Food and Fun

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I’m on the oil olll

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Newest Street Food Market in Glasgow – Platform – A great video from Scotsman Food and Drink website.

Set in the backdrop of the Arches that so many people will resonate with bygone days of clubbing, not anymore.  Out of the “ashes” has arisen Glasgow’s newest street food market adding to the already buzzing scene.

Platform has the usual suspects burgers and shawarma, however, alongside a bar that provided wine, cocktails and beer some of which they brew themselves in conjunction with Innis & Gunn.  However there a couple of different stands that could make Platform the most popular venue Shrimpwrek and Gallus Pasta (the later has not been tested as of the time of this post), aside from the being acres of space for more vendors to come, it’s inside which come winter time is something Dockyard & Big Feed cannot compete with.

As you can tell, I am into sliders in a big way and Tiny Dancer Sliders know how to do them well!  We also had some calamari from Shrimpwrek which was really well cooked and tasted fantastic and a filled chapati from Babu Bombay Street which wasn’t our favourite but that was purely our poor choices and nothing else.  The fantastic Three Sister Bake also have residence here, just when you think you can’t eat anymore…there is always space for their salted caramel brownies or any of the many delectable treats that they have cooked that week.  If you have not tried them, they are a must!

I can safely say that to satisfy my street food needs Platform will be the choice destination throughout the chilly winter we have ahead!

    Platform – Glasgow’s New Street Food Market Newest Street Food Market in Glasgow - Platform - A great video from Scotsman Food and Drink website.

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After a summer of steak and salad a staple in the GGFW household I decided to try something I found in the Co-op food magazine: Spiced steak with salad leaves, sweet potato, onion and dukkah.  As a solid Rib-Eye steak eater, buying sirloin is a bit of a novelty, now as a fairly skint student I obviously purchase my steaks from Lidl, I’m glad the days are gone where people turned their noses up at that store.  Lidl and Aldi have almost managed to push themselves into contention with the big four for quality and range available.

The sweet potato is chopped roughly into wedges with the skin on and tossed in a baking tray with wedged red onion and whole garlic cloves, I went slightly over the recipe but under the recommendation of resident Garlic Queen Clare!  Roast these in the oven at around 200 degrees for 30 mins until the potatoes are soft.  At this point squeeze the garlic out of the skin and mix around into the sweet potato.

While the pots are roasting away get the rest of the ingredients together.  Season the steak with salt & pepper and a good dusting of coriander powder and leave to come up to room temperature before cooking.

For the dukkah, I used a Lidl seed mix, cumin seeds and coriander powder, in a dry pan fry of the herbs to extract the flavour before adding them all into the pestle & mortar and bashing down into a chunky powder.

The final accompaniment is to make the dressing, grab a decent spoonful of creme fraiche and a dollop of hot sauce, I chose the ‘sauce of the moment’ – Siracha.  You will use this end to plop over the dish.

Once your potatoes are cooked and cooled slightly I added them to a big bowl with the salad leaves and mixed around for a light oil and garlic dressing.

Finally, it’s time to cook the steak, I have rubbed a little oil on the steak and got my pan nice and hot,  fry the steak for two minutes each side, a little more if you don’t like it as rare and then leave to rest for 5 minutes.  Slice up then add to the bowl, give it another little mix once it is on the plate add a few dollops of your dressing and sprinkle over the Dukkah and enjoy.

  Spiced Steak After a summer of steak and salad a staple in the GGFW household I decided to try something I found in the Co-op food magazine: Spiced steak with salad leaves, sweet potato, onion and dukkah. 

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The new owners and Graeme & Scott McLean have taken over the west end institution of Tribeca and boy are they not going to lose any customers.  Gone are the dark walls and the venue now looks like the genuine old-school cocktail bars I visited in New York and the food is right up there too.

The brothers were keen to stick to the “American” style of Tribeca with a direct focus on the quality of the Scottish produce that they used, their produce comes from S Collins butcher – more about the steaks later, Stuart Wilson – Catch of the Day supplying the fish and ensuring they amp up the veggie and vegan offerings from Mheat and Frickin’ ensure that there really is something for everyone.  And let me tell you, as a seasoned carnivore when it comes to burgers the veggie/vegan offerings ain’t half bad, I may not have won the ‘taste test’ competition but I take solace in the fact I had it harder than my competitors!

We only got the privilege to try a few core burgers ‘The Eleanor’, ‘The McKinley’ and ‘Frickin Tower’ although these are core burgers the difference here is the quality of meat used, it instantly stands out against most of its competitors (sorry but Bread Meats Bread is still my fav).  Many feel the need to pile on cheese in a feeble attempt to add moisture, this is in no way necessary here, juicy burgers packing a punch is a sure fire way to succeed in an already saturated market.  Moreover, unlike many of their competitors’ fries are included in the price of the burgers. Bonus.

Unfortunately, we were not treated to a full steak but be rest assured my carnivore companion and I will be returning.  However, the slithers of various cuts we were treated to were delightful, succulent, perfectly cooked in particular the Teriyaki glazed steak used on their ‘big tasty salads’ overall the quality was on with the other top steak restaurants in Glasgow.

Great place, make sure you get down to support the lads doing great things on Woodlands Road.

Roosevelts Opens Its Doors. The new owners and Graeme & Scott McLean have taken over the west end institution of Tribeca and boy are they not going to lose any customers. 

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On the first Monday of every month Cafe Gandolfi hosts their wine club.  Each month will have a different theme be it Sicily, new world or the October’s theme was: Indian Summer.  Now, I am sure many of you are on the same page as me: “There are wine producers in India ??” Well, apparently so.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    There are not many to be fair, two key vineyards in Maharashtra, “Fratelli” that has an obvious Italian link and “Sula”.

The concept of each tasting evening is participants will get to taste eight different wines, 4 white followed by 4 red.  Grouped into two’s these wines are paired with a dish prepared by the kitchen to match perfectly.  There are always winners and losers with the two most popular wines earning a place on the Gandolfi Gish wine list for a month.

Firstly, we were treated to two Chenin Blancs which differed greatly in both the nose and taste.  “Fratelli’s” aged in French oak barrels was full of stone fruits and although in taste it was light, lingered around for quite some time.  “Sula’s” for me smelt quite salty on the nose but when it came to taste, my first comment was “WOW” full of pears and tropical fruits.  This second Chenin blew our minds so much that we had to buy it to take home. These whites were paired with a smoked haddock kedgeree, roasted red pepper and a quails egg.

Round two involved a Sauvignon Blanc which was different to others I have tasted (and generally disliked) in the past.  Full of Golden Delicious apples and minerals which both carried over to the tasting, with a touch of ginger in the background. Unfortunately, this wasn’t to my companion’s taste as she has a dislike to ginger. But the wine was perfectly balanced and went very well with the food- tandoori monkfish (or cauliflower) roast pumpkin and homemade paratha. Our final white for the evening ‘Dindori Reserve’ Viognier from, again, Sula vineyards. On the nose, this was a classic aromatic Viognier with notes of lemon and guava. The taste was pretty straightforward and delicious too! With a nice round mouthfeel to compliment any Indian food spices.

Moving on to the big guns, the stuff that most of the people in the restaurant had been waiting for, the reds.  Interestingly we got to try two different expressions of Indian Sangiovese and, contrary to what our wine sheet says, we actually tried the 100% Sangiovese first.  My oh my, what an interesting wine.  On the nose, I can only describe the smell like smoked meat, which a massive contrast to the sharp sour cherry and mildly acidic taste.  I think it’s fair to say I did not enjoy this wine but was happy to polish off my sample regardless, not to be rude.  The second Sangiovese was a Cabernet Sauvignon blend called “Sette” from the Fratelli vineyards.  Known as the “super Tuscan” of India this 2012 vintage did not disappoint!  With dark fruits, chocolate, cherry and a grassy note right at the end, it’s fair to say we were all super happy with this one.  These wines needed some bold flavours so were paired with a lamb stew, plum coriander and naan scones… I mean bread. More on that later.

Our final two wines *sniff* were a Zinfandel and a Shiraz, crazily paired with a salad.  However, I think I can speak for my companion when I say the Zinfandel was glorious!  A smooth, fruity, jammy wine that leaves you wanting more and more with every taste, which is why we took a bottle home!  Our definite favourite of the night.  Moving on, whilst I wipe away the drool that lands on my keyboard, our last wine, was the Shiraz.  A typically tasty warm climate style Shiraz, it presented us with bold flavours of rich dark berries, black pepper whilst being very full bodied.

Someone came styled for the evening.

“I didn’t drink ALL of it myself”…

Our fav wines from the evening. Now just to cook with them at home.

You will notice that I have talked extensively about the amazing wine, and not too much about the food on offer.  Now, to be fair, Iona and I are a pain in the you-know-what given one is veggie and I have my “allergies” (which aside from the red pepper on the first course I ignored) we are a tricky pair to cook for.  On previous “tasting” occasions the food has been exceptional, on this occasion, however, Cafe Gandolfi really missed the mark, maybe it is because I cook a lot of Indian food at home and have a fairly high standard but after discussions with more than one person at our table we were not alone. We over heard that the head chef had maybe changed…. my first thought was “change of venue? Menu? Tastebuds…?” We do understand that it is a very busy night for them and hard to prepare food in advance. That shouldn’t mean, however, that food should be left to cook on a stove regardless of timings, a lot of the food was sadly soggy and overcooked. On that note, I have no doubt that my next trip to the wine club the food will be more than back up to scratch.

Wine Tasting On the first Monday of every month Cafe Gandolfi hosts their wine club.  Each month will have a different theme be it Sicily, new world or the October's theme was: Indian Summer.  

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Five March is the latest in a long run of eateries that have popped up in the Finnieston district over the past few years, and while most of them are congregated along the Argyle Street strip while this one is slightly out-of-the-way I can guarantee you it is worth the extra little walking distance.  You will need it after you have stuffed your face full of the delectable eateries they have to offer.

The interior here is simplistic chic, and the service is efficient, knowledgeable without being obtrusive or stuffy which so many other venues in the vicinity.  The venue has been open for a few months now so any kinks in the service have been ironed out.

Both times I have visited have been during the day, but I get the impression come 5pm on a Friday this place will be jumping.  Their cocktail list has been reduced since opening (from 16 to 8) to streamline service but the variety and style of them is exceptional and most importantly, unique and away from the style of many city centre venues.  I tried the Bourbon, Banana and coffee cocktail, as a lover of Bourbon the light coffee and banana notes in the background were a delight and not overpowering.  We need to get all three of us out to sample the menu thoroughly as the all sound delightful.

The wine list is no slouch either sporting a very of the moment wine in Zibbibo from Sicilly, I have not been able to stop drinking this all summer.

A “tapas” style menu for sharing, in our view is the best since you can order and taste as many items as possible, and trust us you will want to.

We started off with the simple sourdough and butter, when there is a dusting of  rock salt on top we know we are in for a winner, which was a key indicator of things to come.  Next up was a light but packed with a punch salad – pulling together bitter radicchio and mixed leaves with mint and yellow courgette, peas and quinoa all coated in a dressing we couldn’t quite put our fingers onto all covered in a balanced salty almond parmesan crumb  which my companion was not a fan of I however, could have eaten a bowl full of it.  Roasted cauliflower and puree served with sumac, hazelnuts, pomegranate and something every foodie should try: pickled grapes.  I am a fan of anything pickled really, a current experiment happening in the GlasgowGirlsFoodandWine household: flavoured vinegar currently with rhubarb although not particularly successfully so far.  The outstanding dish from my first visit had to be the roasted peach, almond jelly, sponge and ginger.  When a dessert leaves me speechless, it’s a good ‘un.  I will be back for more.

On my second visit, without Iona the resident vegetarian, I opted for a meat dish.  Melt in the mouth beef brisket with celariac and a mustard cream giving a great little kick, the second dish I chose was sweet potato, charred herb salsa and yoghurt.  This dish was the only disappointment of my two visits but I am chalking that down to my own taste buds and it just not being for me as Clare happily munched the leftovers I took home.

Overall Five March really is a restaurant that should be on your must do in Glasgow list.  Providing it isn’t there already.

    Five March, new kid on the bloc. Five March is the latest in a long run of eateries that have popped up in the Finnieston district over the past few years, and while most of them are congregated along the Argyle Street strip while this one is slightly out-of-the-way I can guarantee you it is worth the extra little walking distance.  

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A Saturday evening off in the girls food and wine household can only mean one thing…Banging dinner time.

The finished article.

After realising that I had never cooked duck and asking the chefs at work for advice (was rather daunting) off I popped up to the awesome Rodgers Butchers on Byres Road to purchase the breasts.

The biggest dilemma we had to overcome…what accompaniments do we go Asian or British???  Knowing Clare make an immense gratin made our life easier: British.  Along with maple butter roasted vegetables and a rich red wine and blackberry sauce.

First up Clare gets cracking on her gratin – I have not been blessed with the full recipe yet as it’s a house secret.  The labouring task to get cracking with is the thinly sliced potatoes since we have not yet invested in a mandolin it’s all done hand.  Clare’s hands that is.  All I can really tell you is her advice to me: “when you have added what you think is enough garlic, add the same again” realistically it’s a whole bulb, yes bulb not cloves cooked down in a pan with cream and cheese, the amount here really depends on the size of your gratin but you comfortablely want enough mixture to add in between layers of potato and a good covering at the top to get a nice crust on the top.

rough garlic guide

ready to cook in the oven

the finished article

The gratin is cooked in the oven at 180 degrees in the oven for 40 minutes to start with then back in the oven at 200 degrees checking the cooking of the potatoes every 5 minutes or so.

During Clare’s laborious potato slicing I am in charge of witty banter and wine pouring, at least I am decent at one.  Today’s cooking wine was a delicious Alsace Pinot Gris that was £6.50 from Morrison’s, light, refreshing and slightly sweet.

Today’s cooking wine.

For the sauce I reduced down a bottle of light red wine, preferably a Pinot Noir, pan roast off an onion, thyme and garlic and add to the reduced wine with approximately 1 litre of stock and a good handful of blackberries.

The sauce much like the gratin needs to reduce for 40 minutes or so until it has reduced in volume by half.  After the sauce has reduced strain through a sieve, my tip: “make sure you squash every last bit of goodness out” through the sieve, it only boost the flavour.

To finish off the sauce I added approximately a desert spoon of brown sugar, a good twist of black pepper and to give it gloss and shine…a good desert spoon full of butter.

The best and tastiest sauce I have ever made.

Once the sauce and and gratin are on and cooking attention can turn to the vegetables, we chose baby pumpkin, carrots and beetroot.  All roasted off together in the oven smothered in maple butter for approximately 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and golden.

Finally the pies de resistance: The duck.  I was rather nervous when cooking this for my first time after coaching from my chef buddies and instructions from Clare, I buckled under the pressure and she took over.  I have however learnt for next time.  So there will be more duck coming.  Watch this space.

The key to cooking the duck is to score the skin to just before the flesh to help render the fat down.  The duck should be placed skin down into a COLD pan on a medium heat until the skin has gone crispy.  Then depending on how you like your meat, we are a medium-rare at the most kind of house so when turning the duck we cooked them for around 4 minutes before adding butter and basting for a further minute.

Duck rendering away.

Remove the duck from the pan and leave to rest at the side for the same amount of time you cooked the meat.  THIS STEP IS ESSENTIAL FOR TENDER MEAT.

Time to serve.  Enjoy.

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  Saturday Night Duck. A Saturday evening off in the girls food and wine household can only mean one thing...Banging dinner time.

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About us.

Three girls living, eating and drinking in Glasgow. We show you the best eats in Glasgow, the wines we love and where to buy them, and share our recipes from friends, family and afar. We all have our favourite corner in the industry:

Clare is the cocktail wizard shaking her way into everyone’s hearts with classical and wonderfully weird combinations.

Iona is the wine connoisseur who keeps us all…

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#beer #afterwork #peaceandquiet #yummy #IPA (at The Hippo Taproom)

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#drygatebrewery #beer #glasgow even better than #london (it's all in the water)

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@emmaross92 #newlove #beer #IPA #glasgow

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#backhome #belatedbirthday #margaritas #mezcal #nowrinkles (at Topolabamba)

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#londontrip #fritters #tasty #hoxton #sunshine #walkingday #lunchtime #foodie (at Friends of Ours)

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#homecooking #glasgow #foodporn #bakedeggs #chorizo #yummyfood #brunch

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#perfect #bloodymary #cocktails #foodporn loving a weekend off!

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Chelsea Market - Finnieston

Chelsea Market – Finnieston

As I shuffle down the street to meet my friend at the newest opening in trendy Finnieston, I wonder what it will be like, the glowing reviews from the glitterati of Glasgow’s food scene are enticing.  Not wanting to follow the trend we wait at least a week after opening to give it a whirl. Like a human sized water bottle I am transported from the chilly winter weather into the warmth of a clean,…

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Chocolate Brownies #1

Appropriately called #1 as this is only my first attempt and these scrumptiously, gooey, melt in the mouth brownies.   FOR THE BROWNIE MIX pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C. 200g of dark chocolate, (at least 80%, wherever possible I use Ivorian Coast, this chocolate is bittersweet and mixes well with any additional ingredients that you would want to add to your brownie.) 200g softened unsalted…

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