The Happy Place Café and Tilly's dog wash is still open.

[sashh]

Morning and welcome.

To anyone new this is the Happy Place Café, all food and drink served here is calorie free. Everyone is welcome.

There are some people who have been here for literally years and others are newer.

The staff are me, obviously, Florence a French pastry chef who is married to Fernando the cocktail waiter (no one knows where Fernando is from so we suspect the marriage was about visas).

In a previous incarnation one of the regulars was Tilly (RIP) who brought a sparkling light in to the café along with a lemur named Leo.

Leo runs a dog wash (Tilly had a golden retriever and her family agreed to the dog wash as a tribute) but as there are rarely and dogs around he will wash anything, his other interests are goats and eggs. He spends every morning cooking eggs.

Outside the café is seating and a water feature, the water feature becomes a swimming pool in summer and an ice rink in winter. There is also a petting zoo.

Other residents are the kittenbees who are kittens the size of a bee with wings, they are very gentle but like to nibble anything sweet. Please do not give them alcohol.

Outside is where their larger cousins the bumblecats live, they are about the size of a fist and a lot more feisty than the kittenbees.

There is normally a daily special for breakfast and sometimes there is a pack up / bait / packed lunch.

Now to breakfast.

I thought a little trip to Germany would fit this morning so Florence is making bread rolls, soft and crusty, Leo is baking / frying / boiling eggs and Fernando is serving Apfelkorn.

I put out a selection of cooked meats, cheeses, jam, nutella, marmalade and if you want that abomination that people wither love or hate, it is in a locked box in the garden, far from the café, that is where it is to be consumed.

Actually I watched a vid from 'Atomic Shrimp' the other day that featured the brown paste added to warm milk.

Oooooh im near these areas :)

Sounds like a lovely, although long walk. Walking is something I miss.

Right it is cold again so lets have an Indian breakfast. Florence is making puri and parathas (with various stuffings). I'm making pakoras and veg samosas. Fernando is serving Indian whisky and Leo, lets just say he has a recipe for egg nargis.

Mind if I PM you @ImDoneOnceAndForAll ?

Could I have a pakora and a veg samosa please @sashh ? I’ve brought some fresh coriander chutney to go with the Indian breakfast.

@ImDoneOnceAndForAll many many years ago I went around Ely cathedral, it's beautiful.

@sashh please can I have a couple of parathas and samosas .

@MinnieMountain is your chutney home made ? would you mind sharing the recipe, I really like coriander but have never tried it as a chutney.

@ScottBakula I’ve never been inside Ely cathedral. Having lived in 2 cathedral cities where entry is free, I refuse to pay to go inside. I’ll post a photo of the recipe tomorrow once I’m home.

@ScottBakula of course you can.

If you like coriander then this is a recipe for courgette and coriander soup.

One courgette per person
One veg stock cube
One bunch of coriander (if you have an Indian grocer you get a huge bunch cheaply. If you wrap it in newspaper it can be frozen).
oil
boiling water

Slice the coriander and put in a pan with the oil, put it on a low heat, you want it to sweat not fry.

After about 10 mins add the coriander, boiling water and stock cube, give it a good stir and leave for 10 mins.

Use a stick blender to get a smooth soup.

I like to serve with dollop of crème fraiche or cream.

It is as good chilled as it is warm if you want something refreshing in summer.

@MinnieMountain oooh I dint remember having to pay yo get in but it was about 35 years ago !
Thanks for the promis of the recipe.

@sashh thank you for the soup recipe, I have a great Indian supermarket near me , about once ever two months I go and buy loads of garlic, that gets peeled and put in oil , ginger that gets slices some in oil some frozen, chilli's all frozen , mint , coriander, dill , and what ever else I fancy some gets put in water some in oil some frozen.
I think it probably cost about half of what it would in the regular supermarket, plus the owner is great he often explains how to prepare and cook some of the more unusual veggies and dried pulses .

Hmmmm I may just go there this weekend 😋

That’s me off to the Indian supermarket tomorrow. For all the garlic and ginger and coriander. We have a great Indian place that does take away too. Not a traditional take away but they sell a raft of cold curries to heat at home and at lunch at weekend they do hot stuff to eat in a tiny cafe. Deeeeelish

This is my current stash of garlic , its in veg oil and keeps pretty much indefinitely as far as I can tell .
But I will get more soon as I get through quite a lot

Morning.

I have just reread my recipe, it is the courgettes that are sliced not the coriander. Duh.

@ScottBakula I'm fairly spoiled for Indian grocers / shops / sweet centres. It's a shame I have no appetite.

IRL today I have a chest X-ray and then a second attempt at a gastroscopy.

So for breakfast well I think beans and cheese on toast. Very simple. Florence Leo and Fernando will take orders for other things.

Here’s the fresh chutney recipe.

I think I’ll just sit outside under a blanket with my coffee today.

I thought today was Monday! \that's when I am at the hospital. My head is really in bits.

Gosh that chutney looks amazing ! Beans and cheese on toast sounds tremendous. Hope you’re ok @sashh

Morning.

I have a hankering for a McDonald's so I'm getting Florence to make muffins which will be filled with sausage patties and Leo's eggs Cooked by Leo not laid by him.

Fernando has some spiced tea to keep the chill out.

Spiced tea and egg muffin please would hit the spot

One muffin and tea on its way.

It was lovely thank you

Morning.

Well I have a full afternoon today so I think we need something fairly substantial so lets go for a full English.

Lincolnshire sausages, back bacon, fried bread, potato cakes, tomatoes, mushrooms and beans of course.

Leo is making fried or scrambled egg.

For something lighter Florence is making croissants and Fernando is making orange juice cocktails.

Morning.

It's quiet today so I'm going to get the kittenbees to deliver cereal on flake at a time. Help yourselves to milk and orange juice.

Florence is making apple cake and Fernando has tomato juice based cocktails.

Aww I missed out on a full breakfast 😕.
One flake at a time huh ? I will have crunchy nut cornflakes please @sashh but I hope they don't nibble the honey off them .

@MinnieMountain thankyou for that chutney recipe it looks great and I have all the ingredients in already, I will definitely give it a go at weekend.

Morning.

Well with recipes for chutney floating around I think I will have Florence make some puris and chapatis I'll put out a selection of chutneys and pickles.

Leo is making a spicy scrambled eggs.

Fernando has some Indian whisky.

Ooh scrap the cornflakes, can I have a Indian selection please.

I love lime pickle and cook with it quite often .

Morning.

IRL my chest X-ray was clear. Ultrasound today so wish me luck.

I see the pickle went down well.

In that case I will get Florence to make some paratha (which my local breakfast place called prontha).

So gobi, mooli, keema and paneer.

I'll do some street food, samosas, paneer rolls, pakora, and of course chutneys and more pickles.

Obviously Leo is cooking eggs, so he's making egg nargis.

Fernando is making cocoanut cocktails.

@MinnieMountain , & @sashh do you mind if I share your coriander soup & chutney recipes on another thread ?

Ooh more Indian breakfast foods , yes please. Can I also have a pack up please @sashh

Spread my recipes as far and wide as you want @ScottBakula I'll get you a pack up right away.