April 2014 – Scandelights

Dinner at Tapa Negra, Palma de Mallorca

Published on April 30, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

The first thing I do before going away is to research restaurants. Because for me, nothing ruins a good holiday like bad food. And usually the bad tourist trap food is quite pricey too, which makes it even worse. I resent paying for food I can cook better myself but will happily pay quite a lot for good food. Anyway, that’s me and that’s why I spend time reading travel guides and restaurant recommendations online.

Tapa Negra was mentioned in several British articles (but in no Swedish ones) and as it was close to our hotel and open on a Sunday I decided we’d go here the day we arrived to celebrate daddy’s birthday.

It wasn’t fancy but not too casual either and the food was very good! The menu offered a mixture of cold and warm tapas, small plates (much like at Opera Tavern in London) and a few main courses to keep everyone happy.

My dad loves prawns, so the gambas with garlic and chilli were a given. Really good!

We of course had some pata negra (jamón ibérico) too, ham from black Iberia pigs bred on acorns. I think you can convey from the picture how delicious it was!

We also had a chicken scewer with incredibly moist chicken that came with grated fried potatoes. Simple and delicious!

We also had patatas bravas (you can spot some on the plate to the left) and they were really nice, olives bread and a mini burger that was totally yummy.

We also ended up with some pan con tomato that we actually didn’t order but were happy to eat and pay for (it’s the Spanish version of bruschetta with tomato pulp on garlicky crostini) and also had a crostini topped with coldsmoked cod. Daddy passed on it but mummy and I really enjoyed it. In fact we enjoyed everything! It was high quality on both the produce and the cooking.

Since it was daddy’s birthday we shared a bottle of nice cava with the food (Juvé y Camps 2009) and after all that food we could only muster two puddings to share. We had the grandad’s pudding, which was like a more set version of a crème caramel with a thicker caramel sauce, and some vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was very good and the pudding alright, but maybe not as nice as all the savoury food we had.

Highly recommended but requires an advance booking, easily done on their website.

Tapa Negra, Ingeniero Gabriel Roca 29, Palma de Mallorca, Majorca, Spain

Palma, Mallorca in pictures

Published on April 29, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

In the middle of the Easter weekend I jetted off to Palma, Mallorca to meet up with my parents. We spent almost a week in Palma soaking up some sun, eating plenty of tapas and exploring the picturesque town.

Palma is really pretty with its colourful window shutters, yachts in the harbour, narrow alleys and lemon and orange trees full of fruit.

The Royal Palace

The cathedral, Le Seu

Placa Major

We ate very well (more about that in future posts) and of course we drank plenty of cava too. Rude not to.

A postcard from Palma, Mallorca

Published on April 23, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Dinner at The Big Easy, Covent Garden

Published on April 14, 2014April 14, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

The Big Easy on Kings Road has been around for 20 odd years and only recently opened a more central sister restaurant in Covent Garden. My friend Gaby introduced me to the original restaurant and she was also the one suggesting we try out the new edition on one of our girl’s nights.

The menu is ~~quite~~ very similar to the Kings Road restaurant but the restaurant itself is a lot bigger, more spacious and feels more modern. On the lower ground floor you can see the chefs hard at work in the kitchen and there is a bar area on each floor.

We started with some voodoo prawns (top picture) and delicious chicken wings to share since we know that the portions here are big here, huge in fact. Which of course fits well with the American BBQ food they serve.

Gaby and Rowena had the ribs and although they had had them before they were surprised of the portion size. Six big, juicy (and very delicious) ribs each, as well as coleslaw, beans and a potato salad makes for quite a substantial meal…

Laura and I chose the lobster roll which was really good but really filling as well. The filling had large chunks of lobster and was quite creamy (in a good way) and brioche roll was large and shaped like a loaf. With a side salad and chips we were stuffed!

Instead of pudding (as they all seemed too heavy in our food coma state) we had some cocktails and milkshakes. Even the milkshake was too much for me but really yummy.

I really like this place! As a restaurant it feels more up to date than the Kings Road branch mainly because it is a lot bigger and has a more modern look. It’s more fun on the weekend as it is buzzing with people and has a large capacity and the food is just as good as on the Kings Road.

I definitely think it is a winning concept; not changing the menu trying to be too edgy but instead sticking to what you know.

Big Easy Bar.B.Q & Crabshack, 12 Maiden Lane, London, WC2E 7NA

Cooking is my yoga (and a three course dinner)

Published on April 9, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

Sometimes I forget how much I love to cook. It’s true. When I have a busy work week and come home exhausted in the evenings and haven’t hatched a plan for what to cook for my evening meal I usually surrender to a cheese toastie or just toast with cheese and cucumber slices, which in my world does not constitute cooking.

On Friday I had promised to cook for my flatmate as it was one of those rare occasions when we were both spending a night in. Although I almost regretted my decision as I noticed how very tired I was when I was on the tube home.

But when I got home, put my pinny on and started prepping I got second wind. And it was so much fun! I wasn’t stressed because my flatmate Daisy was happily perched on the sofa in front of the TV with a glass of wine in hand and I let the cooking take its time. Because it’s usually the time aspect that is my downfall. I can be a bit of a time optimist and when I realise that I am running late I get stressed and become clumsy and a not-so-great cook. But when cooking without the time pressure I am truly happy. Cooking is my yoga. It relaxes me and keeps me sane.

What I cooked? My favourite spring time starter; steamed (British) asparagus with wild garlic mayonnaise and Parmesan shavings (and some watercress) followed by caramelised pork fillet, an amazing mushroom crème, roasted new potatoes and steamed purple sprouting broccoli. To finish vanilla icecream, chewy meringues, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

Eating it would make anyone happy, so lucky me who got to cook it too.

Crab linguine with white wine and cream

Published on April 7, 2014April 8, 2014 by Hanna2 Comments

In my family we have always made a distinction between weekday and weekend food. Every Friday we would have something a bit more luxurious than the weekday meatballs and more often than not it was prawns or other kinds of seafood.

I too, make this distinction of weekday and weekend when it comes to food. At the weekends one have more time to enjoy a lovely breakfast, brunch with friends or a nice dinner and I think that should be celebrated.

A few weeks ago I made this lovely pasta with crab, shallots, white wine and cream, well worthy of a Friday night in, and together with a glass of nice dry white wine and a good film it was a very enjoyable evening and a good start to the weekend.

Crab linguine with white wine and cream, serves 2

2 portions linguine, cooked al dente (according to the instructions on the packet)

1 shallot, finely chopped

50 ml dry white wine

100 ml double cream

1/4 fish stock cube

100 g crab meat (both brown and white)

chopped parsley

Heat up a saucepan and add a knob of butter and the shallots. Fry for a minute or two without browning. Add the wine and let it reduce by almost half. Add the cream and let the sauce thicken. Add the stock cube and season to taste.

Drain the pasta and add the linguine to the sauce. Carefully heat up the crab meat in a non-stick pan and add to the pasta and sauce. Add the parsley and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Going back to the 1920s… for an evening

Published on April 3, 2014 by HannaLeave a comment

When it was my friend Marie-Louise’s birthday a few weekends ago she invited us to a 1920s themed evening at The Candlelight Club. It was literally like travelling back in time for an evening.

The hall where the party was hosted was an art deco building in West London (although the venue changes and is kept a secret until a few days before the party) and a perfect fit for this party. As you walked up the stairs to the ballroom you noticed the stage where the band later played charleston songs, and the DJ next to it, who was entertaining us in between the sessions.

Walking further in you saw all the round tables laid with proper linen tablecloths, lit candelabras, champagne buckets and coupe glasses.

Everyone went all in dressing up in 1920s gear and it was lovely to see one outfit after another! The bar at the back served typical 1920s cocktails and you could order food from the menus on the tables all through the evening. It was so well planned!

Instead of a traditional cake Marie-Louise got a ‘cake’ of macarons!

Thank you for a great evening!

Brunch: purple sprouting, poached egg, dijon and tarragon crème, parmesan

Published on April 1, 2014 by Hanna1 Comment

When spring has sprung my body just craves greens and other healthy things it wasn’t interested in much during the winter months.

That’s why I made this healthy brunch dish last weekend. The combination of broccoli, poached egg, a lovely crème with dijon mustard and tarragon and some salty parmesan certainly hit the spot on a sunny spring Sunday.

Purple sprouting with poached egg, dijon and tarrgagon crème, parmesan, serves 1

4-6 stems purple sprouting broccoli

1 egg

50 ml creme fraiche

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

To serve: parmesan shavings, grassy olive oil

Combine creme fraiche, dijon mustard in a bowl. Add salt and pepper and set aside. Cook the broccoli in salted water for 2-3 minutes. Then drain and return to the dry pan to keep warm while poaching the egg.

Bring water to simmer in a sauce pan. Add a tsp of white wine vinegar. Crack the egg into a mug (or small bowl) and lower into the simmering water and pour out the egg. Let it simmer for 3 minutes (set a timer). Once done remove with a slotted spoon and put the egg into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Place the broccoli on a plate, place the poached egg on top. Drizzle with the crème, scatter parmesan shavings and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.