Forza Winter...

As the crisp weather and dark mornings roll in, we need to no longer focus on post work rooftop hot spots and lazy beer garden Sundays, but cosy pubs and big glasses of red wine instead! 

Now as you may already know, us Mice are pretty obsessed with sunshine, beaches, pimms...actually scrap that...anything that's linked to being outside, relaxing and sipping ice cold beverages! However when the time comes to dig out that cashmere, those cosy cocoon coats and our mile long scarfs we also feel a sense of glee! It may not feel so great whilst huddled under your umbrella at 7am but it does mean Christmas is coming, Starbucks will crack on with their red cup ginger lattes very soon and there will be a tonne of exciting seasonal events and pop-ups coming our way!

Now that I've started to get into the wintry spirit, there's probably a scorching weekend just around the corner, however, while I'm in the moment and because a very exciting email just popped into my inbox, I'm going to go with it!

Back last summer when HK Mouse was visiting London we stumbled across the fabulous Forza Win - if you missed our post speed read it here...

Bottom line, we're talking a secret East London rooftop, delicious fresh stone baked pizzas along with many other mouth watering treats, twinkly lights, aperol spritz, sharing tables and a killer wine list!

This summer they shacked up in Peckham instead of Shoreditch and now they're back with Forza Winter - a cosier, snugglier version of course!!!

Bag yourself a ticket here whilst you still can and you'll have this little lot to look forward to...five courses of Italian classics...think Porcini Arancini, Polpette, Raddichio, squashes, hams, and all sorts of other winter delights! Not forgetting a pot of Fonduta bubbling away waiting for some ripping, dipping and devouring! All topped off by a hot cocktail bar and it goes without saying another killer Italian wine list...all for a fabulous £30!

What the are  you waiting for my friends....!!!


Forza Winter
Unit 4.1
133 Copeland Road
London
SE15 3SN

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

It's that delicious time of the week again ... so what have we been up to? 

Well to give you the short version, it started off with this sentiment...

But ended like this...

While in the longer version, this week the Mice have mostly been...

Cooking up a storm...with yet another Ottolenghi creation!

This week has been pretty non-stop with very little time spent snuggled at London Towers. However, on the one evening that we were both in together, we decided to pretend it was Sunday night with a yum dinner, a glass of red wine and a catch up session on the new series of Downton Abbey! This time we picked Salmon Steaks with a Spicy Tomato Sauce, only we opted for salmon fillets instead which still worked really well... 

I know we say this EVERY time but it really was amazingly tasty - bursting with spicy flavour peppered with a good kick of chilli! Super quick and easy, we knocked together in 15 minutes flat and not all that bad fat-wise either if you ease up on the oil slightly! We complimented ours with lots of green veg to make up for the wine calories consumed, but it would work equally well with rice or cous cous.

So onto what you need...

1 tablespoon caraway seeds
8 tablespoons sunflower oil

3 tablespoons plain flour
4 salmon steaks (or fillets)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 chili (with seeds), chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon (generous) cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Lemon wedges

Method...

Toast the caraway seeds in a small dry pan over medium heat for approx 2 mins, until slightly darker in colour and aromatic.

Remove from the pan and once cool grind in a pestle and mortar and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Put all the flour in a shallow dish and cover the fish on both sides. Shake off excess and then cook the salmon in the heated oil until golden, approx 2 minutes per side. Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside.

Wipe out the pan. Put the garlic, chilli, paprika, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, caraway, and 2 tbsp oil into a food processor to make a thick paste.

Heat remaining 4 tbsp oil in the pan over a medium heat. Add garlic paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds (do not burn). Carefully add the tomato puree and 1/2 cup water to the pan and bring to a simmer; continue simmering for 30 seconds. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar and season with salt and pepper.

Return the salmon to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until fish is just cooked through, approx 7–11 minutes. Remove pan from heat, uncover, and let cool slightly.

Serve with chopped coriander and a wedge of lemon or in our case load in the veg...

Officially starting the Christmas Countdown... it's just 81 days now argggghhh! And what comes with this... LOTS of fabulously festive pop-ups, screenings and general opportunities to get into the Chrismassy spirit and act like you're ten again! PERFECT!

However what do we do over the coming months to kill time before the Big Day?! Without further ado let me tell you ... Forza Win have thought of the perfect solution - a fortnight of film and food in a cutting edge location of course! For just £10 you get a drink, a delicious snack from the Forza Win chefs and a comfy sofa seat at one of the chicest cinemas in town! Check out all details and programme of films right HERE starting from 8th October.

On that note, get your beautiful self out of the office, round up the girls, get the cocktails flowing and get celebrating because two days of FUN, FUN, FUN await! Happy Weekend!

The Mice x

HK Mouse's Week in Photos

Two weddings, one suitcase that went for a wander, three countries across two continents and a whole bundle of sister London fun... phew! What a week!

If you follow us on Instagram, you'll have already had a sneaky peek at what we've been up to over the last ten days. If you don't follow us on Instagram, (why on earth not...?! Do it! Immediately!) here's what you've missed out on...

Last Thursday evening I hopped onto a plane from Hong Kong to Heathrow landing in London first thing on Friday morning where I had a ridiculously tight turn around time to get on a flight up to Edinburgh. After a mad dash from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5, I made my flight by the skin of my teeth. Sadly my bag didn't...

I was in Edinburgh for a wedding. Luckily in a moment of rare organisation, I'd packed my wedding outfit and shoes in my hand luggage - wardrobe crisis averted...

After a very brief but fun-filled Highland fling, the next morning with no sign of my case, I headed back to the airport to try to track it down. Unfortunately I had zero luck, so I zoomed back to London empty handed but super excited for a 3BM reunion!

After catch-ups over Pimms in the park we headed to Shoreditch pop-up, Forza Win, for negronis and pizza.

Dining is communal and as the night wore on we got chatting to our neighbours, the super fun Henry and fellow blogger, Natalie of SmellyLion.

Dinner led to cocktails which led to three hungover and very hungry Mice the following morning. Nothing for it but a hearty breakfast at Dishoom.

Followed by an afternoon of lounging on the Boundary rooftop with the Sunday papers and a jug of Pimms.

And when Daddy Mouse arrived, we decided it was time for a little more to nibble on, cue a seafood feast...

Post-lunch, Daddy Mouse headed home and us Mice headed to the shops. When your case is lost there's nothing for it but to snap up a few essentials. Top of the list? This gorg Hipanema bracelet...

Back to Mice Towers London for a spot of snoozy late afternoon blogging before it was time to eat again. This time we ambled along the canal to Victoria Park for a five star picnic - fish & chips and Champagne as the sun set...

When Monday dawned just as hot and sunny as the weekend, we had to drag ourselves into our respective offices. My London HQ is right next door to St Paul's Cathedral and a mere hop, skip and a jump from brand new shopping centre, One New Change, ideal for a spot of lunchtime retail therapy (perfectly justifiable on the basis that there was still no sign of my suitcase)...

In the evening I went for a couple of G&Ts in Paternoster Square before heading to meet the other Mice at the Grain Store in King's Cross. More to come on that on the blog very soon, but for now let's just say that we left with groaningly full tummies and big smiles on our faces...

The next day my case still hadn't turned up so after a morning in the London office I zipped across town to Heathrow to go bag hunting. Third time lucky! We located my case and just in time as that afternoon I had to fly to Istanbul.

As with most work trips, I barely got a chance to see anything beyond the inside of my hotel room and the four walls of the Istanbul office, but I did have one evening to explore which I made the very most of.

As beautiful as my evening of Mosque-hopping was, I can't wait to go back and properly explore (and for anyone worried about protests and trouble, I didn't hear a squeak the whole time I was there and from what the locals assured me the media coverage was very much blown out of all proportion).

Then it was time to head back to London where the weather was still stunning. I love Hong Kong, but there's nowhere like England in the sun...

After an evening back at Daddy Mouse's house, it was time to head to wedding number two. This weekend's was at Highclere Castle (AKA Downton Abbey...)

The bride even made her entrance down the staircase that Lady Mary walked down on her way to marry Cousin Matthew...

The next morning with slightly heavy heads from too much Champagne and dancing, it was time to zip back to Daddy Mouse's for a last afternoon of family fun - gin & tonics in the beer garden of DM's favourite pub, more Pimms, a spot of hammock time and an enormous barbecue!

And far too soon it was time to tearfully say goodbye and head back East. 

As I find that the only way to beat the holiday blues is to book another one, I'm now off to hit up Zuji, Credit Card - be scared...