• Cafe and tea rooms
Tuesday, 13 October 2020 17:58

A Discovery Box

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Forager's Kitchen at Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham are launching their new Discovery Box very soon. I was asked to test drive the home delivery service in August and it was like no other that I have tried before. The box of foodie goodies was delivered to my door and invited me to Explore, Discover and Enjoy. It was a real treat and included a range of artisan products, information about the producers (not all from Suffolk, so some unfamiliar, which I enjoyed) and introduced some new flavours, cooking methods & skills. Instructions and superb ingredients were included for me to create my own restaurant quality meal at home. A high quality printed magazine featured augmented reality videos giving instant and easy access to every element of the box. Quite a Discovery indeed!

Tuesday, 13 October 2020 15:39

Quinces

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Two things I always make as soon as I get my hands on quinces are Membrillo and Quincemeat. Membrillo is the perfect give away treat, is delicious with cheese and costs a fortune if you have to buy it in the shops. Quincemeat provides a good build up for the festive season, and is a great excuse to eat mince pies in October. A note on preparing quinces - they are a bugger to peel, especially the small, wild knobbly ones so I cook mine whole for my membrillo recipe, then pull off the flesh. However if you have those show-offy perfect, plump quinces then it's easier to peel and core them first, which saves sieving them. The horrible little runt quinces I make into quince jelly to spread on my toast and to glaze fruit tarts.

Saturday, 03 October 2020 10:26

The Suffolk Mermaid

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Literally swimming into Walsham le Willows last weekend. The Suffolk Mermaid, the best fish and chip van in Suffolk. Check Chris and Tanya's FB page for their routes through Suffolk. Next landing in Walsham will be on October 16th at 4.45pm 'til 7.30pm.

Friday, 02 October 2020 13:45

Chop Chop

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So are pork chops on trend? As beef prices rise more restaurants have begun to feature premium cuts of pork on their menus. I enjoyed a very tasty Bertha cooked Blythburgh pork T-bone at The Oaksmere near Brome the other day. Also on the menu a pork chuck for two and some very tempting dry aged beef.dryagedbeef

Tuesday, 29 September 2020 14:59

Roast your pumpkins - waste not want not.

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Don't waste the flesh of your pumpkins this Halloween. Chop the flesh into chunks along with onions and carrots cut to the same size. Add some crushed garlic, salt and pepper and a few sage leaves. Splash a little olive oil over and mix well before roasting in a hot oven for about 30/40 minutes until soft but not charred. Use to make Roasted Pumpkin Soup or a delicious and colourful Roasted Squash and Blue Cheese Pizza.

Tuesday, 22 September 2020 11:43

Great Taste Awards 2020

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Well done to the East Anglian producers who have scooped 272 Great Taste accolades at this year's awards. Among the Great Taste 3-star winners are a number of products that pack a serious punch, including; Le Rêve Organic Molecular Absinthe from Linden Leaf Botanicals in Cambridge, described as “virtually the perfect expression of absinthe” as the judges enjoyed “pure aniseed-balls on the palate, but backed up by woody, herbal, citrus-noted, warm and spiritous notes”; a coffee and chocolate lover’s dream in the form of 70% Tumaco Colombia Dark Chocolate with Colombian Coffee from Tosier ChocolateMaker in Ipswich, applauded for its ““silky smooth” texture and “wild fruitiness, subtle tobacco hints and perfectly pitched bitter notes”; and the “vibrant and exciting” Blackcurrant Fruit Cream Ice from Alder Tree in Needham Market, declared to be “the essence of blackcurrant”, as one judge said, “the shackles are definitely off with this one… brilliant!” Great Taste is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers, check out all the 2020 winners here and the wide range of award winning products which are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.

Tuesday, 08 September 2020 13:03

Coming up for air in Gislingham

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Well it's September and I haven't written a blog post for ages - how time flies.  Eventually, in June, Mr S.Foodie and I moved up north to Gislingham and since then have got stuck in to some decorating and gardening at our new home. I haven't been out much but discovered there's a monthly charity cake stall in the village, with the BEST cakes and the owners of the village shop sell superb homemade Sri Lankan food to takeaway. Now someone please buy the pub.

Wednesday, 05 August 2020 12:43

Stoke Ash White Horse

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One of my top pubs because of their slick takeaway service during the lockdown. Efficient ordering and swiftly prepared food that has been reliably good. Nothing fancy but superb burgers, homemade pies, thrice cooked chips and homemade sticky toffee pudding. We've eaten this as takeaway and at the pub during Eat Out To Help Out. It's always been good. Very fair prices too!

Thursday, 28 May 2020 12:01

Arriba Fajita!

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I've been cooking on my tiny little barbecue in my tiny little back yard while I wait to move house. All my belongings are in storage. I have one frying pan, a handful of cooking tools and the smallest fridge you have ever seen, with a bloody stupid shelf at the bottom, where all the salad stuff is stored underneath meaning I have to move everything, everyday to get at a friggin' leaf of lettuce. I realise how spoilt I've been in the past in my beautiful kitchen BUT it hasn't stopped me! My local farm shop butchery has been providing me with the best ever flank steak and at about £7 a slab it's an economical steak meal for the three of us here in lockdown. So I've been making fajita's because my friend Nic Miller (follow her on Twitter @nicmillerstale or Insta @millerstale) shared her recipe for wheat tortillas and I wanted to make them. Mine came out square, I'm blaming the lack of a rolling pin. You'll find the recipe and instruction for my fajita seasoned flank steak here. Flank steak is often seen on a menu described as a bavette steak. This is not the cut to use if you don't 'do' rare. The flank has long muscle fibres and can be tough if overcooked, it's also very lean and best sliced thinly across the grain for optimum tenderness. Cook it on a very high heat for 2 or 3 minutes a side and then cover with foil and rest for 10 mins. I generally put mine in the oven after it has been turned off, so no heat, just warm surroundings. Slice and serve rolled in the tortilla with fried onions, peppers, tomato salsa, guacomole, grated cheese, sour cream and slobber your way through.

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