Tomato, lentil and caraway soup

Born from the Kasbahs of Turkey. Smokey, mysterious and beautiful with the ability to take your breath away.
Recipe
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove chopped
1 green pepper diced
1 onion diced
1 dried red chilli
1 tsp caraway seeds
500g passata
tin of plum tomatoes
salt and pepper
500cl vegetable stock
 
Directions
Heat the oil and add the chopped garlic, the caraway seeds and crumble [...]

season and spice

Trialing the season and spice monthly box selection. This month got elderflower heads, long pepper to make strawberries with elderflower and pepper cream. Saffron, rouille mix, soup mix to make a bouillabaisse and some cajun powder for bbq’s.
Strawberry with elderflower and long pepper was amazing will make again and turn into ice cream I think.  [...]

Smoked salt

Latest supermarket strange reduction maldon smoked salt – normally £1.99 for a little box reduced to 49p – have a look in sainsbury’s maybe they are discontinuing or changing the packaging. Well I had to get some.
So far have added it to my spicy north African prawn dish, some cajun pork and a courgette soup. [...]

A long relationship with a bar

It all started with a skinny little bar called North Bar. Leeds had no decent bars back in the day ( pubs yes, but not bars) North was one of the first to open (alongside arts, oporto and Normans). It sold interesting beer but also a great gin and tonic – this was the dark days when [...]

Saving money at the supermarket

I love this, it makes me giggle. It all links back to being thrifty, which doesn’t mean having to compromise.
Below is a table lifted from Martins money saving expert  (I am a pirate) showing when supermarkets reduce food (In the UK). I would also add that I have noticed in the past that certain days [...]

happen upon round up

So this week Happen upon has happened upon

frozen roasted peppers – should be good for soups (waitrose)
frozen grilled aubergine slices – (asda)
Lauden chocolates at the farmers market – yum yum
Loose birds free range chicken – harome North Yorkshire
Midnight Bell – new pub and brewery
Sloe Whisky – by sloe motion mmm delicious

more tasty treats next week

Chocolate and spice and all things nice.

 
Just spotted Bloomsbury and Co chocolate. Quirky wrappers some with pharmaceutical type labels – girth control, Bochox, dechox, oral pleasure. Checked out the website and they are definitely a fun bunch – based in New Zealand.
Americans all rave about this chocolate but hey they like Hershey bars – yuch yuch. Actually I take that back as [...]

Strawberry yoghurt Ice cream

It is Strawberry season in England, Wimbledon has just finished and all the farmers markets are packed with punnets of local strwaberries. My father in law popped round last night with a large punnet of home grown strawberries ( and a few sticks of rhubarb). When faced with this glut I usually make Strawberry Jam [...]

Soup Journey

How did this happen?
One day I was busy running a digital and design team, the next thing I know I am writing about soup.
 
It started with me giving my job up. I was searching for inspiration and creativity. I felt I needed to start a new journey, and I needed nourishment. After the initial buzz [...]

Name dropper

So I am very proud of my Aunt and Uncle – they opened my eyes to seasonal cooking – not surprising as he was co chef at Chez Panisse and she was restaurant manager and I have all the Chez Pannise cookbooks. Well it caused a stir when they left. They now run a restauraunt called Eccolo. [...]

Hello world!

This is where you will find recipes, menu suggestions, restaurant reviews, and top new finds.
also if you eat soup it will have the soup of the day.