A Warm Salad of Mushroom and Parma Ham with Savoury Toasts

...Right, so onto what we did with those ingredients we picked up at the Bingley Food Festival. We had been inspired by TV (doesn't happen often) the night before - Thomasina Mier's show on Spain was decent watching for those into Iberian Cuisine, and her Iberico Ham and awesome-looking mushroom dish gave us inspiration. So, given what we had available, we went along the same lines...


This is a 'Yorkshire Tapas' sort of dish - but where Tapas conjures images of heat, lightness and simple but punchy flavours, this is an altogether earthier affair. The Mushrooms and ham combine perfectly, and the simple cheese toasties bring smoke and bite. The 'Morcilla' tapas is a Spanish classic and an excellent showcase for good-quality blood sausage. We bought our Parma Ham from the ever-excellent Salvo's Salumeria in Headingley, Leeds.

Savoury Toasts
You will need:
Two Cheeses - we used Smoked Goats' Cheese and Manchego. These are interchangeable according to taste, but I really recommend one smoked cheese in there.
Good Olive Oil
Ciabatta
Black Pudding, sliced.
Red Onion Chutney - available in most stores, but you could make your own sticky onions if you prefer.

1. Preheat your oven to about 150.
2. Heat a griddle pan, and lightly wipe with olive oil and season the surface with black pepper.
3. Slice your cheeses into chunks, and slice your ciabatta into mini-crostini chunks.
4. In another pan, lightly fry your black pudding slices until crisped on each side.
5. Lightly toast the toasts on the griddle pan.
6. On a baking tray, arrange the lightly toasted toasts and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange cheese on some, and a teaspoon of chutney and a slice of black pudding on others.
7. Place the assembled toasts on a low heat in the oven - this is only to keep them warm and to melt the cheeses.

While they are holding, make your Salad:

You will need;
Three Garlic Cloves
Fresh Parsley, chopped/torn
Two Large Mushrooms, sliced
Some Sliced Parma Ham, shredded
Half a small bag of Spinach Leaves, washed & drained

1. In a pestle & mortar, pound the garlic and then add the chopped parsley and some cracked black pepper. Cover in Olive Oil. This will become your dressing.
2. Heat a large pan. Drop in a little olive oil, and add your sliced mushrooms.
3. When they have soaked up the oil, add the ham. Don't be tempted to turn the heat up too much; you want the ham to release a little fat, but not to overcook it and destroy the flavour.
4. Add half the dressing; the mushrooms will soak that up too.
5. Toss in the spinach, wilt, then serve onto warmed plates.
6. Finish the dish with the rest of the dressing.

Serve with the toasts!


It may seem like a lot of work but it's not - just have the oven heated and you can hold the toasts while you make the salad. The smoky cheese brings loads of depth to the toasts, and the sweet/savoury taste of the black pudding toasts complements the ham and mushroom salad in an amazing way. Don't add salt, by the way - the ham's got enough to round!





In terms of beer, I paired this with Breconshire Breweries' Red Dragon. Despite the slightly Dungeons & Dragons label, this bottle-conditioned gem is a serious beer - a complex, malt body, with a lively, unashamedly bitter aftertaste, it complements the autumnal flavours of the meal with ease.

Bank Holiday Shenanigans - Bingley Food Festival/Haworth

...So Good Friday finally comes; the start of four free days that work cannot spoil. The weather can (curse the snow!!!) - but the office cannot. So it's off to the Food Festival at Bingley to pick up something good for dinner, then onto Haworth for a little lunch and a few beers.

Size Isn't Everything....

...But in the case of the Bingley Food Festival, it is. By the time we got there - about 11ish - the tent was rammed. And I mean rammed. I don't know wether Bingley Council (or whoever organised this event) seriously underestimated the pull of a food festival these days, or just ran out of space, but this was not a pleasant environment to browse round. However, the hungry and determined are a force to be reckoned with and we managed to grab some gems before our patience finally ran out.

We were pleased to see Salt's Deli running a stall - Salt's are a long-time fave of TGS, and thier fresh, crisp Ciabatta was just what we needed. We sampled one of their Chorizo Parcels, too, and a lovely little treat it was - crisp filo rolls, filled with chunks of piquant Chorizo, peppers and red onion. So simple, yet so delicious. Glad to see them doing a roaring trade.

The cheese stall provided a couple of coups, too - once we fought our way to the front. We picked up some amazing smoked goats cheese, along with a good chunk of one of our favourites, Manchego. After a quick stop at the veg stand to pick up some huge mushooms and some fresh spinach from H Baxter & Son of Preston, we made our getaway - but not before picking up a log each of black and white pudding from RS Ireland. I'm a stickler for blood sausage and Ireland's are fantastic.

An honourable mention goes to the man with no sign, selling homemade pies and pasties. His Scotch Eggs were, quite simply, a revelation, and will warrant their own post very soon....

Haworth

...After that frantic hour, some lunch and a couple of beers were definately needed. So on it was to Haworth - half an hour up the road from Bingley. We are overly familar with Haworth - my mother lives ten minutes away in Oakworth and we spend a lot of time there. So in the respect it's a failsafe, a no-brainer. You can always get a good pint there.

Is that you, Branwell?

First up, at the top of the main street, sits the famous Black Bull; reputedly haunted by Branwell Bronte, brother of the famous literary sisters whose image and story you can't escape in the village of their birth. A large, stone-flagged pub, it can always be relied on for a decent sandwich and a pint. Deuchars IPA and Copper Dragon Golden Pippin seem to be the regulars and there is always a guest - this time, Osset's Fine Fettle, which I opted for. Crisp, dry and very hoppy with a familar floral aroma, Fine Fettle was a good call indeed and made light work of a Roast Beef and Horseradish Baguette. I like The Black Bull a lot; it's reliable, it's somewhere you know is going to have a good beer and a corner table waiting for you. My first pint of Moorhouse's Pendle Witch was drunk here, and that went on to become a firm favourite of mine.

Gotta Be A Taylors...

In terms of sheer quality and consistency, Taylor's is up there, in my opinion; and The Fleece, at the bottom of the main street, serves the best TT's in Haworth; and I noticed they had spruced up thier bottled range, too, offering Warsteiner, Duvel, Cooper's, Goose Island and Quilmes to name a few. I was disappointed that the Celebration Ale has long sold out - a testament to the high regard Taylor's is paid here Instead I opted for a pint of Dark Mild, which had to be - and no hyperbole here - one of the best pints I have for a long time. Dark with a tight, coffee-coloured head, the Dark Mild was roasted malt all the way, with a light treacley finish. Perfection(Come on...when in Rome!),it was time to go. We figured out what to make with the produce we picked up that morning on the way home, and the results of that will be coming up this weekend.


The shot on the right shows the hand of a very contented man...and the reason
for that contented feeling!

Quick Honey & Mustard Chicken with A Simple Potato Gratin

As you all know, I recently hit yet another Beer Festival and made this super-simple dish to eat when we got back. The main reason for choosing this was one that I have been discussing with John recently - Inebriation. Half - Cutness. Merriness. A side effect, albeit an entirely pleasant one (in moderation) of a weekend's Beer tasting. The simplicity lies in the make-ahead feel of the meal, and the fact that cutting a few corners never hurt anyone.

Quick Honey & Mustard Chicken (Serves two)

You will need:

Two medium sized Chicken Breasts

A tablespoon of Grain Mustard, such as Gray Poupon

Two Tablespoons of good, thick, runny honey

1. Mix the honey and mustard well in a dish, then cover tightly with cling film. Refrigerate and go to the Beer Festival.

2. When you return, 'Butterfly' the breasts and then pour over the Mustard Honey. Place under a pre-heated grill and cook. (About 20 minutes).

Now, that's pretty easy, and to be honest you could stop right there. Put the meat in a warmed , buttered baguette and you've got a tasty sandwich right there with which to soak up that good booze. If you want to make something more of it (and are up to it) - then:

A Simple Potato Gratin

You will need:

One large waxy potato, peeled, sliced as thin as you like it

One pot of double cream (about 350ml)

3 crushed Garlic Cloves

Shake of Black Pepper, Shake of Nutmeg

2 teaspoons of olive oil

1. Preheat your oven to about 2ooc.

2. Gently saute your sliced potato in large pan in the olive oil (not too much heat;not too much oil), and then when colouring slightly, pour over your cream and discard the Garlic. This par-cooking shortens the oven time - something your grumbling belly wants.

3. Let it bubble away for about 20 minutes to soften further, on a low, low heat.

4. Finally, transfer into gratin or deep dish and place in the oven to brown. That'll take about 20 minutes.

Not complex cooking, I know, but this dish is big on flavour and fills your belly; soaking up beer as it goes. Or, like me, you could sink a pint of Springhead's Roaring Meg as you go. What can I say? I wanted another beer, and Meg's citrussy style and huge floral aromas cut through the cream, complimented the sweet/hot chicken but didn't add any more weight to the meal. In some ways, a perfect match-up.

Beats a Doner pizza anyday.

CAMRA's Leeds Beer,Cider & Perry Festival 2008

It had been a long time coming but finally the Beer Festival programme hit my neck of the woods. Pudsey Civic Hall is also about ten minutes away from where I live, so I personally couldn't think of anything better to do on a Saturday lunchtime than go see what's happening.

I can understand why some enthusiasts steer clear of Beer Fests like this - there's nothing in the way of atmosphere; unless you count the uneasy apprehension between the older veterans of the brewing scene and young enthusiasts like myself. Some really don't like this split; this faction in the brewing world, and simply avoid it - for me, it's a great opportunity to taste some great beers in one place. Simple as that.

Art and Beer? Beer and Art?

No sooner had I arrived at the North-sponsored 'Global Beer Bar' than we were greeted by a cheery young lady from Bare Arts Brewery. Thier pumps were, quite cutely, in the shape of pigs, and tasters were soon offered of their Bitter. Very nice it was too; quite light and easy- going for a dark bitter. Bare Arts had already won kudos for the friendliest stand of the weekend; how many breweries have a fully-functioning art gallery attached?

Let's Get Down to Brass Tacks...

Armed with the obligatory souvenir pint glass and beer tokens and a remit of 'I'm not trying anything I have drunk before...' , a quick glance at the programme gave me some idea of what I wanted to try. And try i did, over the course of a thoroughly enjoyable early afternoon. My picks of the weekend? Well, I was very impressed by Naylor's Brewer's Choice Special Brown Ale - 4.6% - sweetish, but with a firm, biscuit-malt body. Gorgeous. So that becomes my Beer of the day. Also sampled were:

Anglo Dutch's Devil's Knell - 4.8% - Slight carbonation, but with a long, hoppy finish. Great amber colour. Solid entry from this talented and forward-thinking brewery.
Boggart Hole Clough's Farmer's Stout - 4.5% - I only picked one stout, and was glad it was this one. Light in body but with a complexity of flavour, rounded with a treacley finish. Great session stout.
Church End's Goat's Milk - 3.8% - Straw-yellow in colour, light bodied. Typical hoppy golden ale, again would be good session beer on a warm day. Refreshing.
Old Spot's Beer Stalker - 4.1% - Again, very similar as the Church End inasmuch that it's an entirely refreshing, hoppy ale. Maybe a little light for my taste; grapefruit aromas.
Purple Moose's Dark Side of The Moose - 4.6% - Dark ale, foamy head and a long,long bitter finish. Very moreish, very impressive indeed.
Slaughterhouse Saddle Back - 3.8% - Impressive showing; had to be tried - any brewery that's based in a ex-slaughterhouse gets my vote. Traditional bitter with a huge malty body and gentle hop finish. Really solid - could drink a lot of this. My 'Session beer' recomendation of the weekend.
Windie Goat Fisherman's Pride - 5.0% - All the way from Ayrshire, Fisherman's Pride poured red and malty, although with practically no head. A slightly vegetal aroma gave way to a long bitter finish. Quite sweet.

Phew. Needless to say, great pleasure was to be had tasting all those.

I Coulda Been A Contender...

There was a little disappointment; some beers that I were looking forward to had either sold out or weren't available. I had heard great things about Glencoe's Wild Oat Stout, and Skinner's Helegan Honey sounded interesting too. Leeds Brewery had a brand-new beer on, Leap of Faith, but I gave that a miss. I'm no stranger to Leeds and their excellent wares. Favoured drinking spots The Fox & Newt and Foley's had beers on show, the latter brewed by York Brewery. Other great brewers such as Goose Eye, Cotleigh, Purity and Elland all were represented.

After a stop at the Global Beer bar to pick up some of Left Hand Breweries' JuJu Ginger (Been after some of this for a while), it was time to go. I could have happily gone back today and started again; such was the quality of the ales on offer.

Next fest; Skipton!

You Know You Are Food & Beer Obsessed When:

1. Your holiday destination is chosen by 'regional speciality' and not weather/location/kudos/price. In fact, travel is completely justified by food, rather than experiences or sights.

2. You read blogs like this one. All the time. And by that, I mean 'When you should be working'.

3. You're walking down the street. Two charity-box wielding volunteers corner you outside Borders. One is for 'Rescue the Children/Dogs From An Awful Life (delete as appropriate), and the other represents 'Save our Local Microbrewery'. Your immediate response is 'Mine's a Pint, Barkeep.'

4. Your 'Top Ten Greatest Films in The World Ever' List includes 'Big Night', 'Sideways', 'La Grande Bouffe' and 'Babette's Feast'. Or, if you're female, 'Chocolat.' (The book was better).

5. Speaking of books, your cookbook collection makes up at least 20% of your home library....

6. ...In fact, a trip into Waterstone's 'Cooking' section brings on hyperventilation, insane purchases (ooh, the French Laundry book - put it on the card...', and palms that haven't been sweatier than the time you 'accidentally' ordered a Jenna Jameson flick on the missus's Amazon account.

7. A balmy weekend proposal of 'A pleasant walk in the country' translates as 'A chance to track down an awesome pub/micro that no-one else has found this side of 1975'.

8. Meals are planned. On a calendar. With Beer Matches. And this rota is fitted around re-runs of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Well, it wasn't going to be Delia, was it?

9. ...You see nothing wrong with this. In fact, everything you cook or drink is there to be tasted, reviewed, and discussed with your foodie chums. Everything.

10. Not only is your kitchen the most used room in the house, its the cleanest, most expensive room in the house (Yeah, we got the sofa at the charity shop but check out my Sabatier Five-Knife set...).

Would anyone else like to share? Let's get our obsession out in the open...together, we can work it out.

'Toblerone' Pancakes

Now that the pancake day blogging feast is over, here's what we did....take one pancake (i'm not gonna patronise you and tell you how to make a pancake; a) you should know, and b) there are plenty of sites/recipes out there), and sprinkle with grated, quality dark chocolate (I use Divine or Green & Blacks), Honey and chopped Almonds. Voila! Toblerone Pancakes. Enjoy.

Roasted Belly of Pork with Cain's Gravy

This is an adaptation of a Richard Fox recipe that caught my eye recently. Why? Because it involved Belly Pork, possibly my favourite cut of any meat ever. So versatile, I think Belly is starting to get the recognition it deserves. Anyway, this is basically a slow-cooked belly, perfect for slicing, and the gravy is all made in the pan. The secret ingredient is beer - in my case, Cain's Raisin Beer. Richard reccommends a full-bodied Yorkshire beer, but I found the juicy and slightly floral nature of Cain's Raisin made an excellent gravy.

Serves One Yorkshire Lass and One hungry Yorkshireman
you will need;

A good hunk of belly; about four/five ribs.
Tin of chopped tomatoes
1 stick of celery
1 leek
2 carrots, chopped and peeled
Half a bottle of Cain's Raisin Beer
300ml Chicken Stock

For the dry rub:

2 cloves garlic
Chopped parsley, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary
Salt, Ground Black Pepper

1. Pre-Heat your oven to 150-160 degrees
2. Score your belly pork; rub the dry rub into the skin and leave to stand while:
3. ...You add all your chopped veg into a roasting tin. Over the veg, pour over the tomatoes, stock and finally the beer. Mix a little.
4. Lay the Pork on top, and roast for about 4 hours.

This is a perfect meal for putting in and forgetting about - but keep an eye on it if you don't know your oven inside-out; you don't want that juicy pork to dry out. Over time, the veg softens into the liquor; creating a tasty gravy so chunky you won't need additional accompaniments, in my opinion.
If you fancy making this and use another beer, let me know how it turns out. Any robust beer should do the trick, and you'll get different flavours every time.

Leeds Brewery...Coming Along Nicely

I was pleased to hear this week that those enterprising young chaps at Leeds Brewery are setting up their own pub. Tentativley named The Midnight Bell, the pub will be situated not too far from thier brewhouse in Leeds, and building work will start soon.
As you know, Leeds Brewery have the full backing of TGS; not least in thier recent success but also due to the fact that these lads are truly passionate about beer and this latest step is certainly 'one in the eye' for those who think that the 'pub' is dead.
The Good Stuff, along with many other Yorkshire-based beer and food blogs, will be there on opening day for certain. Good Luck.
....and on other TGS - endorsed news, The Fox & Newt are currently selling their own-brewed ales at £2 a pint. Make sure you don't miss out - thier brewhouse is producing some excellent beers right now.

Tikka-Spiced Fish...Caught Cheating

Although the mere fact that you, dear reader, are reading TGS tells me you have a healthy interest in cooking from scratch - there comes along, every once in a while, a ready-made sauce or stock or similar that surprises you and reassures that if 'cheating' is needed, then at least it can be done well.
As part of a christmas hamper, I ended up with a jar of Cottage Delight's Tikka Masala sauce; and it provided a great solution for a busy afternoon. As you will see, some prep is still needed in the recipe that I ended up throwing together, but the need for major legwork was certainly taken away by using the sauce.
Apologies to John - This will be my last fish-based post for a while, i promise!)

Tikka-Spiced Fish (Serves Two)

You will need;

1 Large Fillet of Whitby Cod
1 Pepper, chopped
1 Onion, sliced
1/2lb of Cherry Toms
1 medium Courgette, sliced
1 Jar of Cottage Delight Tikka Masala Sauce
Rub -
1tsb of grated ginger
3 large cloves garlic, mashed
2 tsps veg or corn Oil
2 tsps Tomato Puree
pinch of fenugreek
pinch of garam or gujarati masala
large pinch of chilli flakes (to your liking)
1 pinch of Panch Phoran (onion seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds)

Preheat the oven to 180c.
1. First, make the rub. combine all ingredients above in a ramekin and you'll end up with a pungent paste. smear this on your fish, and leave to marinate slightly while:
2. You gently saute the veg in a large pan. Use Olive Oil for this, and season with black pepper once golden. Don't use salt - it'll dry out the toms and courgette.
3. In a a large dish, place your soft, golden veg and lie your marinated fish on top.
4. Simply pour the sauce over the top, and bake for about 30-40 minutes.


As you can see, despite a long ingredients list, its not that complicated. The end result tastes great; creamy and tomatoey with a zingy kick beneath the surface. All you're doing really is pre-cooking and pre-marinating the fish to give a little extra flavour, and finishing in the oven. We served this with home-made flatbreads, but obviously rice or naan would be perfect also.
As for beer, instead of opting for an eastern beer I chose Bitburger - although not one of my favourite tipples, I wanted a clean, dry pils to counter the heat but with a little more body-and it certainly did the trick.

So there you go. A cheat's success. It's certainly made me realise that there are some great products out there that certainly warrant a position in your storecupboard.

www.cottagedelight.co.uk

In the Words of Jason Molina -

- Just be Simple. Something we sometimes lose sight of, particularly when it comes to food and drink. This morning in Leeds is glorious, sunshine throwing down and melting the overnight frost away.Even my jog this morning was not the slog it usually is. I feel good; thoughts turning to this years' projects, growing and brewing, and all those great things you can only seem to do in the lighter months. John over at John's Random Ramblings has starting planting and brewing, catching that spring-time bug.

What's different - apart from the weather?
Well, for me, we're not talking about complication here, we're simple pleasures. don't get me wrong, I'm all for complication in food - in moderation. The simple act of baking bread, even in a breadmaker, can give you that glow that stacking six layers of meat in a ramekin and serving with a two-day condensed and simmered jus simply cannot. Making Jam; beer; growing some tomatoes - it's all the same. These little things we miss when we cannot do them.

I was reminded of this lately when I decided that I fancied something traditional for dinner, but found it surprisingly hard to find anything that quite fitted the bill in my cookbook library. As a passing thought, I picked up a battered old Be-Ro cookbook that had been passed down to my girlfriend by her Grandmother. Archly, I sat and sifted through it, scoffing at its antiquated recipes and pictures. Then, there it was - Toad in The Hole. No herbs added to the pudding. No speciality sausages - just good ones. No flavoured oils, just dripping. Perfect. It turned out perfect too, burnished brown and sizzling... washed down with a pint of Black Sheep Riggwelter it certainly gave me that aforementioned glow.
The book? Well, lets just say it gets a little more attention these days. They are still on sale, actually. Pick one up, or something like it, and get back to your roots.

And the Winners Are....

The National Winter Ales Festival took place recently in Manchester - Here are the winners as per the Camra website, with Wickar's Station Porter taking the honours. Naturally, being a Winter festival, it was time for Stouts, Porters and Barley-wine styles to take a bow.

National Winter Ales Festival 2008: Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2008

SUPREME CHAMPIONS
Gold - Wickwar, Station Porter (Wickwar, Gloucestershire)
Silver - Robinson's, Old Tom (Stockport, Cheshire)
Bronze - Hop Back, Entire Stout (Salisbury, Wiltshire)

CATEGORY WINNERS

Old Ales & Strong Mild Category

Gold - Purple Moose, Dark Side of the Moose (Porthmadog, Gwynedd)
Silver - West Berkshire, Maggs Magnificent Mild (Thatcham, Berkshire)
Bronze - Highland, Dark Munro (Birsay, Orkney)

Stouts

Gold - Hop Back, Entire Stout (Salisbury, Wiltshire)
Silver - Spitting Feathers Old Wavertonian (Waverton, Chester)
Bronze - Spire, Sgt. Pepper Stout (Chesterfield, Derbyshire)

Porters

Gold - Wickwar, Station Porter (Wickwar, Gloucestershire)
Silver - E&S Elland, 1872 Porter (Elland, West Yorkshire)
Bronze - Acorn, Old Moor Porter (Barnsley, South Yorkshire)

Barley Wines

Gold - Robinson's Old Tom (Stockport, Cheshire)
Silver - Durham, Benedictus (Bowburn, Co Durham)
Bronze - Mighty Oak, Saxon Song (Maldon, Essex

Nice to see Acorn getting a shout - i've been a fan of thiers for a while now, and the Old Moor Porter is lovely. Strong showing from Hop Back, also.

Salmon Parcels

...Or Salmon En Croute, if you like a touch of culinary flair. I needed a dish that was easy to prepare yet looked a little flashy for a weekend supper, and this is what happened. Hardly an original idea, but a lighter option to Beef Wellington and it went down a treat. I have no qualms about using frozen pastry either - the results are excellent and it really is a time-saver. I use Jus-Rol.

Recipe for one parcel; simply replicate however many times you need.

You will need:
One good, fresh Salmon Fillet
A good bunch of Spinach, washed and dried
1 pack of flaky pastry - two sheets (one per parcel)
Black Pepper, to season
1 egg, beaten

1. Warm your oven to 180.
2. Simply lay one sheet of pastry down, and lay your salmon across the sheet however you want it.
3. Season with black pepper.
4. Top the salmon with as much or as little washed and dried spinach as you like. You could also add Fennel, too - i didn't have any but I think that would work.
5. Brush round the fish with the egg wash, and fold pastry over to form your parcel. Decorate/crimp round the edges.
6. Chill the parcels for at least an hour.
7. When ready to cook, put you baking tray in the oven to heat. I find this trick ensures a crispy base every time.
8. Egg-wash your parcels, place on the tray and bake for about half an hour, or until golden.


...And that's it. hardly any work at all and an excellent result. The spinach steams within the parcel, and the fish should be moist - serve simply with parsley sauce and new spuds.


To accompany, I chose one of my favourite Belgians, Orval. It's widely available, and being a little lighter really compliments the delicate flavour of Salmon. You certainly don't want intrusion on the flavour here from your beer choice.

Mr Foley's Cask Ale House, Leeds

I've blogged about this joint before - it used to be called Okells, and before that, Baroque. Last time around, only the sign above the front door seemed to change, with maybe a concession to the casual 'Friday Night' drinker rather than the real ale enthusiast. This time round, however, things are different, as you would have guessed from the new name.

Named after the bloke who first set up shop in the iconic building, Foley's seems to have really embraced local breweries and cask ales this time around, with the chilled beer selection taking a back seat to the taps.

10 taps present a good spread Yorkshire Brewing, with York Brewery being the most heavily represented. No problem; Thier Guzzler and Yorkshire Terrier are favourites of mine, and now i can get them in Leeds, all the better. Also available are offerings from Leeds Brewery; i was most impressed with thier Leeds Best and Midnight Bell - the first a fine session beer in the style of Timothy Taylor's Landlord but with a little more bite, the second a darker bitter with a much, much maltier body, as you would expect from a beer named 'Midnight Bell'. I've been impressed by Leeds Brewery thus far, and you'll hopefully see a fuller profile of thiers coming up on this blog.

Speaking of surprises, the Grolsch Wiezen is nice, too. Sorry, but i have to be honest. I enjoyed it, and have not seen it anywhere else in Leeds.

With Camra meetings taking place here, hopefully Foley's has recieved the endorsement from those who matter and is here to stay. It hope it does, too; I really enjoy its latest incarnation- a large, friendly boozer with staff who know thier stuff. The bar food menu even suggests simple beer pairings, and although not ground - breaking stuff, it's a step in the right direction to the layperson who wants to delve into the world of food and beer. Im not going to get snooty about that; La Gavroche it is not; but La Gavroche I would not want it to be. I'm sure i'll have many a decent pint in here in months to come.

Mr Foley's Cask Ale House

159 The Headrow

Leeds,

0113 2429674.

Tagging; oh, go on then...Marching On Together!

Ok, so at first glance this whole tagging thing seemed like one of those godawful chain emails one recieved promising untold riches should you foreard it to a billion people withinhalf an hour of recieving it, but once I had read AJ's frankly excellent effort and AEB, I figured the least I could do to is participate; a sort of 'Get to know your friendly Blogger' excercise.

Basically, the rules are thus:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.

3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My blog links are not random; that would probably result in a waste of time. I have chosen ones I think you will enjoy if you're here, reading TGS. Anyways, onward and upward:

1. Apart from Food & Beer, Leeds United are a passion of mine. I have a special Leeds United Mug (pictured) that only I can use. No-one else must even look at it. This may sound strange, but I think most males do something like this in thier lifetime. Over the years many of my possessions have been adorned with that badge, and many are treated with grail-like reverence. The same rules also apply to my Sabatier Knives.

2. More obsessive behaviour; If I have a beer at home that i have not had before, the cap is

kept. I have about 70 or so caps. I dont know why I do this, as i dont look at them again; they just lie around in a big tub.

3. I also write fiction in my spare time, and have enjoyed some small-scale publishing success. My favourite writers are Henry Miller, Hunter Thompson, Charles Bukowski, and Cormac McCarthy. At the moment, I am reading 'True Tales of American Life' by Paul Auster.

4. My Foodwriting Hero is Anthony Bourdain.

5. I worked in my Grandfather's Butchers' as a teen, and learned a lot about food, meat and 'locally sourced produce' before that phrase was even coined. I learned one main thing; Family and Friendship should always be based around eating together.

6. I play Bass guitar; I listen mostly to Americana and Alt.Country music, and at the moment I am enjoying Iron & Wine, Mark Kozelek, American Music Club, Lambchop, The National and Richmond Fontaine, to name a few.

7. As a result of my obsession with Beer, my long-suffering partner not only has more beer knowledge than your average twenty-something girl, but knows what to look for, how to buy, and the brewing process. She can name a brewery at 20 paces from a pump-clip. She will make suggestions for my beer-cellar, and I trust her completely to pick up beers for me if am not able to. She can even do a pretty good job of detecting aromas when sniffing beer. In many ways she is the perfect beer-pursuing partner - and the irony is this: she can't stand the stuff. A Kriek, maybe, in the summer, but that's it.

There you go. Not as insightful as AJ's, but now you know a little more.

My "7 Blogs You Should Totally Check Out":

1. John's Random Ramblings

2. The London Review of Breakfasts

3. Soy & Pepper

4. Black.Salt

5. Toothpaste for Dinner (not food/beer based but excellent)

6. Food & Thoughts

7. ...A Swift One

- Excellent blogs, every one of them. Enjoy.

News Roundup - Jan '08

Well done to The Junction in Otley for winning CAMRA's 'Pub Of The Season-Winter' -the family owned and run pub now boasts 11 cask ales on at any time, as well as an excellent selection of malt whiskeys. If in Otley, you know where to go.
Also coming up at the end of the month is The Grove Beer Festival, which sees the Leeds stalwart joining forces with The Scarbrough Hotel to bring you a full weekend of up to 80 beers from all over the UK. The Grove will handle beers from A-L, while the Scarbrough will take on L-Z...sure to be good, wholesome fun!
The Grove Inn
Back Row, Holbeck Leeds
0113 2439254

The Scarbrough Hotel
Bishopgate Street, Leeds
0113 243 4590

Spanokopita

I came upon this recipe in Rick Stein's frankly excellent Mediterranean Escapes book and decided to give it a go. I was looking for something a bit lighter for supper this week, and had an excellent beer in mind to accompany. Spanokopita are basically Greek cheese and spinach pastries, and super-tasty ones at that. I've been meaning to make some at home since trying them in thier place of birth, Skopelos, a couple of years ago. I'm an avid carnivore, so something with no meat in it has to be seriously special to get a look in at The Good Stuff Kitchen. The recipe is essentially the same, although I have included a dipping sauce that livens up things a little, and also taken a little inspiration from Elizabeth David's version from her nigh-on essential Book of Mediterranean Cookery.

Spanokopita (makes about 6)

You will need:

Spinach, washed and shredded, a good panful.

A tbspn of Olive Oil

One Small Onion, finely chopped

100g Feta Cheese

50g Gruyere Cheese

10g Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg

Black Pepper & Mint for seasoning

About 2 Sheets of Filo Pastry (I bought the frozen stuff - works perfectly fine)

100g Melted Butter

1. Heat your Oven to about 180c.

2. Wash and slice your Spinach into strips.

3. Gently colour the onion in the olive oil, then add the spinach. Let the Spinach wilt, then take off the heat to cool. You may need to press out any excess water the spinach may produce at this stage.

4. While the veg are cooling, make the filling. Into a large Bowl, crumble the Feta, grate the Gruyere and add the Parmesan, along with the pepper and mint. Add the egg to and stir to bind.

5. Add the Spinach and onion once cooled.

6. Now you can make the parcels however you like; I used the triangle patty method, although the choice is yours. Use melted butter to seal the corners/edges, and make as many as you need. Place on a greased baking tray, and wash the tops of the patties liberally with the melted butter.

7. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes before turning over, butter-washing and then baking the underside. You may need to turn them a few times, washing with butter each time, until they are golden brown.

I think that the ones I had in Skopelos were actually deep fried, so the butter-washing kind of substitutes that. Just make sure they don't burn.

Tomato and Chilli Dipping Sauce

Into a blender place 4 chopped, large tomatoes, 3 gloves of garlic, and one whole chilli pepper (seeded if you like). Blend into a smooth paste. In a pan, heat a good tbspn of Olive Oil, and add the sauce. Stir in a good helping of tomato puree. Stir. Season with black pepper and plenty of Oregano. Simmer for as long as you like; I reduced for about half an hour and the results were great; a thick, fiery sauce that lifts the creamy, salty cheese filling of the Spanokopita.

...And To Drink....?

In Skopelos I washed these down with local white wine, as there wasnt any beer available apart from the usual fizz. But here I wanted something crisp to cut through the intense dipping sauce and creamy cheese, but also provide a complexity of its own. I opted for Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier; a wiessbier in name but a really light, clear one at that. Chilled down it is really refreshing, but gives you all that good, yeasty taste you would expect from a Weizen without overpowering your snack.

First Beer of 2008...

...And it's a good one.

At my end of year review I mentioned The Great Divide Brewing Company, a brewer who I only became familiar with late on in 2007, but impressed me greatly. My choice of first beer of 2008 certainly deserved to be thiers.

Titan IPA is my favourite of thier current roster. I don't usually go in for massivley-hopped beers, but this is an exception. Despite the aforementioned huge hop taste, Titan has a great, grapefruity (to me, anyway) tang to it and is soooo refreshing. If you want something different, something with a little more edge, then I would definately go for this. A corker!

http://www.greatdivide.com/index.php

Out with the old, In with the new....

Well, 2007 has been a great year for TGS - thanks to you all for reading our little labour of love and proving to us that us food and beer-crazed zombies number in our thousands...we are not alone!


So what has 2007 meant to us?


Well, food-wise, our visit to Greece in the summer provided us with its usual bounty of inspiration and experiences. Anyone who thinks Greek food is the poor relation of flashy Spain is mistaken. The Leyburn Festival of Food and Drink was great as usual, and the tour of The Black Sheep Brewery gets better every time we do it. Our 'Tomatoes in hanging basket to avoid the cats that plague our street' experiment worked a treat, and will be in action again this summer; and the Good Stuff Kitchen has seen an unusual amount of baking activity. 2007 certainly was the year of the pastry.

Highlights?
Interviewing Sean Franklin, supremo at Rooster's Brewery was great fun; Roosters are probably my favourite local brewers and I cannot recommend thier beers highly enough. The resurgence of The Fox & Newt as a brewpub was a totally unexpected and pleasant surprise - a real kick in the eye to the brewing monopolies. In the same vein, North hanging up thier Guinness pump and commiting to serving a rotating, independent stout was an inspired, ballsy move, and one that has worked - Cheers, lads. Public awareness of the importance of supporting local brewers and food suppliers seems to be on the increase, too!

Lowlights?
The passing of Michael Jackson still reverberates around the foodwriting and brewing community - the poet laureate of Beer Writing will be missed for a long time to come. The fact that Leeds Kirkgate Market's future is still undecided is a joke, and I only hope that common sense prevails; the market is a precious part of Leed's history, let alone its culinary heritage.

I'm also in two minds about the tranformation of The Corn Exchange into a 'High Class Food Emporium'. Food Emporium, yes, High Class, no. The last thing Leeds needs is a waste of a space where the clientele are more interested in the bag the food comes in than the food itself. Go to a farmer's market or a 'real' butcher's if you want to do something different, supermarket-hounds. Again, lets hope common sense prevails. And finally, just whe we think things had levelled out for the year, there are rumours that Leifmans, brewers of the awesome Goudenband, have gone bust.

So what does 2008 hold for TGS?
TGS has recently been the lucky recipient of a shedload of Brewing Kit from a relative - Spring should see the first attempt at homebrewing for me, and I can't wait. Stay tuned to see how the disaster unfolds. Our trip to Bulgaria should be good, and I am sure the recipes that we bring back will be different to the norm. I'll be throwing the spotlight on more local and independent brewers and making everyone aware of the good work these guys and gals are doing. Recipes will come as usual, and each with a beer pairing for you to consider.

Award Time -
Ok, lets end with some honourable mentions -

Beer Blog of 2007 - Stonch; has to be. Fast becoming essential reading, this is what a beer blog should be; informative, yet none of the snobbery that can sometimes prevail;

Food Blog of 2007 - ...An Endless Banquet - perfection. AJ and Michelle constantly amaze me with thier stories and recipes - thier 'Quest for the perfect pizza' was probably my favourite post of any blog in 2007. Obsession; in a good way. Where would beer and food be without obsession?
Store of the Year - Salt's Deli remains a pleasure to visit. One of thier hampers is shown above.

Beer of The Year - hmmm, so many. Roosters remain a consistently excellent brewhouse - the YPA is fast becoming a must-drink when available. The Great Divide Brewing Company and Brewdog are two brewers whose wares I only tasted recently and really, really impressed.

The Good Stuff.
Good Food. Good Beer. Good People.

Have A Great Christmas and a very boozy New Year!

Quick Round-up

TGS-reccommended Meat Purveyors Bolton Abbey Meats are offering Xmas Hampers, filled with goodies such as Beef, Lamb and Sausages - more details to be found on www.boltonabbeyfoods.co.uk... Whilst on the subject of Hampers, Salt's Deli are offering thiers as usual - and packed with delicious xmas treats....more info on www.saltsdeli.co.uk... TGS' favourite Bar, North has a revamped website offering info on sister bars Further North and The Reliance - link on the link pages...

Chutney Time!

Christmas always means a flurry of activity in The Good Stuff kitchen - usually of the baking sort, as we always like to give home-made goodies to people for presents. This year, we decided to spend an afternoon making chutney. I could'nt beleive how easy it is. The recipe that follows is based on one that was in good old Good Food Magazine a few months back.

Sweet Apple & Tomato Chutney

2 large Onions, diced

2 large cooking apples, diced and cored

2lb Tomatoes ( I used 'vine' ones)

Dash of tabasco

3 chopped cloves of Garlic

1 tsb of Ground Cinnamon

1 tsb of Ground Coriander

Twist of black pepper.

3/4 pint of Cider Vinegar (I used Aspall's)

12 oz of Sugar

1. Skin and chop you tomatoes. Chop your onions, garlic and Apple also.

2. Pour into a large preserving pan or stock-pot, then pour over the vinegar. Also add your spices at this stage.

3. Bring to the boil, stirring. Then lower the heat and let cook for about 50 minutes. The fruit and veg should be soft, but not pulpy yet. Add the sugar and stir.

4. Increase the heat, and boil rapidly for about 20 minutes. Stir regulary or the mixture will catch. The chutney will really reduce and thicken during this stage. When you can draw your spoon across the bottom of the pan and there is a clear line before it slips back, its done.

You need to sterilise and prepare your jars next. I do this by simply washing in soapy water, as hot as you can stand, then rinsing in clean hot water. I heat the oven to about 150 degrees and dry the pots in there. Spoon your chutney into the pots whilst warm, and seal immediately!

This chutney is pulpy and sweet, and really good with lamb and all the usual strong cheeses. To vary it, you could add some chillies, or even add pears. A great condiment to have around Christmas time, with all those cold cuts around!

For more ideas regarding Chutneys, Jams and other preserves, What Geeks Eat and ...An Endless Banquet both have loads of ideas and tips. Both blogs can be found on my links section.

Chilli Squid Stew

It recently occurred to me that although I love to eat Squid, I very rarely do anything other than toss those rings in flour mixed with pepper and Paprika, and then throw them in some hot, hot oil – Greek Style, if you will. And although, on a hot summer’s day with a cold Peroni to wash them down, this does the trick, I bullied myself into doing something different with my tentacle friends. This is what I came up with – basic, yes, but very tasty. The stew simply accentuates the sweetness of the squid; this would be excellent as part o a Tapas selection.

To make two Tapas-Size portions –
6 Small or 1 Large Squid
Tomatoes –about 4 large vine-ripened ones, or about 15 'Cherry' ones
2 fresh chillies
1 large red pepper – (I used preserved ones for extra sweetness)
Good Olive Oil
2 large cloves of garlic
Salt, Pepper, and 1 tsp of Sugar
A Garlic Bread, Flatbread or Tomato bread to accompany.

1. Make a basic Tomato Sauce – Chop all of your tomatoes and add to warm olive oil. Add you peppers also. Season, including the sugar, and stir in a little tomato puree if needed. Leave to simmer for about five minutes, and then add your chopped garlic and chilli. Simmer gently for anywhere from ten minutes to an hour (I’m sure you know what you like).
2. Prepare and wash your squid. Keep the tentacles, and cut the tubes (bodies) into strips. You should get about five per Squid.
3. Once you are happy with the Sauce, and your breads are warmed nicely, throw in your chopped squid. They should need no more than seven or eight minutes – once cooked, they will be white and curled round.
4. Serve with your breads for scooping!

As you can see, this is about as simple as you can get. I washed this down with the last of the summers Rose wine, and added extra Tabasco once on the table for extra bite; or you could add as much fresh chilli as you need. The key to this is knowing what kind of basic tomato sauce you like, and perfecting it. I have left out onions, as I didn’t want too much going on here, but feel free to adapt this sauce any way you want. It’s not rocket science – it’s just good cooking.

Quick Apple Stuffing

Although 'The Shopping List' is an absolutely essential part of life, I often like to just visit the market and see what takes my fancy; then sort out a recipes when I get back to the kitchen.
I spotted a cute little rolled pork loin; just big enough for two of us - that went in the bag, so to speak. The apples at the moment are the best the've been all year, and as soon as I spied some crisp-looking Leeks, ideas were percolating...Here's a quick, fresh stuffing that makes a classic roast a little bit special.

Quick Apple Stuffing

1 Golden Delicious Apple, diced
1 Onion
1 medium sized Leek
1 baguette, blitzed to make breadcrumbs
Fresh Parsley & Rosemary, chopped
1 clove of Garlic, chopped
Salt, Pepper
1 beaten egg
Butter

1. Gently fry your finely chopped onion & leek in the knob of butter until translucent.
2. Meanwhile, blitz your bread to make the crumbs
3. When done, add your onions and leeks to a bowl with the breadcrumbs and seasonings.
4. Add your beaten egg and mix to create stuffing

...And thats it. The great thing about Stuffing is you can make whatever you want, and generally it will work.

We then roasted the pork, studded with salt and more Rosemary, and served it with the stuffing, gravy, and roast potatoes with buttered green beans. A perfect, fuss-free weekend roast. The sweetness of the apple stuffing was perfect with the slightly-pink Pork.

The Fox & Newt, Leeds

It was with great interest that I found myself returning to The Fox & Newt, the place I would hang out when I was a student at Park Lane College over the road. Of course, I knew nothing of beer back then. I didn’t know that in the eighties, The Fox & Newt brewed its own beer. But I did know that after years in the wilderness, it was brewing again.
The Fox (as I like to call it) is a traditional pub with traditional tastes. An unpretentious Yorkshire pub, if you will; no airs and graces. The beer reflects that style – I sampled two over the leisurely lunch I enjoyed there this week. First up, the Brewhouse Bitter – a dark, but not at all heavy bitter with a lovely biscuity finish, perfect to get things going. I then moved onto the Cunning Stunt, which at 4.0% abv, I would imagine to be their session ale – and how perfect for that it is. Light, refreshing, with a hoppier body than the bitter and a creamier head, I could really sink a few of these. Also on offer was Dark Side stout, which I didn’t sample but seemed popular. All brews are full mash, and I understand that plans are being laid to produce seasonal beers.

The new proprietors, Gerry and Patricia, have really got things right here; you can tell from the beer that care and passion goes into each barrel, and I sincerely hope things go well enough to ensure The Fox and Newt’s future. After all, we now have a pub brewing its own quality beers within walking distance from the city centre. And that is something to be excited about.

Bar food and snacks are available between 12-2pm, and the jukebox is good. I enjoyed a perfect, lazy day-off lunch - simple, some sports pages to pore over and some of nicest beer I have tasted in ages. You can’t really get higher praise than that. My drinking map of Leeds has got one new stop on it.

Short Newsflash...

This weekend sees The 7th Otley Beer Festival take place in The Civic Hall (16/17.11.07) - there's not much info on the web to be gleaned about who will be there but there is reportedly 56 real ales on offer plus a 'global' bottled beer bar...And staying on the subject of festivals, Ilkey hosts its first beer festival on 8/9.02.07 - two days of beery fun at The Winter Garden -loads of beers on offer and helping out charities at the same time. click on the link below for more info...The Millrace Organic Restaurant are offering 3 for 2 on tapas sunday to friday...Congratulations to The Balloon Tree Farm Shop in Gate-Helmsley for winning the DeliciouslyYorkshire Retailer Of The Year Award 2007...Well done!


www.ilkleybeerfestival.org.uk

Supply and Demand; Beeritz, Headingley

It’s important to have a supplier you know is doing the best to source the best beers they can get their hands on for you, close to you. But I know, even in Yorkshire, that brewing hotspot, that this does not always happen. Supermarkets take the share of the market; the current climate even means that most supermarkets have a fairly decent beer selection – at a push. But you'd rather go somewhere local, somewhere that puts hard work into maintaining your beer passion...

Mine is Beeritz, in upper Headingley. Open pretty much all the time, it doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside lies a beer-lover’s paradise. Beers from all over the world, consistently priced, means that your favourites are almost always in stock. It has everything a good beer shop should have – Tasting notes, friendly, knowledgeable staff, glassware, a wide range of styles. I cannot recommend this outlet enough.
They have another excellent store in Kanresborough, and a mail-order service, too. My last visit yielded the following list: (one of each) – Palm Beer, Sam Smiths Imperial Stout, Maisels Weisse, Tripel Karmeliet, Paulaner, Kwak, Goose Island Summertime, Brewdog Physic Amber Beer, Mort Subite. All for about £15. That’s a good week’s worth of drinking around the world.

http://www.beerritz.co.uk/

Wharfed Ale, 8-10 Bondgate, Otley, LS21 3AB

If you're travelling around Yorkshire, i can reccommend Wharfed Ale in Otley, also. Great store.

Pork Chop Melts!

Sometimes i find that simply throwing together a few ideas with what's left in your cupboards or freezer seems to yield better results than when I actually plan something - this little concoction is a prime example of that. I just wanted something to complement my beer (see below), and this is what I came up with - Pork Chop Melts with Pan-Potatoes; slightly Germanic in feel, and perfect now that the weather is turning colder.

Pork Chop Melts with Pan-Potatoes
(Serves Two)

2 Pork Chops – bigger the better
Béchamel Sauce
Tsp of Wholegrain Mustard
Grated Gruyere cheese
2 medium size potatoes
4 Rashers of smoked streaky bacon
1 Red onion
Olive Oil
(I’m going to assume you know how to make béchamel sauce - if not - in short - melt a knob of butter in a saucepan, add flour and stir until a paste is formed, then slowly add milk, constantly stirring until thick. This is a very quick way - for more in-depth recipes, look on the web.)

1 . Cook your pork chops to your satisfaction – Grill, Fry or Roast (I prefer roasting in this case.)Whilst they are cooking...
2. Prepare potatoes – peel and dice both, then wash in cold water. Drop into salted, boiling water and boil for about ten minutes or when cooked but firm. Drain. Whilst they are boiling, chop your bacon and cook in pan in a little olive oil. Add chopped red onion to this, and then add your potatoes. Cook through on a moderate heat until the potatoes are browned – add more oil if needed, although not too much. Keep Warm.
3. When your chops are nearly done, make a basic béchamel sauce, but add your wholegrain mustard. Add as much as you like, really – depends how you hot you like it. Make the sauce as thick as you can, and when ready, smear over the tops of the chops. Add the gruyere cheese on top, and then either return to the oven to brown or place under a hot grill.

4. Once bubbling, you're done!

My choice of Goose Island Summertime was perfect for this - despite being light enough to refesh, this Kolsch-style brew really cut through and didn't overpower the smoky bacon and creamy, cheesy bechamel.

http://www.gooseisland.com/

Little Valley Brewery

A recent trip to the lovely little village of Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire resulted in a first for The Good Stuff – a taste of what Little Valley Brewery have to offer.
Hebden Bridge has always had a lot to offer, Beer-wise. The White Lion, my personal choice of drinking hole whilst visiting, was actually home to my first taste of beer – many moons ago. The beer was Flowers IPA, and it gave an impressionable young teenager a glimpse into a world outside flat, tasteless lagers – so it’s fitting that I should find a new taste whilst here.

My pint of Little Valley Withens IPA went down very well. An easygoing, light style, with a refreshing hoppy finish, it accompanied my Sausage Sandwich very well indeed. This would make an excellent session beer, and another pint was ordered duly. I’ve not tried the bottle conditioned version, but the Withens IPA is a beer I can happily recommend. Little Valley are based just near Hebden Bridge, and their website lists all their brews.

In fact, there's a lot to recommend in Hebden Bridge; a specialist wine and cheese shop, a number of bars and restaurants and of course, a few good old pubs. Also, of foodie interest is Jules Pottery, whose wares i cannot resist buying whilst there. Handmade ceramics for every type of dish, and at amazing prices.

http://www.littlevalleybrewery.co.uk/

http://www.whitelionhotel.net/

http://www.juleschina.co.uk/jules.cgi

The Clocks Go Back, The Beers Come Out...

I feel distinctly different in the last few days. The days are shortening, the heating has been turned on, the kitchen has stopped producing griddled and barbecued things and now hosts pots of bubbling stews and casseroles. I'm drinking more beer.

The Good Stuff has always been beer-heavy, but i'm going to concentrate more on this in the next few months. There's so much good stuff out there, and now is the perfect time to take a trip to your local beer-nerd-stockist (see the next post for a profile of mine).

I recently got my hands on two excellent examples of the evergreen work of Samuel Smiths, a brewery close to my heart, in Tadcaster.

Thier 'Taddy Porter' is a big, big beer. Huge malted flavours, with those tradmark hints of coffee and roasted malts. Make no mistake, you know you've had a glass of Taddy. Unremittingly dry, this is one of my favourite examples of Porter available today (the other being Flag Porter - which i can't seem to find - can anyone help?).

A few nights later, a long, boring day at work was rounded off by a glass of Smith's Winter Welcome Ale. At 6% abv, the ale is no slouch but is remarkably drinkable - malty, as you you would expect, but quite lively also. It's brewed in Yorkshire Squares and you can tell - that trademark taste runs thorough it. Hoppy on the aftertaste, i really enjoyed this and will be having it again.

In Leeds, The Angel, just off Briggate, stocks these and pretty much all of Smith's brews all of the time.Oh, and i know it's nerdy - but when was the last time you say such amazing design on a beer label?

Wanna be on Telly?

Always one to bring attention to worthy causes - Eating Britain has an invite from Thames TV to take part on a new cookery show called 'Cooking the Books'. Good People Eats had also been invited, but won't be taking part - but if this is your cup of tea, or you harbour dreams of becoming a celebrity, drop by and register your interest...

Eating Britain has also higlighted Chicken Out , a campaign fronted by our friendly friend Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. A sad fact of today's eating environment is that upwards of 90% of the chicken we eat today is intensively reared. This is shocking, and although sometimes it's hard to find an alternative, if we can raise awareness of this then maybe we can turn the tide. Drop by the official site and sign your name.

Eating Britain is a great blog, and i urge you all to drop by.

http://www.eatingbritain.com/

Michael Jackson - more genius...

Beers of The World magazine are carrying a touching tribute to Michael Jackson this month, with loads of great quotes from the man. If you're not familiar with the man or the mag, i suggest you remedy that asap!

...While we are on the glorious subject of beer, time for a rant. After reading this, and doing some research, it occured to me that there are still hardly any books on beer (guides, brewing guides etc) stocked by bookshops - at least in Leeds. The sections on books about Wines are usually massive - even books on whisky get more shelf-space. Surely there is room for more? Amazon stocks at least 1000 books on Beer - why are they so hard to find in shops, then? Has anyone else out there found this frustrating, or do are my expectations too high?

http://www.beers-of-the-world.com/

Spotlight on...Raydale Preserves

Raydale Preserves are a company that i always keep an eye out for when visiting Farmer's Markets across Yorkshire. Our love affair with them started simply; one day we were lamenting the lack of blueberry jam in the market place; the next weekend, at a market in Skipton, we found that Raydale had put that right. We bought 2 jars, and declared it the best we had tasted.

Raydale are based in Askrigg, near Leyburn - a hub for home-made produce. Thier preserve list is extensive, and new flavours pop up all the time. Although the art is traditional, the flavours show forward-thinking; my last trio of buys included Plum and Strawberry & Amaretto.

The Kettlewells, who run Raydale, epitomise what i like about Yorkshire food in particular - keeping a tradition alive, and appealing to those long-forgotten tastes.Their tasting room is open pretty much daily but please check the times if you visit because these can be affected by the seasons. You can see how the preserves are made and kick back afterwards and sample some home-made cakes.

Give Raydale a try - you won't be disappointed. They can be found at pretty much every farmer's market across our region.

Raydale Preserves

Schoolhouse Farm, Stalling Busk

Askrigg, Leyburn

North Yorkshire

DL8 3DH

01969 650233

A BBQ Odyssey - Harrogate to Tennessee

A story in the Yorkshire Evening Post really warmed my heart this week. Andy Annat, a butcher from Harrogate, is flying to the States at the end of the month to take part in the World Barbecue Championships.
BBQ is huge in the states - and is entirely different from the summer-only affairs we have in the UK. Where we will stoke up those coals, throw on some choice burgers, bangers and meat cuts, then proceed to spend a balmy aftenoon stuffing ourselves and downing chilled wine and beers, the Americans elevate it to a way of life. Slow, slow cooking over heat is the order of the day; complex marinades and rubs come into play. Meat is cooked for days in 'pits' - much more than a normal BBQ.
What i love about this is what links it to every business or individual we feature on Good People Eats. Love for food, bordering on obsession - no matter where in the world you are.
Anyway, if you want to know more, check out the story here. For more on home-grown BBq obsession, there have been some great recipes and articles by my Candian buddies An Endless Banquet - see the link.
Good Luck, Andy!

'Our' Meatballs

Ah, Meatballs...So simple, So delicious. Working full time has really made me appreciate 'making stuff for the freezer' - taking a little time out of your weekend to make something that can freeze well, so you make sure your midweek meals aren't reduced to ready meals or take outs (not that we would!)

One treat that we have been eating a lot of recently is the humble meatball. Every one has thier own recipe - here's ours.

'Our Meatballs' (makes about 25)

Ingredients:
1lb of minced Beef

1lb of minced Pork

3 slices of wholemeal bread, blitzed or finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped (as fine as possible)

2 cloves of Garlic

1 chilli pepper (or as many as you like!)

chopped parsley

chopped oregano

black pepper

The recipe is simply this; prepare all your ingredients and mix together with your hands (gotta use your hands!) and then form into balls. I also sometimes use a little olive oil for moisture; but you'll find that the onion creates enough anyway.

The great thing about meatballs is that you can use pretty much anything you want; one person i know adds finely chopped carrot; you could use turkey or chicken for a lighter, more savoury meatball for soups or broths. One fave of mine is to use lamb and mint for a greek-style 'metze' ball. the possibilties are endless - but this is my fave, the old standby. Bake, dump four or so onto a split baguette, top with some (pre-prepared) chunky tomato sauce, add tons of strong cheddar on top and grill until the cheese bubbles for an amazing midweek meal. Messy, though...

North Bar's Oktoberfest

It's a strange, heady smell that greets my nostrils as i walk into North on this autumnal wednesday. Bratwurst. Yep, thick, sizzling sausages sitting alongside tall glasses of every shade of ale you could imagine. This is North Bar's Oktoberfest.
Trust those forward-thinking chaps at North to bring this great little slice of Bavaria to he heart of Leeds; a positive godsend for those of us who can't afford to go to the real thing. In he name of research, i get stuck in.
Its strange reviewing a bar that i spend so much time in - and i was thinking about not doing it at all. But despite my obvious love for North, the only city bar I consider 'my local', i don't want to ignore the seasonal festivals that they take great effort to put on -and Oktoberfest is a success, purely for that reason. These guys want it to happen; so it does. They do it because they know thier customers want it.
That's enough of the gushing - onto the beers. First up I sample an Oktober brew by one of my favourite brewers, Paulaner. Its long, smooth and unbeleivably refreshing. Pale, but not too sharp. Of all the normal 'Oktoberfest' style brews, this is easily the easiest to drink. A little too easy, actually! Another hit for Paulaner. (Watch out for the Paulaner - heavy beer tent at the German Market around Christmas time!)
Next up, another old fave - Erdinger. Again, tempted by the promise of a seasonal brew from the Munich-based brewery. Again, a gorgeous amber wheat beer, very smooth, but with a much more pronounced kick (5.7) abv. Very drinkable, very good with the aforementioned Bratwurst.

The beer list is extensive - i can't imagine many places serving Hofbrau or Spaten tonight. The staff pour and pour, smile and serve in a true German fashion. The place fills, and the lights fade. Another night begins at North, and the conversation, lilting in and out of the music, is invariably about Beer.

Oktoberfest @ North runs until the 7th October. For further info, see the North link.