LULLY LEMON VICTORIA POLENTA CAKE

So earlier in the year I made a lemon polenta tray bake and it was totes yummy. It got spotted online by some work buddies of mine and I was asked to make it for a meeting in work as a little treat for all the attendees. This was my cue to show off so I thought, "how can I make that lemon polenta cake even better?". Simple, bake two cakes and add a layer of lemon flavored whipped cream to sandwich them both together like a Victoria sponge. I'll call it my lemon Victoria polenta cake if you will!

PERFECT CITRUSY POLENTA BICCIES

These have to be the best biscuits I've ever made. Yup, I'm going to open with that line. It's true though, these polenta based biscuits which are flavored with fresh lemon and clementine juice and zest are to die for. They look amazing with their little cracked tops and they have the most incredible texture of any biscuit I've ever made thanks to the addition of the polenta into the dough mix. I was in love on first bite and quite frankly I don't see a reason why I would ever have to buy a shop bought biscuit ever again!

ONE LAST NIGHT AT MANDRAC (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Yes, I'm well aware that I've spoken about my visits to Mandrac several times already but as it is one of my most favorite places in the world and we did visit it for a third time when we visited Lopud in September that I think it's perfectible acceptable to talk about it for another time, especially when the food was once again utterly delicious. No surprises here, this isn't the day that Mandrac mess up and the food was awful, it's just me showing you some more of the amazing food that was served up too us on our final night on Lopud.

CURIOUSLY DELICIOUS COURGETTE, LEMON AND PISTACHIO TRAY BAKE

Sometimes I see a foodie trend pop up regularly in magazines and on TV which I'm not really quite sure will work. Courgettes being used to make cakes was one of them. I just didn't like the sound of it at all but last weekend I bit the bullet and decided to give it a go as I had been quite curious about how it would taste. I'm so glad I did as it transpired that it would actually taste most delicious especially when flavored with ground pistachio and plenty of zingy lemon both in the cake and the lemon curd icing on top!

TREDWELLS LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Having visited the Gilbert Scott at London St Pancreas before this blog was born and really enjoying it we were glad to see that chef owner Marcus Wareing also looked after Tredwells near to the Cambridge theatre. Close to the Seven Dials which we were visiting to see a show, we took a look at the menu and we were instantly sold so we booked a table and headed down one Friday evening to go check it out.

PERFECT PESTO PASTA

I've been getting a bit more adventurous lately when it comes to trying food that I thought I didn't like. I did it with satay when we were in Singapore (I now love the stuff!) and this weekend we decided to make some homemade pesto to see if it's better than the ready made stuff that I don't like. Well I like basil, garlic, lemon, pine nuts and parmesan so why wouldn't I like them all blended together. Turns out homemade pesto is well lush, super easy to make and I'm gutted I've been missing out for so long.

LULLY LEMON POSSETS

This post was actually meant to be a recipe for scones but once again I managed to make a batch of scones which were like bullets and so they went into the bin and these lemon possets were born instead from the lemons and cream that were going to be served with the scones. I looked on the bright side though, out of disaster came the most simplest and yummiest of desserts which you can whip up in no time in the morning and leave to set ready to eat in the evening whilst you crack on with the rest of your day!

STAR CINNAMON SINGAPORE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

I wouldn't normally recommend food which you can pick up in a food court but then again I had never been to Star Cinnamon until recently. We stumbled across Star Cinnamon in the basement of the Bugis Junction shopping centre on our way home from visiting the Gardens By The Bay in Singapore and we couldn't help but be enticed by the wonderful cinnamon buns on display. We just had to try some so we stood and began to make our selections. What a hard choice this was going to be!

PIZZERIA MOZZA SINGAPORE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Our adventure overseas continues now with the second week of our holiday were we ventured over to the vibrant and beautiful city of Singapore. We came armed with our guide book and when we didn't have any luck finding any food in the Little India area of the city we decided to venture to the glorious Marina Bay Sands and it's shopping area where you can find Pizzeria Mozza. Described as having "pizza crusts to die for!" and with our love of pizza we just knew we had to go and visit them to find out for ourselves.

"MELT IN THE MIDDLE" CHEESE AND ONION POTATO CAKES

These cheese and onion potato cakes came about when I was trying to make a vegetarian version of a fish cake on Good Friday this year. I wanted to make them really special and so with some leftover cheese in the fridge I set about making a delicious potato cake with an amazing melt in the middle cheese filling in the centre that would explode over the plate once you cut through the golden panko breadcrumb coating. They take a little work to make but trust me when I say that it is really worth the effort. Who knew potatoes could be so exciting!

BISTRO PIERRE LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So having enjoyed the £12.95 pre theatre menu at Bistro Franc in my previous post and being lucky enough to have tickets to go and see Sheridan Smith star in Funny Girl at the Liverpool Empire last week, we decided to give their sister restaurant, Bistro Pierre a whirl. Their pre theatre menu offered a different selection of starters and mains so it's practically like visiting a completely different venue isn't it? Could Bistro Pierre offer a tasty trio of courses similar to that of Bistro Franc? We headed off to go find out.

LULLY LEMON SLICES

Classic recipes might not be terribly exciting or have all the bells and whistles of a show stopping celebration cake but for when you want to whip up something easy after a stressful week of work then they are perfect. A favorite of mine is the lemon slice, a simple zesty lemon sponge topped with a layer of even zestier lemon icing. This all in one recipe can be in the oven in less than 15 minutes if you have a handle on your baking skills  it's also a great recipe for beginners to try too. Most importantly; its makes some right lully cakes!

LULLY LEMON OATIBIX

Sometimes you need a good biscuit to have with a cup of tea on a Saturday afternoon after a long, hard week in work. The ultimate way to fulfill this need is to make your own homemade biscuits as not only do you get to taste the deliciousness, hot and fresh straight from your oven but your house will also acquire that amazing baking smell with is just as comforting as being wrapped in a big fluffy duvet. These oaty lemon biscuits can give you that feeling with no problem whatsoever as they are the easiest bake on the block!

LULLY LITTLE CARROT CAKES

Did you know there is a national carrot cake day every year? Well there is and it's on the 3rd of February. Who knew! This year when I spotted this celebration of all things carrot cake was about to swing by I decided to honor the occasion by baking these little carrot cake cupcakes. I filled my cake batter with crunchy pecan nuts and chewy raisins and topped them with a delicious lemon cream cheese frosting. They make the perfect little mouthful to pop in your mouth of a lully afternoon treat!

POSH PORCINI PATE

Vegetarian food has come a long way over the last 10 years. I'm not a vegetarian but with having to cook for one regularly, I've come to love meat free food and I've discovered ways to make it so tasty that I don't particularly miss meat on a day to day basis. One thing I'd never made before was vegetarian pate. Shop bought stuff is so expensive so when I saw a recipe for a version in Mary Berry's new book I instantly wanted to try it. Now Bezza is the queen of cookery but I thought of a way that I could make her recipe better; by using porcini mushrooms!

VEGGIE PEPPER "CHICKEN" CURRY

If you don't like spicy food then I suggest you turn away now! This veggie pepper Quorn chicken curry is a great dish for blowing away those January cobwebs with its intense chili kick and fiery pepperiness. Its definitely one that's not for the faint hearted! What's also great about this curry is that it's packed full of veggie goodness with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes and Greek yogurt so that it's also good for anyone who still wants to enjoy their curry night whilst being able to cut down on some of the calories. 

MATTY'S HOMEMADE MINCE PIES

So you have made your homemade mincemeat  and it's been brewing away for a while so now, in the last few days before Christmas it's time to make those mince pies. Obviously if you haven't made your own mince meat you can use a ready made variety but for me, making your own pastry, filling it with your own mince meat and baking them so that your kitchen is filled with those incredible festive smells is what Christmas is all about! My recipe below will make 8 mince pies but you can scale the recipe up if you want to make a bigger batch.

THE DELAUNAY LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Let me get straight to the point with this one and tell you that I think The Delaunay is a brilliant restaurant. A proper fancy dining experience that we have visited two Christmas times running now as a post theatre treat and hopefully, fingers crossed we'll be back for a third time next year. Let me take the time now to tell you all about why I think The Delaunay is so special and why you need to visit them the next time you are in the capital.

LULLY LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE

So I realized on Sunday just gone that this would be the last weekend of the year we are actually going to be spending at home until the actual Christmas weekend (we are very busy people don't you know!). I couldn't let this weekend pass me by without baking a little something before we head off on our various travels. At the same time, I didn't want to spend all day in the kitchen so for me, there was only one cake to bake; the simply classic lemon drizzle loaf cake! Well as I always say, the oldies are the best aren't they?

LULLY LEMON, MINT & MUSTARD GREENS

I've been getting more adventurous with my flavorings recently and this Sunday I decided that I would try using some lemons to flavor my vegetables. No biggy you might think but I've always had a bit of an aversion to using lemons in savory dishes after a bad lemon chicken incident in a restaurant once. I'm glad that I gave it another go at home though as the lemon, mint and mustard dressing that I mix through this selection green beans, leeks and peas really does give the greens a lully little lift.