Meal #49: Lunch

August 14, 2010 Charity Prawitz Leave a comment

IMG_0112[1] — Chicken starter, Majliss, Oxford, UK

This is just the starter that Charity and I had. Our dinner was a huge and amazing Indian meal that we shared with our friends Robbie and Cara. Everything we ate was amazing, though I cannot identify everything in the pictures. Charity and I shared a menu for two, which included a giant number of dishes. The four of us ate like Indian royalty, and still had leftovers to take home in the end!

IMG_0113[1] — Loads and loads of delicious Indian food, Majliss, Oxford, UK

Dinner, Food

Meal #48: Dinner

August 14, 2010 Charity Prawitz Leave a comment

This was a very special dinner for Charity and me, as it was our 6th wedding anniversary. We booked at Fifteen in London, one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants.

IMG_0107[1] — Fresh olives in oil, Fifteen, London, UK

IMG_0108[1] — Brushcetta with sardines, peaches, and rocket, Fifteen, London, UK

We’re experiencing some technical difficulties, so I’m going to talk about the olives and the bruschetta here 🙂 The olives were fresh, that’s right, not cured! We had never had fresh olives before so we were very surprised by their creamy texture – similar to an avocado, but firmer- and their sweet, mildly fruity flavor. They were a great way to start an awesome dinner!

The brushcetta pretty much blew our minds! Our mouths were salivating with delight and the excitement of the totally unique flavor combination peaches and sardines?! So weird, so delicious. The charred exterior of the bread added smokey flavor as well as crunchy texture. It was perfectly dressed with a really nice, fruity olive oil. We could have eaten at least 3 plates of this awesome dish!!!

IMG_0109[1] — Pasta, Fifteen, London, UK

The pork and beef bolognaise was rich and meaty. Not sure what kind of cheese was on it, but it was creamy and had a nutty, mildly fruity flavor – maybe a young Parmesan or Reggiano? The pasta was cooked al dente. The toothsome pasta with the rich, meaty sauce made this course filling and deeply satisfying.

IMG_0110[1] — Fish and mussels in a black olive sauce, Fifteen, London, UK

Good, but not our favorite dish. Somehow I missed the “black olive sauce” part of the description on the menu. As neither of us are huge black olive fans, I think we made a bad choice here. However, it was still pretty good. The briny, tomato sauce with little salty black olive punches, complemented the sweet, salty seafood. The clams and mussels were juicy little sea gems and the fish was perfectly cooked. I’m sure black olive fans would love this dish. We didn’t love or hate this dish, but we ate all of it 🙂

IMG_0111[1] — Cheese, Fifteen, London, UK

Whoa baby this was good! By this point in the meal, we were stuffed, but we had just enough room for some stinky cheese and thinly sliced honey-wheat bread. There were two cheeses, a pleasantly stinky Roquefort and a lovely aged English Cheddar, served with a sweet and spicy apple cinnamon chutney and succulent Madjool dried dates. The waiter suggested a complex Bordeaux to complement all the cheesy, fruity goodness- Heaven!

Food, Second Lunch

Meal #47: Second Lunch

August 12, 2010 Charity Prawitz Leave a comment

IMG_0106[1] — Prawn layered salad with apple juice, Sainsburys, Oxford, UK

This was a small take away lunch I grabbed from Sainsburys to eat on the Oxford Tube into London. The prawns were super tiny, and a bit fishy, but hey, it’s from a grocery store after all. It wasn’t so bad with the sauce that was included, it was sort of like salad creme, but slightly better. For anyone who doesn’t know what salad creme is, it’s basically a sweetened mayonnaise, and your only option for salad dressing in England. The apple juice was the best part of the meal, just some plain old apple juice, 35p worth of pure nature.

Food, Lunch

Meal #46: Lunch

August 12, 2010 Charity Prawitz Leave a comment

IMG_0104[1] — Chicken bacon club with sea salt crisps, Pret A Manger, Oxford, UK

My beautiful wife has arrived in Oxford! From now on, my description will come first, and then Charity’s just below.

For her first lunch in Oxford with me, I had to take Charity to Pret A Manger, where else? I had the always amazing chicken bacon club, as previously described, it did not disappoint. There were no especially good soups today, so I accompanied my club with a bag of sea salt crisps. Everything was tasty and fresh as always.

IMG_0105[1] — Smoked river trout sandwich with a nectarine and coffee, Pret A Manger, Oxford, UK

My first meal in Oxford! It was simple and lovely. The smoked English river Trout was mild and delicious, especially with the horseradish mayonnaise to brighten it up. The coffee was really good- I know it’s a strange combination, but I really needed some caffeine. The nectarine was sweet and sour perfection. Overall, a great first meal in Oxford!

Second Dinner

Meal #45: Second Dinner

August 12, 2010 Charity Prawitz Leave a comment

IMG_0103[1] — Chips and cheese with beans, Mehdi's kebab truck, Oxford, UK

That’s right. But this time with baked beans! Don’t judge me.

Dinner, Food, Uncategorized

Meal #44: Dinner

August 12, 2010 Charity Prawitz Leave a comment

IMG_0101[2] — Salted beef with pearl onions, Worm's Head Hotel, Gower Penninsula, Wales, UK

We started with this salted beef and caramelized pearl onions, it was lovely, though not in great abundance. The beef was salty and tender, the onions had a crunch, but also brought a punch of sugar to the plate.

IMG_0102[1] — Hake with fennel and potato, Worm's Head Hotel, Gower Penninsula, Wales, UK

This was my main at the little pub on the cliff of the bay. It was a delicious pan seared hake fillet laid over crisp-tender fennel stalks. I normally don’t enjoy liquorice, but this was mild and very nice alongside the delicate fish. The skin on the hake had a beautiful salted crispy texture. The potatoes were a nice anchor for every other bite. It was a beautiful meal, alongside a beautiful view of the most beautiful beach in the UK.

IMG_0100[1] — The view from the restaurant, Worm's Head Hotel, Gower Penninsula, Wales, UK

Dinner, Food

Meal #43: Dinner

August 11, 2010 Charity Prawitz Leave a comment

The stew was okay, but nothing amazing. A standard stew gravy, chunks of lamb and potato and carrots. The soda bread was very dry, I couldn’t eat it without soaking it in the stew. I hope this is not a good representation of all Irish food.

Food, Lunch

Meal #42: Lunch

August 11, 2010 Charity Prawitz 2 Comments

Pret A Manger, what else would I eat? I just love Pret so much, how will I live without it back in DeKalb? This was a truly great sandwich. Silky prosciutto with fresh tomato and lettuce and a bit of mayonnaise, all on an artisan baguette. The risotto was great as well, very smooth and extra mushroomy. The grape and elderflower soda was crisp and floral and refreshing, as always.

Food, Second Dinner