Scandelights

To Sweden!

Published on August 2, 2013July 31, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Tonight, my friends, I’m going home to Sweden to visit. Technically I fly to Copenhagen (which is in Denmark), but a twelve minute train ride later I’m on Swedish soil. Not bad, eh?!

I’ll be staying in my parent’s idyllic summer house close to the beach in an old fishing village near the most Southern point in Sweden and I just love spending time there in the summer. Apart from seeing my friends, spending time with mother and father and be out and about I enjoy the simple pleasures of listening to my father’s old vinyl collection, the smell of sea and salt, washing up by hand (it’s the only place in the world where I enjoy it) and going for late night walks with my mother in the dusk, listening to the waves rolling in on the beach.

I plan to take lots of pictures and show you on my return. Swedish summer is the best!

Little puff pastry quiches with mushrooms and cheddar

Published on August 1, 2013July 31, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

These little quiches are far tastier than they look. They’re also super easy to make yet still tastes wonderful. And they’re so versatile. I had some for supper the other day with only some dressed rocket on the side. They would also work well at a brunch or picnic and can be served either warm or cold. Perfect when the weather is this unpredictable.

Puff pastry quiches with mushrooms and cheddar, makes 6

1 roll butter puff pastry

250 g chestnut mushrooms

butter for frying

1 garlic clove

150 mlcreme fraiche

100 ml grated mature cheddar + more for topping

salt, black pepper

Roll out the puff and cut it into six squares. Butter six holes in a muffin tin and cover with the puff squares. Prick the bottoms with a fork and pre-bake in a 180C oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

In the meantime, slice the mushrooms. Melt a large knob of butter in a frying pan and add the pressed garlic. Add the mushrooms and fry until golden on medium-high heat, for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Mix the grated cheese with creme fraiche, salt and pepper.

Divide the fried mushrooms between the pastry cases. Top with the cream fraiche mixture and scatter some more grated cheese on top. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Lunch at Massimo, West End

Published on July 31, 2013July 30, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

What started off as a girlie lunch, just coinciding with my birthday turned into a lunch for four and was sort of a birthday lunch as my lovely colleagues gave me a card and a gift. Thanks guys!

We decided on having both starter and main course as we were in no rush to get back to the office. Luckily July is pretty quiet. Three of us started off with the raw scallops flavoured with orange and vanilla salt and it was utterly delicious, fresh and fragrant.

Ria, less fond of raw seafood, opted for baked prawns instead which were also delicious. In fact, the whole crudo and antipasti menu looked wonderful.

We all had pasta for our main course, Rich and Caroline chose the crab and tomato linguine which looked really fresh and nice, but they were a little bit disappointed flavour wise.

Ria and I had the spaghetti Carbonara with lightly baked egg and truffle which sounded delicious. Unfortunately it was really oily and a bit too salty. I was quite disappointed but will give Massimo another chance as I know people who have had delicious pastas here.

The service was nice and efficient which weighed up a little bit and the art deco interior with pillars and large lamps is quite extraordinary and creates a nice setting for any meal.

Massimo, 10 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AE

Dinner at Sushisamba, The City

Published on July 30, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

Sushisamba (featured in Sex and the City as you may remember?) opened up their London branch about a year ago but it took me a while to visit. In fact, it was trying their delicious sasa roll at Taste of London earlier this year that really made me want to go.

The restaurant is located on the 38th floor of Heron Tower in The City and as you can imagine, the view is quite something. The interior is too, with two outdoor spaces and lots of glass walls.

I went here with my Caroline (who also has a food blog), my usual restaurant buddy, and we had a few dishes to share. Although it doesn’t look like that much I was almost too full to move afterwards.

The yellowtail sashimi with yuzu and black truffle oil was delicious and amazing in texture. One of my favourites.

Also the calamari with crisp plantain, pico de gallo and tamarind was lovely and the squid was both crisp and melt-in-the-mouth soft at the same time.

samba6

The maki roll with soy marinated salmon, asparagus, onion, chives, tempura and wasabi mayo was OK but nothing special. It was crispy and fresh but it was difficult to make out the flavours.

samba5

The sasa rolls, however, were just as amazing as I remembered them. Shrimp tempura, coriander, red onion, shishito and spicy mayonnaise in a delicious combination. I can highly recommend it!

Caroline introduced me to Peruvian corn which is whiter and has bigger kernels than regular sweet corn. It is also chewier and less sweet. So nice!

The barbecued flank steak with aji panca chilli was pretty full-on flavour wise and parts of the meat was stringy so I wasn’t that impressed with it. I guess I had high expectations when walking past the lovely smelling barbecue on the way to our table.

Although quite unimpressed with two of the dishes I really like Sushisamba. The three dishes I enjoyed were absolutely delicious and although the other two didn’t impress me there was absolutely nothing wrong with them.

The staff was also friendly and very much on the ball, the interior feels very New Yorky and the outdoor space as well as the view is spectacular. This place is well worth a visit!

Sushisamba, Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY

Gnudi with easy tomato sauce

Published on July 29, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

I have been thinking about cooking gnudi for a while now. Gnudi is Italian for ‘naked’ and intends that these dumplings are made from only the filling in a ravioli and therefore is a naked pasta.

They’re made from ricotta and parmesan and a little flour to firm up. According to my pasta bible, The Geometry of Pasta, can these guys also be called malfetti depending on which Italian region you’re in. (This recipe is actually not from the book just mentioned but from Bon Appetit magazine via the Swedish food blog Smaskens.)

I wanted to serve my gnudi with a light and fresh tomato sauce and opted for one quickly made from fresh tomatoes. I used dried herbs as I was out of fresh ones, but this sauce would be even more delicious with a generous handful of chopped fresh basil.

Gnudi is similar in texture to gnocchi, but feels lighter and less doughy. Boiled I prefer gnudi to gnocchi, but not much beats crusty golden gnocchi gently fried in butter.

Gnudi, serves 2-3 as a main course, 4-6 as a starter

Adapted from Annika’s recipe which in turn is adapted from Bon Appetit’s recipe.

250 gram ricotta
100 ml finely grated matured parmesan
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp sea salt
some freshly grated black pepper
60 gram 00-flour

Mix the ingredients to a paste. Dust a baking sheet with flour. Shape gnudi using two spoons. Dip one spoon in flour and use it to gently push the shaped gnudi onto the floured baking sheet. Dust the shaped gnudi with some flour.

Bring water to the boil in a large saucepan and add some salt. Use a spoon to transfer the gnudi to the pan, one at the time. Let them cook for 5-6 minutes; continue cooking even after they have risen to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water and serve immediately.

Easy tomato sauce, enough for one batch of gnudi

4 fresh tomatoes

1 large garlic clove, grated or pressed

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1.5 tsp dried Italian herbs or a handful chopped fresh basil

salt, black pepper

Chop the tomatoes and place in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and stir while cooking on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add vinegar and spices and season to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes and adjust the seasoning.

Plate the gnudi, spoon over tomato sauce and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Dinner at Barrica, Fitzrovia

Published on July 28, 2013July 28, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Last Saturday I joined Laura and her visiting cousin, Julia, for a tapas dinner at Barrica on Goodge Street, a place neither of us had visited before. We got there for 9pm and the place was positively buzzing. A good sign.

With bread and olives on the table after only a few minutes we decided on quite a wide spread of tapas. First up was some nice cured ham; Jamon Cebo, which was delicious.

I can never resist pimientos de padron, either in the supermarket or in restaurants, so we had a plate. I like the bitterness and the salt and to have them in between other plates.

Patatas bravas with aioli is another classis and these were very nice. Delightfully crisp on the outside, flavourful bravas sauce and strong garlic flavour in the aioli.

These little bechamel croquettes with lightly smoked cheese and summer truffle were absolutely wonderful and one of my favourites.

The morcilla was also delicious with plenty of umami flavour and depth. I’m not fond of black pudding and similar but love both the flavour and texture of morcilla.

This little neat duck breast toast was really scrumptious with a sweet little layer of onions (?) underneath the duck.

The clams with fennel and artichokes were bursting with flavour and very juice and nice. Also a nice contrast to the meats.

Laura and Julia also shared this lovely piece of salmon with lettuce and beans which I passed on. I am quite tired of salmon in general (after having grown up in Sweden) and prefer it cured or smoked rather than cooked. And I was also to full. But it still looks great and the girls enjoyed it.

I really liked this place. It feels authentic in proper and the food is great. The atmosphere is lovely too and the only thing I wasn’t fond of was the uncomfortable stools, so book a table with proper chairs if you can.

Other than that I loved it. And you’ll love the prices too. Seriously good value for money.

Barrica Tapas Bar, 62 Goodge Street, London W1T 4NE, 020 7436 9448

Lunch at Shake Shack, Covent Garden

Published on July 27, 2013July 26, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

It seems the fast food trend is far from over. Just this past month two more burger restaurants have opened in Covent Garden; Five Guys and Shake Shack.

I had never heard of Five Guys before and when they were decorating the space I had no idea it was becoming a burger place. But I had heard of Shake Shack and was a bit sad I didn’t get to try it when I was in New York and therefore quite excited to try it now that it has opened in London.

I went here for lunch with two colleagues and knowing it is a popular place we got there just after noon, but even then the queue was quite long. It moved quickly however and we even got a sample of ice cream each.

The burger restaurant is placed in the actual market buildings on the Covent Garden piazza and although modern meets old style wise it looks pretty good.

I chose the Smoke Shack burger with cheese, bacon and cherry peppers. The patty was nice and moist, the bun of perfect brioche type; not crumbly and not spongy either. The trimmings were nice too, the dressing didn’t over power, the cheese nice and gooey and the bacon crisp – as should be.

Since I just love melted cheese I had to try their cheese fries and I was actually quite impressed. The fries are crimped and therefore extra crunchy and the cheese sauce was delicious. I was worried it would taste very artificial, and OK, it does taste a bit like the Dairy Lea plastic cheese, but that’s the type of cheese I like with a burger (yes, actually).

Shake Shack is definitely worth a visit when you’re in the mood for an American style burger. Just get in the queue.

Shake Shack, Covent Garden, 24 Market Building, The Piazza, London WC2E 8RD

El Bulli exhibition at Somerset House

Published on July 25, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Regardless of if you’re a foodie or not, most people recognise the name El Bulli. The world famous Spanish restaurant closed last summer but at the moment you can learn all about the concept at London’s Somerset House.

The exhibition tells the tale about how the restaurant became the huge success it was. How it all started in the 1960s and carried on through the decades. It is a modern exhibition with plenty of interactive screens and moving pictures but it also features old photographs and memorabilia.

It teaches us about nouvelle cuisine and how El Bulli implemented it into its cooking, how chef Ferran Adrià and his team planned and researched their dishes and what techniques they used. Why the restaurant is named after a dog and about future plans.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole exhibition but the short clip about the restaurant’s last ever service in July 2012 stayed with me the longest.

El Bulli: Ferran Adrià and the Art of Food is on until 29 September 2013. Admission £10. More infomation here.

Footnote: This is not a sponsored post; I paid for my own ticket but I thought the exhibition was so interesting I wanted to share it with you.

Simple summer fair: halloumi, tzatsiki, fried courgette and pitta

Published on July 24, 2013 by Hanna5 Comments

London, 32 degrees, muggy. Monday evening, having worked past 7pm and a hot tube journey home.

Then it’s bliss to come home, wash hands and face and start preparing a quick supper from whatever is available in the fridge.

Fry some courgettes with chilli, fry some halloumi until crisp and golden, whip up a batch of tzatsiki and put a pitta in the toaster. Easy peasy. And so very nice.

This is my kind of summer food. No effort – full enjoyment.

Fried courgettes with chilli, serves 1-2

1 medium, firm courgette

1 tbsp olive oil for frying

1 tsp aleppo pepper

salt, black pepper

Wash the courgette and slice as thinly as you possibly can. Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium-low heat. Add the courgettes to the pan and fry slowly on low heat. Be careful as not to brown, but make sure they soften. Add the chilli and fry for about 10 minutes in total. Season.

Tzatsiki, serves 2-3

300 ml thick Greek yoghurt

5-6 cm cucumber

1 large garlic clove

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt, black pepper

Grate the cucumber and squeeze the liquid out of it. Add the cucumber to a bowl and stir in the toghurt. Add pressed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave to develop its flavours for about 20 minutes before serving.

Slice the halloumi and fry on high heat in some oil until golden on both sides. Serve with toasted pitta.

Gelupo Gelato, Soho

Published on July 23, 2013 by HannaLeave a comment

Across the road from Bocca di Lupo is Gelupo Gelato, a gelateria from the team behind the restaurant.

The interior is cosy and feels a bit Mediterranean with white wooden floors and simple decor.

And the ice cream?! Absolutely wonderful! I tried the pistachio ice cream which was divine tasting and a luscious green in colour. But the salt caramel ice cream with pecans was even better – just extraordinarily tasty! I could see myself trying every flavour and loving them all (well, maybe except for my nemesis the coconut).

Gelupo Gelato, 7 Archer Street, London W1D 7AU