If you are after fine dining, authentic Pacific cuisine or a cheap but delicious place to eat, New Zealand’s adventure hub will step up to the challenge.
Top eats in Queenstown, New Zealand
Beetroot Hummus
The Mt. Vic Chippery, Wellington
As an island nation, it is unsurprising that in New Zealand – similar to in the UK – fish and chips can be found in abundance. Continue reading “The Mt. Vic Chippery, Wellington”
White Chocolate Banana Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Sauce
We’ve all been there; you buy a fresh bunch of bananas with all the best intentions, turn your back for five minutes only to find them looking a little sorry for themselves.
Instead of looking on such a sad state of affairs with an air or dismay, instead I see this all too common kitchen occurrence as an opportunity to get creative. This is how this recipe for my white chocolate salted caramel muffins was born:
Makes 12
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
3 ripe bananas
85g butter
2 eggs
120g light brown sugar
1tsp Nutmeg
1tsp Cinnamon
1tsp Vanilla bean paste
Bicarbonate of soda
260g Self raising flour
70g white chocolate – chopped up
For the caramelised bananas
2 ripe bananas – sliced
Icing sugar to coat
For the salted caramel sauce
75g butter
200g Light brown sugar
300ml Double cream
METHOD
Begin by preheating your oven to 160°C.
Start by mashing your bananas until pulped. To this add your butter and sugar and using either a manual or electric whisk and cream together until light and fluffy. Next add your eggs individually, ensuring they are well combined before adding the next. Then whisk through your vanilla bean paste. Regular vanilla essence will also work just as well.
Once all the eggs have been added, sift in your flour, bicarbonate of soda, nutmeg and cinnamon and fold into the banana mix. Finally stir through your white chocolate chips. Once you are happy that the batter is smooth, evenly divide the cake mixture between 12 cupcake cases. When each have been filled, gently tap the cupcake tray on a hard surface to knock the air our – this will ensure an even rise.
Place your cakes on the middle shelf of your cooker and bake for around 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Once baked, remove and let cool on a wire rack.
To caramelise the sliced bananas, simply place some icing sugar in a bowl and coat each banana slice. Placing these onto a baking tray, simply bake at 160°C for around 10 minutes or until they are bubbling. Before they cool completely place them on top of your cakes – be careful as they will be hot, but if you wait for them to cool they will become stuck to the baking tray.
Finally to make the salted caramel sauce, simply melt your butter and sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Once all the sugar has dissolved, let the mixture bubble for a few minutes before slowly adding your cream. When adding your cream, be sure to mix continually so not to solidify or cause the sugar to crystallize. Once in, let the caramel simmer for a further five minutes, add a generous pinch of salt and let cool.
Once everything has cooled slightly, simply pour the caramel into a serving jug, pour over the cupcakes and your away! Banana heaven!
And voila, over ripened banana crisis averted!
Dough, Bath
Having been set up by two native Southern Italians last summer, Bath’s newest pizzeria promises to deliver a truly authentic slice. More than this, Dough’s mission is to challenge common pizza conceptions; whilst there are numerous debates over toppings, how often do you find yourself questioning the base of your pizza?
And that is exactly what you will find yourself doing as soon as you’ve sat down at Dough. Expressing their aim through the catchy phrase; It’s all about the base, it is unsurprising that as soon as you open your menu you are faced with no less than seven different pizza doughs to choose from.
These doughs range from a simple multigrain base, right through a Turmeric infused dough and even a ‘Grano Arso’ or ‘burnt grain.’ Although rather crude sounding, the latter actually has origins stemming from rural poverty that was rife in 19th century Italy where the peasants – too poor to afford flour – used to sweep up and use the grains burnt from the harvesting machines.
Dough’s waiting team we’re polite helpful and incredible knowledgeable. Ours was all to keen to offer insight and guidance to which pizza to pair with which dough and with as much adeptness as your high-end someiller!
To view Dough’s menu in full, please click here: http://doughpizzarestaurant.co.uk/menu/
The overall effect of Emiliano Tunno and Massimo Nucaro’s brainchild is excitement. As soon as you walk into Dough you are instantaneously delighted. Welcomed by the almost theatrical nature of the open kitchen, the light, simple and smart decor that comes equipped with subtle nods towards its Italian parentage via cool monochromatic photographs offers a point of direct refreshment to Bath’s quintessentially Georgian surroundings. Especially being sandwiched between the famous Corridor in Bath and the historic Northumberland Place.
The restaurant itself is spacious without feeling too intimate. Bare bulb pendant light fittings, simple wooden tables, exposed piping, an open pizza kitchen and a metallic-charcoal wall that is emblazoned with a large brass ‘Dough,’ all combine to create a clever atmosphere that is an astute crossover of authentic rustic Italian and modern cosmopolitan eating.
Emiliano comfortably takes centre stage in the kitchen and there is no missing him; he’s the one twirling and spinning pizza dough in mesmerising shapes several feet above himself in the open kitchen! And that seems a perfect metaphor for Dough which, for me, is marking a brave new spin on one of the world’s favourite dishes.
When my ‘Smokey’ pizza arrived – tomato sauce, mozzarella, speck (smoked prosciutto), smoked mozzarella and rosemary – it looked quite simply perfect.
The sparing use of ingredients let the rich tomato sauce sing through under delicately sliced and appetisingly pinked speck – not done any justice in my above photo! Just as well as Massimo takes great pride and time in selecting all of Dough’s produce – the most of which comes straight from the pairs’ hometowns in Southern Italy.
The overall flavour was one of oak, earth and fire. The Rosemary served as a clever fresh twist at the end. The Grano Arso base which was grey in appearance really heightened the whole experience. Crisp, bubbly and slightly chewy it was all you want from a base. Its taste was subtly bitter which made it the perfect vehicle for the toppings.
I can, in all honesty, say – bar my recent trip to Venice – that it was one of the best pizzas I’ve had in a while! It was light and scant of any overwhelming oily or greasy nature. Afterwards, you didn’t feel stodgy or over indulged, you felt satisfied and content.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Dough and taste of Emiliano Tunno and Massimo Nucaro’s one of a kind pizzas. They really are true pioneers who are carving themselves out their very own niche in the world of pizza – a world which up until very recently I believed to be crowded, saturated and overdone. Its so wonderfully refreshing to see Dough thinking and cooking in new and exciting ways.
My one suggestion – Dough, if you’re reading this – would be to introduce a starter where you can sample all the doughs before you order; perhaps a ‘Dough’s ball dish‘ with a garlic dipping sauce.
Having said that, without such, I’ll defiantly be returning at least six times to try the rest!
Combe Grove Manor, Bath
There’s a strange sort of magic that hangs over Combe Grove Manor. Winding your way down the lengthy drive under a leafy canopy, you cannot help but feel a strong sense of nostalgia, especially when greeted by a moss-shrouded arch that looks as if it’s wandered straight out of Perrault’s Sleeping Beauty.
Adieu To the Artichoke For Another Year: Recipe
With November marking the final month of the Globe Artichoke’s seasonality, I thought it only right to celebrate this mysterious yet fantastic vegetable with one of my favorite, yet perfectly simple recipes. Continue reading “Adieu To the Artichoke For Another Year: Recipe”
A little Tasty 