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A nice cup of tea and a sit down. And cake.

Call it a hunch, but I reckon there’ll be traffic queues and toilet queues at the grand houses of the UK today. This must be peak viewing day for National Trust properties and other national treasures such as Chatsworth, which these days is less of a trial for children, thanks to kid’s trails and playgrounds, and for food lovers, as most places have caught on pretty quick.

We made a quick dash to Belton House yesterday, our nearest National Trust property. If only because it has an amazing adventure playground for a 7 year old to blow off some steam in. I’d not been before so was keen to see where the food level was pitched at. And I was pleasantly surprised! Local produce was well featured, from Lincolnshire sausages through to local veg. There were gluten free cakes from Crimbles, which is a nice touch for not excluding anyone from tea time treats.

And there were cakes. Glorious, homemade looking cakes. Of course there was Victoria Sponge and Lemon Drizzle cake, but was thrilled to see Chocolate Beetroot (MGG pronounced it delicious) and Parsnip and Caraway amongst others. Decent tea, Belvoir cordials and no sign of instant coffee anywhere. Perfect.

Of course, the grande dame of this sort of thing has to be Chatsworth though. Their farm shop is a thing of foodie beauty, and the coffee shop has the most idyllic view. And I’m not just talking about the cakes. I am thankful not to be there today, as I am sure it is hectically busy, but enjoyed an afternoon there a couple of Friday’s ago. Tea was delightful (and scarily, no more expensive for three drinks and three fabulous cakes than 2 mediocre coffees, a glass of water and 2 cakes at Starbucks) and the staff suitably charming. And the picture perfect scenery just added to the whole occasion.

The farmshop itself is upmarket, not exactly cheap, but very clearly focused on food values. Great selection that you

The results of a farm shop dash at Chatsworth

could do your weekly shop from, or just choose some carefully edited highlights to add to the every day stuff you have. In my little haul there’s some great local salami,  slices of proper baked ham, a Lincolnshire plum loaf, Stout Porter from Tollgate Brewery, something from Peak Ales (we drank that already, so can’t check) and some Stichelton. The black pudding and oatcakes come from my earlier visit that day to the market in Hanley, which was responsible for this dish.

So, I would say planning a visit to a national treasure shouldn’t now mean compromising on your foodie values, even if you don’t take your own delightful picnic. Let me know if you think there’s a foodie treat hidden away at a national treasure near you, I’d love to notch up a few more. Although I’m going back to Chatsworth next week for the Country Fair, from 4th to 6th September. As you can imagine, it has a big food contingent. I’m pleased to see at least two very local suppliers in attendance: Belvoir Fruit Farms for great cordials and Brocklebys for the only organic Melton Mowbray pork pie around.

Advance tickets are still available, and there really will be something for all the family, whether they love their food or not. Just remember to pack a picnic for when you’re sitting in the traffic jam at the end of the day!

I love a good top 10 list, I think it’s a remnant from childhoods spent listening to the top 20 on a Sunday night, waiting for Radio 1 to changeover to FM!

I was intrigued to get this top 10 list from Cook In Style, to see what they were selling well in these interesting times we live in. This is their top 10,in reverse order of course, and my thoughts and possible alternatives.

Neat, colourful & possibly useful

10. Joseph Joseph Multicoloured Kitchen Nesting Set – You know what, I quite like this. One thing the majority of foodies are going to have is a shortage of space, so anything to help with that is great. And these look kind of pretty. There are two possible issues though: one, do the bits that aren’t mixing bowls stand up to proper use and two, do they stack well when half of the things are in the dishwasher or full of leftovers in the fridge? If you’re going to buy this, then it’s cheaper at John Lewis.

9. Kitchencraft Magnetic Spice Rack with Six Holders – this seems both practical and stylish, with the dishes being decent sizes to hold big things you use a lot of, like rock salt and bay leaves for example. Good for a foodie starting out, and you could add some decent spices to this as well. I really like Steenbergs if I want to order online, or Spices of India for more exotic fare. Living this close to Leicester though, there is nothing to beat going to some of the food stores there and getting spices there.

8. Marco Pierre White Cooking in Hells Kitchen – a surprising entry for the only cook book in their list. It’s ranked 164,000th on Amazon, so I’m not sure on this. If you wanted to send someone a book by Marco, I would be more tempted by Marco’s Great British Feast instead. I think it has more interesting and useful recipes, as well as tapping into the seasonal and British vibe.

7. KitchenCraft Tempero Shot Glasses – I think these look pretty good, and serve many purposes, over and above

Useful & stylish little shots of joy

shots of liquor. From small appetisers through to stunning desserts and holders for delicate flowers, these are lovely to have to hand. I like the mix of designs, as I’m not particularly into matchy matchy type arrangements. If you wanted something that might be even more of a talking point, then check out the ice shot glass mould at Firebox.

6. Outback Omega Gas Grill – I can only assume that they have sold these at a big discount all summer! I would say it was a little late to be treating someone to a BBQ now, unless you can get a really good one at a big discount. What about something a bit different,  like the American camp ovens that Pedlars have in stock? I think these offer up something different in outdoor cooking, which is bound to appeal to the active foodie.

5. Pink Flamenco Child’s Apron – ah yes, pink rules where girls of a certain age are involved! They do grow out of it. Mini Gourmet Girl is just heading out of the pink hues, and if you need a more funky childs apron, then I would suggest having a look at Not On the High Street. There are some great options, from personalised to ones with quotes from Plato and Socrates. If you’ve got a boy, or a tomboy, then check out the camo apron!

4. Brushed Nickel Fan - I bet these all sold on the very rare hot days we had, and have generally laid unused for most of the summer. Although now jam making is in full flow they may be useful for when you’re slaving over a boiling dish of sugar and fruit!

3. Ceiling Mounted Pan Rack – Congrats to those of you with ceilings high enough to take one of these without you knocking yourself out on the frying pan. I like having stuff visible in the kitchen, and to hand. To me though, this doesn’t make a great gift unless you know a) the person really wants one b) the kitchen can take it and c) someone has the ability to put it up properly.

2. Maxwell & Williams Cashmere Allegro 16 Piece Dinner Set - nice enough design, but in my view the wrong number of things! Even with two of you, you’ll get through 4 very quickly. For a couple, I would say 6 was good, gives you enough to have one set clean, one set dirty, and one set going round the dishwasher. If you need a first set of matching china, then I would head to Ikea for their basic white stuff, which is good quality, very reasonable and will go with everything.

1. 2 Lions Sabatier Milan Knife Block Set of 5 – this strikes horror into my heart. For a serious foodie, they need serious knives, not a block set. This is okay for your first kitchen, but any serious foodie needs to go into the shop and try out how each knife feels in the hand. In fact the only set of knives I could think would go down well with a serious foodie would be something like the Laguiole steak knives. That said, I don’t like sending knives, there is an old Japanese tradition I think it is about not sending knives or scissors, as they represent the severing of a relationship. Not the best message for anniversary present perhaps!

So, there you, probably this list is like finding Agadoo at the top of the charts. It says there are a lot of kitchens with some not fantastic equipment, which may ultimately not be the best use of what ever cash you have to spend. I would always look what brands and styles are already in the kitchen as a good starting point if you want to buy gadgets. That and something completely off the wall, like when candyfloss makers were first available. Sometimes, you just have to not take this whole foodie thing too seriously!

Having written about a whole load of tomatoes providing a whole heap of fun, I thought this week’s cook books should be about a single ingredient. And you’d be amazed what’s out there! So, if the foodie you’re shopping for has an ingredient they adore, there’ll probably be a book about it! Here’s a few to set you off.

101 uses of a tomato

1. The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits and History of the World’s Most Beautiful Fruit - one heck of a title, and this takes single ingredient to a bit of an extreme, as it’s not just any tomato, this is a heirloom tomato. There are 56 recipes to work your way through, as well as some great stories and history of the plant. A very unusual cook book, but if they love tomatoes, this could be one for them!

2. Sausage by A D Livingston – 100 different ways to use sausages, although I am not sure it has the recipe for the perfect sausage sandwich (in my view, the only permissible use of cheap white bread, and definitely needs brown sauce). Perfect for the sausage loving meat eater.

3. Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient – this is a really great book, being both an interesting read and having wonderful recipes. It’s a real foodie book and certainly an unusual one, but quite inspiring. It covers all kinds of animal fats, so some sectors of the health police may fall over when they spot it on your bookshelf, but you should get them to read some of the details.

4. The Dolce Vita Diaries – part travel book, part business book and part cook book, all about the story behind Nudo olive oil. A great read, some great simple recipes, which is what you’d expect from a great olive oil company.

5. Best 50 Banana Recipes by David Woods – probably the most common fruit in the average fruitbowl, and the one that’s always going to be heading towards going off. So here are 50 different suggestions of what you could be doing with them, other than mushing them up and making banana bread!

Researching these just showed me that there are books about pretty much any ingredient you care to choose, so even if they have a real foodie passion for something unusual, you’re bound to be able to find a great book to make the perfect gift for them.

Chuck a tom today

Oh yes, today you could throw tomatoes with impunity, in the right place. First held in 1932 La Tomatina Tomato Throwing Festival takes place today, so I would think your chances of attending are a little slim. If you want to get sorted for next year, it’s the last Wednesday in August.

You could cook up a great tomato sauce to celebrate. like Jamie’s really quick tomato sauce. There are gluts of veg going around, so if you don’t have your own toms, then I bet someone around you does!

But if you want to head to Spain, and see if they’ve got rid of the tomato stains, then you need to head for Valencia, as it’s the nearest place to Buñol. Valencia is one of those places that doesn’t seem to really be on the UK tourist trail for Spain, which is shame as it’s a great looking city, and the third biggest after Madrid and Barcelona.

Which means it’s going to have some decent restaurants. Ca Sento is currently reckoned to be the best on offer, a mother and son combination that delivers traditional and modern dishes from the region. This is one of Spain’s top restaurants, so you’re going to need to book. No word on what they do with tomatoes though.

If I was heading somewhere in Spain I didn’t know, then my first choice for hotel and first night eating would probably be the local Parador. If we had government run hotels here, I think we can all take a guess what they might be like. Paradors, on the other hand, have combinations of great accommodation and great cooking, based on the locality and what’s in season.

The Parador near Valencia is a modern one, so you’re not staying here for what it looks like, but the location looks amazing, with it being on the coast. They make paella, as well as other rice dishes from the area, and you can always work it off, gently, on the golf course. Or relax in it’s spa whilst you recount the calories!

You could tour the Parador’s and indulge in amazing buildings and great food around the whole country. We did this on our honeymoon, and I can highly recommend heading to Leon, Sos Del Rey Catolico, and Olite. All of these are beautiful buildings, they are connected to great wine regions (particularly loved Olite in the Navarra region for the wine selection from Ochoa at dinner).

So, if you need a special trip without going to the ends of the earth, then look to Spain, but not the usual suspects! Then look forward to ham, more ham, sherry, tapas, churros, late nights and great eating. Nothing at all like La Tasca!

Photo by Dahon

Chips with everything

Apparently, yesterday was the birthday of the deep fried chip. Yes, on 24 August 1853 one George Crumm made the world’s first deep-fried chips. There is no record as to whether he tried a Mars bar on the 25th, but for chips we thank him, even if our waistlines don’t.

Now, I’m a bit of a wuss, and have never made chips at home. I do remember the days of the chip pan, not to mention the ads on how to deal with a chip pan fire. The advent of the oven chip has seen the chip pan largely disappear from homes, and with the diet police taking a dim view on fried foods it’s no wonder that not many of us bother.

But when you go somewhere and get really good chips, then they are a thing of joy and do make you think about what you could achieve at home. I could be tempted by the very dinky compact deep fat fryer that Lakeland have, and I’d be looking for some great potatoes to try with it. If you want to try some varieties you won’t see in Sainsburys, then check out Carroll’s Heritage Potatoes. Can you imagine blue chips? Well, if you buy the Salad Blue, you could serve them up at home! Love to see the kids faces!

So, I think in honour of Mr Crumm, we could all indulge, just this once, in celebration. But if you’re going to have chips, make them good ones!

Around Britain in 100 recipes

Worth staying in on the next few Monday nights, as the Hairy Bikers are back. They’re touring around the UK again, and getting to see, and cook, the best on offer around the UK.

I feel we have a slight vested interest, as they visited the village and spent the day cooking at the Red Lion. We forgive them for making service late that night, they were charming and signed one of their books for the village raffle. They even signed an autograph for Mini Gourmet Girl, although I am not sure how they’ll feel about being on the wall next to Hannah Montana and High School Musical!

So, if you had a Hairy Biker of your own, what would you get them if you needed to buy a gift? Here’s a few suggestions:

1. A Royal Enfield. Vintage preferably.

2. American Camp Ovens – perfect for outdoor cooking that’s a bit more advanced than a few sausages over a disposable BBQ.

3. A decent picnic rug with waterproof backing – put an end to damp derrieres, wherever you end up eating.

4. A corkscrew with a hint of humour – I don’t like gimmicks, and things must work well first and foremost. But I do rather like the Parrot Sommelier Corkscrew from Alessi.

5. A homebrew kit- so there’ll be beer ready for the time they get back from their travels 

6. A motorcycle cake tin/jelly mould – indulge foodie recipes for cake and jelly in many variations but only one shape!

7. Dave’s Burning Hot Nuts – I’ve no idea if this is what you get from too long on the bike, but might be a good choice for those who like it hot!

8. A few nights in Bury – with a market like that on hand, where else would you go for a romantic few nights away? Choose somewhere with a mini bar, so you can stash your purchases, or get a mobile coolbox

So, here’s looking forward to few weeks of good cooking, no doubt a few bad jokes, and some good scenery. Dr T is also hoping for some good motorbike action, but there’s no accounting for taste!

Always seek a good burger

This is going to sound bad, but in the past week I’ve had a burger on three separate occasions. The only way I can hope to keep up my foodie credentials is to state quite categorically that not one of them has been from McDonalds!

The latest one was at What’s Cooking in Liverpool, and it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t my choice, I am sure Liverpool offers more unique food choices, but it hit the spot after a bit of high culture at Tate Liverpool (highly recommend the Colour Chart exhibition). Service was good, burgers were tasty, and tasted of beef, and nicely chargrilled. Pickles were a bit unimaginative, but overall not a bad experience.

Before that, I’d had home barbecued versions. One lot were Dexter beefburgers that I picked up from Picks Organics at last week’s food festival in Newark, which were amazing. I think they were something like 98% meat, gluten free and incredibly tasty. Simply grilled to medium, served with some fresh soda bread and Tracklements Onion Marmalade was just perfect.

Although, that said, last Saturday night’s homemade burgers with Stilton were pretty sublime too. I am not sure if Colston Bassett would approve of their cheese being used in such a way, but it was delicious. And treated with respect I feel, as we’re not talking a slice melted on the top, but a slice through the middle of the burger so the flavours suffused through the meat.

So whilst the burger gets regularly maligned, I think a true beefburger is a thing of foodie beauty, and taste. I have no idea what the best recipe is, I just think it comes down to using good beef. Ben Watson wrote in last week’s newsletter from Riverford about using diced chuck steak, which is tasty, and very reasonable too because, as he writes, it doesn’t look so attractive and does need a little work. If I was in a rush, then I would just use decent steak mince.  And not a low fat version.

The one thing that is really useful for burgers, especially if you’re making for a crowd, is a burger press. We bought ours from Lakeland years ago, a very good use of £2.99. They’ve even super-sized it now, which means you can now press your own quarter pounders, so hardly excessive. Then the toppings are up to you. If I am being excessive (quite often) then I would be “inspired” by my favourite, the black and blue burger from the OK Diner, which is guacamole and bacon. There again, if your burgers are great, just enjoy them naked. Clothes optional.

Clothes I don’t think are optional at the OK Diner, which is worth a stop if you’re on the A1. You might think Little Chef dreariness, those in the know know it is a true American diner, with great burgers, incredible milkshakes and a brilliant atmosphere. Stop at the one near Stamford and you get the full aluminium clad diner treatment. And in France, I would still skip the golden arches and head for La Boucherie. Not fast in the McDonalds sense, but they know their beef, and the steak hache is a thing to behold.

So go ahead, indulge in a burger without guilt, just put taste over speed!

Photo by Stigeredoo

This is an offshoot of last Friday’s unusual celeb cookbooks, as I managed to find the full five from some of the greats of Country & Western. Stand by your aga, these will keep you going from 9 to 5 and beyond!

Give your cookbook collection a little Dolly magic!

1. Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s - well, I had to start with Dolly, didn’t I? Filled with recipes for family dinners and celebrations, you’d have to be a real fan to get this, as the best I can find it for is £63.28 through Alibris, with shipping from the US, so possibly not cheap. Still, it would definitely be a talking point!

2. The Tammy Wynette Southern Cookbook - these are the recipes that apparently helped Tammy keep her feet on the ground in the midst of all her fame. Given that includes Corn Fried Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole and Fresh Apple Cake I would think keeping your feet on the ground would be quite easy, as it doesn’t sound like low cal stuff! Tasty though!

3. You’re Cookin’ It Country: My Favourite Recipes & Memories by Loretta Lynn - Quite comprehensive, with recipes taking you from breakfast through to dinner, and delighted to a whole chapter on desserts! I want to try Butcher Holler Steak (although possibly not the Possum version), Gooey Cake, Lemon Whippersnappers and Old Tymey Popcorn Balls. I think this one could be a real find!

4. Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes From My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood - something more up to date now, this was published last year but not to wide acclaim by the looks of it! Publisher’s Weekly calls it a “cheerful if uninspired collection of home-style Southern recipes”. Hmm, not really selling it to me, one for the fans only perhaps. Unless you need a recipe for Cranberry Salad with Cool Whip. Thought not.

5. Naomi’s Home Companion: A Treasury of Favourite Recipes, Food for Thought and Country Wit and Wisdom by Naomi Judd – well, this one wins the longest title award! Only 75 recipes but good family stuff from the family table but real comfort food stuff with an American twist. At £2.39 it may be worth a look.

So, y’all come by and eat some time soon!

Possibly posh, definitely festive!

It’s tradition really. Christmas always arrives at Harrods whilst most of us are heading for a well-earned summer break. If you feel the need for tinsel, Harrods already have their selection ready for you!

What about for the foodies? Well, there are already great hampers, but there are always hampers available, and the current ones are quite summery, so hold on a bit there. You could buy the foodie in your life the gift of a festive Harrods apron or a cookie cutter tea towel.

For any wine buffs, then I would consider the Wine Quiz Box from L’Atelier du Vin. There are quizzes on Bordeaux, Bourgogne and Champagne, so as long as you include some bottles for tasting, sounds like a good night in! 

I’m not sure if my next choice is for a foodie who loves whisky, or a foodie who happens to love great photography, but it’s a fabulous one off gift! Rankin has teamed up with Macallan, and the result is the Master of Photography 30 year old single malt. You get a one off, signed Rankin photo, with matching label on the bottle of 30 year old, of which only 1000 bottles are being produced. Each bottle has a different bottle and label, but each one contains the same soft and silky malt, with notes of macadamia nut, vanilla and sandalwood. It is really not cheap, but then neither is an original Rankin. A definite special gift for a special foodie!

So, not huge amounts to go on yet, but I’ll keep an eye on the site, just to see. Meanwhile, off to count the pennies to see how far off we are the Rankin bottle!

After a couple of days of foodie gifts where taste may not be the absolute first priority, I thought it was time to have a break and write about real foodie treats! Really this was prompted by an email from Natoora, rather than continued loathing over the Blueberry Vodka Glass Slipper!

Selected by Neals Yard to reflect some of the best in British Cheese

I really like Natoora, I wish there were more online sources like this for great food delivered to where you are. They’re really good at French and Italian stuff that you think you can only get on holiday, but also at the unusual stuff from around the UK, and the really good stuff. I can’t imagine many cheese loving foodies turning down the British Cheese Selection: Colston Basset Stilton (local to me, and darn fine Stilton it is too), Montgomery’s Cheddar, Kirkham’s Lancashire and one I haven’t tried, Tunworth. At a tad under £25, this feels like a lot more food for your money than the Selfridges Xmas pud and brandy butter.

Artichoke is one of those things I tend to order in, and associate with, Italy, and don’t often cook it here. That said, I am quite tempted to keep a jar of the artichoke pate in the cupboard, it could make a very good standby for bruschettas and as a quick pasta sauce. I’d also be tempted by the charcuterie counter, but mainly for Italian stuff you don’t see everywhere, like Speck and Coppa di Parma, not to mention two types of Lardo.

And I’ve always thought it would quite entertaining, not to mention tasty, to buy someone a whole Parma or Bayonne ham. Imagine their faces when they see that one wrapped up! Do you think they’ll guess what it is?

Delivery is pretty good: next day in 2 hour slots within selected London postcodes, 24 hour delivery to the rest of us. Even better, there’s 20% off any order over £50 between now and 31 August with code AUG20OFF, so worth shopping in bulk or clubbing together with like minded foodie friends. Although if you get into investigating their great wine and beer selection that £50 will come up quite easily!