Moving Home

I'm on the move. Although I would love to move home to a house with a big kitchen (and I mean huge!), 4 bedrooms, a large garden so there is plenty of room for Grace to play as she gets older, enough space for me to grow some vegetables and maybe have chickens, a conservatory and ..... well the list could go on and on. But enough of my dreams, the move is for this 'ere blog.

I am moving to Wordpress and now have my very own domain name, so come on over and check it out

www.comida-y-vida.com

The new blog will feature all my usual ramblings about food and also as Grace now reaches the age where she will be starting her foodie journey it will no doubt cover various aspects of being a mum. It truly will be Comida and Vida, Food and Life.

Hope you will follow me over to my new home and look forward to reading your comments on the new blog. 

Gracias / Thanks

Louise

The Domino’s Challenge

You know those nights where you get home late and can’t be bothered to cook? Do you be naughty on the purse and the waistline and order takeaway? Do you pop to the supermarket and grab a ready meal or do you get home and try and whip up something quick like an omelette that often leaves you hungry?

We have had many of those nights here since Baby G has arrived and often resort to our favourite type of ready meal – pizza. It’s quick and easy to cook and generally satisfies that need for food. We don’t often order takeaway pizza but when Domino’s offered me a challenge to order some of their pizza’s to sample and then try to recreate them with my homemade version – well I couldn't resist!

So with a couple of friends invited round for the evening we decided to give it a go. Ordering the pizza was easy. Domino’s have the ability to order pizza online, with a simple entry of your post code it will select your nearest store and then away you go. Unfortunately due to our random location in the depths of Staffordshire we were unable have the pizza delivered so we arranged for collection. We selected 3 large pizza’s from the menu but if you can’t find something that you fancy then you can also just create your own.and picked a couple of the types of pizza’s that you can only get in establishments like Domino’s.

• Reggae Reggae – Reggae Reggae sauce, roast chicken, tomatoes, green peppers and pineapple
• Americano with a stuffed crust – BBQ sauce, pepperoni, chicken, onion and herbs.
• Chicken Feast – chicken, mushrooms, sweetcorn.

The Reggae Reggae was good. I liked the heat and various elements of the toppings. For my friends it was too spicy and one of them totally disapproves of pineapple on pizza! Owen enjoyed the spicy kick from the sauce which is used as the base.

The American with a stuffed crust was probably the overall favourite of the night. Lots of smoky barbecue sauce and lots of pepperoni. I love pepperoni on pizza but am often disappointed with the measly few slice scattered on many pizzas and their haphazard and unfair distribution, making me rearrange the topping before cooking. This pizza did not suffer this problem, lots of pepperoni covering the whole pizza. Have to say did not particularly notice the other toppings of chicken and onion due to the wealth of pepperoni, but I’m sure they added to what was a universal success for us.

The last pizza we tried was a rather tame Chicken Feast and this was my least favourite. There was nothing wrong with it all, lots of topping and the tomato base was nice but after the other two taste bud tingling pizza’s, this one was slightly bland in taste for me. However it was the favourite of two of my guests as they don’t like spicy foods so I suppose it’s all down to personal preference.

Overall we enjoyed the Domino’s experience, all pizzas were full of toppings and the base was still crispy. The only downside for us is due to the distance of the nearest store they were warm by the time we started and pretty cold by the time we finished.

Now onto the challenge, could we recreate them ourselves? Well we have recently begun to make homemade pizza, not sure why we didn’t do it before as the dough is very simple to make. Until the domino’s challenge though our toppings were pretty standard affair of tomato and mozzarella or pepperoni.

So we set about creating our own versions of the 3 Domino’s pizzas trying to stick to the toppings where possible. Here is how we got on:



The Pizza Dough – for three 10 inch pizzas.
4 teaspoons of dried yeast
360ml warm water
630g strong plain flour
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil

Mix the yeast with 8 tablespoons of the water and soak for 1 minute. Whisk lightly with a fork till dissolved. Put the yeast mix, flour, salt and olive oil in a blender and mix for 30 seconds, then add the remaining water a little at a time until the dough comes together in a ball - you may not need the whole quantity of water. Once in a ball knead the dough for 5 minutes and then place in an oiled bowl, covered with clingfilm and in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Then simply divide into 3 and roll out into circular or square shapes.

The toppings:
1 large chicken breast – roasted in the oven, chopped into small pieces.
1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped.
1 green pepper, diced
1 tin of pineapple chunks
Reggae reggae sauce
Pepperoni slices
half small onion, finely diced
Jack Daniels BBQ sauce
1 tin of sweetcorn
50g of mushrooms, sliced
1 carton of Passata
lots of grated cheddar cheese

The Reggae Reggae – mix a couple of tablespoons of Reggae Reggae sauce with a couple tablespoons of passata and spread over the base. Then add all the rest of the toppings – tomato, pineapple, chicken and green peppers and top off with a sprinkling of cheese.

The Americano – mix a couple of tablespoons of the BBQ sauce with a couple of tablespoons of passata to spread over the base. Then add a sprinkling of cheese and top with chicken and onion and lastly the pepperoni ensuring complete coverage.

The Chicken Feast – cover the base with passata and add chicken, sweetcorn and mushrooms and a sprinkling of cheese.

All pizza’s were cooked in a hot oven, placed on a hot baking tray, for 20 minutes.

 Overall we enjoyed the homemade versions of the Domino’s pizzas and got a pretty good likeness to the “real deal”.

The verdict:


Taste
As far as the toppings go I think our homemade versions were pretty much spot on to match the Domino’s, maybe a touch more seasoning on the Chicken Feast next time. As for the base whilst I thought the homemade version was good it did not match up to the crispiness of the Domino’s bases, I am wondering if a pizza stone would help achieve the allusive crispiness? Also it may be some time before I have a go at a stuffed crust.
The only reason Domino’s is not scoring top marks for taste is that due to them not being piping hot, the stuffed crust had solidified and was not that lovely gooey melting cheese it should have been.
Domino’s - 9/10 
Homemade - 8/10


Speed
For the Domino’s pizzas it was 40 minutes from ordering to eating - able to collect in 15 minutes but travelling time delayed it. For those with a Domino’s branch closer it would no doubt be much quicker. For the homemade version 1 hour 30 minutes due to he hour needed for dough to rise and 20 minutes cooking time.
Domino’s - 9/10
Homemade - 7/10

Price

The benefit of collection was that we only paid £9.99 per large pizza when the normal price for is £16.99. Total cost including £2.00 extra for one with a stuffed crust was £31.97 which was not too bad considering there was 4 of us. The cost of preparing the 3 pizzas at home did not exceed £10 and we have plenty of the sauces and some of the toppings left over too.

Domino’s – 8/10

Homemade – 10/10

So overall Domino’s scored 26/30 and homemade pizzas scored 25/30 making it a very close call. I guess if you really can’t be bothered to cook then Domino’s online pizza service is the way to go, but for those with tighter purse strings then it is possible to create a homemade version with a little effort and time.

For me, this challenge has opened up my eyes to a wealth of toppings and flavours for pizzas so thanks Domino’s.

Disfrutas/Enjoy!

The Domino’s pizza’s were provided by Domino’s and Arena Quantum. Homemade pizza costs covered by myself.

Two Towers Brewery

Now seen as I don’t really like to drink beer in any form (well maybe just the one!), Owen thought he would contribute with a few posts on local breweries and their beers. Think he finally realises us food bloggers aren’t an alien species after coming along to our recent meet up and decided to get in on the action!

On the most recent visit to 24 Carrots Farmers market in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham we discovered a local producer that we hadn’t heard of before. It is Two Towers Brewery.

The Two Towers refer to the iconic towers in Edgbaston, Birmingham that allegedly inspired the writings of JRR Tolkien and are just one of the Birmingham features that are used by the Brewery. The names of the beers are all routed in the history of the city.

Owen sampled 3 of the beers from their range and here are his thoughts:

Chamberlain Pale Ale – I liked this beer with it’s fresh citrusy aroma; it has a crisp and refreshing flavour. It is as light as you would expect from a Pale Ale and has some floral notes. It leaves a lasting tang on the palate with a yeasty sediment. I’d say it’s perfect for a summer’s evening of drinking.

Baskerville Bitter – I loved the full-on hoppy flavour of this bitter complemented by the classic aroma of a traditional bitter. It is a well rounded beer and could easily become a session beer. Full of body and with a tangy finish.

Jewellers Porter  - I enjoyed the deep classic flavour of the stout with it’s dark molasses taste. It surprised me with it’s complex fruity finish but overall very enjoyable.

The Two Towers Brewery also have 2 Mild’s and another bitter in their range. Currently I think you can get Two Towers Beers on draught in local pubs around Birmingham and also bottles at Farmer’s Markets like 24 carrots. Check them out if you’re ever in Birmingham.

Restaurant Review: The Swan Hotel - Stafford

Since the arrival of Baby G, dining out has become something to treasure. We either have to plan a meal around nap time and feed time or rely on family to help out.  Luckily Baby G’s grandparents live nearby and are always happy to have some quality time with their new granddaughter.

So me and Owen decided to treat ourselves to some “us” time and booked a table at the Swan Hotel. Part of the Lewis Partnership since 2002 The Swan, situated in Stafford town centre, is an 18th century former coaching inn that has been transformed into a modern hotel, an award winning restaurant, two bar areas, a relaxing coffee shop and new Eco garden – a great venue for the town indeed.

 

We booked a table in the Brasserie and arrived to be escorted to a lovely secluded corner booth. As we sat down we were offered water for the table, and whilst Owen opted for one of the draught Cask Ales they serve, I requested the wine menu which had a great selection of wines by the glass, not something you find everywhere. 

They offer an evening set menu, which changes weekly, at a very reasonable £13.95 for 2 courses, or 3 courses for £17.95, alongside the the main menu. We both opted for the main menu, which changes with the seasons, as with dining out a being a rare treat, we wanted to make the most of it.

I often choose Goat’s cheese from a menu as it is something we don’t have often at home as Owen is not a huge fan, and was particularly tempted by the thoughts of Goat’s cheese ravioli, baby beetroot and Jersey royals with tomato vinaigrette.(£5.95). I’ve never had it in this way before and enjoyed the twist on the classic combination of Goats Cheese and beetroot, far superior to the normal salad style offerings. The pasta was light and cooked perfectly, the tomato and beetroot brought the acidity needed to cut through the rich cheese. Flavourful yet light, it was a perfect start.

Owen opted for the Seared Scottish scallops with crushed peas, crispy pancetta and white wine caviar sauce (£6.50). When it arrived on the table I was wishing I’d picked it, perfectly presented on a slate plate,it looked amazing. 

For the purpose of this review I obviously had to sample it too – the benefits of being the food blogger in the family!! The scallops were perfectly cooked and the usual pairings of pea and pancetta were enhanced by the delightful sauce.

Both starters had certainly pleased and though these may seem a little pricey to some, they are the two most expensive starters on the menu with plenty of other choice ranging from £4.50.

For main I chose the Rump of Lamb, balsamic glazed cherry tomatoes, sauteed spinach, black pudding bob bons and rosemary vinaigrette. Yet again, Lamb served in this way is not something we do at home as until recently Owen never ate lamb and only now likes served in spicy dishes like curry or tagines.

The lamb was served perfectly pink, and as rump can be a bit on the fatty side the accompaniments were a great choice; the iron rich spinach and the sweet and sour tomatoes cut through it and the vinaigrette just brought all the flavours together.  Now that would have have been a lovely plate of food, but what turned into a fabulous plate was the black pudding bon bons, gorgeous little deep fried balls of meaty delight. I did begrudgingly have to share one with Owen though – payback for the scallops I think.

The only thing I struggled with was the lack any potato or form of carbohydrate. Unfortunately I am one of those people who craves my carbs, particularly when dining out as diets don’t count then right? So to complement my dish I ordered a side portion of Handcut chips, which were huge chunky chips, and very good indeed.

Owen opted for a comforting tasty bowl of pasta with the Linguini of chilli marinated king prawns with chorizo sausage, slow roasted peppers and tomato fondue. I did have a little taste of this and it was superb – lots of paprika warmth, a generous amount of prawns and a wonderfully rich sauce.

After these two courses we were both feeling quite full, but in the interests of this review I opted to have a look at the desserts menu, and in the end could not resist ordering the Strawberry Mille Feuille with passion fruit and strawberry ice-cream (£4.95). This was light and creamy and the strawberry sauce and passion fruit provided a tartness to cut through the cream. A delicious way to end the meal.

Throughout the evening we had impeccable service, we were asked a few minutes after each course had been served if all was ok; we were approached for drinks when our glasses were almost empty, plates were cleared away shortly after finishing each course - attentive without being intrusive.

It was a lovely meal, perfect for our little bit of “us” time and what was even better is that with my Gourmet Life dining card we saved 25% off the bill - how fantastic!! Discount is available at all the Lewis partnership establishments including The Moat House Hotel, The Dog and Doublet Inn and even the Greengate Deli.

At the recent MFB meet up I also learned that James, the brains behind Gourmet Life, is hoping to extend the number of venues across Staffordshire and Derbyshire. I can’t wait!

Hasta pronto / be back soon

Midlands Food Bloggers meet at 99 Station Street

This weekend saw the latest Midlands Food Bloggers (MFB) meet up. I was a little nervous about it all as I had arranged the venue and plan for the day, and just hoped everybody would enjoy themselves. So what did we get up to?

First there was the food, well a MFB meet wouldn’t be the same without some fab food of course! As a community of food bloggers who like to support local producers where better a venue than a restaurant that serves modern British food like 99 Station St in Burton-on-Trent and sources as much as possible from local suppliers. When I suggested a meet up at the restaurant, owners Ross & Susan Boardman, were more than happy to allow a “bounty of bloggers” to descend upon them and also offered some extra special treats
.

First off, we got to meet Daniel Pilkington, the head chef, who was full of enthusiasm and information about the products he uses to create their seasonal menu. We learnt that local producers include the farm in Bromley Hurst who supply their 28-day aged Mature Beef, and Freedom Brewery from Abbots Bromley as one of their beer suppliers. The menu features a wealth of dishes that are all created from scratch at the restaurant wherever possible, with homemade sausages, ice-cream and pies delivering a fantastic choice.

We sampled their 3 course lunch menu for a bargain price of £10.95. I opted for the Baked Goats Cheese starter which was served on a lightly dressed salad and with a lovely tomato chutney.

For main I chose the meat option of Sautéed Strips of bed with red onions and wild mushrooms. This was so full of flavour, the beef was tender, not an easy thing to achieve for sauteed strips, and the mushrooms added a depth of flavour.

For dessert I was swayed by the Chocolate brownie with chocolate fudge sauce and homemade Vanilla ice-cream. Naughty …. but very nice. Rich gooey brownie with lots of chocolate fudge sauce. My other half opted for the Bailey’s Cheesecake served with some homemade honeycomb.

 

Afterwards we headed off with Susan to her home to meet Ross and learn all about Staffordshire Fine Foods (SFF). Launched earlier this year to satisfy customers who dined at 99 Station Street and wanted to get their hands on some of the menu favourites, SFF sells sausages, pies and smoked products online here or in specialist retailers like Brown and Green.

On my recent visit to Brown and Green I actually purchased some of the SFF smoked salmon and one of the Chicken, Chorizo and Sweet Pepper pies and I have to say that the Cold Smoked Salmon was possibly the best smoked Salmon I have ever eaten. The only one to come close was some Canadian Sockeye Smoked Salmon in Hy’s Whistler which given the provenance was duty bound to blow your taste buds! Here in the UK the SFF smoked salmon far out ranks any I have tasted either shop bought or in a restaurant with a healthy aroma of a camp fire and a gentle smokey flavour it was devoured in no time at all.

During the afternoon we spent a fabulous couple of hours with Ross, savouring his knowledge and enthusiasm on curing, smoking and foraging. We learnt the difference that brining makes to the smoking process with some samples of salmon.

After a sample of some smoked venison and pigeon breast we had a wonder into the local woods understanding what fabulous ingredients can be found on your doorstep if you know where to look. Here we picked some nettles and wild garlic and then headed back to the house to make a lovely fresh broth with some chicken stock that had been flavoured with some of the new air-dried Chorizo that Ross is trialling. It was amazing that such simple ingredients can create such flavour.

We all left with a new understanding of the curing and smoking processes and an eagerness to forage and I cannot thank Ross or Susan enough for welcoming us into their restaurant and their home. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

I look forward to creating something yummy with the sample of chorizo we came home with so watch this space.

Giveaway Winner

Apologies for the delay in publishing the winner of the £100 giveaway for Kitchen Stools Direct. I have been away for the weekend in Angelsey, which is rather great for a get away, no mobile phone signal means you really are getting a break from it all! However it does hamper with the blog reading and tweeting!

We had a lovely time, some special quality family time with Baby G and friends, including Grace's first trip to the beach.

Windswept at Newborough Sands

Most of the time was spent chilling out at my friends static caravan but we did go for a fab lunch today before heading home and I can thoroughly recommend the Brasserie at the Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn in Beaumaris. I had a ploughman's salad which was superb, with lovely mature cheddar and a thick piece of boiled ham. The side order of chips with Halen Mon sea salt were addictive! Had we been there for dinner there was a great choice of mains and there is also a restaurant with a lovely A la Carte menu too.

So without further ado, thanks to all those fabulous people that entered.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2011-05-30 19:32:25 UTC

That means the winner of the giveaway is awannabiefoodie so congratulations Julia! If you email or DM me your address I'll get your prize out to you!  

Hasta luego,

Ahhh, look how versatile it is ......?

Last week I shared with you a review of the Kitchen Stool we received from Kitchen Stools Direct. We are still enjoying using the stool and it is a great addition to our kitchen, even Baby G likes it

I know, I know, it's not designed to be a highchair but how cute does she look? (No babies were harmed in the taking of this photo!)

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway for £100 voucher at Kitchen Stools Direct and the odds of winning are great, so get your entry in now. See here for complete details.

Thanks for popping by,

Louise