fino, fitzrovia - review

arroz negro - squid ink risotto 

Along with Japanese and Turkish, I’d say Spanish cuisine is right up there in my top three favourites. Quality cookery shows (namely A Cook’s Tour of Spain hosted by Thomasina Miers in 2008 and more recently Rick Stein’s Spain from 2011) have done wonders in opening my eyes to the regional nuances and the ingredient staples that make Spanish dishes so identifiable and exceptional. 

I recall watching with salivating jaw towards the floor under the influence of both amazement and excitement as I began to realise what I thought I knew about Spanish cuisine was barely the tip of the iceberg. Couple these shows with the immense presence of all 960 pages of ‘1080 recipes by Simone and Ines Ortega’ in my kitchen with its own gravitational pull and beautiful colour shots of traditional Spanish dishes from the country’s best-loved food authorities, and I was sold for life.

The Spaniards love their beans, vegetables, nuts, pork, seafood, garlic and cheese – what’s not to fall for? Dishes are often stained the fiery colours of the flag from the Spanish flavour signposts that are smoky red pimentón de la Vera (one of my favourite spices of all time – a separate post about it here) and the golden glows of saffron, along with sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. 

Here’s a shopping list of what you would find in a typical Spanish larder: chickpeas, chorizo, pancetta, cured ham, lentils, octopus, olives, pimentón, rice, salt cod, almonds, dried beans, fresh white anchovies, manzanilla olives, and so much more. It makes me want to jump on a plane yesterday.

chorizo iberico 

But here’s a joyous piece of news, there is no need. For Fino situated on Charlotte Street presents London with the same quality, freshness and delight you would expect from dining in Castile–La Mancha itself, but with a modern twist and closer to home. 

Both Fino and Barrafina (the Soho sister restaurant) are run by brothers Sam and Eddie Hart with the former opening its doors in 2003 as one of the first restaurants in London to offer contemporary Spanish food. The kitchen is commandeered by Executive Head Chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho with roots in the Basque country, and the menu is fluid with seasonality dictating the provincial dishes that are made available. 

The focus on ingredients is centred around the best Spain has to offer alongside available local produce. Having been privy to nothing but glowing reports from friends and colleagues who have sampled it, I’m still trying to figure out why it’s taken me so long to visit. But visit I have, and visit I most certainly will again.

ham croquetas - outstanding

A wooden board layered with kimono silk thin chorizo iberico started off the proceedings, marbled fat disintegrating from the warmth of the tongue. A plate of pimientos (small green peppers) from Padrón crispy fried and sprinkled with coarse salt busied our fingers. Both the ham and cod croquetas were ordered. The latter delicious and sitting on a bed of sable squid ink, but the former were exceptional - light and crisp exteriors encasing velvet béchamel middles and savoury cubes of porky lardons. Unadulterated pleasures to consume. 

The octopus meat was soft and yielding, glistening burnt orange from the marriage between the pimentón and olive oil, and scattered with little piquant capers. Scallop ceviches were presented in their shells in individual portions and while small were soft and delicate, sour from lime, and topped with a sprinkling of chopped chives and a dusting of rust coloured pimentón.

pimientos de padrón 

squid croquetas 

scallop ceviche

scallop ceviche

A tortilla was ordered, almost to my lament. I’ve always viewed them as the fodder of the tapas world to help ensure the diner doesn’t leave hungry. I’m also not the world’s biggest spud fan, so uninspiring looking rounds of amalgamated potato and egg leave me at best taking no more than a mouthful and at worse, completely ignoring them on the menu. 

But praise be, this was not only the best I had ever eaten (not that much of an acclaim as I don’t eat them that often), but it was one of my favourite dishes from this already extraordinary spread. Perfectly formed, moist and soft, and packed to the rafters with flavour. It had a gooey middle and was topped with pungent alioli and diced chorizo. A real joy to eat and a lesson about culinary pre-conceptions learnt. I recall having a similar reaction to what turned out to be the best couscous I have ever eaten in Marrakesh, elevated to levels I didn’t know couscous could reach. You can read that here – scroll down to ‘The Last and Best Supper’.

chorizo & alioli tortilla - gold star 

Fingers of soft potato were wrapped in thin chorizo slices, christened ‘potato and chorizo chips’ and fried to a sensational crisp with the delicious burnished paprika oil staining the fingers and the plate. 

The nutty familiarity of the Manchego (hands down one of my favourite cheeses) was welcomed, slices glistening with a film of sweat from the heat of the spotlights. The arroz negro (black risotto) was served perfectly al dente, glossy and black from squid ink, and in a small copper pot topped with squid meat. It had come recommended from a chef on Twitter and they were spot on with the commendation.

potato and chorizo chips

I have found in previous engagements the fat in crispy pork belly to be too sickly to consume - not the case at Fino. The meat was soft, the fat delicate, and the crackling crisp without rendering it impenetrable. 

A single crème catalana was ordered for all three party members to share in addition to insides full to bursting. The subtle hints of citrus and pallid light orange flesh speckled with the black seeds of vanilla pods were exposed once the hard caramel top had been fractured with the collective tapping of our spoons.

crisp pork belly

creme catalana

The interiors leave quite a bit to be desired, with the high percentage of suited post-work clientele reflecting the generic corporate décor, akin to the breakfast room of a business hotel chain. 

And I really don’t like the lighting – the artificial glare from intense and hot spotlights over tables does nothing to frame the beautiful food delivered, or my ability to photograph it (the reflective pork belly picture is particularly poor - apologies). 

But front of house was faultless and consisted of a small army of petite and pretty Spaniards. And the food was dreamy - certainly the best tapas I’ve encountered. My next table here has already been reserved – I think that speaks for itself.

Liked lots – tortilla, squid ink risotto, ham croquetas, wine, service, value, changing menu, Spanish staff, location, being able to reserve
Liked less – décor, lighting
Good for – catching up with friends, romantic dinners, eating the best tapas in town, regular visits

My rating: 5/5

Afiyet olsun.

nutella milkshake with banana and coffee

Recall slices of the enduring and sickly sweet supercouple of banana and toffee in the form of banoffee pie from the birthday parties of your childhood. Or even your adulthood. It consists of a base, either pastry or biscuit topped with caramel (but ready made dulce de leche will speed up the assembly process), banana slices and coffee-flavoured cream. So while banana and coffee may initially sound unusual, you’ve likely revelled in its pleasure at some point previously.

Have you ever wondered how the inspired spread of Nutella came about? The crème de la crème of hazelnuts can be found in the Piedmont region of Italy with their exceptional quality and bittersweet richness. In the late-nineteenth century, cocoa was hard to come by in this region. To bulk out the chocolate being made here, hazelnuts were added which eventually led to the heaven sent creation that is Nutella, today outselling peanut butter. Although then it was originally sold as a solid loaf and called pasta gianduja. ‘Two whole hazelnuts in every spoon’ is not quite nutty enough for me so I’ve added more to this recipe. If Nutella is a little sweet for you, you could replace it with a couple of Ferrero Rochers and blitz those before everything else – not something I’ve tried but I’m sure it would work.

Walk through the streets of Paris, particularly on a wintry evening, and your olfactory bulb will register the wafting aromas from the numerous crepe stands just before you spot steam rising from them. Clock the chalked up flavour combinations available and you’ll notice Nutella and banana often at the top of the list.

I’ve taken the complimenting flavours from the above and thrown them together in a satisfying and indulgent start to the day – one for a Sunday morning I reckon.

This recipe was developed for the Good Food Channel website and can be found here:

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/657611

Afiyet olsun.

yummy choo mauritian pop-up - review

aubergine bringele / shrimp croquettes / gateaux piment

The only Mauritian food I have the pleasure of devouring is cooked by my Mum – and hats off to it, it’s pretty good. No wait – it’s excellent (she might be reading this). All jokes aside, it is excellent. It’s a significant enough draw for me to have entertained fleeting thoughts throughout and post University of ‘maybe I could move back home?’. 

Such thoughts don’t pervade my mind anymore – I’m a bit past living with the parents now. But for Mum’s cooking, it’s almost feasible. I can genuinely smell the spices of her beef with cloves, achard, and butter bean curry as I type. Is there a word for that? According to Google yes. Phantosmia - the perception of a smell in the absence of any physical odours. Alas, there is no actual Mauritian curry where I’m sitting.

It’s not always feasible for me to drive the hour it takes to get to my parents unannounced and exclaim that I’m hungry for some prawn rougaille. Because if it was, my mum should be charging for the service. 

So when an opportunity arises to eat some home cooked Mauritian fare, I’m on the case immediately. And such an occasion presented itself in the form of a Mauritian pop-up supper club hosted by Selina Periampillai from Yummy Choo Eats. Here’s a little about the lovely lady herself:

'Selina Periampillai is a self-taught cook who hosts the popular 'Yummy Choo' supper club at her home in Croydon, specialising in Mauritian home cooked cuisine, and her website www.yummychooeats.com has become a ‘go to’ page for Mauritian inspired recipes and food reviews.  Specialising in cooking up colourful, moreish dishes with a tropical flair and unique flavours, Selina combines her passion and creative use of ingredients to transport guests to the sunshine island and leaves them wanting more!'

I’ll have some of that.

Rather than Selina’s home, this particular event was hosted at the Blue Mountain Cafe as part of the Pop Goes Sydenham programme seeing the town come alive with food events featuring local chefs, suppliers and produce. 

At a mere 25 minute drive from my work in Clapham and with ample parking, it was an ideal location for a week night meal. The venue was brightly coloured with room for around 20 guests at communal tables to accommodate the sharing platters and bowls. At front of house we had Belinda Lester doing a sterling job of greeting everyone warmly and swiftly planting welcomed lychee rum cocktails into our hands to help ease us into the format of the evening. 

Once all the guests arrived, Selina stepped out from the kitchen in chef whites and with a beaming smile to welcome all and provided a quick low-down of what to expect for the different courses.

The large platters delivered consisted of an array of appetising bite-sized typical Mauritian starters (or gajaks). These included aubergine bringele (aubergine slices coated in a light chickpea batter); well spiced and soft shrimp croquettes made from dried shrimp and potato; and crunchy gateaux piment – a typical street food made from split peas and chillis. 

To accompany these were some winning chutneys – coconut tamarind and mint along with a vibrant cotomili satini (coriander chutney). Both lent aromatic, light and refreshing qualities to the food – they were delightful.

coconut, tamarind and mint chutney / coriander chutney

There are few things that make the heart of a hungry diner sing more than being regaled with large bowl after large bowl of quality food leaving the kitchen and landing at your table, and so we were introduced to the mains. 

My first encounter with these dishes was in the form of wafting cinnamon aromas penetrating my olfactory bulb before I even caught sight of them. And what an introduction. The sauce for the cari poulet (chicken curry) was a beautiful brown reminding me of the curries my my mum makes housing tender morsels of meat, and the coconut and spinach dhal was thick and creamy from the coconut milk. 

The fish vindaye was not something I had sampled before and Selina revealed it’s often the most popular dish at her supper clubs - it’s easy to see why. Pickled mustard fish with chilli and onion – appetisingly chewy chunks of fish coated in a dry spiced sauce. Dozens upon dozens of freshly made and warm pooris along with very fragrant rice were passed around the tables to help mop up all the goodness remaining on plates. 

The prawns in the rougaille were soft and appealing, a texture that seems to pervade most cooked prawns I’ve experienced. However, I felt the rougaille sauce itself was a little too liquid – I have previously known it to be thicker and something that coats the meat within but this was more akin to a soup and therefore I felt the flavour was a little diluted. No doubt this is down to the permeations of recipes over time and from family to family; they will always have their own unique nuances and never be identical. And they shouldn’t be. 

fish vindaye - pickled mustard fish with chillies and onion

cari poulet - a family recipe chicken curry

coconut and spinach dhal

prawn rougaille

freshly made pooris

For the brave (Matt included), there were little bowls of piment confit dotted on all the tables -  hot bullet chillies with garlic and oil. When I say hot, I in no way mean that lightly. I had half a tiny one and stopped my brain melting by swiftly shoving coconut chutney in my mouth. Matt managed to consume a total of three with other big mouthfuls of food before getting hiccups and admitting defeat. 

It reminded me of the time my mum made achard (a Mauritian pickled vegetable salad) as part of a Christmas dinner. It contained both green beans and big fat hot chillies. She would always remove the chillies from the portion she dished out to me and I would put my full trust in her ability to differentiate them from the beans and successfully fish them all out. But this time, she missed one. I merely bit down (I didn’t even chew), immediately spat it out and what was to follow was probably the most violent reaction to a chilli I’ve ever had. 

My breathing was cut short and instinctive reaction put a tissue to my mouth, which I then used to dab my face now wet with streaming eyes. This then caused the whole side of my face to burn bright red of which a slathering of Vaseline was the only relief. Oh, and I temporarily lost my hearing. I hear something like 1 out of every 100 chillies are off the scale hotter than the rest of their species and you can consider yourself the subject of any Schadenfreude taking place at that dinner table if one ends up in your mouth. A painful Christmas evening for my face that was indeed.

piment confit - bullets of fire

Our trou normand consisted of little shots of pineapple and chilli sorbet inspired by the combination sold on the beaches of Mauritius to help cool off sweltering bodies. It did a perfect job in cleansing the palate and cooled off our sweltering mouths from those piment confit bullets of fire. 

For dessert, individual tropical plates of coconut sago drenched in a sticky but not too sweet spiced syrup sitting alongside a sweet mango and pomegranate salad. Sago is a starch extracted from the spongy centre of palm stems and seemed to behave quite like rice grains in a soft but packaged rice pudding  – yet another new and successful ingredient to check off my list of conquered consumables.

pineapple and chilli sorbet

coconut sago with spiced syrup / mango and pomegranate

The atmosphere was lively with sega music playing in the background and conversation flowing across parties and tables as we got to know our neighbours. For many, it was their first experience sampling the delights of Mauritian cuisine. 

I like to think of it as the Vietnamese of the South East Asian world; in a similar vein Mauritian food is lighter and more aromatic than the comparable but quite different food from the Asian sub-continent. 

After grafting hard in the kitchen with her mother present for assistance, Selina closed the evening by thanking everyone for coming and making her way round the tables to speak to each individually. It was a truly enjoyable few hours and I only wish I had brought some Tupper wear (if I could get away with it).

Selina frequently hosts supper clubs and pop-ups and there are probably few better ways to introduce yourself to this cuisine than by letting her cook it for you. To stay up to date with her upcoming events, follow her on Twitter (@yummychooeats) or keep an eye on her website yummychooeats.com.

Selina, a sister from another mister, you’re doing us Mauritians proud.

My rating: 4/5

Afiyet olsun.

hazelnut chocolate pots with orange and rosemary

If I am presented with the dilemma of choosing between a sweet or savoury bite, I’ll select the savoury almost every time. And this includes popcorn – always salty, never sweet - not even a combination of the two (who’s with me?). 

I am almost completely lacking in the often referenced ‘sweet tooth’ – the sugar content in a small bowl of Crunchy Nut is usually more than adequate as a dessert for me (cereal for afters - try it). 

I simply cannot relate to drinking a can of Coca-Cola with limited edition tongue-fur, eating a bag of migraine manifesting Haribo, or snacking on the sugar block kid confectionery that is Dairy Milk clothed in its gaudy wrap – anything above my relatively low sugar threshold and I feel like my teeth are evaporating. 

However, contrary to what seems to be an anti-sugar disposition, I do actually like desserts. I even find that they quite often steal the show of a three course meal if done well. My idea of a good dessert is one that showcases the individual components and ingredients rather than concealing anything that could be half decent with a smothering of something sugar loaded.

I also really like chocolate. 

It’s important to be able to distinguish the difference between confectionery items such as Dairy Milk mentioned above (high in sugar, low on cocoa) and with real chocolate (high in cocoa, lower on sugar) – I’m referring to the latter. 

And so I present to you my humble offering of a small chocolate based dessert a little different from the norm. Chocolate, hazelnuts and orange are familiar friends, but to these I’ve added rosemary infused milk which I think brings a touch of cool and evergreen sophistication to the pots with its pine and floral notes. 

The only sweetness in this dish is from the milk chocolate (also known as plain chocolate) as there is no added sugar – when it comes to this ingredient get something that’s at least a third cocoa. Green and Blacks have a decent offering. 

If you’re even more extreme than I when it comes to the sweet stuff (hats off if so), then feel free to substitute with dark chocolate but be prepared for a bitter finish. Either way, your end result will be light little pots of goodness somewhere between a mousse and a chocolate pot.

This recipe was developed for the GoodFood Channel and can be found on their website here.

Afiyet olsun.

pied a terre, fitzrovia - review

I’m the first to recognise the benefits of a bit of forward planning and there are few times I exercise this gentle nod towards my mildly controlling nature more than when it involves the consumption of food. 

If I’m visiting a new city, it is necessary for me to conduct prior research in order to establish the best eateries in the area and for the best value. If I’m visiting a new restaurant, I must peruse the online menu for some pre-dining salivation and decide ahead what I’ll be ordering (heaven forbid they don’t have a website or I’m presented with a different menu at the table). If I’m going food shopping, I simply must enter with a list or else I’ll have to invention-test the week's dinners from jumbo roasted corn kernels and Caerphilly, and not much else. 

roasted filled of pollock with glazed baby artichokes,
wild asparagus, mushroom cream and tarragon orzo

I have welcomingly had this week off work and I already knew that tonight myself and a couple of friends would end up at the London Cocktail Club on Goodge St. for some school-night merriment stretching into the wee hours (none of us had work the next day) – the great cocktails, dance-like-no-one-is-watching music from our yesteryears and fabulous staff make it our favourite haunt. 

What we desired was an afternoon occupied by a long lunch consisting of equal parts exceptional solids and posh fizz as a pre-cursor to rolling ourselves over to the LCC in time for Happy Hour. And what better placed restaurant to help execute such an intricate plan than the one Michelin starred Pied a Terre on Charlotte Street strategically placed, quite literally, around the corner. I do love it when a plan comes together.
Boasting a lunch time deal that is reputedly ‘the best value Michelin star menu in London’ conjured up by Head Chef Marcus Eaves and his team, the term ‘pied a terre’ is given by the French to a small second home in the city – if the welcome, service and our leisurely and extended stay was anything to go by, it certainly lived true to its name. 

My companions and I were seated at a corner table towards the rear of the restaurant in a dining area noticeably occupied mostly by men in suits on business lunches talking about closing deals. After some initial confusion on the waiter’s part with our order for a bottle of the Prosecco (which went something along the lines of ‘a bottle of Prosecco please’, ‘a glass?‘, ‘no a bottle of Prosecco’, ‘we only do champagne by the glass’, ‘no we’d like a whole bottle of Prosecco, not champagne’), we were presented with some very fine tasting bubbles and I’m not even the world’s greatest fan of white grapes. 

To amuse the bouche our table was quickly furnished with quite exceptional fresh and warm bread (a particular favourite being the pillowy form of the walnut and pecan with a crisp and flavoursome exterior showcasing bread making skills to be applauded) and the creamy texture and mild flavour from what I think were Sicilian nocellara olives tossed in lemon. In addition, we were presented with hot potato and leek croquettes with truffle and a pretty scallop tempura served in a bowl I wanted to pilfer.

scallop tempura

potato and leek croquettes with truffle

wonderful bread

The tasting of rabbit starter had an overriding flavour of earthiness and included our furry nympho friend presented encased in a delicate ravioli, in the form of a ballotine I believe, and also with half a kidney thrown into the delivery. Whilst conservative in its offering, the plate was quite lovely on the palate and the frequent returns of the warm breads were welcomed and necessary to mop the white asparagus velouté. Unable to stomach the thought of consuming a flop-eared Disney extra, my companions decided upon the chestnut and juniper gnocchi; smooth in texture and seared in a pan for a crisper outer finish, this was served with mushrooms, quite beautiful marbled shavings of spring truffle, green beans, a mushroom vinaigrette and an arrangement of wild garlic flowers.

a tasting of rabbit with wild garlic, pommery mustard,
grelot onion and white asparagus velouté

chestnut and juniper gnocchi with saint george mushrooms,
spring truffle, green beans and mushroom vinaigrette

For mains, the roasted fillet of pollock was topped with a crisp crown of very good colour with equal taste and served with glazed baby artichokes, delicate and fine wild asparagus, a frothy mushroom cream and tarragon orzo – its vibrant and airy presentation singing all the right notes of spring. 

I had selected the pork cheeks with a form of state that seemed as though the very molecules themselves were breaking down under the slightest pressure from the cutlery - meat that was delightfully falling away from itself and rich in the intense flavour characteristic of a long and low heat treatment. To accompany the cheeks was a quenelle of polenta with a smoothness of consistency I can only imagine is akin to eating spun silk and a basil jus which when poured neatly hugged around every individual item resulting in the plate just needing a frame to finish off the picture.

slow-cooked pork cheeks with courgettes, sweet garlic,
soft polenta, confit garlic and basil jus

After plates were cleared, our trou normand was a mango sorbet topped with nuggets of dried yoghurt, nestled beside a coconut foam dressed with more nuggets in the form of concentrated dried passion fruit, and finished with a sprig of Thai basil – a perfect combination to cleanse the palate. 

All three of us selected the same dessert from the du jour menu – a hazelnut praline mousse and Pedro Ximenez jelly, but we each requested the salted peanut ice cream from the a la carte menu instead of the rum and raisin as suggested. The waiter jovially joked that he had to dodge an incoming black eye when relaying our requests to the chef, but that they had been granted. The flavour of the dish was good with the addition of aniseed globules decorating the plate but the texture of the mousse and jelly was less appealing – a little rubbery and difficult to separate bite-fulls with the spoon.

mango sorbet and coconut foam

hazelnut praline mousse with salted peanut ice cream,
pedro ximenez jelly

We’d been darting glances of food envy across adjacent tables when we noticed small hot balls of sugar coated doughnuts delivered towards the end of diners meals and believed we had missed out on this petit fours, assuming it was a perk of the a la carte menu. 

But praise to the powers that be, we were not only delivered these soft and warm balls of bliss, but also each received a trio of more petit fours – mango jelly, a miniature lemon tartelette with chiffon thin crisp pastry and a blow-torched top, and a piece of smooth tongue-coating white chocolate fudge. And the sweet treats didn’t stop there – in addition to our toy patisserie spread we were also treated to dark chocolate marbles filled with coconut ice cream. Like the familiar Italian chocolatier, they were really spoiling us.

petit fours

lots of warm doughnuts

Spoiling us not just with the delights on offer, but also with the service we received from the maître d' and our waiter. We were repeatedly assured to take our time and enjoy ourselves despite the venue emptying as the end of the lunch sitting drew closer. 

When the waiter noticed our eyes light up at the arrival of the much coveted doughnuts, he assured us that should we desire more he would happily request them for us. An offer against the nature of three girls who like their food to pass, and true to form they were delivered. Not only that, but another trio of the jelly, tartelette and fudge as well as top-ups of our coffee. Impressive and more over, fully appreciated. 

The expedition of the delivery of our courses was a little stalled with a noticeable expanse of time between ordering and receiving our first course. However, the front of house exercised great efforts to ensure our stomachs were not given the chance to rumble with frequent re-visits of the bread basket to our table. 

The façade and interiors of Pied a Terre are sharp yet at ease, the dining experience one of unmonitored and comfortable relaxation. The devices of our small party were left to pave the beginnings of what turned out to be a great journey that evening, with staff still demonstrating attentiveness and leaving us feeling we had received special treatment.  And a journey the evening truly was. It culminated in bumping into, and having a drink with the legend that is Monsieur Raymond Blanc. I suspect there are few finer ways of rounding off an already delightful day.

Liked lots - service, presentation, bread, bubbles, pigs cheeks, the relaxed atmosphere, petit fours, location around the corner to our favourite cocktail haunt
Liked less - dessert
Good for - business lunches, value Michelin lunch, first time Michelin experience, small groups, eating at before hitting the LCC

My rating: 4/5
Alfiyet olsun.

mexican chipotle chicken wings with creamed corn

We might not all be lucky enough to experience the hot-blooded culture and cuisine of Mexico first hand, but we can certainly do our bit to help bring a little Mexican sunshine into our lives and cast out the lingering grey.

This recipe was developed for the Great British Chefs website and can be found here: http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/community/mexican-chipolate-wings-creamed-corn-recipe 

Get the coals out for National BBQ Week and perhaps give these a try this weekend, if the sun decides to put on a show.

chipotle marinade

marinade ingredients

marinating wings

 Alfiyet olsun.

blueberry and almond smoothie

Here's a pretty good start to the day and completely divine. Great for using up berries sitting in the fridge now past their best, that you just haven't got round to using. Alternatively, put them in straight from frozen. This will be ready before you've rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. And here are some of the health benefits of blueberries, which you of course already knew: highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit - they contain 20 different antioxidants while other berries contain just three or four; neutralises free radicals; softens dry skin; reverses age related memory loss; the list goes on.

I think they're deserving of the little flared crowns they have.

Blueberry and almond smoothie

Makes just over 3 x 250ml glasses

225g blueberries (fresh or frozen)

350ml milk

2 x heaped tbsp fat free Greek yoghurt

2 x heaped tbsp ground almonds

1.5 tbsp honey

5 ice cubes

Place all the ingredients in a blender and wazz until silky smooth. Decant into glasses and drink immediately. If you let the glass sit for a while before consuming, some settling will occur so give it a quick stir before drinking.

Alfiyet olsun.