Tag: kitchen

First Turkish Restaurant Opens In Alnwick

By on 28th January 2016in Lifestyle

A former Alnwick Indian restaurant is getting a new lease of life, after being transformed into the town’s first Turkish eatery…

 

Mezze opened its doors on January 20th, at the former site of Veranda, Clayport Street, and offers diners a selection of classic BBQ grills and other popular Turkish dishes.

“Mezze offers something completely different to the other restaurants in Alnwick,” said Dilman Abdullah, who is the restaurant owner and has previously run The Med, Westgate Road, Newcastle.

“A lot of work has gone into revamping the venue and putting together a great menu, so we’re really excited to see it all coming together.

“We hope people will come a long and help us to celebrate the opening.”

Guests at the restaurant will be able to choose from a wide range of cold starters, such as peppers, potatoes and aubergine fried in olive oil and served with tomato and garlic sauce, crushed bulgar wheat with chopped onions, celery, peppers, tomato and walnuts dressed in olive oil and vine leaves stuffed with rice, pine kernals, onions, sultanas and a blend of herbs.

There will also be a number of hot starters served at the restaurants, including deep fried filo pastry filled with feta cheese, and fill and diced lamb’s liver lightly coated in flour and paprika, fried and served with onions.

The menu also offers diners a whole host of main courses, including traditional Turkish BBQ dishes such as Shish Kebab, lamb cutlets marinated with herbs and chargrilled, mixed grill and chargrilled chicken wings.

All of the menu’s BBQ dishes are served with rice, salad and chilli.

There is also a selection of other main courses including moussaka, Kleftiko – a slow cooked lamb shank served with rice – chargrilled chicken breast filled with cheddar, onion and peppers served in a creamy sauce, and tender lamb shoulder served with special sauce and rice.

Prices start from £2.95 for a starter and from £7.95 for a main course.

Lakes Single Malt Whisky One Year On And Maturing Well

By on 17th December 2015in Local Biz

England’s largest whisky distillery raises a glass, as the country’s newest single malt whisky reaches a major milestone in its maturation…

The Lakes Distillery started production of its Lakes Single Malt in December 2014, the same month it officially opened its doors to visitors.

The spirit, which will officially become whisky after three years maturing in oak casks, will be ready for drinking from spring 2018. Early feedback from the distillery’s team, which includes some of the UK’s foremost whisky experts, is that the Lakes Single Malt is on track to be one of the finest.

“After only one year maturing, already it is smooth and sweet and very drinkable” says Distillery Manager John Drake. “It is quite outstanding.”

In just 12 months, The Lakes Distillery has also become one of Cumbria’s leading tourist attractions, welcoming more than 70,000 visitors through its doors. Meanwhile, the acclaimed Bistro at The Lakes Distillery has built up a tremendous reputation, being popular with tourists and locals, thanks to head chef Andrew Beaton with renowned chef Terry Laybourne overseeing the bistro.

The Lakes Distillery has also been named as a ‘Top 50 Cumbrian Icon’ in only its first year.

Founder and Managing Director of The Lakes Distillery, Paul Currie, who founded and ran the award-winning Isle of Arran Distillers in Scotland before opening England’s largest distillery, said: “This has been a phenomenal year for the business. The reaction from the drinks industry, the public and the local businesses in the North West has been fantastic.

“We feel honoured to have been awarded a string of accolades from different industry bodies in our first year. Our spirits have picked up awards at the IWSC and International Spirits Challenge (ISC), while the Bistro at The Distillery has been listed in the Michelin Good Food Guide 2016 and picked up Open Table Diner’s Choice Awards several months in a row.”

In 2016 Paul will not be resting on his laurels, and already has big plans for the distillery’s second year of business – including a series of talks and events at the venue.

He continued: “We’ve run a couple of events this year, including one with former Olympian Jonathan Edwards, an ambassador of our whisky, a gin themed evening with Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott, and a night of fine dining with Michelin-starred chef Nigel Haworth. All the events have been very successful, and we’re planning an exciting schedule for next year.

“We are situated in one of the most stunning places in the world, which we think gives us a real edge, and that, combined with the unique spirits we are producing, makes us a strong contender in this industry. Our aim is to ensure The Lakes Malt is recognised as one of the finest malt whiskies in the world, making us a challenger to Scotland.”

Already the creators of artisan spirits The Lakes Gin and The Lakes Vodka, The Lakes Distillery offers a blended British Isles whisky called The ONE, which is currently available in a limited edition sherry cask finished bottle, marking the distillery’s first birthday.

For more information on The Lakes Distillery, visit www.lakesdistillery.com or for further details on The Bistro at The Lakes Distillery, visit www.bistroatthedistillery.com.

Xmas Recipe: Gingerbread Christmas Trees

By on 12th December 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle

Nothing says ‘Christmas’ like gingerbread…

 

Ingredients:

  • 120g Greenvale Unsalted Butter
  • 150g The Pantry Demerara Sugar
  • 150g Grandessa Honey
  • 350g The Pantry Plain Flour
  • 1 tsp The Pantry Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 3 tsp Stonemill Ground Ginger
  • 1 tsp Stonemill Ground Cinnamon

To Decorate:

  • 100g Icing Sugar, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • Silver Ball Decorations

Method:

To begin with, slowly melt the butter, sugar and honey in a pan, then sieve together all of the remaining ingredients. When the sugar, butter and honey have completely melted, they can be added to the dry ingredients and mixed until well combined.

When the dough is cool enough to handle, knead and form a ball, and then leave it in the fridge (wrapped in cling film) for half an hour to become more manageable.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas mark 6.

When the dough has cooled, roll it out between two pieces of greaseproof paper to about half a centimetre thick, and – using 3 different sized star cutters – cut out 4 large stars, 4 medium stars and 8 small stars.

Place the stars on a baking tray and press the dough back together. Roll it out again and cut out the same amount of stars.

Bake them for 4-8 minutes (you may have to remove the smaller stars earlier as the larger ones will take longer to cook).

While the biscuits cool, make the icing by mixing the icing sugar and water.

To complete the gingerbread Christmas trees, place a small amount of icing on a big star, and then stack the stars on top of each other in size order, using the icing to bind them together.

Decorate with a dusting of icing sugar and the silver balls.

Makes:

  • 4 large or 8 small trees

Ready:

  • 20 minutes

Prep Time:

  • 10 minutes

Cook Time:

  • 8 minutes

Have you followed this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

Stadium Of Light Hosts Winter Wonderland Gourmet Night

By on 5th November 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Local Biz, What's New?, What's On?

Food lovers are invited to dine in a winter wonderland in Sunderland this month…

On Friday 20th November, the Stadium of Light will be hosting its annual Winter Wonderland Gourmet Night, celebrating the season’s finest ingredients, as well as wines from around the world.

Included in the five course feast, specially designed by the chefs at 1879 Events Management, is a starter of air cured fillet of beef with rocket, celeriac remoulade and blue cheese, as well as a decadent dessert of dark chocolate marquis with macerated cherries and coconut ice cream.

In between, guests will enjoy an intermediate course of green onion risotto with spiced monkfish, a main course of roasted loin of venison with wild mushrooms, game croquette and fondant potato and a selection of regional, British cheeses with walnut bread.

Each dish will be served with a different wine, specifically chosen to complement its unique flavours and fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.

Vegetarian options are also available for several courses, including marinated goats cheese and beetroot salad, green onion risotto with pine nuts and butternut squash and wild mushroom pithivier.

Steve Welch, Executive Head Chef at 1879 Events Management, which also manages private and corporate events at National Glass Centre and The Beach House, said:  “There’s a real tendency at this time of year for people to start eating more comfort food. 

“We wanted to show that, even as the temperature drops, there’s still a wide range of fresh produce available to help create warming dishes that won’t weigh you down.

“Pair these with a selection of wines from around the world and it should be a fantastic night.”

Tickets for the Winter Wonderland Gourmet Evening at the Stadium of Light are priced at £54.50 per person.  For more information, or to book, visit www.thestadiumoflight.com, call 0871 911 1555 or email conf&banq@safc.com.

Sunderland Bistro Unveil Halloween-Themed Menu

By on 26th October 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Local Biz, What's New?, What's On?

Witches brew, blood red chips and gruesome graveyard pizza are being added to the menu at a North East eatery next week…

The Beach House bistro, Roker, run by 1879 Events Management, is marking Halloween with six days of spine-tingling activities starting Monday October 26th.

This includes a chance for visitors of all ages to decorate themed biscuits from noon until 2pm Monday to Saturday, with a face painter and fancy dress competition also running on Saturday October 31st only.

Throughout the week the bistro will be serving a creepy and creative Halloween-inspired menu, with different dishes for adults and kids to sink their fangs into.

For grown-ups this includes witches brew (bean and bacon soup), spooky mince pie and poison pepper (stuffed pepper with chilli, rice and potato chips), while younger trick or treaters can enjoy a mummy (hot) dog, monster cheeseburger or gruesome graveyard pizza, all served with blood red chips.

David Moses, General Manager at 1879 Events Management, which also manages catering and events at the Stadium of Light and National Glass Centre, said, “Halloween is a holiday for children of all ages, as well as those that are young of heart.

“Our regular menu will still be available for those too scared to sample the special themed one, while our free activities will help families make more of the build-up.”

For more information about Halloween at the Beach House, visit www.facebook.com/thebeachhousesunderland or www.1879events.com or call 0191 5659473 to book.

Sweet Tooth Delivery Enjoys The Sweet Taste Of Success

By on 21st October 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Local Biz, What's New?

A young North East entrepreneur is enjoying the sweet taste of success, after being nominated for a string of high profile awards…

Kayley Smith, who runs Sweet Tooth Delivery based at Belmont, near Durham, has already won a handful of titles, including the Medium Size Business title in the Sunderland Portfolio Business Awards and the Young Business Person of the Year in the Sage Northern Star awards.

And now she is also in the running for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, which will be decided on November 25th at a prestigious awards ceremony on the London South Bank.

Kayley set up the company after seeing a gap in the market to provide a dessert delivery service, which has led to her also opening two dessert only outlets at Cheveley Park Shopping Centre in Belmont and Prince Bishops Shopping Centre in Durham City.

She was also recently nominated in the Forward Ladies business awards, held in the region for the first time last month.

“As a relatively young business it’s fantastic for us to be recognised in this way, and even if we don’t win the awards, it’s great recognition for the company to be acknowledged,” she said.

The company, which Kayley runs with her partner John-Paul Stonehouse, employs 25 people and is currently recruiting as part of the business’ expansion programme.

Sweet Tooth is going from strength to strength, on course to open a third outlet by Christmas, with long term terms plans to franchise and roll out the concept nationally.

“We’ve grown at an incredible pace because there seems to be a huge demand for the products we’re offering, our whole range is produced in our bakery – you cannot buy our desserts anywhere else,” said Kayley.

Further details about the company are available at www.sweettoothdelivery.co.uk.

Marie Curie: Dinner Down Memory Lane

By on 20th October 2015in Events, Food & Drink, Local Biz, What's New?, What's On?

Marie Curie is calling on food fans in The North East to hold retro-inspired dinner parties in aid of the charity this November…

Retro food is enjoying a revival, and Marie Curie’s new fundraising campaign, ‘Dinner Down Memory Lane’, is all about holding a dinner party and recreating your favourite nostalgic food.

Recreate time-honoured classics or put a contemporary twist on some old classics, like duck a’l orange or prawn cocktail. The money raised from every dinner party will help Marie Curie provide more free care to people living with a terminal illness and their families.

Hayley Revell, Community Fundraiser for Marie Curie said, “We’re really looking forward to seeing what the local community cooks up, whether it be a classic recipe from the past or putting a new twist on an old favourite.

“Holding a ‘Dinner Down Memory Lane’ is a great alternative to a normal dinner party, and by inviting friends to make a donation in return for a dinner with a difference, you’ll be helping Marie Curie Nurses to provide care and support to people living with a terminal illness and their families.”

For more information and to sign up for a free fundraising pack visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/dinner or call 0800 716 146.

5 Essential Tips For Healthy Eating

By on 12th October 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, What's New?

When it comes to health and beauty, the old cliché is true: you are what you eat.

Developing a lifestyle and diet that encourages fitness is crucial to long term health and wellness, but breaking old habits can be challenging. To make a lasting change to your lifestyle, try following these five simple tips.

 

1. Eat More Vegetables

Let’s start off with a really obvious one, but for a less obvious reason.

Vegetables are always recommended because they’re healthy, but they’re also really great at keeping you full. If you’re feeling satiated, you won’t be reaching for snacks. You might want to add a few oils and sauces for flavour, but remember that the best diet is one filled with steamed and fresh veg… without artificial flavouring.

2. Don’t Overdo It On The Fruit

Nobody’s going to argue that fruit is another great addition to a healthy diet, but it’s easy to have too much. Fruit provide a good amount of natural sugar and fibre, but too much can push your carbohydrate intake through the roof.

Instead, stick to your five a day, and pair it with a few almonds, unsalted nuts, or viable source of lean protein.

3. Throw Protein Into The Mix

If your diet is leaving you feeling hungry, and you’re becoming prone to trips to the fridge, there’s a good chance that your diet is protein deficient.

Protein promotes increased satiety, and a serving of lean protein on the side of your meal can have you feeling full for much longer.

4. Avoid Protein Bars

This might seem to contradict the previous point, but beware of the protein bar that promises increased nutrition. A quick look at the ingredients will show you that most protein bars are packed full of preservatives, saturated fats, and simple carbohydrates (rather than the complex carbohydrates your body really needs).

A few bars here and there won’t hurt, but don’t make them a cornerstone of your diet.

5. Drink More Water

This final tip is another obvious one, yet goes completely ignored by so many people. Water is an essential fuel for the body, and is an essential part of any diet.

A glass of water before each meal can aid the digestive process and keep you from overeating. And besides, it helps to keep the skin young and hydrated, and who doesn’t want that?

Recipe: Moroccan Spiced Chicken With Yoghurt, Chickpeas And Roasted Carrots

By on 6th October 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, What's New?

Master Chef winner (and In & Around contributor) shares his recipe for a great family dish…

This is a fantastic family dish that makes a nice change from traditional roast chicken. I recommend placing the halved, juiced lemon in the chicken cavity before cooking.
After cooking, while your chicken is resting, pop the pitta bread in the oven to warm. Enjoy!

 

– 1 whole large chicken (1.6kg approx)
– 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
– 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
– 2 teaspoons ground cumin
– 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder or finely chopped red chilli
– 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
– fresh coriander, chopped
– 1 tin of chickpeas (about 400g), drained
– salt and ground black pepper
– juice of 1 lemon
– 1 500ml tub of natural yoghurt
– 1 tablespoon of clear honey
– a bunch of baby carrots, scrubbed, tops left on
– 1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
– olive oil
– 6 wholemeal pitta bread

With a pestle and mortar, grind (or blend in a food processor) the cumin seeds and coriander seeds with the chilli powder, garlic, fresh coriander, and a handful of chickpeas until you have a paste. Season this with salt and black pepper. Add the lemon juice and yoghurt.

Use half of this flavoured yoghurt to coat and cover the chicken all over. Add the honey to the other half of the flavoured yoghurt and put it in the fridge. Cover the chicken and leave to marinate overnight if possible (but for at least an hour).

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Place the carrots in a roasting tray with the remaining chickpeas, then sprinkle with the ground cumin, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss together to coat.

Place the marinated chicken in a roasting tray and put in the oven with the tray of vegetables on the shelf below. Cook for an hour and 20 minutes, tossing the carrots halfway through (chicken needs to cook for 20 minutes per 450g/1lb). Remove the chicken from the roasting tin and set aside to rest.

Serve with the carrots, warm pitta bread and flavoured yoghurt on the side.

Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Recipe: Scallops With Prosciutto And Granny Smith Apple

By on 20th September 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, What's New?

One of Gareth Kyle’s earliest memories is being caught by his mother in the kitchen at 8 years old, with a pan on the stove cooking… lemonade soup!

“I had a frying pan on the go, and in it was chopped cucumber, tomato and lemonade! I was inspired by Keith Floyd to make that concoction, and I’m glad to say my skills are a bit sharper now!

I’m a self-taught cook, and I’ve taken part in a number of cooking competitions. I was a winner of the 2012 EAT! NewcastleGateshead Trial Shift Competition, and the 2011 Masterchef Live competition at the BBC Good Food show. I then went on to win a Masterchef ‘Champion of Champions’ event at the London Studios. In 2010 I was a final regional contender on ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish.”

 

– 3-5 scallops per person
– 8 slices of prosciutto
– 3 granny smith apples
– 1 lemon
– 50ml water
– 30g sugar
– 150g plain flour
– 2 eggs
– 250g panko breadcrumbs
– vegetable oil for frying
– knob of butter

To finish…

– olive oil
– garlic, cress, or chives

To make the apple purée, peel, core and chop one of the apples, and put into a saucepan with the water, sugar and juice of half a lemon. Simmer until soft, and purée using a hand blender.

Core and chop the rest of the apples into matchsticks, and dress with the rest of the lemon juice to stop them from going brown. Set aside.

Prepare the scallops by removing the orange coral. Cut the coral into smaller pieces and pané them (coat in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs) before frying in Vegetable oil until golden.

In a frying pan with a little oil, fry the scallops for two minutes each side. Add a knob of butter to the pan for the last minute, and baste the scallops in butter before leaving to rest in the pan (off the heat), while plating the rest of the dish.

Place the prosciutto on the plate with apple sticks, and puree round the outside. Add Scallops, the crumbed roe, and garnish with garlic cress and a drizzle of oil.

Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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