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Showing posts from 2018

THE BEST THING ABOUT CHRISTMAS IS THE LEFTOVERS

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It's Boxing Day and everyone is feeling a little jaded after a day spent eating and drinking and doing little. The fridge is full of leftovers - a few roast potatoes, some tired-looking sprouts, the remains of the bird or joint of meat, stuffing, pigs in blankets, some congealed gravy and bread sauce..... But no self-respecting cook would dream of throwing out these tasty morsels. I am not very keen on Christmas food. A lifelong dislike of raisins, currants and sultanas means that Christmas cake and mince pies are off my food list (though I do like Panettone and Stollen), and I find turkey one of the most disappointing and uninteresting meats. (Having said that, I do like "the trimmings" - roast potatoes, roast parsnips, sprouts with chestnuts and bacon bits, gravy.) Even as I am tucking in to Christmas dinner I'm thinking of how to transfrom the leftovers into a succession of tasty snacks and suppers. Roast turkey may be boring, but it's much nicer cold,

BOX OF DELIGHTS

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The vegetable box, or "veg box", delivered to your door from a farm or organic supplier, is now a familiar aspect of food purchase and consumption for many people, who prefer to eat seasonal fruit and veg rather than asparagus that has been flown in from Peru, out of season. The meat box is a rather newer innovation, offering organic/outdoor-reared/sustainably-sourced meat and related products, delivered direct to address. I am an unapologetic meat eater. I like meat and I believe it is an important part of our omnivorous diet. However, I am careful about how I buy meat, preferring free-range rather than factory-produced. The meat box fulfills these requirements while also offering more unusual meats not readily available in the supermarket, such as game, mutton and goat. When I moved to Portland in Dorset in the summer, I was concerned to find a good meat supplier, since my local supermarket does not really offer what I want to buy and cook with. I saw an advert for Th

THE GREAT BRITISH MENU

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There's a glut of food programmes on TV these days - and even more on Netflix (my chef son likes Mind of a Chef and Chef's Table). Too many to watch really. I've enjoyed Masterchef, though after watching the most recent professional and amateur series, I feel the programme is ready for an update, including the replacement of the leering, gurning Gregg Wallace with another judge, preferably female..... One of the more interesting food programmes is The Great British Menu, an annual contest in which top chefs (many holding Michelin stars) from regions around the UK compete for the chance for one of their dishes to be included in a prestigious 4-course banquet (last year in celebration of the 140th anniversary of Wimbledon), Over the course of 5 days, the three regional finalists cook a starter, fish course, main course and dessert. During the week, the chefs' individual dishes are judged by another leading chef (including a number of GBM former winners) who also offers

DEMON COOK IS BACK!

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To celebrate the return of Demon Cook, a post which combines my twin passions - food and music! If you're barbecuing this weekend, don't forget the.......