Monday 29 April 2013

Week beginning April 29th - UK Barista Championships - Using foraged products

This blog entry is over a week late but to keep up with consistency of running a blog, I will write about the UKBC (United Kingdom Barista Championship). When you read next week's blog entry you'll hopefully understand why I'm a week behind.

Kaffeine's very own Shaun Young made it to the finals, which is very impressive as he has only been making coffee for just over a year--21 and already 2012's UK aeropress champion.
Shaun came 7th place and missed out on 6th place by 2 points out of a possible 700. When you think of the thousands of baristas in the UK and the hundreds that entered the regional heats, this is a very impressive display of talent.

This year I developed Shaun's signature drink. He must present 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 signature drinks that correlate with the tasting notes of the coffee to a panel of judges. For Shaun's signature drink he wanted an aroma jar that was infused with spice and apple notes, followed by a fruity drink that had sweet and sharp notes. For this we simmered buckthorn juice, rowan berries and birch sap together and sieved out the bits. Once chilled this creation is the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Lastly, an espresso shot was served with a teaspoon of pudding rice starch that had been cooked with meadow sweet, a foraged weed that when infused permeates hay and vanilla notes. This gave the coffee a pleasant buttery mouth feel.

Shaun may have come seventh but I think more importantly he highlighted several ingredients that, given a bit of time, will become more and more in demand. Best of all, he did it before anyone else. These are ingredients already used in the world's most exclusive restaurants, however not been introduced into the world of coffee, until now.

You will find all these ingredients used at Kaffeine in one way or another, whether it be salads, tarts or baked treats.


We must also congratulate John Gordon, the overall winner and Estelle who came 3rd. Both have worked with Kaffeine very closely over the years and been good friends of ours. Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70 (add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: peanut butter and jelly 2.20
Savoury Scone: pickled ramson and chilli 2.20
Sticky date friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80
Lamingtons 2.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Pancetta, baked nectarine, mozzarella, rocket
Roasted courgette, red onion, red peppers, spinach and pesto

Foccacias 5.00
Smoked salmon, capers, red onion, dill, aioli, rocket
Red onion jam, gherkin, spinach and taleggio

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Quinoa, black olives, saffron, cashew nuts, oranges and garlic mustard
Wild sorrel, pama ham, beurre bosc pear, smoked mozzarella, pommary mustard dressing
Raw sliced Cauliflower, capers, lemon and bladder wrack

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad
Fennel and red Leicester

Monday 22 April 2013

Week beginning April 22nd - Payday lamingtons, Apricot and Chicken Pie and Creamed St George Mushrooms

The seasonal batten has officially been handed over to Flora, the goddess of spring. Though still fresh in temperature, it's nice to see the sun out more and longer. Ideal for strolls through London's world class parks and hitting golf balls on an open range or even retail shopping on the exposed high street. If you're near Oxford Circus doing some retail therapy, why not stop in for lunch?
Here's a mention on several highlighted items this week.

In one of our foccacias we've filled it with freshly sliced cotto ham and made a rather yummy spread from St. George's mushroom, which is one of this country's first signs that spring has sprung. These white, fleshy and meaty mushroom's appearance coincided with St. George's day which is where they get their name from.

This week's tart is baked to perfection with tender chicken breast supplied from one of London's most famous butchers: H G Walters. These lovely chicken breasts is baked with new season apricot. These apricots are still quite firm but once baked take on a tender sweet and tart flavour. Apricots married and complimented well with baked chicken and buttery short crust pastry.

In our foraged selection we have a salad consisting of smooth sow thistle and lesser celandine flowers. Smooth sow thistle is a weed, or as I like to call it 'edible greens' or herb. Sow thistle thrives in disturbed soils such as construction areas or on the side of paths. Their leaves start to appear in winter and flourish with yellow flowers come spring. These leaves are robust and best blanched before serving. This green is great paired with acidic flavours and reminiscent of chard and slightly bitter. These tasty greens will be paired with feta, capers, marinated olives, zesty lemon dressing and lesser celandine flowers. Lesser celandine leave featured on our menu several times over winter, however come spring these spade shaped leaves sprout delicate butter-cup flowers. They are completely edible and add contrast to any salad.

It's also payday lamingtons on this week, Thursday to Sunday only. Pimped cushions of sponge coated in chocolate or raspberry and sprinkled with coconut. Just a few highlights from this weeks menu, please come in and enjoy our range of freshly prepared goods.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70 (add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Larry anne plum and almond 2.20
Savoury Scone: Courgette and cream cheese 2.20
Cherry, coconut and chocolate friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80
Lamingtons 2.50

Lunch
Soup: Mushroom and tarragon 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Roast duck, pink grapefruit marmalade, brie, rocket
Asparagus, crushed peas, mint, goats cheese, spinach

Foccacias 5.00
Ham, creamed St George mushrooms, parsley, spinach
Mature cheddar, pickle, red onion, tomato, rocket

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Prawns, pickled ginger, samphire, brown rice, wasabi cream
Blanched sow thistle, feta, capers, olives, lesser celandine flowers, lemon dressing
Jersey royal potatoes in spinach sauce

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad
Chicken and apricot


Monday 15 April 2013

Week beginning April 15th - Ugli Fruit, Sloe Blossom, Strawberries and Sumac


Finally the bright orb in the sky has started to make a regular appearance and we can draw our attention away from indoor activities. Break out the picnic baskets and frisbees.
With the sun comes blossoms on trees and what hasn't been explored terribly in cooking is incorporating the delicate flowers into dishes. On this weeks menu we have added sloe blossom into our virgin caesar salad, these snow white flowers have an almond and slightly bitter flavour and great for adding texture and contrast to salads. 

We also have a ugli fruit back on the menu, this tri-hybrid citrus is a mixture of tangerine grapefruit and orange. Quite literally the ugliest of all the citrus fruit but contains juicy segment beneath its ogre porous skin. Last year I incorporated ugli fruit in sweet muffins with dark chocolate and cardamon. This year I will be incorporating ugli into a salad of maple smoked bacon, herby foraged ground ivy and dressed in an cardamon infusion. A balance of sweet, salty and fragrant and contains 3 of your 5 a day.

Our sweet muffins contain new English strawberries and sumac. Sumac is floral purple spice that grows in tight little berry clusters which are then harvested dried, ground and used in Palestinian and Middle Eastern cooking. Great sprinkled on salads, hummus and fatty meats. Very tart in flavour and gives dishes and baked goods a zesty little kick.

We hope you enjoy this week's menu as much as we have putting it together and as much as we will enjoy serving it to you.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70 (add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Strawberry and sumac 2.20
Savoury Scone: Linseed, tomato, mustard and cheddar 2.20
Cherry, coconut and chocolate friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

Lunch
Soup: Smoked salmon, broad bean and sea aster 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Ham, gherkin, red onion, dijon, gruyere, rocket
Aubergine, goats cheese, thai basil, sweet chilli

Foccacias 5.00
Chicken, brie, salsa verde, rocket
Plum tomato, mozzarella, aioli, spinach

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Virgin caesar with sloe blossom, asparagus, fresh peas and parmesan
Sweet potato roasted with chervil stems and curry leaves with a spiced tamarind dressing and pumpkin seeds
Ugli fruit, bacon, ground ivy, cardamom dressing, rocket

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad
Broccoli, chilli and blue cheese



Wednesday 10 April 2013

Week beginning April 8th - Lamb tagine and kumara pie

To put it mildly, spring has arrived. Even if it's not a full blown bloom of flowers and new born lambs, new exciting produce is starting to make an appearance. This means we have more variety coming out of Kaffeine's kitchen.

Starting with the salads we have a deconstructed spring lamb tagine. Traditionally cooked with lemons, olives, prunes and almonds and served with couscous, we will be cooking lamb and red peppers with whole lemons and warm spices. Made separately is the element that represents almonds, prunes and olives in tagine cooking. I have used dates in stead of prunes which are then stuffed with an olive tapenade that have been infused with cherry blossom and then slowly baked to permeate all the flavours together. Cherry blossom when brewed in warm to hot water gives off a very distinct and strong almond marzipan flavour. This liquid is then used to bind a paste made from olives and stale bread, thus creating all the taste and smells of a traditional tagine in a healthy salad.

Our second salad on offer is a balance of flavours and texture. A blend of pineapple, gorgonzola, Brazil nuts, coriander, radish and foraged sea beet. This is a raw combination of sweet, salty, creamy and bitter. I like to think of this salad as afternoon muesli, fibrous and sustaining.

The last salad is guilt-free and, like our second salad, it is completely raw. Based on an Asian coleslaw this is just what you need to trim down if you're preparing yourself for a summer on the beach.

For the cooler days this week we have shrimp soup on offer. Loosely based on a Brazilian broth made with seafood, long grain rice and coconut milk. A tad spicy and fragrant, good for moving the winter sniffles along to next year.

However if you want to be indulgent and ignore your conscience I recommend this week's kumara pie. Kumara is a white flesh sweet potato from New Zealand. Not as sweet as their orange cousin and have a slight smoky and caramelised flavour when baked. I will also be adding freshly foraged ramsons leaves and naughty full fat pungent camembert.

We hope you enjoy this week's menu as much as we have putting it together and as much as we will enjoy serving it to you.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70 (add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Blueberry and bran  2.20
Savoury Scone: Pancetta, asparagus and cheddar 2.20
Cherry, coconut and chocolate friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

Lunch
Soup: Shrimp soup 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Baked tomberry tomatoes and red onion with fennel hummus, rocket
Corned beef, gruyere, hot mustard, pickled onions, gherkins, spinach

Foccacias 5.00
Ham, roasted rhubarb, mature cheddar, basil and rocket
Mushroom, welsh rarebit and spinach

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Lemon roasted lamb and red peppers, baked dates stuffed with cherry blossom and olive tapenade, quinoa.
Pineapple, gorgonzola, brazil nuts, coriander, breakfast radish and sea beet.
Mooli, carrot and red onion coleslaw with rice wine vinegar, chilli and parsley

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad
Kumara, ramson and camembert pie

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Week beginning April 1st - Winter spice warmers and Shaun Young - UK Barista Championships

We are still basing our menu around comforting and warming ingredients. We've been going on and on about it in this blog for the last month. However we must carry on and endure these chilly weather patterns. Our solution? Spice. Spice is the best distraction, it makes you feel warmer and relaxed. Like being on a tropical island drinking cocktails from a coconut.

This week's menu I have made use of spices and incorporated them into almost every item. First we have the corned beef salad. I've left the brisket joint for 4 days to pickle in a salty brine of liquid. The liquid brine has been infused with bay leaves, dried chilli, pink pepper corns, coriander and mustard seeds. Once pickled I boil the beef for 4 hours until tender and literally falls apart. When the beef has cooked I incorporate it into a salad with gherkins, new potatoes, pickled red onions and all topped with a striking yellow, hot mustard dressing.

Also on the salad menu are Dutch yellow chillies which have a little heated bite, you'll them find in our blood orange salad. Because of the prolonged Arctic breeze spreading throughout Europe and North Africa, blood oranges are still heavily on the market. They are better than ever and have an even, juicy bleed throughout the flesh, which is quite odd this late in the season.

In terms of comfort food, chicken pie is on the menu, baked with sweet corn and ramson. Ramson are a foraged weed with white flowers and have a very distinct sweet garlic scent. The ramsons have been lacto fermented in order to preserve longer and permeate its garlic flavour.

More importantly, this week Shaun our lead barista came third in the UK Barista Championship regional heats. He is currently 8th in the UK and won for his signature drink. He also got voted best newcomer by Union Coffee Roasters. If you pop into Kaffeine and are familiar with Shaun please congratulate him. I'm sure it will mean a lot.

We hope you enjoy this week's menu as much as we have putting it together and as much as we will enjoy serving it to you.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70 (add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Rhubarb, almond and white chocolate 2.20
Savoury Scone: Caramelized red onion and goats cheese 2.20
Chocolate and orange friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

Lunch
Soup: carrot, chilli and ginger 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Mozzarella, tomato, basil, aioli, spinach
Smoked salmon, lime cream cheese, cucumber, Thai basil, rocket

Foccacias 5.00
Ham, glazed apricots, brie, spinach
Sumac sweet potato, mature cheddar, red onion jam, rocket

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Spiced corned beef, gherkin, pickled onion, hot mustard dressing, new potatoes
Blood orange, feta, yellow chillies, rosemary, rocket, honey
Edamame with buckthorn and sea purslane dressing

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad
Chicken, sweet corn and ramson pie