Pizzas the size of tables and Prosecco on tap

A permanent feature since April, Homeslice offer huge thin crust traditional Italian pizzas with untraditional toppings, yum! This place gets it so right, I have been looking for excuses to go again... and again...and again...

You can order pizza by the slice but the proper thing to do is to order a 20 incher split between 2 flavours. That way you get them fresh out of the oven and can appreciate the spectacle of a pizza the size of your table. When ours first arrived I thought there was no way I could get through half of it but I did, effortlessly, because it was so damn delicious!

There are some pretty interesting things on the menu from trout to bone marrow along with more classic mixes of buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. We went for half smoked trout, beetroot, goats curd and lambs lettuce and half finocchiona, a delicious italian fennel and chilli salami, with rocket. The trout was delicate and tempered by the creamy curd. The base meanwhile was perfectly thin and had just the right amount of burst, charcoal-y bubbles to give you that delicious wood fired taste without overpowering anything.

Our smoked trout came without any tomato which meant it was light and creamy in flavour, this contrasted perfectly with the deep, spicy, fennel and tomato in round two. The salami was cut super fine so it melted into the pizza and didn't leave you in that awkward 'I'm still attached to half the pizza because this salami is so tough' predicament. The second time I went I ordered less well and would warn against the pork belly. I love pork belly and I love pizza, I just don't think they are great together. That won't stop me coming back and trying all the other toppings. Fingers crossed that they make the finochiona a permanent option. 

At £20 split between 2 it is pretty good value given the size and quality. Another great reason to go is that you can get prosecco on tap for £4 a glass. That means that if there is a big queue (I went on a Thursday around 8 and there wasn't but have been told it is unpredictable) you can sip some bubbly in the mean time in the seclusion of Neal's Yard.

It is strictly no bookings except from groups of 5 plus. For more information see here:

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Topshop Free Personal Stylist

I have just come back from a free personal shopper appointment with a spring in my step and a new summer wardrobe. I usually avoid Topshop because it is crowded and overwhelming - I like to preview EVERYTHING in a shop before trying and buying, and that simply isn't possible there unless you have forever, and lets face it, there are much nicer ways to spend a day. This personal shopping service was a revelation. 

Alexa Chung Style

You send in a form with what sort of thing you are looking for, who your style icons are, how you would describe your own style and so on. I found all that surprisingly hard since I don't really look to celebrities for inspiration or pay much attention to what they wear so I ended up doing some googling and found that I generally like Alexa Chung (though I couldn't pull off a lot of what she wears) and the main cast of Gossip Girl (in Gossip Girl and not off duty, and yes, I know that makes me sound like a teenager!). All this was a pretty good exercise for thinking about what I really wanted out of my appointment.

When I got there, there was a whole load of stuff nicely arranged into outfits on a rail, all in my and my accompanying friend's size. Some of it I would have NEVER picked up myself, a.k.a polo neck crop top which surprisingly became a staple when trying high waisted things on and a must-have by the end of my session (maybe you have to see it not to judge me!).

After we had played around with the stuff in the room, the stylist ran around finding us what we wanted while we enjoyed peppermint tea in a spacious fitting room. It took the stress and the queuing out of the picture which really suits my famine-feast approach to shopping (I will hardly shop for 2 years and then have a massive spree one week), so it was wonderful to be able to have my fashion feast in style.

The great thing about the appointment was that our stylist, Menna, understood and had seen how things hung on real people, so could quite accurately prescribe you flattering things, and bring you new pieces as you went along. She took us both out of our comfort zone and introduced us to pieces we wouldn't have usually tried on but that worked really well. We were also given free reign half way through to pick up our own finds, but this part felt much more purposeful than usual since we had an idea of what we liked but perhaps wanted in another print or colour, and what new potential wardrobe gaps we had to fill.

I came away with 3 entirely new outfits that slotted into my old wardrobe perfectly, revivifying some of my old lonely clothes that had no pieces that went with them anymore. Although a lot of it depends on your stylist and I only sampled one, I would really recommend it as a luxurious feeling, relaxing and low effort way to shop when you need a whole load of stuff but don't have the time or if you just fancy being a bit more experimental.

Leigh, super soft Ankle Grazer Jeans, £38

Miwa Cross Shirt, £62

Sister Jane, laser cut collar blouse, £48
Topshop, Cross stitch print flare skirt, £40

Topshop Skinny polo crop top, £10
One off Topshop Concession Match stick skirt, £45

Book here to enjoy!

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Porky's v Meat Liquor: Step away from the BBQueue

We don't usually give bad reviews, but in this instance, we're just trying to helpfully suggest that you weigh up the other options before weighing in at Meat Liquor. It's just not worth the wait when there are so many other, better quality BBQ options out there. 

My favourite (Elle speaking) has to be Pitt Cue Co. in Soho, whereas Flo is less of a meathead (ahem) than me so I recently suggested that she head down to Camden's newest venture: Porky's. Here's what she thought.

Flo: I know that Meat Liquor has been massively over reviewed, and that an apologetic 'I know you've heard it all before' has resounded through blog after blog but.... as I was passing by before any queue had formed, I thought 'why not'. It is a real love or hate place and I was curious which boat I'd be in.

I have to say that even without the much grumbled about queue, I hated it. But rather than rant for half a page, I have paired this review with the lovely, similarly cheap, simple menued alternative of Porky's in Chalk Farm.

So why did I hate it? Well, to begin with, I like to be able to see what I am eating and felt like every sense was stifled in the dim red lit room blasting out terrible 90s pop and rock. This made it impossible to talk and with the pretty obnoxious and slow 'fast food' service, there wasn't much else to fill the gap.

And the food? I ordered the regular cheeseburger which was marginally better than McDonalds and I suppose only twice as expensive, and the cheesy chips which were covered with indigestible quantities of raw diced onion. The Mr had the dead hippy (a sloppy double cheese burger) which was considerably better.

Massive queue had formed by the time we left

All in all, I would leave it for a bad date who you don't want to really see or hear, and if I wanted to be properly looked after (which I always do) but still go somewhere casual, I would head straight to Porky's. The place itself is stripped down and fit for purpose, great for spending time with people you actually want to spend time with. It is trendy without being try hard and without needing to hire hipster, disinterested staff. 

 

Their real driver however is their hero product of pulled pork, which comes in at just £8.75. It is succulent, tender and really hits the spot with a good measure of sauce from the squirty bottles on the table. The porky burger is pretty good too though I only had a bite to try. In the end the product speaks for itself and I will definitely be a repeat customer.

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Patrick Caulfield and Gary Hume

A couple of nights ago I went to the opening of Patrick Caulfield at Tate Britain, which includes an exhiition of Gary Hume's work. It was like a strange sort of joint retrospective, with two separate exhibitions for each artist connected by their adjacent entrances in the main hall. This works nicely since you could see each artist in isolation and get an undiluted sense of what they are about. The format also allows you to form your own organic connections rather than feel like you are a good (or bad) student of an instructive curator

I didn't know Hume's work particularly well so this gave me a great introduction. He works primarily in gloss paint on aluminium, giving his paintings and oil slick quality that makes you want to touch them, if only to see if they are liquid or not.

Among his work are some real iconic images such as Michael Jackson's nostrils superimposed on a finger portrait of Kate Moss but my favourites were somewhat subtler such as his Tony Bevan-like barn doors or his strange white, brass snowman. For me the only links between the two artists are their use of a vibrant, often clashing palate, their harsh outlines, and their tactile quality. But despite my inability to form intelligent connections beyond that, it was nice to go and see the work of 2 pretty different artists. 

I have long been a fan of Patrick Caulfield's bold black lines and nostalgic 70s and 80s references (e.g. immaculately painted retro wallpaper or a gloriously pink lobster). It was wonderful to see so many of the larger works united and arranged chronologically. We could trace the development of ideas from a fascination with architectural geometry to and increased use of tromp l'oeil and collage, as well as textured surfaces that recreate those infamous 80s DIY textured wallpaper jobs. As you go through the rooms, the paintings become increasingly tactile, taking the effect away from the Hopper-esque melancholic, empty interiors and towards an evocative nostalgia. 

The mocking, knowingly transient references in these later pictures reveal, I think, an acerbic sense of humour that is manifested in the grave stone Caulfield designed for himself in Highgate Cemetery (East Side). In each gradation of his stair-like design, are the letters D E A D, making it perhaps the most timeless of his works, articulating that ever present, universal truth. 

Book here:

5 June – 1 September 2013

Adult £14.50 (without donation £13.10) 
Concession £12.50 (without donation £11.30) 

The 10 Pillars of Macaron Making and the Perfect Salt Caramel Filling

At last, I feel that  I have cracked macaron making as much as I ever will and to a level that makes me very happy. The perfect, chewy, firm but gooey macaron has long been my nemesis and my sporadic attempts over the years have gradually built me up a list of do's and don'ts. This means that mine should now come out as well as they did in my most recent attempt every time, but lets see! 

I have listed these nuggets of knowledge below followed by my basic macaron recipe and a salt caramel filling recipe. I have used Ottolenghi's basic macaron recipe in the past but have been converted by La Duree's which have greater proportion of almond in them. That makes it harder to get a smooth texture but gives you a chewier result but I have found a way around this, which brings me onto my 10 pillars.

The 10 Pillars

1. Only use very fresh eggs

2. Either print the image below so it fills a sheet of A4 paper and place under your baking sheet to guide your piping or use something slightly bigger than a 2 pound coin to draw circles on your baking sheet. If your baking sheet isn't greaseproof on both sides, make sure you draw on the non greaseproof side before turning your baking parchment over when you use it to avoid getting marks on your macarons' bases. 



3. For a delicate, smooth macaron shell, whizz the almonds in a food processor for around 10 minutes and then another 5 minutes with the icing sugar as well this brings out perfectly smooth ones.

4. Don't over-whip your meringue mix - you want it to be firm enough to just hold its peaks but not be dry

5. Fold the almond-icing sugar mix into the meringue mix in thirds using a metal spoon or plastic spatula.

6. Glue your baking sheet down with blobs if macaron mix in the corners so that you have a secure base to pipe onto.

7. Pipe your macarons out of a 1cm nozzle AFTER watching a few YouTube tutorials such a this totally whacky but useful one

8. Only cook one tray at a time

9. Turn the tray around half way through cooking in case your oven cooks unevenly

10. After 15 minutes they shouldn't have any moist slightly greyish bits and you can check the inside by smashing just one of the macarons on the baking sheet and seeing if they are too molten/moist.

Macaron Shell Recipe adapted from La Duree
Makes 25-30

165g ground almonds
165g icing sugar
125g egg whites (I used around 4 eggs)
125g caster sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder for a caramel cream coloured macaron or a few drops of food colouring if making another kind of filling

To make the macarons, Preheat your oven to 150 degrees celsius with an oven rack in the middle (move down if they tend to brown). Prepare your baking paper with small circles to guide your piping later on (see pillar 2 above) 

Blend your ground almond. Combine it with your icing sugar and blend some more. Sift the mixture through a medium gauge sieve.

In a large mixing bowl, beat your egg whites until foamy with soft peaks. Then slowly add the caster sugar beating on medium speed. Once the sugar has disolved, increase speed to medium high and beat until a thick glossy meringue forms that is not too dry. Add the cocoa powder or colouring and beat briefly to combine.

With a large flat rubber spatula, fold one third of your sifted almond/sugar into the egg whites until combined. Repeat, until you've added all the almond mixture and it is consistently mixed throughout.

Pipe your macarons onto onto baking paper that has been stuck to the baking sheet using macaron mix in each corner. Allow each batch to rest for 10-30 minutes before baking - you want a dry skin to have formed (you can check this by touching to see if it doesn't stick to your finger anymore).

Bake one sheet at a time for 15 minutes. To prevent hollows shells, take one macaron from the oven and break it open before removing the whole sheet. If the inside is still very moist or molten, leave the cookies in the oven for 1-5minutes more until the insides are set. This will prevent the insides from collapsing during cooling and forming hollows.

Allow the macarons to cool completely on the baking sheet before attempting to remove them (I mean completely!).

Fill the macarons with a small dollop (1/2 a teaspoon) of filling and then smudge them together. Anything too wet will make your macarons go soggy. Keep them in an air tight container. Refrigerate them overnight to amalgamate a bit. Then bring to room temperature and serve.

Salt Caramel Filling

If you are still feeling brave, caramel, like Macarons is a notoriously difficult kitchen feat. This recipe has split on my once but I have since adapted the recipe to include less butter and use a hand held whisk instead of an electric whisk. This involves quite a bit of perseverance but pays of when you have a beautifully emulsified filling at the end of it.

Ingredients
125g double cream
175g caster sugar
5g Fleur de Sel
150g butter 

Chop your butter into small cubes

Weigh your sugar into a medium saucepan

Weigh your cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil, remove from heat as soon as it starts to boil

Commence cooking your sugar stirring very occasionally to ensure that it caramelises evenly

When the sugar reaches a dark brown consistency remove from the heat and slowly pour in the hot cream whilst continuing to mix with a spatula

Let the caramel cool for 5 minutes and then stir in the butter, a few pieces at a time. Pour into a shallow container and allow to cool in the fridge.

Once TOTALLY COOL (could split otherwise), begin to whisk with a hand held non electric whisk (again I find it is less likely to split) and show a lot of perseverance, whisking until it suddenly emulsifies, goes pale in colour and almost like whipped cream in texture.

Finally, spoon or pipe small blobs onto one of the macaron shells and sandwich with another. These keep in the fridge for a few days 

M


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Middle and Over Wallop, £30 for under 30s

Yes! Another reason to be happy to be young... and a 'young person' discount we can still qualify for long after our young person's railcard runs out. 

A couple of weeks ago my friend and I went to see Falstaff at Glyndebourne, taking advantage of the great under 30s offers. We had  first circle seats  for £30 each, and a 3 course meal courtesy of the Middle and Over Wallop Restaurant for the bargain price of £30 too. For any regulars I'm sure these tickets are old news but if you have never tried the restaurant, it is well worth your while, especially if it is cold and wet outside, as it was for us.

I am not sure what it usually costs but the under 30s meal is incredible value. We had starters of artichoke heart with smoked salmon tartare and a poached egg (my favourite) and a rabbit terrine followed by a hefty chunk of pancetta-wrapped beef fillet that was succulent and tender having probably been through a lengthy sous vide process. For pudding we shared a gateau opera and a rather generous cheese plate which I was slightly less taken with (I prefer smaller portions but more cheeses!).  All in all it was a very good show, and Prue Leith, whose company is behind the restaurant did me proud.

The opera was pretty good too!If you haven't got tickets already I'm pretty sure it is too late to book reasonably priced ones in advance but you can sign up to the returns emails here, and the under 30s by creating an account and ticking the under 30s box here.You can book your meal on under 30s days. 

P.S. Normal Loo Sign Girls are clearly too risqué   for Glyndebourne, who seem to have had their own bespoke, ball gown wearing signs put in!