We love it when HD does a morning shift. The tiny Colombian turns every room he enters into a party; laughing, chatting, dancing, and always playing salsa and Reggaeton through his phone, streaming live Colombian radio. We know it’s 11am when we hear the bugles and drums of the national anthem, which they play at the start of the day (the start of the day in Colombia, that is).
11am is a very important time in our kitchen. It is when we have to wrap up all the morning prep, clear the stoves and workbenches, and set up for lunch service, which generally starts at noon but can sometimes begin as early as 11:30am (hungry people). Before lunch starts, we need to chop all our herbs, dress all our salads, and taste and adjust the seasoning in all our sauces and dips. The service fridge needs to be nicely stocked, and the pass must be neatly arranged and full (any missing item can cause serious delays in the short, fast tempest that is our lunch service). The sound of the Colombian anthem played by a marching brass band brings a much-needed spring to our step as we rush to get ready.
Upstairs the girls are getting ready as well: checking we have enough menus, iced tea and lemonade; ensuring we have plenty of white wine chilling and enough chairs for everyone who has booked to come to eat with us. We try to level the feet on the tables so they don’t wobble… although they will again by the time lunch finishes. Plus we need to find time to feed all our staff and send them on a break before noon.
This hectic rush behind the scenes is in stark contrast to the atmosphere among our customers at this time of the morning. The 11am crowd is made up of those who are having a lazy day and want a late breakfast; those who’ve been cooped up all morning and have come out for some air and something sweet; those who will skip lunch today but need some fortification; and those who have gained a magical half-hour between one appointment and the next and want to celebrate it with a slice of cake. The most laid-back crowd of the day.
Makes 6 small muffins
I was only working with Yara for a few weeks, handing over my job as head chef in a small café in Tel Aviv before we moved to London. I was meant to be teaching her the job, but in the end I picked up more than a few of her great recipes, among them a lovely broccoli loaf with the florets running through the center, so that when you cut it, they looked like little trees. I’ve made several versions, this being my favorite, and I think about her whenever I make it—the life of a recipe. I recommend that you take the time to place the florets carefully upright in the molds to make sure you get a little cauliflower “tree” in the center of each muffin, but even if you don’t, you are still in for a tasty treat.
1 small head of cauliflower
700g/ml water
1 tsp table salt
175g all-purpose flour
40g granulated sugar
½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp table salt
a pinch of white pepper
4 eggs
150g unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
3 tbsp grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Break the cauliflower into florets, making sure there are at least six large “trees.” (You will most likely have more than six; cook them all and save the unused florets to eat another time.) Put the water and salt in a large pan and boil the cauliflower in it until soft (this will take 5–10 minutes). Check to see whether it is done by inserting a knife tip into the stem; it should penetrate without resistance. Drain well and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection and butter six muffin molds. Mix all the dry ingredients for the batter together. Add the eggs and use a spoon or spatula to mix until combined, then slowly mix in the melted butter and fold until it has all been incorporated.
Place a spoonful of batter in the center of each mold and stand a whole floret stem-down in each. Cover with batter to fill the molds to the top. Mix the pumpkin seeds and cheese, if using, sprinkle on the muffins and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the tin and eat while still warm—they are best this way.