Tummyrumble

Tierra Brindisa, Soho

Pretty lights.
Originally uploaded by Manne.

Booked a random comedy night at Soho Theatre to see Simon Munnery, who turned out to be incredibly random... A good craic indeed. Bit of a fresh breeze to get to hear someone rip Dawkins to shreds for a change.

Before the show we needed sustenance though, and decided on Tierra Brindisa since we have been meaning to go to the sister venue Tapas Brindisa at Borough Market for ages but never seem to get round to it (and when we happen to walk past on a Saturday while visiting the market it is is just always so rammed...). Turned out to be a really good choice. Great food, beautiful place, nice and informative staff and not overly crowded.

Baked ham and egg in a tomato sauce

This is the perfect start of a lazy Sunday. So simple to make, yet so fragrant and filling. W found this recipe in Olive magazine, writing it down from watching her making it this Sunday, hope I get it right.

Update, 2009-02-20: Saveur just included a similar recipe, but if possible even tastier sounding, in their latest newsletter. Baked Eggs, with spinach and bacon. With parmesan on top! What more can you ask for for breakfast? Recipe is a bit vague on timing. We found that ten minutes was perfect.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 can of chopped tomatoes (400gr)

2-3 eggs

4 slices of cooked ham, shredded

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

basil leaves

olive oil

black pepper

Method

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, gently fry the garlic to release all the flavor. Add in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for ten minutes to take away some liquid and thicken it.

While sauce is simmering away, tear the ham and a few basil leaves to shreds. When the sauce is thickened, stir in the basil and ham, transfer to a bowl that can be placed in the oven. For a fancier serving, use two small bowls, one per person.

Crack the egg on top, season with some crushed black pepper. Put in oven and let bake for 12-15 minutes until the egg has set.

Serve with a nice bread and some cheese.

Canteen, Royal Festival Hall

Not crowded and relaxed atmosphere on South Bank on a Friday evening. Amazing. An oasis of calm.
Originally uploaded by Manne.

W had a date with a play on the Friday night (Pitmen Painters, sounds awesome), so I was left at my own devices to entertain myself. What better way to spend a solitary evening than a nice meal on South Bank after work and then hook up to the free WiFi at BFI to do some brainstorming about the future of namibianviking.com?

Took a long walk around the area just opposite from Waterloo station, but found nothing attracting my fancy. Every single place was rammed with people, I even looked at Strada and Wagamama and was put right off by the stress levels emanating from their big windows.

Came full circle, back where I started outside the Archduke. While pondering my situation, my stomach violenly reminding me how hugry I was, I saw a place I never really noticed before: Canteen.