• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MsMarmiteLover

  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
  • Travel
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • UK
  • Wine
  • Gardens
  • Supperclubs/Events
  • About
    • Press
    • Books
  • Shop
    • Cart

Toques, hats and crowns

January 15, 2011 9 Comments Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

In retrospect spaghetti is too hard to cook for 31 people on a rapidly cooling Aga, in future, I’ll stick to more forgiving shapes of pasta like penne and rigatoni. The first course, thinly sliced fennel, blood orange, pea shoot sprigs, roasted Jerusalem artichokes and tarragon was a seasonal hit dressed with Mrs Monk’s dijon mustard and olive oil vinaigrette (a stallholder at The Underground Farmer’s and Craft market). 
I served each table with a large galette des rois, this time with added orange flower water. The winner of the ‘king’ slice, which contained a pecan, got to wear a hand crafted crown made from wallpaper. 
One of my guests, Emma Marfé, makes hats and fascinators; she showed us a selection. 
Jerusalem artichokes roasted with thyme, olive oil, maple butter.
Two of the queens of their tables…. 
 Kind of whacky! My chef’s hat… a toque often has 101 pleats, said to represent all the different ways you can cook an egg. Symbolically, an egg represents the universe. The taller the toque, the higher in rank the chef. Each inch of the toque represents a year of service, some say. The toque has also been the sign of a free thinker and, as only trusted chefs could cook for a king, poisoning being a frequent form of assassination, this chef’s hat is a crown of sorts.
People always used to wear hats; head coverings denoted the profession, religion or married status of the bearer. In Tudor times only maids, girl children went hatless. We stopped wearing hats in the mid 20th century; short hair for women and central heating?

Emma Marfé

The teen in one of Emma’s hats…
Upcoming events:

February 9th
Salt: a dinner exploring the different tastes of a selection of salts. 5 courses £40 Book here
February 12th
Mixed Grill: a food conference organised by Fire and Knives Food Quarterly, held at Conway Hall in Holborn.
Tickets £20: book here.
Set lunch by MsMarmite £25: book here. As the premises is licensed, wine can be ordered with your meal and from the bar.
February 19th
How to be a successful food blogger. All day conference with four talks/workshops/Q and A sessions with the top people in the field. Confirmed: Niamh of Eat like a Girl; Tim Hayward of The Guardian; Laura James, cookbook writer and online writer for Aga; plus, name to be confirmed, a food photographer. £100 includes coffee and home-made pastries; lunch at The Underground Restaurant, drinks and all workshops. Book here
March 4th
Jar food: a menu exploration of food in jars: pickles, confits, krauts, slow cooked foods and preserves. 5 courses £30. Book here.
March 17th
The Underground Comedy dinner with Josie Long, featuring Isy Suttie (Dobby on ‘Peep Show’) and Robin Ince among others. £40. Book here.

April 2nd
Chocolate dinner with dessert by Trish Deseine. Book here

April 14th
My book Supper Club: recipes and notes from The Underground Restaurant will be published. Pre-order here

April 29th
The Underground Royal Wedding dinner: why should they have all the fun? Come dressed in ermine and crowns, wearing a bridal gown or a groom’s outfit. Foods fit for a king and queen. £40 Book here

May 14th:
Hunter, Gatherer, Cook: a foraged meal with Nick Weston, author of The Treehouse Diaries. £40 Book here.

Recent posts

Book for my first supper club since the pandemic: Midsummer

May 19, 2022

caponata budget gourmet recipe pic: Kerstin Rodgers

Two delicious budget recipes for the cost of living crisis

May 13, 2022

budget gourmet recipes pic Kerstin Rodgers

Cost of living crisis: three gourmet dinner party recipes that serve 4, for around £2.50

May 6, 2022

Previous Post: « King Cake
Next Post: Infiltrators »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    January 16, 2011 at 4:25 am

    Love the chef's hat!

    Reply
  2. theundergroundrestaurant

    January 16, 2011 at 1:35 pm

    Thanks! I look like Widow Twanky but she's going to do me a couple of fascinators…

    Reply
  3. chumbles

    January 17, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    Some twenty years ago, I was conned into digging Jerusalem Artichokes out of an old guy's back garden – they'd run wild and some of them went down 3' into the ground – I never could work out what the attraction was (only had the limp tasting soup), but that photo makes me hungry to try some!

    Reply
  4. Becky

    January 18, 2011 at 9:34 pm

    A belated thank-you for Friday night, we had an amazing time! I've written a little blog post about it here:

    http://teacupscupcakes.blogspot.com/2011/01/passwords-and-puttanesca.html

    I am a secret supper club convert!

    Reply
  5. The Curious Cat

    January 19, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    That salad sounds divine. I've been experimenting with fennnel a little bit I have read that is it very tasty with orange and this salad could be a good place to start. But did you mix the artichokes with the fennel or was it a separate dish? It is funny you should also feature Galette des rois. Fellow blogger Petit Filoux was just writing about this the other day and I was sorely tempted to make it having never heard of it. I'm actually branching out and going to put my cookery course and new skills to use at the end of February cooking for 10 people for a friendly dinner party. I want to try and do this more so I might maybe do a little cooking side business one day. Or full time business (like you or a cafe) but I think it is all about small steps first in the right direction. I had thought of doing the galette for the pud you see…

    Also, on another note – I am so excited about the Nick Weston event. I'm broke broke broke right now but come the end of the month pay day I want to buy tickets and come with the friend I came with last time I visited. I told him if you're sold out by then you'll simply have to do another one! (here's hoping if disaster strikes!) Love the hat photos here and can't wait to see you soon! xxx

    Reply
  6. theundergroundrestaurant

    January 19, 2011 at 3:17 pm

    CC: galette des rois is very easy and a good pudding, encourages participation and excitement…who will get the crown?

    I roasted the jerusalem artichokes separately and then put them on top..

    fennel and blood orange is a classic pairing.

    I'm very excited about the Nick Weston dinner!
    x

    Reply
  7. James

    January 19, 2011 at 11:36 pm

    Could have pre-cooked spaghetti & re-heated in oven in deep roasting trays with a few ladles of water (stops sticking & makes steam, so evenly heated) & covered with foil.

    Never tried roasting ja in skins – shall have to try.

    @The Curious Cat – ha ha [a side business]. #Quicklybecomesfulltime

    Reply
  8. Sally - My Custard Pie

    January 20, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    Look forward to the book. Gosh your teen looks devastating – she's got the withering look down to a tee!

    Reply
  9. theundergroundrestaurant

    January 21, 2011 at 12:21 am

    Sally: that's her looking friendly!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

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.

Subscribe to my mailing list

msmarmitelover

Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Me as a punk. #pinkhair @caplanmelissa Me as a punk. #pinkhair @caplanmelissa
Sniffin’ glue: Me n @Jaybladesmbe at the Loctite Sniffin’ glue: Me n @Jaybladesmbe at the Loctite pop up yesterday. I’m all about repairing and upcycling my brocante finds: this time a beautiful pale wood lamp shade stand which had broken off at the bottom. I’m going to rewire it with 2 core sky blue twisted fabric wire, pop on my hand sewn pleated lampshade I learnt to do @workshopminerva and it shall be beautiful. Don’t chuck out your chintz: repair it! #therepairshop #selfie #interiors #popup
in June I’m having my first supper club in two y in June I’m having my first supper club in two years: here is the link to book: https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsommar-supper-club £50 18th June  Saturday night. Byo.
#chelseaflower coming up. Last year I bought these succulents and planted them in a vintage zinc garden sieve. Now they are flowering. My balcony is like a little greenhouse: I can grow aubergines & other plants that usually need to be under glass. #londongarden #may #plants #succulents in the garden
Lemon drizzle cake. The trick is not to stint on t Lemon drizzle cake. The trick is not to stint on the citrus. I used 7: 2 Italian lemons (from Lidl):some ordinary lemons and some limes (18p) at Lidl. Don’t be afraid to mix and match your citrus. I also used buttermilk from @fenfarmdairy in Suffolk from their honesty shop. Last night we ate it still warm from the oven. #cake #lemondrizzle #homebaking #citrus #buttermilk
A Simple tomato, goats cheese and basil salad, spa A Simple tomato, goats cheese and basil salad, spanking fresh asparagus / fried in olive oil, season, then add a little boiling water, not too much, put on the lid, dressed with lemon zest & Parmesan, @fenfarmdairy baron bigod cheese, good bread. This is how I like to eat. Claire’s plates found at the beccles brocante. #suffolk #suffolkfood #supper #dinnerwithfriends  #vintageplates
Can’t wait to see what they will be like when th Can’t wait to see what they will be like when they are fired. All my favourite themes: gingham and scallops. Thanks to @clairebelljar for a wonderful weekend and pottery workshop. Such fun! #workingwithyourhands #playtime #creativity #ceramics #pottery #suffolk
Making plates with talented potter & old South Ham Making plates with talented potter & old South Hampstead girl @clairebelljar in Suffolk. She has the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. Such a joy to be reunited with her. #friendsreunited #makers #potters #scalloped #wildflowers #cowparsley #pottery
Another budget gourmet recipe, the Sicilian capona Another budget gourmet recipe, the Sicilian caponata, which is like a more interesting ratatouille, in which you add capers, olives & vinegar. £2.50p. I was asked to develop a series of recipes which were delicious enough to serve at a dinner party but also cheap. I shopped at Lidl. #costoflivingcrisis #budgetgourmet #recipe #vegetarian #vegan #lidluk
Mackerel pâté, a recipe that cost under £2.50. Mackerel pâté, a recipe that cost under £2.50. Lemon & herb smoked mackerel fillets from @lidl (take off skin)3 big scoops creme fraiche from Lidl and juice of half a lemon. Blend. Plenty of black pepper. Serve with bread. #budgetgourmet #costoflivingcrisis #eatorheat
Just wrote a very personal piece for @hamandhigh o Just wrote a very personal piece for @hamandhigh on my decade as a single parent on benefits, how I learned to cook & how things are so much harder now because not only are ingredients pricier but the cost of cooking them is too. 3 budget gourmet meals serving 4, for £2.50 each. #costoflivingcrisis #budgetgourmet #povertyshame #singleparents #foodblogger
Easter Sunday. Daffodil skeletons. Easter Sunday. Daffodil skeletons.
Just made @davidlebovitz recipe for blood orange u Just made @davidlebovitz recipe for blood orange upside down cake as I had some to use up. It tastes very marmeladey. Probably used too deep a pan. #sundaybaking #recipe #thelastofthebloodoranges #april #easter
Today learning how to build a dry stone wall in t Today  learning how to build a dry stone wall in the cotswolds which is famous for the picturesque walls & hedgerows. My teacher, Richard Gray, told us about the different stones: face, foundation, pin & coping. It is a mortal ( mortar?) sun to use cement on a dry stone wall- it means the stones can’t breathe. These walls last 100 years- they cost £300 a metre. A pro can build 3 metres a day. Richard once did a quote for kylie Minogue. His firm is Hillrise stonework. This course is run by @notgroveholidays There is a world championship for drystone walling. #craft #building #drystonewall #cotswolds #staycation
Ukrainian inspiration: cabbage rolls stuffed with Ukrainian inspiration: cabbage rolls stuffed with rice, mushrooms, garlic, dill. Baked with sauerkraut & mushroom stock for 1.5 hours. Delicious comfort food. #cookforukraine #vegetarian #cabbagerolls #sauerkraut #easterneuropeanfood
Getting there. Making a pleated lampshade for @sie Getting there. Making a pleated lampshade for @siennamarla’s living room. Fabric from @clothshoplondon training by @workshopminerva frame #making #craft #sewing #lampshade #interiors
Stuffed peppers with roasted buckwheat, feta, dill Stuffed peppers with roasted buckwheat, feta, dill and a sour cream, tomato & smoked paprika sauce. Kasha or buckwheat can be bought at polish shops. It’s a grain but full of protein. I did a recipe with it in v is for vegan - a stuffed cabbage. You can buy plain or roasted. #cookforukraine #buckwheat #kasha #stuffedpeppers #vegetarian #visforvegan
Ukrainian quick cucumber pickles dipped in honey. Ukrainian quick cucumber pickles dipped in honey. Strangely addictive. Recipe from next weeks column in the ham and high. #cookforukraine #supperclub #slavaukraini #pickles #dronedowner #ukraine #recipe
An etched glass window in my bathroom to replace t An etched glass window in my bathroom to replace the very fashionable fluted glass I had. Thing is this glass works better in a flat dated 1906. Glass by @baronglass  #interiors #etchedglass #bathroom #trellis #londonflat
Making Ukrainian Easter bread, with sour cherries Making Ukrainian Easter bread, with sour cherries and saffron, adapted from a recipe in Mamushka by Ukrainian chef @oliahercules #slavaukraini #easter #baking #sour #sourcherries #supperclub
Making some Ukrainian inspired recipes for my next Making some Ukrainian inspired recipes for my next column. Quick pickled mini cucumbers & a herring, Granny Smith & egg salad from Black Sea by @edentravels on the way is the Ukrainian Easter bread by @oliahercules and in the oven are roasted kasha (buckwheat)stuffed peppers with a sour cream, paprika & tomato sauce by me. I’ve only been to Kyiv as a stopover on the way to Georgia but I’ve done various Eastern European influenced supper clubs in the past. Maybe I should do a Ukrainian one as a fundraiser? #slavaukraini #supperclub #sunflowerseeds&hope #stopthewar #blue&yellow
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Archives

Copyright © 2022 msmarmitelover