Jeanne-Marie B / Frenchy Love Food

10.28.2015

RECIPEASE JAMIE OLIVER

Last weekend my boyfriend and I had an usual Saturday night !
We went to the cookery school of Jamie Oliver based in Notting Hill: Recipease. We wanted to improve our cooking skills and especially our knowledge of how to make filled pasta.

While we were waiting for the class to start we were offered a complimentary glass of Prosecco.
We were all standing around a massive bar in the middle of the restaurant. The class started with 10 minutes of marketing campaigns for Jamie Oliver restaurants, shops and products ! Needless to say this wasn’t really my cup of tea as I was here to spend a good time with my boyfriend, learn new skills and cook. I was not expecting to listen to a Jamie Oliver's advertisement otherwise I would have stayed in, in from of my TV.
After the long ten minutes of adverts, the class finally properly began and the chef explained how to make filled pasta.

The first step was to make the pasta dough, then knead it and let it rest. While our dough was resting, we prepared our filling. The filling was pretty simple and cheap (frozen spinach and ricotta).
The second step was to roll the dough by using a pasta machine.
The third step was to shape and cut our pasta dough, filled and cook them.
At the same time we were preparing our sauce which was a butter and sage.

What I really liked about this class was its concept. The chef showed us step by step the process and then we did the same thing between each step for our own pasta. What I didn’t like was the price, I thought the class was a bit pricey considering we cooked with very cheap and frozen ingredients. Also to make her plate of pasta the chef use the same amount of ingredients which was given to share between two people, and I think they could have be a bit more generous with their portions. It was surely the most expensive spinach and ricotta pasta plate I ever ate : £50, but it was homemade.

Overall we are glad we did this class as we will be able to prepare our own filled pasta at home with our new pasta machine. However we will probably not go back again to Recipease as it was a bit overpriced for what it was.

5/10

Recipease Jamie Oliver

92-94 Notting Hill Gate

W11 3QB London

NGON NGON

There has been a lot of new Vietnamese restaurants opening around London recently : Viet Food in Soho, FOLD on Brick Lane and Yum Som in the City which I have planned to visit pretty soon.
Seeing all the vietnamese dishes on my Twitter timeline I decided to pay a visit to my old local restaurants around Holborn - Banh Mi Bay.

On that occasion we were not very lucky with my boyfriend as Banh Mi Bay was already full. We went instead on Clerkenwell Road (3 minutes away) to Ngon Ngon.

We arrived around 1.30pm. Ngon Ngon was absolutely packed too but we managed to get the last empty table. While we were ordering, we were informed that unfortunately they had totally sold out of banh mi. My boyfriend was a bit disappointed.

We started our meal by sharing some prawn, pork and squid spring rolls. They were very light, crispy and full of flavour. I liked the fact they had squid in as it gave an extra texture to the usual classic prawn and pork spring rolls you get anywhere else.

As a main dish, my boyfriend had the Pho tai, which was rice noodles in a clear beef broth with slim rare cuts of beef. It came with some chili, lime and herbs on the side.
I tried his dish, the broth was packed in flavour (even without herbs and spice). The beef was also really tasty and not chewy at all.
I had stir fried flat noodles with chicken (Pho Xao Ga). It came with some crispy vegetables: carrot, pak choi, courgette and crispy onions on top. I thought the dish was pretty good, and also had the perfect balance of meat, carbs and vegetables. I remember at Banh Mi Bay the portions are usually slightly bigger but you end up with more noodles than meat or vegetables.

Service at Ngon Ngon was pretty good and quick, we waited only 5 minutes between ordering and getting dishes on the table. Our waiter was the restaurant Manager, who was pretty efficient, nice and friendly.
Overall I think Ngon Ngon was close to be the perfect restaurant for a short lunch break for £10 or less per head. All the dishes were delicious and smelled amazing. It would have probably been the perfect place if they hadn't sold out of banh mi by 1.30pm.

8/10

Ngon Ngon

144 Clerkenwell road

London EC1R 5DP

DESIGNERS FROM TOULOUSE / CREATRICES TOULOUSAINES

I don't really like the idea of an unique day to celebrate women rights and achievements as I think being a women is a daily challenge to get gender equality and it should not be only one day to remember it. But for the first time, I will do an exception and celebrate International Women's Day 2015 my way.
You have probably heard about Toulouse for its traditional sausage, Airbus planes, its rugby team and of course pretty girls ! Today on this beautiful Sunday the 8th of March 2015, I would like to introduce you five talented designers I had the pleasure to meet in Toulouse or have know since sixth form college: Nancy & Nadia Koch, Pauline Avinio-Darris, Lisa Monterdez and Manon Cabaré.

Je n'aime pas vraiment l'idée d'un jour unique pour célébrer les droits et accomplissements de la femme, car je considère qu'être une femme est un combat quotidien pour obtenir l'égalité des sexes et, cela ne devrait pas être seulement célebre lors d'une seule journée pour se le rappeler. Pour la première fois, je vais faire une exception et célébrai la Journée Internationale de la Femme 2015 à ma maniere.
Vous avez probablement entendu parler de Toulouse ville réputée pour sa saucisse traditionnelle, ses avions Airbus et son équipe de rugby et bien sûr ses jolies filles! Aujourd'hui en ce beau dimanche 8 mars 2015, je voudrais vous présenter cinq talentueuses créatrices que j'ai eut la chance de rencontrer sur Toulouse ou connaître depuis le college/ lycée: Nancy & Nadia Koch, Pauline Avinio-Darris, Lisa Monterdez et Manon Cabaré.

Picture of Nancy & Nadia Koch from Nach Bijoux website

The first time I heard about Nach Bijoux was when I met Nancy Koch one night in September 2011 at an after-work party on the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette. She was wearing a colourful banana necklace and a white rabbit ring which caught my attention. At the end of 2011, Koch's sisters launched their website Nach Bijoux, offering a high end and home-made porcelain jewellery collection featuring mostly animals and fruits.
Daughters of Christian Koch (world leader in porcelain animal miniatures for almost 30 years), Nach Bijoux was born from the association of their family's porcelain expertise and their passion. Nadia is the entrepreneur of the project and Nancy draws and designs collections.
What I like about Nach jewellery is the fact they go well with any kind of outfit (party, casual and smart), they add a touch of originality and craziness. My favourite pieces (apart from the white owl ring that I already have) are the following (see below) - Delivered in the UK.

La première fois que j'ai entendu parler de Nach Bijoux fut quand j'ai rencontré Nancy Koch à une soirée sur le toit des Galeries Lafayette en septembre 2011, elle portait un collier banane et une bague lapin blanc qui ont retenu mon attention. Fin 2011, les soeurs Koch ont lancé leur site internet Nach Bijoux, proposant une collection de bijoux haut de gamme, faits main en porcelaine représentant des animaux et des fruits.
Les filles de Christian Koch (leader mondial dans les miniatures d'animaux en porcelaine depuis 30 ans) ont créé Nach Bijoux, né de l'association de l'expertise familiale pour la porcelaine et de leur passion. Nadia est l'entrepreneur du projet et Nancy dessine et conçoit les collections.
Ce que j'aime chez les bijoux Nach c'est qu'ils vont avec n'importe quel style de vêtements (soirée, informel et chic), ils ajoutent une touche d'originalité et de folie. Mes pièces favorites (hormis la bague chouette blanche que j'ai déjà) sont les suivantes (voir ci-dessous).

Picture from Nach Bijoux website

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Picture of Pauline Avinio-Darris taken by photographer Arthur Castillon

Born the same year as me in 1989, I met Pauline from a common friend in sixth form college. I spent a lot of fun nights in Toulouse with her, she was a ambitious girl, always happy and full of energy.
She moved to Paris and studied at the fashion design and business school ESMOD where she won the competition of Delage brand for their SS2013 collection. This year at the Who's Next fashion trade show, Pauline has launched her brand Darris with her first collection of leather bags and accessories called ''Caracteres''. Every item is defined into three different colours : beige, pastel pink and night blue.
What I like about the Darris collection is the mix between pastel colour/ dark colour and colourful 70s influenced printed inside. I like the Insolence bag which is very elegant with a twist of modernity from the apparent zip (picture below on the left) and the Frivole bags, a chic backpacks (picture below on the right).

Née la même année que moi en 1989, j'ai rencontré Pauline grâce à une amie commune du lycée . J'ai passé beaucoup de soirées amusantes à Toulouse avec elle, c'était déjà une fille ambitieuse, toujours heureuse et pleine d'énergie. Elle a déménagé sur Paris, étudié à l'école de commerce et de haute couture ESMOD où elle a gagné le concours de la maison Delage pour leur collection Printemps-Eté 2013. Cette année, au salon de mode Who's Next, Pauline a lancé la marque Darris avec sa première collection de maroquinerie appelée ''Caractères''. Chaque pièce est déclinée en trois coloris: beige, rose pale et bleu nuit.

Ce que j'aime dans la collection Darris c'est le contraste entre les couleurs pastels / sombres et l'intérieur avec un imprimé coloré des années 70. J'aime le sac Insolence qui est très élégant avec une touche de modernité apportée par le zip apparent (image ci-dessous à gauche) et le sac Frivole, une version chic du sac à dos (image ci-dessous à droite).

Picture from Darris website

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Picture of Manon K taken by Matthieu Carrere

Seated next to each other 10 years ago during an economics lesson, Manon has since become one of my closest friend. Manon is an ambitious student lawyer, she is a funny and eccentric women who expresses her originality with colourful outfits and unique jewellery. Last December she launched her pop up brand Manon K offering bracelets with charms or pearls. Manon's first inspiration for her bracelet collection is her friends, each bracelet has the name of someone she likes. Some pieces like the Délizia bracelets have been made with unique charms from Pérou.
What I like about Manon K is the time and love Manon puts in all her creations (every creation is delivered with a hand written note and original gift wrap).
My favourite bracelets are Charlotte, Marie, Clémence and the Jeanne-Marie of course.

Assise côte à côte il y a 10 ans pendant un cours d'économie, Manon est devenue depuis une de mes amies les plus proches. Manon est une élève avocate ambitieuse et une femme drôle et excentrique qui exprime son originalité avec des tenues colorées et des bijoux originaux. Depuis décembre dernier elle a lancé sa marque éphémère Manon K proposant des bracelets avec des charms ou des perles.

La première source d'inspiration de Manon pour sa collection de bracelets sont ses amies, chaque bracelet a le nom de quelqu'un qu'elle aime. Certaines pièces comme les bracelets Délizia ont été faites avec des charms uniques venant du Pérou.
Ce que j'aime des bijoux Manon K c'est le temps et l'amour que Manon met dans chacune de ses créations (chaque création est livrée avec une note écrite à la main et un papier cadeau original). Mes bracelets favoris sont le Charlotte, Marie, Clémence et le Jeanne-Marie bien sûr.

Picture of the Marie bracelet from Manon K

Picture of the Jeanne-Marie bracelet from Manon K

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Picture of Lisa Monterdez taken by photographer Lara Gruffroy

I met Lisa 10 years ago thanks to a boy from sixth form college in Toulouse. At that time she was already passionate about accessories, always walking around with the latest 'it-bag' from Vanessa Bruno or Gerard Darel. Lisa moved to Paris and studied at Lisaa College of applied arts. In 2013 she launched her own brand of bags and clutches NV LM. Every item is home-made and created in the heart of her XVIII flat in Paris. The brand is very original as every item is limited in stock as fabric is precisely chosen depending on its material, patterns and Lisa's inspiration.

What I like about NV LM is that most of Lisa's collection are clutches which can be used in so many ways, but also that they are made with tartan fabrics.

My favourite piece of her new collection is Vert Tartan grand carré (see below).

J'ai rencontré Lisa il y a 10 ans grâce à un garçon de mon lycée à Toulouse, à ce moment-là elle était déjà passionnée par les accessoires, se promenant toujours avec le dernier 'it-bag' de chez Vanessa Bruno ou de chez Gerard Darel. Lisa a ensuite déménagé à Paris où elle a étudié à l'École d'arts appliqués Lisaa. En 2013 elle a lancé sa propre marque de sacs et des pochettes NV LM, tous les articles sont faits maison et créés au coeur de son appartement dans le XVIIIe à Paris. La marque est très originale car chaque article est limité en stock, le tissu est minutieusement choisi selon sa matière, son imprimé et l'inspiration du moment de Lisa.

Ce que j'aime chez NV LM c'est qu'une grande partie de sa collection est composée de pochettes, donc utilisables de façon variée, mais aussi qu'elles sont faites avec du tartan.
Ma pièce favorite de sa nouvelle collection est la pochette Vert Tartan grand carré (voir ci-dessous).

Picture from NV LM website

SEÑOR CEVICHE

Monday is always a boring day! This week it was a little bit more fun than usual as I received an invitation from Zomato to join their #ZomatoMeetup dinner at Señor Ceviche.
It was the first time I attended one of their events. It was a great night and I got the chance to meet other foodie bloggers.

The first time I tried Peruvian food it was at Chotto Matte and I really liked it. I also tried Lima Floral but I thought it was bad value. Knowing this, it's obvious that I was very excited to discover Señor Ceviche's dishes.
The evening started with a lemongrass pisco sour and some nibbles. The pisco sour and chifa
chicharonnes (slow cooked, crispy pork belly with sweet soy) were just ok in my opinion, I really liked the picayune aubergines dishes. It was a few mini sweet potato and aubergine doughnuts with a rich, mildly spiced paste called achiote. The sauce on its own had a very unusual taste, but it really gave an extra smokiness/ spiced flavour to the dish.

Our dinner continued with their signature dish and a salmon tiradito. Their señor ceviche was made with the freshest sea bream and octopus and aji amarillo tiger’s milk. The pieces of fish were laid down on a smooth sweet potato purée. The whole dish was topped with crunchy baby squid tempura. It was a very well executed dish and very refreshing in the mouth.
Regarding their salmon tiradito I wasn't impressed, it just tasted like a basic salmon sashimi. As a cocktail pairing we had an Inca trail cocktail with the two dishes.

Peruvian food is not just about healthy ceviche but it's also about naughty barbecue meats. We had anticucho de res and super pollo. I'm not a big fan of animal heart in general, so unfortunately I didn't fancy my anticucho of beef heart. However, I fell in love with their super pollo, the chargrilled chicken was super tasty, tender and moist. It was a delight. I wished I had more than one piece of this delicious juicy poultry.
To complement our meat we had some chargrilled green vegetables and quinoa. Both sides were good. I had a preference for the quinoa salter.
For dessert, we had a tarta de queso, it tasted ok but I'm not a huge fan of dessert. I only had a little bite to try and gave the rest to the other bloggers who enjoyed it more.

Overall Señor Ceviche was a vibrant place with really nice staff. Even if we were very privileged and looked after by the staff during this event, I had a look around during the service and they paid as much attention to other clients as us which is a good thing.
I'd definitely recommend Señor ceviche. I'm planning to go back with my boyfriend and have more super pollo and picayune aubergines.
If you are around Carnaby street between 12am and 5pm, they have a special lunch deal which includes a ceviche or anticucho with one side, plus a soft drink for £10. And for those who plan to party in central London, you can start with a Pisco Sour Happy Hour from 5 to 7pm (all cocktails are £5).

7/10
I was invited to review Señor Ceviche by Zomato.