We were standing at the Campbell Brother’s Fish stand, trying seafood salad, smoked mackerel and smoked salmon. Around us, people mingle and chat. Above us, brightly coloured lanterns glimmer. The smoked salmon, soft as butter and richly smoky, didn’t stop us from paying attention to the other produce on offer.…
I used to think that oatcakes were a dry, dusty, bland, biscuit-esque disappointment. An oral punishment that sapped moisture from your tongue and left behind a claggy, crusty detritus. For a long time I did my best to avoid them. I only came into regular contact once I started working…
A warm welcome to 2015, which rather excitingly is Scotland’s Year of Food & Drink. I was along at the launch of Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, a couple of months ago. It set the scene for the type of events and topics that we could likely expect at…
On Monday evening, Amy and I had to work for our supper. The way we worked for our supper was somewhat surprising. We were challenged to exercise to burn 500 calories. The idea being that the low calorie meal we were to eat later would balance things out and we’d actually…
If you live here in Edinburgh, what makes it special to you? I love that it’s like a village. So true! If you’re new to Edinburgh, it’s accessible, has so many green spaces and so many secrets waiting to be discovered. And don’t forget the wonderful people who live here!…
There is something deeply satisfying about preserving summer fruits, squirreling them away to add colour and lift the spirits in the dark days of winter. When soft fruits and berries are still in season it’s comforting to spend an afternoon stocking the shelves, cupboards and freezer with what’s available from…
Summer wouldn’t be the same without a delicious punnet of juicy ripe berries; one of the highlights from Scotland’s natural larder at this time of year. Strawberries, raspberries, red, white and blackcurrants; they can all be found nestling on the hillside at Craigie’s Farm a few miles west of Edinburgh…
I’m sitting at a table with people I haven’t met before, waving what looks like a perfume test strip in front of my nose and exclaiming: ‘it smells a lot more like grass if you inhale it!’. This is what can happen when you’re trying whisky at the Signet Library.…
It takes 45 minutes to walk from my part of Gorgie to Potter Row. It’s a good walk to take before and after dinner, especially if you think you might be about to have a lot to eat. When I went to try out The Potting Shed, I had a…
If you eat Mexican you’ll know that there’s more to salsa than meets the eye. There are lots of different types, and everyone makes their version a little different. Pico de gallo is fresh and sweet, finely chopped tomatoes, onions and coriander mixed with lime or lemon juice (and chillies,…
