Apple Pie Oats with Maple Peanut Sauce

3 heaped tbsp oats

1 cup liquid (half water, half milk)

1/2 an apple, diced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp mixed spice/nutmeg

splash of vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp peanut butter

for topping: walnuts and a pinch of coarse sea salt

Soak the oats overnight in the spices to achieve maximum creaminess and flavour, but if you don't have time it doesn't make too much difference. Start the pan on the lowest heat, and when it starts to get hot, add the diced apple and vanilla extract along with any other add-ins you may have e.g flaxseed, raisins etc. Let the porridge bubble away slowly for around 15 minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan. At the last moment, heat the grill to a medium temperature and mix the peanut butter and maple syrup in a mug. If the peanut butter is quite stiff the sauce can be made runnier by a quick 10 seconds in the microwave. Grill the pan of porridge or empty into an oven-safe bowl to make the top crispy and stodgy, drizzling with the peanut sauce for the final 2 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with walnuts and salt and eat when cool enough to enjoy.

Alternatively, add all ingredients bar sauce to an oven-safe dish and bake for about 20 minutes on 200° for a more authentic apple pie texture.

Five Pounds Five Days

I've decided to challenge myself to 'live below the line' surviving on five pounds for five days. I'll be donating the money I save on food towards a charity helping to prevent hunger and starvation across the world.

I and many others in this country regularly eat at the height of luxury, with varied and exciting ingredients in every meal. I want to strip back and pare down to the survival basics as I believe that I deserve no better than anyone else in this world - everyone deserves food and by cutting back on my own budget, I can help to feed others too. 

I say stripping back, but as a food lover and blogger I have already managed to design a five day menu of delicious foods for the grand total of £4.74. That's a whole 26p unnacounted for - perhaps I'll treat myself in the reduced section. As well as helping charity, this project proves how easy it is to save money on food whilst eating well, which is perfect for students and anyone struggling with the cost of living. 

It would be easy to buy a block of cheese, a tin of beans and a sack of potatoes, but I feel that my menu is more exciting, more healthy and generally more satisfying. While designing this it made me realise how much I actually spend on food, which is not even a lot comparatively, but I now realise how unneccessary it is to have every mouthful at the taste of perfection. When stripped back, food is fuel and its primary function is to feed. I'm happy to be able to do that with the added bonus of the taste. So please enjoy my menu and use it either for money saving reasons or for your own five day challenge!

(Please note these prices are portion-based, e.g 75p for 500g of oats at 5x 30g portion)

Shopping List:

Oats                                                  0.12
Sweet Potato                                      0.35
Chana Dal                                         0.45
Wholemeal Pittas                               0.32
Eggs                                                 0.50   
Tinned Mushrooms                             0.39
Red Onion                                         0.34
Cabbage                                           0.49
Tinned Mackerel                                0.59
Tinned Tomatoes                               0.39
Bananas                                           0.60
Herbs & Spices                                  0.20



MONDAY                                                                      TUESDAY
Porridge                                                                          Porridge
Baked Sweet Potato & Cabbage                                       Dal & Pitta
Dal                                                                                 3 Egg Omelette with Mushroom & Red Onion

WEDNESDAY                                                               THURSDAY
Porridge                                                                           Porridge
Scrambled Egg Pitta                                                         Sweet Potato in Tomato Sauce with Pitta
Cabbage & Sweet Potato Wedges                                       Mackerel Dal & Boiled Egg

FRIDAY
Porridge
Omelette
Baked Egg & Red Onion Shakshuka

There you have it, it's possible! A nutritionally balanced five day meal plan for under a pound a day. I challenge you to try it, and donate the money you save to a good cause! I know a lot of people spend at least five pounds a day just on lunch, and here exemplifies the reasons not to. I've set a target of  £220, which is probably the cost of two families weekly shops, please help to stop hunger across the world by donating, whether you scrimp on your shopping list or have the money spare, no one deserves to starve.

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/fivepoundsfivedays

The time I tried Crack

I know everyone says you shouldn't do it.

I know how it affects your brain, your body and your health.

I know it's addictive, I know it's bad.

But it's so, so good.

Having had my first hit from the side of a van at a festival back in 2013, I was instantly hooked and suffered severe withdrawal symptoms, trying to supplement my addiction with the placebo of Sainsbury's own caramel and peanut soft scoop.

It wasn't the same.

I tried everything: squeezy caramel sauce and dollops of melted peanut butter, vanilla ice cream sprinkled with sea salt and drenched with sugar. My housemate found dirty spoons and used wrappers in my handbag, and I knew it was time to stop.

I went cold turkey for a while, six months went by and I couldn't even look at a jar of skippy. I was ready to accept that my search for that rosy-pink truck with its supply of unbeatable quality would never again be on the market. Never again would I reach that high.

Life was okay, I ate chocolate fudge brownies and gorged myself on jam doughnuts whilst watching the mundane world go by. In an attempt to feed my adrenaline craving, I turned to the vice of piercing and tattoos, which by fate or fortune led me to Affleck's Palace, home of all things alternative. Amongst the webs of gothic jewellery, salvaged 80s footwear, pothead paraphernalia and offensive t-shirts I stumbled to find the dream-like sight of Ginger's Comfort Emporium. Was this real? Was I hallucinating? Plush velvet booths in deep crimson, an Alice-Through-The-Looking-Glass chessboard floor, and a towering chalkboard listing the reams of flavour combinations of which my heart had eyes to see only one.

I'm talking of course about Chorlton Crack, Ginger's Comfort Emporium's intoxicating combination of salted caramel and peanut butter in an ice cream. It's available in Elvis-style dosage between brioche toast and smothered with jam, Ginger now even cooks up with a brownie for the hard-hitters, but I personally like it pure.

Now there's a steady supply, I'm back on the wagon and my habit is under control. Why get clean when I can afford not to?

Chorlton Crack, 500ml, £7.50

Pick up: 52 Church Street, Manchester M4 1PW

http://www.gingerscomfortemporium.com/

Sonnet 167

'In poetry, the volta or turn, is a rhetorical shift or dramatic change in thought and/or emotion.'

Volta, Didsbury seems an appropriate place to visit as my deadlines have come to an end with the last hand in of an essay on Shakespearean tragedy - this is the turning point at which I experience a dramatic change in thought or emotion. It could be a sense of freedom and release, or a descent into a maddening search for life purpose. There was a lot resting on this visit.

We began in celebration with wine,

The bottle name escapes my memory;

A certain assurance that it was fine.

With a side of dough from Trove Bakery,

We opted for the tapas style menu:

The chorizo, lamb, shrimp and beetroot dip,

Showcased talent as a small plate venue.

First dish soft and flavoursome, worth the trip;

Though the shawarma I did not savour,

What redeemed this dish from spoiling the mood,

Was the wide accompaniment of flavour,

Exploding from the vibrant ray of food.

So please, my experience let alter,

Your new urgency to visit Volta.

Volta Eaterie & Bar,

167 Burton Rd,

M20 2LN
http://www.voltafoodanddrink.co.uk/

Review: Urban Cookhouse

Accompanying fellow food writer Hester Lonergan on her route to Uni, we passed by the beginnings of the now open and operating Urban Cookhouse. Intrigued by the artsy logo and stylish purple lettering, we made reservations for an early lunch accompanied by cocktails.

Hester arrived slightly before me and made the first move with a nibble of popcorn, though I had to ask what flavour it claimed to be as it tasted of nothing. Unperturbed by this bland appetiser, we moved to decide on our samples of the real food.

The menu at Cookhouse is refreshingly different, a fusion of cuisines are presented to make a beautiful, intriguing and innovative collection of dishes. Too excited to choose one thing, and too scared of not having room to try it all, we opted for a tapas-style collection of starters in place of a main meal each. Our choices in agreement, we went for the crispy whitebait in lemongrass aioli, tempura cod cheeks, scallops and black pudding, harissa duck breast and the mushroom parfait on rye.

Everything was presented beautifully, and delivered in ample time as we sipped our celebratory - it’s Easter- cocktails. Mine the Florasion Invasion, a cool and fresh balance of gin, chartreuse and bitters finished with a sprig of rosemary. After discovering the infusion of this herb into cocktails on my 21^st at the Chester Grosvenor, there was no doubt about my preference for this glass. In exchange for the tempting signature Negroni, my companion opted for the Mezcal Mess Gal, a fitting swap due to its content of sweet vermouth, mezcal and Campari. This came with the option of pickled worms, clearly an option for the thrill seeking adrenaline junkies, which evidently I must not be (or maybe I just don’t want to eat a worm). Hester took the challenge and experienced the thrill of the slimy worm popping in her mouth while I happily twiddled my sprig of rosemary. We both agreed on the taste of the drinks: not too sweet, not too potent, a perfect mix of flavour.

Unsure where to start with our stunning array of food, we continued in Spanish style by having a little of everything on one plate. The whitebait was piled generously on a wooden board and delivered the perfect crunch when dipped in the aioli, though I personally prefer this to be a little more garlicky. The cod cheeks manifested yet another generous serving, with five little battered fish pieces on a bed of Asian slaw. This was one of my favourites; the chilli and lime jam an interesting change from what would commonly be sweet and sour sauce. As a disliker of black pudding, I relied on my companion’s judgement to approve that the scallop dish was excellent and cooked to perfection, ‘like velvet’. We agreed that the harissa duck tasted like steak – albeit very good steak, it was a way of duck that I have not had before and am used to associations of sweet Asian flavours rather than the earthy chilli-pepper taste of harissa. The mushroom parfait was delicious, essentially mushroom pate delivered in a small (but more than sufficient) clip top jar with pear chutney and soft grilled rye bread.

Our 2^nd round of cocktails was slightly disappointing: we ordered the first two from the signature menu, which was essentially prosecco with cordial - there wasn’t much distinction between the tarragon & pear and the elderflower & lime. I’d rather drink it straight up and classic in a flute than fuss with the sweeteners. However, our final round more than made up for this marginal flaw, with espresso martinis that were dark, deep, earthy and delicious. The perfect light dessert.

The staff were eager and responsive to our cocktail-induced enthusiasm for asking questions, and offered an informed response to all of our queries, as well as being consistent with the timing of each course. There were a lot more things on the menu that I’d definitely come back and try, with a variation suitable for any time and any company. Though definitely placed in the expensive bracket, Urban Cookhouse is honestly priced and the cost is reflected in their stunning presentation, attention to detail and fluently attentive service. 

54 Princess St,

Manchester,

M1 6HS

http://urbancookhouse.co.uk/

Going Lentil

500g pack Heema Chana Dal: 89p

A range of spices: priceless

Well actually if you buy spices from the Worldwide supermarkets you can generally get a small bag for 69-89p. You could even stretch to £1 if you prefer to have them in a plastic shaker.

Investing in spices will save you money on buying jarred sauces, make your food taste a lot more interesting and generally transform your cooking skills. Equipped with a range of spices, you can feed yourself for at least 4 delicious meals for 89p.

I like the Heera brand as they have recipes on the back, so if you pick up a pack of lentils and have no idea what to do with them, you can confidently follow the directions on the back to ensure an authentic and delicious meal. Which is exactly what I did with my little pack of split peas:

Ingredients:

1 cup chana dal/yellow split peas, soaked overnight in 4 cups water

3 cups water

1 tsp salt

1/4tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp coriander

1 tbsp tamarind (could sub honey or treacle)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp garlic

Method:

After soaking the lentils, drain and add to a saucepan with the 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on for around 30 minutes, until the lentils are becoming soft. If you have a lot of time, you can leave the lentils simmering while you go about other tasks for up to around an hour - you can't really overcook them as long as there is enough liquid.

After the 30 mins, add the spices to the dal and stir, turn the heat down and put the lid on. In a separate frying pan, heat the oil with the garlic and mustard seeds until fragrant, then stir into the dal along with the tamarind. The dal should thicken after around 3 minutes, at which point it is ready.

Serve with rice and greens, or add more water and boil with sweet potato and carrots to make a flavoursome soup.

Lentils are a great option for vegetarians, as well as the health-conscious (who isn't these days?) They're cheap, easy to use and act as a perfect base for lots of spicy dishes: soups, curries, stews and as an alternative to rice.

Review: Soup Kitchen

At around £6.50 per dish, Soup Kitchen is a little pricey for something that takes its name from a concept based on providing free nourishing food, but this is made up for by the generous portions and vibrant, quality ingredients pleasantly un-reminiscent of a school canteen. Begrudging dinner ladies are replaced by bubbly staff, stinginess exchanged for extra helpings.

Soup Kitchen have a relatively fixed menu with daily changing soups. This works well for variety as each time you can expect to find something  new and enticing  on the menu, with reassuring knowledge that the fail-safe jerk chicken, Caribbean dumplings with jack fruit  and sweet yam curry will be present and steaming away in their industrial sized steel buckets.

Everything is served with the option of jumbo purple coleslaw, chickpea salad, fresh herby tomatoes and help-yourself bread rolls. Water is available in thick swing-top glass bottles on the bar which is perfect if you're the type to drink at least 3 pints with every meal and feel embarrassed to continually nag the waiter (I hate being served a half pint - of anything).

Vegan stew

The serving counter also doubles up as a bar which comes fully stocked with the usual NQ-style craft beers, quirky bottled brews and range of tasty liqueurs. It's worth mentioning that SK has a downstairs club so it's theoretically somewhere you could spend the whole night. Long trestle tables make this a good spot for large parties for evening drinks, though the music is a little loud even in the day so be prepared to raise your voice for a decent conversation. Or just resign to enjoy your food in silence and save your talking topics for later.

That being said, the restaurant is cosy and friendly and perfect for a lunch that's guaranteed to be delicious. Being able to walk through the door and be comfortably sat down with a ceramic bowl of hot food in the space of five minutes is a blessing that the Northern Quarter would struggle without. There's no waiting for a table, no risk that it might not be right, and no gamble on how long it will take for the food to arrive.

The atmosphere is warm, wholesome and the embodiment of what its name derives from with extra funding, which I suppose is exactly what it is - apart from its customers are not homeless, though they may dress like they are (guilty).

31-33 Spear Street
Manchester
M1 1DF

http://soup-kitchen.co.uk/

Curbing the no-carb: 5 healthy swaps for under £1.

The idea of cutting carbohydrates to promote weight-loss is no stranger to the diet scene, but it definitely gets a bad rep due to the inevitable heavy regain as the price for its betrayal.

Instead of going cold-turkey from the white stuff (bread, rice, pasta), why not wean yourself off it or simply cut down by making a few small changes to your existing diet. Incorporate these swaps into your meal plan at least three times a week and bask in the glory of your guiltless, bulkless satiety.

    1.    COURGHETTI

Sains: 1 x(3 for £1.50) = 50p
Aldi: 1 x(3 for 89p) = 30p

Photo: twopeasandtheirpod

Slice your courgette in half lengthways, then slide your knife across in half again - still lengthways. Cut the courgette into thin strands that somewhat/in no way resemble spaghetti. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the courgette and cook or steam for 3-5 minutes, until tender. This is the healthiest way to cook as it involves no oil. Treat the courghetti as you would pasta - top with pesto, sprinkle with toasted seeds or simply drizzle with olive oil, crushed garlic and black pepper.


         2.    FLICE (CAULIFLOWER RICE)

Sains: 1/2x(1 for £1)=50p
Aldi: 1/2x( 1 for 75p)= 38p

Photo: thekitchn

Halve cauliflower. Grate or finely chop one half (refrigerate the other for later flice meals), put into microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of water, cover with clingfilm or one of those plastic things  and microwave for 2 minutes. Serve as you would normal rice - with curry, grilled chicken and vegetables - or bring to life as an individual dish by adding spices and chickpeas.

     3.   MUSHABON (MUSHROOM BUNS)

Sains:2 caps at( £1/250g) = 70p
Aldi: ( 89p/250g) = 50p

These amalgamations are getting tedious, I know. Gently rinse 2 large (portobello) mushroom heads under cold water, heat a frying pan with olive oil and a tsp of crushed garlic and fry the shrooms til nicely browned. Use in place of burger buns or make a whole other tasty meal by crumbling feta on top and browning under the grill. Best served with hot and crispy fried halloumi, a tomato slice, gherkin, lettuce and carb swap no.4.

         4.       SWEDGES (SWEET POTATO WEDGES)

Sains: 2 small potatoes x(£1.20/kg)= 40p
Aldi: (92p/kg) = 30p

Hm, this might still be a carb but if we start cutting nutritious veg out of our life in the name of health then there is no hope for anyone. Preheat the oven to 200°, place a roasting tin with a drizzle of olive oil in there to heat whilst you slice around 2 small potatoes into wedges. Add the wedges to the hot pan along with spices - think rosemary, paprika, dash of cinnamon - and a restrained sprinkle of salt. Roast for 25-30mins until soft when prodded with a fork and looking irresistible. Skin on or off down to preference. I prefer on.

          5.      BOODLES  (BEANSPROUT NOODLES)

1/2 pack x(60p /400g) = 30p
Aldi don't seem to stock these, but 60p at sains? Can't argue.

Photo: acouplecooks

When you come to make a stir fry, just add more beansprouts instead of noodles. That's literally it. Be sure to add substantial amounts of protein (chicken, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter) and crunchy veg so that you're sufficiently full up. The best thing? Half a pack is 100cals, so you can have oodles of boodles if you're in the moodle.

This loaf is bananas.

B.A.N.A.N.A.S

Having recently seen a lot of recipes using yoghurt in place of fat in cake mixtures, I wanted to create my own version of banana bread which combines healthier cooking substitutes with the original ingredients. By subtly changing half of the ingredients, the difference in taste is unnoticeable unlike those fat free/low calorie recipes where your 'cake' tastes like a piece of dry sponge. As a general rule in attempting to make recipes healthier, think about the nutritional value of ingredients rather than the calorie content. Here's the recipe for my first attempt, next time I'm trying it with 100% wholemeal flour and oats so will keep you updated!

 Ingredients:

60g wholemeal flour

60 plain flour

40g oats

pinch salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

50g twice-as-sweet sugar

50g melted butter

80g yogurt

capful vanilla extract

shot of freshly brewed coffee, cooled

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

Optional: pumpkin seeds, for topping

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

If your bananas are not already ripe, put them into the oven now while you prepare your other ingredients. After around 20 mins, the skins will go black and they will be perfectly ripe. Unless your bananas are at the peak of ripeness I recommend doing this anyway for maximum flavour. When they are cooled, the flesh should scoop out effortlessly.

Combine all of the dry ingredients apart from the oats in a large mixing bowl.

In a blender/liquidizer/food processer, whiz the oats with the eggs until fine. Alternatively, use oat flour in place to save this step. Add the rest of the liquids to the mix and combine thoroughly. 

Fold in the mashed banana and scrape mixture into a greased and lined loaf tin. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if using and bake for around an hour and a half. This loaf takes a while. Test if it's ready by ensuring that the top is nicely browned and a knife comes out clean when plunged into the middle.

This bread is delicious warm or cooled then toasted and spread with nutella or any nut butter. Serve for breakfast with coffee or as a not-so-naughty dessert.

 

What Challah Make For Breakfast?

Ha ha.

To continue with my breadventures I decided to make a plaited Challah loaf. I was really excited about the plaiting part cos so far I've only really made flatbreads, which don't come in overly exciting shapes (although that might be an idea). I'm not honestly sure how tasty this bread is on its own, but it really shines when used in dessert, as I will get to later. The lack of a distinct flavour is probably because I used wholewheat flour, so it just tastes like quite simple brown bread. Although the crustiness of the plait does make it infinitely more exciting.

Let's weave

I'm giving the recipe I used here but recommending that for a tastier bread, go with white/any other interesting flour. 

Simple Wholewheat Challah Bread.

2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
1 cup/230ml lukewarm water
400g wholewheat bread flour
200gish white flour
40g white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for the egg wash)
60ml vegetable oil

On writing up this recipe I now realise that I think I forgot to add the sugar, which is probably why the bread tasted just like wholemeal. Lol. Excuse to retry I suppose.

How to: I got this recipe directly from the kitchn and the directions are really well laid out, so there is no point in me trying to do it justice.

Minor changes: I used a mixture of white and wholewheat flour, and proved the dough overnight in the fridge.

Doughn't forget the sugar

You knead to make this bread

I can prove it

I mean, it's the yeast you could do

I'm on a roll with these puns

Don't be abraid to get it wrong

It takes some willflour

But rise to the challenge

Go on, you'll loaf it

Get a slice of the action

This bread is perfect for use in desserts as-is (the wholewheat recipe). I used it for peanut butter and banana French toast, which was delicious. The simple flavour and robust crust makes it the perfect topping carrier.

For PB French toast for two:

Toast 4 slices bread, soak one side of each in 2 whisked eggs with a splash of vanilla. Spread un-soaked sides with peanut butter then fry egg side in butter, place slices of banana on the peanut butter, stick together, butter with a thin layer of golden syrup or honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.

It's also perfect to use the last few stale-ish slices in cinnamon bread and butter pudding.

Hola Granola

Wouldn't that be a great name for a Spanish granola company?! You saw it here first. 

All of the best breakfast flavours

As you may have guessed from previous posts (PB Pad Thai, the many ways with porridge), I'm a big fan of all things peanut butter. Combine it with banana, cinnamon and some other healthy stuff and that has to be a winner. 

Ingredients:

   200g mixed unsalted nuts (I get the resealable bags from Lidl, I think £1.89)
   Large handful rolled oats
   Large handful seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, mixed, etc)
   Handful raisins/ chopped dried fruit
   Anything else granola-ey (I had toasted flaked almonds from a previous truffle-making session)
   1 heaped tsp cinnamon
   1/2 tsp ground ginger
   A ripe banana, mashed with a fork
   2 tbsp peanut butter
   3 tbsp honey - if you like sweet granola, use more (mine had more of a nutty roasted flavour than standard sugary taste, but less is obviously healthier)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Chop nuts on a board until broken but still nicely chunky. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl.

Separately, mix mashed banana & PB, spoon the honey into a mug and warm on high in microwave for 10 secs, then add to banana mix.

Pour banana-ey goodness over nuts and combine until well coated. 

Spread evenly onto a lightly greased tray and bake for around 20 minutes, till smelling nutty and delicious. Halfway through roasting give the mix a scrape to ensure big clusters don't form. If you like big clusters in your granola, leave this part til the end of cooking. 

Remove from oven, restrain from eating entire tray of granola. Cool and store in a sealed container. Serve on top of yoghurt, porridge, smoothies etc.

I think this would make a lovely homemade gift if packaged in an old jam jar and sealed with a pretty piece of fabric, some string and a handwritten label. 

Photo: veggiegrettie

The best gifts are those that you'd be happy to receive!

Review: Artisan

So the customer uniform is a sleek mix of grey, black, gold, generally swanky attire and as usual I'm in my plaid shirt.

Perhaps this is less of a student hangout and more of an I-have-a-career-and-money-to-spend kinda deal. WHICH IS FINE. Just new for me, and not quite right for me. However, this doesn't rule out the possibility of students fitting in here. It's more of a date location or a sophisticated drinks with the girls thing.

Photo: Artisan

It's located in Spinningfields, so definitely fits in with the whole vibe around that area - post-work drinks, living for the weekend, business people letting their hair down after work??

If you know Spinningfields you'll know what I mean.

Atmosphere aside, I am here to talk about the food, and the food I shall talk about:

I'd had a look at the website prior to my visit, and as it claims that 'fire is at the literal heart of Artisan; handmade, rustic dishes served straight from the flames.' I veered towards dishes that would hopefully show off the use of the acclaimed wood oven. To start we ordered Mussels Marinière: 'mussels baked in bread'. This was quite an exciting starter, as it arrived in a cast-iron dish behatted with a warm and doughy flatbread. I liked this as a sharing plate, the presentation made it feel slightly special and upmarket, although the simple garlic cream sauce was nothing I hadn't tried before. Even so, the dish was well executed and ideal for a light sharing starter.

Thank goodness for high exposure

 From scouring the menu in advance I'd had my eye on the skillet of smoked salmon, poached eggs, green vegetables, hollandaise and crushed potatoes. This is the kind of thing I would make for myself at home so I was interested to see how others approached it. Its manifestation was a little underwhelming. I'd imagined the skillet to be of a similar to size to the mussels' cradle, with Jamie Oliver-style pan fried and crushed potatoes - crispy and soft. (As in the ones from 30 minute meals, they're 'squashed' potatoes but potato potato). However, they were crushed into more of a mash, and a mush. The whole thing was a bit of a mush really due to the amount of oil and liquid going on. Smoked salmon is soft and moist, so coupled with a soft poached egg, mashed potatoes and hollandaise sauce, the dish leaves you desperately savouring the crunchier pieces of broccoli just to balance your mouthful. I also feel that the addition of the hollandaise with the egg made this reminiscent of a breakfast; swap the veg for an English muffin and it's basically eggs benedict.

I think this dish could work with more rigid carbohydrates and without the rich sauce. At £11.50, it also feels a little steep for something that can be compared with a morning meal.

A further opportunity to sample the wood-fired offerings, we opted for the mushroom pizza. Topped with rosemary, thyme and truffle oil, this was an authentic version of an Italian classic. The thin, soft yet crisp base was perfect for folding into quarters to make each slice into a calzone (it's the way to eat fresh pizza). My only criticism is perhaps it's over-authenticity - it really felt like we were sat outside the Colosseum - in that it was over a tenner for a reasonably small and scarcely topped pizza.

Satisfied, but not quite full up (I wonder whether this is the purpose of the serving sizes), we chose from the dessert menu. It was no contest to choose a winner as chocolate fondant took place on the list, a personal favourite. With fond memories of this dessert from a very special meal with my Mother in Casa Marieta, Girona, I think perhaps my hopes were too high. The pudding was hot and gooey with unarguably good vanilla ice cream, but it lacked that rich depth of cocoa that one desires from a chocolate dessert.

This being said, the service was faultless and Artisan did demonstrate everything their menu maintains to be. However, with the dim lighting not bright enough to capture the food *sob* and clubby music at a similar volume to the venue its designed for, I get the feeling that Artisan's philosophy is not all about the food. As the bitter-from-the-bill couple next to us aptly remarked, "you're paying for the ambience".

Artisan strikes me as the place you should go to with people that you don't know very well: the volume ensures there'll be no awkward silences, and the elaborate cocktail menu is a great conversation starter in more ways than one.

People want to show off that they've been there, take an insta and tag it. There's even a 'bitchin' lounge' otherwise known as photo opportunity, as well as a booth to print snaps of you and your mates looking all pretty. Personal comments aside, the restaurant was buzzing and every table booked, people were enjoying themselves - Artisan is doing it just right for their demographic and I'm not recommending they change. 

Artisan 
Avenue North,
18-22 Bridge Street, 
Manchester
http://www.artisan.uk.com/