I was reminded of how much I enjoy oysters when I tasted some lovely plump ones from AnCuig Seafoods at the Scottish Food show last week. So when it was suggested that we go to Mussel Inn for dinner Friday night I knew immediately what my starter would be.
Several friends have mentioned their love of seaweed recently – one vegetarian loves it for its delicious taste of the sea without compromising his principles! I love eating samphire, and am keen to try cooking with seaweed. So I thought I’d start by getting in touch with Iain McKellar of Just Seaweed to find out more about this overlooked ingredient.
I am a huge fan of Fentiman’s beverages. At the Speciality Food Show in Glasgow recently, I was very excited to see two new bottles on the Fentiman’s stand their new tonic (better than any other I have tasted) and Ginger Beer marketed under the name of John Horrows.
Vanessa Kimbell put out a call to the food blogger community recently, asking for willing testers for the recipes in her next book, Prepped!. The concept is unique: every recipe leads to another one, linked by a flavour
Perfect for a leisurely lunch, the Dogs is a firm favourite. Their delightfully short menu has a new edition: Musselburgh Pie – perhaps one of the original surf and turf recipes?
For us home cooks though, some ingredients are just plain difficult to replace and up until fairly recently, I would have suggested olive oil was one of them. Rapeseed – a true alternative to olive oil.
Silicone bakeware is great. It is easy to clean, comes in bright colours, stored away small, is light-weight and is non-stick. Pretty and easy to use. I recently bought a bunch of muffin cases in the Habitat sale and find myself making muffins every second day. To have a good…
QUICK BITES… QUICK BITES
Ruthven’s is something of an Edinburgh institution dating back to 1983 a perfect place for afternoon tea.
What’s in season in January? It a time of year when we need those jaded palates revived – not too easy at the moment!
I’m thinking hearty soups and slow cooked stews, lovely fresh fish with delicate sauces … Do seek out some seasonal produce whether you’re cooking or eating out!
There are so many cafés in Edinburgh now that to compete, cafés have to become centres of excellence, specialists in one thing or another. Some are specialists in coffee. Others are specialists in something else: books, chocolate or bread, for example. Or tea. The tea house is a relatively recent addition…
