Quick French Bean salad

This is a quick post for a quick dish. 

Recently, I had marinaded some lamb using a cheat's packet of Turkish marinade. It was a pack of 'Izgara Harci' from the Turkish Food Centre in Catford. I needed a simple and speedy accompaniment. This was what I came up with. It is very Mediterranean, and Him Indoors and I really enjoyed it. It is informal, and I am sure you can increase or decrease any of the ingredients as you see fit. Him Indoors doesn't like a lot of salad leaf, but if you do, you could add a couple more handfuls with impunity.

Snig's Quick French Bean Salad

Serves 2 as a side dish.

Ingredients:

Salad:

75-100g french beans, topped (or topped and tailed, whichever you prefer)

2 handfuls of seasonal salad leaf, torn (but not iceberg lettuce, please)

1 small-medium red onion, halved and sliced into thin half moons

Dressing:

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Optional:

Sprinkle of chopped flat leaf parsley (about 1 tbsp) - either as a salad ingredient or topping

Equipment:

Clean jam jar

Method:

Par boil the beans by putting in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to arrest the cooking process. Ensure the beans are cold and that you have drained as much water as possible.

Put the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake vigourously to combine.

Put beans, onion and leaf into a non-metallic bowl. I added the parsley at this stage, but you could use as a topping.

Give the dressing one last shake. Pour over the salad. Toss to mix completely.

Serve and enjoy!

Babur, Honor Oak, Indian Restaurant, South East London

For 28 years, Babur Restaurant in Honor Oak (Brockley, South East London) has had a reputation among locals for excellent Indian food. More recently, it has attracted the attention of Harden's restaurant guide, the AA Good Restaurant Guide and The Good Food Guide. The received wisdom is that it is "worth travelling to" because clearly, no self respecting person from anywhere north of the river would brave the trek to where the tube doesn't go unless the food is "pukka". 

Never mind that north and central London have as many lukewarm and barely adequate restaurants as any other place in the world, somehow restaurants which are south of the river have to reach what seem to me to be far higher standards to be worthy of a journey than anywhere else. Whatever, say I. That just leaves the good South London restaurants to the people of South London. We don't need to worry quite as much about securing a table as a result. We'll live with that!

A few years ago, Babur underwent a radical refurbishment, resulting in its current mainly brick decor with some very interesting Indian influenced art and the timber bar/staff area. It's classy, contemporary and a world away from the flock wallpaper of the "curry houses" of the 1980s. This is a place for sophisticated nights out with dates, friends or family members. This is not a place for a drunken Friday night curry session after a pub visit.

We didn't opt for the poppadoms and pickles on this visit, but they are available for £ per person. This was only because I didn't want to do my age old silly trick of filling up on the poppadoms and then not finishing my meal. I would recommend them, particularly for the homemade chutneys. Tasty, spicy, beautiful!

We started by sampling the new selection of Summer cocktails. 

Him Indoors chose the Roasted Pineapple Mojito £7.95

Made with Bacardi white rum, homemade spiced pineapple puree, pineapple syrup, mint leaves, this was a refreshing and Summery long cocktail. The spicy pineapple brought it head and shoulders above the regular mojito, which is quickly becoming ubiquitous and bland.

Essencially Orange £7.50

This is Babur's first wine based cocktail. Made with Orange Muscat Essencia, orange peel, sweet red vermouth, dry white vermouth, Absolut vodka and Fee Brothers' orange bitters. This is a very pleasant aperitif, particular if you are a fan of aperol cocktails. It has a sophisticated if slightly bitter flavour to get the tummy rumbling and tastebuds tingling.

When we visited, Babur was running one of its specialist menus. This is one of the real strengths of the restaurant. The A La Carte menu is run all year round, but there are occasionally special menus showcasing regional Indian cuisine and other special menus. 

This year, Babur were running a special 28th anniversary menu, one taking its inspiration from a Keralan card game of "28" (Irupathiyettu), which I was informed is  a trick-taking game similar to bridge. This special menu, running until 8th September is called "The Dealer’s Choice Menu" which features seven items, six of which will be available as both small and large plates. although the dessert only comes in one size. This gives people the chance to sample smaller dishes to share. 

We therefore decided to mix and match between the Anniversary menu and the A La Carte.

Assamese duck steamed in banana leaf, bamboo shoot sticky rice £6.50 for a small portion (Anniversary menu)

Aromatically seasoned with cumin, coriander, black pepper, turmeric

The duck was tender, moist and not fatty at all. The banana leaf presentation was very appealing, like opening a special present! A dish which had nuanced and pleasant spicing without being too hot. This could have been a very nice main course, had it not been ordered as a starter. The small portion could equally be ordered among a selection of small mains to create a meal for sharing. 

Tempura battered courgette blossom, cumin mint summer vegetable ragout (Vegetarian) £6.50 for a small portion (Anniversary menu)

Stuffed with seasoned yoghurt, ragout of broad beans, asparagus, peas

Reminiscent of Italian cooking, here the young courgette is at the end of the flower, the whole thing being fried in a light batter. It was the vegetable ragout which made this dish Indian with its use of authentic flavours and spicing. A great Summer starter with a twist.

Crispy soft-shell crab, green papaya and hazelnut crab salad £7.95 for a small portion (Anniversary menu)

Served with lemon rice cakes

I'll confess, I love soft shell crab. Hence the chances of not liking this were small. So, yes, I really enjoyed the crispy outer and soft toothsome inside. Green papaya is another favourite ingredient; Thai Som Tam is one of the dishes I crave frequently. This was always a dish to meet with my seal of approval!

Coconut lamb, tomato rice (Hot dish) £14.95  (A La Carte menu)

Well-spiced, handi-cooked to a rich, sticking consistency, from Kerala

Tomatoey rice cooked like a pulao (by the absorption method), this was a world away from the rice that many Westerners describe as bland. I appreciated the presentation, where the rice was served in a cone of grilled poppadom. The difference between grilled and fried poppadoms is quite pronounced. Jim Indoors chose this main course, mainly because he loves the way Indian cooking treats lamb and mutton. Here he was not disappointed, the lamb was tender, hot but not incendiary, and altogether balanced and enjoyable. 

Vegetarian thali (Vegetarian)  £14.50 (A La Carte menu)

Paneer makai tawa masala, Green bean fogath, Dal makhni, Gobi capsicum, boondi raita, pulao and mini nan bread

This was my choice. Why? Because I couldn't make my mind up and wanted to try as many small dishes as I possibly could! Was I disappointed? No! The paneer tasted like a traditional homemade dish, with spicy masala. The dal makhi was creamy, rich and comforting. The gobi capsicum was in a light sauce with lots of garam masala flavours. The bean fogath reminded me a little of a thoran, and were pleasantly studded with kalo jeera to lend a deep and earthy spiciness, without heat. The raita was light and fresh, with the boondi introducing a novel texture and slight crunch. The pulao and nan made with the high standards and technique I would expect of a restaurant with this level of pride in their output. 

All in all, we had a wonderful lunch at Babur. We just wonder what their latest menu adventure will involve!

Babur Restaurant

119 Brockley Rise, London, SE23 1JP. 

020 8291 2400 

mail@babur.info

Open from noon until 2:30 (except Sunday: noon-4pm) and every evening from 6pm until 11:30pm.

 

Him Indoors and I paid for our lunch ourselves. Money well spent!

Update: Catford Broadway Market and Supperclub

After hosting a Guest Post all about Catford's new foodie hotspot, Catford Broadway Market and Supperclub here at Snig's Kitchen, I received a request for more details about the other great goings on which are coming to the Nation of Catford.

You can read that original post here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/guest-post-catford-broadway-supperclub.html

You see, Catford is a great place to live, but in the past it has felt a little unloved and neglected. It is only recently that it is being regenerated in part by the local council, by businesses coming to the area and by locals. Working together, I can already see the changes and improvements in my local area, which is great, because I love this culturally diverse and vibrant place!

When I first moved here, it had a feel of a place where people didn't stop. People moved here, lived for a while, and then moved on to somewhere else. It would be that "somewhere else" where they would put down their roots; Forest Hill, Dulwich, Blackheath. But those areas are increasingly out of reach, and I think people realising they are here to stay means they are beginning to view the area as "home" and subsequently treating it as such.

Regeneration work outside Town Hall

Resurfacing work, Catford Broadway

So, my anonymous source has brought me the following "intel" about what will be happening in the local area:

1. A Catford Cinema Club
We lost our cinema some years ago when the company running it decided it was no longer profitable. The site was then bought by a church group who have used it as a place of worship and for other activities. This has left the Borough of Lewisham without a cinema.

A Catford Cinema Club is planned, which will be launched and take place at the Catford Broadway Theatre, part of the Town Hall complex. The Theatre itself is a very lovely Art Deco building, which was extensively restored. I have actually been to see a show inside the main theatre, and it is a great environment for staging shows. I am sure it will be great for films too!

2. A Catford Food Bank
There is currently a local food bank in Forest Hill, which I have personally donated food to. However, it is not conveniently located for people in Catford who need assistance. It is sad that more and more people are finding the cost of food so difficult to cope with. 

The Catford Food Bank will be launched this Autumn at the Monthly Catford Broadway Market as a way for local people to help their fellow Catfordians.

3. The Catford Ambassador Group
Improvement in a local area are always easier to achieve with an organised and pro-active group of people within the community. Lewisham Council who run Catford Broadway Market cannot themselves run an Ambassador Group, but are keen to help local people to do so. As a result, there will be a meeting of anyone interested in being an Ambassador on 1st September at the next Catford Broadway Market. Views on future regeneration will be taken there.

The next Catford Broadway Supperclub will be run by Capo Caccia (http://www.capocaccia.co.uk/), who I have been told will be serving the following: a platter selection with mustela and salami and coppa plus pecorino selection, pumpkin ravioli in sage, butter sauce and shaved Parmesan, squid ink lasagna with zucchini & king prawns, ending with gelato and dried ricotta. Places can be booked via www.grubclub.co.uk

I have had a comment from a reader who said that the most recent Market was a disappointment. The organisers of the Catford Broadway Monthly Market do their best to obtain a good range of traders, but as with all things, Summer and early Autumn are often quieter than other periods of the year as people tend to take holidays then. This would explain why the August Market may have been disappointing for that particular reader, and of course, the school holidays will still be ongoing for the September date. It is hoped that more traders will be available from October onwards and that things will pick up as we get towards Christmas.

If you're a Catfordite or Rushey Greener, it would be great to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or get in touch on twitter! I am @snigskitchen!

 

August 2013 Favourites List

August is synonymous with the school holidays. Everything quietens down. The traffic, the courts, business... We find ourselves in the "Silly Season" newswise, where stories about dogs which can recite the alphabet or kooky animal pictures get whole page spreads. 

It's a lovely month, and I hope that one day we will become more like the French and "allez en vacances"; the cities, particularly Paris, almost close down for the month and everybody goes away to enjoy themselves before "la rentrée" in September.

I've been kept busy this month with various work tasks. One has been updating three chapters of an employment law textbook written with some of my colleagues. Employment law has a good side and a bad side. The good side is that it is exciting and fast changing.... which also happens to be its bad side! So I've been getting my small brain around various important judgements and new legislation.

I hope you have been enjoying the Summer, and that you have either had, or will have a nice break at some point. 

This month's pictures are of me and some gorgeous looking birds.

 

Blogs Worth Following:

A cooking and baking blog written by Janice Pattie from her Scottish farm home: http://farmersgirl.blogspot.co.uk/

Tara O'Brady's fantastic photos, recipes and storytelling: http://sevenspoons.net/

The My Life Runs On Food blog: http://blog.sanuraweathers.com/

Family friendly blog about how to get families to eat together: http://www.dinneralovestory.com/

Recipes:

Sour, tangy, spicy, refreshing.... Jal Jeera is great in the sunshine. It's strange stuff, but overcome your initial impressions and you'll love it too!
http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/jal-jeera-or-jaljeera-recipe/

One for the school holidays - make your own popcorn: http://www.mrspkitchen.com/2011/12/popcorn-get-your-popcorn.html

Snack time! Roasted chick peas: http://ksolomon.com/roasted_garbanzos

Handvo (Gujerati Lentil Cake) made the simple way: http://lazygiraffeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/gujarati-recipe-series-handvo-savoury.html

Bengali Mutton (Mangsho) Curry... this is almost "like my mamma used to make"! http://bengalicuisine.net/2013/sunday-mutton-curry/

Arancini take their name from their colour and shape - like oranges. They are delightful fried balls of cooked risotto rice. You can make them with leftover rice if you want, but here they are made from scratch.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/02/arancini-recipe-cauliflower-soup-yotam-ottolenghi

Summery salads are great this time of year. Here's one with peaches, mozzarella and quinoa. I reckon you could substitute the white balsamic vinegar for sherry or cider vinegar if you can't get hold of it. http://jcocina.com/basil-peach-mozzarella-quinoa-salad/

Muffins suitable for vegans (eggless & can be milkless): http://fussfreeflavours.com/2008/04/zingy-maple-mango-muffins/

Summer in a glass! Mango Lassi! http://www.urbanrajah.com/how-to-make-Indian-curry/mango-lassi

Summer pasta with broad beans, mascarpone and thyme: http://bangermashchat.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/fusilli-with-broad-beans/

Indian flavours in this meringue dessert by The Meringue Girls (cardamom, mango and sugared fennel seeds):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10242190/Cardamom-yogurt-mango-and-fennel-seed-meringues-recipe.html

Herby Summer salad with raw beetroot, caraway, lemon balm and mint: http://chipbuttiesandnoodlesoup.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/raw-beetroot-caraway-lemon-balm-and.html

Inspired by the lemons of Ischia, Linguine with prawns and lemon: http://tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/linguine-with-prawns-and-lemon/

Possible accompaniment to grilled meats or for a Sunday roast - spicy (waxy) potatoes: http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/14/how-to-cook-rebecca-seals-turkish-spiced-potatoes-3922333/

Articles/Know How:

Do you have children who dislike veggies and healthy foods? The Sneaky Chef has lots of ideas on dealing with these small problems: http://www.thesneakychef.com/

Recipes are like storytelling... and the best cook books, like those by Lindsey Bareham or Elizabeth David are always readable. Here's an interesting book review with thoughts on reading recipes through the ages. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/07/the-pleasures-of-reading-recipes.html

Where do Indian/2nd generation Indian foodies go to get their fix of Indian food? Find out here: http://culinaryadventuresofthespicescribe.wordpress.com/2013/08/12/where_indian_foodies_eat_restaurants_london_guide_pakistani_gujarati/

Funny or Silly Stuff:

Some food fun, the hilarious Rappers & Cereal. Fancy any Snoop Loops? Or maybe some Luda Crisp? http://rappersandcereal.com/

Choosing a restaurant name is a tricky business. Tell me, would you eat at BAD Sushi (Best and Delicious)? http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/funny-restaurant-signs

Film:

Confessions (Japanese language film)

TV:

Luther, Series 3

Music:

Lucy Rose - Like I Used To

Johnny Marr  - The Messenger

Atoms For Peace - AMOK

Thom Yorke - The Eraser