A spring feast at Summerhall

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edinburgh, edinburgh foodies, fireside collective, foodie event, seasonal ingredients, seasonal produce, spring, summerhall

On the 1st of May, spring came to Edinburgh. But not in the way you might expect. Picture a blustery, damp evening in the capital, with just one haven of floral loveliness glowing through the gloom, where the aroma of freshly baked dough filled the air and girls danced with garlands in their hair.

Summerhall’s Dissection Room was the venue for Edinburgh-based events company the Fireside Collective’s latest foodie creation – the Spring Blossom Party. Stepping into the spacious venue I felt the stresses of my day slip away and my senses piqued by gorgeous spring flowers that adorned every wall, neuk and cranny.

The contrast between the stark, clinical backdrop of the old vet school coupled with the colourful, lavish floral displays – designed by the expert hands of Pyrus – felt pretty special. The juxtaposition tricked the mind, and I felt almost transported into an otherwordly plane.

As with any well thought out foodie event, the magic lay in the detail. We were greeted by elderflower and champagne cocktails, the perfect spring sparkler, and encouraged to make our own flower garlands to wear. The long dining tables were promisingly dressed for a hearty feast, draped with cherry blossom and other such foliage.

the party kicks off at Summerhall

Spring had truly sprung, and along with it came a veritable feast of earthly goodies. The communal element to the feast meant everyone got talking, and the atmosphere felt almost celebratory. We sat down to shots of tangy gazpacho and refreshing mint and pea soup, which added colour to the table and a hint at the tasty delights to come.

eyeing up the salmon rillettes

What followed was a trio of salmon rillettes with a caper and gherkin dressing, served with homemade oatcakes that was simply delicious. The main event came in the form of pizza breads and spring inspired salads, expertly prepared by Sarah-Jane Cooking who specialises in using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Particular highlights included the chorizo, blue cheese and walnut pizza bread and the uber refreshing cucumber, coriander and lime salad, which felt like I was literally tasting spring.

The finale came in the form of a cake platter – well hello there, heaven. For a moment I had to remind myself I was in public and the cake board was for sharing, but everything just look so bloomin’ scrumptious. I settled for a slice of the rose petal sponge cake and white chocolate & chilli pie (well it was a feast, after all…) and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

hello, cake

The feast itself was followed by further revelry and Motown-fuelled dancing, probably well into the wee small hours. But, with it being a school night, I skulked off into the night with a smile on my face and a belly full of spring.

The Spring Blossom Party was merely the start of a series of Fireside Feasts run by the collective, with the next shindig planned in collaboration with cakey extraordinaires LoveCrumbs. Quite frankly, I’m already salivating.

Curry, bhajis and dosa at Edinburgh Mela

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bhaji, Curry, dosa, edinburgh, edinburgh mela, goan curry, indian food, lamb curry, paneer

Edinburgh’s annual Mela kicked off on Friday night with a stunning fireworks display in Leith Links, along with the story of Rama and Sita told through shadow puppetry. After an enchanting evening, I had one thing on my mind – tasty Indian food. And lots of it.

Leith Links was transformed into a bustling hive of festival activity, with heavenly scents wafting from each stall where chickpeas sizzled and fresh mango lassis were dispensed. Colourful scarfs and traditional Indian dress fluttered in the light breeze, while the infectious low beat of drums topped off the festival atmosphere.

After a little African storytelling it was time for lunch. I made a beeline for the Goan curry stand and opted for a deliciously spiced lamb curry with rice, salad, yoghurt dressing and lime pickle.

My friend picked a paneer dosa – like a pancake with cheese inside – along with some dipping sauces and some veggie bhajis with a yummy mild sauce. Everyone sat around eating on the grass, and the Mela had a really relaxed feel to it, with plenty to see for everyone.

Big tip for the Mela next year? Don’t arrive too late – as we left at around 4pm the queue was enormous!

A fine day for Foodies

Tags

candy, churros, cider, food festival, foodies festival, jerk chicken, mark greenaway, oyster, oysters, seafood

The sun shone on Inverleith Park for this year’s Foodies Festival. After an initial wander around the labyrinth of stalls, which offered everything from Arbroath smokies to homemade lemonade, I decided to pay a visit to Mark Greenaway’s stand for a spot of lunch.

The choices were lightly smoked pan seared hake fillet, pea salad and tarragon dressing OR 11 hour slow roasted pork belly puffed crackling pomme puree and toffee apple jus. I opted for the latter and happily devoured it whilst lounging on one of the deck chairs in the sun. My friends tucked into some deep fried chocolate yumminess thanks to our old pals Churrio.

To cleanse the palate I treated myself to an award winning Black Dragon cider, courtesy of the Natural Cider Company. Although the tipple wasn’t to everyone’s taste, I enjoyed the aromatic, strong oaky flavour. With 16 different types of cider to choose from, it would have been rude not to, so I followed this up with a Pheasant Plucker, which was cloudy, bubbly and sweet.

I spotted an old chum Emma, who I used to work with at a retro sweetie shop many light years ago. Turns out Emma’s taken the helm at Love Candy, and if you fancy a Refresher Bar, Sherbet Dib Dab or some blueberry liquorice, get yourself down to her cutesy little shop on Hanover Street.

As someone who a) writes a food blog and b) loves all forms of seafood, I probably shouldn’t be admitting this. But I will – I’d never had an oyster before. So I jumped at the chance when I spotted the Caledonian Oyster Co. Farmed in Loch Creran, I don’t think I could have found a better one to lose my oyster virginity too. It tasted exactly as I’d imagined – salty – but the consistency was much softer, and the aftertaste was truly exquisite.

We finished the day with some Jerk Chicken from the Backyard Company, whose stall pumped infectious reggae beats into the late afternoon.

Compared to the Foodies I’d visited a few years ago, the festival really seems to be coming from strength to strength – with more stalls, more variety and more people visiting.

Mexican takeaway from Los Cardos

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Bite Magazine, edinburgh, los cardos, mexican, nachos, quesadilla, takeaway

Last night I found a little slice of Mexican heaven…

 

…Los Cardos review for Bite Magazine coming soon.

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!

Taste cancelled…brought back down to Earthy

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cake, Cooking, Earthy, edinburgh, flat white, Home, leith, Saturday

“I don’t quite know how to tell you this, Louise…”

That was how my boyfriend Rob prefaced the news that Taste of Edinburgh food festival had been cancelled. At that point only the Saturday sessions were cancelled. My disappointed face came out and moped around a little. Then the entire Taste weekend was cancelled and my disappointed face got even more disappointed and I moped around some more.

But what was I going to EAT all weekend? Luckily Rob gathered my sorry little self up and off we went to Earthy at Canonmills for a spot of lunch.

I bloomin’ love Earthy in Portobello and the small section of shop in Earthy Canonmills has the same vibe going on – fresh, local, healthy, organic produce for the health conscious foodie.

With my stomach already set to indulge in preparation for Taste, I was ready to bury my sorrows under mountains of cake. The rain, however, had other ideas. As if drowning Taste wasn’t enough, it turned out the kitchen in Earthy had been flooded – which the furiously flowing waters of the Water of Leith outside the window further attested to – so no food was being served.

We didn’t get lunch, but there was a small selection of cakes to choose from. I went for a raspberry and white chocolate cake, while Rob had a lemon and rosemary cake.

The presentation was…interesting, although I couldn’t really fault the waitress’ cheeriness despite the downpour outside. In fact all the staff were very upbeat and lovely.

My flat white ticked all the boxes but the cake didn’t really satisfy me (possibly a lingering effect of my indulge setting), it just tasted kind of…healthy. I understand it was probably made with the most wholesome organic flour/sugar/eggs money can buy, but it just seemed to be lacking something. Cake should be moreish, rich, and you should feel a bit naughty when you’re eating it.

What Earthy does have going for it is atmosphere. From the quirky low hanging lightbulbs that pepper the ceiling, to the heavy wooden furniture, Earthy Canonmills has a charming, welcoming feel to the place.

I’m definitely going to go back to Earthy and give it a second bash because I’ve heard only good things about the place. Might just have to wait for it to stop raining…

Plan for Taste next year? Go to the Friday session 🙂

 

 

 

Looking Glass cafe and bookshop

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bookshop, brownie, cafe, cake, Carrot cake, edinburgh, flat white, Looking Glass, Macaroon, Muffin, Peter, Quartermile, Starbucks

Looking Glass cafe and bookshop is the newest addition to the spangly, glass-fronted Quartermile and on Sunday I popped in for a cake (or two!) and a cuppa.

The cafe is tucked away behind Starbucks and Peter’s Yard, and perhaps for this reason we didn’t have to fight to get a seat or a table in Looking Glass – although the two big comfy sofas were already taken. The atmosphere was pretty laid back and I found myself distracted by a) the lush looking selection of cakes on the counter and b) the rows and rows of pretty books.

The cake selection was adequate although not particularly breath-taking, with the cafe staples – scones, carrot cake, cupcakes and flapjacks. I opted for a nutty chocolate brownie AND chocolate and coconut macaroon (in my defense the macaroon wasn’t that big…) and a flat white. The macaroon and coffee were delicious, although the brownie was rather average.

After scoffing the cakes I weaseled my way around the book selection which was small but perfectly formed, and I was pleased to see a section dedicated to Scottish fiction. The tables were a little small for the three of us, but I’ll head to Looking Glass again for some quiet time – to curl up with a good book and to treat myself to a macaroon…or three.

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.

Five foodie activities for the Jubilee weekend

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ale, beer, diamond jubilee, edinburgh, fynefest, holiday, ice cream, jubilee, looking glass bookshop, lovecrumbs, market, portobello, weekend

Sunshine may be looking a little dubious, but that doesn’t mean this hungry weasel won’t enjoy every minute of the long weekend. I’ll be spending it munching my way around the capital in search of new Edinburgh culinary adventures.

Queenie may favour a cucumber sarnie or two, but if you fancy something to royally tantalise your taste buds, then read on for my top five tips for things to eat (and drink!) in Edinburgh and beyond over the Jubilee weekend…

1.Head to Porty beach for an ice cream

I don’t know about you, but I still enjoy an ice cream by the seaside as much as I did as a kiddie! Just make sure you eat it before it melts everywhere. Pop along to Portobello Market on Saturday and peruse the lovely produce – from cakes and jam, to soap and crafty gifts.

2.Look into the Looking Glass

The latest newcomer to Edinburgh’s coffee, cake and erm…book scene is Looking Glass Books – an independent book shop, which I hear sells a wicked coffee and sumptuous cakes from Lovecrumbs. I’ll certainly be investigating this place soon.

3.Skip along to Stockbridge Market

Get your hands on some perfect Sunday brunch sausages from this compact little market by the Water of Leith. An Artisan Coffee is sure to blow away any cobwebs from the night before.

4.Raise a glass

On Monday I’ll be joining some ale nutters…oh I mean enthusiasts, for an epic journey across Edinburgh taking in 10 of the best ale pubs including Dirty Dicks and Brewdog Bar. You can sign up for the event right…here.

5.Feeling Fyne

Fynefest takes place on the banks of stunning Loch Fyne and offers plenty of beer, food and entertainment to keep you busy all weekend. Try some of those famous Loch Fyne Oysters, washed down with some of Fyne Ales finest…

Oh yes! And a happy Jubilee to you, your Madge! I know she loves reading my blog.

What are your foodie plans for the weekend?