Emerald Isle

I'm away for a restorative trip to Ireland. I'll be back soon but not before checking out the food scene in Cork and heading along to Ballymaloe Hotel and Cookery School.

I'm currently stuffed full of sausages cooked over a fire pit on Inch Strand smothered with Ballymaloe Relish along with lots of home made lemonade. Report back soon!

Welcoming in the British Asparagus Season

It’s that time of year again! Asparagus tips are peeking through the soil in fields all over the UK. I absolutely adore asparagus; their firm elegant stems, their earthy colour and their mellow flavour. I sometimes wonder if my enjoyment is exaggerated by their fleeting season. It seems that it flies by though the supermarkets are keen to replace their space on the shelves with dread Peruvian tips.

We spotted the first bunches in the supermarket about a week or so ago and since then, we’ve been feasting on it. The Boy’s Mum has an asparagus patch which is yielding tall, delicious tips too. I’m determined to make the most of the asparagus season while it’s upon us and can’t seem to get enough of the lovely stuff. It’s so versatile; poach it, steam it, roast it, griddle it, stir fry it – there are so many options!

British asparagus is one of the few vegetables that has stayed strong in recent years while the production and popularity of other vegetables is moving further and further away from the UK. British asparagus is available in most supermarkets now that the season is in full swing and there are offers on so make the most of its abundance and price. There are pick your own places and local sellers dotted all over the place so keep your eyes peeled while you’re out and about in the countryside.

Start your sparrow-grass feasting with a simple boiled (goose) egg for dunking or this creamy fresh risotto...

Asparagus, Pea & Leek Risotto
Serves two

1 small leek, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
125g (or one pack) fresh asparagus stems
100g frozen peas
1 garlic clove, sliced
150g risotto rice (I used arborio)
100ml dry vermouth or white wine
¼ vegetable or chicken stock cube dissolved in 900ml water
Or 900ml fresh vegetable or chicken stock
30g finely grated parmesan or mature cheese
25g unsalted butter
30g soft goats cheese

- Sweat the leek with a little sunflower oil for about five minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pan, warm your stock until it is just off simmering then prepare the asparagus by bending each stem and allowing them to snap where the tender part ends. Add the woody ends to your stock. Trim the top inch or two of tip off the stem then chop the remaining stem into 5mm pieces.
- By now, the leeks should be nicely softened. Add the garlic and stir through the leeks then add the rice, stirring again until it is combined.
- Allow the rice to cook for a few minutes, stirring it to encourage it to absorb the juices from the leeks.
- Add the vermouth and stir again until it is absorbed
- Add half of the stock - one ladle at a time, stirring it in until it is almost completely absorbed.
- Toss in the chopped asparagus stems and continue to add the rest of the stock as before.
- When all of the stock has been added, test the rice to see if it is tender. If not, add a ladle of hot water as before and continue until the rice is just soft. Although the rice should be thick and the grains plump, the risotto itself should have a soft and loose consistency.
- Add the asparagus tips and frozen peas allowing them to soften in the risotto for a few minutes.
- Stir in the butter and parmesan (or mature cheese) to give a creamy glossy taste and texture. Season with salt and pepper.

- Serve topped with crumbled goats cheese.

Colds and Cake Failure

I’m feeling rather sorry for myself – I have a cold and I feel rotten. The Boy was away last week so I kept myself busy with the following:

Monday: several hours ceroc/modern jive with a little salsa thrown in for good measure.
Tuesday: prework swim followed by post-work pole fitness.
Wednesday: pilates and my weekly fix of core-strength building and gossiping with the local WI.
Thursday: cycled 16 miles.
Friday: yet more ceroc/jive.

Unfortunately, I have been paying for it since by (carelessly) losing my voice and having terrible trouble with my sinuses. I’m starting to realise that I’m not superwoman. This is the price I pay for fitness.

Preparing the marinade

Despite this, we held a big barbecue on Saturday with friends old and new paying us a visit. I marinated chicken thighs and drumsticks for throwing on the grill; some were ‘chinese-style’ with soy, five spice, and ginger while the others were smothered in pounded red onion, parsley, chilli and lemon juice. Both varieties were part baked and then grilled over the barbie to ward off any nasty raw chicken bugs. Despite their double cooking, both flavours came out nicely moist and deliciously smoky from the barbecue. The spicy marinade was particularly good and so simple – just pound half a finely chopped red onion, a whole sliced red chilli, a tablespoon of lemon zest and a tablespoon of parsley in a pestle and mortar then add a glug of oil (I used sunflower).

My best friend decided to pay me a visit on Sunday so, in anticipation, I decided to make some little cakes and try out a new recipe. Egg-free banana and honey cup cakes with chopped walnuts. They were not what you’d call a resounding success...

Oops...

They sunk. Damnit! This might have been something to do with over filling the cake cases - school girl error! The finished cakes were extremely sweet and sticky, stubbornly bonding themselves to their cake cases. I think the recipe still needs some work! With half an hour to spare, I was still determined to have something sweet to put on the table. We were house-sitting for The Boy’s parents so I had their kitchen - and their gadgets - at my disposal. I knocked up a quick chocolate sponge with the help of their Kenwood chef (one day, I will have one!) which was ready just in time.

Now, back to my steamy cave (namely a bowl filled with boiling water and a blob of Vicks with a towel over the top) for more recuperation!

Liverpool Adventures

Liverpool means many things to many people. To some, it’s the music and the infamous Beatles. To The Boy and his family, it’s football – his Dad has supported LFC since he was little and still hedges his bets on the ballot for tickets. To my family, it’s art and the new Tate.

My first visit to the city was primarily orientated around a visit to Anfield with The Boy but we decided to make a weekend of it. Here’s our pick for food and rooms...

View from our room

Where we stayed: Hope Street Hotel, 40 Hope Street, Liverpool

When looking up nice places to stay, one of my prerequisites was a huge bath. This might seem strange but I’ve become increasingly addicted to epically proportioned bath tubs since staying the Langdale Chase Hotel at on the banks of Windermere. After a few searches, we found the Hope Street Hotel which had good Tripadvisor reviews with mixed reviews on their breakfasts.

Our room was nicely appointed with an amazing bed – I don’t think I’ve ever had such a comfy mattress. Natural wood finishes have been used throughout the hotel and this is echoed in each room. The bathroom had the required large bath and a gloriously strong walk-in shower. The lighting in the bathroom kept me entertained for a full five minutes too – they’re controlled by a touch on/off plate but (as I read in the room guide provided) if you hold your finger 10mm or so away and slide up or down, the lights brighten or dim. Sad, I know but great for setting the mood for a relaxing bath.

The luxurious mattress made for a fantastic night’s sleep though our room was pretty hot during the night and the air conditioning in our room didn’t want to work. Still, we trooped down to The London Carriage Works, the restaurant situated in the ground floor of the hotel for breakfast. It’s a pretty stunning venue with slanting panels of textured glass acting as screens among the tables. Breakfast is expensive but it is a good meal – the continental buffet was groaning with fresh fruit, cured meats, pastries and cereals. I came away with a plate of melon and prosciutto to start with and then went on to have a cooked breakfast. They were happy to swap out the black pudding for their vegetarian alternative which was made from red onion and was very tasty. Not sure why I’m not that keen on proper black pudding – the colour is rather off putting...

Where we ate: Host, 31 Hope Street, Liverpool

While researching the hotel, one reviewer recommended Host, conveniently located over the road from the Hope Street Hotel. Curiosity may have seen off the unfortunate cat but, with so many positive reviews, we decided to give it a go.

Make sure that you arrive early and book in advance – we forgot to do the latter but the staff were very understanding and fitted us in. They were very busy with a constant stream of people coming and out – some for cocktails at the bar and others for the food. The meals themselves were absolutely delicious – quick, fresh and full of complex oriental flavours.

Quite seriously, if you're in the area, I would recommend giving Host a go. It's not terribly expensive and they offer something for everyone, whether you're a keen carnivore, a vibrant vegan or a glam gluten-free gourmet. Highly recommended.

The evening was made even more memorable when I made friends with the locals - a woman gifted me with a safety pin for my ‘friendly’ halter top which was determined to come undone. So kind!

Tasting plate and a delicious hot chocolate

Where we indulged: The Chocolate Cellar, 11 - 13 Hanover Street, Liverpool

You might be familiar with my love of chocolate. I’m not sure whether my sixth (cocoa) sense was tingling or whether fate led us but we found ourselves outside The Chocolate Cellar. Naturally, we had to sample what they had to offer. We tried a tasting plate of their chocolates and a hot chocolate each, which were fantastic. A great place to get souvenirs for chocolate lovers! They also offer workshops – we scoffed while watching a group roll and coat truffles.

Snapshot: Adnams Beer

There's nothing quite like a good British beer. Or ale for that matter. I'm not particularly well versed on the subject so I'm afraid I'm not 100% on the difference. Anyway, a friend came back with from a trip to his ancient home counties with a lovely present - Adnams Broadside. I've never heard of the Adnams brewery before but it has a very interesting values when it comes to sustainability and the environment. They have their own charity, which supports good causes in their local area, and even turn their food and brewery waste into biogas. All in all, a pretty lovely company, really.

Oh and the beer is tasty too! The Broadside that my friend brought around was really tasty and full of flavour. I think I'd drink it on its own because its got a fruity taste that can stand up on its own.

Creamy smoked salmon and prawn pasta

Fancy a luxurious meal without breaking the bank? If you know where to look, there are bargains to be had which are cheaper, tastier and healthier than ready meals. Sainsbury’s (my supermarket of personal choice) ‘Basics’ value range have some great products. Their smoked salmon trimmings are a snip at 87p and are great for sandwiches or in pasta. Their frozen prawns are a bit on a weeny size but are a bargain at 300g for £2.00. We always have some in the fridge for throwing into stir-fries.

I whipped up a dish of creamy spaghetti with prawns and smoked salmon for only £1.38 per portion. Lovely with a green salad (they had British grown round lettuces for 40p when I was last in) or a broad bean salad (made with frozen beans and a little mint). Oh and a glass of white wine too if you’re pushing the boat out!

Creamy smoked salmon and prawn pasta

Serves 2

1 onion, finely chopped

100g frozen prawns, defrosted

120g smoked salmon trimmings

4tbsp half fat crème fraiche

½ pack of dill or basil

1 lemon

150g dried spaghetti

 - Put the spaghetti on to boil.

 - Meanwhile, sweat the onion in a saucepan (large enough to fit the cooked pasta in) for a few minutes until soft. Add the juice and a tsp of finely grated zest from the lemon, cover and turn to a very low heat until the pasta is al dente or just tender.

 - Add the crème fraiche to the pan and stir it into the onion as it melts. Add the prawns and allow to warm through for about a minute (longer if you are using large prawns). Loosen the mixture with a splash of the cooking water from the spaghetti or white wine (if you’ve cracked it open already!) if necessary.

 - Turn off the heat and add ⅔ of the smoked salmon to the mixture along with most of the dill or basil (reserve a few sprigs for decoration if you like).

 - Drain the spaghetti and mix well so that it is coated in the creamy mixture.

 - Serve topped with the remaining salmon and herbs.

Mud Dock, Mission & Milkshakes (or Photo’s and Burrito’s)

Food and drink in interesting company can lead to flashes of group inspiration. On this particular dark night, fuelled by chorizo stew (truly delicious) and Lidl Viognier (not recommended), wine glasses and beer bottles were clinked and waved as we toasted our future endeavour. A photography field trip. How very grown-up!

I have a great camera but I’m something of a rookie when it comes to the technical side (as opposed to the ooh-look-how-pretty side) of photography. In contrast, two of my friends are keen and competent clickers so we decided to spend a day behind our respective lenses in each other’s company. This may not seem very food-orientated but the day was nicely broken up into chunks of photo-taking time interspersed with coffee stops.

Sun deck of the Mud Dock, The Grove, Bristol

The perfect spot for people spotting though it became increasingly packed with couples, squabbling families and groups of friends “doing brunch” and comparing hangovers. The café itself is shares its premises and owners with a bike shop, Cycle Works, which makes for some interesting passersby. The terrace has lovely views over the river and one of Bristol’s three (I think) swing bridges. We intended to use it as a meeting point, a convenient, sunny place from which to plan our route but half an hour of chatting, catch up and general geekery later, we left with latte-filled tummies (£2.50 a mug) but no formalised course. Ah well.

Window seat of Mission Burrito, Park Street, Bristol

I’ve been keen to try the Bristol branch of Mission Burrito for a while and with our shutter fingers starting to tire, we decided to stop in on a quest for sustenance. It proved to be a fantastic place to pause in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Park Street. Again, the window seat is a fantastic place to people watch – the canopy kept us nicely shaded from the surprisingly strong Spring sunshine. This branch is a big change from the St Michael's Street branch in Oxford that I know and love; there's space to sit and enjoy your food. Saying that, the food is more of the same delicious, speedy, satisfying fare. I went for a carnitas burrito, which at £5.95 isn't cheap for lunch but you get a lot of bang for your buck and it fills you up until...

At the bar of Rocatillo's Diner, Queens Row, Bristol

Milkshake time! Rocatillos is an American-style diner nestled on Clifton's "Triangle" which does kick-ass breakfasts but their real headliner is their MILKSHAKES. Seriously. For £3.95, you get a stainless steel jug of delicious artery clogging goodness. I had to share with one of my friends otherwise it would've been waaaay too much to handle after everything else. My other trip companion went for an 'Extra Thick' milkshake which lived up to its name - you could stand a spoon up in it without any sway!

And later... Highbury Vaults (on St Michael's Hill) for a swifty pint in their shady courtyard garden. Lovely though my glass was dirty. Bleugh.