Fast Days & Feast Days with Elly Pear

Last October I won a competition with Harper Collins for a cookery class with Elly Curshen, better known as Elly Pear, at The Bertinet Kitchen in Bath.

But what did I know about Elly Pear?

Firstly, she owns Pear Café in Bristol, serving up the most jazzy looking fritatas, soups and hoofin' sarnies (the Chicken and Avocado Caesar with Chicken Crackling was listed as one of Buzzfeed's 17 Must Eat Sandwiches Before You Die). So I'm told, they also make the best brownies in town - Butterscotch & Plain Chocolate! 10 years it's been open, and sadly I've not tried any of the above because the café's only open Monday - Friday... I'll make it one day!

Elly is friends with all the good food folk, and will often be seen hanging out with them at the coolest bars and restaurants in London/elsewhere. Well jel.

She used to run the Basement Supperclub with her mate Dan (@essexeating - who manages Grillstock in St Nick's Market and has his own BBQ book out).

Elly loves sherry. Fino shez and salty snacks are her fave, and Tio Pepe's where it's at.

When not in her chef's apron, she's usually spotted in a Boden striped breton and Grenson shoes.

Decent bread, avocados, pickles, radishes and a runny egg always feature on Elly's colourful Instagram feed. There's lots of fish too (she's not a meat eater), and tofu... Don't ever say a bad word about tofu.

Probably the most important thing to note is that she's the queen of the 5:2; that "diet" - though lifestyle choice is probably more apt - where you can eat what you want for five days and restrict yourself to just 500 calories for two.

Despite always being conscious of weight, I've never been one for counting calories. Slimming World was my diet of choice in my late teens; it was all red and green days - no calculations involved. I managed to lose 3 and a half stone, and even with all my current eating adventures, thankfully it's not crept back.

My parents and a few friends have dabbled in the 5:2 with some great results, so I was interested in trying it out. But it wasn't until I went to Elly's class that I realised how easy it could be. You don't have to skip meals and starve yourself all day, you've just got to be clever about it.

The following Monday I was inspired to do my first ever fast day, and I've stuck to it ever since. I'm not doing it to lose weight, rather to balance out all the food and drink I like to indulge in. Also, having been diagnosed with an IBD a few years ago, I've found this to be a great way to give my stomach the break it needs on a weekly basis. It has helped me out no end!

So last week saw the publication of Elly Pear's Fast Days and Feast Days; a book full of fresh, uncomplicated food to get stuck into. A collection of more than 100 of Elly’s favourite recipes from both fast days and feast days, her home kitchen and her café. With good advice on how to shop better, cut down on waste, and stock your fridge and cupboards more sensibly, this isn't just a book for those doing the 5:2. It's more like a guide for a new way of eating delicious, nutritious food all year round – whether you're fasting or feasting.

At the class back in October, a group of us got a sneak preview of some of the Fast Days and Feast Days recipes, which we vowed not to share until the book was released. We had such a fun day cooking, assembling, eating, drinking, and we all went home with epic doggy bags!

Fast day wise, we made the Raw Winter Veg Salad (pg 67), Smoked Salmon & Radish Salad (pg 74), and the Courgette, Chilli and Herb Salad with King Prawns (pg 77, though in the book it suggests feta).

For feast days, we made Root Veg & Halloumi Fritters with Frying Pan Flatbread (pg 137), Roasted Cauliflower & Butter Bean Salad with Orange & Olives (pg 140), Impatient Rainbow Pickles (pg 225) and Chocolate & PX Pots with Cream (pg 253). Oh, and we got the secret Pear Café Flapjack recipe, which isn't in the book - score!

As a testament to how great Elly's recipes are, since the class I've made a number of them over and over again - particularly those halloumi fritters, flapjacks and chocolate pots!

In the run up to the book launch, her In Style column teased us with a few recipes; I've batch cooked a load of Courgette Dhal (pg 101), and I make the Beetroot Soup with Wild Garlic or Spinach (pg 116) almost every week. Her free Amazon E-Short contained a now fast-day-fave of mine too - All-Day Breakfast Polenta - along with some other dishes that didn't make their way into the book.

Basically, if you hadn't already guessed it, I've been fan-girl-ing over Elly Pear for flippin' ages. And since Fast Days and Feast Days landed on my doorstep last week, I've looked at nothing else.

Saturday I made Tahini Noodles with Greens & 6-Minute-Egg (pg 127), Sunday saw both the Salmon Rice Bowl (pg 166) and Jen's Banana & Apple Loaf (pg 261), and tonight is calling for the Sweet Potato, Lentil, Kale & Coconut Curry (pg 134).

Tomorrow is a fast day, and with so many exciting options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, pimped out with Elly's sauces and pickles, I know it's not going to be boring...

The Lucky Onion Club Presents: Sunday Lunch with The Ethicurean

Have you heard about the secret garden on the outskirts of Bristol? Okay, it's not that secret, its restaurant has won a number of awards in its time, but it's still a little off-the-beaten-track destination that rewards you with beautiful food and a magical Victorian walled garden for your efforts.

The Ethicurean has been on my list of 'restaurants to go to' for absolutely ages; it's not even that far, but for some reason I've never quite made it. So, imagine my excitement when our local food and drink pioneers, The Lucky Onion, announced that The Ethicurean head chefs Iain and Matthew Pennington were bringing their culinary delights to Cheltenham for a one off supper club at No. 131 The Promenade.

The Lucky Onion certainly know how to host the best events; we still talk about our Lunch with Fergus Henderson back in April (THAT pig's head and potato pie… *drool*), and also dancing with Gregory Porter until the early hours of the morning at The Ultimate Jazz House Party, as part of Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Insufficient funds meant that we missed pop ups with Valentine Warner and Sabrina Ghayour (this still haunts me - her book Persiana is one of my favourites), but there was no chance that we were missing out on Sunday Lunch with a restaurant that we've been itching to go to for ages, especially when it's right on our doorstep!

If you don't know about The Ethicurean, they're purveyors of entirely seasonal, local and ethical British produce. Sure, these are the kind of things that we have to take with a pinch of salt when see them printed on pretty much every single menu in every single food establishment across the country; but here it's different.

It's all about giving food a sense of place; The Ethicurean strives to look for alternatives to all the imported fresh produce and constantly look close to  home for the best ingredients. These are often foraged or shot a stones throw away from the walled garden, or grown within, giving them a true connection to the land. Every dish that leaves the restaurant's kitchen, therefore, has a story.

So, August 16th saw 'Sunday Lunch with The Ethicurean' at 131 The Promenade, and as all good Sunday's should start, we began with a Bloody Mary. Made in house, the heady, spicy, Worcestershire Sauce concoction, which had been left for a few days to develop the flavours, was mixed with Ketel One Vodka and tomato juice, then garnished with celery. It's a classic.

All the diners were invited to sit down at the long table, and it was time to get to know one another. We luckily had some great people either side of us, and with everyone enthusiastic about food and drink, conversation was easy. A brief introduction to Iain and Matthew Pennington, and the five course feast was under way.

First up; Ewe's Curd Courgette Flowers, Anise Gel and Sherbet. I'm guessing the big courgette flowers that we all imagined we'd be getting, stuffed with curd, were impossible to get hold of, as it was more of a courgette ribbon salad with ewe's curd, adorned with tiny orange leafy petals. I didn't mind, the combination of ingredients were still all there, and what a combination it was! The balls of mellow, ricotta like cheese were brought to life by blobs of aniseed-y gel, and the dusting of sherbet... Well. I'd never think to put sherbet over savoury dishes - surely it's just for Dip Dabs or Sherbet Fountains - but the fizz really added to the freshness, and it was bloody brilliant!

Next, the jazziest eggs I've ever seen. In fact, famous foodie Felicity Spector (who was also at the event) described them perfectly as 'disco eggs'. Gigha Halibut, Beet Kvass Fermented Egg, Tidal Greens. Thin slices of delicately smoked and cured halibut lay at the bottom, with the vibrant violet eggs and salty sea greens lovingly placed on top. 'Peackles' - lacto-fermented lovage peas - were the finishing touch, offering little bursts of acidity. The rich orange yolks in contrast to the other worldly purple stained whites made for an incredibly photogenic dish, and a damn tasty one too.

Lucky Onion Sommelier, Lionel Periner, had carefully matched wines to the dishes, so with this we had IGP d'Herault, Viognier, Domaine du Petit Roubie, France 2014. 'Ripe peach and pear and a touch of floral. Medium body with a perfect freshness and balance.' I'm a big fan of Viognier, and with the smoked fish, it was a great shout.

Main course was Beef Bavette, Burnt Aubergine Ferment, Mushroom Ketchup and Onion Powder. Just look at the juicy slices of beef; need I say more? The mushroom ketchup was deep and earthy, whilst still retaining the zippy sweetness that you find in your familiar Heinz brand, and the burnt aubergine and onion powder added extra layers of flavour as you chomped your way through the meat.

We had a glass of Pinot Noir, Collectable, Marlborough, New Zealand 2014 to go with it. Pinot and light meaty dishes go together like a dream - well, Pinot any time is a dream for me - and this, with 'cooked dark fruit flavours, smooth tannins and a juicy finish' matched the elegance of the dish exactly.

Our pre-dessert was a single marshmallow, but not as you know it. The Nigella and Anise Marshmallow was one of the best sweet things I've eaten for ages. Every experience I've had in toasting a marshmallow results in the same way; you wait for ages to get that desirable blackened char on the outside, and just as it starts to happen, you decide it's prime time to tuck in. Either you get the disappointment of it not being gooey enough, or you have a molten-stringy-sugar-beast to contend with. This cube of genius was neither. A torched crust encased a moussey mallow centre that my spoon glided through, and the salt, anise and nigella seeds made you sit up straight and take notice. I'll remember this for a long time.

Last but not least, a signature pudding from The Ethicurean; Sticky Toffee Apple, Clotted Cream and The Collector Vermouth. The guys at at the restaurant love Vermouth so much they've made their own using English wine, caramel, and a collection of twenty botanicals including herbs from the walled garden. They suggested either drinking The Collector alongside or pouring it over to create a boozy sauce - I drank mine, desperately praying for them to pour out some more... They didn't, but I wont hold it against them.

It was a giant sized square of sticky toffee apple cake, served with an outstanding clotted cream ice cream; it had that seductive squidge that requires you to start forcing it into your face as soon as it's put in front of you. It's exactly the kind of heart warming comfort food that you need at the end of your Sunday lunch, one which makes you want to retire to the sofa and snuggle up in front of a crappy black and white film on the telly. Perfect Sunday material.

To be honest, I was hoping that by going to this event I could tick off The Ethicurean from my ever-increasing list, however it's had quite the opposite effect. All the inventive dishes, featuring quality ingredients, quirky techniques and inspiring additions, has made me crave more; I must go and visit the secret garden for myself, and prepare to be wowed all over again.

The Lucky Onion Club presents Sunday Lunch with The Ethicurean from The Lucky Onion on Vimeo.

A Month of Munching

It's been very quiet on the Western Front lately (unless you've been following me on Twitter or been keeping up with my Vinspire posts). How on earth has it got to June already?! Well, I've just returned from a wonderful week-long holiday in Scotland, but before I divulge on my indulgences up north, I thought I'd best report my latest eats and experiences. So listen up..

I should probably start with where I left off at the end of April *slaps wrists*.. A 5 year anniversary celebration with The Chap saw a surprise trip to Cheltenham's KIBOUsushi. We went for lunch a week or so after it's opening, loved it, and vowed to return to try the dinner menu; it took us way too long to do this. Cheltenham had been missing the sushi boat for ages, and in the space of a few weeks, both KIBOU and a Yo! Sushi opened up. I'm sure Yo! Sushi is great, what with it's conveyor belt of food on brightly coloured dishes, but independent is always better in my eyes. Being tucked away in a basement on Regent Street, like a secret hide away from the bustling town centre, makes the whole thing much more memorable.

We started with some pork gyozas and scallop and venison tataki nigiri, then The Chap had a prawn/pork/sesame main dish, and I had an orange-y duck breast with pumpkin korroke (a bit like croquettes); both of which were off of the specials board. Everything was delicious, and I'm already thinking about when I can go back to get my next sushi fix. If you go, make sure you get a glass of the plum wine, as well as the obligatory jasmine tea.

A week later, I found myself at Cheltenham Jazz Festival drinking way too much wine and frolicking in the bank holiday sun. Being a massive lover of all things Hobbs House (thanks to the Bread Baking Masterclass I went on in February), I booked to go to Henry Herbert's Hobbs House Pop-up Supperclub on the festival site in Montpellier Gardens.

Being one half of The Fabulous Baker Brothers, and an advocate of all things local, Henry's Supperclub was destined to be something that you wouldn't want to miss. Upon entering the tent lined with tables and benches, we were handed a cocktail (I've no idea what it contained) and then showered with various canapés whilst we got settled into our seats and chatted to our jazzy neighbours.

No veggies here, BBQ Beef was what we were treated to; juicy charcoal grilled rib eye and a smoked brisket, which practically fell apart with as much as a glance. Bowls of Boston beans, slaw and blue cheese iceberg salad were shared round, along with a never ending supply of sourdough, and everything was kept topped up until we were sufficiently full.

Dessert was a doughnut trifle. Now I'm not normally a fan of those stodgy beasts, and the thought of having them topped with additional custard and cream was a bit daunting, but actually, it totally hit the spot and was just the right size. Coffee and truffles were kicked to the kerb until Henry had done the rounds thrusting picklebacks on every table. A shot of pickle brine and a shot of Chase Smoked Vodka sat in front of us, then on the count of three we downed the vodka then chased it with the pickle. It might sound a bit rough, but trust me, it works. Line them up please!

A trip to Bath was next on the agenda; a belated Mother's Day spa session with my Mum and Sister. I'd had a few recommendations on places to have lunch, and Acorn Vegetarian Kitchen was the venue of choice. We decided to opt for the tapas-style sharing dishes, ending up ordering pretty much the whole menu because it sounded that good.

We had mixed pickles (kohlrabi, radish and carrot), hummus with bread olives and harissa, asparagus in a lemon thyme dressing, brocolli with wild garlic, polenta chips and rhubarb ketchup, chickpea fritters with an orange rosemary emulsion, local leaf salad with toasted seeds and rhubarb dressing, and red wine fig and shallot salad with candied curried pecans. The one thing I love about veggie/vegan restaurants is that they're always so innovative; even the most stubborn carnivore couldn't possibly miss meat with this bounty. The red wine fig and shallot salad stole the show, along with the asparagus and polenta chips.. Actually, all of it was great, and our bill came to just over £30, which seemed great value considering how much we ate!

Last minute panic buying in preparation for a wedding resulted in a shopping slog at Cabot Circus, Bristol. In an attempt to get just an hours break from the herd of Saturday shoppers, we went to St Nicholas Market to refuel. Spying a queue at Grillstock surely meant that they were dishing out good grub, and on a sunny day, something meaty in a bun - alongside a cold beer - is just what the doctor ordered. I had the hickory smoked pulled pork with slaw, spicy sauce and extra jalepenos. It's messy business, but who cares when its this good?

Something sweet seemed necessary, so we popped into Source Food Hall & Cafe and I was blinded by this beauty; a salted caramel and cherry brownie. I think I died and went to heaven.. Though hell's probably more fitting, being so devil-iciously dark, rich and salty..

Nothing I can say will be able to follow that, so I shall leave it there.

Keep your eyes peeled for Glasgow goings on..

Hawkes House Happenings

On Monday evening, I was lucky enough to be invited to a sneak preview of a friend's new business venture, Hawkes House, Thornbury. Located on St Mary's Street, the former pub/live music venue, The Barrel Inn, has been stripped back and transformed into a beautiful new neighbourhood café bar. Local Cotswold folk might already know James and Simon as they own a firm Tewkesbury favourite, Theoc House, but to those that don't, their concept is simple; they open 8:30am - 11pm seven days a week, where you can eat breakfast, brunch, elevenses, lunch, afternoon treats, early evening snacks, dinner, late night munchies, and if needs be, some nibbles to soak up all that accidentally drank alcohol.

Whilst the bar is well stocked with an excellent selection of spirits, both local and continental beers, and a concise but varied wine list, Hawkes House isn't just a pub. They serve expertly made coffees, cuppa's from Attic Tea, and a range of soft drinks that would cater to anyone's taste. It's all very relaxed, and with a stack of books and board games, the whole family can stay entertained. So whether you just pop in for a swift one, or leisurely spend the day browsing the daily papers, or even make a night of it, glad rags and all, this is the place to go.

Having a bit of inside gossip about what the place was like beforehand, and a few updates on the progress of the refurbishment, these guys didn't have a particularly easy ride, but boy, what a masterpiece they've created. The pair have clearly learnt a lot since they opened the doors to Theoc two years ago, she's like the older and wiser sister, whereas Hawkes House, with it's open kitchen, exposed brickwork, retro furniture, and industrial lighting, is the new swankier sibling. 

As for the food, in celebratory style we decided to start off with some antipasto and tapas to share between us; salami, chorizo and prosciutto were the stars on the meat board, with sun dried tomatoes and olives dotted about, rounded off with a few bread-y goods. Tapas wise, we had to try the black pudding scotch egg - which, you'll be glad to know, had a perfectly runny centre - and the beer battered cod with tartare sauce was another winner too. Roasted veg with goats cheese, sesame and soy beef strips, and lime, chilli and garlic tiger prawns were also thrown into the mix, and priced at £7.50 for a choice of three dishes, you can't go too wrong.

For a main course, after much deliberation, I went for the Cataplana fish stew (I had no idea what Cataplana meant, but trusty Google has informed me that it's a Portuguese seafood dish). It was a plate almost overflowing with a rich, smoky tomato sauce, with a bounty of prawns, mussels, chunks of cod, salmon and chorizo lurking underneath. I was more than happy that it came with a wedge of sourdough to mop everything up. The other mains on our table were the classic steak and chips, pork t-bone with Tewkesbury mustard mash and gravy, shepherds pie topped with sweet potato and a curry from the specials board, all of which everyone enjoyed.

To give you a bit more info on the food - though you could, and should go check it out for yourself - the menu contains a list of all day brunch options, sandwiches on local Hobbs House bread or in a focaccia, antipasto and tapas dishes,  a variety of burgers (not just your standard beef) and more substantial seasonal fare, currently titled 'winter warmers'. There is also a daily specials board which, as you'd expect, changes on a daily basis, and sees the likes of more unusual 'chef's special' dishes (I spied swordfish on Monday), and that's where you'll find your Sunday roasts.

There's a separate dessert board, which, again, changes according to what the kitchen fancy making. We were late in the game when we'd finished dinner, so our options were limited, but we snapped up some creme brûlée's and sticky toffee pudding, which were both sumptuously satisfying. Take note, if you're clever enough to scout out what's on offer early on, get in there quick before your favourite gets crossed out!

Its probably safe to say that Hawkes House won't be winning any fancy schmancy awards for their offerings because, basically, its not that kind of place; they're all about serving quality food and drink which is affordable (most things are under a tenner with the most expensive being the 8oz rump at £12.95). Whether you're local, or just a passer by, there are plenty of friendly faces to welcome you no matter what the occasion, and right now it makes a gorgeous retreat from the cold - they have a lovely outside seating area which will come into it's own in the summer months. Despite not really knowing what else is in Thornbury, Hawkes House seems like its on to a good thing, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it.. Like a hawk some might say.