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Cocaine, blancmange and Suzi Q

February 12, 2010 8 Comments Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

The mysterious instrument on the stairs…


Vegetable kebab


Lamb Keema

Rani showing off her fresh home made paneer
Creamy rich Fish bhuna
Cardomom blancmange

Donation box

Three supperclubs that couldn’t be more different but all worth visiting: the first at an Indian ‘amma’s’ in Tufnell park; the second, a chic molecular do in an architect’s bachelor pad in West London; lastly, a stylish duplex off the Holloway Rd.

Joginder’s Supperclub is run by a mother Rani (cooking) and daughter Saira (front of house) team, at times aided by dad Graham. Eight guests sat by the fire in the living room, eating freshly fried onion bhajis with a glass of champagne. As we are led downstairs to the dining room dad points to a strange object on the stairs

“What do you think that is?”

We spend the rest of the evening trying to guess. (1)
It’s a pleasure to eat home cooked Indian food, with home-made paneer and ground spices. We start with vegetable kebabs and sauces. For the main course I am assured by the meat eaters that the lamb curry is superb, certainly the fish bhuna curry is well seasoned and creamy. Rani made us roti and we ate family style, with a large selection of dishes. My only complaint is that much of the food was undersalted and Rani confessed that this was because her husband needs a low salt diet. The best solution to this is to put good salt on the table, a suggestion she took on board for the future.
One of my favourite parts of the meal is when they bring out a beautiful glass jelly mould, turning it out as a cardomom flavoured blancmange (Phrini). I mentioned that the glass mould brought back memories of my mother’s rabbit-shaped tin mould, a special treat as a child and everybody at the table had similar stories. No one eats blancmange (pronounced blermonje in my family) anymore.
Joginder supperclub, Tufnell park
£20 a head donation

Truffle custard in eggshell

Red Cabbage Gazpacho and mustard gelato
Palate cleanser

Halibut and pistachio crust, accented by a zingy lemon sauce



Jill and Faiza
Urban Sage Supperclub on the other hand was quite a swishy affair. American Jill Richmond and cook Faiza, have borrowed the flat of an architect friend near Lancaster Gate. I enter a large Georgian room and we are given drinks and an unusual amuse-bouche of truffle custard served in an egg shell.
The guests are well off, highly placed in their respective industries (World Bank, TV, Skype, Google ect) mainly in their 30s and 40s. The food is experimental, plated restaurant style. The first course is a red cabbage gazpacho with mustard icecream. An interesting combination, the icecream certainly cleared the sinuses.
Then we have a little palate cleanser of unsweetened lemon granita. With each course you are served matched wines.
The main course is poached halibut topped with a pistachio gremolata, and underneath an onion confit. The fish is very fresh and well cooked. But afterwards I suddenly realise I am hungry. There have been absolutely no carbs in the meal. No bread, no potato, no rice. I feel light-headed and ask for a piece of bread. They don’t have any. This would be my main complaint about the meal. If you were on an Atkins diet, or any diet, well, this is the supperclub for you. I can’t drink alcohol without carbs.
For dessert there is good ginger icecream with poprocks chocolate discs (delice of chocolate) and cumin caramel. I couldn’t really taste the cumin, perhaps I needed more sauce and the chocolate dessert was not sweet enough for me. We were served mint tea which is lovely but again, without sugar.
The location, guests and front of house is delightful but I would love to taste Faiza’s home cooking. She has done a cordon bleu course but comes from the East. I’d be far more interested in cooking from her homeland. But that’s only my opinion.
At the beginning I got talking to an attractive woman, now I was sitting next to a charming man that seemed to accompany her. I asked him, just for something to say…

“is she your girlfriend?”

“No” he responded “she’s my mistress”.

I guffawed then realised he was deadly serious. He also had a wife. He takes them out on alternate nights.

“You are a very naughty man” I said. He twinkled.

I got chatting to the mistress in the kitchen later, she said lightly they came to this supperclub expecting to put car keys in a bowl at the end. She said it was great being a mistress, they’d been together six years…

“much better than being a wife” she told me “you get lots of presents and don’t have to do the boring stuff like laundry”.

She showed me her undies from Agent Provocateur. I mentioned jokingly that I might need chemical help to get through the midnight feast I have planned in February.
As I was walking past the toilet, the woman yanked me inside. Two lines of coke were streaked across the toilet seat. I don’t do drugs, never have. I much prefer a cup of tea. But I liked her and didn’t want to look stupid and uncool. Peer pressure in my 40s! So I slipped the proffered twenty pound note up my nostril and snorted a line, internally crossing my fingers I wouldn’t have a Woody Allen moment. Mission accomplished, I was suddenly wide awake. To be honest this was an inconvenience as I just wanted to go home to bed, having done my own supperclub the night before.
Once I got home, wired as fuck, the teen was sat in my bed watching tv. I told her what happened. Her eyes widened, she sniggered slightly and said

“Muuum, just say no!”

I can’t guarantee you’ll be offered class A’s but you will certainly have a great time at the Urban Sage Supperclub/Number68 project
Different locations.
£50 a head without wine £55 with matched wines.

Lex eats dining room

Matching luggage set worthy of Victoria Beckham

Perfect towels

Er…buttons and liquorice allsorts in the bathroom…

Alexis hardly did a thing all night…just lounged around in her bed…;)

Alexis’ wonderful handmade napkins…I’m persuading her to sell sets at The Underground Farmer’s market…

Little notes on the table ‘cloth’

The old style record player…

Another stylish touch…
Organised!
A night on the tiles
Lexeats is the supperclub of Alexis, an Australian food blogger now located in London and her girlfriend Yohanna. They have tons of style which is evident everywhere in their modern duplex apartment off the cultural wilderness that is Holloway Rd. I have never seen anywhere as clean and organised. Alexis confessed that they both had OCD about tidiness.
We started with excellent home-made tortellini and pesto. So good I would have liked double portions. Main course was a savoury and filling fish pie, topped with golden crispy pastry. This time perfectly judged portion-wise and well-seasoned. We were then given little spoons (I think they have spent a small fortune in gearing up this supperclub with equipment) for a palate cleanser of lemongrass and coconut icecream, which was delicious. (Want the recipe)
Puddings were served on wall tiles (cheap and original!) in a trio: a brownie, a turkish delight cheesecake with some sort of Greek candy floss on top and a lemon tart. All were good but none of them could beat the icecream.
Yohanna then handed around some dessert wine. By this time I was really getting to know my fellow guests who were mostly Australian on my table. The guy had a mum called ‘Suzi Q’ (she was a fan of Suzi Quatro). Then Alexis tells me her mum is also called ‘Suzi Q’. Must be a common name in Australia?
Lexeats, Holloway,
£20 minimum donation.
(1) It’s an instrument for drying and melting ice in an area out of reach.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LexEat!

    February 14, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Thanks for your lovely post!
    Funnily enough, our friend Andrew (who you sat next to) took all the postcards with him and posted them – yours from the photo arrived this morning!

    Reply
  2. theundergroundrestaurant

    February 14, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    Haha did suzi Q like it?
    x

    Reply
  3. Cooksitandeatsit

    February 15, 2010 at 9:06 am

    Thank you again. I would like to say that both Faiza and myself do not condone drug use at our dinners. We are glad you enjoyed the evening and the crowd!

    Reply
  4. theundergroundrestaurant

    February 15, 2010 at 9:32 am

    Hi Jill,
    I think it was more an example of the kind of sophisticated guests you get.
    I don't condone it either, completely out of character for me!
    I've tried cocaine a couple of times before, once in Colombia where I felt it was one of the main local products and therefore to be tried. It's never really done much for me!
    Thanks for a lovely evening. Where is Faiza from exactly? I couldn't find your email to ask…
    But it'd be lovely if she would include some recipes from her country.

    Reply
  5. Cooksitandeatsit

    February 15, 2010 at 10:39 am

    Ah – Faiza is originally from Pakistan. We definitely mix the menu and try to share and create on that front. I agree, we'll find a date soon to get some of the good home stuff on it!

    Reply
  6. Jones

    February 15, 2010 at 11:42 pm

    it's so interesting reading your write ups about all the other supper clubs out there and your erm, honesty, frankness and sense of humour make them a real pleasure to read.

    Reply
  7. shayma

    February 16, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    what an utterly fantastic few eves you have had! i quite liked the bit about the mistress. Rani's firni dessert looked beautiful in that mould. x shayma

    Reply
  8. The Curious Cat

    February 16, 2010 at 3:22 pm

    Great entry as usual – loved your teenager's reaction to the coke incident! Sounds like you ate some rather delicious meals! 🙂 xxx

    Reply

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Instagram post 2195951100410859500_28574231 Budapest Hungary. It is worth visiting a city twice. I saw things I didn’t see in January- the ruin pubs for instance, named so because they are often situated in old ruined buildings. They reminded me of squat parties- that same energy. I enjoyed the Hungarian crafts, needlework in bright colours, red enamel, Russian dolls. I revisited the famous baths in the park. The buildings are ornate, with filigree, ironmongery, balconies, painted plaster work. My favourite thing is photo walks: snapping and walking- getting exercise while being creative. 🍒🎄🍷#travel #iphonography #photography #nationalcostume #red #ruins #hungary #budapest #citylife #easterneurope #szechenyibaths #szimplakert #spa #supperclub #solotravel #femaletravelbloggers
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Instagram post 2193008073182743287_28574231 Next supperclub is New Year’s Eve: http://www.edibleexperiences.com/p/69/The-Underground-Restaurant/5088672055/New-Years-Eve-2019-supper-club tickets £65 BYO champagne. It will have two themes: Piedmont and Galicia. 
It’s time. *
 #reddoor #christmas #wreath #stainedglasswondow #edwardianarchitecture #london #british #englishfrontdoor #supperclub #msmarmitelover #christmasdecorations🎄
Instagram post 2192170307716904689_28574231 Drinking gluvein in Vienna Christmas market on a stopover during the @AMAwaterways river cruise on the Blue Danube. Tonight I’m making mulled cider for my cooking class at Willesden Library, starts 6.30, only £3 to get in. Basically I like anything mulled. Just got @aldiuk coffee cream liqueur and I even mull that- via using it in coffee instead of milk.  What does mulled mean? “Mulled wine originated in the 2nd century. It was created by the Romans who would heat wine to defend their bodies against the cold winter. As the Romans conquered much of Europe throughout the next century, their love for mulled wine spread across their empire and the regions they traded with.” To mull something over is to think about it. To mull wine is to warm it. So it’s something that is slow, steeped, warmed, sweetened, with added spices.  I’ve been travelling so much lately and am slowly writing it all up and testing recipes and dishes that I discovered in various places- my travel is a kind of food anthropology. I love 💓 travelling and discovering new places. I’d happily travel all the time. I’m an empty nester now and while I love london, I don’t need to be here, except to do the odd themed supperclub where I try out all my new recipes on guests.  Discover more behind my travels on Msmarmitelover.com and you can also book for my supperclub there or directly with @edible_exp I’m the original supperclub chef and hostess, the original underground restaurateur! I wrote the book on it- supper club, notes and recipes from the underground restaurant published by Harper Collins. I’m proud to have started a movement that has benefitted female and BAME cooks so much.  Eat the revolution! Long may it continue!  #traveller #chef #christmasmarket #vienna #bluedanube #gluvein #mulledwine #christmasdrinking #supperclubs #supperclubchef #msmarmitelover #travelwriter #foodwriter #recipewriter #christmasselfie #wearingred #travelpr invite me on trips!
Instagram post 2189276090585638215_28574231 Aranzata, a sardinian Christmas treat went down well at last nights supperclub - there are none left! Candied orange peel but candied with honey rather than sugar, mixed with almonds and a little wild fennel.  Recipe:  Peel off the orange peel of an orange, taking care to eliminate any of the white pith. Place in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Do this 4 times, discarding the water each time. Then dry the peel on a tea towel. Put back in the pan and cover with honey. Add peeled almonds finely chopped lengthways. Simmer and stir until the honey is absorbed into the peel. Take a rubber/plastic chocolate mould and press in a teaspoon of the mixture in each hole. Leave to set and cool. Unmould the little pucks of pleasure. I added some candied fennel seeds that I got from @souschefuk , ground them up and scattered over the top. Serve at the end of the meal with coffee.  #sardinianrecipes #suppervlub #christmas #christmassweets #orangesweets #honey #travelrecipes #recipesfromitaly #recipesfromabroad #msmarmitelover #supperclubchef #theundergroundrestaurant #london #inspiredbysardinia
Instagram post 2188551047903786506_28574231 Torta de Santiago, the finished recipe. I will be serving it tonight at my Sardinian supperclub - it isn’t Sardinian but Galician but this is turning into a sardo-Galician fusion event! Recipe up soon on the blog. #gluten-free #cake #msmarmitelover #supperclub #caminodesantiago #travelrecipes #galicia #sardinia #igfood #inspiredbytravel
Instagram post 2186581155877038874_28574231 Made a torta de Santiago today, inspired by doing the Camino de Santiago. It’s gluten-free, made with almonds rather than flour. I ate this as part of the ‘pilgrims menu’ all along the trail. They were vastly different in quality- often rather dry and dull. The best I had in actual Santiago de compostella, made ‘casera’ Spanish for home-made. It was sticky and rich. Equal proportions eggs, almond meal and caster sugar, with a pinch of salt, cinnamon and orange zest. I bought the traditional metal crosses at a hardware store in Santiago, one of my favourite lurking places when travelling. I will place one on top of the tart and powder the top with icing sugar, leaving an imprint of the cross. I bought this yellow bowl, a Galician craft, at a shop in Santiago.
#travel #baking #msmarmitelover #santiagodecompostela #caminoway #walking #hiking #dessert #spanishrecipes #spanishdessert #galicianrecipes #glutenfree @caminoways
Instagram post 2183492230186882117_28574231 Horse drawn carriage in Vienna known as a ‘fiaker’. The drivers are famous for being particularly grumpy which is a Viennese quality. It’s about 50 euros a ride. This is the second time I’ve visited Vienna, and I think it’s one of my favourite cities. The architecture, the coffee houses, the dirndl dresses, the art of Klimt and shiele. Right now I’m on a river cruise on the blue Danube with @amawaterways from Vienna to Budapest. This is a double wide luxury cruise. You can see the golden trees of autumn lining the banks and beaches. The ship sways in the night, you hear the waves lap against the sides (I always keep the door open to hear the night). Today we arrive in Budapest. I have to admit this is a night respite after my arduous Camino walk. Still behind on notes and blogposts and recipes from my travels but I love to be perpetually on the move. Bruce Chatwin says the natural state of a human being is to be nomadic. I rather agree. #traveller #igtravel #bluedanube #rivercruise #easterneurope #danube #vienna #msmarmitelover #foodietraveller #sachertorte recipe coming up on my return #horses #austria
Instagram post 2181973256383167209_28574231 Follow the yellow arrow and the shell. Arrival at #santiagodecompostela ‘st James of the field of stars’ 💫 after doing the pilgrims Camino - 130 kms walking. It’s taken me several days to get over it physically but I feel immersed in autumn and ‘forest bathed’. All my thoughts, photos and adventures coming up on the blog soon. I definitely recommend doing this. But my advice is: even if it’s raining and you aren’t thirsty, drink water. First rule of catering is, if you’re feet are sore, you aren’t drinking enough- I ignored this. Buy waterproof lightweight boots for cold weather but keep them loose as your feet expand as you walk. Buy anti blister socks- yes that’s a thing. Wear 2 pairs of socks: one thin merino wool or anti blister and one thick merino wool. Buy a rain cape which will cover your bag and camera. Train before you go- not just on flat but on hills- much of the Camino is hilly. Take toilet paper or wet wipes. Take a spare pair knickers. Take a walking stick or buy one there . Most things you need you can buy on the Camino. Take a strong bag on a string or a fanny pack for easy access to pilgrims passport for stamps; water; phone/camera. Stretch before and after. Keep to your own pace- sometimes it feels like a competition but it isn’t- we all have our own rythym and pace- when you arrive at the cathedral it doesn’t matter how long it took you to get there- you did it. Don’t rush- if you get injured your Camino is finished. #walkthisway #followtheshell #caminodesantiago #msmarmitelover #msmarmite #hiking #Spain #pilgrimage #santiagodecompostella #theway #fitness #pace #selfcare #travel #blogger #igtravel
Instagram post 2178475417149561889_28574231 We made it! Hemos llegado! #santiagodecompostella #pilgrims #knackered #camino #cava #msmarmitelover #msmarmite #sisters
Instagram post 2177561799364984754_28574231 Not gonna lie, this has been physically very tough. As my sister says ‘ we are from an indoors family from an indoors country’. Yesterday I did the longest day yet- officially 18km- but I did 35,000 steps! I’m small so I have a small step. So I converted steps into km and I did 27 km. that’s what it felt like. My legs throbbed all night, I had to take paracetamol to get to sleep. Have I had any life changing thoughts? Or spiritual revelations? Not a one. Well, maybe one which is I must get fitter. I mustn’t stop after this pilgrimage. I must get my health in order. Being freelance and working mostly on my own, it’s had to give myself time to look after myself. To assign time for fitness. Being freelance means never ending guilt about not searching for work. Never having stress free time off, as you don’t get paid holidays, sick pay or paid during national holidays such as Christmas. There is always a certain level of low key stress. Of keeping your self esteem up when you aren’t earning. The envy of others getting lauded for work you have pioneered. But I love my freedom! My opportunities to be creative. #thoughts #freelance #caminodesantiago #hiking #fitness #pilgrimage #spain #galicia #supperclub #rain
Instagram post 2175408625380307897_28574231 I was going to blog every day but the truth is I’m too knackered. I’m doing insta stories and my diary. Day 6. We are only doing about 14 km a day but it’s hard. I’m hobbling by the end. It’s the whole consecutiveness that is so punishing to the body. Oh to be young again. The youngsters are pounding through 30-40 km a day. We get up have coffee and don’t rest for 6 hours. We arrive around 3pm and have a massive drunken menu del dia with jugs of vino tinto. Then I fall asleep. Then I wake up for a bit and charge everything up, make notes, edit pix and sort out outfit for tomorrow. Which is basically the same everyday. I did wash a lot of knickers in the shower today as I was running low. So weather: raining all day. Puts the grim into pilgrim. But I am loving this. Thanks @caminoways #pushingyourself #msmarmitelover #msmarmite #caminodesantiago #caminofrances #camino #walking #pilgrimage #spain #galicia #greedypilgrim #stjames #followtheshell
Instagram post 2173661800793301108_28574231 Persimon and pumpkin soup, recipe up on the blog now. Msmarmitelover.com the great thing about doing the #caminodesantiago in #November is that the trail isn’t crowded, the weather is cool, and you see #pumpkinpatches everywhere which are always like something out of a #fairytale. Here they serve sopa de Galicia which is always prepared with meat stock, usually chicken. I so want soup on the Camino. When I get home I’m going to devise a #vegetarian #galiciansoup #buencamino #recipe #soup #pumpkin #squash #fall #autumnvibes🍁 #autumnfood #foodietraveller #greedypilgrim @caminoways @spanishpersimon #traveller #hiker #walker
Instagram post 2172857478425645569_28574231 The Camino to Santiago. While November isn’t the most popular month, and there is certainly rain, the landscape, the nature and colours of the countryside are so vibrant it’s like being on an acid trip. Nature at its most vivid: acorns with their fairy cups, bronze oak leaves and rusty ferns, mushrooms frilly with gills, apples 🍎 on the bough tumbling into sky blue rivulets, giant pumpkins in a patch, moss covered walls, dolmens and menhirs, rooves covered with slate like fish scales, lichen and donkeys, horses, spiney umbrellas like an opened coquille de St Jacques, cows called Luna. I did 14 km today my first day and that was enough. I fell asleep in front of the fire at the #albergue this is a #presstrip with @caminoways #galicia #greedypilgrim #caminodesantiago #msmarmitelover @advantagesofage @imogen_rodgers_1 #autumn #spain #walking #hiking #travel #contemplation #pushingyourself
Instagram post 2169866030516446893_28574231 Persimon Pani puri recipe up on the blog Msmarmitelover.com a street food which includes a flavour spectrum- sour, sweet, salty, hot, spicy, refreshing, crunchy, wet and dry, fruity and carby. Making the Puri from scratch took a couple of goes to get right but actually isn’t hard. #supperclub #msmarmitelover #msmarmite #spanishpersimon #vegetarian #vegan #recipe #chaat #streetfood #indiansnacks #canape #diwali
Instagram post 2169277948175951209_28574231 Overlooking the river at #vallaro in piedmont. Nearby was #sacroMonte, a hilltop religious monument with 45 chapels, each containing strange plaster statues of animals and saints, 800 of them.
Instagram post 2167511482116167199_28574231 Persimon fruit leather (the easiest EVER as it has so much pectin- just purée it, add sweetness spread on a silpat and in cool oven for a few hours), rolled into a pinwheel with bergamot zest and mint and goats cheese, a delicious canapé. This was served at last nights #persimon #supperclub for #Halloween on behalf of @spanishpersimon . Next week I’m going to Valencia to visit the farm.  #msmarmitelover #msmarmite #singleingredientmenus #fruit #vegetarian #canapé #christmascanapes #canapeideas
Instagram post 2166825702523830758_28574231 I’ve been working with persimon fruit for the last 3 weeks, pushing the envelope with what we can do with persimons other than just eat them like apples. And guess what? I still like them, I’m not bored. They are a wonderful autumn winter seasonal fruit. They are also really good for you. #VitC #fibre #5aday, #potassium #iron #calcium #betacarotene #vitA #7aday #manganese #B6 #supperclub #halloween #fruit
Instagram post 2166106717029345626_28574231 The creamy interior of a baked Camembert offset by persimons from Spain. This is the cheese course from my Halloween supperclub for @spanishpersimon this Thursday. #supperclub #persimmon #persimon #sharonfruit #kaki #cheese #camembert #bakedcheese #halloween #spanishfruit #igfood #autumnvibes🍁
Instagram post 2165411211139548124_28574231 Persimon bread, adapted from a recipe by @davidlebovitz. I used fresh persimon pulp and dried persimons with walnuts and @southafricanraisins now I have to decide whether to serve it as canapés, topped with goats cheese and fresh persimon or with the cheese course. 🤔#supperclub #halloween #spanishpersimon #fallfood #autumnvibes🍁 #food #travelandfood #spanishingredients #recipes #vegetarian #desserts #bread #fruitbread
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