An Edible Voyage

April 2021 During my weekend in Aberdeen, I made an exciting discovery.  A few miles outside of the city, close to Kinellar, is Forest Farm Dairy - an organic dairy surrounded by lush green pastures where their cows roam free.   Not only can you get their delicious non-homogenised milk straight from the source via Scotland's first milk vending machine, you can also get many other delicious products made on the farm.  In the cheese line up, there's Scottish curd cheese and some of Connage Highland Dairy's cheeses, as well as Forest Farm's own haloumi - I'm a big haloumi fan anyway so didn't need much convincing, but this was a whole other level - absolutely gorgeous cooked over a BBQ until the outside caramelises and the inside goes all gooey... Anyway, I digress.   Artisan gelato is the highlight of any trip to Forest Farm.  Made in small batches on the premises, it has zero food miles and flavours change regularly.  The honeycomb is an absolute m...

March 2021 Baking isn't generally my thing.  I think it's because it requires patience and precision which isn't really my style of cooking... I'm more of a chuck together what I have to hand, substitutions galore, measuring by eye and judging when something is cooked by smell sort of cook.  But these madeleines looked very appealing, the recipe seemed quick and easy, promising speedy pleasure.  And, most importantly, they incorporated treacle.  I'd been on the hunt for a use for my treacle having bought a tin for another recipe and then wondering what on earth I was going to do with the other 98% of it.   I was also probably swayed by it being a Nadiya Hussain recipe - her adventurous combinations, and British classics fused with exotic flavours really resonates with me. The recipe actually includes star anise, and grapefruit syllabub for dipping, but I didn't have star anise so left that out, nor cream so I replaced with yogurt (and told myself that was h...

 July 2020 There's nothing better at a Middle Eastern restaurant then tucking in to flat breads, warm from the oven, dipped in to thick, smooth, creamy labneh.  It had never occurred to me that it could be so simple to make myself.  It is essentially strained yogurt, so by heaping Greek yogurt in to a sieve lined with muslin, placed over a bowl to catch the whey, tying the muslin tight around the yogurt, and leaving in the fridge overnight, I had my very own labneh. I created some delicious and healthy lunches with it that were so simple to make.  Serving alongside steamed, peppery tenderstem broccoli sprinkled with nutty dukkah allows all the fresh flavours to shine, whilst giving a lovely combination of textures. Labneh also works well against the smokiness of courgette and sweet, caramelised garlic, straight from the BBQ.  Aromatic rosemary and a sprinkle of lemon zest work exceptionally well to balance the creamy labneh and create a lively dish. 

June 2020 Nestled in a pretty, narrow street on the Northern end of the centre of Oxford, among quaint pubs and hanging baskets of colourful flowers, is 2 North Parade.  A tiny but inviting blue shop front leads to a bounty of local produce.  The sweetest local farm strawberries, a vast selection of British cheeses from the very best producers, milk and yogurt from North Aston Farm, all manner of vegetables, Gatineau pastries and quiches, Cotswold beer, and sourdough loaves from both Hamblin Bread and Sourdough Revolution.  And with friendly, passionate and knowledgeable about all things quality produce owners, this the place to come to stock up for a picnic feast.  Find it on North Parade, Oxford 

March 2018 Manty are large steamed dumplings, filled with ground lamb, often served with yogurt and tomato sauce.  Find them on street stalls or at restaurants all around Bishkek. 

April 2020 Since we can't go out to explore the world at the moment, I have brought the world to me!  Papanasi, cottage cheese 'doughnuts', served with yogurt, berries and a dusting of icing sugar, make a delicious and unusual brunch.  Crispy and hot on the outside, soft and creamy in the middle, they have all the best parts of a doughnut, whilst being light and packed full of protein.  Enjoy!

September 2019 I didn't expect to find an eclair in Kiev, yet alone such a delicious and beautiful one.  It was incredibly hard to pick from the array of exquisitely decorated, exotic flavoured offerings, so I opted for poppy seed - a popular filling for Ukrainian baked goods.  I was also intrigued as to how yogurt would work in an eclair. Well, it turns out! The tangyness of the yogurt, nuttiness of the poppy seeds, and sweet almonds worked well together to give a profile of subtle, well-balanced flavours, which was less sickly than a standard eclair. Find it at Art Eclair, Kiev.