Review: Nanna Mexico

Of all the food cravings I have, the one for spicy, fill-your-mouth-full-of-flavour is the strongest. Sometimes only a steak will do, sometimes I just need the delicate, freshness of fish, but when I need some spice I just have to have a hearty, mouth-tingling Mexican.


Luckily for my cravings, Cambridge has its very own spicy gem. In my book Nanna Mexico on Regent Street is Mexican street food at its best. I love the way it has such an easy-going vibe - you could be en route to a big night out, popping in for a lunchtime bite or grabbing a burrito before going to the Arts Picturehouse. I have been on all these occasions and I have had a great experience everytime.


My most recent visit was the best so far. Unsurprisingly this is linked to the fact that I finally tried their frozen margarita. And it was a tangy, limey, tequilla-fueled treat which hit the stress spot within two sips. They had another new drink on the menu since I'd been last - an aqua de horchata, a cold rice milk with vanilla and cinnamon that is perfect for taking away the heat of their spicier options.

My tinga quesadilla

We tucked in to a tinga quesadilla and a cubana torta on this occasion, as recommended by the charming restaurant manager, Mane. I usually go for the chicken but I have now recognised the error of my ways and it's tinga for me from now on. The winning filling is a spicy mix of chicken and chorizo marinaded in a chilli chipotle - it packs a spice punch and along with the stringy cheese, a fresh guacamole and a smidge of sour cream it would quench my Mexican craving every time. My burger-loving other half went for a torta - a Mexican take on the meat in a bun, with ham, pork, chicken and pineapple. It was his kind of meaty feast. Unusually I was allowed to try some too and for me the pineapple was the clincher - just like the Hawaiian pizza it cut through the salt of the meat and made the Mexican burger a must-try.

Pete's cubana torta

Nanna Mexico is one of those Cambridge gems - we are lucky to have them. It's tasty food, it gets your juices going and it fills you up and leaves you satisfied. Plus if you're really lucky you might catch a glimpse of Mane's dancing! And unless it's lunchtime, or perhaps even because it's lunchtime, always have the frozen margarita.


The best bit: The fact that all of this came in at well under £20. And if that wasn't good enough they also do Twitter Tuesday offers (they are on Facebook too but the alliteration isn't quite there) - just follow @NannaMexico. Plus they offer a great BOGOF offer on their best seller, the Big Ass burrito - just join their mailing list for the offer.


Something to work on: I wasn't a huge fan of the stainless steel plates, something more rustic might be nice. 


Nanna Mexico, 33a Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1AB. 01223 363439, nannamexico.com.

Stonkingly good

Walden Local Food market and some of my Stonking produce

As part of my new foodie working life I spend one day a week making up jams, preserves and chutneys for Walden Local Food. They are a weekly produce market based on Butcher Row in Saffron Walden and everything they stock is sourced within 40 miles of Saffron Walden. Every week the lovely market manager, Liz, drops off any produce that they haven't sold and I devise a recipe to use up the glut. It means that whatever I make also uses ingredients within 40 miles (even the jam sugar comes from the British Sugar factory in Bury St Edmunds) It's great fun not knowing what I am going to get and looking through recipes for inspiration. So far I have made jams and curds from rhubarbs, gooseberries and summer fruits, as well as elderflower cordial and some piccalli. There should be a tomato chutney on the way soon.

So far my jams seem to have been the bestsellers and so I thought I would share the recipe for the chunky strawberry jam that I made for the market this weekend.

Chunky Strawberry Jam 

2kg strawberries, hulled but left whole

600g jam sugar

Juice and zest of one organic lemon


Gentle heat 3 tablespoons of water with the sugar and lemon zest and juice until the sugar melts and then add the strawberries. Bring to the boil and leave at a rolling boil for 10 minutes. If you have a thermometer then get the temperature up to 105c. Bear in mind that this is a runny jam to allow the fruit to remain whole so don't worry too much about checking for setting, it won't fully set.

As you can see the final result is a beautiful scarlet see-through jam laden with whole strawberries. Perfect on toast, dolloped over ice cream, or my new personal favourite - served with some warm-from-the-oven shortbread. The most delicious afternoon treat. And if you have some creme fraiche handy then a double dip, creme fraiche followed by strawberry jam is messy but quite superb in my book.


You can buy my Stonking jams, preserves, cordials and more at Walden Local Food market, every Saturday 8.30am - 3.30pm on Butcher Row, Saffron Walden.

A mid-week treat: 12a club and Bill's Cafe, Restaurant and Bar

Mid-week cocktails always taste better than weekend ones. There's something about drinking on a school night that goes to your head. It feels naughty and you know you'll regret it, but it still brings out the 'I know I shouldn't, but go on, just one more then' in all of us. 


I couldn't have picked a better drinking partner for cocktails last Wednesday night. I headed out to meet Briony Whitehouse, a Cambridge-based fashion blogger who is a bit of a big deal, not that she'd ever say it. Earlier this year she was one of Red magazine's top 20 under 30s and she gets over 50,000 hits to her blog, agirlastyle.com every month. But aside from all that she had a lovely twinkle in her eye, the most beautiful shoes on and was game for a drink or two.


We met at 12a club, the new-ish (it opened last November) member's only bar in Cambridge. Managed by the charming Mark Pope, the bar oozes sophistication. You can imagine a secret daliance or two playing out here. The decor reminds me of what I imagine an old don's office might look like - plush with lots of leather and a wealth of antiques and collected treasures. 

Butterfly Boston absinthe

A Cambridge Butterfly

They have a range of obscure and exciting spirits behind the bar. Each one has a story and Mark knows them all. Pick a bottle, any bottle and he will regale you with its history and flavour profile. I was attracted to the Butterfly Boston, a vintage looking little bottle containing an absinthe that Mark informed me started life in Boston in 1902, hence the name, slipped away after prohibition and was revived just last year. As you can imagine, it's not your bog standard absinthe, this one is smoother and the aniseed punch is really quite subtle. Mixed with grapefruit and a splatter of violet syrup, it tasted superb in my Cambridge Butterfly. 

Our second cocktail came with nibbles

Briony was rather flattered that Mark had read all about her penchant for pears and had some of the conference variety in specially for her. She had two pear concoctions and enthusiastically sipped each one, letting us know just how good they were. Most cocktails cost around £8 and when you consider that they are made to your specific tastes by a mixologist who really knows his stuff, that is a great price. You would need to factor in the membership fee though.  

Cocktails make you hungry and we heard that Bill's Cafe, Restaurant and Store had opened that night and was just round the corner. For Cambridge dwellers, it's where the Slug and Lettuce used to be. It's the fourth restaurant in Bill's small chain, they started off in Lewes and have now popped up in Covent Garden and Reading too. It prides itself on a great breakfast menu - and they'd be right too, bubble and squeak with mustard mash and fried eggs will definitely draw me back again. 

Bill's Cafe, Restaurant and Store, Green Street

Now I'm not a standard burger kind of girl, I hate them at a barbeque and rarely order one in a pub. It's not that I don't like burgers as a whole, it's just that they can so often be the hardest thing to get right. But for some reason, when it comes to a lamb burger I have to order it. I think it has something to do with a particular lamb burger with goat's cheese and the most perfect crispy chips that I enjoyed on an almost weekly basis throughout university.


The lamb burger at Bill's was a good one as they go. The meat was juicy and surrounded by a nice thick layer of white cabbage and red onion. The bun had a shiny top that hinted at a brushing of syrup or such like and insinuated it must have been made on the premise. One or two chips were a bit soggy and the wooden board was a little on the small side for a knife and fork burger-eater like me, but it was really very good overall.


Briony went for a lighter goat's cheese tart that was laden with pesto and rocket and she declared it a great option. We indulged in a last drink of the evening in the form of a hedgerow fizz; a small glass of Asti or similar with blackberries in the bottom. At just £3.75 it was a nice refresher.

Lamb burger with yogurt and mint

The walls were stocked from skirting to ceiling with Bill's produce - preserves, dressings, oils, chocolates and more. I bought some of Bill's apple juice (£3.45), which came wrapped up like a present and has since brightened my breakfast with its sweetness.

The walls stocked high with produce

Bill's is a welcome addition to the Cambridge restaurant scene, I will be going back for a brunch soon, most probably after a night of cocktails the evening before.

The best bit: 
12a Club What else, the cocktails of course. Everyone in Cambridge should sample one. Get in touch with Mark through Twitter (@12aClub) to pop along for a drink and a show round.


Bill's The restaurant is open fronted to allow you to sit and people-watch along the lovely Green Street. Plus a bursting brunch menu and some nice soft drinks options - a pink lemonade float would have be a definite had we not just guzzled cocktails.


Something to work on: 
12a Club With nibbles, events and daytime opening on the way, there's truly not any obvious flaws. Membership deals might lead to a buzzier feel but then I am told weekends are busy and of course a deal would not really be in the spirit of things.


Bill's So far so good. As long as opening standards are maintained, i.e. sticky tables and tatty menu syndrome doesn't set in, then I will certainly be back.


12a Club, Market Square, Cambridge 01223 350106; 12aclub.com


Bill's Cafe, Restaurant and Store, 34-35 Green Street, Cambridge CB2 3JX. 01223 329638; bills-website.co.uk

Vintage Sunday

Yesterday was a day full of summery joy. In the afternoon I went along to Miss Sue Flay's vintage tea party at The Barn at Kneesworth. It was a cake-filled treat. Sue Flay surpassed herself once again. She treated her glamourous vintage-loving guests to a table laden with goodies. There were carrot cakes in jam jars, scones topped with caramalised pecans, ice cream cupcakes, a raspberry ripple cake and of course finger sandwiches for all.

Mini carrot cakes in jam jars

Ice cream cupcakes - filled with sponge and toffee

As well as a fill of cakes there was also enchanting music from Kate Garner and the chance to have a browse and a shop at the barn. If you haven't been along to The Barn at Kneesworth yet then do go - there's vintage clothes and gowns, children's toys and a play area and a huge selection of nearly new children's clothes and maternity wear.

My delightful place setting

The raspberry ripple cake

Scones and vintage shades

The lovely Kate Garner entertained us all afternoon

Tempting bits and bobs from The Vintage Shed at The Barn at Kneesworth

Clothes from The Vintage Shed - I was tempted by those floral shorts!

!

The party in full vintage swing!

Miss Sue Flay has more exciting events coming up - including a Zombie Tea Party on 8th July and a Punting Party on 14th August, you can book up at The Secluded Tea. Great cake guaranteed!


Come the evening I went along to Singing on the River at King's College. It was a magical occasion - the choir sang from punts and treated the crowds to a range of numbers, from choral to current pop. Their take on SClub7's Never Had a Dream Come True was genius and my clear favourite. Cee Lo Green's Forget You had me tapping my foot on the punt as well. There were shouts of encore for Danny Boy, and the gathered crowds all sang along to Minnie the Moocher. A highly recommended evening out in Cambridge. We went along through The Cambridge Punting Company (@letsgopunting)who looked after us very well indeed.

The choir belting out some great numbers

The crowds enjoying the concerts. Those on the punts had front row seats!

The summer of food

Ask any food enthusiast in Cambridge where they like to eat out and you'll get the same reply. They'll list a handful of great independent restaurants, before going on to muse that really, there's not much choice. In a city responsible for some quite astounding scientific discoveries and world famous literature, the food and restaurant scene has lagged behind somewhat. 
Until now that is. I think Cambridge is about to get a lot more interesting for those of a foodie persuasion. 


Not that it’s been entirely dull in the past of course – there have always been spots of gastro greatness. We all know who they are, but they have always stood out as a few in a mass of sticky menus, microwave meals passed off as 'gastro' and terrible, terrible milky coffee.
Perhaps it's the summer sun going to my head but I think there is a real stirring at the moment. There are lots of tummy rubblingly good things about to happen. Here's just a few that I'm clearing my diary for...

Alex Rushmer, set to open his much-anticipated restaurant next month. Photo by @photolotte

First up, Alex Rushmer, Cambridgeshire resident and Masterchef finalist, plans to open his new restaurant in July. Alex is keeping schtum about exactly where the new place will be, 'a nearby village' is all we know so far, but is guaranteed to be good. From what I've heard diners can expect what could be termed 'proper grub' but with a touch of Alex's adventurous cooking style. And rumour has it that the Sunday lunches are going to take some beating. You can find out more about the opening by emailing bookings@alexrushmer.com. 

Those Chelsea buns, about to be restored to their sticky glory

Come August husband and wife Tim Hayward and Alison Wright will be re-opening Fitzbillies. Long termed a 'Cambridge institution,' but sadly, long falling short of this reputation. But not anymore. You can rest assured that Tim, a Guardian food writer, will not rest until those Chelsea buns are returned to their former, gooey glory. Those with a love of all things sticky and sweet should be excited. You can find out more at chelseabuns.com.

Gog Magog's resident pet turkey, Clive

If you prefer rustling something up for yourself with great quality ingredients then you'll probably already frequent the local farm shops. Neal’s Yard cheese, a proper cup of coffee and a friendly and informative butchers make Gog Magog Hills farm shop and deli top of the list. They are opening a larger café in the next week or so and will be turning the Cart Shed (the current café) into a dedicated deli area. Charles, Marcus and the team have more exciting plans afoot and so expect more temptation soon. In the meantime their twitter account @gogmagogshop is the best place to find out about their tasting days and all the gossip on the new cafe.

The wine bar at Cambridge Wine Merchants

There's really little point in a good meal unless you have good wine to swig alongside it. We're covered on that front too. Cambridge Wine Merchants have gone from strength to strength over the past few years, winning countless awards and putting on successful tasting events almost every week. For those after a weekend wine retreat, the Cherry Hinton road branch has recently opened a wine bar. There’s nibbles from nearby Balzanos and selected wines by the glass, or you can pick a bottle to enjoy for a £5 corkage fee. Call 01223 214548 to get a table on your chosen evening.

It's an exciting time, I think you'll agree. As nice as a trip to London to try a new place is (and honestly, go to Spuntino for the lamb slider alone), having a range of independent restaurants and delis to visit is pretty unbeatable in my book. I am sure there are countless other exciting local ventures that I am yet to find out about - please do tell me about them below. And if you like a decent meal and quality ingredients as much as I do then get in touch - I have plans to try and unite those who love to eat in a new Cambridge club in the near future. 






   

Cambridge's best bargain lunch

As local twitterers may have noticed I am a bit of a fan of The Punter on Pound Hill. I always recommend it to those after somewhere independent in Cambridge. The mix of relaxed decor, fairy lights (they always get my vote) and a seasonal menu make it a great local spot in my opinion. Plus it never fails to have at least six mains on the menu that I struggle to decide between. 

How does a girl choose between local asparagus, pea and mint risotto with glazed goat's cheese and seam bream fillet with Jersey royals, beetroot and samphire? As an ex-fussy eater I know how hard done by you feel when only one thing on a menu appeals, and so to go somewhere where I immediately want to order everything is rather nice. In an ideal world I would take four or five friends with me every time I go just so I can try a bit of each dish (obviously they would have to agree to let me dictate exactly what they order which might prove tricky, even for someone as bossy as me). 

The Punter's daily menu

Fantastic menu and vintage chic décor aside what I really want to rave about is their £5 lunch menu. Every day the pub has three lunch options, often slightly adapted from their full menu (which you can choose from as well of course). Perhaps I am easily pleased but to my mind £5 for a hot, seasonal, proper plate of food for lunch is a bargain. Especially when you consider that there are plenty of places around charging £10 for fish and chips or a burger for lunch.

Local asparagus with Parma ham and truffle dressing 

I went along today to meet some friends. There was mini fish pie and chips, a mushroom and blue cheese quiche and a cassoulet on offer for the £5 lunch deal. Now after all my gushing above I have to admit that I got a bit distracted and went for asparagus with Parma ham and a truffle dressing, which was not part of the lunch deal but still very good at £6.50. My friend had the fish pie and very nice it looked too.

Mini fish pie and chips

So I suppose what I am trying to say here is, if you fancy a nice bite to eat with friends in your lunch hour then try The Punter’s £5 lunch – it changes everyday but if you call mid-morning then they can let you know that day’s choices.

The best part Seasonal food, relaxed atmosphere and that £5 deal.

Something to work on Letting people know just how great they are – or perhaps I can do a bit of that for them?

The Punter, 3 Pound Hill CB3 0AE. 01223 363322; thepuntercambridge.com

Small disclaimer – I just wanted to point out for the more cynical amongst you that I have no connection with the pub whatsoever. This review is completely independent.

A day by the pool

Last week I was lucky enough to be asked by the quite lovely Kate Fletcher to assist her at a styling shoot for Macarons and more.   
We had the perfect day on location at the poolhouse at Maison Talbooth – and the most wonderful cakes, macarons, brownies and marshmallows from Dr Tim Kinnard, the proprietor of Macarons and more and finalist on last year’s Masterchef. The photographer was Charlotte Griffiths – her images are quite stunning and I hope to be able to include more soon enough, but for now here are the ones taken by me on my trusty iphone to give you a little taster. Full image blog to come.

Styling – Kate Fletcher from Vintage Style Hire (with a little help from me!)
Sweet treats – Dr Tim Kinnard from Macarons and more
Photography (the proper ones, not my amateur offerings above) Charlotte Griffiths