HONEY & CO.
One of my favourite restaurants to visit in London is a lovely little place at the top end of Fitzrovia called Honey & Co. Run by quite possibly the bubbliest, most beautiful couple in hospitality it's some of the friendliest service I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying, and you really do feast yourself silly on their deliciously comforting food. Last year they released their first book, and while breaths are presently baited for the impending arrival of their new baking edition (any day now!), I thought it high time to revisit their original tome. A simple throw together of white chocolate, pine nut and lemon made for a surprisingly indulgent dessert, their spicy 'shawarma' a good use for my first crop of mini cauliflowers, and, of course I couldn't resist having a go at their classic milk bun.
White chocolate, pine nuts, olive oil & candied lemon zest (in a tart)
Cauliflower 'shawarma'
Milk bun
BUVETTE
The second of this month's book choices, Buvette, had come highly recommended by a number of fellow bakers. While it has been in my possession for some time now the dishes I was keen to try had a distinctly "winter" feel about them, so I'd been holding off in reservation for the colder months. Starting the day with their savoury toasts is a very good idea indeed, and you really can't go past their coq au vin as the perfect accompaniment to a wet winter's day. Risotto, too, is another sure-fire comforter, and the twenty minutes at the stove stirring their delicious green apple, sage and fontina version is a particularly pleasant way to wind down in the middle of a working week.
Oeufs à la coque, with savoury toasts
Coq au vin
Risotto with green apple, sage, and fontina
MARMALADE WEATHER
This month, the short but sensational Seville season also landed, and for those that didn't blink and miss it this meant a few long days/nights of preserving. To my tastes there is no better marmalade-making orange, and while I've still got some work to do in finding that sweet setting point, this recipe from Nigel Slater is certainly one of my favourites to date.
Seville orange marmalade