Good Grub

Ripe, juicy San Marzano tomatoes, the finest, creamy mozzarella, fresh, flavoursome basil, the finest, most delicious Italian meats and a perfect, sourdough stone-baked crust – nothing quite beats the seductive flavours of a traditional, hand-stretched pizza. And now you can enjoy these delicious traditional flavours at home, thanks to the new updated and improved range of Tesco Finest pizzas, which will now feature paletta pizzas.

Now more tasty than ever before, the Tesco Finest pizza range combines the best ingredients from all over Italy to create restaurant quality pizzas, each taking their inspiration from traditional Italian recipes. As everyone knows, no matter how fantastic the topping, a good base makes a pizza. That is why Tesco Finest pizza bases are made using only the best 00-grade Italian flour and traditional Italian methods such as hand-stretching the dough before it is stone-baked to perfection. Toppings feature speciality Italian meats including Rostello ham and Salami Sardo, alongside vine ripened tomatoes, bursting with flavour, melt-in-the-mouth Italian cheeses and herbs. It’s almost like having your very own Italian pizza chef at home!

Experience the real flavours and traditions of Italy with one of the two new rectangular Tesco Finest paletta pizzas. Inspired by the Naples region of Italy, the birth place of pizzas, the Tesco Finest Four Seasons paletta is perfectly shaped for sharing and divided into four segments with tangy artichokes, garlic sautéed mushrooms, Rostello ham and Kalamata olives. If you know what good speciality meats taste like, you will delight in the high quality traditional Italian flavours on the Tesco Finest Rostello Ham, Salami Sardo & Salciccia Salami palletta pizza – a must for pizza connoisseurs.

Impress your friends with the perfect-to-share, large Tesco Finest pizzas. With four gourmet combinations to choose from and their moreish stone-baked sourdough bases, there’s bound to be a scuffle for the last slice. Choose from: Finest Salami Napoli Picante and Roquito Red Chilli pizza, Finest Rostello Ham, Garlic Sautéed Mushrooms and Italian Mascarpone pizza with a creamy white sauce, Finest Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil pizza with a delicious pesto drizzle, and Finest Smoked Garlic Portobello and Porcini Mushroom pizza. And just perfect for those cosy nights in with your favourite film, are everyone’s favourite Tesco Finest medium pizzas: Finest Margarita and Finest Chilli Chicken, Spinach and Roquito Peppers pizza.

The new Tesco Finest pizza range is available in Tesco stores from August 9^th 2010. Finest palettas and large pizzas are priced at £4.50 each, whilst the medium pizzas are priced at £4.00.

Tags: Italian, pizza, stonebake, Tesco

11^th & 12^th September 2010 at Bristol Harbourside

This year’s Organic Food Festival offers families and food lovers more than ever before – with the UK’s leading artisan producers, livestock shows, cooking demo areas with celebrity chefs and special kids zone to celebrate the festival’s 10th anniversary at Bristol’s Harbourside on 11 & 12 September 2010.

The festival, which is Europe’s biggest celebration of all things organic, provides an opportunity for visitors to taste the best food and meet leading producers from across the UK. Visitors can expect a weekend of gastronomic delights provided by over 150 of the very best organic producers, sponsored by Yeo Valley.

At this year’s festival, as well as a host of celebrity chefs sharing culinary wisdom in the Cookery Demo Tent, an expected 20,000 visitors will be able to discover delicious food and drink, luxurious skincare, leading organic fashion labels, organic textiles and home design as well as organic gardening.

At the heart of the 2010 festival will be The Food Market where visitors can come and look, taste and buy from stalls offering some of the best organic produce you can find. From organic pork pies, to organic ice cream, it will be a foodie lover’s heaven.

Kids will be entertained with a wealth of activities at the Kids Taste Experience Tent which is being led by the Youth Food Movement. Activities, which will encourage kids to think about how their food is made, include butter making, seed planting and bread baking.

The Organic Food Festival Sheep Show will offer visitors the chance to swot up on different breeds of sheep whilst learning some interesting facts from our local farmers. As well as offering more livestock to look at than ever before, the Organic Food Festival’s 2010 Sheep Show adds an educational aspect to the event, encouraging visitors to consider where their food comes from and what benefits organic farming can offer.

There’ll be celebrity chefs sharing their culinary expertise and recipes in the demo area, including Barney Haughton, Geetie Singh and Oliver Rowe.  The Show will be opened by Soil Association President, Monty Don, and the Soil Association’s Organic Food Awards will be hosted by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Finally, for those who want to sit back and relax with a glass of locally brewed organic cider, there will be a stage offering a line up of the best in unsigned musical talent, as well as free regular screenings of recently released film Food Inc. in the Planetarium.

Promising to be an entertaining family-friendly outing, this much loved festival is perfect for everyone.

• The Organic Food Festival is on Saturday September 11 (10am-6pm) and Sunday 12 (10am-5pm) at Bristol Harbourside. Tickets cost £5, with free entry for children and Soil Association members. Visit www.organicfoodfestival.co.uk for more information The event is being organised by the Real Food Festivals Ltd, in association with the Soil Association.
• Sponsors for the Organic Food Festival 2010 include Yeo Valley, Riverford Organics, Cono Sur wines, Bart’s Spices and Weston’s Cider.

Comment

Patrick Holden, Director of the Soil Association, says; “The Organic Food Festival in Bristol is the highlight of the Soil Association’s Organic Fortnight – in the ten years since it began, and 15 years since I’ve been director of the Soil Association, organic production has grown from niche to mainstream and is now at the forefront of sustainable food and farming systems, providing real solutions to the challenges of climate change and increased stresses on our environment. Buying organic food is a small way to make a big difference, simply through the way we shop – and during the fortnight the Soil Association is encouraging people to switch to organic every day.”

At a glance

• Saturday, 11 September, 10am – 6pm & Sunday, 12 September, 10am – 5pm
• Admission price: £5
• Free admission to Soil Association members and children under 16
• Hundreds of certified-organic food, drink, home, garden, beauty, fashion and textile exhibitors
• Cooking demos by a long list of celebrity chefs

Attractions

• The historic Bristol Harbourside will be transformed into a lively organic market with food pavilions, wine bars and cafes.
• Bordeaux Quay cookery school will host a special series of cookery lessons at the Demo Kitchen with Britain’s Renowned Chefs – look out for Barney Houghton, Ollie Rowe and Daniel Galmiche.
• The Health, Beauty and Textiles Pavilions will open up a world of organic that goes beyond the bubbling pots in the kitchen.
• In the Organic Gardening Pavilion visitors can get everything they need to grow their own greens, giving ‘eating locally’ a new meaning. Experts will be on hand to give budding gardeners some green fingered tips.
• One of the highlights for this year’s festival will be the Sheep Show which offers visitors the chance to swot up on over ten different breeds of sheep whilst learning some interesting facts from our local farmers. It’s not just sheep you can see either – look out for other animals including dairy cows and even a water buffalo!
• Many other exciting attractions in store, including demos on how to make preserves, chutneys your own beauty products and more!

In support of British Food Fortnight, 18 September – 03 October 2010, the National Trust will be celebrating the very best of locally grown produce through tantalising tasting events across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Child Eating Fruit - photo NPTL Ian Shaw

On the National Trust’s menu are fruit and vegetable workshops, cookery master classes and food fayres, plus many more tasting events  – there’s something for all food lovers.  Here’s a selection of British Food Fortnight events taking place in National Trust properties to tickle your taste buds:

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens & Lode Mill, Cambridgeshire

A Foodie Affair, 25 September 10.30am – 4pm

Celebrate the arrival of autumnal flavour with a whole day of food related activities and find out about our link with Red2Green. Discover our allotment project and taste wholesome local produce. For those seeking further adventure, why not join in seed gathering and our grow-your-own activities.

Booking is not required for this event.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
For more information please call 01223 810080.

Attingham Park, Shropshire

Food Fayre, 18 – 19 September 10am – 4pm

Over 40 stalls of local, quality produce for sale ranging from pork, beef and venison to cakes, bread, vegetables, cider and chocolate…and much more.

Booking is not required for this event.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
For more information please call 01743 708123.

Beningbrough Hall & Gardens, North Yorkshire

Food & Craft Festival, 25 – 26 September 11am – 4pm

Our third festival of great Yorkshire food and crafts, with stalls of produce, a BBQ & hog roast, family vegetable workshops, vegetable catwalk and much more.

Booking is not required for this event.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
For more information please call 01904 472027.

Calke Abbey, Derbyshire

The Calke Show – Plot to Plate, 18 September 11am – 4pm

Enter your home-grown, seasonal produce in our vegetable, fruit and flower show. Meet some local food producers and Calke’s chefs will demonstrate some culinary ideas.

Farmers' Market - photo NPTL Pennt Tweedie

Booking is not required for this event.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
For more information please call 01332 863822.

Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire

Some Like It Hot, 25 September 11am – 4pm

Peppers Day: Demonstrations will be held to show you how to grow and cook with sweet, bell and chilli peppers. There will also be a stall selling fresh produce from the Walled Kitchen Garden.

Booking is not required for this event.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
For more information please call 01909 544917.

Dunham Massey, Cheshire

Venison Cookery Masterclass, 30 September – 01 October from 1pm

Ever fancied venison but not sure what to do with it? Let local chef Paul Ratcliffe demonstrate how to make the most of this local, sustainable and healthy ingredient against the backdrop of our wonderful Edwardian kitchen.

Booking is essential for this event.
There is an event charge of £40 per adult.
For more information please call 0161 941 1025.

Erddig, Wrexham

20th Annual Apple Festival, 02 – 03 October 11am – 5pm

From William Tell, Granny Smith and Sir Isaac Newton to cider cookery and folklore. Come and celebrate our increasingly popular apple harvest with cider tasting apple press demonstrations dancers, games over 120 varieties of Erddig apples on show and lots more for all the family!

Booking is not required for this event.
There is an event charge of £10.30 adult, £5.15 child, £25.75 family and £7.90 group.
For more information please call 01978 355314.

Knightshayes Court, Devon

Kitchen Garden – Autumn Planting, 24 September 1.30pm – 3.30pm

Watch the autumn planting of broad beans, garlic, onions, chard and lettuces and pick up expert tips for your own vegetable patch or allotment.

Booking is essential for this event.
There is an event charge of £10.50 for all tickets.
For more information please call 01884 254665.

Petworth House & Park, West Sussex

Celebrating British Food Fortnight Supper, 18 September 7pm – 9.30pm

Our chefs will prepare a wonderful five course meal that will highlight and celebrate some of the best of British food sourced locally to Petworth House.

Booking is essential for this event.
There is an additional event charge of £45 per person.
For more information please call 01798 342207.

Stourhead, Wiltshire

Meet the Farmer, 25 September 2.30pm

Celebrate British Food Fortnight with entertaining sausage-making demonstrations by our tenant farmer Steve Harris. Discover how he manages his organic, wildlife friendly farm here on the Stourhead estate.

Booking is not required for this event.
Normal admission charges apply but there are additional event charges.
For more information please call 01747 841152.

The Argory, Co. Armagh

Autumn in the Garden, 26 September 11am – 4pm

Enjoy the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Join our team as they prepare the garden and greenhouse for autumn and winter.

Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not needed for this event.

For more information please call 028 8778 4753.

Winchester City Mill, Hampshire

Jam & Chutney Fest, 18 September 11am – 4pm

Enjoy bread making and baking demonstrations plus discover how to make jams and jellies from the hedgerow and garden.

Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not needed for this event.
For more information please call 01962 870057.

Tags: British food, food, local food, National Trust

I’ve been meaning to start doing this for a while, as my tea collection has got, quite frankly, out of hand. I’m only mildly annoyed that my partner in crime beat me to the punch, as this was totally more up my alley than his. I probably would have got there first had I not had a million deadlines come down on me with the weight of ten elephants at the same time, but I digress, hastily.

Coming in a rather adorable box that both in name and appearance reminds me of the kind of shops I frequent in Glastonbury (it’s full of hippies, if that clues you in), with a sleepy little bear on the front sat in front a fire. It’s a little bit quaint and sweet, if I do say so myself.

As for how it is? Well, I have nothing but positive remarks for this wonderful tea. The bags themselves don’t smell of much else but mild spearmint, which is contained in this rather elaborate concoction of *deep breath* “Chamomile, Spearmint, Lemongrass, Tilia Flowers, Blackberry Leaves Orange Blossoms, Hawthorn Berries and Rosebuds“. The only other real scents are more earthy, with the light sweet scent of camomile, which in regards to tea is one of my oldest friends. So, in the cup the bag goes and about half a teaspoon of agave nectar, as it’s a rare day when I don’t sweeten my tea just a tiny, tiny bit.

In goes the water, and now, to wait. The water turns from a sort of pale yellow to a deep amber-yellow colour over a few minutes, and the smell changes for the better. The spearmint is still there, but now accompanied by the warm sweetness of camomile, the bright zestiness of lemongrass, and the wonderful floral qualities of orange blossom and rose. The flavour is just brilliant, and no part outshines the other, creating a warming, soothing flavour that reminds me, quite oddly, of my childhood. Yes, it is a tea intended for helping you to sleep, but as I’m a horrendously high-strung person by nature, the calming effect just makes me a bit more level.

So, at the end of this mug, and an oddly positive review from me, I would honestly tell anybody to go out and get a box of this right now. Like, at this very moment.

GO!

Original post at Transmundane: http://www.transmundane.org/celestial-seasonings-sleepytime/

Just listened to a fascinating interview! Tony Rodgers interviews Sally Fallon Morell,  author of Nourishing Traditions and Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats (co-authored with Mary Enig) and President of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Hear it for yourself: http://soundcloud.com/tony-rodgers/tony-legend-week-5-sally-fallon-interview

Tags: food, healthy eating, nourishing traditions, Sally Fallon Morell, weston a price

Festival for Traditional Nutrition

London – March 21st

Doors open: 9  Event: 10-6

£40 advance, £50 at door (Concessions Available)

The Camden Centre, Bidborough St, London WC1H 9AU

World Renowned Speakers

The Weston A Price Foundation® campaigns for wise traditions in food, farming & the healing arts, challenging politically correct nutrition & the diet dictocrats.

Sally Fallon Morell, MA, president and founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation, author of the bestselling cookbook Nourishing Traditions and an internationally acclaimed nutrition educator.

Sir Julian Rose, pioneering organic farmer, and renowned countryside and raw milk campaigner. Julian is chairing the event.  Julian will discuss campaign issues in Britain and across Europe with Jadwiga Lopata, Poland’s top countryside campaigner.  Jadwiga and Julian have campaigned successfully for, amongst other things, GMO-free Poland.

Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, founder of the Cambridge Nutrition Clinic, and author of Gut & Psychology Syndrome (GAPS), her revolutionary nutrition program for mental and digestive wellness and the treatment of depression, autism, ADD, ADHD, and schizophrenia.

Barry Groves, PhD, author of Trick and Treat, the explosive book on why conventional “healthy diets” are ruining people’s lives and making food manufacturers and healthcare providers rich.

Stalls with information & books.

Bar: Raw Jersey cow, goat and buffalo milk, milkshakes and real ale.

Website: Wise Traditions UK 2010

For more information, contact Philip Ridley on PhilRidley@hotmail.com or 02076821093

Tags: diet, farming, food, healing, health, nutrition, weston a price

“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny.”
Thomas Jefferson (1778)

Tags: food, government, health, nanny state

Olive oil specialist Filippo Berio has put together this gorgeous dish that’s perfect for the cooler evenings.

Italian Butterfly Lamb
Serves 6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus overnight marinating
Cooking time: 40 minutes, plus 15 minutes standing

1 leg of lamb, approx 1.8 kg/4lb, boned
3 large sweet onions
Filippo Berio Olive Oil
Sun-Dried Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar Marinade:
120ml/8 tbsp Filippo Berio Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
4 tsp dried oregano
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Open out the boned leg of lamb, discard excess fat, and cut through the centre slightly so the meat can be laid out in a long flat piece. Put into a large dish.

2. Mix the marinade, and pour over the lamb, turning it so it is covered all over. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Bring the lamb to room temperature before cooking. Peel and thickly slice the
onions, brush with oil on both sides.

4. Place the lamb on a medium hot barbecue, and cook for 20 minutes each side. Transfer the lamb to a carving board, cover with foil and stand for 15 minutes before carving.

5. Meanwhile, cook the onion slices on the barbecue and serve with the lamb.

Cook’s tip: Ask the butcher to bone the lamb or buy a joint that has been boned and rolled, then remove string and unroll.

www.filippoberio.co.uk/recipes

Tags: autumn, Filippo Berio, Italian, lamb, October, olive oil, recipe

Good evening one and all! Tonight I will be reviewing the Brew Dog range of ales, Dogma, Chaos Theory and Hardcore IPA, accompanied by some lovely Shropshire blue cheese, redcurrants and salami. Sounds like a good night to me!

Gonna be a long review

Chaos Theory: I am an unashamed Warhammer nerd, so the concept of a beer called “Chaos Theory” appeals to me in so, so many ways. This 7.1% beer is subtitled “predictably random ipa”, and the first thing that occurs to me is “good god this cap is hard to remove”. It has a very rich, nutty scent to it, and on taste, something that reminds me of eating grapefruit peel. Fruity, but very, very bitter. It is also very easy to taste the alcohol in it. The intense bitterness in the ale is made a lot less overwhelming by a food, particularly the sweet-yet-sour taste of redcurrants, and goes very well with the saltiness of salami. It’s not so great with the blue cheese, but it does take that bitter edge off after each mouthful.

The beer is very much bursting with flavours, from toasted nuts to a distinct grapefruity taste that accompanies that bitterness, rewarding in its own way. I do find it perhaps a bit much for my rather delicate tastebuds, but when drunk with any food, this becomes a great accompaniment. I can expect this to be great with a curry!

Room Temperature Opinion: A little less intense on the bitterness, a bit more nutty and toasty over fruity, but essentially the same beer. I would prefer drinking this at room temp over cold.

Dogma: Cap was less hard to remove this time. The second beer, at 7.8%, and with its witty title, is subtitled and described as “heather honey infused ale”, and indeed it is, the very first thing that hits my nose is the floral sweetness of honey as I nearly jam my nose in the bottle, wanting more of the delicious scent.

Honey-obsessed habits aside, on taste this beer is incredibly mellow compared to Chaos Theory, with just a little hint of bitterness at the end. It is brewed with not only honey, but guarana, kola nut and poppy seeds, giving it a very sweet, yet distinctly fruity taste. Naturally, this goes very well with the redcurrants I have on my plate, which just add to the sweet and wonderfully rounded flavour. Try not to be fooled by its sweet flavour and mellow character, as it really is strong at 7.8%, and my face is feeling just a little flushed from its brother Chaos Theory.

Back on the food tangent, it doesn’t go as well with salami, but contrasts with the cheese quite well, sweet beer and strong, blue cheese just melting together in one oral orgasm cacophanous climax tittilating tastebud tempest alitteral awesome-taste.

I literally can’t get enough of this beer, it’s taking effort to leave a bit in the bottle for the room temperature opinion, since I’m sure some of you prefer beer at a warmer temperature (truth be told so do I). On a side note, redcurrant and salami is a good combination on its own, try it sometime.

FEELING A LITTLE DRUNK NOW.

Room Temperature Opinion: If it could get any sweeter, it just did. This tastes far superior chilled, where all the flavours are distinct. Here the bitter, sweet and fruity flavours mush together and while it’s not bad, it’s just inferior.

Hardcore IPA: Three words. Really. Really. Strong. Weighing in at a whopping and shocking (for a beer) 9%, Hardcore IPA is the last of the three beers I have. At this point, I’m feeling a little floaty, and I’m really glad my fan is on, since I’m feeling a bit warm. Cap was really easy to open this time, or I’m just being more brutal, either way, it’s open.

The first smell I detect in this beer is WHOA HOPS. Seriously, very hoppy beer. It’s also got a lovely sweet smell in there, AND it’s made with Maris Otter grains. MARIS OTTER GRAINS, how is this not awesome? (I think my typing is degenerating, I apologise!)

Back on a more professional tangent, this beer has a very hoppy smell, with undertones of nuts and, treacle, and a sweet toffee-like scent. On tasting, not only do you find out that it tastes exactly how it smells, you can actually taste the alcohol, something that I can’t usually do until things like Midori or Baileys. It does have quite a bitter aftertaste, exactly between Chaos Theory and Dogma, but not quite as overwhelming as Chaos Theory’s. No hidden grapefruits in here. It also has a very toffee-like taste on the first touch of your tongue. Sweet, caramel-y goodness, before moving into hops and finally, the bitter finish, with that familiar alcohol taste lingering after that. Almost metallic, in a sense.

On the food side of things, it goes insanely, and I mean INCREDIBLY well with the blue cheese, like the two were made to be consumed together. The creamy cheese just melts into the toffee and hop tones of Hardcore IPA, with the blue in the cheese complementing the bitterness perfectly at the end. Redcurrants, always a good choice, it seems, making the beer all the sweeter and bringing out those treacle-toffee flavours wonderfully, and for those of you who don’t like bitter, lightening it a lot. Salami, not so much, the flavours clash a little too much, salty having an argument with the sweet first taste of this ale.

At this point, I am feeling considerably drunk. Typos are coming up just about every three words or so, and I have a distinct, floaty sensation going on, like my rear isn’t quite connected to this chair.

Room Temperature Opinion: The flavours aren’t as crisp or bright when warmed up a bit, and the bitterness becomes a little unpleasent to me. It remains a very caramelised flavour, but it doesn’t evolve and end in the same way as it does when chilled. I can’t honestly recommend this to be drunk at room temperature at all. Particularly since the alcohol taste is about five times as strong when at room temperature.

Sadly, this is the last of these wonderful microbrewery ales, and where my review must end. But I must say, this has been a wonderful discovery, and I would not have bothered buying these had it not been for the recommendation by my friend Stray who sang their praises a few months ago.

This drunk and enjoyed adventure was brought to you by Gorse Raugan.

BrewDog Ltd. Unit 1, Kessock Workshops Fraserburgh AB43 8UE t: +44 (0) 1346 519 009 http://www.brewdog.com

Tags: beer, BrewDog, Chaos Theory, Dogma, Hardcore