The Salsa That Will Change Your Life

Salsa's alright... I could live without it.
Ok, it's a must with doritos, or 'chips' as Americans call them, but every salsa I have ever tried has always been a bit... meh. Too salty, too bland, too tomato-ey, too... whatever.

But one day, my sister produced a bowl of this special salsa. A salsa made with mangoes and nectarines(!?).

Now, don't be as alarmed as I was – the fruit makes this salsa. It balances out the savoury flavours perfectly and makes the chips taste even better. I could eat it on it's own. This stuff is the bomb.com and tastes spot on – it's how every salsa should be. 

Not only does this stuff taste incredible, it's good for you too. The person who invented this recipe deserves a medal. Check out the recipe here on Brooke's blog, Cheeky Kitchen and let me know what you think. You won't regret it. 

Family Reunion at Canteen – Southbank Centre

It's only right that I eat fish and chips in the company of northern relatives. My memories of visiting my Grandma and Uncle in Scunthorpe are mainly evenings in front of the telly, eating fish and chips, drinking Ribena and Coca Cola, while playing with a doll's house from goodness knows how long ago and reading the latest issue of Girl Talk.

Ten to fifteen years later, and a lot has changed. Namely, my Grandma is no longer alive, and my Dad and Uncle are both grandparents themselves now. My cousins are proper grown ups with real jobs (I suppose I am too...) and everything is a little more civilised than us being squashed into a four seater living room. But eating British food is one thing that has stayed constant, and that is exactly the kind of food served at the restaurant Julie picked for us to visit.

All eleven of us, including two babies, piled into Canteen in the Southbank Centre and sat at a table that had been laid especially for us. 

There was a lot to choose from on the menu, but the fish and chips were calling to me, and my Dad too, apparently.

The fish was cooked perfectly. The batter was crispy and garnished with sea salt and the tartar sauce was creamy and citrusy. And the chips. Ohhhhhh the chips. 

I usually find it hard to finish chips when I eat out. Not these. These had their skin on and were the crispiest, fluffiest, yummiest chips ever –  the perfect accompaniment to the fish. I am writing this prior to eating my dinner and it is making me sooo hungry.

I couldn't get around the whole table and photograph what everyone ate, but this is what Julie and my sister Emily ordered – the pie of the day which I think was chicken and leek. I love the presentation of the mash. All the food, in fact, was presented beautifully. 

I would love to visit Canteen again. It was the perfect setting for our little family reunion and the food was fresh and delicious. Great for when you want something a little more close to home in a relaxed setting. Have you ever been to Canteen? Where would you go/have you been for a family reunion?

First Meetings: The Wild Cafe – Bath

Sometimes, the places you come across by chance are better than the those that you plan to visit. The Wild Cafe is one of those places. Situated on a cobbled little side street in the centre of the beautiful city of Bath, it catches the eye with its bright signs and bicycle marking its entrance.  and The Wild Cafe in Bath is one of those places I will forever remember as being that delightful little cafe, where the food – no matter what you order – is fantastic. Quoting the motto on their website, they're 'wild about simple food made with quality ingredients'.

I found The Wild Cafe a couple of years ago when I visited Bath with my then boyfriend. We were wandering the streets and when we saw this place, we knew we had to eat here. I'm so glad we did. I had eggs benedict – one of my favourite breakfast dishes, and the eggs were perfect. Always one to try something new on returning visits, last Saturday I opted for something different, but the fact that The Wild Cafe serve breakfast all day is brilliant – why don't all cafes do this?

It was an important lunch, too, because I was meeting my best friend's boyfriend for the first time, and I had lots of questions to ask. We went to The Wild Cafe on my recommendation, and I had high hopes that the food would impress both Bethan and Tim.

The layout of the cafe is all in one space – kitchen included, which I love. It was busy when we got there, but we were greeted as soon as we came in and given some menus to look at while we waited for a table to become available.

There is lots to choose from in The Wild Cafe which is always a good thing.

I was SO tempted by the bacon pancakes. So tempted.

We were seated after a few minutes' wait and ordered some drinks. Tim chose tea and Bethan and I chose apple and elderflower juice.

We were told there would be about a 25 minute wait for food, but that was fine – it's a lovely place to just sit and chat anyway. We talked about our jobs (yawn, I must be getting old) and what we like to do and all the stock questions you ask when you meet someone for the first time. I was also given a little bit of boy advice from Tim and which was most helpful ;)

The food was more than worth the wait. Bethan ordered the goats cheese and chicken sandwich, Tim the rabbit pie and I chose the bacon, brie and tomato chutney sandwich. We all ordered a side of chips too, which, according to the waitress, were super yummy, and she was right.

Perhaps the best bacon and brie sandwich I have had... ever? The bacon was thick, but crispy, and the brie was generously cut, too, although not quite as melted as I would have liked, but it didn't matter. The chutney was an interesting change to the usual cranberry sauce you get with the bacon and brie combination. I ate every last bit, and we left with very full tummies and happy hearts, to the pub where I grilled Tim some more about children, politics and the future...

Have you visited The Wild Cafe? I can't recommend this place enough, and I so wish I lived a little closer to Bath so I could go there more often. It's relaxed, the staff are friendly and attentive, and the food is fantastic. Find out more here.

New Year Lunch at Mishkin's - Covent Garden

One of the reasons I started What Naomi Wrote was because I stumbled across Estée's blog and YouTube channel 'essiebutton' at the end of 2012 and was inspired to create my own space on the internet. I discovered a whole world of bloggers and youtubers that I never knew existed before. I was amazed - this was what I had been looking for pretty much my whole life. I don't read many magazines - they are expensive and usually filled with rubbish so discovering quality online content was great.

To this day I still make sure I catch up with Estée's channel and blog because she is so honest, down to earth and intelligent. I feel like I can trust everything she says even though I have never met the woman. Okay, I realise how much of a creeper I sound, but if you haven't followed Estée's blog or subscribed to her YouTube channel, do it now. She helped me save a tonne of money when I was switching my high end brands to 'drug store' brands. Even though I am not a beauty blogger, I still love to read others and Estée's in particular.

Anyway, in a few of Estée's videos she mentioned a place in London called Mishkin's - and like a lot of things she shares on her channel and blog, I was interested. I wanted to visit this place. I wanted to taste the Reuben on Rye for myself. I love sandwiches. I love pickles. I love pastrami. I love cheese. I like most food but I really liked the look of this place. So, when I was visiting my good friend Jess in London over the new year, we took a visit to the restaurant that describes itself on its website as 'a kind-of Jewish deli.'

Situated on Catherine Street in Covent Garden, opposite the Theatre Royal where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical is showing (excellent musical - go see it!), Mishkin's was filling fast but my friend Jess and I were seated straight away.

When everything on the menu calls your name, you know you've found the one. I wish I had gone to Mishkin's sooner, but I know there will be plenty more visits in the future.

Mishkin's resembled somewhat of an American diner, although a more polished version of one you might see in a movie. What Jess and I loved was how close the tables were to each other - we enjoyed listening into locals' conversations about their typical Londoner lives while we chowed down on our fat sandwiches and fries.

The staff were so nice and attentive. As soon as we sat down our waiter poured us some water and handed us the menus. We both ordered a half sandwich each and East End fries and onion rings to share. Another plus was the option of small or large for each dish, consequently reducing the overall cost of the meal which is always good, especially in central London. I nipped to the loo and by the time I returned our food had arrived.

I have to say, the onion rings were a tad on the greasy side and I would have liked them to be slightly browner but that's just me being picky - everything else was spot on.

Those pickles. Oh my. As I write this I can feel my stomach longing for another Reuben on Rye. The bread was delicious and perfectly toasted. There was a generous serving of meat and cheese stuffed inside and I think it goes without saying that it tasted fantastic. I don't know what more I can say - if you like sliders, mac n cheese and salt beef - and who doesn't - you'll love Mishkin's. I can't wait to go again. 

The only disappointment was the 12% service charge automatically added to the bill which I just don't agree with no matter where I dine, especially since it used to be 10%! I am all for tipping exceptional service,  but when it is assumed or taken without consent it bothers me. We visited another restaurant during my visit and when we paid the bill the waitress actually asked us if we wanted the change! We said yes out of principle. We were shocked that she had even asked. In my opinion, tipping is at the discretion of the customer - not the company. Regardless, we were happy to tip Mishkin's as the service and food were equally outstanding.

Find out more about Mishkin's here.