Fifty and Fabulous

So whilst it has been some time since I last blogged, I felt that I wanted to wait until I had something worthwhile writing about. I know it is considered rude to ask a woman her true age or even disclose their age for that matter. However, this blog post is dedicated to my wonderful mum who just reached this remarkable milestone of 50 years of age a few days ago.

Although she seemed to be experiencing a slight crisis about that number, all around her (especially me), were determined to make it a memorable birthday. As a lot of my friends will know there are many celebrations within my immediate family this year, so instead of a massive blowout party we have decided to go away together at Christmas to mark the end of a big year for all.

However, this does not mean to say that these occasions, when they do occur, should go unnoticed, and yesterday was certainly no exception! I made the trip down yesterday with my Dad and we had planned to go to a lovely restaurant in Nottingham called Hart's, which I had been fortunate to dine at once before for my best friends 21st earlier this year.

The food was delicious, presented beautifully and the surroundings of the restaurant were sophisticated. For starter, I had the organic salmon ballotine with creme fraiche and to follow I had the Cornish lemon sole with vegetables and saffron hollandaise. Other photos are to follow of what other members of my family chose. We arranged some champagne and balloons beforehand which was a nice surprise (although my mum was a little embarrassed by the massive '50' balloon sign!).

 

My grandad and brother raising a toast to the birthday girl

Crispy Salt & Pepper Calamari with Chorizo 

My starter of organic salmon ballotine

 Lamb rump... yum!

 My brother and dad enjoyed pepper sirloin with triple cooked chips and a peppercorn sauce





Now here a few photos of mi familia! Plus... the lovely present we had arranged as a surprise?!?

The boys!

 The parents and me

Family photo

Flowers always go down a treat with my mother

 SURPRISE!!!

Finally, yes so Happy 50th Birthday to my lovely mum! It was a lovely occasion and it has got me excited for my birthday now (3 months and counting)

Enjoy xo 



How To Cook The Perfect Steak

As my friends know, Bonnett Family Friday Steak Night is a bit of a tradition in my house. Mum and Dad are in charge of the funding and purchasing of the steak while I am the chef for the night. If I may say so myself, I think I have become a bit of a steak master so I thought I would share with you my guide to what I think is the Perfect Steak.

1) BUYING THE STEAK
Personally from the most common four steaks you can buy in the super market I order them like this:

Fillet (The Best)
Ribeye
Sirloin
Rump

However, due to the fact that fillet is ridiculously expensive my parents tend to buy us Ribeye. Look for a piece with some nice ripples of fat throughout.

2) PREPARING THE STEAK
This is the bit most people leave out. They think that plonking the steak in a pan with some fat will taste just as good but believe me preparation is SO IMPORTANT.
Firstly, make sure you cook your steak from room temperature. Cooking straight from the fridge can dry out the outside and take longer for the heat to hit the middle.
Secondly, you need to tenderise the meat with something like a meat mallet. This also evens outs the steak to make it the same thickness all over so that it cooks evenly. Just go a bit crazy on either side of the steak and beat it until you feel satisfied.
Then, put a little pile of olive oil and salt onto the steak and give it a good massage to flavour and tenderise it a bit more. I like to put the oil on the steak instead of in the pan to make sure everywhere is coated and to spread the salt about.

3) COOKING THE STEAK
In my opinion, cooking a piece of steak anything longer than medium rare just destroys it. All you chickens who can't stand blood then please don't waste my beloved steak. Why eat something if you aren't going to eat it properly?
The absolute key to steak cooking is to get the pan (preferably a griddle) as hot as can be. I leave mine to heat up on high heat for nearly 10 minutes. I also only ever allow one steak per pan as I don't want the heat to be shared.
Slap your steak on and don't be tempted to move it around, let it sit so you get the nice cooking lines in it.

If, like me, you like yours rare (or blue) then just cook for 2 mins either side but if you want it pink in the middle then I flip it the minute you see any pinkish juices coming out the top side then just cook on the other side for 2 minutes.
Serve with garlic or sweet potato chips and a salad. Also try with horseradish sauce for something a bit different.

Who knew there was so much to cooking steak!? But trust me, its worth it! Happy Steak Cooking!

Alex x