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Lamingtons
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Take two slices of white cake, spread jam in between, then cover in chocolate syrup icing and roll in coconut. The result, a yummy Lamington! The Lamington is a popular sweet treat in most cake shops and bakeries. Pink lamingtons offer a colourful contrast without the chocolate icing and in some stores you will find lemon iced lamington too!
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Bakery, Desert
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Hot Sausage Roll
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Everyone loves hot sausage rolls for a mid morning snack or part of your lunch. Soft melt in the mouth pastry with well-seasoned sausage meat. There is usually a good pie and sausage roll section in most bakeries, also serving hot soups to takeaway or eat in.
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Bakery
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French Onion Soup
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Soft and delicious caramelized onions are steeped in a beautiful broth, laced with cognac and white wine, a truly warming soup that is good at any time of the year. A crouton of bread with cheese melted on the top (usually gruyere) is placed in the middle of the bowl and eaten with the soup, dunked in so that the cheese oozes all the way through the soup!
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French
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Carrot Cake
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Normally served in squares, a cinnamon and nutmeg spiced cake with walnuts, covered in icing and normally decorated on the top with a bright orange and green carrot figure . A very fruity tasting piece of cake, and very sweet, so you cant eat too much of it!
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Bakery, Desert
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Rillette
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Rillettes are the perfect party food, great for a mid week lunch and fabulous as something to share as part of a meal. Rillettes are made by simmering meats (usually pork, duck or rabbit) for a long time until they are mouth meltingly tender and then mixed into a rich paste. Served with crusty French bread rillettes can also be made from fish such as salmon, trout or smoked fish. We also found a vegetable rillettes made from eggplant and olive - not traditional but an alternative.
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French
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Bouillabaisse
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A rich and deep fish stew made from virtually any fish that you can find, originally made by the Breton and Normandy fisherman at the end of a days’ catch. The fish, heads and tails, are thrown into a huge steaming pot with saffron, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, peppers, celery, you name it. Any amount of fish and shellfish are used, but traditionally the rule is no less than five fish! Served as a steaming bowl with a rouille (a garlic style mayonnaise) and crusty French bread or baguettes.
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French
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Moussaka
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An oven baked lasagna style dish but with the pasta being replaced by layers of eggplant. In between the layers is a delicious mix of spiced minced lamb with oregano and tomatoes. The whole dish is topped with a béchamel sauce and baked in the oven until the top is bubbling and golden. Some moussakas have a more savoury custard topping. Moussaka is made differently from restaurant to restaurant and can include sliced courgettes or part fried potato slices, depending on the chef’s recipes.
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Greek
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Kleftiko
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A joint of lamb, usually a whole leg which has been slow roasted until it falls of the bone. Cooked with garlic, lemon, potatoes and onions with plenty of oregano and thyme and tomatoes. Often the lamb is wrapped in paper and sealed to keep in the flavour and left for many hours on a low heat. Very delicious and very Greek!
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Greek
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Spanakopita
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A Greek savoury pastry often served as a starter or a snack, consisting of filo pastry wrapped around a filling of chopped spinach, feta cheese, onions, egg and seasoning. The dish is usually served as a triangular pastry, but some restaurants make large trays, almost pie like, and cut out wedges to serve with a mixed salad and yoghurt dip.
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Greek
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Boeuf Bourguignon
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Another classic French dish very hearty and wholesome. A rich red wine sauce with tender braised beef, carrots, onions and cubes of bacon or pancetta really fills you up. The addition of herbs and garlic brings out the flavour of the meat to perfection. Crusty French bread is served with the meal to mop up the juices!
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French
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Pate de Campagne
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Another rustic French dish, originated by farmers wives, particularly in the North of France made by using up any meat that was available, along with herbs, garlic and sometimes brandy or cognac. Usually rough cut and cooked in a terrine in the oven, served as a starter with bread and cornichons (gherkins)
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French
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Mezze
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Traditional starter of an array of small plates of Greek food, similar to eating tapas style in Spain. Regular dishes include hummus (chickpeas with garlic and tahini) taramasalata ( fish roe), felafels and kofte (spicy meatballs or cigar shaped formed meat with herbs, spice and onions), grilled octopus, grilled halloumi cheese and an aubergine salad, plus many more. Served with pitta bread for dipping and cucumber and mint tsatsiki
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Greek
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Souvlaki
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An Amazing Greek dish consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. Check with the staff to the scale of heat as it has been know to surprise people! Be brave and add more spice with a hot chill sauce or soften the heat with garlic yoghurt or hummus
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Greek
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Baclava
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Very sweet and almost ‘teeth-curling’ this is a delicious Greek pastry served as a dessert and comprising of flaky filo pastry, crisp on the outside but with a gooey filling of cinnamon spiced nuts and dried fruit bathed in honey or a sweet syrup. Whilst sold in restaurants as a dessert, it is often found in Greek delis and sandwich shops.
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Greek
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Croissants
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If you're looking for lunch on the run, while they may not be the healthiest choice a Croissant is a quick and typically cheap option. Some bakeries will add ham and cheese for you too. For those who are looking for more of a snack (or dessert) the chocolate Croissant is for you.
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Bakery
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Chia bread and rolls
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Chia is fast becoming popular and for good reason. This superfood is small, but packs a big punch of nutritional and health benefits. Most bakeries (more so bigger chains) are offering a wide range of Chia options, from typical wholemeal chia loaves to fruit loaves with Chia. If you've never tried Chia before give it a go.
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Bakery
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Tea
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A fresh cup of good old English tea never goes amiss. Drink in or takeaway, it still tastes good! There is usually a selection of teas such as Breakfast Tea (usual English tea), Earl Grey, Lemon and other varieties such as Lapsang Souchong. Bigger bakeries will serve the tea with the pot, whereas smaller ones will serve you just a cup, or a takeway container.
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Bakery
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Kir Royale
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Champagne based cocktail, with a touch of blackcurrant cordial. A kir is simply made with white wine and cordial, but the royale is always made with champagne. Usually served in a fluted champagne glass using house champagne. A great deal of champagnes come from the town of Rheims, where many large and well-known ‘houses’ are situated.
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French
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Chablis
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A classic French white wine from the northern part of the burgundy region, made primarily from the chardonnay grape. A very clean white wine but with a deeper flavour than Sauvignons, almost ‘flinty’ and with very little oaking apparent. Moderately priced, it vies for attention with Pouilly Fume and Pouilly Fuisse which are also very popular but tend to be slightly more expensive
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French
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Ouzo
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Traditional Greek drink served as an aperitif, although Greek people will drink it at any time! Quite a firey spirit, totally clear until water is added and it becomes cloudy. Almost aniseed in flavour, not unlike the French Pernod, but stronger.
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Greek
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Rakomello
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This is more like a ‘hot toddy’ and made with the incredibly alcoholic raki spirit, but mellowed down with water, honey, cloves and cinnamon. Served hot, it is particularly popular in winter months – worth trying, it is quite unique, and the Greeks use it for ‘medicinal purposes’ !!
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Greek
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Retsina
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Another traditional Greek wine, not known for its smoothness. It has been resonated with pine to preserve the wine, an age old tradition from thousands of years ago. It pairs effortlessly with dishes containing herbs such as rosemary, oregano and dill and is a good accompaniment to chicken and fish dishes. Crisp and quite a herbal taste, but some people really like it. Retsina is also available in a rose version but not all restaurants stock it – do ask though, as it is eminently more palatable than the white version!
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Greek
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