The Very Hungry Bookworm

Finding myself with a cupboard full of cider and a balcony full of sunshine it seemed like the perfect day to drink up and put The Wurzel’s on. Having recently come into possession of a large bottle of French cider it was time for a taste test, France vs Britain yet again. Let’s hope this time it doesn’t end in a 100 year war.

Now friends have claimed ‘If it’s not from Somerset it’s not cider’ with true south west ferocity. Normally I’m inclined to agree, casual cider racism being a large part of growing up south of Bristol. But then I realised I’ve never truly tested this theory, is Somerset truly best? Or are the French onto something?

So I compiled my (slightly biased) tasting board and set forth to experiment.

The Testers:

Alex:  A Devon disgrace. We asked him what he was hoping for in the chosen ciders and he replied ‘One that doesn't taste like apples’. He’s due for a lynching very shortly.

Kirsty: A Somerset born cider drinker, she drinks it all of the day…Ahem, sorry that’s The Wurzel’s creeping in but the point stands she loves her cider.

Rachael: Somerset raised and making up for lost time. Four years living in London for university cost me a lot of good cider.

 The Ciders:

Star Gazer by Lilley’s Cider, 4.5%, Somerset grown and brewed.

HK9, 8.49% ish, also by Lilley’s Cider but as part of a private run for web design company Stellasoft based in Frome.

La Bolée Bretonne, 2% from Perouge in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France.

Testing points:

Taste: Kirsty prefers her cider medium to dry, I’m more on the sweet side, Alex hates fruit so was simply hoping for something drinkable.

Aroma: A good cider you should be able to smell a mile off.

Bottle: Does a pretty bottle make a good cider?

Look: Does the cider itself look nice? Would you drink it based on sight alone?

First up was the StarGazer which was bought whilst on offer due to being slightly past its best before dates.

Upon cracking open the bottle it proceeded to fizz rather profusely and give off a strong cider aroma. Initially it seemed quite dry but after the aroma wore off it began to taste more like an apple based prosecco than a cider. Alex enjoyed it declaring he could drink a whole glass, Kirsty and I unimpressed by the quickly dissipating smell and lack of true ciderness gifted him the rest of the bottle which he later drank.

Whilst its taste needed work the cider was lauded by the group for its lovely golden colour and cute name that matched well with its purple and pink label.

Scores on the doors:

‘Very Aromary’ - Alex

HK9:

Gifted to me by Stellasoft, this bottle was from a private run. There is however a similar commercially available version that’s based on HK9 called Gladiator, again by Lilley’s cider.

Dubbed Rocket fuel due to its high percentage we weren’t sure how this cider was going to turn out. The bottle gives off a small batch feel, we liked the label but once  I pointed out the cow motif looked like a space hopper with ears it was impossible to un-see it.

The cider itself was a pretty murky orange and very sweet. This was the closest we got to ‘proper scrumpy’ out of the three bottles. It had the scrumpy aesthetic but lacked the dry edge that defines traditional cider.

Scores on the doors:

‘It’s like an apple punched me in the face’ – Rachael

La Bolée Bretonne:

Picked up from the small mediaeval village of Perouge this was listed as a local speciality. Coming in an attractive champagne bottle it gave off an entertaining pop on opening but the label was felt to be a little too touristy.

Fizzy and sweet were the two overwhelming factors in this cider. Billed as a traditional cider on the bottle we could taste everything from toffee apple to pear drops in this. I like my cider on the sweeter side, but this was too sweet for me, though Alex quite enjoyed it. The end consensus was good in small doses, but too sweet for pints.

Drum roll please….The winner is the HK9 with the most consistent scores across the board. Alex was the only one to like every cider which is very surprising for an apple hater. Have we solved the France vs Somerset conundrum? Not yet…maybe we should try a few more bottles ;)

 Kirsty and Rachael’s top tips for cider drinking:

Be aware of alcohol percentages before you start drinking. Sweet ciders like the HK9 can be deceptively strong and far too easy to drink causing messy results.

Avoid cans. The cider reacts with the metal leaving behind an unpleasant metallic taste. Bags, bottles or draught all the way.

When drinking scrumpy move up the sweetness one level compared to your normal drinking habits. Very dry scrumpy should be left to the masochists.

 Clear cider should generally be chilled, traditional scrumpy room temperature.

Roccotillos - Best Pancakes in Britain?

For years I have heard about the supposed pancake nirvana Roccotillos on Queens Row, Bristol. Friends and foe alike told me stories of syrupy pancakes and mouth watering milkshakes.  On Monday I finally had a chance to visit it for myself and I was not disappointed. 

I lived with an american flatmate for over a year. She made wonderful, delicious pancakes (including blueberry & choc chip). They were far, far from disgusting. So when I tell you that Rocotillos pancakes made hers seem about as appetizing as my doormat, do not take it as hyperbole but as the truth. 

I ordered the blueberry short stack with (real) maple syrup and butter, the best american style pancakes of my life thus far. It's a good thing I had a booth to myself as I was sat there post pancakes in a dazed foodgasm with a stupid smile stretched across my face. 

The restaurant itself was colourful and lively with a friendly staff and well priced menu. My stack of pancakes set me back £6 which seems a reasonable price for touching food heaven. 

If I was going to be picky I would say that the pancakes had perhaps a touch too much butter on the top, and their decaf coffee (I'm caffeine intolerant) was weak and instant. I realise that's not a priority for most people, the usual coffee smelled pretty good from where I was sitting, so it's not a massive con. If you're caffeine free like me try one of their MASSIVE milkshakes instead, apparently they are fabulous though I didn't have a chance to try one for myself as pressed for time. I shall just have to go again to check for myself. Oh the shame *weeps*. 

All in all a very solid 9.5/10. Fix the decaf coffee and serve me a little faster next time and you'll have a solid 10/10 with a gold star. 

A fresh and quirky perspective on english folklore, a POC lead and a lot of laughs. This is what the Rivers of London series has always supplied us with. I demolished each of the previous book in hours, but this time Aaronovitch is running low on his usual magic.

When Peter Grant leaves London to help the hunt for two missing girls, chaos natural ensues. Between fae, dead sheep and invisible monsters, you're never quite sure what's going to happen next.

Whilst it was a nice change of pace to leave London behind, it seems Aaronovitch has lost his way in the woods. The book though enjoyable, didn't seem finished. The ending felt messy and rushed, leaving the reader with a lot of questions that won't be getting answered any time soon. 

With so many of the main characters sidelined in this book (many still ensconced back in London) this could have been a time to delve deeper into Peter Grant's character. Alas there seemed to be little to no character progression beyond the constantly confusing relationship with Beverly Brook which only seemed to elongate the narrative. 

I think this book is a missed opportunity, good ideas and interesting characters, but lacking the pull and energy of the earlier novels. Nice filler story, but I'm glad I found this in the library rather than buying my own copy.

Diana Gabaldon is a very verbose woman, her bestselling Outlander series currently consists of eight WHOPPING books. Having accidentally started reading the series at number six, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, It’s no wonder it took me a while to stop looking so bloody confused (I have since gone back and read from the beginning).

The Outlander series tell the story of Claire Beauchamp a 1940’s war nurse who meets Jamie Fraser, an 18th century Scot when she accidentally falls through time and ends up in the Scottish highlands in the 1740’s. Whilst the books can be read separately, as evidenced by my thorough enjoyment of number 6, it is really better to read these rather complicated books in chronological order. I warn you now it may take you a while.

Written in My Own Hearts Blood, the long awaited eighth book in the series opens straight from where An Echo in the Bone left it. The American civil war is raging and most of the country in chaos. Jamie who was presumed dead has returned and is already up to his neck in trouble.

It is clear that Gabaldon (a notable academic) does a lot of research for her novels. This can be a good thing, I quite enjoy learning about historical events at the same time as enjoying a good work of fiction. To me though it feels that the longer this series is going on, the more I feel smacked over the head with the history tomes that she has undoubtedly had to read.     

More often than not with WIMOHB I’m left scanning Wikipedia to add some extra context to the dizzying array of battles and military figures, who storm on and off the page regularly. Maybe this is an easier read for American readers, but as a brit who was never taught much about the American Revolution in school (I struggle to remember the difference between the revolution and the civil war personally) it often felt like a slog to get though the extensive battle scenes and military posturing.

That said however I did really enjoy the book. It was interesting to see more of young William and watch the progression of various relationships including Ian’s and Dottie’s.  

With Claire and Jamie now both in their late 50’s and early 60’s I do wonder how much longer Gabaldon can draw this series out. I have enjoyed the thousands of pages, but I think the series is losing its way slightly. Where is it going?

All in all though, Diana Gabaldon has a real gift for drawing you into the rich historical settings with her vivid descriptions. She excels at strong female characters and interesting plot twists. Written in My Own Hearts Blood may not be the strongest book of the series, but if you’re a long time follower it is definitely worth the read. If your just dipping your toe in the waters go back to the beginning you won’t regret it.

Ever since we started dating, Elliot and I have often wandered about Borough Market in Southwark, near London Bridge. The market is renowned for the wide range of food and ingredients on offer. Occasionally, some of these ingredients follow us home.

I love cheese, but when Elliot presented me with a sizable chunk of Caerphilly, I was a little taken aback. My first thought was ‘what the heck do I do with that?’ Caerphilly is a hard, crumbly Welsh cheese that has a distinctive salty tang, more suited to a cheeseboard than a loaf of Hovis. Having it in sandwiches for the next week would just be a waste of good cheese.

So, the poor block sat in the fridge for a few days as I pondered what was to become of it. A few days later while exploring the Whole Foods in Piccadilly Circus, I spotted a pot of bacon jam. I’d heard of this fabled foodstuff, but had never tried it for myself. It just had to go in my shopping basket.

Once home, I had a rummage through the cupboards and found a few things that needed using up.  Boom – Omelette! The following recipe served 2 people comfortably.

You will need:

4 eggs

3 slices of smoked bacon

3 medium mushrooms

200g of Caerphilly Cheese (approx.)

Bacon Jam

Italian Herb mix.

Slice up your mushrooms and cut your bacon into chunks, removing as much fat as possible. Fry these up in a large non-stick frying pan until cooked, and turn off the heat.

Crack your eggs into a Pyrex jug or bowl and whisk till mixed, adding up to a tablespoon of Italian herb mix.

Get your Caerphilly cheese and crumble it into small chunks. Mine didn’t crumble so well, so you can alternatively hack at it with a large knife like I did.

Turn the heat back on low and pour your egg mixture into the pan. Try and make sure the mushrooms and bacon are evenly spread out. Sprinkle your Caerphilly over the top of the mixture and leave to cook, keeping an eye on it so the bottom of the omelette doesn’t start to burn.

Once the omelette is mostly cooked (the bottom will be set, but the top will probably still look a bit wobbly), turn on your grill and bung the frying pan under the grill to cook the top. Try not to over-cook. A good omelette should still be slightly squidgy and moist, but not wet and wobbly.

When it is finally cooked, take the frying pan out from under the grill and lovingly spread one side of the omelette thinly with some bacon jam. You don’t need a lot to get the flavour across (a good thing really when you look at the price of a small pot), so use sparingly.

Fold over the other side, hopefully revealing a lovely golden bottom, and you’re done.

The end result is a flavourful omelette that is intensely savoury, but not overpowering in its bacon flavours.  Serve however you like, personally I cut it in half and served with peas for a light dinner for Elliot and I.

The Piccadilly Italian restaurant can be found on Great Windmill Street at the edge of Soho. It is a charming little establishment; my partner and I were initially attracted by the very reasonably priced set menu, advertised on the door by a friendly waiter.

For central London, £12.95 for two courses (or three for £14.95) seemed like a bargain. A glass of mediocre house wine will set you back £6, but overall, the food was such good value that dinner out still cost us less than usual.

We opted for two courses, main and dessert, as on balance we were more interested in the puddings, although the starter options did look promising; these included breaded mushrooms and traditional Italian vegetable soup. Instead, we skipped straight to a main course of Risotto Al Funghi (rice served with mushrooms, garlic, cream and white wine sauce) and Pollo Alla Cacciatora (fillet of chicken breast cooked in tomato, garlic, mushrooms, and red wine sauce, and served with sautéed potatoes).

Risotto Al Funghi:

My partner Elliot’s choice of mushroom risotto - a gluten-free dish - was served in a large portion and liberally garnished with fresh herbs. He found the dish pleasantly creamy, though felt that the mushrooms (button mushrooms, halved and dotted through the dish) could have given the dish more flavour had they been diced and incorporated into the rice. I, on the other hand, found the dish to be very bland; it reminded me more of rice pudding than risotto. I could not taste the white wine or even the garlic in this dish, leaving me very disappointed. All was not lost, however.

Pollo Alla Cacciatora:

The chicken cacciatora was delicious. The chicken was well cooked, moist and drenched in a pungent sauce that lingered on the taste buds. With strong notes of garlic and basil, this was our standout dish of the night. The only downside to this dish we found was that the potatoes were not truly sautéed, but instead roughly chopped and roasted. Nevertheless, they still tasted good, so this was only a minor quibble.

For dessert I couldn’t resist the lure of homemade Tiramisu; it’s one of my all-time favourite desserts and one I make to a good standard at home. Elliot opted for the Lemon Sorbet, another safe gluten-free option.

Tiramisu:

I had high hopes for this pudding after my main, but I was sadly disappointed. It was rich, creamy and beautifully presented on a plate dusted with chocolate powder, but it lacked any of the expected coffee or alcohol kick whatsoever. This led to a very sweet pudding, which was not helped by the fact the chocolate powder was hot chocolate rather than cocoa, making it even sweeter.

Lemon Sorbet:

Elliot’s lemon sorbet, meanwhile, was endlessly refreshing, cutting through the lingering garlic of the mains and the creaminess of the tiramisu. It had just the right sharpness to it, perfect for a summer’s evening.

All in all, The Piccadilly has its charms, with its antique till and celebrity photos and caricatures hanging on the walls. The perfect setting for an affordable date night. I would definitely go back to sample from beyond the set menu. Other diners’ food looked delicious, so hopefully the dissatisfying risotto was simply down to the quantity needed to fulfill the set menu.

In the end, we gave the restaurant a generous 7/10. The service was good and the price represented decent value for money. Now all they need to do is work on their Tiramisu, and I’d be a very happy lady.

Lemon chicken in one of my favourite Chinese dishes, but unfortunately it is one that the takeaways insist on coating in Western batter that goes soggy under the lovely citrus sauce. So when I found this recipe on the BBC website I just had to try it out.

However as a poor student, I never had the money for ingredients such as sesame oil or a ‘dash’ of sherry, so I simplified it and made a few of my own tweaks.

For my version of this dish you will only need the following for 2-4 people.

Chicken breasts (I usually do about a breast per person depending on the size)

2 lemons

1 lime

1 egg white

Corn flour

Half a chicken stock cube

Rice

A little oil

  First things first, you’ll want to zest and juice your fruit into a Pyrex jug. No need for a fancy zester, just get your cheese grater out and try not to grate in any pith (the white stuff beneath the skin before the fruit) or fingers. A lemon juicer can come in handy (lemon pips get everywhere!) but is not needed, a fork and elbow grease will do just fine if you have to do without.

Add half a chicken stock cube, put that to the side and then dice your chicken breasts. In a bowl crack an egg, be careful not to get the yolk into it. You won’t need the yolk so feel free to chuck it in the bin (or use as a conditioner for lovely shiny hair). Add a teaspoon of corn flour and a dash of oil (I normally use sunflower as it’s what I have in the house) and whisk until frothy. Bung your diced chicken into the bowl and make sure it all gets a good coat of it. Get your hands in there!

You can go straight into the pan with the chicken after that, but I tend to find the batter falls off the chicken, spreads all over the pan and burns, causing a giant mess. Instead I like to put it in the fridge for 5-10 mins to let it set. 

Get a pan or a wok ready with a little oil and put the chicken in, once heated (I don’t bother waiting for the oil to smoke, I’ve set too many woks on fire to bother trying).

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it to a clean plate and turn the heat down on the pan. Assuming the batter hasn’t got everywhere, you should have a reasonably clean plan. Wipe any leftover oil with some kitchen towel and then add your lemon/lime juce and zest to the pan. Heat this gently, the juice can burn easily, which does not taste good. Once it’s bubbling you’ll want to add a teaspoon of corn flour to the sauce to thicken it. Dissolve this first into a little water, as if you add the powder straight into the juice you will often end up with lumpy sauce.  At this point you may want to add a little sugar depending on your tastes; I normally find a teaspoon and a bit will bring it to the right level, for those with a sweeter tooth.

Once the sauce has begun to thicken, chuck your chicken back in and keep stirring until everything is hot and evenly coated. Tah-dah! Done.

I personally serve this with rice, which I mix with peas and often sweetcorn to add some vegetables and crunch to an otherwise very pale-looking dish.

I’ve made this dish so often now I can probably do it in my sleep. It’s a firm family favourite and as it’s also gluten-free and low FODMAP, my other half can enjoy it as well. A winner all round.  

P.S Apologies for the blurred photo, evidently my phone camera needs an upgrade and fewer thumbs in its lens. 

I have a lot of books, these are just the ones I have at Uni.

Why is it that when ever you tell someone you like to read. They immediately ask who your favorite author is, what's your favorite book? Talk about impossible questions! To even begin to answer them I need to break everything down into sub categories and even then there is never a clear winner!. 

Current Top 10 favorite books (in no order)

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah

Anybody out there? By Marian Keyes

The Shell House by Linda Newberry

The Time Travelers Wife  by Audrey Niffenger

The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burret

The Shack by WM Paul Young

The Diary of a Young GIrl by Anne Frank

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak       

Favorite Series (again in no particular order)

Outlander  by Diana Gabaldon

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

The River's of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Pure Dead Magic by Debi Gliori

The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

The Darren Shan Chronicles by Darren Shan

Cherub/Henderson's Boy's by Robert Muchamore

Favorite 'Chick Lit' Authors (God I hate that term it's so belittling) and in my opinion their best books so far.

Marian Keyes: All her books are amazing, but Anybody Out There and The Brightest Star in The Sky are two of her absolute best.

Sophie Kinsella: NOT her 'shopaholic' series urgh. I did however love her book 'Remember me?'

Meg Cabot: I have nearly everything she has ever written (and boy is she prolific) for young adults my suggestions would be either her 'Missing' or 'Mediator' series. For Adults try her 'Heather Wells' series or the one off 'She Went All The Way'.

The Classics:

Jane Austen: Yes I know every one love, love, loves 'Pride and Prejudice' (Colin Firth has a lot to answer for) but my favorite by her is actually 'Northanger Abbey'. There's just something far to familiar about a fiction loving heroine caught up in her wild imagination.

Susan Coolidge: The What Katy Did series got me through my childhood, ditto...

Johanna Spyri: Heidi

I am not a big 'Sci-Fi' reader but books that I really enjoyed within that genre include

The End of Eternity by Issac Asimov, who also does fantastic short stories and

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Non Fiction:

I would happily crown Bill Bryson king of Nonfiction. His books 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' and 'At Home' have got me through many a boring coach journey.

The lists are always changing as I discover new books to add to my ever growing collection. Knowledge and imagination grow after all and need constant feeding.