I’ve always been fascinated by Anne Boleyn, so there was no chance I’d miss the chance to visit her birthplace during our trip to Norfolk, especially with plenty to see at Blickling Hall with kids. Ideal if you’re looking for…
The post Blickling Hall with kids – a day out in Norfolk appeared first on mummytravels.
Restaurants may have been closed for what feels like an eternity, but that hasn’t stopped the Michelin Guide from doling out a load of fresh stars for 2021. That means there are 66 London restaurants now considered to be the holy grail in dining, seven of which are brand-spanking-new to the list. While the buzz makes us want to book a table immediately, you can get a flavour of what some of these culinary destinations are all about in lockdown, too – by ordering their grub.
If you haven’t already gone meal-kit mad, dive in at the deep end with one of these very fancy offerings. Or forget about faffing around with velouté in your rusty old pan and get in a very posh takeaway. Then you’ll just have to beg your housemate to hang your handbag on a bespoke stand, pull your chair out for your arrival to the table and rearrange your napkin as you nip for a toilet break between courses. All totally normal behaviour.
Here’s a complete list so you can fine dine from home.
Fish-focused excellence at Behind
Sola brings you high-end Californian cuisine
The Mayfair Indian staple that is Benares
South-west French fancies Club Gascon
It’s sophisticated. It’s European. It’s Elystan Street
Galvin La Chapelle‘s French and Italian gourmet greatness
The elite Indian of Gymkhana
Cutting-edge dim sum from Hakkasan
Seasonal tasting menu specialists Hide
The Ledbury (RIP) sister restaurant Kitchen W8
Lyle’s, aka Shoreditch’s favourite dining room
Hey, it’s that lovely Marcus Wareing’s Marcus (special menus released periodically)
Angela Hartnett’s Italian Murano
Pied a Terre, London’s longest-standing starred restaurant no less
The simple, stunning plates of Portland
Sabor and its Andalusian tapas
The iconic Italian that is River Café
All meat, all the time from our pals St John
Indian coastal cuisine in Marylebone? It must be Trishna
Veeraswamy is the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant and it is very good
French haute-cuisine by Claude Bosi at Bibendum
Dinner by Heston (special menus released periodically) focusing on British heritage cuisine
The ‘chef’s table experience’ at Kitchen Table
British food done right, courtesy of Restaurant Story
The one with the David Shrigley gallery, it’s Sketch!
Core by Clare Smyth does seasonal, laid-back fine dining
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, the British offering from one of France’s culinary superstars
Fancy something more, er, down to earth? Check out these cracking meal kits from London restaurants.
In the mood for love? Try one of these kits designed for Valentine’s date nights.
As much as I enjoyed eating traditional Italian foods when I was younger, I lived with the idea that American desserts were superior to Italian desserts. Sure, Italians had Tiramisu and Gelato, but those were nothing compared to raspberry topped cheesecakes, towering chocolate layer cakes, and fudgy brownies. There were very rarely surprises and creativity in Italian desserts as far as I could see.
This post was originally published in 2014 and has be revised for accuracy.
The Italian restaurants I went to offered the same list of Italian desserts (Panna Cotta, Tiramisu) and I was slightly disappointed when offered the usual cantuccino or two with coffee after lunch at my nonna’s house. Even worse were the lunches where I was given—gasp!—a bowl of strawberries. Where were my chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and apple pie a la mode?!
Italians, I was convinced, were great when it came to pasta and pizza, but missed the mark when it came to Italian desserts.
Since learning to bake and living in Italy, however, I’ve learned to appreciate the simplicity of Italian desserts. I’ve realized that often the best way to finish off a multi-course meal is not with a slice of pie but rather a few simple delicious biscotti (or cookies); not necessary an ice cream sundae when you have a scoop of pistachio gelato that tastes exactly like toasted pistachios; and you do not really need a three-layer devil’s food cake when you have a Italian dessert called Torta Caprese!
Torta Caprese, for those of you who don’t know, is a chocolate cake made with ground almonds that originate from the island of Capri, near Naples. Its ingredients are simple– only eggs, butter, chocolate, and almonds—and makes for a very dense and intensely chocolatey cake. The use of ground almonds gives this cake a certain richness and another layer of flavor, means that this cake is a great Italian dessert for Italian food lovers who cannot eat gluten.
Following a Torta Caprese recipe is actually a bit less time consuming than your average layer cake. It is extremely simple and elegant in its presentation, and the perfect Italian dessert for a dinner party, birthday, or special occasion. I like to serve this Italian dessert with a dusting of powdered sugar, but I bet whipped cream and raspberries on the side would be good too. Now I’ll share my favorite Torta Caprese recipe with you – enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. In a small pan, melt the butter and let it cool.
In a food processor, finely grind the almonds and chocolate. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in another large bowl.
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg yolks with the sugar until very thick and pale; then add the almond chocolate mixture and the butter and beat together.
In another bowl, with cleaned beaters, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks. Whisk one-fourth of the egg whites into the mixture. Fold in the remaining whites gently and spread the batter evenly in the pan.
Bake the Torta Caprese for 50 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from the side of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool the cake completely before releasing the sides of the springform pan. Dust the cake with powdered sugar and serve the best Italian dessert. Serves 8–10. (Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine).
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We hope you enjoy this Torta Caprese recipe! Next time you’re in Italy, taste desserts like this on our Rome food tours!
The post Torta Caprese Recipe – A Traditional Italian Dessert appeared first on Eating Europe.
It’s easy to think of National Trust properties as frozen in time, all their history revealed and on display – but one of the best things about visiting Oxburgh Hall with kids, is that they’re busy uncovering more secrets every…
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I make no secret of the fact I love Harry Potter – and since introducing my daughter to the books, I’ve had an excuse to revisit a string of Harry Potter locations in London, to go with my list of…
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