What a weasel eats on its birthday…

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birthday, birthday cake, breakfast, cake, chicken, coconut, fry up, hemma, holyrood 9a, mimis bakehouse, nobles

It happens to us all, we all get older, ok?! And as more than one of my friends pointed out – if you’re not getting older, you’re most likely dead. These are the kind of people I choose to spend my time with.

In a futile attempt to stop the aging process/conduct a scientific experiment that would freeze the ages of my cells with alcohol (with absolutely zero scientific basis)/get so drunk I didn’t remember I was turning a year older…off I trotted to Hemma and Holyrood 9a with my lovely pals. Many pints of Black Isle blonde were consumed, as were copious amounts of Innis and Gunn, and a delightful evening was had by all. I even got a little surprise, baked by the fair hands of my super thoughtful boyfy, Rob…

Man, that boy bakes good cake.

To clear away the cobwebs it was entirely necessary to head to Nobles and eat my body weight in fried foodstuffs the next day.

Quite possibly one of the best fry ups to be had in Edinburgh, and served until 5pm, luckily.
Heading to work on Monday you’d think I’d be a little sad the festivities were over…but no birthday would be complete without a copy team outing to Mimi’s Bakehouse!

The crispy coconut chicken with tangy mango salsa is a summer menu treat, but the real main event came after…

A generous slice of Bounty sponge cake, which I was so ready to devour I forgot to take a photograph before I stuck in. We voted it a ten out of ten.

All in all a pretty outstanding birthday. BIG SHOUT OUTS to my brother Mark for making it so special with banners and bubbly, to Rob for his phenomenal cake making and to all the lovely people who came to celebrate the fact I’m still alive – yay!

Dinner at Roseleaf bar cafe

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Cooking, edinburgh, food, Gluten, Gluten Free, Gluten-free diet, Home, Restaurants, Roseleaf, Salmon, Shopping, Special Diets, The Shore

I’m lucky enough to have the Roseleaf as (one of) my locals down at the Shore, and have spent many a cosy evening in this welcoming little place with friends or the boyfriend and a glass of wine.

Last night I took my Mum here for dinner, as I’d heard they have a rather good gluten-free selection – and they do! If the cute, vintage-inspired décor and pot-tails (cocktails in teapots, of course!) aren’t enough to draw you in, the food certainly should be.

Every possible dietary requirement was clearly marked out on the menu and Mum was delighted to find Goc stood for gluten free with oatcakes. I was impressed – normally it’s a struggle to find somewhere catering so perfectly to gluten-free diets.

We both went for the Sicilian Salmon – a seared salmon loin on a bed of warm caponata salad including peppers, aubergines, olives and capers, surrounded by a creamy plum tomato and yoghurt dressing and garnished with plenty of rocket.

It took a little while for our order to come out, but when it finally did I enjoyed every mouthful. I particularly liked the crispiness of the salmon skin and the rocket and creamy dressing worked well together. This would be the perfect dish on a sunny afternoon with a crisp glass of white wine.

I loved the Roseleaf before, and now I’ve tried its food I love it even more.

Tapa review for Bite Magazine

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Bite Magazine, Cook, Edinburgh restaurant, food, leith, Madrid, restaurant, restaurant review, Spain, Spanish, Spanish cuisine, tapa, tapas

Recently I had the pleasure of reviewing Tapa Restaurant in Leith for Bite Magazine.

A year spent living in Madrid ignited my passion for Spanish food and the food served in Tapa would certainly not have been out of place in the sun-drenched Plaza Santa Ana, where I whiled away many a pleasant afternoon with friends and a caña or two…

Keep an eye out for the July edition of Bite where you can see the review in print and read lots of other exciting foodie related stories.

Hen party at the Hidden Lane Tearoom

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afternoon tea, cake, chocolate brownie, coffee, glasgow, hen party, hidden lane tearoom, high tea, sandwiches, tea party, whoopie pie

The Hidden Lane Tearoom is a wee gem of a place, indeed hidden down a secret lane off Argyle Street in Glasgow.

After several hours spent harassing the general public and posing serious danger to our own lives (cocktails and Glasgow traffic do not mix) on my cousin’s hen party, we tottered down a quiet little lane to find a nest of homely, vintage loveliness awaiting our arrival.

Small, but perfectly formed, every shelf and table in the Hidden Lane Tearoom is stacked with vintage crockery, quirky antiques and curios. I particularly loved the freshly cut roses on every table – so pretty.

Most of the hen party went for the vintage hair and makeup makeover on offer and came out looking bloomin’ fabulous. I, however, passed on the offer – with a face as big as mine it’s far too easy to wind up looking like a drag queen – and contented myself supping champers from a teacup.

Surely the crowning glory of the Hidden Lane Tearoom was the spectacular range of cakes and sandwiches. We were treated to mountains of whoopie pies, chocolate brownies, meringues, lemon cake and white chocolate pots…and every single thing I tried was utterly moreish. Perhaps to my detriment.

The two very nice ladies behind the counter made me a smashing coffee, which thankfully managed to shake me from the impending sugar/champagne fuelled crash.

It was nice to have the place to ourselves for the hen party, and next time I’m in Glasgow I’ll definitely be back for a coffee and cake…if not another cake stand all to myself…

A sunny Sunday in South Queensferry

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al fresco, edinburgh, Firth of Forth, fish and chips, Scotland, South Queensferry, Sunday, takeaway

What better way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon than with some delicious fish and chips in South Queensferry looking out across the water?

We picked up some from the Town House, just at the end of the high street – a family-run business, who certainly don’t scrimp on the portion sizes.

South Queensferry is a lovely wee town to explore, and on a warm day it’s a great place to come and skim stones on the Firth of Forth and visit the traditional cosy pubs, that sit side by side with the more modern cocktail bars and restaurants. Perfect to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

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…

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.

Tasty adventures in Portugal: Goose barnacles

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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…

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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!