You'd think that vegetarians would burst into flames on passing the doors of MEATLiquor wouldn't you? Home of those messy, naughty burgers that everyone loves diving into, surrounded by graffiti, neon, chain mail booths and nightclub lighting. There's the name too. But here we are, behind the beast it's a pretty inclusive place.


I still can't get over how much I like it here. Anyone that knows me would probably laugh at this - you wouldn't think it would be my thing, but then my collection of heavy metal normally raises a few eyebrows too!

Although I like the standard burgers, being the carnivore I am, today was all about the vegetarian specials and the "dry" cocktails.


Starting with the "Poppaz", which were cheese and jalapeño croquettes, crumbed and deep fried. Eaten molten hot, there's not really too much to complain about. The ranch dressing served with them helped cool down the spice.


I can't imagine salad is the first thing on any one's mind here but after trying it, I would definitely order the Blue Corn Tortilla Salad again. Probably one of the genuine healthier options, this included a decent portion toward your five a day in the beetroot, corn, cucumber, tomato and lettuce. There was a sprinkling of feta and serious crunch from the crushed blue corn tortilla chips and sunflower seeds. It's a really generous size too - at £6.75 a bargain for lunch.


On the other end of the health scale were the Black Bean Chilli Fries. Beautifully thin fries topped with a well seasoned black bean chilli, jalapeño, finely diced white onion and mustard. (These are vegan without the cheese option by the way.)

Although I really like the chicken Monkey Fingers on the menu, the paneer version made a really nice alternative, the firm texture holding up well. Still slathered in that finger licking hot sauce and served with a blue cheese dip.


As there was so much food to get through, the cheddar and Hobo Beer dip for the tortillas had congealed a bit as it cooled. That savoury beery taste was there though and eaten hot this would not have been an issue.


Drinks were lush and even without the recommended booze addition for each, were really interesting. I hate fizzy soda (cola is the DEVIL), so if I'm not drinking booze I tend to struggle with drinks. Hopefully they'll keep these on past January. Root 69 with it's vibrant colour from the beetroot was fresh and zingy with soda and lemon juice and the Carrot Top with turmeric I could have been drinking in some clean eating cafe for twice the price.


Although people should be well and truly off the January wagon by now (MEATliquor even did a ‘Falling Off the MEATwagon’ package deal to celebrate), don't rule this place out if you are going easy on meat or if you are vegetarian/vegan. There are of course still the vegetarian and vegan options on the burger menus as well as the Setan Fingers and sides you can bolt on to the specials. Whilst I would still opt for a Dead Hippie or buffalo wings on future visits (because, you know...MEAT) I would absolutely consider the meat free options again after trying them out.


(Excuse the odd colour on the photography, the interior is bathed in a red light district ambiance.)

MEATLiquor Brighton
22-23 York Place
Brighton BN1 4GU

I dined as a guest of MeatLiquor. Words and thoughts, as always, my own. 

"Vegan" has had a bit of a makeover in the last couple of years. With far less dietary hangups, It's reinvention as "plant based", in many ways, has made it more accessible to a wider audience.

This new way of thinking, intentionally or not, is championed at Rootcandi. There's no mention or promotion of the "v" word to be found. And coming from the people behind the successful vegetarian Iydea cafe (which I'm a big fan of), they clearly know what they are doing. But don't expect heaped plates of black bean enchiladas served with a side order of dreadlocks here, Rootcandi is far more refined and inventive than the cafe. The core format is a choice of four small plate collections, each influenced by different global cuisines (Indian, Pan-Asian, South American and Modern European). You have the choice of picking and choosing individual plates but the sets seem to be well considered for a good mix.


Presentation is clearly important. Each dish is beautifully arranged and served on a bespoke spinning stand - even the lazy Susan has had a make over. But far more than just another presentation gimmick, this one is quite smart, taking all of that awkward plate passing and table space hogging that you have to contend with in sharing plates.

From the sets, we chose the Preston, with South American flavours. Faced with so many dishes, some were bound to stand out more that others but the highlights were the black bean fritters that had a great kick and the perfectly crisp tempura courgette fries. I have no idea why you would dehydrate then rehydrate a watermelon, removing its crisp, fresh USP to a fleshy, rubbery one but that was the weakest plate.

The chocolate gananche tart ticked all of the dessert boxes. Decadent, sweet and rich with contraxing texture. The nut base with the silky chocolate was perfect and you can never have enough salted caramel sauce in your life.



My more sober coconut panna cotta on the other hand felt clean and healthy. Not what I particularly want in a dessert. Even reinvented, a panna cotta lives or dies by it's wobble and smoothness. This had neither really and was served in a pot rather than formed on the plate. Still, I'd happily put this away, just for breakfast next time.

Drink deserve a mention. I wish I had the constitution to handle the entire selection of cocktails because they were hard to choose from. I don't think I've ever seen a carrot and orange or a lavender and black pepper martini but I finally settled for an elegant and fresh cucumber and rose collins. The Earl Grey fizz could have been more refined in presentation but nice touch that the tea infused gin was homemade.



The recently extended space has been well designed. It feels special enough for an occasion but with enough quirky touches to keep it from being too formal.
Although Brighton is blessed with a good range of vegetarian restaurants, the concept and format here makes it quite unique. I can't see many people not being impressed with their meal and I'm sure as they evolve it will get even better. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or not, Rootcandi has plenty of appeal.

rootcandi.co.uk
105 Western Road
Brighton BN1 2AA

I had to laugh getting a press release about giving my morning a "make over", maybe playing to some music or making time to listen to the birds sing.

I don't think anything prepares you for the sheer horror of what your mornings become after having children. Pre-kids I would have a lie in at the weekends, get up early to exercise before work, have a full body stretch or read a damn newspaper. I haven't read a newspaper over morning coffee in FOUR YEARS. Lie ins? Pah ha ha ha ha!! Now, I emerge to the sound of screaming, usually around 6am latest after an average 4 hours sleep, my hair a scary mess from getting up and down in the night to the baby, wrench the four year old out of bed and wrestle his clothes on whilst he climbs up the curtains, builds Lego or pretends to be a flamingo (sometimes all at once). I then somehow have to wash and feed these kids, sort my face out and try to put an acceptable outfit together, prepare lunches, yell at the husband to get up and wipe the breakfast cereal off the table/wall/ceiling all before the various nursery runs. Yes, my snooze button is a fading memory.


But one thing I always do is make a decent breakfast. Always. Seriously. No rug rat will ever get between me and a decent feed. My week-day favourites are:

• Porridge topped with a seed mix and fruit
• Grilled tomatoes on toast
• Eggs of any kind
• An overnight bircher
• Soughdough and avocado, chilli and lemon

On weekends we'll always have my husband's amazing fluffy pancakes because they really are the best thing since sliced bread.

Alpro is a brand I use anyway, mainly their milks, but they sent over their latest plant-based soya yoghurt so I tried something a little different and created a corn fritter recipe. These were absolutely delicious topped with avocado, grilled cherry tomatoes and lime wedges, served with spicy dressing (I love a kick of chilli in the morning). They'd also be great for brunch or lunch too.

Sweetcorn fritters with Alpro chilli, garlic and coriander dressing

Serves 2-3

Sweetcorn fritters
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 egg
100ml milk or Alpro Almond unsweetened drink
280g sweetcorn (either tinned, drained or defrosted)
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped
2 spring onions, sliced thinly
Olive oil for frying

Garlic, chilli and herb dressing
150g Alpro Simply Plain
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 green chilli, chopped finely (keeping the seeds for extra heat optional)
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped finely
Juice of half a lime
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
To serve
Sliced avocado
Cherry tomatoes, grilled and seasoned
Lime wedges

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre then crack in the egg and half the milk/drink alternative. Beat with a fork until combined then add the remaining milk/drink alternative and continue to beat until you have a smooth batter. Fold in the sweetcorn, coriander and spring onion and allow to stand for a few minutes.

Meanwhile make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and season to taste.

Heat a large frying pan and drizzle a little olive oil in the pan. Add a couple of heaped tablespoons of the batter to the pan and flatten slightly to for a patty. Fry in batches until golden on both sides.

Serve the fritters with your dressing, sliced avocado, grilled tomatoes and wedges of lime.

Thanks to Alpro for sending me the products.

Spiralizing. 5 years ago you may have thought this was some sort of space term or something you'd get done down the hairdressers. But certainly in 2015, spiralizing has become huge thanks for lots of pretty bloggers like Deliciously Ella or the Hemsley + Hemsley girls.

I've dabbled with it myself, and not wanting another bulky kitchen item got one of the pencil sharpener style spiralizers instead of the big crank wheel versions. And to be fair it was a pain in a backside to use and resides in the back of my kitchen cupboard. So when OXO Good Grips released a compact one, I thought there was no brand better to nail this. It's like a pencil sharpener style spiralizer but in OXO Good Grip style, it's been better designed, far more ergonomic and generally easier to use.


The blades are really sharp and as they are on a single level (unlike the sharpener style) it's far easier to clean.



I found it zipped quickly through cucumber and courgettes, producing spiralized strand so long and even they had to be trimmed. It was easy to hold and I didn't actually need the finger guard. You still get the little bit of waste from the core it produces but I'd consider that chef's treat to munch on rather than throw. I did however struggle with carrots. I couldn't produce a strand from them, just short curls. On the whole I think I will use it for courgettes and cucumbers and it has been handy to get more veg into my toddler from a novelty point of view, which for any parent is a huge bonus.

Although I won't be replacing spaghetti with (urgh, I can't even say it) "courgetti" any time soon, I loved the fresh courgette and cucumber salad with tahini sauce I made for dinner with some simple pan fried salmon (recipe below). Personally, I don't see spiralizing as a replacement for anything (carb lover 4eva) but as a useful addition to my food prep.


For the speed I can now knock up a really quick salad that's a little more interesting or whizz through a potato for a crunchy rosti or a quick slaw side. Preparing vegetables in an alternative way makes such a difference to your enjoyment of them.

I'd say this is a great tool to have if you are wanting to try out spiralizing or you prepare meals for just one or two of you. You certainly don't want to prepare for a crowd or large volume with this as you have to twist the veg around and would be hard work, but for my needs, this is a perfect little tool.

Courgette and cucumber noodle salad with tahini dressing
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 medium corgettes, spiralized, noodles trimmed
1 medium cucumber, spiralized, noodles trimmed
1 medium carrot, peeled, spiralized
1 small shallot onion, choppead
Tabasco sauce to taste
¼ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
seasoning

Whisk together the sesame oil and tahini, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar and tabasco in a large bowl. Thin the sauce with hot water until it’s about the consistency of heavy cream. Toss the spiralized courgette and cucumber “noodles” with the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings (the dish may need salt), then garnish with the carrot, onions, and sesame seeds and serve.



I was sent this product for review. Words and thoughts, as always, my own.

It has been a while since I last visited Brighton vegetarian Food For Friends, but it's had a glitzy new face lift and a menu shake up so a revisit was due. The lick of paint has been a success, the soft greys and golds make for a rather beautiful, smart and modern space to dine in.



Every time I visit I try the tofu. I'm almost desperate to discover the draw of this substance. This time I ordered the recommended crispy tofu which surprisingly arrived spongy and soft. Unfortunately it still delivered on the tofu promise. With more invention in plant based dining I am even more puzzled as to why people still eat this stuff.


Much better was the daily soup. A comforting country style bean soup, with chunky vegetables and plenty of herbs and interest. It came with a nice little brioche bun too.

Impressive was my main, a tahini marinated, silky roast aubergine, topped with chipotle pepper and tomato ragout. I loved this and was packed with flavour and texture. There was a good spice heat in addition to smoky chipotle undertones and a sweetness from a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.  The slices of saffron potatoes made the dish a substantial feed, a good thing in my book. Delicious to the last forkful.



My friend ordered the piquillo peppers which was a beautifully presented plate of food, like a line of Italian cornicelli. The vibrant streaks of wasabi pea purée had the perfect amount of heat. The rice balls, I suppose a battered version of arancini, lacked a little flavour, but overall it was enjoyable enough.



Desserts don't seem to change much here. The sweet coconut arancini and sticky toffee pudding  are still on the menu and after I ordered, I realised I'd also had the chocolate truffle torte before. Still it was thoughtfully and elegantly presented, just suffering a little from the chill of the fridge which impacts the taste of chocolate, but hey, it got polished off. (I'm not mentioning the slate.)

All in all it was a nice meal but at every visit I always feel there's a missing ingredient with FFF's food. Don't get me wrong everything is nice; nice presentation, nice decor, nice location, nice menu design...but it just off the mark to make it particularly stand out. Although you will generally always enjoy your meal here, aside from the odd dish that is a real win, mostly there is something that falls short of perfection on each plate. Food For Friends is one of the longest standing restaurants in Brighton which is to be respected, but with the local food scene getting stronger month by month, particularly for plant based dining, it really needs to up its game. Nice just doesn't cut the mustard today.

The only real negative of our visit was the aggressive, frosty welcome which actually inspired the couple behind us to leave the restaurant open mouthed after being ordered around quite brusquely. Luckily another member of staff rescued the day for us (as well as our botched booking) but in all honesty, I had one foot outside the door as well. Had I not been in for review I would have left too. Service really is as important as the food and can leave a bad taste in your mouth for the rest of the meal. However, after being seated we were looked after very well for the duration of our visit by the nicer staff member (who was, it has to be said, a delight).

As I said, plant based dining has been embraced by a wider audience than just the vegetarian community. Many meat eaters (myself included) are choosing more sustainable and healthier options and with new openings like Rootcandi and even non-vegetarian restaurants like Silo and 64 degrees offering stunning meat-free options, there are new friends to make out there.

One of my most popular requests, other than generally good dining, is for vegetarian or vegan food in Brighton. But not everyone wants to go to the typical "marinated tofu and sprouting hemp cafe", or want to offer their carnivore dining companions more choice. Thankfully, there are actually plenty of great places to go here that cater very well for those on meat and/or dairy free diets.

I've noticed that small plates, tapas and sharing platters are becoming increasingly popular offering in restaurants, particularly for lunch. Have we got a more communal attitude to food or are we greedier? Who knows, but I like the format. Sharing food with family and friends around the table is pretty much my number one hobby.
The latest Brighton restaurant to get on board with this trend is, quite fittingly, the vegetarian Food For Friends, a place who seemingly breeds decent chefs and keep quietly innovating; twisting and tweaking but keeping to their style of food with a heavy Asian twist.

Their new mezze sharing menu is 15 items long, with dahl, salads, dips and vegetarian dishes. You can share the recommended three plates between two as a starter or opt for three each as a meal in itself (£4.50 each or 3 for £12). I chose three dishes then let the restaurant dictate the rest, I like to fly by the seat of my pants.

I struck Food For Friends off my Christmas card list years ago after one too many meals of dreary, greasy tofu stir-frys and deep fried everythings. It was the place I endured rather than enjoyed when my vegetarian or vegan friends wanted to eat out. Back then fully vegetarian restaurants were a rarity, even in Brighton, and having been here since 1981 it was the casual go-to for those that are adverse to flesh on their plate.

Moshi Moshi's vegetarian competition last year, which saw some of Brighton's best loved restaurants compete to make the best veggie maki, was a fantastic, memorable evening. But this year was bigger and even better and saw the likes of Hotel Du Vin, The Chilli Pickle and Aloka go head to head, one step further, in a vegan maki comp. One one hand it's interesting to see restaurants from different cuisines putting their own twist on a single theme but really what this exercise is about is Moshi's ongoing, and genuine, campaign for sustainability and fish stock reserve issues translating not only onto options on their menu, but art exhibitions (with Rankin no less), events and campaigns as part of their long term plan. Something that all restaurants, not just sushi/Japanese restaurants should be taking on board for sure.

Anyway, the entries this year were beautiful, intriguing and surprising. You will also see a lot of references to "duck" which may seem odd for a vegan event, but Moshi are also looking at alternatives for their meat as well as their fish ingredients. Hence the duck and cheese used for the evening was from The Redwood Company who specialise in "plant-based vegan alternatives". Some may find that hard to swallow but the proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating.



My favourite (no surprise) was the Chilli Pickle's innovative "Duck" Chettinad Maki with Mango and Coriander sauce and hot, hot, hot chilli chutney. They really made this their own and everyone guessed straight away it was theirs. Is Indian Maki a step too far in fusion? Nah, not when it tastes that good!



Hotel Du Vin really surprised me with their Crispy "Duck" in Spicy Broth and Fried Glass Noodles. Texturally the most interesting and I would have happily swallowed a bucket of the dense, umami rich broth. (Hang on, this wasn't maki, a little cheeky, but anything that delicious will get away with a little boundary breaking.) The "duck" seemed the most duck-like in this if that makes any sense at all.

Aloka put forward the most beautiful example (top image) and surprisingly (as they are by nature a raw/vegan restaurant) by far the one that experimented the most in creating a really "meaty" dish. Again, as is their style, there were may components and a few contentious textures. The ball of minced "duck" was quite convincing if a little over salted, but I think the raw product is quite salty to start with. The dehydrated lotus root was intensely, well, Bisto-ey. I couldn't quite make out the rest of the components, the fruity, possibly grapefruit or goosebery jelly was too unusual for most palettes but the squash wrap with (I think) dehydrated parsnips on top was an interesting textural contrast to the minced duck. Sparking the most debate, I think this was the most boundary breaking which I respected.



Everyone loves Gyoza, and these, from Cashew (a vegan, raw and vegetarian catering) was a really nice example, filled with "duck", mushroom and vegan cheese. The squash and miso sauce complemented the dumpling and as much as foams irritate me, the wasabi foam actually suited the dish here. There was also a sweet chilli jelly. The only component I didn't really like was the "chicken" goujon which was a little dry but a small point for a small component.



Most worthy of a good place (for sticking to the brief!) was Moshi's own "Duck" Maki. The avocado top gave the maki a fresh touch, the micro herbs were delicious and the strawberry puree, although unusual, worked really well. As a mouthful, one of the most successful.



After once ordering a "Thai Surprise" and getting the most foul green jelly once, I've always been wary of green wobbly desserts from Asian cuisines, yet the VBites vegan cheese cake was rather pleasant. The Green Tea and Almond cake base was a touch dry but the Jasmine and Green Tea mousse was light and happily, not too sweet. If you like matcha based desserts, then this would be one for you.

Was I convinced on the vegan meat alternative products? Well I think in maki, they are a small component by nature, so not chomping on hunks of the stuff, I think they are surprisingly convincing and I'd be impressed in a blind test anyone noticing who was unaware of a swap. Even the vegan cheese in the gyoza and sauces was good although the slab of the Redwood Company's "mozzarella" used by one entry was texturally and taste-wise not liked at all on our table. Incredibly salty and quite synthetic. Shame as the rest of the dish was great! However, having the choice of these products in a restaurant based on your beliefs and opinions on meat sustainability is fantastic, especially for Brighton's captive audience.

So after the score cards were handed in, what were the results? Third place went to Moshi for their Duck and Avocado Maki, second to Hotel Du Vin for the Crispy Vegan Duck Soup and first place to the wonderful Chilli Pickle for their unmistakable stamp on their Duck Chettinad Maki.

Fantastic evening and if they go ahead again next year, do try and make this event or try one of their other events and tastings that run throughout the year. Thanks to Moshi Moshi for yet another eye opening evening.

For more details on Moshi Moshis Fish Love campaign or future events visit: www.moshibrighton.co.uk