No knead honey and oat bread II

I was having a mostly good day but now I am not so sure.  I almost didn't post this recipe after deleting it with quite a lot written.  I just can't understand why Google makes it so easy to delete a whole post!  However it was such a lovely bread that I wanted to write it up.  After all, my notes are needed for when I make this again.

The bread comes from The Kitchen Maid.  Lucy called it easy honey bread.  I was surprised that it has so little honey.  So when I added some oats, I thought I could call it No Knead Honey and Oat Bread.  The name is a bit misleading because neither features strongly.  The bread is far lighter than the No Knead Oat and Honey Bread that I made last year.

This was the bread that we used to scoop up the Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce and Walnuts.  It was beautifully soft and light.  We enjoyed it over a few days for breakfast, in sandwiches and with a curry that I found in the freezer.  I loved it with peanut butter.  Sylvia loved it with vegemite.  E loved it toasted with butter. A winner with all of us.

I am sending this bread to Susan at YeastSpotting, the weekly round up of yeasty recipes across the blogosphere.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Nectarine bounty - salsa and pizza
Two years ago:  CC Nigella's Sugar Roasted Peaches
Three years ago: Gado Gado with Marmalade
Four years ago: NCR How My Chowder Fed the Dalek!
Five years ago: Wendy’s Apple Green Tea

No Knead Honey and Oat Bread
Adapted from The Kitchen Maid

For the sponge:
120g bread flour
1/2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp honey
150ml warm water

Remaining ingredients:
300g bread flour
50g rolled oats
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
250ml warm water
3 Tbsp olive oil

To make the sponge, mix ingredients in a large bowl, cover in clingwrap and leave to rise overnight or at least 8 hours (I did 9 hours).  It will be bubbling and slightly risen.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. 

Cover and leave to rise for about 2 hours (I did 3 hours) or until tripled in size.  It will still be quite sticky and goopy.

Transfer to a greased and floured tray or bread tin (I used a bread tin).  The mixture will look very big in the bowl but deflate quite a bit when transferred. 

Leave to rise uncovered for 75 minutes (I left mine for 1 .5 hours).  Flour top and arrange to be evenly distributed.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 230 C.

Bake until for 15-20 minutes until pale golden brown.  (Mine took about 40 minutes.)  I did the tapping the bread trick and was not quite sure it was done because it was so soft but once I cut it open it was done.  Cool on a wire rack and keep for about 2-3 days.

On the stereo:
The Rough Guide to Scottish Folk: Various Artists

Baked brie with cranberry sauce and walnuts

 

Last week I had a busy day of baking bread, shopping and painting Sylvia's new dollshouse.  E was out late at ukelele practice.  When he came home I had just finished painting the roof in front of a Rolling Stones documentary.  It was lovely to sit down with a simple supper of freshly baked bread, fancy cheese and crudites.

This is actually a Thanksgiving recipe that I had bookmarked for the leftover jar of cranberry sauce.  It is more suited to the decadence of the festive season than the light and healthy food that follows the feasting.  But the brie was on sale and the cranberry sauce and walnuts were in the kitchen.  And I needed something simple for dinner.  Simple, gooey, delicious.  Simple Bites, where I saw the recipe, served it with crackers.  I had fresh bread, which was great with spoonfuls of gloopy gooey salty sweet nutty rich cheese.

We are still working on the dolls house.   It was made by my brother in law John and painted by my sister in law Erica. (Yes, they are amazing!)  I painting some more rooms today.  It will take a while for the interiors to be finished.  Right now it is looking more colourful and Sylvia is treating it more as a house and less as a post office to put little and tiny things through the windows.

I am sending this recipe to Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes for her Bookmarked Recipes.  For those who haven't yet noticed, she has also filled the hole left by the ending of Presto Pasta Nights, the weekly event that was organised by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.  Jacqueline has started a new monthly Pasta Please event.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Scienceworks - history meets science in Spotswood
Two years ago:  NCR Sushi Salad and Sushi Rice
Three years ago: Tetris, the Foolish Hedgehog and Brunch
Four years ago: Mojos Weird Pizza – for the adventurous!
Five years ago: GF delights and fairy bites

Baked brie with cranberry sauce and walnuts
Adapted from Simple Bites
serves 2 as a meal (or more if you are entertaining)

200g wheel of brie
2 generous dessertspoons of cranberry sauce (actually I think I could probably have used more)
zest of half an orange (I didn't have any)
handful of walnuts

Bake the brie in a bowl or serving dish for 10-15 minutes at 180 C until soft inside.  Spoon the cranberry sauce over the brie and scatter the walnuts on top.  Bake for another 5 minutes.  Eat warm.

On the stereo:
The Rough Guide to Scottish Folk bonus CD: Bhon Chridhe: Maggie MacInnes

Weekend samosa, nectarine marmalade, raitia and slice

Last weekend was the first weekend for at least a couple of months that we weren't planning, travelling or sick.  I packed a picnic for Sylvia and sent her off with E while I sorted things out in the house.  Then Sylvia and I went for a swim in the afternoon.  Later that day I finally had the energy to finally try Joanne's pan fried samosas with tomato marmalade and raita.

I had read Joanne's post the day before a heatwave when I was looking for ways to use some roast pumpkin and not turn on the oven.  After my first day of the year back at work in 40 C heat, I was wilting and we had what Lucy calls a nibbly tea of crackers, vegies and hummus.  Just as well I didn't attempt it that night because when I made it after a lazy Saturday, it was quite a bit of work, given that I made pastry, filling, nectarine and tomato marmalade and raita, as well as assembling and frying.

I had intended to serve it with a side salad but ran out of energy.  Not to worry.  The samosa with two sauces were delicious.  Amazing!  I was very pleased to find a great samosa recipe.  E loves them but I have always been shy of deep frying.  It amused me to use the vegetables - potato, pumpkin and peas - that I ate often as a child. 

I think it took me the whole time that E and Sylvia watched the Aristocats to make these.  No regrets.  It was time well worth spending on dinner.  It was all so good.  I was low on turmeric and only had a pinch or two left for the filling.  Yet I was glad I had enough for the marvellous spciy yellow pastry.  The filling was so good that I ate the small amount of leftovers cold from the saucepan.  The sweet and spicy marmalade was fascinating with a hint of vanilla and the raita was fantastic.

For future tweaking, I am sure the vegetables could be changed and I wonder if some chickpea flour would work in the dough.

On Sunday it was warm but not sizzling.  We went to my brother's place for my sister-in-law's birthday.  They have just got the pool in the backyard cleaned up and the family had a great time splashing about.  Even the little kids who couldn't stand up in its depth loved sitting in the round floating seats.  Now I want a pool in my backyard too.

I took along this chocolate rice bubble slice.  The recipe appealed because it sounded like the sort of old fashioned slice that I love.  I am not sure that I got the ingredients quite right.  It tasted far more of golden syrup than cocoa and fell to bits if it wasn't kept in the fridge.  Maybe a recipe to revisit another time.  Sylvia loved it but the good old Aussie sponge cake, pavlova and chocolate ripple cake were more popular.  And the kids loved Erica's frozen jelly cups.

I also took along some of this potato, bean and corn salad, using mint rather than smoked paprika for the dominant flavour.  I was glad to have some  for dinner at the end of the day with some leftover samosas.

There was even more marmalade and raita leftover.  In fact there is still some in my fridge.  I have made some burgers that fell to bits (a riff on these burgers) but were still rather good with the marmalade and raita with a salad or in a salad sandwich.  I am not sure the vanilla in the marmalade worked with these but the raita was every bit as good.  If I had the energy I would whip up more samosas.  In fact without the sauces, it isn't so hard.  Must make more soon.

I am sending these samosas and nectarine and tomato marmalade to Ricki for her Wellness Weekends.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: What vegetarian is that?
Two years ago:  Chocolate cake - the way mum made it
Three years ago: Baby Food, Cookies and a Day at the Zoo
Four years ago: Curry traditions – of sausages and potatoes
Five years ago: PPN#45 Creamy Vodka Pasta Sauce

Pumpkin samosa
Dough adapted from Cooking Light via Eats Well with Others and filling adapted from taste.com.au
makes 12 samosas

Dough:

• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour (I used 1/2 cup wholemeal)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying

Filling:

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp butter (or ghee or margarine)
• 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed
• 1 heaped cup of diced roasted pumpkin
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Firstly, boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.

To make the dough, place all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.  Mix wet ingredients and pour into dry ingredients.  Mix together (with a spoon and then your hand) to make a smoothish dough.  (This wasn't as smooth as other doughs I have made.  Cooking Light instructed to roast the spices and to bring everything together in the food processor but I wasn't reading the recipe too closely.)  Wrap dough in clingfilm and chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

To make filling, melt butter in large frypan.  Stir in chilli, spices, potatoes, pumpkin and peas.  Fry for about 3-5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and fry another 1-2 minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

To assemble, cut dough into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece out into a circle of about 4 inches diameter.  I followed Joanne's instructions and didn't use any flour but flipped over the dough every time I rolled it.  Place 1-2 tablespoonfuls of mixture into the centre and fold over the dough to come together.  (I didn't use water to stick the dough together but a few of my samosas came apart at the seams and I wonder if I should have used some water to seal them.  Don't worry if there are any tiny rips as they were fine when I fried samosas with small rips.)  Use a fork to press around the edge to help seal the samosas.

To fry samosas, heat the same frypan that was used for the filling (mine is non-stick so it didn't need cleaning) and add some oil - about 2 tsp.  Fry about 6 samosas at a time for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy on both sides.

Serve with the marmalade and raita recipes below or just use a bought chutney and tzatziki dip if you don't have the time or energy.

Nectarine and Tomato Marmalade
Adapted from Cooking Light via Eats Well with Others

• good slurp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cups chopped nectarines (I used 5)
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp chilli paste
• 1 thyme sprig
• 1 x 2-inch piece vanilla bean
• 1/4 tsp French lavender salt

Heat oil and butter in a medium saucepan.  Gently simmer nectarines, onion, tomatoes and garlic for about 30 minutes.  Add sugar, chilli paste, thyme sprig and vanilla bean.  Simmer for another 20 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 30 minutes.  Stir in salt.  Serve room temperature.

Raita
From All Recipes

• 200g plain yoghurt
• 1/3 continental cucumber, finely chopped
• 2 garlic clove, crushed (I used 1)
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves, finely chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
• mint for garnish

Mix all ingredients together.

On the Stereo:
It - Pulp

NCR Spring onion soup

Life is busy with painting a doll's house, a Homeland DVD and a local singing circle.  Yesterday I baked bread and brie.  Those will be shared another time.  Today I will tell you about what to do when you send your partner to buy a few spring onions and he returns with 2 bunches.  E hadn't been sure how many I needed.  He didn't realise I can take weeks to use up a whole bunch.   and erred on the generous side.  Fortunately Kirsty's dad had already found that Ottolenghi has a solution for too many spring onions.

I made changes.  After all I have never heard of kashk.  At least Ottolenghi offered creme fraiche and parmesan as an alternative.  I went with what I had.  Despite my complaints about the spring onions overload, I had less than Ottolengthi's 700g.  And I thought my parsley would be enough but apparently 80g parsley is quite a bit.  I only had 60g.  It is good to know that the recipe is forgiving.

Making the soup was more fiddly than my usual chuck-everything-in-a-saucepan soups.  I was probably tired as I cursed Ottolenghi for making me chop so many spring onions that I had tears in my eyes and no room for all the little pieces.  When it came to removing some soup and blending some, I spent my remaining energy finding my blender, which had been put away in a cupboard that is hard to reach.  It just went into all the soup and roughly blended it.

By the time I served the soup, we were both agreeing that the soup better be good after waiting so long to eat.  We also agreed it was excellent.  E thought it like French peasant food and would have benefited from a chunk of rustic bread.  I had made Mexican rice to serve with it.  We were polite for a while and ate the soup and rice from separate bowls.  Then we started to mix bowls and it was very good, if perhaps not what Ottolenghi had intended.  E was very pleased with his mistake in buying too many spring onions.

As E had been buying the spring onions for our New Year's Eve haggis nachos, I am sending this soup to Lisa for the January No Croutons Required, the vegetarian soup and salad event she coordinates with Jacqueline.  The theme this month is leftovers.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Child-Friendly Almanac - recipes, eating out, playgrounds
Two years ago:  Sylvia's dinner - hit and miss
Three years ago: New Year's Raspberry Punch
Four years ago: Miso Soup for after the feasting!
Five years ago: WHB Vegetable Stories and Potato Salad Glory

Spring onion soup
Adapted from Ottolenghi
serves 4

550g spring onion, chopped in about 2 or 3 cm chunks
1 generous tsp butter
1 slurp olive oil, plus extra to finish1
1 whole medium garlic heads, cloves peeled and roughly chopped
3 bay leaves (from our garden)
300g frozen peas
1 medium zucchini (courgette), diced
1 litre vegetable stock
3/4 tsp french lavender salt (or regular salt)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper
60g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 dessertspoon of greek yoghurt
40g parmesan cheese, finely grated
20g mint leaves, thinly chopped (I used scissors)
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Fry spring onions over low to medium heat in butter and oil for 15 minutes.  While frying, chop up garlic and add.  Add bayleaves, peas and zucchini and fry for another 5 minutes.  (I didn't hear the timer and fried them for longer.)  Add stock and seasoning.  Bring to the boil.  Turn off the heat and add parsley.  Roughly blend with a hand held blender leaving some texture rather than trying to make it really smooth.  Stir in yoghurt and parsmesan.  Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with mint and lemon zest.  Keeps well overnight in the fridge.

On the stereo:
Original album series box set: The Incredible String Band

Rapid Refried Beans for Tacos

It seems quite right that tonight I have an easy recipe.  I made it just before New Year's Eve when I was feeling ill but wanted some vegetables.  We had taco shells in the pantry and I needed just part of a tin of beans for our traditional New Years's Eve of Haggis Nachos and the Edinburgh Tattoo on the telly.  (Actually for a change we were planning to go to a quiet party but we were poorly.)  I remembered a recipe for Rapid Refried Beans that I had eaten many years ago.  It was quick and healthy.

E helped me chop up the vegies and dinner was done in under 30 minutes.  That is fast work in our house.  By then I was tired and ready for food.  We should have tacos more often.  So quick and yummy.

Tonight was a dinner that required little energy too.  I foolishly decided to head to Northland shopping centre to beat the heat and do a wee bit of shopping this afternoon.  On the way home someone ahead braked hard, someone behind didn't stop in time and banged into the back of my car and pushed me into the car in front.  It was just what I don't need right now.  (Though I am not sure when anyone needs a car accident.)  Fortunately Sylvia and I walked away unharmed, albeit slightly shaken by the bang.

I am still trying to get my house into shape after Christmas and our Scotland trip.  The Christmas tree has been put out but I am still gathering all our Christmas stuff into storage.  The one good thing about not having a car right now is that I got a great book (Jon and Jack Faine's From Here to There) for Christmas.  I will look forward to reading some of it on public transport.  In fact I am looking forward to going to bed and reading it right now.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Christmas cheese muffins, icy poles and the beach
Two years ago:  On being a vegetarian
Three years ago: Potluck in Prinny Park
Four years ago: Chocolate, cherry and chestnut cake
Five years ago: Summer salsa and quesadillas

Rapid Refried Beans
Slightly adapted from Alison Holst
serves 3-4

1 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small green capsicum, finely chopped
shake of chilli powder or to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
2/3 of a 400g tin of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I forgot this)

Fry onion and garlic in oil until cooked.  Add capsicum, spices and seasonings and gently cook until softened.  Add kidney beans and tomato paste.  Warm though, remove from heat and lightly mash with potato masher or a fork.  Great with tacos.  Alison Holst also suggests this makes a great base for nachos.

On the Stereo:
Music for Burns Night (Scotland on Sunday freebie - 2010) - Various Artists

Edinburgh restaurant: Stac Polly

Did I tell you that I am quite shy of getting out my camera when eating out!  In my last Edinburgh post, I regret to tell you that I had an epic fail in capturing the place in pictures.  I blame the pubs.  Yes, the pubs!  You see we never meant to go to Stac Polly and by the time we arrived I was feeling like a neurotic daughter in law.

On our last day in Edinburgh, we headed out to lunch with my father in law.  I was all set to eat a hearty pub lunch before being faced with plane food.  The pub in question was called Number 1 High Street.  It used to be the Tass and we had a great haggis lunch there years ago.  But they don't have a licence for children.  So we went across the street to the World's End pub.  They said they served children until they saw that Sylvia was in a stroller and too young for them.  The pub around the corner was closed.  I checked Stac Polly and it didn't have chips for Sylvia.  So we went to a cafe that was cold and empty and soulless and felt wrong.  They had taken the order and were bringing the first drink to the table when I said we had to leave. 

And that was how we ended up at Stac Polly.  Many people just go there because it is a fine Scottish restaurant.  The menu is enough to entice.  But not the sort of menu for a three year old.  I decided Sylvia would have to just eat bread.  It is as good as chips.  As it was, they were very accommodating.  Perhaps it was because we were the only table that wasn't an office Christmas party.  Having a three year old made us fit right in with the revellers celebrating the silly season.  Within minutes of arriving, Sylvia had pulled all our Christmas crackers. 

Stac Polly was more upmarket than most of the places that we ate in Edinburgh.  Yet every bit as welcoming.  Very importantly, the place was warm.  It was bitterly cold outside with snow having fallen that morning.  We were at the St Mary's Street restaurant which is just a narrow terraced building with a few small spaces.  (Their Dublin Street restaurant looks bigger on their website.)  I liked the cosiness and the elegant Christmas decorations.

We made our orders.  E and his dad had the Dark Island beer from the Orkneys.  It had hints of chocolate and coffee, figs and dates and everything dark.  I chose a Fentimans Dandelion and Burdock drink.  When I hesitated about ordering it, the waitress said if I didn't like it I could order something else.  It was unusual.  Herby and floral and fizzy but not terribly sweet.  I found it very refreshing and interesting.

Then I ordered some bread for Sylvia, fearing that she would be starving after all the palaver of finding somewhere to eat.  The bread came out quickly.  I was pleased that they were flexible enough for me to order off the menu for Sylvia.  I thought she might eat some steamed broccoli and green beans.  I think she had a small piece of broccoli but not much more.

Fortunately the adults were delighted with our meals.  E and his father tucked into a Christmas meal of fried haggis balls followed by turkey escalope with pork and cranberry stuffing.  I chose a filo parcel of mushroom, butternut squash, red onion, pecan nuts and cranberries, served with green vegetables and a creamy mustard sauce.  It was excellent.  The filo filling was delicious but the star of the meal was the mustard sauce.  I also loved the green vegetables on the side.

Regretfully, I decided to avoid the rich chocolate pudding and instead ordered the cheesecake with clementine sauce, rhubarb sorbet, shortbread.  The cheesecake was my lowlight.  It was more like a light fluffy cream filling with none of the dense cream cheese texture that I love about cheesecake.  If I liked cream I might have appreciated it more. However, I loved the rhubarb sorbet with the tang of fresh fruit and the shortbread was light as a feather.

Again they made a special effort for Sylvia and served her rhubarb sorbet with shortbread.  She was very happy with her dessert, though there was more sorbet than she could eat.  E was very pleased that his coffee arrived with whisky fudge for everyone.  He was even more pleased to find he was the only one to want the fudge.

I really enjoyed our meal at Stac Polly.  They have a fantastic menu with a focus on local Scottish produce, which had made me interested in eating there.  I would return for the excellent service and great ambiance as well as the good food.  It was the perfect last meal in Edinburgh and lovely to share with E's dad.  We then walked up the High Street to catch our bus back to my father in law's place, sort out all our suitcases and call a cab to the airport.

Stac Polly
38 St Mary's Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SX
Tel: 0131 557 5754
www.stacpolly.com

Edinburgh Cafe: Scottish Storytelling Centre

On our last trip to Edinburgh in 2009, we had cake at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.  At the time I had wished we had eaten lunch there.  Soon after arriving in Edinburgh late last year we took E's father to lunch there and returned again when E met an old friend for a coffee.  It is a fantastic place to take kids and has lots of interesting activities as well as a bookstore.

The menu at the Storytelling Centre is a simple one.  It is mostly sandwiches with a different soup and hot special each day.  The hot dish was not vegetarian so I chose the superb butternut squash, ginger and lemongrass soup (if my memory serves me correctly).  It came with lovely sundried tomato bread.  I ordered Sylvia a cheese salad (off the kid's menu) with a bread and oatcake plate.  She loved the oatcakes but didn't fancy the salad, despite it being fairly plain.  The bread was too bitsy for her.  E and his dad had the cottage pie and enjoyed it heartily.

E's dad hadn't been there before and was very impressed by the food and also all the books.  He is a former librarian so he has a fine appreciation of books.  If you are seeking some children's books written in Scots or using Scottish slang, this is the place to go.  Titles include Katie's Coo and A Moose in the Hoose from Itchy Coo, and the Story of Clan Mingin and the Story of Clan McWee from GW Publishing.

Last visit we went through John Knox's House which is entered through the Storytelling Centre.  This time, with Sylvia being a bit older, we decided to visit the Museum of Childhood just across the road.  It is a great museum with lots of games, toys, and more doll's than you can poke a stick at.  I think E really wanted to go there for the penny arcade slot machines.  His favourite is the Sweeney Todd one, where the man is seen to go to the barber and fall backwards into a baked pie.

We had decided that we would head back for afternoon tea in the Storytelling Centre.  I chose the fruit scone, E had the treacle slice and Sylvia had the millionaire's shortbread.  All were wonderful.  I enjoyed having a taste of all of them but particularly enjoyed my scone.  It wasn't as toothachingly sweet as the two slices.

The real reason that we went back was because as we had eaten our lunch we had noticed them setting up seats by the cafe.  E had asked and found it was a ceilidh that is held once a month at the centre.  Drinking warm tea with a scone and listening to locals taking turns to sing (mostly) traditional songs was a joy.  We felt lucky to be able to immerse ourselves into the Scottish culture that is part of the local people's lives but is miles away from the Och-Aye-The-Noo Tartan Tourist culture on the Royal Mile.

Days later we returned when E met his old friend.  It was a great place for him to sit and chat while Sylvia and I looked at Christmas tree and peeked in the story exhibition.  You can see this exhibition below with the little doors and peepholes that give glimpses of traditional Scottish literature.  It includes peeping into a scene from Peter Pan, opening a door to a moment between John Knox and Mary Queen of Scots, and even being able to pull a Maisie or Loch Ness toy out of little boxes.

The Scottish Storytelling Centre is a fascinating place that encompasses both Edinburgh's oldest house (John Knox's) and a new purpose built Netherbow Theatre and Cafe area.  On this cold wet day, we were tempted to stay in the warm and welcoming cafe with an interesting pea soup on the menu.  Sylvia was even given a free CD by a kind lady.  Alas, our time in Edinburgh was short and we decided to leave and head out to Cramond instead.  [By the way, it is 40 C today in Melbourne and I would love to be back in wintery Edinburgh]

Scottish Storytelling Centre
43-45 High Street Edinburgh, EH1 1SR
Tel: 0131 556 1229
http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/