atCatharines Concept and Next Event - Saturday 13th August 2011

A lot of people have been asking me what is an underground restaurant. Funnily enough, because we are in Bath, people think we are in a vault below ground. Whilst that could be amazing and add to the notion of being 'underground', I am afraid I will have to burst the bubble! But we offer better....


atCatharines is not your conventional restaurant. atCatharines is a concept which brings people and food together in our living room. We serve our food 'dinner party style' on one long table. There will be people there you might or might not know and we think that is the best way to enjoy food, in a warm, intimate and relaxed environment. It is also a great way to meet people you won't have otherwise met or simply get together with friends. All this while having good food and wine. We both love entertaining so we will be hosting the dinners but won't join in (well maybe for a glass or two...maybe three)


Location:  Larkhall (address will be given nearer the time to guests)
Arrival time: From 7.30pm for drinks and chit chat, 8pm (or thereabout) for dinner
Food: Welcome drink, Canapes/Homemade bread, fixed 3/4 courses or several tasting plates, coffee and treats. You won't know what you are eating till you are here but we promise it will be excellent :) But please let us know if you have any dietary requirements (life threatening and genuine ones only please)
Wine: BYO (Bring your own). We will suggest some wines nearer the time. We have wine coolers for white wine and cork screw. It is very much DIY.
Costs: We ask for £20 - £25 per person pre- paid donation
Dress code: Dress up (We do even when slaving away in the kitchen)
Instruction: Have fun!

atCatharines Launch - Friday 22nd July 2011!!

So....Last night was kick off atCatharines...and now the house is clear, the dishwasher has been emptied of its last load and all the plates are back in the cupboards, it’s time to reflect...and on reflection I think this might end up being really rather self congratulatory....

Our day yesterday started possibly slightly earlier than originally anticipated, when we decided (some may say foolishly) to meet in Larkhall village at 8am to go for a run. (‘jog’ may be a slightly more accurate description of what actually happened – along with a touch of walking)

Task two was to send out smoke signals to see if anyone could dig us out of what was becoming an ever increasingly deep hole and come up with any tables around which we could seat our guests, visions of having to tell people they would be sitting cross-legged on the floor were becoming a possibility so it was a blessed relief to hear from the lovely, life saving Sam Hopkins at Beacon Hall who came to our rescue, for which we will be eternally grateful!  

So there it was, 2 tables (at the cost of one broken car aerial – convertible MG’s and 5 foot trestle tables turned out not to be such a happy partnership). Phyllis flew to our rescue with her car boot.  Picking up our brand new business cards from the lovely people at Ralph Allen Press in Bath came next. Finally all the shopping was done, and then came one fairly major (all be it brief) panic attack and a calming limoncello shot and with that it was time for our culinary efforts to begin – slightly behind schedule at 2.30pm.

Pre Dinner drinks & Canapés

Boozy homemade pink lemonade

Homemade Serrano ham and salami twists, olive tapenade sticks. 

 Starter

Aubergine wrapped ricotta and pinenut gnocchi with tomato concassee

Main Course

Braised free range lamb shank tagine with apricots and tomatoes

Chickpea, butternut and spinach tagine (V)

~

Citrus cous cous and minted yoghurt 

Dessert

Bramley apple and olive oil cake with maple syrup icing, green apple sorbet

Coffee and homemade rocky road petit fours

                                                    Enjoying the remnants of the icing....

All done!

All in all a successful launch!  

 Roll on Saturday 13th August for the next evening atCatharines - details will follow shortly! 

Not on top of the world but....

I promised for the recipe of my Thai Glass Noodle Salad tonight and I have to say I kind of failed. I had every intention of doing it but fate intervened. I had some really bad news today, I can't say it is the end of the world, it is more like I am disappointed in something or someone. I can't really describe how I feel but I can't say I am on top of the world! But.. but... after half a bottle of Premier Cru Chablis, an Indian takeaway (my husband's suggestion, hence no home cooking tonight!!), baking another cake and making my green apple sorbet for tomorrow's launch dinner.. I am feeling better. Alcohol and cooking I think is a great combination (ah well I can't lie, the Indian takeaway was divine too). As I am writing this I can smell the cake from the kitchen and that is such a divine smell knowing you are fully responsible for creating that. Then all the disappointment and resentment starts to melt away slowly....

I will include my Thai Glass Noodle Salad soon but tonight I think I am going to retire to the rest of the Chablis, making sure my sorbet is at the right consistency and my cake is cooled down properly for assembling tomorrow. I might not feel on top of the world right now but making sure my guests are tomorrow is my first and foremost priority! X