Dinner: 05.02.2011

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Time for friday dinner again! This meal, I - don't quite- hasten to add (if only I had- it was rockin...)was not made by me! Sadly a late evening at work kept me away from the kitchen...

It starts with one fillet of cod, seasoned only with salt and pepper and a salad of grilled Jeruselum artichoke, watercress and roasted hazelnut. What i love most about this combination is that they are both so simple and easy. There are minimal ingredients but it needed literally nothing more.

The soup is leek and chickpea, drizzled with olive oil. And these we had with my new favourite thing- yoghurt flatbreads!

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Food Porn.

You foodies will know what I'm talking about. Sometimes you cook something (and then photograph it- naturally...) and its just so damn good, you feel you should keep it under the mattress.

Here are last nights offerings; some of the best food I've ever eaten, with one of the best cooks I know.
... No words, just pure food porno.

Food includes recipes by Rick Stein and Ottolenghi. Chocolates are from Theobromo-cocoa and porridge is vanilla and mixed berries.

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Orange and Polenta Cake

I think this is one of the best cake recipes I have ever found. Run, don't walk to the Ottolenghi cookbook to make this orange and polenta cake with a caramel topping and a marmalade glaze. The polenta gives it a wonderful consistency and the addition of orange blossom water (from any good Lebanese store) gives it a lovely perfumed feel. It looks absolutely beautiful too. Making the caramel was hard at first but once you've cracked it it should be easy to do again and again. I paired it with a strawberry and elderflower sorbet which brought out the flavours and colours really well.


Recipe courtesy of Aaron, my Ottolenghi loving friend.

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This recipe looks GOOD.

Is it a little too hasty to be trying the summer recipes..?

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This started life as an Ottolenghi recipe but I messed around with the spices and the combinations a fair bit. Slices of roasted, almost charred aubergine, smothered in greek yoghurt mixed with saffron, garlic and lemon, and garnished with fresh basil leaves and pomegranate seeds. The textures are incredibly varied and the smoky charred aubergine goes really well with the heady, elusive taste of saffron. This one disappeared quick.

By regular contributer, Aaron.

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Aaron's Makerel with Salsa

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'A really simple Ottolenghi recipe, this is my favourite thing to do with makerel. The salsa has olives, raisins, capers, parsely, honey, celery, sherry vinegar and other yummy things that give it a really nice contrast of sweet and sharp flavours.

Add to quickly grilled makerel and it becomes a beautiful 15 minute supper. The only thing I try and do is make sure the makerel is as fresh as possible. I find that makerel becomes inedible if its over a day or two old.'

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Thanks to Aaron for contributing this post! It looks tooo beautiful. I'm always looking for new things to do with makerel as its one of my favourite fish. If you have any recipe you would like me to post, then feel free to send your ideas or photos- or if you just send me the recipe I'll try cook it up myself!

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