An egg-cellent brunch masterclass

13-10-2017 Local Black Bookbreakfast, brunch, cooking masterclass, eggs benedict, recipe, The Avenue, WandsworthLeave a comment

I’m a breakfast-for-every-meal sort of girl.

Most days, that means endless slices of buttered toast and bottomless cups of tea.

But my prefered option remains a cooked breakfast or -even better yet- an egg-focused brunch feast.

Now, I know brunch has been taking the restaurant world by storm these past few years. But in my opinion, the best ones are the ones you cook at home.

Pyjamas on, sleeves rolled up, slurping the largest cuppa known to man as you go.

Not to blow my own horn, but I’m rather egg-celent at scrambled eggs myself.

However, I’m not egg-xactly as well-versed in the king of brunch dishes – eggs Benedict.

Not to worry though – turns out it’s actually quite easy!

…especially when the lovely team at The Avenue Cookery School* shows you all the tricks to making cracking eggs Benedict at home!

An egg-cellent brunch masterclass at The Avenue Cookery School, London ● Learning how to make eggs Benedict ● Cake + Whisky

The Avenue’s brunch masterclass starts, as all good (French?) stories do, with warm pastries…

…and bottomless Bloody Marys!

Egg-cited yet? Well, that’s just the beginning!

An egg-cellent brunch masterclass at The Avenue Cookery School, London ● Learning how to make eggs Benedict ● Cake + Whisky

Next up: ~~day-dreaming about the incredible kitchen equipment and considering moving in immediately~~.

Put on your apron & get cooking!

First things first: make a hollandaise sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need for two:

2 egg yolks
2 capfull white wine vinegar (this one is a-ma-zing!)
100g unsalted butter, cubed
sea salt to taste

Start by whisking together the egg yolks and vinegar in a small bowl.

Place the bowl over a double boiler and whisk it continuously until it starts thickening.

You’ll want to keep the temperature under control so the yolk doesn’t overcook.

When your whisk starts leaving marks, reduce the temperature further and whisk the butter in cube by cube.

Remove the hollandaise from the heat and season with more vinegar and salt.

… and maybe a little bit of the good stuff if you’re feeling fancy!

Set aside and get cracking on your poached eggs.

You’ll need to make two per person and the fresher the better (hint hint)!

In a large, deep saucepan, heat up about 4 inches of water to a small boil, then reduce the temperature slightly.

Crack your eggs and place each one in a small recipient, leaving the very liquid part of the white behind.

Use your whisk to create a deep vortex in the middle of your saucepan.

Once the surface of the water is almost back to being flat, lower one egg into the water and cook for about 3min.

An egg-cellent brunch masterclass at The Avenue Cookery School, London ● Learning how to make eggs Benedict ● Cake + Whisky

Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining eggs.

Meanwhile, get everything else ready.

Toast your muffins, slice your avocado, fry your bacon…

Pile your toppings of choice onto the English muffins.

Top with a perfectly poached egg.

And a good drizzle of truffle hollandaise.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs (parsley’s great with bacon and chives with salmon/avocado).

Add a little crack of black pepper or a little bit of aleppo pepper.

Step back to admire your handy work.

Reward yourself another bacon-dusted Bloody Mary… or maybe a cup of egg-spresso?

Dig in and be ready to bacon some hearts…

It’s quite the egg-straordinary brunch dish after all!

Want to become a Benedict egg-xpert? Head to the Avenue’s Sunday Brunch Club for the ultimate brunch masterclass. You’ll learn how to make the perfect Eggs Benedict with a side of bottomless Bloody Marys in a fun and welcoming environment. A great way to start Sunday to get you in shape for the rest of your weekend!

*I was a guest of The Avenue for their Sunday Brunch masterclass preview. All pictures, opinions and egg obsessions my own.

The Fumbally, Dublin

17-03-2017 Local Black Bookbrunch, dublin, Restaurant, review, The Fumbally, travel1 Comment

It’s hardly a secret that carbs are my soft spot.

I could happily have pasta for every meal, can’t decline a slice of cake and have no idea how to say no to French fries.

But my biggest weakness is bread.

So from the moment I entered the door, I knew I would feel very much at home at The Fumbally.

Dublin's best brunch at The Fumbally | Cake + Whisky

An absolute Dublin institution and a locals’ favourite, The Fumbally is quite simply the most fantastic of community cafés I’ve ever come across.

It’s one of those no-nonsense, hipster-before-hipster-was-a-thing kind of places.

There’s a mishmash of tables to share, and junkstore decor to match.

There’s a tiny open kitchen at the back and a small counter to the side, both run by dynamic, ever-smiling staff, deliver all sorts of eggcellent brunch treats.

Signature ‘Fumbally eggs’.

A big plate of fluffy scrambled eggs served with garlic-fried kale, red pepper hot sauce and sunflower seeds.

Beautiful, creamy ‘n’ zesty Turkish eggs served with salad, olives, flat bread and lemon and honey cream cheese.

All topped with a smogasboard of sweet treats (if you happen to come across the tahini brownies, snap them up quickly, they go in a flash!)

Dublin's best brunch at The Fumbally | Cake + Whisky

Go with a bunch of people or share a table with strangers. Take your time. Enjoy every bite. Consider going back for seconds and thirds…

Eggs-actly what weekends are for!

The Fumbally, Fumbally Ln, Merchants Quay, Dublin 8

Brunch at Market Restaurant, Camden

12-11-2016 Local Black Bookbreakfast, brunch, Camden, Camden Town, London, market, recommendation, Restaurant, review3 Comments

In my world, Saturday is brunch day.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of fantastic places for this in London.

The latest of my discoveries is Market restaurant, a lovely no-nonsense farm-to-table little place right by Camden Town station.

It’s a small, cosy restaurant with blasted brick walls, zinc-topped tables & an open kitchen that knows it’s way ’round the brunch classics.

Starting with loads of tea (and a little bit of coffee).

Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on (remarquably excellent) toast.

Salt beef hash with fried duck egg and caramelised onions.

Incredibly fluffy buttermilk pancakes with hot berry mix, vanilla crème fraiche and maple syrup.

There were also Eggs Florentine thrown in somewhere, but it looks like I didn’t manage to capture them in all their glorious simplicity!

With quality, wholesome food made using the freshest seasonal produce, Market restaurant is absolutely the place, and no matter what you choose from the short but perfectly formed brunch menu, you’ll be in for an egg-ceptional start to the day!

You might want to book a table though, as it’s quite small and (unsurprisingly) fills up quickly!

Race you there? 3…2…1… BRUNCH!

Market restaurant, 43 Parkway, Camden NW1 7PN

Cranberry Oatmeal Cake

01-11-2016 Local Black Bookbreakfast, brunch, cake, cake for breakfast, chocolate, chocolate chips, cranberry, oat, oatmeal, recipe, winter2 Comments

Growing up in France, my breakfasts were almost always of the sweet variety. Toast with butter and jam, or Nutella, pastries… and on the very best days, cake!

Fast forward a few years (really not that many!) and you’ll find that my breakfasts have taken a savoury turn… but cake very much remains at the top of the ‘best breakfast’ list!

Now, I know that not everyone can stomach a brownie calorie bomb early in the morning (feel free to call me shall you need some help!), but the below Cranberry Oatmeal Cake is a completely different animal.

It has oats, and berries, and syrup and egg. It has that sweet, milky taste of the very best porridge, contrasting perfectly with the sharp, tangy cranberry and deep, dark chocolate chips. And it’s much more convenient to eat on-the-go than a bowl of cereal.

If that’s not top breakfast material, I don’t know what is!

Cranberry Oatmeal Cake (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

100g porridge oats
250ml hot milk
100g butter, softened
50g caster sugar
60ml maple syrup
1 big free-range egg, lightly beaten
120g self-raising flour + 1 tbsp
150g fresh or frozen cranberry
1 tbsp dark chocolate chips

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C°. Grease and line a large loaf tin.

2. In a small bowl, mix the cranberries with 1 tbsp flour until evenly coated (that will prevent them from falling to the bottom of the tin).

3. Combine the oats and the hot milk in a large mixing bowl and set aside for a while to allow the oats to absorb most of the milk.

4. Cream the butter and sugar together with a whisk, then stir in the maple syrup and the egg.

5. Fold the flour into the butter mixture.

6. Drain any remaining liquid from the oats, then stir into the cake batter.

7. Add in the chocolate chips and 2/3 of the cranberries and mix once more.

8. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle the remaining cranberries evenly on top.

9. Bake for about 45 min (or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean).

10. Let rest in the tin for 10 min before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving.

Brunch at Oldroyd

03-10-2016 Local Black Bookangel, British, brunch, carbonara, croquetas, European, Islington, italian, London, Oldroyd, pasta, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates1 Comment

I don’t believe Oldroyd needs any introduction.

I have already written about it several times, and yet here I am again, writing about it once more.

You might want to call this a bad blogger syndrom, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

But then again, what’s a girl to do when one of her absolute favourite locals starts doing brunch eh?

With about 30 seats and simple yet tasteful decoration, Oldroyd is a dream no matter when you visit.

But if you asked, I’d say Sunday is probably the best day.

Because it’s Oldroyd’s brunch day and they serve up their signature fettucine carbonara.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, so first things first.

And by that I mean Bloody Mary, obviously.

As a matter of fact, the very best one I’ve ever had in London (and trust me when I say beating The Smokehouse‘s Chicken Salt delight was no easy task)!

Spicy and very pickle-y, it’s not one for the faint-hearted but still the very best way to get the brunch party started.

Though a tall, icy glass of Earl Grey iced tea does rather nicely as well!

Croquetas have been a feature on Oldroyd’s menu since the restaurant opened and they’re an absolute must-order.

This time, they were filled with mushroom, served with a generous dollop of truffle mayonnaise and as delightful as ever.

Zucchini fries are always a good idea too.

Feather-light, thin & crispy, they’re utterly irresistible.

But if you’re there for brunch, you might as well make the most of it.

The Bacon & egg fettucine, with confit garlic & berkswell, is out-of-this-world good.

It has eggs and bacon and carbs, it’s rich and creamy and comforting and basically all of your brunch dreams come true.

And if you want more, the Braised ox cheek with polenta & gremolata is an excellent choice.

Melt-in-the-mouth meat never goes out of fashion as far as I’m concerned. Warming, comforting and satisfying, it’s winter food at it’s finest.

The only issue is that it might well rule dessert out. Don’t worry chocolate mousse with raspberries & salted pistachio praline, I’ll be back for you!

I can never stay away for very long anyway (and if you want to make sure you don’t have to fight me for the last table, you better book here)!

Oldroyd, 344 Upper Street, London N1 0PD

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Scottish brunch at Mac and Wild

14-07-2016 Local Black Bookbrunch, Burger, Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London, Mac & Wild, Mac and Wild, recommendation, Restaurant, review, Scottish, Tottenham Court RoadLeave a comment

On one of my -very productive- days scrolling the internet, I came across the word ‘fernweh’.

Fernweh is a consuming longing to be somewhere you’ve never been. I wasn’t sure I really understood it at the time, but it all made sense as soon as I stepped into Mac and Wild in Fitzrovia.

The brick walls, the raw wooden tables, the casual-meets-refined atmosphere…

It all collided and made me want to turn right back and head on to the Highlands.

But with over 50 different labels of whisky, home-bottled cocktails and a whole shelf full of pickles, Mac and Wild has strong arguments to help you postpone the fernweh urge…

… and settle for Scottish brunch instead!

Starting with a classic: Scottish breakfast.

Loads of brown food, and pretty much every single kind of meat patty you can possibly think of.

It might be a cardiologist’s worst nightmare (even though Mac & Wild’s version is surprising un-greasy!), but things don’t get much better than that…

… unless of course you go for the Veni-Moo.

Voted UK & London’s best burger for two years running, Mac and Wild signature dish is an absolute beauty!

…especially if you decide to add candy bacon to the juicy beef-venison-caramelised onion-bearnaise masterpiece.

Quite simply burger-perfection.

All washed down with cocktails & a few drops of scotch…

… plus some Irn-Bru (it would have been wrong not to!)

Its bubblegum taste was the perfect introduction to our beast of a dessert.

Scottish brunch at Mac & Wild | Cake + Whisky

‘I shouldn’t but I will‘: Dark chocolate Nemesis, salted caramel sauce, orange, almonds, vanilla ice cream & taffy crumble.

Scottish brunch at Mac & Wild | Cake + Whisky

The ultimate indulgence and one of the many, many reasons to get to Mac & Wild very soon!

Bangin’ cocktails, eye-rolling-ly good food, all served by dynamic and passionate staff…

… Oh, and have I mentioned that they take bookings too?

Brunch winner right there!

Mac & Wild, 65 Great Titchfield St, London W1W 7PS

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Brunch at Dishoom

28-06-2016 Local Black Bookbacon, bacon naan roll, breakfast, brunch, Dishoom, eggs, Indian, Kings Cross, London, naan, recommendation, Restaurant, review1 Comment

I don’t usually give another chance to restaurants that disappoint the first time around but I made an exception for Dishoom.

Truth be told, after our last visit, I really wasn’t keen to go back. For me, it simply wasn’t worth the hype.

But many people told me that going for dinner was a mistake, and brunch was what Dishoom was all about.

And so, after hearing the same advice from quite a few foodie friends, I finally gave in and booked a table for breakfast at their dazzingly beautiful King’s Cross venue.

(yes, BOOK! Quite an improvement on the 30 min+ in the cold already!)

Once again, Dishoom signature decor, a mix of Bombay knick-knacks and vintage touches, took my breath away.

The carefully thought-out details and the smell of Chai…

The second you step in, you’re transported miles away from London and its rain into the heart of India’s cultural capital: Bombay, home of Bollywood and the famous Irani cafés Dishoom was inspired by.

But did the food measure up?

Considering it’s been in basically every ‘London’s best brunch’ list, we came with high expectations.

And having at heart to do as thourough a job as humanly possible, we covered the table in as many dishes as we could manage.

And here’s the good news. Some of it was very good indeed.

Top of the list being Dishoom’s famous Bacon Naan Roll.

Freshly baked tandoor naan, graced with a touch of cream cheese, chilli tomato jam and fresh herbs, and wrapped around rock-salt cured streaky bacon.

A Dishoom signature dish truly deserving of its accolades.

Not bad either were the Masala beans.

A massive portion for £1.5, with just enough warming chilli and a little sprinkle of fresh coriander, it is the perfect brunch side and anything but your usual baked beans.

Unfortunately, the rest of our selection wasn’t quite as successful.

Akuri – An Irani café staple of spicy scrambled eggs with onion and tomato, piled up alongside plump pau buns and served with grilled tomato.

A winner on paper, but while it tasted quite nice with a nice kick of green chilli and fresh coriander, the texture of the eggs was truly awful as they were dry, yet with plenty of liquid leaking out (presumably from the chopped vegetables not being pre-cooked).

Kejriwal (fried eggs on chilli cheese toast) was even more of a disappointment, as the inviting orange-yolked eggs were un-evenly cooked (one was runny and the other entirely cooked through) and so covered in cracked black pepper that it was impossible to taste anything else. Quite a shame, really.

And if the Chai was alright (not the best I’ve had, but not the worse either, and really quite helpful if you’re nursing a bit of a cold as I was that day), the Red grape & lemon wasn’t quite so. Too much lemon ruined the balance of the juice and brought out the unpleasant bitterness of grapes, instead of enhancing its natural sweetness.

So once again, Dishoom was quite a hit-or-miss sort of experience.

But if you stay right away from the fancy-looking options, and focus all your attention on the Bacon naan roll, it is actually quite a good brunch option!

Bacon, naan, chai. Sold.

Dishoom King’s Cross, 5 Stable St, London N1C 4AB – Book a table here

Do you give restaurants a second chance?

Brunch at The Modern Pantry

15-06-2016 Local Black Bookbreakfast, brownies, brunch, Clerkenwell, coffee, eggs, London, omelette, recommendation, Restaurant, review, The Modern Pantry, weekend4 Comments

Some weeks just seem endless.

You know the feeling. Minutes feel like hours, days feel like weeks and by Wednesday, the only thing on your mind is brunch.

And if your week is anything like mine, I know a place you’re going to love come brunch day…

Overlooking Clerkenwell’s iconic St John’s Square, Anna Hansen’s The Modern Pantry is any brunch-lover dream come true.

And with exposed bricks, loads of light, and just enough quirky, charming little details, it is a very dreamy little café indeed!

⬆⬆ Dining room goals right there ⬆⬆

(needless to say, we’ll do that the second we have a place of our own)

But first, coffee!

Black & stromy, with just a touch of condensed milk, Vietnamese-style, for him.

And a hot, steamy cup of jasmine tea for her.

With a few of The Modern Pantry’s iconic dishes on the side…

Sugar-cured New Caledonian prawn omelette, green chilli, spring onion, coriander, smoked chilli sambal and toast

Sweet, soft prawns, punchy sambal and a kick of green chilli, all blanketed by the dreamiest of omelette…

A dish definitely worth its reputation!

And more than worthy of a close-up, too!

Poached eggs with grilled chorizo, slow-roast tomatoes and plantain fritters.

A sunny take on the traditional English Breakfast and #yolkporn at its very best.

Brunch at The Modern Pantry | Cake + Whisky

All washed down with the appropriate amount of ‘liquid goodness’.

And followed by a little bit of pudding action…

Sour cherry brownie with Greek yoghurt cream, malt & chocolate crumb and berries.

Soft, gooey, sweet, sour, rich and fresh all at once, it’s a masterpiece of a dessert.

An absolute triumph, much like the rest of the meal.

And the #1 reason to put brunch at The Modern Pantry on the agenda for next weekend.

It’s a truly eggcelent brunch spot, bu it gets busy so make sure you book ahead.

The Modern Pantry, 47-48 St John’s Square, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 4JJ

Evelyn’s Cafe Bar, Manchester

08-04-2016 Local Black Bookbrunch, croissant, Evelyn's, Evelyn's Cafe Bar, Korean fried chicken, Manchester, Restaurant, review, shakshuka, travel, UK4 Comments

Soooo… I might not be the most organised of travel bloggers (for that, you might want to check Silverspoon London!).

To be completely honest, a large part of my travel plans is always dedicated to ‘wandering around’ and ‘exploring the tiny streets’.

But one thing I always, always make extensive research on is restaurants.

And after a looooot of time on Pinterest, I stumbled upon Evelyn’s and I knew we had to go.

Evelyn’s is a small but perfectly formed café in the heart of Manchester’s hipster-dreamland Northern Quarter.

Evelyn's Cafe Bar, Manchester | Cake + Whisky

Utterly flooded with light, it’s an Instagrammer’s paradise!

Complete with a plant hanging wall…

… copper (or should I say rose gold?) salt & pepper shakers…

Evelyn's Cafe Bar, Manchester | Cake + Whisky

… and enough white bricks to compete with Pinterest’s finest examples of hipster interiors!

There’s obviously an extensive menu of smoothies and other green juices available!

But we started things off with some ‘fancy’ water (much needed after a few too many cocktails at Dusk til Pawn…)

Orange juice for him, grapefruit for me.

Just what the doctor ordered!

And a couple of croissants while waiting for the rest of the food to be ready.

Not sure how the proverbial doctor would feel about that…

But then again, the croissants were so light, fluffy and buttery all at once that I don’t really care!

Shakshuka.

Aheavenly Middle Eastern classic of eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce with harissa and fresh herbs.

And plenty of toasted sourdough bread to mop it all up!

Fried Korean chicken roll.

A.k.a. the best egg sandwich I have ever experienced.

But then topping something good with some spicy fried chicken is a sure-fire way to make it even better, isn’t it?

^The Money Shot^

Unfortunately, they were not serving their dessert menu as the time we visited, so no Chocolate tart with cherries, Yuzu posset or Matcha crème brulée this time around.

I think that truly justifies the need for me to visit again some time soon.

The only question is, will you beat me to it?

Book a table (!! #godblessEvelyns) and drool over the menu on Evelyn’s website

(make sure you tag me @sndguerin in all your Insta pics when you go!!)

Evelyn’s Cafe Bar, G18 Tib Street, Manchester M4

Brunch at Chinese Laundry

24-03-2016 Local Black Bookbrunch, Chinese, Chinese Laundry, Islington, London, London restaurant, recommendation, Restaurant, review, where to eat in london4 Comments

There are so many things to like about the Easter weekend.

Mainly chocolate, I’ll admit to that.

But also, 4-day weekend!

Which means twice as many days for brunch!

But there’s only that many Eggs Benny even a brunch lover like me can eat in a row…

Luckily, I know just the place to mix things up a little!

Brunch at Chinese Laundry | Cake + Whisky

Chinese Laundry is a casual dinning room inspired by 80s Chinese family life and food.

Brunch at Chinese Laundry | Cake + Whisky

Which you can clearly see as soon as you pass the door.

So very kitsh yet totally Pinterest-worthy.

The menu focuses on the fewer known delicacies from Northern Mainland China, with a couple of clever Anglo-Chinese fusion dishes thrown in as well.

We started off with some Jasmine tea (when in China…)

And a tall glass of salty lemonade.

Yes, salty. Apparently, salty drinks are a big thing around Asia.

And quite a nice one, I must admit!

The menu is short and sweet and pretty much impossible to choose from.

So we just went with ‘one of each’. Almost.

Starting with the Laundry Full.

Looks like a British brekkie, but sure doesn’t taste like one!

With braised beef loumei, tea egg, king oyster mushroom, peanut loumei, pickles, crispy bacon and milky little buns, it’s so much lighter than the traditional breakfast and the perfect trompe l’oeil!

Dumplings had to be ordered (they are one the traditional dish for brunch in China after all), so Dumplings Stir Fry it was!

With heaps of garlic, crispy bacon, peanuts, fresh herbs and a creamy sweet pepper sauce, Chinese Laundry’s dumplings certainly didn’t disappoint.

But the star of the brunch was the Egg Cong You Bing (Crispy scallion pancake).

Flaky pancakes, oozy egg and a bit more of that lovely homemade sweet pepper sauce, that’s all my brunch dreams on a plate.

Oh, and they give you the cutest milk-flavoured bunny-stamped sweets as well.

Just one more reason to make sure you hop by Chinese Laundry this weekend!
Chinese Laundry, 107 Upper St, Islington, N1 1QN

Cake and Whisky

Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

Menu

brunch

An egg-cellent brunch masterclass

The Fumbally, Dublin

The Fumbally, Fumbally Ln, Merchants Quay, Dublin 8

Brunch at Market Restaurant, Camden

Cranberry Oatmeal Cake

Brunch at Oldroyd

Scottish brunch at Mac and Wild

Brunch at Dishoom

Brunch at The Modern Pantry

Evelyn’s Cafe Bar, Manchester

Brunch at Chinese Laundry