From Lanzarote with Love

I can't say that I love Lanzarote. I find this volcanic and barren landscape oppressive

But the people are sweet. And you have to admire their perserverence when it comes to wine, because it can't be easy growing anything here. They produce wine in the region of La Geria, succeeding mainly in refreshing, mineraly whites from what I can tell

By stroke of luck, we stayed in the Papagayo region, a short trek from the most beautiful beaches on the island

And I discovered these...

They're my new favourite crisps - a cross between Polish 'Flipsy' corn snacks (like massive 'Whatsits') and buttered popcorn, yet in appealing bird-like shapes

Talking of birds, the pigeons are pretty cool here too

Brunch at the Hoxton Hotel

...Is a really good idea

My mate Mike's girlfriend organized a surprise birthday brunch for him last weekend and we had a brilliant afternoon

There are three brunch options - an English one, a continental one and a massive one. We had the continental, with the addition of waffles (which brought it up to £17 per head plus drinks). Another one of  Louise's amazing ideas. I wish she was my girlfriend

We washed down the pastries, fruit salad, bagels and waffles with Bloody Mary's and Prosecco. The birthday boy had a Porn Star Martini. Of course

Spring salad under the cherry blossoms

Last year, a tradition started - though to be fair, the Japanese have been doing it for centuries - of a picnic under the cherry blossoms. Then, we bought lots of lovely things from the deli next to Victoria Park and drank sangria. This time I wanted to make something to welcome the Spring, as she's been so kind to me already this year

Vietnamese Spring rolls instantly sprung to mind (excuse the pun), but in the end I decided that it was going to take me too long to source the ingredients. We knew the sunshine was a gift, one that could disappear at any time, so we were all trying to get to the park as speedily as possible

So I took all the stuff I love about Vietnamese Spring rolls and made it into a Spring Salad. It literally took 5min to grate the carrot and cucumber, make the dressing, and toss it all together, so it's the perfect salad for a spur-of-the-moment picnic when you're desperate to catch a few precious rays 

Ingredients (serves 5-6 as a snack)

Rice noodles, cooked and cooled (aprox 400g)

Cucumber, grated

2 carrots, finely grated

2 green chillies, chopped

Peanuts (as many as you like), toasted on dry frying pan

Bunch of coriander, chopped

3 Tblsp fish sauce

Juice of 1 lime

The sangria has quickly become an obligatory part of proceedings. Cherry blossom picnic wouldn't be the same without it. Even when it starts getting chilly and you're wrapped in blankets, the sangria reminds you why you are here - the Summer's coming

Red Amaranth with bonito flakes

I was killing some time in an Asian supermarket yesterday, and came across some pretty purple leaves called "red amaranth". Luckily, there was a description of what to do with them - the Chinese use red amaranth as a vegetable in stir-fries, whereas the Vietnamese make soups out of it. But I wanted to go for a more Japanese flavour...

So I stir-fried it with garlic and Japanese Sukiyaki sauce, and served it with whole grain rice with bonito flakes on top. It was not only delicious but also incredibly good for you, so if you come across it, I urge you to not feel intimidated and just give it a pop

Don't you just love Japanese packaging? That's the bonito flakes up there, which are basically silky little threads of dried tuna. Delicious on top of everything. Apart from puddings perhaps

And the Sukiyaki sauce is a blend of soya sauce and red wine with a few other little things chucked to make it super tasty. Every time I go into an Asian supermarket I always discover something new!