Southbank Café with Napier

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee

Directions:

1) After your coffee has brewed, combine the sugar & milk and heat it in your microwave for 2 minutes at the highest setting.
2) Next, whip the heated milk/sugar mix in your blender for about one minute until it's a fluffy foam.
3) Fill your cup two thirds full with the coffee and top it off with your heated froth.

Cappuchinos with Napier on the Southbank Centre terrace overlooking the Thames: on July 25, 2013. Then on to drop excess luggage at the RTYC, a walk through Hyde Park walk and South Ken, and finally stops at Grangers and the Ferrari dealership!

Regent's Park, Smoked Salmon & Canal Walk

Sensible Pad Thai

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 5 ounces pad thai rice noodles
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 6 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined (optional)
• 2 tablespoons 1x1/2x1/8" slices pressed tofu (bean curd)
• 1 tablespoon sweet preserved shredded radish, rinsed, chopped into 1" pieces
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 5 tablespoons tamarind water, or 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon tamarind paste mixed with 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (or more) Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons simple syrup made with palm sugar (or honey?)
• 4 garlic chives, 2 cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tablespoons crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts, divided
• 2 lime wedges
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground dried Thai chiles, divided

 

Preparation

Place noodles in a large bowl; pour hot water over to cover. Let soak until tender but not mushy, 5-10 minutes. Drain; set aside. 

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg; stir until barely set, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, if using. Cook, stirring, until shrimp and egg are almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add tofu and radish; cook for 30 seconds.

Add noodles and cook for 1 minute. Stir in sprouts. Add tamarind water, fish sauce, and simple syrup and stir-fry until sauce is absorbed by noodles and noodles are well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in chopped garlic chives. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground chiles and 1 tablespoon peanuts and toss well. Transfer to serving plates.

Garnish with remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground chiles, 1 tablespoon peanuts, and lime wedges.

First time we tried (something like) this recipe was: with Napier at his recording studio on July 2, 2013. Then a walk all over Camden.

Hyde Park Crudités

 

Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre & Hummus

Ingredients

For hummus

• 4 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chick-peas, rinsed
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup stirred tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup water

• Garnish: 160 small fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• pitas
• olive oil

 

Preparation

Toast pitas:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Halve pitas horizontally and stir together oil and paprika. Brush rough sides of pitas with paprika oil and season with salt. Cut each pita round into 8 wedges and bake in single layers on a large baking sheet in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until crisp. 

Hummus:
Finely grind cumin seeds in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Purée chick-peas in a food processor with cumin, garlic, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, and salt and add enough water to make smooth.

We had this during an editing and post-it-ing session on the terrace of the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre.

 

Poetry Café Goat Cheese Salad

 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup French green lentils*
• 6 cups 1-inch pieces peeled seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (from about one 2-pound whole pumpkin)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika**
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

 

Preparation

Place lentils in small bowl. Cover with cold water and soak 10 minutes; drain.

Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Drain lentils. Rinse under cold water, then drain.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pumpkin in large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and sea salt. Arrange pumpkin in single layer on baking sheet; roast 20 minutes. Turn pumpkin over. 

Roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

Combine lentils, pumpkin, and oil from baking sheet with arugula, half of goat cheese, mint, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates; sprinkle remaining goat cheese over.

The first time we tried goat cheese salad here was: lunch on Friday, May 17, 2013.

(This recipe is similar to the goat cheese salad we had that day.)

Poetry Café Vegetarian Quiche

 

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 12 ounces yellow crookneck squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 3/4 cup (packed) coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 3 ounces)

 

Preparation

For crust:
Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until coarse meal forms. Add 4 tablespoons ice water. Using on/off turns, blend until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 14 1/2-inch round. Transfer to 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in; press to form double-thick sides. Push sides up until 1/4 inch higher than top edge of pan. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze 10 minutes.

Line dough with foil and dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is golden, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 15 minutes. Transfer crust to rack; cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

For filling:
Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add squash and thyme. Sauté until squash is just tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in bowl. Arrange squash over bottom of crust.

Sprinkle with mozzarella. Place tart pan on oven rack. Pour egg mixture into crust, filling completely (some egg mixture may be left over).

Bake quiche until filling is golden and set in center, about 35 minutes. Transfer quiche to rack; cool 15 minutes.

The first time we tried this recipe was the first time we met - here, for lunch, on May 9, 2013.

(This recipe is similar to the veggie quiche we had that day.)