Ice, Ice Baby

I have been hacking the humble ice cube tray for years. Now the sun is furtively peeking out from behind the clouds, let me open your mind to a world of chilly wonder. Just follow my tips below and once fully frozen, stick the cubes in a ziplock bag and label/date contents clearly.

Coffee
Made a pot? Had 5 cups? Jazzed up like a monkey on speed? Heart palpitations? The last cold cup just going to be thrown away? HELL NO, SON! Pop that bad boy in your ice tray. You want a cheap-ass Frappuccino? Frappu-welcome, bitches.

Image source: Samantha's Brewed Awakening

Wine
Sometimes (rarely) I can’t finish a bottle of wine. When this happens I freeze it. Then you can plop them into sauces at the opportune moment. Or, more likely make sangria / wine slushies (I like pineapple juice and a handful of Chablis cubes - Summer in a freaking glass, home girl).

Image source: The Kitchn

Speaking from horrible, horrible experience, I cannot emphasise my introductory labelling point enough as we move from white wine to stock.

Stock
The best culinary results come from the best raw ingredients. In an ideal world we’d all be making our own stock from scratch. “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” I hear you screech. Well, actually it’s not that hard. Next time you have a roast just boil up the bones (and/or giblets) with a few veggies (check here for a good Jamie version if you don’t have a family recipe). Reduce by half to concentrate then when you want to use some just dissolve in boiling water. If stored properly, it lasts about four months and saves using up all your Tupperware.

Image source: Saucy Cuisine

Repeat for vegetable, fish and beef stocks. Also a good ‘ice lolly’ for the dog.

Spinach
Stay with me here, stud. Spinach + a bit of water blended and then frozen is a great way to save the leaves from going bad if you’ve bought a value pack. Add to smoothies for extra iron – hidden in a berry blitz or out and proud in an apple concoction it is delicious. Remember: if you eats your spinach you’ll be strong to the finish! I’ve always had a thing for sailors...

Image source: Rowdy Stroudy

Anyway…you can do the same with herbs or other green leaves for seasoning soups, etc.

The big finish
So this isn’t strictly sticking with the ‘leftovers’ theme but how great is this idea: tomato chili and cucumber basil cubes?! First seen for a DIY Bloody Mary bar but the cucumber ones would be lovely in Pimms.

Image source: Food and Wine

This got me thinking about other ‘ice’ combos. How about grapefruit and lime for Palomas, or mint infused water for juleps, lemon and rosemary for a jumped up Collins. Possibilities are endless. Maximum cool points (pun intended).


I recommend this silicone tray with holder from Amazon. It’s a beast.

Now go get your summer on!

Bite of the Week: Monikers Hoxton Square

There’s been a spate of new openings in the Shoreditch area recently, but we've got to give a special mention to a venue that pulled us back multiple times, the splendid Monikers in Hoxton Square. We visited no fewer than three times in its opening week, and I’m going to tell you why.

Firstly the décor is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the venue’s history, which used to be part of the neighbouring church’s school. There’s an assortment of science beakers, a giant rolling chalkboard where they scribble specials and an old cloakroom bench is transformed into seating. A mezzanine level is fronted as a bus and there’ll be diner style booths upstairs when it’s finished. This could all trigger dark memories of terrible school dinners but with big bright windows leading onto a terrace and a pretty bar area it feels more like The Breakfast Club but set in Britain: a little naughty and full of potential.

On our first visit the barman made us a killer Bloody Mary and a delicious rhubarb concoction called the Greta Garbo. The English Patient with elderflower, apple and blueberries was a little sweet for my taste but still very nice. Later I dipped into their selection of reds, which were pleasant but I couldn't convince my companion to splurge on my favourite, Montepulciano, which they only sell by the bottle. A good shout for the meatier end of the menu is the Kernel Porter – very robust with roasted malts and a hint of chocolate that would go well with a game option.

The food is a sort of British tapas / modern European deal. I won’t talk you through the whole menu - top line is I've worked my way through most of it and it's all pretty good - but the stand-out dishes include honey mustard chorizo, grilled leeks, scallops and the chips. The bacon chop was perfectly cooked with a satisfying saltiness and actually could’ve done as a main on its own if you’re not into sharing. The buttermilk chicken was probably the only plate I didn't rate so highly as I prefer my fried chicken with a little kick but my friend liked the unusual pairing with tartare sauce.

Similarly on the dessert menu the buttermilk pudding was a little overwhelmed by the citrusy rhubarb however the chocolate marquise was outstanding. A velvety mousse on a thin sponge base topped with honeycomb. One of the best desserts I've had in a while. Well worth the calories and a smooth salted caramel ice-cream to accompany it. My only regret was sharing it.

So, a fun atmosphere, distinctive menu and great drinks: all in all, Monikers could distract us long enough from kissing boys behind the bike shed to teach us a thing or two about running a decent restaurant.


Good for – boozy brunch, casual date, friendly catch up, informal business
Bad for – Dating the principal
£ - about £25/head

Find them at 16 Hoxton Square, Hoxton, London, N1 6NT

Opening Hours:
Tues to Thurs 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Fri to Sat 10:00am – 12:00am
Sun 10:00am – 4:00pm

Book on 020 7042 7720 and follow @MonikersHSQ for updates.

Old Tom's Bar

In early December a little hideaway called Old Tom’s Bar in Leadenhall opened up beneath popular Young’s pub, The Lamb. The invite promised gin fizzes and festive nibbles so I glammed myself up, grabbed a friend who works nearby and got down to sample what they had to offer.

The décor was really simple and the chairs comfy with a cute back-story to bring the place alive (all about a goose saved from the butchers’ block back in ye olden days). There were cured meats hanging from the back bar, which was stocked with some decent spirits, in particular a range from London’s distillery du jour Sipsmith. There was also what appeared to be a little raclette grill on the go which looked very nice.

Though promised gin fizzes we were actually greeted by gin topped with champagne, which is something else entirely, but I doubt it will pull in a cocktail crowd so I will forgive this oversight (especially as the champagne was poured frequently). The nibbles were lovely, in particular the Colston Basset Shropshire Blue which was tangy and creamy and went perfectly with the chutney provided. To finish off the evening we had a glass of wine each, I opted for a pleasantly plummy Malbec and my friend had a crisp Sauvignon.

As it’s a pretty small venue it started to get pretty crowded around 9.30pm so we were lucky to have nabbed a table early. The staff were very attentive and made the experience enjoyable so I hope they’ve kept that level of professionalism up after launch night. Overall prices were a little high but expected for the area and worth it for the quality of the cheeses, which pair well with the ‘grape and grain’ offered.

Due to location it will undoubtedly pull in a City crowd but hopefully the more refined sort than the general crowds - it will be interesting to see how the clientèle influence the atmosphere. I would definitely go again but only if meeting a few City friends or had a real hankering for some good quality cheese as it’s not an area I frequent.

All in all it’s not your traditional boozer, encouraging you to be more European by taking small amount of food with your alcohol, but putting a British twist on it, which is refreshing in the heavy drinking culture of the area. A great place for a few after work or as a ‘starter’ place for an evening but not an all-night venue.