My visit to Wagamama Belfast

It was one of those hot and sticky, unbearable summer days in London, when I was first introduced to Wagamama, nearly a decade ago with by friend Veronika.  The cool air and slurpy noodle soup, served at communal tables, with endless green in a Soho basement was manna to our overheated souls.  

Dumplings, Udon Noodle Soup with Chicken, Edamame beans - this was the ultimate comfort food, it was healthy, zesty, fresh and exciting.  Since my first experience of Wagamama, it became my go to restaurant in any time I came down to London from Oxford.  High days and Holidays, were celebrated there.  Tears were shed over breakups, words were spoken, business meetings held, quick dishes snatched on the way to here or there and laughter aided by plum wine rolled out of our mouths.  It was without doubt one of my favourite restaurants.

Whenever I came back to Belfast, I used to dream longingly of bowls of noodles with cubes of tofu, skewers of chicken in light spicey peanut sauces, miso soup and pickles.  I would talk to anyone who would listen about this fantastic fast food restaurant, that was both healthy and indulgent.  A place to get nutritious, light, delicious and fresh dishes, in a relaxed calming atmosphere.  I longed for a Wagamama to open in Belfast.

Until that time I worked my way through the cookbook.

Then it happened - Wagamama opened in Belfast's Victoria Square.  I was there on the very first day with my workmates in TV, and I still have my T-shirt to prove it.  We dined on edamane beans tossed in a fierce chilli salt, Chop Salad, bowls of miso soup, Chilli ramen, Yaki Soba, and yasia pad thai.

When I was asked to visit Wagamama, and write about the Belfast restaurant on my blog, I was delighted to accept the invitation.  

The starters are among my favourite dishes on the Wagamama menu.  There is a great selection, and ordering three or four, some noodles, a bowl of rice and a miso soup can be a meal in itself, and a very tasty one.  

The night we visited Wagamama in Belfast we had a selection of the following starters - chicken tebasaki, (wings in a sticky sauce), negima yakitori (chicken skewers with scallions), wok fried greens, yasai gyoza, and duck gyoza.  The gyoza which are a steamed rice dumplings, with a soy and chilli dipping vinegar, where our favourites, followed closely by the wok fried greens, which had that perfect combination of crunch, and slightly oily soy sauce, with a dusting of black and yellow seasame seeds.   The chicken skewers were made with thigh meat and had a depth of flavour that was perfectly complimented by oily crunchy scallions.

As the dishes come from the kitchen when the food is ready, its possible to graze through several starter plates, without realising.  This makes for a very relaxed style of eating, that is infinitely enjoyable. 

My main was yasai chilli men - wholewheat noodles in a spicy chilli soup, with lightly steamed veggies - red onions, courgettes, peppers, topped off with lime and corainder and cubes of fried tofu (I'd prefer the tofu to be steamed, not fried).  It is a light dish, that is surprisingly filling. Lemongrass provides a depth of flavour to the stock, chilli brings heat and soy a saltiness that keeps you going back for more.  Overall the taste is zingy and fresh, with a juxaposition between the crunchy veggies, and the slippery noodles.  It is a dish that I could eat again and again, and again!

Beef Fillet Teriyaki soba, came rare with curry oiled noodles, and springy beansprouts while the chicken katsu curry a sweet thick curry was served with a light pickled salad, and sticky rice.

Freshly squeezed juices - apple, orange and ginger, unlimited green tea and glasses of water quenched the thrist that we worked up from the salty dishes.

The light airy room, gives a calming atmosphere, and the shared benches and tables make the dining experience relaxed and funky.  The food is colourful and beautifully presented, which immediately makes it more fun to eat.

Wagamama is a fast healthy food and a restaurant that I know will remain one of my favourites.

Have you been to Wagamama - what was your favourite dish?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Completely Absorbed in Jerusalem by Ottolenghi & Tamimi

Sometimes a book arrives where I have no option to stop, start reading, and not get up until the book is finished.

Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamini was one of those books.  

It absorbed all of me - senses, body, mind and spirit

The clock had struck midnight when I returned home. I didn't sleep until dawn so avidly did my eyes dance across the pages,and when I did sleep my dreams were vivid with rose water, tahini, fresh vegetables, the history of that ancient city, and the food that joins its peoples.

I first found out about Ottolenghi with my friends Hendrik and Rebecca, when we took a stroll through NottingHill one sharp September afternoon.  Looking for somewhere to eat, and not coming to any agreement amongst ourselves - Nottinghill not being their part of London, and me an Irish blowin.  I decided to do what the Irish do best, and ask someone.  As the others looked at antique maps and prints, I struck up a conversation with the owner, and after a bit of small talk about the weather and such like I cut straight to the chase - 

'We are hungry, where do you recommend we eat - somewhere good please?'

Without missing a beat he said,

'Ottolenghi, fresh, delicious and full of flavour.'

It took us a while to find it, but when we got there, I did not know where to look, to smell, to taste, to think about first. I was completely overwhelmed in the most wonderful of ways - food stimulation.

Everywhere I looked there was something I wanted to eat.  

Bread. Biscuits.  

Nuts.  Fruit.

Chocolate, gloriously glossy and dark.

Platters with salads piled high upon them.

Brownies. Cake. Meringues swirled with red and green.

There were jars of seeds, jams, honey, granola, oils and herbs, stacks of books, and beautiful things wrapped in cellophane with ribbons.

I was in heaven.  As we waited in line, I picked up the first Ottolenghi cookbook, and my already passionate love affair with Middle Eastern food blossomed in a new way.

I quickly discovered that Yotam Ottolenghi was Israeli and Sami Tamimi was Palestinian.  As someone who hopes and prays for the peace of Jerusalem reguarly, I was overjoyed to hear and learn about their story.  They were both born in the same year in the same place - Jerusalem, although Sami grew up in the East of the city and Yotam on the west.  In London, three decades later they met.  They discovered they spoke the same language not only physically but in the kitchen, and they had a shared history in their homeland.

There is so much that has been said about Jerusalem as a city, so much that can be said, but much of this is territorial, claiming the city for one or another.  Asserting rights and entrenching divisions.

Ottolenghi & Tamini's book Jerusalem does the opposite.  Instead it says - lets celebrate our food, something that brings us together on a daily basis, whether it is recognised or not, because the food of Jerusalem is something we share, abet with slightly different methods, or techniques. The principles, the ingredients, the flavours of food, the sense of food and cookery are shared and are worth rejoicing, and sharing with others.

Jerusalem is Tamini & Ottolenghi's cookery language, and their book filled with page upon page of delicious delights, avidly reflects this.  Their united love for their city, flows out of the books pages, and relates its food, to the cultures of the city, with snippets of history thrown in.

Jerusalem is not just a book full of recipes to taste & savour but great writing, filled with intersting snippets and personal back story.  The photography is reportage, often more akin to what we might see from a photojournalist in a newspaper, sitting comfortably beside images of food, that immediately send me running to the kitchen to cook.  

In this whole book I don't think there was one dish that made me think, oh no, I'm not cooking that.  Instead I wanted to try everything, and I ran out of postits just highlighting the dishes I wanted to return to.  There are recipes here for vegans, carnivorves, fish lovers and vegetarians.  No one loses out in this selection of recipes.

The first dish I made from the book was the Roasted Buternut squash and red onion with tahini & za'atar has already become a dinner party staple, served with roasted salt chicken.

Butternut squash was roasted skin on with red onions - I added whole cloves of garlic - then served with a pungent seasame garlicky tahini, chopped parsley and pine nuts.  The combination of the sweetness of the butternut, and the caramelised onions, with the bite from the earthy za'atar all doused ina dry tahini works perfectly.  I added spinach for colour, and the result is not only great tasting, but lovely to look at.

I have always made a spiced rich pudding, after reading Yotam and Sami's book, I made some additions to my recipe.

I finished this book wishing it had several more hundred pages.

That's it for now...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Bert's Jazz Bar - An evening that Exceeded Expectations

Sometimes an evening out exceeds all expectations.  

The banker and I went to Bert's Jazz Bar, in the Merchant Hotel, Belfast for an evening that can be described as my favourite night out in Belfast this decade. 

Music - jazz, good food, great service, and a fantastic atmosphere set the scene for a very relaxing evening.

Tinkling piano, soaring sax and clarinet solos and sensual singing and movement are all just part of the deal from Friday night regulars the Fiona Trotter Jazz Band. Performing a mixture of jazz standards from Ella, Duke and Louis, they mix up their set with a little funk and some numbers from the Buena Vista Social Club.  At times we find ourselves without conversation lost in the music.

As soon as we sit down a rustic bread box is set down for us, as are glasses of water - the service continues in a faultess manner for the rest of the evening.  We are looked after by Luke, Lucy and Richard, all of whom are attentive and friendly without being overbearing.  

The slices of bread are sourdough with a chewy crust and soft crumb, served with butter and vegetarian tapenade.  The tapenade is especially delicious because of its chunky texture and rich olive taste.

The wine list is easy to navigate with a wide range of choices, the banker goes for a French Sauvigon, which doesn't have that acidic tang, so many bottles of this grape offer at the moment.  I make my selection from the Driver's Choice and my cocktail meddles fresh pineapple juice, slices of fresh ginger, and lime, poured over ice with seltzer water.  I love how fresh and sharp the flavours are, and instantly vow to make this at home, it would be a perfect pick me up at any time of day.

Bert's is Belfast's only jazz bar.  You can dine in plush leather or velvet red chairs or banquets, in front of the stage or sit in the bar area slightly back.  The bar glitters with an array of bottles and drinks are made with flair - that is fun to watch - and seved with long elegant grizzini.  The room has a New York vibe, reminiscient of the 1930s and the diners and drinkers are mixed - tourists, couples, parties of girls, mixed groups.  There is no pretense, instead there are people who want to hear sensational music, and eat delicious food.  The space is dark and moody - sensual even in the mix of wood, velvet, leather and painted frieze - creating an intimate and rather romantic atmosphere.  We sit in a booth table with studded red leather, and a little gas candlelight with shade.  A lot of thought has gone into creating this room so that it is 'just so' and everything melds together bringing a deep ambiance that is only enhanced by the skill of the jazz musicians.  

Bert's offers options to dine from a French Bristo style menus - set, A la Carte, Vegetarian - with lots of sharing options including platters of chateaubriand, shellfish and baked cheeses.  

We settle for their set menu starting with a twist on a Waldorf Salad, where blue cheese has been balled and breaded and lightly fried, served with apple balls, candied walnuts and salad leaves that include rocket, baby gem and chard.  The banker and I both order the same dish, and we like the mix of textures and sweet sour flavours, that come from the cheese and apple.

For my main course I have gratin.  Made with layers of butternut squash, spinach, walnuts and guyere cheese, with just a hint of cream served with a sharp rocket based salad, bring a hot sweet, and cool bitter combination, that I have never seen beaten.  The banker has Chicken Chasseur which is tangy and succulent. 

The pudding choices are simple, showing off the best ingredients cooked well.  We share the chocolate pot that is served with lavender ice cream - this one was soft and slightly honeyed, and did not have the flavour of Yardleys soap - and hot chocolate sauce.  The combination of sweet cold ice cream, and bitter dark hot chocolate cake that had been well cooked so it had a slightly chewy consistency was remarkable.

Bert's is somewhere I highly recommend you book a table.

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = Life Remarkable

'Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight' - review

Having lost a significant amount of weight - nearly nine stone - and kept it off, I know losing weight is about so much more than what we eat. 

Diet books promise the world and they do deliver, but delivery comes at a controlling price - the following of a strict regime, with no room for error. 

'Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight' by Dave Myers & Si King promises the opposite - great tasting food, big on flavour, but low on calories, an intriguing combination.  The book accompanies a four-part BBC Two series that sees Si & Dave take a good hard look at what they eat, and the affect it is having on their health.  They embark on a series of rigorous tests and begin to rethink & rewrite their recipes, and the result is this book which is full of tasty dishes, you would never guess had missing calories.

As I flicked through it several things caught my eye - first off were the coloured pages at the start of each section with Si & Dave's practical weightloss tips,  which to the majority of our takeaway nation are radical, and yet they seem so simple. 

These gems include -

'An omlette is the perfect quick meal and can be filled with what you have to hand.'

'Don't skip breakfast.  If you don't have time to eat before you leave home, take something with you to work.'

'Fresh fruit juice is high in calories so always dilute juice with water.'

'Don't overdo rice.  A serving of about 50g (uncooked) per person is plenty if you are watching calories.'

'A mug of soup makes a great snack.'

Next up the recipes - Scanning through the book over breakfast I immediately decided, it would be no fun cooking these recipes simply for trying, they called out to be shared.  A quick telephone call later, and I had a small dinner party organised based on recipes from the 'Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight' by Dave Myers & Si King.

I chose to make, Beetroot Salad with Yogurt & Cumin Seeds, Easy Crispy Chicken, and Sparkling Lemonade & Lime Jelly.  These are definitely recipes I will return to again and again, because of their depth of flavour, satisfying taste, their popularity with my guests and myself, as well as the ease of preparation.

The flavours in the salad where impressive.  The beetroot brought an earthy taste which complimented the sharpness of the Chicory, whilst the nuts added some crunch, the apples a tart sweetness, the onions brought some depth and the chopped mint and parsley a fresh herby zest. 

Tossed in a yogurt dressing made with lime juice, zest and toasted cumin seeds, there was a light sweet spiciness to the salad, that was very morish.  I think this dressing would work well as a dip for crunchy veggies, or to bring together a potato salad.  It worked really well as a dip for the chicken.

I added some baby roast potatoes, and a broadbean dip, with sliced carrots, which weren't in the book, to our meal.  

Slicing the carrots into oblong discs made it easier to get more dip onto them, it was also a refreshing change from chopping matchsticks of carrot, which I always feel takes forever, and looks rather boring.  Discs also mean less double dipping!

I roasted the baby potatoes in olive oil, cloves of unpeeled garlic and a bunch of rosemary - really the best way to do any type of roast potatoes baby or otherwise.  The garlic gives depth and the rosemary freshness to the flavour.

The chicken, was seriously good.  I tweaked the recipe slightly, adding more oregano and Parmesan, and using brown flour, and bread.  When it comes to bread and flour, brown is always best and brings a light nuttiness to the dish.  I also cut my chicken into goujons, because I think they are more fun to eat, and look better heaped onto a large platter.   The bikers suggested toasting the bread first before making it into breadcrumbs, an ingenious idea, because it really brought more crispness to the coating.  Dipping the chicken into yogurt, rather than egg or milk, meant the meat got a little bit more tender, and also formed a slightly thicker crust.

The Parmesan brings some chewiness to the chicken crust and as a natural MSG heightens all the other flavours.

I love serving food in big platters where everyone can help themselves, there is something about passing food to each other that heightens the eating and sharing experience.

This chicken & the salad where so good, the leftovers formed a picnic which we brought to the beach the next day and devoured after some surfing.

I served the jelly with some frozen yogurt, bringing twist to the traditional jelly & ice cream.  The jelly did look spectactular, with some ohs and ahs when I brought it to the table. I think Jelly is always a festive end to any meal simply because it looks so impressive.  

That slightly bulbus mould of quivering, fruit laden jelly never fails to impress, and the lightness of its flavour means that it can be enjoyed after a rich meal.  

I think next time I make it I would use elderflower or one of the Evergreen cordials, as opposed to lime & lemon, and I would chop the mint very finely.

The book is colourful, with nice food photography, it is accessible, and the takeaway knowledge can easily be applied to other recipes. 

I made a few of the other recipes.  The Minted Pea & Feta Omelette, stands out as having a fantastic flavour.  I loved how the Biker's suggested getting more taste into the peas, by mixing them with the feta cheese, before sprinkling them over the omelette.  I added some Piri Piri spices to my omellette because I love chilli and garlic, and find them to be natural friends with peas, eggs, and feta.

The Chew Cranberry and Apricot bites, are a type of flapjack or breakfast energy bar, sans the butter, and fats, that normally bind them together.  Not having the butter meant they were slightly more gummy, than crisp.  The marriage of oats, puffed rice, cranberries, and apricots, is one I would like to try in other recipes.  If you felt like it you could add some toasted seeds and little pieces of chocolate to the recipe, but then that won't be quite so diet friendly.

Lose weight on a diet and then go back to eating the way you used to and all that weight you worked so hard to lose will, quickly comes back.  Lose weight the Hairy Dieters way, is much more likely to be a suggest, because this is a book that encourages you to think about what you are cooking and how. To consider, what you are eating, and think about whether there is a better way to cook that particulary dish, such as the Masala Chicken, which has its skin taken off, or cutting the rind off bacon, or packing a plate with salad, rather than starch or eating crumpets without butter, or making lasagne with leeks instead of pasta.

The dishes do not compromise on taste, but they do compromise on calories!  I am now looking for ways to do what the Biker's have done to some of my other recipes.  The world does not need another diet book, but it does need books like 'Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight' by Dave Myers & Si King that re-educate, show you can be healthy and eat a great range of food, all packed with flavour.  This book is full of food you would actually want to eat, as opposed to the oppressive requirements some diet books make.  I am looking forward to book two.

Have you lost weight - what did you cook?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Wood Fired Pizza - the secret's in the dough

The secret to good pizza without doubt is the 'dough'. Which when cooked at the highest heat possible should be chewy, olivey and slighty dry. A bad base, makes for a puffy pizza, full of air and no substance. Pizza - simple and yet sophisticated, get one thing wrong and the whole experience is ruined forever. Get it right and the pleasure is nothing short of heavenly.

I took my first bite of pizza, when I was seven.  Instantly I was in love, and its a love affair, that's lasted.

'Eat it with your fingers Nicky! No not with a knife and fork, with your fingers.' said my Uncle.  Copying him I did the unthinkable and lifted food off my plate with my hands. It felt dangerous and exciting. I bit in. A slightly tangy tomato sauce met a crispy base, topped with grilled cheese. It tasted forbidden and eating it with my hands, added to the illicitiness of the experience.

Since that first taste I have been addicted to good pizza.

Good pizza is surprisingly difficult to find. I've looked for it in Sicily, hoped I'd find it in New York City, dreamed about it in Hamburg, searched for it in London, given up my search in Belfast, been disappointed in Barcelona and found close to perfection in  Charleston, South Carolina. In the past 20 years pizzas have been bastardised, deep fried and generally abused. Cheap nasty ingredients, pungently chemical tomato sauces, soggy bases and greasy cheese make for a downright horrible experience. Sadly, pizzas like this abound in supermarkets, takeaways and restaurants. I recently had a pizza served to me in a restaurant, that was literally swimming in a pool of grease, with a base that hadn't seen a hot oven in it's life.

 Santa brought me my first pizza cookery set and since then I have been on the quest to bake perfect dough. There is something very connecting and soothing for me about mixing a mound of flour, olive oil, yeast, and salt with water to make an elastic dough. The simple process of kneading and rolling, knocking and and bringing the dough together, then flipping it between the palms of the hands to make thin circles is almost a spiritual pursuit.

Sadly time is not always on my side, and making dough becomes a luxury rather than a necessity. With my love of pizza never waning I have trawled shops to find good cook at home pizza because sometimes well a lot of the time in my case you want pizza. You want it to be good, and you want to be able to pop it in the oven, toss a salad, pour something sparkling then eat, at home maybe at the table. Possibly on your lap while sitting on the sofa watching a movie. Or maybe to share with a pal over a beer. It's that idea of pizza without fuss or fret. For years I have searched for this rather elusively I must admit. But I am delighted and excited to announce I think finally I have found it. It's not the perfect pizza, but the dough is nothing short of astounding.  

May I introduce you to Marks & Spencer Woodfired Pizzas. In my opinion the best pizzas to have made it onto the high street shelves in a decade. I tasted the three pizzas listed above.

The Chorizo, Sweet Peppers and Manchego Cheese was my favourite.  The combination of spicy sausage, sharp cheese and succulent sweet peppers was very morish. The flavour was rich, and warming, and needed only a tossed salad to accompany it.

But it is the crust that takes the biscuit, wins all the gold medals and does a jig. I have never tasted a home cooked shop bought pizza with such a base. In fact there are few pizzas served in restaurants with such a good base.

The crust is not too thick, or so thin the ingredients slide off,instead it has a chewy and crispy texture, with a good flavour of a grassy olive oil, and a hint of salt. For me it is the perfect dough, I think I could eat it right out of the bowl.  Seriously, it is that good!

I asked Serena Vickers, the M&S Pizza Expert about the dough, she told me, 'The base is key in creating authentic pizza. Ours are made with only the finest natural ingredients; water, flour, yeast, salt and olive oil. These ingredients are then married together in a secret combination, and the dough is slowly fermented overnight using traditional methods. To deliver a wonderful flavour as well as the perfect texture.'

I shared the pizzas I tasted with several friends. Asking each of them 'What makes this pizza stand out for you?'

The reply was without waiver 'the dough'.

In fact the crust was so good I would love to be able to buy just the wood fired base, maybe dusted with rosemary, crystals of sea salt and anointed with olive oil. Or even scattered with roasted garlic and chilli flakes. Or even a base on its own for me to cook as I wished.

Pizzas need heat. Hot! Hot! Hot! ovens. Temperatures the average cooker will never reach. To ensure the dough cooks the instant it finds the heat and the toppings follow immediately afterwards. Wood fried ovens abound in good pizzerias across the world. I remember standing beside one in Sicily, where the dry heat coming in waves from the oven felt like a sauna. Pizzas took minutes to cook. How can results like this be possible with a cook at home range?

The secret is two fold, first the wood fired pizza that will be cooked at home has already been wood fired "the pizzas are baked through a scorching hot open flame stonebed oven. The oven bed is made of lava stone, formed by the solidification of magma on the surface of the Etna Volcano in Sicily! It's the unique porosity of this stone which means the heat is retained within the stone itself which cooks the pizza to give the perfect crispy base." Serena said.

This means when the pizza gets to our ovens it only needs a short blast at a high heat, which will work the toppings into each other, and heat the base through, adding an extra layer of crispiness.

Serena told me about the stores research journey to create this pizza, saying that the search took their 'team of experts over a year to develop with lots of research and visits to pizzerias all over Italy and the UK ... an extensive trawl of Italy's finest pizzerias.' Learning from generations of Italy's expert pizzaiolas, the M&S team took in Da Michele in Naples; featured in the film; Eat, Pray, Love, and Antica Forno in Rome.

M&S's research has clearly paid off because these pizzas, especially the crust are delicious.

The pizzas are currently on a 3 for 2 offer in M&S stores throughout the UK.  Have you tried them? I'd love to know what you think?

Tell me how do you like your pizza?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = Life Remarkable