Summer Good Food Show with Miele

I've been invited to quite a few Miele events before, but due to work commitments I was unable to make it so when they invited me this time I jumped at the chance. Before the Miele invite I was already going with Hubby & friends so they still went and I met up with them later. This was the first time I had met up with fellow bloggers and I have to admit I was quite nervous. I didn't have my SLR on the day and used my compact so I wasn't too happy with the photos I took so most of these photos are courtesy of Miele.

Joining in on the event was Nic, Sylvie, Anne, Sunita, Naomi, Celine and Jan

First part of the day was seeing Simon Rimmer in the Super Theatre. I've always been a fan of Simon Rimmer and Something for the Weekend is my Sunday morning lie-in TV. Any chef who has a recipe for Jaffa Cakeshas all of my respect! In the Super Theatre he made steak tartar and a delicious looking banana tatin. After seeing the show us bloggers went back stage for a drink, meet our fellow bloggers and also saw Gino d'Campo, The Hairy Bikers and Simon Rimmer.



After being given a bit of time to wonder around the show, where I met back up with Hubby & friends, we made our way to the Miele stand where their range of goods was explained to us. I liked the steam injection in their ovens which would be perfect for bread making. Once I don't live in a tiny Georgian cottage, where shiny-shiny-fancy-things don't look right, I wouldn't say no to one of their products.



Once the products had been demonstrated to us, it was our turn to get up on stage with Sophie Mitchell to do some cooking. Although I knew in advance I would be cooking with Sophie it was only a short time before the event that it dawned on me I would be cooking in front of an audience. I have to admit I nearly pulled out as the fear of doing something like this shot through me. Especially when I found out we would be cooking scallops, a food I just don't enjoy. The 2 dishes we made were Thai inspired with scallops for starter and the main being crab stuffed lemon sole on a spicy mango salad.



Well I'm very glad I didn't pull out as I really enjoyed it even if I did hash up taking the skin off a fillet of lemon sole thanks to a set of blunt knives. Sophie was lovely and I'm glad I had cooked Thai before as it helped me to keep up with her and understand what was in all the pots in front of me. We cooked our dishes using the steamer programme in one of the Miele oven. I was impressed as to how fast it was all cooked and with no additional fat. What made it even better was that we were able to try our cooking afterwards. I'm not a fan of scallops (I don't like the texture) but Hubby gladly ate them for me. After finishing our meals and taking lots of photos, well we are food bloggers, Miele gave us some goodie bags and I bid farewell to my fellow bloggers and headed back into the show with Hubby & friends.



As it was now about 4pm the show was beginning to quieten down making it easier to get around the stalls...and not be bashed in the ankles by those annoying pull along boxes many people had. Although it is smaller than the Good Food Show in November we still managed to find some gems.

Lauden Chocolates gave all of the other chocolate companies there a serious run for their money. The chocolates were not only stunning to look at but also absolutely divine to taste. The flavours literally exploded in my mouth. The people on the stall were also deeply passionate about their products.

This isn't the first time I've mentioned Teahouse Emporium, I mentioned them last time I went to the Good Food Show and purchased some of their blooming flower tea. This time I bought some Kalahari tea along with some Cranberry & Elderflower tea, the tea leaves alone smell delicious even before they have been infused in water.

As for the worst products - fizzy vodka..why? Brought back wrong memories of my student days and Yumberry Juice it deserves to be done for breach of product description. Yumberry juice is not yummy in the slightest.

It was a great day out and it was lovely to meet other food bloggers and be able to put a face to a name. A big Thank you to Miele for inviting me.

Salad Season

The Bank Holiday has been a busy one with visiting relatives, good food, showing how much of a geek I can be at a Pub Quiz plus a visit to a Beer, Wine & Cheese festival. With the beautiful weather and the fact I had to cater for a crowd we had a delicious meal of salad leaves and radishes picked straight from the garden along with Hubby's recently cured salami, honey & mustard ham, cottage loaf baked by me plus a large cheeseboard. To accompany all of this food we also tried some new Farrington Oils products.

I've been a big fan of Farrington Oils for years and have written before about how much I enjoy their products before. When I was offered the chance to try some of their new products, I jumped at the chance. Plus my family who buy their Mellow Yellow dressings from Waitrose were also interested in trying the new vinaigrette and mayonnaise.

The first to try was the Classic Vinaigrette. In the garden we are growing a mixture of rocket along with other strong tasting salad leaves and this vinaigrette accompanied them perfectly and managed to bring the flavours out well.

The mayonnaise is the newest addition to their ranges and it quite unlike any other mayonnaise out there. I'm not usually a bit mayo eater, but this version is mouthwatering. With the subtle taste of Dijon mustard plus the lemony sharpness, we have tried it with numerous dishes over the last few weeks. From chip dunking to more refined chicken salad each time it has been delicious. I think I will struggle to eat any other brand since tasting this version! As you can probably tell by looking at the jar in the pic it was rather empty by the time I got around to photographing it proving how much we enjoyed it.

The Big Knit

For the past few years Innocent have launched their annual Big Knit Campaign where people are asked to knit little woolly hats for Innocent bottles. In turn, for every bottle sold with a hat, 50p will be donated to Age Concern. This year £250,000 has been donated. It's an innovative fundraising idea from a quirky company.

I've been a bit late getting some bottles as they were came out at the beginning of November, but I eventually managed to pick up a few in Sainsbury's. The couple of hats we collected from last years bottles reside on our Bride & Groom Wedding cake topper. Next year I'm planning to send our collection of hats back so they can be recycled. There have been some amazing hats knitted and next year should be more organised and pick up a funky hat.

The Good Food Show Haul

Yesterday, with some foodie friends, we headed to Birmingham for the annual Good Food Show. A good time was had by all, though I did get fed up being barged by those trolleys everyone seemed to be pulling around with them. We tasted some very good...and very bad stuff.



Snowdonia Cheese Company - Their cheese are always a fond favourite in our house, especially Black Bomber. We ended up buying: Green Thunder - Mature Cheddar with garlic & garden herbs in a green wax, Red Devil - Red Leicester with chillies & crushed pepper in a red wax Pickle Power - Mature Cheddar with chunks of pickled onion in a purple wax.


Ritter sport - These are another dirty secret of mine. I fondly remember them from when I lived in Germany and go slightly mad when I see them for sale. Yesterday they were selling mixed boxes of their mini bars and they all contained my favourite flavours so I HAD to buy them!



Tea House Emporium This stall was easy to miss, but I'm glad I found it. Their Kalahari tea was beautiful and refreshing and this is the first place I've found tea flowers for sale. Since seeing them online I've been intrigued by them. They look so pretty and delicate. I may be in the Bath area around New Year and will have to pop in.

Fox's Spices - They had a big stall with a gigantic selection of spices. I picked up some garam masala, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, powdered coconut cream and some pickling spices. They don't seem to have a website, but when I do find it I'll link it here.

White's Toasted oats - I love my cereal. I'm the kind of person who eats a bowl of cereal when they can't decide what to eat or can't be bothered cooking, however I am getting a bit bored of my morning porridge and welcomed a change. I had a bowl of the mixed berries cereal this morning and it was a perfect breakfast.

Pinks meat - Sausage stalls seemed to be in the majority at the show but what made this stall stand out was the lovely staff, yummy sausages. We tasted and bought from Pork & Indian pepper sausages and had them for tea last night with a huge mound of mash...yum, yum, yum!



Belvoir Fruit Farms - Last year I tried some of their Spiced Winter Berries cordial but stupidly never bought any. This year I made sure I did. It's made with elderberry, orange and blackberry juices mixed along with nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves; a fantastic non-alcoholic alternative to mulled wine. This afternoon we went for a brisk walk and a flask of this hot cordial was perfect for warming the cockles.

Focus on Food campaign - On my hunt for companies/resources to help us become a Healthy School I found out about the Focus on Food campaign. In interested in the cooking bus they do and hope to bring it to school.

Rocket Gardens - An amazing company with an innovative idea. I'm hoping to use some of the schools gardening club money to buy a School Spring Garden. I'm also loving their Dig for Their Future campaign.

East Midlands Food Festival

Things have been a bit up in the air here recently (explaining why I haven't updated in over a week) and we both decided we needed a trip out. Undeterred by the torrential rain and armed with walking boots and umbrellas we headed to Melton Mowbray for the East Midlands Food Festival. Held in the ground of Brooksby Hall, a local agricultural college, 200 suppliers from around the region were there to sell their foodie wares. I have Phil @ Local Food Heroes to thank for making me aware of this event.

I was pleasantly surprised with the variety and quality of producers with stalls there. My usual favourites Azorieblue and Farrington Oils were there but also some new found companies that I'm sure I'll be returning to.

The Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co. was there with their Sparkenhoe Leicestershire Cheese. I adore this cheese and have tasted it before today. It is beautifully creamy and slightly nutty plus makes the ultimate cheese on toast!

The garlic we planted this year didn't work so I was glad to see The Garlic Farm there today selling garlic bulbs for planting. Crossed fingers they work this time.

I was first drawn to the stall by the giant ornamental cabbages and Romanesco broccoli,I never thought I would ever get excited about vegetables! Woodlands Farm run a veg box scheme and although we live too far away from them to deliver we were able to buy some of the veg boxes today. The selection in the small box we bought was fantastic and fresh.

Peppercorn Catering had a popular stall adorned in various cakes. We picked up some of their delicious Chocolate Indulgence cupcakes. It's also good to find a local company that delivers cupcakes.

We also picked up some steak sausages from Blackbrook Longhorns that will be dinner tomorrow and Hubby went a bit mad on the Continental Cottage stall and we now could be eating various types of salami for months to come. For lunch we had some duck fat roast potatoes with soured cream, sea salt and parsley, the perfect antidote for a rather late, alcohol fueled Saturday night.

My favourite supplier of the day certainly has to beChocolate Confetti What made them stand out from all the other chocolate stalls there was their range of unusual chocolates. I was truly spoilt for choice and wanted to try them all! I eventually settled on Strawberry & Pimms white chocolate truffle, White Stilton & Port enrobed in dark chocolate and a Guinness chocolate. As soon as I saw the white Stilton & port chocolate I knew it had to be tried. You can certainly taste the saltiness of the Stilton paired the with the sweetness of the port and bitterness of the extremely dark chocolate. Although it may sound like a strange chocolate it was one I would certainly eat again. Thankfully (but unfortunately for my pocket) Chocolate Confetti have a stall at a Farmers Market local to me.

We'll certainly be returning to the East Midlands Food Festival next year.

Quest for the perfect coffee

I'm known for my love of coffee, be it an ingredient in a cake or drinking it, I'm a huge fan. However I'm very fussy when it comes to coffee. For me a perfect coffee as to be so smooth I don't need sugar to take away the bitterness.

While at Chantry on Saturday, Adrian from Azurieblue was there offering samples of his espresso. Not one to turn down a sample I gave it a go. I have to say it was one of the best coffees I have ever had. It was so smooth. Even Hubby who doesn't usually drink coffee thought it was good.

The coffee is ground from ethically sourced Brazilian arabica beans (something that is important to me) and I found it rich, without being bitter and overpowering, with a hint of nutty chocolate. Naturally I was so impressed with the sample I bought some for myself, even better that the coffee tin matches my kitchen perfectly...I'm such a girl!

Over the last few days I've tried different ways of using the coffee. As an espresso, latte and mocha and each time it was delicious. I don't think I've ever come across a coffee that is so versatile.

Azorieblue are due to have a stand at the Real Food Festival in April and I seriously recommend you visit them to taste their wonderful coffee.

They call it Mellow Yellow

I've been using Farrington's Mellow Yellow cold pressed Rapeseed oil for about a year now and thoroughly believe it is the best thing since sliced bread. It is one of the most versitile oils I have in the kitchen. Not only can it be used in dressings, but also in baking, roasting & stir-frys. In addition to it's versatility it is lower in saturated fat than olive oil and high levels of omega 3,6 & 9 plus vitamin E. Mellow Yellow makes cracking crackling on roast pork, fantastic roast potatoes and the most perfect Yorkshire Puds. It's not surprising to hear that their oil has won awards.

Toward the end of 2007 Farrington Oils launched Honey & Mustard Dressing and Blackberry Vinegar Dressing. I tasted them both for the first time this weekend and they were gorgeous. The honey & mustard dressing is perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. It's delicious drizzled over salad or hot and cold new potatoes. The blackberry vinegar dressing is unlike anything else currently on the market and is a refreshing change. It's stunning with cheese and I have it on good authority it's lovely with smoked fish.

Farrington's Mellow Yellow products are sold in over 600 shops throughout the UK including Waitrose and Harvey Nics. Trust me, give it a try and you'll never go back to other oils and dressings.

Oven Baked Red Pesto Chicken

Thankfully we missed to worst of the snow, but it's still bitterly cold with a biting wind. I'm on Chantry Farm's mailing list and today recieved an interesting letter explaining where all their meat came from. With lamb home reared on thier farm, beef from Quenby Hall, Pork from Packington Pork, free-range chicken from Packington Poultry and Derbyshire Dales, free-range eggs from Liberty Farm and fish fresh from the docks in Hull. It certainly gives me a great deal of confidence buying from them as I'm supporting local farmers, something that is very important to me.

Some of thier chicken went into tonights dinner. I've been meaning to make this dish for the last few weeks, but with one thing or another I've ended up cooking something different. It was really delicious and filling and we'll certainly be making it again soon.

Oven Baked Red Pesto Chicken
Serves 2-3

1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken fillets, diced
1 red onion cut into wedges
1 large red pepper, cut into wedges
1 clove of garlic, crushed
100g basmati rice
1 tin chopped tomatoes
300ml chicken stock
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
5 tbsp red pesto

1) Preheat oven to 190oc. In an ovenproof saute pan, fry chicken in oil until the chicken is starting to brown. Remove from pan. Fry onions and peppers for 4 min. Add garlic and fry for a further 30 seconds.

2) Add chicken back into pan then pour in stock, tomatoes and rice. Stir in chilli flakes. Bring to the boil then bake in the oven, uncovered, for 20 min. Stir in pesto before serving.