We drove down to beautiful, wild and windy Dungeness to be swept along the coast by savage winds and seduced by her raw austere beauty, unlike anywhere else in the UK. BUT, the real reason we drive there is to taste the impeccable fish and chips at the Pilot, the famous pub on the coast recognised as the best fish and chips in the land. Read more…
Lottie and Wayne came over for dinner on Saturday night and that’s just a little daunting. Why? because they cook so damn well and always put on a fantastic spread. I decided not to get competitive, and make a simple but hearty meal,a pate for starters, followed by a fab fish pie, full of the freshest cod, haddock and prawns I could get. After hunting through many recipes, I loved Gordon Ramsay’s posh fish pie, because it’s nice and boozy, full of white wine and Noilly Prat, (perfect excuse for making martinis). Served with minty peas and beans, ’twas super and we had just enough room for my wicked dark chocolate mousse with rasberrys and orange blossom cream. There was enough leftovers for Sunday supper too. Mmmmm…
When I grew up in Australia in the 70s, Chinese restaurants were ‘the’ exotic family treat that usually had mum and dad bickering. Dad, being a tradtitional Pole, hated all things foreign that took him out of the comfort zone of meat and 2 veg. Mum on the other hand, decked out in a bouffant “do” and platforms, found it all very glamorous, surrounded by red laquered panels, black and gold wallpaper, silk lanterns, and names like ‘Golden pagoda’ and ‘Mystic Dragon’. Born and bred in the heart of Melbourne suburbia, I had to agree with mum, and delighted in the bilingual Chinese/English menus, threatening my little brother with spicy chickens feet, while dad ordered a T-Bone from the ‘Australian’ menu. In those days there was nothing better than masses of egg special fried rice, beef in black bean sauce and banana fritters.
