FOOD & DRINK

Gingerbread chocolate ganache tartlets

Our recipes come from MK Pulse food writer, Sofia Gallo, an acclaimed local chef, food writer and teacher at Milton Keynes Cookery School. She has recently won the ICG Cooking Competition and was a contestant on BBC’s Masterchef.

Follow Sofia: Instagram: @in_cucinacon_sofia FB: incucinaconsofia www.lamiacucina.co.uk

Makes: 4 of 8cm diameter Difficulty: A little effort Prep time: 15 min + setting time Baking time: 15 min INGREDIENTS

For the pastry cases:

100g ‘00 flour - or plain flour 20g cocoa powder 30g unsalted butter 30g soft dark brown sugar 20g golden syrup 1 egg yolk 1 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp fine sea salt 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the chocolate ganache

150g finely chopped dark chocolate or 75g each of milk and dark chocolate for a lighter ganache 110ml double cream 1 tsp vanilla paste 20g butter for a shiny finish

METHOD

1. Sieve all the dry ingredients and set aside. 2. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar, add the golden syrup, the egg yolk and slowly the dry ingredients. 3. Combine well in a smooth dough and start rolling between two pieces of parchment paper to about a 5p coin thickness. 4. Once the pastry is ready, line the tartlet cases, prick the bottom with a fork and let these rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes. I find it easier to roll first and then cool, but you can place the dough in the fridge to set, before rolling and shaping, if this is your preferred method. 5. Preheat your oven to 1800 C/Gas Mark 4. Blind bake the tartlet cases for about 10 minutes and a further 5 once the baking beans have been removed. 6. While these are cooling down, prepare your ganache by warming up the cream to a warm temperature, being mindful not to boil it. Pour over the chocolate and leave for a minute. 7. Gently whisk the cream and the chocolate using a spatula or hand whisk, and add the butter to obtain a shiny finish. 8. Divide the ganache between the cases and place in the fridge until set. If you have leftover pastry, make some festive decorations and why not use some edible gold spray to embellish? This tasteful dessert can be prepared in advance.

Strike gastronomic gold at this hidden gem

I’ve given props to Cornwall Place Kitchen’s daytime café in a previous edition of MK Pulse but, having recently been lucky enough to attend a Chef’s Table event in their upstairs evening space, I couldn’t resist talking about this hidden gem all over again.

If you don’t already know, Cornwall Place Kitchen (CPK) is an eco-conscious coffee shopcum-fine dining establishment, only ten minutes from Milton Keynes in Buckingham, in the lovely Cornwall Place mews off the high street. Head chef George Spires and restaurant manager Sarah King are the masterminds behind this innovative dining venture – George is the brains behind the kitchen while Sarah heads up all things front of house.

It is important to say that this meal was complimentary and while I have been lucky enough to travel extensively over the years and eat in some fantastic restaurants, this meal was genuinely one of the most memorable for many reasons but predominantly for the superb quality of each ingredient and every unforgettable course.

We arrived at CPK for our private dining experience on a particularly warm evening and the first thing to note was that only a handful of us had actually met before and I was certainly a little worried. Dining with strangers is anxietyinducing for me at the best of times but I was concerned that eating in such an intimate environment would perhaps be too much yet, as soon as I walked through the front door of CPK, my mind was put at ease.

Sarah talked us through the evening and explained that the original concept had always been to create a homely environment for their private dining experience, with perhaps less of a focus on lunchtime coffees and toasties. She explained that CPK supports local wherever possible, recognising the importance as a small business of supporting other small businesses; our menu on this evening would celebrate seasonal, quality, hand-picked and local ingredients, while pairing drinks would highlight English producers, brewers and distillers. What followed were probably my two favourite dishes of the evening and what may possibly go down as the nicest red wine I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. First up: Mushroom Risotto with a Cheese Soufflé, Jus (using the same red wine the dish was paired with) and a Thyme Cracker. George really knocked it out of the ballpark here – a truly elegant dish that somehow struck that balance between real comfort food and elevated dining.

Now the wine – a wine which I instantly purchased online as soon as I returned home that evening – was absolutely sublime: The ‘Penny Red’ from Staffordshire-based Halfpenny Green Wine Estate was out of this world. I don’t claim to be a wine buff by any means but this wine was rich and chocolatey and had all of us around the table absolutely hooked. This dish was followed by the meaty main with pork sourced from Buckingham-based butcher Smith & Clay: Pork Loin with Ragout, Dauphinoise, Parmesan and Parsnip which, despite appearing a little dry, ended up being so deliciously succulent.

Next up was a Blood-Orange Margarita Pop – a brilliantly boozy palate cleanser in the form of an ice lolly – followed by the dessert: a Chocolate Delice with Beetroot Marshmallow, Smoked Cream and White Chocolate, served with a Rum Old Fashioned and, last but by no means least, the mignardise: sweet and salty Fudge. The dessert, by those around the table with a sweet tooth, was dubbed the ‘best ever,’ and I wasn’t far from agreeing here.

If you’re interested in booking Cornwall Place Kitchen’s Chef’s Table, or want to find out about their other fine dining events, such as their Steak Nights or Pop-Up Dine Nights, check out their website: https://cornwallplacekitchen. co.uk/private-hire/ and their Instagram page: @cornwallplacekitchen

I genuinely can’t remember the last time I had such a wonderfully relaxed and enjoyable evening. From being able to man the Spotify playlist all night, continuing friendships and making new ones to eating some of the most flavoursome and exquisite food I’ve had the pleasure of trying, I would recommend CPK’s private dining events to anyone and everyone.

Our apéritif was a Sloe Berry Fizz, featuring one of my all-time favourite spirits (local or otherwise!) Bucks Brothers Pomegranate Sloe Gin, served in a sugar-rimmed champagne coupe. Just sweet enough without being too much, this was the perfect way for conversations with somewhat-strangers to start flowing. Then came the canapé: a Bloody Mary Tapioca Puff. As a bit of a tomato juice-phobe, I was tentative, but frankly it was the perfect way to set up your appetite for the plethora of savoury offerings ahead.

The first course was a Blue Cheese Scone, with cheese sourced from local food market Cheese on Towcest’, served with mushroom clotted cream and onion rum jam. As a huge blue cheese fan, I felt perhaps that the scone itself could’ve packed more of a punch but I appreciated the need to keep it subtle to cater for all palates. The umami flavour of the mushroom cream converted even the mushroom-haters in the group but the star here for me was the onion rum jam – sweet and tangy and the perfect way to complement all of the other elements.

Next up was our first food and wine pairing. This special edition pale rosé from local Gawcott estate Chafor, picked up from Buckinghambased wine shop Cavavin, was perfectly delicate alongside our fish course: Mackerel Pate served on an Onion Waffle with Beetroot and Celeriac. As we had all been getting to know each other through the previous courses, this was my first opportunity to really see the craftsmanship behind the cooking and plating and, I believe, one of the biggest selling points of this experience: seeing Chef George at work. I enjoyed watching how the plate came together just as much as I loved eating every single morsel. cornwallplacekitchen.co.uk info@inspiresdining.co.uk

> If you would like your restaurant reviewed get in touch mkpulse@pulsegroupmedia.co.uk Follow Emma on Instagram: @emmaroseeats