01.01.09: Black-eyed peas and greens

Peas for good luck and greens for money – We dine with pleasure and hope for a good year that we know harbours many changes. She adulterated the Pappy's Saucepan recipe from vegan treasure trove Something Delicious This Way Comes by Joshua Ploeg – former punk rocker turned travelling chef – with chorizo. (Sorry. But not really.) Nigel Slater's fennel, pear and watercress salad made a sassy sidekick.

SHE SAYS: The peas were a little too sweet, but a pinch of salt and a shake of Crystal fixed it up right. Plus, I think this kind of bean dish, with such strong flavourings as bourbon, maple syrup, liquid smoke and (in our case) chorizo, needs to set a while to let all those components mingle. Even near the end of the meal mine was more blended – maybe it's like letting wine breathe. Salad gave us the crunch and the sharp angle we needed in the flavour dept.

HE SAYS: Deja vu? As She said, it waz on the shweet side this time but this meal had to be made since its a tradition 'round these parts. This time We had it with the greens mixed in with the peas, and I think it helped out the overall consistency. As said numerous times on this blog, chorizo can't fail to make a good meal better. I really enjoyed the salad which We haven't had in a while, the mix of the fennel and pear satisfied ma soul.

23.11.08: Leftovers, a little bit of everything

She warmed up the extras from last night's 'do plus some red prawn and mango curry from earlier this week. The scallop-looking spuds are also from yesterday, but they're the ones that got away (from the frying pan). She'd boiled up a lot of potato slices in prep for the panch phora part of the programme, but after two fry-batches, She raised a little white flag and stored the rest of the parboils in the fridge.

SHE SAYS: It was like one of those retrospective shows that clog the telly these days: instead of Best Comedy Catchphrases or Wrinkly Remains of '80s Pop Stars, we had Mealtime Hits o' the Week. Well, anyway. You already know what we thought of the individual elements. The curry played nicely and spicily with the other foodstuffs, and if there was a little tastebud confusion, it was a small price to pay for so much enjoyment and so little work.

HE SAYS: I admit, I wasn't convinced the shrimp red curry would still be be okay tonight. I was very wrong. It was better then alright, and so was the rest of the meal. The boiled potatoes reminded the rest of the plate that plain doesn't always mean boring: a little salt and pepper and a shake of hot sauce brought them out of their skins.

22.11.08: Dinner party with friends

We invited over some friends and gave a little sumpin' sumpin' of a dinner party. She finds it hard not o try and impress, and so prepared a rather fine variety of vittles: braised carrots from Eating Well, Real Simple's chicken marsala, Ramsey's sautéed potatoes with panch phora, and Nigel Slater's fennel, pear and watercress salad. For dessert (yes, there was dessert! at home, even!) we tucked into baked ricotta with carmelised peaches - also from Ramsey.

HE SAYS: We haven't had the carrots or the chicken dish for a long time, but both were as tasty as I remembered. The carrots had a lovely jammy texture with a hint of sweetness and quite a robust citrus kick to them, I likey a lot. The masala chix finely balances the saltiness of the pancetta with the sweeter masala wine sauce. Ramsey's potatoes were also a success (I could've done with more seasoning on them, but that's a small quibble). Salad was a crunchy affair which worked well with the rest of the plate and the dessert was simply gorgeous: subtle creamy peach infused ricotta, what more could I want?

SHE SAYS: I thought the carrots were brill: spiky flavours joined forces with soft textures to deliver a hearty wake-up call to my tongue. (I fear our guests, who are French and take ther food v. seriously, were not as impressed with the garlic-lemon pairing, but c'est la vie.)

I'd debated whether the panch phora potats were worth the extra spicing, but a quick check back to our previous attempt showed it would be worthwhile, and I thoroughly enjoyed the hints of fennel and onion seed...really, how can you miss with homefries, however fancy or plain?

Chicken was delish and had fancy sauce on it - style and substance, that's what I was going for, people. A prosciutto wrap is such a cheat, anytime, but your humble chicky breast needs to dress to impress. I took mine slow to enjoy the savoury nature with the capers' floral uplift.

Our guests seemed most intrigued by the salad, which does deliver a taste sensation much more than the sum of its parts. Something about pear, lime and fennel creates another flavour entirely: sweet + acid + aniseed = transcendent.

Dessert was okay. The peaches were meltingly sweet and tingly, but the ricotta was pretty bland, and maybe a little odd for being served hot.

13.11.08: Mac n' cheese and Quorn with fennel salad

Using one of the culinary treats brought back from the States, She enthusiastically put together the evening meal which included Annie's rice pasta mac n' cheese, quorn cutlets and snap peas. The fennel, radish, and spinach salad felt jealous and missed its pomegranate companion.

HE SAYS: Yum. It's been a long while since we ate mac n' cheese at home and it felt sooo good. Since it was wheat-free it also felt oh-so-virtuous. The quorn was crispy but I missed its usual pasta sauce accomplice to aid in alleviating the dryness quota (the mac n' cheese was too good on it's own to combine with other bites). The snap peas were nice if a little boring but they helped highlight the taste sensation of the pasta even more.

SHE SAYS: This meal was like a throwback to 2003, when we ate Annie's mac 'n' cheese every week, with Boca burgers. I reeeeally wish we'd brought home a crate or so of this v. American delicacy, but have you seen what they're charging for overweight luggage these days? anyway, it was perfectly creamy and tasty, and the pasta lost nothing for being rice, not wheat. Agree with him the quorn could've used some saucy assistance, but I speared the plain but perfectly al dente snap peas with some of the quorn bites to help.

09.11.08: Pork vindaloo with fennel and pomegranate salad

She craved some home-cooked Indian-inspired nosh, and so whipped up this family fave consisting of: pork loin, vindaloo sauce, fragrant brown rice and a spinach, fennel and pomegranate salad in record time.

HE SAYS: Nice to have a home-cooked meal after 3 weeks of restaurant food (I could never be a restaurant critic however much it looks like the best job in the world) and one we haven't had in a while to boot. I think one jar of the vinderloo sauce was plenty in this version. The flavas were intense, especially the rice with the added cinnamon, and I was grateful for the mild fresh salad which offset them. The pork was a little overcooked, but all in all, a very nish winter warmer of a meal.

SHE SAYS: I wasn't sure how much cooking mojo I could muster - still jet-lagged after long intervals of slumber and waking - but once I thought of Indian food, I had to have it. This is probably the easiest of Indian dishes we make, and it's the only one that uses a bottled sauce to good effect. It was deeply satisfying, esp paired with the tart, bracingly crunchy salad. I think I probably feel asleep again as soon as I put down my fork...

29.09.08: Jamie's tasty fish bake with mixed leaf salad

He cooked up Jamie Oliver's version of fish pie which includes fillets of trout, potatoes, lots of fennel and onions plus a cream, parmesan and anchovy sauce, all finished off with a crispy breadcrumb topping. A mixed leaf salad with avo, physalis and radish stuck its head round the corner while the lime wasabi dressing played lookout.

HE SAYS: Didn't take too much prep to conjure up this beauty. As the nights draw in and it gets a little nippy this dish will become in handy to warm ye cockles. I believe I cooked it a little too long because the creamy sauce had reduced significantly, still good though. The crunchy breadcrumb topping was a nice touch and very satisfying to dig in to. I'm not that familiar with trout but it tasted pretty good and is good for ya (although maybe next time I'll try it with salmon). The salad was standard but then the wasabi dressing pepped it up to another plane.

SHE SAYS: I was looking fwd to this, but was wary of the anchovy content. (I like fish sauce, which usually is mostly anchovy essence, but the full-on anchovy fillet thing grosses me out.) Never fear, I entirely forgot about those bits as I sank into the pie's luxurious textures. I thought the sauce was perfect, wouldn't have wished it less thick. The fennel and fennel seeds were perfect flava foils for trout, which I suspect would taste a bit musty without robust herby offsetting. Agree with Him that the breadcrumbs gave the whole thing that down-home comfort food edge.

30.08.08: Scrambled eggs with chorizo, black bnz, and fennel salad

This was a lot easier than it looks: We already had the black bnz and corn-studded polenta from Thu nite, and it doesn't take much to throw chorizo and eggs in the pan. Meanwhile, a bulb of fennel finely sliced, fresh pea shoots, and tomatoes carried off a lime and peanut oil dressing without a whisper of complaint.

HE SAYS: Chorizo, black bnz and scrambled eggs make good comfort food with the polenta bringing all the elements together. I luv me some crunchy fennel and enjoyed the subtle hint of aniseed in the salad, especially mixed with the lime dressing. Easy-peasy and tasty, this fast slow-food was light on the washin' up to too. Now that's what I call a meal deal.

SHE SAYS: I love chorizo - that salty, fatty, paprika flavour can tango with my tastebuds anytime. why can't it be as good for you as, say, beetroot? But anyway. Salad countered all that cleany with crunch and fiber, while the beans and polenta, which only improved in the fridge, gave everything a smooth-goin' herby twist.

13.08.08: Out to Wild Honey

For His birthday, we had a lovely day of wandering the alternately sunny and blustery West End, then headed to Wild Honey, which is hands-down Our fave special occasion restaurant in London.
Above, She started with fresh Dorset crab prepared both alone and in a rich paté, with a salad of young peas and shoots. Those papery slices that I thought must be courgette were the thinnest Bramley apple sheets ever, and the little avo-coloured mound was yet another preparation of peas, puréed I believe with mint.

He plumped for the smoked eel, turnips and roast apricot purée.

She was eyeing up the main course He coveted, so She graciously defaulted to the roast Elwy Valley lamb, young market vegetables, fennel and garlic. Fun fact: that little potato-looking pillow is the fennel, hosting a tiny pool of mint sauce.

Meanwhile, he chose the saddle of rabbit, lacquered shoulder 'pie', wild mushrooms and figs, oh my.
For a grand finish, We shared the warm black cherry clafoutis with custard and a couple of cheeses selected by our server (we trusted her, she was terribly capable and Dutch-looking), which arrived with a supremely noteworthy pool of - you guessed it - wild honey.

SHE SAYS: All the pea preparations on my salad plate were breathtakingly fresh and redolent of newly turned earth spiked with lemon - esp the shoots. The crab was perfectly moist and subtle, and even more of a treat when offset by an apple sliver.

Now, I admit I was not excited when ordering my main course, but I needn't have hesitated. It was the best lamb I've ever had for its perfect preparation and light juices.The puréed fennel was fun and intensely aniseed in taste - I'm guessing it was creamed raw. I took my time over every bite of veg and chop, enjoying the cosy ambiance of the room and peeking at the dishes on the tables near us.

Dessert was not stunning, though good - I thought our clafoutis quite dry even with a puddle of custard to help rehydrate. Could be I was just too disappointed they weren't serving the wild honey ice cream, which I had last year. However, the slick of honey that arrived with our veiny blue and nose-tingling harder cheeses set my world to rights: it was delightfully deep, dark and almost bitter. Had I been at home I would have licked the plate.

HE SAYS: I really like me some smoked eel, whenever we are in Amsterdam I eat plenty from the little street stalls located all over the city. This variety, although larger then Dutch eels, still had that familiar rich smokey intensity and not too slimy texture I was after. The roast apricot purée worked very well to offset the eel with fresh fruitiness - a pairing which seemed odd but worked very well, especially with the turnips, which helped round off the plate with their ever so slightly sweet and mustardy counternotes.

The rabbit was surprisingly small in quantity but rich and satisfying in flavour. Again the sweetness of the fruit, this time figs, really helped to add balance to the salty, gamey qualities of the meat and the wild mushrooms.

I think I enjoyed the pudding a little more then She did, but then again I did pour over more then my fair share of the lovely, velvety custard over the tarty and vanilla-infused flan-like pie. Well, it was my birthday after all.

18.05.08: Another wedding feast

Ceremonial feasting in Kingston Vale: red pepper soup with a swirl of creme fraiche to start...

...and a stylish plate of salmon with basil mayonnaise, chicken with broad beans and snap peas, herbed couscous, boiled new potatoes, and two kinds of green salad with fennel. An indulgent cheese plate of Shropshire blue, brie and sharp cheddar with an assortment of fancy crackers followed (not pictured).

HE SAYS: Salmon was poached nicely but I had to prompt the server for more then a baby-sized portion. Couscous was tasty and fresh as were the veggies. Was pretty famished beforehand and was relieved when we got to sit down and tuck into the soup, which was a little on the sweet side for my taste. Overall, great food and a great end to a smashing do and an eventful weekend.

SHE SAYS: Soup was light and sweet, and I thought the cold plate main meal was very refreshing and nicely paired with the wines. I was dipping everything in that yumsome basil mayo, must admit. Probably had more than my share of the deeply satisfying cheeses, if you pleases, but no one at the table was going without.

Whole baked herb-stuffed sea bass with fennel and potatoes

It's a Saturday nite special courtesy of The (Return of the) Naked Chef: He packed the fish with fresh dill, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, then lay the sea bass on a bed of sliced fennel and red onion. A few glugs of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt, 40 mins in a hot oven, and we had us a fine feast o' fish.

Not to give the accompaniments short shrift. Pan-fried charlotte potates and last nite's spinach salad refreshed with more leaves filled in the corners most fine, thank you.

HE SAYS: Nice meal that I haven't attempted for a while. The sea bass was cooked perfectly - more luck then skill, as it's always a little bit of a crapshoot as far as timings for the fish go because it's wrapped in loads of foil that you don't want to unwrap until the end to keep in all the flavour-flavs...plus it's super-fiddly. I'm not usually a fan of anything aniseed-tasting, but the fennel seeds and fresh fennel slices give this dish nice subtle aromatic overtones, while the red onions lend a slighly sweet touch.

The potatoes turned out crunchy and light; cooked 'em forever, it seemed. I always think before I attempt this dish that it has masses of prep work but it's actually a very quick one and easy on the washing up, which always puts a smile on my face after the last bite.

SHE SAYS: I was swooning over the silky texture and clean, oceanic flavours of the sea bass; this is quite possibly my favourite fish dish. The fennel and red onion made for the perfect sharp and sweet contrasts - my only quibble would be that the veg could have been a tad more tender. Potatoes were classically delicious and filling, and the salad just couldn't go wrong.

10.04.08: Nigella's chickpeas with extras

It's the nite of the Nigels: Nigella's reliable chickpeas with sherry and rocket (pepped up with ho-made harissa, some avo and the remainder of that Apetina cheese) squared off with Nigel Slater's pear, fennel and watercress salad.

HE SAYS: The chickpeas had a nice nutty flavour to them - maybe it's because they were organic this time. Enjoyed the avo and chees topping, but agree with Her that boiled egg is better. A simple and tasty favourite that fills you up without the bloat. The salad was a great pairing, the lime juice did its job of teasing the tastebuds at the finish line.

SHE SAYS: A far more pleasant experience than last nite, fo' sho'. I tried out some new cream sherry, which is what Nigella calls for - we'd been using a dry one since it's what we had - and it came out exactly the same. Avo and cheese added creamy saltiness to the cuminy globes, but as toppings go it doesn't quite compete with pomegranate or a nice soft-boiled egg. Welcomed back Nigel's best salad with all its tarty, lime-infused crunch.