F is for Foda....

When the sweetest French Toast is the light at the end of a very dark tunnel and nostalgia looms large amongst the leafy environs of Monkseaton…

How I’ve missed you!! Two years since the last entry, it felt as if the F would never arrive. Internal problems that confounded the medical profession led to food paranoia… was it too much dairy, was it not enough fibre, was it too much fibre, was it too much fruit, was it not enough cheese? Doctors asked the same questions, did the same tests, prescribed the same pills – nothing changed. 14 stone(ish) became 11 stone(ish). Meetings with friends were often cancelled due to sickness; meetings with friends stopped being arranged to avoid cancelling them – it all became very dark and extremely difficult. And then suddenly it wasn’t.

I found a nutritionist called Julie who worked around Tynemouth. Four sessions and my life changed. I understood the impact of rapeseed oil on my body and why olive oil was better, I found out that long-chain-fatty-acids not only have too many hyphens, but also caused problems. I discovered how much sugar was in the kefir I was drinking. I radically changed my diet and have been fine for months now. If a problem occurs I have the tools and knowledge to address it. Once again, I am able to annoy my brunch companions with my random ideas and going off at ridiculous tangents.

I went with one of my friends who has had to listen to tales of inflamed intestines on many occasions, to Foda (96A Front Street, Monkseaton, NE25 8DL). I had been thinking of going to The Feathers (It is an F not a T, stop twisting your face, thems the rules - I don't make them), so Foda kind of crept up on me unawares.

I grew up around the area – so wandered by Potter’s Farm, which isn’t there anymore; recalled my first foray into misadventure at West Monkseaton metro station and looked for the bakery which fed nine hungry high school lads massive Devonshire Split cakes every lunchtime… it isn’t there anymore. Pointed out where I asked Melanie Coxhall out and where Angela Gray broke my heart.

The food – I had French Toast. Totally unexpectedly, as I was in a shakshuka frame of mind. Also, I feel the need to confess that I get eggy bread mixed up with French Toast (as the great Chinese philosopher Confucius once said “eggy bread is savoury; French Toast is sweet”. Handy tip). It was so good – the bread was both golden crispy and custardy at the same time, surrounded by light meringue and unctuous (only time I use that word is on a food blog, I am from Shields after all) clotted cream with sweetly sharp strawberries. My friend had poached eggs, avocado and kimchi on toasted sourdough with sesame togarishi in a rayo oil dressing. While the kimchi may have been a little overpowering, the eggs and avo were, and I quote, spot on.

The place – in a world of closed down bakers and defunct paint shops, it’s lovely to see a place like Foda flourishing in Monkseaton. It is light and airy, they do loads of interesting things with eggs, have real attention to detail with the food and its presentation, and the staff were lovely and helpful.

The score – a ThankF**kforThattastic 80%

Breakfast tea and americano coffee accompanied the meal, with a glass of water which I never drink. I need to work out why I never do.

Next – Let’s hope we don’t wait another two years for what many people call… the letter G!!

E is for Estate Tea Company...

When the connectivity of humans and a spiffy pork dish beats significant illness, dramatic weight loss and gets the blog back on track...

Did you miss me?

The boring stuff... everything was going swimmingly, the food blog was rattling along, interest was growing; it was only a matter of time before Sunday Brunch came calling for a guest slot alongside a syndicated series in The Observer's Food Monthly supplement - then illness hit, which dramatically affected mood and the ability to eat anything that wasn't water or soup or a banana or water. Eight months later and two stone lighter though we are back. With bells on. And what a way to return.

One of the really nice things about the A to Z food tour is not just the level of interest in the guff I write, but also a few people have asked if they could do a letter with me. It kind of warms the cockles. One of my best friends, Jayne wanted to do this - but had a nice idea. We have a mutual friend, though one I've never met before as our devastating repartee is limited to Facebook -becoming social media friends through connections of connections. Kerry, the never before seen Facebook friend, seemed to really like the blog and a suggestion was made that the three of us met up over an E... the next letter rather than the moreish rave stimulant Methylenedioxymetamphetimine.

We met at Estate Tea Company (84 Heaton Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5HL) and it was lovely - a salutary reminder of the power food has in bringing people together, but also a welcome nudge to make things happen, even if they are through unusual paths - who says friends on social media aren't real or aren't of value.

The food - fantastic. Estate Tea Company brunch menu, which is served all day, has evolved over time. Alongside the British classics, dishes are inspired by the countries they source their tea from. They are doing really interesting stuff from udon noodles to gyoza.

I had the pork tonkatsu - a thick, but tender cutlet coated in panko breadcrumbs, crunchy veg and tangy pickle with a lovely rich, thick katsu curry sauce. Obviously this blog is all about me, but for the sake of balance Jayne had chicken miso salad from the specials and Kerry had shigureni beef chazuke - soy-glazed steak on a bed of rice, which is served with Japanese Hojicha tea, poured over the rice creating an umami broth. Food was fresh, looked amazing and was full of flavour. You get a good serving for the price, so I was pleasingly stuffed by half twelve.

The place - I met Tom and the team when they opened Estate Tea Company in Gateshead. They have gone from strength to strength with the move to Heaton. It is a wonderful space with a fantastic range of quality teas, which has a a real community feel rather than simply being a business that does nice food and drink. You know when people talk about spaces and places having a calming energy - well that is Estate Tea Company. I can recommend the Yunnan Black loose leaf.

The score - an Umamitastic 92%

When in Rome... a smooth and floral second flush darjeeling to accompany the meal.

Next - what the F?!

D is for Dosa Kitchen...

When a visit to a South Indian canteen gives you life lessons about simplicity, breaking the houmous loop and where to park in Jesmond.

It's been a while, my bad. Life getting in the way plus the crushing disappointment of the last letter meant my pursuit of alphabetic eateries had slipped. This hasn't been helped by my struggles with The Loop. The loop is a cycle I get trapped in on a regular basis - usually houmous or yoghurt based. I have no houmous in the fridge, I spot it in the supermarket and put it in the basket. The houmous goes in the fridge, I forget to eat it, it goes past its use by date, I throw it out. I have no houmous in the fridge, I spot it in the supermarket and put it in the baske..... you get the picture. The amount of raspberry skyr sitting in landfills around North Tyneside is obscene.

I fell into a Dosa Kitchen (7 Osborne Road [rear] Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2AE) loop. I wanted to try the Sunday sapaad, but as the name suggests it is only available on a Sunday. But when the last day of the weekend arrived, I wasn't sure I fancied a curry for lunch, so decided to go for a meal there after work during the week, but during the week I really wanted to try the Sunday sapaad, which as the name suggests is only available on a Sunday, but when the weekend arrived I wasn't sure I fancied a curry for lunch, so instead decided to go aft.... you get the picture. Rinse and repeat. Anyway, weeks went by and I thought the ridiculousness must stop, so I went for the South Indian thali on the day between Saturday and Monday. It proved one thing - stopping the prevarication can be mighty tasty. I need to apply this lesson to all areas of my life.

The food - you get ten dishes plus a bowl of rice, a popadom and a dosa, a sort of flatbread made from de-husked black lentils and rice. It's a crepe - that's what it is! Clockwise from noon it is a masala omelette, Malabar Meen Kolzambu (fish curry), Kochi Melagu (pepper chicken curry), chutney, rasam (a tasty soup of tamarind, spices and tomatoes), sambhar (lentil-based vegetable stew), yoghurt (the kind that does not lie overlooked in a fridge), Saffron Kesari (sweet and creamy dessert spiced with aromatic cardamom and flecked with strands of saffron), Mirap Kozhi Moruval (popcorn chicken) and Chilli Prawns (the sauce was wonderfully tangy). The sauces aren't as thick as your standard chicken jalfrezi from the local takeaway, but that doesn't make them worse - they taste so good, based on the six tastes of Ayurveda - sweet, sour, salty, pungent (spicy), bitter, astringent. If I was a pretentious food blogger I would describe it as authentic. But then it probably is.

Food isn't just about taste - good food encompasses a range of sensory experiences. The sapaad smells wonderful and it looks amazing laid out in a range of silver tins. There is also something really, really satisfying about eating with your hands - ripping a piece of dosa and dotting about between the dishes. I don't want to upset the chef, but this is simple food done exceptionally well. I loved it.

The place - it is down a back lane. You then go into an upstairs dining area that is full of atmosphere and wood. There were a few diners already in, including a large family (in number rather than girth) already well into their meals. The staff are lovely and friendly - perpetual motion as they keep the dosas coming.

The score - a Tiffintastic 93%

All washed down with a lovely apple juice. I had the car. Oh yes, exactly where do you park in Jesmond??

Next - everything starts with an E.