The Perfectionist's Cafe - Terminal 2, Heathrow Airport

Image taken from: theperfectionistscafe.com

With its classic, sophisticated decor and plush leather booths facing out towards the planes, the Perfectionists' Cafe was the perfect location to start our holiday, after we had navigated the complexities of airport security with a fractious one year old. The Cafe takes its inspiration from Heston Blumenthal's TV series 'In Search of Perfection'.

Despite the trendy decor, reminiscent of a trendy central London bar, the Cafe was extremely family friendly and catered well for our toddler. The friendly staff seated us at a booth with plenty of space for our buggy and copious hand luggage and rustled up a Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair in short order.

The breakfast menu offered a wide choice although the three options on the children's menu weren't well suited to our baked bean hating child! However she happily devoured a good amount of porridge from the adult's menu, made with our choice of milk and accompanied by freeze dried raspberries - one of a huge number of delicious sounding toppings.

I opted for the eggs Benedict, which were served with a generous serving of ham and accompanied by a beautiful hollandaise sauce, containing just a hint of chili. But - quite rightly - the Burford Brown eggs were the star of the show teetering on, but not crossing the line to under-cooked. They were deliciously soft poached with luminescent, orange centres which almost didn't look real.

Given the earliness of the hour, I probably should have gone for a coffee or tea to drink - but this was a Heston Cafe, so it was obligatory to opt for the only option on the menu which offered a bit of that smoky Heston magic, the 'Summer Shrub with a mandarin and thyme non-alcoholic cloud'. This was described on the menu as a strawberry and raspberry sipping vinegar with a glass full of scented vapour.

Oh yes. We were in Blumethal territory here.

The drink was a well balanced berry blend brought to the table in a large goblet that the waitress proceeded to fill with the scented smoke, which brought to mind sunny days and summer hedgerows. At £9.50 it certainly wasn't the cheapest option on the menu but not only was it delicious, but it felt that I'd experienced a bit of the Blumenthal wonder - rather than a 'normal', albeit excellent, breakfast.

The only disappointment with the Cafe is that it lies in the domain beyond the borders of airport security, making it impossible to pop in at the weekend for a delicious bite of lunch. So I'm going to have to book another trip leaving from T2 to be able to visit again.

Pity.


For more information, including menus visit http://www.theperfectionistscafe.com

Recipe: Honey Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

This is a great, tasty stir fry that doesn't take long at all to prepare - its full of veggies and is a bright, summery dinner for an evening when the sun is shining. I enjoyed it with a tall glass of fruity iced water (from my very exciting, new water carafe!).

Serves 2

Ingredients

250g chicken (I used mini breast fillets this time but it works equally well with thigh fillets)
2 bell peppers (I used yellow and orange)
1 onion
1 carrot
Handful of mange tout
Clear honey
1 lemon
Flaked almonds

To Serve

This time around I served the stir fry with soba noodles but you could use egg noodles, steamed rice, or egg fried rice if you preferred.

1. Heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok, when its up to temperature add the chicken and cook for around five minutes until browned off. Remove from the wok and drain on some kitchen roll.

2. Add the onion, carrot and zest of the lemon to the heated wok and cook for around 3-4 minutes, when the vegetables should have begun to soften. Then add the peppers and cook for a further 3 minutes, before adding the mange tout.

3. Once all the vegetables have softened, add a generous squirt of honey (around 2 tbsp), so that all the wok contents are coated, before squeezing in the juice of a lemon.

4. Serve with your accompaniment of choice, sprinkled with a few flaked almonds for added crunch.

Enjoy!

The Handmaid's Tale - Book Review

I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to read The Handmaid's Tale. It's always been one of those books that I thought I should read but somehow never got around to. In fact, it took me winning a copy of the book to actually start it - and then I finished it within a day.

The book is set in a dystopian future where a totalitarian Christian regime has overthrown the American government and eschewed the rights of women along the way. Largely narrated in the first person, the book explores the subjugation of women within this society through the eyes of the Handmaid of the title, Offred, covering issues such as gender equality, societal class and control and personal identity.

The book is superbly written, with paragraphs of description which are evocative and encompassing - effortlessly sweeping you into the world of the protagonist. Reading the book, I could clearly picture every room and every person clearly, almost seeing it play our in my mind's eye. Despite this the pace of the story didn't feel stilted, and I eagerly devoured every page in order to find out would happen next, while simultaneously hoping that it wouldn't end.

Without wishing to give too much away however, it is the author's separation from her child that was expressed so perfectly, that my throat ached in sympathy. Initially my first thought was 'I can't imagine how that would feel', and yet, through Attwood's prose, I found that I could at least begin to imagine - almost leading to an embarrassing weeping session on the train, as I thought of my own child, tucked up in bed at home...

In many ways, I am glad that I shunned this book in school and read it at this stage of my life. As a working mother, some of the issues explored in this novel resonated far more with me now than I think that they would have done if I had read this at the age of sixteen and gave me a lot more to consider.

I already know that this is a book that I will read again and I'm sure that there are subtleties in the text that I missed in my impatience to read the next section. In fact, I'm considering ordering the York Notes, as this is one of those rare books that I find myself wanting to be sure that I have understood the nuances of. All in all, I strongly recommend this book and will definitely be checking out more of the books written by Margaret Attwood. 

Family Lunch Idea - Tortilla Wrap Pizzas

Nothing really revolutionary in this one, but a great easy lunch made with bits and pieces that you might have lurking in the back of the cupboard/freezer/fridge.

You'll need:
- A tortilla wrap for each participant (I keep some in the freezer for this purpose, you are going to cook them anyway so
- Ready-made tomato sauce (or to reduce the salt content, passata with onion and herbs, or make your own, which I always intend to do, and fail)
- Grated cheese (I use a mix of mozarella and cheddar - again this can keep in the freezer, especially if you have the stuff in zip-loc bags)
- Pizza toppings (popular choices for Little Bit include peppers, mushrooms, pre-cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, ham)

It takes minutes to construct this which makes it perfect when the small person in your life wants to signal their hunger, at top-volume and yet, without words. Mine will sometimes by momentarily mollified by watching me make patterns with the toppings - but only sometimes.

Put the wrap on a pizza tray or large baking sheet and spread with some of the tomato sauce. Don't go mad, especially if you are using passata, as its quite liquidy and so your pizza can end up being a bit soggy in the centre. Add your favourite toppings (artistic pattern is optional) and top with your cheese mix.

Cook in the oven for 8- 10 minutes at 200 celcius, but keep a weather eye out because it can catch veeery quickly.

Enjoy with some salad or vegetable sticks!

Baby Review - The Manduca Baby and Child Carrier

Planning for the arrival of our first baby, we had no idea what to buy at all. So, like many new parents we spent a lot of time looking at products, and strongly considering buying products that we were likely to either never use, or not have space for (our daughter has just turned one, our living room is a shrine to plastic, singing items, why must they all sing?!)

But, although I am not a massive baby-wearing advocate, the Manduca baby carrier was one of my favourite buys.

Image from http://www.manduca-baby-carrier.eu/

We have the carrier in the pretty Circadelic Grass pattern shown here. We paid a little more for the snazzy pattern but its been complemented all over - via Facebook, on the train and even in the queue for Communion one Sunday at Church. 

Honestly, this carrier is so easy to use that I use it all the time - its much easier to do the nursery run in the morning, rather than manhandling our bulky travel system, single handed, down the steps from our front door to the street. Its also great for round the shops and especially for going up to London where the combination of the Tube and a pram is an almost certain recipe for disaster. Its also adjustable enough that my husband and I can easily swap it between us if required, although the resultant strap-adjustment is much more straightforward with four hands than two! 

When Little Bit was a newborn (well, from about 6 weeks) we used the carrier with the internal straps for a newborn and she nestled herself down and happily slept while I got on with life. Now, as a curious 1 year old, we still use this as a front-carrier, and she happily sits and waves at passers-by, cars, local cats and the occasional street light. She never grizzles being put in and is generally content to be in there for a couple of hours if required. That works quite well as generally a couple of hours is about as long as I can carry her without feeling like my arms might detach at the shoulder (she's getting heavy and I really need to get to the gym...). That said, the shoulder and waist straps are well padded and I have never felt like they have rubbed or chafed, whether I have used this wearing a thick winter sweater or a light summer t-shirt.

The sling has other carrying position options for larger children and can be used as a back and hip carrier. We haven't used these positions yet - Little Bit has only just got big enough to consider using them but I think we will probably use it as a back carrier on our upcoming trip to Hawaii as she will be able to see but I will also have more space to carry and use my camera (I hope!)

All in all, the Manducawas one of our favourite baby purchases and is always one of the first things we sling (pun intended) in the car when we are setting off on our travels. I highly recommend it.

What's your go to carrier? 

Homemade Fried Chicken Wrap

Ok, so let me just state that although this is homemade, its probably still not terribly healthy. But it is undoubtedly fresher, and probably tastier than your local fast food equivalent, and is great for a quick dinner or a substantial lunch.

To make this for two adults you will need:

- 4 chicken thigh fillets, chopped into 2cm cubes
- Milk
- Dunn's River Chicken Fry Mix (often located in the Caribbean section)
- Tortilla Wraps (2 large or 4 medium)
- Olive oil

Additions/condiments of your choice. We had:
- Lettuce
- Sliced red peppers
- Cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Smoked Chilli Mayonnaise
To make the wraps:

1. Put your chopped chicken in a bowl with a splash of milk - make sure the chicken is coated.

2. Add a few tablespoons of Fry Mix to another bowl or a plastic bag (with no holes). Drain the chicken and add it to the Fry Mix, making sure all the pieces are covered.

3. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the chicken in small batches until it is all cooked through and golden brown. Keep any cooked chicken in the oven to keep warm.

4. Serve in wraps with the fillings/condiments of your choice. If you have a panini grill, you could toast your wraps before eating. Sadly I don't - but they were delicious anyway.

5. Enjoy with a few potato wedges and a tall, cold soda (or beer..) of your choice!

Wine Review - Moet Imperial

Image from moet.com

Vital Statistics
Name: Moët Imperial
Winemaker: Moët & Chandon
Country of Origin: France
Grape: Mix including: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
Available at: Widely available
Price: £32.50 (mysupermarket.com)

To me, a glass of champagne is a little taste of luxury. I love sparkling wines of all types and routinely look forward to prosecco season, but there is something that little bit more decadent about a glass of real champagne because its a rare treat for me.

I think the other nice thing about champagne for me is, because I don't have it often, its often tied up in memories of important things - we had Piper Heidsick to celebrate our engagement and I smile every time I see the bottle.

Moët then - will be the memory of what I hope will be a dream holiday. I am writing this as I sip a glass on the eve of our trip to visit San Francisco and Hawaii and I can't really think of a better start! It is beautifully crisp - not too sweet as some can be and deliciously clean - there's no hint of an aftertaste. Its sparkling, without tipping over into 'fizzy' and is one of the champagnes that leaves me idly wondering what really expensive champagne must be like, because - to be honest - this is pretty damn good!

Moët & Chandon suggest that Imperial can be served through a meal, from aperitif to dessert, which is fortunate because I'm definitely going to have another glass with my lemon tart in a few minutes. They particular highlight: sushi, scallops, oysters, white fish and white meat as good pairings and it complemented my chicken stir fry well with its delicate apple and citrus flavours.

There's plenty more I should probably say about it in this review but instead -  seeing as I'm on holiday- I think I'm just going to enjoy another glass!