January 24, 2012
October 03, 2011
FFIONA’S CHRISTMAS MENU 2011
The Christmas menu is priced at £29 per person for evening parties and
we offer a 10% discount off the total food bill for all Christmas lunch parties.
Any enquiries please contact ffiona on 0207 937 4152 or ffiona@ffionas.com
TO BEGIN
Pan fried halloumi cheese with sweet tomato and rocket salad. (v)
Homemade soup of the day. (v)
Ffiona’s duck pâté with sourdough toast and cornichons.
Calamari in a crisp batter with a spicy tomato sauce.
THE MAIN EVENT
Roasted Bronze turkey with bread sauce, sage and onion stuffing,
cranberry sauce and gravy. Fabulous!
Roasted pheasant with game chips, bread sauce, stuffing and braised red cabbage.
Three onion tart (garlic, sweet red onion and chives) served warm. (v).
Rump of Welsh lamb with rosemary, garlic, homemade redcurrant jelly and mint sauce.
Roasted pork loin (Gloucester Old Spot) with crackling, stuffing and apple sauce.
Pollack supreme, baked with lime and chillies or a salsa verde.
ALL THE ABOVE ARE SERVED WITH A SELECTION OF
BRUSSEL SPROUTS, WINTER GREENS, SPICED PUMPKIN,
CARROTS, BRAISED RED CABBAGE AND ROASTED POTATOES.
TO FINISH
Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.
Apple crumble with custard or ice cream.
Bread and butter pudding with custard or ice cream.
Selection of British Cheeses.
...We will be closed for Christmas from Saturday 24th December.
We reopen on Friday 6th January 2012 at 6.30pm.
Any enquiries please contact ffiona on 0207 937 4152 or ffiona@ffionas.com
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
FFIONA'S THANKSGIVING DINNER MENU 2011
TO BOOK YOUR TABLE OR YOUR TAKEAWAY PLEASE CONTACT FFIONA ON:
TEL: 020 7937 4152 OR EMAIL ON ffiona@ffionas.com
WE ALSO OFFER A TAKEAWAY SERVICE
THANKSGIVING DINNER MENU
THURSDAY 24TH NOVEMBER 2011
TO BEGIN
Pan fried halloumi cheese with toasted pine nuts and a
sweet tomato and roquette salad.
Ffiona’s duck pate with toast.
King prawns, shell off, with chillies, ginger and garlic.
Moroccan aubergine salad, served warm with fresh mint and yoghurt dressing.
Homemade soup of the day.
THE MAIN EVENT
Roasted free range Bronze turkey served with: creamed potatoes, roasted potatoes, winter greens and carrots, spicy, roasted pumpkin and Brussel sprouts. Accompanied by fresh sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread sauce and gravy.
TO FINISH
ffiona’s world famous sweet potato meringue pie with vanilla ice cream.
Sticky toffee pudding, toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream.
Hot apple crumble with custard or vanilla ice cream.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
September 22, 2011
Zagat review 2012
Wow we are thrilled with our Zagat review and rating for 2012. Thank you all very much.
Click here to visit the Zagat website
July 17, 2011
WONDERFUL WATERMELON
Nothing says ‘summer’ better than ice cold watermelon. Ruby red and studded with ebony seeds, cut into fat wedges the juices running down your chin and dripping from your fingers. This is the stuff of childhood memories.
It’s also a great addition to summer salads and has become quite sophisticated. Available seedless, it marries well with cheese, especially blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola or Stilton and is a perfect in both colour and flavour with Feta cheese.
I have just added one of my favourite salads to our “Summer In The City” menu. It is a combination of ripe watermelon, sweet, cherry tomatoes, spring onions with a some salty, Greek Feta cheese and a fresh, lightly spiced dressing.
Leave out the cheese add some fresh figs and toasted sunflower seeds and you now have a vegan feast.
Watermelon grilled is also delicious. For this you need a really hot grill, you’re looking for colouring and a smoky taste, you don’t want the melon to cook. Serve it with grilled halibut or just as a salad with ripe tomatoes. The red, green, yellow and orange of the multi coloured Heritage tomatoes are perfect for this. Dress it with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and some aged Balsamic vinegar and some of the watermelon juices (the better the vinegar the stronger the flavour).
Whether it’s sorbet, salad, hot off the grill or just sliced into wedges, watermelon will tingle your tastebuds all summer long.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
June 26, 2011
June 05, 2011
SING IT LOUD! - 2ND June 2011
Last night I saw kd lang at the Royal Festival Hall. She was accompanied by the Sis Boom Bang and all I can say is,
“Wow!”
She was introducing her new album, “Sing it Loud” which she co wrote with Joe Pisapia, who is also one of the five, űber talented musicians who make up the Sis Boom Bang.
kd has never been in better voice or appeared so relaxed and well, just plain happy! She sang Leonard Cohen’s, “Hallelujah” and blew every other attempt to cover it right out of the water. Deservedly, she got a tumultuous standing ovation, people were crying, it was that beautiful.
So good in fact that I thought I’d give you a little taste of what we
enjoyed…..
It was one of those special concerts that you wish would never end, but finally after three encores she left the stage. A magical evening that started on the Southbank terrace, sipping cocktails in the sunshine and ended on a real high. If you get the chance…..GO!
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
June 04, 2011
FFIONA’S PRESENTS : SUMMER IN THE CITY SPECIALS
The sun is shining, temperatures are soaring and finally my appetite for hearty meals is waning. I’m in the mood for sharing my food. My desire for steak and kidney pud has given way to a hankering for seafood, salads and lighter bites. With this in mind I am launching my “SUMMER IN THE CITY SPECIALS”.
We will be extending our list of starters to include:
King scallops seared with lemon and garlic,
Lincolnshire asparagus grilled with fresh parmesan/hollandaise
Ffiona’s fab fishcakes (cod and sole)
Fresh buffalo mozzarella with sweet tomatoes and basil
Grilled halloumi cheese with sweet tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.
King prawns (shell off) with chillies, lime and ginger
Fresh fig, mint and feta cheese salad with pecans and pumpkin seeds.
You may decide to forget main courses and instead just pick and mix some starters with a couple of glasses of our delicious, chilled Rosés.
We are also offering:
Seared tuna with wasabi, Cornish megrim sole with lemon, fillets of sea bass with salsa verde and a wild rocket and fresh mint salad.
And also introducing our fabulous new cocktail……
AN ENGLISH GARDEN, gin, elderflower, lemonade muddled with cucumber, orange and lemon. Truly delicious!
MENTION THIS ARTICLE AND TRY ONE OF MY ENGLISH GARDEN COCKTAILS ON THE HOUSE WITH YOUR MEAL.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
May 02, 2011
REFURBISHMENT AT FFIONA’S
“Times they are a changin’…” sings Dylan and if anyone knows the score it’s him. Everyone wants bright and shiny these days and although I’d never go quite that far, it’s definitely time to renew, revamp and revitalise. Eighteen years of smoking, cooking and candles have taken their toll and a refurb is overdue.
I’ve chosen a beautiful, new fabric for the walls, been digging out all my old music scores for the ceiling. The carpet will be replaced by a dark wood floor and outside and in will be repainted. The candles will stay and I’ve already installed a dimmer switch to control the lighting (what an amazing invention…who knew?).
All of the above will take place during the month of August and of course I will let you know the exact dates when I have them.
Ffionas isn’t changing, we're simply embracing the here and now, making a foray into the world of cosmetic enhancement… and having a tasteful facelift.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
March 13, 2011
SPRING IS HERE….CARPE DIEM
I really wanted to write about all things Spring, Schiaparelli pink rhubarb, a beautiful plant mysteriously “forced” from the earth in dark sheds in Yorkshire. Milk fed lamb, meltingly tender, sweet and delicious served with wild garlic. Morels, sardines, native oysters, blood oranges, radish, new potatoes and asparagus. However this year I just haven’t got the same enthusiasm for eating tiny, baby lambs. It could well have something to do with Cumbria Jane*. (I can remember talking to her on the telephone and hearing the lambs she was hand rearing bleating in the background).
* All friends named Jane have a distinguishing tag i.e. Cumbria Jane lives in Cumbria, on a farm, Young Gorgeous Jane … self explanatory, Old Age Jane looks after the elderly etc…etc…
It’s the feeling of renewal that’s energizing me. Watching tightly wrapped buds of pale pink and white explode into exquisite blossoms, heavy with pollen. Shaking off our Winter coats and emerging into the sunlight.
I want to visit Greece in May and eat locally produced cheeses and honey for breakfast. Walk along beaches and pick Spring flowers from the hillsides. Eat fish, caught that morning cooked on the grill with lemon and herbs for lunch.
As I progress through life I realise more and more that we are only here for a short time and all the things we attach such value to: possessions, money, homes are just stuff that passes through our hands and lives and on and on through the lives of others.
It’s rather like a computer game, you reach Level 30 only to find that this has simply unlocked the path to the next 60 Levels!
So, as Spring emerges, dazzlingly fresh and new, embrace the feeling of wonderment and joy. Get out for a walk in the countryside or in one of our wonderful parks. Watch the watery sunlight filtering through the trees.
Go down to the coast, dip your foot in the icy water and feel the sand between your toes.
Spring fever is here, indulge yourself and seize the day.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
February 20, 2011
DON’T MESS WITH MY FOOD
In my neck of the woods, fiddly food seems to be making something of a comeback. There’s an awful lot of “nestling in” and “perfumed with” knocking about again. I really thought we’d seen the last of that in our local restaurants, but two of my favourites have both caught the bug and it seems to be spreading.
Of course there are some that prefer this type of cuisine, usually women, who are enviably thin and well maintained, rather like a classic sports car.
I do however, appreciate the skill and artistry involved in producing a plate that looks full, when actually you may only have one, rather tiny, fillet of sea bream on it. No doubt though, it will be gratinéd with something obscure. Possibly surrounded by miniscule puddles of a reduction of balsamic vinegar with shavings of parmesan. Nestling on a bed of something that will of course be perfumed with rosemary.
I know that it is said that the “eye takes the first bite” but sometimes I get dizzy and my eyes glaze over as I try to take it all in. I prefer simple, rustic food.
Heaven to me is a thick cut, rose veal steak, pan fried with sage and garlic, served with the meat juices from the pan and a pile of spinach. Another favourite is mackerel. I coat it in seasoned oatmeal and pan fry it, or, I halve ripe tomatoes and cook them with the mackerel adding a good squeeze of lemon, thyme and plenty of garlic. It could be some plump Devon scallops, seared in foaming butter with a little lemon, salt and pepper.
My absolute favourite is a roast dinner. Roast chicken with sage and onion stuffing, creamy bread sauce, gravy… ooh and not forgetting the crispy skin. Maybe a loin of pork, boned, stuffed and served with apple sauce and crackling. Blistered from the oven, the fat slightly sticky and salty with that unmistakable crunch. A majestic rib of beef takes some beating, cooked on the bone with Yorkshire pudding made with the beef dripping and served with freshly made creamed horseradish… I could go on and on.
To me, good, fresh food should be cooked simply and with passion and that’s a recipe I never tire of.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
February 03, 2011
January 30, 2011
CALLING ALL YOU SWEETHEARTS PLEASE BE MY TWEETHEARTS!
I am now on Twitter, so come on sweethearts and be my Tweethearts.
Follow me on Twitter @ffionasnotes and get all the daily gossip and offers straight from me to you.
- Ffiona
January 23, 2011
Valentine's at ffiona's
Book now for Valentine's Day, this menu will be available on Sunday 13th February as well as Monday 14th. Hope to see you then!
Click here to link to the Valentine's menu...
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
January 22, 2011
Bloody Mary Saturdays
Free cocktail of your choice with every brunch....every Saturday!
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
January 01, 2011
BLOODY MARY 2011
WITH THE NEW YEAR FAST APPROACHING ENSURE YOUR HANGOVER CURE IS UP TO THE JOB!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
BLOODY MARY MORNINGS
“It’s a Bloody Mary morning,
baby left me without warning,
sometime in the night…”
…sings Willie Nelson and it sounds like reason enough to me to order a tall, spicy, blood red, vodka fuelled cocktail. Those lyrics in fact, could have gone any old way really…
“It’s a Bloody Mary morning,
I woke up and I was yawning/and the curtains they need drawing/the rain it was still pouring, etc…etc…
Let’s face it, you don’t need a reason you need an attitude. It’s seen as a slightly indulgent, louche type of beverage, drunk by equally indulgent, louche individuals.
It’s a stylish, classy drink, not on a par with a martini you understand, but in a class all of its own. A breakfast cocktail no less, now that’s hardcore. Daquiris and Pina Coladas should hang their heads in shame, this is a drink to be reckoned with.
Willie Nelson rates it and I could definitely see Jeffrey Barnard and Peter O’Toole downing a few at the Coach and Horses in Soho whilst trying to remember the what’s, whys and wherefores of the previous evening. A hell raisers drink no less.
It is my favourite cocktail on a par with a Negroni. It’s an easy choice between the two though, my rule is: only drink Bloody Marys whilst there is still daylight and after sundown it’s Negronis all the way. Often all the way to all kinds of misadventures and I’ve ended up with some interesting tales to tell and some that are best forgotten.
It’s also seen as a civilised way to start your Sunday brunch and cure your hangover all in one tall drink. That being said there are some bloody awful Bloody Marys around and there really is nothing more disgusting than a glass of tepid tomato juice with some vodka and a few desultory drips of Lea and Perrins sinking through the goo.
These are the components of a good Bloody Mary:
Freshly grated horseradish
Fresh lemon juice
Good vodka
Freshly milled black pepper
Tomato juice
Celery salt
Lea & Perrins
Ice
The combination of these elements produces a drink that engages all of our senses full on.
BEHOLD the highball glass filled with a drink the colour of bull’s blood sporting an even taller stick of celery with a fat wedge of bright green lime languishing on top.
PICK IT UP and feel the chill and the condensation on the frosted glass.
INHALE the aromas of horseradish, always a winner for clearing the sinuses, mingling with fresh pepper and spices.
HEAR the crunch of that first bite of celery and the clink of the ice.
TASTE it, that first mouthful, spicy tomato juice and horseradish shot through with the sharpness of fresh lemon and pepper and of course the hit of the vodka…delicious!
You can keep your Bellinis and Buck’s Fizz, for me, if you’re going to drink Champagne for, breakfast, then drink it, don’t dilute it. Personally there’s no contest, if you’re drinking before lunch, maybe even before your morning coffee, then it has to be Bloody Marys all the way.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2011)
December 12, 2010
October 31, 2010
THANKSGIVING
As a Brit I have wholeheartedly embraced Thanksgiving as my favourite holiday. Obviously it has its origins in America but, as I always say,
“If every country adopted the spirit of American Thanksgiving, there would, I believe, be far fewer wars in the world.”
What’s so special about Thanksgiving? Well for me it’s the food, obviously. The first turkey of the year with all the trimmings followed by our sweet potato meringue pie. To quote one of my older, Texan regulars;
“…just like my sweet Momma used to make, God bless her soul. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
It’s such a joyous occasion, unsullied by religion or money, just food, friends and family, a recipe for being truly thankful if ever there was one.
It is so popular that we do two sittings and a takeaway service where families simply collect their feast, hot from our ovens, to enjoy at home.
The work starts on the Wednesday and is run with military precision. Organisation, preparation and general hard graft are key. Every square inch of our oven space is utilised. (Last year I sat, babysitting/basting a turkey from midnight until it was cooked and ready to collect at 9.00am)! Mountains of potatoes are peeled then roasted or mashed. Trays of spicy pumpkin are prepared along with Brussel sprouts, carrots, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sauce. As a nod to my English followers of the feast, I also prepare pots of bread sauce. Breadcrumbs rich with butter and milk, flavoured with cloves and onion and finished with a large splash of double cream. Trays of apple and blueberry crumble are left to cool and our sweet potato pies are topped with snowy peaks of meringue and baked until they’re browned. I’m beginning to drool just thinking about it all!
Well if it sounds good, believe me, it tastes even better, so don’t be disappointed, come and join us…..eat in or takeaway, come and share the day!
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR THANKSGIVING MENU
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
THANKSGIVING MENU 2010
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
October 01, 2010
September 20, 2010
FFIONA THE OWNER WHIPS UP A WAFFLE
She is currently down in the kitchen pondering on how we remove the ‘protective grease’ from the waffle plates.
Q. How do we know that the gunk that’s slathered all over the cast iron plates is ‘protective grease‘, used to prevent rusting?
A. Because we phoned the company and accused them, in no uncertain terms of sending us a used machine and charging for a new one, that’s how!
Will I ever learn? Probably not…”you catch more flies with honey than vinegar…….” is my mantra of the moment, no more “bull in a china shop” for me…….well not for a couple of days.
Anyway, enough of this waffling, back to the kitchen!
The batter is made, looks too thick to me but here goes…
Whoops!
This is obviously going to be a work in progress ……what can I say, Rome, after all, wasn’t built in a day. However, what I can say is that the buttermilk pancakes are wonderful, crisp and golden on the outside and meltingly delicious in the middle…..heaven on a plate!
So, my little sugar pies, stay tuned for more news……
TA DAH!
WE WILL FINALLY OPEN FOR WEEKEND BRUNCH STARTING ON SATURDAY 9TH/SUNDAY 10TH OCTOBER AND EVERY WEEKEND THEREAFTER, WITH OR WITHOUT THE WAFFLES…YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
P.S.
In the meantime you could always pop into Bonds Restaurant in the Threadneedles Hotel for breakfast. The head chef, Barry Tonks, makes a mean waffle and has shared his authentic New York recipe with us. What a sweetie he is……..THANK YOU BARRY!
Bonds Restaurant
Threadneedles Hotel
5, Threadneedle Street
London EC2R 8AY
020 7657 8080
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
August 02, 2010
LET THEM EAT CAKE
“….all God’s creatures….they’re all God’s creatures Ffiona ”
This credo even applies to the evil slug that attaches itself to the cat’s fur in order to enter the house Trojan Horse style, only to be removed from the surprised cat and gently put back outside, to plot and scheme for another day. The cat, well, the entire household revolves around her happiness, she rules the roost. Then, of course, there’s the birds. Food has to be put out in different parts of the garden at different times of the day so that they all have a “fair chance”.
So when Mum spotted a lame pigeon hobbling around by her chair we weren't too surprised when she said;
“Aaah! Look at that poor little bird, he’s lame. His little foot’s half off .“
“Look Mum, he seems fine, he looks well fed to me. Just leave it alone.” I advised.
However, I may as well have been speaking Swahili, she was out of her chair and had joined the queue at Café Nero.
Mum was on a mission.
The long queue…. didn’t phase her one bit.
“Excuse me. So sorry… I must have some sugar. Excuse me. Thank you….so sorry I just need something sweet. Thank you.” She trilled.
The queue, sensing some sort of medical emergency, literally parted like the Red Sea for her. She sailed through up to the counter thanking everyone profusely and bought a slice of organic, (only the best), lemon drizzle cake.
Back at base camp she broke off a few crumbs and ignoring the heavily signed wall….. PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS…..and surreptitiously dropped them by her chair. Bingo! Lame bird hobbles over and greedily hoovers them up, job done. This is where the story should end, but of course it doesn’t.
Flushed with success and overflowing with the of milk human kindness, she breaks up the rest of the cake and drops it by her chair.
WHOOSH!
Within seconds the Café Nero enclosure resembled a scene from Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. Every pigeon in Liverpool had come to the party. They descended in circling columns on our table, swooping and diving. Fighting and flapping around our ankles in a wild and noisy feeding frenzy.
The station came to a virtual standstill, people stopped to stare at the spectacle. My sister was shouting at my mum. I was curled up, almost in the foetal position, my hands up over my face and head, screaming hysterically and stamping my feet up and down to scare them away. Mum had the good grace to look slightly embarassed and as the pigeons finally finished their feast and flew off she shrugged her shoulders, smiled at us and said;
“All God’s creatures girls. All God’s creatures.”
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
July 01, 2010
THANK GOD IT’S ALL OVER
The roar of the England lions turned into the mewing of spoiled, overfed lap cats, they didn’t even make it to the quarter finals..... As usual they’ll be home before the postcards!
I also heard recently, that the England team had turned down a lucrative sponsorship deal worth around 700 million pounds with a leading pet food company. Apparantly, they thought it might upset the fans to watch the team running around in shirts emblazoned with “WINALOT” on them…….there’s always next time boys.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
June 27, 2010
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD DEAL
- THE NEIGHBOURHOOD DEAL -
£19.95
3 COURSE SET DINNER
(2 CHOICES FOR EACH COURSE)
Menu changes weekly
Tues - Sat 6.30 - 11pm
Sun 7pm - 10pm
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
May 31, 2010
SHE’S GONE
Where do I start? Valda’s not someone you can sum up in a few lines. She was my friend for 28 years, eccentric, creative and hugely funny. In Valda’s life everything was pink and the more vibrant the better, including at times, her hair. Creative in so many ways, fabulous cook and gifted artist, she also designed and made the most off-the-wall sweaters imaginable, but in later life she concentrated on her photography.
When I was learning to cook she put me up and shared her home with me and others too. She helped me through my disastrous marriage and was full of encouragement when penniless, I decided to open my restaurant. Her advice was direct and honest, she never sugar coated it.
Her love for her friends was exceeded only by her love of animals. Her horse, Totty, loved to stand on people’s feet which delighted Valda…..so you see, even her pets had personality. She loved all animals but dogs were her passion, except for labradors, she found them irritating, and I quote;
“Nothing on god’s earth can be that happy……they’re just plain stupid.“
That aside, she rescued dogs, parrots and raised money for the greyhound charities even designing a memorable picture of a cherub kissing a greyhound, accompanied by the words,
“All greyhounds and lurchers have been kissed by angels.”
This was then printed onto T shirts with all the proceeds going to the charity. Her last dog, Wisteria, Wisty for short, a truly elegant greyhound is currently being looked after by her son Leckie.
Valda lived for her friends, she cooked for us, shared her home with us and provided not only a wonderful home for her animals and birds but a warm, safe and secure haven for us too.
During the last two months of her life her home became a hub. Her girls, as she called us, organised a rota to care for her but we were rarely alone as literally streams of friends dropped in throughout the day and evening. The back door was never locked and Wisty, jumping and running around would herald the latest arrival.
My favourite time to be there was when I arrived late at night after work. I would give her a kiss and a hug, make myself a coffee and have a chat with Cathy, Jane or Tracy or whoever had been sitting with her. Then I’d get my bed ready, in fact I slept in the kitchen with the connecting doors open from her room. Leckie and I would help her into bed and we normally all had a laugh as we tried to make her comfortable, some nights were harder than others. We’d sit with her until she fell asleep, always with the light on, she couldn’t stand the dark.
Valda hated to miss anything and was miffed that she wouldn’t be at the party after her funeral. So we planned a tea party, her “living wake” she called it. It was just going to be us girls and some of Leckie’s mates, in the event over 60 people turned up. Everyone baked and the tables were groaning with delicious food. A gazebo was put up in garden, chairs were borrowed from the local school, tablecloths from the cricket club and the sun dutifully shone. Valda appeared dressed in a hot pink T shirt, black joggers, pale pink linen tunic and draped in a matching pink feather boa, accompanied by Wisty, sporting a fuschia boa. It was a great day and no one that was lucky enough to be there will ever forget it.
The weeks that followed were filled with more friends and lots and lots of laughter, she imposed a zero tolerance policy for tears.
Then came the midddle of the night phone calls to the community nurses for morphine shots and the almost daily visits from her GP, Dr. Paul Van den Bosch, who inspired us all with the amazing level of care he provided.
She would open her eyes in the morning and see me sitting there;
“Lovely!
How lovely to see you Nona.
When do you sleep?”
She would ask me.
“Go and make yourself a coffee and have a fag, I’m fine for now.”
Then the day began again, Jane would arrive armed with freshly baked bread and put the kettle on. Later on someone would stop at the same local bakery and bring cakes for tea…..Tracy, Cathy, Wendy or Miranda would be there for the evening shift.
She brought us all together. I met old friends and made many new ones, friendships that I'm sure will endure. Even in her illness she gave us so much.
Bob Dylan, her hero, played on the ipod 24hrs a day. The parrots shrieked her name and her friends kept on coming.
Then, exactly three weeks after the party, on my birthday, Sunday May 2nd at 4am she died.
It felt like my world had stopped, it still does.
200 people crowded into the crematorium…..all dressed in pink to honour her. Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” played, Cathy read the eulogy. A poem was read and a song was sung, both written for her and with the strains of Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” still ringing in our ears it seemed like it would all be ok.
We headed off to Pirbright village hall and feasted on homemade cakes and sandwiches, absolutely delicious, everyone enjoying the day.
Afterwards; Cathy, Jane, Caroline, Chrissy, Tracy, Miranda and me went and sat in the garden of the local pub. We raised a glass to Valda and howled with tears and laughter. Dressed in pink and fairly loud we were mistaken for a hen party…..much to our delight.
I packed my bags, said my goodbyes to Leckie and Wisty and prepared to leave. Jane and I ended the day with Lindy and Richard, who everyone adores, sipping gin and tonics by the fire in their lovely home. As we drove back to London there was the most dramatic sunset. Oranges, yellows and shocking pinks stained the evening sky. Then, as we crossed Putney Bridge all that was left were two enormous streaks of fuschia pink. Well, if you believe in heaven……she had definitely arrived.
She is deeply mourned, greatly missed and will never be forgotten.
VALDA MIYOSAWA 19th January 1943 - 2nd May 2010
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
April 26, 2010
GO ON…SAVOUR THE FLAVOUR!
Bright green or white asparagus, British is best by far. The white spears are grown under banks of soil so that the only part that colours is the tip, which turns to a pale violet, the taste being more subtle and mildly bitter.
So, how to prepare it and its best uses, well, where do I start? You can boil, roast, char grill, stir fry, steam, sauté, griddle, bake it or poach it. Its good as a vegetable or a starter, as a main course, as a salad, a soup or in a quiche, dipped into poached or boiled eggs, in a stir fry or barbequed. In short just use your imagination there are no boundaries, however we all have our favourites. Personally I like asparagus spears boiled, and then drenched in hot, salty butter or, dipped into a foamy pool of hollandaise sauce. To boil, simply submerge the spears into a pan of boiling, salted water for 3-6 minutes until they are tender.
Asparagus also roasts beautifully and what could be simpler or more delicious than roasted asparagus with shavings of fresh parmesan melting all over it?
To roast it, use a baking sheet to put the spears on and drizzle with a little olive oil, place into a preheated oven, 220C or gas 7, for 10 minutes. Turn the spears whilst cooking a couple of times and serve piping hot, the stems should be soft, not limp and the tips slightly crunchy.
From the fields to the shops in less than 24hours, English asparagus is the best, it’s a fast food that’s nutritious, versatile and value for money……..beat that!
April 19, 2010
February 28, 2010
ZIZZI - MARCH REVIEW
Will this vile weather ever end? Today we had sunshine and hailstones simultaneously, closely followed by howling winds, rain and finally snow showers to round off the day. English weather, all four seasons in one day, personally I am fed up to the back teeth with it all. No amount of yoke yellow daffodils, desperately trying to announce that Spring is just around the corner can lift my spirits.
However, there is an upside to everything and this is the perfect weather to tuck into some good, rustic Italian pasta. Huge plates of Spaghetti Bolognese, or tagliatelle piled high with pork and beef meatballs packed with fresh garlic and oregano. Homemade tomato sauce, fiery with red chilies, draped over a bowl of steaming, hot penne, or maybe Puttanesca sauce, flamboyant, rich with olives, capers, breadcrumbs and a hint of chili peppers.
Then there’s the cream sauces; luscious Fettucine Carbonara being a favourite of mine or maybe you prefer the flavour of basil and pine nuts in a delicious pesto sauce. I am beginning to feel better already.
So, where do I go to indulge my passion for pasta? I head off to Zizzi, and there are plenty to choose from, in fact W8 is flanked by two branches, Earl’s Court Road and Notting Hill Gate.
Zizzi offer traditional, rustic Italian food, great service and most importantly of all, excellent value for money. Some of their branches currently offer a set two course lunch menu for £10 and a three course meal for £16.95 which includes a glass of Prosecco.(Please check their website for details of these offers).
Having just celebrated their tenth birthday they seem to be maturing nicely. They keep their eye on the ball by regularly updating the menus and offering imaginative seasonal specials. This is a restaurant for all tastes, all pockets and it’s child friendly.
As I sit here in Zizzi writing this, I have a plate of piping hot spaghetti pomodoro in front of me. Studded with sweet, baby Santos tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, there are small puddles of buffalo milk mozarella splashed on the steaming, scarlet sauce like little floating islands.I look out of the window, the rain is pouring down, beating a steady and depressing rhythm, everywhere it’s grey. Do I care?
Not me, I’m about to go island hopping. Ciao!
_____________________
ZIZZI - NOTTING HILL
2-6, Notting Hill Gate020 7243 2888
ZIZZI - EARL’S COURT
194-196, Earl’s Court Rd.,
020 7370 1999
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
February 10, 2010
BUTTERMILK DELIGHT
I HAVE FOUND BUTTERMILK!
My first experience of it was when we started to make our own soda bread to serve with our amazing duck paté. It brings a lightness to your baking, it really is fabulous. I went on to experiment with a breakfast loaf which I feel is soon to become a best seller on my brunch menu. I made buttermilk pancakes, biscuits and southern fried buttermilk chicken, the list goes on.
It’s low fat, low cost and simply delicious….BUTTERMILK ROCKS!
However, during my quest for unusual buttermilk recipes I
came
across a sweet little story about a group of American women in the
1930’s who baked pies, cakes and biscuits and made homemade lemonade
for their church. They organised “bake and take” evenings for church
suppers and made up picnic baskets to take down to the river when the
minister was performing baptisms.
The following recipe is from the minister’s wife, Sister Lizzie Honeycut. It’s said that when she was asked for her recipes she was always tickled pink and happy to oblige. Sweet Lizzie did not believe in keeping secret recipes she saw them as “blessings” to be shared with all.
An admirable sentiment and so in the true spirit of sister Lizzie I will share with you one of her wonderful pie recipes.
Copyright © Ffiona Reid-Owen (2010)
Sister Lizzie's Southern Buttermilk Pie
FOR THE PAT IN THE PAN PIE CRUST
2.5 cups of self raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons of cold milk
2/3 cup of vegetable oil
Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl and add the wet ingredients and stir gently until the dough forms a ball - don’t over mix. Put the dough into a pie pan and pat it thin and flat to conform to the shape of the pan. Crimp the edges, you are now ready for the filling.
3 tablespoon of self raising flour
4 eggs, whisked
1 cup buttermilk
1.5 teaspoons vanilla essence
½ a cup of melted butter that has cooled
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Combine the flour and sugar. Stir in the eggs and buttermilk. Add the cooled, melted butter, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and nutmeg. Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 425 F in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350F and bake for a further 40 minutes. Cool and serve.
ffiona
My name is ffiona and I have run my own business, ffiona’s restaurant, for over fifteen years. Every day presents new delights and fresh challenges, and that’s what I love about my work the most. There are never two days that are the same……ever. So many people have passed through the doors leaving behind them their stories. The menu too has evolved. There is now a huge blackboard offering fresh, seasonal food and also daily specials. A far cry from the small, white, laminated card from fifteen years ago with six limited choices, and I think four of those were chicken! So I finally started to write it all down, the recipes, the stories and all my various jottings, all in one place at last……..ffiona’s notes.
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