Challenge #02 - This Little Piggy Went to the Market...and got lost

Yo yo yo!

This is, in fact, yo' girl Philippa.  I'm posting this...post... on Ale's behalf because he is ALLEGEDLY on a 12 hour bus journey to Uruguay where he will have zero internet access for the next six days. So we're all up to speed and here's the dish:

My (this is Ale now) last 4 weeks have been so chaotic, I barely had time to eat. That was a lie, I ate loads, probably more than usual, but it's been chaotic nonetheless between each meal (I usually have 6 or 7 a day). I was doing my last days in both of my jobs, our landlord had strongly suggested that we vacated the apartment as soon as possible due to the massive leaking in the roof (we've been living with inside rain for a few weeks now- fun) and I had to do shit loads of Christmas shopping, because the first thing my sisters asked when I got home were less along the lines of "how was your flight?" and more like "where's my present?".

I did have time, though, to visit the Christmas Market in Dublin and I was fortunate enough to have been to the one in Paris, a few weeks prior. So, logically this post was supposed to be all about that and I was planning to do a comparison between a dish in both markets and it was going to be great. I must declare, however, that I'm not a big fan of Christmas Market food. There, I said it. I don't see the appeal of mulled wine, or even the point of it. I wouldn't choose anything that's sold in any of the stalls as part of my last meal. Hence, there was nothing much to choose from and I ended up having waffles in both places. Don't get me wrong, waffles are delicious and ALWAYS  the right choice, but there was not much I could say about my love for Nutella and sugary stuff (spoiler alert: I will be talking loads about my love for nutella and sugary stuff in the future). Instead, I would much prefer to use my space here to tell you all about the past 4 weeks and my plans, both food and travel related for next year. 

A few months ago I decided I was going to spend Christmas at home. In addition to that, one of my best friends from home was turning 30 around the same time and my sister will be graduating the end of january. In order to do all of that, I was going to need to spend a lot of time in Brazil and not the kind of time you can get off from your job, specially if you have two. Apart from that, my boyfriend James and I were talking about moving to Spain in the new year. After a bit of deliberation (or the amount of time it takes from one's brain to decide between yes or yes), I decided I was going to leave both my jobs and spend a lot of time home and then move to Spain with James. Not entirely satisfied we decided to add a little stoppover in New York City AND  a backpacking trip around Southeast Asia to top it all off. More on that later.

Jump to 10 days ago when I was boarding my plane in Dublin heading towards Rio de Janeiro, with a 8h hour layover in New York City. Philippa and I had already decided that she was going to pick me up (physically and emotionally) at the airport and we were going to spend a few hours together (most likely eating) before I headed to Brazil. To my surprise, though, Philippa was not there when I landed and my phone was flooded with messages from her saying she was in work and that she thought I was only arriving the next day (because I had told her I was.) Tragedy. I remebered that she had once posted in our instagram a picture of her work place, so I decided to come to her. I found it, but two results came up, one in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan. Easy, Philippa lives in Brooklyn so it must be the one there. I ran to the subway to catch the next train and 1h later I was in the shop. For the second time in that day, Philippa was not there. F%$K! I got another message from Philippa saying that she worked in the Mnahattan shop, which was 3 stops away from where I was. At that point it was already 6 and my flight was leaving at 8. I couldn't just give up and go back to the airport frustated. So, I ran back to the subway and three stops later I found myself wifiless, lost in the middle of Manhattan's Christmas Market in Union Square. It took me 5 minutes and the help of two cops and the wifi in Starbucks (see, you can always count on food and food related things) to locate Philippa's shop. And this time, there she was in all her wondrous glory. We hugged for 2 minutes, laughed at how ridiculous it all was, bought some olives from her in a sheer panic and jumped on the next train back to the airport. We didn't spend all the hours we had planned to spend together, but we made those 3 minutes count. And lo ans behold, I managed to arrive at the airport in time. A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE. 
  

With our next addition to the blog being published in the New Year we would like to take a brief moment to thank all of you beautiful folk for the time you've taken to read this. Although it is in it's early days, this blog excites us, inspires us and encourages us. It is our baby. And we intend to raise it in 2015 with integrity,  a light heart and a compass pointing due north to our next meal. 

From the bottom of our hearts...and stomachs (or something that sounds more poetic)... we hope you have a fulfilling, delightful, successful and truly WILD 2015. Although we won't be together promise us this: when the clock chimes midnight on the 31st, raise a glass of your chosen beverage, be it bubbly or buckfast, take a gulp and remember that we are all only ever...A Mouthful Apart.

Your pals,

Philippa,  Emma and Ale. 

A French Christmas

I am back on the beautiful shores of Dublin for this post. This was not the plan. I repeat; NOT the plan. The following paragraph is a low down of how Emma had hoped things would pan out for this week.

After a moonlit walk on the rocky shores of Nice with my oh so chic (...and then there's me) friends, followed by tea and hella lota meringue in a cute little bistro a few weeks ago, something wonderful happened. My friend Marie (pronounced that seductive French way) said she would share her grandmothers treasured Christmas recipe of Coquilles Saint-Jacques with me, and, annnnd, help me to cook it also. This was the perfect night for me; good friends, good food and exciting prospects of real French cooking in the looming future. We set the date, 17/12/2014, the day before my departure. Of course this was cutting it close should anything have gone wrong, which, of course, it did. But I didn't give it a second thought! What could go wrong!? - wondered naïve Emma of Christmas past.

Well, this is what went wrong:


Emma + Snowboard = WRONG



 

Yes, I went snowboarding! It was amazing....well, it became amazing after numerous tantrums, a few regretful tears and many, many (cannot stress this enough), many falls. Why did this affect my cooking plans? You see the way I'm not standing in the picture above? Yeah, that is a very accurate portrayal of how my day went. I was parallel to the ground for nearly the entire thing. When I did stand though, it was the best feeling ever!! Even if only for 3-7 seconds at a time, give or take. As this was my first slope venture, I didn't bring any extra clothes to change in to. So I spent the 2 and a half hour bus journey back in freezing and soaking wet jeans and jacket. The wetness seeped into my bones slowly, I actually felt this on the bus journey, it was most displeasing, and left me voiceless, achy and unable to move for the better part of 3 days. Cooking plans ruined. Bed and hot tea for Emma instead.

I did manage to get the recipe though, and got to cook the whole thing with my little sister in a fully stocked and decorated kitchen in Dublin. Things aint so bad like.

So what do French people cook for Christmas dins? Well this is what one northern French granny makes for starters: Coquilles Saint-Jacques avec Champignons (and wine and whiskey and cheese and butter and butter and butter). Eh, yum.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques or scallops as we call them are a very typical French Christmas staple. I was nervous about cooking the scallops as I know how easy it is to make them rubbery, but after watching many youtube tutorials on the subject and downloading an online timer for the occasion, everything I am pleased to say, turned out deliiiightfully.

So here's the lowdown on the awl coquille wockies.

Les Ingraydayants

 

• 30g flour
• a hayp of salt
• pinch of curry powder
• teeny pinch of cayenne
• 40g butter
• 2 tbs of melted butter
• 20g truffle butter
• 200g of crimini/shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
• 25g of dried wild mushrooms (soak these in warm water NOW for 25 mins)
• 1 chopped onion
• 160ml of dry white wine (pino grigio is gouda - food pun)
• 2 tbs of good whiskey
• 35g of grated comté cheese
• quarter of lemon ready to squeeze
• ALMOST FORGOT - SCALLOPS! v important here, about 1 - 1 1/2 pounds

C'est tout!

What to do

1) Mix all zee dry ingredients together (flour, salt, curry and cayenne) in a bowl
2) Throw in the scallops and coat them in the dry stuff
3) Heat your pan (not too hot, but hot enough...) add the butter and truffle butter. When melted, add the scallops. IMPORTANT -  1 minute 30 seconds for each side of scallop then off the heat, rubberiness is not our friend

you can't sit with us rubber!

4) In the same pan add the onion and fresh mushrooms (add more butter if you dare, and you do.)
5) Drain the dried mushrooms and keep the yummy water, chop shrooms and add to pan (add little bit of the water too, just cos)
6) After about 5/6 minutes of frying, add the white wine and reduce the sauce till it looks like this:

errbody wanna look like me

7) Take off the heat, add the good stuff (i.e whiskey) and the stars of the show (i.e scallops)
8) Scoop the mixture into 6 ramekins (if you have the scallop shells, scoop them into these instead, if you're into pretty thangs)
9) Mix together the bread crumbs, melted goodness and cheese and sprinkle on top of pots, they should look a lil something like this


perfection! (self proclaimed..)
 

10) Put your oven on the highest broiler setting and stick them in until they're all bubbly and the cheese gets nice and brown (brown cheese.... surprisingly delicious)


in the oven, like a boss

11) Remove from oven. DISCLAIMER, wear protective hand-wear such as gloves cos they're hot little feckers, drizzle with lemon and bob's your uncle!

eaten, like a boss

Even though I didn't get to make these in the setting of a real French kitchen with a real French madam, I did not despair. All clouds have a silver lining, as the saying goes and I got to share this beautiful occasion with my little sister (who took all the photos). We sang Christmas songs and laughed a bunch. The spirit of Christmas was alive in our kitchen and our hearts today.

Yes, I did cringe writing the above paragraph. I hope you did too. MERRY XMAS xoxoxo

Challenge #02- This Little Piggy Went to Market- Philippa's Quest.

Temperatures have plummeted here in the Gotham City, a light dusting of crystal white snow has covered the parks and avenues and revelry is peeking it's mischievous little head around every corner. There is no doubt about it- Christmas is in full swing in New York with fairy lights, tacky (in a good way obviously) decorations, silver firs and mulled wine adorning every inch of the city. What better way to spend a day than galavanting from stall to stall and feasting on festive foods at The Union Square Holiday Market.
I ate my way from start to finish as if I was in a food maze looking for the centre where I would find my reward. I tried a feta and olive pretzel but in a cruel twist (yes, this is a pretzel pun) it wasn't heated the entire way through (and I was kinda still hungry) so I continued my quest and tried my hand (and mouth) at a crabmeat empanada washed down with a (non alcoholic *sigh*) hot cider which was a tasty little number but something inside told me that if I continued on my pilgrimage my path ahead would be paved with roasted garlic. And lo and behold, I found a lovely little Persian stall selling the perfect treat for a cold winters day- SOUP! Chicken, lentil and roasted garlic soup to be precise- a fusion of flavours; a gastronomic gem; a cup of comfort from the land of the Persian empire.
It was piping hot, soothing, thick and gloupy (yes, that's a word),  nourishing and incredibly tasty. It warmed both the cockles of my heart and my numb fingers. On top of that, the man who served me (yes, the one who caught me taking a photo of the stall) was incredibly friendly and polite. Proof: he gladly topped up my roasted garlic when I asked him to. What a gentleman. I cannot stress enough how much I love garlic. I love the smell of wild garlic in woodlands. I am obsessed with garlicky cheeses. I get a kick out of cracking cloves apart and crushing them. I go absolutely nuts for roast garlic. I am a fiend for doubling, nay, tripling quantities of garlic in recipes. I am fascinated by its odd appearance. You know when people avoid eating garlic if they're going out somewhere? Yeah, I just don't get that. In fact, I have been known to profess my undying love for strangers if I so much as get a hint of the sweet smell of garlic in the air. True story. Forget mistletoe this Christmas (not that it ever works anyway) I am aaaaall about reelin' them in with garlic. I would insert some sort of pun here about garlic and g spot but that would be highly inappropriate. So yeah to sum up- I think garlic is ok.

Below is the photographic evidence to support the above statement as well as a snapshot of a resident squirrel at Union Square. I have also included a photo of myself and my friend Holly... on the subway...with a Christmas tree... at 4am cause tis the season to make jolly choices, right? (If you're reading this Mum, NO I was not in any way even slightly drunk. Nor do I associate with anyone who steals champagne...)  

I raise my metaphorical cup of soup to you lovely folk at this magical time of year. Warm wishes. Merry Christmas. Eat up!

Challenge #02 - This Little Piggy Went to the Market - Emma's Adventure

Hey ho, hey ho, it's off the Marché de Noël à Nice we go! This week saw our second challenge of the blog so
far, and it was (as stated in the title) called "This Little Piggy Went to the Market". Each of us had to find the most delectable edible treat in our respective Christmas markets. We will be doing this challenge a little differently, instead of the usual (has only been done once, but still) collective challenge post, we will each be posting separately over the next three days. Mainly due to the fact that we all took too many photos and want to show them all, cos they're great like.


Upon my march to the marché...(I'll give you a while to let the pun settle with you), I was overwhelmed with excitement about what I would soon be digesting into my lovely belly. As I neared the market, I went into excitement overload as the sight of the ferris wheel got brighter and brighter. I was bowled over with thoughts and expectations of what scrumdiddlyumtious edibles would await me.


Unfortunately, I forgot that this was a Christmas market, not a gourmet food show. I was greeted with the familiar market scent of candy floss, churros and candied apples. Was I disappointed? Heck no! I love that shiz.
 

1 for me and 1 for me
 

I dropped the apple after this photo.

What was my favourite pleasure sensation though, I hear you ask. As we are in France, this market was not all so traditional, there were a few additional yummy options that would not usually appear elsewhere in the world. One being, THE CHRISTMAS OYSTER BAR. I kid you not. I did not indulge in these little critters for two reasons: 1) Money and 2) If you follow me on instagram (@emmahartigan93 - shameless plug #noshame, while you're at it you really should be following @amouthfulapart too... again #reallynoshame) you will already know that I recently tried oysters and did not like them. Not one bit. I did sneak a photo of someone else's oysters when they weren't looking though.

Unattended oysters and bread with crusts on

Considering the embarrassing fact that I don't like les huitres (french for oysters, never a bad time for learning), the question still looms, "But what was your favourite Christmas market treat Emma?" Well, dear followers, I will answer that with a simple picture and one last tale for you all.                             

It was a cold, dark winter's eve, Emma was poor, thirsty, and in a questionable state of mind. She saw a sign indicating that they sell champagne by the bottle for a mere €35 at the champagne bar (okay, so I'll give this market a little credit for individuality, even though I could not afford any of the things that made it original.) Emma does not have €35 to throw away will nilly. Emma saw a full champagne flute, unattended, bubbling and lonely. Before thinking, Emma's hand reached for the flute and Emma's legs ran with the flute. Emma drank the flute. And, Emma felt like she never felt before, bold, badass, like she could take over the world and consequently from the speed drinking of all the champagne bubbles; very, very burpy.

i.e. FREE CHAMPAGNE

I hope this post got you in the Christmas cheer, if you aren't there already! Ale and Phillipa will be accounting their experiences from the NY and Dublin AND Paris Christmas markets tomorrow and Sunday. Woohoo! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Thanksgiving

Greetings brethrin!

I have chosen to write about Thanksgiving as my December Days post despite the fact that it actually falls in November cause I'm a cheeky monkey and I think it's important to fly in the face of convention. Traditionally, as I'm sure you're all aware it is a time when people gather together in order to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for the preceeding year. I'd seen this in movies, read about it in books and heard about it from American friends but never once experienced it for myself...UNTIL NOW. Naturally enough, I got so caught up in the excitement of the day that I forgot to take any photos, save for one accidental one of the ceiling lights in the bar. (See photo below)
So let me paint a picture for you using my humble words in an attempt to recreate the day that was. All aboard the turkey train? Buckle up. Gobble gobble.
Twas the last Thursday of the month of November in The New World. Donning my glad rags and a mystery dessert (all shall be revealed in due course) I braved the cold air and made my way to my pal Holly's house where oozy cheese awaited my palate. Note: One must always incorporate cheese into one's daily routine. Duh. I wont bore you with all the details (how could cheese be boring?!) so let me tell you about one of the cheeses we had. It's called Harbison and it's from Jasper Hill Farm. He's a soft cow's milk cheese wrapped in spruce bark which imparts a sweet woodsy flavour. It is spoonable and rustic and bloody fantastic. After our fromage feast we then set out on our wayward journey through an unusually tranquil and hushed New York and reached our destination at ABC Beer Company which houses a long old oak table- a necessary piece of furniture for any mountainous meal. A turkey was cooked to perfection, the carbohydrate count was high, the desserts were plentiful and the merrimemt was flowing far and wide. Plates that were piled high with turkey, cornbread, stuffing, mac'n'cheese, brussel sprouts and cranberry sauce were soon cleared, replenished and cleared again leaving just enough room for the sweet stuff. It was a pot luck dinner so I decided to bake and bring a cheese cake to the table. And here is how it was done:

Passion fruit and Lavander Cheesecake.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
225g plain flour
110g butter
80g caster sugar
1 egg

Filling:
450g cream cheese
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs

Topping:4 sprigs of lavander (2 for decoration)
4 passion fruits.

Method:
Butter the sides and base of a spring form cake tin. Mmmm greasy. Sift the flour and sugar together. Cube the butter and mix it in to create a breadcrumb-like mix. Whisk the egg and vanilla essence together. Now combine these to make your dough. Pastry not money. Leave to rest in the fridge for an hour. While this is happening, paint your nails/put on a facemask/have a glass of wine- LET LOOSE, TREAT YOURSELF.
When adequately pampered, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
Roll out the pastry and line the pastry tin. Blind bake it for 15 minutes. While baking the pastry make the filling.Basically just beat them all together. Pour over the pastry and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes. If unsure if it's ready shake the tin and the filling should only be slightly wobbly. Stick a knife in if still unsure. Go one step further and trust your instincts. If all else fails just risk it. Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen it and carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin. Put it on a pretty plate. Scoop out the passion fruit insides and cover the top. Sprinkle the lavander like the little fairy that you are.  Dust with icing sugar.

Alternative topping (because I like to incorporate meat into most things): Candied bacon and pecan-Fry the bacon and pecans in sugar until crispy. Allow to cool before putting on the top. This topping looks more autumnal and less pretty but its equally as  yummy.

Two things I learned about Thanksgiving:

It is like a warmup to Christmas day. In fact, minus a few small details like the tree and gifts and trip to church, it is exactly the same.

It is frowned upon to only have one helping. Two is a minimum. Three is encouraged.

A few things I'm thankful for:

Beginnings: I started a new job last January where I was given the opportunity to work with food and coffee everyday and where I was blessed to meet some of the most interesting characters I've ever set eyes on. Bonds were formed, friendships blossomed, and waistbands expanded.
Wanderings: the beautiful and exciting streets of Dublin, the cobbled, hillside streets of Lisbon, the magical paths of Porto, the bustling boroughs of London and the pretty parks and promenades of Paris I explored throughout the year.
Family and friends: OBVIOUSLY

Til next time, folks- enjoy these December Days. Make the most of what remains of 2014. Embrace it. But more importantly, embrace each other. Winky face.
Pip

Tis the season!

With the holiday season already happaning we can now reveal that next month's theme is December Days where each blogger looks at a traditional holiday in their location and sheds light on the festivities. This months challenge will be called This little piggy went to market  which will involve going to a Christmas Market  and finding the most tantalizing treat we can.

Week 1: Philippa

Week 2: This little piggy went to market
Week 3: Emma
Week 4: Ale

To tide you over until then and get you in the spirit of all things festive, here are three photos of us in all our youthful and well behaved glory!
Happy holidays!

Having the time of my life

Too young for eyeliner

If Superman and Elton John had a baby