News
Calling all parents! Volunteer as a restaurant critic
If you are a parent and are interested in improving the quality of children's meals in restaurants, then listen up! The Soil Association's Out to Lunch campaign returns this summer to raise awareness of the food served to kids and get parents involved in reviewing the restaurants. You will get the chance to review two restaurants in July and August with the children's meals being free, all you need to do is be a critic for the day!
Guild of Food Writers Awards 2015
In the calendar of food awards the Guild of Food Writers is a pretty prestigious date; past winners have included Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Heston Blumenthal and Claudia Roden so you're in good company. It's worth checking out the list of winners to bookmark up and coming blogs and journalists that are worth a read, and also the recipe books that were judged the best by fellow food writers, journos and editors. Diana Henry scored a double scoop with Cookery Journalist of the Year for her work in The Sunday Telegraph and Cookery Book of the Year for A Change of Appetite which is a beautiful collection of healthy recipes, (and by that I mean a traditional book of healthy food, there is sugar, gluten and dairy present so avoid if you're on that kind of diet). I'm a big fan of Diana; her latest book, A Bird in the Hand, is nothing short of a revelation - an absolute bible for chicken lovers. So big respect to her and the other winners. Especially Thom Archer's blog, Cous Cous Bang Bang, a must follow if you're in Leeds, or if you live anywhere else in fact. He's very funny and his Instagram feed has a lot of cats. Winning combination.
Super seed smackdown
First up, top name for an article. Second, if you are confused about the new fancy seeds on the market, this is your guide. Chia, flax and hemp seeds are all covered so you'll now know what they are, how healthy they are and what to do with them. Good job.
Casserole Club
If you're a massive feeder like me then you'll frequently be left with enough food to feed a small army which is where Casserole Club comes in. Sign up for the club and you'll be assigned a local mate (usually an elderly or vulnerable person) who you will visit for a chat and to give them your leftover meal. Saves food waste, helps someone out, leaving you and your new friend all warm and fuzzy. Not available yet all over the country, but type in your postcode to see if you can involved.
Reviews
Bean to Bar Chocolate from Pump Street Bakery
The first I heard about this chocolate was in an article in Olive magazine a few months back; being a slight chocolate fan, I was intrigued by their flavour combinations and the fact that they come from an award winning bread baking background. Unusual.. So I was very excited to learn that my local deli, The Rustic Food Company in Leamington Spa, was going to start stocking the Pump St treats. The chocolate is special because it's made in small batches with beans directly sourced from small scale farms and families; once the cocoa beans arrive the Suffolk bakery do all the rest themselves, from sorting the beans to grinding and conching, to tempering the final block. I'll certainly be along to try the sourdough and sea salt (rumour has it this was an accidental find after some sourdough crumb fell into the molten chocolate!) and the rye crumb, milk and sea salt flavour sounds pretty unique too. You can also get some great single origin bars ranging from 58% Madagascan milk to Ecuadorian 100%. A must buy for the next chocolate lover's birthday.
Local News
BBC Good Food Show Summer
Bit of a late shout out but if you're short of something to do this weekend, it's worth heading Birmingham way for the BBC's wonderful show of food. Includes many freebies and opportunities to watch chefs doing their thing along with lots of stalls selling everything from super sharp kitchen knives to big, fat juicy olives. My highlights would be Pip's Hot Sauce (awesome spicy sauces locally made in Birmingham), Gower Cottage Brownies (up there with the best) and British Cassis (bought some last year, a drop in Prosecco is a winner). I've been many times and always come away suitably knackered, stuffed and laden with goodies. Get 20% off tickets by quoting GFR7 at the online checkout. Your ticket includes entrance to the gardening show too so take a peek in there for beautiful displays and seeds galore.
Recipes
Thai shredded chicken & runner bean salad
I'm (temporarily) shunning the dirty burgers and decreasing the chocolate intake ready for the summer strip off, so healthier salads are making their way into my weekly plan. This one tastes like something you'd find at a Thai restaurant with its pungent dressing of coconut cream, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, chilli and lime juice. I usually use a cheaper chicken cut like thighs and poach them with ginger, garlic and a little soy sauce to add flavour before shredding. Use coconut milk if you can't get the cream. The fresh herbs really take it up a notch so definitely include them.
Asian coleslaw with peanuts & chilli
I came across this dish after searching for something to make with my sad pointed cabbage which was lurking at the bottom of the fridge; he didn't want to be boiled, billowing out fart-smelling gases into the world, oh no, he wanted to be enjoyed in his crunchy, raw state. So slaw it was. And this is not any old, mayo-laden coleslaw, it packs a big fat punch with a spicy, salty, sweet and zingy dressing. Great with barbecues or simply cooked fish. It's a healthy salad that is surprisingly moreish.
Food for Thought
Taste makers: 20 best London foodies to follow on Instagram
So I'm a bit late in the game to Instagram; it just seemed like another distraction to me actually doing any work, ever. But I've recently put those worries to one side, having been seduced by Symmetry Breakfast and their beautiful feasts, and also in my desire to create interesting content for my newsletter and blog, cough. All in the name of research, I'm putting myself out there. And it turns out there's some good shizzle on this fiesta of pictures, take a look at the link above for some excellent food themed accounts. If you want to see pics of some of most talked about food on the interweb, this article has the countdown of cult dishes including the insane 'Parmo' - needs to be seen to be believed. #lookslikeaburgerbeingsick #foodporn #burgers #macncheese #foodies #doughnuts #eatclean #hashtagmyarse #imgoingtoscreamifiseeanotherhashtag
I've decided to get down with the kids and have joined the hashtagged delights of Instagram. Look out for pictures of sausage dogs, ubiquitous sunny scenes and food...mainly food. I am having a very exciting Sunday working in a street food van eeek, will report back next week! It's The Jabberwocky at the Leamington Peace Fest if you want to say hi, they'll be lots of good toasties. P.S. the two salads this week ain't great lookers but deliver big flavour points so don't let appearances put you off.