Holy bus, Orkney cheesecake

So to explain a bit I should probably mention where I'm coming from regarding dairy, particularly British dairy.

Wherever a person grows up, they're going to get used to food as it tastes there, with the quality control of whatever country that happens to be in.  I grew up in Canada, and for the most part, the only other dairy I was used to was the US, and frankly, the difference is not that big.

Then I moved to Scotland.  Hooo boy, could you tell there was a difference there!

For the other North Americans out there, British dairy is, generally, creamier than North American.  Their 1% milk is going to taste like our 2%, and the other thing was that (at least in the Inverness area) most shops are going to have a selection of UK or specifically Scottish dairy and other food products.  I loved it, and I'm quite sad to being stuck with Canadian dairy again, as well as having to peer nearsightedly at labels to try and figure out where the hell the food came from.

Anyway.  Cheesecake.

Summer of 2019, my family came to visit, and we ended up going on a road trip through Northern Scotland up to the Orkneys.  It was early September, so really the perfect time of year to be anywhere in Scotland, and it meant that it was just that tiniest bit quieter when it comes to tourists.  (by the way, for anyone traveling in Orkney, the Kirkwall Peedie Hostel is at a great location, and one of my favourite hostels thus far)  

We had found a local pub by the name of Helgis that came very well recommended online, and had managed to get a reservation for the second night we were there, and I can happily say it fully deserves all the positive comments.  The burgers were excellent, (Okney beef, highly recommend) I was well pleased with my gin, which was an absolute treat, and the beer drinkers in the family were all very, very happy with the local selection they have on tap.

Then we got to desert.  I'd taken note of it on the menu, because it was a dark chocolate and raspberry cheesecake (of course made with local dairy.  Orkney milk is even better than the stuff you get elsewhere in Scotland, I kid you not)which is a combination I adore, and we were all at that point where you're realy full, but you were reeeeally looking forward to that sweet hit at the end, and dammit, you're on vacation!  

Needless to say, my sister and I went "fuck it" and got the cheesecake.

My friends.  My friends!!

I can remember the few times food has actually disolved decadently on my tongue.  It is few and far between when it occurs, and this was one of those times.  Creamy texture, not too sweet, just enough to hit the tongue for flavour.  The taste of fresh, tart raspberries slowly disolving on your tongue and meeting, just barely with that slight bitter hint from the perfect amount of dark chocolate.  

It was sheer bliss.

Like, actually bliss.  Best topping to a day I'd had in years, and I can honestly say I kinda miss that.  

Also, I had meant to take a picture but I got so involved in the taste sensations and enjoying them that I acctively forgot.  I ended up taking a picture of the plate right before I scraped it as clean as I could, because yes.  It was that good.

If you ever get a chance to go to Orkney?  Go to Helgis, and if you can, get cheesecake.

Best latte mood

I got woken up far too early this morning. Far too early. People should not have loud phone conversations at 7:45 am in a hostel dorm.

Needless to say, I was in dire need of coffee this morning, and I was just about to head to breakfast when I thankfully decided to check opening hours at the place I had originally been aiming for. 

Wednesday is their late day, of course. 

After a quick scroll through Google maps, I ended up at Scotts Kitchen, just up from Victoria street, and I settled in with a latte to start.

Aside from the fact that I'm very much enjoying the latte art I'm getting in Edinburgh, (I'll show you my magic hat latte at the end) this is probably the best latte I've had since I got to this country a year ago.

It is smooth. The milk and the espresso are really well balanced, not too much of either. And, and! It's not bitter! It is ridiculously hard to find a coffee here that isn't. This one is lovely. I probably didn't need to put sugar in, but I wanted to see how it would taste. 

The orange juice is fresh, which was exactly what I was after, although I've never seen the point of ice in juice. That could just be me though.  And probably because I drink it so slowly. 

Now, breakfast, and the whole reason I came. 

They have eggs Benny! Honestly? That is in large part why I picked this place. I've got a few favourites in Inverness in large part because they have this on the menu, so NOF course I had to try it in Edinburgh. 

Especially with the salmon. 

Definitely worth it, if a little on the small side. The salmon is really good. Not too salty, and the smoke flavour is there just enough to be noticed.  The sauce is quite light on flavour, which was a little sad for me 'cause I like a hollandaise with a bit more of a flavour punch.  

And I do mean it when I say it's a little small, especially if you're someone used to a big breakfast.  I may need to supplement, and I can't eat all that much usually.  Any excuse for more croissant! 

The lunch menu looks good, and they've got some sharing platters that look like they'd be a good flavour adventure if that's what people are looking for.  Prices are what I would consider standard at this point for a city with a high tourist flow through, and they aren't going to break the bank, so it's worth a visit. 

Besides, the coffee alone is worth it! 

Dinner at The Devil's Advocate

Well, heck, the food posts are back!

So. I'm currently in Edinburgh, on holiday, so I decided what the heck, I was going to go somewhere the prices would normally chase me off.

I've ended up at The Devil's Advocate in Advocates Close. Mostly because (at least according to Google) their cocktails have a good rep.

Well they weren't wrong.

To be fair, there's few enough places that actually seem to take their cocktails seriously, so when you find one it's worth making a note.

Ok. To the meal, and as a heads up, I somewhat accidentally decided to do flavour contrasts more than flavour pairings.  I'm still figuring out the ins and outs of choosing appropriate cocktails for the food I choose.


I chose the Doorknocker, which is tequila blanco, peppered pineapple, grapefruit bitters, citrus and soda.
It is lovely. Tart with a very soft, tiny hint of sweet finish when you drink it by itself, and the pepper comes through in a little burst which you can get more of from the sugar rim on one side. (artful glass prep my friends. Useful)

For dinner I went with the baked North sea cod, which came with cauliflower, sundried tomato, and an absolutely delightful medley of something it was too dark to make out, but hoooooly wow was it good!

The fish was light and moist, and just came apart perfectly. The flavours from the sauce were excellent, and the different tastes you got depending on which bit of veg you ate it with were a great deal of fun to sort through.

The cauliflower had (so my tongue informed me) been cooked with some stronger spicing, so when you had that it didn't quite overpower the cod, but it was more present. If you then followed up with a sip of the Door knocker, the pepper notes came through much more clearly.

The green bits (might have been beans? Small, perfect crunch) were probably the smoothest flavour combo with the fish.  It balanced perfectly with the sauce, and that followed by a drink made the sweet come out in the cocktail.

The tomatoes though. They just sang. The sweetish with a bite worked beautifully with the fish. I savoured those mouthfuls.

I also didn't pay nearly as much attention to the following sip of this delightful thing. Sorry.

Then decided to indulge in dessert.  I am so, so glad I did.

I got a milk chocolate and espresso pana cotta with a whole pitted cherry sauce (I really want to know what kind of cherry!) and amaretti biscuit crumbled on top.

It was glorious. The pana cotta was smooth, rich but not too rich, with a lovely chocolate flavour.  Pair that with the sweet/tart of the cherries with a bit of crunch for texture from the Biscuits? Perfect.

Also, I gotta say. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find places with cherry desserts that actually taste like cherries?  And are good? It's really hard! That is quite literally the best dessert with cherries in that I've had in a really, really long time that wasn't something I watched get made.

Another thing that made it fun was the contrast between everything.  The drink was at first glance light, but the flavours packed a punch when put together.
The dinner was light flavours with hints of a bit more.
And dessert? Dessert was thick, rich flavours that just fill your mouth up and leave you wanting more, except that it's also just the right amount.

All in all, well worth the money when it comes to the food and drink, and the staff are very friendly and quick. Would definitely go again.

But what about the millionaires?

I first discovered millionaires shortbread about five or six years ago on my first visit to Scotland and promptly decided it was one of the best biscuits (or cookies, depending on your country of raising) I'd ever come across, and have since spent a fair amount of time being very sad that I can't find it for love nor money back in Canada.

For those of you who haven't come across it before, millionaires shortbread is a piece of Scottish shortbread with a layer of caramel on top, and then another layer of chocolate on top of that.  

When done well it'll literally melt in your mouth.  First the shortbread, which -if well made- dissolves into buttery, sugary goodness.  
Then the caramel.  The millionaire slices I've had have all used fairly soft caramel, so not too sticky and also dissolves on your tongue in a lovely manner.  
And last, of course, the chocolate.  I mean, who doesn't like chocolate? (To be fair, I know a few people who don't and a few people who dislike caramel too.  In which case, I'd advise you to steer clear of this biscuit/cookie)  Milk chocolate seems to be The One for millionaire slices, and it does compliment the caramel quite well, so hey, why not?

Anyway.  Fast forward and I'm back in Scotland, living here, for at least a year.  

Back in the land of millionaires shortbread.

The one thing I hadn't really taken into consideration was the fact that my tastes had changed over the last few years, and suddenly I was picky about it.  Too sweet was no longer something to shrug and go "eh, still good" about, it meant I was wrinkling my nose and leaving it on the plate.

For example.  Cobbs, the bakery that provides sweets and cakes to quite a lot of cafes in the highlands, makes a solidly good shortbread and the chocolate is a fair quality.  It's a bit sweet though, and when you add the caramel to it (and the amount of caramel on the Cobbs millionaire slices is not small) it starts making your teeth ache with the sugar and sweet levels.

On the other side, I was told about a little local bakery in Aberfoyle.  Maggie's Aberfoyle Kitchen.  Go check it out.

Holy flipping bus.  Best.  Shortbread.  They had little samples out and I just about melted when I tired it.  Lightly crumbly, and lovely and buttery, and just.  Shortbread.  Don't know if it's the best I've ever had, but it was certainly up there.

Now, they had some millionaires shortbread, and it had a smaller amount of caramel on it than I had yet seen.  So I though what the heck?  Twist my rubber arm.
Still not quite right.  The shortbread part was fantastic, and the chocolate quality is the best I've had so far.  Caramel? (this part I thought was oddly funny)  Not enough.  It's there, you can see it, and it doesn't make it too sweet to eat, but.  You can also hardly taste it.  

Which is quite sad really, because the flavour mesh of caramel, milk chocolate, and shortbread is actually really really good when balanced properly.  There's hints of vanilla running through everything (which is divine), the caramel actually gives it a hint of sharpness (which is interesting), and somehow the way the milk chocolate marries with the butter of the shortbread comes through as creamy.

The textures are interesting too.  Soft and smooth from the caramel, a little hard turning to liquid quite quickly with the chocolate, and hard and crumbly for the short bread, which absorbs and binds together everything else.  

It's one of those things that's kinda perfect when done just right, and the rest of the time you end up with vague (but tasty) feelings of disappointment.

In short, my hunt for the perfect millionaires shortbread is still ongoing.  How terrible.  Woe is me.