Date Night Italian

This weeks date night took us to Ask Italian in Derby. 

Spaghetti Bolognese is one of my all time favourite dishes and I can cook a pretty mean one at home (if I say so myself).

The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente soft but with a little bit of bite. The sauce was rich and tasty.

My partner had Rigatoni Al Manao Piccante which was pasta with beef meatballs and tomato sauce which contained chillies, peppers and onions.

To accompany the meal we had wine which came in lovely glasses. (I thought they looked like lightbulbs).

We left feeling satisfied and full.

Ask Italian

http://m.askitalian.co.uk/menus/derby

Mel xx

Indian Date Night

Me and my partner like to go on date nights. It can be going to see a band or the cinema, but mostly we go out for food and we take it in turns to arrange. 

This week was my partner's turn and he took me out to our local Indian.

Balti International in Derby is a "bring your own booze restaurant".  The waiters are all lovely and go out their way to ensure you have a good night. The food is full of flavour and tasty.

We had the set menu which comes with popadoms and pickle tray

Lots of choices on the pickle tray ranging from lime pickle, mango chutney, mint sauce, sweet onions and onions with tomato and corriander.

We also had a starter I had mint lamb tikka.  Nice cuts of nicely spiced lamb with a fresh salad. 

My partner had Hot Chilli Fish. I would not normally put fish and Indian together but I tried some and it was very tasty. 

Our mains came in Balti dishes with rice or nan. 

I had Chicken Tikka Masala (mild) and my partner had (spicy) Lamb Rezzala the cuts of meat in both dishes were plentiful and tender. The sauce was creamy and flavoursome. 

Would highly recommend Balti International for an enjoyable, reasonably priced night. 

Balti International

http://www.baltiinternational.co.uk

Let me know what your favourite Indian dishes are. Would love to hear if anyone cooks Indian at home.

Mel xx

Sunday Lunch Diaries

Lets face it after a Saturday night out drinking, you need to be looked after the next day. For me that means going out for a tasty Sunday lunch. 

Mr Grundys in Derby was our chosen venue. They offer different size plates, child, adult and big. The big option comes with a free drink. They meat selections were beef, chicken, pork or lamb. 

We went for the adult lamb and it was just what I needed. Beautiful tender lamb shank with a Yorkshire pudding, crispy roast potatoes and new potatoes. Peas, carrots, swede and leek. A rich minty gravy topped it all off. 

We sat outside in the sun to eat. The service was quick and friendly.

Thank you for looking after me Mr Grundys. 

http://www.mrgrundystavern.info

Let me know where your favourite place to go for a Sunday Lunch is ?

Mel x

Love for Nandos - Try a tasty starter

Everybody loves a Nandos. I love the relaxed feel of the restaurant atmosphere, the funky background music and the service. No waiting ages to get the bill when you are ready to leave is a big bonus.

I love the variety of spices available, personally I am not very good with spicy so I have the lemon and herb or mango and lime sauce. However my partner has an asbestos mouth and goes for the extra hot option, with the triple hot sauce in the black bottle. 

I love having the option of getting halloumi cheese and avocado extra on my dish. 

What I have been loving recently is the starters and to be honest they are nicely spiced but not mouth on fire so we can both enjoy. 

So next time you are at Nandos give the Spicy nuts and warm pitta breads with humous and chilli sauce a try......... Yum yum

Let me know what is your favourite Nandos dish ?

Xx Mel xx

My first ever Devils Food Cake attempt

It was my partners 40th birthday the other day and he asked me to make him a birthday cake. I love baking and the whole trend with Great British Bake Off being back on our televisions. We scoured all of my recipe books and he finally picked a Devils  food cake. 

I was a bit nervous as it is probably the biggest cake i have ever made and I wanted it to be perfect.  I.

found many different versions of the recipe but I ended up using Nigella Lawson's Kitchen version. I even found a You Tube video going though the recipe which also helped me. I have put the link below in case you want to have a go yourself.

http://youtu.be/_PF_mPwc-g8

I decorated it with chocolate frosting, malteasers, chocolate star, galaxy counter and Milky Way stars.

I was very pleased with the end result and my friend commented that the cake had a nice moist consistency.

It was enjoyable to make and even more fun to decorate. 

I would love to see any cakes you have handmade : )

Mel x

One night in Paris

My evening food adventure in Paris took me to a little restaurant called Bistro Saint-Dominique, very close to the Eiffel Tower on rue Saint-Dominique.

 I started with baked Camembert roasted with Honey and it was the best Camembert I had ever tasted. I would have never have thought to put honey with cheese, but it works and I will be trying to replicate the dish at home. 

I next chose Cod fish loin with lemon cream and fresh green beans. The cod flaked apart and melted in the mouth. The sauce worked well and added a freshness and zing to the dish. The beans were cooked well and melted butter gave them a perfect taste.

Whilst I was in Paris I could not leave without trying a proper French Creme Brûlée. Again it was the best I have ever had and lived up to my expectations. Crispy sugary top with delightful softness underneath. 

We ate alfresco and the service was quick and attentive. The restaurant had cool retro advertising posters up on the walls.

Restaurant website : www.bistrostdominique.com

Derby Daily Food Ideas

Croots Farm in Duffield for a tasty hearty Breakfast. Using locally sourced produce and some item are from their own farm. Visit their fantastic farm shop afterwards, and purchase some tasty sausages to cook at home.

Forge in the Old Blacksmiths Yard in Derby for lunch. Newly opened this relaxed restaurant offers gourmet burgers galore with tasty sides fries and slaw. 

Finally to end the day we have Moon Sha in Derby. A stylish Japanese restaurant offering tasty bento boxes and other delights. Perfect for a romantic meal for two. 

All restaurants mentioned have been chosen not only for their high quality of food but also the excellent service offered.