Say Fromage...

One of the highlights of my Paris experience this past week was a visit to Alleosse, the famous cheese shop.  Believe it or not, I was looking for this store and actually passed it the first time walking down the street.  How does someone miss a pink cheese shop?  Picture throngs of food stalls, fruit carts, shoppers purchasing their wares for dinner, seafood mongers calling to customers, the aroma of rotisserie chickens and fries wafting through the market, and you might get a sense how that would be possible.  The market at Rue de Poncelet is quite an experience, one that merits its own entry.

And here is where I introduce my good friend Audi Girl, a dangerous specimen with my passion for food and Major Obvious' obsession with cars.  Audi Girl and I joined the queue that spilled from the shop into the street.  She was anxious to try some brie, while I had a couple of other cheeses in mind to purchase.  As we entered the shop, we were completely overwhelmed.  The store was packed with cheese everywhere!  Cases, shelves and nooks were crammed with delicious possibilities.   The smell was also incredible.  Almost every cheese came with a little tag that said, "Cru Lait," which means raw milk.  That's right, nothing was pasteurized here!  Hence, the lovely, funky smell that only can be found in a lovely French cheese shop.  Audi Girl whispered,  "I don't see Brie anywhere."  She was right, even though we were surrounded by a million cheeses, none of them had the label "Brie."  I had faith, though.  "They've got to have it."

Three men in white chef's jackets were standing at attention, ready for action.  When it was finally our turn, I requested "Brie de Meaux" and our assistant called out, "Brie de Meaux!  Oui, madam!"  Then he reached into a vast glass case and pulled out an enormous wheel.  He motioned with his hand where I might want it cut.  I nodded, and he cut.  Then, he wrapped.  Next?  "Camembert."  He pulled out a smaller wheel and asked me something in rapid French.  I thought he was asking me if I wanted to buy the whole thing, so I asked, "C'est possible...demi..." and made cutting motions with my hands.  He replied that he could definitely do that, cut and wrapped it.  At this point, Audi Girl whispered in my ear, "He was asking which day you were going to eat it."  Oops.  Well, we were definitely going to eat it today.  No matter.  Onto the next cheese!  "Neufchatel, sil vous plait."  Repeat, show for inspection, wrap.  Is that everything?  Yes, we're done, thank you.  He prints out a little ticket, then I realize that I need to stand in another line.  I came to learn that Parisians often stand in line twice at shops.  So I presented my ticket to the cashier, at which point he miraculously produced a little pile of wrapped cheeses, all the correct ones I had requested.  Audi Girl was impressed, "I was wondering how they were going to keep track of our cheeses!"

So what was our favorite?  The Brie de Meaux was Audi Girl's and Major Obvious' favorite.  I preferred the softer and tangier Camembert.  But our best cheese find was at Cafe Angelina two days later.  Audi Girl ordered a plate that came with some Brillat-Savarin.  Fresh and snowy white, it tasted like the butteriest cream cheese ever.  Now I know what to ask for next time at Alleosse!

By Jove! Tearoom, Burwell, Cambridgeshire

Dr. Tex was gracious enough to treat us to a sumptuous tea at By Jove! tearoom, a charming English house nestled in Burwell.  I loved the enormous sandwiches (the "fingers" that inspired these likely belonged to the Jolly Green Giant), the homemade cake, and the iPod dock secreted behind a vase of flowers.  There are also two little gift shop rooms that sell hilarious things like hand-knitted tea cozies, notebooks with the Queen of England's portrait on the cover, and tartan passport covers.  (Oddly enough, there were also Wizard of Oz mint tins, which did not strike me as either British or tea-related, but oh well).  

Each of us had the traditional set afternoon tea which came with the aforementioned enormous "finger" sandwiches (egg salad, tuna salad, and cucumbers with butter), a ridiculously large "slice" of cake of your choice, two raisin scones served with clotted cream and jam, and tea or coffee.   I was warned to come hungry, so I made a point of eating nothing all day long in an effort to "conquer" this tea.  Well, I managed to devour all of the sandwiches and one of the scones, but I ended up taking home the cake for Major Obvious and the kiddies to share.  Oh, and I took home the other scone, too, but I ended up eating it before I had a chance to tell anyone about it.  These things sometimes happen.

The Rose & Crown, Snettisham, Norfolk

On our way back from Norfolk Lavendar, we stopped off at The Rose & Crown.  This charming gastropub serves up an incredible variety of delicious food.  Skyscraper-high cheeseburgers on ciabatta with bacon, matchstick French-style fries (no thick English-inspired chips here, to the delight of Sweet Pea), crispy pork belly served alongside grilled peaches, sauteed scallops and halibut on a bed of black risotto...everyone found something delicious to devour.  We even had the opportunity to try something new...the scallops and halibut were served with a side of marsh samphire.  It seemed odd to eat these vegetables, as they looked like the plastic plants that one would find in someone's aquarium.  But this sea plant consisted of pods along a rosemary-like stalk that exploded with salty flavor when we bit them.  Complete with a children's menu, friendly staff, and a fun layout made up of multiple little rooms, The Rose & Crown is a fabulous lunch stop and we look forward to going again.

Dinner in Edinburgh...With Kids!

We ate a lot of Italian and Scottish food while in Edinburgh, but it seemed that our favorite stop might have been at Mussell Inn.  It was so much fun sitting outside during a calm summer evening and watching Sweet Pea devour mussell after mussell.  Our server was duly impressed when he saw her empty mussell pot, "Where are you putting it?  You're so tiny!"  

If you find yourself in Edinburgh, you might want to stop off at Martone for some homemade gelato and pizza.  Centotre, located in a gorgeously restored Georgian mansion, offers freshly made pastas and fun activity packets for kids.  

Scottish Brunch and Tea

I just spent the past several days in Edinburgh, Scotland with the family.  Perhaps our favorite activity was eating brunch or having tea there.  This wonderful city has no shortage of places!  We loved our butternut squash risotto at Always Sunday (served on top of a butternut squash half so that you just scoop out more squash while you're eating the creamy rice). Major Obvious and the kids enjoyed munching on bacon and Belgian waffles at Treacle while watching reruns of Streetfighter cartoons.  I particularly loved the smoked salmon sandwiches and shopping at eteaket, where the kids were delighted to partake in their first "babyccinos" (steamed, foamy milk with swirls of cocoa on top).  The hog roast sandwiches at oink are super tasty as well.      

More London Finds

While hanging out in Knightsbridge for a few days, we found some more yummy treats in London.  My mother uncovered the treasure that is Harvey Nichols' Lime and Coconut Curd.  Completely sublime and utterly decadent!

We also loved dining at Da Scalzo on Brompton Road, a dream-come-true Italian restaurant that manages to tick all the boxes.  They serve breakfast (heavenly Eggs Benedict), make wonderful pizzas, turn out the best mushroom risotto I've ever tried, and are somehow child-friendly.  How do they do it?  I have no idea, but it's amazing.  They also have an incredible bakery that turns out fabulous almond croissants, eclairs, tiramisu, homemade donuts and chestnut meringues that you are more than welcome to take home with you in case you ate too much Italian sausage and mash.  It's the perfect stop after marveling at the Chihuly sculpture at the Victoria & Albert, having butterflies land on you at the Natural History Museum, or checking out Lewis Hamilton's F1 car at the Science Museum.

If you'd like to enjoy the famous Fortnum & Mason experience with kids, skip the St. James room at head to The Parlour Restaurant.  You can partake in quail egg and ham or rare roast beef sandwiches while the kids devour grilled cheeses, then dive into fabulous ice cream sundaes or ethereal coffee drinks.  With unique flavors such as stem ginger honey and old favorites like chocolate, mint chocolate chip or toffee, nobody will be disappointed.  

The Easiest Chicken In The World

Even though I love those recipes with the gigantic picture of a seven-layer chocolate cake iced to perfection, I must confess that I get most excited about the recipes that I use all of the time.  Don't you just get so jazzed when you read a magazine and there's an idea for a quick, easy and tasty dinner?  I think to myself, "Why didn't I think of it before?  Thank you, Mr./Ms. Celebrity Chef!!!"

Nigella Lawson is one of those great cooks who has fabulous ideas that work in the everyday kitchen.  I discovered this methodology of hers and use it once a week.  The beauty of this method is that it is extremely forgiving.  You can use 6-12 drumsticks (or any part of the bird, for that matter).  You can use buttermilk or yogurt (although I've found buttermilk to yield chicken that is more tender).  You can use lots and lots of cumin.  You can substitute honey for maple syrup, or you can omit that part all together.  Usually, I just eyeball everything and scoop it into the bag.  Enjoy!

Buttermilk Chicken Drumsticks

12 chicken drumsticks (approximately 1.25kg/3lbs total weight) 

500ml/17fl oz buttermilk 

60ml/2fl oz canola oil, plus 2 tbsp extra for drizzling 

2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed 

1 tbsp sea salt or 1½ tsp table salt 

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tbsp crushed peppercorns or freshly ground pepper (optional)

1 tbsp maple syrup (optional) 

1. Place the chicken drumsticks into a large plastic freezer bag and add the buttermilk and 60ml/2fl oz of canola oil. 

2. Add the lightly crushed garlic cloves to the bag along with the crushed peppercorns and salt. 

3. Sprinkle in the ground cumin and add the maple syrup, then gently squeeze the bag to mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the chicken. 

4. Seal the bag, place it on top of a plate, and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge, ideally overnight, or out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours. 

5. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. 

6. Take the chicken pieces out of the bag, shaking off the excess marinade, and arrange them in a roasting tin lined with foil.

7. Drizzle over the remaining two tablespoons of oil, then transfer to the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until golden-brown and completely cooked through.