Who ate all the pies? That would be me…

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beef, beer, mrs cranston's pies, old waverley hotel, pie, pint, restaurant, venison

Last Wednesday I headed along to the launch of Mrs Cranston’s pies at the Old Waverley Hotel. Or should that be re-launch? Apparently centuries ago when the hotel first popped up on Princes Street, Mrs Cranston, wife of the hotel’s owner, used to slave away in the kitchen for hours on a Friday just so she could meet demand for her delicious pies on a busy Saturday.

Mrs Cranston’s pies are back, and I must say I felt like I tasted a little bit of Edinburgh history. Made to the original recipe, the first thing that hits you is the tempting aroma of freshly-cooked, warm pastry.

Keeping it simple, there are two fillings on offer – venison or beef. Both were cooked to perfection and I felt the inexplicable urge to eat even more pie than my belly could handle, which can only be a good sign. The meat was tender and pastry crumbly – a pie well done.

Now you can sample a pie and a pint in the cosy Abbotsford Lounge at The Old Waverley for £6.95 – a good option for recharging your batteries after hitting the shops, or a nice place to entertain guests with lovely views of Princes Street gardens.

While the pies are tasty, the accompanying drink choices don’t give me much to shout about. Edinburgh Gold from Stewart Brewing is the best out of a mediocre bunch – at least offering up something from an Edinburgh-based brewery.

The best bit of the evening was that they managed to conjure up the friendly spirit of Mrs Cranston to come and say hello…

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Yummy soup at I Heart Cafe

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beer, cafe, edinburgh, i heart cafe, leith, lunch, soup, tomato

Just discovered this little gem of a cafe on Elm Row when meeting a friend for an after work cuppa. Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and tasty, freshly cooked grub!

Only after I had ordered the cream of tomato and vegetable soup did I spot the authentic looking tortilla – Spanish omelette – only my favourite food from the year I lived in Spain! (Well, that and churros con chocolate…)

The drinks list looked good, with some of my favourites like Innis and Gunn and William Bros Midnight Sun on offer. The breakfast and brunch menu looked scrummy too.

The best thing is this cosy place is open until 8pm, giving us Leith dwellers a good alternative to the pub after work.

I heart cafe, I’ll be back…

Tasty adventures in Portugal: the Francesinha – a sandwich to end all other sandwiches

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cheese, Francesinha, holiday, meat, Porto, portugal, sandwich, steak, travel

Say hello to the most epic sandwich you will ever encounter – the Francesinha. Seek out this meaty, cheesy delight and your standard tuna mayo or egg and cress will forever pale in comparison.

The Francesinha isn’t hard to find in Porto, so spend a little time seeking out somewhere locals are eating to be sure of the tastiest specimen.
This may be called a ‘little French girl’ but little it ain’t (although the boyfriend and I agreed you could definitely fit a small child in there).

A traditional Francesinha contains wet-cured ham, smoke-cured pork, sausages and steak, all sandwiched between two slices of bread, lathered with molten cheese and drenched in a spicy tomato and beer sauce. With chips. Oh my.

I thought I was doing a rather good job of delicately eating mine in a ladylike fashion until my boyfriend exclaimed “well, there’re not many girls who could take a Francesinha like you do.” After that I stopped trying to be elegant and tried to take pride in my meat eating abilities.
It was heaven.

The best thing about the Francesinha is that it isn’t just something for the tourists. As we were leaving the restaurant, a little light-headed and a little bit in need of a lie down, we saw a tiny, elderly Portuguese lady tucking into a Francesinha, giant portion of chips and huge glass of Super Bock. Good on you, love.

Immune boosting soup

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cabbage, garlic, health, immune system, nutrition, onion, seasonal food, soup, spring greens

Sometimes your immune system needs a little boost. A nice, comforting soup can warm your cockles whilst also support your immune system if you’re feeling a tad run down.

Cabbage and spring greens are in season right now and make a great base for a hearty, healthy soup. Add garlic and onion – both renowned for their immune boosting properties – a courgette or two, plus stock cube and seasoning for flavour.
While the soup bubbles away, sip on a warming ginger tea made with fresh grated ginger, for an added boost. Ginger tea is also a great way to settle an unhappy tummy (yeah so, I was at a wedding at the weekend…).
Chase away the sniffles without the calories, and don’t forget to listen to some Aretha Franklin as you cook – undoubtedly the best soup making music 🙂

Enjoying a stout from Marble Brewery at Sheffield Tap :-)

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ale, beer, pub, sheffield, stout

Mmmmm chocolate, espresso, dark….tasty! The Sheffield Tap has an extensive selection of real ales – a must-see for ale lovers, and right beside the train station!

Tasty adventures in Portugal: A trip to the market

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food, foodie, healthy, market, mercado do bolhao, oranges, portugal, sardines, travel

During our stay in the northern city of Porto we visited the colourful daily market – Mercado do Bolhão. It’s a glorious place to explore and a great way to get a taste of local life.

The market was pretty quiet when we visited in the afternoon, but I imagine mornings are the busiest time when the produce is at its freshest. Mercado do Bolhão was everything you might picture a Portuguese market to be – from glistening sardines to bountiful displays of fruit and veg, stalls bursting with colourful flowers to traditional handmade ‘azulejos’ (those ceramic tiles you see practically everywhere in Portugal).

We treated ourselves to some enormous green olives which we munched away on whilst exploring the stalls, and couldn’t resist buying some juicy oranges for the train ride back to Lisbon.

It’s no surprise that the med is so famous for its healthy diet and long life expectancy – the food on offer here was nothing but nutritious and bursting with goodness. Next time I go to Portugal I’m going self-catering so I get the chance to cook some of that delicious looking fish for my dinner.

The boyfriend even managed to get himself a lucky Portuguese cock, bought from a tiny, gentle Portuguese lady who made up for her lack in height with boundless enthusiasm for her collection of cocks.

Unfortunately Portuguese cocks don’t travel well, but lucky for Rob I’m a dab hand with the superglue…

Tasty adventures in Portugal: Goose barnacles

Tags

delicacies, goose barnacles, portugal

The first time I ever tasted prawns was in Portugal when I was about ten years old. It’s one of my most vivid memories from around that time – I was with my mum, dad and little brother and we were sat on plastic chairs at a beachside restaurant as the tide came in and lapped around our bare feet.
I remember thinking they looked like aliens when they came out with their little beady black eyes looking up at me. But with a little encouragement from my seafood-loving dad I was soon unpeeling them with glee and savouring the juicy pink morsels inside.
As the sun set over Portugal I realised two things – 1) I loved prawns, 2) one day I would return to Portugal.

And I did. As an adult, with a boyfriend and everything. For me returning to Portugal felt like my seafood pilgrimage and I have so many stories to tell you about my foodie adventures there…
But first, I’d like to start with something a little freaky. Say hello to ‘goose barnacles’ (proper name Percebes)…

These cheeky little critters are filter-feeding crustaceans and a pricey must-try in Portugal. On our last night in Lisbon we visited the unpretentious Cervejaria A Berlenga, where the charming waiter chatted away to us in perfect English.
Unsure what to expect we ordered a small plate of the barnacles, along with some lightly sparkling Vinho Verde (Portuguese green wine – yum).
Although a little green around the edges, and needing a few practise runs to open – the oblong morsels inside were delicious – like a mussel but stronger tasting and with the texture of octopus.
Definitely one of the strangest looking things I’ve ever eaten, and a Portuguese delicacy I’d happily tuck into again!

An Easter treat…

Tags

chocolate, creme egg, cuckoo's bakery, easter, treats

A happy hungry weasel Easter to you! If you fancy a little Easter treat get yourself down to the lovely Cuckoo’s Bakery on Dundas Street and indulge in one of these creme egg cupcakes. Even the ganache is creme egg inspired – delicious. Bit sad I have to wait a whole year to enjoy one of these again, but in the meantime I’ll be working my way through some of the other tasty offerings from Cuckoo’s Bakery – Eton mess, caramel shortcake and raspberry ripple cupcakes – oh my!

For Starters

If someone were to ask me where my delight in all things edible came from, I’d probably tell them I have no idea.

But a first blog post that does not maketh. So let’s speculate…

When I was a kid my dad would go on a lot of business trips. Upon his return he wouldn’t bore us with what he’d done, which sights he had seen nor what the hotel was like he’d stayed in. To my dad such things were minor details – it was what he had eaten that mattered.

From the first breakfast to the final supper, he’d give us an in depth run down of everything that had passed his lips. And I can’t help but think that his enthusiasm for food must have passed on to me, a foodie gene if you will.

During my teenage years, my interest in food grew further, but for a very different reason. Five years of illness completely changed the way I thought about health, suddenly the importance of what I put into my body became vitally important.

A little bit of what you fancy does you good, a try anything attitude makes life interesting and giving your body healthy, nutritious food keeps you happy.

I love food mostly because it’s so rooted in our experience of living – we share food with our friends, lovers and neighbours, and a taste can evoke memories of feeling, place or time. We need food to live, but we are also lucky enough to live to love food.

So savour every bite.

And as you savour, don’t forget to take a wee peek at my blog now and then. This hungry weasel’s on the trail of something tasty…