Behind the menu DEC.qxp_Layout 1 25/11/2016 10:29 Page 2
BEHIND | THE | MENU
fashions a bit ridiculous, and sometimes even worrying – the whole clean eating buzz is just not my thing at all. But I love to see food being developed in a clever, creative way – aquafaba (bean water used in vegan baking), for example, has been revolutionary for me, and very exciting.” Ah, exciting: it’s a word that was rarelyused about vegetarian food. But at this time of the year, when so much talk revolves around gobbling up turkey and so many menus are dominated by meaty treats, can Lydia offer us a little bit of face-free razzle dazzle? “Vegetable side dishes have always excited me. It’s hard to beat a plate of colourful, wellcooked seasonal vegetables – simple as that,” says Lydia. “But for a special vegetarian centrepiece for a celebratory dinner, I like to make a filo pie stuffed with a mix of vegetables
combined with chickpeas or lentils and bulgar. I use vegetables that won’t clash with the traditional Christmas dishes such as roast potatoes; spiced, glazed carrots; honey roasted parsnips etc, so a Mediterranean theme of peppers, aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes always works well. You’ve got lots of flavours going on, but it’s simple and easy to prepare in advance.” Lydia is keen to solve our Christmas gifting conundrums as well as our festive menus, by suggesting a cookery school voucher as a present. She says: “There are so many cookery programmes on TV lately where everything that's shown is perfect, but it’s usually all cooked by skilled chefs, which may be thoroughly tantalising, but where do we actually learn how to do it ourselves? We teach
home cooks everything from basic skills upwards in a range of themes and cuisine styles, from simple courses such as Fast and Delicious to special interest courses, in a very hands-on environment. “We aim to encourage everybody, whether beginners or veterans, to gain confidence in their cooking and use a greater range of ingredients. I like to help people to be brave and more creative with flavours, and I particularly love it when someone comes up to me at the end of a class to say how inspired they are as a result of attending the class.” New year, new you. Maybe it’s time for a few less beefy menus at home? In 2017, I’m going back to school with Lydia. n Demuths Vegetarian Cookery School, 6 Terrace Walk, Bath BA1 1LN. Tel: 01225 427938; web: demuths.co.uk.
THEBATHMAG.CO.UK
|
DECEMbEr 2016
|
ThEBATHMagazinE 79