scandelights – Page 19

London: birthday dinner at The River Café

Published on September 11, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

It seems very fitting that the hottest day in the UK, probably ever, also happened to be my birthday. As my boyfriend will tell you, when it comes to body temperature and sun worshipping I have more in common with lizards and humans.

But even I was a little warm this day. At least indoors. The whole week it had been around 33C, sunny and humid and I think most people were hoping for a thunder storm to clear the air.

Of course I wasn’t, as I was hoping we could sit outside for dinner at The River Café, and luckily the birthday girl got her wish (after a quick downpour earlier in the evening but sans thunder and lightning) and we had the most wonderful evening on the beautiful terrace overlooking the Thames.

It was a lovely balmy evening and we immediately ordered champagne and plenty of water while we browsed the menu and tried to decide what to order – because I honestly wanted to eat every single thing on the menu – but we settled on a nice selection.

First we had the most wonderful fritto misto with scallops. The perfect starter for a hot day and we thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity and the perfection of it.

As I can never ever resist pasta (or carbs of any kind) we shared two half portions of pasta; the buffalo ricotta ravioli of dreams and the most delicious girolle pasta.

For the main course we shared the sirloin with various beets and rosemary potatoes. Wonderful flavours (although I would have expected the meat to be a bit more tender at a restaurant like this)!

And of course we had to order the famous chocolate nemesis cake for pudding, but also had some roasted almond ice cream on the side.

Even though we shared everything we were so full after this feast of a meal! And it was just perfect for a low key, but still special, birthday celebration.

As much as the food is wonderful here (and it really is!), I think what makes this restaurant so wonderful is the combination of the food and the ambiance. You’re in a beautiful spot in London by the river surrounded by fun and interesting people all enjoying themselves, and I think that is part of the allure of some restaurants. They have ‘it’ even though as you break down each element they may not all be perfect, but together they work so very well.

The River Cafe, Thames Wharf, Rainville Rd, London W6 9HA

Back in London and a country weekend

Published on September 9, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

When the third week of August started I was back on British soil, having landed at Heathrow late the night before. Not one for wasting time I started working on the Monday morning and finished unpacking in the evening. But as the fridge was empty and the week ahead busy with social events I opted for a takeaway instead of cooking. My favourite gyro from The Athenian.

The next evening after work I met up with Gaby for a catchup over prosecco and pizza at bustling Franco Manca. But after dinner we moved to a nearby hotel bar for another drink in a quieter place. We might be getting old, but I for one have never been a fan of shouting conversation.

On the Wednesday evening I met up with a group of ex-colleagues at our usual place, over prosecco and nibbles. As everybody rushed to catch their trains I found myself with plenty of time to spare before bedtime (as the night owl I am) and went home to watch TV.

The next evening my boyfriend and I went to the cinema and watched Blinded by the Light. I really enjoyed it and although it’s foremost a feelgood film I found the story (based on true events) really charming. Before the cinema we usually have burgers at the nearby GBK for dinner but this time we tried our luck at Nando’s instead since we’re both a bit tired of GBK. Especially the service. I just wish there were some better fast food restaurants around, like Shake Shack or Franco Manca, but in the meantime Nando’s hit the spot. Mainly because they have mashed potatoes. Yum!

On the Friday we drove to Northamptonshire where we were staying the weekend with a group of others. On the Friday we had a lovely casual dinner and when everybody but us had turned in we ended up watching a comedy program I actually found funny. It was pretty harsh but still (or maybe because of it) really funny!

The rest of the day consisted of croquet, swimming in the pool and rosé in the sunshine followed by a more formal dinner. On the Sunday I didn’t feel very well and so had to stay in bed all morning, but at least I managed to get up in time for lunch so I could say goodbye to everyone. The rest of the afternoon we took it easy and in the evening I took the train back to London.

Recipe: bruschetta bar!

Published on September 6, 2019 by Hanna1 Comment

On several occasions over the last month I have trialled a great new concept for entertaining, *drum roll* – the bruschetta bar!

I can’t take any credit though, as What’s Gaby Cooking was the one who cleverly coined the term!

As you readers already know, I’m an avid fan of everything crostini and bruschetta and this blog is evidence of that (you’ll find the classic bruschetta; one with burrata; crostini with a mushroom spread to die for; with ricotta, ham and peaches; smoked salmon spread etc etc) but instead of serving already topped crostini of one or two varieties, the bruschetta bar is more of a DIY job. It’s so much easier for the organiser; just fill a big platter with heaps of crostini and a nice spread of toppings, and more fun for the guests who can create their own flavour combinations and partake more. It feels more relaxed and the toppings can be varied after season, inspiration or whatever you can find in your fridge and larders. I can even see this becoming the ultimate fridge forage dinner with lots of fun bits!

I must say I’m a little peeved I didn’t come up with the idea myself (especially as I for one party organised a blini bar and the concepts are pretty similar AND for dinner parties in the past I have served crostini this way too ), but I’m also so grateful for other bloggers inspiring me and sharing great ideas!

As I said, I have trialled this concept a few times already and all the different occasions had slightly different spreads, so to give you a few ideas I’ve listed them all below.

The all-in birthday celebration. This was my first, AND it was for my birthday, so of course I went all out. I did focus on pasteurised cheeses and less charcuterie though as one of the guests was pregnant, but if that wasn’t the case all I would have done differently would be to add more charcuterie and choose different cheeses!

Serrano ham
Saucisson
Sliced cheddar
Classic bruschetta topping
Ricotta
Boursin cheese
Creamy chantarelles
Philadelphia with sunblush tomatoes
Large white beans with olive oil, garlic and smoked paprika
Pea pesto
Fresh figs
Acacia honey
Vanilla jelly
Truffle mayo
Grilled peppers in oil

Extra: two types of crisps, small carrots and cucumber to sticks, two dips, nocellara olives, prosecco, rosé and sparkling elderflower.

The last minute spread with caprese salad. This was super last minute so we threw together what we found in the supermarket we passed on our way home.

Caprese salad (mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, basil and olive oil)
Thinly sliced truffle salami
Creamy girolles
Grilled peppers in oil
Serrano ham
Creamy gorgonzola

On the side: fig jam, honey

The greatest hits. When you have time to think about the spread and the supermarket has it all in stock (I’m looking at you burrata!). Perfect as a starter for four people.

Burrata, sliced red and yellow tomatoes, basil and olive oil
Thinly sliced truffle salami
Prosciutto
Philadelphia with sunblush tomatoes
Homemade pesto (just swap wild garlic for basil)
Grilled peppers in oil

The pot luck spread. When the book club girls come over and you organise the spread together.

Burrata, sliced red and yellow tomatoes, basil and olive oil
Philadelphia with sunblush tomatoes
Store-bought fresh pesto
Brie
Cranberry cheese
Mild goat’s cheese log
Grilled peppers in oil
Chorizo
Saucisson
Salami
Prosciutto
Spansk soft rind cheese
Large Spanish beans in oil

Extra: two types of crips and dip

My second week in Sweden!

Published on September 2, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

The second week in Sweden by dear boyfriend came to visit. So on the Monday morning on my way to pick him up from the train from Copenhagen airport I stopped at Ikea to buy a few things. It was almost empty and a breeze to shop (i.e. the opposite of the Ikea shopping experience in the UK!).

After I had picked him up we drove into central Malmö and went for a nice walk in the sunshine to the west harbour, and afterwards we had lunch at Saluhallen, the foodhall. We shared a huge burger and a crab ravioli and neither of us could decide on what we wanted.

In the evening we had dinner with my parents. Starting with bubbly and parmesan biscuits, then barbecued chicken (so yummy!) with slaw, crispy potatoes and tzatsiki.

For pudding mamma had made crema catalana which we enjoyed with berries.

The following day we had some friends coming for fika, and so to avoid a sugar overload we started with a savoury quiche and salad and then had a lovely apple and blueberry cake with vanilla and blueberry ice cream to finish. We played a bit with the children in the garden and had a lovely time catching up!

In the evening we bought pizzas and had a very chilled night in watching a Swedish sing-along show (!) and a good documentary.

The following day we had a morning swim in the sea and then started prepping for our little dinner party that evening.

As a starter we had melon and prosciutto as well as a caprese salad and for the main course we had shrimp rolls, skin-on oven fries and a nice salad. For pudding I had made lemon posset that I served with whipped cream, apricots from the garden and blueberries. Such a lovely evening!

Thursday my boyfriend played golf with my best friend’s husband and his dad most of the day so I met up with a childhood friend in the morning.

We played on the beach with his children until suddenly a rain storm drew in, so we took refuge at a nearby restaurant that was just opening for lunch. As we had finished eating the dark clouds disappeared and we could go outside for a nice walk in the sun and an ice cream. After I had said goodbye to them I quickly went to the supermarket and stocked up for dinner that evening and then met up with my best friend Emma for a glass of wine while I was prepping dinner and we waited for the golfers to come back.

To make it easier with my goddaughter’s bed time we had our started – the much loved bruschetta bar – before she went to bed, and the rest of the dinner after.

So while my friends put her to bed I finished cooking the pasta carbonara with girolles and for pudding we had a lovely frozen daim cheesecake. It was one of those lovely evenings where you forget about time and just sit there chatting, laughing and sipping wine until you suddenly realise it’s late and we should all go to bed.

We stayed over so the next morning I got to play with my goddaughter some more before we went back to the summer house. As it was my boyfriend’s last day in Sweden we made the most of the afternoon with a little outing to Smygehuk (the southernmost point in Sweden) where we had delicious (and huge!) prawn sandwiches, then went for a little walk and finished off with an ice cream before we went back home to pack.

After I had dropped him off at the train to the airport I had a very simple supper with my parents; grilled hotdogs! We were still full from the prawn sandwiches so didn’t want a full-on dinner so sausages were perfect!

On the Saturday I did some sunbathing before we went home to our other house to pick a few things up and get a few things done. In the evening my parents and I had a little mini crayfish party, as we all love seafood and especially crayfish at this time of year. First we had a girolle toast, then the Swedish crayfish with bread and cheese and aquavit!

The next day (my last in Sweden, sob…) mamma and I went to a flea market where I bought some bouillon bowls and plates (I’m such a crockery addict!).

Then I packed my bags while mamma and pappa organised fika for my best friend and her family, so I could see them one last time before I left. We had Danish open-faced sandwiches with prawns and brussels pate respectively and a chewy toffee cake with lightly whipped cream afterwards. It was a short fika but lovely seeing my friends and god daughter once more.

The journey back to London was easy, so I hung out in the lounge a bit before my flight, enjoying a light supper of smoked salmon and potato salad before I boarded, already missing Sweden. Thank you for two lovely weeks! ❤️

Recipe: chewy toffee cake

Published on August 29, 2019 by Hanna4 Comments

I had the best neighbours when I was little. Agnes and her husband Claes. Claes was nice, but it was Agnes I adored. Mainly because she spent so much time with me. I could come and go at theirs as I liked. She let me try on allof her high heeled shoes in her shoe wardrobe (I aspire to having one of those one day) and she played with me. I think she adored me too, as she seemed to enjoy playing with me as much as I enjoyed playing with her.

This cake recipe is hers, and one I wrote down a very long time ago, but it has since been forgotten in my quest for new and exciting recipes. But when I was home this summer mamma suddenly thought of it and we found the recipe neatly written down by hand in my first recipe book. It’s full of treasures and one day I will take the time to read them all.

Thank you, Agnes, for being an extra granny through my childhood. And for this cake!

Chewy toffee cake, serves 8

2 eggs

240 g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

100 g melted butter

90 g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Beat eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla, cocoa, salt, and butter and mix. Then add flour and baking powder. Mix well. Pour into a buttered springform and bake for 20m minutes in 175C oven. It should still be a little gooey in the middle. Leave to cool and serve with lightly whipped cream.

First week in Sweden!

Published on August 28, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

The last week in July I was on holiday in Sweden. On the Monday morning I flew to Copenhagen where mamma and pappa waited for me with (quite literally) open arms and brought me and my heavy bags to our summer house.

We started with fika. Mamma’s homemade bread rolls, Swedish cheese and the best prawn mayonnaise ever. And a Swedish ice cream to finish.

After I unpacked mamma and I went down to the beach to check it out and soon after it was time for fika number two, with cinnamon buns this time.

In the evening we packed a little basket with champagne flutes, a cold bottle of Champagne and some crisps and went down to the beach and enjoyed it on the sand dunes. It was just so wonderful and in that moment I definitely felt like I was on holiday!

When the bottle was empty we went back up to the house and had shrimp rolls with skin-on oven fries for dinner and for strawberries and cream for pudding. It felt so lovely being back home!

The next day I had about 30 minutes in the sun before I needed to get ready for an afternoon with friends. My best friend and her family were hosting and we had such a nice time relaxing in the garden and eating barbecued burgers and Nutella semifreddo.

On the Wednesday we had our annual family meet up with a few cousins and aunt. It was so nice to catch up, eat lovely food and enjoy each other’s company.

In the evening I introduced my parents to the bruschetta bar and as expected it was a great success!

The next day it rained a lot so I couldn’t sunbathe as I had planned. Instead mamma, pappa and I went on a little road trip to Österlen.

We stopped at a few beaches, had ice cream, stopped at a harbour, went to a few shops and finished our day with pizzas at Kronovalls Slott. Such a lovely day!

On the Friday the weather was lovely again and I had lunch with friends at my favourite café in Höllviken, Märtas, eating my usual prawn sandwich.

Afterwards we went for a walk, had an ice cream and walked some more.

Then it was time for a dinner party at my friends’ house. There were a group of us and plenty of children so we had a drink outside by the swings while the children were playing before we sat down for dinner. Such a lovely day and evening catching up with dear friends!

The weather was lovely on Saturday too, which was perfect four a trip to Copenhagen with Maria and Daniel. I love our little tradition so much! We don’t really plan ahead (because in Copenhagen you don’t need to!) but still manage to eat great food, experience new things and we have a jolly good time doing it all!

This time we had lunch at 108, then more lunch at Torvehallerne, ate ice cream and finished it all off with a late dinner at Bæst, which we loved last year! In between meals we explored the city and did some shopping. A perfect day!

Sunday was one of (very) few unplanned days so I sunbathed a little; first in the garden and later on the beach with mamma and in the evening some friends came for dinner. We started with G&T’s and the best parmesan biscuits ever, followed by barbecued pork fillet, crispy potatoes, tzatsiki and a tomato salad. For pudding we had elderflower parfait and berries. Such a lovely end to my first week in Sweden!

Recipe: pea pesto for crostini

Published on August 21, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

For my little rooftop birthday party I made platters with crostini and topping, inspired by What’s Gaby Cooking, and I also made her pea pesto as I thought it was a nice addition to the spread.

It’s delicious on a crostini on it’s own, but also with ricotta or burrata and cured ham. I like that it’s fresh and filling (for a spread) and has a hint of spice to it!

Pea pesto spread, serves 6

Adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking’s recipe.

150 g frozen petit poi, thawed

a handful fresh basil (or mint)

1/2 garlic clove

3 tbsp grated parmesan

1/2 lemon, the juice

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

salt and pepper

Mix together all of the ingredients in a food processor or using a stick blender, but not too fine as you want a little texture. Season to taste. Serve with crostini.

Monday drinks, pub party and a baby shower!

Published on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

The third week in July started with drinks! My food blogger colleague and friend Malin, from Malin’s Diner and her friend Jenny were in London for a few days. So on the Monday night we met up for drinks at Rooftop St James’s by Trafalgar Square, to enjoy some mojitos and the lovely view!

It was lovely to catch up and chat for a bit, but afterwards I went home to have an early night after a full-on weekend away.

On Tuesday I worked as usual and in the evening I made scrambled eggs for supper. I topped them with parmesan and served them with wilted spinach and fried courgette. Super simple but sooo yummy!

Wednesday I had another night in, but had store-bought mushroom ravioli with fried mushrooms and heaps of parmesan for dinner. A quick supper I eat fairly often when I want real (i.e. not processed or takeaway) but can’t be bothered to cook.

Thursday was very similar but I made rosti with creme fraîche, lumpfish roe and chopped red onions for supper. Another speedy weeknight favourite.

On Friday after work I quickly whipped up some cake bases before I went to Earlsfield for a friend’s 30th birthday celebrations.

It was a fun evening and I was clearly too busy chatting as the only picture I took was this one of my burger.

Saturday I woke early (for me) to get the cake ready for my friend Laura’s baby shower. I panicked slightly decorating it and although it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it too it looked quite cute and tasted lovely (always use tried and trusted cake recipes when attempting more advanced decorations, as that way at least you know the cake will taste good!).

It was a cosy Mummy-to-bee themed brunch in Wimbledon and afterwards we mooched around the shops for a bit before saying goodbye.

Sunday I had a long awaited LIE-IN and as I didn’t have any plans (that was my plan!) and needed to recharge I stayed in bed reading most of the day. What an utter luxury! In the evening I ordered sushi instead of cooking to really have a full day to myself without any chores or tasks. Heaven!

Market Harborough: a seriously good hot chocolate!

Published on July 24, 2019April 22, 2020 by HannaLeave a comment

On a grey day earlier this year I insisted on a little trip to Market Harborough when we were nearby for the weekend. We had a little walk around the quaint town, looking in a cookshop (I’m always drawn to those), some clothes shops and did some errands.

After a couple of hours it was tea time and we looked around for a nice local café, but we could only see the big chains which was not very appealing. But then we spotted a nice looking chocolate shop. And they had chairs in the window, and so must be serving something. Maybe hot chocolate?! Which was on my mind anyway since it was a cold and grey day.

They were almost about to close but let us in anyway. We got to try different types of chocolate and choose which one we wanted for our hot chocolate. I opted for a milk chocolate while by boyfriend chose a darker one.

We also got to choose a truffle each to go with the hot drink and then we sat down. We got a large cup of warm frothy skimmed milk (it goes better with the chocolate than whole milk they explained) which we added our chocolate buttons to and stirred until they had melted.

I really liked that we got to do this ourselves (it felt like a lovely little ceremony, much like pouring tea through a tea strainer and adding milk and sugar) as it added to the anticipation of the drink, which (of course) was utterly delicious. Definitely one of the best hot chocolates I’ve ever had! The crunchy salted caramel truffle I got was lovely too and I can’t wait to come back here and stock up on both chocolate for drinking and some lovely truffles.

Chocolate Lovers, 14 The Square, Market Harborough, LE16 7PA

Cinema, nights in and a weekend in the country

Published on July 19, 2019 by HannaLeave a comment

Last week was really nice! On Monday after work we had dinner (steak frites and affogato for me) at Sophie’s Steakhouse before we saw Yesterday at the cinema. It was the perfect summer feel good film! So cute and great music of course, but fairly predictable.

I was supposed to meet up with friends on Tuesday but it got cancelled so instead I had some leftovers from the weekend for dinner and watched Big Little Lies.

Wednesday I went down to The New Forest for work and had lunch in the sunshine. In the evening I had some more leftovers (so handy) for supper and chilled out with Chicago Med.

On Thursday I packed for the weekend and caught some sunshine on the roof terrace.

And on Friday I took the train north to spend the weekend in the countryside. Friday evening we had a cosy dinner and on Saturday there was a big party with people of all ages, games in the garden and a lovely lunch outside! In the evening we had a small dinner and on Sunday we slept in, had a nice breakfast and watched the Wimbledon final (so intense!!).

We went back to London in the evening. It was a full on weekend but it’s also very restorative to get away from London for a few days and breathe some country air!