Cosy Truffled Mushroom Gnocchi
Warming, earthy, creamy, EASY: it's one of the best things you can do with shop bought gnocchi. Plus some news
Brrrrr, hello my friends. It’s freezing here on the Kent coast, so I’m sauntering into your inbox with a very cosy, comforting and delicious recipe for truffled mushroom gnocchi, which is my dream food right now because it’s incredibly quick to make, relies on just a few fresh ingredients, and delivers on flavour and satisfaction in abundance. As I type this, the rain is actually pelting the kitchen window, the bright boughs of mimosa are being battered by the wind, and it’s grey and murky: miles away from the brightness of the weekend’s rhubarb bonanza.
Eat My Rhubarbmisu in a top London restaurant and raise money for charity
And speaking of rhubarb, I have some VERY exciting rhubarb-related news that I’m sharing exclusively here with you guys first. I’m sorry that it only applies to those of you who are in the UK right now, but if there are any international restaurants reading who want to do something similar then do get in touch! From Monday, if you happen to be in London (or passing through), you’ll be able to walk into the brilliant Pastaio restaurant in Soho and buy a plate of my rhubarbmisu, though I thoroughly recommend ordering some of chef Stevie Parle and team’s amazing pasta dishes first.
Yes, it’s the very same Rhubarbmisu that helped launch this Substack, and for every portion sold, we’ll be donating a pound to Choose Love, a brilliant and important charity supporting refugees and displaced people globally. The restaurant has added a shock of bright pink raspberry powder to the top, and I’m very into it. Do let me know if you do find yourself in Soho eating a portion, it would be so fun to hear from anyone who’s been in and tried it, and it’s all in the name of raising money for a crucial cause, so please support if you can, I can promise you it will be delicious. This dish will be on the menu for the remainder of forced rhubarb season, so there’s plenty of time to get stuck in. I’ll be sinking my teeth into some next week and will report back!
I’m also very proud to be supporting
’s fantastic International Women’s Day fundraiser for Practical Action - a charity that works with people on the frontlines of climate change and poverty. Leyla is running a raffle here on Substack and has gathered 50 subscriptions from 50 diverse and brilliant bestselling writers as prizes. You can support and read more about it here.
The start of the week really gave me a sense of the imminence of spring’s arrival, as we experienced some unseasonably warm weather, and I took a few strolls out into the garden, where things are starting to feel rather exhilarating. I spotted lilac budding on the bush, pretty white Mirabelle plum blossom (the first showing on the saplings I planted when we moved in, whoop!) and some very delicate purple crocuses popping up through the lawn along with daffodils, snowdrops and narcissi I planted a couple of winters ago. It’s keeping me going to think that in just a couple of months our cherry blossom tree will be in full on pom pom mode and we’ll be spending so much more time outside after what feels like it’s been an exceptionally long winter. There’s so much to look forward to.
This week, I’ve also been working behind the scenes on next week’s ‘Something For the Weekend’ recipe drop, and I’ve developed and shot a brand new recipe I’m incredibly excited to share with you. I shot it in a perfect window of winter sunlight and it’s a real look towards spring and something I know you’ll love. It’s currently tucked away safely in our freezer for when the baby comes and I know I’ll be in need of all the delicious, easy nourishment I can get. I’ve also called on the kind help of a couple of very talented and fabulous food writer/chef friends who are both joining ALOHP as guests and sharing some truly delightful recipes, and I’m so excited for you to meet them and read what’s shaping up to be a very special drop, so do keep your inboxes peeled next week!
But for now, it’s chilly again - as it should be at this point in February - and my body is craving dumplings.