Category Archives: Food & Drink

Jul 18 2012
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Food & Drink

The perfect mid-week meal for the family (in 5 minutes)

Looking for a new mid-week dinner for the family that will take 5 minutes to make (no really just 5 minutes) – then we have the perfect staple for you

BEST BEANS ON TOAST

(Taken from Express Meals by Liz Franklin, publishing on 2nd August, £14.99 HB)

This family recipe makes a filling an fantastic quick dinner – it’s one of my youngest son’s favourite speedy meals.

INGREDIENTS:
800g/1lb 12oz tinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed • 3 garlic cloves, crushed • 5 tbsp fruity extra virgin olive oil • 1 handful of parsley, leaves chopped • 8 slices of country-style bread • salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE: mixed leaf salad

  1. Preheat the grill to high
  2. Put the beans in a saucepan with the garlic and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
  3. In the meantime grill both sides of the bread until lightly toasted. Spoon a little of the oil over the toast and top with the beans. Drizzle the remaining oil over the beans and serve straightaway with a mixed leaf salad.
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Jul 28 2011
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Food & Drink, Special Messages

Three courses for a summer supper from three great cookbooks


Grilled Moroccan Chicken Salad

© William Lingwood/Duncan Baird Publishers

Chargrilled Moroccan Chicken, Sprouting Broccoli and Couscous Salad

John Gregory-Smith

(Taken from Mighty Spice Cookbook, £20 HB, Duncan Baird Publishers)

Serves 4
50g/13/4oz/ 1∕3 cup almonds500g/1lb 2oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs
150g/51/2oz/heaped 3/4 cup couscous
150g/51/2oz sprouting broccoli, roughly chopped
2 large handfuls mint leaves, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the spice paste
1 garlic clove
1 red chilli, deseeded
2.5cm/1in piece root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

 

  1. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the almonds and gently toast, shaking the pan occasionally, for 4–6 minutes, or until the almonds are a beautiful golden brown. Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool.
  2. To make the spice paste, put all the ingredients in a mini food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the chicken to the spice paste and mix well, making the sure the chicken is completed coated. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator if time allows.
  4. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and griddle the chicken for 5–6 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. Set aside for a few minutes to rest and then slice into thin strips.
  5. Tip the couscous into a large mixing bowl and pour over 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup warm water. Cover with cling film and leave for 10 minutes, or until tender, then fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
  6. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until just tender. Drain in a colander, then refresh in cold water and drain again.
  7. Put the prepared chicken, broccoli, toasted almonds, mint, lemon juice and oil into the mixing bowl with the couscous and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss everything together until well combined and serve immediately.

 

Confit of Pollack and Clam Chowder

© Noel Murphy/Duncan Baird Publishers

Confit of Pollack with Clam Chowder

Jun Tanaka & Pearl

(Taken from The Real Food Cookbook, £20 HB, Duncan Baird Publishers)

Serves 4
600g/1lb 5oz clams, well soaked
400g/14oz pollack fillet
500ml/17fl oz/2 cups olive oil, plus 2 tbsp to drizzle
1 thyme sprig
100g/31/2oz smoked bacon, diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 leek, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp plain flour
500ml/17fl oz/2 cups
chicken stock, hot
2 tbsp creme fraiche
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp chopped parsley
toasted ciabatta, to serve
freshly ground black pepper

 

  1. First clean and check the clams. Discard any that do not close at once when tapped sharply on the work surface.
  2. To confit the pollack, season the fish with pepper and leave it to stand for 10 minutes. Gently warm the olive oil in a pan with the thyme. Place the fish in the oil and leave for 8–10 minutes, off the heat.
  3. Meanwhile, make the chowder. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and cook together for 1 minute. Add the diced potato, celery, garlic and leek and cook them for a further 4 minutes. Add the flour, cook for 1 minute, and then add the clams and chicken stock.
  4. Cover with a lid and boil for 4 minutes until the clams open. Discard any that fail to open. Add the creme fraiche, squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the parsley.
  5. Serve the chowder in bowls with flakes of the pollack and some toasted ciabatta on the side.

 

Blueberry & Lime Cheesecake

© William Lingwood/Duncan Baird Publishers

Blueberry and Lime Cheesecake

Grace Cheetham

(Take from Simply Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes, £14.99 HB, Duncan Baird Publishers)

Serves 4 -
Preparation time 25 minutes, plus making the biscuits and at least 3 hours setting
Cooking time 40 minutes

 100g/3½oz dairy-free margarine, melted, plus extra for greasing
1 recipe quantity Ginger Biscuits (see below), broken into pieces
300g/10½oz/2 cups blueberries
550g/1lb 4oz soya cream cheese
175g/6oz/1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
zest and juice of 2 limes
4 eggs

  

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Lightly grease a deep 20cm/8in springform cake tin with dairy-free margarine and line the base with baking parchment. Heat the dairy-free margarine in a saucepan over a low heat until melted. Put the biscuits in a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the crumbs to the melted margarine and mix well. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture evenly into the base of the cake tin. Cover with the blueberries and leave to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, blend the soya cream cheese, sugar, and lime zest and juice together in a food processor until smooth. Add the eggs and blend until smooth and creamy.
  3. Pour the cheese mixture over the blueberries and bake for 30–35 minutes until pale golden brown and the top feels firm to the touch. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake to rest in the oven for another 30 minutes.
  4. Ease the cheesecake out of the tin and leave to cool completely, then chill in the fridge for 3–4 hours until completely set before serving.

Ginger Biscuits

Makes 12 -
Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes

175g/6oz dairy-free margarine
125g/4½oz/¾ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
100g/3½oz/heaped ½ cup rice flour
50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup gram flour
50g/1¾oz/¹⁄₃ cup maize flour
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
scant ½ tsp xanthan gum
1cm/½in piece of root ginger, peeled and grated

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the dairy-free margarine and sugar in a saucepan and heat over a low heat until the margarine has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 4–5 minutes until the mixture has caramelized slightly and become syrupy.
  2. Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl and stir in the ground ginger, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum. Add the root ginger and, using your fingertips, rub it into the flour mixture until well mixed. Add the margarine and sugar syrup, and stir well with a wooden spoon.
  3. Spoon the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, onto the baking sheets. Using your hands and the back of a metal spoon, shape each mound into a round biscuit shape about 3mm/1∕₈in thick.
  4. Bake for 8–12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before serving.
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Jul 04 2011
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Food & Drink

A great gluten-free and dairy-free recipe for 4th July

Recipe for Cherry Pie, taken from Grace Cheetham’s Simply Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes (out now)

I find that gluten-free pastry needs to contain more moisture than the normal kind, making it sticky and hard to handle. But if you use a chopping board and work quickly, you can even make a fully-encased pie like this one.

Serves 8–10
Preparation time 25 minutes, plus making the pastry and nut cream
Cooking time 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
dairy-free margarine, for greasing
1kg/2lb 4oz cherries, stoned
100g/3½oz/heaped ½ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cornflour
rice flour, for rolling the pastry
1½ recipe quantities Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (see below)
1 egg or egg yolk, beaten
½ recipe quantity Cashew Nut Cream (see below) or soya cream (optional), to serve

SWEET SHORTCUST PASTRY
Makes enough for 1 x 20cm/8in tart tin or 4 x 10cm/4in tartlet tins
Preparation time 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling

75g/2½oz/heaped ¹⁄₃ cup rice flour, plus extra as needed
75g/2½oz/²⁄₃ cup gram flour
50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup ground almonds
50g/1¾oz/scant ¹⁄₃ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum
80g/2¾oz chilled dairy-free margarine, diced
1 large egg, beaten

  1. Sift the flours and xanthan gum into the bowl of a food processor and blend well. Stir in the almonds and sugar. Add the dairy-free margarine and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and blend for 20–30 seconds until the mixture comes together to form a sticky dough. There should be a little extra moisture at the base of the bowl. If it is too dry, gradually add 1–2 tablespoons chilled water. If too sticky, add a little rice flour.
  2. Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

CASHEW NUT CREAM
Makes about 650ml/22fl oz/22⁄3 cups
Preparation time 10 minutes, plus at least 12 hours soaking

300g/10½oz/scant 2 cups cashew nuts

  1. Put the nuts in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak at room temperature overnight or for at least 12 hours.
  2. Drain and rinse the nuts thoroughly, then put them in a blender. Add 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup water and blend for 10 minutes or until smooth.

CHERRY PIE INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and grease a 23cm/9in pie dish with dairy-free margarine. Put the cherries, fruit sugar and lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes until the cherries have softened. Put the cornflour and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Stir the cornflour mixture into the cherries and cook for 3–4 minutes until the juice thickens.
  2. Liberally dust a chopping board with rice flour and set aside one-third of the pastry. Roll out the remaining two-thirds of the pastry into a circle slightly larger than the pie dish, to allow enough pastry for the sides, and trim around the edges to neaten. Be careful as the pastry will still be slightly sticky. Put the pie dish, face-down, on top of the pastry, then, holding the board and pie dish together, turn them over to drop the pastry into the dish. Ease the pastry into place, pressing down carefully to remove any air pockets. Neaten the edge, using a sharp knife, then pour the cherry filling into the pastry case.
  3. Dust the chopping board again with rice flour and roll out the remaining pastry into a circle very slightly larger than the pie dish, to allow enough pastry to press down at the edges. Using a pastry brush, brush the rim of the pastry already in the pie dish with water. Using a spatula, ease the pastry onto the top of the pie and press down around the rim with your fingers to seal and crimp the edge. Brush the top with the beaten egg, then, using a sharp knife, cut a small cross in the centre of the top pastry to let the steam out during baking.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is a rich, golden brown. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then serve hot, drizzled with cashew nut cream, if you like.

Taken from SIMPLY GLUTEN-FREE AND DAIRY-FREE by Grace Cheetham, available now in hardcover priced (£14.99 / US$ 19.95)

Picture © William Lingwood/Duncan Baird Publishers 2011

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Jul 01 2011
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Food & Drink

A stunning new cookbook from Daniel Galmiche — French Brasserie Cookbook

Daniel Galmiche has been called ‘gastronomy’s best kept secret’ and is a regular guest on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen – The French Brasserie Cookbook is his first book.

‘Practical, unfussy and easy to use … full of inspiring recipes that will immediately transport you to a French brasserie in your own home’
Heston Blumenthal

’If you want to know how to cook great food, then classic French cooking is where you should start, and brasserie food is where you will find French food at its most honest and its best. Daniel is a master of this – and here he shows you how to achieve great results without all the hassle of fancy ingredients.’
James Martin

ABOUT THE BOOK

What it is that we love so much about food in a French brasserie? Is it the delicious, time-honored dishes cooked to perfection? Or the fresh, local ingredients and regional recipes? Or is it that most of these recipes started life in the home? Perhaps this is why they have such a special place in our hearts.

In The French Brasserie Cookbook, Daniel Galmiche, Executive Chef at The Vineyard at Stockcross, brings us a superb collection of 100 classic brasserie recipes with a modern Mediterranean twist. A committed champion of French food and cookery who trained under Michel Roux, and someone who is passionate about making home cooking approachable, Daniel gives us irresistible recipes for starters, mains, side dishes and desserts – all based on the classic principles that characterise brasserie cooking: regional recipes, local ingredients and homely, comforting flavours.

Try his aromatic Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic & Lavender, for example, the delicious Grilled Fillet of Sea Bass with Caramelised Lemon & Basil Oil or the wonderful Wild Mushroom & Herb Risotto, followed by a mouth-watering Raspberry Clafoutis, Tarte Tatin with Rosemary & Toasted Almonds or Orange Soufflé Pancakes. Vibrant with the mesmerisingly diverse tastes and aromas of France, this brilliant book shows you how to create fresh, contemporary French flavours in your own kitchen.

ABOUT DANIEL

Daniel Galmiche has gained or retained prestigious Michelin stars at four of Britain’s top restaurants. ‘The king of contemporary French cooking’, he trained under the tutelage of Michel Roux and regularly appears on TV including Saturday Kitchen with James Martin, Home Cooking with Rachel Allen and the Good Food Channel’s Market Kitchen. Daniel has recently been awarded the Relais & Châteaux Rising Chef Trophy 2011 award. And he has also been chosen as the face of Panasonic’s new microwave/convection/grill oven. Daniel has lots of media experience, a mass of Gaelic charm and will be appearing alongside Gary Rhodes and Rachel Allen at Taste Edinburgh between 1st-3rd July.

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Mar 23 2011
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Food & Drink

A new cookbook coming in July to blow the cobwebs off spice racks across the country

Whether you want to cook a delicious, quick supper or make a dish that will impress at a dinner party or date this is the perfect book for even the most challenged home cook!

John Gregory-Smith is passionate about cooking with spices and in his first book The Mighty Spice Cookbook (publishing July 2011, £20 HB, Duncan Baird Publishers) he is going to show us all how easy it is to use them.

Cooking has always been a huge part of John’s life and he learned about spices whilst traveling the world. His food reflects the styles and techniques he picked up on the way. However, he is always adapting things so ingredients and recipes are convenient, fresh and simple for everyone.

John gave up a job in the city as he knew his passion was in food; traveling for it, learning about it, making it and eating it. He traveled all over the world in search of perfect recipes from India to Italy, Malaysia to Morocco, Singapore to Sussex.

The end result is The Mighty Spice Cookbook an inspiring collection packed with 100 simple-to-make recipes, from Vietnamese Star Anise & Lemongrass Chicken Claypot, Mexican Chicken with Yogurt & Almonds or Moroccan Lemon & Cinnamon Chicken to Coconut & Lemongrass Salmon Curry, Chilli & Basil Scallops or Indian Fish Cakes with Coriander & Coconut Chutney, these are inspirational dishes suited to any kitchen.

John approaches cooking in the same easy style and everyman bravado we first loved about Jamie but his food has the hints of sophistication we love about Nigella. His energetic and inspiring personality are all over the recipes and introduction to this book, resulting in something that brings the food on the pages to life.

John has written recipes and features for a number of publications and would happily write something about his travels, the influences these have on his cooking or how he went from the city to setting up his business and then to writing a cookbook.

If you would like to see the full-colour manuscript of the book or would like to request a review copy of the finished book then please contact Vicky Hartley on 0207 454 8532 or vicky@dbp.co.uk

Feb 28 2011
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Food & Drink

A recipe for success as celebrity chefs show support for Real Food

There is a growing trend among recipe books to provide quick solutions for weekday suppers but what if you care about where your food comes from and don’t want to use pre-packaged easy cheats? What if you want to serve up delicious food using ethically sourced and sustainable produce that you bought from your local farm shop or farmer’s market?

The Real Food Festival made its debut in 2007. The brainchild of Phillip Lowery, it sprang from a visit to Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto in Turin where 1000 small artisan producers gather to showcase the most amazing ingredients you can hope to find. Now four years on the Real Food Festival has expanded past its annual event at Earl’s Court to include a fortnightly market on the South Bank as well as Borough Market.

The aim of the festival is to feed people good, seasonal, nutritionally dense food and drink, which has been produced in a sustainable and ethical way. The Festival has always been backed by high-profile supporters, including: politicians, journalists, celebrity chefs and some of the country’s leading food producers. It is a culture shift back to making best use of what nature has to offer.

On the 5th–8th May the Festival will be back at Earl’s Court and this year there is an extra element to the showcase with the publication in April of the Real Food Cookbook (£20, Duncan Baird Publishers) a stunning hardcover recipe book packed with over 100 delicious recipes by leading chefs and artisan producers from across the country.

Discretely placed within the recipes are wonderful features by some of the key supporters of the Real Food Festival, including: Jane Baxter, Raymond Blanc, Giorgio Locatelli, Willie Harcourt-Cooze, Cyrus Todiwala and Sophie Conran. Each piece demonstrates their passion and personal experience of the benefits of using real food and the difference that it makes in their lives and cooking.

The best thing about the recipes featured in the book, apart from their mouth-watering flavours, is that by cooking with ingredients that are in season you don’t need to bust your budget so you can enjoy restaurant quality food at purse-friendly prices.

Some of the chefs and producers involved in the cookbook include: Raymond Blanc, Giorgio Locatelli, Thomasina Miers, Ollie Rowe, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Arthur Potts Dawson and the People’s Supermarket, Fergus Henderson, Willie Harcourt-Cooze, Cyrus Todiwala, Allegra McEvedy and Jun Tanaka.

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