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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.

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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

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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
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
My best food, drink and cook books 2020. Winter Wa My best food, drink and cook books 2020. Winter Warmers by @ginandcrumpets; Cook, eat, repeat by @nigellalawson; Red Sands by @edentravels; Scoff by @penvogler; Sunmer Kitchens by @oliahercules; Oats in the North, Wheat in the South and The Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook by @missfoodwise; Carpathia by @irina.r.georgescu; Jikoni by @cookinboots; Home Cookery Year by @5oclockapron; A Foodie Afloat by @dimurrell. All incredibly talented women, chefs, cooks, travellers, writers. Some are also artists and photographers and boozers. We have so much to be proud of in the UK food and drink scene. #womenwriters #cookbooks #foodbooks #lockdownwriters #puretalent #christmasbooks #christmasgifts #bookreviews #hamandhigh #msmarmiteloverblog #writing #cooking #travelling
Supper on Saturday night with my bubble. A b’sti Supper on Saturday night with my bubble. A b’stilla pie of potato, feta, pine nuts, sultanas soaked in sherry and ras el hanout. Butter or oil the dish, add 3 leaves of filo or brik, buttered in between. Tip in your filling. Fold up the sides. Brush on melted butter. Sprinkle poppy seeds. Cover with foil. Bake at 180c for half an hour, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes. Siege over some icing sugar with a tea strainer. Done and dusted(literally). #weekendsupper #b’stilla #bastilla  #pie #middleeasternfood #vegetarian #ovenready🔥 #supperclubchef #Novemberfood #lockdown2 #bubbledinner
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