Monday, 14 December 2015

Brian Turner's Mincemeat, Pear & Honey Tart

If you were at the BBC Good Food Show, Winter edition, you may have seen some celebrity chefs cooking up a storm on the Stoves Kitchen. The following recipe was demonstrated by Brian Turner. This simple yet effective recipe would be a show stopper for dessert this Christmas. The aromatic smells, juicy pears and crisp puff pastry work perfectly together. And the finishing touches of speckles of green from the pistachios and dusting of icing sugar make it look like a winter wonderland.

Please find the recipe and other delights on http://www.stoves.co.uk/conversation/recipes?page=2








Serves 6-8
Prep time 40 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Temperature 180 fan















Ingredients


  • 1lb/450g of puff pastry
  • 4 pears, peeled and cored
  • 150ml water
  • 150g sugar
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 6oz/180g mincemeat
  • 2 tbsp runny honey
  • 2tbsp chopped pistachio nuts
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • Icing sugar


Method


  1. Peel and core the pears ready for poaching,
  2. Place the water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick and star anise in a pan- bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved. Pop in the pears, cover with parchment paper/foil and poach for 10 minutes. Once cooked let cool,
  3. Roll out your pastry so it is about 1/4 of a cm thick and 25cm in diameter. I used a tray as a template, ensuring that there was excess pastry to form the edge. Prick the centre with a fork,
  4. Spread the mincemeat across the pastry. Half your pears, and place on top, making sure the 'stalk' end is facing the centre,
  5. Brush the pears with honey and the pastry with the egg,
  6. Bake for 20 minutes @180 fan
  7. Once baked, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dust with icing sugar.








Tips:

  • Use any left over pastry and mince meat to make mini mince pies.
  • Keep the poaching liquid from the pears. Use it as a base to making mulled wine or add into whipped cream to serve with the tart.




Friday, 20 November 2015

Press Release- BBC Good Food Show Winter 2015

The BBC Good Food Show Winter offers all the ingredients for a great day out

The flagship BBC Good Food Show, sponsored by Lexus, returns to the NEC next week on the 26-29 November to set visitors up for the perfect festive, foodie season. Visitors can enjoy live cookery demonstrations in the Supertheatre sponsored by Kenwood and learn top culinary tips from familiar faces Paul Hollywood, James Martin, The Hairy Bikers, Tom Kerridge, Mary Berry plus Michel Roux Jr. as he makes his debut at this year’s Winter show. 

The BBC Good Food Show Winter will also host a variety of demonstration stages, all with star-studded line-ups. Visitors will be inspired by a range of delicious winter wonders, learning great tips and techniques from some of the country’s finest. Don’t miss the themed Eat Well sessions from industry experts, including Lorraine Pascale and learn how to create top quality dishes in the Michelin Made Easy sessions from the likes of Theo Randall on the Winter Kitchen Stage, sponsored by AO.com. Visitors can head down to The Bakes & Cakes Stage, sponsored by Magimix, and learn direct from some of their favourite baking personalities, including Nancy Birtwhistle, as they make, bake and share their expert tips and techniques. In addition, the official appliance supplier to the BBC Good Food Shows, Stoves will also be hosting their own Stoves Live Cook Stage and Hotpoint's "Love Your Kitchen" live demos are a must-see if visitors want to catch their favourite chefs cooking up a storm on a range of Hotpoint ovens, hobs and small appliances.

For the first time at the Show, visitors can have their culinary queries answered by the chefs attending the Show, with a friendly grilling on the Interview Stage, sponsored by Lakeland, and share the secrets of their success. In addition, the Book Shop run by WHSmith features a large collection of the latest and popular cook books at great Show prices. Visitors can pop along and make a purchase, and take the opportunity to have it signed by the chefs themselves.

There is so much to taste at the BBC Good Food Show Winter this November. Visitors can stock up on the best of speciality produce in the Producers’ Village and a hand-picked selection of outstanding artisan producers in the BBC Good Food Champions area. Visitors should head to the Ludlow Producer Market within the Show for a fantastic collection of producers from Ludlow and the Marches. With an emphasis on local, independent food and drink producers this is a great area to pick up some interesting products with a local flavour. Visitors can also pop-by and show their support to Legges of Bromyard, the clear and well deserved winner of the coveted title of Midlands’ Best Deli or Farm Shop.

After all this shopping, visitors can make full use of The Shop & Drop supported by Guide Dogs for the Blind, where they can drop off their shopping for collection later, leaving them free to relax and enjoy the Show. Plus, for an extra special experience, visitors can head to the BBC Good Food Kitchen where they can dine on dishes inspired by recipes from bbcgoodfood.com.

The BBC Good Food Shows team has been searching the UK and Ireland to find the most outstanding artisan food and drink producers. The Producers’ Bursary Awards called for applications from small artisan producers with companies carefully shortlisted and all entries tasted at the BBC Good Food Test Kitchens by a team of experts. Visitors to the show will be able to meet, taste and buy from this year’s impressive winners, including mouth-watering selection of charcuterie from Sedgewicks Charcuterie.

If visitors are keen for a tipple during the day, there’s plenty to choose from. The Drinks Cabinet provides a variety of tipples and artisan spirits for the festive season. Plus, The Campaign for Real Ale will be back hosting their unmissable tutored beer tastings with industry experts. During the sessions, visitors will have the chance to explore new tastes, learn about the art of brewing and gain an insight into the diversity of British beer. In addition, visitors can join a 30-min Cocktails at Home Masterclass and learn how to make incredible tasting, party-starting festive drinks in just a few simple steps. Cocktail gurus Tom & Frankie will get visitors making delicious drinks using easy to access ingredients that they can re-create at home.

This year, The World Cheese Awards, the largest cheese competition on the planet, are returning to the BBC Good Food Show Winter. Visitors can watch the judging take place on the first day of the Show, or join one of the tutored tours across the weekend to sample and discover more about the world's best cheeses.

ENDS
For more information on interviews, competitions or features, please contact Katie-Jane Sullivan on 0203 405 4286 or email kj.sullivan@riverstreetevents.co.uk
Adult standard super tickets start at £24.75 for BBC Good Food Show Winter
The BBC Good Food Shows are organised and presented by River Street Events Ltd
The GoodFood word mark and logo are trademarks of BBC Worldwide Limited. Copyright 2015 BBC Worldwide Limited
About BBC Worldwide Ltd. BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide exists to support the BBC public service mission and to maximise profits on its behalf. It does this through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also builds the reach and reputation of the BBC brand overseas and champions British creativity.
In 2012/13, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £156m and headline sales of £1,116m and returned £156m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview



Sunday, 8 November 2015

Banana Muffins

In my previous blog post I created a dish using ingredients from suppliers that will be featuring as this years BBC Good Food Show, Winter, Birmingham.
Here is a simple yet delicious banana muffin recipe using 'Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil' and 'Honey Munchy Seeds'. This recipe is great as it uses up any of those "unwanted" bananas, creating a healthy snack, great for a chilly Autumn afternoon.





Prep time 20 mins
Cooking time 20 mins
Makes 12

Ingredients

  • 210g self raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 bananas- mashed up
  • 100 ml Mellow Yellow Rapeseed oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
Topping
  • 12 tsp of Honey Munchy Seeds
  • 1 tbsp of honey- melted

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan),
  2. Place all the dry ingredients in one bowl,
  3. Mix the mashed banana, rapeseed oil, egg and vanilla essence in another bowl,
  4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together, 
  5. Pour the mixture into a measuring jug and divide between the 12 muffin cases,
  6. Sprinkle 1 tsp of 'Honey Munchy Seeds' on top of each, pushing them down gently with the back of the spoon,
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and the mixture is cooked through,
  8. Whilst hot, brush over the melted honey,
  9. Enjoy warm with a cuppa!

Saturday, 24 October 2015

Midlands Best Deli or Farm Shop Winner Announced



For immediate release

Midlands Best Deli or Farm Shop Winner Announced

The BBC Good Food Show Team have been scouring the Midlands in association with BBC Good Food to award the most outstanding shop with the title of Midlands Best Deli or Farm Shop 2015. Following an extensive nomination and judging process the deserving winner has been confirmed as:

Legges of Bromyard, Herefordshire

After searching through customer nominations, reviews, mystery shopping reports and visits to the ten shortlisted delis and farm shops from across the Midlands, The BBC Good Food Show are delighted to award Legges of Bromyard with the coveted title of The Midlands Best Deli or Farm Shop 2015. 

The judging panel scored each shop on a range of criteria including quality and value of produce and customer service. The number of customer nominations and reviews and mystery shopping exercises from some of the Midlands most prolific food bloggers were also taken into account. 

Legges of Bromyard impressed the judging panel with its range of local produce, excellent customer service, atmosphere and overall shopping experience. Legges of Bromyard take pride in being unique - endlessly exploring the sumptuous tastes of glorious Herefordshire. They have worked non-stop since 2000 to champion the fantastic produce straight from the heart of the countryside. As farmers themselves, they know everything about the products they sell, plus most of their meat comes from within a six mile radius of the front door.

Katy Truss, Artisan food specialist for the BBC Good Food Shows and member of the judging panel, visited Legges of Bromyard and says: "As you walk into Legges of Bromyard you don't know which way to turn; join the queue for one of the glistening hot sausages, peruse the range of local craft beers and ciders or marvel at the meats on offer in the butchery and cold meats counters. Discover new local producers from the Midlands, along with fresh fruit, vegetables and baked goods. Its beautiful displays, buzzing atmosphere, great range of produce and excellent customer service made it stand out as this year's winner."

The Winner receives a free of charge stand at the BBC Good Food Show Winter at the NEC from 26 - 29 November, promoting their award winning Midlands business to tens of thousands of food loving visitors. 

The flagship BBC Good Food Show returns to the NEC to set guests up for the perfect festive, foodie season. Guests can watch chefs, including Mary Berry, Tom Kerridge, The Hairy Bikers, James Martin and Paul Hollywood, create delicious seasonal dishes live on stage, and stock up on all the treats and tipples needed to see them through the winter. Plus, the largest cheese competition on the planet, The World Cheese Awards, are returning to the BBC Good Food Show Winter. Visitors can watch the judging take place on the first day of the Show, or join one of the tutored tours across the weekend to sample and discover more about the world's best cheeses.

ENDS

Judges include:
Barney Desmazery – Senior Food Editor, BBC Good Food 
Laura Biggs - Managing Director, BBC Good Food Shows
Katy Truss - Artisan Food Specialist for BBC Good Food Shows and owner of Fabulous Food Finds
Members of BBC Good Food Show Midlands Blogging Community

For more information on interviews, competitions or features, please contact Katie-Jane Sullivan on 0203 405 4286 or email kj.sullivan@riverstreetevents.co.uk

Adult standard super tickets start at £24.75 for BBC Good Food Show Winter

The BBC Good Food Shows are organised and presented by River Street Events Ltd
The GoodFood word mark and logo are trademarks of BBC Worldwide Limited. Copyright 2015 BBC Worldwide Limited
About BBC Worldwide Ltd. BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide exists to support the BBC public service mission and to maximise profits on its behalf. It does this through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also builds the reach and reputation of the BBC brand overseas and champions British creativity.
In 2012/13, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £156m and headline sales of £1,116m and returned £156m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview




Bruschetta made with rapeseed oil & smoked garlic

Prep time 20-30 minutes
Marinating time 1 hour
Serves 6- as a starter or side dish


Ingredients

  • A country grain loaf- Hedonist Bakery
  • 3 bulbs of smoked garlic, crushed- The Garlic Farm
  • A mixture of ripe tomatoes, chopped/cubed- I used 4 plum tomatoes, 10 yellow cherry tomatoes and a handful of tomberries 
  • Small red onion- finely diced
  • 4tbsp Rapeseed oil- Farrington's Mellow Yellow
  • Fresh herb of choice- basil, thyme or oregano
  • Balsamic vinegar- Gourmet Spice Co.
  • Sea salt & cracked black pepper


Method

  1. Bake your loaf from Hedonist Bakery- following packet instructions.
  2. In a bowl combine smoked garlic, tomatoes, red onion, rapeseed oil, fresh herbs & seasoning. Leave the mixture to infuse and marinate for an hour in the fridge.
  3. Slice your grainy loaf into thick slices, approximately 1cm thick, place under the grill to create a bit more crunch- until golden brown.
  4. Place the items on the table to let everyone get stuck in.
  5. Pile the glistening tomato mix on top of the toasted bread, and finish with a dash of balsamic vinegar.



This recipe was inspired by a delightful box of samples, from some of the exhibitors that will be at this years BBC Good Food Shower Winter.


Luxury farmers country grain loaf from Hedonist Bakery (stand C90)

A beautifully crafted loaf full of nuts & seeds, that only needs a sprinkle of water and 8-10 minutes in the oven. Warm and crusty with no additives. Great for this recipe or to have with soup this Autumn/Winter.


Farrington's Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil (stand F60)

Beautiful golden yellow rapeseed oil that is versatile and full of natural goodness. I have used it for the above recipe but it is great to make those perfect Sunday roasties or for baking with.


Smoked garlic bulb- The Garlic Farm (stand J56)

I absolutely love ALL things garlic! So when I opened my box of goodies to inhale the smell of smoked garlic I was very excited. It compliments the fresh tomatoes in this recipe and is ideal to roast with chicken.


Gran Riserva 7 year aged balsamic vinegar- Gourmet Spice Co. (J80)

First I will admit that I am guilty of dipping foccacia in balsamic vinegar- a flavour/texture combination that just works. But this dark syrupy balsamic is the best I have tried so far! A dash of this on top of the bruschetta compliments it.


Friday, 16 October 2015

Taking a break

Hey, just an update on what is going on with me and my blog. I am in my final year of University, so have a lot going on with assignments and writing my dissertation. On top of that I am now an official blogger for my university. So due to so much going on, I am going to take a short break from my personal blog. I will occasionally post on here, especially in regards to blogging about the BBC Good Food Shows. Blog posts to follow in the coming month!

However, you are more than welcome to join me/follow me on my new University blog. I will be posting articles weekly on the following link https://helenaatucb.wordpress.com/

I want to thank everyone that reads my posts and hope you will continue browsing both my blogs :)

Thursday, 24 September 2015

Spiced chocolate torte with a fragrant note of Christmas

Yes, you read that correctly, the title does imply the word 'Christmas'. However, even though this recipe would be great to use for the Christmas season, it is perfect for any occasion. It is merely the combination of spices, chocolate and orange that reminds me of Christmas.

I developed this recipe for a date night and also to use up some of the excess goodies I had left over from the BBC Good Food Show. Before I get on with the recipe, I would just like to say a thank you to Lotus Biscoff for the samples. If you are not aware of this company feel free to look at what they have on offer- http://www.lotusbiscuits.co.uk/

Serves 6-8

Prep 30 mins

Ingredients

200g of Lotus biscuits
100g unsalted butter- melted
100g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp icing sugar
200ml whipping cream
Creme fraiche, a small tub
Zest and segments of an orange

Equipment

12 x 36 rectangular tin or a 25cm round tin. I recommend lining the tin with cling film, this makes it easier to take out.


Method
  1. Crush the Lotus biscuits until they resemble sand, combine with the melted butter. Press the mixture into your tin, pushing slightly up the sides; set aside in the fridge.
  2. Melt both the dark and milk chocolate. Whilst the chocolate is melting, whip up the cream until it forms soft peaks.
  3. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the vanilla extract and sifted icing sugar. Fold in the whipped cream.
  4. Pour the mixture on top of your biscuit base; set aside in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  5. Zest the orange and add to the creme fraiche. Then cut away the skin or the orange and cut out the segments.
  6. Once the torte has set, serve with the orange flavoured creme fraiche and orange segments- enjoy!
  7. If you are unsure of how to prepare the orange, here is a helpful video: 





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