Tuesday 29 December 2015

Seeing Out 2015 Pt.1

So, as the year draws to a close - when I'm feeling particularly guilty about my lack of efforts on the blogging front - I thought it was prime time to catch up on all those exciting things that I've been up to.

Truth be told, it's been a mightily crap year for The Chap and I; with families somewhat falling apart at the seams on both sides, it's not surprising that I haven't found the motivation, nor the hours in the day, to keep up with my posts. Still, despite not feeling particularly upbeat over the past couple of months, we've had some fun along the way.

Supper with Richard Turner on Thursday 12th November was a meaty highlight. Held at No. 38 The Park, this Lucky Onion Club event was one we really couldn't miss; the Hawksmoor, Pitt Cue and Meatopia legend lived up to his reputation by cooking the most epic menu (and drinking a lot of Bourbon).


Starters were Wild Sea Bass Sashimi with Chilli and Ginger, Fillet Steak Tartare topped with a shed load of Parmesan, Roasted Bone Marrow with Sourdough Toast, and Roasted Scallops with White Port and Garlic... I managed some self restraint and didn't eat everything in sight, but the sheer volume of food could have filled us all up, and I'd have been content just hitting dessert! FYI I still don't like Bone Marrow.


Main was Charcoal Grilled Rib Eye Steak and Chips with Bibb Lettuce Salad and Stilton Hollandaise. Pink, juicy, salty, charred - and seemingly endless - there are no words that can describe how good it was. And that Stilton Hollandaise; if I'd had a heart attack after eating it all, I'd have died very very happy. Sticky Toffee Pudding with Clotted Cream and a glass of Sherry finished us off, and we rolled ourselves home.


In contrast to this, I went along with a friend (K) to The Core Cheltenham's 4 Course Evening Special, which was full of vegan veggie goodness. Greeted with a heathy 'martini' of pomegranate, hibiscus and sumac, we then hit the gin (it was BYOB). Canapés were a shot glass of Pea and Mint soup served with "Cheesy" Polenta Chips, then we could choose our other courses out of three options. Watermelon and Kalamata Olives with a Pistachio Crumble, Capers and Watercress was my starter. K's was much more exciting; Carrot and French Beans with Tomato and Hemp Tabbouleh, Daikon Radish Ribbons and a Coriander Dressing.


K chose the best main too; Red Lentil Dahl, Spiced Sweet Potato Purée, Pickled Carrots, Crispy Shallots, Balsamic Onions and Chilli Enoki Mushrooms. That said, I definitely had the best dessert; Citrus Tart made with a Homemade Almond Yoghurt, Lime Curd and Chocolate Candied Pecan Nut Crumble. 

If you've not experienced raw, vegan foods, then going to something like this is a great introduction. I had a fabulous night, but I think visiting The Core for breakfast/lunch, or for your juice/smoothie fix is the best way to do it, especially after a heavy night! See my previous post on their 5 Day Juice Programme.


As with every month - *cough* week - November saw a lot of wine drinking, and none more special than The Super Fine Wine Tasting at The Grape Escape. Ten wines were opened from The Grape's reserve list, adding up to over £1000 worth of wine! Starting off with one of my favourite Champagnes - Krug Grand Cuvée - we drank Riesling, Chardonnay, and the best/most unusual Sauvignon Blanc I've ever experienced (the Silex pictured above).


With the reds, we worked our way around the globe; Spain, South Australia, Italy, USA and the two big Frenchies; Burgundy and Bordeaux. Needless to say, we were all bowled over by the wines, (which is probably not so great for our purse strings), and in true Grape Escape fashion, the best wines of the night were both Californian! If you're feeling flush, go and buy yourself a bottle of Kistler Chardonnay 'Les Noisetiers' 2013 or Corison Cabernet Sauvignon 'Kronos Vineyard' 2006; you won't be disappointed.


... Part 2 coming up!...

Saturday 12 December 2015

#SpotaSanta With Deliveroo This Christmas

Holy holly hell! How did it get to mid December already? Whether you're super prepared or disastrously disorganised (like me), there's one thing that will add some extra festive cheer in the countdown to Christmas...

I give you @Deliveroo_Chelt's #SpotaSanta campaign!

Following their highly successful launch in Cheltenham earlier this year, Deliveroo have announced a dramatic expansion with more postcodes and restaurants added to their service.

It's not just the central food lovers that can get in on the action now, Charlton Kings, Prestbury, Up Hatherley, Swindon Village and other outer edges of Cheltenham will wangle their favourite restaurant dishes to be delivered to their door.

Newbies include YO! Sushi, Prezzo and Bella Italia, along with local burrito gods Paparritos, healthy heroes The Core, and the best old school boozer, The Beehive (FYI they're doing Sunday roasts for delivery - the ultimate hangover remedy at the click of a button). There are plenty of other businesses already benefitting from the service in case you didn't know - Simpsons Fish & Chips, Real Burger and KIBOU Sushi to name a few. Yuuuuum.


So to celebrate their growth, Deliveroo have organised #SpotaSanta, running from Thursday 10 December until Wednesday 23 December. Each day, a red suited Deliveroo Father Christmas will be delivering foodie presents around the town, and Cheltenham folk are being asked to spy him, snap him and tweet him to @Deliveroo_Chelt using the hashtag #SpotaSanta.

Festive photographers taking part will receive a £20 voucher to spend with Deliveroo, and the lucky guy/gal that captures the best picture of the bearded fella will also receive a whole year’s supply of Deliveroo! That's up to £100 to spend on food every bloody month for a year!

Sounds good doesn't it? So get your binoculars out and let's bring a bit of magic to the streets of Cheltenham this December.

Spot him, snap him and send him to @Deliveroo_Chelt with #SpotaSanta in order to be in with a chance of winning.


Photo credits to Paul Nicholls

Friday 11 December 2015

Oxford Chelt Wine School: Champagne & Fizz at Wyastone Townhouse

At the end of last month I was invited to a Champagne & Fizz evening hosted by The Oxford Chelt Wine School. I'd seen a fair few things about them on social media - as well as other Local Wine Schools across the UK - but had never got round to attending any of their events... Until now.

Run by Nick and Serena Gay, The Oxford Chelt Wine School does what it says on the tin; it's a wine education company that runs fun and informal wine tastings and courses around both Oxford and Cheltenham. Independent and open to everyone; you don't need to be a wine geek to take part, it's much more about enjoying what you're drinking, learning a bit about it and avoiding all the pretentiousness that often surrounds the subject.

Even if you are a bit clued up about wine, don't think that there won't be enough to stimulate you; everyone seems to discover something new and worthwhile – whether it’s wine they haven’t tasted before or information from the detailed powerpoint presentations. You can even do your WSET's through them if you're keen.

Eight-week World of Wine courses (one night a week over eight weeks); four-week courses (again, a night a week), one-off evening events, and snazzy Saturday extravaganzas (a full day’s wine tasting with a two-course lunch); there are a lot of options!

What's great about the whole thing is that because they're independent, they're not tied to any wine supplier, enabling them to pick the best - as well as best value - wines from local merchants, national online suppliers and your standard supermarkets. This also means no sales push either, if that's something that worries you. You really do just sip, learn and enjoy.

So, the Champagne & Fizz evening, held at Wyastone Townhouse on Parabola Road, Cheltenham, was a perfect start to the festive season; 2 hours, 6 different sparkling wines, nibbles, interesting wine chats, and all for £30.

We kicked off with an intro to the world of fizz, discussing methods of making, and Champagnes vs. the rest of the world. People generally assume that the big price tag that comes with the label 'Champagne' means that it's going to taste the best, but many other countries make some bloomin' good sparklers, and even us Brits are challenging the French to the title of being the best in the business.

Prosecco was obviously going to be first on the list - everyone's still going nuts over the Italian stallion, and sales of the stuff are still going up! I didn't know that the percentage of wine that needs to be Glera (the prosecco grape) has been certified a minimum of 85%, meaning that there's scope for some slightly more interesting grapes being used and different flavours are able to come out; though on the whole I tend to find it's produced more for quantity not quality. It's a drink which is initially enjoyable, but I tire of it easily.

We pour our own glass, smell, taste, discuss, and then guess the price; simple. La Giosa Prosecco Brut 2014 DOCG is a lightly sparkling wine (frizzante), and is full of pear, peach and white flower aromas. I was surprised with its clean acidity, crisp apple flavours and the fact it wasn't overly sweet (which is what usually gets to me with Prosecco), and as such I guessed it as being an over £10 bottle... It's currently available for £13.49 from Waitrose, so I wasn't too far off.

Moving to the new world, we had Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV 'Cap Classique' from South Africa. It's been made in the 'traditional method' - don't call it 'Champagne method' or the Champagne police will be on to you - and is roughly an equal mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Pale salmon in colour, we learn that the grapes are picked early in the season to avoid any jammy flavours developing, and to increase the acidity in the wine. It has a bit of oaky toastiness thanks to being aged on its lees, but there's enough strawberries and raspberries to ensure its rosé status. I'm not sure why pink fizz always costs more, but it does, so I guessed £13... I was bang on this time, £13.99 from Majestic.

The third wine was a game changer for me; Heretat El Padruell Brut Cava, Spain. We all seem to have fallen out of favour with Cava, despite being a similar price point (and more exciting in my opinion), Prosecco seems to have taken it's place as the go-to cheap sparkling wine option. Made in Catalonia with the 3 classic Cava grapes (Macabeu, Parallada, Xarel.lo) using the traditional method, the second fermentation takes place in the bottle over 9 months. It seemed very savoury and almost a bit petroly on the nose - some of the things I associate with Rieslings - and lovely lemon and herb notes appear as it opens up. It's drier in style, with grippy minerality and a zing on the finish, and at £8.00 from Marks and Spencer (I guessed a tenner), I think this is excellent value... So much so that I bought a bottle to take to a party last weekend, and plan on getting some in for Christmas. What a find!

The next two wines we tasted blind; Champagne vs. English Sparkling Wine - Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut vs Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2010. Nyetimber's a personal favourite of mine, so I had to guess it right out of the two - thankfully I did! Both are very similar in colour, both contain the classic Champagne grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay), with around half of each being Pinot Noir, but they're very different in taste and aromas.

With 3 years bottle maturation, Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée has a rich buttery scent with baked apple and lemon acidity. It's incredibly rounded, with a crisp persistent finish; there's a reason it often beats the French fizz in blind tastings! At under £30 depending on where you get it from, I think it's a good price for an exceptional English Sparkling Wine, and it's one that never disappoints. (Their Blanc de Blanc is just deeeelicious!)

Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut is a name that you'll recognise; it's one of the oldest Champagne houses in the region. A classic, easy going style with plenty of fresh fruit and faint toast aromas; it's not as punchy on the nose as the Nyetimber. It has a good fruity complexity and comes across as nicely balanced - just what you'd expect from a non vintage brut. It's probably not one that I'd go for in the shops, but Id consider it at its current price - £20 from Asda (full price £30).

The last fizz of the night was another Champagne, but this time Blanc de Blancs. Champagne Jacquart, Blanc de Blancs 2006 is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes grown only in Grand Cru vineyards. Straw gold in colour, it has a much deeper doughy aroma of buttered brioche, blossom and honey. It's a greedy wine; bright, fresh and full of juicy peaches at the start, mellowing out giving you an unctuous nutty richness and a creamy finish. A great Blanc de Blancs at a great price; £37.50 from Great Western Wine.

Overall, my experience with Oxford Chelt Wine School was a sparkly dream. There were a lovely bunch of people there - some like us who were just attending as a one-off, and others which come regularly - and with everyone keen to learn and talk about the wines, there were no awkward silences. Passing round nuts, smoked salmon and goats cheese helped us ease into it too - haha!

If you fancy getting involved yourself, then check out their website and book yourself onto one of their events (the Fine Port & Cheese Evening on 22nd January sounds like a winner to me). 

Alternatively, why not give the gift of wine to someone for Christmas? Oxford Chelt Wine Tasting Gift Vouchers start from £25, can be used for any of the listed events, and they NEVER expire! How good is that?! What are you waiting for?...

Thanks to Nick, I shall be having a fabulously fizzy festive season, and will be smugly sipping my £8.00 bottle of Cava on Christmas morning. Cheers!

Saturday 28 November 2015

Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon at The Wilson Cheltenham

Cheltenham has been graced with something rather special this month; an enchanting exhibition of a woman we're all familiar with. Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon opened at The Wilson on the 9th November, having come direct from The National Portrait Gallery, and the fact that it's the only other place to be showing the exhibition outside of London is a pretty big deal. 

The seventy plus photographs illustrate the life of actress and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn (1929 - 1993), from her early years as a chorus girl in London’s West End right through to her UNICEF work in later life. There are personal pictures of the star - lent by her sons Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Luca Dotti - classic shots, rarely seen prints from leading photographers (Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton and Irving Penn), film stills and various vintage magazine covers.

Rather than giving us an extra insight into Audrey's story, the exhibition seems more about her collaboration with photographers in the creation of her iconic persona. The wide bambi-like-eyes, the face half turned, the closed mouth, the half smile, the cropped hair, the signature brows; it's the same look in almost every photo. 

In contrast to her contemporaries - the likes of buxom blonde Marilyn Monroe - Hepburn shied away from the sexual pin up image, presenting a new standard of beauty. She achieved in herself her ultimate portrait, and draped in Givenchy, she's the pinnacle of glamour intrigue. 

Whilst wandering around the exhibition in complete awe of her sophisticated style, I found myself playing a game; desperately searching for those moments where she'd let her guard down, giving us little glimpses of her personality. It does happen a few times, but there's nothing revealing, it simply keeps the curiosity going. 

The feminine colour prints really stood out against stark black and white photos, and such highly polished, aesthetic portrayals of the innocent Audrey Hepburn made it tricky to pick out any favourites (they're all gorgeous)... Perhaps that just means I need to go back.

Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon is at The Wilson until 31st January 2016. Tickets are priced at £7 adults / £5 concessions / free for those aged 16 & under. You can purchase them by popping in or calling the gallery (01242 237 431), or you can book them online. Catch it before it's gone! 

Wednesday 18 November 2015

New Chef, New Menus at The Tavern Cheltenham

Cheltenham be prepared. The rumours are true. Spam fritters are off the menu at The Tavern.

Whilst we all mourn the loss of the crispy battered pork product - deep fried giants fingers if you will - I can tell you that on the flipside to this, there are some excellent new additions to the menu, all thanks to the new Head Chef James de Jong (formerly of London's The Drapers Arms and Mission).

For those who don't like change, there are still a few of the classics; sliders, burgers, salt and pepper squid, mac 'n' cheese, sticky chicken wings, shoestring fries, and obviously the french dip (which I shamefully haven't eaten), But for those who do, there are tonnes of delicious things to sink your teeth into, with a changing 'specials board' and new sharing roasts... The slow cooked lamb shoulder with dauphinoise potatoes sounds like an excellent plan for Sunday lunch, yeah?


I've lost count of how many times I've been to The Tavern. Having friendly staff, good vibes and - most importantly - bloody good food is a recipe for success, and because of this, it's always my go-to place in Cheltenham. Eating or drinking - though preferably both - it never disappoints, and with my brother visiting from Belgium last Monday, I thought that it was the perfect occasion to try out the new dishes and show off one of our favourite haunts!

We started off with two of the bar plates specials; firstly, Wild Mushroom and Gorgonzola Arancini. If the earthy, umami rice wasn't good enough on its own, the tang from the Gorgonzola that oozed out of the centre made it even better. I'm glad there were three of us - one each - because I know there'd be arguments over who got the last ball if it were just The Chap and I.


Secondly, as a nod to the Spam fritter, another deep fried meaty treat; Pig's Head Terrine, packed full of capers, breadcrumbed and fried, served with a celeriac remoulade (again with more capers) and a lemon wedge. It's the dirty fried food that you'd expect, but with a touch more class I suppose. Rich, creamy, salty and sharp all at the same time, and whilst it was good, we each thought capers on capers was a bit overkill, and maybe would have preferred a sweeter fruitier sauce of some kind.

For mains, after lots of umm-ing and ahh-ing, we decided on Duck Ragu Pappardelle (The Chap), Onglet Butcher's Steak with Fries, Rocket and Tomato (The Bro), and Whole Roast Partridge with Braised Red Cabbage and Parsnip Crisps (me). Oh, and a side of Rosemary and Garlic Shoestring Fries; that's a given.

The thick satiny ribbons of egg yolk yellow pappardelle, intermingled with a gutsy tomato sauce, was just the comfort food needed after a long day at work, battling with the horrid weather. Duck's quite a fatty bird, so there was risk for it being all a bit too heavy, but it wasn't; there was enough in there to get a gamey taste with every mouthful, but not too much to make you struggle to finish the plate… Not that The Chap would ever struggle.

The onglet steak, also known as hangar steak, also known as butcher's steak (because butchers would often keep it for themselves rather than offer it for sale), is a cut which has a deeper, offaly flavour. Although it has many names to try and confuse you, the best way to cook it is simple; chargrilled - rare - every time. It's quite a loose grained cut of beef, giving it a tender melty texture, and with the salty chips, buttery béarnaise, and peppery salad accompaniments, it's a dish that's hard to be beaten. I thought it was pretty good value at £15.00 too!

Game season's probably my favourite of all, and the combination of partridge, red cabbage and parsnip is just the ticket for Autumn, My little featherless friend was cooked beautifully and was an absolute dream with the sticky braised cabbage. It felt like a proper hunter's dinner, though I should definitely have been wearing tweed, with a dog at my feet and a shotgun propped up against the table... Maybe another time.

Not thinking we could fit in dessert, our arms were twisted and we ordered the Chocolate Mousse with Honeycomb, Hazelnuts and Pistachios, with three spoons.

It wasn't the dark, intense-cocoa-percentage kind of mousse I was expecting; instead it was a crowd-pleasing milky version, gaining its elegance from the snazzy toppings and its incredibly fluffy texture. For some reason I always avoid the chocolate options on the menu, but I'm very glad I didn't this time.

As always, we had an awesome night at The Tavern; the new dishes are a refreshing change, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Chef James de Jong brings to the Lucky Onion venue… In fact, The Bro liked it so much that he went back the next day for a burger before his flight back to Belgium! Job well done I'd say.


Check out The Tavern's Twitter account for up to date information on their events and menu changes.

Thursday 29 October 2015

The White Spoon, Cheltenham

If you hadn't already cottoned on, Cheltenham is doing pretty well for itself in the food and drink stakes at the moment. We had a bit of a surge of a few bigger chains finding homes in the town not too long ago, but now it seems the independents are taking the reigns, making sure Cheltenham lives up to it's classy reputation.

Last week saw the official opening party for the latest addition, The White Spoon. Fizz, the most incredible canapés (spoons of steak tartare and razor clams with ponzu cucumber give you an idea of the quality), wine tastings, and petit fours packaged up to take home, made sure that all the guests would be chatting about the 'new kid on the block' for weeks. Luckily for me, just two days before the launch, I had booked in for dinner; what a week!


Having taken over the site that was formerly the lemon yellow Cheltenham Dandy (8 Well Walk - a stones throw away from Boston Tea Party), The White Spoon is an unpretentious eatery headed up by Chef Director Chris White and his partner Purdey Spooner - hence the name. The whole family chipped in to transform the space into the elegant dining room it is today; special mentions go to Chris' dad who made the beautiful copper piping wall lights, and Chris' brother Andy who's taken the role of Front of House Manager. It's a real labour of love.

Although Chris is only a jaw-dropping 28 years old, he's worked in some great places, most notably Heston's prestigious Fat Duck group. These experiences have enabled him to cultivate his culinary enthusiasm, developing his own style using modern techniques. Primarily British, with a few global influences, Chris says that his food is generally a bit lighter; he's not heavy handed on the seasoning and doesn't over-do it with rich sauces, he simply lets the flavours of individual ingredients shine through.

Chris and Purdey want The White Spoon to be a relaxed environment, serving consistent high quality food and drink, just without the formalities of fine dining.

It was a cold and wet night when The Chap and I went, and as such it was quiet in the restaurant. Too often this kills the vibes; all diners feel awkward, you feel as though you're being watched like a hawk, and you have hushed conversations where you daren't say anything incriminating. It really didn't matter at The White Spoon. With soft lighting, ambient music and uncluttered surroundings, we could forget about the howling winds outside, and with the charismatic Andy looking after us, we felt right at home.

We started with the Plant Pot Bread (£2.00), which came with a duo of butters; Applewood smoked and salted. Cut into quarters, we greedily commented on how it had extra surface area for slathering butter on - every little helps - and whilst the smoked butter was bold in flavour, it was the salted butter that did it for me. Maybe I'm a bit of a purist, but with the bursts of anise coming from the fennel seeds, I didn't think it needed anything else.

*Apologies for the naff photos BTW, low lighting and a single tea light was never going to work in my favour.*

Goats Milk Custard, Goats Curd, Beets, Scorched Carrot, Cob Nuts (£7.50) was my first course. A plate of various goats cheeses can be a bit daunting for even the biggest goat-lover, but rather than the super tangy versions, this dish saw much more delicate flavours, quite like Ricotta, with only a small sliver of the intense cheese we're all familiar with. Beetroot is a classic pairing - naturally sweet and earthy - and the sugary beet shards, along with the freshness of the cobnuts, were a lovely touch. My only thought was that I was craving something sharp to counteract all the creaminess; pickled beetroot perhaps?


The Chap had Crab Tortellini, Shellfish Bisque, Lime, Borage, Brandy Jellies (£9.00), which was stunning. Three plump pasta shapes lay in the bowl, concealing the jellies underneath; the bisque was poured over and the dish came to life. It was the perfect balance of tart and sweet thanks to the lime, and wasn't punch-you-in-the-face shellfish either. The pearls of brandy held their own in the hot bisque too; they were incredible!


Main course is a tough choice for meat eaters at The White Spoon. With beef, duck breast and pork belly on the menu, how are you meant to decide?! I eventually opted for the unusual combination of Kelmscott Pork Belly, Wild Sea Bass, Smoked Potato Gnocchi, Butternut Squash, Salsa Verdi (£20.00). As a nod to the ol' surf n turf, I had to give it a go.

The pork belly was possibly the nicest I've had; it had the Goldilocks "just right" ratio of fat and meat, and whilst there was no thick layer of crackling on the top, crumbs of crackling gave a similar feel. The crispy skinned sea bass was just as well cooked, though put on the same plate as a hunky chunk of pork, there's no competition. This is where the other elements of the dish come into play; the salsa verdi gave the fish it's citrusy/vinegary accompaniment, whilst at the same time cut through the fattiness of the meat. Butternut squash added sweetness and the seared gnocchi added a bit of bite. Surprisingly neither made the dish feel too heavy - it just worked.

Blackened Gloucester Beef, Potato Terrine, Pan Roasted Carrot, King Oyster Mushroom, Onion (£22.50) - what The Chap ordered - seems to be the main attraction for The White Spoon at the minute. Covered in malt extract and thoroughly blackened with a blowtorch, the beef has all that charred flavour locked in before it gets cooked sous-vide style. Apparently someone had complained the previous week that the beef was too tender… Is that even a thing? Who are these people? Would they rather be chewing on an old cow to the point of jaw ache?!


Everything about the dish was heavenly - it's a must if you go - and it also went really nicely with our smooth and spicy wine choice; Santo Isidro De Pegôes, Touriga Nacional Reserva, Portugal 2012 (£22.00, also available by the glass or carafe). The wine list is excellent by the way, and from the launch party I discovered a personal fave, this one white; Gaia Wines, Wild Ferment Assyrtiko, Greece (£29.50). "Salty dry with lazer-beam precision and very funky wild ferment layering of complexity with oak wreathed with minerality." If you're an off-dry Riesling fan, then this is for you!

For dessert, the Coconut Parfait, Poached Peach, Ginger Ice Cream (£8.00) ticked all the right boxes. The soothing coconut snowballs were contrasted with the spicy punch of ginger and sticky sweet peaches. The thin fingers of ginger biscuits were a welcome texture, and I was glad that they were just strong enough to aid my scooping.

Toffee, Pear & Rum Bavarois, Walnut Crumble, Crème Fraiche Ice Cream (£7.50) was The Chap's choice. Bavarois might be a little more popular since it was on the Bake Off last month, but to be honest, I think it was the rum that sold it (we both could've taken a splosh more). Toffee, pear and walnut seemed very appropriate autumnal ingredients, and that crème fraiche ice cream... Not too sweet, not too sour; just delightfully - erm - fresh?!

Our first dinner at The White Spoon will not be our last; Chris and Purdey have created a restaurant that really deserves to do well in Cheltenham. Fancy but not fussy, attentive but not OTT, it caters for all occasions; date nights, business lunches, boozy catch ups with friends, or a big family dinners.

If you book a table, you won't be turfed out for another sitting; it's yours for the night. And if price is an issue, you can get 3 courses for £15.00 Tuesday - Saturday lunchtime, or until 7.00pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. They even let you bring your own booze on a Tuesday, charging just £5 corkage, all of which goes to Maggie's Cancer Charity.

I already can't wait to go back.

*Although our dinner was comped by The White Spoon, these views are entirely my own*

Friday 23 October 2015

'Simply Nigella' at The Cheltenham Literature Festival

The day after the publication of Nigella Lawson's latest cookery book, the lucky residents of Cheltenham - myself included - were graced with her presence at The Literature Festival. 'Simply Nigella', which also ties in with the new BBC2 series of the same name - set to air in November - sees the domestic goddess find a "true sense of balance between lightness and lushness." In an interview with the opinionated food heavyweight, Jay Rayner, she revealed more about her philosophy of food, what she means by 'simply', and how her healthy recipes should not be confused with the current 'clean eating' trend.

* My previous post on Gizzi's Healthy Appetite will tell you how I feel about the whole situation.*

We're all familiar with Nigella; most of us probably own at least one of her books - well thumbed and splattered with olive oil, or stuck together with cake batter no doubt - and as much as YouTube takes pleasure in splicing together her "seductive" cooking clips, watching her effortlessly assemble dishes on TV inspires a whole host of people to get into the kitchen… It also encourages me to sneak into the fridge late at night for an extra spoonful of dessert, but I won't hold that against her.

'Simply Nigella', she explains, is partly about getting rid of the unnecessary frills in cooking, but it's not just as simple as 'simple cooking'. The recipes are an antidote to the busy lives that we lead and understanding that different days require different ways of eating; be it quick dinners when you just want to flop on the sofa (Thai Noodles with Cinnamon & Prawns), a dish that enables some breathing space at the end of a long week (Massaman Beef Curry), stress-free crowd pleasers (Chicken Trayabake with Bitter Orange & Fennel), or soothing suppers (Miso Salmon, Cauliflower & Cashew Nut Curry).

Whatever the occasion, she insists it should always be pleasurable, and as such, the book is also about celebrating all the food that she likes to make and eat. Both naughty and nice, this is food that is 'Simply Nigella'.

Obviously there are plenty of indulgent treats in the book - Lemon Pavlova, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pots, and not one but three recipes for Bundt Cakes (if you're going to make the effort to buy a bloody bundt tin, she insists you need more than one recipe to justify its worth) - but Simply Nigella also sees her take on the lighter, healthier side of food.

Cold pressed coconut oil has made its way in (which she also uses it on her feet - thanks for the tip), along with an abundance of avocados, and although Nigella's always been one to resist diets and food fads, things have changed. "While I have not gone gluten-free, or anywhere near, there are quite a few new gluten- and dairy-free recipes. Cooking brings me pleasure, but I also wish to bring pleasure to those who eat around my table – and since there is always a contingent in either camp, I want to make food they can eat," speaking to The Guardian.

When everyone has suddenly become more interested in the food they're consuming, health foods in particular, it would be a foolish thing to ignore. We're a nation obsessed by the aesthetics of what we eat; we Instagram the hell out of our avo toasts, vivid green juices and perfectly presented breakfast bowls. Expressing the creative beauty in food is certainly something that Nigella advocates, however, it all seems to have gotten a little misconstrued lately thanks to all this 'clean eating' chat.

With Jay Rayner's public love of piggy treats, we can guess where he stands on the situation, and he prompted Nigella to voice her opinions too.

'Clean eating' gives the impression that eating is dirty, shameful and something to be feared, she said. There's an air of smugness about the whole thing, and she's frustrated by the fact that people are claiming superiority over others just because of their virtuous eating habits. For Nigella, someone who has always been fuelled by greed (she said it - not me!), a restricted diet is not living wholeheartedly, and that's really quite sad.

So, although a number of the recipes in 'Simply Nigella' might attract the clean eaters, she states it's much more about the power of food; how different foods can make us feel well, make us stronger and give us the vitality we need and crave. Personally, I think I can get just as much 'goodness' from dipping saintly crudités into her Brocamole (broccolified guacamole if you couldn't guess from the name) as I could stuffing myself with her sage topped Sweet Potato Macaroni Cheese with a hangover.

Nigella's new book is one that will inevitably infiltrate the rhythms of our cooking lives, and healthy or not, the recipes are sure to make us feel good every time. Simply wonderful.

You can find some of Nigella's new recipes on the You Magazine website.