As you may have realised I’m a huge Heston Blumenthal fan, really I am. I have a couple of his books, one I’m constantly diving into for tips, tricks and recipes, I’ve also spent a small fortune on a meal at The Fat Duck with his second restaurant Dinner high on the list of places to visit. However as much as his restaurants interest me, they don’t really interest my wallet, my visit was a single lone treat, what really inspires me is his cooking techniques. Continue reading
The nights are drawing in, the weather is getting colder and all I want to eat is big bowls of comfort food, the sort that sticks to your ribs. The type of food that warms, fills you up and only comes served in massive portions, the type of food I like to eat all year round. Last week I made a huge pot of Oxtail stew, thick, rich and meaty served with wedges of crusty bread, it was the perfect foil for the night of whisky drinking it accompanied. Continue reading
There is something wonderful about a cookie, not a biscuit mind you, a big chewy soft American style cookie, it’s indulgent and, at times, so much more satisfying than crunching on a firm biscuit. My real passion for cookies started when I worked in America, milk and cookies were a regular evening snack and one I relished, chocolate chip cookies were good but the favourite were Reese’s pieces cookies. These little smartie like sweets are not filled with chocolate but a smooth sweetened peanut butter, the perfect combination with the soft cookie. Reese’s pieces aren’t very common in the UK, but a good local deli or international food shop may stock them, I’ve seen Reese’s produces in Delifonseca and Matta’s in Liverpool. Continue reading
A true classic of french cookery, this caramelised apple tart has so many variations, and bastardisations, that a truly authentic recipe is probably known, and eaten, by few people. Made famous by the Tatin sisters in the early 20th century, the recipe being an ancient speciality of Sologne. It’s something I’ve never made before, and this combined with an abundance of apples from my mum’s garden, really left me with few options but to make my own. Continue reading
Gregg’s the bakers, are pedlars of lowest common denominator food, the cheapest sausage rolls, pasties and pies that you can get on our high streets. Yet, I bet everyone who reads this has had one or more of their baked goods at some point. I know I have, I love a sausage roll or a pork pie, the convenience of fat soaked salt ridden delights is a combination few can resist. However if you find yourself in town and want a real savoury baked goodie then a Lunya chorizo sausage roll is the pinnacle in Liverpool. Alas these famed sausage rolls are not a regular occurrence at the Spanish deli, a close eye needs to be kept on twitter, for an announcement of their impending availability. I had missed out on two previous occasions, of the chance to lay my hands on the aforementioned snack, thus came quickly to the conclusion that I’d have to bake my own. Continue reading
This weekend, I did something I’ve never done before, it was something that was new to me, and something I was a little scared of. But, with most new things, once you give it a go you find you quite like it, even really enjoy it. What did I do? I roasted a chicken at 90°C, I know, it doesn’t even sound possible, I was racked with doubt, but the results were very good. Continue reading
I really love salt in sweet things, my favourite being sea salt flakes on top of chewy chocolate chip cookies. Eating a sweet treat with the occasional burst of saltiness is a delight, and done with skill and understanding its can really lift a standard cake or tart. A couple of years ago, at a restaurant in London, I was served salted caramel truffles as an amuse-bouche, they were heavenly, and started my obsession with salt and sweet. Continue reading
My not quite perfect pizza
There are a lot of meals, when you make them at home, are never as good as in a restaurant/bakery/cafe. Pizza is one of them, no matter how hard you try, the pizza you make at home is never as good as your favourite italian restaurant. To be totally fair, it never will be, and perhaps giving up making your own pizza is the surest route to avoiding disappointment. However, a good approximation is possible, and despite it not being the same as a something plucked from a wood fired oven of a pizzeria, it’s still worth the effort. Continue reading
The Mallard
One of the highlights of the Hope Street Feast, was coming across Shaws Meats, a Cumbrian butchers who had an impressive selection of quality produce. I was drawn to the stall by the huge strips of biltong, a snack I came to love during my time in American and Australia, this cured and dried beef is meaty and chewy and a bit addictive. However, what really impressed me was the range of game available, with partridges, grouse and mallard all on offer. I chose the Mallard, which, that looked plump and meaty and not something I’d ever eaten before. Continue reading
Finished Gnocchi
I had some fairly good gnocchi recently, it was pre prepared, but it was good enough and made a nice dish. This got me thinking, potato gnocchi, when homemade, is superb, but also quite fiddly, the dough gets sticky and difficult to handle if you don’t make it correctly or leave it lying around too long. Thus, I’ve made a few time before, gnocchi using ricotta cheese rather than potato. Continue reading
