Fish Food

One of my favourite foods is fish; whether it is cooked plain and simple with a wedge of lemon, sautéed in garlic, cooked in a stew or traditionally battered, as long as it is fresh, fish never fails to make a wonderful meal. This is why I was rather shocked to see that in Manchester people had stopped eating fish and began to let the fish eat them.

Yes that’s right, forget about salon pedicures involving hands-on treatment, massage creams and polish and head to a fish spa. This Turkish beauty treatment has hit the UK by storm, giving everyone the chance to rejuvenate their feet and relax their minds by letting hundreds of tiny black ‘Garra Rufa fish’ (translates to Doctor Fish) nibble on your feet’s dead skin cells.

I know it sounds disgusting but I did decide to see what the fuss was all about and give it a try and I have to admit it was worth it. I can’t really say my feet look much better, but if you fancy a giggle then it’s a must. Although it is definitely not for the ticklish!

At first, I did have very negative views; to me thousands of people putting their feet into a tank of fish seemed cruel and unhygienic, however the tanks were constantly cleaned and the fish didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. I visited Manchester’s Trafford Centre fish spa, but they are popping up all over the country so head out and give it a go. This peculiar treatment is on offer to any gender, any age and I certainly recommend it, even if it is just to make you smile.

I have also heard that the opportunity to have your hands nibbled on too will soon be on offer, but I do think this is going a little o.t.t!

The Fish

Review: The Plough at Lupton, Cumbria

I have just returned from a newly refurbished restaurant called ‘The Plough’ in the small village of Lupton in Cumbria. Lately I have heard mixed reviews regarding The Plough, which mainly criticized the tapas style meals on offer and the price, therefore I was a little apprehensive.

My initial impression was that the menu was a quite boring and definitely not suited to the local area’s Cumbrian and Lancashire ‘folk’ who would normally eat more traditional and hearty food at a reasonable price. Uniquely, the menu consisted of ‘small plates’ rather than ‘starters’. From the small plate selection my family chose duck, queenie scallops and pork belly which matched any Michelin star restaurant I have visited, even the bread was scrumptious- home-made with a slight hint of fennel.

The main course dishes suited me perfectly as the meals sounded simple, with a good choice of fish on offer, but for anyone who fancies sausage and mash, steak and ale pie or a lamb Henry you will be disappointed. I decided on sea bream, whilst my family chose fillet steak, pork escalope and bacon chops (gammon), all of which were very tasty and perfectly cooked. All main courses are very basic with no accompaniments, so you will need to order at least one side dish. The choice of side dishes and sauces was extensive; I recommend the chips and the Caesar salad!

For dessert I opted for the passion fruit soufflé and although it did not match the soufflé I had at The Square in Mayfair a few weeks ago, it was still delicious. My Brother picked crème caramel which had an impressive and unique twist to the original recipe. The rest of my family were a bit too full for a dessert, so instead opted for a small selection of cheese and biscuits and coffee served with home-made chocolate truffles.

Overall, the Plough’s modern, relaxing and comfortable atmosphere, attentive and professional staff and delicious food formed a wonderful evening for me and my family. If you are looking for traditional pub grub or a bit of a bargain The Plough is not for you. Main courses alone range from £10-£20 and that is without ordering side dishes. I understand why they have recieved some negative reviews and if it was my restaurant I would replace the ‘small plates’ with regular starters, add a few classic dishes such as pie and fish and chips and include at least one side dish with the meal. However, as the evening was so enjoyable these minor issues seemed very insignificant.

My Soufflé at The Plough

http://www.theploughatlupton.co.uk/

You can’t beat a good lasagna!

On a cold and soggy day like today you can’t beat comfort food, so with little in the cupboards other than basic spaghetti Bolognese ingredients, I decided tonight’s tea had to be pasta. I can make a pretty good spaghetti Bolognese but I fancied trying something new, so scowled the internet for a good lasagne recipe that was quick and easy to cook.

I found this recipe on the Good Food website http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/513698 , however due to starting my cooking too late and the recipe suggesting I cook the meat sauce for over three hours, I used the recipe as a basic guideline and adapted it to make it quick to prepare.

The end result was a moderately easy to make lasagne, that was delicious and satisfying. There is even enough left for tomorrow- lasagne is always better the day after you’ve made it!

To make a lasagne for 6 people (generous portions):

1. Warm 3tbsp of oil and 25g of butter in a large casserole dish over medium heat. Add one finely chopped onion and gently fry for 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the 3 sticks of celery, 2 carrots and 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic, and cook for another couple of minutes.
2. Stir in 1kg of minced beef with a large pinch of salt and several grindings of black pepper. cook, stirring, until the beef has lost its raw pink look.
3. Add 2 bay leaves and 225ml of milk, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes, until the meat has absorbed the milk. Season with a pinch of nutmeg.
4. Add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes with their juice and stir thoroughly.
5. Cook, uncovered, at a gentle simmer for 1 hour.
6. About 45 minutes before the meat is ready, make the béchamel sauce. Pour the 600ml of milk into a saucepan with one bay leaf, half a finely chopped onion and a generous pinch of nutmeg. Bring to just below boiling point, and then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15-20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Grease a shallow baking dish.
8. Melt 60g of butter in a saucepan, stir in 60g of plain flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Strain the milk, and then gradually stir it into the flour mixture to make a thick smooth sauce. Stir at a brisk pace to remove the lumps. Season to taste.
9. Pour enough béchamel sauce to cover the baking dish’s base. Then place a layer of lasagne sheets on top, followed by a layer of meat sauce, another layer of béchamel and a good handful of cheddar cheese. Continue with two or three more layers until both sauces are used up. Add a final sprinkling of Parmesan on top of the lasagne.  I only used three layers of lasagna but you can use more depending on how much pasta you like to eat.
10. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes (if you like it crunchy on top) or until bubbling all over and a knife slips easily through the layers of lasagne.
11. Serve with a small green salad and a wedge of home-made garlic bread.

My lasagna before the oven

Little pots of chocolate heaven

My mum has just been trying out an individual chocolate pudding recipe to produce and photograph for her new website and luckily I got to be the final taster. As usual I was impressed; With their soft texture, gooey centre, suitable size and beautiful presentation, the puddings have turned out to be little pots of heaven. If you would like the recipe visit www.onecallhospitality.com and go to the resources page.

Onecall’s website is aimed at people within the hospitality industry who require a little guidance, however if you are not within the industry it is a great site for downloading free recipes to try at home. I highly recommend the fishcakes recipe which unusually replaces mash potato for potato powder, such as Smash, a food I normally hate, but in this case it really is the key ingredient to these fabulous fishcakes.

The website was only launched a few days ago so keep an eye on the site as more and more resources will be added every day.

Mum's individual Chocolate Pots

Mum's individual Chocolate Pots