Local Food You HAVE To Try in Hackney.

Barbaras Brazilian Kitchen- In the School yard next to Broadway market...she sells out early so get there in time- 9-3/4ish

The amazing pizza men that built their own pizza oven and make the yummiest simplest pizzas, tomato, mozzarella, basil & parmesan, they also do a great courgette, goats cheese and parmesan one.

Little baby Cash all the way from NYC, chillin.

Barbara's menue...SO GOOD

Some home made sausages just as a tempter, she had made an amazing thick stew with them :-)

Lasagna with salad and a parsley, mint & tomato salsa, I had this on my stew.

And here's Barbara!

Cara, bezzie and Mum to Cash, also all the way from NYC...enjoying the pizza :-)

Looking gorgeous

Mexican heaven...but seriously!! These guys also work and make fresh tacos at Off Broadway on broadway market- (they do the best cocktails too) but these- the pork ones are next level, the pickled onion tops it off along with the two different salsas...INTO IT!!

The real spicy salsa

FIT....seriously!! FIT

Keep adding the fresh coriander...

It looks so good.

I'm obsessed!! I've made the slow roast belly of pork & large wrap version of this with salsa and coleslaw....look out for it...just a greedier version of this.

So that was lunch then for dinner we finished up at The Spurstow on Wilton way (sister pub to the Royal Oak on Columbia road-also good for food but think it's better here)- So nice in there  but the shitty staff (despite it being a local) is slightly annoying, food on the other hand is FIT!! Seabass perfectly cooked on freshly minted / buttered jersey royals topped by a grapefruit, fennel & rocket salad and a pesto dressing. The whole thing was zesty and perfectly turned out- Was super happy eating it :-)

Look...so perfect!

YUMMMMMMM

Laptop still stuck in the menders...should have it back this week. Loads of new stuff to get up!!

Easter Sunday- Chocolate Guinness Cake & Healthy Fish Stew

Chocolate Guinness Cake...the start of it.

Chocolate Guinness Cake-

250ml Guinness

250g Unsalted Butter

75g Cocoa

1 x 140ml Sour Cream

2 x Eggs

1tbsp Vanilla extract

275g Plain Flour

2 1/2tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda

1) Heat the Guinness and the butter in a pan on a medium heat

2) Once the butters melted into the Guinness add the rest of the ingredients and whisk on the heat.

3) Add the ingredients to the tin and cook on 180 for 1hrs- ovens vary but make sure the the centre of the cake isn't still totally wobbly before taking out- as it will collapse and be too gooey.

The onions, sun dried tomatoes and fennel sliced and cooking away

This was easily enough for 12 People.

2 x White Onions- Finely chopped loops

2 x Fennel Bulbs- Finely Chopped into loops

2 x Dried Red Chillis

Hand full of sun dried tomatoes

Rock Salt

Loads of Black Pepper

Fry Up in Rape Seed Oil until translucent

Add a big glug of White Wine bring to boil

Add x 3 Cans of Tin Tomatoes

Add 1.5 x Pint of Fish Stock (3 cubes)

Cook for 25mins

Add  x 2 Big bundles of fresh  green beans- You want to cook them in the simmering stock for no more than 10mins so they're still crunchy.

Add the fish- Mussels White Fish Wrasp (very affordable and sustainable)

And only cook for max 4/5mins  or until fish turns white and no longer transparent.

Using the veg/rocket ribbons of courgette helps steam and cook the fish

Ted busy in the kitchen

A classic white...

Use the potato peeler on the courgette, makes it look fancy.

Bread for substance

Once you've cleaned the mussels -scrapped off all the rough bits with a knife the  keep in cold water, give them a tap with a knife and they'll more than likely close up again as they're still alive.

Add the mussels 3/4 mins before serving the fish stew, add them first then the other fish and then cover with extra veg, courgette ribbons, rocket etc.. then a lid or just use the other veg in replacement of the lid.

Love adding fresh tomatoes, spring onions and anything else fresh just before serving- also squeeze x 2 fresh limes before serving (don't cook with it in otherwise it will go sour)

Brown rice, with black eye peas...

Here I am...

Hanging out in the kitchen...and hungry

2 Pots on the go..

Add parsley and fresh cherry tomatoes

Table at the ready.

Girls at the ready...

Nearly everyone at the ready to get stuck in...

And getting stuck in..

Back at the baking.

200g Phillidelphia

250g of Icing Sugar

250g Double cream

Whisk until thick.

Don't apply to the cake until it's completely cooled- otherwise it will melt.

I added a splattering of melted chocolate

The some sliced strawberries

Then the gold spray paint-edible 

Then 100's & 1000's.

Clean Plates

Oh YUM!

Ted's interested.