tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32044540423434101182023-11-16T14:53:32.627+00:00Lonely on a SundayI'm a Ballymaloe Trained Chef in Edinburgh and I'm busy cooking, teaching, writing and campaigning for Real Food.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-6707672232277537672014-09-29T16:26:00.000+01:002014-09-29T16:26:28.442+01:00Fruit and Preserves: Guest Blogging at Edinburgh Foody<br />
There's still time this season to preserve some of nature's bounty. The soft fruit may be nearly finished but there are the last of the plums, then brambles, apples and pears to enjoy. This summer I was delighted to write some guest posts for Edinburgh's most popular food blog <a href="http://www.edinburghfoody.com/" target="_blank">Edinburgh Foody</a>, on the subject of soft fruit and berries, how it's grown and <a href="http://www.edinburghfoody.com/2014/07/22/recipe-classic-summer-pudding/" target="_blank">how to cook it</a>, plus a <a href="http://www.edinburghfoody.com/2014/07/29/natures-harvest-preserving-summer-fruits/" target="_blank">few tips on preserving</a>.<br />
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If you're starting to feel a tiny bit nostalgic for summer past, have a read over at <a href="http://www.edinburghfoody.com/2014/07/15/berry-scrumptious-pyo-at-craigies-farm/" target="_blank">Edinburgh Foody </a>about my visit to Cragie's Fruit Farm (the last one remaining near Edinburgh!). Also be sure to sign up for their newsletter to get all the latest info about what's happening on the foody scene here in the East, and to learn more about founder Danielle's journey in France training to be an artisan baker.<br />
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<a href="http://www.edinburghfoody.com/">www.edinburghfoody.com</a></h4>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-70422608823671835452014-08-01T07:18:00.001+01:002014-08-01T07:18:32.212+01:00#ScotFood Chat 4 August, Edinburgh & Lothians<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'll be co-hosting the next #ScotFood Chat on 4 August, which this time focuses on Edinburgh and the Lothians. If you're interested in chatting about what's good, new and interesting about food in this area of Scotland, get on Twitter and meet some fellow foodies to discover more.<br />
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It's a great way to promote your event, business, product, blog or just to find out what's happening in Scottish Food and Drink.<br />
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It's simple to get involved, just respond to the questions below and join in. The chat goes quickly, so you can schedule your answers first to send time and then interact with others and post photos or links. Don't forget to use the hashtag #ScotFood.<br />
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#ScotFood Chat starts at 9pm, 4 August, hope to see you there!<br />
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<li>9:00 Q1 Introduce yourself, first part of your postcode, reason for joining #ScotFood chat</li>
<li>9:05 Q2 Name one restaurant in Edinburgh you haven’t yet eaten in, but would like to, and why? #ScotFood</li>
<li>9:15 Q3 There are lots of great food events during the summer in Scotland. Tell us about some you’ve visited. #ScotFood</li>
<li>9:25 Q4 Where would you suggest to someone looking for a Foodie Hidden Gem in Edinburgh? #ScotFood</li>
<li>9:35 Q5 Tell us about your favourite food market and what do you buy there? #ScotFood</li>
<li>9:45 Q6 Anything else about the Scottish Food & Drink scene you’d like to share this month? #ScotFood</li>
<li>10:00 #ScotFood ends for this month. Next
month Glasgow, Central Scotland & Clyde valley host on 1
September 2014 with @Eat_Scottish </li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">Check out these pages if you’d like some more information about </span><a href="http://www.susanmcnaughton.co.uk/2013/10/tips-for-hosts-scotfood-chat/" style="color: #ff9900;" target="_blank" title="Tips for Hosts of the ScotFood chat">how to host</a><span style="font-size: 13px;"> or </span><a href="http://www.susanmcnaughton.co.uk/2013/10/tips-for-participants-scotfood-chat/" style="color: #ff9900;" target="_blank" title="How to join in the next ScotFood chat">how to participate</a><span style="font-size: 13px;">.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-67382575484797323692014-07-15T10:07:00.000+01:002014-07-15T10:07:00.057+01:00Recipes in The Bruntsfield Links magazine<a href="http://www.themeadowsdirectory.com/_/rsrc/1404810230150/home/July14%20BL%20issue%203.jpg?height=320&width=226" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.themeadowsdirectory.com/_/rsrc/1404810230150/home/July14%20BL%20issue%203.jpg?height=320&width=226" width="226" /></a>As you may know I'm quite active in the community of Bruntsfield, helping to set up Dig-in Bruntsfield Community Greengrocer. I've also had the pleasure of contributing some seasonal recipes to the new <a href="http://www.themeadowsdirectory.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bruntsfield Links magazine</b></a>, which is available online or you pick up a copy in local shops or cafes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Bass with Herbs</td></tr>
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The latest July edition features Sea Bass and Broad Beans, and you can view May's delicious Asparagus Quiche <a href="http://www.themeadowsdirectory.com/" target="_blank">online</a> and also in the Meadows Directory magazine for June on the same website.<br />
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Do check out the Bruntsfield Links and like them on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Meadows-Directory-The-Bruntsfield-Links/231060013623571" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.8109675 -3.5109904999999961 56.0955365 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-12873987702901534532014-06-14T10:17:00.001+01:002014-06-14T10:17:17.950+01:00Crail Food Festival 2014 14-15 June<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend sees the 4th Crail Food Festival take place in the East Neuk of Fife and this year looks to be bigger and better than ever before. Across the two days highlights include special Children’s
Workshops, Food Trail and The House of Sugar playing host to a Crail inspired 3D cookie art installation created by
local company Sucre Coeur.<br />
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Over
50 local foodie participants are taking part with a special Tasting Theatre and Food Market with food samples to try all day. Local food and drink on offer will include cheese, venison, smoked fish,
gin, and craft ales. One of the local producers taking part are Ceres' Chillilicious. Read my article about them on the Crail Food Festival website from earlier this year <a href="http://crailfoodfest.co.uk/2014/04/25/chillilicious-a-passion-for-food-art-and-flavour-burns-bright/" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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There will also be Meet the Producer workshops ranging from whisky and
chocolate matching to cheese and wine pairing and a Cookery Theatre featuring demonstrations by a range of local cooks and
chefs using seasonal produce.<br />
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The Crail Museum will use the festival
as an opportunity to tell visitors about the historic local delicacy,
the Crail Capon, a haddock smoked traditionally in a chimney. It's fascinating to learn more about these old histories and traditions, and I for one will be stopping by the museum to find out more. <br />
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On Sunday Crail's picturesque harbour will play host to Sunday Lunch with street food vendors and local producers offering a cornucopia of fabulous local food. Shellfish from the sparkling waters off the East Neuk, traditional smokies, real ice cream, potted shrimp and home baking will all be available to enjoy.<br />
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Read my blog post from last year's festival <a href="http://lonelyonasunday.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/crail-food-festival-16-june.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I'll be heading up on Sunday to take some pictures, eat lobster and generally get involved. Let's hope it's a sunny day!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-20169010500444485812014-06-13T08:06:00.002+01:002014-06-14T10:18:26.154+01:00Chocolate and Beer - Made For Each Other<br />
Last week I was fortunate enough to attend a new Beer and Chocolate tasting at the <a href="http://edenbrewerystandrews.com/main.php" target="_blank">Eden Brewery in St Andrews</a>, makers of specialist craft beers and one of the participants in this year's <a href="http://crailfoodfest.co.uk/" target="_blank">Crail Food Festival</a> taking place this weekend. The brewery started in 2012 on the site of the old paper mill in Guardbridge, on the banks of the Eden Estuary. They began, as the Eden team put it, on the 'the micro side of micro breweries'. With the rise of craft ales new, independent breweries have been springing up across Scotland over the last few years and Eden are one of the new breed creating beer on their own terms.<br />
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The Beer and Chocolate tasting event is, along with brewery tours, market stalls and other tastings is one of the ways Eden Brewery are engaging with customers to make them more aware of the variety and versatility of beer. For these events they've teamed up with <a href="http://hello-chocolate.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hello Chocolate!</a>, an artisan chocolatier based in Dunfermline to show how the flavours of both beer and chocolate go hand in hand.<br />
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Tradition</h4>
On arrival we learned a little about the history of the site. In the 19th century there was a distillery there owned by the Haig family. They moved the distillery in 1860 and turned the site into a brewery and paper mill, but the brewery closed in 1882. The area had a long history of breweries and distilleries and in the 18th century there were 91 breweries in the parish of St Andrews. However from 1902 till Eden began in 2012 that number was zero; the rise of industrial production methods meant small scale breweries were no longer viable and their traditions, flavours and diversity were lost.<br />
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The Process </h4>
Then we looked at the brewing process. Making beer requires four key ingredients, malt (from barley), hops, yeast and water. The malt brings colour, sugar, sweetness, while the hops bring aroma and flavour, bitterness to offset the sweetness of the malt. Eden get their hops from Kent and Australia, and give their beer plenty of time to brew. They're keen on a random approach with 25 varieties and growing, with the focus firmly on creating beer with amazing flavours and character, from hoppy blonde ales to a toasty porter made with brown malt. Their wood cask conditioned ales use old rum, bourbon and whisky barrels to create intense flavours. The barrels are used only once, then recycled into furniture such as bar stools. The breadth and scope of flavours, taste and effect on the palette are every bit as complex and fascinating as wine or whisky.<br />
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Chocolate </h4>
Gill from Hello Chocolate! Took us through the process of transforming chocolate from the cocoa pod, bean, and nib to the cocoa solids and cocoa butter which then magically realign to make chocolate. We tasted a few pieces of 100% cocoa solids, bitter and intense, and 100% cocoa butter which melted in the plam of our hands to soften the skin! Dark, milk and white chocolates all contain different levels of cocoa solids, butter, milk, sugar and vanilla which Hello Chocolate! uses to create its artisan range. From their Dunfermline base Hello Chocolate! are now supplying chocolates for Gleneagles and the Balmoral Hotel , and can be bought online and at specialist suppliers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR0j5l-aq8HUpH2coSnnrhWIOvIT-k_5CB9JaWM26h8RBrL471uGdDzjVB1eragzRYbGObpJcuxbCnVskOS9nPfwOyCWrsMbGbxoEJYkAUX9cVO1u3PPuSsEEF_wyMeKPIieMWk9niQ0/s1600/DSC_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR0j5l-aq8HUpH2coSnnrhWIOvIT-k_5CB9JaWM26h8RBrL471uGdDzjVB1eragzRYbGObpJcuxbCnVskOS9nPfwOyCWrsMbGbxoEJYkAUX9cVO1u3PPuSsEEF_wyMeKPIieMWk9niQ0/s1600/DSC_0294.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0FcHZovqZ1WQwVSq6sDOez2YIwnEw6Yfod1BKuVtHUiNaXPCX15WkZrRtGC2Jrx_cGjXjJ0lQ-4mQrYZaH93fFS1563LXTLLYjAvgVlWhhliPcI42mDoJkO8JkROAZvo5wQ2MGrx2Ok/s1600/DSC_0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0FcHZovqZ1WQwVSq6sDOez2YIwnEw6Yfod1BKuVtHUiNaXPCX15WkZrRtGC2Jrx_cGjXjJ0lQ-4mQrYZaH93fFS1563LXTLLYjAvgVlWhhliPcI42mDoJkO8JkROAZvo5wQ2MGrx2Ok/s1600/DSC_0290.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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Pairing Notes </h4>
The beers and chocolates were paired up, starting with the 'Oak Wood Series Highland Whisky' and the 'Cinnamon Tea cake'. The idea is that you take a sip of beer, taste it, then a bite of chocolate and then beer again, to see how the chocolate changes and brings out different flavours in the beer. The vanilla, spice and citrus in this hoppy beer were enhanced, yet any bitterness softened by the sweetness of the chocolate, a white chocolate ganache with cinnamon, citrus peel and ginger.<br />
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The 'St Andrews Blonde' was paired with the 'JFK Strawberry Daiquiri' a cute heart shaped chocolate topped with red glitter. The beer is zesty and light, one of Eden's first award-winning beers. The strawberry and rum in the chocolate worked with the fruitness of the beer to make this combination (too!) easy to enjoy.<br />
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Next up was the 'Oakwood Series Bourbon Barrel' and the 'Sticky Toffee Pudding' chocolate. This beer is conditioned in bourbon casks for 60 days and at the stronger end of the scale at 6.5%abv. Rich and smooth, both combine notes of chocolate, caramel, toffee and vanilla. The effect on the tongue is indulgent, warm and relaxing. <br />
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Lastly we sampled the 'Islay Oak Aged' and the 'Salted Caramel Picasso'. Another cask-conditioned ale, this time using whisky barrels from Islay. It's a strong peaty flavour due to the beer spending three months in the barrels to get a really intense, almost medicinal aroma and taste. Smoky and tobacco-like, the flavour of the beer is cut through by the salt and softened by the sweetness of the caramel.<br />
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It's an interesting and unusual concept, but one which could very well catch on, following similar beer and wine tastings which are now commonplace. After all, what's not to like, chocolate and beer combined! The Eden Brewery hopes to run the tastings twice a month for visitors to the brewery. As well as continuing and experimenting with their range of beers, this summer also sees the founding of a whisky and gin distillery on the site, continuing the proud history of brewing and distilling in this part of the world.<br />
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Eden Brewery will for the first time be taking part in this weekend's Crail Food Festival, with a stall at the Crail Community Hall and tastings with Mr C's Pies. Find all the details <a href="http://crailfoodfest.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-12356300867048303042014-04-25T10:07:00.001+01:002014-04-25T10:07:51.810+01:00Slow Food West Scotland Supper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Good, clean and fair in the West: A trip across country reveals some of Ayrshire's local delights</h3>
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Earlier this month I was delighted to attend a recent supper organised by the Slow Food West Scotland convivium. After various Slow Food groups setting up across the area over the years they have now joined forces to grow the Slow Food movement in Glasgow and more rural areas. With the long standing Ayrshire Food Network and Glasgow's varied and expanding food scene, there is plenty of potential for Slow Food in the west.<br />
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The dinner had been organised to celebrate some of Ayrshire's finest producers and raise money for Slow Food. A wiggly but beautiful two hour drive from Edinburgh on the back roads, we arrived at the village hall in Dunlop for the dinner, the village associated with the traditional hard cheese of the same name. It really is incredible countryside once you leave the M8 behind and looked stunning on a warm spring evening.<br />
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Nearly 50 local producers, friends and supporters were there, with some making the train journey from Glasgow. With the support of the aforementioned Ayrshire Food Network we enjoyed a delicious meal starting with cheese canapes from Dunlop Dairy and Barwheys Dairy, with Haggis Scotch Eggs from Aye Love Real Food. Wines were provided by wine expert Pieter Rosenthal.<br />
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The
meal continued with onion soup and delicious sourdough bread from a
baker in Oban. We then helped ourselves to a buffet-style meal of
wonderful cold meats, raised pies and colourful salads. The emphasis was
on local and on taste. The meats and pies from Nethergate Larder were
incredible, with the pies full of herbs and a good crust.<br />
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For dessert we tried ice creams from two different producers, Lime Tree Larder and Wester Highgate Ice Cream. One more vanilla-ry, the other contained the spice of black pepper. They were served with a pipette of balsamic reduction - I haven't used a pipette since school! We relaxed with coffee from new Ayrshire artisans Roundsquare Roastery, and handmade chocolates. There was also a showing of short films about Ayrshire's many wonderful producers, which can be found on the Ayrshire Food Network <a href="http://www.ayrshirefoodnetwork.co.uk/taste_ayrshire_videos.php" target="_blank">website.</a><br />
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What really impressed me on the night though was Slow Food West Scotland's hard work to make the supper happen. They did everything themselves to organise the evening, including devising and cooking the menu and serving it. With generous help from suppliers and supporters, a raffle to raise funds included prizes such as whisky, coffee, Easter eggs and even artwork from a local artist. I came away empty handed from the raffle but delighted to meet so many inspiring food producers making good, clean and fair food happen on the other side...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-88639792284156388902014-04-13T18:36:00.003+01:002014-04-13T18:36:35.844+01:00A Slow but Busy Time<br />
It's been a bit quiet on here recently, but that's not the case in the offline world! As well as my recent projects, I've recently taken over as the Chair of Slow Food Edinburgh. The Edinburgh convivium is one of the largest and most active in the UK, and it's a privilege to take it on. We here in Edinburgh are very fortunate to have some of the country's best producers on our doorstep, not to mention the many great chefs and restaurants that have made Edinburgh a city with a world-class restaurant scene.<br />
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Thriving</h2>
On top of that, we have a thriving community of foodies, bloggers and the like, but more importantly a vast network of people and organisations campaigning for a better food system in Edinburgh and beyond. To name a few... Nourish and Edible Edinburgh (with whom Slow Food worked with on last year's Feeding the 5000), Edinburgh Garden Partners, Abundance, Transition groups, Soil Association Scotland, Greener Leith, Pilton Community Food, Shandon Food Group, The Engine Shed, FEDEGA, Federation of Community Gardens and Farms, Edinburgh Community Food Initiative, Bridgend Allotments.... and there's more out there, if you have a similar group or project to tell me about, do let me know!<br />
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London Calling</h2>
It's an exciting time to be campaigning for good, clean and fair food, for a better way to eat here in Edinburgh. Not only do we have all this activity going on in Edinburgh but for Slow Food itself. One of my first actions as Chair was to attend the Slow Food UK AGM in March. A quick flight down to London and along with some fellow Slow Food members from north of the border I was there to vote on some important proposals which would shape the future of Slow Food in the UK. Armed with my proxy votes from fellow members I arrived at the University of West London in leafy Ealing, all daffodils and English quaintness as the city sprawl gives way to the suburbs.<br />
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After meeting many of my fellow convivia leaders and members of the Slow Food UK board and team, it was time to get down to business. The big vote for the future of Slow Food UK rested on a proposal to set up Slow Foods Scotland, England and Wales/Cymru, and then a vote for representatives from each to sit on the UK board. The aim is for the devolved groups to be able to campaign more effectively and have a real voice at a local level. The new structure will also help revive old convivia, grow existing ones and help new groups get started. The votes were passed nearly unanimously and everyone was positive about a new future for Slow Food in the U.K.<br />
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<h2>
Inspirational</h2>
Following the voting, we were treated to a cookery demonstration by young chefs at the university, and then talks from Slow producers, including our own Richard Briggs. Finally we were inspired by a speech from Paulo Di Croce, Secretary of Slow Food International. Listening to Paulo's experiences in Africa about Slow Food in action was really thought provoking and insightful. In it he takes the example of the cost per 100g of raw potatoes, straight from the land being sold at a market trader's stall. He then compares it to the cost per 100g of potato crisps being sold in a western-style supermarket. It's a simple but ingenious way to explain the differences between Slow Food and 'fast food' and why what we grow, how we grow and how we eat matters. <br />
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For us up here the formation of Slow Food Scotland should mean good things for the people that make, buy and eat the food we care about. The next steps will see the formation of a regional body that will see other convivia grow and bring producer and co-producer closer together. For Slow Food Edinburgh, we're committed to growing our membership to 100 members this year, to working closer with food communities, to promoting Ark of Taste products and of course telling everyone about upcoming progress on our 10,000 Gardens Garden in Africa, which we successfully raised funds for in 2013/14.<br />
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<h2>
Pleasure</h2>
Of course Slow Food is also all about the pleasure of eating, enjoying and appreciating good food. To this end we've been enjoying the Slow Food Big Table Dinners this year, the second Monday of every month. we've had some great producers, speakers and dishes so far, and these are set to continue in 2014. To get a flavour of the Big Table and what it's all about, see a <a href="http://lonelyonasunday.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/june-slow-food-supper-at-edinburgh.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> from me or check out food blogger Sophie's review <a href="http://travel.oohmyworld.com/2014/02/16/first-participation-to-a-slow-food-event-in-edinburgh/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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We've also got plenty going on with upcoming Farmers' Markets, Slow Food Week in June, Film Nights as well as visiting Terra Madre in October. For me, as Chair and leader, I see my role to inspire new people to get involved with Slow Food, and help to make those connections between us that can strengthen a better food system.<br />
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I was lucky enough to be invited to a dinner organised by Slow Food West of Scotland and Glasgow last week, a gathering of food lovers and producers in a tiny village in the heart of Ayrshire. I'll be posting an piece about it here shortly, but in the meantime read about it <a href="http://slowfoodwestscotland.wordpress.com/2014/04/11/slow-food-supper/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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If you'd like to get involved with Slow Food Edinburgh, don't hesitate to visit the <a href="http://slowfoodedinburgh.com/" target="_blank">website</a>!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-45951106292348729782013-11-02T19:03:00.000+00:002013-11-04T18:16:13.377+00:00#ScotFood Chat on Twitter, 4 November 9pm<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Love Scottish Food and Drink? Like chatting on Twitter about it? Want to know more about what's in season and what others are rustling up in their kitchen on a cold winter night? Well make sure you're there for the next #ScotFood chat on Twitter, 4 November 9pm.</span><br />
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Following previous #ScotFood chats covering regions across Scotland, November's chat will be all about <span style="font-size: large;">Edinburgh and the Lothians</span>. I'll be one of the four co-hosts tweeting the questions and finding out more about the food, restaurants and recipes to be found this side of the M8. Here's a little more about my fellow hosts, the #ScotFood format and how to get involved!<br />
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Susan <a href="https://twitter.com/hulajuicebar" target="_blank">@HulaJuiceBar</a> - Juice bar, coffee house and gallery: <a href="http://www.hulajuicebar.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hula Juice Bar</a> 103-105 West Bow, Edinburgh – near the Grassmarket and frequent venue for #EdinHour meetings (but that’s another story…).<br />
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Danya <a href="https://twitter.com/pickled_in_scot" target="_blank">@Pickled_ in_Scot</a> – a new venture we’re keen to hear more about: “grow plant forage preserve eat enjoy – Scotland season by season”<br />
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Danielle <a href="https://twitter.com/EdinburghFoody" target="_blank">@edinburghfoody</a> – Discovering, enjoying, eating and writing about food and ingredients in Edinburgh, Scotland and beyond. You’ll find Danielle’s blog at: <a href="http://www.edinburghfoody.com/">http://www.edinburghfoody.com/</a><span id="goog_1291269087"></span><span id="goog_1291269088"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
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Follow the hosts, invite your friends to join in and answer the questions by using A1…#ScotFood to ensure we scoop up your answers and save them for posterity (and so others can find you).<br />
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9:00 Q1 Introduce yourself to #ScotFood: first name, first part of postcode, your company and what it does?<br />
9:05 Q2 As the nights get darker what Scottish comfort food have you been enjoying? #ScotFood<br />
9:15 Q3 What Christmas baking/preserving have you been doing? Any family recipes/traditions you’d like to share? #ScotFood<br />
9:25 Q4 What foraged ingredient has been your “wow” this autumn and why? #ScotFood<br />
9:35 Q5 What new producers/suppliers/restaurants in Edinburgh & the Lothians are you excited about this year? #ScotFood<br />
9:45 Q6 What Scottish street food would you like to eat at a street party? #ScotFood<br />
9:55 Q7 What would be on your menu to celebrate St Andrews Day? #ScotFood<br />
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You’ll find tips for hosts <a href="http://www.susanmcnaughton.co.uk/2013/10/tips-for-hosts-scotfood-chat/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Hints for participants <a href="http://www.susanmcnaughton.co.uk/2013/10/tips-for-participants-scotfood-chat/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Calendar for future #ScotFood chats <a href="http://www.susanmcnaughton.co.uk/2013/10/scotfood-chats-and-hosts-20132014/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Read more from October's #ScotFood chat <a href="http://storify.com/susanmcnaughton/scotfood-7-october-2013?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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Look forward to seeing you there!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-66557446444792884552013-06-30T13:21:00.003+01:002013-06-30T13:21:54.512+01:00Review - Three Birds Restaurant Edinburgh<br />
I first visited the <a href="http://www.threebirds.co.uk/" target="_blank">Three Birds</a> in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh shortly after it opened last year and I've been keen to return and see how their imaginative take on local dining is getting on. The sort of place oft referred to as 'a neighbourhood gem', the Three Birds pickles and smokes many of its own ingredients, sources from local, seasonal, sustainable suppliers, and all with a deft hand of foraging thrown in.<br />
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They feature good value lunch menus, gregarious sharing platters and fab in-house touches such as the 3Bird dukkah to nibble on and bespoke artisan soap in the ladies (can't speak for the gents). The menu is a world away from typical restaurant offerings, instead of chicken liver pâté there's venison or beef tongue to start and a range of mains and specials featuring what's good here at this point in the earth's journey round the sun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3Bird dukkah</td></tr>
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The restaurant has a neutral but cosy interior. Sitting there on a midsummer evening with the door open and watching a bit of Bruntsfield go by was a good start to the evening. Hearing the hubbub of fellow diners building around us we settled in for a promising night, the ambiance only slightly dented by the guilty pleasures/Elton John soundtrack in the background.<br />
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First up was the 3Bird Dukkah to share. A middle eastern mix of toasted spices, seeds and chopped nuts, it's served with extra virgin olive oil, syrupy shallot vinegar and bread for dipping into. It had an excellent, smoky flavour with hints of coriander, cumin, almond, pine nut and possibly cashew. I loved the shallot vinegar too but the bread was a bit thinly sliced for me, almost too refined for the rustic dukkah. Personal choice but I'd prefer chunkier pieces that would better accommodate the oil and spices.<br />
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For the first course were one of two halloumi dishes on the menu. I chose the special, fried Halloumi with pickled red cabbage, black garlic, spring onions and an orange dressing. I have never eaten black garlic before and it's produced by fermenting the bulbs at a high temperature with balsamic vinegar for 24 hours. It's a different taste, with mild garlic undertones; it's almost sweet but bitter, a bit like dried fruit that's been baked in a Christmas cake. It does however go very well with small but juicy pieces of halloumi (not too waxy) and some joyous pink picked cabbage. The spring onions and a few leaves were great too. I didn't catch too much of the orange flavour but it was there to pull it all together at the back of my palate.<br />
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Halloumi (above) and the curious black garlic clove (right)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked Mackerel</td></tr>
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The second starter was Salad of Smoked Mackerel, Oyster Mushrooms with a Caper and Egg dressing. Another colourful, well presented dish; the mackerel was strong and punchy and stood up to the dressing. Again, the raw ingredients were of a high standard. Both starters were served on small wooden boards (possibly olive) and though they were starter sized in terms of portion control, the boards made them look slightly smaller than they actually were, my only criticism.<br />
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Main course and I chose another special, the Oven Baked Sea Bass, intrigued by the home-smoked treacle bacon in the dish. The fish was perfectly cooked, served with the bacon, crayfish, sea aster (a sort of flat samphire we were told) new potatoes and a sun dried tomato butter. I loved the flavours, the generous piece of fish, the slightly crispy, buttery potatoes and jewel-like crayfish hidden under the bass. The bacon though, while having a great, smoky, sweet flavour that didn't overpower the delicate fish, was just a bit too flabby and chewy in texture for me. I'd prefer it crispier and I loved the tiny bit of rind on it, more of that please! The sea aster was more like tarragon than samphire but I enjoyed the novelty of it, there was bite to the leaves with a hint of the sea air in them. A few of the yellow sea aster flowers had been added as a garnish but these were a bit too bitter, the only thing that threatened to overpower the fish.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Bass</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schnitzel</td></tr>
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The Second second course was from the main menu, breaded pork schnitzel with a creamy leek sauce, potatoes and boiled eggs. An interesting dish to see on a menu these days, a slight retro feel but rich, comforting if not hugely summery. The pork wasn't too dry and the sauce was really tasty, the only thing missing was a bit of colour on the plate but we still enjoyed it immensely.<br />
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The dessert menu too is not short of imagination, I was torn between the Coconut and Cardamom Sponge and Heather Honeycomb and Truffle Oil Vanilla Ice Cream. In the end the ice cream won, despite a warning from a waitress that the truffle oil flavour was very strong. Apparently this dish has divided customer opinion so far! It wasn't overpowering in terms of taste, which was slightly salty, savoury, but more the texture, which was quite oily but not off-puttingly so. However my dining companion picked up engine oil somewhere in the mix, as have previous customers!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old school wafers</td></tr>
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Far more interesting was the honey rippled through the ice cream, it tasted like nectar, like wild flowers, like sun on a rocky hillside, I felt like a fat greedy bumblebee. We shared the ice cream, but for one person it was too big a serving. Because the whole combination is quite intense, half that amount would be enough. The restaurant buys its ice cream from Over Langshaw Farm who make it specially for them. They've several other interesting flavours including blue cheese and Guinness and Baileys. Although they prepare a lot of their other ingredients such as the bacon perhaps outsourcing this is a cannier move to take the pressure off the kitchen.<br />
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All this was being washed down with a carafe of gluggable Spanish white wine, 100% Macabeo grapes. Not too dry but not lacking personality it was good value, working out at £4 per large glass. There is a small, reasonable wine list with a nice Prosecco I tried last time I visited, and the usual teas and coffees, none of which we had on this occasion. Like the wine, The Three Birds can be summed up by good value; considering the imagination, sourcing and flair that goes into their menus it's hard to beat in terms of cost, with all this coming in at £65 (including wine). It's the kind of place where you spend half the evening excited to be there and be talking about the food itself which is no bad thing. We're lucky to have places like this on the doorstep in Edinburgh.<br />
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Three Birds Restaurant<br />3-5 Viewforth<br />Edinburgh<br />EH10 4JD<br />0131 229 3252</h4>
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<a href="http://www.threebirds.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.threebirds.co.uk/</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810968 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535999999996 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-29448086742015277212013-06-20T22:36:00.003+01:002013-06-20T22:42:25.524+01:00Crail Food Festival - 16 June<br />
Tucked away in the furthest corner of the East Neuk of Fife is the seaside village of Crail. This part of the world is has more in common with Cornwall than other parts of the Scottish coastline. White washed cottages, cobbled streets rolling down to a picture perfect harbour, a rocky shoreline only smugglers would brave and of course some of the tastiest food that side of Edinburgh.<br />
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Now in its third year, the annual <a href="http://crailfoodfest.co.uk/" target="_blank">Crail Food Festival</a> takes place in June and I headed up and over the bridge to Fife to enjoy some of the best of the region's produce. Organised by a loyal community of local volunteers, the festival takes place over a weekend. Because this <b>is</b> Scotland, the Saturday featured an indoor market with cookery and tasting area, followed by a fabulous dinner and music event in the evening, this year featuring a three course Fife menu with King Creosote and friends bringing the tunes (a sellout!) Then, on the Sunday, the festival takes its chances and sets up shop on the famous harbour, the most photographed in Scotland apparently!<br />
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2013 must have seen some sun dances taken place, or perhaps a pact with the foodie gods as Crail basked in some of the best temperatures this year. Sadly unable to make a weekend of it and drove up only for the Sunday, but were rewarded by the journey nonetheless; inland or taking the coast road, it's spectacular. A worrying band of cloud stayed over the hills and the sea sparkled as far as the eye could see.<br />
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Set up as a celebration of local food and drink and a showcase for some of Fife's finest produce, the festival aims to encourage visitors to make the journey and enjoy all this in a fabulous setting. It had done the trick as the place was packed but luckily the trusty Micra was small enough to find a parking space. We joined the throngs of people walking down the pretty streets to the harbour. Approaching the harbour from the east is one of the best views from Scotland on a day like that. Blue, blue, blue and East Lothian visible in the distance.<br />
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On arrival at the harbour it had been transformed with stalls selling a diverse range of goodies including Arbroath Smokies, sweet waffles and chocolaty crepes, fresh pizza from an oven in the back of a horsebox (really) and pigeon on the menu from <a href="http://www.wildroverfood.com/" target="_blank">Wild Rover Foods</a>. All this against a backdrop of boats, lobster pots, rambling cottages and the tangy air of the sea. Priorities, after the drive we needed sustenance so we headed to the lobster shack after seeing people walking past with their plates filled high with local crustacean. Cooked lobster with a squeeze of lemon juice and dressed crab ready to go we sat on the harbour wall and picked every scrap of juicy sweet meat out of it in the sun.<br />
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As well as the stalls along the harbour there were foraging walks from professional forager <a href="http://www.gallowaywildfoods.com/" target="_blank">Galloway Wild Foods</a> and the <a href="http://www.fifediet.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fife Diet</a> team who also brought their carbon-neutral smoothie bike! Continuing the emphasis on local food were <a href="http://www.foodfromfife.co.uk/" target="_blank">Food from Fife</a> who had a prime spot at the edge of the harbour wall with info, recipes and chef demos from Christopher Trotter, Paul Wedgewood, and Scott Davies. They also had some shellfish demos from local seafood expert Jim Knox who put a lobster through its paces. More on him soon on this blog!<br />
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As part of the build up to the festival, myself and other food bloggers have been contributing to the Crail Food Festival blogging project with guest posts about the producers and people attending the festival. Mine was all about the Food from Fife initiative and the work they're doing in Fife. Read about that and the rest of the posts on the Crail Food Festival website <a href="http://crailfoodfest.co.uk/2013/06/14/fife-food-network-bringing-fifes-food-heroes-together/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Back in the village, the shops and tearooms were open and we visited the butchers and the greengrocers, snapping up a punnet of the tiniest, sweetish local strawberries. Ostensibly for the week ahead, they barely made it back home! back at the harbour, there was just time to pick up a couple of goodies including incredible patisserie from <a href="http://sucrecoeur.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sucre Coeur</a>, before we headed back up the road.<br />
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It was wonderful to see the harbour busy and buzzing, and to see so many people coming together to enjoy all this great food. It's also good to see a real community project come together and be a success; so many events now are corporate, sponsored and identikit, let's hope if the festival expands to meet demand it won't loose any of the charm and character that marks it out as a must see on the foodie calendar.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810968 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535999999996 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-7993106106440816782013-06-14T06:45:00.001+01:002013-06-14T06:45:04.883+01:00June Slow Food Supper at Edinburgh Larder Bistro - Nose to Tail with Gorgie City Farm<br />
Monday night saw me attend a Slow Food Supper at the <a href="http://www.edinburghlarder.co.uk/bistro" target="_blank">Edinburgh Larder Bistro</a>, a restaurant committed to using the best local Scottish produce. Slow Food Suppers are an opportunity for like minded people to come together to chat and enjoy really good food. This element of conviviality, of the enjoyment of sharing good, clean and fair food together is central to the Slow Food movement. Edinburgh Larder Bistro have hosted a number of suppers and are keen supporters of Slow Food.<br />
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In recent months the Edinburgh events have welcomed special guests and suppliers such as Clyde Valley Tomatoes to talk about what they produce and why it's special in today's world of tasteless mass-produced food. This time, the speaker was Donna from <a href="http://www.gorgiecityfarm.org.uk/" target="_blank">Gorgie City Farm</a> in Edinburgh who talked about the pigs they raise there. At the farm she does amazing work helping disadvantaged and troubled children and teenagers by getting them involved looking after the pigs and learning more about farming and animal husbandry. At the heart of its local community, the farm is a valuable place where the kids can find out about where their food comes from, but more importantly helps them feel engaged and included in their often troubled lives.<br />
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I was there supporting both Slow Food and the farm, where I have been volunteering with their 'Fork to Fork' gardening and cookery lessons. Our feast for the evening was some of Gorgie Farm's very own pork, raised less than a couple of miles from where we were sitting. These pigs have a happy life, something Donna is passionate about, having grown up on a farm and been around animals all her life. She draws the line at giving them names, only referring to the Gloucester Old Spot we were eating as 'Pig 006'. Using as much of the animal as possible is important to her, and this nose to tail ethos is shared at Edinburgh Larder Bistro. We started with some crackling, I'm not always a fan but this was wonderful, crisp, not too chewy and flecked with spices including sweet roasted fennel seeds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pig 006</td></tr>
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From the choice of mains we had to try Pig 006, including different cuts cooked different ways. There were choice slices of pan fried loin and then slow cooked belly and cheek (I think), with a decedent layer of fat. Also included was the oink, so I'm told, although I didn't spot it I ate it all up. The pork was served with braised peas and lettuce in a jus and garnished with wild rocket flowers. Our table played a game of 'guess the foraged wild flower' for a while!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcnh72r2ehYS7ZdT1nJ4SYdDm-vnDJOYSXMDVcJXHK-2Y5UGYgRRISI3YtiFwbr16JF11MSFgbBwM5CnJIVboXzZaLnQyF2kPhSG4lHyGhxel7BCuQ1ldHWe4Z5I_yOq3DB-mQsbhyphenhyphen5E/s1600/13+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcnh72r2ehYS7ZdT1nJ4SYdDm-vnDJOYSXMDVcJXHK-2Y5UGYgRRISI3YtiFwbr16JF11MSFgbBwM5CnJIVboXzZaLnQyF2kPhSG4lHyGhxel7BCuQ1ldHWe4Z5I_yOq3DB-mQsbhyphenhyphen5E/s400/13+-+2.jpg" width="298" /></a>Also on the menu was home smoked Pollock with cauliflower, heritage potatoes and bacon. This was a generous slab of fish, highly seasoned and served with some perfectly cooked veg. A veggie option of spelt and barley risotto unsurprisingly didn't get a look in! I wasn't planning on having a dessert (extra in the price), but the Espresso and Pecan tart with homemade ice cream changed my mind. I love coffee and pecans so I had to have it; the ice cream, though a small portion tasted had a pure, milky taste, worth ten yellow scoops from a carton. The tart was good, the pecans were excellent, however I didn't get a strong taste of espresso but I enjoyed it nonetheless.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9p5TLCp5W-MddBdJ5CKYiBqQ_bFAWw8TGef28pClOUlTFG2FhnxPz1eiHbacU5lmQK-URA7EAFk6bvJ0GuGgA7t7ZDZwujEUXFzFiT-KvM2sVsUjL_fG32bOwvuW53Gukyi6MsIdwwM/s1600/13+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9p5TLCp5W-MddBdJ5CKYiBqQ_bFAWw8TGef28pClOUlTFG2FhnxPz1eiHbacU5lmQK-URA7EAFk6bvJ0GuGgA7t7ZDZwujEUXFzFiT-KvM2sVsUjL_fG32bOwvuW53Gukyi6MsIdwwM/s400/13+-+1.jpg" width="298" /></a>Though it was exciting to visit the restaurant, somewhere that's been on my list for a while, the supper wasn't all about the menu. It was a chance to meet some kindred spirits and share the evening talking about food, life and everything else (if there is anything else!). More so, it was about showing support for those that care about where food comes from and celebrating the work they do. That can go beyond producing and selling us the best in artisan produce, it can have a life changing effect. Gorgie Farm is a charity, so if you're in Edinburgh do visit, see the animals, buy some sausages and help them continue to make a difference.</div>
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Edinburgh Larder Bistro, 1a Alva Street, Edinburgh EH2 4PH</div>
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<a href="http://www.edinburghlarder.co.uk/bistro" target="_blank">http://www.edinburghlarder.co.uk/bistro</a></div>
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Slow Food Edinburgh<br />
<a href="http://slowfoodedinburgh.com/">http://slowfoodedinburgh.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://slowfoodedinburgh.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://slowfoodedinburgh.wordpress.com/</a><br />
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Gorgie City Farm, 51 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh EH1 2LA<br />
<a href="http://www.gorgiecityfarm.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.gorgiecityfarm.org.uk/</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810968 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535999999996 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-17463384447635167842013-05-15T16:47:00.002+01:002013-05-15T16:49:04.111+01:00Recipe - Venison Sausages with Puy Lentils<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Browsing the farmers' market at Castle Terrace this weekend, I picked up some venison sausages from <a href="http://www.seriouslygoodvenison.co.uk/" target="_blank">Seriously Good Venison</a>. One of many great producers from Fife, there's no fear of what's in their sausages, simply venison, pork fat, oatmeal and a little spice mix, all wrapped up in natural casings. This venison is lean, healthy and responsibly farmed, and not just at home in winter stews or sliced seared and rare at dinner parties. It's ideal for everyday cooking too.<br />
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I browned the sausages in a Le Creuset before cooking scraps of onion, carrot and celery found in the fridge. For this recipe I planned to use up a lot of vegetables and pulses I already had in, so I bought these sausages to meat-up the meal. After the first tranche of veg went chopped peppers, tomatoes, tomato puree and wine, then back in with the sausages. To this I added vegetable stock and a mix of green and Puy lentils, what I happened to have in the cupboard. You could use all of one kind, I prefer Puy, they are quicker, prettier and tastier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venison Sausages with Puy Lentils</td></tr>
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The sausages, vegetables and lentils are simmered for 20-30 minutes, till cooked. The sausages, which I worried could be dry and overcooked, were perfect, cut through with a little juicy fat against the wholesome peppers and lentils. Even though summer approaches this is a brilliant casserole for drizzly Edinburgh days. The sausages, lentils and the basic method are all you need; the vegetables can be adapted according to what you have available. Of course, it is a lot tastier with the flavours and colours from the garlic, celery, tomatoes, and wine, but don't let that put you off! Sausages and lentils are a classic combination, so if you don't have venison on your doorstep get the best pork or beef ones you can find. The red-meatiness of the venison works well as an alternative to pork so beef should be great too. <br />
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Venison Sausages with Puy Lentils</h3>
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Serves 2 with seconds and scraps/Serves 4 with bread </h4>
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Ingredients:</h4>
one packet venison sausages<br />
olive oil<br />
one small white onion finely chopped<br />
two cloves garlic sliced<br />
one carrot diced<br />
one celery stick chopped<br />
bay leaf (fresh or dried)<br />
sprig of thyme<br />
one and a half diced peppers, any colour (I used a half of three)<br />
two tomatoes, roughly chopped<br />
small glass of white wine<br />
one tbsp tomato puree<br />
500ml vegetable stock<br />
200g Puy or green lentils (also haricot beans would work well. a mix works if you are using up cupboard scraps but probably works better with one type of pulse)<br />
Salt and freshly ground black pepper <br />
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<i>To serve</i></h4>
crusty bread<br />
flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped<br />
<br />
<h4>
Method</h4>
<ul>
<li>Heat a casserole dish medium high. Add a splash of olive oil, then brown the sausages for a few minutes in the oil. Transfer to a plate and keep safe.</li>
<li>Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and herbs. Season and cook at a low heat with the lid on to soften.</li>
<li>After about ten minutes your kitchen should be smelling great! Add the peppers and tomatoes. Give everything a good stir, turn up the heat and add the wine. Let it bubble for a moment, then add in the tomato puree, stir through and cook for another minute.</li>
<li>Put the sausages back in the casserole, pour over the stock and lentils. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes till the lentils are cooked. You may need to add a splash of stock or hot water, depending on how greedy your lentils are. Adjust seasoning to taste - this can take a good bit of pepper.</li>
<li>Sprinkle over the parsley and bring to the table. Serve a couple of generous ladles each on a trencher of crusty bread.</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIZ2fP5nrJ54BFXxT1oSq_QYj371rywVm_HCvIUVxuYkZNKUlr6i1CSiS4nfZxIToLb-Y9nEhhzBIMXX3SUoJehjQ3dkBhkuvZ6-IcaKMvOg68tnDX-zCQbpDtbgAX38fhYLLvyBxmgg/s1600/food+11may13+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIZ2fP5nrJ54BFXxT1oSq_QYj371rywVm_HCvIUVxuYkZNKUlr6i1CSiS4nfZxIToLb-Y9nEhhzBIMXX3SUoJehjQ3dkBhkuvZ6-IcaKMvOg68tnDX-zCQbpDtbgAX38fhYLLvyBxmgg/s400/food+11may13+038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delish!</td></tr>
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You can find Seriously Good Venison at several Scottish Farmers' Markets.They'll also be at this year's Crail Food Festival; discover more about them in this featured <a href="http://crailfoodfest.co.uk/2013/03/29/seriously-good-venison-tops-the-menu/" target="_blank">post </a>on the Crail Food Festival website, including more recipes and some great pics!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-60046862575867143222013-05-12T09:00:00.002+01:002013-05-12T09:00:58.079+01:00Recipe - Yellow Cherry Tomatoes with Oregano<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADQtxaLTTjElSXuH4D57B7zg1r5d2zRTtgF93tAuCi-y4GNt6Wu_K1qYw-guD05Qg3NI8en50QIEYrnabg4QUnz2uhLTW6CwmhhMwt2hGI1MOruPGckSR_xdoV204lpRvDeEtY_FZx5Y/s1600/food+11may13+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADQtxaLTTjElSXuH4D57B7zg1r5d2zRTtgF93tAuCi-y4GNt6Wu_K1qYw-guD05Qg3NI8en50QIEYrnabg4QUnz2uhLTW6CwmhhMwt2hGI1MOruPGckSR_xdoV204lpRvDeEtY_FZx5Y/s400/food+11may13+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at these beauties!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://clydevalleytomatoes.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Clyde Valley Tomatoes</a> were at Edinburgh Farmers' Market yesterday and I've been looking forward to getting my hands on some tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes from them for a while. My home grown fruits are still a way off being ready to eat, so the smell of the leaves on my hands after watering them is the closest I'm getting to any real flavour for the time being!<br />
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<br />
Clyde Valley Tomatoes live over in the west at Carluke and are bringing back the tradition of tomato growing to this part of the world. Thanks to the microclimate that exists there they are able to raise 10,000 plants in their greenhouses and are growing heritage varieties and fruits that taste of something other than pulpy water.<br />
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I bought the yellow cherry tomatoes, golden coloured, sweet and tender. As well as being juicy, compact fruits full of flavour, they have a delicate, thinner skin compared to supermarket ones. Because they're so delicious, this recipe is barely one at all!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFcrPHfH3glZ_AMF3ljYelhV6uMqwbZcX9cMQTJrVf9kM_fy7ieMEBS5BK73Lk_2FKahp5i2OgDm_cduOzWBVDDUQfiWcxUeRAl_sW4qlVMjim74VxyHtvlDm1GkooXV_jtP_53l-sgg/s1600/food+11may13+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFcrPHfH3glZ_AMF3ljYelhV6uMqwbZcX9cMQTJrVf9kM_fy7ieMEBS5BK73Lk_2FKahp5i2OgDm_cduOzWBVDDUQfiWcxUeRAl_sW4qlVMjim74VxyHtvlDm1GkooXV_jtP_53l-sgg/s400/food+11may13+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden!</td></tr>
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<b>Yellow Cherry Tomatoes with Oregano</b><br />
<br />
One punnet cherry tomatoes<br />
Sea salt (crushed or flakes)<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
Small handful fresh oregano leaves<br />
Extra virgin olive oil<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Cut the tomatoes in half round the 'equator' and place cut side up on a serving platter (something that will show off the colours at their best!)</li>
<li>Sprinkle over a large pinch of salt and some black pepper, then the oregano leaves</li>
<li>Drizzle with olive oil</li>
<li>After a few minutes the juices will be drawing out of the tomatoes. Keep at room temperature and serve within half an hour. We ate this with some Morbier cheese and crusty bread!</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRib6quKO1chJT5RDryBHYkT_MadC-mqfVNeDGlGDF3K4FATL4H6PNfYZK6aOzQtCPCdco-vIei3RJlRkVR7hzLLrBruaUJEZUP0hFSEIGejXbDmEAjx_KHVAnwI4xPKXkUhi-i0x-eMA/s1600/food+11may13+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRib6quKO1chJT5RDryBHYkT_MadC-mqfVNeDGlGDF3K4FATL4H6PNfYZK6aOzQtCPCdco-vIei3RJlRkVR7hzLLrBruaUJEZUP0hFSEIGejXbDmEAjx_KHVAnwI4xPKXkUhi-i0x-eMA/s400/food+11may13+019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving our lunch</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-91925457273893772322013-04-16T19:16:00.000+01:002013-04-16T19:18:05.559+01:00Wheatrig Farmhouse Supper Club - East Lothian Supper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been to a few supper clubs in Edinburgh and while they've all been a bit different, with their own quirks and personalities, they could all ultimately be summed up as "a nice dinner in a nice house". That's not to say the Edinburgh supper club is a boring or formulaic experience, far from it, I keep going to them because I love the sense of the unknown, the taste of adventure (once I got a bus!), the unforeseen alchemy of what happens when strangers get together in the intimacy of someone else's home. I've also had some great food, most of which was better value than a lot of restaurants I've visited. And I've had some great conversations, some awkward ones, and plenty of just plain weird. It's all been part of the experience and one I'm still eager to continue to try.</div>
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This time though I was leaving the city behind for the evening. We were attending East Lothian's first Supper Club, on a farm near Longniddry, a short journey outside of Edinburgh. Not far on a map, far enough to get utterly lost without said map and directions in the event - entirely my fault to forget these. As I drove around and around a dark landscape of flat fields and no sign posts we were getting embarrassingly late. Then it started to snow... adventure, I reminded myself, this is more exciting than catching the No.23 armed with only a wad of cash and a large bag from Oddbins.</div>
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Luckily we pieced together our memory of how to get there and eventually found our hosts' home. Outside of the city and you really notice the darkness, the cold, the
quiet. As we parked up and struggled on the gravel we could have been
200 miles away not 20! Our hosts William and Anna live on their family farm, the farmhouse recently renovated and decorated with the potential to run a B&B, supper club and other projects including Scottish flour from their own fields. Their plan is to provide a farmhouse dinner experience of good home cooking and local ingredients, cooked honestly and without pretention. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our table for the evening</td></tr>
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On arrival we were shown into the drawing room (last ones there - the shame). Although supper clubs are about the food you can't escape the fact they are also about the host's home and that weird feeling of slightly intruding but still being invited in to do so. Like other supper clubs I've been to the farmhouse was exquisitely decorated with attention to detail throughout. On the food front there were still some canapes left for us thanks to our kind hosts and fellow diners, a duo of an excellent, well seasoned trout pate on homemade blinis and a meaty wild venison one, served on soda bread with onion chutney. The venison was quite crumbly, I dropped some on the cream carpet but we were assured the family labrador would finish it off. Our fellow diners were mostly local, from North Berwick or nearby. It was a friendly crowd and we chatted about home, work, food, then it was through to the dining room.</div>
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The table was laid out with crisp linen and slate place settings in the older part of the farmhouse with it's stone walls and old fire place. I had a swig of wine with the canapes then stayed on the sparkling grape juice because I was driving. I'd say that was one of the differences about hosting a supper club outside of a large town or city, it means more people have to drive. It doesn't necessarily put them off coming but might make for a different atmosphere if the drink isn't flowing as freely.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56RUFTGPnUHSIVsZGa1bLLQ52_1fF7oxy46d5CyC_ZxDZ-G6t1VkFlSZtx8sdMdn5EJsthwD79eYDaY-0_clnrz9fzyzk3rEVmZIFb8uLNb4q6rBqkPyML-p5KF0SFbx-MtPY-s7vdLE/s1600/photo(27).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56RUFTGPnUHSIVsZGa1bLLQ52_1fF7oxy46d5CyC_ZxDZ-G6t1VkFlSZtx8sdMdn5EJsthwD79eYDaY-0_clnrz9fzyzk3rEVmZIFb8uLNb4q6rBqkPyML-p5KF0SFbx-MtPY-s7vdLE/s400/photo(27).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue cheese, pear and Ballencrieff tartlet</td></tr>
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For our first course we were served a blue cheese, pear and <a href="http://www.ballencrieffrppigs.co.uk/index.php" target="_blank">Ballencrieff</a> bacon tartlets. This made the most of excellent local produce, the cheese especially was delicious, the pastry crisp and it was fantastic to have some local free range bacon. The conversation around the table was in full swing and I never heard an awkward silence the whole night. Nor did I think I'd ended up at the 'quiet' end of the table, you know when you're convinced the people at the other end are having a much better time than you.</div>
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Our main course was pork again, Scottish Pork fillet en croute served with apple gravy, Dauphinoise potatoes and Chantenay carrots. I wouldn't normally eat a lot of pork at home, especially not loin so this was a treat. In fact I don't think I've ever had pork en croute anywhere and have never cooked it myself so relished every morsel. As a side a hefty wedge each of dauphinoise potatoes were served, and a rich apple gravy. The vegetables were tasty but the meat was the main event. It was a huge main course but well presented and everything had plenty of flavour and was cooked well.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork Fillet en croute</td></tr>
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Two desserts beckoned, not some weird ladies/gents thing like you get at a wedding but a choice of what we fancied right there at the end of the meal. In the interests of research I chose the Plum Crumble made with their own plums harvested last year and preserved in the freezer, while my dining companion went for the Sticky Toffee Roulade with caramel sauce. In fact he went for it twice, snapping up seconds quicker than the labrador. The crumble was good, the plums sharp and the crumble mix included oats which I have never seen before. The roulade was more than delicious I'm informed but two portions were probably too much for my not-too sweet tooth.<br />
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Following the meal tea and coffee were served in some dainty china cups with thin shards of mint chocolate, made by our hosts. Despite the huge amounts we'd eaten these went down well. The cost was the usual 'donation', we gave £30 each, so with wine (one bottle!), pretend wine and petrol it was heading towards the £80 mark. Eventually taking our leave we and our fellow diners headed home, out into the cold, flat darkness. We'd been served and eaten a fine meal in a welcoming home, and while ye,s it was a nice dinner in a nice house, it was the friendliest, most talkative crowd of diners I've experienced at a supper club so far. I wonder if getting out of the city contributed to that. Who knows, it's that strange alchemical mix that makes me keep going back to these things.</div>
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We were welcomed to experience the first supper club in East Lothian and seeing our hosts go all out to make it a great experience for us, the attention to detail and stress on local produce made it an excellent night. Wheatrig Farmhouse Supper Club are hoping to host more suppers this year so it's well worth checking out. The scenery will be wonderful on the long summer nights and will really contribute to the whole experience, not to mention getting there on time! Book a taxi and enjoy some vino with all that lovely food!</div>
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There's a short article about William and Anna <a href="http://www.eastlothiannews.co.uk/news/local-headlines/farmers-invite-you-to-a-supper-with-a-difference-at-longniddry-1-2726904" target="_blank">here</a></div>
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They are also on twitter @farmsupperclub<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimuGkhWUaNpW6jNtdY3MwafOLNDtxo1OGO6RzRVgNrC-5f7EzGGCkVKS5nNjjBrTse8lLCGajtBgnCCKCIIksnaMG2RqaxlfhkIRwdFBCKluS5yeMXz0Okcj6XI4aAU3-PtvFoN4kUhw/s1600/photo(29).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimuGkhWUaNpW6jNtdY3MwafOLNDtxo1OGO6RzRVgNrC-5f7EzGGCkVKS5nNjjBrTse8lLCGajtBgnCCKCIIksnaMG2RqaxlfhkIRwdFBCKluS5yeMXz0Okcj6XI4aAU3-PtvFoN4kUhw/s400/photo(29).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plum Crumble with home grown plums</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-14335407361878845832013-03-21T14:40:00.001+00:002013-03-21T14:41:15.810+00:00Oeuf en Cocotte with Spinach, Mushrooms, Smoked Cheddar and PancettaSpring may be here in a calendar sense, but the Edinburgh weather says otherwise. Snow, a bitter wind chill and driving rain are keeping me wrapped up inside and the heating at full. But after months of winter I'm getting a bit tired of hearty rich stews, root vegetables and other seasonal fare. It's not quite time for a salad (though really, when is it ever) but for something a bit lighter, something that says "hi glass of crisp white wine" but still comes out of the oven.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhBL0TjigNv_HO_v5PH_x9e0I1JKSt0d7qFOVYDMTnJ6Cyj4kKPGnFqgTMM91xhuaikZFE8tkA82A3htS1etNDReMovtsQvVALl52KNBDnKK09ttynSi9SFYNS6nXwvz4ghQSvfBjVwQ/s640/blogger-image-870077512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhBL0TjigNv_HO_v5PH_x9e0I1JKSt0d7qFOVYDMTnJ6Cyj4kKPGnFqgTMM91xhuaikZFE8tkA82A3htS1etNDReMovtsQvVALl52KNBDnKK09ttynSi9SFYNS6nXwvz4ghQSvfBjVwQ/s640/blogger-image-870077512.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Les Cocottes, all the way from France</td></tr>
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I'm lucky enough to have received a gift of some individual oven dishes, baby casseroles if you will or cocotte as the French call them. They lend their name to the traditional French dish of Oeuf en Cocotte, where a whole egg is cracked into each dish, seasoned and baked to soft, creamy perfection in the oven using a bain marie. Sometimes butter, cream or cheese are added to make a luxe version, or maybe herbs or wilted spinach. You delve into the baked oeuf with a spoon or some posh sourdough soldiers and savour the rich yet delicate flavours inside.<br />
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I made this version with baby spinach, mushrooms and smoked cheddar. These flavours work really well together, the earthiness of the spinach and mushrooms, the richness of the cheese and the lightness of the egg. I fry up some salty pancetta to finish the oeufs off; it brings out the smokiness of the cheddar and adds texture but it's not essential.<br />
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Perfect for a cosy late supper or a starter. Double or triple the recipe for more or hungrier people<br />
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Serves 2<br />
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2 Very large free range eggs, the biggest and free-est you can find. I had some straight from a local farm where you buy them from an honesty box. They're usually double yolkers the colour of marigolds.<br />
Couple of handfuls baby spinach<br />
3 cubes of butter<br />
70g white mushrooms, stalks discarded<br />
2 tbsp creme fraiche<br />
50g smoked chedder, grated<br />
4 rashers of pancetta<br />
Decent bread<br />
Salt and freshly ground pepper<br />
Ground paprika (to serve)<br />
<br />
2 small individual baking dishes/cocottes/ramekins with lids (or use foil)<br />
Roasting tin to cook them in, deep enough to be used as a bain marie<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to Gasmark 3</li>
<li>Wilt the spinach with seasoning and cube of butter in a saucepan. Drain and press out all of the liquid</li>
<li>Discard the stalks of the mushrooms and slice them finely. Heat a frying pan, add the butter till sizzling then fry the mushrooms till browned. While they're cooking, boil the kettle.</li>
<li>Grease each dish with butter, then add a layer of spinach, then the mushrooms. Pat them down quite firmly.</li>
<li>Break an egg carefully into each dish over the mushrooms. You can break it into a cup or measuring jug first if that helps. Add a tiny pinch of seasoning. Pour over the creme fraiche and cover with the cheese.</li>
<li>Put the lids or foil on and place in the roasting tin. Pour boiling water into the tin so it comes up to about two thirds of the sides of the little dishes. Bake for 15-20 minutes depending how set you like the eggs. I take the lids off for a few minutes at the end to get a bit of colour on the cheese.</li>
<li>When they're nearly cooked fry the pancetta and drain on kitchen paper. Slice and butter some bread. Serve the eggs with a sprinkling of paprika and the pancetta on top.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oeuf en Cocotte</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-53041822163998382632013-03-05T10:35:00.001+00:002013-03-05T10:35:17.778+00:00Slow Food Edinburgh AGM February 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Slow Food is an international movement that brings together producers, chefs and enthusiasts all with an interest in preserving and promoting the pleasure of good food. Started in Italy in the 1980s, it has grown worldwide to thousands of members all with an interest in sharing and enjoying the best local produce their region has to offer. In contrast to the industrialisation of food production, mass agribusiness, supermarkets and fast food, Slow Food seeks to encourage people to reconnect with their food and where it comes from. Sustainability and provenance are key and at Ballymaloe they are big supporters of the movement, with Darina Allen speaking at the biannual Terre Madre event, a gathering of producers from all over the world held in Turin.<br />
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Slow Food is organised regionally in local grassroots groups set up by
their members called convivia (from the latin 'with life'. In Edinburgh
the Slow Food convivium is one of the largest in the UK and I attended
their Annual General Meeting in February to find out more about the work
they're doing in Scotland. It was held at the Edinburgh New Town
Cookery School so I got to have a look at their lovely demo kitchen
complete with glossy black aga! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious Cake from The Edinburgh Larder</td></tr>
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Before the serious business of the AGM a supper was served of organic
chicken soup, tasty chicken served in a broth with vegetables, herbs and
potatoes and slices of freshly baked onion bread. There was also sharp
crumbly cheese made by <a href="http://www.standrewscheese.co.uk/" target="_blank">St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese</a> using unpasturised milk.<br />
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For dessert we ate chocolate cake made with beer from <a href="http://www.blackislebrewery.com/" target="_blank">http://www.blackislebrewery.com/</a>. The food was provided by a local business <a href="http://www.edinburghlarder.co.uk/index.php" target="_blank">The Edinburgh Larder</a>
who are passionate about using the best of Scottish produce. We also
had some delicious pies from Acanthus Hand Made Pies. They were quality
raised pies filled with haggis, neeps and tatties and chicken curry.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane Stewart</td></tr>
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The AGM covered a review of 2012 and the visit to the afformentioned Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto. Running alongside Terra Madre, the Salone del Gusto is a a food market on a massive scale, where wonderful producers from all over the world have the chance to display and sell their wares. I would love to go in 2014! Jane Stewart from St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese told us about it and some of the wide range of fabulous foods that were on offer, the producers and the similarities and shared values they found in common despite coming from different corners of the world. </div>
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We also found out about some of the work Slow Food Edinburgh has been
doing in the community, with schools, allotments and universities with
Slow Food on Campus. There's lots going on and it was great to see so
many people there and so many great producers so close to home.
Hopefully that interest and enthusiasm can be maintained and built upon
to encourage more people to think about where their food comes from. In
the current climate of the horse meat scandal there was an interesting
discussion about how Slow Food can do more to tackle the issues which
have come out of that. It was no surprise to me and the people there
that things like this happen when selling very cheap processed food at
the end of a long supply chain, but what can be done next to convince
others of the problems and risks inherent in such as system?</div>
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<a href="http://salonedelgustoterramadre.slowfood.com/" target="_blank">http://salonedelgustoterramadre.slowfood.com/</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The AGM</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-76063712193081969182013-02-24T13:32:00.000+00:002013-02-24T13:32:26.906+00:00Nonna's Kitchen Review - EdinburghNonna's Kitchen is an Italian restaurant in Morningside, Edinburgh. Until this visit I'd never been but I'd heard good things about it from a few people. It's smaller than I expected inside, but with modern decor and bright flowers on the tables, still with an Italian feel. I'd booked at the last minute and got an early table for a couple of hours, but on arrival the place was packed with a mixture of friends, families and couples. It was cosy and convivial, with a small army of waiters watched over by the matriarch who seemed to be in charge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arancini</td></tr>
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In addition to the main menu I was extremely impressed by the waiter who reeled off from memory a long line of specials, exquisitely detailed and with great knowledge of each dish. A lot of these included fresh seafood dishes for both starters and mains. From the specials we chose the Arancini for a starter, one of my absolute favourites. Risotto rice shaped into balls, filled with cheese, breaded and deep fried, they were served with a tomato sauce. This was both rich and fresh in flavour and the Arancini were perfect. The crumb was crispy, the rice hot with a creamy but not claggy texture. Inside the cheese oozed out and everything was set off nicely by the slight fragrance of a touch of basil.<br />
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For mains we chose one of the specials and one dish from the a la carte menu. The special Pumpkin Ravioli was served in a cream sauce with hazelnuts, very rich but delicious. The pasta was cooked well and filled with slightly sweet pumpkin flesh. The hazelnuts added a good bit of contrast and texture to the smooth pasta, filling and sauce. We also had the Pizza Quattro Formaggi. The base was a good one, thin and not too much crust. The cheeses were a mix of mozzarella, gorgonzola, taleggio and pecorino. The gorgonzola gave it a strong, gutsy taste but was not too overpowering and you could taste all of the cheeses individually. It was one of the best four cheese pizzas I've had for a while.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin Ravioli</td></tr>
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We didn't order any extras, desserts or coffee but we did have a decent bottle of the house white, and a complimentary small plate of fresh bread with butter, oil and vinegar was served after ordering. Service was excellent. As well as our waiter with the incredible memory, the wine was brought to us unopened to ensure it was the right one. It's little touches like this which impress and rounded the whole thing off to a most enjoyable evening. The dishes and ingredients were authentic and you can tell that a lot of care, effort and time has gone into making the place a cut above your average Italian. Two courses for two plus one bottle of wine and service came to £55 but we thought it was worth it for the excellent food and service. They also offer a short but decent lunch and pre-theatre menu. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza Quattro Formaggi</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">More details </span></b><a href="http://www.nonnas-kitchen.co.uk/" target="_blank">Nonna's Kitchen 45 Morningside Rd Edinburgh EH10 4AZ</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-21947389579145265712013-02-03T22:45:00.000+00:002013-02-03T22:51:47.577+00:00A Burns Supper25th January is Burns Night, the birthday of Rabbie Burns and celebrated not just in Scotland but by Scots or poetry lovers worldwide. A Burns Supper can vary from a formal dinner with all the trimmings such as poetry, piping, toasts and tartan, to a relaxed meal with friends and family. Haggis must be served, a Scottish dish of offal, oatmeal and spices traditionally encased and boiled in a sheep's stomach. At grand occasions the cooked haggis is piped in on a platter and Burns' poem 'Address to a Haggis' is recited. As part of the ceremony the haggis is sliced open with great drama during the poem to show the 'gushing entrails'. It's honestly tastier than it sounds. As well as the haggis there is plenty of whisky, toasts give to Burns, the laddies, the ladies and just about everyone else and sometimes ceilidh dancing.<br />
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In this Edinburgh household there are no Scots but we still enjoy the tradition of serving haggis for Burns' night, even if we eat it all year round. It's January and the days are dark and dreich. You really don't need much of an excuse to cook up a big celebratory meal, drink whisky and cosy in against the chill north winds that howl round the walls of the tenements.<br />
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Traditionally
a Burns Supper starts with soup, however these days there's often
a smoked salmon or seafood starter such as a tartlet or terrine. This was no different, I made a simple
vol-au-vont of smoked salmon, eggs, capers and red onion. Starter sized
vol-au-vonts are easy to make and are sturdier than you might think for holding the raw filling when
you pour it in. It's important though that you can fit all the filling into the pastry; making this dish from memory instead of a proper recipe left me with extra. Instead of wasting it I cooked it up on the hob as scrambled egg when the vol-au-vents were nearly ready and put it on top. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53vBkqtX2zXTWlpktz-I-0U5U-ux3YIChqAvHS3XnTWfhSyDgKK85pcmQSj_mpJzO8yfCaJLi62PFtr94-f-qg2j2xWq2oS-I9tfVMbMsotSs6m5xomPkq7tlK5yTWirqihwTWFPBiqs/s1600/photo(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53vBkqtX2zXTWlpktz-I-0U5U-ux3YIChqAvHS3XnTWfhSyDgKK85pcmQSj_mpJzO8yfCaJLi62PFtr94-f-qg2j2xWq2oS-I9tfVMbMsotSs6m5xomPkq7tlK5yTWirqihwTWFPBiqs/s400/photo(14).JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked Salmo Vol-Au-Vont</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For the main course I bought the haggis from my local butcher, they sell them in all sizes from a small sausage to a chieftian-sized pudding. The haggi are made by a local producer, AJ Hornig in West Calder, that are also famous for their black pudding. The butchers here sells at least three types of black pudding as well as white pudding and haggis all year round. In Scotland it's commonly served in a fried breakfast.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYPQfvANCyKK5deqVkivLwbjd11AIGoRS38r2gemdmK6BahPOSlHyv-wh-1l2d02byNF6usff8JPbnYCnC0eylBWGyJvSNcL9btY-l7CrAdEZ49P4as5M1epqlOAdf0oPS9dePiYPdl0/s400/photo(15).JPG" width="298" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back to the dinner (or supper). My haggis was only small so I boiled it in it's casing for 30 minutes. I don't have a microwave at the moment but in the past they've been really good for cooking haggis in minutes with the same results. I recommend it especially if you've got a lot of people and/or cooking to do as it means one less pan on the stove. This haggis was hearty and spiced with lots of flavour but not too rich or gristly.<br />
<br />
I served the haggis with the traditional accompaniments, mashed neeps (swede) and tatties (potatoes). The spicy haggis suits fairly simple vegetables to go with it. Neeps are called neeps or turnips in Scotland, swedes in England, and swede turnips in Ireland...I think. It's complicated. They're also called rutabaga in America. A bulbous root vegetable that needs a bit of effort when peeling, chopping and cooking, it's often grown for cattle feed. I mashed the neeps with carrots to make a coarse puree, then served them with a simple mashed potato and the haggis.A whisky sauce is often served here, I made a cream and peppercorn sauce enriched with a bit of butter at the end. It was probably a bit too thick, but very tasty.<br />
<br />
Dessert is often cranachan, a dessert of raspberries, oats, whisky and crowdie, a scottish cheese. I made my blueberry cranachan, which contains none of the above so calling it cranachan is stretching it a bit. It is however a delicious mixture of stewed blueberries, crushed amaretti biscuits, yoghurt and honey. The blueberries bring a great colour to the dish. It's also reasonably light after a rich dinner of entrails, root veg, butter and cream!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgBBmlSBjt7UmptnvETXKJlKzt1jE_ryot-y5rdfqvM488des8yHSz7qf1OM9eoiMlSxo_CamZmarN7tXB-TBrLxLtCXHwtM4cpZ1tONF-3T3EKsBCvpS-kHLkiV3iWW5SDo8XvOxbS8/s400/photo(16).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="298" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry 'Cranachan'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgBBmlSBjt7UmptnvETXKJlKzt1jE_ryot-y5rdfqvM488des8yHSz7qf1OM9eoiMlSxo_CamZmarN7tXB-TBrLxLtCXHwtM4cpZ1tONF-3T3EKsBCvpS-kHLkiV3iWW5SDo8XvOxbS8/s1600/photo(16).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-40335342051899315382013-01-27T12:37:00.001+00:002013-01-27T12:38:05.870+00:00Coffee Cake Recipe - for Edinburgh Cake Ladies East West Cake event<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<br />
Here is the recipe for the coffee cake I made for <a href="http://edinburghcakeladies.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/east-west-cake-the-photos/">Edinburgh Cake Ladies East West Cake Event</a> this January. It’s based on the coffee cake recipe from Ballymaloe’s 12 Week
Professional Cookery Course. Unlike most Ballymaloe recipes where vanilla extract
is used and never essence, this uses coffee essence, (really chicory). Camp is the most common brand in the UK. I love cooking with things like this, it's one of
those ingredients that feels really nostalgic and old fashioned to use. I
suppose it's the same as when people buy golden syrup in a tin instead of those
practical plastic bottles. The cake itself is really intense and coffee-ish, even though the sponge on it's own has a quite delicate flavour. You can decorate it how you like, add chocolate curls and bitter cocoa or keep it simple.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lrxtt-7RxA-KiMX80dIO6EcHEhz2ddfgaYMWibx8qGlSp-8LQeDRUDanvgmJkd5lbhmYFTaXqTwPYLh2zvaL1xc-vLYb1aSh55JY_vXg_K1tOV-Z-mIfLAXMgYUtMzIOsS9_rW0AbGE/s1600/photo+cake+cropped(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lrxtt-7RxA-KiMX80dIO6EcHEhz2ddfgaYMWibx8qGlSp-8LQeDRUDanvgmJkd5lbhmYFTaXqTwPYLh2zvaL1xc-vLYb1aSh55JY_vXg_K1tOV-Z-mIfLAXMgYUtMzIOsS9_rW0AbGE/s400/photo+cake+cropped(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My version</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This is the recipe from Ballymaloe, I have multiplied the cake ingredients
by 50% to make three thick layers from the original two, as I wanted to give the cake more height for the East West Cake theme, 'showstopper cakes'. I did the same for the coffee icing ingredients.
The butter cream is increased by 100%. To decorate I added cocoa, chocolate
curls and some gold sugar decorations.
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Coffee Cake</b></h4>
<br />
<h4>
<b>
</b></h4>
<br />
12oz soft butter<br />
12oz caster sugar<br />
6 large eggs (preferably organic)<br />
12oz plain white flour<br />
1<span style="font-size: 7.5pt;">1/2</span> tsp baking powder<br />
2 tbsp Camp coffee essence<br />
<br />
<h4>
Coffee Butter Cream</h4>
4oz butter<br />
8oz icing sugar<br />
4 tsp Camp coffee essence<br />
<br />
<h4>
Coffee Icing</h4>
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<br />
1<span style="font-size: 7.5pt;">1/2 </span>lb icing sugar<br />
<span style="font-size: 7.5pt;"> </span>3 tbsp Camp coffee essence<br />
Boiling water<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
To decorate (all optional)
</h4>
<br />
3 oz walnut halves<br />
2 oz dark chocolate<br />
2 tbsp cocoa powder<br />
Gold cake decorations<br />
<br />
<h4>
Tins</h4>
2 or 3 x 8in round sandwich tins<br />
<br />
<b>A note on logistics </b>- I only have two sandwich tins, so made this in two
batches. I made two thirds of the cake mixture up first, poured it into the two
tins and baked them. Once they were cooked and the cakes cooling, I made up the
smaller second batch to fill one tin. I also have a gas oven, with only enough
room on one shelf for two tins. If you have enough tins and enough shelf space,
two ovens or a fan oven enabling you to cook on multiple shelves you can make
the cake in one go.<br />
You can't make it all in one go and then keep a third of the batter back
while you wait for the first two to cook as the raising agent will have started
to react and the cake won't rise when you eventually bake it. You will also get
holes on the top of the cake as it will not have been put into the heat
of the oven quickly enough. You could just cook it with two layers, decreasing
the ingredients as above, it will still look impressive as per Ballymaloe here:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2H_JblloHlMd7ftJakOEYg1uHOBrQ7X_99HoLhpyxC2hao-iekbhLS7auIQNdABCPVq9bo7UXVZ6wkRLtuUpttG0NT4D_3UStrdrhrcA3hj2z8SZ5QYQmc_CFncQsS13UIoeS91uOKI/s1600/SAM_3154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2H_JblloHlMd7ftJakOEYg1uHOBrQ7X_99HoLhpyxC2hao-iekbhLS7auIQNdABCPVq9bo7UXVZ6wkRLtuUpttG0NT4D_3UStrdrhrcA3hj2z8SZ5QYQmc_CFncQsS13UIoeS91uOKI/s400/SAM_3154.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pam's coffee cake from Ballymaloe demo, how I would love to have an oven like theirs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Right, on with the recipe!<br />
<h4>
The cake</h4>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Preheat the oven to
180C/350F/Gas Mark 4</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Line the base of the tins
with greaseproof or silicon paper. Brush the sides with melted butter and
dust with flour</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Cream together the butter
and sugar, by hand using a wooden spoon or in a food mixer (I use a
Kenwood Chef, using the K beater). I recommend a mixer as you need to
really beat the butter and sugar till it is pale and fluffy. If you think
it's ready still beat it a bit more!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Whisk the eggs and add to
the mixture bit by bit, mixing well between each addition</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Sieve the flour with the
baking powder and stir gently in by hand. Don't over beat the mixture
here, almost fold it in with your spoon.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Finally add the coffee
essence and mix in, again fold it in gently.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Divide the mixture
evenly between the prepared tins, paddling it round with a metal spoon
(you can use an electric scales if you're that way inclined for a perfect
split)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Bake for 30 minutes, till
the cakes are firm and springy in the middle as well as the sides.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Rest in the tin for a
minute or two, then turn out onto a cooling rack.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">If you are making it in two
batches, repeat steps 1-9 above from scratch.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">While it's in the oven melt
the chocolate for the chocolate curls over simmering water. Pour over the
back of a plate or baking tray and leave somewhere cool.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Make the coffee butter
cream. Sieve the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl - yes this takes a lot of
time but really does give a better result.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Whisk the icing sugar with
the butter, by hand or machine, as it starts to come together add the
coffee essence. Continue to whisk till light and fluffy. Cover with cling
film till ready to use.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">When the cakes are cooled
sandwich together the sponges with two layers of icing, evening them out
with a bread knife if need be. Have enough cream to fill in the sides to
give a straightish line for the icing.</li>
</ol>
<h4>
Decoration </h4>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">One the cake is assembled
make the icing. Again sieve the icing sugar, add the coffee essence and
then enough boiling water to make it the consistency of double cream. Add
the water sparingly, not too much in one go or you will be back and forth
adding more sugar and liquid all day to get it right!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Pour icing over the top and paddle it out and down over
the sides, smoothing it with a palate knife. Work quickly or do it in
batches, patching it up where needed as the icing can slide down the cake
before it dries. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Add walnut halves around the bottom of the cake to decorate, they will hold to the icing. You can also use hazelnuts as they do at Ballymaloe.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Once the icing has started to set sieve the cocoa powder over the top. If it's set a bit you can dust off any that has stuck to the sides for a neater finish. You could also combine the cocoa with some fine espresso/instant coffee powder.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Scrape the chocolate curls from the plate/tin, using a wide Parmesan slice. Try and take long confident sweeps. If the chocolate is too hard or too soft put it somewhere warmer/colder for a bit. It will soften quickly so you may need to wait and do two batches. I hold my hands under a freezing tap as long as possible to stop the chocolate melting, it helps but it hurts! The curls don't need to be perfect as they're all piled on the top, but a bit of practice and they can start to look surprisingly good.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Pile the chocolate curls on the top with the gold cake decorations.</li>
</ol>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.953252 -3.1882669999999962 55.953252 -3.1882669999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-38138737161030594612013-01-27T10:25:00.001+00:002013-01-27T10:25:58.850+00:00Edinburgh Cake Ladies - East West Cake EventIn December I signed up for an <a href="http://edinburghcakeladies.wordpress.com/">Edinburgh Cake Ladies</a> event, they are a group of bakers (not just ladies!) in the city that meet up throughout the year to share their creations each other and eat loads of tasty cake. They organise regular events with different themes and in January they held their biggest get together yet, <a href="http://edinburghcakeladies.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/east-west-cake-the-photos/">East West Cake</a>, where they were joined by a group of <a href="http://glasgowbakingclub.wordpress.com/">Glasgow bakers</a> for a serious cake-off. I'd been reading about their cake exploits online for a while but this was the first time I had actually applied for a place and gone along.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpuJjHifqngZWemA8PKFfVOzLNiR_aVmPstA5kPa8J3ICvIZLnJkeIf_LySIgyOYSx7eRKOe5uYZnpWvnv0cYeyqQKN4LAHuRunbOK9YYzWI7DuivRlUSpiddk76hPoM1sgv6Y65LPF4/s1600/photo(12).JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpuJjHifqngZWemA8PKFfVOzLNiR_aVmPstA5kPa8J3ICvIZLnJkeIf_LySIgyOYSx7eRKOe5uYZnpWvnv0cYeyqQKN4LAHuRunbOK9YYzWI7DuivRlUSpiddk76hPoM1sgv6Y65LPF4/s320/photo(12).JPG" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake as far as the eye can see...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Despite it's popularity I'm not someone that does a lot of baking, though I'd like to do more. At Ballymaloe I learnt loads on the subject but back home it never seems right to bake for only one or two people. I don't have a huge family up here to feed all the cake to and I don't want to end up the size of a house eating it all! Being the office feeder has never appealed and it's also a bit science-y for me, with all the stretching proteins, bubbles of air and exact temperatures. I've always been a far more intuitive cook, before Ballymaloe I rarely measured anything and only started getting interested in the science of food once I realised it would make me a better one.<br />
<br />
However baking is both scientific and creative and that creative side definitely appeals to me, I loved making cakes as a child and decorating them from recipes in a Jane Asher cook book. My mother still tells the story of us dancing along to the sound of the Kenwood Chef (dear lord...) and I have cooked loads of tasty cakes over the years, this time though, I was a bit out of practice.<br />
<br />
Ahead of this cake extravaganza I planned on making an Italian cake 'Torta Mimosa' from Tessa Kiros' gorgeous book Limoncello & Linen Water. The theme was 'showstopper cakes', this one is decorated to resemble mimosa blossoms, bright yellow from lots of organic yolks, a bit like a sweet version of the Eggs Mimosa dish at Ballymaloe. I thought it fitted the bill, yes I would have time to rustle up some crystallized flowers for the top! Christmas came and went, then the flurry of Hogmanay, January was racing by and suddenly I had no time to practice a cake that required 10 eggs and a bottle of Limoncello. I consider a bottle of Limoncello a sound investment but I didn't want to risk taking something I'd never made before. What if it was a disaster, these ladies' cakes are <i>really</i> good...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU11TFwK7yS_r-djcfA4GUiJLFiUbJ0TBHAdrW7NqdqNBBQ7rmCZ74ZzBltJ4OYuGilFcnT3Vb2YJdlvhrdwSP7t9AYrKIIC0tGYoVrnTgLsMtQBhTeBq13a-AEY4_432FReHI29Kegco/s1600/photo(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU11TFwK7yS_r-djcfA4GUiJLFiUbJ0TBHAdrW7NqdqNBBQ7rmCZ74ZzBltJ4OYuGilFcnT3Vb2YJdlvhrdwSP7t9AYrKIIC0tGYoVrnTgLsMtQBhTeBq13a-AEY4_432FReHI29Kegco/s400/photo(3).JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My three layer coffee cake, with chocolate curls</td></tr>
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Yes, I wussed out and instead made the delicious coffee cake we had at Ballymaloe. I'd made the chocolate cake that week but the differences are really only in the flavouring and icing, and I had most of the ingredients in. I baked a third layer to give it a bit more height, and added additional decoration to the top of dusted cocoa powder and homemade dark chocolate curls. The cake itself has a really intense coffee flavour, especially from the icing and cream, the sponge itself is a bit more delicate and balanced but still strong enough for a coffee fiend like me. There's no chopped or ground nuts in it, it's pure coffee, although I did add halved walnuts at the base and covered the top in cocoa and chocolate curls.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once <span style="font-size: small;">t</span>he cake was made (recipe in my next post), on its stand and safe in a ca<span style="font-size: small;">rdboard <span style="font-size: small;">box it was time to set off.<span style="font-size: small;"> Carrying it <span style="font-size: small;">down fr<span style="font-size: small;">om the second floor, across the ic<span style="font-size: small;">y pavements,</span> into the car, and keeping i<span style="font-size: small;">t save driving across town was a challenge. <span style="font-size: small;">"<span style="font-size: small;">N</span>ot the cobbles!" I cried to my poor <span style="font-size: small;">driver, protective of my precious cargo. <span style="font-size: small;">G<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">ood job I wasn't going to G<span style="font-size: small;">lasgow, my heart was in my mouth <span style="font-size: small;">the whole time and we only drove two miles</span>. I've since discovered the sensible thing to do for these t<span style="font-size: small;">hings</span> i<span style="font-size: small;">s</span> buy a pla<span style="font-size: small;">s</span>tic cake carrier<span style="font-size: small;">, then a<span style="font-size: small;">ssem<span style="font-size: small;">ble it on the <span style="font-size: small;">sta<span style="font-size: small;">nd <span style="font-size: small;">at the venue. <span style="font-size: small;">Lakeland, here I come.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The event itself was great, the cake made it the<span style="font-size: small;">re in better sha<span style="font-size: small;">pe than me<span style="font-size: small;"> after the journey and took its place <span style="font-size: small;">with all the<span style="font-size: small;"> other fabulous cakes on display. There were all<span style="font-size: small;"> ty<span style="font-size: small;">pes, chocolate, chocolate and fruit, gingerbread and Guinness, <span style="font-size: small;">M</span>alteser, pavlova, <span style="font-size: small;">c</span>arrot, tortes, cakes with macaroons, I could go o<span style="font-size: small;">n and on. I t<span style="font-size: small;">ried as much as possible</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">, I managed about fiv<span style="font-size: small;">e or six s<span style="font-size: small;">li<span style="font-size: small;">ces</span></span>, some smalle<span style="font-size: small;">r than others. After t<span style="font-size: small;">hat</span> there <span style="font-size: small;">was no way I coul<span style="font-size: small;">d eat anything sweet for <span style="font-size: small;">t<span style="font-size: small;">he rest of the day! A sugar coma beckoned...but I still took back a huge box ful<span style="font-size: small;">l of cake and we ate the re<span style="font-size: small;">st <span style="font-size: small;">over <span style="font-size: small;">the week<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;">It was nice to meet some new people in Edinburgh who were all super friendly and hugely creative with their skills an<span style="font-size: small;">d ideas</span>. I'<span style="font-size: small;">m definitely looking forward to the next one.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are some pic<span style="font-size: small;">tures of the fab cakes from the day:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU2Ent47L08EXi56rkASOkHYB0pT4yV74OKUnMY-vWwAl1SVC4KkG9xuztvgjteOszYsrHQ6BRu3-B3Tzs0tE1uwEXvrT9A9K9SOmaNbvDkSh1v5dq8GcI1F8DJp6vJDD1oK9SFE1LPM/s1600/photo(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU2Ent47L08EXi56rkASOkHYB0pT4yV74OKUnMY-vWwAl1SVC4KkG9xuztvgjteOszYsrHQ6BRu3-B3Tzs0tE1uwEXvrT9A9K9SOmaNbvDkSh1v5dq8GcI1F8DJp6vJDD1oK9SFE1LPM/s400/photo(10).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This George Square cake was too good to eat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwEtP_Dsm3t8MXwqSN9j2ZTmIFDx26a4GxKG2F7Hpd8A6TwC-ZxMryUDl9EpgFhlL-A6xg6KtuutAC92y9JtW_t31wYXa32J5O2GD8USfCXJcOm-LWeNOpg7ZMjg8UdRM-RWEM2Lb9I4/s1600/photo(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwEtP_Dsm3t8MXwqSN9j2ZTmIFDx26a4GxKG2F7Hpd8A6TwC-ZxMryUDl9EpgFhlL-A6xg6KtuutAC92y9JtW_t31wYXa32J5O2GD8USfCXJcOm-LWeNOpg7ZMjg8UdRM-RWEM2Lb9I4/s400/photo(11).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine on the table</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9lZltS9-v5LBwT9gAN0Cw1BBiye-Or4jAtvTnKTKdhTP14NEP5fcTYLr7k7T_tt0T7uMnfvipd1YzKGloVjUFwaH3iqlPgweQ9viDI40ZFqxrIQPKj8SIQtxWKZD3ex43YNjpSOTyOU/s1600/photo(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9lZltS9-v5LBwT9gAN0Cw1BBiye-Or4jAtvTnKTKdhTP14NEP5fcTYLr7k7T_tt0T7uMnfvipd1YzKGloVjUFwaH3iqlPgweQ9viDI40ZFqxrIQPKj8SIQtxWKZD3ex43YNjpSOTyOU/s400/photo(4).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nom nom</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpuJjHifqngZWemA8PKFfVOzLNiR_aVmPstA5kPa8J3ICvIZLnJkeIf_LySIgyOYSx7eRKOe5uYZnpWvnv0cYeyqQKN4LAHuRunbOK9YYzWI7DuivRlUSpiddk76hPoM1sgv6Y65LPF4/s1600/photo(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-pqMCSPaR-UCGNiGKAtj_C0zuhtSrwqPLhoOelBr_stQuIST7FAH92adIyq0YuJaBamZWVkKqDzPqhn-0Qa9uN0IpAwXfUFD45mBM5MPv6Q7fLx7XO81wM_sS6b8rfeghmGq2S9sKl8/s1600/photo(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-pqMCSPaR-UCGNiGKAtj_C0zuhtSrwqPLhoOelBr_stQuIST7FAH92adIyq0YuJaBamZWVkKqDzPqhn-0Qa9uN0IpAwXfUFD45mBM5MPv6Q7fLx7XO81wM_sS6b8rfeghmGq2S9sKl8/s400/photo(5).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's more...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40__GtvjPQKlhP62ITbKfoEnYAESpYYlZAmG9HBwbdQmZfno_5232xM8phRJ9vvOrfRFmi-jGp2xrdziqCnLyOR3M-1fsPL4T_VoPjtgS-AYzClh64Igh-EHl9zj1mU1VA6ko2u8_6Rk/s1600/photo(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40__GtvjPQKlhP62ITbKfoEnYAESpYYlZAmG9HBwbdQmZfno_5232xM8phRJ9vvOrfRFmi-jGp2xrdziqCnLyOR3M-1fsPL4T_VoPjtgS-AYzClh64Igh-EHl9zj1mU1VA6ko2u8_6Rk/s400/photo(6).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and more</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOu4GVjG3M0-_TOpYj792OSZ_du5AY53CDMWip0LDmI80ddDSmQF1z_LFTZSwXjm_ZJ9TkGOTEflVUtPbNr-H5UGFEmTXJi5mXzb1KndNyD4d5yVb3pxjB7C1oNFDBrTlM4ZSQgThR2Mk/s1600/photo(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOu4GVjG3M0-_TOpYj792OSZ_du5AY53CDMWip0LDmI80ddDSmQF1z_LFTZSwXjm_ZJ9TkGOTEflVUtPbNr-H5UGFEmTXJi5mXzb1KndNyD4d5yVb3pxjB7C1oNFDBrTlM4ZSQgThR2Mk/s400/photo(7).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The icing on this one was amazing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeSnSkdQ3JpaCUfYqEgOVlx0V3YiVj3oPJuwT3D6IZnJsQkNzkixsyiMNSsJn1B3_2aiJVeagQ1Q4J4HVbjGMqrw9-86qPhL8Y1LTg0MXo352Jo_ItRx6oQ9fjsyZzwn3aFWhdafD5M8/s1600/photo(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeSnSkdQ3JpaCUfYqEgOVlx0V3YiVj3oPJuwT3D6IZnJsQkNzkixsyiMNSsJn1B3_2aiJVeagQ1Q4J4HVbjGMqrw9-86qPhL8Y1LTg0MXo352Jo_ItRx6oQ9fjsyZzwn3aFWhdafD5M8/s400/photo(8).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosewater in this one was lovely</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjly5Zl3UXrnfW_pS-ZnTMnbvdFOgV17mJptbSuk6gJ3RCwIyQrehga8fGo-ZO5nMqyOLTGAi9OhnwEiJUaGTvqBp3vvkxjz_MOnVPh62TSLkehSBWZsQCu3r9CNceVnUn-nmZKomxMvI/s1600/photo(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjly5Zl3UXrnfW_pS-ZnTMnbvdFOgV17mJptbSuk6gJ3RCwIyQrehga8fGo-ZO5nMqyOLTGAi9OhnwEiJUaGTvqBp3vvkxjz_MOnVPh62TSLkehSBWZsQCu3r9CNceVnUn-nmZKomxMvI/s400/photo(9).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-74373050671012249232013-01-27T03:13:00.000+00:002013-01-27T03:13:00.118+00:00The Links Hotel, Bar & Kitchen - Edinburgh<br />
This month I have been out not once, but twice, to watch something pretty unlikely for me, the football competition known as 'The Capital One Cup'. As I don't have a TV, let alone Sky Sports One HD, we had to find somewhere local to watch two semi-finals (the same teams play each other at home and away). It was a short walk in the wintry evenings to the Links Hotel, located over the far side of the Bruntsfield Links. It's a smart, medium sized hotel housed in traditional stone Victorian buildings with a public bar and restaurant and a great view over the Links.<br />
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The bar's a 'sports' type one, with lots of wood, pool table and pictures of golfers and people I've never heard of. Both times I went in it was quiet to start with (good for a table right in front of the massive tv...) but got busier with what looked like a mix of residents and visitors; it was a pretty relaxed atmosphere. They serve food both in the bar and restaurant, the restaurant I have yet to visit but it has a tasty looking menu, if a bit safe. In the bar there's decent pub grub, an interesting tapas menu and daily specials. I also heard the waitress telling hotel guests all their deserts are home made. As the football was on at dinner time we had to eat! Tuesdays and Wednesdays the burgers are on offer, two for £12 (£8-10 full price) so we tried those. We ordered at the bar but they take orders at the tables too. Service was friendly, quick and both times a member of staff came back to check our meals were okay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ogTXiVI_BJQQr-RImtRlBaQbVcDUkTM4qsLPhbRiPVq3c4qLTiuIIQGitJbuXS7wr9nQ4jGddou9lIezv-vkFxKxqCCHZF6De_jZPDYJ_L8v7hwLlx_aTrclq28tZ9iuh20Bja_EoHo/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ogTXiVI_BJQQr-RImtRlBaQbVcDUkTM4qsLPhbRiPVq3c4qLTiuIIQGitJbuXS7wr9nQ4jGddou9lIezv-vkFxKxqCCHZF6De_jZPDYJ_L8v7hwLlx_aTrclq28tZ9iuh20Bja_EoHo/s400/photo(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheeseburger and trimmings</td></tr>
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The burgers come presented on a board with a bowl of really tasty chips, house coleslaw and a few onion rings. Sometimes it's a gamble choosing a burger but other times it's <i>exactly</i> what you were craving for. These burgers were really impressive, rich and meaty, cooked through but not dry with loads of burgery juices. They were tall enough to struggle taking a bite out of and the buns were substantial enough to hold everything together, not disintegrating at the sight of mayonnaise. The chips were hot and crispy, perfect covered in a bit of salt for dipping in sauces and coleslaw. The sauces are the usual bottled brands and none the worse for it, but the coleslaw is made on the premises and really tasty. The onion rings were only a few but a nice touch and well cooked.<br />
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We had the cheeseburger and the salsa burger, on return the blue cheese and bacon, all include lettuce and slices of tomato. The meat was the best part, minced steak with great flavour, from both the steak and the cooking. The cheeseburger was the best of the three, but the others were good too. It's just the blue cheese escaped more easily and though I like salsa, I think a burger needs cheese. Also the burgers are big enough that the bacon was a bit surplus to requirements, I'm not sure it added anything extra.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzq__VSIhGIiwPZ8ugmPmj51Ym3vyGk2CY5OH6z4H3XDJjkHtT8ONvxkk5NTIUf1MBXRjaD6oqzxd1slGXpJ7oJbkK8EuW_LT5KpaFMCBW8COCap34lv9_ZGK_7diJ8yT2m1UcQpr_AzI/s1600/photo(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzq__VSIhGIiwPZ8ugmPmj51Ym3vyGk2CY5OH6z4H3XDJjkHtT8ONvxkk5NTIUf1MBXRjaD6oqzxd1slGXpJ7oJbkK8EuW_LT5KpaFMCBW8COCap34lv9_ZGK_7diJ8yT2m1UcQpr_AzI/s320/photo(2).JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bacon & Blue Cheese Behemoth</td></tr>
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We drank a bottle of the Spanish house white, £13.50, again good value, especially if there's two of you and you know you're going to be there for a couple of nail biting hours. For two people it was £25.50 for a bottle of wine, burgers and burger trimmings, more than great for the price. We'll be checking out the menu again as there is now a final to go and see...both nights we were celebrating more than the burgers! Next time I'll have another look at the wine list too, fingers crossed we will be ordering something more than the house wine!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Details here:</b></span><a href="http://ww.linkshoteledinburgh.co.uk/index.html">The Links Hotel, 4 Alvanley Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 1DU</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.188266999999996255.810969 -3.5109904999999961 56.095535 -2.8655434999999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-40211599379176330732013-01-21T15:14:00.001+00:002013-01-21T15:15:20.877+00:00Illegal Jack's South West Grill - Edinburgh<br />
I have walked back home up Lothian Road lots of times since I moved to Edinburgh, usually lugging food shopping or another purchase all the way back from the city centre, getting tired and cold by this point and more than a bit hungry (admittedly this is still nearer town than my home to my shame). Many a time I have fancied going into the Burrito/South West place that it Illegal Jack's South West Grill on Lothian Road and this weekend I eventually went in for a tasty dinner.<br />
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Conveniently situated just up from the Usher Hall and Lyceum Theatre (I was heading there after) they offer a medium sized menu of tortilla dishes, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, tacos, plus chilli bowls and nachos and all the SW trimmings. The burritos are made up to order, filled with a combination of rice, chicken, pork, steak, veggie, pinto beans, fresh salsas, Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream and guacamole. I love this sort of food and there's a good selection to choose from, not so long it takes forever to
decide and order, not too short that you couldn't go back a few times and try different things.<br />
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It is both takeaway and sitting in, the decor inside is relaxed and basic, pretty cheap and cheerful but that fits in about right for the menu and style of the food. On arrival you get a paper place mat-sized menu, decide, go up to order and they make up the burritos there and then using an ingenious tortillas press that heats them in a second. You get drinks and pay at the end so it's pretty quick, then take the food back to the table instead of waitress service. For the drinks they have a few wines, Mexican beers, artisan cider and margaritas which I would try next time. Other dishes such as chilli are ordered and brought to your table later by the staff. There's cutlery, napkins and hot sauce on the side and you help yourself.<br />
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For two people we both had identical burritos; rice, roast pork, pinto
beans, hot salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and jalapenos. The burritos were huge and the meat and combination of flavours were really good, smoky, oniony and hot enough for me, though I still added chilli sauce to the occasional bite. The burritos are wrapped up snug in foil, then you unpeel and eat them as you go. The food looks and tastes fresh and full of flavour, instead of the
usual bland salsas and sauces you often find in american/tex mex places so that is a major plus. I'm quite picky about guacamole and hate any of the ready made stuff you
usually get but this was far superior. The ingredients they use such as Scottish beef seem up to scratch.<br />
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The only thing was the basic price is listed, then extra for meat fillings, plus extra for each of guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos. Who doesn't like all three of those in tortillas anyway? I imagine this pricing structure works well for them, but for me I'd rather just pay one price for everything rather than seeing a lower price to start with that then creeps up and up. On the other hand it's great to find somewhere quick and casual that serves fresh, flavoursome food instead of charging the same or more for the usual bland dishes, using poor quality ingredients or ready made sauces bought in.<br />
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For 2 people for 2 burritos plus a very great bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (£14.50) it was £32.50 so pretty decent for some tasty, fresh food that was served quickly, ideal when you are heading out afterwards to the theatre/cinema/etc or have limited time. Maybe not the place for a long, lingering feast although I could graze over this sort of food all night. It is however perfect for breaking up the (not very) long, cold walk home, some much-welcomed heat and colour after traipsing round a damp<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">and grey</span></span> city centre!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Gwf7NuvBoCTNhkj3eheTy3_uVyM3e_337M-mjLTNsP2ZdnfsGRvBLKL60gyjw0cCJx_pKYfSl2Q5_hlTeXTl6aGP61UBoFNizzA9VP-cLFzE3-TgBxD8u9HMfyiDsflMvioXkQPvXPA/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Gwf7NuvBoCTNhkj3eheTy3_uVyM3e_337M-mjLTNsP2ZdnfsGRvBLKL60gyjw0cCJx_pKYfSl2Q5_hlTeXTl6aGP61UBoFNizzA9VP-cLFzE3-TgBxD8u9HMfyiDsflMvioXkQPvXPA/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half munched burrito, foil scraps, wine, hot sauce</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Full menu here: </span></b><a href="http://www.illegaljacks.co.uk/main.html">Illegal Jack's South West Grill, 113-117 Lothian Rd Edinburgh EH3 9AN</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-85904704466869692942012-09-17T19:09:00.002+01:002012-09-17T19:09:47.731+01:00Ballymaloe Week 10 - A SummarySo, nearly six months after I finished the January 12 Week Course at Ballymaloe I am going to summarise the last three weeks and the dishes and adventures during that time. With so much going on, cooking, revision, exams, evening activities and a slow internet connection I just didn't have any time to upload even a few photos and comments on here over the last few weeks. But here in 'brief' is the last quarter of a crazy twelve weeks, can't believe I survived!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCILHHngO0IX-25Us7FwZf_XNQXi4HHUVc_x7rgkwDi5KUkLZlUFbqnBcDqzthrKrUvTz25naviIA1bhYPjSnyADFIqARMzpkarRvfm9P-KBZ9kO_gl_9QdH1ZFNU4IITjIt9VKQDuc4/s1600/SAM_4368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCILHHngO0IX-25Us7FwZf_XNQXi4HHUVc_x7rgkwDi5KUkLZlUFbqnBcDqzthrKrUvTz25naviIA1bhYPjSnyADFIqARMzpkarRvfm9P-KBZ9kO_gl_9QdH1ZFNU4IITjIt9VKQDuc4/s320/SAM_4368.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Meringue</td></tr>
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Week Ten began and I was still back in Kitchen 3, in fact I never left! I was making a chocolate meringue with chocolate and rum cream and chocolate wafers, roast jerusalem artichokes, starting a ciabatta and brown yeast bread. The bread was fine, if a little heavy as I added some rye flour to it. Was tasty though. The ciabatta is a two day job, first you make the 'biga' which is a yeast flour and water mixture which you make the day before and leave to rise before incorporating it into the dough the next day. The artichokes weren't bad, a bit past their best but that was due to the lateness of the season. They were easier to deal with than I expected this time, I would definitely cook them next winter. Lastly was the meringue, the rum cream is supposed to be the tricky part but that was relatively easy. The meringue was much more troublesome, I kept stopping the mixer to check the consistency but this causes the meringue to be flat and likely to crack. Until I get more experience though it's hard to hold your nerve and just let it keep whisking.<br />
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For the afternoon's demonstration and Tuesday's cooking we were making proper burgers with loads of different toppings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9aefj87ZvkWY7ak_yxT86TTRdV_Of4GHu1eP00ZpCyfq0J3zSpBO4eCnxlw6A1WHp1_tNRAsbL9GRd1hIHzlmXPOfTF0ffY2ZmfrNSmu7XjSKccvkv4VKj6rgS9zsGiZvS8TUrXGhyphenhyphenM/s1600/SAM_4375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9aefj87ZvkWY7ak_yxT86TTRdV_Of4GHu1eP00ZpCyfq0J3zSpBO4eCnxlw6A1WHp1_tNRAsbL9GRd1hIHzlmXPOfTF0ffY2ZmfrNSmu7XjSKccvkv4VKj6rgS9zsGiZvS8TUrXGhyphenhyphenM/s320/SAM_4375.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasty Burger</td></tr>
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It was a crazy day in the kitchen, everyone in each other's way and to be honest my burger was not the greatest, I never got round to taking a photo. Much more successful were the wild garlic pesto and caramalised onions to go with it and some curried parsnip soup which was amazing:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6qjZOa6A8h3d6PBMsacfWWXIXqVdm8kWQ1JRpmOB8OKxw8KHqcBv7d4sLGvpVpLh6u2uLukYcXAjFwrJQVw7FKB_8ATmYlkZVL-z8lMX5zNTxLbIvGjx2TGnvkasrz89Ea4FT7pu6yk/s1600/SAM_4382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6qjZOa6A8h3d6PBMsacfWWXIXqVdm8kWQ1JRpmOB8OKxw8KHqcBv7d4sLGvpVpLh6u2uLukYcXAjFwrJQVw7FKB_8ATmYlkZVL-z8lMX5zNTxLbIvGjx2TGnvkasrz89Ea4FT7pu6yk/s320/SAM_4382.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Garlic Pesto & Caramelised Onions</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDuo0oxPh-c6M8j-5dPjgnL7M1ij2qzdjZQ8qdHjwiBi_fNP_CpB83b89aOu1VuT0QI_R3MD-ZUP2nWBKMXN8tzRe8tU3i_irgFeVaYKAbJvT8RaHTw1yNbRSnJeYFKPiXv_ahUF5O5A/s1600/SAM_4381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDuo0oxPh-c6M8j-5dPjgnL7M1ij2qzdjZQ8qdHjwiBi_fNP_CpB83b89aOu1VuT0QI_R3MD-ZUP2nWBKMXN8tzRe8tU3i_irgFeVaYKAbJvT8RaHTw1yNbRSnJeYFKPiXv_ahUF5O5A/s320/SAM_4381.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parsnip Soup (but too generous a portion)</td></tr>
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I also made made my ciabatta which you mix in the Kenwood for ages till it gets a weird stringy texture. Then you leave it to rise and it gets all light and airy and a really odd, soft dough. Then you try and shape it into loaves on the tray without losing the air ( no kneading!) then leave to rise a bit more and bake. It should come out with lots of air holes in the middle when you cut into it and be quite pale but rustic looking. It's an interesting bread and worth making but needs a bit of practice! Still, I was quite pleased with my first attempt. I also made my puff pastry for using later in the week. It was great to make these things totally from scratch and learn all the techniques. The puff pastry had to made throughout the morning and rolled and folded neatly in the correct order, a challenge for me.<br />
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Our afternoon demonstration used the puff pastry in a Tarte Francaise and a Jalousie dessert, cassoulet and live lobsters! There was some excitement when the crustaceans came in, sadly for them they drifted off to sleep in a slowly heated pot of water. Apparently they would be live on Thursday...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNficI2IAev134XjGhjefseBaWnRNFYehVOlMQxpuQE4fkVcuMFhDR0XuOcF-8CLw5Qhb-P3HRI3EWchWxjcz7ctrD6Dr_VEde0JaHMnF6dTeIZbqxZGyonGItHGd6nEEuyU-Rr57XKo/s1600/SAM_4387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNficI2IAev134XjGhjefseBaWnRNFYehVOlMQxpuQE4fkVcuMFhDR0XuOcF-8CLw5Qhb-P3HRI3EWchWxjcz7ctrD6Dr_VEde0JaHMnF6dTeIZbqxZGyonGItHGd6nEEuyU-Rr57XKo/s320/SAM_4387.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jalousie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63SyGf9_kRIiweWQuYYNUPBiWQRrdmG50g8pdErQ422BPHtgScMu4cAetTVaDHI_B-XUmXPO4iaxfZlc9uAYSa-SppAhDeZ3XtN4L-c84ak4UnxD-yKQwDBCHQGuD8dI02WBvVZmCw7o/s1600/SAM_4388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63SyGf9_kRIiweWQuYYNUPBiWQRrdmG50g8pdErQ422BPHtgScMu4cAetTVaDHI_B-XUmXPO4iaxfZlc9uAYSa-SppAhDeZ3XtN4L-c84ak4UnxD-yKQwDBCHQGuD8dI02WBvVZmCw7o/s320/SAM_4388.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Buttered Lobster</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIs9sVV83sF5aMnyTyFnpr48FXfIXNA98wB7X4vIb0R7tNdW5XaIv2JowXV91lLn_bus9x-VmVbhHFqMxvjFEf947hUqhw5OdPAw3te3W7-6POEoPm26tKMUyk5BGHNu3LCUDaFdNw06g/s1600/SAM_4395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIs9sVV83sF5aMnyTyFnpr48FXfIXNA98wB7X4vIb0R7tNdW5XaIv2JowXV91lLn_bus9x-VmVbhHFqMxvjFEf947hUqhw5OdPAw3te3W7-6POEoPm26tKMUyk5BGHNu3LCUDaFdNw06g/s320/SAM_4395.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarte Francaise</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpjQ0QJJkSAmRDNOWzali-zZgTSeI3bh1tCWYXXWuTM2aAq9kGrBaIEEdVOKlL177byMOaekDubJV9vaFCgu6BauXw171mKgatLwSs_y25FKrmeT6tgWucLr4lyWKWCYufhMOOknev3k/s1600/SAM_4390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpjQ0QJJkSAmRDNOWzali-zZgTSeI3bh1tCWYXXWuTM2aAq9kGrBaIEEdVOKlL177byMOaekDubJV9vaFCgu6BauXw171mKgatLwSs_y25FKrmeT6tgWucLr4lyWKWCYufhMOOknev3k/s320/SAM_4390.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eccles Cakes</td></tr>
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In the evening some of the students went to a wine tasting at the Grainstore at Ballymaloe House with wines from the Vineyards of Merseult featuring a young female winemaker in her 20s. We tried some delicious Burgandian wines for a fiver! Also good revision for the wine exam next week...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3qFc3iOX4VzVPN1gDMuG_8XW0uWNc55Z5lXuFYpVfd3wCW0htPO-CZu9Tu7V_Y6ctm8V6_j7zKYg6uRcLbyN6l93jQ1bKMNRXbL5Lwrg0ypH-z8bnHPy4JS_Bn2Q7k9BSVrdtEku36M/s1600/SAM_4405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3qFc3iOX4VzVPN1gDMuG_8XW0uWNc55Z5lXuFYpVfd3wCW0htPO-CZu9Tu7V_Y6ctm8V6_j7zKYg6uRcLbyN6l93jQ1bKMNRXbL5Lwrg0ypH-z8bnHPy4JS_Bn2Q7k9BSVrdtEku36M/s320/SAM_4405.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vino!</td></tr>
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It all started out pretty civilised but then we headed off to the Blackbird for a nightcap, not quite the same as quaffing posh wine, was a great but rowdy end to the night! <br />
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Wednesday was a long day. The morning was a pastry dough fest, with chelsea buns, danish pastries, baklava, hot cross buns, doughnuts and so on. Yummy but maybe not ideal after ten weeks eating a three course meal, double cream and sugary lemonade every day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bun action</td></tr>
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In the afternoon we had a talk on Game Birds with Tom who runs the local pheasant shoot and is an expert of all things furred and feathered. He also brought his labrador with him to demonstrate retrieving the birds:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoL8Ywe3gla3ID2FynsDderIL35Zw6-ANleVKZlzm-i8uwA8ZncJ5XTygl6ZAej15N0rHWb3AeqN4Go6Td6k5bBk9y4kWz9KgfWQPscNmfxDXm3yVRP0z9WIYj75aOgryF47mEWEThVM/s1600/SAM_4444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoL8Ywe3gla3ID2FynsDderIL35Zw6-ANleVKZlzm-i8uwA8ZncJ5XTygl6ZAej15N0rHWb3AeqN4Go6Td6k5bBk9y4kWz9KgfWQPscNmfxDXm3yVRP0z9WIYj75aOgryF47mEWEThVM/s320/SAM_4444.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squork!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Next was a talk from Cully of Cully and Sully who have built up a business selling soups and other chilled foods in Ireland. He told us about developing the products, the brand, dealing with the supermarkets and so on. Then after that we had a chocolate expert from the English Market in Cork come and speak to us about the different types of chocolate, how it's grown and produced and more. It was great and we got to sample all the different percentages of cocoa solids or cocoa butter but after a full on day and in the middle of a busy week it was pretty hard to take everything in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e6qKVZ6SHCncDlmR-rOZRgDUWgwHQ1na0amqbiOTq4AO_fqBxX_4XhyVz7fhZr1ZSHxh12bD4KnEGMN3z3nFI9Ncj4FqKpuwxKwzDYqQHxVJId_ZzxBmjxlVqqOrOq-1_vd-PJTI8WE/s1600/SAM_4457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e6qKVZ6SHCncDlmR-rOZRgDUWgwHQ1na0amqbiOTq4AO_fqBxX_4XhyVz7fhZr1ZSHxh12bD4KnEGMN3z3nFI9Ncj4FqKpuwxKwzDYqQHxVJId_ZzxBmjxlVqqOrOq-1_vd-PJTI8WE/s320/SAM_4457.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chocolate had some fab packaging</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back in the kitchen on Thursday. Yes, I'm sorry Morrissey but I killed a live lobster, cooked it and ate it. I know, I feel bad and all but it was likely the only chance for some time I would get the chance to do this. It wasn't quite Annie Hall, the lobsters didn't managed to roam the kitchen (I'm surprised none escaped) but they were boiled, simmered, cooked with wine, herbs and veg then mixed with a buttery sauce and served in the shell. Way down at the opposite end of the price spectrum, I did my best to make a salad of lamb's kidneys, mushrooms and pink peppercorns look interesting. Lastly was the Tarte Francaise using my puff pastry. I loved this, looked and tasted great and it was satisfying to use my own pastry which seemed to have gone okay. I somehow found time during this morning to make brown soda bread scones with kibbled wheat and a jug of sugary lemonade using blood oranges and sweet geranium as well!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM87eISNUZmBZu6I5PDL__Fmujtuz33dRI9uCfxAz1DvQtOklVKreULehQuGkLU0E1Q1hi18xFN3zDbg59aCPyVocNh9OOZKVIuQWgyrGPNuew0gZtAY4-3pbR9NhGvcJif1bBUaTCOiA/s1600/SAM_4462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM87eISNUZmBZu6I5PDL__Fmujtuz33dRI9uCfxAz1DvQtOklVKreULehQuGkLU0E1Q1hi18xFN3zDbg59aCPyVocNh9OOZKVIuQWgyrGPNuew0gZtAY4-3pbR9NhGvcJif1bBUaTCOiA/s320/SAM_4462.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live lobsters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK18FmcGXV7fxPTiMBUU6w-PZ78YXzi_bRhtwo5SY0Ib_lvjb-JwAyFsiMCQR03MxWQHQG67NPYN-Cvd7LH8llwaBJd4SYMdtApD8SFj3TvGKJX7JOlEEVLCYStwoG2ZHb9bZE3PvWbdk/s1600/SAM_4472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK18FmcGXV7fxPTiMBUU6w-PZ78YXzi_bRhtwo5SY0Ib_lvjb-JwAyFsiMCQR03MxWQHQG67NPYN-Cvd7LH8llwaBJd4SYMdtApD8SFj3TvGKJX7JOlEEVLCYStwoG2ZHb9bZE3PvWbdk/s320/SAM_4472.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade lemonade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6w9DSDPROPn109yvW10qCrIlYGCSjAfdBpaJLB7kFVZQ-6JwSlbeMW1mrEgV9dUNkWy7yeZal6az6587_Cyo5R36xEplaetCvgr8b0ki7w22-ggW0Q_QoDjtTKNtjZoGSekkSz0WAlY/s1600/SAM_4465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6w9DSDPROPn109yvW10qCrIlYGCSjAfdBpaJLB7kFVZQ-6JwSlbeMW1mrEgV9dUNkWy7yeZal6az6587_Cyo5R36xEplaetCvgr8b0ki7w22-ggW0Q_QoDjtTKNtjZoGSekkSz0WAlY/s320/SAM_4465.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tart francaise</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXckxswSbSL9sxGRS5PSW3d05AsD1jwiyKQBS95H4gyVSYGrgevXc7XPsn3I5As0M80K1rwoCnjrYgv6Q_fIOGOV-0W4KtKfmx_QOBNe0kOjO0WNsFNLNy1UHmKDQBmduqLi12O8v918/s1600/SAM_4467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXckxswSbSL9sxGRS5PSW3d05AsD1jwiyKQBS95H4gyVSYGrgevXc7XPsn3I5As0M80K1rwoCnjrYgv6Q_fIOGOV-0W4KtKfmx_QOBNe0kOjO0WNsFNLNy1UHmKDQBmduqLi12O8v918/s320/SAM_4467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soda scones</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6SxFxqDZ5YFol80lroG-FpzdGntzqMHNulVb3FDIbVgJc45bp7mtSKO3-3Jw6c_WbDrv7JeJeSZaEETjQXDvtCWx_bqI7J5GALof3FcSbweDST2aWsaJSwX5x3BeESmvTDsLKUWAiV4/s1600/SAM_4470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6SxFxqDZ5YFol80lroG-FpzdGntzqMHNulVb3FDIbVgJc45bp7mtSKO3-3Jw6c_WbDrv7JeJeSZaEETjQXDvtCWx_bqI7J5GALof3FcSbweDST2aWsaJSwX5x3BeESmvTDsLKUWAiV4/s320/SAM_4470.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kidney salad</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We finished off the week with our last wine tasting (including
champagne!), then the the final day of the week in the kitchen produced a
delicious Lamb Korma with lemon rice, some foccacia that swelled to
monstrous proportions and a batch of rhubarb and ginger jam which I
burnt while trying to roll out puff pastry at the same time...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmo2XSl8YhG4N_JmdLh3ZzwCnvg1t_bMj-rSyqC1W0D5D6bjiQ6EVbTgkpXLspK3J_nv5mZwCC_yR1xtOz56yVXMRqvVWtJSURzajSyDqSFHDRT9su_Wj1fP8exwD1X-_mlwpazmFdWc/s1600/SAM_4494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmo2XSl8YhG4N_JmdLh3ZzwCnvg1t_bMj-rSyqC1W0D5D6bjiQ6EVbTgkpXLspK3J_nv5mZwCC_yR1xtOz56yVXMRqvVWtJSURzajSyDqSFHDRT9su_Wj1fP8exwD1X-_mlwpazmFdWc/s320/SAM_4494.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb Korma (presentation has got better now!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNStTxA78JbjltegygoLpkppFoyOVwhNdVpxq4CsqozpCZoujZsTgIGuej8jU7P97ftlP2OaKOeNu3I25Xx_QYzOuqdV01XPkfXkVhT911SqxAZxAvofURdkgq5igjRuidE-jEwRpr5E/s1600/SAM_4495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNStTxA78JbjltegygoLpkppFoyOVwhNdVpxq4CsqozpCZoujZsTgIGuej8jU7P97ftlP2OaKOeNu3I25Xx_QYzOuqdV01XPkfXkVhT911SqxAZxAvofURdkgq5igjRuidE-jEwRpr5E/s320/SAM_4495.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More bread</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk1yjaT-wfhycgB4E-E1NrgKDzgXmIYREgKgplxzeIIBfOloI81SB4YqpaCxt-WZ-LBZCTU0vyxH_XpHVWjwVUOGZOXeEDRZ5IjuF6Eotns9yN77DXR8qxPgOrujuytSlUjPuDx_k_oU/s1600/SAM_4496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk1yjaT-wfhycgB4E-E1NrgKDzgXmIYREgKgplxzeIIBfOloI81SB4YqpaCxt-WZ-LBZCTU0vyxH_XpHVWjwVUOGZOXeEDRZ5IjuF6Eotns9yN77DXR8qxPgOrujuytSlUjPuDx_k_oU/s320/SAM_4496.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slightly burnt but tasty rhubarb jam</td></tr>
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The good news was I got to keep all the jam and it has been happily munched by friends and family back home in Edinburgh. After another busy week it was St Patrick's day that weekend, but an uncharacteristically sober one for me. After a couple of drinks watching the rugby in Cork and some fish and chips I was home early, conserving my energy for the last two weeks!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-32423304608700247772012-03-25T10:20:00.000+01:002012-03-25T10:20:29.986+01:00Ballymaloe Weekend 9 - Pizzas and Party<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">It was the weekend but I was back in the kitchen like an idiot ‘helping’ out at the Saturday pizzas they sell here at the café in the school. The pizza dough is made up in a huge batch on Friday and left to rise overnight. Then it’s shaped and cooked to order on Saturday with lots of delicious local seasonal toppings such as Gubbeen cheese and bacon, black pudding, fennel, herb mayonnaise, rocket and so on. They make the pizzas out of this Italian 00 flour which comes in this huge cool looking bag, it also makes a really tasty dough more to the point:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian Flour</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was shaping the pizzas, they got better after the first few attempts, honest! It wasn’t too busy but I felt like I’d done loads. I also chopped some herbs for gremolata to sprinkle on the pizzas and for mayonnaise. The pizzas get cooked in the Italian wood fired oven so they are really authentic and crispy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb-HvWxnYr0-QYzL_ll_MeKMfDCjKe7AgSRrJol4LCtLQhxrWyc28qe-xY1L5ETCRZnhPvNVvWCTcjU82u0Kc491u9yYvXKXQ6Gzbp7EB-Y3B0LoqbrI9zsc22GdbX2Np8vB4CcSjlQM/s1600/SAM_4314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb-HvWxnYr0-QYzL_ll_MeKMfDCjKe7AgSRrJol4LCtLQhxrWyc28qe-xY1L5ETCRZnhPvNVvWCTcjU82u0Kc491u9yYvXKXQ6Gzbp7EB-Y3B0LoqbrI9zsc22GdbX2Np8vB4CcSjlQM/s320/SAM_4314.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizzas shaped by me</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"> After a bit of a rest this evening we had a party and food in the courtyard cooked up by Ted of Wildside Catering. He made lots of asian style food including deep fried wantons with crab, a spicy duck soup full of fresh coriander and really fresh noodles with chicken and cucumber. There were also lots of cocktails to wash it down and we had a fire and stuff, it was cool.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2iIvPvbDCuYUkQsIpRKu3y6mHwgZ4FNMO_BX6f-9hiyEO4DXQIDrA-TZmS1wJm-Z8BWTPRBdOHsHxjJAtYDdfK3oXK81IY7zHTd0FtkL31YXHt3pxsB0jyNkAV7XfBFpwbpE9RBoLc4/s1600/SAM_4328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2iIvPvbDCuYUkQsIpRKu3y6mHwgZ4FNMO_BX6f-9hiyEO4DXQIDrA-TZmS1wJm-Z8BWTPRBdOHsHxjJAtYDdfK3oXK81IY7zHTd0FtkL31YXHt3pxsB0jyNkAV7XfBFpwbpE9RBoLc4/s320/SAM_4328.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in front of the cottage</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on the balcony</td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Shanagarry, Co. Cork, Ireland51.8533136 -8.02128889999994551.8493216 -8.0351248999999445 51.8573056 -8.0074528999999455tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3204454042343410118.post-72121749002440186512012-03-25T10:06:00.000+01:002012-03-25T10:06:23.401+01:00Ballymaloe Day 45, March 10th - Fish Fest<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Last day of the week here in Kitchen 3. Before I had any time to dwell on another week over I had Brioche to roll out and put into tins to rise again, soda bread to bake, then filleting a flat fish, one of my favourite things to do here, this time I tackled a plaice. I made some mushy peas as well to go with the fish, not my favourite veg but cooked this way and blended in the food processor with butter and mint they were really tasty. I also turned out one of my yoghurt creams from yesterday which had by now set in its mold. I garnished it with pink sweet geranium leaves, looked amazing! The kitchen was chaos today with everyone frying fish and chips, there were fish everywhere, cod, plaice, monkfish, they came in on a trolly and we were all given one to fillet, batter and fry up for lunch. It's great to have these ingredients fresh out the sea for us to use. I also found the time to make a spiced Moroccan lentil soup, not sure how that happened!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJScn0jfBBh-9hi-QptujUBaymKbmYVRK62vfUhdLuDkD3wopiJETQ3CV4ixpQB3-c_131cJp_vTH8rAf9IQy9LrcpUs-Pxj1RgK-5ZBHb-RBKxLy4-kAGKrxGXTCmfSfi7Fjasg_clTY/s1600/SAM_4296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJScn0jfBBh-9hi-QptujUBaymKbmYVRK62vfUhdLuDkD3wopiJETQ3CV4ixpQB3-c_131cJp_vTH8rAf9IQy9LrcpUs-Pxj1RgK-5ZBHb-RBKxLy4-kAGKrxGXTCmfSfi7Fjasg_clTY/s320/SAM_4296.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaice before...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71hQnaSL0r_DAYXDvKu64WWx_twtT0v9sWY4ym2LApy3dMlkdpoGnC0QoNeBqZU53D9CkWTEatS5yBQGDiaFW6tsfKmeSvlcAMg-cDBK5f_q4lSXV_7XPtl103r0wSM1jZrxHK72BNqo/s1600/SAM_4297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71hQnaSL0r_DAYXDvKu64WWx_twtT0v9sWY4ym2LApy3dMlkdpoGnC0QoNeBqZU53D9CkWTEatS5yBQGDiaFW6tsfKmeSvlcAMg-cDBK5f_q4lSXV_7XPtl103r0wSM1jZrxHK72BNqo/s320/SAM_4297.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cardamom cream</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeqsiuRZtid4cCv2-f0-otZkzpYxUkEoBLZXGpEsthtmyP00B8TfY5y9ASoGCjnGjX6ih8twAnjSnmBwEg3oxvZWvqejts5OMM-Hbi50BPcoBWfoDeLyX0rptq7cNtMZ3IBeBPtHIXvQ/s1600/SAM_4298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeqsiuRZtid4cCv2-f0-otZkzpYxUkEoBLZXGpEsthtmyP00B8TfY5y9ASoGCjnGjX6ih8twAnjSnmBwEg3oxvZWvqejts5OMM-Hbi50BPcoBWfoDeLyX0rptq7cNtMZ3IBeBPtHIXvQ/s320/SAM_4298.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My White Soda Bread</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4hsnHfd-KQV9Xd2Ke-tQDjvC9TMhfpoJVm-LEP4bk0t-LzIHHf5LnEkBiH3LONVG_hOB5-wvOFRRhAW0LByfjo5NYiRwuOKJKr20f5So9fIZN1tjao4LYwq734z8HKp2OBgRo2yNUOU/s1600/SAM_4299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4hsnHfd-KQV9Xd2Ke-tQDjvC9TMhfpoJVm-LEP4bk0t-LzIHHf5LnEkBiH3LONVG_hOB5-wvOFRRhAW0LByfjo5NYiRwuOKJKr20f5So9fIZN1tjao4LYwq734z8HKp2OBgRo2yNUOU/s320/SAM_4299.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Mushy Peas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgzKSrv9Fbgtj2vDWgCY3ic0SON78qcJKCxMm8Gai0rjtL6FPDHrs8IsSjdYR8r9hPGj2qrxJcSYtEWq8GYg6anEoP4SN9pYEZse4ha0SyywHysSI7KoZBmDFh0N-ZjRzRDtS5_h1oj8/s1600/SAM_4300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgzKSrv9Fbgtj2vDWgCY3ic0SON78qcJKCxMm8Gai0rjtL6FPDHrs8IsSjdYR8r9hPGj2qrxJcSYtEWq8GYg6anEoP4SN9pYEZse4ha0SyywHysSI7KoZBmDFh0N-ZjRzRDtS5_h1oj8/s320/SAM_4300.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Spiced Moroccan Soup</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3A82KG8YBmxUwRjqbTaBE5-GewAsMhEdg7YM8qpIW0AxLsonvOsrfJ394WEa5fQSJlq0hqLUTHP2c4QjG6zofGNRiaIL82i2jR3EY87_24jmGvyPl6v1eCxoTc079TDCLnyPC7vPaZg/s1600/SAM_4301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3A82KG8YBmxUwRjqbTaBE5-GewAsMhEdg7YM8qpIW0AxLsonvOsrfJ394WEa5fQSJlq0hqLUTHP2c4QjG6zofGNRiaIL82i2jR3EY87_24jmGvyPl6v1eCxoTc079TDCLnyPC7vPaZg/s320/SAM_4301.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaice after!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgTtpkK3vAtrNXFF20OR4pRHaQcJRgGfloBn3_giQWWGm2tuuxmcczet2-vMwTcc8PWWULIQHXRCq_Epi6NthByLPc4QVS3I4DZ-LZVRhAEP2vCEKvsQgQb9oYOpdSakWSXThQJ-7WNY/s1600/SAM_4302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgTtpkK3vAtrNXFF20OR4pRHaQcJRgGfloBn3_giQWWGm2tuuxmcczet2-vMwTcc8PWWULIQHXRCq_Epi6NthByLPc4QVS3I4DZ-LZVRhAEP2vCEKvsQgQb9oYOpdSakWSXThQJ-7WNY/s320/SAM_4302.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Brioche!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">For the afternoon we were shown some more meringue recipes, including a chocolate and rum cream one, then lots of different bruschetta and crostinis. The main course was roast duck. I for one am just desperate for a rest but no sign of that anytime soon…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBg2sYOkVkxLX2tnlRcUHz6Ggvlc_83ThUrLTlQ-J8gUSFiIFcqNGyq5iXJBxRtp4QoI-7NIjge8q8sFUijVVwKOizoVmzGVXtNpYWNnITGoQbmr9vYLadY04HvuXQjOeIpMoryjQ5UE/s1600/SAM_4306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBg2sYOkVkxLX2tnlRcUHz6Ggvlc_83ThUrLTlQ-J8gUSFiIFcqNGyq5iXJBxRtp4QoI-7NIjge8q8sFUijVVwKOizoVmzGVXtNpYWNnITGoQbmr9vYLadY04HvuXQjOeIpMoryjQ5UE/s320/SAM_4306.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpJiloyOYn21EcH35V9SiU2cuB8TmYKemlT2cie1mMCMXvEIC-DV2c2rqnbmOCTKPT_pXq1K8qy1VJE7gtM-lilGtms5d__l2IK_a0puxhHEy323maS9dG3DeUKdnSiheKxHI4tCFB6E/s1600/SAM_4308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpJiloyOYn21EcH35V9SiU2cuB8TmYKemlT2cie1mMCMXvEIC-DV2c2rqnbmOCTKPT_pXq1K8qy1VJE7gtM-lilGtms5d__l2IK_a0puxhHEy323maS9dG3DeUKdnSiheKxHI4tCFB6E/s320/SAM_4308.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02058529336492796987noreply@blogger.com0Shanagarry, Co. Cork, Ireland51.8533136 -8.02128889999994551.8493216 -8.0351248999999445 51.8573056 -8.0074528999999455