Appetite magazine #39 - October-November 2016

ISSUE 39

www.appetitemag.co.uk

October/November 2016

TICKLE YOUR TASTEBUDS...

s e p 26 fab reci

Beetit!

SEASON OF MELLOW FRUITFULNESS: THE BEST OF AUTUMN’S HARVEST

inside Putting the bite on Jay Rayner // Getting the festive party started // Dreams of eating clean

Scan this code with your mobile device to access the latest news on our website

en as p op o w tm h no is S hr p C p-u Po

Enjoy some old fashioned Christmas spirit at Bradley Gardens Christmas shopping and carols, twinkling lights, roasted chestnuts and festive cheer all in a Victorian walled garden. Enjoy a Christmas inspired meal in our Glasshouse CafĂŠ, visit one of our many shops in the garden or be tempted in to our Christmas shop. As well as Christmas trees, wreaths and winter planting for sale, visit our Ladies Accessories Store and our festively decorated Interiors Store, filled with traditional decorations and inspirational gifts.

L AT E N I G H T SHOPPING & DINNER 10 & 17 NOVEMBER

TEA WITH S A N TA

7 & 8 DECEMBER

Bradley Gardens Sled Lane, Wylam, Tyne & Wear NE41 8JH Tel: 01661 852 176

To book call the Glasshouse Cafe directly on 01661 852 176 ext.206

W W W. B R A D L E Y- G A R D E N S. C O. U K

Editor ponders the joys of the glut issuing forth from the autumnal kitchen garden Variety has been the spice of life in the appetite kitchen this month. First, to a glut of parsley, garlic and cucumber gifted to us by Mark and James at the Kitchen Garden at Vallum. Now, one does not wish to appear ungrateful, and I do love the aforementioned produce, but even I, never knowingly under-catered, can be over-faced by a bin liner stuffed with parsley. This is appetite magazine not Ready, Steady, Cook, boys!

A very late night later, and the bag's contents had been transformed into parsley and garlic butter (several logs of it in the freezer and enough to share with the neighbours), and a huge quantity of parsley pesto souped up with walnuts, an unholy quantity of Parmesan cheese, and lemon.

I also have enough persillade - parsley, garlic, olive oil and vinegar - to keep the appetite kitchen going all winter long.

As for the scores of fat cucumbers, the pair of miniature tortoises we babysat

Be a fan!

We want to hear all about the food and drink you love in the North East, which means you can get fully involved in the region’s only dedicated food magazine.

If you like something, we want to know about it, so tell us. Better still, take a picture and send it to us.

during half term weren't really up to the job, so I took to Google for inspiration.

The result, cucumber coleslaw with cabbage, cashews, scallions, ginger, rice wine vinegar, tamari, sesame oil and honey; Delia's wonderful late summer cucumber soup; Asian bread and butter pickles; and a face pack (which didn't really cut it, but you can't expect miracles).

On a roll, the glut of apples in the appetite garden, which always make my heart sing until I'm three hours into peeling and coring, are transformed into pies and crumbles in the freezer, tubs of apple sauce and stewed apple. The best surprises? Carrot, apple and ginger soup and an American apple relish recipe I found online. I was satisfied with a job well done, then the boys turned up at the door with Jane Pikett, Editor another bin bag.

Aaaghhh!

appetite.

TICKLE YOUR TASTE BUDS...

Editorial 01661 844 115

Jane Pikett - jane@offstonepublishing.co.uk

Advertising 01661 844 115

Joanne O’neil - joanne@appetitemag.co.uk Website www.appetitemag.co.uk Designed & Published by

And if you cook something you’re proud of (or something you’re not!) email us a photo and a description and we might even put it on our Facebook page or in the magazine.

Fame at last! email editor@appetitemag.co.uk

PLACE YOUR ORDER

4GreatCLUB places, great offers

5 IT'S A DATE Foodie events across the region 6 FEED...BACK Food news and views 18 FISH Simon Walsh's Goan monkfish curry 20 KITCHEN GARDEN The autumnal harvest bears fruit 22 BUTCHER George Payne's lamb cutlets 24 CELEBRATE Posh party recipes for the season to come 30 CHRISTMAS Festive prep with Blagdon Farm Shop 32 THE WRITE STUFF We put the bite on Jay Rayner 36 BEET IT! Meet the girl behind The Sweet Beet 40 PARTY! Birthday fun at Blackfriars 42 THE GRAZER What's getting Anna's goat?

44 PUDDINGS All things sweet and festive 48 CHEESY DOES IT We visit Northumberland Cheese Co. 50 REVIEW Peace & Loaf, Jesmond 52 HEALTHY Clean eating 101

Unit One, Bearl Farm, Stocksfield Northumberland, NE43 7AL

56 KITCHEN KIT The latest kitchen must-haves

Photography Nicky Rogerson www.nrphotography.co.uk Peter Skelton www.photo-psp.co.uk

62 JUST DESSERTS Best chocolate cake ever... appetitemag.co.uk

3

CLUB

Festively French...

Savour the great tastes of France this Christmas

Special set Christmas menus Check the website for details

FESTIVE MENU AND FIZZ AT BRANCHES Branches, Ponteland is offering appetite readers its three-course festive menu with a glass of fizz for £20 until November 30, 2016.* Branches, Brewery Lane, Ponteland, NE20 9NZ tel 01661 822 951, www.branchesrestaurant.co.uk

BUY A PIE, GET ONE FOR £1 AT VALLUM SHOP 4-6 GILESGATE, HEXHAM, NORTHUMBERLAND NE46 3NJ Tel 01434 609 943 www.bouchonbistrot.co.uk

Vallum is famed for its fantastic meat pies and until November 30, 2016, it is offering appetite readers who buy one pie a second (single-portion pie) for £1.* Vallum, East Wallhouses, Newcastle, NE18 0LL tel 01434 672 360, www.vallumfarm.co.uk

THREE COURSES AND FIZZ FOR £18 AT HINNIES Hinnies, Whitley Bay is offering appetite readers three courses and a glass of fizz for £18 until November 30, 2016.

Available Tues-Fri lunchtimes.* Hinnies, East Parade Whitley Bay, NE26 1AP tel 0191 447 0500, www.hinnies.co.uk

LUNCH AND FIZZ FOR £20 AT BLACKFRIARS Blackfriars Restaurant, Newcastle is offering appetite readers a three-course lunch and a glass of fizz for £20 until November 30, 2016. North East-inspired lunch menu available Monday-Saturday.* Blackfriars Restaurant, Friars Street, Newcastle, NE1 4XN tel 0191 261 5945, www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

BUY-ONE-GET-ONE-FREE CHRISTMAS CREAM TEA AT LITTLE COFFEE HOUSE Little Coffee House, Team Valley is offering buy-one-get-one-free on its Christmas Cream Tea December 1-23, 2016 (2.30-4pm).

The Christmas Cream Tea (£7.99) includes a spiced cranberry and orange scone with tipsy cream, homemade Christmas cake and a pot of tea or coffee.

Little Coffee House, Princesway, Team Valley NE11 0NF tel 0191 447 3404, www.facebook.com/thelittlecoffeehouse *On production of this magazine or a print-out of the offer from www.appetitemag.co.uk

4 appetitemag.co.uk

IT'S A DATE!

PARLOUR SUPPER

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

The Parlour at Blagdon Farm hosts its Supper Club on October 28, with a seasonal menu featuring curried mackerel, venison, bacon chop and more. Four courses £24.95pp, reservation only. www.theparlouratblagdon.co.uk

Beldons at the Exchange in North Shield has a Theatre Scratch Night (Nov 10), The Frost Ball with Ruth Lambert and the Custom House Big Band (Dec 10) and comedy with Mike Milligan (Dec 16) – all with fab food and drinks. facebook.com/ attheexchange/events

DATE: OCTOBER 28

Tea Room

DATE: NOV-DEC

BREAKFAST • LUNCH • AFTERNOON TEA PRIVATE FUNCTIONS • OUTSIDE CATERING

AUTUMN TREAT DATE: OCTOBER 29

The restaurant at Vallum hosts an Autumn Supper on October 29 with Northumberland’s best produce on the menu, including produce fresh from the Kitchen Garden and local venison, hake and rabbit. Three courses £32.50pp, reservation only. www.vallumfarm.co.uk

THE BEST OF… DATE: OCT-NOV

Blackfriars has plenty of foodie goings-on, with a Seafood & Whisky Dinner with Whisky Lounge’s Eddie Ludlow (£49pp, Oct 28), a Ladies Lunch Club (£25pp, Nov 1), and a festive Canapes & Christmas session with the chefs (£90pp, Nov 19). See website for full listings. www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

CURRY CROWN DATE: NOVEMBER 4-5

A spicy new food extravaganza makes Wylam Brewery, Newcastle the hottest place to be this month.

The Argie Bhaji sees the region’s best Indian chefs compete for the Argie Bhaji crown. You get to taste their efforts in mini portions served up at just £3 a pop. wylambrewery.co.uk

www.enjoytheperfectblend.co.uk enquiries@enjoytheperfectblend.co.uk 3 Beech Grove Terrace | Crawcrook | NE40 4LZ | 0191 413 1000

CHRISTMAS AT THE FARM DATE: NOVEMBER 10-13

Brocksbushes’ Christmas Fayre is back with three marquees filled with festive food, drinks and gifts.

A must-visit! www.brocksbushes.co.uk

LIVE MUSIC

CHRISTMAS FAYRE

The Broadway, Tynemouth branch of Woods Coffee has live music sessions throughout November with Dave Red (Nov 5), #Theredcarpetsessions (Nov 12), Rachel & Ray (Nov 19) and Dan McClew (Nov 26). facebook.com/ Misterwoodscoffeeshop

Wheelbirks is joining in the festive spirit with its Christmas Fayre (Nov 17-18) with everything from food and confectionery to gifts and decorations, and Father Christmas in his magical grotto (Pre-booking essential, Nov 17-18 & Dec 2-4). www.wheelbirks.co.uk

DATE: THROUGHOUT NOV

Festive Afternoon Tea being served throughout December Christmas treats to order or sit-in and enjoy Tea Room Opening Hours: Monday Closed | Tuesday to Friday 9am – 6pm Saturday 9am – 5pm | Sunday 12am – 5pm

DATE: NOV 17-18 & DEC 2-4

LATE ONE

DATE: DECEMBER 5 Corbridge’s late night shopping event is back Monday December 5 with all your favourite foodie stops open late, plus carol singing in the market place www.visitcorbridge.co.uk

appetitemag.co.uk

5

FEEDBACK

FEED...BACK! Broom House Farm

FOOD, FARMING & FUN

Simply email your recipes, feedback and foodie news for the opportunity to appear here. Fame at last! Email editor@appetitemag.co.uk Tweet @appetitemaguk Facebook /appetitemaguk

BEAITG

FARM SHOP We breed, rear and sell our own well hung pure Aberdeen Angus beef, lamb, mutton, Saddleback pork, ham, bacon and gluten free burgers & sausages . Come and look at our amazing meat display in the Farm Shop. Fantastic turkeys, poultry and everything you need for the perfect foodie Christmas.

CHRISTMAS ORDERS NOW BEING TAKEN! COFFEE SHOP Delicious cakes and freshly ground coffee. English breakfasts, Tasty Snacks and Traditional Sunday Roasts, made with scrumptious ingredients from our butchery.

OPEN EVERY DAY! Broom House Farm, Nr. Witton Gilbert, DH7 6TR Farm Shop: 0191 371 8839 Coffee Shop: 0191 371 8382 Email:broomhousedurham@btinternet.com

www.broomhousedurham.co.uk • Follow us on Facebook

Set in beautiful countryside between Greenhead and Haltwhistle JUST OFF THE A69

ROAST SAUSAGES HONEY AND SOY-GLAZED SERVES 4 Ingredients 8 good quality pork sausages 16 shallots, peeled 1 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsps runny honey 3 tbsps soy sauce 2 tbsps flaked almonds (optional) 200g cherry tomatoes on the vine 1 bag of watercress for serving Method Preheat your oven to 200C/ Gas 4. Place the sausages and the shallots in a roasting tin, add the oil

GINO ESCAPES NORTH Blenkinsopp Castle Inn is a stunning Coaching Inn

RESTAURANT Using a selection of seasonal and local produce.

The perfect place for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

FUNCTION ROOM Newly refurbished room available for hire whatever the occasion: Christmas Parties, Weddings, Birthdays, Christenings etc

BED & BREAKFAST Ensuite Bed & Breakfast rooms

Blenkinsopp Castle Country Inn & Restaurant

6 appetitemag.co.uk

Christmas Themed Afternoon Tea with a glass of fizz £20pp 3 Course Christmas Lunch/Dinner incl tea or coffee - £20pp (throughout December)

Blenkinsopp Castle Country Inn & Restaurant Blenkinsopp Castle Home Park Greenhead, Brampton Cumbria CA8 7JS Tel: 016977 47757 www.blenkinsoppcastleinn.co.uk

Fresh from the fourth series of Gino’s Italian Escape on ITV, Gino D’Acampo is bringing his live show to Newcastle City Hall next April, promising live cooking and recipes from Italy blended with irrepressible humour and audience participation, which is nice.

Book now, before the tickets run out. www.theatreroyal.co.uk

and turn until lightly coated.

Cook in the oven for 10 mins, drain away any excess fat, turn the sausages and shallots and drizzle over the soy sauce and honey.

Continue to cook for another 10 mins, then turn the sausages and shallots in the sauce and sprinkle over the almonds and add the cherry tomatoes. Cook for another 10 mins or slightly longer until the sauce is sticky and the almonds lightly golden.

Scatter with watercress and serve with creamy mashed potato.

TOP SAUSAGES

We’ve got a trio of top sausages this month – as Daniel Farm, Knitsley Farm Shop and North Acomb Farm Shop have all picked up awards.

North Acomb has a Gold Award for its pork, leek and mustard sausage. Daniel Farm picked up five Bronze awards for its pork and leek, Northumbrian, garlic and chilli, Cumberland, and hickory-smoked varieties while the British team at the World Butchers’ Challenge, which included Knitsley’s Michael Hutton, picked up the World’s Best Pork Sausage award.

FEEDBACK FOOD FEST…

The first ever Northumbria Food & Drink Festival presented by appetite, Cheers and The Northumbrian showcased the best of local produce at Vallum Farm this summer with leading chefs sharing their knowledge as thousands joined us to celebrate our region’s best producers.

In aid of Newcastle-based international aid organisation No Strings, local bands curated by NARC. Magazine played throughout the day as Peace & Loaf’s Dave Coulson, Rhian Craddock from The Feathers Inn at Hedley on the Hill and Martin Charlton of The Old Boathouse and Fish Shack in Amble shared their knowledge on the chef’s stage.

LION’S SHARE

Blessed with a veg garden glut, the editor set to work creating all things delicious (see her rant on page 3).

The result – a big batch of parsley pesto, parsley and garlic butter, and our favourite, persillade, the chef’s must-have ingredient which you make by whizzing up loads of flat leaf parsley with masses of garlic and season with lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper (don’t worry about quantities - just go with your taste). Store in a sterilised jar in the fridge and stir through stews or pasta, coat chicken or fish and just stir through the persillade at the end. Or, our favourite, add to roast potatoes with smoked bacon – Easy!

BOOK YOUR CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS FAMILIES/COMPANIES/GROUPS WELCOME

3 COURSE FESTIVE MENU £22 PER PERSON NEW YEAR 4 COURSE FISH TASTING MENU £50 PER PERSON WITH A BOTTLE OF FIZZ. NEW DELI NOW OPEN

‘Come and shop our collection of hand chosen ingredients, cakes and trinkets for the food lovers!’

We’ve hand picked the foods we love that you just can’t find on the high street. Pop in today for a coffee and a look around!

THE IRVIN BUILDING, THE FISH QUAY, NORTH SHIELDS, TYNE & WEAR NE30 1HJ T: 0191 296 3238 WWW.IRVINSBRASSERIE.CO.UK

TOP TWEETs! Our pick of the last month on Twitter

Antony Ward (@Antony_Ward): Great day yesterday @appetitemaguk #NFDF with three superb demos by @david_coulson @PizzaMartin @TheFeathersInn

Toon Lunch Club (@ToonLunchClub): Coffee date with little dude at @enjoyTPB reading @appetitemaguk

King Bee (@KingBeeFunk): #nowplaying #JellymanFunk LIVE! @vallumfarm @narc_magazine @appetitemaguk #NFDF

appetitemag.co.uk

7

STARTERS GOOD, HONEST FOOD WITH A SPRINKLING OF NORTHERN CHARM...

• LUNCH • PRE-SHOW & DINNER • TAPAS • WINES & BEVERAGES McKennas, Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RH Tel: 0191 242 7242 www.mckennasatnorthernstage.co.uk

OPENING TIMES Tue - Sat: 9.30am - 11pm, Mon: 9.30am - 6pm, Breakfast served until 11.30am @McKennascafebar McKennasatNorthernStage

Christmas Afternoon Tea @ The Exchange Roast Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich Roast Ham & Cranberry Sandwich Roast Pepper Tart Mince Pie Assorted Home-made Cakes (Vegetarian Option Available) £15 £18 with Mulled Wine Available Monday 5th - Saturday 17th December 3-5pm Pre-Order only The Exchange, Howard Street, North Shields NE30 1SE

Tel: 0191 2584111 aine@beldons.co.uk

8 appetitemag.co.uk

NATIONAL CHAMPS Nice work on behalf of The Botanist in Newcastle, which has been named Best Managed Pub in the UK at the Great British Pub Awards, beating rivals in Manchester, Cambridge and Kent to the industry’s highest honour.

The Botanist, Monument Mall Newcastle, NE1 7AL www.thebotanist.uk.com

YES, CHEF!

Alex Walker, chef de partie at the legendary 21 on Newcastle's Quayside, has been named North East Young Chef of the Year. Alex, 24, impressed judges with his pork with chicken, sage and onion mousseline and black pudding fritter and his iced vanilla parfait with poached pear, salted caramel and pear liqueur, beating six of the best young chefs from across the region in the final at St James’ Park.

21, Trinity Gardens, Newcastle NE1 2HH, tel 0191 222 0755 www.21newcastle.co.uk

STARTERS

CHRISTMAS CAKE ORDERS

NOW BEING TAKEN

© Motörhead_2016

FAMILY RUN COFFEE HOUSE AND CAKE BOUTIQUE - IN THE HEART OF TEAM VALLEY

ROCK N ROLL

North East-based Camerons Brewery has teamed up with Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell of legendary rock band Motörhead (pictured above with late frontman Lemmy) to create Road Crew – a new beer which will be available in keg, cask and bottle and is based on an American-style session pale ale and will have an ABV of 4.5% (5% in bottle).

Traditional Afternoon Tea - only £12.95 includes: freshly made sandwiches, homemade cake, scones, served with tea or coffee.

Also Specialises in Fabulous Wedding & Celebration Cakes, Within Country Baskets, Unit 4 Princesway North, TVTE, Gateshead, NE11 0NF T: 0191 4473404 www.thelittlecoffeehouse.co.uk

A TASTE OF PORTUGAL THIS CHRISTMAS..

Main hamper: £49.99 worth £70 1x Medium dry red wine 1x Pink Port 1x 250ml wild Rosemary honey 1x 250ml cold press extra virgen garlic olive oil 1x 480gr Queimoso cheese 1x 480gr matured sheep cheese 1x 480gr mature mix goat & sheep cheese

Organic hamper: £19.99 1x 250ml wild Rosemary honey 1x 250ml cold press extra virgen garlic olive oil 1x 480gr Queimoso cheese

RURAL PRODUCTS IS A SPECIALIST BRAND OF FARM PRODUCTS

City Tavern general manager Sara Dickson and

vegan starter

VEGAN HEAVEN The City Tavern on Northumberland Road, Newcastle has expanded its menu to feature new vegan options including cantaloupe, strawberry, vegan feta and basil salad and a Moroccan chickpea stew served with giant couscous and flatbread which proved popular with diners when trialed during NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week.

City Tavern, Northumberland Road, Newcastle, NE1 8JF tel 0191 232 1308, www.citytavern.co.uk

You can even visit our shop at 281 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon tyne, NE4 6AJ | Tel: 0191 4475060 www.ruralcountry.uk

appetitemag.co.uk

9

STARTERS

BEAITG

Final countdown

Simon Walsh’s Longsands Fish Kitchen has been shortlisted for the Best Newcomer prize at the National Fish & Chip Awards.

The Tynemouth restaurant is the only entry from the North East in the 10-strong list, which will now be evaluated by mystery shoppers before three make the finals in January.

Longsands Fish Kitchen, Front Street Tynemouth, NE30 4DZ, tel 0191 272 8552 www.longsandsfishkitchen.com

CREAMY LEEK, CHICKEN AND COMTÉ CHEESE PIE SERVES 4 Ingredients 1 small chicken, roasted 25g unsalted butter 1 leek, sliced finely 1 tbsp plain flour 250ml whole milk 140ml double cream 2 tbsp tarragon leaves, chopped 100g Comté cheese, grated 500g pack of all butter puff pastry 1 free-range egg, beaten Method Heat the oven to 220C/Gas 8.

Tear the chicken flesh from the bone in large chunks and discard the skin and bones.

Heat the butter in a large pan, add the leek and cook for 5 mins or so, until softened and lightly coloured.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1 min and then gradually add the milk, stirring continuously.

Add the cream and simmer until the sauce thickens, then stir in the chicken, tarragon and Comté.

Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut 4 circles big enough to cover 4 small pie dishes (or for one big pie).

Divide the mixture between the dish/es and brush the rim/s with beaten egg. Lift the pastry on to the pie(s), trimming off any excess.

Press down and crimp the edges with a fork. Cut a couple of slits in the pastry to let the steam out and brush all over with the rest of the egg.

Bake for 15-20 mins (30-40 mins if one big pie), until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.

Who knew…

Ever wondered what this Produced in Northumberland logo means? The new verified scheme from local businesses, Northumberland County Council and Active Northumberland is a guarantee that the produce is from Northumberland – whether it’s on a restaurant menu or everything from beef and cheese to ginger wine, water and chocolate. Expect to see it more as the scheme grows. www.northumberland.gov.uk/campaigns/ produced-in-northumberland

10 appetitemag.co.uk

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

The fantastic Irvins on the Fish Quay at North Shields has launched its own shop within the restaurant, stocked with quality ingredients from around the world, hand-picked by the team, including organic olive oils, olives and sherry vinegar from Spain.

Irvins, Fish Quay, North Shields, NE30 1HJ tel 0191 296 3238, www.irvinsbrasserie.co.uk

Christmas Festive Menu THROUGHOUT DECEMBER 12PM - 6PM 2 COURSES £17 • 3 COURSES £20

Christmas Day

Boxing Day

12PM – 5PM

12PM – 5PM

5 COURSES £75 ½ FOR KIDS £35

2 COURSES £20 3 COURSES £25

New Years Eve 5 COURSES £75 ½ FOR KIDS £35

New Years Day 12PM – 5PM 2 COURSES £20 3 COURSES £25

3 BREWERY LANE | PONTELAND | NE20 9NZ

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL 01661 822 951

BRANCHESRESTAURANT.CO.UK

Christmas at Blagdon • Succulent free range turkeys and rare breed beef from our own farm • Great Taste Award winning dry cured gammon. Perfect for boxing day • Delicious party food freshly made in our farm shop kitchen • Trees and trimmings, chocolates and chipolatas, hampers and hams • Geese, ducks, guinea fowl and the biggest selection of game in the region • From our farm, freshly picked vegetables delivered straight from the field

All you need for a delicious Christmas CHRISTMAS FAYRE SATURDAY 26ST NOVEMBER Come and discover how good Christmas can taste and meet our local suppliers.

16-18 The Milkhope Centre, Berwick Hill Rd, Blagdon. Newcastle upon Tyne. NE13 6DA. Open: Tues-Sat 10-5, Sun 11-4, Open Mondays in December Tel: 01670 789924 E: enquiries@theblagdonfarmshop.co.uk Also in Fenwick Food Hall, Newcastle 0191 232 5100 E: blagdonatfenwick@outlook.com

appetitemag.co.uk

11

STARTERS

FANTASTIC MRS FOX

SUPER STARS!

The lovely Running Fox café in Felton has scooped a national award with victory at the My Country Business Awards.

Kris Blackburn and her talented team at the café and bakery won the Hospitality and Leisure category having been shortlisted by Country Homes & Interiors magazine.

The Running Fox, Riverside Felton, NE65 9EA tel 01670 787 090 www.runningfoxbakery.co.uk

The lovely folk at Michelin have been handing out their top awards and the North East and Cumbria have picked up quite a haul.

The Raby Hunt in Darlington is top of the honours list, with chefowner James Close (pictured) earning his second Michelin Star and joining just 19 restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland holding two-star status.

Over in Cumbria, The Samling Hotel won its first star following the arrival of head chef Nick Edgar this year from Raymond Blanc's two-starred Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

In Newcastle, Kenny Atkinson retained the star House of Tides earned for the first time in 2015, and Broad Chare retained its Bib Gourmand, which it has held since opening in 2012.

Just the tonic

The Newcastle Gin Company now has the necessary licences to make its own gin, which means the still which takes pride of place at Bealim House is now up and running producing up to 400 litres per week. Hic! Bealim House Gallowgate Newcastle, NE1 4SG tel 0191 221 2266 bealimhouse.co.uk

12 appetitemag.co.uk

VIVE LA REVOLUTION Newcastle’s Eldon Square’s dining revolution is underway with George’s Great British Kitchen, Giraffe and ASK Italian having opened their doors in the new dining area Grey’s Quarter.

Big names will join them in the £25m development in the coming weeks, including The Alchemist, Crepeaffaire, Red True Barbeque, Smashburger, Tapas Revolution and Tortilla, while Thai restaurant Chaophraya will take over the new rooftop terrace overlooking the statue of Earl Grey.

Eldon Square, Newcastle, NE1 7JB, www.intu.co.uk/eldonsquare

DO YOU LOVE COOKING? LET US HELP YOU TO MAKE YOUR COOKER, THE HEART OF YOUR KITCHEN‌ In any kitchen the most important appliance is the cooker and, whether you are replacing your whole kitchen or just your cooker, our expert advice will help you choose the right cooker for your requirements.

Since 1931, our family business (founded in 1888) has supplied Aga Cookers in homes throughout the North East of England and we also supply 14 different brands of high quality Range Cookers.

Our magnificent Showroom has more than 40 Aga and Range Cookers on display, including collections from Lacanche, Falcon, Mercury, Britannia and Rangemaster.

WWW.WDIX.CO.UK 1 Stirling Court, Eleventh Avenue North,Team Valley, Gateshead, NE11 0JF

STARTERS

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN

HART'S SWEET SUCCESS

Builder turned award-winning baker Mark Hart has upped sticks and moved over the road in Blackhill, Co Durham as demand for his food continues to grow.

Having secured investment, Sweethart Coffee & Cake has moved into larger premises featuring a larger seating area and kitchen as well as a training kitchen, and expanded the team from nine to 17. Mark is also now serving a full bistro menu as well as Sunday lunch and catering for private functions.

Sweethart Coffee & Cake, Durham Road, Blackhill Consett, DH8 8RR, 01207 501 100 www.facebook.com/SweethartCoffeeandCake

The friendly folks at Bradley Gardens are right into the festive spirit with a Christmas pop-up shop now open. They're also hosting late night dinner and shopping Nov 10 & 17, plus tea with Santa Dec 7 & 8. To book a place call the Glasshouse Cafe, tel 01661 852 176 ext. 206.

Bradley Gardens, Sled Lane, Wylam NE 41 8JH, tel 01661 852 176 www.bradley-gardens.co.uk

The Last Days of the Raj Christmas Lunch Menu

Christmas Party Menu

£9.95

£16.95

Available all December 12pm-2pm (Except 25th December)

Available all December 5pm-10pm

New Years Early Menu

New Years Eve Party Menu

£24.95

£39.95

Available 31st December 4pm-7pm

Champagne Reception & Access to new years eve party!

Main Road, Dinnington Village, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE13 7JS 01661598181 / 01661598484 www.thelastdaysoftheraj.com eat@Ldraj.com

14 appetitemag.co.uk

R E S TA U R A N T • R O O M S • P U B

AUTUMN

and it's time to unleash the custard

Lo rd C r e w e A r m s • T h e S q u a r e • B l a n c h l a n d • N o r t h u m b e r l a n d • D H 8 9 S P • T: 0 1 4 3 4 6 7 5 4 6 9 E : e n q u i r i e s @ l o rd c r e w e a r m s b l a n c h l a n d . c o . u k • W : l o rd c r e w e a r m s b l a n c h l a n d . c o . u k

STARTERS SITUATED IN THE CENTRE OF THE PICTURESQUE TOWN OF ROTHBURY

BEAITG

The place to visit, eat and sleep ...

A welcoming Café with in-house baked cakes and food cooked to order.

Serving wholesome, hearty breakfasts, lunches and light evening meals.

Licensed / Dog Friendly

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE...

The opening of TOMLINSONS WIDDRINGTON From 1st Nov - Come and see us at Widdrington Farm, Widdrington Village, Morpeth NE61 5EA

Bridge Street, Rothbury, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 7SE | t: 01669 621 979

www.tomlinsonsrothbury.co.uk

Christmas & New Year at

CHRISTMAS FAYRE 1 COURSE £12.95 | 3 COURSES £21.95

GANGSTERS & MOLLS NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATION Mon- Sat from 12 noon-7pm from only £5.95 Children’s menu (up to 12 years) £4.45 Adult £36.95 | Child £10.95 BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN Stella Road, Ryton NE21 4LU - Tel: 0191 413 2921 www.michelangelorestaurants.co.uk

16 appetitemag.co.uk

GODMINSTER CHEDDAR BEETROOT AND BACON BRUNCH BREAD SERVES 4 Ingredients 250ml warm water 1 tsp dried yeast 1 tsp sugar 500g strong white bread flour ½ tsp salt 1 tsp dried sage (optional) 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 150g cooked (vacuum packed) beetroot, drained and puréed 5 rashers smoked streaky bacon (or 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds for veg version) 80g Godminster Vintage Organic Cheddar, grated Method Preheat oven to 210C/Gas 7 and mix the water in a jug with the yeast and sugar. Set aside to allow the yeast to activate and after 5-10 mins there will be a layer of foam on the surface. Put the flour in a

food mixer or large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the salt, sage and olive oil. Pour in the water and yeast and the puréed beetroot and knead with a dough hook for 5 mins or by hand for 10 mins. Set aside in a non-draughty place to rise for 1hr or until it has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp, cool, cut into small pieces and set aside. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and roll into a large rectangle. Sprinkle the bacon and cheese over the surface and roll into a log shape, tucking the ends under. Put on a baking sheet and set aside for 20 mins to rise again, then cook in a hot oven for around 25 mins. Once done, the bread should sound slightly hollow when tapped on the base. Serve while still warm in thick slices with lots of butter.

WINE, DELI, ENOTECA TA S T I N G S a n d E V E N T S

GIFT VOUCHERS and GIFT WRAPPING 3a Elmfield Road | Gosforth | Newcastle upon Tyne | NE3 4AY

Tel 0191 2131818

www.carruthersandkent.com AWARD WINNING FARM SHOP & TEA ROOM

BUTCHERY:

• Christmas Meat Hampers. Starting from £29.99 (order now to avoid disappointment) • Order your Free Range Turkey • Ask about our 3 Bird Roast Speciality (Duck inside a Goose inside a Turkey) • Daniel Farm Venison & homemade game pies

TEA ROOM:

• Christmas lunches available throughout December - Booking required!

• Breakfasts, daily specials, homemade sandwiches and cakes and afternoon teas

FARM SHOP:

• A selection of jams, chutneys, beers, wines and much more.

• Bespoke Gift Hampers made to order • Gift Vouchers Available

Open: Mon-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm | Sat & Sun 9.00am-4.30pm Sled Lane, Wylam – Tel: 01661 853849

appetitemag.co.uk

17

Fish Situated in the small fishing village of Craster.

Take a breathtaking walk to Dunstanburgh Castle (recently voted in the top 5 walks in Europe)

“RELAX AND WARM UP WITH US”

Simon Walsh owner of Longsands Fish Kitchen, Tynemouth is an award-winning chef with more than 20 years experience in some of the North East’s finest hotels and restaurants. He launched Longsands, his first restaurant, in 2015, a short walk from the North Sea and walking distance from North Shields Fish Quay, where he sources the best of the day’s catch for a la carte and takeaway menus. Longsands Fish Kitchen Front Street, Tynemouth, NE30 4DZ, tel 0191 272 8552, www.longsandsfishkitchen.com

WITH A DELICIOUS HOT CHOCOLATE, MARSHMALLOWS AND LASHINGS OF FRESH CREAM, OR OUR HOMEMADE SMOKED HADDOCK CHOWDER AND DOORSTOP BREAD.

• Breakfast • Northumbrian kippers • Light lunches • Cakes and scones • Gifts Dogs always welcome!

FISH

1 Church Street, Craster, Northumberland NE66 3TH Tel: 01665 571251 Open everyday 10am-5pm

shorelinecafecraster@gmail.com

With lots of Christmas gift ideas La Cookshop at The MIlkhope Centre, can help you find that illusive gift.

Kitchenware and Gifts to suit all pockets. The new Christmas Mugs from Wrendale include some beautiful designs with Christmas Cards and Tree decorations.

The etched glass by Animo glass has three new designs for Christmas, Penguin, Polar Bear and Winter Wonderland Don’t forget your calendars and diaries by Wrendale for 2017.

The Milkhope Centre, Blagdon Northumberland, NE13 6DA Call us: 01670 789 142 www.lacookshop.co.uk Open: Mon-Sat 10-5 | Sun 10.30-4

18 appetitemag.co.uk

GOAN MONKFISH & PRAWN CURRY SERVES 4 Ingredients 2 tsp brown sugar 2 tsp hot red pepper flakes 3 garlic cloves, peeled 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and grated 2 banana shallots, finely chopped 1 tbsp tamarind paste vegetable oil 140g tomato purée 1½ tbsp cider vinegar 400ml coconut milk salt 4 red chillies, finely sliced 400g trimmed monkfish, cut into bite size pieces 12 large tiger prawns ½ tsp mustard seeds a pinch of dried curry leaves Masala spices 1 tsp whole cloves 1 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 3 black peppercorns ½ tsp ground turmeric ½ star anise Method Start by making the masala spice blend. Warm a non-stick frying

pan over a medium heat. Put all the spices into the pan and gently stir, toasting them until you get a nice aromatic smell.

Take off the heat and blend in a spice grinder until you have a fine powder. Tip the spice into a mortar, add the sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, shallot and tamarind paste, and mash together to form a paste.

Pour a little vegetable oil into a wok over a medium heat.

Add the spice mixture with the tomato purée and fry until the paste really starts to bubble. Add the coconut milk and simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir in the cider vinegar and season with a little salt. Add the sliced fresh chilli, then the monkfish and prawns and gently cook until the fish is cooked through.

In the frying pan you used to toast the spices, heat a little vegetable oil and quickly fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves until they start to pop. Scatter over your curry and serve with steamed rice and flatbreads.

NOW EVEN BIGGER & BETTER

CAFE & BAKERY BY DAY...

Offering delicious breakfasts, hot & cold sandwiches, great tasting coffee and much more! All of our cakes, bread and sweet treats are freshly made on site daily by our own bakers.

...BISTRO BY NIGHT

Thur, Fri & Sat evenings | 6pm-late | New Autumn/Winter menu coming soon.

NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY NIGHT Enjoy our New Year’s Eve 5 course menu and dance the New Year in.

SPECTACULAR SUNDAY LUNCH Served 12pm-4pm

KNEAD TO BAKE

Bread baking days, book your place!

Refreshments, apron & jute bag all provided. Courses cost £95pp for a whole day or over two evenings vouchers available.

Private Room Hire - perfect for any occasion | Gluten Free/Vegan options available with advanced notice

101 Durham Road, Blackhill, Consett DH8 8RR

T: 01207 501100

Open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat 9-4.30, Wed 9-3.30 & Sun 12-3.30

The award winning family-run coffee shop, bistro and bakery!

co We m wi pe ll tit pr or ic sa em ll a ye tch ar l ro oc un al d! *

dig this VICKY’S GAR DE N

Your local specialist cook and home store.

Everything you need for food preparation through to food presentation, glassware and culinary gifts.

Find the perfect Christmas gift at Stanger’s Cookshop, your local specialist cookware supplier.

44 Brentwood Avenue, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3DH tel & fax: 0191 281 8563 email: jess@stangerscookshop.co.uk

www.stangerscookshop.co.uk * Price matching on like for like products. Includes sale items. Excludes online only stores.

Every drop of spurreli icecream is made with passion and enthusiasm from start to finish.

So take your time and enjoy!

“Simply Incredible” Jean-Christophe Novelli “Just so smooth, amazing. 10 out of 10!” Antonio Carluccio The Old Chandlery, Coquet Street, Amble, Northumberland, NE65 0DJ Opening Hours: 10am – Early Evening | 7 days a week E: hello@spurreli.com | T: 01665 710890 | www.spurreli.com

Pure Sicilian Pistachio

Pure Sea Buck Asian Real Raspberry Arabica Thorn Ginger Banana & Kirsch Coffee Ice-Cream Ice-Cream Ice-Cream Sorbet Ice-Cream

20 appetitemag.co.uk

3

3

Ricotta & Coco Pesto

Raspberry Banana & Sorbet Caramello

Veggie bakes

Today I made bread. I’m in training with young Phil the baker here at Vallum Bakery, which brings with it the dubious advantage of being up with the lark – and today’s sunrise was spectacular!

We make six varieties of bread and they all have completely different recipes. The sourdough, for instance, has to sit overnight, taking 16 hours or more to develop.

We’ve been playing with the last of the basil, making pesto to ripple through ciabatta, and we’ve discovered that our rosemary is delicious on the sea salt ciabatta.

We’re going to play about with the beetroot next.

My favourite vegetable, celeriac, is already cropping in the garden - although we can leave it in the ground like a living larder. I love celeriac - celeriac soup with white truffle oil, roast celeriac, celeriac dauphinois with grainy mustard, remoulade (slaw) and so much more; it’s such a versatile ingredient. We planted twice as much as last year and I think we will plant twice as much again in 2017. The kale is absolutely abundant at the moment. There’s

a bit of powdery mildew in one variety, but it’s still cropping like mad and the colours of the different varieties look so beautiful.

We used the last of the courgettes with the kale for Sunday lunch in our restaurant.

I think we will make a bigger effort with squashes next year.

With the exception of the petit pans, ours failed. We are, however, buying them in and their chestnuty consistency and nutty flavour are so splendid we've added them to the menu as a starter roasted with cumin and finished with cheese.

Sad news - we adopted a homing pigeon last week which had lost its way. We named it Pidgey and it recovered well, but today we found a mound of feathers - the identity ring sitting neatly on top.

RIP Pidgey… Good news though, Rose the cow is due to calve in December. She is looking great and is so friendly. We will blog about her on the website and anyone interested in seeing the delivery can email me moffittv@gmail.com And so to plans for our Christmas experience - clovebaked ham, flaming pud and so much more. Exciting!

Vicky Moffitt and her husband Peter own Vallum, the food destination and wedding venue on Hadrian’s Wall, eight miles west of Newcastle. Vallum Restaurant & Chef’s Room and Vallum Tea Room serve the vegetables and herbs grown at the Kitchen Garden, and Vallum Shop sells some of its produce. The Shop, Tea Room, and Restaurant & Chef’s Room are all located just yards from the Kitchen Garden, where the team will all be pleased to see you, should you wish to drop by for a visit (and a day’s gardening, should the fancy take you).

Vallum, Military Road, Newcastle, NE18 0LL tel 01434 672 652, www.vallumfarm.co.uk

2 COURSES - £15.00 | 3 COURSES - £22.50 During November Mon-Thurs CHRISTMAS MENU – 2 COURSES - £15.00 | 3 COURSES - £22.50* Available from 1st Dec - (*includes a complimentary glass of wine & a Christmas cracker) Children’s meals from £5.95

Awarded Best UK Coastal Fish Restaurant

Best Fine Dining in Northumberland

The Boathouse - Amble Leazes Street, Amble, Northumberland NE65 0AA Tel: 01665 711 232 www.boathousefoodgroup.co.uk The Boathouse - Blyth Quay Road, Blyth, Northumberland NE24 3PA Tel: 01670 369 052 www.blythboathouse.co.uk

THE BUTCHER BUTCHER

Vintage Style Tea Rooms Now open in Hexham Serving a selection of loose leaf teas, coffee, milkshakes, sandwiches, lite bites, homemade cakes and much more. Dogs Welcome.

Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm

2 Cattle Market, Hexham NE46 1LS Tel:

01434 604552 We’ve just started selling organic lamb from our regular local supplier Tom Burn of Holy Island, a native and rare breeds specialist producer. It’s perfect for this recipe, courtesy of the national Butchers Q Guild, of which I’m a founder member. www.georgepaynebutchers.co.uk

CHRISTMAS 2016 AT Sit back and relax whilst our dedicated team here at Nicholsons take the stress out of your Christmas with the knowledge that you are buying good quality fresh produce.

From the biggest, plumpest turkey to our hand prepared 3 Bird Roast we ensure the highest quality produce to ensure that your Christmas meal is unforgettable.

ORDERS PLACED BY PHONE OR IN STORE Farm Assured White Turkeys Northumbrian Free Range Beef Fresh Ducks Northumbrian Free Range Pheasants Northumbrian Free Range Geese Homemade Award Winning Sausages Famous 3 Bird Roast Homemade Pies and Pastry Home Cooked Meats Plus much much more...

140 Park View, Whitley Bay

tel: 0191 2525250

www.nicholsonsbutchers.co.uk C Nicholson and Son Butcher

22 appetitemag.co.uk

@NicholsonsofWB

LAMB CUTLETS WITH ANCHOVY AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO BUTTER Serves 4 Ingredients 8 lean lamb cutlets or 4 loin chops salt and freshly milled black pepper for the sun-dried tomato butter 100g unsalted butter, softened ½ x 50g can anchovies, drained and roughly chopped 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped or crushed 25g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained 25g pine nuts, toasted ¼ tsp mild chilli powder Method To prepare the butter, place all the

ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until blended. Put the mixture on a large piece of cling film or foil and mould into a sausage shape. Chill until required.

Season the cutlets or chops and cook under a preheated moderate grill for 6-8 mins. Turn over and cook for a further 3-4 mins. Top each of the cutlets or chops with a disc of the butter. Return to the grill and cook for another 3-4 mins. Serve with crusty bread, any meat juices from the pan and the accompaniments of your choice.

Christmas 2016 The race is already on for the most popular dates . ..

Don’t miss out book now!

WINNER of the UK’s Best Casual Dining Restaurant at the British Curry Awards 2015 Recommended by The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Harden’s Guide, Buzzfeed

Street food pioneers of the North East Jesmond and High Bridge, Newcastle 69-75 High Bridge, Newcastle, NE1 6BX, Tel: 0191 2325133, Email: highbridge@dabbawal.com, Web: www.dabbawal.com 1 Brentwood Mews, Jesmond, NE2 3DG, Tel: 0191 2813434, Email: jesmond@dabbawal.com, Web: www.dabbawal.com

DINNER!

! e t a br e l Ce It’s getting closer…which means it’s time to break out your best dinner party recipes in time for the festive season. Here are some of our favourite celebration dinner party dishes

STARTERS

1

Mark Hix’s beetroot salad with smoked anchovies Serves 4

Ingredients 500g cooked beetroot 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 tbsp chives, chopped ½ tbsp white wine vinegar 3 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper 1 can smoked anchovies, drained Method Cut beetroot into 5mm slices and lay on plates or a serving dish. To make the dressing, mix together the remaining ingredients apart from the anchocies and spoon it over the beetroot. Arrange the anchovies on top. (credit www.lovebeetroot.co.uk)

HIC! HIC! HOORAY 24 appetitemag.co.uk

2

2 3

1

4

Cheese soufflé

Serves 4

Ingredients 50g butter + more for greasing 60g mixed breadcrumbs 40g ground walnuts 50g plain flour 150ml milk 100g extra mature cheddar 2 egg yolks 5 egg whites lemon juice salt and pepper Method Butter 4 ramekins and freeze, repeating three times for a good coating. Coat the inside of each ramekin with breadcrumbs and walnuts mix. Melt butter in a pan and add flour, stirring to create a roux, then gradually add the milk and then the grated cheese. Pour into a bowl, beat in the egg yolks, season with salt and pepper.

Whisk egg whites to soft peaks, add a little lemon juice, carefully fold into the mix and pour mix into the ramekins. Put in a baking tray filled with boiling water halfway up the ramekins and cook in a preheated oven 180C/ Gas 4 and bake for 15-20 mins until golden. Serve immediately.

3

SIDES

Tenderstem with hazelnut and orange butter Serves 4

Ingredients 40g blanched hazelnuts zest of 1 small orange 70g unsalted butter, softened black pepper and sea salt 400g Tenderstem

Method Toast hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Tip into the centre of a clean tea towel, cover and gently crush with a heavy rolling pin. In a small bowl, work the hazelnuts and orange zest into the butter using the back of a fork.

Season to taste and then scrape the butter onto a piece of cling film and roll into a log. Chill. Steam Tenderstem for 3-4 mins, drain and tip into a serving dish, dot with slices of the butter and serve. (credit www.tenderstem.co.uk)

DINNER! 5

5

MAINS

Breast of Gressingham duck three ways Serves 4

Ingredients for the shallot purée 100g butter 500g chopped shallots for the potato fondant 4 potatoes 50g butter 2 litres chicken stock 350g whole shallots, peeled for the duck: oil for frying 4 Gressingham duck breasts ½ bottle red wine for the deep-fried shallots 50g shallots, sliced in rings plate of flour salt and pepper

4

Sesame and garlic roasted asparagus Serves 4

Ingredients 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed 2 cloves garlic, sliced very thinly 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp red wine vinegar large pinch Maldon salt 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6, put the asparagus in a dish with the sliced garlic. Drizzle over the oil and vinegar, sprinkle with salt and toss well. Transfer asparagus and garlic to an oven tray (keep the bowl with the oil for later) and sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Roast for 10-12 mins until softened and browning. Once cooked, tip the veg back into the bowl and toss again in the retained dressing, add a little more salt if necessary. (credit www.britishasparagus.com)

Method The shallot purée can be made days in advance or even made and frozen then used as you need it.

For the shallot purée: Place butter in a pan, add shallots and cook gently until softened.

Season with salt. Place in a food processor and purée finely. Cover and keep in the fridge until required.

For the potato fondant: Peel the potatoes and slice the sides off to flatten them.

Then cut into discs using a cylinder or pastry cutter. In a saucepan melt a knob of butter over a moderate heat and add potatoes. Cook on all sides until golden then place potatoes in an ovenproof dish and half cover in chicken stock. Place in the oven at 180C/Gas 4 for 35-40 mins.

After 15 mins add ¾ of the peeled whole shallots. The stock should be soaked up by the potatoes and shallots, leaving them cooked through and tasty. Time the cooking of these shallots and potatoes so that they get into the oven first with the duck going in towards the last 20 mins of

their cooking time.

For the duck: Place a large ovenproof pan on the hob and add a spoonful of oil (not much as the duck will render down a lot of its own fat).

Season the duck breasts with sea salt and pepper and place flesh side down in the hot pan.

Cook for 1 min then turn over onto the fat side and place the pan in the oven. They should take approx 10 mins to cook depending on their thickness in an oven at 180C/Gas 4.

Once cooked remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for 6-8 mins.

Deglaze the duck cooking pan by placing back on the heat, pouring in the red wine and reducing until syrupy, add the remainder of the stock and reduce until it has reached a sauce consistency. Pass through a very fine sieve into a clean pan.

For the deep fried shallots: Slice the shallots into thin rings and place into a little seasoned flour. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown and then place on to kitchen paper to drain. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Place the hot potato in the centre of the dish, on top of that place the deep fried shallot rings. Dot the hot shallot purée around the outside. On top of the shallot purée, add one of the braised shallots. Cut the duck breasts into 6 equal cubes and place that around the outside.

Drizzle with the hot sauce and serve immediately. (credit www.UKshallot.com)

CONTINUED appetitemag.co.uk

25

DINNER!

CONTINUEED

New this month...

5 Herb pancakes with gruyère sauce Serves 4

Organic Lamb from Tom Burn of Holy Island See our mouth-watering lamb cutlets recipe in this edition of Appetite

YOU REALLY CAN TASTE THE DIFFERENCE 27 Princes Road, Brunton Park, Gosforth NE3 5TT

Tel: 0191 236 2992 Ask about our FREE local delivery service

THE FINEST LOCALLY COOKED SEAFOOD AND SHELLFISH, OR SIMPLY COME ALONG AND ENJOY FISH & CHIPS FROM OUR TAKEAWAY.

OPEN DAILY: 11:30am till late / Closed Tuesday Open all Bank Holiday DELICIOUS BREAKFAST MENU AVAILABLE Sat-Sun 9am-11.30am LOCALLY CAUGHT ‘DAY BOAT SPECIAL’S’ IN BOTH TAKEAWAY & RESTAURANT Longsands Fish Kitchen 27 Front Street, Tynemouth NE30 4DZ Tel: 0191 2728552 info@longsandsfishkitchen.com www.longsandsfishkitchen.com

26 appetitemag.co.uk

Ingredients for the shallot confit 400g shallots, peeled & chopped 100g butter sea salt and pepper for the pancakes 2 eggs 150ml milk 100g flour 10g parsley 10g chives 10g chervil for the béchamel 1 shallot 1 bay leaf 2 cloves 500ml milk 50g butter 50g flour 50g gruyère cheese, grated 50g Dijon mustard the rest 250g Tenderstem broccoli 50g gruyere cheese, grated baby watercress leaves Method For the shallot confit: Melt the butter in a pan and add the shallots. Season with sea salt and pepper and cook slowly on a low heat, not allowing them to colour, for 30 mins until very tender.

For the pancakes: Make a basic pancake batter ahead of time by mixing the eggs with the milk then adding the flour and beating until velvety smooth. Add the chopped herbs and allow to rest for 30 mins. In a hot nonstick pan melt a small knob of butter and add enough batter for one pancake. Cook for 2 mins per side. Allow 2 per person.

Keep these between layers of greaseproof paper until required.

For the béchamel sauce: Cut the shallot in half and then stick the bay leaf to one half of the shallot with the cloves. Place the milk and shallot in a pan and warm up. In another pan, make a roux with the butter and flour, add the hot milk gradually and beat with a whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper then add half the cheese and the mustard to finish. Leave in the pan until required.

For the Tenderstem: Blanch Tenderstem in boiling salted water for 2 mins and then refresh by placing in ice cold water. Allow to drain on kitchen paper. You can if you like chargrill the Tenderstem to give an extra dimension of taste.

To assemble the dish: In a clean bowl add half the shallot confit and one third of the béchamel sauce. Add the drained Tenderstem, check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Roll each piece of Tenderstem along with the sauce and shallots into a pancake and place in an ovenproof dish ready to warm up.

Cook at 180C/Gas 4 for 8-10 mins, checking they are hot on the inside.

To serve: Remove the hot pancakes from the dish and place 2 per person in the centre of hot plates. Pour the remaining sauce over the pancakes then add the remaining shallot confit. Garnish with grated gruyere and baby watercress leaf. (credit www.tenderstem.co.uk)

CONTINUED

Christmas Fayre CORB RI DG E, NORTH U M B E RLAN D, N E43 7U B FREE ENTRY AND CAR PARKING

10TH - 13TH NOVEMBER 2016 10AM TILL 4.30PM EACH DAY TE L: 01434 633100 • www.brocksbushes.co.uk • caroline@brocksbushes.co.uk

A great day out! Not to be missed!

Three huge marquees full of wonderful things for Christmas. Unusual gifts, food and wine.

FARM SHOP: closes at 6pm TEA ROOM: closes at 5.30pm every day

Don’t forget to order your Christmas Goodies...

Make a day of it...

- Fresh Turkeys, Ducks, Geese and Chickens - Fresh Cut Christmas Trees, Wreaths, Holly & Mistletoe - Homemade Mince Pies, Christmas Puddings etc

Visit our Tearoom for a Light Snack, Lunch or Afternoon Tea!

CHRISTMAS TASTING WEEKEND 10th & 11th DEC 2016 11am to 3pm appetitemag.co.uk

27

DINNER!

DESSERTS 7 Pavolva wreath with pomegranate, cranberry and pistachios

Ingredients 4 large free-range egg whites 225g caster sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp cornflour 400ml double or whipping cream seeds from 2 pomegranates 80g crushed pistachios 100g cranberries 2 tsp icing sugar Method Preheat oven to 150C/Gas 2.

Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until stiff and you can turn the bowl upside down without the eggs sliding out. Gradually whisk in the sugar then the vanilla extract and cornflour.

Dab a little mix in the corners of a baking sheet and position greaseproof paper on it, using

8

Vodka jelly

Ingredients 4 sheets leaf gelatine 450ml cranberry and raspberry juice 2 tbsp caster sugar 150ml vodka juice of 1 lime 175g raspberries

the meringue dabs to secure it. Pipe or spoon meringue in a wreath shape and bake in the centre of the oven for 1hr until lightly coloured and crisp on the outside. After 1hr, turn oven off and leave meringue for another hour. Remove from oven, leave to cool. Put cranberries and sugar in a pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar melts but the cranberries remain intact, about 5 mins. Up to 2hrs before serving, release meringue from the baking parchment and put on a serving plate. Whip cream and pipe onto the meringue, sprinkling over pomegranate seeds, cranberries and crushed pistachios. Dust with sifted icing sugar to serve.

7 8

Method Soak gelatine for 5 mins in cold water. Heat the cranberry and raspberry juice until warm, whisk in the sugar and remove from the heat. Add the gelatine and whisk in to dissolve. Stir in the vodka and lime juice. Leave to cool. Put the raspberries in glasses and pour jelly over.

Leave to set.

Cafe & Ar tist Studio...

A hub of the community for music, arts & hospitality

Carefully selected products chosen for quality and flavour...

Serving all-day-breakfast, light lunches, daily specials, homemade scones, cakes & Sunday lunch.

DOG FRIENDLY | CYCLIST FRIENDLY The Hearth Cafe & Arts Centre, Main Road, Horsley, Newcastle NE15 0NT Call to book a table 01661 853563 or email hearthcafe@ymail.com

www.thehearth.co.uk

28 appetitemag.co.uk

Bespoke Hampers, Christmas Gifts & Cheeseboards plus lots of Christmas goodies in store.

The Deli Around the Corner 61 Hotspur Street, Tynemouth, NE30 4EE Tel: 0191 259 0086 Open Tues-Fri 10-6 / Sat 9-5 www.thedeliaaroundthecorner.co.uk

FESTIVE FOOD & FUN AT VALLUM

19TH NOVEMBER CHRISTMAS MARKET (10AM-4PM):

Stalls of festive food & drink and great gifts, with crafts for the children and Santa himself!

17TH DECEMBER SANTA’S TEA PARTY:

Santa will be taking last minute wishes from children when he drops in. £10 per child and £7 per adult.

FESTIVE FRIDAYS:

Our Restaurant will be open Friday evenings throughout December so you can enjoy a Vallum Christmas dining experience.

Book now as places will be limited!

YOUR CELEBRATION:

Cosy up in front of a log fire for an intimate dinner in the Chef’s Room or dance the night away at your office party in the Paddock Marquee - get in touch to book.

For details and bookings tel: 01434 672 323 email: info@vallumfarm.co.uk | www.vallumfarm.co.uk @vallumfarm

/vallumfarm

Military Road, East Wallhouses, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE18 0LL

LIVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY We have live music every Saturday at our Broadway WOODS, from 7pm, we are licensed so we can offer you chilled beer, a great selection of wine, and prosecco. If that’s not your thing we have a huge menu of speciality drinks, our coconut hot chocolate , or pumpkin spice latte is one of our popular autumnal drinks, ideal for a cosy Saturday night in with us.

@woods_coffee @samwrightNE

142, THE Broadway, TYNEMOUTH, NE30 3RT Tel: 0191 2964412

FOLLOW US @woods_coffee

appetitemag.co.uk

29

ON THE FARM

Picture perfect U

nless you’re Delia Smith, you probably know the feeling of being halfway through the holiday period and the cupboard is bare, and let’s face it, who needs to find themselves under-catered mid-way through Christmas?

We asked the lovely folks at Blagdon Farm Shop for a bit of help with our pre-Christmas catering plans and they gave us these two fantastic recipes which you can make now and freeze for that period between Christmas and New Year when you start wondering if you’ll ever leave the kitchen again.

They’ve also had a lovely set of photos done at Blagdon to emphasise their connection to produce grown on their farm and prepared in their own kitchen.

Shop manager Jo Celerier says the idea came about for the atmospheric photoshoot by photographer Andrew Heptinstall from the fact that, because the shop isn’t actually on its farm, customers may forget that it is as rooted in its soil as any other farm shop.

That means a good 60% of the produce sold in the shop comes from the farm and from the farm shop kitchen, served up in the shape of beef from its Belted Galloway herd and rare-breed pigs, game from the estate’s venison, partridge, pheasants and hares, turkey, geese, ducks and guinea fowl – all of it expertly prepared by the team of master butchers.

There are free-range laying hens on the farm, and the shop and its kitchen uses some 18 types of vegetables to make its pies, quiches, soups, puddings, all homemade in small batches. Which leads us to thinking, well some of that might be useful in the freezer for the holiday period too. Not long now!

The Blagdon Farm Shop, Unit 16-18, Milkhope Centre, Berwick Hill Road, Seaton Burn, NE13 6DA tel 01670 789 924, www.theblagdonfarmshop.co.uk

30 appetitemag.co.uk

Slow-cooked beef cheek in red wine

Elaine’s Christmas rum pudding parfait Ingredients 250g Christmas pudding 50ml dark rum 1 tsp cinnamon 400ml whipping or double cream 100g cream cheese 2 tbsp caster sugar 175g broken meringues zest of 1 orange Method Loosely line a large loaf tin at least 10cm long by 9cm deep with clingfilm. In a large mixing bowl crumble the Christmas pudding into small pieces, pour over the rum, add the cinnamon and set aside. Whip together the cream, the cream cheese and the sugar until stiff. Break the meringues into pieces and add to the cream mix. Add the zest and the pudding mixture. Fold all together gently and place into the loaf tin and freeze. Remove from freezer 30 mins prior to serving.

Ingredients 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 4 (approx 350g) beef cheeks, trimmed of excess fat 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, finely chopped ½ stick of celery, finely chopped ½ tsp unsweetened cocoa powder 500ml red wine (preferably a dry Lambrusco or Chianti) 400g can whole tomatoes including juice, chopped 1½ tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper Method Heat 2 tbsp oil in an ovenproof casserole dish over a moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. While the oil is heating, pat the beef cheeks dry and season with salt and pepper.

Brown the beef in batches on all sides for about 20 mins total, and transfer with tongs to a bowl.

Pour off the fat from the pot, then add the remaining 2 tbsp oil and cook the onion, carrot, and celery over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened - about 10 mins.

Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3. Stir the cocoa powder into the vegetable mixture, then add the wine and scrape up any brown bits. Increase the heat to high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half - about 10 mins. Return the cheeks (with any juices) to the pot and add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and then braise, covered, in the middle of the oven until very tender - about 3hrs. You can then split into portions and freeze this until you’re ready for it.

A brilliant holiday period staple.

CHRISTMAS AT THE

FESTIVE CHEER

CHRISTMAS DAY - £65PP

Experience something new this festive season at the Karbon Grill as we guarantee a memorable Christmas for all the family with traditional festive menus.

Make Christmas Day extra special and join us at the Karbon Grill as we cook up a wonderful five-course festive feast which includes a glass of fizz and canapés on arrival. Children will also have the opportunity to meet Santa himself with those under 12 also receiving a gift.

FESTIVE LUNCH - FROM £15.95PP Throughout December guests can enjoy a two-course festive lunch for £15.95 or a sumptuous three-course evening dinner for £25 which includes a glass of prosecco. Available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday (Lunch not available on 3rd and 17th December) Standard menu also available at the Karbon Grill, open 7 days a week.

NEW YEAR’S EVE - £50PP New Year’s Eve at the Karbon Grill is set to be a thriller as we toast the New Year with a glass of bucks fizz on arrival followed by a mouth-watering five-course gala dinner and bacon rolls at midnight with access to the Karbon Bar.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE OR TO BOOK A TABLE PLEASE CONTACT KARBONGRILL@HGISUNDERLAND.COM OR CALL 0191 349 8500.

To book accommodation Call: 0191 500 9494 Email: enquiries@hgisunderland.com

Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland, Vaux Brewery Way, Sunderland, SR5 1SN 5600

For all your Autumn and Festive Season Foods.

Local Multi Award Winning Farm Shop.

Awarded Butchers Shop and Farm Shop of the year.

• Fully stocked butchery counter • Cooked Pies • Pork Pies • Local & Continental Cheeses • Quality fresh fruit and veg • Hampers • Christmas Preserves and Condiments • Foodie Stocking Fillers • Christmas Ale Packs • Gift Vouchers

We look forward to seeing you at Knitsley.

Meat and Turkey orders Taken from Mid October

Knitsley Farm Shop East Knitsley Grange Farm, Knitsley, Consett DH8 9EW Open: Mon ~ Closed • Tues to Sat ~ 10am til 5pm • Sun ~ 10am til 4pm Tel: 01207 592059 www.knitsleyfarmshop.co.uk

appetitemag.co.uk

31

A DAY WITH JAY

Food rules

Claire Dupree can’t resist putting the bite on Jay Rayner when he visits Newcastle to perform his show based on his new book, The 10 (Food) Commandments, at The Stand comedy club.

Here’s what he divulges under intense foodie questioning So what’s it like being a food writer appearing at a comedy club?

The last time I was in Newcastle I was at The Stand as well. I turned up and thought, ‘F-me, it’s a comedy club!’ I had to sit in the corner for a couple of minutes and think ‘how the hell am I going to do this?’ It quite radically changed my approach that night, which I carried away with me on the rest of the tour. There’s nothing more intimate than a comedy club, although I talk about what I do being stand-up comedy, it is quite different to be in the face of the audience, so I’m really looking forward to coming back to The Stand because it was such a good one last time.

Did you feel more pressure to be funnier?

You can only be who you are, but I did feel a slight pressure to pick up the pitch, or maybe just to swear more, which in itself can be hilarious. I may be about to turn 50, but I still think the F-word is hilarious! The last show was about negative restaurant reviews

32 appetitemag.co.uk

and was pitched as comedy, but this one has a lot more nerdy stuff in it. It’s not all laugh a minute when you’re getting into the nutty academic research on super foods or why we should cook more, so I’m curious to see how it goes over.

What inspired you to write about food?

I never had a plan to write about food. I’ve been a journalist for 25 years, I’ve been a feature writer and news reporter. Back in the late 90s I was on the Observer and I’d written about everything except sport, and one day I was told the restaurant column had come up. I’d always spent my money in restaurants, I love them and I still do – which is a prerequisite of the job I suppose. I never imagined I’d make it a living.

The editor of the paper didn’t want me to, he was happy keeping me as the news features writer but I refused to lie down. There’s something in the subject that’s brilliant for a writer. Mine is not an eating job – people often stop me and say ‘Oh I’d love your job,

all that eating’ – I do the eating for free, it’s the writing I get paid for. I‘m not selling restaurants, I’m selling newspapers or the digital equivalent thereof. Nobody is coming to The Stand to hear whether the lamb was overcooked or the fish was raw, they’re coming for how I examine the world. Food is a brilliant prism through which to examine the world; politics, emotion, sex and sometimes it’s about dinner.

So the new book and show, The Ten (Food) Commandments delves into the science and psychology behind food?

Each commandment is a jumping off point for a 5,000-word essay on a particular subject. I only put a commandment in if there’s enough material in that subject to really go off on one. I want to know what the experts say on it, how much detail can I go into, so I can make a convincing argument, and then of course there are the recipes.

What’s also worth saying is that the book and the show were devised at the same time, I wrote

the book with the show in mind.

I wrote a book a few years back about food security in the 20th Century, which sounds very nerdy but I hope is quite entertaining.

I realised the book was fodder for discussion panels at literary festivals – you know, three people seated between rubber plants.

I hate discussion panels, I think they’re tedious; you get two people in entrenched positions being moderated by someone who hasn’t read the book. The only way to dodge this was to come up with my own one-man show, so that first one was a way to avoid having to enter into discussions with experts and have a conversation with the audience. After about a year of doing it I looked at my accounts and realised this had become business, which is how I came up with My Dining Hell, which grew out of my collection of bad restaurant reviews. So this time around, I knew what the show and the book needed to be. I think about them as a whole, the show is not a promotional thing for the book, but it underpins the show.

A DAY WITH JAY

appetitemag.co.uk

33

A DAY WITH JAY All things Japanese

Braised lamb shoulder

JAY’S FAVES KFC (sometimes!)

Paella What do you think is the biggest mistake chefs routinely make?

Overthinking everything. Cook nice food, don’t sit there thinking ‘what’s the wow factor?’ Cook food people want to eat, rather than trying to come up with some unique selling point that’ll make you look clever and smart. There are myriad ways to complicate a restaurant experience; tables and chairs, plates – please God plates, not flat caps and mini wheelbarrows – served by people who don’t feel the need to explain the concept to you.

How do you feel about music in a restaurant?

I don’t have a particular problem with music unless it’s intrusive.

Sometimes it’s a replacement for atmosphere, and we all know what that’s like, it means the restaurant’s failing. What does trouble me is when albums come along and they have restaurant background music written all over them. So I’ve been through the Swing When You’re Winning years, the Norah Jones Come Away With Me years, the Tony Bennett Duets played on a loop. If they wanted to be hip they’d put Caro Emerald on.

There was one restaurant in

34 appetitemag.co.uk

Newcastle - the food was really nice, but there was a constant soundtrack of Lindisfarne. I addressed my review to the kitchen, saying you’ve got to sort this guy out, who’s putting on all this Lindisfarne. About a week after my review came out they had a ceremonial burning of the Lindisfarne CDs. Have you had any particularly entertaining run-ins with a chef?

Not particularly. I joke that when people get in touch it’s usually the chef’s mother. There’s nothing you can say. I had one chap’s 15-year-old daughter get in touch, obviously distressed that her dad’s work had been trashed by me, there’s nothing you can say in those circumstances. As a writer of books I too am reviewed and I take it on the chin. It’s a privilege to write for a living and a privilege to cook for people for a living and if you do that and charge £100 for two or whatever, you have to accept that some form of criticism may come your way.

How do you feel when you get reviewed as a musician?

It’s terrifying. I’m an accidental performer of the piano, but I’m very serious about it, I take it

very seriously. I’ve been properly reviewed once by The Times – a nice fat four of out five stars – but waiting for that review was more terrifying than any other.

Perhaps because I don’t over claim my own piano skills; I‘m solid and in certain places I have particular strengths, but I’m not a great all-round pianist, I bring something else to the party. I work with very good musicians, I’m good on repertoire, patter and showmanship.

That was terrifying, but I got away with it. If someone just said ‘really he’s shocking, he’s just some big haired bloke off Masterchef’ I wouldn’t have much to say about it, how could I? One of the interesting things with live shows is you’re getting people to part with good money and spend time with you; you have to be very conscious of that.

It’s a privilege and a responsibility, never take it for granted.

If you could only go back to one place to eat again, where would it be?

It would probably be The Sportsman in Seasalter. It used to be this great unknown gem and I’d sound really clever when I said it, but it’s been voted number one in the National Restaurant

Awards this year, so it’s hardly obscure. It’s a tumbledown pub on the coast near Whitstable, run by a brilliant chef named Stephen Harris, who just has pitch perfect taste. There’s no flummery or linen tablecloths there, just really clever cooking.

When you’re cooking, what’s your signature dish?

Oh, I don’t know about signature recipes. I never sign anything.

I’m happiest when I’m braising.

The Ten Commandments book comes with recipes, including in the We Should Worship Leftovers chapter, a recipe for braised lamb shoulder. When winter comes and it’s been braising for seven hours, that makes me very happy.

Do your friends cook for you?

Not much. I have two sets of friends who do invite us round for supper, but we don’t get invited to dinner parties. I wonder why?

It’s more a case of ‘we’re putting dinner on for the kids, get round for six and join in.’ In the summer holidays we take a large house in Northern Spain and invite a bunch of other families to come with us.

The qualifying criteria for joining us is not just a willingness to cook but an enthusiasm to do so, so we all take turns in doing dinner.

From field to f�k...

Traditional Butcher producing the finest Northumbrian beef, Pork and lamb reared from our South Tyne Valley and surrounding areas and sold in our shops.

Award winning burgers and sausages made on the premises.

Choice of homebaked pies, cooked meats and hot & cold sandwiches.

JAY RAYNER’S PORK, CHORIZO AND BUTTER BEAN STEW SERVES 6 Ingredients 1.5kg pork for braising, cut into rough 2.5cm cubes 6 cooking chorizo sausages piquancy to taste (three spicy and three mild can save the stew from blowing your socks off, and make it child friendly) 1 medium onion, chopped 750 ml chicken stock 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 tin butter beans Method Use a deep casserole dish with a lid, and heat the oven to 150C/ Gas 2. Slice the chorizo into half inch discs, putting a third of the slices to one side for later. In the casserole dish, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until soft.

Fry off two thirds of the chorizo with the softened onion, so that it caramelises and the orange, paprika-rich oil begins to run.

Steal the occasional piece of chorizo while muttering ‘chef’s prerogative’ under your breath.

When all the chorizo has been cooked, steal a couple more pieces, then add the pork in handfuls and brown it in the

Event and Outside Catering available: Barbecues, Spit Roasted pigs, lamb and beef joints copper-coloured oil. It only needs to take on a little colour. As each batch is done, push it to the side to make space for the next until it has all been cooked through and mixed in with the onion and the chorizo.

Add the tin of tomatoes and the jug of stock and mix in until the meat is completely submerged by the liquor.

Put in the remaining discs of uncooked chorizo and stir in.

Bring to a simmer. Strain the butter beans and add them too.

Put on the lid, place in the oven, and don’t look at it for two hours.

To check whether the stew is ready, fish out a piece of pork. It should come apart easily when tugged at with a couple of forks.

If it’s not yet completely ready, just return to the oven for 20 mins and check again. If the liquor is a little thin, put the casserole back on the hob without the lid, bring to a gentle boil and reduce the sauce. The stew can easily be prepared ahead of time, and quickly reheated when you need it. Arguably it’s even better on day two, and it lends itself to being made in even larger volume.

ORDERS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR CHRISTMAS POULTRY & CHIPOLATA SAUSAGES 4 Church Street, Haydon Bridge Tel: (01434) 684990 (closed 1/2 day Tues) 21 Westgate, Haltwhistle Tel: (01434) 322322 (closed 1/2 day Wed)

A Mark of Northumberland Quality Food & Drink Are you interested in knowing where your food is produced?

Look out for the LOGO or visit our website producedin.northumberland.gov.uk

We’re just having dinner, but the ingredients are great and it’s a lot of fun.

Is there any particular world cuisine you’re fond of?

I veer between Spanish and Japanese, depending on my mood. One of the interesting things about Japanese cuisine is that it’s a far more complex repertoire than we might earlier have thought; it’s not just raw fish and noodles. It can be very exciting; Japanese food can always get me going.

McDonalds or KFC, and why?

KFC! Why? It’s fried chicken!

The reality is I‘ve eaten KFC very recently. We generally go to Center Parcs and on the route between my house and Center Parcs there’s a service station with a KFC. For a long time my son had a photograph of me eating it which he swore he’d put on social media and bribe me, but it’s good to get it out there. I live in South London, and we all know the dodgy reputation of South London chicken shops, but KFC really isn’t that bad, in moderation.

If you see the logo on restaurant menus or food and drink products, you can be assured that they have been actually produced in our amazing county of Northumberland If you are interested in finding out more about the Produced in Northumberland Verification Scheme contact: Dawn Goodwill-Evans, Tourism Development, Active Northumberland T 01670 624766 E dgoodwill-evans@ activenorthumberland.org.uk

appetitemag.co.uk

35

BEET IT

EattotheBeet Dean Bailey gets a taste of Texas courtesy of Lizzy Hodcroft

T

here are cowboy boots by the door, country music on the stereo, and chilli on the stove.

If I hadn’t just turned off Osborne Road in Jesmond on a rainy day in October you could mistake Lizzy Hodcroft’s flat for a little piece of Texas.

Lizzy, the girl behind The Sweet Beet Tex Mex streetfood brand, is preparing for Jesmond Food Market when we invade her kitchen – a space filled with momentos of her life spent between Texas and Scotland, Coca-Cola bottles sitting beside cans of real ale, and cosy slippers replacing her boots.

The Sweet Beet, which pops up at food markets and has branded jars of Habanero lime jelly and maple bacon jam in at mmm...Glug in the Grainger Market, is inspired

by Lizzy’s school years in Texas, summers in Scotland, and training in Newcastle’s best kitchens.

“I suppose my passion for cooking wasn’t sparked until I enrolled in college aged 17,” says Lizzy in her soft Texan accent.

“My mom wasn’t a cook and my stepdad was ok at it, but I didn’t grow up in the kitchen. Then I arrived in the UK and my dad pushed two prospectuses in my hands. Chef training stood out and everything followed from there.”

There followed time in Terry Laybourne’s 21 Group kitchens in Newcastle, until Lizzy realised she didn’t want a restaurant chef’s

36 appetitemag.co.uk

career. “At 18 years old I found kitchens intimidating. It’s a really macho atmosphere and I think I lacked the confidence to work in that environment,” she says.

Nine years on, having gained a degree in criminology and worked front of house for leading Newcastle restaurants including Artisan, Hotel Du Vin, and Blackfriars, Sweet Beet is growing rapidly. Based in a workshop at Blackfriars, where Lizzy still covers the odd shift, 2016 has included a series of food events and a pop-up at Fenwick in October.

Her Tex Mex menu is inspired by her hometown - Arlington, Texas and informed by local produce. Her beetroot and herbs are grown in her back yard, meat and poultry is sourced from Blackfriars’ suppliers and cheese comes from the Grainger Market.

“Tex Mex food allows me to be creative,” she says. “I start with the basic ideas, do a bit of research, then start working on it, seeing how I can get local produce in or make things healthier. All the vegetables, cheese and meat are as local as possible, though there are a few secrets from back home in there.”

Every dish is based on a vegan recipe and then meat, fish or dairy added. “So many places still see vegetarian or vegan options as add-ons to the menu, with something taken out of the recipe, but I wanted to do things differently, so all the recipes work great without meat, poultry or

cheese - you just add them in if you want them,” says Lizzy.

In August, following a Dragon’s Den-style pitching process, Lizzy won a place on NatWest and Entrepreneurial Spark’s Business Accelerator programme, giving her access to business advice and support. Her plan is to grow into her own restaurant/café, sell branded products through retailers, and pass her food ethos down to the younger generation.

“I’d love my own place where I can set my own schedule, treat everybody I work with well and support their dreams, and teach kids where their food comes from and how it becomes what they eat,” she says. “Right now I’m looking at growing the products for retail. The maple bacon jam is really popular.

We love mixing our sweet and savoury in the US and it goes in all sorts of things,” she adds, handing over a bowl of nachos topped with the maple bacon jam, which is also fantastic on toast, on a bacon sandwich or in sauces and stews.

And with that she’s onto the next recipe – a never-ending cycle of experimentation which, she admits, is not easy, but is compelling. “It’s taken over my life, but I wouldn’t want to trade it,” she says.

appetitemag.co.uk

37

BEET IT CORN SALSA Ingredients 150g black beans 260g canned sweetcorn 1 lime 1tbsp fresh coriander 2 red sweet bite peppers Method Soak beans overnight. Drain, add ¾ litre water and place

BLOODY MARY SALSA Ingredients ½ cucumber 250g cherry tomatoes 1 red bell pepper 2 celery stalks 4 tbsp fresh dill 1 tsp Worcester Sauce (leave out if vegetarian or substitute balsamic vinegar) 1 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp celery salt dash tabasco

dash gin (optional) Method Cut the cucumber into small cubes, quarter the tomatoes and finely dice the bell pepper. Take the top and bottom off the celery and finely chop.

Mix well but gently to not bruise anything. Add all remaining ingredients and place in fridge until ready to use.

BEET BEANS SERVES 4 Ingredients 150g black beans 2 medium beets 1 medium onion 2 garlic cloves 2 tbsp cider vinegar 2 tsp paprika 2 tsp coriander 1 tsp thyme 2 tsp cumin salt and pepper

Method Soak beans overnight. Preheat oven to 200C/Gas 6. Wrap each beet in foil and bake for around 1hr or until a sharp knife can pierce easily. Unwrap and leave to cool. Rinse the beans and place in a large, deep pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add 750ml water. Bring to the boil slowly then simmer for 1hr or until the beans are soft but not squishy. While the beets and beans are cooking, dice the onion into around 1cm squares and finely chop the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, vinegar, paprika, coriander, thyme and cumin to a hot pan and cook until onions begin to become translucent. Set aside. Once the beans are cooked, discard ¾ of the water. Place ¾ of the beans in a food processor with the cooked onions and grated beetroot and pulse for 4-5 secs (you do not want a mush). Fold in the remaining black beans. Great with burritos, nachos or used as a dip.

38 appetitemag.co.uk

on hob. Bring to a boil over a medium heat and leave to simmer for 1hr. Drain the beans under cool water. Drain corn and add to a bowl. Stir in the beans. Juice the lime over the bowl. Finely chop some fresh coriander and place in the bowl. Finely dice the peppers and mix.

VISIT ONE OF THE TONEY MINCHELLA CAFES IN SOUTH SHIELDS

All with delightful views, delicious coffee, hot & cold food, breakfast and of course fantastic ice cream!

TONEY MINCHELLA TONEY MINCHELLA @ TONEY MINCHELLA @ @ Whitburn Bents The Car park South Promenade The Car Park The Park, South Marine Park, Whitburn Bents Road, Sea Road, Beach Road, South Shields South Shields NE33 2LD NE33 2NN Whitburn SR6 7NX

TONEY MINCHELLA @ Haven Point The Car Park River Drive North Promenade South Shields NE33 2TJ

THE PERFECT PLACE TO RELAX AND REFUEL, WITH VIEWS ACROSS THE STRAWBERRY HILL AREA...

Oak Cafe can be found on the first floor of the Newcastle store.

Choose from a variety of homemade sandwiches, scones, cakes, salads, afternoon tea and more.

With free wi-fi , Ringtons tea & coffee and a glass of bubbly on the menu, you’ll want to sit there all afternoon!

Barker & Stonehouse Strawberry Buildings Newcastle NE1 4PQ 07982 019999 Cafeoaknewcastle @cafe_oak #oak_cafe

40 appetitemag.co.uk

IN THE MIX

Party on...

A

Most stress-free way to cater a child’s birthday party? Let the professionals - and the kids - do all the work, says Elise Rana Hopper long with friendship dramas, homework battles and sew-on badges, children’s birthday parties are one of the many challenges that make parenting such an, um, endless adventure.

With the youngest daughter about to turn seven, we were past the stage of being able to hand over birthday party crowd-control duties to the bored teenage staff at the local soft play, but not quite at the stage of bunging cash behind the bar at the local pub and leaving them to it. At seven, you want something to impress your friends without scaring their parents.

“I’d like a cooking party for my next birthday,” she’d announced exactly a year previously, actually during that year’s swimming birthday party.

“Mmmm-kay,” I mumbled and hoped she’d forget, visualising the stress, mess and general distress potential of letting a bunch of hyper-active children loose in my kitchen. She didn’t forget. So 11 months and some frantic Googling

later, imagine my relief when I discovered there was indeed a way to leave it to the professionals.

As well as its restaurant and banquet hall, Newcastle’s Blackfriars Restaurant also has a busy calendar of events and workshops in which children’s cookery classes are a regular feature. “We were asked almost straight away if we could run parties,” says co-owner Sam Hook.

“The response is always really good from both parents and children – the parties are educational and fun, helping to increase children’s confidence in the kitchen. The children cook their own lunch so catering is taken care of and anything the children cook and don’t eat can also go in the goodie bags, which is another item ticked off the list.”

Sold! So while Chinatown bustles into life on a bright Sunday morning we make our way to the cloister garden of the restored 13th Century friary, where our party helpers Emma and Laura are waiting for us in the kitchen.

The other parents skedaddle to make the most of some child-

(Est 1978)

CHRISTMAS AT NORTH ACOMB

FREE RANGE TURKEYS, GEESE, DUCKS & CHICKENS, ABERDEEN ANGUS BEEF, HOME CURED GAMMON, PORK & LAMB AND A FULL RANGE OF GAME. Orders now taken for Christmas & New Year Don’t forget our scrumptious selection of mince pies, Christmas cakes and puddings plus lots more.

Stocksfield, Northumberland NE43 7UF • www.northacomb.co.uk Tel: 01661 843181 • Open Times: Closed Mon, Tues-Sat 9.30am 5pm, Sun 9.30am-1pm AWARD WINNING FARM SHOP

free shopping time and the kids excitedly apron up and pull up stools around the granite-topped central bench, eyeing the bowls of flour and sniffing the frothy cups of yeast while we sit back and watch with a cappuccino in hand. So far, so stress-free.

No sooner are the kids’ hands washed than they’re encouraged to plunge them into the bowls.

They develop their own styles of kneading but get the job done until each claggy mess is miraculously transformed into a ball - or ‘booby’ (cue giggles). They’re set aside while the kids get on with the biscuits; everyone getting a turn weighing out the ingredients and mixing with determination and several bouts of horsing around until again, by some miracle, a dough is formed. Everyone gets a portion to roll out and cut into hearts and flowers, and Emma and Laura know when to help and when to leave them to it.

The biscuits go in the oven and the pizza dough comes back.

The ‘boobies’ have puffed up into ‘giant brains’ that ‘wobble like bellies’ before being knocked

back and rolled out. The selection of toppings is warmly received (“sauce! I love sauce! cheese! I love cheese!”) and lavishly applied to the wonky oblongs with creative abandon.

The pizzas go into the oven and there’s time to mix up one more delight - blueberry muffins. When at last it’s time for lunch, the sun is shining so the requisite pitchers of blackcurrant squash are taken outside to the cloister garden, where, in between cartwheels and wheelbarrow races, the kids get to enjoy their own hand-topped slice of pizza perfection.

There is Victoria sponge cake there is singing and blowing out of candles, and then there’s time for the arduous task of decorating the biscuits. Restraint isn’t the order of the day, but there’s plenty of pride taken in each multi-coloured maximalist creation. It’s been a big success, and another parenting lesson is learned; even the most hands-on home cook can benefit from letting someone else do the hard work occasionally, and we go home with a happy birthday child to a perfectly clean kitchen.

Happy bees make the best honey!

When it comes to quality and taste, you’ll find our honey travels well.

An inspired choice of the finest honey’s and honey-based organic products including lip balms, hand balms, soap, solid perfumes and candles.

AMAZING CHRISTMAS HAMPERS AND GIFTS AN INSPIRED CHOICE.

www.travellingbee.co.uk Tel: 07884 422992

Email: travellingbecompany@gmail.com

Find us on:

appetitemag.co.uk

41

THEGRAZER

Gettingyourgoat

BAAAAA BAAAA..!

Anna Hedworth, aka The Grazer, joins the campaign for goat

A

ll through October chefs all over the country took part in ‘Goatober’. Not the catchiest title, but you get the gist - goats and October being the important bits.

Goatober is the brainchild of radio executive Erin Fairbanks and New York cheesemonger Anne Saxelby. An annual campaign in the US, it encourages chefs to purchase unwanted male goats from the dairy industry which would usually euthanise them at birth.

This year, James Whetlor of Cabrito, a relatively new company bringing British goat into the mainstream food market, has been championing the event over here. I decided to get involved as I really like goat and was keen to support James

and also my local goat supplier, The Goat Company, in Morpeth.

This goat mince ragu recipe has been on the menu at my Cook House in Newcastle all month, served on toast smothered in delicious Doddington cheese. It’s also great served with pasta, in a lasagne or with buttery polenta.

All you do is finely dice 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 stick of celery then add them to a big pan with a pinch of salt, a bay leaf, 3 tbsp olive oil and 15g butter and cook slowly until soft, which takes about 15 mins.

While this is going on, add 4 large tomatoes cut into quarters, or the equivalent amount of cherry tomatoes, to a small baking tray, add a splash of olive oil and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Then roast at 200C/Gas 6 for about 20 mins until they’re soft and starting to

brown. Then remove from the oven.

Go back to the onion mix and add 1 clove garlic and a few sprigs of finely chopped thyme and stir through. Add 1kg goat mince to serve 4 generously. Gently stir the mince on the heat until it’s brown and breaks up evenly, then add 2 heaped dessert spoons of plain flour, stir through and cook for 5 mins. Then add 2 heaped dessert spoons tomato purée, stir through and cook for another 5 mins.

Add the roast tomatoes to a blender and blitz until totally smooth, then stir into the meat mixture. Add a big pinch of salt, lots of ground black pepper and 1 tsp sugar and stir to combine. Then add about 600ml beef stock (preferably homemade with roast beef bones simmered for a few hours with stock veg) and 1 tsp Worcestershire

Sauce. Then let the mince simmer for 1hr, covered, very gently. If it seems too thick just add a little more stock.

After 1hr remove the lid and if it seems like there is a bit too much liquid, leave the lid off and turn the heat up and let it reduce for about 15 mins, stirring now and again so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Turn it off when you’ve got the desired consistency, check the seasoning and let it sit for 15 mins, just to settle and bring the best out in all the flavours. It’s even better the next day, so if you can make it ahead that is ideal.

To serve, pop it on toast with lots of grated cheese, or stir through some pasta, again topped with cheese, or layer it up into a homemade lasagne, making sure to top with - you guessed it - lots of cheese!

Read more from The Grazer on her blog at the-grazerblogspot.com and enjoy her food at The Cookhouse, Ouse Street, Newcastle NE1 2PF, www.cookhouse.org

CONSETT’S INDEPENDENT ARTISAN DRINKS HOUSE AND EATERY

The perfect venue for all private functions...from Christmas parties, weddings, christenings, birthdays and charity nights!

ABLE

AVAIL BREAKFAST FLATBREADS VEGAN OPTIONS VEGET COCKTAILS ARIAN HANDMADE FREE/ GLUTEN LITE BITES / CAKES / SCONES SANDWICHES COFFEE / TEA / CHOCOLATE

SALADS

COLD DRINKS SHARING PLATTERS

CRAFT BEERS

26 FRONT STREET, CONSETT DH8 5AQ - TEL: 01207 583318 ALSO AT MADDISON’S ON THE GO, CONSETT LEISURE CENTRE

42 appetitemag.co.uk

OPEN: MON - SAT 9AM-5PM.

WINES & CHAMPAGNES

www.maddisonsconsett.co.uk

THE GRAZER

ART DECO CINEMA CAFE Coffees, Teas, Wines & Beers Quality Comfort Food Served All Day 2nd Floor Tyneside Cinema, 10-12 Pilgrim Street Newcastle

Tel: 0191 2275520

Open: Mon-Sat 10am-10pm Sun 11am-7pm

appetitemag.co.uk

43

SWEET!

The proof of the pudding I

Love it or hate it? Liz Hands mixes up some Christmas pudding (and tea loaf) in advance of Stir Up Sunday t’s a question that divides families at Christmas. Who wants Christmas pudding? As someone firmly in the yes camp, the chance to make plum pud with the official Christmas pudding supplier to English Heritage is not to be missed.

Lea and Robert Darling’s farmhouse on the outskirts of Darlington is home not only to themselves and their three Jack Russells, who rush out to great us on arrival, but also to Burtree Puddings.

The action all takes place in a converted warehouse next to their home, where the Darlings make a staggering 300 Christmas puddings every day in the run-up to the festive season.

This is, though, by no means a huge commercial operation. Every one of those 300 puddings is made by hand and Lea and Robert, soon to celebrate their Ruby wedding anniversary, have the division of labour sorted.

“They say the difference between a cook and a chef is a cook can follow a recipe whereas a chef can create one,” says Robert. “I’m definitely the cook and Lea is the chef. I just follow instructions.”

Well, it helps when the instructions

44 appetitemag.co.uk

are as good as this. Into a huge square mixing tub we tip handful upon handful of raisins, brown sugar (Burtree never uses white sugar), sultanas, currants, suet (gluten-free in this case), cherries, ground almonds and spices.

While everyone has their own ideas about the spirit best suited to Christmas pudding, this one has brandy and cider, plus whole fresh oranges which are pulped. “It’s the oil which gives it the flavour,” says Robert.

The aroma when you open the oven doors is Christmas itself, but the Darlings say they have cooked so many puddings, they can no longer smell it.

Tasting, however, is a different matter.

In their farmhouse kitchen, we try the gluten-free version. The oranges give it a zesty freshness which will surely win over even the most ardent Christmas pudding haters. There’s also a Traditional pudding with Newcastle Brown Ale and brandy, and a Deluxe option with rum, barley wine and stout, which is darker, richer and earthier.

Burtree, which holds an incredible 37 Great Taste Awards, the Oscars of the food world, really started making puddings after a process of elimination

SWEET! STIR IT UP!

prompted by losing acreage from the farm. Diversification was necessary for survival, but crisscrossed by the A1, the A68 and Burtree Lane, the location is no good for tourism so a B&B was out of the question. For a time, Lea and Robert raised turkeys, but as they point out, while a turkey is just for Christmas, puddings are a year-round business. The choice was clear.

They also make treacle, sticky toffee, lemon, ginger and chocolate puddings, and their latest new recipe - an orange marmalade sponge with sticky marmalade sauce. Starting out selling a few cakes, puddings and Lea’s family tea loaf recipe at farmers’ markets, their puddings are now in demand across the world. French superchef JeanChristophe Novelli has said that the last food he wants to taste before he dies is a Burtree sticky toffee pudding. Praise indeed!

Burtree has also just become the official supplier of Christmas puddings to English Heritage shops the length and breadth of the country, with Traditional and Deluxe puddings on sale at sites including Belsay Hall, Stonehenge and Whitby Abbey.

“We start getting Christmas

pudding orders as soon as the children go back to school in September,” says Lea. “Psychologically for families, that’s it, winter has started, and Christmas pudding is usually the first purchase.”

For those making their own pudding, Stir Up Sunday (this year on November 22) has been a tradition since Victorian times when families would get together to make their Christmas pudding five weeks before the day itself, each member of the family taking a turn to mix and making a wish.

As for what to put in our own pudding, Lea says: “If you’re making your own Christmas pudding, you put in what you like.

The important thing is that you and your family enjoy it together.

For us, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without pigs in blankets, roast parsnips, red cabbage, bread sauce and, of course, Christmas pudding.”

And with that, they’re back to the baking. I ask for their Christmas pud recipe, not really expecting to get it, but there are a couple of Lea’s favourites over the page for you to try at home.

Me? I’ve done my bit - I’m going home with a Burtree pud. Roll on Christmas Day!

appetitemag.co.uk

45

SWEET! BURTREE PUDDINGS STEAMED SYRUP SPONGE Ingredients 100g butter 100g caster sugar 2 large free range eggs vanilla extract 175g self-raising flour milk to mix 2-3 tbsp golden syrup Method Get a steamer ready and on to simmer.

Grease a 900ml (1½ pint) pudding basin.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy then add the beaten eggs and a few drops of vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.

Using a metal spoon fold in the flour gradually, adding a small amount of milk to create a dropping consistency.

Put the golden syrup in the bottom of the greased pudding basin and steadily spoon in the batter.

Cover with parchment paper with a pleat in the centre to allow your pudding to rise, then cover with foil, also with a pleat. Tie securely with string and put in your steamer for 1½ hours.

Serve with custard, cream, or clotted cream.

LEA DARLING’S TEA LOAF Ingredients 1 cup cold tea 1 cup soft brown sugar 1 cup mixed dried fruit 2 cups self-raising flour 1 egg, beaten Method Soak the tea, brown sugar and mixed dried fruit overnight. Mix with the flour and the egg and then place the mixture into a 1lb loaf tin and place in the oven for 15 mins at 190C/ Gas 5 then 45 mins at 180C/Gas 4.

Cool and serve.

46 appetitemag.co.uk

CHRISTMAS PUDDING TRADITIONS There are multiple theories regarding the origins of Christmas pudding, the most popular (so it seems) being that it originated in the 14th Century as a porridge-type combo called ‘frumenty’ made of beef, mutton, raisins, currants, prunes, wine and spices. It was eaten as a fasting meal in preparation for the Christmas feasting to come.

By the early 1600s, frumenty had evolved with the addition of eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit, beer and spirits to become a more traditional Christmas pud, though the Puritans were having none of it (all that booze didn’t agree with them, so it seems).

In the early 1700s, George I had it firmly on his Christmas table, and the Victorians, who of course loved Christmas, served up a pudding much like the one we have today. It’s also due to them that it is often known as plum pudding, despite the lack of plums in the recipe. Raisins, in Victorian times, were known as plums.

Stir Up Sunday (the last Sunday before Advent) is so named for the Church of England prayer for the day, which goes: “Stir up, we beseech thee O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works may of thee be plenteously rewarded.”

Many people still add the family sixpence to their pudding mix, which is said to bring good luck (or a chipped tooth) to the one who finds it.

Sunnyhills are now taking bookings for Christmas parties, Christmas Lunches, Christmas Dinners and New Year’s Eve bookings.

Christmas lunches will be served every day throughout December Evening Meals will be served Friday and Saturday evenings throughout December from 6pm – 9pm New Year’s Eve – Join us for a 3 course evening meal, followed by a bagpipe led torchlight procession to the fantastic village fireworks display. The procession will leave from Sunnyhills at 11.40pm (Everyone Welcome). After the success of last year, we would advise booking early to avoid disappointment.

All Menus are available from Sunnyhills Farm Shop and bookings can be made in person or by calling 01668 219662.

Tel: 01668 219662 | South Road, Belford, NE70 7DP Email: info@sunnyhillsfarmshop.co.uk | www.sunnyhillsfarmshop.co.uk appetitemag.co.uk

47

SAY CHEESE

Cheesy does it I

Liz Hands takes a turn at cheesemaking, courtesy of the team at Northumberland Cheese Company f you buy wheel number 06722 of the Northumberland Cheese Company Reiver you’re in for a treat. I like to think it’s going to taste extra special as its been made (well almost) by my own fair hand.

We’re wearing particularly fetching blue plastic hats and ponchos while peering into a metal vat full of cows’ milk, which has travelled just a mile from its source on the Blagdon Estate. It may not be the best outfit when it comes to making a fashion statement, but it’s worth it for the experience at Northumberland Cheese Company.

Besides, we wouldn’t dare argue with our tour guide. If production manager Martin Atkinson tells us to wear something, we wear it. A Navy chef who served on the flagship vessel of the Falklands War, HMS Hermes, Martin went on to HMS Invincible, sailing around the Med. He and the crew were about to set off for the Bahamas when the Gulf War broke out and he had to change course. “You do see and hear some action,” says Martin, “but thankfully I was in the galley”.

48 appetitemag.co.uk

After 25 years he changed course again and what Martin doesn’t know about cheese probably isn’t worth knowing.

Who knew, for example, that the brine used to age cheese is so highly prized? The same brine is used year-upon-year as, such is the high salt content, there’s no unwanted bacterial growth. The brine is the cheese equivalent of the oak barrels used to age wine.

But before rounds of the likes of Cheviot, Reiver or Hadrian bathe in brine, there’s a wellhoned process to go through.

It all starts with the milk. Cows’ milk from Blagdon, goats’ milk from Cumbria, Jersey milk from Wheelbirks in Stocksfield and sheeps’ milk from suppliers across the UK is pumped into a holding tank before it is piped into two vast vats.

Northumberland Cheese Company has been making farmhouse cheeses since 1984, moving to its home in a 19th Century granary on the Blagdon Estate in 1996.

“We pasteurise ourselves because we want to take control of the whole process,” says Martin.

“We don’t want to bash our milk up. We heat to 63 degrees before

cooling. We used to use a heat pump that came from Rothbury Swimming Pool but we’ve now upgraded our equipment.

“The milk automatically starts heating up at 3.30am and the lads get in at 6am to start working with it. The hot water from that vat is then pumped to the next to save energy. It’s amazing what you can make with milk, starter culture, rennet and salt. It’s about how you juggle those ingredients.

Little changes can make a huge difference to the end product.

Once our goats’ milk was a bit gassy and it was because the supplier had started to use a cheaper feed. We had to ask them to go back to the original.”

PH levels are regularly checked to make sure alkaline levels are just so before the cutting begins with multi-bladed cheese knives.

“Left to right and right to left,” says Martin. “It’s about the cleanliness of the cut. You want to capture the curd and get rid of the whey. The farmer on the estate here takes the whey and spreads it on the fields as fertiliser.”

Curds are cut either into rice or baked bean sizes or 2cm cubes, depending on which cheese is being made. For my Reiver, it’s baked beans. Bending over the vats and pushing the cheese into moulds is back breaking work. The cheese is left to compress under its own weight before going into

SAY CHEESE

APPLE AND KIELDER JERSEY MILK CHEESECAKE This farmhouse cheese recipe has been used in the Northumberland Cheese Tea Room for many years. It was originally adapted from a traditional Lancashire apple and cheesecake, but this version uses Kielder Jersey milk cheese. The rich buttery flavour of Jersey cheese is perfect for this cake as it adds a subtle cheese taste and keeps the cake moist. The recipe also works well with Northumberland Original or Coquetdale (rind removed). Happy baking, and remember if it all seems like a lot of hard work, have a slice at the Northumberland Cheese Company Tea Room instead.

Ingredients 225g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 225g caster sugar ½ tsp salt 4 eggs 300ml sunflower oil 2 eating apples, grated 60g chopped walnuts 60g chopped dates 125g Kielder cheese For the icing 100g butter, softened 300g cream cheese 100g icing sugar, sifted 1 tsp apple juice (from the grated apple)

mechanical presses.

Although, says cheese maker Craig Smith, “I’ve learned the hard way not to turn the pressure up too high to begin with, otherwise all the rounds fire out at you and, believe me, it hurts.”

One pressed, cheese is left to bob away in aged brine. It might be sent for smoking at MacKenzies Smokehouse in North Yorkshire for extra flavour. “We did use a smokehouse which also smoked kippers,” says Martin, “but the cheese came back with a distinctly fishy tang.” Or it might already have its flavours added in; nettle is most popular. The latest cheese here is the black waxed Northumberlandia, the black used

to signify its North East heritage, with its history of coal mining.

If it is to finish life as blue cheese, mould added during production is pierced through.

The ripening room which holds white-moulded cheese smells horrendous, the unmistakable mustinesss catching you in the back of the throat as you go in.

“The only thing I’m missing really is a cave,” says Martin.

Every wheel of cheese is turned on its storeroom shelf every week by hand so it matures and settles at an even rate. Wedges are cut by hand too. Every batch has to pass a strict taste test before it is sold. Let’s just hope number 06722 makes the grade.

Method Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3 and grease a 1kg loaf tin with butter or baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs with

the oil until well mixed. Grate the apples in a bowl, squeeze out any excess juice and retain in a glass. Add the grated apple, dates and walnuts to the egg and oil mixture and stir. Gradually fold the wet mixture into the flour mix and stir to combine thoroughly.

Pour half the mix into the loaf tin and sprinkle over 100g of grated or crumbled Kielder. Pour the remaining mix over the top and bake in the oven for 40 mins until golden brown. Keep an eye on your cake; if it is looking too brown on top cover with tin foil for the remainder of the baking time. For the icing, beat together the butter and cream cheese, sift in the icing sugar and add a teaspoon of the retained apple juice and taste. Add more or less icing sugar depending on your sweet tooth. Once your cake has cooled completely top with the icing and a handful of grated Northumberland Kielder Cheese.

appetitemag.co.uk

49

REVIEW

Baffling... yet brilliant

Dean Bailey is by turns surprised, perplexed, intrigued and delighted by Peace & Loaf

I

t may surprise you, but life at appetite HQ can be taxing (it’s not all fine dining and cakes, honest) so a trip to the foodie trend-spotters’ place-of-the-moment Peace & Loaf in Jesmond is sometimes required to brighten otherwise difficult days.

If you’ve met chef Dave Coulson, you know you’re going to be taken on a creative journey by this tattooed, top-knotted, bearded mod, and his menu of traditional seasonal produce – pigeon, chicken pie, livers and duck - is an adventure of the extraordinary culinary creativity which has made his name nationally.

Take, for instance, the simply described yet brilliantly complex Lemon, Elderberry Vinegar, Eau De Cologne dessert, which, much to my disappointment, is not presented with a bottle of my grandad’s favourite Brut. More on that later.

Meanwhile, a starter described as XO Pigeon, Pickled Girolles, Elderberries, Aged Balsamic turns out to be a tantalizing mix of gamey flavours, tart elderberry and

50 appetitemag.co.uk

balsamic in a warming dish enjoyed while we further entertain ourselves trying to decipher Coulson’s menu of lists. A starter described as Scallop, Pigs Head, Carrot, Tarragon is perplexing in its constituent form, while the dish leaves us in awe delicate scallops with what is best described as the world’s finest pork scratchings creating a multitextured thrill.

Coulson’s creativity is well illustrated by the 42C Halibut, Chicken Pie, Creamed Potato, Mushroom. A dish which wowed MasterChef judges, I may never fathom how he came to combine poached white fish with the earthy contents of chicken pie, but it is a show-stopping construction served on a circular canvas sprinkled with textures which fill every forkful with a sense of creative derring-do.

Across the table, on a similar circular canvas – possibly salvaged remnants of Barney Rubble’s hub caps – is a dish which is simply listed on the menu as Sirloin of Beef, Fatty Onion, Pearl Barley, Oxtail, Cabbage; the ruby red beef

holding centre stage amidst the vegetables and barley. In Coulson’s hands these autumnal staple ingredients far surpass everyday experience, fascinating with intriguing textures and surprises.

Credit also to the space here, which is used to great effect – three floors with an open kitchen which fills each with atmosphere. From the upper floor, looking down on the central kitchen level with its handful of tables offers a view of the heart of the restaurant. It’s a clever space, where even the earliest evening diners on a wet Monday enjoy a warm atmosphere on the mezzanine, while by the time we leave all three floors are buzzing.

Another surprise from the kitchen, our all-day breakfast intermediary course is delightful fun. Purées of bacon, sausage, egg, black pudding and beans are served on crunchy sourdough toast in a brilliantly executed surprise addition to the adventure we are by now thoroughly enjoying.

Our waiter is excellent, knowledgeable while confident

enough to leave the deciphering of each selection to us. The appetisers are extraordinary – bite-sized pleasures presented on heartshaped slate, wooden blocks and, yes, a small, smooth rock. The Thai-inspired fishcakes give away just enough heat, while the minimacarons with minty pea purée are outstanding.

The Lemon, Elderberry Vinegar, Eau De Cologne dessert (no bottle of Brut on the side) takes the prize for the most bafflingly brilliant dish of the evening. The powerful lemon sorbet cuts through the richness of the main courses which precede it, while the perfumed hints throughout lend an intriguing complexity.

Three courses for two comes to just under £100, which is ridiculously good value for the quality and creativity we’ve been treated to. If he were in London, Coulson would be courted as a celebrity. Let’s hope the bright lights of Jesmond are enough to keep him here. Peace & Loaf, Jesmond Road, NE2 1LA, tel 0191 281 5222, www.peaceandloaf.co.uk

Festive Menu

Christmas Eve Bucks Fizz Brunch

Toast the festive season with our special festive set menu, served up in our cafe’s stylish, laid-back surroundings.

A special pre-Christmas Day treat delicious food, yuletide music and a glass of fizz!

Available from 1 December 12pm - 3pm, Wed to Sun £20 for 3 courses | £16 for 2 courses

Available 24 December only 11am - 1pm £9.50

Booking is essential. View the menus online or email cafe@thebiscuitfactory.com

WWW.THEFACTORYKITCHENNEWCASTLE.COM

Image: Sean Elliott

Christmas dining

FABULOUS FOOD & LUXURIOUS ACCOMMODATION... ...just off the A69 with views of the beautiful Tyne Valley Breakfast Served daily 8am - 10am | Food served Mon-Sat 12-9pm Sunday Lunch served 12-6pm AWARD WINNING 5* ACCOMMODATION Menus and booking available online www.thedukeofwellingtoninn.co.uk CHRISTMAS FAYRE MENU

2 COURSES - £15.95 | 3 COURSES - £18.95 (available from 1st Dec, 12am-9pm Mon-Sat)

The

NEW YEARS EVE

4 Course to include: fizz & canapes from 6.30pm and celebrations till 2am - £49.95

Duke of Wellington Inn

Newton, Northumberland, NE43 7UL Tel: 01661 844446

appetitemag.co.uk

51

HEALTHY

Cleaning up

IT’S FOOD BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT

Liz Hands immerses herself in the clean eating craze

L

ots of us have heard the term clean eating, but how many of us actually know what it means?

Turns out it’s a way of eating healthily without feeling like you’re missing out. I’m sold already!

Dani Gibson, owner of Newcastle’s the Love Lunch deli, hidden away behind the Centre for Life under the railway arches, says: “It’s not about denying yourself, quite the opposite. You actually feel you’re getting more because you’re cooking with ingredients you may not have tried before.”

The clean food revolution may sound like another Hollywood diet

BANANA & ALMOND PANCAKES MAKES 6 SMALL PANCAKES Ingredients 1 banana 1 egg 50g ground almonds 25ml water ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp gluten-free baking powder ½ tsp coconut oil (to fry) 2 tbsp sultanas Method Blitz the banana, egg, ground almonds, water, cinnamon and baking powder in a food processor.

Warm the oil to a medium heat in a pan. Dollop the pancake mixture in six portions into the pan (or in batches), adding a few sultanas to each. Fry for 1-2 mins each side. Serve as desired, or the Love Lunch way - spread with almond butter and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and cranberries (right).

52 appetitemag.co.uk

fad, but the concept is a lot simpler than you think. “It’s getting back to a way our parents probably cooked in the 1950s when we made our meals from scratch,” explains Dani. “I don’t like hard and fast rules but there are two musts for clean eating; no refined sugar and everything either unprocessed or as minimally processed as possible.

The body knows what to do with food in its natural state.”

Instead, Dani sweetens with honey, uses ground almonds instead of flour, cooks everything with coconut oil and makes ‘bread’ with eggs and cream cheese.

The results are big, bold, honest natural flavours.

Clean eating is also about being mindful of the provenance of the food you’re putting into your body.

Chicken at Love Lunch is from Freemans in Gateshead. Dani’s red meat comes from Charlotte’s Butchery in Gosforth. The beef for her Thai Beef Curry is from West Rack Wood Farm in Hamsterley, Co Durham. This is mixed with Love Lunch’s own spice blend of cumin, turmeric, coriander, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds and cardamon, and dry fried before being slowcooked for 8-10 hours.

The man maker pie is pie but not as you know it; there’s no pastry.

Instead of carb overload, this is a high-protein, energy-giving, hunger-

banishing combo of spiced beef, sweet potato, egg and cheese topped with chorizo or lamb and feta and baked.

Wraps are made with a very thin, spiced omelette, pancakes with almonds not flour and sweetened with honey, while any chocolate fix comes in the form of cacao balls. “People aren’t talking about being thinner anymore,” says Dani, “but about looking after themselves and getting stronger, fitter and leaner. Clean eating is a way to do that while reigniting a love affair with food, enjoying the shopping and prepping again, and most of all, the tasting.” A diet that’s not really a diet? We’re in.

HEALTHY

SRI LANKAN BEEF CURRY WITH BROWN BASMATI RICE SERVES 4 Ingredients ½ tbsp ground coriander 1 tbsp ground cumin ½ tbsp ground fennel ¼ tbsp turmeric 2 cardamon pods ½ tbsp black mustard seeds 1 tbsp ground black pepper ½ medium red chilli 3 cloves garlic, peeled ½ tbsp ginger, peeled 1 medium onion ¼ tbsp salt 500g diced beef 200ml coconut milk 1 tbsp white wine vinegar zest of ½ lemon brown basmati rice – approx.

60g per person coriander leaves to garnish lemon zest to garnish Method Roast all the spices in a dry pan with no oil for a few minutes. Finely chop the chilli, garlic and ginger and roughly chop the onion. Add to a slow cooker with the remaining ingredients and the toasted spices and cook on low for 8hrs.

Add the rice to a pan of boiling water, simmer for 20 mins and drain. Serve the curry and rice in bowls garnished with fresh coriander leaves and additional lemon zest.

CLEAN EATING HACKS

TRY TH IS

• Substitute almond meal, made from ground almonds, for flour • Cook in coconut oil rather than vegetable oil • Only use olive oil cold and unheated; heating it releases toxins • Try almond, cashew or hazelnut butter on pancakes or added to yoghurt for a filling snack • Don’t feel a pie has to have pastry in it. Instead, bind ingredients with egg and cheese and cut into chunky squares • Swap sandwich wraps for egg, making thin crispy omelettes infused with spices to put your fillings into • Use honey and banana for sweetness instead of adding sugar to recipes • To create ‘breaded’ chicken without the breadcrumbs, use ground almonds as an alternative

appetitemag.co.uk

53

Friendly, family run Italian Restaurant

RESTAURANT

a fresh, seasonal A La Carte menu; Early Bird - Wed-Thurs 5.30-7; 2 course lunch menu £10.95

DELICATESSEN

Ice Cream Parlour, craft beers, superb selection of antipasti, wines. Food to take home.

STUZZICO WINE BAR

Tapas, Fine Wines, Italian Beers, Aperitivi and Liqueurs.

Music Events.

CORBRIDGE

Takemeto thebridge Corbridge - a short drive from appetite HQ and full of foodie delights

Please ring 01434 634554 to book, St Helen's St NE45 5BE @il_piccolo_deli Il Piccolo At Corbridge

www.ilpiccolo.co.uk

THE COOKSHOP HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PREPARE FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON...

As we head into Corbridge, we’ll often pop into Brocksbushes Farm Shop. It’s packed with fresh produce from the farm, homemade goodies and gifts, while the tea room is a great place to grab a coffee or lunch and watch the world go by.

There is also a packed events programme throughout the year, including the popular Christmas Fayre, which is on Nov 10-13 this year.

Brocksbushes Farm Corbridge, NE43 7UB tel 01434 633 100 www.brocksbushes.co.uk When we’re in need of a bit of advice and a friendly butcher, we visit Jim Higginson at J.D. Hall Butchers on Hill Street. Jim has been in the business for more than 20 years and is always

on hand with advice, tips and knowledge. We also recommend a steak and carrot pasty - the perfect lunchtime treat.

J.D. Hall Butchers, Hill Street Corbridge, NE45 5AA tel 01434 632 005 Renowned among the appetite team and the scores of visitors we send to see them, the homemade cakes at Massey’s are the stuff of legend - always beautifully displayed and every one of them delicious (yes, we’ve tried them all). Before making your decision, sample the extensive lunch menu the homemade soups are a definite highlight.

Massey’s Tea Room, Middle Street, Corbridge, NE45 5AT tel 01434 633 130 www.masseystearoom.co.uk

From roasting tins, pudding bowls, cake boards, home baking to food preserving, jam making and storage and much more!

Stockists of: Stellar Cookware, Silverwood, Aga, Sophie Allport & Wrendale.

CORBRIDGE LATE NIGHT SHOPPING - MONDAY 5TH DEC CORBRIDGE COOKSHOP (J F Walton & Son) 15 Middle Street, Corbridge, Northumberland NE45 5AT Open: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12-4pm 01434 632582 | www.corbridgecookshop.co.uk

54 appetitemag.co.uk

Tea & Tipple, Corbridge, Northumberland, NE45 5AT www.teaandtipple.com Telephone: 01434 632886

FRESH COFFEE • DAILY SPECIALS • MADE TO ORDER

The

Watling Coffee House

Serving Corbridge and its visitors since 1979 11 Watling Street Corbridge NE45 5AG Tel: 01434 634425

FRESH COFFEE • DAILY SPECIALS • MADE TO ORDER

HOMEMADE • HOT FOOD • SCONES • CAKES • SOUPS

HOMEMADE • HOT FOOD • SCONES • CAKES • SOUPS

JD Hall Family Butchers The Multi-Award Winning Shop WE ARE NOW TAKING ORDERS FOR CHRISTMAS POULTRY FARM TURKEYS, FREE RANGE BRONZE TURKEYS, CROWNS, GEESE, DUCKS, CHICKENS & GAME. MATURED BEEF, LAMB & PORK IS AVAILABLE SOURCED FROM LOCAL FARMS & MARTS,

INCLUDING THE CHAMPION BEAST FROM HEXHAM CHRISTMAS SHOW. THERE WILL BE A LARGE SELECTION OF PRIZE WINNING SAUSAGES AVAILABLE HOME-MADE PORK AND GAME PIES AND CHRISTMAS CAKES TO ORDER!

2 HILL STREET, CORBRIDGE TEL: 01434 632005

Christmas Fayre C O R B R I D G E , N O RTH U M B E R L A N D, N E43 7U B FREE ENTRY AND CAR PARKING

10TH - 13TH NOVEMBER 2016 10AM - 4.30PM EACH DAY TEL: 01434 633100 WWW.BROCKSBUSHES.CO.UK

Tea and Tipple is a bit of an all rounder – somewhere to pop in to grab a coffee or spend hours drinking endless cups of tea, eating biscuits and flicking through everything from the morning’s paper to a dog-eared book.

Tea & Tipple, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW, tel 01434 632 886 www.teaandtipple.blogspot.co.uk

A favourite with cooks who visit from miles around, Corbridge Cookshop is one of the best in the region. Home to a range of quality goods for home cooking, baking and cake decorating, storage, gadgets, giftware, homeware, and hardware, it’s a must-visit – if we’ve got time!

Corbridge Cookshop, Middle Street Corbridge, NE45 5AT, tel 01434 632 582 www.corbridgecookshop.co.uk

We’ve been big fans of restaurant, wine bar and deli Il Piccolo on St Helens Street for years now. In the Tyne Valley for 21 years, chef Emanuele Orto uses only the best seasonal produce whether you’ve popped in for a break or an evening dinner for two.

Buon appetito!

Il Piccolo, St Helens Street, Corbridge NE45 5BE, tel 01434 634 554 www.ilpiccolo.co.uk

CHRISTMAS TASTING WEEKEND 10th & 11th DEC 2016 11am to 3pm

7 n eek pe w O sa y da

If we’re in need of an extended lunch break, we’ll pop into Watling Coffee House on Watling Street for a coffee, one of their amazing scones and a chat. It’s been here for more than 30 years, and is packed with homemade treats.

Watling Coffee House, Watling Street Corbridge, NE45 5AG, tel 01434 634 820 www.facebook.com/watlingcoffeehouse

Massey’s Traditional tea room

Homemade Soup, Scones, Cakes & Afternoon Teas GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS 26 Middle Street, Corbridge, NE45 5AT Tel: 01434 633130 www.masseystearoom.co.uk

appetitemag.co.uk

55

KITCHEN KIT If it tastes as good as it looks, then it should be in your kitchen!

A LITTLE BIR D...

MELTING MOM ENTS Perfect for toasting melty marshmallows on bonfire night, these old wire toasting forks are £12.50 at RE, Bishops Yard Main Street, Corbridge NE45 5LA tel 01434 634 567 www.re-foundobjects.com

SHAKE IT UP Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye, four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie! This nostalgic Mason Cash range takes inspiration from the 18th Century nursery rhyme. £9.99-£19.95 at Bradley Gardens, Sled Lane, Wylam, NE41 8JH, tel 01661 852 176 www.bradley-gardens.co.uk

HON EY HON EY

Spread on toast or use in Bakewell tart or a meringue pie. Cottage Delight Sherry Trifle Jam and Passion Fruit and Mango Curd, £4.75 each at Knitsley Farm Shop, East Knitsley Grange Farm, Knitsley, Consett Co Durham, DH8 9EW tel 01207 592 059 www.knitsleyfarmshop.co.uk

Christmas cocktails anyone? A stylish way to serve your festive mixes, we found this 1950s cocktail shaker and dotty glasses at the fab Vintage at the Tower Hill Street, Corbridge tel 01434 632 186, www. facebook/VintageAtTheTower

THE COU NTRY SET

HOT, HOT, HOT Add some punch to your paninis, pizza or pasta with Bread Trees Explosive Chilli Sauce, £4.50 at Il Piccolo, St Helen’s Street, Corbridge, NE45 5BE, tel 01434 634 554 www.ilpiccolo.co.uk

Bees roam the Northumberland moors, collecting heather nectar before making this Northumberland honey, £3.95 at Corbridge Larder, Hill Street, Corbridge NE45 5AA, tel 01434 632 948 www.corbridgelarder.co.uk

TWE ET OF THE DAY These Wrendale storage tins are ideal for a farmhouse kitchen £22.99 at Sunnyhills Farm Shop, South Road, Belford NE70 7DP, tel 01668 219 662 www.sunnyhillsfarmshop.co.uk

You can’t beat a robin mug at Christmas and this lovely vintage-inspired one is just £5 at Corbridge Cookshop, Middle Street, Corbridge, NE45 5AT tel 01434 632 582 www.corbridgecookshop.co.uk

RUN RAB BIT Whether you’re having bread and milk and blackberries like Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, or whipping up something else for supper, carry it on these Peter Rabbit trays £3.50 to £7.95 at North Acomb Farm Shop, Stocksfield NE43 7UF, tel 01661 843 181 www.northacomb.co.uk

56 appetitemag.co.uk

JAM TOMORROW

KITCHEN KIT CALLED TO THE BAR

FOXY There’s nothing this little number doesn’t go with! £3.99 at Blagdon Farm Shop, Milkhope Centre Berwick HIll Road, Seaton Burn, Newcastle, NE13 6DA tel 01670 789 924, www. theblagdonfarmshop.co.uk

SAUCY For adding some wow factor to a simple steak or grilled fish, The Sauce Queen’s range from £3.50 to £4.25 at Brocksbushes Styford Roundabout Stocksfield, NE43 7UB tel 01434 633 100 www.brocksbushes.co.uk

TOFFEE CRISP

A traditional treat from Sweet Sally Cinnamon Handmade Cinder Toffee £2.75 at Broomhouse Farm, Whitton Gilbert, Co Durham DH7 6TR, tel 0191 371 8382, www.broomhouse durham.co.uk

POP!

These Joseph Joseph gift sets will make you popular at Christmas, including The Entertainer pizza wheel and waiter’s friend bottle opener £25, and Barwise two-piece barware corkscrew and bottle opener with magnetic top £20 at Stangers, Brentwood Ave, Newcastle NE2 3DH, 0191 281 8563, www.stangerscookshop.co.uk

FROM THE ASH ES

COLD OFF THE PRESS

A favourite of the godfather of Italian gastronomy, Antonio Carluccio, Nudo’s olive oil has a hint of pepperiness, £6.55 to £9.99 at Boda, Whitley Road Whitley Bay, NE26 2NE tel 07542 244 716 www.bodahome.co.uk

Char Coal mature cheddar blended with charcoal for a smoky flavour, £4.25 at Country Barn Widdrington Farm Widdrington, Morpeth NE61 5EA, tel 01670 760 181 www.thecountrybarn.co.uk

GINGER SNAPS

For movie nights in, Joe & Sephs Caramel & Peanut Butter or Caramel and Sea Salt popcorn, £1.40 a Dene’s Deli, Jesmond Rd Newcastle, NE2 1LD, tel 0191 281 8200, www.denesdeli.com

Add the winter warming flavour of ginger to your latte with this Bio Organic Ginger Syrup, £5.75 at Daniel Farm, Sled Lane, Wylam tel 01661 853 849 www.facebook/ danielfarmwylam

appetitemag.co.uk

57

KITCHEN KIT NO WORRI ES A reminder to eat well throughout the day, I’d rather be in Happy Organic mugs £8.50, at Happy Organic, Front Street, Cleadon Sunderland, SR6 7PG tel 0191 536 3623 www.facebook.com/ HappyOrganicNE/

WATCH THE BIR DY

CRISPY You can’t possibly make them this good, so don’t bother - Vallum mini meringues, perfect for festive desserts, just £4 a bag at Vallum, Military Road, East Wallhouses, Newcastle NE18 0LL, tel 01434 672 360 www.vallumfarm.co.uk

SPARKLING Add some sparkle to your festive breakfast table with these gorgeous handmade champagne jams £3.95 each at Little Coffee House, Princesway Gateshead, NE11 0NF tel 0191 447 3404

Let these cute robins warm your heart – mug and coaster set from Wrendale, £15 at La Cookshop, Milkhope Centre, Berwick Hill Rd Seaton Burn, Newcastle, NE13 6DA, tel 01670 789 142 www.lacookshop.co.uk

FLOWE R POWER

CHE ERS! This range of craft ales will help Christmas run along smoothly, available in three bottle gift boxes £10 at Beldons at The Exchange Howard Street, North Shields, NE30 1SE, 0191 258 4111 www.facebook.com/Beldons

Featured on Dragon’s Den, Flora Tea is a cup of tea and flower display in one, and it tastes gorgeous too. Tea glass £5.99 and individual flowering tea £2 at Pumphreys Newcastle and Blaydon, tel 0191 414 4510 www.pumphreys-coffee.co.uk

CRYSTAL CLEAR These gorgeous glass tea pots are a simple, elegant way to serve up tea to your guests, £15 to £25, at Sutra Tea Clayton Road Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 4RP www.teasutra.co.uk

58 appetitemag.co.uk

ONE AND ONLY This Unio Moscatel wine vinegar is aromatic and complex with rich overtones like blossom and honey and you could drink this straight out of the bottle it’s that good! Use it to dress any salad with grains in it, £5.80 at Irvins Brasserie, Fish Quay, North Shields, NE30 1HJ 0191 296 3238, www.irvinsbrasserie.co.uk

KITCHEN KIT Award Winning

BUON NATALE!

OF SEAHOUSES EST • 1843

This traditional Italian panettone is not only beautifully packaged to make a wonderful gift, it tastes exquisitte too. £2.50-£15.50 at The Deli Around The Corner, Hotspur St, North Shields NE30 4EE, tel 0191 259 0086 www.thedeliaroundthecorner. co.uk

Fresh, Seasonal, Traditional & Delicious Our smoke houses have been in operation since 1843 next door to our shop, the ‘The Fisherman’s Kitchen’, where your always welcome.

HAM PER TIM E!

You can also order online at www.swallowfish.co.uk

These lovely hampers range in price from £19.99-£49.99 and include such gems as wild rosemary honey, Queimoso cheese and cold pressed extra virgin garlic olive oil at Rural Products Westgate Road, Newcastle NE4 6AJ, tel 0191 447 5060 www.ruralcountry.uk

2 South Street, Seahouses, Northumberland, NE68 7RB tel: 01665 721052 | www.swallowfish.co.uk Proud to be one of Rick Stein’s Food Heroes SMOKED SALMON•KIPPERS•SMOKED COD•SMOKED HADDOCK SALMON SMOKIES•SHELLFISH•CRABS•LOBSTER

GET GIFTING

Situated in the heart of Cleadon Village.

The hamper selection at Carruthers & Kent is a treasure trove of the fantastic goods at this fantastic wine shop and deli, and the lovely folks here will make up bespoke ones just for you. Prices start at £40 at Carruthers & Kent Elmfield Road, Gosforth Newcastle, NE3 4AY tel 0191 213 1818 www.carruthersandkent.com

BUZZING This lovely set of raw, unprocessed natural honeys and a free organic lip balm made from hand-spun honey, £39.99 at the Travelling Bee Company www.travellingbee.co.uk

Swallow Fish

TO A TEA This lovely house blend tea makes for a lovely gift at £3.10 and strainers are £5 at The Perfect Blend Beech Grove Court Crawcrook Ryton, NE40 4LZ tel 0191 413 1000 www.enjoytheperfectblend.co.uk

Bistro Romano offers fine contemporary Italian and Mediterranean cuisine in a relaxed and friendly vibe.

White crisp linen tables are elegantly dressed for a la carte dining for lunch and dinner.

Now Booking For Christmas Italian Classics • A la Carte Menu • Lighter Lunches Early Evening Menu • Daily Specials • Sunday Lunches

Bistro

63 FRONT STREET CLEADON VILLAGE SUNDERLAND SR6 7PG TEL: 0191 519 1747 www.bistroromano.co.uk

appetitemag.co.uk

59

PRIMULA’S CHEESY BALL Cheesemaker Primula raised more than £15,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society with its first charity Cheesy Ball at Newcastle Gateshead Marriott Hotel Metrocentre in memory of former Primula warehouse manager Dean Elliott, a big supporter of the Alzheimer’s Society who passed away last year.

The money raised is in addition to the thousands of pounds given to charities every year through sales of Primula Cheese, with profits donated to good causes across the UK and the world through the Kavli Trust – a charitable Trust which owns the Kavli Group of which Primula is part. The menu for the event featured Primula cheese in every dish.

AY SANDMAN SIGNATURE AND SHARK CLUB 5TH BIRTHD Sandman Signature Hotel and Shark Club Gastro Bar in Newcastle welcomed guests for a special anniversary party to celebrate its fifth birthday.

60 appetitemag.co.uk

DINING OUT BLACKFRIARS RESTAURANT DABBAWAL

Blackfriars Restaurant is housed within a former medieval friary dating back to 1239 and was voted Taste of England at the North East England Tourism Awards for its local inspired dishes. You can enjoy three courses for £18 (expires 30 November) or sumptuous dish from their award-winning evening menu. Bookings are being taken for Christmas parties and Blackfriars also stages many themed events and cookery courses in its Banquet Hall and Workshop which make excellent presents.

Dabbawal, winner of the Best Casual Dining Restaurant in the British Curry Awards 2015, brings the streets of Mumbai to its two Newcastle kitchens with street food ranging from beautifully balanced chaats to roomali wraps and unique tapas-style plates for sharing. The Festive Feast Menu is a fabulous break from the traditonal fayre, served to graze, share and enjoy available from November 23. Want to spice up lunch in the city? Pop in or order to takeaway noon-2.30pm.

ESLINGTON VILLA

Looking for a gift with a difference this Christmas? Why not treat family or friends to an Eslington Villa gift voucher? You can choose from lunch, dinner or overnight stay or perhaps just a monetary value so they can spend on whatever they wish? Vouchers can be bought online or call 0191 487 6017.

Festive menus are now available to book and are available from the December 2-24. Enjoy lunch or dinner, or the Haswell room is perfect for a private party.

To view the menus visit www.eslingtonvilla.co.uk.

Special Offer Serene Sundays – Dine with Eslington Villas on a Sunday and stay overnight for only £60.00 per room, includes full English breakfast. Sunday menu runs all day from 12-9pm. Eslington Villa is set in two acres of beautiful gardens in a quiet leafy district of Low Fell. It is ideal for weddings, private dining and all kinds of functions and corporate events.

LOCATION: Friars Street Newcastle, NE1 4XN tel 0191 261 5945 www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

LOCATION: 69-75 High Bridge Newcastle, NE1 6BX, tel 0191 232 5133, and at Brentwood Mews Jesmond, NE2 3DG, tel 0191 281 3434, www.dabbawal.com

KARBON GRILL

MCKENNAS

MICHELANGELO’S

UNO’S TRATTORIA

Karbon Grill – Kitchen and Bar at the Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland, offers a tempting array of Pan-Amercian inspired cuisine in beautiful contemporary surroundings. The Karbon Bar is open all day, with an enhanced menu featuring a fantastic array of new dishes. From cakes and snacks to afternoon tea, sandwiches and sharing platters, there’s something for everyone. To book or for more information call 0191 349 8500 or email karbongrill@hgisunderland.com Check in and share your experience.

Far more than a theatre bar, McKenna’s serves a wide selection of tapas, weekly changing specials, tried and tested classics and gourmet sandwiches. McKenna’s also caters for a range of events in a beautiful location in the heart of the historic university campus.

A family-run business, McKenna’s has a strong team of chefs and bar staff who are passionate about good food and make your visit a memorable one.

Visit the website for opening times.

Michelangelos currently have three restaurants, each with their own identity but all of them with the same passion for providing a first-class dining experience. The restaurants specialise in fine, traditional Mediterranean dishes that have been tried, tested and enjoyed for years. Everyone is welcome and parties of all sizes. Booking now for Christmas & New Year.

Uno’s is a family-run restaurant which has been serving traditional Italian food since 1989. Daily blackboard specials, a lunch special menu and early evening menus compliment the a la carte pizza and pasta menu. Lunch special menu Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm, early evening menu Mon-Thu 4pm-7.30pm. Open Sun 12pm-10pm, Mon-Thu 12pm10.30pm, Fri & Sat 12pm-11pm.

Happy Hour Pasta/Pizza £5.55 (excl. select dishes) Mon-Fri 12pm7pm Sat 12pm-5pm. Booking for Christmas & New Year.

LOCATION: Karbon Grill – Kitchen and Bar at the Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland

LOCATION: McKenna’s at Northern Stage, Barras Bridge Newcastle, NE1 7RH www.mckennasat northernstage.co.uk

LOCATION: 8 Station Road Low Fell, Gatehead, NE9 6DR tel 0191 487 6017 www.eslingtonvilla.co.uk

LOCATION: Michelangelos/La Tavern: Stella Road, Ryton NE21 4LU, 0191 4132921.

Pieri’s: Parsons Road, Ryton NE40 3RA, 0191 4136444, www.michelangelorestaurants.co.uk

LOCATION: 18 Sandhill, Quayside, Newcastle, NE1 3AF Tel: 0191 261 5264 www.unotrattoria.co.uk

appetitemag.co.uk

61

CHOCOLATE NEMESIS CAKE

CHOCCA BLOCK

SERVES 8 225g self-raising flour 350g granulated sugar 65g unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 240ml buttermilk 120ml vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 240ml strong hot coffee for the ganache: 200g 70% cocoa dark chocolate 284ml pot double cream 2 tbsp golden caster sugar to garnish: blackberries, blueberries, figs and edible dust in gold

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Butter and line with greaseproof paper two 23cm round cake tins. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

Mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs (at room temp), and vanilla extract in a large bowl using a handheld mixer. Slowly add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low. Add the coffee. The batter will be very thin, which is fine. Pour the batter into the cake tins and bake for 25 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool and then cut the two cake discs horizontally in half, so you end up with four discs.

Make the ganache by chopping the chocolate into small pieces and put in a bowl.

Pour a large pot of double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, and heat until it’s about to boil. Take off the heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Sandwich the four layers together with a little of the ganache and then pour the rest over the cake and smooth to cover with a palette knife.

Decorate with blackberries, blueberries and fresh figs and sprinkle a very light dusting of edible gold dust over the blackberries.

The next appetite is out in December. In the meantime, visit us at www.appetitemag.co.uk

62 appetitemag.co.uk

cut out and save

INGREDIENTS

䘀攀猀琀椀瘀攀 匀攀琀 䴀攀渀甀 ㈀ ㄀㘀 䄀瘀愀椀氀愀戀氀攀 昀爀漀洀 ㄀⸀㄀㈀⸀㄀㘀

吀漀 匀琀愀爀琀

䠀愀洀 吀攀爀爀椀渀攀Ⰰ 倀攀愀猀攀 倀甀搀搀椀渀最Ⰰ 䈀攀攀琀爀漀漀琀猀Ⰰ 匀琀漀琀琀椀攀

吀漀 䘀椀渀椀猀栀

匀愀氀洀漀渀Ⰰ 䈀甀琀琀攀爀洀椀氀欀Ⰰ 䌀甀挀甀洀戀攀爀Ⰰ 䜀椀渀Ⰰ 伀礀猀琀攀爀 䰀攀愀昀

䌀栀爀椀猀琀洀愀猀 倀甀搀搀椀渀最 匀瀀爀椀渀最 刀漀氀氀Ⰰ 䴀愀爀稀椀瀀愀渀 䤀挀攀 䌀爀攀愀洀

刀漀愀猀琀 䌀愀爀爀漀琀Ⰰ 䴀愀猀挀愀爀瀀漀渀攀Ⰰ 圀愀氀渀甀琀Ⰰ 䌀漀昀昀攀攀⠀瘀⤀

䌀栀漀挀漀氀愀琀攀Ⰰ 䌀栀攀爀爀礀Ⰰ 倀椀猀琀愀挀栀椀漀 倀愀渀渀攀琀漀渀攀 䈀爀攀愀搀 愀渀搀 䈀甀琀琀攀爀 倀甀搀搀椀渀最Ⰰ 䔀最最 一漀最 䌀甀猀琀愀爀搀 䌀栀爀椀猀琀洀愀猀 䌀栀攀攀猀攀 匀攀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀 ⠀ꌀ㔀 匀甀瀀瀀氀攀洀攀渀琀 ⤀

匀椀搀攀 䐀椀猀栀攀猀 ꌀ㌀⸀㔀 攀愀挀栀

吀栀椀渀 䌀甀琀 䘀爀椀攀猀 䌀氀愀瀀猀栀漀琀 䈀爀漀挀挀漀氀椀Ⰰ 䄀氀洀漀渀搀 愀渀搀 䠀漀氀氀愀渀搀愀椀猀攀 匀愀甀挀攀

吀漀 䘀漀氀氀漀眀

䈀爀愀椀猀攀搀 刀攀搀 䌀愀戀戀愀最攀

刀漀愀猀琀 䜀漀漀猀攀Ⰰ 䴀愀猀栀Ⰰ 刀攀搀 䌀愀戀戀愀最攀Ⰰ 䌀愀爀爀漀琀Ⰰ 刀攀搀挀甀爀爀愀渀琀

䌀愀甀氀椀昀氀漀眀攀爀 䌀栀攀攀猀攀

匀琀漀渀攀戀愀猀猀Ⰰ 䬀愀氀攀Ⰰ 匀焀甀椀搀 䤀渀欀 刀椀猀漀琀琀漀 倀愀爀猀渀椀瀀 愀渀搀 䜀漀愀琀猀 䌀栀攀攀猀攀 吀攀爀爀椀渀攀Ⰰ 䠀漀渀攀礀 䜀爀愀渀漀氀愀Ⰰ ⠀瘀⤀ 䈀漀漀稀礀 匀漀爀戀攀琀 ꌀ㘀⸀㤀㔀

䰀甀渀挀栀 ⴀ 吀栀爀攀攀 䌀漀甀爀猀攀猀 ꌀ㈀㄀⸀㤀㔀 ⼀ 䐀椀渀渀攀爀 ⴀ 吀栀爀攀攀 䌀漀甀爀猀攀猀 ꌀ㈀㜀⸀㤀㔀

⨀倀氀攀愀猀攀 椀渀昀漀爀洀 漀甀爀 琀攀愀洀 漀昀 愀渀礀 搀椀攀琀愀爀礀 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀洀攀渀琀猀 漀爀 愀氀氀攀爀最椀攀猀⸀⨀䴀攀渀甀 匀甀戀樀攀挀琀 琀漀 挀栀愀渀最攀 眀椀琀栀 漀甀琀 渀漀琀椀挀攀⸀ 䰀甀渀挀栀 ㄀㈀瀀洀 ጠ ㈀⸀㌀ 瀀洀 ⼀ 䐀椀渀渀攀爀 㔀⸀㌀ 瀀洀 ጠ 㜀⸀ 瀀洀⸀ ꌀ㄀ 瀀攀爀 瀀攀爀猀漀渀 搀攀瀀漀猀椀琀 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀 愀琀 琀椀洀攀 漀昀 戀漀漀欀椀渀最 昀漀爀 瀀愀爀琀椀攀猀 漀昀 㘀 漀爀 洀漀爀攀⸀ 倀爀攀 漀爀搀攀爀 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀 洀椀渀 㐀㠀栀爀猀 椀渀 愀搀瘀愀渀挀攀 昀漀爀 瀀愀爀琀椀攀猀 漀昀 㠀 漀爀 洀漀爀攀⸀

倀攀愀挀攀 愀渀搀 䰀漀愀昀 䨀攀猀洀漀渀搀 䀀瀀攀愀挀攀愀渀搀氀漀愀昀樀攀猀 䀀瀀攀愀挀攀愀渀搀氀漀愀昀樀攀猀 ㈀㄀㜀 䨀攀猀洀漀渀搀 刀漀愀搀Ⰰ 䨀攀猀洀漀渀搀Ⰰ 一攀眀挀愀猀琀氀攀 甀瀀漀渀 吀礀渀攀 一䔀㈀ ㄀䰀䄀 ⴀ ㄀㤀㄀ ㈀㠀㄀ 㔀㈀㈀㈀ ⴀ 眀眀眀⸀瀀攀愀挀攀愀渀搀氀漀愀昀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀

挀

搀

昀

Handmade Kitchens & Furniture e ns or e st ard rs G rio ey te dl in Bra nd at co n Se ope w no

Beautifully handcrafted Kitchens & Bathrooms to last a lifetime.

1–7 Wellington Street, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE8 2AJ Tel 0191 477 6680 Email info@bridgewater-interiors.co.uk Bradley Gardens, Sled Lane, Wylam, Tyne & Wear NE41 8JH Tel 01661 852 176 Email info@bradley-gardens.co.uk www.bridgewater-interiors.co.uk