Restaurant Review: Graze, Brighton

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I love me a fancy restaurant, and the last time I visited Brighton (way back in April), I decided to book a table at Graze, a place I’d heard some pretty good things about! Their lunch time tasting menu is actually really reasonable for a restaurant of their quality, so I was really excited to visit – and I wasn’t disappointed at all!

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Before we even began on our starters, we were brought some delicious soup shots, and some bread with different kinds of butter (you guys know how much I love bread and butter!). This was a really nice touch, because the different flavoured butters really added a different dimension to this restaurant table staple. My favourite was the one flavoured with a hint of lemon.

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Now, the menu above isn’t actually the one we picked from, as they had changed the starters and puddings and forgotten to swap the new menu in (we were the first customers of the day!). So, for my starter, I had pigeon salad, which was very nice indeed.

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The salad and the peas were delicious, and the meat was smoky and gamey without being overpowering – and cooked to perfection!

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The Mr. had a gorgeous wild garlic risotto, and loved every scrap of it – it was really tasty, and inspired me to try a similar dish when I got some wild garlic in my Riverford veg box (although it didn’t come out as bright green as this did!).

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My main was the gorgeous braised pork belly, and it was velvety and delicious on its bed of celariac puree – I never thought of preparing celariac like this, but it was so smooth and creamy I might have to give it a try!

Totally unexpectedly, before our pudding we were treated to a palette cleanser!

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For pudding, I had a really light and refreshing pineapple dish with Malibu ice-cream – the pineapple was cut so finely that it actually gave it a really interesting texture, much different to the usual chunky cut pineapple I usually eat.

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The Mr. had a selection of ice creams and sorbets, which were all delicious, especially the ice cream – which I suspect was cardamom, but we never actually found out…

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I was really surprised to be offered so many tasty and thoughtful extras with such a reasonably priced set menu, and I wasn’t disappointed by a single course. I came away feeling satisfied, but not full, and as though I had had a really excellent meal – sadly, not something you can say after every restaurant visit, especially not at this price…

Graze is currently taking bookings for their Christmas parties, and it looks as though the cheaper lunch tasting menu has been replaced with a more expensive dinner tasting menu, but you can also try their new British menu, or pop in for a Sunday roast!

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How to stave off hunger during a diet

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The two biggest enemies to a restricted diet are boredom, and hunger. There are loads of tips about distracting yourself to stave off boredom, but hunger pangs are harder to ignore. However, there is an easy way to combat them in advance – and that’s with psyllium husks.

Sounds scary and scientific, right? Or like some kind of quack quick-fix? Actually, all it is is indigestible fibre, which bulks out your tummy, filling you up before a meal and making those calories stretch further. The husks are completely harmless – I’ve done some research and can find nothing negative about them whatsoever – provided you take them as per the instructions. These instructions are really simple – take two, 30-60 minutes before a meal, with at least 250ml water. The water is important, because these husks are dried, and expand with the water to create bulk in your tummy.

As I’m a curious bunny, when I got my husks, I decided to break one open into the water to find out what was actually inside them before I put them inside my body! When you crack open the plastic capsule, inside is sand-coloured powder. Drop that powder into a glass of water, and the powder forms a thick gel. That’s what will keep you feeling full, and that’s why these are so handy for dieters who find themselves defeated by hunger, especially at the beginning of a diet.

You can buy these in the UK from Holland and Barrett, and there are very often offers or deals going on for them there. At the moment, you can buy two packs for £12.06, which should last a couple of months.

Whatever you do, don’t use these as a way of skipping meals altogther – you need to eat a meal 30-60 mins after taking these. This is not a meal substitute.

In search of: the perfect gold nail varnish

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You know, sometimes you get an idea in your head, and you just can’t shake it out. I was like that with gold nail varnish for the past year and a half. I got it in my head that what I really NEEDED for the holidays was gold nail varnish. Proper bright, sparkly, beautiful, rich gold nail varnish, varnish that would say “HELLO CHRISTMAS! Yes, indeed, I am ready to party!”

People, I am pleased to say, my search is over.

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Please excuse the hasty rush job on these nails, I got over-excited when they were drying… Sigh. Anyway, I hope you can see that gorgeous shade on the bottom thumb there – that is the gold of my dreams! What is this exotic metallic varnish called, I hear you cry?! Why, it’s OPI’s Goldeneye! The MUST-HAVE gold varnish for 2012, I reckon!

In a clockwise fashion from the bottom, these are the ‘gold’ varnishes I am wearing: Goldeneye (OPI, the clear winner), Gold Coin (Revlon, just not at all what I hoped for, it’s basically just silver!) Glimmer (TopShop, my second favourite, but more of a bronze), Gold (GOSH, another tame looking gold), then Star Dust (Rimmel, another bronzy one).

Here, though, is the clear winner. Isn’t it beautiful? You can purchase this shade from HQHair for £11.

What to do with left over turkey at Thanksgiving

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Leftovers at Thanksgiving can be so much more than a simple rehash of that Turkey Day meal (although, let’s face it, that’d be pretty darn delicious anyway!). Try these recipes for delicious leftovers – I promise you, none of them will feel like second-best meals! In fact, you might be tempted to roast another turkey (or chicken) just to make some more!

Leftover mosaic

Week One: Feel Good Chicken Broth - Broth before stock

Dining at WestQuay: Wagamama, choccies, and samples galore!

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Today I popped down to WestQuay for the launch of their revamped upstairs dining section, and a look at their cooking demonstrations – and to try some samples, of course! Earlier in the day, celebrity chef Aldo Zilli was on hand for some demos, but I caught the later cooking displays from the team at Wagamama, who made some delicious Asian-inspired dishes.

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The team put together a variety of dishes, and being a greedy pig I got to try all of them!

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This is the goma wakame salad, which is a new dish on the autumn menu this year – a nice, refreshing dish with a toasted sesame seed oil and vinegar dressing. IMG_6064

Chilli squid, which is one of their starters – delicious, crispy and spicy!

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The squid is seasoned with sea salt and shichimi, which is a Japanese red chilli. It was served with a vinegar-based chilli, garlic and coriander dipping sauce. IMG_6069

I really liked this dish! Nom! IMG_6071

This was chicken and prawn cha han, which is usually served with miso soup and pickles (incidentally, my favourite Japanese breakfast!). It’s not usually the kind of thing I order in restaurants because it’s not really exotic, and seems a little plain, but I really enjoyed this – it was very savoury and the special Wagamama dressing they poured on really gave the rice a great flavour. I also loved the addition of the prawns and the egg.

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This was the chicken and prawn Wagamama pad Thai, made with rice noodles, chicken, prawns, egg, beansprouts, garlic, ginger and chillies. I was surprised by the addition of mint, but it was actually a really nice addition that gave it a fresh taste.

There were also some samples from other companies at WestQuay, who all got a chance to come and give a little pitch about their products before we got a taste. IMG_6074

This lovely lady was from Hotel Chocolat, and dispensed samples of Raspberry Smoothie, a delicious milk chocolate truffle with a raspberry creme filling (made with real raspberries!).

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It was actually really delicious – I don’t usually go for fruit-filled chocolates, but this wasn’t too sweet or artificial tasting at all. Well, of course it wasn’t, it was made with real fruit!

These two girls were from Harry Ramsden’s and hilariously, neither of them liked fish… A good advert for the diversity of the menu, I guess?

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Either way, Sara was happy because they gave out free chips (and she’s allergic to fish, so I guess proves Harry Ramsden’s really is more than just battered cod!).

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We also took a wander upstairs to check out the new Dining area, and I have to say, I was really impressed with its makeover!

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Maybe it’s just because I love the Christmas decorations, but it looks really good up there! Actually, it’s not just the deccies, the furnishings and design is much nicer than it was before – very contemporary and in keeping with the newer, higher end brands that have set up shop now.

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Even older brands have had a new look, and Cafe Giardino looks great in its new home under the stairs – making way for Ed’s Easy Diner in its place (which still hasn’t opened yet!).

We’re so cosmopolitan now we even have a Mexican place, Tortilla.

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My husband will be pretty happy about that! They even do margaritas (not that I’ll be having any of those – tequila and I don’t get on!).

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All in all, I was really impressed with the new look and brands at WestQuay – I never usually eat in the food hall but this will definitely tempt me back – although what it’ll look like on a Saturday at lunch time, I dread to think! But for now, with the Christmas decorations and cool new tables and chairs, it looks pretty inviting, don’t you think?

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What to do with leftover chicken and turkey: simple yet elegant chicken or turkey soup

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Eating turkey soup might seem like a chore, but with a few simple steps, you can create a dish with beautiful presentation that anyone would be thrilled to eat after some Black Friday shopping!
Week One: Feel Good Chicken Broth - Broth before stock

Simply make your turkey or chicken soup using a carcass, covered with cold water. Add in extras like peppercorns, herbs (woody or hardy herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme are best), onions and carrots, and allow the stock for simmer for as long as you can – all day if possible. Top up as needed. When you’re ready, drain away everything except the stock, then add to a clean pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until the stock is a tasty soup – you may need to reduce down to a half of the original volume.

To give this dish pretty presentation, fill a bowl with shredded turkey or chicken, and thin cut, cooked vegetables (you can cook them in the broth while its reducing) cut into shapes. Add a sprig of rosemary – this will scent the broth as well as being a pretty garnish. If you really want to impress, serve the bowls as pictured above, then pour the turkey stock from a beautiful presentation jug right at the dinner table!

 Week One: Feel Good Chicken Broth

What to do with leftover chicken and turkey: chicken egg fu young

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Egg fu young is a very westernised dish; basically a Chinese take on an omelette. The name is said to derive from ‘fu young’, which is a kind of hibiscus with beautiful flowers. The dish consists of eggs cooked like an omelette, with a variety of fillings, served with a savoury brown sauce. You can adapt this recipe to use a huge variety of different fillings – I’ve used prawns, ham and chicken/turkey – but use any filling you like!
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INGREDIENTS

  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 100g beansprouts
  • 75g left over chicken or turkey
  • 75g raw prawns
  • 75g ham, cut into small pieces
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp soy sauce

Sauce

  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water

METHOD

  • Prepare the sauce by adding all of the ingredients except the cornstarch and the water to a saucepan.
  • Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in your frying pan, and put over a high heat. Add your garlic and spring onions, and allow to fry for a few seconds, until they begin to smell fragrant. Add the beansprouts and stir fry for a minute, then add the raw prawns, chicken and ham, and cook for another minute, or until the prawns are cooked through. Drain the excess liquid off and into your saucepan for the sauce – this ensures your omelette isn’t soggy when it’s cooked. Set the mixture aside, and when slightly cooler, add the beaten eggs and the soy sauce.
  • Clean the frying pan, then add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan over a medium heat, and ladle in half of your egg and filling mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn over and cook for a further minute the other side.
  • Drain the omelette on some kitchen towel and keep warm. Repeat the cooking process for the remaining oil and egg mixture.
  • Finish your sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, and meanwhile mix the cornstarch and the water together thoroughly. When your sauce is boiling, add the cornstarch mixture, and stir until the sauce thickens and boils.
  • Serve the omelette on a warm plate with the sauce spooned over the top. This will serve two adults for a main course or four for a lunch or snack. If you wish to serve more people, the best thing is to reduce the size of the frying pan you cook the omelette in, as thinner omelettes are harder to turn. Best served with plain rice.

Egg Fu Young finished

Variations

Egg fu young is easy to adapt and you can use plenty of different fillings to vary the taste. If you’re a vegetarian, you can replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock and leave out the meat. You can try bamboo shoots, peas, carrots, onion, peppers, mushrooms, celery, cucumber or water chestnuts. Just make sure that anything canned in water is drained thoroughly, and tougher vegetables like carrots and peppers are cooked through before you make your omelette. Left over roast meat is brilliant here – or try char siu or leftover duck. You can even play around with the sauce – some recipes call for chilli sauce, garlic, spring onions, vinegar, Chinese rice wine and sugar as added ingredients.

Egg Fu Young no sauce

Serving Up Food Heaven: Dining at WestQuay, 22 November

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If you’re from Southampton, or regularly visit our big shopping centre, WestQuay, you may have noticed some building work afoot over the past few months! Tomorrow, on 22 November, all that hard work is officially paid off as the centre launches the new Dining at WestQuay – a wider range of restaurants available for customers visiting the mall. New restaurants will include Pizza Express (yes!), noodle restaurant Wagamama (yes!), Southampton’s first Café Rouge Express (YES!), Mexican eatery Tortilla (yes!) and the American-inspired Ed’s Easy Diner (OH GOD YES!).

To celebrate, there will be a day of culinary delights, led by award-winning chef Aldo Zilli, who will be showcasing his Italian-inspired cuisine live on stage!
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From 12pm, shoppers will be treated to 3 demonstrations, which feature dishes such as pasta chitarra with four tomato sauce, baked cod with black olive crust, and a panettone dessert. Chefs from some of the other new dining companies will also be demonstrating their dishes – including Wagamama, so expect some Asian-inspired dishes as well!

Of course, if you really want to get the crowds in, you have to offer samples, so you’ll be pleased to know many of the food outlets are planning just that, from Hotel Chocolat, Nando’s, Marks and Spencer, Starbucks and Café Giardino. There will also be prizes, special offers and discounts up for grabs!

Check out the site for more info at WestQuay’s site.

My first GlossyBox: November 2012

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I recently heard about GlossyBox after trawling through lots of different beauty blogs, so I had to try it out myself! The company offers a monthly delivery of a range of beauty samples for a set price (£12.95 per month, but there are a range of cheaper options for longer subscription times), with different themes and random contents every month. I love surprises, and I love trying new things, so it sounded right up my street!

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Here’s my first delivery! The first thing I noticed is that these things really are packaged incredibly beautifully – in a patterned cardboard box for postage, and inside, a tough gift box, tied with a ribbon. Gorgeous!

I got the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (which I actually used to use, so am very happy to receive again to see whether it still works on my skin), the Alison Clare mango body butter (used already, very nice smell, and thick formula – although you need to squeeze quite  hard to get it out of the bottle!), the Dr. Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm (never would have tried this product, but I’m very intrigued to see whether it’ll work for me), the Porchester Square Nails Inc varnish, and the Wei Beauty face treatment pad! Looking online, it seems like not many people got the face treatment pad, so I’m very honoured (especially as this is a full sized product, and very pricey).

Check back another day for my review of the Wei Black Soy treatment pad, and my thoughts on the other products in the box.