FoodScoop

What are you doing for Christmas?

2009-12-17T13:52:00.003Z

Tell us about your Christmas plans. What are you going to cook? Are you having turkey, goose or something totally different? And come 26th December tell us whether it went to plan or not. Does it ever? Go on, tell all.....

Borough Market - What's Its Future...?

2009-09-24T15:14:00.006+01:00

As the person responsible for the "fragile start" way back in 1998, I want to have my say. In her article in G2 today, Ms van der Zee says the market "will survive" - I'm not altogether so sure. I hope I'm proved wrong but Borough, like any market, is a living, breathing organism that needs to support - and be supported by - its traders. A consequence of the lack of the former brings about the lack of the latter and over the past few years rumours have swirled around the market and its environs - difficulties, quarrels, heavy-handedness of the former towards the latter... Whilst I'm not privy to details, and whilst I also know from years of running the FoodLovers Fairs how tricky it can be to found and build upon those delicate relationships, to be honest, over the years I have had some concerns about how Borough Market has been run - too many foreign stalls, too much food-to-go, no emphasis on food shopping, little long-term planning and development. The worry is that the temptation by the organisers is to go for the easier, more lucrative option - to turn it into a tourist attraction. This should not be allowed for a variety of reasons and primarily because as consumers we will all lose out. PS: Any suggestions as yo who could come in to help here? Boris, our mayor, for example.....

Carnivores vs Vegetarians - What do you think?

2009-09-16T10:56:00.003+01:00

At Ludlow Food Festival last weekend I chaired a lively debate on Carnivores vs Vegetarians - What does the future hold? Speaking for meat-eaters were Tim Dobson of Chestnut Meats and Adam Glyn Jones of September Organic Dairy; veggies were represented by Das Sreedharan and Keith Squires, both vegetarian chefs. If the two sides didn't quite lock horns, then the points debated were certainly contentious. You might be surprised to hear that the pro-vegetarians were actively encouraging the meat-eaters and the carnivores were all for eating less meat... and both sides made some interesting points, particularly with regards the contribution rearing livestock makes to carbon emissions and how essential pasture land is to transforming the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It was all good-natured fun - mostly - and by the end on a show of hands, it was felt that one of the answers to this conundrum is to eat less meat - but better quality (higher welfare, etc) over the year. I think this is an argument that bears further exploration. Is it better to eat less, high-welfare meat or to abstain completely? If you're a vegetarian, would you prefer that cows, sheep, pigs, etc didn't exist at all or is there a way to get the world farming responsibly? Is farming even a viable existence these days or are farmers just out for the profit - and what role does the government play...? What do you think...?

The Food Lovers have spoken...

2009-09-11T16:51:00.002+01:00

Last month at FoodLoversBritain.com we launched our first FoodLovers Poll in order to see what you, our discerning foodie public, think of some topical issues. We asked: "When shopping for food, which is most important?" with the options of organic, locally sourced and price. The results are now in: Organic 10% (8 votes) Locally Sourced 64% (52 votes) Price 26% (21 votes) What do you think of these results? Do they match with your views? From my perspective they're spot on. Organic is all well and good but what's the point in seeking out organic produce if it's travelled miles to get to you? Let us know your thoughts or if you have any suggestions for future polls....

Recommened Reads

2009-08-14T10:54:00.007+01:00

The Ultimate Student Cookbook by Fiona Beckett with Signe Johansen, Guy Millon & James Ramsden Since writing the now infamous Beyond Baked Beans cookbook, Fiona Beckett has become something of a queen of the student cookery scene. The book opened the proverbial can and now has its own website where students can exchange recipes, cooking tips & general hints on budget living. Sounds pretty good whether you’re a student or not. Anyway, six years and many books (several other student cookbooks, our recent favourite the frugal cook, and many more on subjects such as beer and wine) later, Fiona’s back with what has been bravely called The Ultimate Student Cookbook. A bold choice of title indeed. The beauty of the book, though, is that it is just that. It’s formed from a compilation of the best recipes & techniques which have been posted by students on the beyond baked beans website over the six years since it launched and comes complete with helpful hints from 3 of the website’s most prolific posters – Guy, James & Sig. Fiona Beckett’s student cookbooks are known for their un-patronising, straight-talking style – in fact it’s largely this which sets them aside from the others on the market, and which made Beyond Baked Beans such a revelation. The Ultimate Student Cookbook is no exception and, using Sig, Guy & James’ repertoires as a starting point goes off into unchartered student territories such as smoking (food smoking, obviously…), ice cream making & - shock-horror - healthy eating. As a foodie student with reasonable cooking skills, I must admit that the last cookery book I would have ever considered buying was one aimed at students. If there’s anyone out there who thinks the same, then take a look at this as it is something of an exception. It’s not about fairly edible meals which cost 50p and take 3.5 minutes to make, instead it is full of ideas for cooking delicious, varied and interesting meals which happen to be fairly quick, fairly easy and, most importantly, good on a budget. Cleverly, it also comes at a very student-friendly price…. for just Buy online at Amazon for just £7

post your own book reviews and see other people's recommended reads here

STOP PRESS: CherryBake

2009-06-15T17:06:00.004+01:00

STOP PRESS!

Our CherryBake line-up is hotting up.

Ed Baines of Randall & Aubin, Oliver Rowe of Konstam, The Sunday Times' Lucas Hollweg, Sainsbury's Magazine's Sarah Randell & cherry expert Helen Lindsay Clark are now confirmed.

We've had lots of entries but there's still room for more so if you'd like to take part, please sign up online - Sign up for CherryBake now! For more information on our cause, see our special CherryAid microsite. and become an official CherryAider & join our Facebook Group

2009-06-05T10:26:00.004+01:00

CherryAid is back!

We're gearing up for CherryAid 2009 - building on the huge success last year - and you should be doing the same! Over the past 50 years, Britain has lost around 90% of its cherry orchards and now 95% of the cherries sold here are imported - so we really do need your help to save the British Cherry.

There will be cherry-tastic events up and down the country throughout the summer and particularly on National Cherry Day - Saturday 18th July.

Put the date in your diaries now as we'll be spending the CherryAid weekend from Thursday 16th July - Saturday 18th July at London's Borough Market. There'll be fresh cherries, trees & all kinds of special products from raised pies with cherries to cherry fudge.

The highlight of the weekend will be our CherryBake contest on Saturday 18th July. We want you to come along with your masterfully baked cherry dishes (made with English cherries, obviously!) to enter into the competition for the chance to win a Cherry Tree (& all the cherries on it) in Michael Dallway's Kent Orchard. Celebrity Foodies Diana Henry, Ed Baines & Oliver Rowe will be on hand to judge & a winner will be chosen on the day. It could be you....

If you'd like to take part, please sign up online - Sign up for CherryBake now!For more information on our cause, see our special CherryAid microsite.Become a CherryAider & join our Facebook Group

Home-Grown Harvests - It's all over

2009-06-01T16:34:00.002+01:00

We've had enough. As Oscar memorably said - it's a fight to the death and one of us shall have to go. So the rocket, my friends, is going. I shall pick as much as I am physically able without giving myself a disc rupture, give it away to everyone in the office and the neighbours, and then we're.... starting all over again - this time sowing less more often as it were. We are also the proud owners of a nice neat row of celery - what is one to do with so much - and a wigwam of beans. However the beans in the bucket, so happy the other day, are determinedly dying on us and we haven't figured out why. Any clues? Oh and another pearl of wisdom - oh how they do come... Never plant melons in the same grow bag as tomatoes. They will hate it, them, you and then die. However they seem to get on better with courgettes. Go figure...

Henrietta on Radio 4 - The Deighton File

2009-05-21T14:13:00.003+01:00

Make sure you tune in to Radio 4 on Tuesday 26 May at 11.30am for The Deighton File. Patrick Humphries will be talking to Len Deighton about his writing career stretching back to The Ipcress File in 1962. Of course, he wasn't just a writer of spy novels - he was also a food writer of some renown. Amongst the highlights, Henrietta, a complete fan, will be talking about his Action Cook Book.

Home Grown Harvests - the rocket is taking over...

2009-05-21T11:44:00.003+01:00

Aargh - we're being overtaken by rocket. As I mentioned in my last post, it's a straight-edged variety rather than jagged, but - and I'll be posting new pictures soon - the leaves are massive. Truly massive. A small handful easily does enough for two of us as a side salad to whatever we might be having. MCD is threatening to give bags away at the roadside. However it wilts down a treat - which saves on washing up, so we can fit it on the same plate as our main meal. It also doesn't have that sometimes antiseptic taste that supermarket rocket increasingly seems to have. It's not all a raving success though. One of the runner beans seems to have been invaded by black fly and treatment might have come a little too late. But the kale and cavolo nero are fighting back against the odds - the C.V. even looks a little like it should... god knows what we're to do with it all if it all grows well. This weekend we get our next batch of goodies - tomatoes, courgettes and perhaps melons. We're going to have a go at growing them against our sunny wall. I'm not hopeful but - hey - experimentation is all. Tonight's treat - Chicken caesar salad made with lettuce leaves and rocket from the garden - I can finally make a stand against supermarket lettuce!

Home Grown Harvests - it's still hard

2009-05-12T14:22:00.002+01:00

Further to my rant - gosh a little carried away there - on the de-merits of seed packet labelling, we've now planted out our cavolo nero and kale. Well, people, at this early stage, it's hard to tell whether it's disaster or triumph (again). Some of the cavolo are looking a little - well - green around the leaves and have slumped to the soil, overcome at the challenge; some are sturdy upright and going great guns. Others have been decapitated as if by a tiny, discriminating beastie... The kale, widely spaced as we thought they grow so very wide, have taken to it a little better, but now, with all this weather - (eh - so much for May's blissful sunshine), will our little seedlings survive the weekend - gales, rain - it might be too much... On a brighter note, the lettuces are looking fulsome, the rocket is curiously smooth-edged rather than jagged, but tastes like it should and the broad beans are flowering. Should they be - does anyone know? And how do you know when onions are ready? Next time - pictures for the defence.

Home Grown Harvest - The Hard Way

2009-04-24T12:48:00.002+01:00

Well - I don't know if it's a disaster or a triumph. The spinach, as mentioned in my last post, was going great guns on the kitchen windowsill. There's not a huge amount of advice on the back of the packet about when to plant out - in fact it disregards the process entirely - so MCD went for it, and planted out about half of the seedlings into the veg garden. So severely traumatised where they by the experience, they've all fallen over, and he now thinks they might be dying. So i am fiercely protecting the half left in the seed tray - they need to toughen up a little more I think, but at what stage do you plant out - does anyone know? How tall should they be? And further to the seed packets - a little rant. I wanted to grow Cavolo nero - or Tuscan black cabbage as you might know it. Quite distinctive and completely addictive with anchovies or chilli and garlic.... When we were buying our seed packets from the local garden centre, how can you tell if you're buying the right thing when the packet quite clearly shows an image of cavolo nero, but calls it curly kale - something else entirely - and if you haven't got that much space, it does make quite a difference. Who is making these decisions and why - where are they getting the information and is it even worth complaining when they might bamboozle you with a whole load of Latin genus and sub-genus jargon. Here in the office, we're starting to feel the whole world of vegetable naming (think swede/turnip or any of the various lettuces) is starting to become a bit like the world of fish - endlessly confusing with anyone sticking any old name on they fancy, be it right or not... Vis a vis sainsburys and their pollack/colin fiasco. Not that I'm sure anyone has the slightest problem with pollack, but we were under the impression - from holidays in France - that colin is hake - but then the only person to know all this absolutely and lay down the law was Alan Davidson - and he's no longer here. However, on a happier note the basil is coming through, it seems to like the terracotta pots as they're nice and deep, and the afore-mentioned cavolo nero seems to benefit from a little more water than we thought. In the garden, the broad beans are coming up thick and fast and we can start to see the tops of the onions and even a sprinkling of rocket. It's looking good...

Home Grown Harvest - The Hard Way

2009-04-22T11:16:00.003+01:00

The cavolo nero has been planted - and according to the packet, we should leave it in the seed tray till June. But given that in a week - in a week! - it's a couple of inches already, it'll be Day of the Brassica Triffids on the kitchen windowsill by the end of May. Any ideas on whether it can go out a bit sooner...? The spinach and rocket are - ahem - rocketing along - perfect for summer salads. Rocket is particularly good tossed through those Mediterranean bread salads like Panzanella or Fattoush. Don't spoil them by using tasteless tomatoes. Although the little sproutlings won't be ready by this weekend, we'll be having our first BBQ of the year with a similar accompaniment. I also plan to barbecue asparagus - now gloriously in season - until golden and wilted, then with a little lemon juice and shaved Parmesan. Or even some semi-melted potted shrimps for a delicate Spring lunch - why not?. Check out Focus On... Asparagus for details of asparagus events, menus and celebrations around the country. And if any of you have managed to get hold of some wild garlic, I've been snipping it over the first Jersey Royals, sometimes simply boiled or boiled and then lightly smashed with a rolling pin and roasted in hot oil until sticky. An amazing combination...

Home-Grown Harvests - the hard way

2009-04-17T16:39:00.004+01:00

So we've finally got it. A veg plot - almost an allotment if you will - courtesy of my fabulous father who turned up unexpectedly and unannounced a couple of miserable rainy wednesdays ago to build my husband a surprise raised bed for his birthday. Well, i say it was meant to be a surprise - I was working from home and my husband (henceforth MCD) was made redundant not an hour later - so in the end we all built it together - well i supplied bacon and mushrooms sandwiches and coffee, and MCD was allowed towards the end to dig the compost in - but only after the tree trunks had been removed, the 3 feet deep concrete drilled through (that wasn't part of the plan) and 4 or 5 tonnes of soil worked in to our frankly nutritionless mud. All in the pouring rain. And with birthday banners to boot.

But still - it's done and is a thing of joy and beauty. We've got potatoes, broad beans, onions, rocket planted out in serried ranks - with cavolo nero, rocket, runner beans, sorrel and lettuces all straggling through on the kitchen windowsill till they're old enough to look after themselves.

I shall be posting on a regular (hopefully weekly!) basis on how we're doing. We're complete novices - it's my parents with the green up to their elbows (They're in the Yellow Book of Gardens for Goodness' sake - how can we compete?) but we are embracing the grow-your-own zeitgeist with open-armed and unalloyed naive enthusiasm. After all last year we had a stonking crop of tomatoes. But it's hard work - we don't know what we're doing AT ALL - and Alan Titchmarsh is a godsend, but MCD isn't one much for reading, so the theory comes via me - and i'm not the one at home doing it all (Gardening leave need not be a euphemism...).

Any hints, suggestions, even - god forbid - questions, i shall try to answer them or direct you to the lovely Alan at the allotment blog on the observer. He really does know it all. Hopefully in a year's time - so will we.

The Office Snacks

2009-03-18T16:10:00.007Z

From time to time at FoodLovers Britain, we hear about and get samples from businesses which we really love but just can't put onto the site because they're not British. The latest case in point is Conscious Food. Based in India, they make an intriguing range of sweet and savoury 'Power Snacks'.

These pure, unrefined snacks are all wheat, dairy and gluten free, using less common ingredients such as millet, rice, sorghum, nuts and seeds. Their philosophy is to source pure, unrefined and often local ingredients from small organic farms and communities in India. The snacks are then handmade in small 'factories' before being packaged and sold.

The range includes such delicious oddities as walnuts coated in palm mollasses and cocoa powder; coconut nuggets; millet crackers and chewy peanut and mollasses bites and - my personal favourite - sesame chews which are made with black and white ssame seeds and more palm mollasses.

After Kristina Locke discovered these snacks on a trip to India in 2006, they've now been brought to the UK and can be bought from the Conscious Food Website which is great. Apparently there's more to come - and organic flours too....

Try them for yourself and let me know what you think.

ITV1's Taste the Nation

2009-03-17T12:46:00.001Z

So last night saw Henrietta's debut on Taste the Nation as one of the fearsome panel of judges, along with William Sitwell of Waitrose Food Illustrated and Food Writer Richard Johnson. Here at the office we're waiting for Nick Hancock to get into his stride and be funnier and for John Burton-Race to hit his stride and blow his top at someone - anyone...please.... But what did you think? Will you be watching the rest of the series - did it entice you in for more. Will you be looking for another glimpse of Henrietta's incredible cherry lips top? Did you think the scoring complicated - or did it add interest? And most importantly - do you think the judges made the right decision? Tell us what you think. We're dying to hear your feedback and it's got to be more interesting than blogging about minimum prices on booze or chocolate taxes...

We Are The Champions

2009-02-02T17:56:00.003Z

Food Inc's How To Be A Better Foodie quiz at Whitleys shopping centre on Thursday set the scene for FoodLovers Britain's monumental victory and proved once and for all that our foodie knowledge is second-to-none. Not to mention our modesty, of course.

Eventful from the start, the quiz seemed blighted by various unavoidables. Thanks to quiz master Sudi Pigott's shaky and flu ridden voice, her equally shaky understanding of her megaphone, and a group of noisy onlookers, actually hearing the questions was the first hurdle to overcome. In honesty, our rather boisterous team probably didn't help much either.

A mixture of table shuffling, careful listening and can you repeat that's got us through, and anyway the growing risk of pneumonia was slightly more pressing. Although we didn't manage to beat the air conditioning, which had the upper hand throughout, we did manage to remain focused on the job in hand. We named obscure kitchen paraphernalia, we identified restaurants and we solved foodie riddles before being crowned (not literally, unfortunately) the winners.

In retrospect, the quirks of the evening probably made it all the more fun and, volume aside, Sudi was great. May I say, though, that I do hold doubts about the validity of the question "Cassia, Star Anise, Cloves, Fennel and which other ingredient makes up Chinese 5 Spice?".

The recipe varies enormously and actually tends to include more like 6 or 7 spices. My (ever so slightly obsessive) label reading over the last few days has revealed mixtures including Coriander, Ginger, Szechwan Pepper, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Cinnamon and even Dill. Since we won, I'll let it drop but I would be interested to hear what you think. Are some Chinese 5 Spice recipes more authentic than others? which ingredients do you think should be included?

Book Reviews

2009-01-23T16:06:00.004Z

In the FoodLovers Britain offices we get loads of cookbooks sent to us for review (lucky us!) but I still can't get enough (you really never can have too many) so I thought why don't we swap reviews so that we all know which are worth splashing the cash on and which aren't. I'm going to start regularly posting reviews of new books I read as well as some favourites from my personal library here on the blog and you can leave your comments on the books you've read and then together we can build up a review archive to guide our shopping...

Leave your book reviews here in the comments section. There may even be a book or two for some of our favourites...

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

2009-01-22T17:59:00.005Z

I've received an update from Fresh and its seems their Starters are doing well. They're a little worried about the weekend, though, because they're going away and won't be able to feed them. We'll have to see whether their "extra large dinner" tomorrow will sustain them...

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE

2009-01-20T12:40:00.003Z

IT'S READY!

Rejoice one and all! I think it's time. I thought she might have been yesterday but today I am certain - my Starter is ready for the production leaven stage. As you can see from the picture above, she's gone really runny and has bubbles all across her surface. It was quite a sudden change after a quiet weekend.

Before leaving work today I will use 50g of my starter to make my leaven ( as per my recipe )which then needs to ferment/prove for a further 24 hours. Tomorrow evening it will be time to bake my bread! I'll bring my bread into work for my lucky workmates on Thursday and I'll be sure to post a picture so you can all see how it turns out. As impartial judges, I'll let my workmates tell you how it tastes - though I can tell you now that it's bound to be amongst the best they've ever tasted!

No gluten free bread yet...

2009-01-19T16:02:00.004Z

I called it a disaster...others said it was a minor set back, but my first attempt at making my own gluten free bread did not go to plan. Essentially, I didn't do the one thing my Home Economics teacher taught me...read the recipe. I had the correct ingredients, even in the right amounts. However I had not even thought about how long the bread would take to make. Having never even made gluten-ous bread before I was diagnosed, I completely failed to notice that bread needs up to 5 hours to prove in a warm place. And here was my downfall. Time and a warm place. In my memory, I recall my mother baking her own bread and proving it in the airing cupboard. I don't an airing cupboard and started bread making preparations at 5pm on a Sunday. Now, don't laugh, but this is how it went:

I left my scales at the office from when we created the sourdough starter.
I bought some new scales (for their bigger capacity, honest) but they were rubbish, barely registering ingredients as I lobbed them in.
I made my production dough and left it on the radiator to do its thing. But the heating was barely on.
Reading further into the recipe, I read how the bread needed to prove for up to 5 hours in a warm place. This was at 6.30pm and I had just made the production dough which needed up to 3 hours.
So, I decided to honour all bakers and rise with them at 5.30am to bake the bread I had started. (Actually I hate waste and was determined to have bread for breakfast).
I mixed the dough at 11.30pm and took it to bed with me (not literally - but its the warmest room at night) to prove.
I woke up at 5.30am to find that my dough had not risen an inch.
I went back to bed.
I dreamt of toast.

But, this was always going to be a learning process, and in typical Kim cooks fashion was winging it at the last minute. Next weekend, I will start in the morning - now that I know how long the total process takes and use my trusty scales now safely back home. What I will say is that it was incredibly easy to make and fitted nicely into the loaf tin. Now I just need to find a warm place... Watch out for my more successful recipe next week. Do you have any foolproof (or Kimproof) bread recipes?

The gluten free sourdough starter recipe

2009-01-16T16:13:00.006Z

For those of you who would like to follow in my gluten free footsteps, here is the recipe I have been following, slightly amended from Bread Matters book:

Day 1

Mix 30g brown rice flour with 40g body temperature water in a plastic tub and cover with a tea towel or polythene bag in a warm room.

Day 2

Add another 30g brown rice flour and 40g water to the starter from day 1 and mix well. Cover and leave in the same place.

Day 3

Mix in another batch of the 30g rice flour and 40g water to the now 14og of starter. The mixture should be rising like a dough with bubbles and a yeasty aroma. Stir well and cover for another day.

Day 4

Add 45g brown rice flour and 50g water to the starter, and after 24hours you should have a sourdough to get baking with.

This is where I had problems...I ran out of brown rice flour. To compensate for this, I have repeated day 3 and will do day 4 on day 5 at home where the rice flour is, then get baking!

Gluten Free Sourdough Challenge - Day 3 and 4

2009-01-16T15:31:00.016Z

Initially, it looked like nothing much was happening beneath the tea towl. It smelt slightly more yeasty, but there didn't appear to be much visible difference in how my gluten free sourdough looked. Until I looked at the pictures of the past 3 days...

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

As you can see, it has developed from a white grainy paste, to a slightly yellow, moussey mound that has developed some bubbles and a rather acidic aroma. I often get wafts of yeasty smells as I am working at my desk through the tea towl. Nearly the weekend...what shall I have on my toast?

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 5

2009-01-16T15:27:00.004Z

Not much change today and my Starter seems a little less bubbly than before, especially after he next feeding. I'm a little worried about her but hoping it's all part of the process. There are still a few bubbles and a definite yeasty smell though, so fingers crossed... It's still not too late to take part. Look at my recipe and go ahead. Then send me your pictures and I'll make you a post so you can comment on your progress

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

2009-01-16T12:10:00.014Z

There have been some interesting developments in the Fresh magazine office today. I'll let Henrietta Clancy and Felicity Cloake tell you about their Starters' progress...

Henrietta: Well, mine’s doing exceptionally well – bubbling away happily, smelling encouragingly yeasty......I’ll leave Felicity to tell you about aromas emanating from her glass jar this morning...

Felicity: I came in this morning, and mine, which was right next to Hen’s, had progressed from a slightly odd Brie-aroma to full-on vomit. Which I sense, after smelling Hen’s, is not the idea. I know I should have taken a picture, but I was so upset with it that I tipped it straight into the kitchen bin before anyone could complain about the smell. I am going to start a new one tomorrow morning at home, so I can nurture it through the difficult first days, and then bring it into work on Monday.

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 4

2009-01-16T11:17:00.004Z

Yesterday was Sourdough Day 4 and time for another feeding. There hadn't really been much change with my Starter overnight (slightly disappointingly) but she's still very bubbly and even more pungent smelling. I guess I'll just have to be patient - shame it's not my strongest virtue.

I had to be a little creative when taking half of the mixture out to replace with new flour and water. I'd forgotten a wooden spoon and all we had in the office was metal, which can apparently be reactive. My makeshift scoop from a business card holder was ingenious, though - even if I do say so myself.

There wasn't much Hooch - but a little fluid had gathered around the sides of my Starter. You can see a bit of it in the picture above which separated out from the mixture I scooped out.

Roll on day 5...

It's still not too late to take part. Look at my recipe and go ahead. Then send me your pictures and I'll make you a post so you can comment on your progress

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

2009-01-15T16:39:00.007Z

I think my Sister and Co. are having a bit of a joke with their inventive use of props, but the froth on their starter is still pretty impressive for Day 3. All the Hooch they had which they stirred back in yesterday seems to have gone.

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 3

2009-01-15T11:32:00.008Z

Yesterday was Day 3 of my Sourdough Challenge and look how bubbley she was! My worries about the office being too cold overnight were clearly unfounded. Her reward was a good feeding. As per my recipe, I took out half the mixture and rreplaced it with new flour and water. I don't think the quantities need to be that exact but since I used 100g each of flour and water, I added 50g of each this time. After stirring this in, she became runny and smoothe but soon began to puff up again - you can really tell something's happening! The other thing to mention is the smell. My Starter's getting whiffier by the day- though not in a particularly bad way. It's just like a strong, sour-doughy, bready smell with overtones of yeastiness and beer. There's still no Hooch.

It's still not too late to take part. Look at my recipe and go ahead. Then send me your pictures and I'll make you a post so you can comment on your progress

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

2009-01-14T15:03:00.012Z

Last night:

This Morning:

My Sister and co back at home are taking part in the Sourdough Challenge - probably just to stop me going on about it - and I've just got sent some pictures of how they're getting on and I must admit I'm a little irritated that they've got Hooch and I haven't!

You can read about Hooch on my recipe, but it's basically a liquid bi product of the fermentation process which looks, smells and is very like beer - and you can see it clearly in the photo here. It's nothing that's necessary to the process and why some get it and others don't is a bit of a mystery but to have it after just one night is pretty remarkable!

We'll have to see how they get on! You can see their comments below...

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 2

2009-01-14T12:24:00.006Z

Yesterday was Day 2 of my Sourdough Challenge and having left my Starter alone for the first night I was naturally anxious to see how she'd got on. Well is the answer. As you can just about make out from the photo, there are definite signs of bubbles. All that had to be done was stir my Starter, which made her a lot runnier. As the day progressed, though she soon became thick again with more bubbles.

Today is her first feeding - I will remove half of the mixture and replace with new flour and water - I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow....

It's still not too late to take part. Look at my recipe and go ahead. Then send me your pictures and I'll make you a post so you can comment on your progress

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

2009-01-14T11:51:00.005Z

The FRESH Sourdough - Day 1

My friends Felicity Cloake and Henrietta Clancy at Fresh Magazine are joining in the Sourdough challenge and making their own Starters. Apparently "hoodwinked by the deceptive simplicity of my original recipe", they have used plain white flour to make their Starters and put them in glass jars. There is no reason why this shouldn't work, though - and they have left their jars open in order to avoid explosions as I warned about in yesterday's post.

Day two of gluten free sourdough

2009-01-14T10:05:00.005Z

My office pet

My new office pet - a gluten free sourdough starter - had it's second feed yesterday on day 2 of our sourdough challenge. Strangely, on the way into work I got quite excited about feeding him and arriving into work added another 30g of rice flour and 40g of room temperature water.

GF Sourdough - Day 2

Ben's post made me think to tell you that I have used an organic, brown rice flour from Wholefoods essentially because I already had some at home, but the organic ones are meant to have more of the naturally occurring wild yeasts. So, it's already looking more viscous and smells really yeasty - some say it also smells of rice, go figure! Apparently, tomorrow it may even start bubbling, but I am thinking I may take it home overnight to prevent the drop in temperature in the office from slowing my baby down.

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 1

2009-01-13T09:27:00.006Z

Yesterday was Day 1 of my Sourdough Challenge and time to start growing my Starter. As per my recipe, all that needed to be done was mix equal quantities of flour and water together (I used 100g of each). Time and the natural yeasts in the air around us will, apparently, do the rest.

I used a standard 2 litre water bottle with the top cut off to make my starter in - hopefully it should be big enough to cope with my Starter's (fingers crossed) imminent expansion. I've been hearing all sorts of stories of exploding jars (don't use a glass container!) and messy radiators!

Obviously, chosing the flour to use was a big decision. I changed my mind between rye and wheat several times but eventually settled for rye - which is the most traditional for Sourdough and apparently a little more reliable. I used wholemeal organic flour since this has more of the natural yeasts and proteins in it which will help feed my Starter.

I'd love to hear your comments or if you're a sourdough veteran who has any tips .

And it's not too late to join in and start growing your very own Starter. Follow my recipe (or try your own if you prefer) and let me know how you get on. If you email me photos of your Starter, I can create you your own post which you can leave daily comments on charting your Starter's progress. If you email them to me, I can add daily photo updates, too since you can't post them in the comments directly.

I look forward to hearing from you - and that's a challenge!

Day one of gluten free sourdough

2009-01-12T21:10:00.007Z

Based on the recipe from Andrew Whitely, I have started my own sourdough as part of the sourdough challenge. It only takes 4 days to create this natural leven and then I can get baking. Day 1: Mix 30g of brown rice flour with 40g of water (at just warmer than body temperature) in a large pastic container and cover with a polythene bag or clean tea towl.

Leave the mixture in a warm room - mine was left in our lovely warm office. Peeking at it on my desk during the day, it quickly began to smell of yeasty bread - evidence of the natural yeasts abundant in the brown rice flour. It quickly became more viscous, like thick double cream and tomorrow, I'll be adding more rice and water to it... Home made gluten free bread here we come!

Kim's gluten free rice sourdough challenge

2009-01-12T10:15:00.007Z

We're quite a foodie little team here at FoodLovers and when Ben decided to run a sourdough challenge on the blog, making his own starter from scratch running in conjunction with Our Daily Bread, I thought I should represent my own. I love bread. Who doesn't love the smell of freshly baked bread, or the mouth watering aroma of bread toasting...? But you see I can't eat it. I have Coeliac Disease. However this doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate real bread as I used to before I was diagnosed.

In keeping with the foodie experiments in the office, I too am taking up a sourdough challenge - just this one happens to be gluten free. In all honesty, I haven't even tried many of the ready made gluten free breads as they are dry, laced with additives to make it like "real bread" and deliver none of the satisfaction of simple well made bread - such as loaves from Born & Bread. So now I am attempting to make my own - truly from scratch - starting with the brown rice sourdough as per the recipe in Bread Matters by Andrew Whitely which uses brown rice flour, rich in wild yeasts as the natural leven for my gluten free bread. Like Ben, I will post the activity of the sourdough each day complete with pictures and observations, finishing with my first, home baked gluten free Potato and Quinoa Bread. I am quite excited about the prospect of eating amazing gluten free bread...have you ever had such a thing?

Masterchef: Gregg Wallace's Spoonfuls Go Large

2009-01-10T16:53:00.004Z

Has anyone been watching the new series of Mastercef? In the FoodLovers' office, it's been a big topic of conversation. As far as I'm concerned, though, there's 2 things which I feel the need to comment on.

The first is Gregg Wallace's tasting of the dishes the contestants make. Do you think there's some backstage rule that he and John Torode are allowed only one mouthful of every dish? Gregg has become something of a master at piling a spoon so high with food (particularly puddings) that it wobbles under the weight - rather like himself. In fact, he should probably contact Guiness about setting a world record...

The second point which has dominated my viewing experience is one of annoyance. Sad though it may be, I like to play along with the show when watching and,during the first, so-called 'invention' round, think what I would make with the ingredients given. Yet time after time the irritating voiceover woman (who I, perhaps unfairly, hold responsible) fails to give a full list of ingredients. "Mint, lamb, chilli, avocado and yoghurt", she will say and only when I have nearly finished mentally creating my dish of chilli rubbed lamb chops with a mint raita will I see one of the contestants peeling a mango and realise that I could actually have made a slightly more interesting avocado, mango and mint salad to accompany the chops. My dish is ruined!

Does anyone else do the same - or is it just me? What are your views on the latest series? And what would you cook in the final round? I'd love to hear your thoughts. If enough people feel the same about the voice-over, perhaps we should form some kind of petition...

2009 Predictions

2009-01-08T13:14:00.004Z

Hi everyone - Happy New year. I've just been looking through the latest batch of foodie mags and press releases and they all seem to be making predictions for the year ahead. All well and good - but be a bit bold, people! According to Olive magazine, cooking from scratch is going to be big. And people are going to be more environmentally friendly and more into local food and provenance. Is it just me or were all these mentioned last year, and the year before? And as for predictions that we're all going to be more more price conscious by shopping around for the best deal and using cheaper cuts of meat, isn't that a bit of a credit-crunch no-brainer? Still, I would question Olive's prediction that we as a public will turn our nose up at champagne in favour of cheaper sparkling wines and Metro's suggestion that we'll abandon high-end restaurants for cheaper alternatives. For special ocassions, I'm sure both will still be wanted. The prediction that trattorias, cafes, bistros and other less-formal restaurants will be big is a little more worthwhile but, with meze, tapas and antipaste bars already popular and growing in number, it's still a bit of a cop out. I'd be interested to see if any of you have any proper predictions. What will be the big new superfood? The latest top cuisine? What will the big name chefs be doing - who'll be going up and who'll be going down? My main prediction is probably more of a wish - that Teff flour (an ancient form of wheat used to make Ethiopian Injeera bread) becomes readily available - it could also be a bit of a superfood given its high protein content. Maybe it will be the next Spelt or Kamut! In the meantime, if anyone knows where I could get some Teff flour, please let me know!!

Happy Food Loving New Year!

2009-01-07T16:23:00.004Z

First of all I want to wish all Food Lovers a happy and delicious 2009. According to the press, its going to be a year of cooking and eating at home. I have to admit, for New Years Eve we treated ourselves to supper at Le Cafe Anglais in the anticipation of cutting back on eating out in the new year - so maybe I am just like everyone else. The other trend being reported is the down turn in organic food sales... I am a dedicated subscriber to my muddy, just picked organic veg box - and will be turning to my new season savoy cabbage tonight instead of meeting with my partner for an impromptu dinner on the way home from work.

If you are one of the reported foodies cutting back on the eating out - spend a little of that saving supporting our farmers in these tough times and make your suppers all the more interesting. What else would Food Lovers spend their money on...?

2008-12-18T19:08:00.006Z

SOURDOUGH FROM SCRATCH

MAKE YOUR OWN SOURDOUGH STARTER

Starting on the 12th January 2009 to tie in with FoodLoversBritain.com ’s Our Daily Bread Little Green Book feature, I’ll be making my very own sourdough loaf from scratch using just two ingredients – flour and water. Nothing else except possibly a sprinkling of salt. No yeast and absolutely no Mono and Di Acetyltartaric Esters of anything. First I’ve got to start my own sourdough starter (excuse the pun!), which I’ll ‘grow’ over a period of weeks using only the natural yeasts to be found in the air around us – and I’ll record my progress daily here on the FoodLovers blog. Join me. Start making your own bread with your very own starter – and post pictures on the blog tracking your progress. My posts will guide you day by day through the process. So be sure to come back then for the first installment and the details of what you need in order to get started yourself…

Your New Year Resolutions

2008-12-02T11:16:00.003Z

We want to hear about your New Year foodie resolutions for 2009. How are you going to be starting the New Year? Are you going to be green(-er)- and how? Are you planning to be a committed Locavore...? We've got a few ideas already, which we'll be publishing for the New Year to inspire you, but we want to hear yours...

Credit Crunch Cook

2008-11-13T12:44:00.003Z

I’ve just come across some recent sales figures released by online supermarket Ocado and they’re so encouraging that I felt I had to share them. The year-on-year figures for 2007-2008 tell a very interesting story about how the credit crunch is affecting people’s shopping, cooking and eating habits. With an increase in sales of basic cooking ingredients, it seems that the credit crunch may finally have shown its silver lining as people move back into the kitchen and start to cook in order to save money. It seems that, whatever their budget, everyone is feeling their purse strings tighten – and it’s putting them more in touch with what they’re eating as a result. Sales of ‘from-scratch’ style ingredients such as flour and onions are up 15% across-the-board suggesting that those who would buy pre-prepared products are starting to make their own. Cheap, convenient and versatile; it’s not surprising that sales of tinned tomatoes have shot up but the increase of 129% that Ocado are reporting is still impressive. The news that sales of premium meat cuts have also seen a surge in sales is harder to understand. It seems, though, that people are realising that buying and cooking luxury, high-end ingredients can still end up much cheaper than going out. Steaks are the biggest risers, with sirloin up by 50%, whilst veal escallops have gained an impressive 30%. A 15% increase in customers paying £10-15 per bottle of wine shows that these premium products are being washed down by some premium plonk whilst similar increases in sales of luxury ice-creams and desserts suggest that people are bringing the restaurant to them and creating a dining-out at home experience which is high on extravagance and lower on expense. As a real advocate of home-cooking, I find this downturn in ready-meal sales and increase in the ingredients to make them from scratch very encouraging. It is particularly uplifting to see something so positive come out of something as negative as the current financial climate. Sympathy must be had for struggling restaurants, though. They may well turn out to be one of the credit crunch’s worst victims. On the bright side, though, perhaps an increased fight for profit could lead to more creative cooking. Many restaurants still rely too heavily on expensive ingredients as a sign of luxury. Cooked right, liver can be just as indulgent as lobster at a fraction of the price...

Recipe Nightmares - Ramsay Has A Spring In His Step

2008-11-03T09:30:00.002Z

Gordon Ramsay’s Cookalong Live is getting into its stride and seems to be proving very popular. People aren’t just watching, either. Sales of ingredients for his recipes have been through-the-roof, with many supermarkets selling out. Such is the demand that Ocado have even set-up a special Gordon Ramsay aisle on their website so that shoppers can buy all the week’s ingredients together. With the apparent intention of getting those who wouldn’t normally cook into the kitchen – something which seems to be rather fashionable at the moment – the programme would appear to be achieving good results. Gordon’s book sales probably aren’t doing badly, either. Cynicism aside, though, the premise is a good one – showing just how quick and easy cooking can be. As long as you don’t mind a little light-hearted verbal abuse, it might even prove to be fun. As for the recipes – what on earth is Gordon thinking? Seasonality clearly isn’t a concern, and even in these credit-crunch days, budget certainly isn’t of upmost importance either – regardless of what the show’s publicity states. Though you wouldn’t know it from their originality (or lack of it), Gordon must have been working on the recipes for a while. About six months, in fact. Surely that would be the only explanation for such unseasonal, spring-themed menus. Week one’s late autumn menu started with warm goat’s cheese salad with an apple and walnut vinaigrette. Salmon encroute with herbed new potatoes and garlic sautéed broccoli followed, and then caramelised rhubarb and ginger crumble with clotted cream finished it all off. As if goat’s cheese wasn’t springy enough, not to mention pricey, just try buying rhubarb in October. The big supermarkets will be your only chance and its unseasonality will mean it has a premium price. It may not even be British and is unlikely to be of particularly good quality. It’s a similar story for New Potatoes. They’ll be available alright, but will have travelled half way around the world to get there. Expensive ingredients. Check. Unseasonal produce. Check. Uninspiring menu. Check. If possible, Friday’s second menu was even worse. Gordon did find a way to make some slightly less boring dishes, though – just give them a pretentious foreign name. First up was minted pea and watercress veloute (come on, it’s soup!). That will be frozen peas and foreign watercress, then. Considering the show was broadcast on Halloween, would pumpkin not have been a more obvious choice? The main course was lasagne al forno (as if lasagne can ever not be al forno!). A baked pasta dish seems a strange choice for such a fast-paced menu – at least it’s slightly more appropriate for the time of year, though. Lemon and lime syllabub (you fool!) rounded things off in an appropriately summery way. A mixture of double cream, sugar, ginger biscuits and the lemon and lime; health clearly wasn’t high on the agenda either. And as for grating a ginger biscuit – Gordon blimey! Week three’s menu still isn’t out yet – rather inconvenient if you were planning to buy the ingredients with your weekly shop – so who knows what’s in store. It must be coming up to summer now, though, so expect strawberry tarts and gazpacho. There may even be time for asparagus yet... What do you think of Gordon’s menus? Have you cooked along? Let us know what you think. Alternatively, maybe you could suggest some more appropriate recipes, or try and predict what will be coming in the future.

Has Gordon gone off the boil...?

2008-09-04T16:01:00.003+01:00

There was a curious absence at Monday night's London Restaurant Awards - one Gordon Ramsay in fact. Almost completely absent from shortlists and winners (most of whom, it might be noted, are decidedly at the leaner end of the pricing spectrum), apart from the notably independent Jason Atherton of Maze, who won Outstanding London chef of the year. Indeed, one could almost see the decided two-fingers at the Ramsay empire when Marcus Wareing (!!!) was invited to present an award. So what to make of this...? Is it true that Big Sweary Gordon has gone off the boil? Has he spread himself too thinly in his slightly desperate search for world omnipotence? We - the restaurant-going public - are a fickle playmate. One moment we long to spend, spend, spend on over-done food in ostentatious surroundings with wine's rarer than unicorn blood; the next we're all about the local neighbourhood gem, with its carafes of 'drinkable' table wine and its 'genuine' atmosphere. Gordon - perhaps to his credit - hasn't played along. If you're dining chez Ramsay, be prepared to spend the bucks. He's unashamedly top-end and determinedly staying so. But, is the exclusivity and luxury of the Ramsay experience diluted by the fact he clearly isn't in the kitchen any more? His New York outpost fared less than well, his TV series rumoured to be nothing more than insinuating editing... and that's part of it. The man sold out - the kitchen god revealed his decidedly clay feet, when he switched to TV. You could argue that these days, in our celebrity-driven culture, you need to milk it, and milk it hard, before you fall back down the ladder again. But also arguably there will always be a space for good food, honestly cooked. How honest is it when the chef above the door isn't in the kitchen? What do you think - Kitchen god or TVslave? Has Gordon's need for ubiquity meant the slow disintegration of a world-wide empire (echoes of the Romans, no?)?

Storage tips a plenty

2008-07-14T17:12:00.004+01:00

I know we've already mentioned The Love Food Hate Waste campaign but everytime I revisit their website I'm so impressed by the information they have on offer. In particular, today I've been looking at their top tips and storage ideas. They're brilliant - especially if like me you go away a lot at weekends and don't like to chuck what's left in your fridge on your return. Tonight I think I will be reviving a loaf of bread.... "To freshen up a day old loaf, hold it very briefly under a running cold tap. Give it a good shake and pop in a hot oven for about 10 minutes; it will be as soft and crusty as freshly baked bread. "

Chicken rich in omega 3?

2008-07-09T16:14:00.008+01:00

Last night I finally managed to get a Hugh fix by catching up on all the River Cottage Spring programmes - a little behind I know but with the weather as it is at the moment, it was a lovely warm reminder of what summer should be like. As always, chicken featured prominently in the show, and just as I was about to whizz through it thinking "yes yes I know about the free range chickens" (and I buy them too) - I paused as he was investigating the nutritional content of a range of birds.

The Professor conducting the experiment was looking in particular at the omega 3 and overall fat content of battery chicken, versus corn fed chicken, versus free range organic. What I hadn't known was that chicken used to be naturally rich omega 3, before they were intensively reared and levels of omega 3 fell by 80%. Apparently, its the exercise that comes from scatching about in the grass for bugs and eating them that builds the good fat reserves, so was interested to see the outcome. Surprise, surprise free range organic came out with the highest amount of omega 3 - would HFW ever present something less competlling - but also much lower in total fat (about 25% I think). So not only is choosing free range chicken good for your conscience, but it is also good for your health!

Let Them Eat Chicken

2008-07-08T11:50:00.003+01:00

We're posting this recipe in support of Let Them Eat Chicken, raising awareness of the broiler chicken industry. For more information go to Let Them Eat Chicken. This delicate summer chicken recipe is a favourite from Henrietta Green. The lettuce sauce may sound a bit strange but it's perfect for using bolted lettuce. Serves 4 8-12 chicken portions - wings, breast, thighs or drumsticks (whichever you prefer) or 1 chicken, cut into joints For the Marinade 5 tbsp olive oil juice of 1 lemon bunch of fresh chervil, chopped sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For the Lettuce Sauce 50g/2oz unsalted butter 1 small bunch spring onions, finely chopped 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped 1 Cos or Butterhead lettuce, finely chopped 3 tbsp dry white wine 2 tbsp crème fraiche Method Slash the skin of the chicken joints and put them in a suitable bowl for marinading. Mix the olive oil together with the lemon juice and half of the chervil, season and pour over the chicken. Leave to stand for a couple of hours. To cook the chicken, remove from the marinade and grill the chicken either on a pre-heated grill pan, under a preheated grill or, if the weather holds, on the barbecue. Grill until cooked through, turning occasionally and basting with the marinade. Meanwhile to make the sauce, melt the butter over a low heat and add the spring onions, chilli and cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Add the lettuce and stir until coated in butter. Pour in the white wine, cover and simmer gently for about 5-7 minutes or until the lettuce has thoroughly collapsed. Whiz the sauce in a food processor until smooth. With the machine still running, add the remaining chervil and the crème fraiche. Season and serve with the chicken.

Jersey - land of flowing cream and cider brandy

2008-07-07T14:56:00.005+01:00

Just back from Jersey with news of my latest FoodFinds. Naturally the seafood is out of this world: lobster, Chancre crab, gambas the size of my feet.... (although being allergic to too-large prawns and lobster meant I could but drool as my husband tucked in). But who knew of Jersey wine from La Mare vineyard - dry, crisp and great with oysters, or their Jersey apple brandy, distilled from their own-made cider, or their 'black butter' made from their own - and local - apples, crushed with a little liquorice and cider to make a blackish-preserve that will make a fabulous marinade for pork...?

Community Supported Agriculture - nice idea

2008-06-25T15:43:00.004+01:00

As a supporter of farmers markets, farm shops, pick your own, I love sourcing my ingredients from the farmers, growers and creators of great local food. Whilst devouring the biography of Alice Waters, famed chef (although she never calls herself that) and restaurateur I read about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes. These are where local people invest in their local farm in some way in return for a share of the harvest. This gives the farmer a guaranteed income for produce, and reconnects the customer with the land, whilst giving the opportunity of some input into what is grown how. I totally love this idea - particular as you would learn so much about animal husbandry, growing and running a farm whilst supporting the local economy. So I was thrilled just now to read that the Soil Association is running a project to develop and fund CSA's and organic buying groups. Where do I sign up???? Does this appeal to you....the chance to really know where your food comes from or is a little too close to home? Personally, I can't wait... although I imagine London will not be the most logical place for them to start!

Grocery shopping in these hard times

2008-06-18T13:56:00.004+01:00

Ok - let's make one thing clear. No matter how hard the credit crunch bites, no matter what else has to go, I will never, ever - ever - cut back on food and wine. What else is left to us? Now - as may be clearly evident - we're all about the local shopping, the farmers markets, the small producers, but sometimes, just sometimes, it's really hard to avoid the supermarket - especially when you've been away for the weekend and missed the market, there's barely anything in the freezer, and before you know it, you're in sainburys (there are other supermarkets out for our money out there too) stocking up on a week's worth of veg, meat and other 'essentials'. Get to the checkout and suddenly you've spent £40 or £50 on a week's shopping. And somewhow you're still ordering pizza on Friday night. Well the penny has finally dropped. Hallelujah. On Tuesday, after a weekend at the BBC Good Food Show, and with a weekend away again coming up, I droppped by Portobello Road. I'm now forced to give you my entire shopping list, because my jaw still drops in disbelief at the converse ratio of produce/cost as opposed to the supermarket shop. I went to Kingsland Butchers and bought 2 huge free-range organic chicken legs and 2 good size Welsh salt-marsh lamb chump chops - total just over £9. I went to my personal favourite market stall and bought 1 head of chicory 1 aubergine 1 big bag of tiny plum tomatoes 1 head of english lettuce 2 bunches of spinach 4 small courgettes 2 onions 2 lemons Total just under £7. I then dropped by the fishmongers on Golborne Road and bought 2 very large tuna steaks and a bag of samphire (superfluous but it is lovely) for another £9. So a shopping total, with more veg than we can eat before next week, of £25. I bought British-labelled where i could and chose only the perkiest fruit and veg. See I knew all this - I love my farmers market, I hate the fact there are no independent shops where i live (Crystal Palace - Croydon Council take note), but only now have i really grasped that financial difference. And it's quite a big one.

Demijohn aka heaven in a bottle!

2008-06-17T15:33:00.002+01:00

Whilst manning our FoodLovers stand at the BBC Good Food Summer Show I came across what I am now referring to as heaven in a bottle... Demijohn. Launched a couple of years ago by Angus and his family, Demijohn as they refer to it is "the liquid deli where you can taste the origin". True to their word, you really can taste the origin and they encourage you to as well - brilliant! After sampling the range Angus and his trusty assistant Amelia brought to the show, which included a wonderfully fruity Bramble Scotch Whisky (made in East Lothian), a refreshing Rhubarb Vodka (who knew vodka could be this way) and Tipsage Seville Orange Gin (the fact that I hate Gin but loved this must say something) I eagerly purchased two 100ml bottles. What makes Angus' business so special is the fact that you can select which size bottle you want and personlise it with your own message to the recipient (or yourself if it's a moment of blissful indulgence). Demijohn is located in both Glasgow and Edinburgh but you can order online. What's more, they actively promote recycling and invite you or anyone who owns a Demijohn bottle to return and have it refilled for the cost of the refill only.

So if you are looking for a present to mark a special day this really is the gift a la mode!

The perfect brownie...

2008-06-10T12:00:00.003+01:00

After a bit of a rubbish day yesterday, my better half came and met me after work to take me for a cup of tea and a cuddle.

We headed to Westbourne Grove and stumbled upon Ottolenghi

J will tell you how long I can take on deciding where to have a bite to eat – but I was immediately taken by the stacks and stacks of cakes in the window and made an instant decision that I wanted to try every one of them.

I ummed and aaahed for an age about which cake to try. J very generously gave in and said I could buy two cakes. It still didn’t help the decision but in the end I settled on a chocolate brownie and coffee and walnut cake. J selected a large chunk of pear tart and we perched outside in the sunshine to enjoy our treats.

I have long been on the look out for my ideal brownie. The one from the Tate Modern came close, but that didn’t have nuts and was very rich. Others I’ve tried have been over cooked or just simply boring.

But this brownie was the most amazing brownie I have ever eaten. I mused that it must have just been shown the oven and put on the stand – it was so gooey and fudgey. It wasn’t cloying and it definitely wasn’t sickly – I could have eaten two or three.

The pear tart was a little dry on the outside for me, but full of flavour and the coffee cake, which I devoured after supper, was beautifully moist and had the perfect balance of cake to icing.

So while my hunt for my perfect brownie is now over, I still have a multitude of sinful treats to try at Ottolenghi.

FarmShops - the beginnings of support?

2008-06-10T07:25:00.001+01:00

By the way, I have my first recruit for FoodLoversBritain.com farm shop what should they sell tirade - who knows if it gets more support, we could start a campaign? Anyway last night a friend was sounding off at his farm shop in Somerset - it's been done up, looks great, very smart but is stocked with foods from all over the world - nothing local - and still persists in calling itself a farm shop as it's on the farm........any more examples?

Hake with Onion, Fennel and Tomatoes

2008-06-10T07:08:00.001+01:00

Last night, the weather was perfect for a quiet supper in the garden. I cooked hake - an over-looked fish but in my farmers market - and here's how. It's the sort of cooking I like - low maintenance - it doesn't mean the cooking's quick, just the amount of time preparing - then you can leave it to get on by itself. I sliced one large onion and crushed a few (probably about 4-5) garlic cloves and softened them in olive oil. Then I added a couple of thinly sliced potatoes (it would have been better if they'd been waxier), a similarly cut fennel bulb and about 6 quartered tomoates, pour over a glug of white wine and left the whole thing to simmer for about 30 minutes, then I added a couple of hefty hake steaks (well seasoned with sea salt) sprinkled a genenrous handful of finely chopped parsley (the english curly kind, it's more gutsy) and left it to soft. After about 10-ish minutes, it was done and all that was need was a green salad. I gather the weather is holding today but I'm out tonight - at Quo Vadis, I hope. I'll let you know about that - meanwhile any other simple supper recipes in the low maintenance mode? I'd like to hear............

Is it time to call time on main courses..?

2008-06-06T14:41:00.001+01:00

Yet another extraordinary FoodScoop... Apparently, the end of the main course/the a la carte menu is nigh. Heston Blumenthal is withdrawing his a la carte menu. No longer do we have the attention span, the time, the money to spend on that essential middle course - no, we'd much rather graze our way through a tasting menu or - horror - just have a starter and a dessert. Who are these tapas fascists? Naturally there's precedent. Is there barely a restaurant left, in London certainly, without a grazing/tasting menu option? Is anyone else bored to fork-stabbing death of having to share their hard-won food? Does everyone really want to go home hungry? It doesn't help i'm not a pudding-lover (the idea of a meal without a main course makes me actually want to cry). But do we really lack the concentration, the desire to revel in the sheer unbridled indulgent deliciousness of a three-course meal, perhaps book-ended with canapes and cheese, or even a light savoury, these days. I feel the argument might be won by a look at Jason Atherton of Maze: one day the uber chef of the grazing menu; the next he has just opened his Maze grill - a paean to the bloody delights of a really good steak main course. Surely he would disagree. I have a distinct feeling we are doing ourselves out of the restaurant experience... i am somewhat discombobulated.

Do we need a Kitchen Revolution...?

2008-06-04T15:52:00.001+01:00

The new buzz around town seems to be The Kitchen Revolution, published by Ebury soon. It claims that you can save money, reduce your food miles and basically rescue your slightly tarnished halo by learning to live with leftovers. The basic premise is it gives you a menu plan that starts with your big Sunday roast, then gives you menus to follow throughout the week to use up the leftovers, interspersed with the odd seasonal recipe, a bit of (no doubt well-stocked) larder raiding and bulk-cooking. Sorry, but does any of this sound terribly familiar? Haven't people been banging on on this theme for some time now and isn't it what might be known as 'common sense'? And have we really become so far removed from our kitchens that no-one even has leftovers any more.. (ready meals don't leave a lot, i grant you, but are we really just throwing that food away - it seems so). I suspect that, for a lot of people who only buy neat and tidy chicken breasts, lamb chops, pork fillet, etc, the idea of using leftovers from the shoulder of pork might send them into a flat spin, but have we really forgotten how to make bubble and squeak, soup, hash, sandwiches, for God's sake? (I'm quite cross now - people are happy to rant food prices are climbing, but apparently they can't quite see their way clear to reducing their own food waste). Anyway, if you have any great leftover ideas, not only for all those people out there who are au fait with frying up leftover roast potatoes, but for those who do need a kick-start, let me know. I, for one, love Elizabeth David's favourite recipe for leftover roast lamb with rice - Suleiman's Special, I think - but I always struggle with roast pork.

Farm Shops -what should they sell

2008-06-04T07:34:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I received an interesting piece of research from Speciality Food Magazine's news alert. Farm shops - according to the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society - are growing at 15 to 20% over the past year, the fastest rise of all sectors. Now I suspected this to be true if for no other reason than farm shops are one of the highly searched for terms on my website http://www.foodloversbritain.com/ and of course I'm jolly pleased. But it does raise the question - What is a farm shop? Is it just a shop on a farm (in other words it could be anywhere) or must it offer some connection to the land and sell produce from that farm? Sometimes when I visit a farm shop it has nothing to do with where it is, it could be anywhere - in fact no difference from a corner shop, it just happens to be on a farm. This I think isnt on - our expectations are that a farm shop should offer own produce, then some local and some from the area - otherwise why bother. What do you think? Is it important? And when you come across these farm shops do they put you off the real thing?

Honey......as sweet as.......

2008-06-02T17:06:00.001+01:00

Just reeling from a honey tasting courtesy of Rowse Honey. I have, literally, gone into sugar overload but in spite of that, it was an interesting experience. I learnt two things in particular that I want to "share". One that honey is a mixture of fructose and glucose and the more glucose a honey contains, the more likely it is to crystallise (i.e. set). Secondly that as bees travel a certain distance - some say a radius of two, others up to six miles from the hive - I thought it it was where the hive was placed that determined what the honey was called. So if it's put in an orchard, it's a blossom honey; in other words a bit of hit-and-miss guesswork but, apparently not so. Pollen has a different shape according to the fruit or flower or crop it comes from and it shows under a microscope - so you can actually tell scientificially. Interesting huh.......

Pick Your Own

2008-06-02T16:13:00.000+01:00

This weekend I spent a happy, bright Sunday afternoon picking my own fruit and vegetables for the week from a Pick Your Own in Worthing, West Sussex with my family. Our intention was just to pick strawberries for jam making, but with fresh peas, broad beans and onions ready for harvesting, it was impossible to walk away. Searching through the tumbling pea plants for pods plump with peas, I secretly popped some. My first experience of freshly picked peas was a massive surprise, their sweetness never experienced before... and one to be repeated before the season is out. Making our way from the fields, laden with an abundance of strawberries, peas, spinach, and onions I spotted a sign for rhubarb. It's the only polarising food in our house, but I love rhubarb and could not miss the opportunity pick it straight from the field. Pulling the long red stalks from the plant, the popping sound gave an indication of how stringy it could be. A thoroughly satisfying time resulted in a more bountiful crop than planned prooving a somewhat over ambitious amount for breakfast. So, I am currently planning the next trip to a PYO to coincide with some of my seasonal favourites, and I am particularly looking forward to the blackcurrants coming later this month!

Roadside Cherries

2008-05-30T12:40:00.001+01:00

Most of us probably realise that British cherries are not ripe yet. And actually wont be until mid June at the very earliest. So how come roadside stalls in Kent have huge signs up saying CHERRIES.......to entice the innocent driver-by. Of course they're clever - they don't actually say they're English cherries but just imply it in such clever ways as advertising "English Strawberries and Cherries on sale now". See you how easy it is to be conned. So don't fall for these imported cherries - WAIT FOR THE REAL THING

Should you raise your kids as vegetarians?

2008-05-29T16:16:00.002+01:00

Interesting hot topic has come about on the Word of Mouth blog about vegetarianism and 'imposing' your view on your children? Personally I'm of the opinion that children can only benefit from as wide a variety in their diet as possible, if only to expose them to everything, not create various food fads when older or restrict their choices. And I just quake when i watch programmes like Hugh's and see children (and adults) unable to bear the tiniest morsel of anything different (meat and vegetables last night) passing their lips. And i think that bringing your child up as a vegan does start to border on - not abuse exactly - but severe dietary and sensory deprivation. On the other hand, i'm not a mother and i am a committed carnivore (although I do only buy meat i know the origins of and I do think we ought to be eating less quantity, more quality), so i can't say i'm not biased.

Delia's Hypocrisy

2008-05-29T15:12:00.001+01:00

Just flicking through Farmers Market Cookbook, by Henrietta Green (2001) and I came across a quote from Delia Smith.

“I support my local farmers market because there I can buy real food with real flavour, just like it used to be. After years of the blandness of mass production it’s like a gift from heaven.”

I’m still in shock about the massive U-Turn she made when writing Delia’s How to Cheat at Cooking. Her principles on making cooking simple for the masses are still there. It seems her morals, however, have fled since her supposed retirement.

I thought Delia was about simple cooking, quick cooking, and healthy cooking. Real cooking made easy for people who lacked the confidence to cook complete meals.

It may be quick and simple to open a tin and slop its contents into a dish and cook, but it can not be healthy and it can not be cheap.

She now seems to love bland, mass produced products – favouring Aunt Bessie’s and McCains, and deserting her previously heaven sent farmers markets for faceless, impersonal supermarkets.

Maybe retirement suits her better.

River Cottage Spring

2008-05-29T12:11:00.002+01:00

I was watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's new programme last night and I don't know about you but it made me rather jealous! All that lovely spring veg and the group in Bristol who are going to get a pig - makes me want to move out to the country or at least get some outdoor space in London. Note to self, really must join a box scheme! Or find out about allotments - anyone know of any in North West London? How funny was Hugh's new butchers assistant?! I can't believe the intcy wincy piece of lamb's heart she sampled would have ever given her the true taste of the meat. Good on Hugh though, I would never have thought about buying the heart but the devilled dish he cooked up did look delicious. Plus the fresh asparagus dipped in egg really did make me drool.

Saving the planet - my way

2008-05-28T14:30:00.002+01:00

I recently moved house - and borough - down south to Crystal Palace and was completely astonished to find that my local council, Croydon, has a recycling policy of fortnightly paper and glass collection and no food-waste collection - a shock after coming from Hackney, who collected both weekly. (And rubbish has to fit neatly into 2 bins with lids closed, handles facing outwards, and there's only one bulky waste collection per year... don't even get me started....) After the first two weeks, paper, boxes and wine bottle piling up (we did a lot of entertaining), I thought 'enough is enough'. We support the Love Food Hate Waste campaign and every time I tip leftovers into the bin, it makes my heart sink a little, so we have decided to take matters into our own hands and compost (The question remains why am i paying council tax...). If anyone has any handy tips on composting (in our last house we had to abandon our gallant attempt because of ants - and if anyone has any tips on repelling those, I am all ears), whether it be the right kind of container, what to compost, how long to leave it for.... then i would love to know. I'm also growing tomatoes, onions (advice please), sorrel and various herbs, so any grow-your-own vegetable tips are all grist to my mill, or rather contributions to the compost.

Calling all Local Food Lovers

2008-05-28T10:58:00.001+01:00

This is a blog for everybody who loves (or, don't be shy, ..also hates) anything about local British food. If you want to share a find, you've a bee in your bonnet or an axe to grind, then I'd love this to become the place to shout about it.

FoodScoop

What are you doing for Christmas?

Borough Market - What's Its Future...?

Carnivores vs Vegetarians - What do you think?

The Food Lovers have spoken...

Recommened Reads

STOP PRESS: CherryBake

Home-Grown Harvests - It's all over

Henrietta on Radio 4 - The Deighton File

Home Grown Harvests - the rocket is taking over...

Home Grown Harvests - it's still hard

Home Grown Harvest - The Hard Way

Home Grown Harvest - The Hard Way

Home-Grown Harvests - the hard way

Recommended Reads

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The Office Snacks

ITV1's Taste the Nation

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We Are The Champions

Book Reviews

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE

No gluten free bread yet...

The gluten free sourdough starter recipe

Gluten Free Sourdough Challenge - Day 3 and 4

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 5

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 4

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 3

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 2

Taking Part In The Sourdough Challenge

Day two of gluten free sourdough

BEN'S SOURDOUGH CHALLENGE - DAY 1

Day one of gluten free sourdough

Kim's gluten free rice sourdough challenge

Masterchef: Gregg Wallace's Spoonfuls Go Large

2009 Predictions

Happy Food Loving New Year!

Your New Year Resolutions

Credit Crunch Cook

Recipe Nightmares - Ramsay Has A Spring In His Step

Has Gordon gone off the boil...?

Storage tips a plenty

Chicken rich in omega 3?

Let Them Eat Chicken

Jersey - land of flowing cream and cider brandy

Community Supported Agriculture - nice idea

Grocery shopping in these hard times

Demijohn aka heaven in a bottle!

The perfect brownie...

FarmShops - the beginnings of support?

Hake with Onion, Fennel and Tomatoes

Is it time to call time on main courses..?

Do we need a Kitchen Revolution...?

Farm Shops -what should they sell

Honey......as sweet as.......

Pick Your Own

Roadside Cherries

Should you raise your kids as vegetarians?

Delia's Hypocrisy

River Cottage Spring

Saving the planet - my way

Calling all Local Food Lovers