beans | The grub worm

Warming chorizo, butter bean and tomato

Posted on 9 December 2010 by The Grubworm

Chorizo and butter beans

The weather’s cold, snow is a-falling and we’re all freezing our nuts off (in a non gender specific way). This is the time to head in to culinary battle crying “God for Harry, England and a warming dinner”. Cold brings out the blood thirsty warrior in me.

And in the spirit of dear old Prince Hal, King Harry or whoever he was, I managed to find some chorizo made from English venison. A strong gamey sausage with all the smoky heat of a chorizo. Not quite as zingy or intense as the real McCoy. But interesting and it worked really well with this dish. Continue reading →

Green bean, mangetout & hazelnut salad

Posted on 12 May 2010 by The Grubworm

I don’t care if spring has chilled down to the level of a Greenland glacier, it’s still sunny. And so, in the great British tradition, I am determined to forge ahead as though I’m in a temperate paradise.

So it’s got to be fresh light food to match those – ahem – fresh winds blowing down from the north. Continue reading →

Sichuan dry-fried chicken, green beans with ginger & garlic, rice & peas

Posted on 4 January 2010 by The Grubworm

For the new year I’m trying to move away from focusing all (foody) things Turkish. We live in area of London chock full of Anatolian grocers full of fresh herbs, cucumbers & peppers galore, and about a billion different types of feta, halloumi, yoghurt, tahini, olives etc. Consequently 2009 has had a definite Levantine flavour.

However, with an austere new year beckoning, it feels right to explore all the cuisines i’ve been neglecting, and bring more variety and excitement to the plate. Far eastern food has a purifying effect suitable to post-excess January, in particular the strong flavours of Thai, the simplicity of Japanese and the warmth of Sichuanese.

Accordingly last night’s dinner was Sichuanese dry fried chicken, sticky rice with peas and green beans with ginger and chilli. Continue reading →