News
Sustain welcomes Jamie Oliver backing for sugary drinks duty and creation of fund to support better children’s food
I have mixed feelings about the sugar tax as it seems like another attempt at a quick fix to a big problem rather than getting to the source and tackling the reasons people are consuming so much of the sweet stuff. The companies who make these products, the supermarkets who regularly discount them, the media who advertise them and the government who don't do enough to educate on healthy living, all have a part to play. However I do applaud Jamie Oliver's new drinks duty which means that 10p will be added to every 330ml drink with added sugar; this money will be used to support children's food initiatives - that is, it will go towards educating kids, which in turn will hopefully tackle the obesity crisis in the long term. If the government could show that a sugar tax would be used in similar ways and that they were willing to tackle supermarkets and big corporates, then perhaps it could work. But I'm not sure that day is coming anytime soon...
The solidarity fridge: Spanish town's cool way to cut food waste
Put a fridge on a street, get everyone to drop off their leftovers or extra bits, people who are short of food that week help themselves - everyone's happy. For the worriers out there, they don't allow raw meat, fish or eggs, the food has to be date labelled and any out of date stuff will be removed by the regular fridge checking crew. Sharing with your community and reducing food waste - winning idea.
How to Make Quinoa Not Boring
Not a new article but as healthy meals are high up on people's priorities at this time of year, I thought it was worthwhile highlighting the range of meals you can make with the supergrain, that is keen-waaaaa (ie. quinoa). The Online Grill has scoured the web to find the best quinoa recipes to make you excited about your next snack or meal, rather than dreading a bland, squishy pile of mush. The sesame quinoa spring rolls and granola bars have both joined my to-make list.
No artificial ingredients: what it takes to get synthetics out of Coke and Cheetos
How would you feel about drinking a clear Coca-Cola with not a brown tinge in sight? More and more companies are agreeing to take artificial colours and flavours out of their products as consumers become more health-conscious and demand more natural ingredients. This interesting read shows you what is involved in the process of replacing the artificial with the natural equivalent- not a simple task. Would that glass of ice cold coke taste the same with a natural colour and not caramel (E150d)?
Local News
Square Wine opens an outside seating area with nibbles
Last Sunday lunchtime was spent at the lovely Square Wine in Warwick, enjoying a glass of pink port and lemonade, and a bit of fizz at their new outside seating area. You can now not only buy great wines, beer, cider and spirits from the shop, but also enjoy drinks by the glass and their new sharing platter menu. In collaboration with The Globe round the corner, they are offering antipasti plates, Spanish-inspired puff pastry parcels, sourdough bruschetta and lots more. It's definitely the place to be in Warwick on a sunny day.
Recipes
Seared steak with celery & pepper caponata
We treated ourselves to a steak this week, but rather than the usual fatty (but amazing) dauphinoise and mushroom cream sauce accompaniments, we took an unprecedented step into a healthier meal. I found this recipe in an old BBC Good Food mag which had put together a load of recipes that were fulfilling and tasty but had low calorie and fat levels. This particular meal would be perfect for those on the 5:2 diet as it only has 270 calories but feels like a treat. I have to admit that I didn't follow the recipe to the letter so my version would have been a bit more calorific - I didn't use Fry Light oil spray (erm, WTF), added extra balsamic vinegar and salt, and used fattier (and a whole lot cheaper) rump steak. But still the flavour was there and it's definitely one I'd recommend.
Dean's best spaghetti bolognese
I know you can all make this classic dish, the anglicised Italian staple is in pretty much everyone's repertoire and I'm sure you all have a well-thumbed recipe, but thought I'd share my favourite. It has some added special bits - pancetta or bacon, fresh rosemary, milk and red wine - which I think take it to another level. For extra umami-ness I threw in a Parmesan rind with the stock which further increased the savoury goodness. This gave us six meals so economical too.
10 classic rum cocktails to make you feel like you're on holiday
I learnt last weekend that rum is really not a nice drink to enjoy by itself. In my opinion, at least. A few friends gathered together for a tasting session with seven different bottles in tow, eek. Not sure how anyone can drink it straight but I can see how well it works in cocktails. Just a dash of lime, sugar syrup and ice transforms this Caribbean drink into a glass of holiday dreams and bright sunshine. Next time I'll skip straight to the mojitos.
Food for Thought
10 Common Crimes Against Cheese You Don't Have to Commit
If you're serious about cheese and love bringing out a plateful at the end of a meal, then listen up. 'Thou shalt not deface the wedge' and 'Thou shalt not violate the brie' are among the ten commandments, for further insights click through.
This week brings a bit of sadness as for the past two years I've been at Glastonbury enjoying the (occasional) sun, music and amazing food. The pictures of the seas of tents, flowery headdresses and strawberry cider have brought back happy memories, but I'll hopefully be making new ones at a smaller and hopefully less insane festival, Wilderness, in August. No pressure, but it better be good, I've already spent £90 on one banquet and a hot tub session. Yes, you read that right. #hooklinesinker On another note, I'm heading to central Brittany in France in a few weeks so if anyone has any cafe/restaurant recommendations or any particular must-try dishes, it would be lovely to hear from you. I've heard the crepes and galettes are pretty ace.