING! I was so impressed not to end up with fruit salad like I would at most restaurants.

    Your place is heavan for vegans, as you actually understand, know what it means, create tasty recipes for them, and know why not to stir it with the same spoon as the fish, etc.

    You can trust MS ML with your dietary requirements.

    X

    Reply
  4. MsMarmitelover

    April 8, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    Thanks MsCE.
    I’m not saying they complained really. I guess they were being polite.
    It just would make it easier for me, who they have emailed, as I am only in the kitchen for the initial part of the evening, if they would introduce themselves to the front of house, who as volonteers are not always experienced. I guess I should say that when I reply to their emails…
    It’s all a learning curve though…
    But yes vegans can trust me.

    Reply

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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
Got the sewing machine out last night and hemmed t Got the sewing machine out last night and hemmed the top of these toile de jouey curtains in my summer house shed. The days are lengthening a little which brightens up my mood. Self care= trying to get up and washed. Trying to leave the house once a day. Keeping my hands busy. Finding small ways to be creative. #coronaloner #sewingmachine #curtains #shedsofinstagram #sheshed #springiscoming #supperclub #stayingsane #selfcare #lockdown3
Pasta aglio olio. I’m turning into a vampire. I Pasta aglio olio. I’m turning into a vampire. I get up later and later every day. I’m living in a twilight world- dim skies, getting nothing done. Next week it’s my birthday and every year I’m at my lowest ebb just before my birthday. Lockdown on your own is tough. My motivation, my mojo has disappeared. #lockdown3 #coronaloner #pastadinner #nofilter #january2021 #januarychallenge #selfemployedwomen #single #aquarius #0degrees
On the heath on Sunday. Must. Walk. More. #coronal On the heath on Sunday. Must. Walk. More. #coronaloner
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Galette des Rois, made yesterday in 12th night. Mi Galette des Rois, made yesterday in 12th night. Minus Crown and king as I cannot find either. This one is made with Tonka bean. Plus homemade puff pastry (well worth the effort). According to ike delorenzo at The Atlantic:  The tonka bean, a flat, wrinkled legume from South America with an outsize flavor that the US government has declared illegal. Nonetheless, it proliferates on elite American menus. The tiniest shavings erupt in a Broceliande of transporting, mystical aromas.
The taste of the tonka bean is linked strongly to its scent. "Scents," I should say, as the tonka bean has many at once. I register the aromas of vanilla, cherry, almond, and something spicy—a bit like cinnamon. When served cold—say, in tonka bean ice cream—the taste is like a vanilla caramel with dark honey. When warm, perhaps shaved over scallops, it moves toward spiced vanilla. Additionally, the aroma of the tonka bean shavings (it's almost always shaved) is so affecting that it seems like an actual taste in the way that opium, which has no taste in the traditional sense, "tastes" like its rich, flowery smoke.  Here is the recipe: 

Tonka bean galette des rois

Serves 8
Ingredients
* 140 g caster sugar
* 125 g salted butter, softened
* 100 g ground almonds
* 2 eggs, medium
* 1 tonka bean, grated
* 2 packs ready made butter puff pastry on a roll
* 1 yolk for brushing the pastry
Instructions
* Preheat your oven to 200c.

* Blend the butter with the sugar then add the almonds. Make sure it’s well mixed. Add in the 2 eggs one at a time, then add the tonka bean.

* If using a block: divide the puff pastry into two and roll out to 5mm thick. 
* Make two circles about 15 cm’s each in diameter. Lay one circle on a silicone mat/parchment paper on a baking tray and fill with the almond cream leaving a 3 cm border around the edge. 
* Paint the border with the egg yolk. Then lay the other circle on top, sealing the edges with a fork. 
* You could then carve designs into the top. Make a little slit in the middle to let steam escape then brush the top with the egg yolk
Mapo tofu is probably my favourite Sichuan dish. T Mapo tofu is probably my favourite Sichuan dish. This is a vegan version. ***

Ingredients:
- 400 g box of soft tofu not silken
- 5 soaked dried shiitake mushrooms, diced, keep water
- 1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
- 400 g fresh shiitake mushroom, sliced thinly
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 1 thumb fresh ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tbsps groundnut or vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp fermented bean paste
- 1 or 2 small red chillies, minced or a spoonful of Chinese chilli paste
- 1 tsp heaped sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
- 2 tbsps soy or tamari sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflour in 3 tbsps water, mixed into a slurry
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- large pinch fresh coriander leaves

Prepare the tofu by cutting it into one inch cubes and soaking it in hot but not boiling salted water. Drain after 15 minutes.
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms, covering them in boiling water. Leave until soft, then dice the mushrooms. Retain the mushroom soaking water and add to the vegetable stock water.
Prepare the other ingredients so they are ready to stir-fry: red bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, ginger, garlic.

Using a wok or deep frying pan, add the oil and heat to frying temperature. Add the bell peppers,fry for a couple of minutes, then add fermented bean paste, chilli paste or chillies, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sichuan pepper.
Add the mushroom/vegetable broth and simmer on high for a couple of minutes.
Carefully add the cubes of tofu, taking care not to break them too much.
Add the cornflour slurry, stirring for a couple of minutes.
Serve with rice or noodles, garnishing with spring onions or chives and or coriander leaves.  #veganuary #mapotofu #sichuanfood #tofu  #shitakemushrooms #supperclub #londonchef #msmarmitelover #ham&highcolumn #eatplants #lockdown3 #selfisolation #coronaloner #cooking #recipe #cookingfromscratch
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Writing about tofu which I think has an unfair rep Writing about tofu which I think has an unfair reputation in this country. It’s so flexible and is a brilliant flavour sponge. Here I’m preparing my soft tofu for a Japanese dish: agedashi tofu. I first pressed it in a clean tea towel with a weight on top to firm it up a bit but not too much. Then I dusted it with cornflour and I will deep fry it in oil. Then I will serve it in a broth of dashi/mirin and tamari sauce, sprinkled with finely chopped spring onions and togarashi pepper from Japan. I would usually add some finely mandolined daikon radish but couldn’t find any. It’s a subtle dish of texture: soft yet crispy. After Christmas I’m desperate for light zingy fresh flavoured food. #supperclub #tofu #vegan #vegetarian #agedashitofu #newyearsday #cookingagain #lunch #asian #japanesefood
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#happynewyear #happynewyear2021 #supperclub #hootenanny
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#christmasdinner #vegetarianchristmas #vegetarianchristmasdinner #supperclub #londonchristmas #liqueurs #christmasspread #grazing #cheeseboard #port #pavlova
Christmas has started! Home-cured smoked beetroot Christmas has started!  Home-cured smoked beetroot and aquavit salmon with homemade blinis, creme fraiche, dill, Prosecco.  The fire is lit 🔥, the tree is up, 🎄the presents 🎁 are wrapped, we have a #brexit deal- a Christmas miracle. Peace and harmony. #christmas #christmasinengland #homemade #christmaseve #blinis #smokedsalmon #prosecco🍾 #londonchristmas
Done some doorscaping, the latest trend in Christm Done some doorscaping, the latest trend in Christmas decorating. It might also cheer up passersby. #christmas #christmasdecor #doorscaping #doorsofinstagram #londonchristmas #doorwreath #doordecor #doorsoftheworld #doordecoration #exteriors #london #supperclub #covidchristmas
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