Do you like Pina Coladas? Or getting caught in the rain?

Forget about the rain but hopefully this will change your mind about the cocktail! I recently went on a 3 week trip around Cuba and whilst the food wasn’t as incredible as I thought it was going to be the cocktails were great. We travelled from East to West, North to South and feel like a saw a good amount of the country to comment on its current state. I think a lot of negative opinions are being said about what’s currently happening to Cuba, but from speaking with the locals I feel that it’s only going to help them, they’re looking forward to seeing change and with it is only going to come positives. There is already loads of work going on in Havana, installing new drainage systems, making better roads and I feel that it’s very single minded to say that it’s going to destroy the country. I’m sure it will keep its cultural heritage and I’m definitely sure those old American cars will not be replaced. Aside from the politics of the country it's such a beautiful country and is the nearest to paradise I've ever been!

I used to be a bar tender and cocktail shaker (I’d love to say mixologist but don’t think I was inventive enough) so I have a huge love for good drinks and spirits. As we arrived into Havana on the first night the first thing we did was to throw down our bags at our ‘Casa Particular’ and then head out for a drink…or two…. “Dos cerveza y dos mojitos por favor?” Without realising that the cocktails are about double strength things quickly became blurry from there!

After a week or so sampling all the drinks I realised that I actually have a new found love for Pina Coladas. I know what you’re thinking, however, if it’s made properly it is actually a great drink and perfect for an on-the-beach post-swim pick me up so without further ado here’s my recipe for Pina Coladas. After trying this recipe you’ll change your mind about the frowned upon classic. “Do you like Pina Coladas?” I sure do! (Please enjoy while singing along, responsibly…obviously…) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLom-87AmO8

PINA COLADA

This recipe is different to a lot you’ll find on the internet, in Cuba I found the drink was way more creamy and less pineapple-y. In my opinion it’s this overly sweet pineapple-y drink that people don’t like and so give this a go and you’ll be sure to love it!

Ingredients - 

50ml white rum

50ml coconut cream

25ml Pineapple Juice

2 teaspoons sugar syrup

Method - 

• Along with a handful of ice throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend well
• Serve with a slice of pineapple and as many cocktails add ons as you can get your hands on (I was a bit gutted I couldn’t find those little monkeys that hang off your glass!)

Apple Cake

As usual the gap between blog posts has become even bigger, big apologies but I've had a word with myself and I'm going to try and get more done as I've always got loads to say!

I've recently been busy shooting and am working on my own shoots which is great. I've been doing bits of food photography and fashion photography, weird combination? I don't think so...food is the new fashion right? Anyway if you're interested in seeing what I've been up to then check out my usual website www.robertbillington.com and if you're interested in working with me then get in touch.

The other week I ended up with some spare apples that weren't looking that great anymore but were nowhere near going off so I decided to make a cake with them. Usually you'd use baking apples but this was a case of using the old apples so they were actually Braeburn apples - they didn't crumble and actually made a beautiful cake. If you use baking apples throw a bit extra sugar over them. It's well easy to make and you've probably got all the ingredients in your cupboard!

Fact about apple cake - I travelled around Poland a few years ago and there's a cocktail they have called a szarlotka (pronounced: sharlotka) which is simply Zubrowka vodka and apple juice but szarlotka also means 'apple cake' and so many times we were served a drink when we wanted cake and visa versa. Note to self - if you ever go to Poland be sure to order both Szarlotka's!

Enjoy!

Rob

APPLE CAKE

Ingredients –

2 eggs

175 g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

85 g butter

75 ml milk

125 g plain flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

2 Braeburn apples, cored and thinly sliced

Method –

-       Preheat the oven to 200C. Prepare a 9in cake tin by putting parchment on the bottom, brushing with butter and then sprinkling first with caster sugar and then with flour. (Tip any excess sugar and flour out in between each step)

-       Arrange the apple slices in a concentric circles until the bottom of the tin is covered, don’t keep stacking up loads of apples as the cake will become too wet and will take longer to bake.

-       Using an electric whisk, whisk the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the mixture is thick and leaves a trail for a few seconds when the whisks are lifted (obviously turn the whisk off when you do this). It should take about 5 minutes

-       Melt the butter in a saucepan with the milk, then pour onto the eggs, whisking all the time. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold carefully into the batter so that there are no lumps of flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.

-       Bake for 15 minutes on 200 degrees

-       Reduce heat to 180 degrees and bake for a further 20-25 minutes

Let the cake cool slightly before taking out of the tin and then while it’s still warm make sure you have the first slice as it’ll get eaten very quickly (I’d intended on taking a full cake shot but couldn’t resist eating some

Hope you're all well and I'll be sure post soon

Rob

x

Ode to The Ribman

I’ve always been a massive fan of street food. Back in Preston when I was younger there were two potato vendors in the town square that only did about four toppings but never-the-less had queues every day and I loved going, having a brief chat and eating potatoes on a nearby bench (If you ever go I think the one nearer the museum is better!) 

It might have been this, or maybe just the fact that I like eating that has made me love street food but I’m always on the hunt for something bigger and better. London has a great array of vendors whether you’re in Central London (bagel man on Berwick Street, Soho) or the streets of Peckham (pickled herring at Franks) there’s loads to choose from but there’s a certain man that’s getting a lot of attention right now and his name is Mark Gevaux a.k.a. The Ribman.

I’d been meaning to go and taste the alleged ‘best ribs’ in London for ages and one day last week found myself hungry and with the time to visit him. Along to Eat Street Market I trotted hungry for meat and a break from hunger. I didn’t for one minute realise how much of a treat I was in for and how great it was going to be. I’ll start with the meat – WO – so tender and juicy and succulent and soft…[for the record I’m starting to drool remenising about this] and then there’s the sauce – made by and titled by the man himself Holy F**k Sauce is bloody awesome! Made with scotch bonnets with a few naga chillis thrown in for good measure it’s not for the faint hearted but is actually a really great balanced and flavoured sauce which is great to cut through the sweet taste of the ribs. His ribs aren’t called the best for no reason and I get the feeling he truly prides himself on this. 

The only thing that annoys me is that I can’t go this week and it’s going to be at least a week and a half until I can have them again! Keep a watch out for Rib-Off 2012, I know I will...