Displaying items by tag: celebrity chef

They offered us another meal, we went back, it was much nicer.

The only table for four at this popular and crowded restaurant was at 5pm or 9pm so we went for the latter. I say crowded because it wasn't just busy - it was packed. We had to wait for our table so had a drink at the bar, which by 9pm you need to get in minutes, then nice starters (onion rings and Moons Green beer sticks, a delicious and great value biltong) Another wait for mains to arrive so that eventually we asked where it was, and then huge disappointment... (I think we were really a bit over-excited, Mark) Meat with little flavour, over-cooked chicken, a rare steak that was ordered as medium, so went back to be done again. A rare rib of beef (for two to three people) that we were told 'takes a long time to cook' and 'is best served medium to melt the fat marbling the meat', which I thought was gristle, but why not tell us that when we order? And the ensuing feedback to the concerned front of house staff that we feel will contribute, is embarassing and pointless for a restaurant of this calibre. Yes we like the cow in formaldehyde artwork but the meat could have come from the case hanging above us. The only good thing was the bill, at £35 a head it was a lot less than we expected. But then we're from Suffolk - where some of the steaks are proper good.

The Mince Pie Project is a 72 hour mince pie marathon, raising funds for Galvin’s Chance and Crisis.  You have just a day left to bid and could bag yourself a fantastic box of mince pies made by a top UK chef.

...from the football perspective you understand. We had to go to try it - what with Dad being eighty-something and from Norfolk. It was certainly worth the trip, simple and stylish with a no frills friendly local service and good home-made food. And they certainly pay attention to their bookings as the birthday card was a complete surprise.  We had champagne, a three course menu with two very nice wines for around £39 a head, and so as a tribute we feature Delia on our Dish of the Day.

After a lovely family visit to her restaurant at the Norwich City Football ground, we felt we had to honour her contribution to the world of cooking. She had left a signed birthday card for Dad and after that he was as happy as Larry!  This recipe comes from Delias Vegetarian collection which can be found on her website. It's full of other delicious seasonal recipes that just want to make you stay at home and cook. Apologies to all Ipswich supporters but really there's no competition - is there?

Winter Vegetable Pie with a Parmesan Crust

8 oz (225g) each of butternut squash, celeriac, sweet potato and carrots -  cut into small cubes

8 oz sliced leeks

Freshly grated nutmeg

4 oz (110g) Gruyere or Emmental cheese – grated

1 egg beaten – to glaze

Salt

For the pastry

1 oz (25g) finely grated Parmesan

4 oz plain flour

Pinch salt

1 oz vegetable fat

1 oz softened butter

For the sauce

1.5 oz (50g) butter

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

1.5 oz plain flour

1 pint (570ml) milk

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

2 oz Gruyere or Emmental cheese – grated

1 oz Parmesan, grated

1 dessertspoon each of finely chopped rosemary and thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper.

Method

First of all place the butternut squash, celeriac, carrots and leeks in a steamer (the sweet potato is added later on). Pour in some boiling water from the kettle, add the freshly grated nutmeg and some salt, then cover and steam the vegetables for 10 minutes. Now add the chunks of sweet potato and steam for another 10 minutes, or until the thickest parts of the root vegetables feel tender when tested with a skewer. Then tip all the vegetables into a large bowl and allow them to cool.

Meanwhile, make the sauce and the pastry. For the sauce, melt the butter in a smallish saucepan and add the onion. When you've stirred it so that it's nice and buttery, let it cook on the lowest possible heat for about 20 minutes. It's important not to let it colour, so give it a stir from time to time. Now, using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour until smooth, then add the milk a little at a time, switching to a balloon whisk and whisking well after each addition. Now season the sauce with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste, and let it barely simmer for 5 minutes. After that, stir in the grain mustard, the cheeses and the herbs. Then leave to cool.

To make the pastry, first sift the flour with a pinch of salt into a large bowl, holding the sieve up high to give it a good airing. Then add the lard and butter and, using only your fingertips, lightly and gently rub the fat into the parmesan and then sprinkle in some cold water - about 1 tablespoon. Start to mix the pastry with a knife and then finish off with your hands, adding more drops of water until you have a smooth dough that will leave the bowl clean. Then pop the pastry into a polythene bag and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When you are ready to cook the pie, preheat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C). Carefully mix the steamed vegetables with the sauce and pile half of the mixture into a pie dish. Now sprinkle half of the Gruyere (or other cheese) from the filling ingredients over the top and then repeat with the remaining mixture and cheese. Next, roll the pastry out into a circle on a surface lightly dusted with a little extra flour, and as you roll, give it quarter turns to keep the round shape. Next, cut a 12 inch (30 cm) circle out of this pastry. Roll out the leftover trimmings and cut a ½ in (1 cm) strip to go around the edge of the dish.

Now dampen the edge of the dish with water and place the strip of pastry around the rim, pressing down well. Dampen the top of this strip and then transfer the circle of pastry, rolling it over the rolling pin, to the dish and press it lightly and firmly over the edges to seal. Next, using the blunt edge of a knife, knock up the edges, then flute them using your thumb to push out and your forefinger to pull in again. Then make a hole in the centre of the pastry lid to let the steam out, and brush the surface with beaten egg. Now place the dish on the baking sheet and bake it for 25-30 minutes on the centre shelf of the oven, or until the pie is bubbling hot and the pastry is golden brown and crusty.

According to Forbes magazine, Rachael is the top earning celebrity chef in a top ten chart that features Gordon Ramsey at number three. She is worth $18 million and leapt from small-time cable stardom to Oprah-esque success. She began winning audiences with catchphrases like "Yum-o" on her first Food Network show, 30 Minute Meals, in 2001. Today she has four Food Network programs, including Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. Her nationally syndicated, Oprah-backed talk show, Rachael Ray, is averaging 2.6 million viewers this season, and her Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine has 1.5 million readers. She endorses Dunkin' Donuts too! You've probably never heard of her - but here is one of her recipes - in American.

   

Granma Evelyn's Christmas Hermits

Ingredients

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

1 cup raisins

1 cup dates, chopped

1/2 cup jarred maraschino cherries, chopped

1/3 walnuts, chopped

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons boiling water

2 1/4-2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.  In a large bowl, cream the shortening, adding the sugar gradually. Add the eggs, fruit and nuts. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water; then add this mixture to the shortening mixture. In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Add the flour mixture to the main bowl and stir.

Drop the batter in rounded teaspoons, about 1 inch apart, on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve and enjoy! Makes 30 - 40 cookies.

...and his unbridled enthusiasm for food on tonights Masterchef final. Although Inspector X wanted Sara to win, it was impossible to decide and I had to get a glass of sherry on a day I don't normallly drink it was so exciting.  I want to try  the octopus pease pudding, the suckling pig, the carageen moss vanilla custard, the hare, all the burgers especially the monkfish liver one - and will someone in Suffolk please start to do the chocolate ravioli stuffed with partridge? As Gregg would say...oh God!

What's happened to the competition, I hear you ask. Well according to the producers it's been so successful they are having a second series and Suffolk will be in that. Did any of you enter? Strangely there's no mention of it on Gino's blog, but here' s something from him to keep us going...

Ciao everyone!· Guess what I’m thinking about… it's long and meaty, and sums up everything there is to love about Italian cooking. Yes! It’s my favourite pasta dish ever - Bucatini alla carbonara.

...on BBC Radio Suffolk for Foodie Friday and I'm getting a bit nervous, but just have a look at that mouthwatering (and dead easy) cheesecake recipe and drool...

Looks like they have chosen someone else to represent 'outspoken food blogger' on the Market Kitchen tv programme I was asked if I was interested in doing. They are focusing on Suffolk with the Chilli Farm Palmers Bakeryand Stark Naked's pesto  so I am not going to get to taste any of those with hunky Celebrity Chef Michael Caines. If I had had a chance to look at his picture first I might have been more enthusiastic about the dawn trip to London to start filming at 8am.