Pineapple Turkey Green Curry with a Hint of Mint

Dispirited is certainly the word to describe how I feel at this time of year when it comes to turkey leftover recipes. Seeing the monotonous ideas of ‘turkey coronation’ and ‘turkey burgers’ dominate the food sections of our newspapers, it gave me inspiration to invent something new - something for those of us who are tired of seeing the same recipes repeated every year. It was coincidental to notice a pineapple sitting on my mother’s windowsill when January is in fact their time of glory. So I thought why not dulcify a curry with some fragrant colourful tangy pineapple? To add to this, I’ll throw in a little mint to give it a refreshing cool aftertaste. Basically, if you yearn for something more on the exotic side than just dull turkey sandwiches, then this is sure to revitalize your inert taste buds.

Serves 4

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ tsp. mustard seeds

6 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 onion finely chopped

½ lime zest

Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and quartered

3 tbsp. basil

3 tbsp. coriander

2 large garlic cloves, peeled

400ml coconut milk

4 green chillies, finely sliced

Salt

100ml water

10 curry leaves

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garam masala

500g cooked turkey, cut into medium chunks

4-5 handfuls pineapple, cut into chunks

1 handful mint leaves

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, cardamom pods, and cinnamon and fry for 20 seconds. Add half of the chopped onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft.

2. For the time being, place the rest of the onion, the ginger, garlic, lime zest, basil, coriander and 100ml of the coconut milk into a food processor and blend until smooth.

3. Add this paste to the pan along with ¾ of the green chillies and season with salt. Cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes, giving it the occasional stir.

4. Add the remaining coconut milk, the curry leaves, black pepper, garam masala, turkey and pineapple and leave to cook for 3-5 minutes until the turkey and pineapple are warmed up.

5. Serve with rice. Sprinkle over the remaining chilli and mint leaves.

Orange, Carrot and Thyme Soup

Why make this soup in January? It will help you fight against the frosty cold temperatures. It costs very little, which is surely ideal when we’re all rather broke from Christmas and New Year partying! But also, it’s the time of year when oranges and carrots are in season. Forget your standard carrot and coriander soup by engrossing yourself in this cauldron of sweet carrot, zesty orange and warming bold thyme flavours.

Serves 4:

Knob of butter

1 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

700g carrots, thinly sliced

1 litre vegetable stock

A large pinch of cumin

150ml orange juice

2 tsp. dried thyme

Salt

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Then add the carrots, onions and garlic. Cover with a lid on a low heat, until the vegetable have softened but not coloured (about 12 minutes).

2. Add in the stock and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer. Cover for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

3. Pour into a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour back into the saucepan. Add the orange juice, thyme and cumin. Gently reheat. Season to your likening and serve!

"Wonka’s Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight" Cake

Inspired by the literary "Wonka’s Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight Bar" from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, this is a gooey chocolate sponge cake oozing with surprise pieces of melted caramalised fudge. Drenched in fudge sauce and centred with a marshmallow cream filling, this really is the ultimate fix for the sweet tooth or even just simply a way to return to childhood fantasies.

For the cake:

270g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

4 eggs, separated

100g caster sugar

200ml double cream

100g Cadbury’s Fudge, broken into large pieces

For the fudge sauce:

125g light soft brown sugar

170g evaporated milk

50g butter

2 drops vanilla extract

For the marshmallow cream:

50g chopped marshmallows, plus extra whole ones for decorating

300ml double cream

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease two sandwich cake tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper.

2. To make the cake, melt the chocolate completely in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Whisk the egg yolks with 65g of the caster sugar until pale and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar until soft peaks form when whisk is removed from bowl. In a third bowl, whisk 100ml of the double cream to peaks.

4. Fold the chocolate into the yolk mixture, then stir in the 100ml of unwhipped double cream. Gently fold in the whipped cream, followed by the egg whites until combined.

5. Divide the cake mixture between the two cake tins. Sprinkle over the fudge pieces between the two cakes. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Once cooked, leave in the tins for 5-10 minutes, turn onto a wire wrack to cool and strip off the base papers.

6. To make the fudge sauce, combine the brown sugar and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves. Once dissolved and the mixture comes to the boil, keep the heat very low and simmer for 6 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl and once cooled, cover with clingfilm and chill for an hour to thicken.

7. For the marshmallow cream, whip the cream until peaks form. Fold in the chopped marshmallows. Spread over one sponge. Beat the fudge sauce and spread most of it over the other cake. Sandwich the two together.

8. Spread the rest of the fudge sauce over the top and decorate with marshmallows.

The British Food Revival

In recent years it would seem a British culinary revival, or what is often referred to by professionals as the ‘Modern British Cuisine’, has emerged. Magazines are increasingly recreating contemporary versions of traditional British dishes such as fish pie, roast dinners and Eton Mess. Likewise, The Times Weekend Recipe Exchange began this year featuring readers’ family recipes of traditional British dishes passed down from generation to generation. The BBC has for the past 3 years run the ‘Great British Menu’, which has not only bought regional British gastronomy into light, but it has sought to demonstrate to the globe that British food is now one of the most eminent cuisines. Only this month has The British Street Food Awards been announced to begin in 2010. But it’s not just the media embracing the nation’s cuisine; we as a population are too. According to market analysts Mintel, regional British cheese sales increased by 16% between 2004-2006, whilst continental cheese sales declined by 7% in the same period.

But does anyone really fancy a restoration of greasy fish and chips and stodgy puddings? I don’t think so, somehow. Not when you could eat fragrant thai curry, creamy rich risotto, or aromatic tagine for dinner. With a vast choice in cosmopolitan restaurants, convenience meals and ingredients available now, why would one choose Yorkshire pud? The British are always looking for novel culinary ideas and this seems likely to be reconfirmed with prophecies of overseas cuisines, currently unexploited in the UK, to flourish, such as South American. Besides this, Great Britannia’s food has never actually been ‘Great’ in terms of reputation, at least not in my lifetime. The French in particular are famous for mocking our home cuisine including their former President Jacques Chirac, who allegedly stated in 2005, “One cannot trust people whose cuisine is so bad”.

Yet after many cynical thoughts on this resurrection of our national fare, I could not help but consider its potential. Magazines and newspapers have reintroduced recipes of the United Kingdom increasingly since the current economic crisis began. Our hearty dishes such as pasties and puddings not only keep one full and warm through the bitter winters, but can also be easily made at a reasonable price to feed a large family. What’s more, a nation’s historic dishes were usually invented through ingredients grown in that country. Hence, if we cook more British food then undoubtedly we will be utilizing more home produce, which of course is only a good thing from a green environmentalist point of view. And while we love to create dishes that are a fusion with other world cuisines – such as Britain’s favourite dish, chicken tikka masala – it’s important we remember the old favourites too. What would life be without sticky toffee pudding?

Blue Cheese Nachos with Peach Salsa

This recipe is not only paradise for nacho lovers in quest of something that transcends the standard, but is superb from July-September when peaches are in season. Meaning not only good taste, but cheaper price wise compared to the rest of the year. Often fresh peaches are only available in punnets, so as a tip you can use the remaining ones to make a drink such as a smoothie or perhaps more suitably for the average student predilection – a cocktail! Salsa provides a refreshing accompaniment for humid summer days. Even though it may be autumn now, peaches blissfully compliment blue cheese.

Serves 1 as a main meal or appetizer for 2

100g tortilla chips

150g strong blue cheese, crumbled

For the peach salsa:

½ red onion, diced

1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)

2 peaches (or nectarines)

1 tomato, seeds removed and diced

3 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped or 1 tsp dried mint

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

2. Cut an X at the bottom of each peach. Submerge them in a bowl of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until the skins start to loosen. Then place in cold water for a few seconds so that they are cool enough to handle. Peel the skin off both peaches, cut them in half, remove the stones and dice.

3. Mix the chopped peaches in a bowl with the rest of the salsa ingredients. If it’s watery, I recommend placing in a sieve before serving, as the last thing you need is soggy nachos!

4. Place a thin layer of the tortilla chips onto a baking tray lined with foil. Sprinkle over half of the blue cheese. Repeat this process with the rest of the tortilla chips and blue cheese.

5. Place the baking tray in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Then serve with the salsa and indulge!

Stem Ginger Vegan Scotch Pancakes with Blueberries and White Chocolate Sauce

This was designed for vegan magazine "Off The Hoof", but you can adjust the ingredients if you're not one such as using eggs instead of oil, and cream with the white chocolate sauce to improve the consistency. You can also foster other fruit rather than blueberries if you prefer, but these were picked due to their excellent partnering with white chocolate.

Makes approximately 9 pancakes

225g plain flour

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

250ml soya milk

A pinch of salt

25g sugar

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3-4 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped

100g dairy free white chocolate, broken into small pieces

200g blueberries, washed

1. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and add the baking powder and salt. Add the other ingredients and whisk together until the flour forms a smooth batter. If the mixture is too thick then keep adding a little more soya milk at a time, until it does form a batter.

2. Heat a frying pan and add approximately 2 tbsp of the batter (aim for circular shapes). Cook gently for approximately 2 minutes until firm and golden brown. Whilst the bottom side is cooking, sprinkle over some of the ginger on the facing side (make sure you do not sprinkle too much as the taste will be too overpowering otherwise).

3. Turn the pancake over and cook gently for 30-60 seconds. Place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat this process with the remaining batter.

4. Bring to the boil about a cm or so of water in a saucepan and place a bowl on top. Add the white chocolate to the bowl and allow to melt. You can melt it in the microwave, but since white chocolate burns very easily it is better to do this method where you can keep an eye on it.

5. Grab the pancakes from the oven and divide them and the blueberries between plates. Elegantly drizzle over the white chocolate sauce and relish!

Salmon with Kiwi Dressing and Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Now you may be thinking how incredibly outlandish this idea is, and you may even concur with my brother that kiwi fruit looks like “mushed up brains”. But au contraire! Like how sweet chutneys can sometimes make the perfect partner to savoury dishes, the salmon practically bows down in praise of the kiwi’s sharp sweet tang. Go on - just try it!

Serves 4

200g cooked couscous

1 pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

1 courgette, diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Salt

Pepper

Lemon juice

4 salmon fillets, scaled

4 kiwi fruits, peeled

Juice of ½ a lime

1 tsp. olive oil, plus extra for roasting

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

2 tbsp. honey

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6

2. In a baking tray place the diced pepper, onion, courgette and garlic. Sprinkle over some salt and pepper, a splash of olive oil and rub evenly over the vegetables.

3. In another baking tray place the salmon with the skin facing down. Sprinkle with a splash of water, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil, and place both baking trays in the heated oven for 20 minutes.

4. Whilst the salmon and vegetables are cooking, make the dressing by chopping 3 of the kiwi fruits into large chunks. Puree finely with the lime juice in a food processor. Throw into a bowl and mix with the honey, vinegar and 1 tsp. of olive oil. Dice the fourth kiwi fruit and mix in with the other ingredients.

5. Once the vegetables and salmon are cooked, turn the oven off and leave the salmon inside. Warm up the couscous with the roasted vegetables by stirring around in a low to medium heated saucepan for a minute or so. If it’s a little dry just stir in some lemon juice and olive oil. Season to your liking.

6. Serve the salmon and couscous, drizzled with the kiwi dressing. Watercress also makes a fantastic side accompaniment.

Dark Chocolate Muffins with Peanut Butter Filling and White Chocolate Chips

For many, peanut butter symbolises America. But having such a unique taste, how else can one even describe it? It’s nutty, sweet but not sweet. It comes in crunchy and smooth varieties. Like Marmite really, you either love it or hate it. Nevertheless, my friends on the other side of the pond tell me that you only get cupcakes, not muffins, using this ingredient. So being a chocoholic I came up with this recipe. I justify to myself the high calories in this recipe by the nutritional value in peanut butter - it wards off heart disease says Harvard Medical School (Daily Mail 2009).

Makes 20 large muffins

For the muffin batter:

200g white chocolate, chopped

200g dark chocolate

250ml milk

100g butter

450g self-raising flour

1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs, whisked

250g light muscovado sugar

300ml yoghurt

For the peanut butter filling:

125g smooth peanut butter

1 1/2 tbsp butter, softened

65g icing sugar

1. Heat the oven to 180^oC/350^oF/Gas Mark 4. Line 20 muffin cups of a muffin baking tray with 20 muffin paper cases.

2. To make the peanut butter filling, beat the butter with the peanut butter in a bowl until smooth. Sift the icing sugar into the mixture and beat until light and fluffy.

3. For the muffin batter, melt the dark chocolate in a small pan with the butter and milk. Whilst leaving to cool, sieve the flour and bicarbonate soda into a bowl. Stir in the rest of the muffin batter ingredients including the melted chocolate mixture.

4. Spoon the batter into the muffin paper cases, filling them about one third full. Spoon in the middle of the third filled muffins a large heaped teaspoon of peanut butter. Top the peanut butter with the remaining batter.

5. Bake the muffins in the oven for 15-20 minutes until just firm to touch. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

African Sausage Stew

For a long time I was trying to think up something a bit more original to do with sausages, giving that there isn’t a huge variety of recipes around for this cheap ingredient. So I came up with a stew that uses sweet potatoes (often part of West African cuisine). Besides sausages forming part of North African cooking, the spices and raisins are also a flavour of this region. Hence, I give you “African Sausage Stew”.

Serves 2

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

4 sausages

½ onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

300ml chicken/pork/vegetable stock

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes

1 tbsp. tomato puree

A handful of raisins

2 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. mixed spice

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. When very hot, fry the sausages until browned. Remove to a plate.

2. Add the onions to the saucepan and gently fry for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.

3. Add the turmeric, mixed spice, balsamic vinegar and tomato puree. Quickly stir together. Then add the chilli, peppers, raisins, sweet potato and sausages. Cover with enough stock.

4. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked. If the stew is too runny for your preferences, you can add a thickening agent such as corn flour. Then serve with some side vegetables if you like!

Tuna, Cannellini Bean and Tomato Soup

This is a very simple dish, suitable for those on a low budget and easy to make. Cannellini beans are a great partner to tuna, besides their popularity in Italian soups. If you enjoy tuna melt sandwiches, I recommend sprinkling over some grated cheese such as cheddar too!

Serves 4

1 tbsp. olive oil

½ onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped

½ lemon, zest and juice

2 tsp. dried oregano/mixed herbs

3 tbsp. tomato puree

1 tsp. caster sugar

400g chopped tomatoes

850ml fish stock

Salt and pepper

410g tinned cannelloni beans

370g tinned tuna, broken up slightly

Handful of cheese, grated (optional)

1. Heat the olive in a large saucepan. Sautee the onions and garlic on a low heat for 5 minutes or until soft.

2. Add the potatoes, lemon zest, dried oregano/herbs, sugar, tomato puree, stock, chopped tomatoes, season and stir together. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes.

3. Take off the heat to cool for a few seconds and blend in a food processor/blender. If you don’t have one you can place the mixture through a sieve, chop the vegetables more finely before starting the recipe or you can leave it as it is instead of a smooth texture.

4. Place the soup back in the saucepan and add some milk/water if the mixture is too thick for your likening. Stir in the cannelloni beans. Bring to the boil and simmer until the beans are cooked. Add the tuna and heat for only a minute or so until the tuna is warm. Add the lemon juice and season. Serve and sprinkle over the cheese.

The Ludlow Food Festival

It was only a few weeks ago that I went in with the new by taking a trip to see the young Ludlow Food Centre. Now I was going in with the old by attending the 15^th Ludlow Food Festival this year. Unlike the Food Centre situated outside, I had to venture into the centre of Ludlow to see the festival. The town has an agreeable archaic form to it with its black and white pubs, quaint shops, cafes and teashops. One could quite easily imagine their self in a Jane Austen or Charles Dickens novel whilst strolling down its cobbled lanes.

Alas, my view on the festival is not quite so optimistic. It was about 10 years ago that I last went. At that point in time very few were familiar with this culinary gala, or at least not on a national scale and you could amble around quite easily. I remember my eleven-year old self being fascinated by the quality of food sold. It probably had some influence in my education of gastronomy since I had never been to anything like this before. But that comes as no surprise when the Ludlow Food Festival was in fact the first of its kind in this country. Fast-forward to the future, and walking around the stalls is a nightmare. Hardly any samples are available, unlike in its early years, and it is a very effortless process to observe the huge proportion of vendors selling chutneys and pickles. I can appreciate that this festival is a chance for local producers to make sales, but really for about 75% of them to flog the same type of product is not only uninspiring for the visitor, but only makes competition harder for they themselves. Why could the organisers just not have allocated an x number of stalls to chutney and pickle producers, and selected which ones on a first come serve basis? They could then have given the spare stalls to manufacturers of other culinary substances. What is more, I was shocked to find how dull in taste the breads were from the bakery exhibitors.

The only creation I was really taken aback by was Welsh producer Condessa’s “Praline Welsh Cream Liquor”. It was a bit like sampling Baileys but with an after hint of the praline flavour. Since my father is very patriotic of his Welsh heritage, I thought I would find out a bit more for him on their website www.condessa.co.uk. Having been the liquor caterer at his 21^st Birthday, I discovered through my investigations that another fan of this firm is Prince William. And before you assume anything, no the prices are not extortionate just because the royals drink it - a 50cl bottle costs £13. Otherwise, I believe that the Ludlow Food Festival was once an ultimate pilgrimage for the foodie. Now I am sorry to say that it has become an overrated and touristy food exhibition, where produce in terms of diversity is just too unbearably insipid.

The Bell at Yarpole, Herefordshire

Yarpole is just like what you see on the British postcard of a village. Cottages and black and white houses opulently decorated with vibrant flowers, a timber framed church, an old red phone box and a pub. But Yarpole’s local The Bell is not just any pub – it is owned by Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi’s brother Cedric. I guess you could say it is the cheap and nonchalant alternative to Bosi’s Hibiscus in Mayfair, London. But when I say ‘cheap’, I certainly do not mean this in the degrading sense. I have been to The Bell for lunch a number of times since the new owners took over and I can certainly say that the food deserves such positive words that it has received from reviews in the national newspapers. The menu as a whole can come across as very simple, and perhaps even uninspiring, fare. But once sampling the food, I think you will find that it delivers beyond this preconception.

Yesterday when I was treated to the delights of The Bell I was more than impressed by my Battered Haddock with Chips and Mushy Peas. In fact I would say that it was the most pre-eminent fish and chips I have had in a seriously long time, if not in my whole existence. The batter was fresh, un-greasy and crisp. The thick cut wedged chips were seasoned so perfectly, not over salty, that there actually was no need to even use any sauce with them (this is coming from someone who likes plenty of sauce). The mushy peas were pure, unlike the distasteful tinned version that so many fish and chip shops make the mistake of using. It may have cost £9.95, but when the average chippie now charges about £6 for an over greasy portion, I would much rather pay the additional £3.95 as an occasional treat. A Coffee and Chocolate Liégeois, an adaptation of the French’s sweetened coffee sauce, coffee ice cream and Chantilly cream dessert Café Liégeois, followed this. Not only was the sauce and dark chocolate ice cream intensely divine and non-sickly, the coffee ice cream made by local producers September, was more than just superb. For £5.25, this was an excellent bargain when you consider how chain restaurants often charge more or less the same price for their sweets, which are no where near as superior in quality. Overall The Bell is an outstanding pub for food, charming scenery and value.

Minted Creamed Corn Pasta with Spring Vegetables

So you have some sweetcorn that needs using up, you have no idea what to do with it, you want to make something quick but you don't want it to be average like tuna sweetcorn pasta bake. This is your answer! Creamed corn is very much a primary element to midwestern American cuisine and as you've guessed, it's creamy in texture and taste. I've put a twist on it by adding some mint, which makes the meal really light and refreshing. The crispy feel of the bacon gives it that little something extra, but if you're vegetarian feel free to omit it and you'll still enjoy this recipe.

Serves 2

4 rashers bacon, diced

Butter, large knob

Sweetcorn, corn removed from 2 kernels or 150g tinned

½ onion, finely chopped

150ml crème fraiche

Salt and pepper

Mint, 2 large handfuls finely chopped

200g pasta

Broccoli cut into small florets, a handful

Peas, 2 handfuls

Parmesan, 2 small handfuls grated

1. Heat a frying pan on a medium to high heat and fry the bacon until cooked and crispy. Leave aside on kitchen paper.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on a low heat. Add the onions and the sweetcorn, and sauté for 5 minutes. Mix in the crème fraiche and seasoning. Cover and leave to cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the mint and bacon.

3. Place the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water. Cook according to cooking instructions, but in the last five minutes of cooking time cook the peas and broccoli florets in another pan of boiling water. After the five minutes drain both.

4. Divide the pasta between plates. Spoon over the minted creamed corn, top with the spring vegetables and sprinkle over some Parmesan.

Ginger and Apple Pork Pasties

Not only is it the season for apples, but also sausagemeat is ideal for those on a low budget. Pasties are great to eat both for dinner or lunch. However, it can be time consuming rolling out individual circles of pastry to make pasties, so if you haven’t got much time you can roll out the pastry into one big rectangle, place the filling on one half and fold the other half over to make one big roll. Just remember to brush over the top and around the seal with egg. You can also purchase pre-rolled pastry that’s now available in supermarkets, to speed things up even more. I suggest serving this meal with some pickle or chutney.

Makes 8

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 cooking apple

1 medium red onion, diced

Root ginger, 1-2 tbsp. crushed

1 ½ tsp. ground ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

500g pork sausagemeat/sausages, skins removed

1 tsp. dried mixed herbs

Salt and pepper

1kg shortcrust pastry

Flour, for rolling pastry

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7/425°F.

2. Heat a small drop of olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the red onions for about 2 minutes, until softened.

3. Peel the cooking apple and dice into medium chunks. Mix in a bowl with the sausage meat, mixed herbs, onions, ground ginger, crushed garlic and ginger in a bowl until combined evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

4. On a floured surface, roll the pastry out. Using a small plate or saucer, cut the pastry into circles. Spoon a small amount of the mixture onto one half of each of the pastry circles, but not covering the edge by at least 1 cm. Brush the edge of the other half with the beaten egg, then fold it over to form a semi-circle. Pinch the edges together to seal. Repeat until all the pastry and filling is used up.

5. On top of each pasty, indent 2 lines and brush over with the egg. Cook on a baking tray in the oven for 15 minutes,

6. Lower the heat to 190°C/Gas Mark 5/375°F, bake for a further 25 minutes and serve.

Ludlow Food Centre

The Shropshire town Ludlow raises many images to my mind. Its castle is renowned by historians for serving as Edward IV’s Council of the Marches of Wales headquarters up until 1689, the place of Arthur Tudor’s (Prince of Wales) death in 1502 and where Queen Mary I was raised for much of her childhood. Today Ludlow also boats its elite status in the world of British gastronomy with its vast range of food shops, markets and award winning restaurants including La Bécasse owned by Michelin starred Chef Alan Murchison. I could therefore hardly decline the offer of a trip to the Ludlow Food Centre the other Saturday.

On entering the site, I was in admiration of its idyllic setting, with its cobbled buildings (excluding the modern infrastructure of the shop) and quaint pub surrounded by beautiful farmland. It meets what British rural architecture should be, and if it was the size of a village one could quite easily envisage it being a rival to the Cotswolds. My companions and I decided to have lunch at their Conservatory Barn Cafe. Indeed as the second word of its name hints, the venue is situated in a reconverted barn. Naturally, my expectations of the food standard were of it being at least reasonable, not only because of its location but, giving the various awards that this centre has achieved such as one of the “Top 50 Farm Food Shops” by The Telegraph and runner up in The Times’s “England’s Best Places to Eat Out” both in 2009.

Once sampling the Pork Pie Ploughman’s, my view was in fact quite the contrary. Besides the menu being rather too bland in my view, my meal was certainly not worth paying £6.95 for. The Shropshire Blue possessed its typical distinct salty flavour for sure, but there was nothing unique about this one, which is inexcusable whenever sampling produce in its home county. Not only did the pork pie lack any flavour, but it was also unforgivably dry. My mother occasionally purchases Sainsbury’s Melton Mowbray pork pies x 4 for £1.89 and even these are a cut above. Admittedly the sweet onion chutney served alongside was satisfactory and the portion size was generous, yet I find it difficult to give any additional praise to such an overpriced dish.

After a disappointing meal, I took a trip to the shop. This was pleasing I am glad to say. The choice in cuts of meat and types of fish were undeniably excellent. It is not often that you find a rib of beef or delicacies such as eel on offer, even in farm shops. We in the end purchased a chocolate cake, made on the premises. It did lack a chocolate filling in the middle and it was not the most superlative chocolate cake I have ever had. Nonetheless, I can say from a chocoholic’s point of view that it was most certainly not deficient in taste, besides the sponge being exceedingly moist. Frequently do I find that chocolate sponge cakes from shops are dry and have a detestable cheap sickly flavour. True, one would expect a farm shop cake to be of good quality, but surprisingly it cost no more than £3. When you compare this to somewhere that produces cakes of a similar quality such as Waitrose, which charges £1.50 on average for just a single slice of cake from their patisserie, I would say that this cake was exceptionally good value for money.

So it seems that Ludlow Food Centre’s lunches are a rip off, but their cakes are much the reverse, with a shop that has a delightful selection. Despite my cynical view of the former, surely we need food centres like this or at least supermarkets selling more of this local produce? With a country facing obesity and heart problems, this nation needs to revert back to the old times when people would purchase local farm produce instead of all this manufactured unhealthy foul tasting dustbin material. Increasing the amount we grow, not only supports local producers, but it would equate to a more sustainable environment. One where we do not heavily rely on imports by increasing pollution levels, through the use of airplanes, and leaving people of the third world to starve by wiping out their crops. I am not saying I am a true believer in organic food, and for me to claim that I buy only home goods would be total hypocrisy. Yet, could we all just not at least expand the amount of native crop we consume as an alternative to high dependence upon overseas yield? Indeed there is the possibility of solving future shortages through technology, but would you not rather devour a cake composed of the purest ingredients, not only because it unarguably tastes superior, than one consisting of numerous E numbers prone to causing several illnesses? I know which one I would prefer.

Holy Gravy

This is a food blog that stands for audacious, innovative and quirky gastronomical ideas. To me it is essential to concoct new recipes to inspire the beginner or advanced cook. This journal therefore also universally meets differing palettes by providing recipes of various categories. It is for the student and family on a budget. It is for the epicurean, the vegan/vegetarian, the one with a sweet tooth who could so easily obliterate a big fat buttery wedge of cake in seconds, and anyone else who appreciates or has a curiosity for food.

Another primary ingredient to my page is articles and reviews on food and restaurants. Discovering the best food is not necessarily the most expensive. As much as I love wandering around the pristine food hall of Selfridges, from experience I have also discovered fantastic products from the lower priced end of the market such as in Aldi and Lidl. For that reason, it is not about the brand but the quality. This viewpoint may seem common sense, but it is surprising how many people believe that to discover the finest produce you have to always go to the luxury food stores. Similarly, you don’t have to continually go to the supermarket to find good food. There are also other options such as markets, which will often sell a vast amount of local produce.

Hence, my biggest passion in life is food and cookery. To me there is no point living everyday off convenience packaged meals filled with cancer killing chemicals and lacking any flavour. You have to eat to survive, so you may as well eat well. These are my beliefs, my philosophy. I hereby introduce you to Holy Gravy.

Much love,

Rebecca

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