MAKING PIZZA WITH VALENTINE WARNER : SALAMI & SHAVED FENNEL PIZZA

At Gourmet Lovers we don't like pizza.... oh no... we love it! 

We regularly conduct frenzied pizza making sessions where we bust out old classics and also invent new flavours and combinations. Most recently we've been working on a cracking miso roasted aubergine and courgette pizza I'll be posting at some point. (Editors note: For the record Nick will never ever get around to posting this - Bex). 

Which is why we were super stoked to be invited to a pizza making session with TV chef and food writer Valentine Warner who was unveiling his two new flavours for Pizza Express last week.

First up was a salami and shaved fennel pizza - which we all made along with Valentine. Taking our helpfully pre-prepared pizza bases, we first laid down a base of fennel seed Trealy Farm Salami, garlic and lemon infused oil with some trusty cubes of mozerella cheese. Baked those bad boys for a few minutes in the pizza oven.

When they came back, we dressed a salad of razor thin shaved fennel and rocket leaves with a lemon dressing and tossed nonchalantly over the pizza with some grated parmesan. Its important to cut and devour the pizza as soon as possible. Really really good.

With all of the fresh fennel I was expecting a prominent aniseed flavour but the way the salad was cut and dressed with lemon oil it was transformed it into a surprisingly light and well balanced pizza. Top marks for this one! The shaved fennel and salami is without doubt the best pizza on the Pizza Express menu. I gourmet loved the hell out of it and had (too) many pieces.

Second up was a puttanesca pizza. Valentine explained how this was a tribute to the classic Italian sauce and I was impressed that they have been bold enough to exclude all cheese on this new pizza flavour. This is rather authentic and isn't something you see much outside of Italy.

Using a more hearty olive mix from The Real Olive Company, and supported with capers, chilli, anchovies, lemon and garlic this pizza certainly packs a punch. A real 'adults pizza' as Valentine described it.

We punched that bad boy in for the prescribed number of minutes in the pizza oven and when it return sprinkled some fresh oregano leaves in a random fashion. 

I expected I would love this pizza - as olives and anchovies are a favourite combination of mine - but was a bit disappointed with the first slice I had back. It came through as far too lemony and lacking the fishy punch was expecting from the anchovies.

Then I discovered that a slice from another version next to me was far better with more balanced flavours. One of the attendees obviously went to town with the lemon oil (we had no way of tracking whose pizza was whos). Hell it may have been me? Who knows...

I vowed to come back and sample this recipe from one of the proper pizza chefs in a normal service. Bex really enjoyed hers however and was raving about it afterwards. For me the winner on the day was the fennel pizza - but both were impressive.

It was great chatting to Valentine - he's a funny dude. Turns out he used to work for Pizza express in his early career and has some great stories from those days. 

We were given the left over pizza to take home and eat. The Puttanesca was great cold. I actually think I preferred it that way!

Overall two very exciting new pizzas. Valentine's Fennel and Salami is the star of the show.

Another successful blogging event where we got to stuff our faces - with pizza no less.

Thanks to the fine folks at Pizza Express for inviting us.

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REILLY ROCKET: GOURMET LOVERS CAKES AND SQUARE MILE COFFEE

Everyone knows how much I love coffee and cakes and if you've been following my coffee tasting mission with The London Coffee Map you would have seen I have reviewed one of Dalston's coolest and  best additions to the new wave coffee scene, Reilly Rocket Motorcycle cafe.  You know that Suzuki motorcycle shop on the corner of Kingsland Rd and Tottenham Rd, its always been there! Can't find it, check the map. In the last year the back room has opened up in to a cosy and quirky little cafe serving Square Mile Red Brick espresso along side quesadillas and bagels from its tiny 'kitchen' which is made up of a grill under the counter.  Without the use of the oven they have been unable to bake on site and after we were put in touch by a mutual friend last year I started baking for them sporadically. 

I had already reviewed it for The London Coffee map prior to them getting in contact with me and loved their coffee and friendly attitude.

I'm super happy to be baking for them weekly now! Those lucky Saturday morning people requiring a caffeine pick me up and and a sugary start to your day make sure you check it out from 9am Saturdays when I'll delivery 2 cakes home made by me to the cafe. 

The East is fast becoming the coffee mecca of London, with many places popping up all over the place quicker than you can eat a slice of this delicious two layer blueberry velvet cake covered in cream cheese, marscapone and double cream icing.....

The baristas are very good and very experienced having worked for some of the best in London, like Flat White and Fred and Fran so you can be sure your Flat White will be as per your high standards. 

But hey why not try a piece of delicious cake as well, recent cakes made have included the ever popular Blue Velvet as well as Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Chocolate and Guinness, Banana and Blueberry and Carrot and pineapple.

  

If you're a local to Dalston check out Reilly Rocket and if you've got any suggestions for cakes you'd like to try leave me a comment below.

On another note, I've also been busy with other private cake orders. I'm happy to bake for you if you need something yummy for a birthday, wedding, office party or if you just want to eat cake for no reason at all. Email me bex@gourmetlovers.co.uk Remember I don't bake daily so I will need at least 48 hours notice.

Enjoy your cake!

x
bex

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COFFEE EDUCATION: PROTEIN BY DUNNE FRANKOWSKI

My fingers cannot possible type as fast as I'm thinking and I have so much information in my head I desperately need to get it out! It may be I'm still wired from my 4 or was it 5 coffees I tasted yesterday at Protein by Dunne Frankowski. Actually for that matter the amount of caffeine I've drunk in recent weeks I probably can type as fast as I'm thinking.

As you know I've been reviewing independent cafes for The London Coffee Map for the last few months. I certainly don't pretend to know everything there is to know about coffee, I've never been trained as a barista I am simply a coffee lover and daily consumer (multiple daily consumer) and I like to think I know the difference between a good Flat White and a burnt over extracted one.  I am after all a New Zealander and we are a little snobby when it comes to coffee, sorry if that offends, I shall rephrase and say I'm a coffee snob and I've been known to say we make the best coffee. ( I don't necessarily believe that any more, there's amazing coffee from many parts of the world and it depends on what sort of coffee you tend to like )

I've been doing my research the last few months, that means talking to a lot of people who make coffee, not just antipodeans and reading about the art and science behind making coffee. I've learnt to appreciate more the rich variety and complexity of flavours and how these change with the various different methods of brewing a coffee be that espresso, pour over, French press etc.  Through tasting coffee different ways I have learnt to narrow down what I like in a coffee, what I'm looking for in flavour and how I want mine prepared. Its very much similar to tasting wine and reminds me of the time i spent wine tasting in Bourgogne (Burgundy, France) a few years ago. I've been in to French Chardonnay ever since.

I would say my favourite style of preparing coffee at the moment is a filter method using freshly ground beans and a coffee that is smooth and sweet. But whilst I know what I like, I don't know why and I feel I really should if I'm going to recommend you a coffee. At the end of the day you just want to know you're getting a delicious coffee and that what you've paid for tastes good but wouldn't you be happier knowing what you were drinking was hand picked by you and is your ultimate coffee. Its a simple pleasure, and its completely achievable.

A good place to start would be at Protein by Dunne Frankowski, over a coffee tasting with Rob Dunne ( half of Dunne Frankowski ) I learnt the answers as to why I liked what I like and some of the ways flavour is extracted through processing, roasting, grinding and brewing.
I was able to try 4 coffee varieties and the same coffee brewed by two different methods. Through this I tasted the massive difference these two methods of brewing could make to intensity of flavour in the same coffee. So I realised no two coffee beans can be necessarily treated the same way, some may favour a more simple filter approach or some may work well as an espresso, or it might just come down to personal preference and how well the barista knows the coffee.

I spent a little over an hour discussing the set up and even had a look at the Espresso machine and grinder ( more important than the machine!! ) I am no expert so I say if you want to learn more about these things go and have a chat or read a book. I'm reading The Professional Baristas Handbook right now. The machine was set up so both heads had different temperature settings as Rob explained they were for two different coffee beans which reacted better to different temperatures. There were 12 bars of pressure which was set to go up and down at specific points throughout the extraction. These setting are tested and changed when new beans are introduced.

I was given a tasting of 3 varieties of Square Mile Coffee, prepared for me in a Sri Lankan tea set. First hot water from a tap permanently at 94c was added to the coffee/tea pot to pre heat it.  The coffee beans were weighed, 7 grams, ground finely as you would for  French press (or your cafetiere) and added to the emptied, pre heated coffee pot.  Then 94c hot water was poured over, lid on and left for 4 minutes. This was timed. At the end of 4 minutes the coffee is skimmed off the surface using a spoon which looks a bit like a soup spoon and then poured in to the cup over a fine mesh filter. Tasting should being at 6 minutes. 

This was done three times with each coffee served to me having its own distinct flavour and as Rob said the flavour changes as the temperature of the coffee falls.

My tasting was this...

1. Bella Vista, Colombian. Process: Fully washed.
Fully washed or Wet processed means the
coffee fruit is disconnected from the seed or bean before washing and drying. It produces more fruity and acidic flavours.

2. Capao, Brazilian. Process: Pulped natural.
Pulped natural is a process whereby the skin of the fruit is kept on when washing and drying the coffee bean out. This was my favourite with hints of caramel, and nutty sweet biscuit flavours.  I tried this pulled as an espresso shot as well and wow its flavour expanded ten fold.  A mighty mighty punch which I feel personally I'd prefer with milk or as the filter coffee I first tried. 

3. San Maniego Nariño, Colombian. Process: Fully washed.
Very citrusy,  I likened this to a fruity tea when I tried it. In fact if you don't ( or think you don't ) like coffee I might suggest you try this one.

More information on the various processing methods can be found easily on line. I have been reading more on this website.  There are many factors that create difference in flavour so its interesting to have a read before tasting different coffees. 

At Protein there is no house blend, they describe themselves as a multiple roastery cafe.

Neither Dunne nor Frankowski are antipodean they are Irish and Polish respectively. Rob Dunne even admitted to not liking coffee until a few years ago when he decided to find out what all the fuss was about. He has also spent a year or so training in the art of tea and tea making something I sense encourages his preference for the tea style of brewing the coffee. 

Protein by Dunne Frankowski run classes in tasting and brewing coffee and they are also available as coffee or cafe consultants. As well as coffee their interests include design, photography and food.

I'd recommend going for a coffee at Protein, just don't expect to sit down and chat with friends over a latte, its really not that sort of cafe. Its worth taking the time to speak with the baristas asking questions and tasting, I know this might seem slightly intimidating but its not at all, its rather inviting.  

There's nothing else like this in London I've seen, for now.

Protein by Dunne Frankowski
18 Hewitt St
London
EC2A3NN
http://prote.in/profiles/dunne-frankowski
www.dunnefrankowski.com

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BEST COFFEE IN LONDON - LONDON COFFEE MAP EAST SIDE

I've been touring East London recently on the quest for Londons best Flat White, but its not all about fun and coffee, its serious business. I'm helping out a friend who started the London Coffee Map, a website and handy iphone app devoted to locating your nearest antipodean coffee in London.

When I moved to London 6 years ago there were two places I knew of to get a coffee the way I liked it, thats 2 shots of rich, nutty espresso and velvety smooth milk with a rosetta adorning it, they were Monmouth in Borough and Flat White in Soho. Nowadays  I've got up to and probably once I'm done over 90 cafes to check out and review for the London Coffee Map.

On my journey through the coffee map I keep discovering more places popping up and adding them to my list of places to go once Im finished. In the last 2 weeks I've been to 25 cafes in East London and drunk way too much coffee.

Brill Cafe -  Exmouth Market

So if you love coffee particularly the creamy but strong antipodean style of coffee that I do, then you should check out this app or if you're like me and sans iphone check the map on line.  There are so many places now and most of them combine lovely coffee with delicious brunch and lunch menus.  I'm still to find brunch I think rivals our Gourmet Lovers Brunch Club but I bet one will pop up in no time at this rate!

The Counter Cafe  - Hackney Wick

My favourite coffee roasteries in this order are Nude Espresso, Square Mile, Monmouth and Climpsons & Sons. There have been others but I haven't been as fond.  Nude Espresso, a 'micro roastery' off Brick Lane has been by far and away the nicest coffee and Im not just talking about their Flat White I based that on the coffee I drank in other cafes using Nude Espresso beans, Maison d'Etre (French deli/cafe with a kiwi barister of course) or my favourite coffee to date at the E5 Bake House.

Full Stop Cafe and Bar  - Brick Lane

Stand out new East London cafes for me have been Railroad in Hackney, the Vietnamese baguette was tasty! Ray Stitch on Essex Road, the haberdashery and cafe inspired me to buy some knitting needles and wool and I'm now creating a scarf complete with lots of rustic holes by way of dropping every few stitches ( completely on purpose of course! ).

Seems to be that now days if you open a cafe you have to have something else to entice customers as simple coffee and food won't do. To compete with the many emerging rivals you need to be an Art Gallery like The Counter Cafe, a CD store like Brill, a bakery like Violet or have your own Radio station like Wiltons.

Violet  - American Bakery & Cafe

Im quite proud and happy to see so many new places opening, there are now more than enough cafes in East London. I saw one in Dalston that I've yet to go to which boast its an indoor Farm and Cafe!

Im hoping one day I'll own my own cafe, I want it to be all about brunch, and I will work so hard to make sure its incredible and stands out because I truly believe thats what we're lacking here.

Anyway, off to central London next week. Enjoy your coffees and grab the app for all the Gourmet Lovers tips on the best Cafes and coffee in London

bex
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GELUPO GELATO AT BENS CANTEEN

Maybe it was the helado post I did while I was in Barcelona, but we've been asked to try a lot of ice cream recently. Fine with me, I love eating and making ice cream. Brunch clubbers this week are in for a treat as we're making avocado helado, a flavour I fell in love with while in Spain. Its a brilliantly versatile flavour able to pair with both sweet or savoury dishes, we'll be serving it as a dessert.

As well as that I've dabbled in pumpkin pie ice cream and saffron and pistachio before and Nick made blue cheese ice cream for his last brunch club!  So we are fans.

So when we were invited to test a new flavour in a new restaurant naturally we said yes! Bens Canteen a cafe/ restaurant in Clapham Junction has been open for just over 9 weeks and is run by Ben, a nice guy who has created a warm, inviting place serving modern British cuisine. We should say we've yet to try the food, we were just eating ice cream, but what we saw looked rather appetising. Home made sausage rolls, pies, sliders of mini burgers, roast pork belly. Im getting hungry just describing it....
And they have a new brunch menu, so we're excited!

Ben has made of point of using local, independent suppliers. The likes of Square Mile coffee, Teapigs, Brew Dog, and Gelupo Gelato, which was what we were there to taste.

The guys from Gelupo were really friendly and they were passionate and excited about their ice cream. Just like Nick and I they like experimenting with new sometimes unexpected flavours. Their shop in Soho sells almost 20 varieties of gelato, sorbet and granita and they even deliver! Yes if you're stuck for a dessert they said they'll deliver up till 1am, for an extra cost of course.

We got to learn a little about the science behind their ice cream, tips on the right sugars and best ingredients to use and we got to taste 3 flavours.

The flavour created specifically for Bens Canteen was a smokey whiskey with hints of tea. Made using Laphroaig whiskey which if you know whiskey really packs a punch. Drinking Laphroaig is like drinking a bacon sandwich, its full on. The ice cream was a hit, at first you taste the tea which was quite subtle and there was a bit of texture as well, little bits of biscuit added to the mix for bite. When the after taste hits you you get a strong Whiskey flavour.

Its an ice cream, so naturally I think of it as a summer time treat, but as a dessert idea I actually think you'd enjoy this flavour all year round. I associate whiskey with being quite a warming drink, I could happily eat this ice cream as a dessert all through winter and still finish with that really warm feeling you get with whiskey and with winter desserts.

Lucky for us we were also able to try two other flavours, salted caramel and fresh mint stracciatela (which is on sale at Gelupo). Both powerful flavours.

So ice cream for dinner was a success and we'll certainly be heading to both Gelupo and Bens Canteen for further investigations. Check out the awesome deal which I know all my friends would be in to, 10% off when you bike to Bens. We'll have to take a Sunday ride down south soon.

I really enjoyed bouncing ideas around with the group, as Nick and I would love to have our own business in food and catering one day its always great to get advice from those in the know.

More ice cream testing happening else where next week! Keep it coming, Im happy to be your taster!

Bex
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LIZARRAN - BASQUE PINTXOS IN SITGES

Quiet possibly the best food I've had since I arrived in Spain is at Lizarran in Sitges. The gorgeous sea side pueblo 30 mins by train south of Barcelona.

Lizarran is a chain of Basque style pintxos bars. It has over 200 restaurants in 8 countries but this was the first to open in 1988. Plates of tasty morsels, held together with tooth picks, such as bread with cheese, ham, seafood and peppers sit along the bar.
Its self service, take a plate, help yourself to what ever you fancy and when you're done with your seconds or thirds the waiter counts your toothpicks and presents you with the bill. The menu also includes larger dishes for anywhere between €5-€15. There were so many tantalising pinxtos at the bar though, we we're spoiled for choice. We ate a lot, maybe 5 or 6 pieces each. Between 3 of us we each paid €15, amazing considering the number of pinxtos, the 2 mains shared and couple of bottles of wine we had.

Whilst everything looks very basic and easy to prepare there's something about the produce used, the local cheese, the meat, the fresh bread, that although so simple, are put together in a way where the flavours all compliment each other for the perfect taste. So moreish, so heavenly.

Round 1, tortilla & lots of cheese basically

The Front left is of course a potato tortilla, central is the cream cheese and salmon and on the right was a mixture of cheese, crab meat, peppers which had been blended together. It tasted so much better than you can imagine. A skillful combination.

This was a salt cod ball, deep fried hence delicious!

Possibly my favourite. Queso cabra (goats cheese) with onion and a little pastry. Both the onion and goats cheese have a sweetness which is perfect together. The cheese is has been cooked so there is a crust on top but as you bite in to it, its melts in your mouth. 

Oh hang on maybe this was my favourite. Sweet red pimento, slightly chargrilled to soften and bring out its flavour which goes perfectly with roquefort cheese...  *drools*

Rice with cod, clams, peas and eggs. One of our mains, for €5.50 it was very reasonable, though not as fresh or tasty as the pintxos.

Just simply Gambas with a bit of basil, fresh from the grill, devine.

After an absolutely mouth-watering meal along with couple of bottles of vino de la casa we were on our merry way to enjoy the fiesta happening on the beach. Another fabulous way to end Barcelona weekend.


Lizarran
Sant Pau, 3
Sitges, Barcelona 08870
España 
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BARCELONA CHEAP EATS - MOSQUITO

Hola Amigos

Its about time I share with you this great little beer and dumplings bar in Borne as I've been there 4 times in the last month! Sometimes when you've over done it on jamon and queso you just crave something fresh, exotic, light, completely not Spanish. I crave asian food and I love Vietnamese, it's full of interesting flavours and filling without being heavy.

I stumbled across Mosquito in Borne one day and immediately liked the look of it. A busy little bar, lined with a selection of Catalan, German, and Scottish beers and a kitchen of busy chefs serving pho and hand making gyoza and dumplings.

Its always busy but you can wait for a table or as I have done sit and eat at the bar where you can see the chefs at work and eye up the vast selection of beers, including one scottish brand called 'Trashy Blonde' which my friend and I laughed at. A copa sized tap beer  (thats probably a bit less than a pint) is only €2.60 whilst the rest range from there up to around €4 per bottle. Wine and sake are also available.

Sitting at the bar the first time I didn't have much of an idea what the menu said, its in Catalan. You can ask the ladies at the bar for help as they speak English but personally I like to take a lucky dip. You select what you want, marking 1 next to each dish you desire, then hand the paper to the waitress and await your food. (Its the same style as in Ping Pong in London)

The top section is dim sum, meat, seafood and vegetarian dumplings and includes how many portions you'll get which is helpful. Under this is hot food including duck, chicken & vegetarian options, bok choy & tofu etc. There's also a dessert section which is actually more Japanese inspired, mochi filled with chocolate!!  YUM.

Highlights for me include the wonton soup and the steamed pork buns. The veggie or prawn dumplings are delicious. Prices for each dish range from around €2- €4. For a couple of plate and 2 beers I've never spent more than €10 here and I've yet to be disappointed by the food. I've bought 3 friends here, its friendly, its cheap and its tasty.

Steamed pork bun

 

Veggie dumpings

Bok choy & mushrooms steamed with soy

Tofu with soy

Mochi filled with chocolate and cream!

Mosquito Tapas Exóticas

c/Carders, 46, Barcelona 08003

93 268 7569

info@mosquitotapas.com

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QUEST FOR THE BEST HELADO IN BARCELONA

Well I've decided to go on a quest... I LOVE helado/ gelato/ ice cream and I've been eating it almost every day here in Barcelona. SO BAD. I've had Roquefort flavour, Pannacotta, Creme Catalan.. oh wow, it's all so tasty.

Roquefort and creme catalan helado

There are certainly  a lot of helado shops, a lot of great ones for sure and some that are selling name brand pre made helado, these may be full of preservatives though and not fresh! I like artisan heladerias who make their own unique flavours on site preservative free with fresh ingredients. So why not document my helado adventures from now on I thought.

On Friday night I went to a Italian owned shop with a friend who recommends this as the best Heladeria in Barcelona. Gelaaati Di Marco! in Barrio Gotic.
I had a grande cup, €4.50 with 3 scoops, Avocado, Piccante (chilli chocolate) and Liquorice.
I ate this so ridiculously quickly, Im such a pig it was the loveliest helaldo I've had in a long time.

Piccante 

Chilli chocolate, beware its rather spicy!

Avocado, piccante & licorice

Creme catalan, Zuppa Inglese

 Back row-  peach, raspberry & avocado

Front row -  mango

Gelaaati has many different flavours, made on premises with fresh natural ingredients. They were happy to let me try a few flavours before I decided on my three. nom nom nom!!  Go here, I can't wait to try them all.

Gelaaati Di Marco 
Carrer de la Llibreteria, 7

08002 Barcelona, Spain

933 105 045

gelaaati.com

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