Thomas the Cook

Last Thursday was a friend's birthday and thankfully she chose one of my favourite restaurants, Miah's in Swansea. To a passerby it doesn't sell itself as much as other restaurants on the same street, no coloured lights or bright signs. Like a metaphorical Kinder Egg, Miah's has the best stuff inside. A grand oak staircase takes you past the huge glittering chandelier and as you get up to the seated area upstairs your eye is drawn to vast wooden beams, stained glass windows and high ceilings. Yep, Miah's is a converted church, with the decor as beautiful as the food.

I've spent a few of my birthday celebrations there as well as many members of my family, and we've partaken in the Sunday buffet a few times. Every time the food as arrived promptly, the staff are very helpful (most notably when helping my grandfather to pick a dish to suit his tastes), the atmosphere is relaxed and subtle waves of spice aromas whirl around.

I would and could go into detail about anything I've eaten there, as it was so well executed that I took snapshots of each bite. But I'll resist the temptation and just inform you that everything from the tender lamb pasanda to the creamy, perfectly seasoned and spiced dals, is spot on. I envy the chefs there and how well they know their spices, it's the ultimate balancing act.

I recommend this place to everyone, and it's easy to find right opposite Joe's Ice Cream by the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea. Enjoy!

I finally got my table and chairs delivered this weekend, so I knew that I'd have to cook something a bit special to celebrate. It feels like me and The Fella are proper peoples now we have a dining table!

These tapas dishes are easy to make, and I already had the ingredients in the cupboard and fridge. They all work really well together but they're delicious on their own too. The honey, cheese and bitter vinegar notes really work well with the mellow soft beans. The patatas bravas are crisp and saucy at the same time with satisfying background heat. The chorizo balls are beautiful when dipped in the aioli, and the fella calls them 'meaty surprise breads'. Bless him...

Blue cheese and bean salad

1 tin butter beans
Handful of crumbled blue cheese (I used Saint Agur)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar (balsamic is fine too)
2 tsp clear honey
1 tsp mustard

Mix the oil, vinegar, honey and mustard together. Stir in the beans, crumble the cheese on top and fold it all together.

Patatas bravas

2 tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp sherry or dry white wine
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp chilli powder or flakes
1 kg potatoes

Cook the onion in oil for 5 minutes until transparent, then add the garlic and stir through. Add the wine and vinegar and let it bubble a bit if it doesn't straight away. Add the tomatoes, chilli and paprika. Let it bubble away for 10 minutes until it thickens a bit. Set aside while you make the potatoes.

Cut the potatoes (ideal new potatoes) into large bite size chunks. In a pan, heat about 2 cm vegetable or sunflower oil and add the potatoes. Cook on medium-high heat until the potatoes are cooked and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and season, spoon over the tomatoes and enjoy.

Marinated aubergine
1 aubergine
1 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
Few glugs of olive oil

Cut the aubergine in half and score the cut side deeply, making 1 cm deep incisions, criss-crossed. Pour the oil over and rub it in a bit. Put it cut side down in a casserole dish and drizzle the skin side lightly with oil again and sprinkle the parsley, garlic and half the lemon juice. Bake in an oven about 190c for about 40-45 minutes. When you go to serve put it skin side up and sprinkle over the tbsp of lemon juice to freshen the flavour up a bit.

Chorizo bread parcels

200g strong bread flour
1.5 tsp dried yeast
0.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
125ml warm water
120g chorizo

Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Add the water and bring it together until it forms a smooth ball, you'll need to knead it for about 10 minutes. Put in a bowl and cover with clingfilm or a tea towl, and put it somewhere warm for an hour to rise. When it's doubled in size, take it out of the bowl and punch the air out of it by kneading it again for a few minutes. Take small balls off and flatten and roll out in circles about the size of the palm of your hand. Put a chunk of chorizo in the middle and bring the corners up together, and pinch it to seal. Place on an oiled baking sheet seal side down, and bake in a 200c preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Aioli
1 egg
1 tsp mustard
1 finely minced garlic clove
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, add the egg then the mustard and lemon juice. Whisk together and gradual drizzle in olive oil and sunflower oil (equal quantities for taste, but it doesn't matter which goes first). Add the garlic towards the end and whisk until thick. Season to taste.

(P.s. I'd like to say thanks to The Fella who is always very patient when I shout 'don't touch it yet! Blog picture!' to stop him tucking in.)

300ml tepid water
1.5 tbsp dried yeast
500g strong bread flour
1.5 tbsp table salt
3 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and olive oil (to finish)
2 sprigs rosemary
Small handful olives

Mix the yeast in a small bowl with a little bit of tepid water, leave it for 5 mins to get bubbly.

In a big bowl mix the salt and flour together. Add the oil to the yeast mixture and incorporate into the flour until you get a smooth ball of dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Use more flour if needed but be careful not to add too much.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm and let it rise for 1.5 hours.

Take it out and punch the air out of it. Leave for 10 mins and arrange it into a baking tray or tin, with about 1.5 cm thickness.

Leave to rise for 30 mins again. Prod holes and push rosemary and the olives into it, drizzle with oil and sprinkle over salt.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200c for 25-30 minutes.

I recently moved to a new area of Aberdare, a former mining town called Cwmaman. On the way to view the house we noticed a tea room around the corner and were pleasantly surprised to find it there. It looked quaint and inviting and if I'm honest, it did factor in our decision to take the new place.

When we got back we Googled it and found that it has its own website complete with tea and coffee menus as well as info about the free wifi and food and pastries available.

http://queenti.agilityhoster.com/menu_coffee.html

The weekend before we moved house, I went to the new place with a friend to clean and do a spot of painting. Before we picked up the paintbrushes we decided a caffeine boost was badly need. We took the short walk to the tea room, Queen Ti's tea room, and shared a cafetiere of the punchy Guatemala Cloud Forest coffee.

After the heavy lifting and stress of the actual move, The Fella and I went to use the wifi facility and indulge in some coffee and snacks. The Fella had the lushest carrot cake that was so moist with fresh cream icing. I also realised how immersed in local history the place is. The kind owner showed us files she had compiled about the history of the area with lots of photos, as well as albums with photos about the Stereophonics who are local boys. She also had some heartwarming anecdotes about Stuart Cable, the late drummer.

Local charities and events are also supported with posters on the walls and musicians in the area can rent the space to practice.

All in all, I feel so lucky to live so close to a place like this and urge anyone within driving distance to visit!

1 large onion finely chopped
2 apples or 1 cooking apple peeled and chopped
1 tbsp thyme (fresh or dried)
25g flour
200ml apple juice
300ml milk
3 tbsp double cream
1 tbsp English mustard
Ham or gammon torn in chunks
1 pack of puff pastry
1 egg beaten with a drop of water

Fry the onion until slightly golden, then add the chunks of apple and cook off a little bit. Then add the juice, milk and cream. Season to taste. Add the thyme and mustard, and mix in the gammon chunks. Place the filling into an oven proof dish and put a puff pastry lid on it, cutting a cross in the middle as a vent and brush with egg. Cook for about 20-25 minutes and enjoy with buttery mash.

Today is Pancake Day and I'm going to make my famous coconut and banana pancakes. They are delicious and exotic tasting and a mile away from soggy piles of batter and sultanas.

Banana and coconut pancakes

110g plain sifted flour
2 eggs
200ml coconut milk
75ml water
Bananas
Pinch of salt
Dessicated coconut or flakes (optional)

Mix the wet ingredients together and pour into the dry, stir in the eggs to make a batter. Get a pan hot with a smidge of butter and fry sliced bananas (about 5mm thick). Set aside to cool while you make a pancake. Lay the pancake out and sprinkle over the coconut, put the banana slices down the middle, roll up and demolish!

 The Fella has a few star dishes that he sticks to, and one of them is his bread salad. It's like garlic-laden squidge heaven and is absolutely delicious and simple to make.

Bread salad

2 small punnets of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber diced
1 French stick
Glug of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tin of tuna chunks
Olives (optional)

Put the halved tomatoes and diced cucumber in a massive bowl, put in the lemon juice and parsley. Stir in the garlic and flake in the tuna. Mix it quite roughly so the tomato juice binds it together and makes the bread soak up the parsley. Break the bread into bite size chunks, mix it together and drizzle the oil over it. Season if needed.

Fresh bread is fine for this but leaving it a day or two is even better as it has a bit more bite.