News
Britain's best gastro pubs 2016
These best restaurant lists are usually heavily biased towards the London scene, seemingly leaving the rest of us stuck at home with no hope of a decent meal out. Pah. We all know this is obviously rubbish but here, at last, is a list for the whole of England and Wales (apologies to those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, you sadly missed the cut) and best of all, it's PUBS! Albeit fancy ass ones. Don't let that put you off though as many of them serve proper food (no foams or weird stuff) but of a very high quality. I'm excited to try out a few of these this year.
Pie Week – Pieminister Competition
Get your creative juices flowing for this exciting Pieminister competition - you have the chance to design a vegetarian pie that could be stocked nationwide for British Pie Week next month! Pieminister are pretty big in the world of pies with little stalls and cafes all over the country; they've been a favourite of mine since that first, horrendously muddy Glastonbury Festival back in 2007 where they were one of the only saviours in a very soggy weekend. You only have until Sunday to get your entries in so get going! You could be a famous pie person! Yeeeeah.
Toast Ale - Beer made from surplus bread
This is an amazing new project that ticks just about every ethical/environmental box it could possibly tick. And then some. Read their story, it tells it better than I will. The short version is that they collect waste bread, turn it into beer and churn their profits back into combating food waste with a final aim of going out of business because there will be no more wasted loaves. Love this a lot. Buy the ale online or at a selection of pubs and restaurants.
Can you be a vegan and eat eggs?
Errr veggan?! Really? Apparently, well, according to The Guardian, this is an actual thing - there are eggs you can buy that are laid by old battery hens who would otherwise be killed, so some vegans are breaking their animal fast and frying up some omelettes. Can you still call yourself a vegan, that is the question debated here.
Reviews
From lobster rolls in Portland to fragrant tagines of Morocco, the most exciting street food destinations of 2016
If you're anything like me and you choose your holiday destinations based primarily on how good the food is, then listen up. I especially like the look of Ho Chi Minh City, Mexico City and Palermo in Italy. #sigh so much food to try, so many countries to visit, how will I ever complete my world food mission...
Recipes
Stir-fried pork with ginger & honey
Sticky, sweet, salty, tender and crunchy all in one dish. I cook at least one stir fry a week, usually to use up rogue veg that have been hanging around for a while and also when I'm in search of a 10 minute meal. My usual stand-by is a peanut butter/soy/sweet chilli combo, but this ginger and honey number is going to be added to the rota straight away. I wouldn't stick to the recipe too rigorously, any veg you have will be suitable, as would chicken or prawns instead of pork, or in fact just all veg would work a wonder. A sesame seed and spring onion topping give texture and freshness to each bite.
Mushroom and spinach bolognese
Budget blogger, Jack Monroe, has put together this veggie alternative to the normal spag bol but could it really rival the rich, beefy classic? With a meaty texture from the finely chopped mushrooms and a tomato, herby sauce it definitely ticks a lot of boxes. I made a couple of additions: a little sugar, and I simmered it down for another 10-15 minutes to thicken up and concentrate the flavours. I love mushrooms but I know there are a few haters out there, you can sub in minced aubergines for a similar effect. It's going in my recipe binder.
Food for Thought
How to use your food ‘waste’
I've included quite a few articles on this subject over the months but think this one adds a few new ideas such as the nutritional importance of vegetable peel and a quick recipe for sour milk soda bread. Not entirely convinced by the munching on steak fat though...
Pancakes! The time is coming for the day of pancakes (and important religious festivals of course, cough #absoluteheathen) and I'd like to suggest an idea - you should host a pancake party. Gather friends, make a few jugs' worth of batter, ask people to bring fillings and toppings both savoury and sweet, get a few pans on and eat a lot of pancakes. We did this last year and it was a very jolly occasion with much fun had by all. Do it!