Events & Interviews Archives - All That I'm Eating

Cocktail Masterclass at L’Ortolan

July 11, 2019 By All That I'm Eating 14 Comments

L'Ortolan mixologist at cocktail masterclass — Jayson mixing up cocktails

This was a gifted event.

Having eaten there before I was really looking forward to this cocktail masterclass at L’Ortolan. I thought the idea of pairing cocktails with canapés was really interesting; wine, beer, cheese and charcuterie are all well matched but how would it work trying to match the complex, sweet flavours in a cocktail with a canapé?

The masterclass was held by Jayson, L’Ortolan’s resident mixologist and Marco, GM, was on hand to answer any questions. There was quite a collection of bottles, jars and ingredients on the bar containing dried fruits, flowers, freeze-dried raspberries and all manner of different colours and flavours of syrups. All the syrups that are used in the cocktails are made in house which I think really gave the cocktails an added edge. read more

An Instagram Masterclass

August 9, 2017 By All That I'm Eating 14 Comments

An Instagram Masterclass sounded like something I would definitely be interested in attending, I never thought I would be the person giving the masterclass! The Oracle in Reading are currently in the midst of their food festival and I was asked if I would give an Instagram Masterclass as part of the festival. I’ve been using Instagram for years and have changed the way I use it; with updates, style of photos, filters and editing and when I started thinking about what to say I realised I had a few handy hints and tips to pass on to my fellow diners, and now to you.

In all the photos in this post the original photo (or photos) taken is on the left and the Instagram edited image is on the right.

Style

The venue for the masterclass was The Real Greek in Reading; an interesting menu and lots of little plates means there were lots of different things for everyone to take photos of. While we nibbled on olives and waited for our starters to arrive we discussed the anatomy of a good Instagram post. For this I asked people what makes them stop scrolling and take a better look at a photo and what they prefer looking at. Maybe it’s really simple photos, photos where there’s something to read, really indulgent food shots or something colourful and healthy. So if you know what makes you stop and take a better look, try and take photos in a similar style.

Surroundings

After dipping and dunking warm pitta bread in all sorts of dips (my favourite being the fava bean dip) we started talking about using your surroundings. If you look at the two photos below, the plate of food is exactly the same but one is on a wooden table, the other on a marble table. Below is the falafel which had a lovely green colour inside and were lovely and crisp on the outside without being at all greasy; the fresh tomatoes really lifted them. The different background really changes the finished look of the plate because the colour and texture of the background is different. Some people like to put in a lot of the background and some not so much depending on the style of photo they are taking and this lead us on nicely to talk about…

Angles

If you’re taking a photo where the background isn’t good, is there a way you can move it or focus on something different? Could you try zooming in on the best part of the photo? Take a few different shots from different angles and see which you prefer, move the subject around and anything else in the shot and see what you come up with. Everyone took loads of different photos when the main dishes arrived; trying out different backgrounds, different light sources and different angles.

I originally took the below photo of the griddled aubergines from above but you couldn’t see all the layers easily so I moved it round next to the window and took the below shot instead. You can see the difference taking a photo from a different angle can make to give the dish some height.

Filters

Filters was next on the list. Some photos suit filters better than others, I’d say half of the time I don’t use a filter, I do a quick bit of editing (increasing brightness, saturation, decreasing shadows etc. as needed) instead. Sometimes though a filter works really well but it’s so subjective that it depends on what you think looks best. Don’t forget that you can adjust the intensity of the filter so you don’t have to have it at 100% if you think it’s too intense. Applying the right filter can turn a photo from dreary to dreamy in no time, see below.

These were the lamb meatballs and the subtle spicy flavour was really nice. Underneath is actually not hummus but Greek yoghurt and that made such a change to what I have had before; the pink onions on top added a lovely bit of freshness.

Hashtags

The last topic of discussion was hashtags. Everyone had a different opinion on this and the question of ‘how many is best’ came up. I’m not sure that there is an optimum number as such; the more hashtags you use the more hashtags that photo has available for people to search for it and see your snap. Whether or not Instagram frowns on using too many or not, I don’t know. Too many can be a bit of an eyesore though. I don’t aim for more or less than a certain number on any of my photos, I just use those that are appropriate for that particular picture. I do think using hashtags at the end of the post is better than scattering them within the text as it makes it harder to read in my opinion. Take a look at these sentences:

These #lamb #kofta are #delicious! Really full of #spices and the #pinkonions on the top have a great #flavour. #yum #food #Greek
These lamb kofta are delicious! I love the spices and pink onions on the top, so full of flavour. #lamb #kofta #delicious #spices #pinkonions #yum #food #Greek

The same information is in both sentences but I know which I’d rather read! The salt cod (below) was wonderfully crisp and surprisingly good dunked in the spicy feta dip! The photo I took I thought wasn’t that good but a bit of cropping and a lot of editing and it turned out lovely and bright, I could just dip another one now!

Sadly I had to leave before I got to try any of the puddings (the photo of these is at the top) but they all looked delicious and I saw on Instagram later that the other people who came along posted plenty of photos of their puds after I’d gone! It was a really fun evening and I hope that everyone who came along learnt something new and I hope this post is helpful for you too!

This is a sponsored post and I was reimbursed for my time doing the masterclass. The food was paid for by The Real Greek, thank you to them. All opinions expressed and words are my own.

Dim Sum and Sushi Cookery School at Miele

February 23, 2015 By All That I'm Eating 12 Comments

Miele Dim Sum Cookery Class - All That I'm Eating (1 of 7)

I do like a bit of experimentation in the kitchen, to expand my culinary repertoire and have a bash at something new. I was invited to try a cookery class at the Miele Experience Centre in Abingdon and there were so many to choose from I wasn’t sure where to start. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a class to learn to make something I’ve never even thought about attempting before (but very much enjoy eating): Dim Sum and Sushi.

The Experience Centre is a fabulously modern place; showroom downstairs and kitchens upstairs for the classes. I have to say that the coffee served downstairs before the class started has got to be one of the best I’ve ever had. There was a small group of six of us on the course which ran from 10-3 and run by their two home economists; Anne-Marie and Elspeth.

The class focussed on cooking with their steam oven but if you don’t have one there were plenty of tips and tricks for how to cook the same things in a conventional oven. We started with making the rice for the sushi which I thought was just cooked rice. Oh no, it’s far from plain rice. It’s cooked (steamed) and then mixed with a vinegar, soy sauce mix to make it glossy and give it some flavour. The cooling of the rice is of the utmost importance.

I was amazed at how sticky the rice was when it came to creating the sushi and we had all sorts of fillings to choose from; beetroot cured salmon, tuna, smoked mackerel, vegetables, wasabi and more. Rolling sushi is harder than it looks but I was quite pleased with my attempt even if I did end up finding rice all over me for the rest of the afternoon. Once it was all made we sat down to enjoy what we had made together; dipping into soy, sweet soy and various chilli sauces.

After the sushi we moved onto making the dim sum; some steamed buns with mushroom or chicken mix, steamed buns filled with custard and various dumplings: beef, pork and prawn or mushroom. I really liked folding the dumplings up; I don’t think it’s my forte in life but I was pleased with the shapes I made! Folding the dough for the steamed buns around the filling was really therapeutic, it was a lovely dough to work with.

The dumplings and buns went in to steam and once ready, we sat down again to feast on what we had made along with a few other things that Anne-Marie and Elspeth had made: sticky pork ribs, garlic and chilli crispy chicken and spicy tofu. What a feast.

It was great to have all this food after a hard days cooking but it wasn’t half filling! I’m not sure I’ve been to many places and left feeling that full. It was great as I didn’t need to have any dinner that evening. I blame all the rice! The flavours were fantastic and I will definitely be recreating some of the recipes at home. The most important thing I learnt from the course was that making your own sushi, dim sum and dumplings is actually not that daunting. For something I thought I could never be bothered to attempt myself I certainly will be trying these again.

The cost of the course I went to is £60 and you can find more information here.

Thank you to Miele for the invitation. All opinions expressed are my own.

My favourite recipes from 2014

January 3, 2015 By All That I'm Eating 11 Comments

It’s a funny time of year now, the days and dates get all a bit confused and everyone is in a state of simultaneous post Christmas relaxation and start of year enthusiasm. I use it as a time to reflect on the last year (of cooking and life in general) and also as a way to think about what I might like to do and try for the upcoming year. Below is a list of my ten favourite recipes from the last 12 months; although of course they are all my favourite these are my extra special favourite ones.

Working from left to right from the top (as you would read a book) the posts are as follows:

Green Clementine Fruit Salad with Mint and Vanilla Syrup

This is a really lovely way to use some of the more unusual green clementines that you can find and I was amazed at how just a little bit of syrup can make such a huge flavour transformation. Recipe here.

Luxury Leek and Potato Soup with Homemade Soda Bread

Leek and Potato Soup is such a classic and I’m yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like it. My luxury version is made with chives and double cream but makes enough soup and soda bread to feed for people for less than £4. Recipe here.

Elderflower and Blueberry Jelly

Elderflower reminds me so much of late spring and last year I made my first batch of elderflower cordial which I used in various ways but I think my favourite way was in this delicate elderflower and blueberry jelly. Recipe here.

Beetroot Tzatziki, Beef Koftas and Quick Flatbreads

I love beetroot and am always looking for new ways to use it; beetroot tzatziki was a revelation! So good with quick homemade flatbreads and spiced beef koftas this became a summer staple. Recipe here.

Malted Chocolate Biscuits

Malted anything is always welcomed by me and these malted chocolate biscuits remind me so much of when I was younger as it was one of the first recipes I made from my very first cook book. Recipe here.

Maple Salted Popcorn

Making popcorn at home is so easy (and so cheap!) and it’s great to have a lovely big warm bowl ready to watch a film. I experimented with a few flavours last year but maple salted popcorn was definitely a winner. Recipe here.

Sweetcorn Chowder

I love sweetcorn fresh from the cob and chunky soups are also one of my favourite things. This smoky, chunky soup of sweetcorn, potato and bacon in a full flavoured creamy soup is one of my favourite things ever. And for two big bowls it costs less than £3. Recipe here.

Wild Garlic Gnocchi with Mozzarella and Wild Garlic Oil

If you don’t already know I do like to go out and find wild food and wild garlic is one of the best to start with as it’s so distinctive. Picked wild and then turned into gnocchi (easier than I thought!) it’s a great way to use the leaves and flowers. Recipe here.

Victoria Sponge with Rhubarb and Vanilla Compote

When the rhubarb arrives in the veg box it means spring is just around the corner and making this lovely pink rhubarb and vanilla compote is a brilliant way to celebrate its arrival. Even better in a cake. Recipe here.

Caramelised Fennel and Salami Pizza

I worked on perfecting my pizza base and sauce recipe and it all came together superbly in my caramelised fennel and salami pizza. Whenever I get fennel it’s more than likely it will end up as this! Recipe here.

For 2015 I want to practice baking a bit more and also look at creating some slightly healthier bakes, not all the time though I am a fan of a bit of indulgence. I also want to see if I can veggie up some of the meat dishes I cook regularly for a bit of variety. We shall see what this year brings! Happy 2015 to you!

Le Manoir Cookery School with Kenwood

October 23, 2014 By All That I'm Eating 6 Comments

A few weeks ago I set off in my little car to go somewhere I have always wanted to go: Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Having watched Raymond Blanc on the television for years, tried my hand at a few of his recipes and known that Le Manoir isn’t actually that far away from me, I was really looking forward to going. I was invited to take part in a cookery class with four other lovely bloggers to try out the new Kenwood mixer and make a couple of different recipes. We had a few little snacks to start the evening: goat’s cheese with manuka honey, beef tartare with horseradish, smoked salmon with yuzu and vegetable curry balls with smoked mayonnaise. They were absolutely delicious. But before the cooking began we had a tour of the gardens.

There are gardens and there are gardens. Even with all the time in the world my garden would never look anywhere near as amazing as those at Le Manoir. The vegetable patch has something to look at, smell or gawp over everywhere you look. As we were walking round the lake, veg patch, mushroom garden and heritage allotment we were greeted with a cheery, “Mes enfants!”, and turned around to find Raymond coming to join us. He was so passionate about his vegetable garden (I didn’t know but RB is president of the Soil Association) and it was a delight to share his enthusiasm for what he grows. And, in case you were wondering, there were plenty of, “Voilas”, “Oooh La Las” and “Adams” throughout the evening.

We went through into the cookery school to begin the class and I was surprised to find the class is actually in the professional kitchen and you can see the chefs busying away! The cookery school’s reputation precedes it and it’s not hard to see why. There are stations for everyone; individual hobs, ovens, sinks, fridges, all the ingredients are prepped and ready and there are plenty of chefs (and the head of the cookery school Mark Peregrine) around for you to ask questions (sorry Adam!) and clear up should you make a mess *ahem* (again, sorry Adam!).

We started with Raymond showing us his upside down chocolate crumble and how to make it in the Kenwood mixer. We then went off to make our own with Raymond coming around to see how we were getting on. I was paired with Tara and we both had a go at all the stages of making our own. It was wonderful to have all the ingredients and equipment to make everything ready and around you. Nothing like my kitchen at home!

Adam then showed us how to make a cheese soufflé tart and I can safely say there were no soggy bottoms in sight and everyone had soufflé success! I normally make pastry by hand but do find it annoying when it all gets stuck in my nails! I’m glad I’ve made it in a mixer now so I know how to do it at home. I mean, it is as easy as you think adding the flour and salt with the butter then adding the water and egg but for some reason I’ve not tried it before.

We did run out of time to make some Kirsch soaked babas so we just ate the ones Adam made instead! We got to eat everything we made and what a treat to have soufleé for breakfast and the chocolate crumble after dinner the following day.

Using the mixer showed me how much easier it can be to make what we did. We were using the new Kenwood Chef Sense, available from John Lewis, and I really liked that you could fully enclose the mix minimising any mess. I have a Kenwood mixer at home but have only really used it for cakes and meringues. I’ve never tried making crumble, pastry, bread or souflee but now I know I can I certainly will again. I was sat next to the mixer during Raymond and Adam’s demos and was surprised that I could hear everything they were saying over the top of it no problem.

I do feel a little bit like I could take on any recipe with my Kenwood now!

It was a wonderful evening in a fabulous setting with a group of very lovely people.

A huge thank you to Le Manoir Cookery School, Mark Peregrine and the school assistants, Raymond, Adam, Kenwood and John Lewis. All opinions and words expressed are my own.

Barber’s Cheese Toastie Off and Pastichio

June 12, 2014 By All That I'm Eating Leave a Comment

Last year I went to the BBC Good Food Show courtesy of Barber’s Cheese and got to try their lovely cheese for the first time. This year, things got a bit more serious and I was invited to The Bath and West Show to take part in a cheese toastie off (as well as having a good nose around the show). For my toastie recipe I wanted to keep it simple so I went for a sort of croque-monsieur; smoked ham, Barber’s Cheese, English mustard and plenty of butter on both sides of the bread. You can’t go wrong with butter.

I didn’t win the toastie competition but I did get to have a catch up with Urvashi (the Botanical Baker), meet some fellow bloggers and also have a chat with one of the original Barber’s about their cheese. The recipe that won was from Fromage Homage who used Barber’s cheese, bacon lardons and caramelised onion relish; it sounded amazing so I have to try it soon.

It’s always nice to get out and have a roam around these shows. The Barber’s stall was right outside the British Cheese Awards room and we got to sample some great British cheeses; crumbly Lancashire, the winning rosary goat’s cheese with herbs and a lovely herb and garlic cheddar. The one which caught my eye was the Cornish Yarg wrapped in wild garlic leaves as opposed to the normal nettle leaves. I’ll be on the lookout for that!

We were sent home with a few tasty lumps of Barber’s to get cooking with ourselves. I have to say I prefer my cheese as it comes over being cooked (unless it’s on a pizza or in a toastie!) but when I found their recipe for pastichio I had to try it. I had pastichio when I went to Greece a few years ago and I’ve always wanted to try it at home but, as with most of these recipes, I never found the time.

Ingredients

This Pastichio recipe is from the recipe booklet from Barber’s.

You will need (for 4-6):

For the meat sauce –

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g minced beef
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200ml red wine
400g canned chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper

For the macaroni –

250g macaroni
55g butter
55g plain flour
600ml milk
175g Barber’s 1833 Cheddar, grated
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 egg, beaten

Method

For the meat sauce heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the mince and stir until browned.

Stir in the cinnamon then add the red wine and allow it to bubble for a minute. Add the tomatoes and mint and season. Simmer very gently for 40 minutes until thickened.

Meanwhile cook the macaroni as directed on the packet but take care not to overcook. Drain well.

Heat an oven to 180C. In a saucepan melt the butter then stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually add the milk and cook for 5 more minutes. Add half the cheese and the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Add the macaroni and egg into the sauce.

Spread half the macaroni in the bottom of an oven proof dish, cover with the meat sauce then top with the remaining macaroni. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.

I was surprised to find this was made with minced beef; I think the one I tried before was with minced pork. The pasta I had this with in Greece was like a very long macaroni tube rather than the shorter macaroni I used. I really enjoyed this. Although it feels like quite a wintry dish the cinnamon and mint really lift the beef to make it light and aromatic. It was sort of moussaka crossed with Bolognese and macaroni cheese; a new favourite I reckon.

Thanks to Barber’s for the invite and the cheese. All opinions expressed are my own.

The UK Blog Awards and Three Very Different Places to Eat in London

May 1, 2014 By All That I'm Eating 14 Comments

I am very pleased to say that I got highly commended in the UKBA14 for individual food and drink blog! The evening was good fun and I met some lovely fellow bloggers; it was also a great excuse to spend some time in London and see friends I haven’t seen for a while. I know there are plenty of blogs about London restaurants and places to go but below are the places I ventured to (one Michelin restaurant, one breakfast club and one traditional pub)

and can say are well worth a visit. read more

Exhale. And type.

January 21, 2014 By All That I'm Eating 20 Comments

Today (in fact yesterday) really is the first day of the rest of my life. Plenty of people say it; particularly on the first day of the year but for me my whole life is about to change. I am entering the world of self employment.

I have had a variety of jobs in my time; big companies, little companies and some somewhere in between. I have worked hard and not-so-hard but I have always tried to enjoy what I do. Recently I have come to realise that doing something I want to do and look forward to doing is what is most important to me. read more

Sharp’s Brewery Tour

November 14, 2013 By All That I'm Eating 8 Comments

You may already know that I went to Bruges earlier this year and for the first time realised that beer is actually rather nice. My affection for beer only really extended to the Belgian kind at first. Not that easy to get hold of the more unusual brands I started venturing into beers unknown. A local pub of ours sells Doombar, which is brewed in Cornwall by Sharp’s Brewery, and I thought this was finally a British beer that I liked. Then I discovered (thanks to a Belgian-ish beer bar in London) that Sharp’s made Belgian style beer in Cornwall. read more

Baketopia – an edible pop up to launch National Baking Week

October 12, 2013 By All That I'm Eating 5 Comments

It’s all about baking at the moment. The Great British Bake Off has taken over our Tuesday evenings and I for one have felt the need to bake more so than usual. National Baking Week starts on Monday (the 14th to 20th October 2013) and Baketopia was a fantastic way to kick it off. The Tattooed Bakers, Nevie Pie Cakes, Caking It, Cake Revolution and Conjurer’s Kitchen are some of the people who contributed to Baketopia which is also supported by John Whaite, winner of GBBO 2012.

The event is being held in Kingly Court (off Carnaby Street in London) and the last day you can gorge yourself on all manner of sweet treats is 12th October. It is quite a thing to be seen, it’s hard to believe that almost everything is edible. I hope my pictures can get across how realistic some of the bakes were. read more