RISING TO THE OCCASION

So pizza dough doesn't really rise, but you can thank my boyfriend for that title. Last Thursday evening I returned to Assaggetti, but this time I was on the other side of the wall - in the kitchen! Michael, Alexxsia and I were the only fashion bloggers there for the prosecco tasting and pizza making event. We stood out like sore thumbs in our Wang and Acne, quoting this more and more as the night progressed. It was pretty exciting getting our hands dirty in the kitchen, we were taught everything from how the dough is made to appropriate oven temperatures (400 degrees!), we even had our own chef outfits. One key fact that stayed with me, is that you know the dough is right when it feels like a 20 year olds breasts.. you can't make this stuff up. Cue blank expressions from the gays in the room. My favourite pizza was Lexxi's sizzling chorizo and chilli, so good! I think smaller pizzas may be the best way to go, we got to try out so many different flavour combinations. Thank you so much Assaggetti and Alix, from MeMo Interactive, for the invitation! - Also to Michael for letting me steal a couple of pics.

HAYMARKET'S NEW BUZZ

Assaggetti, in the heart of Haymarket, is an exciting new Italian tapas bistro with friendly staff and a cosy atmosphere, boasting unpretentious food in a traditional chicchetti style restaurant. We disappeared downstairs where it was less crowded and we could unwind with a drink or two..

After trying probably every cocktail on the menu, we were brought a selection of dishes to share. You can choose to have one large main or small tapas to share - I would recommend getting a few small dishes as the tastes are quite rich. My favourite dish that I will be raving about for months to come was the Squid and Mango salad - the best salad I've ever eaten. It was also the first time I had ever tried Mussels, as most of my family are allergic, I had always shyed away from them, but they were yummy and I'm still very much alive and craving more!

For mains I would recommend the delicious and rich, Potato Gnocchetti as well as the Black Risotto with Cuttlefish for something new. Pudding was the height of the meal with the most delicious and creamy Panacota as well as the fresh berry Cheesecake that was recommended with a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar to bring out the fruit. We devoured our puddings to the tune of Jungle Fever - which seemed very fitting indeed... before finishing the night with a toast of Hazelnut Liqueur. 

We ate: (don't judge)

Squid and Mango Salad

Mussels in a White Wine Sauce

  Tuscan Ham and Salami (Taglieri)

Zucchini Fritti

Mozzarella (Fritti)

Handmade Ravioli with Scampi

Black Risotto with Cuttlefish

Potato Gnocchetti & Gorgonzola

Tuscan Sausage

Tiramisu

Wild Berry Panacota

Cheesecake with Fresh Berries and Balsamic Vinegar

We drank:

Inciser, Mambo Italiano and Italian Lynchburg cocktails

Moscato d'asti Moncucco Fontanafredda 2008 (Desert wine)

Hazelnut liqueur 

Thank you so much to Alix from ME:MO Interactive and Assaggetti for the night to remember!