The Bay, Penzance

To celebrate our engagement, my father offered to take us to a highly renowned and recommended restaurant in the town of Penzance upon our return for the festive period. Being an employee of the restaurant, one of my friends had spoken of The Bay, and with her sister cooking in the kitchen, who was I to argue? The Bay it was!

Having survived the day on relatively meagre offerings (compared to the hoards of food I'd wolfed down on previous days)- a couple of slices of toast and a turkey and ham sandwich, I was quite ready to indulge in some fresh, local seafood.

We began by sitting in the lounge, simply perusing the menu. We were then offered drinks and some appetisers of prawns with aoli- a simple sample of the quality of the food yet to come. The toast was crisp, the prawns fresh and juicy with the tangy mayonnaise dressing to complement.

Upon ordering, the manager informed us, to our surprise, that my lovely friend, Jenna, had bought us a bottle of Prosecco to go with our meal- a jolly good start to the night!

We were ushered through to the restaurant where we were seated by the window. We shared a toast over the tall, bubbling glasses of fizz and looked forward to our courses to come. Crusty onion and poppy seed bread was served to us from a wicker basket- in keeping with the nautical interior, and we readily ploughed through the dish of Cornish butter, lavishing every corner and crust.

The evening menu was very good value for money, £24 for 2 courses or £29.95 for 3. To start I had pan-fried south coast scallops, butternut squash ravioli with a hazelnut and shallot dressing (paying a small supplement for the privellege). The contrasting flavours and textures between the plump, juicy, scallop and the nutty, crunchy toasted hazlenuts was superb. The ravioli was somewhat lost with its delicate flavours and velvety texture amongst the crunch of the green micro-salad.

For my main course I had pan-fried free range West Country Duck, chicory with proscuitto ham, pickled plum and red wine jus alongside panache of vegetable and potatoes boulangere. I asked for my Duck medium, and it was cooked to perfection. Pink, plump and juicy with crisp, hazel coloured flesh. The wonderful jus that accompanied it was bitter-sweet. The plums provided the acidity which cut cleanly through the rich, dark meat of the duck. Simply divine!
The vegetables were al dente- as they should be, and the potatoes were rich and creamy, as to be expected.

All in all, the meal was fabulous, the only thing that was noticeably absent, was the presence of my friend, so I could thank her for the unexpected bottle of bubbly!

My advice- book it (if you're in the area of course!)

Festively plump and full of cheer...

As with most people, from December 24th, the Christmas glut began. Rich salmon en croute with buttery mashed potato and peas, followed by mince pies with clotted cream. The inevitable, endless hoard of food on Christmas day, led to the left over ham within a bird within a bird within a layer of stuffing and a trio of desserts on boxing day.

Now, the simple thought of such things could see my trouser buttons flying off at tremendous speed, the likes of which I could take someone's eye out with!

A roast dinner followed yesterday, more food on top of food- roast Beef with all the trimmings, but hey, I'm not complaining! I decided to throw together a simple dessert from the pears I didn't use on Christmas day, my recipe is as follows:

Pears Poached in Mulled Wine
4x Firm Pears (peeled)
1x Bottle Red Wine
225g Caster Sugar
1x Teaspoon Cinnamon
1x Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1x Teaspoon Mixed Spice
4x Whole Cloves

1. Place the wine, sugar and spices in a saucepan. Stir until mixed.
2. Place the pears in the pan and bring to the boil.
3. Lower the heat, and place the lid on the pan, allowing the pears to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the poached pears and allow them to cool.
5. Continue to heat the wine until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Allow this to cool.
6. Serve the pears whole drizzled in the syrup with a good dollop of Clotted Cream!

After the rich, heavy foods associated with Christmas, this makes a nice, refreshing alternative (unfortunately, it doesn't count as one of your five a day!) And the great thing is, not only can they be made up to two days in advance, the texture and delicately spiced flavours are a nice change from the heavily alcohol lagged brandy butter injected fodder of the festive period!

Blog of the month- British Cream Tea

This month, my favourite blog happens to be the labour of love of a lady who happens to inhabit the same city as me! She calls herself a felt confectioner, an artist who not only creates delectable pieces of art which look perfectly edible, she also provides consumable recipes for some of her creations and step by step instructions on how to create her 'mock' food.

British Cream Tea is a beautiful blog, inspired by creator Ouissi's love of all things fabric, vintage and edible! Ouissi is an inspirational artist who's recent works have been sold in various galleries and exhibited at the Winter Art's Fair in St George's Hall, Liverpool.

The blog puts me in mind of a vintage fair that delights the senses and stimulates the soul, harking back to the days when people were more creative and innovative. The days when everyone knew how to knit, sew and even darn socks! Skills which have been put aside, but not forgotten, as Ouissi demonstrates.

A simple idea which has successfully seen an artist turn food into timeless art and delicious confectionery for her family and followers.

I hope my blog will look as pretty as hers someday...

Book it, cook it, or f#@k it up for everyone!

You know when you have one of those brilliant, albeit, last minute ideas? One of the ones where you think, this could be brilliant, if I pull this off, then this will be the best birthday surprise- ever!
Well, the night before last, these thoughts flitted through my mind, racing and raging, until, inevitably, I baked the mother of all birthday cakes- a four layer chocolate fudge, mocha gateau covered in rich, chocolate butter icing.

The reasoning behind this was, after missing my friend's birthday last weekend, I suggested we do something this week to celebrate. And seeing as it was another friends birthday this week, I thought; why not make an occasion of it? So we booked a table at a restaurant that HAD been one of favourites for some time (Esteban on Lark Lane in case you were wondering).

I confirmed the final numbers on my way home from work yesterday, and I also informed them that I would be dropping in a birthday cake to be brought out at after the meal. This all seemed fine, and after putting the finishing touches to the masterpiece, my dutiful fiance dropped it off for me.

Things were all going to plan as all eight of us congregated in the restaurant. We couldn't help but notice a particularly loud party of women seated nearby, who made it their business to make me shudder with their various screeches and howls of laughter. We ordered our wine and our tapas and were all set for a good night...

The conversation flowed as we caught up with one another, the restaurant quickly filling up with various other large parties. Our food arrived promptly, and the waitress shouted out the various dishes, and we passed them down the table. Then came along THE waiter, a blundering buffoon, that seemed to be cursed not only with bad manners and impatience, but other unsavoury characteristics which came to light about ten minutes later.

He approached our table with the remaining dishes on the tray, and seemingly flung the food at us, without even naming the various cuisines- we were all left a bit stunned, but we passed the food around, guessing and swapping the items which had been dumped willy nilly across the table.

After tucking in, the lights in the restaurant dimmed as THE waiter approached the cackling women opposite with a birthday cake. They all burst into song, and I looked up in horror to see MY cake being served to the other party. You can imagine the look of disbelief on my face as I sprung up from my seat to try and salvage my little labour of love.

As I screamed 'That's my cake, that's my cake!' THE waiter replied smugly 'Are you serious?', at that point I felt the bile rise in the back of my throat... He blew the candles out and removed the cake from the table as the odious women on the table fell into fits of hilarity at my expense.

I'd never been so embarrassed in my whole life. My intricate plans had been foiled by one incompetent member of staff's idiotic blunders, and all I could do was cry.


Diners looked on in disbelief as the tears rolled down my face, and the manager apologised in a most sterile manner, not even addressing me (the person who had booked the table, baked the cake etc) saying that he would waive the service charge and give us some free drinks- not much of a consolation for ruining my BIG surprise....

The anger began to subside after my friends reassured me that it was a lovely gesture, and the attentive waitresses checked I was ok, THE waiter offered an unconvincing sympathetic look which I ignored, and we continued to eat in a most uncomfortable atmosphere.

I thought that was the worst point of the night over, but then another waiter began to clear away our plates when half the table were still eating, he even tried to take some of our wine glasses too! We quickly stopped him, advising him to look down the table at all the uneaten food...

My friend Elaine, bravely ventured to the bar and asked about some free drinks which the manager had promised us, and came back with some good news, three bottles, on the house- it was the least they could do!

After the table was cleared, I asked for the cake, not a problem I thought... Then not one, but two waitresses came over, one after the other, the first asking if I wanted candles (well yes, it was a birthday cake, and I'd given them eight candles to put in it!) the second, to tell me it would be a few minutes.... at that point I'd gone beyond caring, and felt like asking 'Is it still in the oven?! Or has someone else eaten it?'

Then the cake came out of the kitchen with THE waiter clumsily trying to hide it behind a menu, and as we broke out in song, the whole restaurant joined in and cheered at the end. It certainly livened us up, and as we tucked into the cake, we all agreed, it was worth the wait! We asked for the bill, and were ready to scrutinise it and saw that out of the six bottles of wine, we'd only had the three for free, the service charge had been knocked off too- but with the terrible service, I'd have walked out without paying, had there been a dispute.

One of the waitresses grabbed the cake and disappeared with it as we threw our money into the kitty. My heart was thumping, what was she doing with my cake? Would I ever see it, or my lovely glass plate again? I waited with baited breath, only to be told she was wrapping it up for me to take home, thank goodness.

All my friends assured me that they'd had a great night, but I still feel like I was robbed. My two friends Joe and Sasa, had never had anyone surprise them like that before, and Esteban took that away from them. No amount of compensation can get that back, and I never want to return to that amateurish place again- I was so, so angry last night, I couldn't even taste the food properly!

So my re-issued advice, don't book it! Steer clear! Leave your cake at home and eat it there, so if anything goes wrong, you'll only have yourself to blame.

A trifling matter...

As with most people, I see Christmas as a time of opulence, of giving gifts beyond our means and buying more food than we could ever feasibly manage. With this in mind, I've been thinking of neat ways to recycle food that's been forgotten, allowing it to go past its best and indeed, rejuvenating it by turning it into something completely new. Something we can all bare in mind I'm sure, when we're left perplexed by a mountain of Christmas Turkey....
I know this is a completely unoriginal idea, but I'm simply sick of being wasteful. Some people see a stale cake as something to be thrown away with the rubbish, but I see it as an ample opportunity to flex my creativity, and turn a cake-tastrophe into a masterpiece.
A prime example of this- my fiance and I live together, and although we both enjoy eating the cakes and desserts I make, we often find ourselves throwing the last scraps away.
I made a carrot cake the week before last, and it had been sitting, un-iced and looking un-interesting for about a week. (Can I just point out now- the cake was actually very nice, we just kinda forgot about it).
Then I had an idea, stale cake=trifle! I've never tried it with carrot cake before, but it actually worked! The recipe I followed called for nuts, citrus rind, carrots, butter, sugar, flour and eggs (I'll dig out the recipe if anyone's interested). I purchased 2 tins of peach slices (in juice) and cut up the cake and place it in a large dish.
Then I soaked the cake with some of the peach juice drained from the can. Next, I made up a batch of custard (according to the instructions), you can, of course use tinned or fresh custard- or even make your own if you're feeling inspired. I set the custard aside to cool and poured the peaches on top of the sponge.
When the custard cooled, on it went. Then came the cream- I whipped a small pot of double cream with some icing sugar and spread it thickly on top of the custard and finished with lashings of hundreds and thousands..... simple!
I know this is a bit of an essay, but I'm trying to drive home a point- it doesn't take a lot to be resourceful, I mean, most people would've slung the cake out and that would've be that... but for the last few days, I've had a lovely trifle for my pudding, and I don't feel guilty, as I've wasted nothing, so there!
Think twice before you throw things away! Visit Love Food Hate Waste for ideas on how to utulise your freezer, extend the life of fresh fruit and veg, and recipe ideas for leftovers.

Cookin' with Coolio- the chaos continues...

So, I saw a few videos of Cookin' with Coolio on youtube, which you may or may not have seen on my facebook page but oh my lord- you ain't seen nothin' yet! The horrors have reached new heights! Rap-man Coolio's only gone and released a cook book!


Splashed across the cartoon-like cover is his ethos of 5 Star Meals at 1 Star Price- a condensed ideology perhaps? In my book, the self-proclaimed Ghetto Gourmet who has penned chapters such as How to become a Kitchen Pimp and Salad-Eatin' Bitches has safely set the tone from page 1.

A sneaky peek inside the cover reveals Coolio's culinary philosophies, including several outbursts of Shaka Zulu... so is he a kitchen warrior in his own right? An interview with the Boston Globe explores some of the influences behind his acclaimed catchphrase, and why this rapper has donned a chef's hat and pen to become a cook and author.

So, with Christmas in mind, can you see this book nestled in between Nigella Lawson and Delia Smith? Perhaps not... But maybe this ghetto gourmand could be starting a new revolution in food making cooking hip and accesible for all.... the jury's still out on this one i'm afraid- Shaka Zulu!

Blog of the month...

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sick of food snobbery, elitist attitudes taken to food, people criticised for not knowing what a roux is...... Sometimes you just wanna say 'shut up' and run away to quickly look up the definition, simply to fit in.

Anyway, to hell with that. I love food. I'm learning all I can about it. My likes, my dislikes, my strengths and my weaknesses. My style- which I like to think is rather humorous, and is reflected in this months chosen blog of the month, simply for the irony....

Suicide Food sees the lighter side of life and indeed, death. Using advertising campaigns where animals are seen to "celebrate their own demise" offering themselves in the form of pigs, cows and other barnyard favourites, barbecuing their own flesh and feeding it to the wolves.

This site reminds me of a book I read as a child: A Trip to Lazibonia, in this book cows and pigs walk around with carving knives and forks lodged in their backs, eager for you to slice off a succulent loin, or steak. Chickens in this land simply fly straight into your mouth to save you the trouble of cooking and killing them... This is anthropomorphism gone wild!

As much as I love reminiscing, lets get back on track. Suicide Food's best bits are: the noose rating and classification system- which rates pictures, signs, menus and posters on their levels of how disturbing they actually are.

My particular favourite has to be the Green Cow Green Beef Tripe, which blogger Ben describes as, looking sedated or drugged, powerless to the dogs which will undoubtedly consume its bovine innards- ewww! This one only got two nooses though, which rates as simply, appalling (see psych evaluations on page). If a spaced out cow on a tin of dog food seems happy to advertise its own offal for consumption, then how could these ratings get any worse?

This take on food, with a humorously and disturbing tone really lightens the somewhat stuffy, pretentious vibes which I often get when visiting restaurants and reading blogs. People seem blind to the ridiculous emblems which they see fit to promote their BBQ menus or cook-offs! Sheesh! Why bring the animals into it? Sick!

New beginings...

Sooooooooooooo. There's been a bit of an absence again- what can I say? I got engaged last week, so my head's been in the clouds (and pretty much still is), although i'm able to function relatively normally now!
I'm not starting on planning anything until next year, but I can't stop thinking about food, cake and Pimms cocktails! A girl can dream!

The Rise of The Underground

Well folks, after a hectic week of contacting various influential food people such as the charming Pete Luckett and the esteemed Peter Brears i'm feeling refreshed, and inspired. Rather than feeling woeful about the cultural climate, I've come to realise that I can't wait for opportunity to come to me- I gotsta make my own! And so comes the inspiration for the following article.

It hasn't taken television production teams long to latch onto the up and coming trend of people setting up their own restaurants or 'pop up restaurants' from home. These underground restaurants, or supper clubs are popping up all over the country and beyond, challenging the aesthetics of dining, taking a more back to basics approach.

Usually set up by a small group of like-minded people, these supper clubs are becoming as popular as Channel 4's 'Come dine with me' where people play host, chef and entertainer for the chance of a prize. Celebrities have leapt at the chance to promote themselves as good hosts, and youtube users have even gone to the lengths of re-creating their favourite show (see below).



Another show that's caught on is Virgin 1's 'Restaurant in our living room' a TV show aimed at beating the credit crunch. The concept involves two couples inviting complete strangers into their homes in a bid to battle it out for a grand prize. At the end of their 'dining experience' customers are asked to leave however much they think the meal's worth in a box outside... but is this fair game?

Realistically, you couldn't do this in a restaurant, but this is the dawning of a new age in dining. People are showing more interest in local suppliers, growing their own vegetables, and cooking a lot more.

The BBC, along with Good Food have explored this uprising and the merging of chef, host and homeowner. Facebook plays social matradee, as people set up pages and groups introducing their new enterprises and arranging themed dining events. The Underground Restaurant
group is one, very popular example of the way social networking and exposure work well together.

Sure, you have to be careful when booking a table in one of these 'establishments', but I think the risks are outweighed by the fact that a revolution in dining is taking place- this is non-exclusive (unless you're a terrible cook) something we can all be part of!

For more information visit: BBC
Good Food

A Cornish Culinary Adventure- Days 6 & 7

Well my 'ansome's, I'm afraid these are the two final pieces of my Cornish Culinary Adventure- but fear not.... I'm so loved up with the place at the moment, that I've just baked some pasties. So if you're all good little Piskies, I'll share it with you!

Day 6-

This always happens to me when I go home, I think that i'll eat a Pasty as soon as I return, but the facts are, I still hadn’t had a Pasty until today! After a short shopping trip out, I begged my pops to visit a bakery. Not one to settle for second best on the Pasty stakes, I went to Hampston’s of Hayle- a local butcher and pie/pasty maker famous for their wares.

It was past two o’clock, so my hopes of getting my desired lunch were slightly hindered due to the sheer demand of the wonderful hand held lunch. I didn’t let it get me down though- ‘I’m in Cornwall for Christ sake- the whole county can’t be out of Pasties by now....can they?’ I thought to myself.

I wasn’t expecting the answer to the above question to be ‘nearly’! The butcher only had three pasties left in the whole shop! That just goes to show how popular this traditional mining fodder still is to this day!

Anyway, despite asking for a steak Pasty, I received one with steak mince. It was still lovely, although it didn’t have that wonderful gravy that saturates the crust that you get with the beef skirting. So be warned people- I’ve lived in Cornwall for most of my life and I slipped up my order- make sure you ask if the Pasty is made with mince!

After my mammoth lunch, I made sure to leave plenty of room for this evening’s offerings. As with most other ‘family occasions’ we celebrate at local Carbis Bay restaurant- La Casita, tonight it was my brother’s turn to celebrate his birthday.

I ordered garlic mushrooms in a creamy sauce with a Mozzarella crust. They were rich, buttery, not soggy- the only thing that could have improved them would have been a bit of bread on the side. That sauce was too good to waste (so I frantically slurped it up like a rich soup)!

Always a stickler for local produce, especially fish, I opted for the special Hake fillet with a herb crust and a tomato and basil sauce with Boulangere potatoes. When the dish arrived, it looked wonderfully colourful. The plump white flesh of the fish contrasting with the scarlet sauce peppered with flecks of basil.

However, no matter pleasing a dish is to one’s eye, it has to please the palate as well. And unfortunately, no amount of salt and pepper could remedy this flavourless dish. This really saddened me, as it was such a beautifully cooked piece of fish, but I had to be sent back.

I felt like I'd ruined the evening, embarrasing myself, and my co diners. But the night wasn't over yet! The propietor came over to our table, and quietly discussed the problem. I explained to him that I wasn't satisfied, and he offered me another meal- which I gladly excepted.

Although at first I felt like the evening had somehow been stunted, I'm glad I stood my ground. After having worked in the catering industry for the past 10 years, I've always liked honest customers, who actually give you the chance to compensate and correct your mistakes, rather than leave dissappointed, and never return...

I'd been eyeing up my father's dish of Beef fillet stroganoff. So I made the quick decision to have that as a replacement. And my God, was I glad! It was tender, beautifully cooked with a side of fluffy white rice, I have to say, it was an informed choice (as i'd already shovelled some of my dad's meal down my gob already!)

After quaffing the last of the Rioja, we returned home to eat some birthday cake (which I had made earlier on in the day, along with the Christmas Pudding). And I have to say- Delia, you've come up trumps again!

It was a simple recipe- 6oz Self-Raising Flour, 6oz Sugar, 3 Eggs and 6oz Butter. I added some vanilla essence, and when it was cool, I split the hefty sponge in half and spread with some good quality Raspberry Jam, and whipped cream (of course).

We settled down to watch a fillm, our stomachs full, our appetites supressed (for now!)

Day 7

Since arriving home, I quite fancied doing something a bit different. Maybe leaving the county for a day trip, perhaps?

My father suggested this idea to me again, and we were going to visit Greenway House in Devon, former home to my favourite author, Agatha Christie. But this proved problematic, as neither of us knew how to get there, or wanted to wait up to two hours to be shown around... perhaps next time, eh?

Instead, we opted for the more easily locatable, Exeter. A city full of history, with its Gothic Cathedral nestled between cafes, bistros and gift shops.

As a teenager, I had visited the city quite frequently and often admired a place that used to have a piano permanantly parked out on the pavement. I can only assume that the memory of this place relates to The Pitcher and Piano on Queen Street.

This being a casual father-daugther day out, we decided to have a laid back meal in this sophisticated Georgian style eatery.

Despite having had steak at the meal last night, neither of us could resist the charms of the Rump Steak baguette with caramelised onions...just thinking about it's making me salivate!

The substantially sized sandwiches arrived brimming with pink, plump slices of beef, dotted with wholegrain mustard and slithers of onion. I have to say, for £7.50, these were pretty good value too!

All in all a great time was had by all. I'm sure i've gained a little weight, but who's counting? I'm storing it up for the winter to keep me warm anyway! I look forward to returning home for Christmas, where I'll be making Christmas dinner for 6 people (for the second time!)

Reaching boiling point....

Arrrrrrrrrrr! I'm so annoyed at the moment! I don't know what's going on
with blogger at the moment, but it keeps on changing fonts before I publish stories.
I keep ending up with a post using three different fonts- how unsightly!

Can I just say- this is NOT down to me! I'm not crazy enough to think it looks good, or different
it just makes my work look weird to be honest.

So I apologise for the layout at the moment. I'm looking into possible solutions, but at the end of the day, it's the content that matters!

A Cornish Culinary Adventure- Parts 4 & 5

Well, well, well. I guess I got caught up in the hoo-hah of Halloween. I neglected to update my tour of the south-west. So with apologies, here you go!

Day 4-

I awoke to the smell of traditional Cornish Hog’s pudding sizzling in the frying pan. The crackle of bacon, got me salivating straight away. A cup of freshly brewed coffee set the tone for this ‘Full Cornish’ ; scrambled eggs, hog’s pudding, westcountry smoked bacon and sausages from a local farm.

Unfortunately, this meat heavy breakfast left no room whatsoever for lunch... so no pasties for me today.

Later on, after no lunch, and despite having had fish and chips before, I simply couldn’t refuse the offer of Becks fish and chips! Just a stone’s throw away from my father’s house in Carbis Bay, Becks has been a family favourite for years- always a real treat!

The portion sizes at this place are simply astonishing, a piece of fish, and a portion of chips could easily feed two hungry people. With this in mind, I ordered the Haddock which in true Becks form, arrived in its polystyrene casing golden, crisp and bubbling.

It was as good as I remember it. You know how people have a romanticised idea about food, the kind of nostalgia which reminds them of being a child, and can often be quite sickening? Well this is my memory. Fish and chips on the beach, gritty sand between my toes, the sharp acid vinegar cutting through the fluffy potato... bliss.

Day 5-

Sunday at my house, is a very traditional occasion-and my father never scrimps on portions, always buying a whole chicken, or a whole joint of meat even if he’s only feeding himself! He often curries leftover chicken, which is a quick fix if you work late etc.

The hearty meal consisted of Organic chicken roasted with onions, lemon, garlic and herbs. It was beautifully moist without being soggy, and the skin was crisped to perfection (until I soaked it in gravy!) The roasties had a herb crust, and were lovely with their skins on. Carrot, Broccoli and roasted Parsnips made the perfect accompaniment to my favourite British institution.

As usual, I couldn’t resist having a sweet. So I popped across the road to the local shop, and I have to say- I’m no food snob. I do prefer making my own desserts, but I put my trust in the nation’s favourite relative- Aunt Bessie.

Her Bramley Apple Pie had a crisp, almost biscuity crust. Not too sweet, as you often find with shop bought puds, and a lovely bite to the filling (you could actually recognise the chunks of apple!) I was impressed! Smothered in Rodda’s Clotted Cream- you can’t go wrong.