News
National Fish & Chip Awards: the UK's best chippy revealed
Have you got a contender just around the corner?
Sweetest job ever? Apply to be a professional chocolate taster now
Er, my dream job? If you're anything like me and an absolute chocolate fiend, you'll want to be checking this out. Gutted I don't live nearer...
Goodbye Veganuary, hello Februdairy: how the dairy industry is taking the fight to its vegan critics
This is an interesting one. Not entirely sure it's going to catch on quite as much as Veganuary, but hey. I'm not ready to give up cheese just yet so I'm onboard.
Reviews
Warwick Street Kitchen
This Leamington cafe has definitely upped its game since changing hands last year. I went for lunch recently and enjoyed a delicious mushroom orzo/risotto-style dish and some falafels that were perfectly spiced and had a gorgeous nutty texture. I find most lunch menus are very samey – it's all sandwiches/panini/wraps, salads or jacket potatoes, but this one is genuinely exciting. It changes a lot too which is a good thing in my eyes. One of their regulars is savoury doughnuts which sound very intriguing, plus they do VERY good sausage rolls. I'm pretty fussy with the porky pastries so don't say that lightly. Haven't tried the cakes yet but they look homemade which is promising...
Recipes
Macaroni cheese
This jazzed-up mac is well worth trying. The thyme and Dijon mustard were the best additions for me; infusing the herbs in the milk added a subtle, but delicious flavour, and the mustard added a good spiky punch to cut through the rich cheese mountain. Served up with a side of green salad, this makes a comforting warmer for the chilly evenings.
Traditional honey-glazed gammon
A thought occurred to me last week – why do we reserve cooking a big ham to just Christmas or big celebrations? Screw that, I'm going to save myself a ton of money on sliced ham, by cooking one up all year round. It seems to keep for ages so definitely go for a large joint. This Hairy Bikers recipe has a delicious honey and mustard glaze with fragrant cloves. Funnily enough it makes a worthy partner to the macaroni cheese, just shred some up and stir into the cheese sauce.
Food for Thought
UK wine pricing uncovered
This is fascinating. Discover why it might be worth spending a couple of extra quid on a bottle.
Is anyone else ready for spring? I know the bulbs are popping up and the evenings are getting (marginally) lighter, but what's with this cold weather? I long to spend an evening in my new garden, or just be able to get out of bed in the morning without the need to layer up with two dressing gowns, socks and slippers before going downstairs. Enough already, you've done your time.