Chai Latte Cravings

Recently I have had massive cravings for Chai Lattes and was keen to try making them at home, thinking it must be nicer using proper tea than the powder they have in coffee shops. The other day my husband came home from the shop with some very authentic looking Chai teabags so I decided to have a go. I made some very strong tea, two teabags with only about half a cup of water, and let it brew quite well. Then I added a healthy table spoon of honey and topped it with lots of hot milk and plenty of froth. It was so good! Beats Starbucks by miles. The next step will be making the actual tea mix myself, looking forward to that too - will report back soon!

Pork and Cabbage Gyoza

How fun it is to try something new once in a while! The other day we went to the Vietnamese food shop down the road to get some sesame oil, and as they conveniently stock plenty of other Asian ingredients it is hard to leave without picking up a few extra things. In the frozen section I found these Gyoza wrappers and got very excited by the prospect of making these gorgeous little things in my own kitchen.

I decided on a pork and cabbage filling. Here is what I put in it:

Minced Pork

Savoy Cabbage

Spring Onions

Garlic

Ginger

Dried Red Chillies

Soy Sauce

Oyster Sauce

Sesame Oil

Just chop all the veg finely and mix it all together in a bowl. Then it is time to get folding which is a lot easier than you would think. Put a spoonful of filling at the centre, then dab the edges with water and fold it over, creating five little pleats along the top edge as you go.

To cook them, put a small amount of sesame oil in a hot pan and add the gyoza flat side down. Let them sizzle for a short while, then pour over boiling water so the are almost covered. Wait for the water to evaporate completely, then add a bit more sesame oil and fry for a couple of minutes until the gyoza are crispy underneath. Done!

To serve I made an udon noodle soup with pak choi and oyster mushrooms. Not bad for a Monday night. They are also really good on their own with a soy dipping sauce.

Bonfire Night

This year we didn't go to see any fireworks, but as I returned from work on Bonfire Night I stopped to watch the display on the Green by our house. It was a cold and crisp evening with that distinctive gunpowdery smell in the air. As I stood watching I could feel the cold air biting my fingertips and I realized it is time to dig out some gloves and hats.

Evidence

This is the evidence of a gorgeous Vongole dinner we enjoyed at the weekend. It was eaten way too quickly to get a picture of the food itself, but the empty shells look quite beautiful too. 

Weekend Breakfast

After a few hectic weeks it feels like I have finally caught up. The weekend got off to a good start with scones straight out of the oven for breakfast, enjoyed in front of a roaring fire. The lemon curd came from the shop but one day soon I will make a spiced one with a hint of cinnamon and cloves.

Seoul Snapshots

Back from a few days in Korea where the food lived up to all expectations. But still, how nice to be home again.

October Fruits

English Apples, the last tomatoes from the garden, Cobnuts from Leilia's shop.