Ultimate English - A Review

Suffice to say, life has been super hectic of late; moving house, to another county with a rambunctious child, a whiny I-don't-want-to-sleep baby (what's up with him is anyone's guess) a bouncy dog and two desperate-to-escape cats is NOT recommended.  So it's taken me a while to sit down get social (Hi, Twitter, I'm still here!) and write a post or two.

Totally Luxurious Vanilla and Clotted Cream Fudge

Luckily, the folks over at Ultimate English sent me some delicious fudge to try which has given me a much needed sugar boost to get me through the last few days of moving, unpacking, building flat pack, going to the tip and cleaning, each activity interspersed with the popping of a piece of soft, sweet rich sugary milky goodness (pop! another piece just found its way in).

I was sent four treats to try.

The Totally Luxurious Vanilla and Clotted Cream Fudge, my favourite and currently sat in front of me, is flecked with vanilla seeds and has a pleasingly grainy texture of the fudge I remember eating back in the day. It's also the richest of the four, meaning it's lasted the longest in this household

Awesomely Smooth Salted Caramel Fudge

Up next is the Awesomely Smooth Salted Caramel Fudge which, true to its name, is awesomely smooth in texture with the slightest hint of salt that doesn't totally overwhelm.  My mum, a salt hater actually said this was alright; my husband, a salt lover, said it was 'Amazing', only just understood through the mouthful of fudge.  

Simply Marvellous All Butter Fudge

The last fudge, the Simply Marvellous All Butter Fudge is so buttery you could spread it on toast.  I wasn't over keen on the texture; somewhere between the grainy Vanilla and Clotted Cream and the smooth Salted Caramel varieties, I needed it to get off the texture-fence.  Having said that, the sweet buttery taste, made with 16% pure butter no less, made it a hit with the three year old.

Finally, a non-fudge contender, the Unbelievably Wonderful Coconut Ice.  I remember making and tasting coconut ice at school.  Urgh.  The manky texture, like chewing on blocks of damp sand, overly sweet, not at all coconutty -  happily, not at all what you'll find here.  I've not had coconut ice since that incident school put me off for life so I'm probably not the best person to review thanks to lack of comparison, but after eating all that fudge, the not-too-sweet coconut flavour and texture really hit the spot.  The pink squares were not so pink you worry about what it could do to your stomach lining, just pink enough to make you wonder if that colour would look nice in your downstairs loo (that's a complement, by the way!).  I'll buy Coconut Ice again, but only Unbelievably Wonderful Coconut Ice.

Unbelievably Wonderful Coconut Ice

The Ultimate English range scored the most points when I looked at the Best Before Date.  November.  This year.  Brilliant.  I bought some fudge not so long ago that went off in over three years.  This stuff is meant to contain butter and condensed milk FGS; if it lasts that long, it can't be good for you.  If I'm going to be bad and eat loads of sweets, they'd better be natural and not full of E-numbers.  Sure enough, the 'I'll last forever and screw your brain' fudge ingredient list started with an E; this fudge?  Starts with Sugar, ends with Pure Vanilla extract (with more yummy stuff in between and nothing I don't recognise).

Where can you buy it, and how much for?

You won't find these treats in large chain stores, no siree; these beauties are the preserve of local delis, cafes, farm shops and independent retailers in and around Yorkshire, with over 300 outlets - head to The Ultimate English Website to find your nearest stockist, with prices at £3.99 RRP for a 180g box.  Sadly, I couldn't find where to buy it online.  Gutted that I scoffed the lot so quickly now that I can't replenish my stores.  However, with the brand being only one year old, The Serious Sweet Company are rolling out a plan of sales support for premium independents at venues across the North West for Summer 2015 - so watch this space for your local stockist - Sorry, Londoners!

Share with me - what's your favourite English sweet treat?

*Ultimate English sent these treats for me to ry and review.  All views are my own (and my family's).

The Spice Club Manchester

It was a cold Saturday in June (yes, June. Summer. I know.) Hubs and I made our way to North Manchester for dinner with friends. But this wasn't any old dinner with friends. We had just discovered The Spice Club, an underground Indian restaurant ran by Monica, with her mum Anita doing the cooking and brother Anjay the ever attentive Maitre'd. Opening in September 2010, The Spice Club is going strong, starting out with Clubs once a month, now increasing to once per week and always a sell out. They're now moving onto Sunday Brunches too!

Monica and her family welcome you in to their lovely home in the leafy suburbs, with introductions and a welcome drink as they show you to the large and lovely dining room, table perfectly set for dinner for 13 with a menu to guide you through the evening. A lovely touch to keep referring back to, but as we were given the dishes, Monica introduced them so we knew exactly what we were eating, how it was cooked and the traditions behind the food. But more on that later.

I always worry that, with Supper Clubs, you are in someone elses home so could feel rushed - after all of that cooking and hosting wouldn't you just want your bed? But not at The Spice Club. The evening was wonderfully relaxed and by sitting around the large table we met some truely lovely people who were enjoying the experience just as much as we were. And that's why there are no photographs in this post. So carried away were we with the evening and enjoying a shared experience, it wouldn't have felt right to whip my camera out. So I didn't.

Monica invited any foodies to have a wonder around the kitchen if they felt the need to see what was going on. How could I resist! So after our starter, an indian street snack I'd never come across before but can't wait to try again, I up and left the table expecting to find, if not panic, then a hub of activity.

I was wrong.

Monica and her mother were stood chatting, enjoying the sound of laughter coming from the other room. The plates and bowls were being heated as Monica stirred the entrees. Salivating with anticipation I fought the desire to jump on the food and chatted with Monica and Anita, not once feeling in the way, mainly because everything was prepared and they had the time to chat. I may have just stumbled upon the Actual Hostess With The Mostess (Damn it, I was going for that crown!) with the most fabulous food (ditto).

So onto the menu. I want to describe every dish but I won't, can't, do it justice. I only cook the odd curry at home keeping everything easy so I don't have any authority on the style of cooking or indeed the ingredients, but what I will say is That Was The Best Indian Meal I Have Ever Eaten. Officially.

No grease; no orange fingers; no chicken-that-could-be-other-animal; no lamb-that-probably-came-from-the-floor-of-the kebab-shop-next-door; no 'My mouth is on fire' syndrome synonymous with that 'Indian' (read 'English Lout') favourite, Vindaloo.

But we did get tender, juicy chicken slowly roasted in aromatic spices; Food cooked in olive oil; Spices so beautifully toasted the aroma was like expensive perfume filling the house; lamb so juicy, tender and flavourful we asked for seconds (and thirds. And we got them). We enjoyed traditional Indian, home-cooked fare, a delicious starter and five entrées, with salad, rice and fresh steaming chapatis followed by delicious fruity sorbets and chai cardomom tea to wash it all down with, nicely rounded off with a raspberry biscuit and an Indian sweet I wish I knew the name of.

The menu, in full, was as follows:

Welcome Drink: Fresh Orange & Mango Juice
Appetiser: Papdi Chaat
Entrées: Keema Mattar, Murgh Masala, Aloo Gobi, Sukhi Urad Dal, Raita
Dessert: Mango & Raspberry Sorbet with Mint Sugar
Cardamom Chai served with traditional Indian biscuits

All in all, a fantastic night; fantastic hosts, fantastic friends (old and new) and, most importantly, fabulous food (and the best bit? Unlike every Indian meal I've ever eaten, it's now 4 hours after eating as I type and I've not got Delhi Belly. Fabulous).

If you want a curry in Mancester, forget the Curry Mile and call Monica at The Spice Club to find out what a real Indian meal should taste like.

The Spice Club
Upcoming Events
Monica's Blog 'Spice Diary'

Ben Vear's ice cream; It's got the 'Oooh!' Factor!

I’ve been really lucky to get my hands on the introduction and three delicious recipes from Ben Vear's forthcoming book, Make Your Own Organic Ice Cream: Using Home Grown and Local Produce. I’ve been thinking about buying an ice-cream maker for some time but haven’t yet bitten the bullet, so to see that you only need basic equipment and very good locally produced ingredients for this book, I couldn’t have been happier. Ben gives instructions for both ice-cream makers and churning by hand and whilst churning by hand isn’t the easy option, it’s the way his great-granddad used to do it – if it’s good enough for the man who started the business in 1925 that now churns 1 million litres of ice-cream a year, it’s good enough for me. The book is very clear in it's message - ice cream is not hard to make, is not time consuming and absolutely does not require all types of expensive and fanciful gadgets. And you should 100%, absolutely support your local community.

Living in Cheshire, abound with local produce and local business, buying local is something I really champion, going so far as to grow as much of my own as possible.  So Ben is a man after my own heart. “It's important to me to give back to the local community” Ben tells me. The family business started when Ben's great-grandfather foraged in the local hedgerows while his son's played golf on beautiful Rodborough Common. "He would pick fruit, herbs and vegetables, go home and make dinner for his sons after their round of golf from what he found. They would bring their friends, who would bring their friends and so on, creating the business - so community is important."  As a result, Winstones Ice cream use local wherever possible - local farmers, growers, packaging, even down to the labels and electricians they use.  However, with our tastes changing, there are some ingredients that can't be sourced in Gloucestershire - vanilla and mixed spice being good examples, but the business ensures they source responsibility at all times.

Ben is a busy boy; as well as writing his book, due for release in October, he manages marketing and communications for the business, whilst studying for an Economics degree at university. I wondered where he found the time and energy, and it became clear that his passion for food, family and community drives Ben, having left a high flying City career to go to university and to write his book. All of Ben's free time is spent with food;  making ice cream, pastries, jams, marmalade, recreating his grandfathers recipes, a modern take on old family classics. And this modern take is reflected in the book, where we can expect what are sure to become modern favourites; olive oil ice cream, cracked black pepper ice cream; not meant to be served in a cone with a flake, but as part of a wider gastronomical experience.

Home-made marmalade,
next seen disguised as ice-cream

And so to the book. The recipes I’ve seen in this book so far look so delicious that I just had to try a couple. Anything that says ‘serve with lashings of cream and fruit’ gets my vote, so Winstones Chocolate Ice Cream was in my good books from the off.  I must confess that, due to the lack of ice-cream maker, I’ve never made ice-cream before but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. I made some marmalade (thick-cut, naturally - who has the patience!) earlier in the year for my husband; it’s one of his favourite things, spread (too thickly, in my opinion) on toast. The delightful introduction to the Marmalade Ice Cream recipe informed me that it’s also Ben’s dads favourite. That, and the fact that marmalade is taking over my fridge, made this the first recipe I tried.

To stay true to the books ethos, I dug deep and bought local and organic cream and milk, and set to it with my home-made marmalade. The recipe, clear, concise and easy to follow, turned out a soft, smooth, tangy, creamy dessert even when doing it by hand. 

Marmalade ice-cream

I then turned the page to find Mixed Spice Ice Cream. I really didn’t like the sound of that, so what better reason to give it a go! So, I retrieved my whisk, created more space in my freezer and nipped to snatch some fresh eggs from under my friends hens bottoms (oooh, still warm).

Mixed Spice ice-cream

And another successful, easy to follow recipe delivered a heady spice mix, cool on the tongue, but strangely warming at the same time. I’m so pleased I tried this recipe, my husband loved it - 'mmm, aaah, oooh it's so good', were the sounds of our house tonight (and sadly, they were nothing to do with me!) He even said he 'didn't think home-made ice cream could be that good.  Seriously'. Needless to say, he, and I were impressed.  Ben suggests serving this with Mulled Wine, conjuring thoughts of winters by the fire with a huge slice of apple or pecan pie served with a dollop of this oddly warming ice-cream melting over the top. Odd, how a bowl of ice-cream has made me wish the summer away, dreaming of winter when I can get my hands on this book and eat ice cream in front of the fire.

Confused (by wanting ice-cream in winter and the noises emitted by my husband)? A little. 

Delighted? Definitely.

Huge thanks to Ben for allowing me a sneak preview of his book and recipes, and for taking some time to speak to me. You can pre-order his book here and keep up with Ben at his Blog here

Review - Two Greedy Italians by Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo

Like the food I eat, I love to devour a cookbook in one sitting with a cup of tea (or a glass of wine on a sunny day like today). I like to read it from cover to cover, taking in every picture, every word, every description.  I make lists of what I'll make, and read out ingredients of my favourite recipes to my husband, trying to encourage him to be as inspired as I am. It rarely happens that he gets excited over a cookbook, but he was ooh-ing and aah-ing over some of the recipes in this book as much as I was, the Lonza al Miele E Zenzero (Pork Fillet with Honey and Ginger) in particular.  But I couldn’t read it in one go.  I tried, I really did, but in addition to over 100 recipes, the descriptions of the life and times of Italy in the modern, multi cultural world are enthralling.  You get the impression that Carluccio and Contaldo were made to re-discover their beloved Italy (perhaps the fee for the accompanying BBC series helped) and were quite surprise at what they found – a Country that was no longer fed by Mamma, chained to the stove all day; a country that no longer sneered at food that wasn't made from Italian ingredients; a country that no longer made fun of fast, convenient ingredients. They found a modern Italy embracing the fusions, flavours and fun of real, modern food. 

Two Greedy Italians
by Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo 
Published by Quadrille, Photography ©CHRIS TERRY

No soggy carbonara, limp tomato crostini or bland panna cotta to be seen here, this is a book that leaps away from the normal and regular to bring us real, regional Italian food, unusual enough to make this book interesting, simple enough to not terrify the life out of a home cook. 

The descriptions and background on Italian rituals, history and ingredients, interspersed with recipes that relate back so well is a captivating mix.  The pre-amble  that introduces every recipe is a delight, helping the reader to understand why that recipe made the cut for the book, making you want to re-create it with the passion intended by the pair.  With each recipe title translated into English and most with an accompanying picture, you really get a feel for a dish before the olive oil hits the pan.

An Italian cookbook wouldn’t be an Italian cookbook without a recipe for fresh pasta. Yes, we know it tastes better fresh (does it?) and yes, we know it’s the only way to get the tortellini you love, but these two Italian food lovers go on to say that most Italian households now only make fresh pasta on very special occasions, preferring the dried variety after a long day at work – and don’t we know it! As a tribute to this sentiment, only very special pasta recipes have been included, with Tagliatelle Al Vino Bianco con Funghi (Fresh White Wine Pasta Ribbons with Mushrooms) really capturing the imagination; taking the classic combination of garlicky, mixed wild mushrooms in white wine, and turning it on it's head - making the pasta with the wine and turning the ribbons in mixed wild and dried mushrooms slick with reduced white wine, olive oil, garlic and chilli. Not like-a Mamma used'ta make-a!  What could be better?  It's enough to make me want to dust off the pasta machine.

The overwhelming feel of this book is fresh, seasonal and unusual.  It's a book to read, digest and learn from. Shying away from traditional Italian cookbooks, this is a refreshing view focussing on the changing face of Italy, and therefore, Italian food;  What we finally have here is an Italian who (begrudgingly) appreciates that there are food influences outside of Italy! It’s a revelation! I sat, shocked, wine half way to mouth as I read the phrase ‘to make the recipe healthier’ in an Italian cookbook – do my eyes deceive me?

These two older gentlemen, (old friends they say, but I detect some rivalry if only from the cover), so intrinsically Italian, who I thought were stuck with the idealism of an Italy they left behind in the 1970’s, have managed to create a fresh, modern cookbook that is still steeped in tradition.  Now where's that pasta machine...


Quadrille Publishing kindly gave me a copy of this book for review, but all opinions are my own.

For the Love of Tea - The Tea Palace

I was always a girl who wouldn’t stray far from a cup of Tetley tea, sure as I was of it's elixir of life qualities, and the ability to make or break a girl with a hangover after overdoing it on the vino the night before. That was until we took my grandma for afternoon tea for her 83rd birthday two years ago, and they served REAL tea, with a very, very cool swively tea strainer. At the time I was having a new kitchen with fancy shelves for displaying things and I just had to get my hands on that tea strainer. So, you see, it wasn't the posh tea that got me, it was the accessories (come to think of it, wasn't it a very cute cookie cutter set and a sexy kitchen aid that got me into baking? Believe so). 

I asked nicely. I flirted shamelessly with the waiter. I even tried a small crocodile tear but I could't quite bring myself to do that. Flirting has so much more decorum, don't you think?  But to no avail.

I searched high and low online for that tea strainer, but google didn't return results for 'swively tea strainer.' I searched in tea shops in Cheshire. Nothing. And then, one sunny weekend in London, I happened across The Tea Palace in Covent Garden, and there, like a beacon in the window, was my swively tea strainer, apparently called a Revolving Tea Strainer. I prefer swively, much more descriptive.

Then, to compliment my new swively tea strainer I needed some loose leaf tea, posh of course... and this is where my new found tea obsession begins.

It does help that the staff at The Tea Palace are so helpful, knowledgeable and polite and that the shop itself is a treasure trove of stunning tea pots, cups, strainers and all things tea. The aroma in the shop is like nothing I have experienced before- not the headache inducing, man-made fake smell of certain cosmetic and beauty stores, but a subtle whiff of something delicious passes you by as you wander round in awe, when people open the little tester tins of loose leaf tea to have a good sniff and decide on their purchase, not to mention the glass tea pots of sample teas to try (beware the delicate nature of these tea pots - not for the faint hearted).

That first time, as I was feeling a little green around the gills from sampling the best of London nightlife the evening before, I went for Peppermint Green and Morning After teas on the recommendation of the Tea Masters (I need, no, want, that job).

I chose Peppermint Green thanks to the sensation on the nostrils of the pure peppermint leaves when you pick up the tin, just what my poor head needed. The leaves are blended with chinese gunpowder tea, which I always have at the local Chinese so I knew I would like it (told you I was a novice). I was advised by the tea master that the tea is also good for you, full of antioxidants from the green tea as well digestive benefits of peppermint! Who knew?

Peppermint Green Tea

The name of Morning After was attractive to both me and my husband at that moment in time and we were again advised, very knowledgeably, that the organic tea was a blend of ginger root, ginseng and lavendar, all of which have the medicinal properties to ease aches and pains and boost energy - just what I needed to deal with the dry mouth, achy limbs and sore head. 

Morning After Tea

As I was paying for my teas, strainer and a crown tea pot (couldn't resist) I was also given a little 'Lemon Myrtle' sample tin, I'm yet to open this delight but when I do, you'll be the first to know.

I left begrudgingly (well, was dragged actually) but as the bell tinkled as the door shut behind me, a notice for Bespoke Blends caught my eye. My husband loves Chinese Tea and received a cast iron Chinese teapot for Christmas.  A suitable gift for Valentines Day was a bespoke tea blend, lovingly designed by his one true love (me... just a reminder in case you read this, love). From a simple email to The Tea Palace asking for advice, a very helpful lady, Sarah Vardy, replied almost instantly with questions, advice and recommendations. With her help I decided on a blend of Gunpowder tea with lemongrass and vanilla, creatively named by me as 'Col's Blend'. The tea comes in a distinctive dark purple caddy, with a personalised label on the front and a message of your choice on the back, above the brewing instructions (which is a whole other post on it's own), all presented in a dark purple satin bag. The tea itself, whilst not really my thing (current favourite is English Rose - just like me) smells divine and is so loved by hubby there's only a little left. The whole pieces of lemongrass and vanilla (no extract is good enough for my man) give off their aroma and taste the second the not-quite-boiling water hits the bottom of the tea pot.

Fabulous tea, service, packaging and store. I love this place. Next time you are in the Big Smoke, pop in.  If you live elsewhere, you can buy online or email for your bespoke blend. I still go back to my Tetley every so often, by my heart now lies with The Tea Palace.

Enjoy!

La Brasserie at The Grosvenor, Chester

My husband does spoil me, I'm a lucky girl.  In a sudden bout of guilt for spending all last weekend playing computer games, he decided to book at night at the Grosvenor, Chester, with a Spa treatment each and dinner at La Brasserie.  I suggested we eat at 9pm with a view to having Afternoon Tea at 2ish... except he forgot to book afternoon tea.... no matter, but we foolishly thought we'd have a light lunch and save ourselves for dinner.... only to cave in at 3pm and treat ourselves to a burger.

(A side review here - I had a P&P burger at the Pitcher and Piano, topped with mushrooms and blue cheese.  Fabulous burger, not much cheese, small mushrooms that kept dropping out; a portobello would have been better.  I'm not actually a burger girl, but sometimes only a burger will do and this one hit the spot; homemade 8oz burger, well seasoned, cooked quickly, pink in the middle.  Delish.  Highly recommend when you want something quick and only something meaty will do.  Minds out of the gutter, please).  

I digress.

So, 9pm came around and we made our way down to the opulent, if slightly snooty, dining room.  Diners are a mix of Cheshire-set couples and those who just want good food in a pleasant setting.  There was a distinct lack of laughter at the tables that The Boy and I made up for!!  

La Brasserie's faux French interior does nothing for me; I like places that don't try to be something they're not.  It did do faux French very well though and reminded me of a darling little bistro I ate at once when hiding from my brother in law in Paris - a whole other story there. The granite tables, simply set with elegant glass wear and sterling silver cutlery did create a not-too-fussy setting that could easily have slid into tacky.  The waitress also took my request to move to a different table with a view (high maintenance - moi?) well and happily let us switch without complaint or hesitation

On the way in we spotted the delightful cheeseboard, full of local cheeses, found by 'The Cheese Detective' Peter Papri (a job title I'm desperate for), so we chose our meals knowing this delight was awaiting.

On to the menu; confused.  Mixing Spanish, French, Italian and modern British, it struggled to find it's identity and I struggle to make my choice; It's an eclectic mix in menu and in dishes; nothing simple and, being a Brasserie, I'd got myself into a simple food state of mind, so French Onion Soup it was for me, and Tellagio Ravioli for him.  The soup was good, more-ish, but not so special I couldn't make it home; lots of onions, not much broth but topped with a gorgeous cheesy crouton that I can never do myself without burning the edged. The ravioli was pretty special with a great balance of dense and light, with thinly sliced pear and stunning caramelised walnuts.

For the main course, and a simply grilled piece of halibut for him, a braised pork collar for me, served with a saveloy sausage, a piece of pork belly, mash and a mashroom and pancetta friccasee.  Had I read the menu properly, I'd have realised that I ordered lots of meat, which I didn't want.  I thought I'd ordered something that came with savoy cabbage, not saveloy, my mistake, but if it was served with cabbage, the whole dish would have been lighter and much, much more enjoyable.  Meat overload unfortunately - very well executed but a little bland as a result of excess pig!!

My main course was only OK, perhaps a result of bad ordering and having left my glasses in the room!  Having said that, I left full and content.  The Boy really enjoyed his halibut, but I was in a bit of a sulk that his was nicer than mine so I refused to try it (regrets....).

Overall, confusing setting, confusing menu, excellently executed, fantastic service.   

Would I go back?  Yes, I'm dying to try that cheeseboard.....