News
Wedding season is here: bring on the crimes against food
This is a bit of a touchy subject. Couples put their heart and soul into arranging their big day and a massive chunk of ££ so is it really fair to slag off their (free) food offering to you? I think the real issue is the catering companies or venues who are ripping people off with crazy prices (£80+ per person?!) and crappy food. Some of the best wedding food I've had has been bring-a-dish buffets as you end up with a table full of everyone's best dishes, but alas, this is not possible at all venues as many insist you use their caterers. What are your experiences of wedding food? Have you paid a small fortune per guest only to be disappointed on the day by the pile of chicken mush served up? Tweet me with your thoughts..
Nuts 'protect against early death'
Yeeeees - nuts are good. Booo - "There was no benefit for peanut butter, which is high in salt and trans fats." Swings and roundabouts. Eat half a handful of nuts each day and you could gain quite a few years according to Dutch research, plus added protection against diabetes, respiratory disease and other life-threatening illnesses. I'd probably stick to the naked, unadulterated nuts though - not sure salted peanuts, Nutella or honey roasted cashews will have quite the same benefits. Shame.
Co-op commits £125m to slash prices of fruit and veg
The supermarket's price wars continue... This time the Co-op is promising to reduce fruit and veg prices - a lettuce, bag of carrots and cucumber will all be only 39p each. It's good to see that some of the supermarkets are discounting healthy foods, not just the crisps and chocolate. Baby steps.
Reviews
Big Barn
If you'd like to buy more local food, then take a look at this little haven for lovely delis, farm shops and the like which are on your doorstep. Entering your location will bring up all the producers on a map so you can work out your weekend food tour. They also now have an online market place so if you can't make it to the shops, you can still buy local.
Local News
Warwick Rocks Midsummer Music Festival
The market square in Warwick will once again be filled with tasty food and great local music this Sunday with Warwick Rocks' Midsummer Festival. The street food line up looks ace - you'll have the choice of Caribbean flavours, gourmet toasties, fancy hotdogs, Asian curries and steamed buns, mini organic pancakes and South African bunny chow. If you donated some money to Warwick Rocks' crowdfunder a few months back, then this is one of the events you have supported and made happen. Cue happy feelings.
Recipes
Nigella's Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake
This cake is amazing - so moist and full of orangey chocolately flavour. And it's gluten and dairy free, bonus. Ground almonds, loads of eggs and pureed whole oranges take this cake to another level; it works perfectly as a birthday cake with a smear of orange choc cream cheese frosting (obvs not dairy free) or as a fancy dinner party dessert with a whipped cream side. Very easy to make, just make sure you leave enough time to boil the oranges. If you've got a pressure cooker then this will take you no time at all. I've probably made it about 30 times, that's how good it is. Woodland animals optional.
Mexican Food Made Simple
If you're a big Masterchef geek then you may remember Thomasina Miers, the winner way back in 2005? Well, she's now a Mexican chef, restaurant chain chief for the brilliant Wahaca, and the author of this excellent book - Mexican Food Made Simple. This ain't your typical Mexican restaurant food - there's cheese but not every dish is smothered in the stuff; it's full of fresh flavours including the guacamole and mushroom quesadillas pictured above. Other recipes include some kickass salsas, margaritas, churros, burritos, enchiladas..the list goes on. It's the perfect gift for your fajita-loving friend. Every recipe I've made from it has been a winner.
Food for Thought
An Illustrated Guide to Indian Vegetables
A very pretty guide to the most unusual of Indian vegetables with lots of handy tips on what to do with them, how to prep them and pictures so you know what you're looking for. A must for wannabe chefs looking to perfect their curries and take their Indian cooking to the next level.
Do You Know How Much Water is in That Steak? The Answer Will Blow Your Mind
The answer is a whole lot of water, take a look at the 1 minute video for the stats. I won't be cutting steaks from my menu as they're bloody good, but will definitely think twice before ordering one in a restaurant or indulging at home.
After last weekend's intro to the street food life, courtesy of a shift making toasties in The Jabberwocky, I'm not sure this coming one will live up to the fun, fast paced days that have passed. But this Saturday and Sunday are currently free with no major work plans which doesn't happen much at this time of year so I'll be making the most of it with eating, reading the paper and sunning it up. Hope you all have a good one.