Monday night...

An Elvis-sized thanks to all who came on Monday night, we had a super fun time and I'm especially glad that all the food was eaten too. Here we are wielding some pizza-sized biscuits with Diddy Wah and the man of the evening.

Fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches

This delicacy was one of Elvis's favourites

What you need

2 loaves of white bread, with crusts cut off

approx 5 bananas, mashed

1 big jar of sunpat smooth peanut butter

lots of butter

The do

Make sandwiches using the mashed banana and peanut butter, then fry in a heavy based frying pan with a big knob of butter until golden brown on both sides. Cut into quarters.

Also, a big thanks to the amazing Kelly V and her ace-o-rama cupcake socks for all her help. You totally (jailhouse) rock!

Come and get it!

Here's your chance to try some authentic Lily and Chew cuisine absolutely FREE. We'll be serving up some kingly delights at Diddy Wah's Elvis tribute night, tomorrow from 8pm at the Haggerston. Hurry, because like the great man, it can't last long.

Fact: Did you know that towards the end of his life Elvis was consuming 100,000 calories PER DAY?! Dude!
Thanks to Kelly V for pointing me in the direction of this article written by none other than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

Last weekend...

Just had the most glorious weekend - picnic under a nice shady tree on Parliament Hill on Saturday, then on Sunday a little trip to Arundel to see the castle and have a walk around.
If you ever find yourself hungry and thirsty in Arundel, check out The Black Rabbit - it's a cute pub on the River Arun, about 20-30 minutes walk from the station.
It was a very warm day, and after the walk to the pub all I felt like was a burger and a pint. But alas there was no veggie burger, the closest thing was a mozzarella muffin which turned out to be exactly that.

Half a sorry soggy supermarket English muffin underneath three small pieces of grilled veg with mozzarella melted over the top, accompanied with new potatoes, which I ended up swapping over for fries. As Ja'mie from Summer Heights High would say..."Random!"
I feel like I can't be too critical as the menu amazingly boasts six vegetarian options. It's just that mushroom stroganoff, lasagna, chilli and curry aren't dishes I fancy eating when I'm hot and bothered, but maybe that's just me. The ice cream on the other hand was deeeelicious. I was very, very pleased with my choice of honeycomb and strawberry.

Vegetarian food aside, the venue and service is lovely. They have a big outdoor seating area next to the river where you can enjoy some choice ales until it's time to walk back to the station and snooze it all off on the train ride back to the big smoke.

6.05pm It's raining chips

After a marvellous warm sunny week, the rains have returned. I'm soaked, water is sloshing around in my ballet pumps and my stomach has packed it in and started digesting itself. Only one thing for it...chips from George's - open, with lots of salt and vinegar of course. Piping hot, full of flavour and bursting with badness. Just what a soggy blogger needs.

What a topping idea

Boy o boy, the dude who invented pizza must be rolling in his grave right now. Looks so wrong but tastes so right.

For my friend Nat's birthday (who you may remember from this post) we had a ladies night in with lots of good conversation, pizza and red wine. Perfecto!


Tune
Appetite for Destruction Guns n' Roses

Chew of Greengages

We just spent a blissful weekend in Bath - warm sun, blue skies and fine, fine foods. I have discovered a new favourite past time too... hanging around in Denise's front garden under the greengage tree with my legs in the sun eating greengages and napping.



We also christened Denise's new ice cream maker with an incredibly rich chocolate ice cream from David Leibovitz's book The Perfect Scoop, which has some crazy flavour combinations like orange and sichuan pepper (we weren't game enough to try that one). We added some fresh cherries at the end to give it an extra edge, but could only manage small amounts at a time as each spoonful brought us closer to an ice cold coronary.




And of course a visit to Bath isn't complete without a visit to the Fine Cheese Co. This time I was very restrained and came away a chunk of Le Gruyère Premier Cru, aged in caves for 14 months, and celebrity cheese Little Wallop made by Alex James - washed in cider brandy and beautifully wrapped in vine leaves, I loved the oozy bits on the outer edges. While you're there grab a loaf of bread and butternut squash ravioli - best pasta I've had from a packet.

14.40 kings cross, lunch with kelly at camino

Vegetariano platter - spinach croquettes, antipasto toast and patatas bravas all on a plate for only 5 clams. Fabulousio!

Baby bootcamp at University College Hospital

Vegetable stroganoff and apple and blackcurrant pie

A few days after the birth of the delightful little Miss Jasmine T, we were readmitted back into hospital because she lost 12% of her birth weight as a result of being more interested in sleeping than eating (can you imagine? A child of mine?!)
The poor little possum had to have a feeding tube shoved up her 3-day-old nose, and when I saw the food on offer I wished they would do the same for me.
Luckily, I managed to avoid eating a single morsel thanks to my lovely friends who bought in a delicious array of very edible food. Also a big thanks to my amazing husband for helping me through the sleep deprivation and for bringing me a big fresh fruit salad every morning.


Cauliflower cheese (with parsley garnish)


Vegetable herb soup and Parisienne potatoes with, err, not sure


Broccoli and chipped potatoes and sticky toffee pudding


Tomato omelette and chips


Vegetable chili and date sponge with custard

I'm genuinely shocked that this is the food they serve to sick people in hospitals. How on earth does anyone ever get better eating this stuff??

Name this vegetable!

During one of our Sunday eat-a-thons Lily and I decided to pop into the massive Indian supermarket on Brick lane and pick up a few bits and bobs.

Then we came across this vegetable which has the appearance of a snow pea but 10 times the size.
What is it? And how do you cook it?

Beware: The awesome power of mushrooms

Part of Carter's birthday present this year was a guided mushroom foray in Hampstead Heath. Thankfully it was one of those rare days this summer where it wasn't raining which made it all the more enjoyable.
We rocked up at the meeting spot where our guide mushroom expert Andy Overall gave us a crash course on mushroom spotting that covered the different mushroom families, the toxic ones and most importantly, the edible ones.



Being early in the season, we came across more used condoms than mushrooms (I wonder if this is the exact spot where George Michael was busted cruising?) but it was incredibly relaxing strolling through the woods with nothing on my mind other than seeking out little mycological treasures. It was like chilled-out easter egg hunt for adults.
We became very familiar with the inedible Earthball that was in abundance, looks like a mini puffball but has the aromatic qualities of the inside of a brand new Tupperware container. It was quite a thrill to find a mushroom you could actually eat - our best finds were the Hare's Ears that Carters found in the bushes...



and these Amethyst Deceivers...



By late morning our little basket was filled with oyster mushrooms, hare's ears and boletus. They were mostly found by other peeps in our group who were kind enough to share with us, this dude below really hit the motherload and the end of the walk when he discovered all these chicken of the woods mushrooms hanging out at the base of a massive tree.



The next morning, I gave the mushrooms a quick rinse (I know you're not supposed to...but I couldn't help thinking about George Michael) pan-fried them with lots of salt and pepper and enjoyed them on toast. They were absolutely amazing - you could taste the different flavours of each mushroom and differentiate the textures. The hare's ears were crunchy, the Boletus has a sweet flavour and the chicken of the woods had a, well, chicken-like texture with an ancient woody earthy taste.



We are now officially obsessed with all things mushroom. They are free, fun to pick and delicious but you gotta know your shit.

Wimping out

Wimpy
Watney Market, Shadwell

It is my last day at work for the next 10 days and to celebrate in style we are going to...Wimpy (my place of work doesn't present itself with many glamorous lunch options). All I know about this establishment to date is that its name intrigues me, but on arrival, intrigue soon turned to fear when I laid eyes on the Bender in a Bun.



It's pretty nifty when you think about it, a scored sausage bent in a round to fit perfectly into a burger bun. Five points for creativity, but if you want to know what it tastes like I'll leave it to Guy because he lives to tell the tale.
I had the Quorn burger and Carters had the Beanburger. If I was dying of hunger I would choose Wimpy over McDonalds anyday.
Give Wimpy a miss if you are after healthy wholesome fare, however if it's 1980s fast food and raw community spirit with a tomato ketchup sachet you're after, this is the place to be.

Yay! Junk food with table service

Boo! The horrible feeling in your gut afterwards

Cost: A burger meal will set you back less than a fiver
Veg friendly: 3/5
Service: 3/5

Tea break

Shipp's Tearooms
4 Park St
SE1 9AB
Borough
020 7407 2692

It's late Saturday and after visiting my hairdresser, I decide to venture into Borough Market to pick up a few bits and bobs. Twenty minutes later, I'm jammed in a massive throng of people all pushing in different directions to wherever there is free grub to be sampled. The olive stall is one step away from me, but I can't physically move to get to it. I let the crowd carry me away then ride the next surge towards the stall I need. While it's great that the market is so popular, buying a block of tofu and some olives shouldn't be this unpleasant.

When I finally bust my way out of the crowd, I'm in need of a place where I can eat, chillax and nurse my trodden toes.




Carters and I settle on some afternoon tea action at Shipp's tearooms - I was drawn to its kitchy, mismatching chairs and teacup and teapot aesthetic that somehow it suggests that everything will be delicious and homemade.
Not so. The scones are OK but are a little dry and heavy. A thick slathering of clotted cream and excellent raspberry jam save the day.
The vegetarian selection of sandwiches arrive. I don't know about you, but eating eight triangles of cucumber and cheese gets pretty repetitive. I spread some raspberry jam on a few of my cheese sandwiches to keep my tastebuds from going into a coma.
The cakes, however, are much better - Carters's chocolate cake is just like the kind I remember eating as a child and I have an apple almond tart which is nice but not as good as the chocolate cake.



If it's atmosphere and a getaway from the maddening crowds you're after, this could be the place for you; just give the vegetarian sangers a miss and go straight for for the tea and cakes.

Yay! If you get a seat in the window on a Saturday afternoon, the people watching is superb.
Boo! It's just not as great as the decor leads you to believe.
Cost Afternoon tea for two around £35, includes tea, scones, sandwiches and a slice of cake
Veg friendly 2/5
Service 3.5/5

Saturday Night chimichanga

Sabor
108 Essex Road
London, N1 8LX
020 7226 5551

Lately I've been making a big effort to eat out locally. Mainly because it's kinda nice to be able to stroll home with a full tummy, rather than hop onto a bendy bus and find a clear space to stand amongst the chicken bones and Mc Donald's refuse. Most places in the vicinity of N1 are all show and no go, but in such a huge area I know there has to be at least a few gems.

I'd been past this South American restaurant on Essex Rd hundreds of times, and never gave the place a second thought because its glass frontage just looked a little uninviting. After reading a few good reviews, we decided to check it out.
(At this point I should warn you that I have an obsession with the word chimichanga. Chimichanga, chimichanga, chimichanga.)
OK, now I've got that out of my system I can confidently say that these guys make the best chimichangas I've ever had. Full flavoured black eyed beans and mushrooms with a hint of cheese encased in light, crispy filo served with a spicy salsa. Fantastic. We also had the quinoa fritters and the terrine - also top notch. Another highlight were the Yuca fritas, perfectly deep-fried batons of cassava that put spuds to shame.



Epileptics and people who share Bono's sensitivity to light, beware: eating in this establishment may cause discomfort. There are not one, not two but SEVEN disco balls hanging from the ceiling. It's like prom night without the frocks and cheek to cheek dancing. Despite all this, the food managed to outshine the disco balls, and after a few excellent cocktails from the bar, you'd barely notice they were there.
The dessert menu also looked a treat but I was stuffed to the gills and unable to partake, so if you go, make sure you save some room.

Yay! They have a cloakroom so your coats/scarves/hats won't get in the way of your delicious meal

Boo! Some tables are very close together, which is fine...until you get seated next to a flamboyant man who likes talking to strangers and wears hats indoors (a pet peeve of Carters)

Cost: starters, mains and cocktails for two - around £40
Veg friendly: 3.5/5
Service: 4.5/5