ode to a flake shake

if you follow me on instagram, twitter or have been within earshot of me the last month or two, you’ll know that lately i’ve been having a real hankering for australian food.

all i seem to be able to think about are the foods i love from home. there could have been a number of things that triggered the sudden longing – the ANZAC cookies i made in honour of australia day, a birthday brunch at aussie lantana cafe in fitzrovia last month, or the red frogs a friend brought back for me from a trip to sydney. whatever the reason, i’ve been craving treats from oz. most recently, a flake shake from wendy’s.

in australia, wendy’s isn’t the wendy’s you get in america, it’s more of a dairy queen.

when i used to go the mall with mum as a little’n it was my ultimate treat.

and even though i hadn’t had a flake shake in years even before i moved to london, my food nostalgia has gone into overdrive, and recreating one has become a weird obsession for me the last week.

i think i’ve nailed it.

a flake shake should be a so-thick-it’s-practically-solid chocolate shake, with crumbled cadbury flake bars stirred through and piled on top. simple stuff, but totally delicious.

for one greedy guts shake, you’ll need:

• six generous scoops good quality vanilla ice cream (softened)
• one squirt of chocolate syrup
• one teaspoon of cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup semi-skimmed milk
• two cadbury flake bars

throw all the ingredients except the flakes into a blender and get whizzing until thick and smooth. if it’s runny, you need more ice cream (always an excellent problem).

chop up the flake bars and stir two-thirds of the chocolate into the thick shake. 

pour into a tall glass. top with the remaining chocolate.

it’s slurping time! you’ll be needing a spoon. and a looser belt.

enjoy this post? you may like our toasted marshmallow milkshake or lemon meringue milkshake.

the shed

to celebrate finding our perfect bridesmaid dresses at twobirds we made our way to lunch at the shed in notting hill. there are two things to know about the restaurant. firstly, space is a premium at the shed but then, the clue is in the name really, secondly, the food is so worth the squeeze.

after a number of high profile reviews the restaurant was extremely busy and arriving early we were told our table wasn’t quite ready. we had a drink at the bar and celebrated our successful shopping trip with a bottle of sparkling english wine. i have indulged bubbles for much less – this was very well-deserved. 

after a game of musical chairs (we were seated then asked if we minded moving before another table became available which had slightly more room) we settled in and got down to business looking at the menu. as well as three dishes for brunch, the plates are dividing into slow and fast cooking. it’s not tapas but each portion is a starter size and we were advised to get two per person.

the food more than makes up for the lack of space, and by lack of space i mean you will in all probability be sat with your back flush to the person behind you, but that pales into significance when you sample the food. it really is incredible.

we feasted on lamb chips with harissa, thick rectangles of succulent meat shredded and deep fried. do get these if you go they were not what we expected but were bursting with flavour. the rainbow trout was equally delicious, light and seasoned to perfection with roasted potatoes boasting a smokey quality. it took serious restraint on our part not to lick the plates clean.

the goats cheese was presented drizzled in oil and sprinkled with hazelnuts. yummy.

we also had pigeon, tender, juicy and pink in the middle, roasted vegetables, swimming in oil and sprinkled with herbs, and the venison, which came in melt-in-your-mouth sized slices with carrot crisps perched on top.  

we didn’t have room for pudding, there was wedding cake to be tasted back at home, but i did see another table ordering the rhubarb jelly crumble ice cream and it looked divine.

the only downside for me was the lack of space – one waiter, a young lad that reminded me of bambi, he was all legs, managed to launch a bread basket into my face as he rushed past me – he apologised profusely and said he was still growing.

the shed is run by brothers oliver and richard gladwin, one greets you at the bar while the other pops his head out from the kitchen every now and then. i loved the ramshackle feel to the place, tractor parts are nailed to the walls, seats are mismatched and walking through the door is like climbing through the wardrobe to narnia, except you arrive into the country, a welcome haven from the hustle and bustle of london.

i will be returning – the food exceeded all expectations although i can’t imagine my male friends would enjoy being so squished, so for me, it seems it’s a girls’ only venue.

apple crumble for one

my name is andrea and i’m an emotional eater. when i’m bored, sad, angry, lonely… i snack. cupcakes cure all woes. it’s exactly what the nutritionists tell you not to do, but i’m more of a therapy person anyway, and my shrinks are two guys called ben & jerry. they know me. they understand me. they help me through it.

i’ve been eating my feelings more than usual of late, with my boyfriend out of town for three. whole. weeks. the ol’ ball and chain is away and i’m a little bereft. boo hoo. i could pretend i’ve been a strong, independent woman, but that would be lying to you. i’ll admit it: i’m just a wee bit lonely without my buddy.

after my third pint of ice cream this week i glanced at the fruit and veg bowl and felt a pang of guilt. in my bridget jones state, i’ve been neglecting those guys, and without another person in the house to consume them, my apples and oranges were heading for brownsville.

what to do when your apples are about to go soft on you? make them into dessert, duh. i had just enough sad-looking apples to make a very appropriate individual serving of mini apple crumble.

my measurements for this are always pretty haphazard, but to make my single girl dessert, i’d guestimate that you need:

• two small apples
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/3 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 3 tbsp room temp butter

peel and dice the apples, and put in a saucepan with the water and 3 tbsp of the brown sugar. cook on a medium heat until the apple is tender and the water and sugar absorbed.

in a small bowl, combine the butter, remaining sugar, flour and oats. rub the mixture together with the pads of your fingers until it resembles crumbs.

pour the filling into an individual pie dish and cover with the crumb topping. bake at 175c for 30 minutes, or until you can see the mixture beginning to bubble around the edges of the topping. leave to cool a little for five minutes.

serve with double cream, custard or vanilla ice cream.

and afterwards, join me in miming along to celine dion like a lunatic.