Haggis, Neeps and Tatties!

Scotland's not always renowned for it's culinary expertise, when most people think Scotland, they think battered Mars bar. But Scotland has some of the finest smoked fish, meats and above all whiskies. And then there's the Marmite of Scottish foods, Haggis. I think the tag, you either love it or you hate it is a little unfair. It seems more like you either love it or you hate the thought of even trying it! And you can understand why... Haggis is basically minced sheep offal (heart, liver and lungs), with onions, oatmeal, spices and seasoning encased in the animal's stomach. What's not to like? But what you actually get is a dish with incredible flavour and texture. The Haggis was brought back from Scotland but I'm sure you can request if from your local butchers - the fresher the better.

My girlfriend's family are Scottish so last night we celebrated a belated wee Burns night, where the dish of choice is Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. Neeps are turnip and tatties are mashed potato. We also had a whisky sauce accompaniment, made from double cream, shallots and whisky which gave the dish a perfectly rich finish. The sauce would go excellently with any steak as well. A very economical but tasty Scottish supper.

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Barbecoa!

So after a trip around the weird and wonderful Ripley's Believe it or not Museum in London, we headed to St Pauls to experience Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Long's new homage to great American food, Barbecoa.

Barbecoa is situated in a new shopping development near the iconic St Pauls called One New Change. It hosts predominantly high street stores, such as All Saints and Topshop and both Jamie and Chef Ramsay have decided to open new restaurants there.

Barbecoa is a rare breed in London, unpretentious, perfectly cooked, reasonably priced food. Jamie Oliver has become something of a household brand and as a huge fan I was concerned this might be something Jamie had merely put his name to. But the food definitely echoed Jamie Oliver all the way through. The three of us decided to share a trio of starters. The first, Charred Hot Wings served in a chilli, ginger and sesame marinade had a combination of American and Asian influences which tasted fantastic. Not quite as successful were the Crispy Pig Cheeks. They had more of a terrine texture than the crispness that the menu suggested but paired with a traditional English picallilli once again proved an great combination of flavours. The final starter was a triumph of the American classic Baby Back Ribs. The meat was beautifully tender and the BBQ sauce smoky with just the right amount of heat, the ribs were superb. There was a huge range of tempting main courses but we each decided to opt for the signature Barbecoa Burger, which was outstanding. The decor and atmosphere were just right, the service absolutely spot on and the overall experience excellent. This is definitely somewhere I'd return to!

Total Bill including drinks for 3 people approx £100

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Introduction - The Hungry Boyfriend

I suppose I better introduce myself... I, the hungry boyfriend am a 25 year old guy and thanks to my girlfriend's culinary talents, a joint love of eating out, and a ridiculously healthy appetite, get to taste some fantastic food. I suppose the aim of this blog is kind of a hybrid restaurant review, recipe review and a general way to share my love of food. Due to budget constraints, it's not exactly going to be the new Michelin guide, but I do get to eat at some exceptional eating establishments. On the opposite of end of the scale it may be a mystery bag of ingredients for a fiver! Recipe's we've tried, whether from Jamie's 30 minute meals or from Heston's Big Fat Duck Cookbook (yeah right), I'll try to critique, from "actually it was a 60 minute disaster" or "you've got to try the snail porridge" (yeah right).... As for my literary skills, this is my first foray into the world of blogging - I'd appreciate your comments and let's see where it goes!

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