Liz's Home and Garden Blog: Liz's Home and Garden Blog Goes to London

On Friday I left a very rainy Durham...

...and arrived in a very sunny London to spend the weekend with an old and dear friend.

Regular readers will not be surprised to know that one of my dream jobs is restaurant critic (another is lottery winner). So here's my weekend in food! Friday lunchtime - sadly unpictured - was courtesy of Polpo in Soho, where I met a former colleague and friend, my lovely Stu. We I enjoyed authentic Italian tapas at the bar, accompanied by a glass or two of Prosecco. We had a Summer pea & speck (ham) crostino each, and shared one portion of Veal & porcini meatballs in tomato sauce and one portion of a fantastic Zucchini, rocket & Parmesan salad. It was all fresh, tasty and beautifully simple. A very satisfying lunch and I would highly recommend Polpo's to anyone visiting the capital.

Friday evening ended with cofee and dessert in Le Pain Quotidien in Borough.

Le Pain, as I believe it's known to afficionados, is a lovely boulangerie/patisserie with branches in central London and worldwide. I got at least two of my five-a-day from this delicious tart - a gorgeous combination of sweet, short pastry, fresh, vanilla scented cream and juicy fruit.

On Saturday we visited Maltby Street Market which, we were informed, is where the real foodies go (Borough Market is over, darling!). The food certainly looked gorgeous, especially the French bakery.

In deference to Weight Watchers, I didn't eat one of these fruit and custard brioches, I just lingered lasciviously by them while queueing for drinks and took photos. I enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee with hot milk, while Jane had a fresh mint and honey tea.

Saturday lunchtime provided me with an introduction to Anatolian Turkish food, courtesy of Tas on Borough High Street.

It was amazing, although superlatives fail to adequately describe the deliciousness I consumed.

This hearty platter (a bargain at six selections for £6.25) contained falafel, houmous, carrot and broccoli salad, lentil salad, chickpea salad and, best of all, imam bayildi. Literally translated the name means "the priest fainted" - presumably at the deliciousness of the dish - and I really don't blame him. Unctuous, silky aubergines slowly baked with onions, tomatoes, cinnamon, paprika and lemon juice, it melted in the mouth and had me in transports of delight. I will be attempting to recreate it at home next week. Either that or have it shipped to Durham from Tas from now on - now I have experienced it life without it is not to be countenanced!

The indulgence continued with a trip to Borough Market (even though it's over) and a coffee in Monmouth, which is apparently reknowned for the heavenly nectar. I couldn't not.

I also hnd an amazing peanut butter and white chocolate blondie(if you're going to have a blondie, you might as well have a SERIOUS blondie) from an artisan baker whose name I didn't take note of. Jane had a raspberry and chocolate brownie, and we enjoyed them halved and served with fresh raspberries on the balcony of Jane's gorgeous flat for Saturday afternoon tea and Sunday morning coffee.

Dinner on Saturday evening was a light affair, and we continued the Mediterranean theme at The Real Greek on Bankside. I started with crudites and an aubergine-based dip called Melitzanosalata, which I didn't like over-much (but was still glad I'd tried it - I love trying new foods), halloumi and courgette skewers, which I did like - I hadn't had halloumi before and liked it a lot - and finally Greek yoghurt with wet walnuts and Greek honey. The walnuts were a revelation! I can't say I ever devoted much thought to the matter, but if I had I think I would have concluded that the dried walnuts you buy from the supermarket are how walnuts are when they come off the tree - not so! Fresh walnuts are moist, sweeter than their dried counterparts and their flesh is so tender they are almost like fruit. I have to find somewhere in the North-East that sells them!

Sunday lunch was once more on the Mediterranean, at Casa Brindisa in South Kensington. The service was splendidly continental, with long waits punctuated by waiters rushing past and tossing a little tapas plate at you every now and again, but as Jane said, at least you knew that it had been freshly cooked! We both had spinach leaves tossed in olive oil and served with sultanas and pine nuts, which worked perfectly, and I had a mysterious little concoction whose name I've forgotten which was basically a little breaded ball of cheese sauce with aubergine and onion in it. It was extremely tasty. Finally I had a chorizo tortilla which was just melt-in-the-mouth...perfectly cooked and bursting with flavour.

Our final meal together was at Rapscallion at Clapham Common on Sunday evening. I had some delicious bread with hazelnuts and sultanas in it, served with bread and houmous, tasty little courgette fritters with rocket and cucumber raita and a little (!) glass of Chardonnay. Perfect!