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Dine @ Home Review

February 22, 2021 By Amy Glasgow

While I personally cannot wait for the day when I am sat in a busy restaurant enjoying a delicious meal cooked by someone other than myself, it has become easier and easier for us to replicate restaurant-quality meals at home with the rise of heat-at-home options.

And while there are many to choose from, for me, I’m all about the simple things. What I don’t want is to end my experience with hundreds of dirty pots and pans and a load of tiny plastic containers to deal with. Surely all that plastic can’t be good for the environment?

So, one cold and miserable Saturday, although do days really have meaning anymore, my partner and I sat down to enjoy a heat-at-home meal from Ginger Garlic, a new service from the lovely folk behind The Little Curry House.

Their new business model allows customers to pre-order a range of curries and home-style Indian food to be delivered to your door and reheated at your leisure. One thing I loved about Ginger Garlic was the sheer volume of options available. From vegan and vegetarian options to classic chicken and lamb curries, we were absolutely spoiled for choice, plus their meal deals offer fantastic value for money, with a box for two including two dips, two starters, two curries, and any two rice or bread.

This was, naturally, the option we went for, and we were not disappointed. The portion sizes are extremely generous, and unlike some takeaway curries, where searching for the meat among the sauce feels like a lost cause, both curries were packed full of tender, beautifully cooked chunks. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, either bung the curry in your microwave, or heat in a pot on your stove, while the pakoras and naan could simply be placed in the oven to warm through.

The pakora options are more varied than other menus I’ve seen, with unusual options such as chicken tikka and potato pakora, or paneer and potato pakora. We opted for the mixed pakora, which contained chicken, mushroom and vegetable pakora, all of which were beautifully spiced and came with a delicious chilli dip that far surpassed the insipid pink sauce that so often accompanies pakora.

Our curries, a South Indian Garlic Chilli chicken and a Garlic Lamb with Mushroom, were packed with flavour and just the right level of chilli heat to leave the lips tingling. A surprisingly highlight for me, and one I highly recommend you try, was the lemon and cashew nut rice. The chunks of soft but acidic lemon and the crunchy cashews made an unsual but very welcome addition to the plate, and something I’ll definitely try next time I’m making my own curry at home!

I’ll certainly be ordering another Ginger Garlic meal, and soon – I’m starving just thinking about it.

Dine at Home with Ginger Garlic

Filed Under: Articles, Featured 3

Restaurant Review – Celino’s

February 15, 2017 By Amy Glasgow

The West End has recently enriched its selection of top restaurants with a Glaswegian/Italian institution: Celino’s. The family run business since 1982 – renowned for its Italian Deli in Alexandra Parade – now has a Partick branch.

When you step into Celino’s what will immediately strike you is the stunning deli counter full of delicious delicatessen from all over Italy. A shrine offering every precious kind of cured meet, olives, artisan cheeses and handmade street food and pastries from Celino’s own Italian chefs.

Inside the Trattoria, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly thanks to the staff’s typically Mediterranean approach, warm and stress-free. It will embrace you as if you were strolling around the streets of an Italian historical city, popping in for dinner in a typical Trattoria.

Moreish Grande Antipasto (minimum for two persons) is sure to catch your eye. This selection of cold and warm dishes titillates the senses and will have you staring longingly at the server bringing the tagliere (literally, the wood chopping board). It offers a delicious taste of the finest Italian cured meats, freshly sliced from the counter, Celino’s own homemade Porchetta and a selection of artisan cheeses and vegetables.

Warm options complete the offer with fried calamari, crispy seasoned polenta and small handmade arancini and an incredible breaded buffalo mozzarella. It’s so stretchy and warm, it will melt in your mouth – all served with their home-baked bread. This option offers an incomparable combination of great taste and food quantity. Rest assured you won’t regret it.

Afterwards, we shared a ‘della casa’ (homemade) pasta dish. Caserecce with Gorgonzola, castagne e funghi (gorgonzola cheese and chestnuts in a rich, creamy mushroom sauce) was too much of a temptation to consider any lighter option.

We refreshed ourselves with a pint of the Italian lager beer Menabrea, but surely, the vast selection of regional Italian wines will push you to become a real wine connoisseur.

From a light, zesty Pinot Bianco D.O.C. from Friuli, to a full-bodied red Barolo D.O.C.G. from Piemonte you will begin your quest for the perfect wine match for the food selected.

Ending this experience, I am caught by a deep nostalgia of my time in Florence, so my dessert of choice naturally falls onto Tuscan Vinsanto and home-baked cantucci (almond biscuits people often dip into sweet Vinsanto wine). What truly special treat!

Celino’s deli and trattoria offer a choice for everyone, as its motto ‘Tutto per tutti’ proclaims. You can either indulge yourself at the counter for the best food ‘il bel paese’ has to offer, or as an option for takeaway. For a quick breakfast or lunch, or sit in, relax and enjoy the experience of an authentic Italian trattoria in the heart of the West End.

Celino’s
235 Dumbarton Road G11 6AB
0141 341 0311
celinos.com

Filed Under: Articles, Featured 3

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