Restaurant review: Bread Meats Bread, West End, Glasgow

When we started planning where we were going to eat in Glasgow, Bread Meats Bread immediately went on my list. I'd seen endless pictures of their drool-worthy burgers on Instagram and food blogs and immediately wanted part of the action. Luckily we had a branch near to our Air BnB in the West End.

We opted for an early lunch to beat the rush. When we walked in 12pm, there was only one table occupied but I've heard it gets pretty darn busy at times. Each branch has it's own special so naturally I went for this one. The Great Western Wolf is a beast of burger topped with American cheese, crispy bacon, tender BBQ pulled pork, crispy fried onions and 'nduja with sriracha mayo. There wasn't as much as a kick as I wanted but it was still delicious. Cooked just right, the flavours complimented each other superbly. For a side we opted for one of their signature poutine dishes. The Raspoutine is an addictive dish of chunky fries, fresh cheese curds, chopped crispy bacon and grated cheese in a mountain of beef gravy. It was heaven on a plate! Our friends maple bacon fries were sent from heaven too. The lashings of maple syrup was to die for.

Bread Meats Bread wasn't the best ever burger to pass my lips but it was pretty darn tasty. The staff were friendly and attentive, the food was reasonably priced, it was in a buzzing area of town and the poutine is well worth visit just for that. I'll definitely visit again if I ever find myself in Glasgow!

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Restaurant review: Sugar Dumplin, Wembley, north London

I'd been to Sugar Dumplin before in Surrey so was excited to try their London offering in Wembley. I took my mum one Sunday and we trotted off to the corner of north London for an afternoon of shopping and Caribbean food. Could there be any better way to spend a Sunday?

As we settled down into the colourful surroundings, we decided to share a couple of starters between us. The sweet potato fries sprinkled with nigella seeds and spring onions were addictive and we were both sad when the bowl was quickly polished off. We also pumped for a salt cod patty with a side of spicy coleslaw and salad. The portions were just the right size to give us a taste for more.

For our mains I chose the quarter jerk chicken served with a side salad and rice and peas. This really packed a punch which is great because quite often jerk falls short in some places. It had my lips tingling which is always a good sign! The generous bowl of rice and peas was delicious. Looking back, I wish I had ordered a half a chicken! My mum decided to go for the vegetarian butternut squash and chickpea creole roti curry wrap served with rice and peas. Again this had a good kick to it and was pretty filling.

We both took one for the team and decided to pump for dessert. My mum for a duo of creamy chocolate and vanilla ice cream and I for sweet sugar dumplins sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. They were like a dense doughnut and so moreish!

Once again my meal at Sugar Dumplin was absolutely delicious! The service couldn't be better, the food is among some of best Caribbean food I've had and the atmosphere is great. They have a branch in Glasgow, Kingston and Camberley so book yourselves in for a treat.

Thanks for having us guys!

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Recipe: Thai green meatballs

During this cold snap - although hopefully set to change! - there's nothing quite like a spicy curry to help blow the winter cobwebs away and put some hairs on your chest. A Thai curry is one of the ultimate comfort food dishes for me so when Heck got in touch to offer me the chance to try their new Thai bites veggie balls, it was a dish I immediately created. The delicious balls (lolz) are made from a tasty combination of Thai pesto, sweet potato and sticky rice making them vegan, dairy free and gluten free.

Feeds 2

Ingredients
1pack of Thai bites veggie balls*
1 can of half-fat coconut milk
1 lime, zest and juice
2 crushed cloves of garlic
A pinch of chilli flakes
2-3 teaspoons of Thai green curry pas (depending on how hot you like it)
1 pack of sugar snap peas
1 pack of mini corn
1 bunch of spring onions
1 tablespoon of olive oil

To serve
A bowl of brown rice - I used Uncle Ben's microwavable rice because I'm a lazy one

Method
1. Put the oil in a big casserole dish and cook the sugar snap peas and mini corn for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the crushed garlic and spring onions before cooking for a further 5 minutes.

3. Put in the coconut milk, veggie balls and chilli flakes. Give it a good stir for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the paste, give the mixture stir and bring to the boil. Once boiling, cook for about 10-12 minutes on a high heat. Keep stirring to ensure nothing sticks to the base of the pan.

5.  Spilt the rice between two bowls and serve the curry.

As always let me know if you make it and tweet me a picture. Happy cooking!

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Restaurant review: Tank and Paddle, Fenchurch Street, central London

A emailed popped in my inbox to see if I wanted to try a new pizza place that had opened up in the Square Mile. Open Monday to Friday, newly opened Tank and Paddle offers pizza, mac and cheese and beer, making it the perfect place for a catch up with Hannah. How could we say no to the ultimate comfort food after a day at work and beat the Monday blues? Pizzas are only £5 on a Monday.

Deciding to get two pizzas and share, we opted for the special of ham and pineapple and Billy Goat's Gruff with toppings including goats cheese, red onion chutney and spinach. Simple is best in my opinion.  The stone-based pizzas had a delicious thin crispy base and a generous amount of toppings which helped them gain a thumbs up from us. The ham and pineapple just had the edge though. We also ordered a side of the smoky mac and cheese. The addictive gooey cheesy pasta was filled with lardons of salty bacon - the perfect partner to the pizza. We enjoyed a glass of Brother's Hop cider to wash it all down.

Tank and Paddle is well-priced, in a good central location and serves delicious food. A great place to whittle away a few hours gossiping with friends. Thanks for having us!

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Three places you should eat in Derry

We were last in Derry over three years ago and the food scene has completely evolved in such as short amount of time. It looks to have become such a foodie place with a massive emphasis on using local ingredients. There are so many different places we were dying to try out but sadly we couldn't fit them all in which means we're just going to have to book a trip back next year. These are my three favourite restaurants we managed to try.

Blackbird
Pyke N Pommes seems to be a Derry institution and the food truck is based along the Quay. But they've recently started serving their food in the Blackbird pub so you don't have to eat your burger in the rain! As soon as I glanced at the menu I knew I was going to opt for the Legendary burger with a side of crispy sweet potato fries. The burger was a little too well done for my liking but it was still absolutely delicious. The Wagyu beef patty topped with addictive pickled red onions, american cheese, juicy tomatoes and fresh lettuce. A beast to eat and I had to cut it in half to try and eat it ladylike...We also went back a separate time for a drink so I can recommend the gin selection too. It always makes me happy when I spot a bottle of Sipsmith on my travels to remind me of home!

The Grillroom restaurant at Di Vinci's
We were lucky enough to be invited by the Visit Derry tourist board to enjoy a meal at Di Vinci's hotel. Thank you to you both! Offering a traditional menu, we tried their new Spring dishes. I had a yummy tomato bruschetta to start. Piled high with fresh chopped tomatoes and drizzled with a green pesto sauce, it was the perfect introduction to the menu. I couldn't get enough of the parmesan chips that came with the main course - I could have eaten at least two bowls! A more detailed review is coming within the next few weeks so keep an eye out.

Harry's
I have been desperate to make it to Harry's Shack in Portstewart for about a year and was all booked in to finally tick it off the list. But on the Thursday before we were due to be in Derry, the brand opened a new restaurant in the city. Five minutes walk from our hotel. It was fate so I quickly canceled the Portstewart one and booked us in the Derry one. It was absolutely incredible. Specialising in seafood, I opted for the Lemon Sole for my main with a side of the creamiest mash I've ever tasted. The deconstructed lemon and blackberry meringue was just the ticket to finish off one of the best meals I've had.  I would go back in a heartbeat and it's top of my list next time I'm back in the city.

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Recipe: Chocolate and caramel no bake cheesecake

One of my new year goals - a post of them later! - is to cook four new recipes a month. I have so many cookbooks that I really need to get stuck in to. When Wing Yip sent me over some caramel sauce, a cheesecake immediately came to mind. because obviously I haven't eaten enough sweet things during the festive period...

Their absolutely delicious caramel sauce is extremely addictive. Made from coconut milk, the sauce is vegan, gluten and dairy free. So this recipe can easily be adapted into what suits you best.

Recipe adapted from Good Food

Serves 8 people

Ingredients
1 pack of lotus biscuits
45g melted unsalted butter
110g caster sugar
120g whipping cream
200g full fat cream cheese
100g 80% dark melted chocolate
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 jar of Wing Yip caramel sauce*
1 pack family pack of Rolos to decorate

Method
1. Put all the biscuits in a sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin until they are crumbs.

2. Mix the crumbs with one tablespoon of the sugar then pour in the melted butter. Give it a good mix before packing it down into a 18cm springform cake tin. Pop it in the fridge.

3. Melt the chocolate.

4. Using an electric whisk, whip the cream until soft peaks appear. Pour in the melted chocolate and cocoa power before mixing in.

5. In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining sugar and cream cheese. Then fold into the chocolate mix and ensure all ingredients are fully mixed together.

6. Get the biscuit base from the fridge and pour on the caramel sauce, ensuring that it covers the whole base.

7. The pour the chocolate mix on the top. Once again ensuring it covers the whole base.

8. Stick it in the fridge for at least two hours. But overnight would be best.

9. Once the cheesecake has set, decorate with the roles. Then tuck in and enjoy!

Please do send me a tweet if you make it, I'd love to see a picture!

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Where to eat in Glasgow

I'd heard good thing about the food scene in Glasgow thanks to Hannah so knew my belly was in for a good trip. Boy was she right! We ate so well during our trip and here are a few of my favourite places. Annoying, I never managed to get any pictures of all-time favourite place - Mother India Cafe -  so you'll just have to take my word for it!

The Hyndland Fox
Located in the West End, this cool Instagrammable eatery offers a great brunch option. And dessert if you fancy both... If you can tear yourself away from swooning over the interiors, make sure you go for the light and fluffy French toast topped with a mountain of berries and a very generous drizzle of yogurt. It's the perfect way to set you up for a day of sightseeing. Go for the sticky toffee pudding if you still have some room left.

Mussel Inn
I saw this on Ayden's blog and knew I had to visit while I was in Glasgow. I'm a huge fan of seafood and in particular mussels - despite a bad case of food poisoning in Bulgaria... I enjoyed a delicious starter of gin-cured salmon and a massive bowl of mussels in a flavoursome roasted red pepper sauce with pesto, mopped up with oodles of crusty white bread. The meal was such great value for money and we came up happy with full bellies thanks to the generous portion sizes. Make sure you book in advance as it seems to get very busy!

Bread Meats Bread
Even after the burger craze has been and gone, I still love to get my hands on a big juicy burger. After lusting over this burger joint on many an Instagram accounts, I was very much looking forward to visiting. Let me introduce you to the Great Western Wolf above. This bad boy is made up of a beef patty topped with American cheese, crispy bacon, BBQ pulled pork, crispy fried onions and 'Nduja with Siracha mayo. It didn't have as much of a kick as I had hoped but it was still pretty good. The poutine topped with cheese curds, bacon and grated cheese was sent from heaven. I'm still dreaming about them now!

Mother India Cafe
Located just across the road from Kelvingrove Art Gallery, this little restaurant is like taking a step back in time. Be prepared to queue but it is 100% worth waiting in the cold for. The menu offers sharing plates with a good selection for meat eaters and veggies. My favourites? Both the dals, saag chicken and the gorgeous fluffy garlic naan bread. I wish I could have smuggled a few out in my bag... It was by far my stand out restaurant of the trip.

Hanoi Bike Shop
Vietnamese is one of my favourite cuisines and I was intrigued to try the tapas style dishes at the only Vietnamese restaurant in Glasgow. I normally only opt for Pho or a noodle based dish so was keen to explore a little. Stand out dishes for me were the sweet potato fritters on the specials menu, the honey glazed chicken and the pheasant curry. It was great to try new dishes that I hadn't even heard of and made me fall in love with the cuisine even more!

Porter & Rye
Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of steak but everyone is my group is, so each trip I try to book us into a steak restaurant. Located in trendy Finniesten, this steak restaurant specialises in serving premium meat to the people of Glasgow. And it is delicious! I pumped for the braised pig cheek to start. Tender meat on a bed of corn, charred pineapple and wild rice. Then for my steak I opted for the cut of Onglet. Looking back I should't have been adventurous and stuck to a cut I knew well. It was nice but not mind-blowing. My boyfriend sirloin was so much nicer. But the bone marrow mac and cheese side I had? I could have happily have eaten that all night.

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Restaurant review: Cooper & Wolfe, Clapton, north London

Clapton isn't a place I'd visited before and nor was it really on my radar but Hannah suggested we make the trek for her birthday to try a Scandi inspired cafe. Keen to relive my Copenhagen memories, I couldn't be happier to try it. Based a fair walk from Lower Clapton station, Cooper and Wolfe is located on Chatsworth road - a hustling main road connecting Hommerton and Lower Clapton.

The rustic cafe was full of yummy mummies and a warm, cosy atmosphere. It was welcoming and felt like the type of place where you could mill away for hours over cake and coffee. Which is exactly what we did! Having skipped breakfast I decided to opt for the traditional Swedish meatballs with creamy mash potato, topped with a creamy gravy sauce, pickled cucumber and fresh lingonberry jam. It was delicious. The tender meatballs were a generous size and the lump-free mash melted in my mouth. The perfect rainy day treat! No lunchtime outing is complete without a sweet treat though. After lots of deliberation, I decided to end the meal with a slice of the chocolate guinness cake topped with cream cheese icing. It was very rich but just the ticket.

Cooper and Wolfe was a delightful find. The staff were great, portions fantastic and the food delicious. We didn't feel rushed in the slightest making it a fab place to hang out for the afternoon for an almighty catch up. I paid around £12 for a drink, meatballs and slab of cake which I didn't think was too bad for an area that is fast becoming hipster central. Definitely somewhere to keep an eye out for if you ever find yourself in Clapton!

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My top 5 favourite places to eat in London

Dishoom
Having tried both their brunch and their main dinner menu, Dishoom is up there as one of my favourite places to eat in London. The varied menu is exciting and pushes the boundaries of what we expect to have from an Indian restaurant in the UK. The sharing menu encourages everyone to dig in and try a little bit of everything. The service is always great and the food never disappoints. There's a branch in quite a few areas of London with my favourite one being the Kings Cross restaurant. Personal favourite dishes include the black dal, bacon naan, okra fries and gunpowder potatoes. It's so easy to over order which is part of the fun!

Honest Burger
I've tried a hell of a lot of burger joints in London but I still keep coming back to Honest. Brixton has to be my favourite branch but I'll go anywhere. Still need to try their brunch though! The burgers are juicy and flavoursome paired with the most addictive rosemary fries. It's such good value for money and you never have a dud. Definitely the first place I recommend in the city if anyone needs to have a burger fix.

Shackfuyu
If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life it would have to be those Korean fried chicken wings above. I just can't get enough of that spicy sauce. I would go time and time again just for those. It's not the cheapest of places to eat but they do a cracking brunch deal that is a great introduction to the menu. And it's unlimited Prosecco. Need I say more?

Duck & Waffle
For our anniversary we headed up to the top of the Heron tower to have an unforgettable brunch. Sadly it was raining but that didn't take away from the incredible views of the city from the 40th floor. Open 24/7, we decided to opt for brunch. I had the signature duck and waffle and it was a dream to eat! It's definitely not a cheap eats option but somewhere I think everyone should visit at least once.

The Barbary
A recent find, this Covent Garden gem is the sister restaurant of the Palamor. Inspired by the north African coast, it's an electric mix of small sharing plates. The signature dish of Pata Negra Neck (pork neck) came drizzled with honey and a sprinkling of sea salt. So tender and juicy - a real star of the meal. It's set around an open kitchen so the atmosphere is great - a great place for a lazy lunch.

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