Book Club: Nammet

The latest addition to the Seasonal365 Book Club shelves is the charming Nammet: A Celebration of Isle of Wight Food and Drink, gleaned from my recent cycling and foodie holiday on the beautiful Isle of White.

Nammet

Refreshment taken in the fields consisting of bread and cheese with a pint of strong ale.

NOUN
originates from the Isle of Wight

The beautifully presented book is full of inspirational foodie tales of remarkable local Isle of Wight producers and culinary locals who contribute to the rich food and drink culture on the Island. There are simple mouth watering recipes included and the whole vibe speaks of local entrepreneurship and brave city types who’ve given up the rat race for a more productive, peaceful, meaningful existence on the Island cultivating beautiful experience through sustainable food production.

The work was produced in aid of Earl Mountbatten Hospice, to which proceeds contribute and was edited by Caroline Gurney-Champion who has a personal connection to the island.

At the moment, whilst the world is a little upside down and travel is difficult, this book is a particularly satisfying read as it charters each section of the island, from the sun-soaked South East with its charming seaside towns to the rural and rugged West, with its dramatic and wild clifftop views. It is a charming seasonal food journey around the island, a perfect fireside read.

Emily E-P x

Smoking Lobster

We recently took on the Isle of Wight for a camping and cycling adventure- and it was pure bliss. Evening yoga on the clifftop; morning sea dips followed by fresh strong coffee; sunset BBQs, and I even completed the 100k Randonnee- a complete cycling loop around the Island!

Travelling to new places, to me, is never complete without tasting the local delicacies. The Isle of Wight, aside from its garlic, is of course, known for its incredibly fresh and abundant seafood, so we headed to the highly recommended Smoking Lobster in Ventnor in the South West of the Island for a final lunch.

The seafood, grill, cocktail & wine bar is housed in a chic shack overlooking Ventnor beach, so it brings in a mixed clientele of fashionable diners and sandy, blond surfers washed up from the beach.

We were seated by a huge world map adorning the right wall as you step in, and this brought about excitable conversation of future travel plans and reminisces of adventures past.

The menu is incredible, offering modern and elegant Japanese fusion seafood dishes with exquisite flavours and textures. The food is presented beautifully- the whole experience is particularly “Instagrammable” and I’d highly recommend giving them a follow if you like a bit of food porn on your IG feed!

H & I shared the katsu chicken and soft-shell crab squid ink steamed bun starters- the squid ink buns were a particular highlight, followed by the incredible seafood platter for two, featuring whole baked black bean sea bass; seared scallops; tempura king prawns; furikake squid; local crab; tobiko sushi Roll; & yuzu ceviche. To finish, I had the Mango and Passionfruit Eton mess, which I got to ‘mess up’ myself, to my delight- so delicious and satisfying.

The cocktails menu is amazing- definitely on the bucket list for my next visit, and the wine menu was ace. I enjoyed a refreshing Spanish sparkling followed by the light frizzante Portugese Vino Verde with my main and dessert.

In my humble opinion, this is a must on anyone’s Isle of Wight bucket list- pure seafood extravagance, overlooking the sea. What could be better?

Emily E-P x

Pizza Porn

As I seem to be on a bit of bout of more hedonistic eating of late (maybe it’s because the weather has gone colder!?), I thought I’d give a shout out to some rather excellent pizza I had this weekend.

Pizzeria Cozaio serves delicious freshly made traditional wood oven-fired Neapolitan handmade pizzas. The three pizzaiolli who craft the delicious pizzas pride themselves on their 90 second cook time and their use of the freshest and most authentic ingredients.

It really is quite an unexpected gem, nestled between the more rough and ready frontages of shops and takeaways crowded on Finchley Road. You can sit in and enjoy pizza with their refreshing house wine or you can takeaway. They even cater for larger parties and group bookings.

The menu is vast- there are so many glorious toppings on offer and you can also choose pasta or a salad if you fancy something lighter. I enjoyed the delicious house ‘Cozaio Pizza’:- truffle, mozzarella, rocket, cherry tomatoes and shaved parmesan. This pizza not only tastes great it has a wonderful blue-grey charcoal base which Cozaio claims “detoxes” you with activated charcoal. I’m not yet an expert on the health benefits of charcoal in food, but I’ll take it!

“Funny fact: Charcoal can reduce hangover as well as preventing someone from getting too drunk”

Who knew!

If you want delicious handcrafted pizza made fresh with the freshest tastiest ingredients I really recommend giving Pizzeria Cozaio a try!

Emily E-P x

Lovetts, Newlyn

Now that lockdown has been eased and the Government has encouraged us all to get out and about again with their “Eat Out To Help Out” Scheme, I thought I’d continue on the theme of favourite eat/ drink-outs!

Another recent favourite and regular haunt in the Motherland is Lovetts Cafe and Wine Bar in Newlyn, Cornwall.

This beautifully aesthetic forward-thinking space advertised “No Cash”, even pre-Covid. It was this, coupled with the trendy artful interiors, romantically small corner space and no-fuss approach made Lovetts an instant hit for me. It is a haven for coffee aficionados, wine-lovers and supporters of the local area, alike.

Lovetts coffee is perfect- “no, we only do whole milk” for the definitive flat white, served with homemade mouthwatering cakes for your mornings catch-ups. And for the evening-  natural wines, craft beers and cocktails are on offer, served with cheese and charcuterie boards to have in or takeaway.

The cafe also showcases and sells local artwork, such as current limited edition etchings by Newlyn artist Sarah Woods, as well as some charming “Lovett” branded products.

Due to social distancing measures the arty space is limiting the number of people inside the shop, but there is a small space outside too, and they ask that you wear a mask for takeaway. Easy!

We are just thrilled that our Newlyn favourite was re-open on our recent trip to my family home. They are well worth a follow on Instagram too!

Emily E-P

 

Café Dog + Rabbit

I grew up in the little town of St Just in Penwith.

My home town is very seasonal. Granite buildings hunker down against the fog and sea winds in the winter and become colourfully clad in festival flags and surround bustling crowds in the summer, when tourists flock through the town in search of ‘Poldark’ country and photograph opportunities provided by the mine remains that shape the Penwith landscape.

In a town that has boasted at least 4-5 successful pubs at any time throughout its history, the cafe scene is more of a recent strength of this characterful place. The charming stalwart Cookbook Cafe– serving traditional cream teas, breakfasts and soups as well as books, was always our go-to and happily is still going strong. Recent years have seen the arrival of The Square, serving delicious oven fired pizzas and fresh crab sandwiches and latest on the scene and very popular is the ‘Moomaid’ In The Square Ice Cream and Coffee Parlour.

But for me, it was arrival of Cafe Dog and Rabbit a few years ago that brought the guarantee of a really good cup of coffee and brunch. The cafe offers homemade delicious food, is very vegan friendly, serves amazing cakes, local tipples and has a charming rustic interior showcasing local artists. Dog and Rabbit is a go-to for us, and we try and visit at least once every time we visit the Motherland. We headed there this summer, on a typically drizzly West Penwith summer afternoon for a hearty rarebit and chunky chips lunch, washed down with refreshingly crisp rose wine, followed by card games in the relaxed, rustic, candle-lit ambience.

This place really is a gem.

Emily E-P x

Taco Boys

On our recent trip to West Cornwall, my hubby surprised me with a detour to Taco Boys for breakfast on the beach! It was wonderful!

We parked up and wound our way down to Baby Bay to discover the little truck at the top of the sandy bay.

Taco Boys is a decked out trailer serving a delicious taco menu, coffee and homemade Kombucha on the golden sands at Baby Bay, Polzeath. Open six days a week, Tuesday-Sunday, the boys offer a ‘hangover cure’ breakfast menu featuring the full breakfast ‘OG’ and the ‘Veggie’ until lunchtime, followed by a varied lunch menu including fresh Cornish monkfish, pork belly or local marinated courgette. The ingredients for the tacos are homegrown and organic.

On the wild days “off the beach” or when the tide is too high for the trailer to be taken down to the little secluded bay, Taco Boys offer a drive through & delivery service at Portreath Bee Centre. They update their Instagram– which is well worth a follow anyway (!), as to where they’ll be if not on the beach.

We enjoyed the breakfast menu whilst sipping the boy’s refreshing homemade kombucha in recycled Doom Bar bottles. It was the perfect brunch before a dip in the Polzeath waves.

Emily E-P x

VE75 Celebrations

As a Nation we celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe and the great sacrifice of our heroes together at home, with picnics, home-made bunting, home-baked goods and socially-distanced street parties with neighbours. As I am isolating alone, when a friend told me about Garlands’ cream tea delivery offer, my plans were sealed.

I wanted to blog about my VE75 garden picnic because my cream tea delivery from Garlands Patisserie was just so good. As a Cornish gal, I’ve had my fair share of  cream teas in my time (it’s JAM then CREAM, right I’m glad we settled that!) and I must say Garland’s was of particularly high quality. Their scones are deliciously airy and divinely creamy tasting and they pair them with the best- tangy Tiptree Strawberry Jam and the only sensible clotted cream choice out there, Rodda’s Cornish Clotted Cream. This was aptly, the perfect cream tea picnic to celebrate 75 years of peace in Europe and to toast our heroes. Thank you Garlands!

Their cream tea delivery is a bargain to boot, just £5.95 for 4 scones (two plain, two fruit) two mini Tiptree Jams, Two pots of Rodda’s and Delivery! + the positivity of supporting a local small high street business in these difficult times.

My yummy cream tea delivery is my first experience of Garlands, but I will certainly be a regular customer from now on!

Emily E-P x

 

Bulletproof Coffee

There is a new coffee craze being linked to fitness and wellbeing and it is putting butter and coconut oil in your coffee! My friend told me about this energising breakfast replacement, so I thought I’d try it! It also sounded rather naughty and delicious!

Bulletproof coffee is the creation of Californian Entrepreneur Dave Asprey who discovered the idea of putting juicy fats in your brew when, in Tibet during a trek he was handed a tea with Yak’s milk. He was so taken aback by how much this brew boosted his energy for the rest of trek that he continued his research into the ingredients back home and developed this notion of putting high fats in a caffeinated drink.

Bulletproof Coffee was born. Asprey replaced tea with fresh coffee; Yak’s milk with the more readily available grass-fed cow’s butter and looked into the brain stimulating properties of MCT oils such as coconut oil. The result was a highly calorific brew that stimulates the mind and the body and is recommended as part of an active lifestyle.

I was stuck indoors for a work from home project yesterday so I have grand fitness plans today and I’ve decided today is the day for a peak performance. I’m going to make my own Bulletproof coffee.

Dave Asprey is clearly passionate about his ingredients opining that the quality of coffee you use is paramount to a successful Bulletproof recipe, so today I’m using the delicious fresh Cricklewood Coffee beans I have left over from my last order. I have creamy Cornish butter and coconut oil. As I do not have a blender so I will add the fats to the hot water from the coffee machine whilst curating my coffee shot in the usual way and then I will mix them all together using the frothing wand on our Ponte Vecchio machine. And violà!

VERDICT: Mine was horrid and bitter (!!) but I think that is because I only had salted butter! It was a gamble, but I wanted to try it. I will buy some unsalted butter and try again because under the unpleasant salty briney taste left by the butter, the coconutty creamy taste was quite pleasant.

Emily E-P x

 

 

 

Dalwood Asparagus & Wine

Photo credit: Dalwood Vineyard

For a limited time Dalwood Vineyard are offering a bundle of locally grown organic asparagus, paired with their award winning 2018 still white wine for £25.

The asparagus comes from just the other side of Dalwood Village to the Vineyard and is grown by two members of the wine syndicate whose usual suppliers have less demand due to Covid-19.

To grab this spring seasonal local food pairing, head to Dalwood Vineyard’s website for more information. The bundle is available for delivery local to Dalwood or can be posted with usual wine deliveries.

I highly recommend this fresh, delicious pairing!

Emily E-P x

Cricklewood Coffee

I was up very early today, so I thought I’d do a post about coffee while our wonderful Ponte Vecchio coffee machine heats up and comes up to pressure!

I’ve just opened a fresh bag of Cricklewood Coffee (mmmmm smells so good).

Cricklewood Coffee Roasters is an independent that sources and roasts its own small batch coffee. They sell their award winning beans via subscription online and from a popular van at Cricklewood Station in North London.

We came across them, well my husband the coffee enthusiast did really, as we wanted to find a local roastery to us. I think Cricklewood are the closest!

The company won a 2019 Great Taste Award for their Community Blend, which I can’t wait to taste today. This batch combines a blend of natural and fermented coffees from DBarbosa Family Farm, in the Cerrado Mineiro region in  Brazil.

We have a regular subscription and have enjoyed coffee from Brazil, Uganda and even from the Mountainous region of Ywangan in Southern Shan state, Myanmar- a relatively unique area for coffee production. The customer service has been the best ever- James always asks what we fancy coffee-wise, whether we want to try anything new etc and we love that each roast comes with a unique label with the customers name on!

Cricklewood have had to pause coffee sales from their van due to Covid 19 but they are still roasting small batches and upholding a number of subscription deliveries locally in North London and are delivering the coffee personally, mainly by bike and some by car.

Right, coffee time, so that I can become a fully functional human for the day!

Emily E-P x

 

 

Book Club: The Restaurant: a History of Eating Out

For anyone like me, missing restaurants and eating out with family & friends, Radio 4’s current book of the week is William Sitwell’s The Restaurant:A History of Eating Out.

Read by Lesley Sharp, this audiobook is presented in easily digestible 15 min episodes (see what I did there!?) that chart the history of public dining from their origins in AD79 Pompei, where hedonistic Romans are reputed to have shared their dining experience with that of sexual conquest in eating houses akin to brothels (are we surprised!); through to the original donor kebabs and dainty picnics of the Ottoman Empire; the arrival of traveller’s rest stops during Henry VIIIs reign; to the 20th century where we see the first evidence of fast food and the continual development of the restaurant scene into something more akin to what we know and love today.

I might well invest in Sitwell’s book in the near future, but for now I thank you Radio 4 for bringing it to the safety of our homes via audio!

Emily E-P x

 

Dalwood Vineyard

Today is #theBIGenglishwinegoodfriday, so here is one of my faves (though maybe I’m biased!).

Dalwood Vineyard is located in East Devon on the outskirts of the village of the same name and is run by a small cooperative of friends who came up with the idea over a few pints in the local! I consider myself blessed that some of my lovely in-laws are part of the cooperative and so I have enjoyed the delicious fruits of their labour, as it were, on many occasions.

My husband and I love it so much we ordered a case of Sparkling for our wedding!

The members of the Dalwood co-operative share the seasonal pruning, growing & maintenance of the vines and the marketing of the delicious wine they produce, bringing their different skills together to run this successful little venture. The wine is then made and bottled nearby in Shepton Mallet, Somerset by wine maker Steve Brookbank.

The vineyard has produced a number of award-winning sparkling Brut and still white vintages, each made from one or a combination of the following grape varieties- Solaris, Seyval Blanc, Madeline Angevine and Pinot Noir. Check out their website shop and products pages to find out more and to order their delicious 2016 Brut or 2018 Still.

You can also visit Dalwood for a tour or organise a small wine-tasting gathering or event incorporating the vineyard- in better times of course!

Dalwood have just updated their website and delivery options, so you can now support this local English vineyard, whilst buying delicious still and sparkling English wine to help you through isolation!

I’m looking forward to raising an English glass or two later!

Emily E-P x