Food, Days Out and Travel stories from Brighton, London and the Rest of the World

Friday

Stirring, Shaking and Muddling my way through Cocktail Making

With a recently found interest in mixology I've decided to start my 2017 with some rum cocktail making.

To help in this endeavour I've been introduced to a website called thebar.com that provides an impressive list of cocktail recipes. For each recipe the quantities automatically alter once you select the number of people the cocktail is for. You can favourite recipes for future use and there's a nice little bit of info about each cocktail to accompany the recipes.

In the past, I've been put off cocktail making by the fact that I don't own a cocktail shaker, this, impediment I found out however, is very easy to overcome. With a little rummaging in the kitchen I discovered I had the perfect substitute in the form of a water bottle. Turns out it's really quite satisfying to give a cocktail a vigorous shake.

Stirring, Shaking and Muddling my way through Cocktail Making, photo by modern bric a brac

For the moment back to the beginning. My Rum cocktail making was about to commence and my plan was to try three different methods - stirring, muddling and shaking.

Hot Buttered Rum


This winter warmer is perfect for people who love cinnamon and nutmeg. On my debut cocktail making night, my friends said it reminded them of butterscotch. The drink really appealed to me the most and I think this was because I'm such a fan of warmed spirits. I find them quite soothing. Add some runny honey, butter, hot water and give it a stir. The website suggested it was a great way to finish a winter wedding or after returning from a walk on a dark and rainy day. I thought yes, I'll have this again.

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Stirring, Shaking and Muddling my way through Cocktail Making, photo by modern bric a brac

Old Fashioned Spice


This, was not so successful, I must share. A muddler, I found out is the name for an implement with a mortar for crushing ingredients at the bottom of a glass. To muddle is to crush ingredients, such as a sugar cube and Angostura Bitters before pouring in the remaining ingredients and stirring to combine. To make an Old Fashioned Spice cocktail you take a sugar cube, dash it with Angostura Bitters, crush and add ice and rum. So far so good, but the finished drink turned out to be too sharp for our taste. It made my friends and Welsh One wince and then make some unexpected noises. Maybe I didn't get the measurements quite right. How much is a dash of Angostura Bitters anyway? The colour was warm and inviting but I think in the main this was just a bit of a muddle.

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Stirring, Shaking and Muddling my way through Cocktail Making, photo by modern bric a brac

Hurricane


I really enjoyed making this one and it went down very well. Better suited to sunny days, I can imagine drinking this in the summer. A longer drink than the others, this one contained pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, rum and in my recipe a raspberry syrup. It was a jolly looking raspberry pink colour with a bright orange slice and ice. In the recipe it instructs you to vigorously shake the ingredients with ice until the outside of the shaker feels cold. Top marks for this one, five cocktail glasses out of five.

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Stirring, Shaking and Muddling my way through Cocktail Making, photo by modern bric a brac


With these three skills I feel emboldened to take further steps into the world of mixing. I've favourited a few to try for later. Next time I'm planning to make Eggnog and a rum punch for a house warming.

This post has been sponsored by thebar.com, click here to check out some cocktail recipes.

Stirring, Shaking and Muddling my way through Cocktail Making, photo by modern bric a brac

Best wishes

Sarah xx


photo 
Sarah Agnew
Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac
    

To find out about the best places to eat in Brighton and London plus beautiful places to visit, click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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Sunday

Sunday Brunch - Slow Brunch in Brighton

A little distance from the centre of Brighton, if you take that to be the Brighton Pavilion, is a slow brunch bar to seek out.

Cafe Plenty at Preston Circus has the perfect vibe for an easy going, wake up slowly Sunday Brunch. They take their tea and coffee seriously, offering 20 loose teas from the local Chi tea company and coffee from another local favourite Coffee @ 33, a crucial component of a perfect Brunch.

It's a place already on a lot of people's radars and so I wasn't surprised to find it pretty full the morning I went with friends on a recent Sunday at 11 am. Luckily we had booked ahead and had reserved a great corner table where we could get nicely settled in.

Sunday Brunch - Slow Brunch in Brighton at Cafe Plenty, photo by modern bric a brac


Inside hung thick rope light fittings from an industrial ceiling, long wooden-topped tables lined each side of the dining area and floor to ceiling glass windows filled the room with natural light.

A large group of friends sat near the entrance, a young mum came in with a buggy and two dads sat with their kids at the table beside us. The space seemed to make room for all of us with ease and Sunday papers were available to finish off that Sunday morning feeling.

Sunday Brunch - Slow Brunch in Brighton at Cafe Plenty, photo by modern bric a brac


It's a cafe that has so many meal options, it somehow feels more like a restaurant. While I'm writing this I'm wondering whether that makes sense. Perhaps it's the size of the establishment that makes it feel more like a restaurant. Maybe I think of cafes as rather smaller venues, whatever the reason Cafe Plenty has indeed plenty of space.

Once comfortably seated we started our brunch outing with a winter fruit tea, brought over by the effusive and fabulous Dawn, one of the Cafe Plenty team. The tea brewed, we chatted and the pace was determinedly unhurried. I originally had been more keen to start with a coffee but when I found the fruit tea tasted rich and full of body, I realised a fruit tea was actually a great way to start our meal.

It was time to get up and place our order at the counter and there seemed to be options everywhere I looked. In the window were tiers of cakes, overhead on a gilt-framed chalkboard the menu included eggs royale, as well as avo on sourdough and to our right were plates of savoury dishes such as a freshly made moussaka and macaroni, alongside scones, welsh cakes and doughnuts. The list goes on.

Sunday Brunch - Slow Brunch in Brighton at Cafe Plenty, photo by modern bric a brac


After struggling to decide, I went for avocado on toast £4.50 with a flat white £2.40 to follow and friends went for eggs royale £7 and frittata.

I was delighted with the portion size, it was a generous serving of four rounds of toast covered in swathes of bright green smashed avocado. My friend B's poached eggs were covered in a creamy hollandaise and L tried a veg frittata, which she loved.

Sunday Brunch - Slow Brunch in Brighton at Cafe Plenty, photo by modern bric a brac

Sunday Brunch - Slow Brunch in Brighton at Cafe Plenty, photo by modern bric a brac



The flat white arrived and it was delicious, short, rich and creamy, and for me there is no other way to drink coffee at Brunch.

Before leaving the cakes that had been made by Mitch, one of the owners, the night before deserved a little tasting too. We decided on a gluten free chocolate and banana cake slice £3 to share. Not too sweet, it was light and sticky and enjoyed thoroughly.

Sunday Brunch - Slow Brunch in Brighton at Cafe Plenty, photo by modern bric a brac


While we were there I noticed artwork by two different artists; ceramic models hung from the ceiling by one artist and art on the wall was by artist Henry Rowsell. Exploring the theme of uniting time and place his signature style of oil and mixed media on boards brought splashes of colour to the exposed brick walls.

CAFE PLENTY BRIGHTON, 3-4 Circus Parade, New England Road, Brighton, United Kingdom

Sunday Brunch - Slow Brunch in Brighton at Cafe Plenty, photo by modern bric a brac

Next month I'll be looking for another place in Brighton and Hove for Brunch. Let me know in the comments if you know somewhere worth trying.

Best wishes

Sarah xx


photo 
Sarah Agnew
Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac
    

To find out about the best places to eat in Brighton and London plus beautiful places to visit, click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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Friday

My New Food and Drink Resolutions 2017

If you knew what my food and drink resolutions were, would you want to make some too?

Since the beginning of the year I've been quite quiet on Instagram. Normally I'm a picaday type of 'Grammer, but since the new year I've been doing a lot of ruminating. How best to start the new year? How can I keep learning about food and drink and discovering where I can find the very best.

I'd like my resolutions to spur me on, to motivate me from a serial article keeper, Pinterest-pinning and fine-dining dreamer into an Epicurean do-er - cooking, cocktail making and restaurant visiting.

My New Food and Drink Resolutions 2017, photo by modern bric a brac

With these thoughts swirling in my head, I've come up with a plan of action and here it is.

1) Trying Out New Recipes


With regards to this, my first resolution I've already started to dip my toe in. Instead of keeping piles of magazines, I've started to sift through them before binning to pull out any recipes I'd like to make. Once I've tried the recipe my plan is to be strict, if I don't absolutely love the results, then bin. The white chocolate, cranberry and thyme cake just had to go. This way I plan to build up a repertoire of tried and tested best recipes. My latest great finds are an amazing macaroni cheese recipe from Olive Magazine and breakfast pancakes from Waitrose magazine. Keepers both. Next up are a sweet potato rosti florentine from CoOp's magazine and nasi goreng with crispy fried egg.

My New Food and Drink Resolutions 2017, photo by modern bric a brac

2) Making and tasting Cocktails


In my foodie highlights from last year, cocktails kept making an appearance. First, there was the Bloody Mary at Barbecoa, then a rum cocktail at The Pig, to more recently a cocktail in a glass draped with chocolate ganache. From there the appeal of cocktails has grown and grown. I like the idea of a drink that deserves a little lingering over. It has taken time to prepare and the combination of flavours needs to be savoured. It's inspired me to learn more about the art of mixology and I've found a website called thebar.com that breaks it down into nice and easy steps. They've got cocktail recipes that cover all the classics, plus their own blog with their take on new year's resolutions.

My New Food and Drink Resolutions 2017, photo by modern bric a brac

3) Taking a Slow Brunch Tour of Brighton and Hove


In slow brunch tour, I mean the timeframe of a year to try out 12 cafes and restaurants in Brighton and Hove that offer relaxed Sunday brunching. A week ago I started the process off with a place I'd been hearing about for a while, Cafe Plenty. With a few jolly companions to join me for the ride we slowly started with a winter warming fruit tea that needed time to brew. The ruby concoction once poured tasted full of body in contrast to the weedy thin flavour I'm used to with my herbal tea bags during the week. As we nattered we slowly made our way through Brunch favourites: flat whites, sourdough, avo and eggs. It was perfect and my plan is to keep going all year long, combining healthy hearty brunches with the comforting chatter of friends. If you fancy joining us, then get in touch and I'll give you details of the next destination. All welcome.

My New Food and Drink Resolutions 2017, photo by modern bric a brac

4 Trying out the Best Restaurants in London


There are restaurants I have heard about and wanted to visit for decades. A recent article reignited this desire and this year I plan to go to at least a one of them! My list includes:

The River Cafe - I imagine, spring sunshine, the gentle hum of diners, large windows overlooking the banks of the river and delicious dishes worth taking time over.

Afternoon tea at The Ritz - grand interior, impeccable service, sweet treats to make your eyes sparkle, splendour and refinement, Oh la!

Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons - the ultimate in dining? Is it really as good as they say it is? Deep in the Oxfordshire countryside, top chefs, delicate flavours, technique and style mastered. I would love to find out.

And finally,

Le Gavroche - The best service in London, my father said. Yes, very good indeed, my brother agreed. A dining experience to remember. I've got my hand up. Over here, yes I'll go.

My plan is, I'll pin the restaurants to a Pinterest Board, Fine Dining in London and perhaps the universe will manifest a way to make my dreams become reality.

My New Food and Drink Resolutions 2017, photo by modern bric a brac


Come back next week to discover how I got on with making three rum cocktails. This blog post has been sponsored by thebar.com

What are your food dreams for this year?



Best wishes

Sarah xx


photo 
Sarah Agnew
Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac
    

To find out about the best places to eat in Brighton and London plus beautiful places to visit, click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin
SHARE:
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