National Baking Week

Every week seems to be a national week for this and that. Most go by with a side ways glance - maybe a laugh or two. But National Baking Week - now that speaks volumes to me. And it is no accident that it's taking place in the week of all weeks - the final of the Great British Bake Off. I had Brendan down to be the winner. He was more technically consistent throughout the show, but the judges decision is final and who can argue with Mary and Paul.

So, National Baking Week - it runs 15th - 21st October and was established to encourage Britain to get baking. Now I don't think there is much trouble with that. Every where you look there's a new baking book, baking class or recipe in a magazine. But is it simply a case of food porn - you look but don't touch? What you really need to do is don the apron and get your hands in. I was working in an office the other day and most people claimed they were no good at baking. I was taken aback. Isn't everyone good at it? Perhaps they haven't tried lately. Or perhaps they haven't followed the recipe. That's all there is to it. It ain't hard - it just requires a little discipline. So in the spirit of National Baking Week. Get to it.

Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival

There are two things I love (well when it comes to food there are lots of things I love), but food and wine festivals really strike a chord with me. You often get to meet the producers face to face and they possess a passion for quality, traceability and delivering great food. I normally can't make the Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival due to work commitments. This year, I'm free!

The 15th and 16th September sees the return of this popular, annual event. Hastings is on the up and I've mentioned some of the local food places to visit in previous posts. Set on the Stade, there are a range of stands and stalls offering delicious local seafood and an array of local and other British wines. The Stade is the perfect setting as its right by the historic Net Huts.

It's not just food, there's live music and street entertainment and I'm told, a lively festival atmosphere, making this an event not to be missed. The festival is centered around The Stade and Rock-a-Nore Road in the heart of the Old Town, although businesses across the whole of Hastings join in with special menus and entertainment.

Hoping for good weather, I'll be there for all the fun of the festival and looking forward to reporting back on what I find. 

Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival
15th and 16th September
11am-6pm
Stade Open Space
Hastings Old Town
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 3AR

Too many tomatoes?

No, there's no such thing as TOO many tomatoes. The trick is to be clever with what you do with them. Yes there's Greek Salad, tomato salad, bruschetta and a basic tomato sauce to use with pasta. But what about a hot and spicy salsa to top some corn fritters? Now there's a summer treat if you ever had one. Tomato relish? You keep the love for longer. And that tomato sauce - make a big batch and freeze it. Faced with a glut of tomatoes and being a touch greedy, I didn't really want to give any away I headed to my trusty tome, Nigel Slater: Tender Volume 1.

Home grown garlic

It's one of my favourite books for finding new and innovative ways to prepare vegetables from the kitchen garden. He treats each vegetable to it's own chapter, with an introduction detailing his love and experience of the veg, then talks about how it grows it, perfect flavour pairings and then he shares some of his recipes. With said glut of tomatoes I wanted to do more than make a salad, so to the book I went. He offers up a very simple dish of Baked Tomatoes with Chilli and Coconut. Well the tomatoes aren't baked in the oven, they are cooked on the hob but it does pack a punch with chilli and it contains coconut for a fabulous creaminess. Tomato Curry would be a much more appropriate name for it - as that's basically what it is - a delicious bowl of lycopene (which is really good for you) chilli and coconut.  It is packed with a heady mix of garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander, turmeric, cumin and cardamon seeds, lots of tomatoes and creamed coconut and that's it. For the full recipes you will need to click here: Baked Tomatoes with chilli and conconut and scroll down a bit. It is seriously good. Served topped with chopped coriander, some rice and perhaps a warmed roti - there's dinner.

Tomato Curry: baked tomatoes with chilli and coconut

It's back and it's great

You've gotta love the Great British Bake Off. Drama, suspense, great personalities and the will they, won't they rise? I was particularly impressed with last night's episode as they had to tackle bread and quite tough ones too. Plaiting bread with 8 strands - now there's a challenge. But it sorts out the winners and losers and sadly one had to go. It's given me a renewed enthusiasm for trying my hand at bagels. Not sure about plaiting bread yet - maybe a three stand loaf.

Keep watching as the competition hots up, as Paul keeps his keen eye on the bakers and Mary - well you can't but love Mary. And of course Mel and Sue - they can divide opinion, but I think that this vehicle suits them perfectly. What with the Great British Bake Off and The Accused - Tuesday night is now officially telly night.

There's something about caffeine

Britain's love for coffee is growing year by year. We are more likely to grab a coffee on the way to work than a takeaway cup of tea. That's not to say our love affair with tea is over. We still consumer far more tea than coffee every day. According to the UK Tea Council us Brits knock back 165 million cups daily or 60.2 billion per year. Seriously! Whereas for coffee, it's estimated to be about 70 million cups per day. That's still quite a hefty amount of caffeine, but it's worth noting that tea contains about half the amount of caffeine of coffee.

I was reading an article in The Guardian last week (The Guardian, Saturday 23 June 2012) and it really opened my eyes to the growth of the coffee industry. Most of these facts are taken from that article and I found then eye popping and had to share some. The number of branded coffee shops in the UK exceeds 5,000, add in the independent sector - add another 5,000 and on top of that there's more - little local places and pubs that serve coffee which takes it all to around 15,000. That's big bucks when it comes to serving coffee. I'm not saying they all do it well. I have never been a huge fan of branded chains. The big American one - which will remain nameless - I avoid like the plague. Even my favourite - Cafe Nero, has lost my patronage lately due to poor customer service, slap dash delivery and a very average cup of coffee. The last straw was an ice coffee that tasted simply of milk and ice - not coffee. Sorry Nero but I won't be coming back.

Costa Coffee is the largest chain in the UK and from humble beginnings in 1978 has risen to 1,400 outlets serving 450,000 coffees per day. I will occasionally visit Costa - but only if pushed. Again sadly, I have never had great service. Profits are up all-round and despite the recession we are seemingly happy to part with £2.50 for a cup of the black stuff. There's room for growth in the market too. The Guardian article reports that we are likely to see up to 7,000 branded coffee shops in the next few years, with a total of around 18,000 including the independents and non-specialist shops.

What I like most is that it refers to the growing trend for a more discerning customer who now knows their beans and blends. It's not snobbery, but a discerning palette for a quality cup and good service. Today people are after more than a pint of scalding milk with a poor quality blend of beans and poorly executed shot of espresso. Monmouth Coffee is touted as leading this revolution and yes, they have been serving great coffee since the late 70's in Covent Garden. The recent influx of Antipodean coffee entrepreneurs are really raising the bar and (I hope) will be where the growth in the market comes from. If you haven't visited the likes of Federation Coffee (Brixton Village), Lantana Cafe (Fitzrovia), Kaffeine (Great Titchfield Street), Flat White (Berwick Street), Caravan Coffee (Exmouth Market), Nude Espresso (Soho Square) then it's time you did. You will never look back.

For more information on great coffee in London read my post:: http://marksmithskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/stylist-magazine-top-10-coffee-shops-in.html

Caramelised Fresh Pineapple Upside Down Cake

On a cloudy, wet summer's day, I was feeling forlorn and fed-up. I spied a fresh pineapple in the corner of my kitchen, a day or two past it's best-by date. I conjured up a plan, a sunshine plan. I decided to create and bake a cake. Here's the recipe I developed that should bring a ray of sunshine to any kitchen on a grey day.

Ingredients

Caramel

1/2 medium fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into rings (about 1cm thick)

90 g butter

125 g light brown sugar

Cake

170 g butter

150 g caster sugar

Pinch salt

160 g SR flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

125ml milk
2 eggs

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 C/160C fan

Grease a 20cm cake tin or tarte tartin tin with butter (bottom and sides). Cut pineapple rings into quarters. Melt 90g butter and the light brown sugar in a heavy based saucepan. Simmer over a medium heat stirring constantly for about 4 minutes to make the caramel. Pour evenly over the base of the cake tin. Place the pineapple quarters in a circular pattern on the base of the tin, covering the base. Set aside.

Next cream the butter and caster sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully combined. Add the vanilla bean paste.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add portions of the flour and the milk in small additions slowly to the mix, beating slowly until combined. The mixture may curdle slightly, if so add a little more flour.

Once combined, pour the mixture over the caramelised pineapple. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. It’s done when a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for about 5-10 minutes. Place an upturned plate on top of the tin, invert carefully onto the plate. Replace any pineapple that has become stuck on the tin. Cool on the plate on a cake cooler.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Chocolate Jack

Coming up with birthday cake ideas for adults is a tough one. For a recent birthday I wanted to continue the theme of patriotism (from the Queen's Diamond Jubilee) but add something that the recipient would love - chocolate. So I developed a Chocolate Jack. A chocolate sponge tray bake with chocolate buttercream icing, decorated with Maltesers and white chocolate buttons.

The traybake was adapted from Mary Berry's chocolate traybake recipe in her book - Mary Berry's Baking Bible. I remained pretty faithful to the recipe but added a couple of teaspoons of chocolate extract to give it a more rounded depth of chocolatey flavour. Into the buttercream icing went cocoa powder and again, chocolate extract and then the fun began - decorating. The Maltesers didn't take too long, but the white chocolate drops took ages. I wanted them as perfectly aligned as possible. After about half hour the decoration was complete. A triumph. 32 adults (fueled by chatter and lots of alcohol) lined up like kids in a sweet shop - and hey presto. It was gone!

If you're ever in ...Valencia

Here is the first in a series of food and travel suggestions. Little tips and ideas of fabulous local food and treats I have discovered on my journeys around the world. Recently in Valencia, Spain's third largest city (often hiding in the shade of Barcelona and Madrid, it's a vibrant, welcoming city of contrasts - with great food.

Horchata

I had read about it in the guide book, seen it served in the streets and cafes and wanted a piece of the action for myself. Horchata is a typically Valencian drink. It is sweet, sort of ivory/caramel in colour, and has a consistency like silky milk. It's made from a plant called the "chufa", that's very similar to rice, which is only produced in a nearby town. Originally, it was a medicinal drink, but has now become a very popular soft drink that's normally served very cold. Little mobile carts, with huge silver drums are wheeled around town, usually setting up on street corners offering a take away version. I tried it and loved it. Especially as it's served so cold, on a hot day - it was like liquid gold.

La paella Valenciana

I couldn't come to the home of paella and not try it. There are many variations and bastardised takes on paella, so to sample it in the hot sun in a historic square in Valencia was my personal homage to the dish. Served traditionally with chicken and/or rabbit and green beens, Paella Valenciana is robust, tasty and very filling. It is the most representative dish of Valencian food, and at the same time is possibly the most famous of Spanish foods. Genuine paella is cooked with firewood and as you know, its main ingredient is rice. There are many variations and as I've said, not all so grand. It should be rustic, wholesome and lots of it. Washed down (in my case) with beer.

Tapas

Of course tapas comes high on my list and I love this style of eating. It's quick, efficient, varied and you can grab a bite of two and move on to the next joint. As my eyes are often bigger than my belly, I usually pick a pew, grab a plate full and then eat even more when the savvy waitresses pass by with the hot offerings.We ate in some great places including called El Molinón. It's a cider bar and restaurant. The waitress was a bit surly, but great tapas and Asturian cider. It was a revelation to me that Spain produces cider and is in fact a major producer of the beverage. It's potent and poured long and high. And only in short shots from the bottle. A great alternative to to beer or wine.

Short & Sweet - adventures in bread

I purchased Dan Lepard's Short & Sweet for it's baking recipes, which are inspiring, interesting and offer variations for cakes and bakes that I really love. What I didn't realise is that there is a substantial chapter on baking bread. So, determined to master the art of baking bread at home, I sat myself down and read it. It's not simply a catalogue of great recipes. It offers an introduction to the art (and science) of baking bread at home. But don't fear, it's not complicated, in fact that's where Dan excels. He demystifies it. Explaining about flours, yeast, sugar and salt,  liquid, butter and oil as well as techniques like kneading - it covers absolutely everything. So armed with my new found knowledge, I set to baking some bread.

I have baked bread at home - with reasonable success in the past, both with a bread making machine and by hand. The only thing you really need to allow is time. It's not labour intensive as such, you just need to have time to knead the bread and allow it plenty of time to rise properly. I began (as you would) with the first and most simple recipe - Easy White Bread and yes it is. Easy, fairly quick and of course delicious. Once I had mastered this I felt ready to progress. I haven't gone through them methodically one by one. I have picked the most appealing and gone for it. My favourite so far has been the Multi-grain and honey loaf. This is seriously good bread. You make a "sponge" which is sort of like a starter and separately combine the "porridge" which is oats, honey, linseed and sunflower seeds with boiling water. Once ready you add the additional flours etc. It was wholesome, moist, tasted fabulous and made great sandwiches and toast.

I feel as though my bread adventure is just beginning and what a great start along this yellow brick road, led by Dan, the baking man.

The British Biscuit Festival

We love a festival in the UK. Music, food, art you name it, we do it and do it well. As have mentioned I have some extra time on my hands, so whilst I was leisurely reading The Guardian today I came across a magical report. Proudly announcing The British Biscuit Festival - of course. Presented by The Brunswick Centre near Russell Square, it's the UK’s first festival celebrating the nation’s much loved treat!

Over the course of three days the fun focuses on our love of - biscuits.  Fans from across London (and indeed the UK) can make the pilgrimage to indulge in everything related to our most iconic British snack.

There's lots of events taking place: 

 

Build–a–Biscuit Workshops: For those who yearn for more than a digestive to dunk in their tea. Help will be on hand from The Cake Conjurer for those who need a bit of inspiration on how to create the perfect biscuit. 

The Terrific Biscuit Tin Tournament: Who will be crowned the 2012 Biscuit Champion? For those who have mastered the art of eating a biscuit without licking away the crumbs, dunking cookies in tea without them going soggy or reciting a sonnet with a mouth full of digestives this competition is a must.

Pop up vintage installations, Tea Dance and Farmers Market (Saturday only), Live band (Sunday only) or you can simply enjoy a cuppa and a biscuit - with the on site agony aunt Dai Gestive.

There's lots of other stalls and workshops: Crafternoon, Biscuit Science, Spin Cookie Art, Round the World Biscuits, Street Food Biscuits, Tea Liquers, Fete Games..

The Brunswick's British Biscuit Festival: 8th - 10th June

Location: Opposite Russell Square tube

for more information: Brunswick.co.uk

Distracted: but now I'm back

How times flies....when you are busy. I've been distracted by life and the universe but now have some time on my hands. So for the time being I am back in the swing of it all. Wow, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee has been and gone (I didn't even blog my Jubilee Recipe). To make up for that, here is my favourite picture to share which will show I haven't stopped baking. Enjoy.

Recipe: Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

300g Self Raising Flour

150g Light Brown Sugar

200 g fresh (or frozen) raspberries

1 large egg (lightly beaten)

100ml (about 2 large heaped tablespoons) of Greek Yoghurt

80 ml of Milk

125ml vegetable oil

75 g White chocolate (chopped into chunks)

Method

Heat oven to 210 C (about 200 C fan)

Grease a muffin tin with a little butter. No need to grease if using a silicone muffin tin.

Sift all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and then simply mix in the rest of the ingredients. Be careful not to over mix. Just bring it all together. Divide the mixture up so that you have about 8-9 muffins. Bake in the over for about 18-20 minutes until golden on top. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes in the tin. Then cool on an oven tray.