Ceviche recipe

Hopefully the last post has whetted your appetite for some ceviche. My family were particularly dubious about trying this dish when I told them it was made with uncooked fish but it was more of a success than I could have hoped for.

Serves 4

Base
1 white onion (soak in water for two minutes before chopping to remove bitterness)
2 sticks of celery
2 cloves of garlic
1g ginger
Small bunch of coriander leaves
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
Juice of 4 limes

Fish
Peruvians from the coast recommend sea bass or grouper, but any similar white fish would work. Alternatively, in the Andes salmon or freshwater trout are used as sea fish can’t be sourced fresh enough. Allow 1 fillet per person.

Method
1. Chop the pre-soaked white onion, celery, ginger and garlic, and blend in a food processor until finely chopped.
2. Add the lime juice and coriander leaves and leave to infuse while you prepare the fish.
3. Chop the fish into bite-sized cubes and place into individual serving bowls
4. Add a pinch of salt and sugar to the base and blend together again.
5. Sieve the mixture to get a smooth liquid.
6. Pour over the fish and watch the fish cook itself in the citric juice.
7. Put some of the leftover onion mix into the liquid to garnish. A few coriander leaves can be added if wanted.
8. You’ll see the fish change to a whitish colour within a couple of minutes and it’s then ready to eat.

This recipe is adapted from an original given by Vigilio Martinez, the Chef Director of Palacio Nazarenas in Cuzco, Peru.

Why I've grown to love Streatham

Invite someone to spend the day in London, and the last place I suspect they would expect to be suggested is Streatham. Home of the longest continuous high street in the UK and possibly Europe, Streatham gets its fair share of bad press. Jo Brand recently called it shithole and a Lambeth council press officer suggested the only way to improve the High Road was to use napalm.

When I first moved to Streatham two years ago, I wasn’t convinced that I would ever consider it home, but the arrival of new bars, cafes and restaurants, and an incredibly active community means that moving away in a couple of months is going to be surprisingly hard. Just last weekend, the annual Stanthorpe Triangle street party took place on a very bunting covered Bournevale Road. From tug’o’war (odds vs. evens, men vs. women) and a piñata, to a cake decorating comptetion, street disco and bouncy castle, everyone was welcome and included, and showed what a community should be about.

Strictly speaking this blog is meant to be about other places around the world… but often we can be so preoccupied in travelling abroad, that we forget the places closer to home. Or even at home. So when my mum came to London for the day, I took her to my favourite places in Streatham.

My top 6 Streatham places. 5 of them involve food or drink.

Earl Grey & Rose
Who doesn’t like cake? Earl Grey & Rose doesn’t just serve delicious (and beautifully decorated) cupcakes and sandwiches, made in the vintage-themed shop near Streatham Hill station, but also doubles as a venue for a sewing lessons and jewellery workshops. The café, decorated in handmade bunting, is filled with a mish-mash of furniture and crockery, presumably hunted down in antique shops, bric-a-bracs and car boot sales.

Manor Arms
Before its refurbishment in 2011, a friend warned me off going inside as in her words, it was a ‘proper dodgy old man’s pub’. Now it serves the best Sunday lunch (apart from my mum’s), has a crab shack in the garden on a Saturday with fresh seafood brought up from south Devon, and on this year’s Burn’s night, had a lone piper and address to a haggis. Not a normal sight in Streatham to see someone in full tartan regalia carrying his bagpipes to the bus stop. Eating a seafood platter filled with fresh crab, prawns, cockles and mussels, in the sunshine, even mum said she couldn’t believe she was in Streatham.

The Hideaway
Well established as south London's best jazz venue, the Hideaway, tucked away off the High Road opposite Streatham train station, is also home to a weekly comedy club. Al Murray performed earlier this year and a top line-up is expected before London's comedians head to the Edinburgh festival. The Hideaway Cafe, which opened on the High Road this year, is a great lunch cafe and evening wine bar, courtesy of Chix & Buck wine importers.

The Rookery
Hidden away at the top of Streatham Common, on the site of Streatham Spa are the ornamental gardens of the former Rookery Manor house. Away from the open common, the sheltered gardens are a lovely space for families to wander around the flowers and ponds, or just to sit and enjoy.

Pratts & Payne
This newly opened bar, a welcome addition to the High Road, is named after the long gone Pratt’s department store, and notorious Cynthia Payne, who ran a local brothel in the 1980s. The random assortment of furniture, some of which I’m sure has come from my grandparents’ houses, interesting collections of old photos and shop signs, is a quirky bar serving good food and occasionally gin ice cream - not tried yet.

Beyrouths
I love Lebanese food so I was especially pleased when I saw a couple of month’s ago via Streatham’s active Twitter community that a Lebanese street food restaurant was opening. The industrial-feel décor and bright yellow concrete floor is matched with a good menu of hot and cold mezzes and grill plates. Unless you’re really hungry, I would advise against sharing a mixed platter for a starter and a grill plate but I do approve of the bring-your-own policy.

So who imagined a food crawl down Streatham High Road would be possible?

If you're visiting, and have time, also worth checking out are I love Coffee, Nineteen, The Hamlet, Perfect Blend and Slurp

Anywhere you think I should add to my list? I'd love to know what any Streathamites think...

A Weekend in Hong Kong

The 24-hour skyscraper city where Britain meets China and Have you eaten yet? is as common as Hello, how are you?

1. WHY GO NOW
The perfect city for a stopover year-round, although the autumn months from September to November are considered the best time to visit Hong Kong with plenty of sunshine but comfortable temperatures, lack of humidity and pleasant breezes.

2. GET YOUR BEARINGS

Most of Hong Kong’s seven million residents live in skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island, but the ‘Special Administrative Region’ spreads over an area of 1,130 sq km, including the New Territories and over 200 islands. Take the iconic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour, separating Hong Kong Island from Kowloon peninsula, and be wowed at the size and number of buildings dominating the skyline on both sides. Travel on the upper deck for only 20p more to get a better view.

3. WHERE TO STAY
The waterfront Harbour Grand Kowloon is in the peaceful neighbourhood of Whampoa just 5-minutes from bustling Tsim Sha Tsui and a ferry ride from the nearby Hung Hom pier whisks you over to Hong Kong Island in a few minutes. The rooftop pool has panoramic views across the harbour, Kowloon and the Island.

4. KNOWN FOR
Being British. Or at least it was a British territory until 1997. Get glimpses of the UK in Central, with bars and restaurants that wouldn’t look out of place in London, and colonial buildings scattered throughout Hong Kong Island such as the Western Market and Government House.

5. WORTH WALKING

Experience local Chinese lifestyles in Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei. Stroll through the colourful flower market and bird garden, and the goldfish market, selling exotic fish by the bag. Stop off at the jade market for a souvenir – the revered stone is believed to ward off evil spirits – and pass through the Ladies Market to haggle for bargain-priced knick-knacks, clothing and everything else imaginable.

6. QUICK LUNCH
Eat at an open-aired food stall, known as dai pai dongs, near any of the local markets. Share a table with locals and envy their efficiency at using chopsticks to eat noodle soup. Try the stalls near Graham Street market, or upstairs in Sheung Wang market. Luk Yu Teahouse on Stanley Street serves excellent dim sum in an atmospheric and traditional Chinese teahouse.

7. CULTURAL AFTERNOON
Get away from the busy streets and spend a couple of hours in the Hong Kong Museum of History in Kowloon (80p; closed Tuesdays and free on Wednesday so recommended to avoid), which covers the development of the region up until the handover back to China in 1997.

8. COCKTAIL HOUR
For dizzying harbour views, Ozone is the highest bar in the world, on floor 118 of the Ritz-Carlton, the world’s highest hotel. Sip on cocktails infused with basil or chili foam, whilst being mesmerised at the dazzling skyline. Even the toilets have floor-to-ceiling views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island

9. DRESSING FOR DINNER
Hong Kong’s five-star hotels have excellent restaurants, popular with locals and guests alike. Four Seasons is the world’s only hotel with two Michelin three-star restaurants: Cantonese dim sum and seafood offerings at Lung King Heen, the first Chinese restaurant to achieve three stars, and fine French dining at Caprice. Traditional signature dishes at local’s favourite Tim’s Kitchen include sautéed pork stomach and snake bisque.

10. NIGHT ON THE TOWN
Head to the Avenue of Stars on the Kowloon waterfront to watch the free Symphony of Lights laser show (nightly at 8pm, with English narration on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays). Hop on the cheap and efficient MTR (metro) a couple of stations to Yau Ma Tei and emerge into the lively Temple Street Night Market. Have a quick Cantonese dinner at the Ming Fat Spicy Crab before shopping for souvenirs until midnight. See Chinese karaoke singers vie for space on the streets with fortune tellers reading palms, faces and tarot cards.

11. EASY LIKE…
Wander through Hong Kong Park in Central and join locals in their early morning tai chi exercises. Flagstaff House, in the northern end of the park, is the oldest existing western building in Hong Kong and now houses the Museum of Tea Ware (admission free). Behind it is a small foot reflexology area where you can walk on raised pebbles to massage tired feet.

12. WINDOW SHOPPING
Hong Kong is a shopper’s paradise. Malls link streets to MTR stations and markets pop up in the shadows of the skyscrapers. Harbour City in Kowloon is the city’s largest and the adjacent Canton Road sees Chinese day tourists queuing to get inside the numerous top designer brands’ stores lining it. Smaller boutique stores are in the Victorian 1881 Heritage building on Salisbury Road.

13. DON’T MISS

Take the Peak Tram (www.thepeak.com.hk From £4 one-way) up to Victoria Peak for spectacular views of the harbour, New Territories, and on a clear day towards the outlying islands. In operation since 1888, and travelling up so steep that buildings appear to be leaning 45-degrees, the tram winds its way up to the summit past apartment blocks and parks clinging to the mountainside. Take the bus back down the winding and steep road to avoid the queues.

14. OUT OF TOWN
A visit to one of the many islands is worth the cheap ferry ticket. Lamma is a popular weekend choice for locals offering clean air, sandy beaches and delicious sea food. Sok Kwu Wan has restaurants raised on stilts above the bay. Fresh chili crab, garlic prawns and steamed fish with ginger are all popular choices. Cheng Chau, Lantau and Peng Chau are other options.

48 hours in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city, is often overlooked on visits to the country but I recently spent 48 hours there and found more to see than I expected in the often overlooked city.

Day 1

A trip to any capital city should always include its national museum. Visit Cambodia’s after you’ve been to Siem Reap and you may be disappointed, but it’s a good introduction to the history of Angkor Wat and other temples of the same era, and the building itself is worth a photograph.

The nearby complex of buildings at the Royal Palace, the royal residence of the King of Cambodia, is an excellent example of Khmer architecture and a couple of hours can be spent wandering around the gardens, temples and palace buildings including the Throne Hall, Silver Pagoda and dance pavilion. Story has it that a former king couldn’t be bothered to learn the days of the week, so his butlers wore a different coloured pair of trousers each day so he’d know. As the only hotel in the city with a royal warrant, the Raffles Le Royal continues this tradition with their doormen sporting the same colours as chosen by the king.

After lunch at Friend’s, a not-for-profit restaurant run by former street children, the next stop should be any of the city’s numerous markets. The Russian market sells everything from bicycle tyres and scooter frames to fresh meat, live fish and tourist souvenirs. Markets are a great place to get a taste of local life and seeing ladies sitting in their hammocks above their wares proved this.

A perfect way to relax in the late afternoon is a cruise along the Tonle river to the meeting point of the Mekong. Sit back with an Angkor beer and watch the sunset behind the Royal Palace.

After the cruise, eat at the atmospheric FCC rooftop bar on the waterfront, which opened in 1993 for journalists and diplomats to drink while sharing stories as peace was just starting to take hold in the city.

Day 2

No visit to Cambodia can avoid the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge between 1975-79. For a shocking insight into the horrors, just being in Tuol Sleng Genocide museum will give you goose bumps. In the heart of Phnom Penh, the former school became one of Pol Pot’s most notorious prisons: Security Prison 21 (S-21). The buildings were enclosed in electrified barbed wire, the classrooms converted into tiny prison and torture chambers, and all windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire to prevent escapes. It is as horrifying as it sounds, but is integral to Cambodia’s recent history.

Just outside of Phnom Penh lie the seemingly peaceful green fields of Cheung Ek. Made famous by the movie The Killing Fields, there is now a Buddhist memorial to commemorate the 17,000 victims who were killed by the Khmer Rouge. The remnants inside the memorial and the mass graves that dot the area serve as a reminder of the suffering of the victims and give an appreciation of the struggle that the Cambodian people have faced and their incredible courage and humility in moving on and rebuilding their nation. [Cheung Ek monument pic]

After lunch and a stroll along the fashionable Street 240, lined with boutique shops and cafes, visit Wat Phnom, from where the city gets its name. The temple commemorates the founding point of Phnom Penh in 1373 by Lady Penh, who created a shrine to the four bronze statues of the Buddha she found inside a nearby koki tree.

The Elephant Bar at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal is a favourite drinking haunt of the city’s ex-pats and is the perfect place to end a stay in Phnom Penh. The hotel’s champagne-based signature cocktail, Femme Fatale, is inspired by Jackie Kennedy’s visit to the hotel in 1967.

Patagonia – Following the Flock

9,000 miles from London and yet everything seemed to have been made in Britain. I recently visited Chilean Patagonia and found that links to 19th century European pioneers were everywhere.

With the introduction of 300 sheep from the Falkland Islands in 1877 and the subsequent arrival of European settlers to the Last Hope Province, a flourishing sheep farming industry developed, expanding rapidly throughout Patagonia. This led to the formation of the Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego, which was established in 1893 with British Peter McLelland as its director.

My first encounter with the Brits was at the newly-opened Singular Hotel just outside Puerto Natales. The cold-storage plant at Puerto Bories was built by the Sociedad in 1906 and was fully functioning from 1915 until the 1970s. The workers, among whom many were British, needed somewhere to live and so founded the neighbouring town of Puerto Natales. Many of the town’s residents have surnames similar to McClean and McLelland, or can trace their ancestry back to Britain. The post-Victorian industrial style plant was declared a National Historic Monument by the Government of Chile in 1996 and in 2011, the luxurious Singular Hotel opened after a sensitive restoration to preserve the building’s heritage and cultural legacy.

Guests first arrive in the former sheep holding sheds and then can choose between descending in an original funicular or taking some steps down into the pump and boiler rooms. A mezzanine floor has been created to preserve the original flooring but the Victorian pipes and brick walls are still very much a part of what is now the reception area. To the right of the reception is the former tannery and washing rooms; now the hotel’s communal area. The water drainage channels and original beams have been kept and the high ceilings are reminders of the building’s past. The excellent restaurant ensures guests are well-fed in preparation for their day’s excursions in the surrounding areas and the bar’s inviting chesterfield sofas, cosy armchairs and under floor heating are greatly welcomed on their return. The larger-than-average luxury guest rooms have been built in the area where the freezers would have once stood and all have floor to ceiling windows offering magnificent views across the Last Hope Sound to the Rotundes and Felicita mountains.

What is really striking, particularly for British guests, is the machinery in the open museum next to the reception. Almost every item, from the boilers to the engines, has a ‘made in Birmingham, Derby, Glasgow or London’ sign on it. To think that such a large quantity of heavy machinery was transported so far from its source at a time when people knew relatively little about that part of the world made me oddly proud to be British. I did wonder what other nationalities staying in the hotel must think…

Moving on from the Singular Hotel, I went to stay at Cerro Guido, a working sheep estancia which is closer to Torres del Paine national park and has views to the famous torres (towers). The small community has a school for its three pupils, houses for the workforce, a canteen for the gauchos, and a large shearing shed. I missed the shearing itself by two days but once again, all the machinery in the shed came from Manchester and Birmingham. Walking through the shearing shed felt like being in a museum of a farm from the 1940s and I can’t imagine anything’s changed since it was originally installed. Even the estancia’s guest accommodation, whilst perfectly comfortable, had a distinctly dated English country home feel but that just added to the owners’ hospitality and welcome.

Cerro Guido was part of the Sociedad Explotadora, which gave a sense of authenticity and completion to the trip: it became easier to visualise the life of the pioneers one hundred years earlier. Torres del Paine National Park is the same latitude south as London is north, yet I can’t imagine feeling as remote anywhere in England as I did at Cerro Guido. Set in the foothills of the Sierra Baguales, close to the Argentinean border and the entrance to the national park, the estancia has a vast expanse of private land, where guests can walk and horse ride with the gauchos without seeing anyone else around.

Tierra Patagonia opened in December 2011 on the shores of Lago Sarmiento, just outside of Torres del Paine National Park. It’s been built on land belonging to Cerro Guido, which means some of their excursions are on the estancia’s private land. Walking up to Las Condoreras, seeing no one but the occasional gaucho, some sheep and soaring condors, it’s easy to see the benefit of doing excursions outside of the park. Of course it’s essential to spend a full day in the national park and guests can and are encouraged to do short walks there as part of that, but the thrill of being out in the Patagonian wind with no one else around is something I’ll never forget.