fresh fish

you really can't beat fresh fish and I have been happily tucking into fantastic lemon sole from Wards Fish, in Birkenhead. Ask them for their recommendations on what is good at the moment and go from there. I have picked some fresh sorrel from the garden to go with it.
Also got my first two stalks of asparagus - just enough for a treat but can't wait until more comes up.

wards fish

The great guys at Wards Fish brought fish to me today as I can't get to them.
So now I am looking at lemon sole and clams.
want to do spaghetti vongole and thinking what to do with lemon sole.
though there was a nice chorizo and clam dish I saw once just trying to find it again.

off judging tomorrow

Very excited as I am off judging a restaurant competition tomorrow. Sadly I discovered I am not required to eat in all of them but have to 'grill' them with a long questionnaire. (yes, pun intended).

Also cooked up some more rhubarb (a la Valentine Warner) for breakfast tomorrow before I go.

sunday cooking

Made a great thai satay chicken recipe for lunch.
layered sandwich a la Sophie Grigson lies resting in fridge for tomorrow
now bolognese sauce bubbling away.
thai beef recipe made yesterday.

will type up more recipe details later or at people's requests.

finally managed to order Plenty by Yotah Ottolenghi for mother's birthday - I know card security is important but Amazon can be frustrating. so hope the right thing turns up at the right time

chicken stock is now bubbling away.
rhubarb looking good for breakfast tomorrow.
aiming to make bagels next but might wait for tomorrow morning

sunday lunch

duh - posted last thing as comment by mistake.

southern fried chicken

we are having roast chicken for sunday lunch with a nice crust using Halen Mon with organic spices.
I have nicked some of the chicken already to try to make 'fried chicken' a la Valentine Warner. But also using some pieces from Edges' Butcher (best butchers in the UK). Hoping to convert Mark to real fried chicken - so wish me luck.

Also searching for a cockle and laverbread recipe I was taught by Dai Davies, a great and eccentric Welsh chef, but might have to make it up as I go along, as I can't find where I saved it before. I know he did it at the Denbigh show one year but can't remember where I wrote it down or filed it.

I also seem to have found my old bagel recipe, so might have a go at that later. As sadly I cannot get real bagels around here anymore and driving to Manchester first thing on a Sunday, is not something my other half is keen on.

Wirral Farmers' Market

Great farmers' market today. The weather was nice and sunny and it was nice and busy.

I managed to remember to buy everything I needed this time including some of the great Adesso Marinades.

For lunch we ate samosas, hog roast. Great meringues and eclairs were courtesy of the great tea bar volunteers.

Outside stalls returned this month as well.

All things foodie

Here I hope to talk about foodie things from meals I have cooked; restaurants visited; books read and reviewed and where possible it will touch on one of my passions - food history. I love looking back and finding out what people used to eat; how they used to eat and the influences they have on us today.

The North West area has fantastic produce and food is very much part of its history.

This will be very much a buffet rather than a set meal. Somewhere to dip in and out of, whether you are looking for something that little bit different. I hope you enjoy!