The Golden Cross Inn, Cirencester

There are days that you just fancy some simple, homecooked food, nothing elaborate or complicated just good honest grub. Last week on our trip to Cirencester that's exactly what we wanted, especially being out in The Cotswolds where the ingredients are as fresh as they can be, why complicate matters? We hadn't done any research on where to eat as we thought we'd just go to our favourite pub The Swan at Southrop, but because of the monsoon like weather we set off later than anticipated, so ended up just having enough time for Cirencester. We wandered the streets in search of a good place, we went past a few restaurants and cafes that looked good including the rather attractive place Made by Bob, which was obviously the place to be seen as it was packed, but finally ended up at the Golden Cross Inn.

The street itself enticed us as it is particularly picturesque but the sign saying Locally Sourced/home made food is what did it for us. Always a sucker for locally sourced food. It was a quiet lunchtime, but I'm guessing this is a popular place in the evenings and weekends, for the food was fantastic. Hearty portions obviously made with care and love making the most of the fantastic ingredients.

I opted for the Gammon, Egg and Chips and the husband couldn't resist the Game stew with herby dumplings and Mash. Both were just what the Doctor ordered, my chips were perfectly crispy and deliciously soft on the inside, the thick Gammon tasted so fresh, the egg yolks as yellow as they come, Oh I was in heaven. The Game stew (pheasant, Venison, Partridge and Mallard) was equally divine with plenty of succulent meat, a really tasty rich sauce and perfect dumplings (by all accounts as I'm not a big fan of dumplings).

Apologies for the daughter's new My Little Pony on the table!

Love that the pudding menu is called Naughty Bits! We shared an Apple Berry and Almond Crumble and Custard which whilst being a little on the sweet side was still gorgeous.

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The Service was great too, the waitress was especially attentive and very sweet with Matilda when she began running around causing mayhem, luckily it was pretty quiet. The Chef Justin Ashley comes from a long line of Local Chefs and pub owners and is a bit of a local draw. I can understand why, he combines modern British cuisine with good old fashioned favourites with great success, by adding the odd little ingredient that is more contemporary but which compliments the traditional so well. The food was excellent, the husband was a happy as they also had real ales, there's a log fire and very friendly customers - all the reasons one needs for paying this Inn a visit.

http://thegoldencrossinn.com/index.html

Terrible Two's...

Interestingly I was only yesterday morning singing Matilda's praises to my Mother, how she wasn't a terribly difficult child, that she could happily play independently for ages, she doesn't tend to interfere with what isn't hers, is quite happy to share her toys when her little friends come over...then the tantrum struck at 5pm which lasted nearly til her father came home at 6.30pm.

She has had her fair share of strops as she is quite a spirited child with bags of energy and curiosity but this was like a demon has possessed her. Physically she even looked different, it was actually quite frightening to watch her as this inordinate amount of strength oozed out of every pore to the extent that I couldn't even pick her up to give her a reassuring cuddle. So I just left her to it watching from afar.

Advice on how to handle these temper tantrums varies enormously but to me it does make sense to just sit tight, be there in the background until their frustrations have poured out. It's all too tempting to try and entice them out of these by giving them something they like such as a biscuit or a bit of Cbeebies, but in all honesty I do believe they simply need to work through it in their own way. It's seems to work for us. Also whatever she was experiencing clearly frightened her too, because all she wanted afterwards was a huge comforting Mummy cuddle, and I for one could not argue with that.

Calm after the storm like butter wouldn't melt (but check out the crazy hair)!

Celebrating Scottish Style...

I have a great fondness for Scotland and so wish I could be up there tonight to celebrate Robert Burns in true Scottish style. I have been a number of times to Scotland mostly through my old job to see client's in plays most notably Mr Iain Robertson (who is currently starring in Acts of Godfrey out now!). 


Edinburgh is idyllically beautiful but Glasgow I have a bit of a soft spot for. It's rough round the edges but it's exciting and alive as a city with plenty going on. Last May the husband and I travelled up to Glasgow with Matilda to attend said client's 30th Birthday. We rented a small apartment for the long weekend in Glasgow's West End which is just gorgeous full of hills, great big houses with beautiful secret alleyways and squares filled with pretty trees and flowers. We went to a couple of great restaurants including Stravaigin2 tucked away off the Byres Road where we indulged in some haggis which I love! 

Here are some images of our rather speedy day trip to Glencoe and Loch Lomond whilst nursing the most raging hang over I'd had in about 3 years!

Partying Scottish style means drinking extraordinary amounts of alcohol, having a good sing song, dance and chat, it was a great party and even Matilda stayed up til 2.30am dancing whilst joining in with the pianist. The Oran Mor, where the party took place, was still going strong when we left in the early hours. It is a rather unique venue combining great theatre, food, drink and dancing. This place is a must if you're in Glasgow


Another truly memorable trip I took was up to the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, we had a stunning drive up from Glasgow, it was in the Autumn so the golds, oranges and reds of the trees were breathtaking. We stayed in the Atholl Palace Hotel which was just amazing, I can still smell the log fires burning throughout and taste the sweet shortbread served with Tea upon arrival. After a full day of theatre (we saw 3 plays in a day) it was the perfect place to retire to, especially the Whisky bar that we made the most of!


The Scots do seem to have such great spirit when it comes to celebrating - Hogmanay, Burns Night. The combination of this and the beautiful scenery they have surrounding them is so enticing, just a shame it rains so much of the time! 


Happy Burns Night to all of Scotland!


By the way if you are in Glasgow next Monday you can catch Iain Robertson at the Guy's Restaurant & Bar 24 Candleriggs Merchant City Glasgow G1 1TD

http://www.guysrestaurant.co.uk/index.php/about-guy-s

http://www.stravaigin2.co.uk/

http://www.oran-mor.co.uk/

http://www.athollpalace.com/

image from robertburns.org.uk

My love of Colette Rossant

Over the Christmas break I caught up with a lot of blog reading and one in particular caught my eye by eatlikeagirl.com where she shared her 2011 book recommendations. Amongst the list were the memoirs of the Franco-Egyptian food writer/Cook Colette Rossant.

It was the second part in the trilogy set in 1940's/50's Paris that really grabbed my attention, Return To Paris. My love of Paris is no secret, and that Golden era has fascinated me since my teenage years where I'd often imagine myself hanging out in Cafe Flore with Sartre and De Beauvoir, living in an attic apartment overlooking La Seine in the Marais so I could paint all day, having affairs with Philosophers and Writers. Some things never change...

I confess I'd never heard of Colette Rossant but the fact she wrote about food and Paris seemed a winning combination for me. I was not wrong, they are amongst some of the most sumptiously written books I've ever read. Colette endured a tempestuous childhood, daughter of a typically distant French Mother and Egyptian father who died when she was 6. Colette was whisked to Egypt at a young age to help with her Father's illness however within months her father sadly died. She was left her with her Egyptian Grandparents and, equally importantly their cook, whilst her mother gallivanted about not seeing her for months and years. The Second World War being over her Mother reappeared to tear her away from her beloved Grandparents back to Paris to her cold, fierce French Grandmother and her brother who had stayed behind. From her teenage angst's, her relationship with her family, finally falling in love with an American, following him to Munich getting married at a very young age, moving to Italy then finally to her husband's home, New York, one is taken on a rollercoaster ride. The book describes the twists and turns of her life through by her passion and obsession with food. From walking through the Parisian markets to discovering a Middle Eastern shop in New York her life is told through food. Thankfully she also shares some of the recipes that have clearly marked her journey. One I'll be trying out will be the Chicken Fricasse which my Mother always cooked as I was growing up.

Despite her difficult life and remarkable lack of Motherly love Colette retains a warmth and optimism that runs throughout the book, her descriptions of food so vivid that one can almost taste and smell the food lift off the page. One can't help but share each emotion and live it with her. I'm half way through the last book Madeleines in Manhattan so I'll report back once I've finished.

http://www.coletterossant.com/

The best Aubergine salad ever!

Being a dedicated follower of anything Ottolenghi, when I'm planning a dinner party my first point of reference is always him. I have yet to find a dud recipe in one of his books.

Last Saturday night was no exception, I came across the Roasted Aubergine salad dressed with saffron yogurt in his first book Ottolenghi, The Cookbook. Couldn't believe how I'd managed to miss such a magnificent salad up until now! Easily assembled, ready in no time and can be prepared up to a couple of days in advance. It looks far more impressive than the amount of effort involved to create such a beautiful dish. Heavenly sumptuous and utterly delicious - go get some aubergines and get roasting. Needless to say my guests loved it and sadly there was none leftover! Just so you know I doubled the recipe to serve 6 people as a starter though the book states it serves 4-6.

Here is the recipe:

2 medium-sized aubergines
olive oil for brushing
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
a large handful of pomegranate seeds
a large handful of basil leaves
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Saffron yogurt:
a small pinch of saffron strands
3 Tbsp hot water
200 g thick Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, finely crushed
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt flakes

Start by making the sauce. Place the saffron strands into glass, pour over the hot water and let infuse for 5 minutes. Pour the infusion into a bowl containing the yoghurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and some salt. Whisk well to get a smooth, golden sauce. Taste for seasoning and chill until ready to use (Can be made up to 3 days in advance).
Cut the aubergines/eggplants into 1 cm slices (cross-wise). Brush both sides with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on a very hot griddle pan until soft and golden brown, then flip over and fry the other side until golden brown as well. (Alternatively - and originally - roast for 20-30 minutes in a 220 C oven). (This can also be done up to 3 days in advance. Keep the roasted aubergine slices in the fridge, but bring to room temperature before serving).
To serve - layer the roasted aubergine slices onto a serving dish, slices slightly overlapping. Drizzle with saffron yogurt, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, torn basil leaves and pomegranate seeds

Charity shopping in Cirencester

If you enjoy independent shopping then Cirencester is a great place to hang out. Together with the more expensive boutiques there are some fabulous charity shops, they are all represented here including a great Oxfam bookshop, Cancer Research amongst others. As you know you can be either extremely lucky and pick up some great bargains or you can come away empty handed. As our cousin Kathryn said January is great time to do the charity shops as people are clearing out to make room for their gleaming Christmas presents. So people take heed and get yourselves down to your local charity shop now!

The husband picked up this beautiful copy of Larkrise to Candleford, the cover just says English country gardens, Edwardian children playing croquet on the lawn, cream teas and messing about on the river. Surprisingly (I normally will watch any period drama because it's period drama) I never got on with the BBC series but I am intrigued by the novel, so this is what I'll be reading next.

It was the husband actually that spotted this beautiful Vintage wooden pram in the British Red Cross shop. It has seen better days with quite a lot of knocks, cracks and faded paint but it's all the more special because of it's past. I wonder if it belonged to one of those Edwardian children? I know my imagination is running away with itself. Anyway I've cleaned it up and it now holds Matilda's extensive collection of cuddly toys in her room. It's a beautiful piece and one which I hope remains in our family for a long time yet. All in all, I felt pretty satisfied with our purchases, the best charity shop finds we've discovered in quite a while.