We’re back bebe! And you know what guys? I’ve barely done any cooking these last two weeks and it has been fucking glorious.
With my partner getting a job offer in Manchester, if all goes well I’ll be here for the next two years, so this week I really started to get to know the local business. There’s a lot of recs for the last two weeks so I’ll be keeping things brief.
However if you are a Manc business wanting to be featured, know of any personal restaurant recs (especially for vegetarians) or just that you live in Manchester and happen to be looking for a new witty and charming friend, do get in touch!
Federal bagel (and it’s DIY version)
My good friend Joe has been a useful source of local food tips these last weeks and told me all about the £5 Federal lunch deal; it is £5 for a bagel with one filling (bacon, egg or avocado) and a hot drink. I chose the avocado topped with their Federal sauce and it was a great light lunch. I have since managed to recreate it semi-successfully at home with smashed avocado with yogurt and seasoning (salt, pepper, lemon juice and garlic salt), along with a mix of ketchup and sweet chilli sauce.
Tim Horton iced donut
Who says you can’t have a donut for breakfast? The largest surprise for me here is that after years of thinking I hate sprinkles, my favourite was the iced one with sprinkles. Go figure.
LovePizza’s Massive Margherita
On Tuesdays this takeaway does a 2 for 1 collection deal, including on their 16 inch pizza. Roughly £4 for a massive pizza with a good cheese to tomato ratio, not much more I need to say.
Emma’s birthday cake
The only way to end a birthday appropriately is with a stunning and OTT birthday cake; seeing as last year I had to bake my own, this one by my flat mate Emma was above and beyond all I could have hoped for. Great strawberry flavour and excellent retro style decoration.
Just Natas’ pastel de nata
Closely tied with Cafe de Nata in Soho for the best Pastel de Natas in the UK. Beautiful pastry and custard, a must-try for any pudding lover.
truffle pesto on toast
I think it’s pretty obvious why this is good, but if you’re feeling fancy the M&S truffle pesto is more versatile than you think.
Siop Shop doughnuts
This was the third attempt I had tried to get a Siop Shop doughnut and boy was it worth the wait. I had both the millionaires shortbread and later on at home the vegan Vanilla Slice and both may have been the best doughnuts I’ve had?
Wolf at the Door tacos and bao
This was the first place I have eaten outside in Manchester and while it was a while to get the actual food (I imagine due to the sheer backlog), we were quickly supplied with delicious cocktails (the Golden Delicious was my personal fav). My favourite out of the tapas was the nacho taco and the chippy tea bao, and I would now highly recommend a fluffy bao bun for future butty bread (although you can’t fit that many chips, mind you.)
Vegan Famous and the Lagerita
To celebrate the fact that my flatmate literally has a TV series for Disney (!), we went out for lunch and while we made the mistake of not booking anywhere ahead of time, we eventually managed to get a spot at LuckLustLiquor&Burn, who are currently doing a burger collab with Almost Famous. I had their Vegan Famous burger, which is one of the best veggie burgers I’ve had not just because of a good flavour and patty, but it was not overly complicated and could actually fit in my hands.
I also had their lagerita, which is a margerita topped with lager (unsurprisingly) and tastes like a fancy Desperados. Would highly recommend for a more sophisticated and refreshing take on being drunk in my old student union.
‘peach drink’
Since my local corner shop stopped selling the peach juice I liked (although they still sell all the other flavours??) I’ve been on the search to find my perfect peach drink again, or at least a worthy substitute. So far, the closest I’ve found is this cool nondescript can. The flavour is juicy and very peachy which is good, although the sheer number of e numbers means it can’t go into my regular circulation just yet.
cutting a pizza with scissors
Honestly it’s just better and you don’t lose half the cheese in the cut.
Goats cheese and balsamic onion gnocchi
Using the whipped goats cheese recipe from the other week, I decided to repurpose it into an easy pasta sauce by adding onions fried with balsamic vinegar and sugar until caramelised. It’s a classic combo of sweet and tangy and makes for a simple yet filling meal.
Also, you can drizzle any excess whipped goats cheese over fried mushrooms for an excellent bagel topping.
Aims:
roast potato and truffle mayo butty?
As a chip butty aficionado, a roast potato stan and a deeply unhealthy person I have toyed with the idea of a roast potato butty for a while. However, only this week when I was reunited with my beloved M&S truffle mayo, did I get this idea so may try with some of the Aunt Bessie’s I’ve got in the freezer.
going back to siop shop
I can already predict I am going to annoy the Siop Shop staff for the next two years of me living here, as I’ve already planned my second trip there within a week, this time with my mum. Do they do loyalty cards?
having a bev with people from my course
My beloved Zoe will finally be free of her quarantine next week, so I will be dragging her, Abi (a lovely person who also experienced the great doughnuts) and frankly any course mate in the nearby vicinity to have some ill-advised drinks outside.
a FSGFF instagram?
As a lot of the food companies and foodies I know are more on Instagram than Twitter, I am debating whether to make this humble newsletter it’s own Insta account. If anyone has had any success with this, do let me know.
That’s all for this week (it will be shorter next time I promise) but as always do get in touch! I’d love to hear your recipes, ideas or just a nice meal you had.
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