An Edible Voyage

July 2021 With all this hot weather, I find myself craving the fresh, bright, juiciness of the season's best produce, and light, refreshing meals to keep me cool of the hottest of days.  I relish opportunities to browse the farm shop, selecting whatever takes my fancy, and then combining ingredients in to colourful patterns on my plate.  Here are some of my favourites. Chicory, Dolcelatte, Clementine, Pine Nuts This is my #1.  Bitter chicory is perfectly offset with creamy Dolcelatte and sweet clementine, whilst toasted pine nuts add a satisfying crunch.  With a simple dressing of olive oil, white wine vinegar and honey, this is quick to make and the flavours dance on my taste buds. Watermelon, Feta, Mint There's nothing quite like slicing through a watermelon and revealing that glorious red flesh, and biting in to cool wedges as the juice drips down your chin.  This salad takes seconds to prepare.  Toss a handful of cubed feta and a sprinkling of torn mint...

July 2021 The simple sandwich. Bread, filling, bread.  But with all the combinations of fillings and types of bread, ranging in size from a quick snack to a monstrous meal, the sandwich is anything but simple. I've recently discovered a couple of new fillings which I've fallen in love with and that have become my go to. Bloody Mary Prawns Combine a classic prawn cocktail sandwich with a Bloody Mary, and you're on to a sure winner.  Simply mix cooked prawns with some tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, a few drops of tabasco, a drizzle of Worcestershire sauce, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt (celery salt would be perfect if you have it to hand) and a kick of vodka. Pile between slices of chunky granary bread or chewy sourdough topped with crisp lettuce for a summery, fun, lunchtime treat. Japanese Inspired Egg Sandwich Mash hard boiled eggs with a tablespoon of sesame seeds, Kewpie mayonnaise and a teaspoon of the miso of your choice - my current favourite is brown rice miso for...

June 2021 When researching my Northern Ireland trip, I had no doubt I'd come across many a food and coffee place to add to my 'to try' list in Belfast, but I fully expected that once I was out in the 'wilds' of my campsite, any food and drink excitement would be limited by my (lack of) camping stove creativity.  To my delight, I was proved wrong.  Unexpectedly, the seaside town of Ballycastle harbours Ursa Minor, a sourdough bakery and treasure trove of local produce.  Sourdough loaves and seasonally flavoured buns and baked goods fill the window, whilst the rest of the shop bursts with locally made preserves and condiments in all manner of exciting flavours - lemon and fennel, strawberries preserved in acacia honey and rayu (Japanese chilli oil) jumped out at me, alongside delicious kombucha and all sorts of other delights. Sit in and enjoy a quality coffee - they offer all the espresso based staples, or take your haul down to the beach for a gourmet picnic. Find U...

January 2021 I'm a real fan of Japanese cuisine and I enjoy using Japanese flavours in my cooking, whether for traditional meals or incorporated in to other cuisines to create a flavour fusion.  I love how to line between sweet and savoury seems blurred and there's lots of fun to be had experimenting - I generally think of mushrooms as savoury and custard as sweet, but a shitake custard was one of the most memorable dishes I've ever had.   I was apprehensive about this cheesecake - would the miso be overpowering?  It wasn't.  In fact, I couldn't taste the miso per se, but it added a real depth, a richness without being sickly, elongating the flavour of every mouthful to create something a little bit special without being overly fancy. I swapped the traditional cheesecake base for a blended date and nut one to make it a little more nutritious, and mixed the leftover cheesecake mix (I was using a small tin) with condensed milk and froze to make a cheesecake ice cr...

June 2020 Japanese is one of my most loved cuisines, and although there is a time and a place for delicate, exquisitely crafted plates of food, give me simple, comforting food cooked well and I'm in heaven.  When a friend told me about a small, homely place in London that seemed to tick all these boxes, I was excited to visit. The menu appears to be fairly simple but the flavours are anything but.  The mackerel Balanced Bowl with noodles and a rainbow of fresh salads and vegetables, elevated with the flavours of Japan was not only absolutely delicious, I could feel the goodness being soaked up inside me. I couldn't choose between the tempting desserts so I went for two... Light as a feather Japanese cheesecake and Kuromitsu (Japanese black honey) ice cream sprinkled with little pops of bee pollen.  Even the coffee was unexpectedly delicious, with the flat white silky smooth and flavoursome. Find all these Japanese treats and more at Kissa Wa, Hig...

February 2020 Good calamari is one of my favourite things.  This is a good calamari.  Light but ever so crispy batter, meaty squid and punchy wasabi mayo, washed down with Kirin beer.  Moments of food heaven. Find it at Osaka, Reading, UK

February 2020 I always find that the British Airways High Life magazine is a great source of inspiration for places to visit, both locally and further afield, and this is where I came across Issho-Ni.  An unassuming doorway in Bethnal Green leads in to what immediately feels like a 'cool' restaurant.  Cherry blossom and origami cranes hanging from the ceiling, and Japanese works of art occupying entire walls is a great contrast to the industrial, warehouse bones of the building. The sushi is divine.  The Our Roll is filled with fresh salmon, tuna and seabass.  Crispy salmon skin adds crunch, truffle mayo gives a luxurious richness, and tobiko pops in the mouth.  This is an exciting dish, both texture and taste wise. Next up was Squid Ink Yakisoba.  I love squid ink and often find squid ink products seem to be a little stingy with the squid ink.  There was definitely no stinginess here and, combined with the pungent crisped garl...