Plymouth's Flavour fest returns for its eighth year from Friday 19Th August to Sunday 21st August 2011. This years Flavour fest will attract over 100 food stalls with lots on offer from local food producers!
Flavour fest 2011 will kicks off with an opening ceremony taken by the current Lord Mayor from 09.45 Friday morning. Saturday will see live cooking demos from Celebrity TV cook Ching He Huang who published Chinese Food Made easy and presented the accompanying TV series. Ching is scheduled to cook at 12.45pm and again at 3pm.
Plymouth's very own TV chefs and popular restaurateurs The Tanner Brothers will be cooking live on Friday morning at 10.30am, with Peter Gorton taking the stage at 2pm.
Jacques Marchal former proprietor of Chez Nous, Plymouth's only restaurant to ever be awarded a Michelin star will be demonstrating on Sunday at 10am. Joining the well known on stage will be several of Plymouth and Devon's best loved local Restaurateurs and produce sellers.
You can find Flavour Fest situated within Plymouth city centre in and around the big screen, down to Place De Brest at the beginning of Armada Way
Sunday 31 July 2011
Saturday 30 July 2011
el bulli CLOSES
From mini Golf course to worlds best restaurant with three Michelin stars, El bulli tonight served there last paying guests!
The iconic restaurant is closing for three years to reopen as a culinary think tank in 2014.
Ferran Adria and business partner Juli Soler have remained single minded in changing the face of modern cooking, whilst operating at a loss each year. Some say that el bulli put Spain on the culinary radar, is that true? Well it certainly helped, but Spain has a culinary history as long and proud as those two culinary powerhouse neighbours France and Italy, perhaps even without the pretencions.
What was so special about el bulli, well to be honest i wouldn't know i never managed to secure a reservation. With 2 million requests for 8000 places each six month season (el bulli closes for the remaining six months for new dishes to be developed),a lot of people were never going to eat there. It was reported in the Observer food monthly a few years back that Ferran Adria's own mother couldn't even manage to book a table for dinner. El bulli bought the culinary world to attention with his new textures and cooking methods, he introduced the heavily abused FOAM to every Chef with a siphon. Ferran Adria labelled his cusine de-constructivism others labelled it Molecular Gastronomy a term he does not use alongside others like Thomas Kellar. His cuisine is innovative, inquisitive and forward thinking. Dishes were deconstructed - taken apart and reassembled to look and taste different while still keeping the essence of the dish. Not only did Ferran, Juli and his brother Albert, along with a handful of trusted full time staff change the way modern chefs looked at cooking they also changed Restaurant service with multi course menus taking the place of a la carte. Tapas was reborn into 30-40 small courses that mixed the sweet and savoury worlds leading to Avant Garde creativity, they have also played a hand in training some of the most exciting kitchen talent of the 21st century, think Rene Redzepi(NOMA), Jason Atherton(MAZE) and Andoni Aduriz(MUGARITZ) to name but a few. Most of these chefs worked as stagaires for free for the chance to learn from probably the most creative kitchen team in world. All is not lost as el bulli hotel remains open just outside Seville. Ferran Adria's Two Michelin starred La Alqueria restaurant situated within the hotel, serves dishes from season's past menus. Also in the hotel they reportedly serve the worlds best breakfast!
Interestingly on Yahoo's news page there is an article about the closure, with some rather interesting comments, most from people who spend most of there time writing anonymous half assed comments on subjects they know nothing about! Most commenter's had probably never heard of el bulli before tonight's Yahoo headline. Ferran Adria and el bulli were not to every one's taste, and this was well known, but hardly anyone alive can claim to have started a new cuisine and to have pushed the boundaries to new heights with a lot more to come.
The iconic restaurant is closing for three years to reopen as a culinary think tank in 2014.
Ferran Adria and business partner Juli Soler have remained single minded in changing the face of modern cooking, whilst operating at a loss each year. Some say that el bulli put Spain on the culinary radar, is that true? Well it certainly helped, but Spain has a culinary history as long and proud as those two culinary powerhouse neighbours France and Italy, perhaps even without the pretencions.
What was so special about el bulli, well to be honest i wouldn't know i never managed to secure a reservation. With 2 million requests for 8000 places each six month season (el bulli closes for the remaining six months for new dishes to be developed),a lot of people were never going to eat there. It was reported in the Observer food monthly a few years back that Ferran Adria's own mother couldn't even manage to book a table for dinner. El bulli bought the culinary world to attention with his new textures and cooking methods, he introduced the heavily abused FOAM to every Chef with a siphon. Ferran Adria labelled his cusine de-constructivism others labelled it Molecular Gastronomy a term he does not use alongside others like Thomas Kellar. His cuisine is innovative, inquisitive and forward thinking. Dishes were deconstructed - taken apart and reassembled to look and taste different while still keeping the essence of the dish. Not only did Ferran, Juli and his brother Albert, along with a handful of trusted full time staff change the way modern chefs looked at cooking they also changed Restaurant service with multi course menus taking the place of a la carte. Tapas was reborn into 30-40 small courses that mixed the sweet and savoury worlds leading to Avant Garde creativity, they have also played a hand in training some of the most exciting kitchen talent of the 21st century, think Rene Redzepi(NOMA), Jason Atherton(MAZE) and Andoni Aduriz(MUGARITZ) to name but a few. Most of these chefs worked as stagaires for free for the chance to learn from probably the most creative kitchen team in world. All is not lost as el bulli hotel remains open just outside Seville. Ferran Adria's Two Michelin starred La Alqueria restaurant situated within the hotel, serves dishes from season's past menus. Also in the hotel they reportedly serve the worlds best breakfast!
Interestingly on Yahoo's news page there is an article about the closure, with some rather interesting comments, most from people who spend most of there time writing anonymous half assed comments on subjects they know nothing about! Most commenter's had probably never heard of el bulli before tonight's Yahoo headline. Ferran Adria and el bulli were not to every one's taste, and this was well known, but hardly anyone alive can claim to have started a new cuisine and to have pushed the boundaries to new heights with a lot more to come.
Monday 25 July 2011
INSTANT COFFEE - MILK BEFORE WATER?
The question remains does instant Coffee taste better if you put the Milk in first or the boiling water?
A good friend recently picked up on my pouring the hot water direct onto the Coffee then adding Milk, his rational being that the boiling water scolds the Coffee therefor adding a burnt note? This is a simple dilemma that had never really crossed my mind before that day. I would be interested on some feedback in the comment section if anyone has the time.
Being British and enjoying the odd cup of rosy lee, i am fully aware of some superstition surrounding which way to stir the tea bag, and of which i hold no faith to this simple old house wives tale, but i am rather taken by the dilemma of Milk first! Now i have asked myself countless times if the Coffee does indeed taste better with Milk? I do believe that the Coffee does in fact taste better. For years i have poured on boiling water and put the scolded taste down to the instant Coffee and not a simple process of order!
Obviously a lot of people drink instant at home or in the workplace and some will only be connoisseur's of filter or ground Coffee, unfortunately i am not at liberty to possess a Coffee machine so instant it has to be!
Milk first or boiling Water?
A good friend recently picked up on my pouring the hot water direct onto the Coffee then adding Milk, his rational being that the boiling water scolds the Coffee therefor adding a burnt note? This is a simple dilemma that had never really crossed my mind before that day. I would be interested on some feedback in the comment section if anyone has the time.
Being British and enjoying the odd cup of rosy lee, i am fully aware of some superstition surrounding which way to stir the tea bag, and of which i hold no faith to this simple old house wives tale, but i am rather taken by the dilemma of Milk first! Now i have asked myself countless times if the Coffee does indeed taste better with Milk? I do believe that the Coffee does in fact taste better. For years i have poured on boiling water and put the scolded taste down to the instant Coffee and not a simple process of order!
Obviously a lot of people drink instant at home or in the workplace and some will only be connoisseur's of filter or ground Coffee, unfortunately i am not at liberty to possess a Coffee machine so instant it has to be!
Milk first or boiling Water?
HEALTHY EATING WENT OUT THE WINDOW
Did i really think that the healthy eating fad would last? To be honest NO! I was hoping to be able to write a post saying hey i lost 40lb, not bloody likely. So it is back to the daily grind of eating whatever is available. This is not really a problem as most leftovers in this household are foods that were cooked from scratch, admittedly the first meal is the more refined with the next day or so, something that is thrown together. Surely a lot of great recipes come from leftovers? Well not all, but a good percentage of meals and new recipes that probably stay only in your own household, end up as family standbys.
So lets forget Diets, save the environment and hopefully start writing this bloody blog again!
Hopefully in the coming weeks i will start writing some good recipes, as money has been a bit tight this last couple of months, expect frugality!
So lets forget Diets, save the environment and hopefully start writing this bloody blog again!
Hopefully in the coming weeks i will start writing some good recipes, as money has been a bit tight this last couple of months, expect frugality!
Tuesday 1 March 2011
CURRIED ROASTED PARSNIP AND APPLE SOUP
Soups do not come much simpler than this! As i said in the previous post we are eating healthy at present, so much of our food at present is not refined or finished with little goodies like butter. Apple is added to the soup to balance out the sweetness of the roasted Parsnip.
1.2 litres of stock(chicken or veg)
500g Parsnips
1 apple(cored,skin on)
1 medium onion
1 tbsp of medium curry powder
1 tsp of turmeric
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Thyme(garnish with fresh thyme)
Peel and quarter the parsnip,season with salt and pepper, add a little olive oil and roast in a hot oven till cooked through and crispy. Chop one onion and saute over a low heat in a little oil. When the onions are soft and translucent, season, add the apple and saute for three minutes, then the curry powder and turmeric, saute for a further two minutes(add a little stock if to dry). Add stock and parsnips bring to the boil, blend either with a stick blender or food processor.
Garnish with Thyme, serve.
This will make just under 2 litres of soup. We also make this soup with a little potato added, sometimes substituting 100g of the Parsnip.
1.2 litres of stock(chicken or veg)
500g Parsnips
1 apple(cored,skin on)
1 medium onion
1 tbsp of medium curry powder
1 tsp of turmeric
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Thyme(garnish with fresh thyme)
Peel and quarter the parsnip,season with salt and pepper, add a little olive oil and roast in a hot oven till cooked through and crispy. Chop one onion and saute over a low heat in a little oil. When the onions are soft and translucent, season, add the apple and saute for three minutes, then the curry powder and turmeric, saute for a further two minutes(add a little stock if to dry). Add stock and parsnips bring to the boil, blend either with a stick blender or food processor.
Garnish with Thyme, serve.
This will make just under 2 litres of soup. We also make this soup with a little potato added, sometimes substituting 100g of the Parsnip.
Sunday 20 February 2011
HEALTHY EATING - SOUPS
A collection of recipes that hopefully i will update regularly. These recipes are not refined, but honest tasty soup recipes that we are currently trying out. In reality you can soup a whole host of different ingredients and more often than not achieve a tasty soup. Some soups will have a base of water opposed to stock, as we are trying to keep this Healthy as possible, while maintaining taste. However what soups do use water, appropriate stock can be replaced and no doubt we will also replace with stock from time to time. The use of water instead of stock, will also appeal to those who need to take a thrifty approach to feeding large families and with good fresh ingredients can allow principle flavours to shine. Please do not be put off by the wording of Healthy in the title, as it does not apply to bland. Most people have a different preference for texture of soups. Some soups will be chunky, some will be purees. If you do use any of these recipes, soup to your preference, if you feel they are good enough to serve to friends or at a dinner party take appropriate measures to pass through a sieve a couple of times for a little refinement and add garnishes at your whim.
ROASTED SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH FENNEL AND ALMOND (V)
600g sweet potato - peeled and cut into large chunks
4 garlic cloves - skin on
1 medium onion - skin on
1 apple - skin on and cored (do not use a mac,pad or phone)
25g flaked almonds, plus extra for garnish
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika - if smoked not at hand do not add a Benson and hedges, normal paprika is fine.
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
600ml of water for thick soup/ increase in 100ml increments if thinner soup desired
Spices
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
5 peppercorns
1/2 tsp of Maldon or similar sea salt
Pre-heat oven to 200c, peel sweet potato,cutting into thick chunks, place on a roasting tray with garlic and onion,season and drizzle with olive oil. Cook till sweet potato is tender.
While waiting for the roast you have two options either twiddle your thumbs or get on with grounding the spices. You should have chosen option two. If you were clever and chose option two, remove roasted veg from oven, skin garlic and onion, add to a blender alongside cored apple,almonds and smoked paprika. Blend adding water to create your soup. Pour out into a pan and adjust seasoning if desired.
To use as a puree on a fat day, this would go superbly with a nice piece of fatty pork. Of course you do not have to be having a fat day to use as a puree, if using as a puree only add 300ml of water.
ROASTED SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH FENNEL AND ALMOND (V)
600g sweet potato - peeled and cut into large chunks
4 garlic cloves - skin on
1 medium onion - skin on
1 apple - skin on and cored (do not use a mac,pad or phone)
25g flaked almonds, plus extra for garnish
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika - if smoked not at hand do not add a Benson and hedges, normal paprika is fine.
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
600ml of water for thick soup/ increase in 100ml increments if thinner soup desired
Spices
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
5 peppercorns
1/2 tsp of Maldon or similar sea salt
Pre-heat oven to 200c, peel sweet potato,cutting into thick chunks, place on a roasting tray with garlic and onion,season and drizzle with olive oil. Cook till sweet potato is tender.
While waiting for the roast you have two options either twiddle your thumbs or get on with grounding the spices. You should have chosen option two. If you were clever and chose option two, remove roasted veg from oven, skin garlic and onion, add to a blender alongside cored apple,almonds and smoked paprika. Blend adding water to create your soup. Pour out into a pan and adjust seasoning if desired.
To use as a puree on a fat day, this would go superbly with a nice piece of fatty pork. Of course you do not have to be having a fat day to use as a puree, if using as a puree only add 300ml of water.
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