The day had begun much like any other at Eataly Holborn...

Customers came in, some hungry, most in urgent need of their daily fix of caffeine.  Customers left, some sipping, some nibbling, almost all trying to fathom Daniel's latest gag of the day.  So basically business as usual..

At this stage no one could have or would have had any idea that this day would be such a notable day.... surely nothing could/would ever be the same again...
Those of you who have grown up in a safe frothy cafe', coffee culture make prefer to turn away now... I urge you to stop reading now... 

So there we were serving our queue of caffeine thirsty devotees, some clearly slightly hung-over; well it was Friday & it was December... these people needed us!

The orders were being thrown at us thick & fast... our barista Marcus was running on full power.... the adrenaline was pumping... the Gaggia was gleaming, the queue were getting a contact high from the aroma... this was the place to be....

GRANDE, LATTE, SKINNY, WET, MOCHA, DRY, SINGLE, DOUBLE.... faster, faster...

Then..... suddenly.... indiscriminate & with NO consideration or warning came a voice that would rock us to our very core.....
Was this real? A voice that would for a brief instance, make everything STOP... create silence....take us to a place we never wanted to go back to.....

"a WHITE COFFEE please"  

The crowd fell silent.... the bell's stopped chiming....Marcus stopped steaming.....

The past 20 years of trendy coffee chic suddenly seems to be slipping through my very hands... After what seems like minutes I finally find some courage....do you mean a LATTE Sir... ?

No, I just want a WHITE COFFEE!

Eatalian blog readers Can you help?  PLEASE????

Christmas is definitely in the air even though the singed remains of Mr Pumpkin head are still lingering in the November fog. The season for gun powder treason & plot is now upon us, we can sing the first verses of jingle bells to the sound of the rockets & Catherine wheels popping in the night sky. When the last of the guys have been put to bed for another year & the bonfire smoke has evaporated we can turn our attention to the main event.... Christmas time & all it's sugar & spice is with us once again!

Originally from Italy but now & increasingly becoming as famous as dare I say it the humble & much celebrated mince pie is the majestic PANETTONE !  There is no greater symbol of the Christmas season in Italy than this sweet cylindrical domed shaped delight! Light as air, Panettone first graced the taste buds of the Milanese & is one of the most iconic foods of Milan & Italy as a whole.

It would be inconceivable to think of visiting or indeed inviting someone for Christmas or New Year without being well stocked up with Panettone or it's buttery cousin the star shaped PANDORO!  Simply served in rude sized slices these delicious cakes are usually accompanied by a glass or 4 of sweet sparkling wine, traditionally Asti Spumante or Moscato Asti.  It's the all singing alternative to a sweet sherry & a couple of Quality Street!

Panettone & pandoro can be found everywhere these days & in England we have of course made it our own!  Toasted with Jam & butter it's utterly sublime. Lace the cake slices with custard, cinnamon & nutmeg to create a molten version of the deliciousness that can only be panettone bread & butter pudding.... serve toasted panettone with dulce de leche & a ball of vanilla speckled ice cream for a fast hit of sugar gratification.

A tip from a long suffering addict.... Panettone is usually best in the 1KG size, too small & they can occasionally be a little dry. 

Come & enjoy a slice of Italian Christmas at Eataly, dip it into a cup of thick hot chocolate.... let's show the Milanese how it's done!!

DANIEL FROM AMATO is BACK IN TOWN!

There is a real buzz in the air at the Family Cake Company !  Rumour has it we are fast becoming London's best kept secret for bespoke pasticceria cakes of excellence!  So what's the big secret  ?? !! Sshhhhh !!!  

Well... could have a little or ALOT to do with Daniel, or Dan or Danny (Master of disguise & intrigue).  Yes our very own Daniel, ex proprietor & cake guru of AMATO (cake heaven & haven) in Old Compton Street, Soho, London.  He had quite some following, like a chocolate coated, cream filled, Pied Piper of Soho...   I LOVE the idea of Daniel dancing through the narrow streets of London's boho chic village playing his little flute & all the cake loving, frangipane lusting, profiterole dependants running along after him.  

Anyway, it's great!  Now that the man himself is back on the cake scene we can expect business as usual, alas not in Soho but a couple of stone throws away in Holborn.. a little bite size version of the past called EATALY.. right on the corner next to Holborn tube.  By day Daniel is once again Master of the cake counter & his prized coffee machine.   Daniel without his Gaggia would be like Hendrix without his guitar or Bond without his Aston!

After a day of fulfilling the caffeine thirsty needs of the the local Holborn'ians our coffee maestro turns his talents back to designing the cakes at the Family Cake Company.  Daniel's head baker Vincenzo weaves his magic & brings life to Daniels designs & recipes.

If you remember Daniel from Amato you can email him on daniel@eatalyrestaurant.com

The Summer is finally here!  We don't expect much in this country do we?  So it's hardly surprising that it takes no more than 15 degrees C or more to send us into full scorchio & BBQ mode.  We have to take it as it comes just in case it doesn't come back!

Thankfully the fantastic fruit & veggies on offer over the Summer months are far more reliable than the weather.. sadly the long awaited asparagus & Jersey royal season is almost at an end now, but it's fair to say that here at Eataly 86 Kingsway we've really made the most of both.  If you are familiar with our daily changing salad selections & pastas you will know!

However fear not! Out with the old & in with the new.. it's now the turn of the wonders of summer peas, broad beans & courgettes to name but a few (these are just my favourites!)

It's a shame that removing the outer skin from the sweet tasting little emerald coloured broad beans makes you loose the will to live, it's tedious & boring & a total pain to say the least but boy is it worth it! Eating them with the horrible grey skin on is really out of the question.. so if you have the time & the fancy here is a BRILLIANT, easy & quick recipe (once you've done the shelling !).

Conchilglie (shells) Pasta with new season broad beans & peas, pancetta & fresh Parmesan

Ingredients (quantities according to your own taste) 

Conchilglie pasta (little shells) (or any of your choice, the shells are good because they catch all the sauce, beans & things)
Broad beans (shells & skins off)... if you can't get the fresh ones frozen ones are fabulous
Peas - frozen or fresh
Cubed pancetta
Double cream
Fresh flat leaf parsley
FRESH Parmesan

Cook the conchilglie pasta according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile fry the pancetta in a drizzle of olive oil, till tasty & brown.  Stir in the double cream, broad beans & peas which should have been lightly blanched in boiling water for about 1 minute.  Add plenty of grated parmesan, chopped flat leaf parsley & black pepper & eat immediately.

I hope you enjoy this pasta dish it's delicious & I love it!

Mireille

As you may know the much celebrated English asparagus season spans from late April to mid June.  Despite asparagus being available all year round from the four corners the asparagus grown in this country is unsurpassable with regards freshness & flavour.

Here at Eataly, 86 Kingsway we have been trying to take as much advantage of this short lived season as possible, hardly a day passes when we don't have a delicious freshly prepared salad of asparagus dressed simply with extra virgin olive oil, lemon & fresh parmesan.

Apart from serving the asparagus in it's simplest form my absolute favourite recipe to maximise on it's raw fresh flavour is 'Risotto di asparagi'.  Pretty easy to prepare & very worth while in terms of taste.

ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Serves 4 for a main course or 6 as a starter

500g of risotto rice ( I like Vialone Nano - very good cooking results)
4 bunches of fresh English asparagus
A large pot of hot, preprepared veg or chicken stock (2 litres plus)
White wine (optional)
1 large finely chopped white onion
Olive oil
Unsalted butter
Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

• Cook the fresh asparagus in salted boiling water for just a couple of minutes, until 'al dente'.  
• Using a blender, blend 2/3's of the asparagus with some generous drizzles of olive oil & fresh parmesan until smooth  & moussy.  (The remaining asparagus are to add to the risotto just before serving)
• Prepare the risotto as normal by softening the finely chopped white onion in a little olive oil & butter in a large pan ( I like to use a large, deep frying pan).  
• Add the rice & stir for a couple of minutes until the rice is well coated.  
• Add the white wine (optional) & allow for the alcohol to evaporate, stirring all the time.
• Add ladles of the hot stock whilst continually stirring, once each addition of stock has been absorbed add some more.
• When the risotto is ready & the grains are 'al dente', this should take around 20 minutes, add the asparagus mousse to the risotto & stir in.  
• Chop the remaining cooked asparagus & add to the risotto, this adds to the texture of the dish
• Finally, stir in more grated parmesan, a knob of butter & some black pepper to taste & serve immediately.

Blogs are funny things.  Not sure who the people are who read my whittering, not sure if you/they agree or disagree, like or don't like.  It's kind of like a MOLTO modern day message in a SAN PELLEGRINO bottle !! Kind of throw it out there into the big blue & see where it will end up.   Of course I'm hoping that my babbling is read by people who have been or would like to come & visit our little Italian eating spot at 86, Kingsway next to Holborn tube.  Apart from that everyone is of course welcome.

I have been somewhat lacking in the blog dept of late, somethiing about too many late nights & early mornings courtesy of my 4 week old baby.  Cest la vie!  In between feeds I've been popping down to Kingsway myself to try a focaccia or three, not to mention a creamy Cappuccino alla Daniel (coffee Master extraordinaire!!)  or a cake baked by us for us with a bit of assistance from the wonderful Vincenzo(!) who now knows all about my loathing for cinnamon... you either love it or you hate it.

Eventually I would love to be more hands on in the shop, serving & hoping that one fine, sunny Holborn day Daniel will let me near his top of the range Ferrari'ESQUE coffee machine.  I passed my driving test when I was 17, I'm 40 now... so how many years of boiling the kettle to create the perfect instant coffee does one need to get close to Daniel & his perfect blend of Arabica beans?  Me thinks I'll need to wait a LONG time !

Anyway, back to speaking my kind of language... talking about FOOD ! Being a long weekend & hoping in vein for a sunny Monday I found myself planning an easy to prepare lunch for my family.  I had hopes of us all sitting al fresco around my battered garden table under the pear tree sharing spaghetti all'amaticiana, typically sweet tomatoes & pancetta or bacon with softened onions (I like to add a touch of dried chilli flakes).  This is now a firm favourite on the Eataly menu at Kingsway.  To start we would have a big platter of yet more tomatoes (the reddest & ripest I can get my hands on) with slices of milky mozzarella & perfectly ready to eat avocados.  I like to top this off with leaves of fresh basil from a window sill plant, I think they have the best flavour. Such a collaboration needs to be dressed with absolute respect so the best olive oil (my favourite is from Scicily, Ravida ) & a very sweet aged balsalmic. Salami always makes an appearance at our family lunches, this time; FELINO, a short stubby salami packed with so much flavour that leftovers are a rareity.

Desert is a must, especially at weekends so to accompany a deliciously buttery Pandoro (literally means GOLD BREAD), still lurking around from Christmas but still boxed up & perfect to eat I like to chop up ripe white or yellow flesh peaches & throw in a few raspberries & blueberries.  Add to this a generous quantity of your favourite white wine.  I used an excellent Gavi di Gavi which was supposed to be for lunch (just played stupid to that one! & sent him out to buy another!)  Even better would be a bottle of sparkling wine, Prosecco or Champagne?? Add a drizzle of honey if the extra sweetness is to your taste & leave to sit for as long as it takes to eat lunch.  Serve in large wine glasses it is as delicious as delicious gets.  Try dipping the Pandoro in the wine for total indulgence.

Of course it did rain, so we moved our sunshine lunch to the kitchen table & I secretly cranked up the heating!  Perfect!

Mireille.x

Tuesday (14th April) was the 1st day of the rest of our lives.. we opened our DOOR (there's only one!) & waited for our long awaited customers... we didn't have to wait long (THANK YOU!).. here's two of the very first in this photo...

While I'm at it - here's a competition for you:  If you can name the two Eatalians working behind the counter in this photo at Eataly, 86 Kingsway WC2.... you can win a PRIZE !!!!!  Just email us at contact@eatalyrestaurant.com with your answer before Friday 24th April next week & either Dan or Mireille will email you back with your prize !!!!  What have you got to loose?

Did you get a chance to meet Mad Mark or Delicious David who were busy handing out samples of FREE cappuccino on Thursday morning?  They'll be back on the beat on Monday morning with MORE FREEBIES to kick start your week... they're starting at 7.30am....Catch them if you can!

The highlight of this week was (for me) Vincenzo's WHITE CHOC CREAM, DOUBLE CHOC SPONGE cake.... yeh yeh, I know all the stuff about you can eat anything you like as long as it's in MODERATION... but surely they did NOT know about this particular cake !!!

Have you been into our lovely little cafe? Would LOVE to hear what you think...will help us to fine tune things to just how you like them!  Speaking of fine tuning... what did you think of Dan's IPOD selection playing in store?  He's very proud of it!

Speak to you soon
Mireillex

A short but very sweet blog to comemorate a landmark occasion! Our signage at Eataly 86 Kingsway is finally up & at'em! The sign looks fabulous & even better up close!  I haven't seen it yet as I'm still in the land of post natal.  Dan however, who is busy putting the finishing touches to our little first little Italian Emporium in Holborn is giving me daily updates on... you guessed it coffee blends & aromas, not to mention sending me very welcome samples of what can only be described as melt in the mouth pastries, cakes & pasta dishes. SALADS... I need some salads!!! 

We will be proudly throwing our doors (well door actually, but it's a big wide door!) open on Tuesday 14th April... the day after the Easter Bank holiday.At the risk of sounding like an advert - I wanted to let you know that there ill be lots & LOTS of special offers & giveaways... our dream team will be roaming the pavements of Kingsway offering delicious aromatc freebies to anyone they meet... If you check out our web site next week www.eatalyrestaurant.com you will be able to print out lunch offers & vouchers.... there IS such a thing a FREE lunch - there really is !!

Buona Pasqua.

Mireille.x

It's Friday afternoon, end of another working week. ust time for a quick update before the weekend begins!  Despite all best laid plans (as they say) we didn't manage to open the doors of our slice of Italian heaven at our little Eataly launch pad, 86 Kingsway in Holborn this particular week.  So frustrating to be waiting for silly things like SIGNAGE for the front of the shop...minor, tiny little detail ! :)

That's ok - never been a glass half empty person so in the spirit of my glass being let's say a THIRD full in this case.. we have utilised this sunny end of March week to get some really fab marketing balls rolling, not to mention a whole morning of intensive, aromatic, coffee training for all Eataly staff members.. including me... not sure if I'll ever be allowed near the sacred GAGGIA but I learned lots & lots from the gorgeous Luca.  In he came with his tousled hair & casual coffee supremo designer jeans & Tshirt...in honesty found it hard to concentrate on which setting the coffee grinder should be set on or how long the milk should steamed for before being considered unsuitable for the perfect velvet cappuccino or how much of a dollop of foam is enough to crown the glory of an espresso to make it into a macchiato !

Dan our resident coffee guru (seriously passionate about the bean!) has coffee making awards to his name & doesn't tolerate my nescafe'esque barista style... as you may know from my previous blogs... I'm all about food, Dan is the Arabica man.... can tell a lower grade booster bean from across the room!

Did you know that it's considered almost a cardinal sin to order a cappuccino in Italy after 11am??????  Never mind a latte.... don't even think of ordering a frappaccino...the peels of laughter & bemusement would have you running to the closest kettle in humiliation.

No recipe till next week... but here's something UBER delicious to try.... where my family come from in Italy (Piemonte, near the French boarder.. Alpine region), they call it a BICHERIN' (translated as little glass) this particular coffee creation is served in a little glass in order to see the layers of deliciousness in it's fullness.  Give it a go at home... 

BICHERIN

A generous spoonful of thick condensed milk at the bottom of the glass
A rich strong shot of espresso straight on top.
A couple of spoon fulls of milky foam & a sprinkle of cocoa

STIR, drink & lick your lips !!!

Happy weekend.

Mireille.x

We're getting very close to Easter now... it's definately my favourite time of year. Easter (Pasqua) is really big in Italy, in some ways it carries more weight than Christmas.  Even here in the UK  It has so much going for it... time off work, possibility of blue skies, catching up with loved ones, Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, delicious meals... & of course tasty cakes.... which takes me happily to my next point.  I was so pleased to be reminded of this fantastic cake this weekend whilst researching cakes, bakes & treats to weigh down the counters of our Eataly launch pad at 86 Kingsway in Holborn ... it originates from the island of Capri, hence the name.. Torta (cake) Caprese (from Capri).  It's a brilliant brilliant cake which is not only very very easy to make but also totally & utterly delicious to eat, it's so moist & contains no flour, so also perfect for the wheat/gluten intollerant amongst us. It's perfect for morning coffee, afternon tea, or a sumptuous pudding for those evenings a deux or with group get togethers.  Add a spoon of creme fraiche or mascarpone cheese & scatter a few choice berries to serve, my preference when the season permits is great big juicy raspberries, alternatively could be blueberries or some caramelised boozy oranges during the darker months.. or basicaly whatever you like... it will be a hit !!  I made one last night & was instantly reminded that we eat chocolate at Easter for a very good reason.... because we can & because it's so delicious!!  If you have time - give this cake a try, I'm going to be making a couple more & giving them out as gifts instead of the usual eggy offering.... here's something I made earlier, there's a Nigella Lawson hiding somewhere in us all... :)

Torta Caprese

Serves: 10 or more or less... cut it as big or as small as you like.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time in oven 50 mins

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate (easier to chop if you get the little buttons)
4 medium eggs (the best quality you can get)
170g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g ground almonds
200g butter, melted and cooled until tepid
Icing sugar, to serve
Fruit/berries of choice
Creme fraiche or mascarpone

Method

1. Line the base of a 24cm-diameter, round cake tin with non-stick baking parchment and grease the sides.
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3.
3. Blitz the chocolate in a food processor until it is finely chopped, though still retaining a little texture.
4. If you don't have a processor, chop the chocolate finely with a large knife. ( that's why the buttons make life easier)
5. Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract until the mixture is pale ( but remember that if the eggs are very high grade the mix won't become very pale.. so don't worry), moussey and thick enough to hold a trail on its surface when you lift the beaters; this should take about 10 minutes. Fold in the chocolate, almonds and butter. Spoon into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until just firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out. Dust the surface with icing sugar before serving, in wedges, with a little fruit, and a spoonful of crème fraîche or mascarpone.

EAT it & LOVE it . From Mireille & Dan x