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Travels in Dorrrset, my loverrr

July 29, 2009 18 Comments Filed Under: Uncategorized

customer at choc star, camp bestival
The customers

Down to Dorset to work at Camp Bestival with Petra Chocstar in her chocolate icecream van. I’d learn to scoop properly she said. The finest technique is to do a long snail-like curl which makes the icecream look bigger than a firmly packed scoop. This is harder than it looks to achieve. Other rules: don’t miss out the edges of the tub when scooping because you’ll end up with a sticky fist by the time you get to the bottom.

We were an all girl outfit. Next door at the Thali tent, they’d decided we were feminist separatists.
It helps to be small to work in the van. Your view of the outside world, and their view of you, is restricted to a tiny hatch. There is a little step upon which kids haul themselves up. One kid tried to grab the money under the counter. All of the parents are under the impression that their kids are cute. They give the kids the money and let them take the icecream. The child then climbs down from the step, holding the icecream in their wobbly pudgy mit. The icecream drops off the cone. The parent returns complaining defensively that the

“icecream wasn’t put on properly”.

You replace it.

In general kids want cones (shove the icecream down firmly for little kids due to aforesaid problem) and adults have cups. We started to run out of cones.

“Do you mind a cup?” I asked an adult.

“Yes, I mind. I want a cone”

whimpered this fully grown adult reverting to five years old. Ice cream vans bring out the kid in everyone.

Petra is no idiot: she does hot chocolates as well, for this, after all, is England, where you have all four seasons in one day.
I ended up flirting for Britain through that little hatch; wearing brightly coloured clothes, calling out “cute dad alert” and enticing the mummies to order themselves Chocolate Martini shots. By day three I was having to ask each customer to repeat their order at least four times.

“It’s a bloody festival” I’d explain wearily “What do you expect? Efficiency?”

I started calling cones ‘scones’ and confusing mint choc chip with caramel and chocolate. The strawberry being ‘natural’ was confusingly not pink but beige. Bring on the colourings and e numbers I say! Some of these parents however were buying icecreams for their kids at 9am. Then they’d wonder why the little bastards were so hyper.
Camp Bestival is fairly middle class. Somebody complained that security forced them to decant their balsamic vinegar into a plastic bottle. Half the festival was under the age of five. You saw all these toddlers rocking out to dubstep.
PJHarvey played. She’s a local Dorset girl. No photographer were allowed in the pit to photograph her. Her people insisted that all the other music around be turned down. PJHarvey is very skinny with a large turned up nose. She looks like the childcatcher in Chittychittybangbang.

customer at choc star, camp bestival

Silent Disco

Strangest was the ‘silent disco’: you are given headphones as you enter the tent. If you don’t wear the headphones it’s a surreal experience, like going to a deaf person’s convention. People are writhing in silence, enclosed in a private world of sound. Once in a while, they will all rise in unison and pump the air with their fists, in the direction of the plinth where the DJ fiddles with his turntables. The DJ rarely acknowledges his audience.At festivals in Britain, people wear wellies even when the sun is shining. A festival is a chance to wear all the clothes you’d never dare wear at home; the poncho you picked up somewhere ethnic, the flamenco dress, the fairy wings, glitter, animal masks…

I did a naughty thing while at camp bestival. Something I’ve never done before…I slept with a married man. He was a photographer there and I met him in the photographers pit (I was doubling up career wise and combining icecream girl with my other profession of rock photographer). I didn’t even fancy him. He never told me he was married although I did wonder. At the end of the first evening, he invited me back to his pop up tent for warm cans of gin and tonic. I refused.
The second night, bored by the surfeit of toddlers and having no one to hang out with…I relented to have a ‘massage’. This massage seem to spread to my nether regions and one thing led to another.
Now people, the moral of the tale is NEVER EVER sleep with a married man. It’s wrong, not just ethically but also because once they’ve done their bit, the act is over, the man who formerly pursued you starts crying about how they were ‘unfaithful to their kids’ and how they ‘feel really bad‘ and how ‘they really only wanted to give you a massage‘. Like it’s your fault.
The next day, in the photographers pit, he acted oddly. Calling me over to one side, he said ‘can you do me a favour? Let’s draw a line under this’. ‘Do you think I’m going to tell your wife?’ I asked, shocked. ‘Er yeah’. I walked off angrily. I didn’t even have his phone number.
On Monday I found his card, something I had forgotten he had given me, in my bag. I’m going to have fun with this I thought. I texted him asking ‘Do you have a bunny rabbit?’. He called back. Amazingly he did have a sense of humour about it. But then he started crying ‘I’m wellin’ oop’ (he was from Birmingham) ‘I don’t want to lose me kids’. For fuck’s sake. I ended up being his counsellor, ordering him not to tell the wife to assuage his own guilt. Hanging up eventually, I realised, once more, ha! when will I learn? that I cannot have casual sex. I always develop feelings for the guy. I realised, once more, with a deadening thud of the heart, that I’m alone. He will go back to wifey and pretend to be a good guy and I will…carry on being single.

river Cottage, Axminster, Dorset
old fashioned sweet shop, Axminster, Dorset
old fashioned sweet shop, Axminster, Dorset

After Camp Bestival I drove to River Cottage canteen in Axminster. They held a food stall at the festival and I met their chef Tim Maddams, and very briefly, Hugh Fearney-Whittingstall. Unfortunately River Cottage Canteen was closed by the time I got there. I managed to buy a couple of local cheeses… And nipped into the old fashioned sweet shop next door, buying salty liquorice, mega sour lemon balls, butterscotch gums. Nowadays of course they are not sold in quarters (which is actually 115g) but 100g. Mondays seem to be quite dead in Dorset which is a shame when a festival is on.
I had arranged to stay at the house of some people I met through Twitter @greendrawers and @eatdorset that night…a pop up bed and breakfast! We arranged to meet at sunset on the beach at Burton Bradstock where there is a fish ‘shack’ called The Hive Beach Café.

 The Hive beach cafe, Dorset
 The Hive beach cafe, Dorset
The counter
 The Hive beach cafe, Dorset
The fishmonger bit
fish n chips,  The Hive beach cafe, Dorset
My cod n chips
squid,  The Hive beach cafe, Dorset
The squid
 The Hive beach cafe, Dorset
The View
crab, The Hive beach cafe, Dorset
I was all prepared to LOVE this place; friendly staff and huge Disney-like plates of food. My favourite part was that they didn’t have a door. You had to find your way through the plastic that surrounded the shack. I managed to slither through a gap. Their minted mushy peas were fantastic, I’ve never liked them before and now I am a convert. However my ‘tempura’ fried cod was not fresh, a little dry in fact and the chips were of the oven variety. Goddammit.
The salad was varied on a leaf level but the dressing consisted of vinegar only. @greendrawers liked her crab but @eatdorset found his squid a little underdone. The setting is so wonderful…pleeease tweak the food…
@eatdorset is author and chef Michael Feasey who used to run a famous restaurant called The Nosh Brothers. He’s written a fantastic book called ‘Eat Dorset’. Dorset is a foodies heaven…in the book is a picture of Darren Brown of Shellseekers who hand dives scallops and oysters, selling them at his stall in Borough Market and to restaurants. I actually met him last week at the TioPepe sherry tasting at Camino, a Spanish restaurant in Kings Cross. Passionately against dredging, Darren gave a master class in how to shuck an oyster and fillet a fish. He used to go to school with Mark Hix, who has a restaurant in Lyme Regis. Darren is in his 40s. He’s a commercial drysuit diver, going down on his own in rough seas on a nitrogen mix.

“How long can you keep that up?” I asked him.

“Probably another five years” he said “I’m quite old for a commercial diver”.

The next day, after about two hours sleep…it’s amazing when you meet fellow tweeters, you carry on chatting away just like you did on twitter…I was led through the Telly Tubby green hills of Dorset to Beaminster where @greendrawers has her eco shop. She sells a mixture of goods, second hand furniture, clothes and people can refill their Ecover products there. Strangely, for an area which has mostly elderly people, baby clothes sell well.

“Grannies isn’t it?” explained @greendrawers “where else locally can they buy organic cotton baby clothes to send as presents, knowing they aren’t going to get a sniffy reaction from the parents?”

Remembering the nylon vomit pink and urine yellow cardies, so synthetic they’d give you electric shocks, that my nan knitted for babies, I nodded vigorously in agreement.
 Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
 Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
 Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
goats cheese salad,  Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
Goats cheese salad
goats cheese salad,  Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
Close up of the goats cheese salad with wild strawberries
lemon sole,  Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
The lemon sole
fennel from a local allotment,  Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
A present of allotment fennel brought in…
produce brought in by a local, Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
Wine berries, samphire and beet leaves brought in by a local
spider crab,  Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
Spider crab
tables,  Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
tables,  Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
The gorgeous tables
toilet,  Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
The toilets, a subject of conversation when Mat blogged his opening on Guardian Word of Mouth blog
cardamom chocolate brownie, Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
The cardomom flavoured chocolate brownie
Lavender icecream topped with borage flower, Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
Lavender icecream topped with Borage flower
Berry Mess, Wild Garlic, Mat Follas
Berry Mess
Mat Follas chats to the customers
Mat chats to the customers
Mat follas smokes food, smoked mash is a signature dish
Mat smokes food, smoked mash is a signature dish
Beaminster is also where this year’s Masterchef winner Mat Follas has opened his restaurant ‘The Wild Garlic’.
Mat talked about winning Masterchef: they had to stay up in London for several weeks in a horrible building with bars on the windows.

“To stop us escaping I guess” joked Mat.

“Is it a fix?” I asked “Do you think they have chosen who will win from the beginning?”

“Not at all” replied Mat “Some times I was up against really ‘televisual’ competitors…one gorgeous woman who did Gluten-free food, another babe in a mini skirt, but I got through. I asked John and Gregg the presenters why and they simply said ‘Your food tastes better’. It was quite brave of them to put four guys through to the final.”

“I never imagined I would get through. The first round I was surrounded by people bandying around French cooking terms. I can’t speak French, I’m an amateur from New Zealand. One guy was actually French but the food he produced went horribly wrong”

Mat is brave opening a restaurant, his competitors are doing ‘stages’ (work experience)around the top kitchens. But if you have a family, responsibilities, you can’t do that, you just have to go for it and learn on the job.
Tim Maddams of The River Cottage joked “from what I’ve heard, Mat can actually cook, which is more than you can say about most head chefs…”
I started with the goats cheese salad with a little chilli and tomato bread and butter pudding.
The goats cheese was delicately caramelised and the salad was amazing; little purple heads of viola, marigold petals, interesting herbs, poking through the variety of lettuce leaves, one of which tasted of caraway seeds.
The savoury bread & butter pudding was creamy and soft, full of flavour. Perhaps I would add a little parmesan crust to it…
For main course I was served an entire lemon sole, slashed either side, with capers. This fish was incredibly fresh, served on a bed of local samphire, the sea water just seeping through with each al dente bite. I also had crushed New Potatoes, simple but perfectly seasoned.
Puddings, reader, I had three;
1)The chocolate brownie, not too cake-like as many of them are, very light and flavoured with cardomom, served with red currants and crusted clotted cream
2) Lavender icecream, a creamy subtle vanilla with little sugared pods of lavender.
3) A berry mess of blueberries, red currants, meringue and cream
The prices are extremely reasonable, about a fiver for a starter, 12 quid for a main, and four quid for pudding. If you are driving to Dorset, do book a table, I recommend it.
The decor of the full dining room was simple, rustic but modern with pale sorrel green Farrow & Ball paint and fabulous thick oak tables with foodie quotes carved in the edges.
Mat went around the tables talking to people. He understands that a successful restaurant, especially if the owner has won a popular TV competition, depends on the personal touch to distinguish it.
As I sat there, watching people come in to make bookings, they would often bring a present from their garden or allotment. Locals popped in all the time, to bring crabs or local ingredients. It’s Mat’s restaurant, but I got the feeling that Dorset felt like they were, that horrible New Labour phrase, stake-holders in the project, wanting to add their knowledge.

Little Chef, Popham
Little Chef, Popham
ketchup, Little Chef, Popham
Little Chef, Popham
Little Chef, Popham
Little Chef, Popham
Little Chef, Popham
My last stop was at Heston Blumenthal’s Little Chef in Popham, at the junction where the A303 meets the M3. I’ve been wanting to visit, since watching the TV documentary where Heston attempts to transform the management’s attitude to food.
I was too tired and full to eat, just ordering a pot of tea, some tomatoes and mushrooms. The tomatoes did taste a little of ‘thyme’ as the menu vaunted but the mushrooms were ordinary. Butter? Can’t Little Chef afford butter?
The staff were lovely and the decor witty; a noughties take on the 1950s American diner.

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Comments

  1. Krista

    July 29, 2009 at 7:23 pm

    another day, another adventure. lovely, again, mml.

    Reply
  2. Sally's Chateau

    July 29, 2009 at 7:31 pm

    Glad you enjoyed your time in Dorset and in particular Beaminster and all it has to offer from Greendrawers to The Wild Garlic. It's a very picturesque part of the world and has its own special unique magic, don't attempt the sea however at The Hive Beach when the tide is on the turn !!

    Reply
  3. Mat Follas

    July 29, 2009 at 7:56 pm

    was great to meet you !
    I think I will put some parmesan (old winchester actually) on the bread pudding when I make it next
    See you on 10th in London x

    Reply
  4. @rebeccajago

    July 29, 2009 at 8:57 pm

    Hi. Loved your Dorset tales. I'm going to go and stay with my brother in Dorset in the autumn and get over to The Wild Garlic for sure. I went to the Little Chef Popham last February to try out the Heston menu. We were five typical London ladies on a lunch trip. we had a fab time, though, although the food was hit and miss (and we were charged £1 for ONE MUSHROOM poached in olive oil; that's a bit crazy isn't it?). But the staff were just wonderful, although the manager who featured in the tv series had already left: we had a great guy from Bristol who made the whole experience for us.
    Really enjoy your twitter posts, and looking forward to trying out one of your UR evenings.

    Reply
  5. Kavey

    July 30, 2009 at 7:39 am

    Really enjoyed reading about your adventures, particularly visiting Mat at The Wild Garlic – can't wait for my visit, in mid August!

    Reply
  6. Anonymous

    July 30, 2009 at 8:41 am

    I went to the Popham Little Chef on the way back from Camp Bestival too! Did you actually get mushrooms plural? Because they only gave me one tiny "slow roasted field mushroom" for £1.

    The parents of hyperactive kids pissed me off too. I was spinning outside the tent one day and this little girl touched the spinning wheel as it was going round. Her parents were right there so I figured they'd stop her. Then she put her foot between the spokes. Then touched the wheel again. I had to tell her it would eat her fingers if she kept doing that.

    Parents wanted to use us as a babysitting service while they went to watch music. I don't care how "family friendly" it is, I would not leave my 8 year-old alone at a festival.

    The River Cottage canteen was rubbish. My write up of the fest including River Cottage and Popham Little Chef is here: http://fingersandtoes.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/camp-bestival/

    Reply
  7. theundergroundrestaurant

    July 30, 2009 at 9:07 am

    As you can see I got two not very big mushrooms for my quid. Trouble was they were tasteless.
    Thanks everybody for your comments…Dorset really is food heaven.
    The River Cottage stall at Camp Bestival was, by all reports, disappointing. I've heard the canteen in Axminster is fantastic.But how can a meat eater provide good vegetarian food anyway? They just don't get it mostly.
    Festival food does need to improve and I'm planning to open up my own operation next year. All I need is a backer….
    I cooked at festivals all last summer and loved it. People would come to the cafe I worked for just to get decent vegetarian food.

    Reply
  8. The Curious Cat

    July 30, 2009 at 9:46 am

    Wow! Too much stuff in one entry – too much to comment on! Where do I start…okay Camp Bestival – ice-cream…very amusing. Last year I hijacked an ice-cream stall for a couple of hours at Bestival on the Isle of Wight (it was necessary as it was really pissing it down – we knew the seller anyway). It is funny that despite the rain and cold people still crave ice-cream! Lots of good tips here though if anyone ever fancies going into business…it is also quite interesting seeing the festival from this angle!

    As for the silent disco -OMIGOD! This is something I have always feared. It is a cool idea -don't get me wrong – but this to my mind is the complete break down of community and unity…well not completely I guess in this case as everyone was listening to the same tune but what if everyone was listening to something different?! It will happen one day…we'll all become unreachable islands…

    ach I'm being too dramatic and not very coherent but there is a thinking here that requires exploration….it is that whole idea that community is breaking down and the rise of the individual and virtual worlds and blah blah blah – I rant!

    As for food – wow – what a lot of interesting experiences! Lucky you – River Cottage, fish, Little Chef – you've been on a food oddssey from the looks of it! Most envious…. xxx

    Reply
  9. The Shed

    July 30, 2009 at 10:18 am

    You do get around my dear!
    Loved reading this, we're definitely going to head to The Wild Garlic if we manage to get that way in September.

    Keep 'em coming…see you Tuesday.
    xx

    http://www.theshedlikesfood.blogspot.com

    Reply
  10. The Curious Cat

    July 30, 2009 at 10:47 am

    PS Matt's restaurant sounds amazing – well done to him! I'd certainly eat there!

    Reply
  11. The Curious Cat

    July 30, 2009 at 10:55 am

    PPS On festival food – I think it has definitely got a lot better from the times when I was 16 going to Reading Fest, there you just got horribly congealed chinese food and burgers – not a vegy option in sight except for jacket potato that looked awful…Bestival had some good curries and fish dishes last year – but yeah always room for improvement!

    Reply
  12. Scarlett the Heavenly Healer

    July 30, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    FAB post – as always! X

    Reply
  13. Animal Disco

    July 30, 2009 at 5:44 pm

    Ms ML – long time no catch up; thanks for re-enthusing me about all that is good and fun in the world with this wonderful post.

    Fancy a mini-break in Bath next time around? I think you'd particularly enjoy the Farmers' Market, and we could compare and contrast the delights (or otherwise) of Jamie's Italian and our own River Cottage Canteen. Heck, you could even accompany me to a restaurant review if we get the schedule right!

    Anyway, be in touch soon – for now, keep on keeping on; you're doing great things.

    Reply
  14. TheFastestIndian

    July 30, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    That is the most apt description of Polly Harvey that I have ever read. And well done on triple pudding consumption.

    Reply
  15. Browners

    July 31, 2009 at 10:27 am

    The Wild Garlic sounds great. We're definitely going there next time we are in Somerset/Dorset.

    Reply
  16. The Ginger Gourmand

    July 31, 2009 at 11:00 pm

    Aha – you got to try the savoury bread pudding! I must make my way down to mat's place sometime soon…I love our little exchanges on veggie-fare.

    Reply
  17. Lizzie

    August 1, 2009 at 4:54 pm

    Great post!

    I was once queuing for the portaloos at a festival (aimed at adults, mind) and a man dumped his 6 year old daughter on me while he went to the bar as she needed the toilet. I was a.) not in a correct condition to look after children and b.) she gave me headlice. Parents, eh?

    Reply
  18. theundergroundrestaurant

    August 1, 2009 at 4:59 pm

    Curious cat: yes the silent disco was very 21st century
    MsDisco: I would love to visit you,accompany you on a review. When is good for you?
    Lizzie hollowlegs:Kids =lice and worms. You get used to them eventually.

    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 jouie 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
Tonight’s lockdown dinner with my bubble. Proper Tonight’s lockdown dinner with my bubble. Proper pesto alla genovese with trofie, small boiled salad potatoes, steamed green beans (good tip: steam the beans in a colander plopped on top of the potatoes or pasta), good quality pesto sauce ( mine from local microbakery @seansloaf ), good olive oil (@pomoragoodfood), torn fresh basil, a few pine nuts. This turns this student dish into a balanced meal of carbs, veg and a little protein.  It’s cold outside, I’ve lit the fire. Covid rages in Kilburn high road in north west london. The rate is 1 in 30 london wide but I feel it’s higher in this poor inner london area. We have a high BAME population who are particularly vulnerable. It’s a little bit anarchic on my high street: cars perched on kerbs waiting for hijabi women, braving pound shops and Aldi . We are all covered up now. In winter masks keep your face warm, but you have a choice between safety and being able to see. I’ve not managed to prevent the inevitable steaming up of my glasses when wearing a mask. Nothing works.  #january #londonwinter #pestopasta #pestoallagenovese #vegetarian #pasta #trofie #supperclub #covid_19 #lockdownlife #lockdown3 #bubblegang
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
Macaroni cheese with odds and sods from the Christ Macaroni cheese with odds and sods from the Christmas leftover cheese board. I’ve used @paxtonscheese truffled brillat-savarin and a mystery hard cheese that’s lost its label. Plus cream and topped it with samphire fried in butter. Haven’t bothered with making a roux- this is the lockdown lazy version.  #lockdownlazy #lockdown3 #supperclub #macandcheese #macaronicheese #truffledcheese #leftovers #leftovercheeseboard #londonlockdown #breakfast #coronaloner
Another thing the Japanese are brilliant at is san Another thing the Japanese are brilliant at is sandwiches. They use the softest, whitest, fluffiest bread. Their mayonnaise kewpie is gorgeous I don’t know why. Perhaps someone here can explain? Here I’ve used sourdough as it’s what I have; kosho which is a Yuzu citrus and green chilli condiment and the aforesaid kewpie Mayo to make an egg 🥚 sandwich.  I’m not a big egg fan but I suddenly had the urge. Also I’ve noticed when I eat eggs it satiates my hunger for hours. All that protein.  #sandwich #sandwiches #japanesesandwich #kewpiemayo #kosho #eggsandwich #sourdough #supperclub #cookingforone #solo #londonlife #lockdownlondon #recipe #snack #sundaysnack #sando
Agedashi tofu for New Year’s Day. With a vegan d Agedashi tofu for New Year’s Day. With a vegan dashi stock, it’s perfect for veganuary. How to make dashi: put a piece of kombu seaweed in water. Soak for half an hour then simmer for half an hour (don’t let it boil). Then mix 2 cups of dashi with 2 tbsps of mirin and 2 of soy sauce.  For the tofu: press soft tofu with weights for half an hour, then cut into cubes. Dust all over with cornflour.  Then deep fry the tofu cubes in 180C veg oil until they float. Set aside to drain, then place say 3 cubes in small bowl. Pour the sauce around and top with spring onion and daikon and togarashi 7 spice.  #easypeasyvegan #veganuary #agedashitofu #tofu #japaneseveganrecipe #newyearsday #freshstart #supperclub #londonsupperclub #msmarmitelover #visforvegan #recipe
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
Happy new year from my bubble to yours! Keep holdi Happy new year from my bubble to yours! Keep holding on...
#happynewyear #happynewyear2021 #supperclub #hootenanny
Some of my Christmas food 🥘 lots of veg includi Some of my Christmas food 🥘 lots of veg including mashed swede with cheese and butter. I put pomegranate seeds with my sprouts, and cooked my carrots in marmalade ( worked v well), the mushroom wreath fell apart as I was transferring it to a tray 😤, roast potatoes and parsnips, then a cheese spread with fruit nuts, quince cheese (homemade), Chocs @lindtuk 😍 @guylian_uk @disaronno_official @baileysofficial @taylorsportwine and Brazil nuts. Plus a pavlova wreath ready to be topped with whipped cream and persimmons. 
#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
Look at my gorgeous Nordic pine Christmas tree 🎄 from @pinesandneedles with some family ornaments and beautiful foodie ornaments from @gisela_graham  it’s 7 foot high and no drop. My parents brought over the candle lights. I’ve also used paper ornaments (apples and pears cut from maps) from @dionne_leonard which I first commissioned for a supper club.  #christmas #christmastree #christmasdecor #foodiedecorations #glassbaubles #supperclub #christmasinlondon
More #fbmarketplacefinds I find meeting the seller More #fbmarketplacefinds I find meeting the sellers interesting. It’s often about moving on whether through death, a change of circumstances, moving country, loss of a job. Today I visited a gorgeously renovated Edwardian house where the owners, an antique dealer & a master decorator had died with 18 months of each other of cancer.  The sister was there emptying the house, an incredibly painful experience. The husband who died was an expert in putting up lincrusta wallpaper which I’ve pictured here. All that craftsmanship and knowledge lost now.  The piece I got on Sunday, the teal chinoiserie cabinet, was from a Spanish guy returning to Spain. He’d lost his job as a hotel manager, the hotel, a big one, has now closed. The marble coffee table and arepas grill was from a Spanish couple who’d had a restaurant here for 40 years. They are now returning to Spain. Other slides: green Edwardian fireplace tiles, William Morris wallpaper, 2 small scalloped coffee tables, a knife and fork cutlery hook set.  A fireplace for my bedroom if I can find someone to put it in. #lockdownstories #covidstories #movingon #decor #interiors #bargains #secondhandstyle #edwardianstyle #williammorris #tiles #wallpaper #scallopededge #teal #chinoiserie #whitemarble #vintage #kitchenalia #supperclubrefurb #london #lincrustawallpaper
Another #fbmarketplace find £30. I can’t afford Another #fbmarketplace find £30. I can’t afford proper chinoiserie so I make do with fakes. The gradual doing up of my flat proceeds apace. Need to start on main bedroom. Looking for a storage ottoman (velvet?) bench to turn into a horizontal filing cabinet.  Any ideas? Above is a map of london based on the A to Z map which a minicab office was tossing out. Remember when we all carried mini A to Z books in our handbags? Before google maps? #nocrushedvelvet #chinoiserie #supperclubrefurb #londonapartment #londonflat #norfweezy #decor #organising #storage #interiors
My new/old rise and fall light over the dining tab My new/old rise and fall light over the dining table. Found for £50 on #fbmarketplace  but originally from @thefrenchhouse.net_ one of my favourite shops. Every day, a little more progress. #supperclubrefurb #supperclub #londonflat #interiors #lighting #riseandfalllights #lightingisimportant #frenchstyle #vintagestyle #rusticstyle #turquoise #diningtabledecor
Two vegetarian meal kits, laksa and ramen, from @k Two vegetarian meal kits, laksa and ramen, from @kit.eats.uk. Took only a couple of minutes to cook(see stories) and very good. I’m trying a few meal kits of late to see how hospitality has adapted to the great reset. As a cook I’ve always thought why would I need these but now I get it: it’s like going to a restaurant- the pleasure of food prepared by someone else. Getting jolted off of your normal repertoire, so it’s teaching cooking too.  #mealkits #vegetarian #homecooked #hospitality #covid #takeawayfood #foodpackaging #laksa #ramen #supperclubchef
Still working on my glass cupboard. I’ve hung up Still working on my glass cupboard. I’ve hung up all my wine bottle openers and cork screws. My favourite is the zigzag bottom left. If you find them at a flea market in France, if you are lucky you may get it for around 35 euros.  #supperclub #londonflat #londoninteriors #corkscrews #frenchkitchenalia #zigzag #tirebouchon #oakcupboard #diy #diyprojects
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