• 400g Cherries
• 200g Caster Sugar
• 150ml Water
• 750ml Vodka.

In the absence of caster sugar, I substituted Golden Granulated Sugar and couldn’t resist adding extra cherries.  The recipe said to slit the cherries, but not cut in half.  It didn’t say anything about removing the stone.  I opted to use a £3 cherry pitting gadget from a local shop, which as well as removing the stones, leaves a couple of small slits behind in the fruit.  Dissolve the sugar in the water in a hot pan, add the de-stoned cherries.  When the sugar dissolves and juice starts to run, transfer the whole lot to your preserving jar and add the vodka.  I did sterilise the jars in a hot over, as if making jam, although I’m not sure you actually need to do this.  I used jars not bottles, as I didn’t have a bottle with a large enough neck to get the cherries in!

The recipe says to seal and leave for 4 weeks.  Many of the webpage comments suggest leaving it longer.  I’m hoping to keep at least one bottle until late September when hopefully, I’ll be able to drink a toast to the end of summer.

The remaining cherries went into the freezer, with the air sucked out of the bags using a straw.  Am not quite sure why the Internet suggested the pseudo-vacuum packed method, but it was good fun!

There are still so many cherries on the tree, it’s great to see so many birds, including many fledglings enjoying the fruit.  Although the tree blocks a large proportion of the sunlight from our garden, I think having a source of wonderful fruit on your doorstep is worth it.  My neighbours are talking about cutting the tree down.  I hope to dissuade them.

Put ‘Chestnut Stuffing’ into Google and the first result is from Delia Online resurrecting an 18th Century recipe and advocating those traditional 18th century vacuum packed chestnuts.  Having already invested in 2 for 1 fresh chestnuts, this was an instant turn off.  Hit number two on Google was a ‘Classic Chestnut stuffing recipe’ from Waitrose.

With the Waitrose recipe as a starting point, it felt appropriate to throw in a few extra ‘Christmassy’ ingredients to add a little more excitement to the recipe.  The basic recipe is available on the Waitrose Website or the What I Ate Today variation is below:

• 3 large shallots,
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic
• 110g (4oz) streaky bacon
• 55g (2oz) butter
• 400g (14oz) chestnuts, peeled whole and roughly crumbled
• 170g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
• Juice and zest of 2 lemons
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 100g dried cranberries
• 100-150ml of traditional dry Cider (more if the mix is dry)

To prepare the chestnuts, I used a small, sharp paring knife and made a cross on the pointed end of each chestnut.  I then dropped them into a pan of cold water on the hob and turned up the heat.  bring to boil and then simmer for 10-15 mins.  The chestnuts will swell and start to split.  While the chestnuts are simmering, it’s a good opportunity to prepare the remaining ingredients:

• peel and dice the shallots,
• crush the garlic
• chop the bacon into 1cm squares
• make the breadcrumbs (blitz bread in food processor)
• chop the herbs

Its a good idea to let the chestnuts cool a bit before you start peeling.  This method makes the chestnuts go soft (not a problem for the stuffing) and it is possible to actually squeeze the flesh out or to peel the outside off with your fingers.  Roughly chop any larger pieces, leaving them a bit larger for texture.  It does take a little time, but patience is a virtue and since you only need some of the cider for the recipe, you can open up the cider and enjoy some (not all) while you peel!

The remaining steps are simple and quick.

• Fry the bacon and onion in the oil until golden, then add the garlic butter and peeled chestnuts and fry for 2 more minutes.
• Add everything else except the cider.  The Waitrose recipe called for juice of one lemon; I added the second to counteract the sweetness of the cranberries which I added.
• Finally, add cider little by little until the mix stops being a dry, friable mix and begins to clump together a little.

Don’t saturate the mixture as you want the mix to be dry enough to absorb some of the juices from the meat when you cook it.   I usually about 100-150ml of dry cider – I avoid sweet cider as the dried cranberries are already sweet.

The stuffing works really well stuffed inside a roasted pheasant (pheasants seem to love chestnuts) and takes on a really moist, meaty flavour.  Stuffing rolled into small balls and baked around the meat tends to be lighter, drier and crisper, but still delicious.  If you plan to use the meat juices for gravy/sauce, don’t add too much stuffing around the meat or it may all be absorbed.

Having seen how simple and relatively quick it is to make stuffing like this, I’m a convert – the chestnuts add a sweetness and smoothness which made the effort worthwhile.  Reflecting upon this recipe,  I realised that I really enjoyed the time spent together in the kitchen peeling chestnuts, drinking cider and chatting with the people helping me.  I am assured that you can’t tell the difference between fresh and vacuum packed chestnuts.  If you really cant spare time to prep the chestnuts, use ready prepared chestnuts and enjoy all the other lovely fresh flavours in this recipe!  When its not Christmas time, other variations may be fun to try, such as the Easter variation below.  If you fancy making a vegetarian version, drop out the bacon and add a little more butter to replace the lost fat.  When fresh chestnuts aren’t available, why not give it a go with ready prepared ones.

Easter Variation

My family traditionally eat roast lamb on Easter Sunday, so I  will adapt this recipe to be more suited to lamb.  To do this, I will drop out 1 lemon, the sage, parsley, cranberries and cider.  In will come more garlic, more rosemary and some port or red wine.  The ingredients being:

• 3 large shallots,
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 large clove garlic
• 110g (4oz) streaky bacon
• 55g (2oz) butter
• 400g (14oz) chestnuts, peeled whole and roughly crumbled
• 170g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 100-150ml red wine or port (more if the mix is very dry)

Make the stuffing in exactly the same way as before, just using the Easter version ingredients.  At Easter time, you may have to use vacuum packed or tinned chestnuts.

Waitrose.

Although the Lunchometer is a decent evaluation of the average Mobile Pie eating habits, it’s missing some places I really rate and doesn’t go into a great deal of detail so I’ve put together a list of my favourite lunchtime eating places here.

I’m always keen to hear about new places, so if you have any suggestions post me a comment or join me on Rummble, a website to find out new places with that ‘if you like this, you might like that’ approach. I’ve just started playing with it, but it looks interesting, you can see my Rummble Profile here.

Top 10 Lunches In Bristol

1. Parsnipship

Although I’m very much a carnivore, I value meat and see it more of a treat rather than an everyday eating. The problem is there is a limited selection of good veggie options, especially the kind that feels like a ‘proper’ meal. I recently found The Parsnipship at the Wednesday Farmer’s Market and was bowled over by Collette + Cheryl’s produce.

The Parsnipship runs as a sort of creative co-operative, around the South West making unique vegetarian and vegan dishes like their Glamorgan Crumble – somewhere between a veggie burger and a cake made from grated leeks, carrots and mature cheddar with Breadcrumbs. Another favourite dish of mine is the Indian Summer Pudding, a pie made with butternut squash, chickpeas and coconut in a mild fragrant curry sauce with a tumeric and cumin seed pastry. One or two of their items with some salad (bought separately) makes for an awesome veggie lunch.

Unfortunately they’re only around Bristol on Wednesdays for the Farmers Market and Sunday at the Slow Food Market and the Tobacco Factory. One word of advice – if you want something for lunch, get there early for something warm, they also sell lots to take home and heat up.

Map: On the corner of Broad Street and Corn Street

2. The Bristol Sausage Shop

In my mind, some of the most comforting and satisfying British dishes include sausages. There is a huge difference between British bangers and foreign sausages, but thats a whole other post. Most supermarket ones just don’t compare to what you’d get at a place like this. When it comes to variety, I haven’t been to too many places that compare with the Bristol Sausage Shop.

The range of cooked sausages is always on rotation, so it’s always a nice surprise, with two or three available daily – there are many more you can buy and take home to cook. For lunch you have two options – a sausage baguette or a sausage and mash, with optional extras like gravy, onions and black pudding. If you’re greedy like me, there isn’t much around for better value than the mash option – including a choice of three sausages for £3.80.

Map: Glass Arcade, St. Nicholas Market, Off Corn Street

3. The Market Place

The Market Place has become a big favourite with the Mobile Pie crew, at the moment it’s quieter than somewhere with that quality of food should be, but still with a nice atmosphere. The quality of food is something I’d be excited about having for a classy meal out. I love the variety of meat on offer as well which sits nicely with my trying to eat ‘nose-to-tail’ ideal, but without going to the extremes that Heston or HFW might. The veggie options are also really good according to Alice.

Typical dishes include cheek + black pudding wellington with faggot and mash, Jacob’s ladder (the meat and bone above the rib I think) with an onion sauce and bubble + squeak or Fennel tart with artichoke and bull’s blood salad (a type of salad leaf).

At the moment they are doing a cheap lunch deal with main meals for ~ £5, which I’d imagine should be a lot more. I’d love to go and try three courses sometime but I’m not sure that fits into my lunch hour. They also have a huge selection of various Whiskys which I definitely intend to make my way through.

Map: St Nicholas Street, between busy Corn Street and Baldwin Street

4. Folk House

I love the Folk House, I only wish I could go visit more often (it’s slightly too much of a walk). Not only do they have a brilliant cafe, but they also run courses on anything from Comics to Spanish or Qi Gong as well as putting on some great events – gigs, exhibitions or markets. It’s a co-operative run for the benefit of the community. What could be better than building a community vibe, learning new skills and eating tasty, nutritious food. I wish there were more places like this around the country. Maybe that was overly sentimental, but check it out.

The cafe is like a bohemian community centre. It’s a big favourite with Jenny and Alice too. The food ticks all the boxes for me – exciting, healthy, unpretenious, colourful, filling, good value and most importantly delicious. It’s probably not for everyone, but to me its a real ‘food hero’ and is very similar to the stuff we cook at home. They also do a good selection of tea and juices.

Map: Hidden down an alleyway off Park Street

5. Magic Roll

I’m assuming that the Magic Roll’s reputation has spread, now that they’ve got a chain of stores across Bristol. I started visiting them when they first opened up on The Triangle. So what is a magic roll? Take one flatbread (Lebanese/Syrian style), stuff with exotic fillings – anything from falafels, lamb patties, haloumi cheese, avocado, butternut squash, alfalfa sprouts – wrap and put in a griddle toaster. You end up with something close to a proper San Diegan burrito.

I guess to try and explain to someone new to Magic Roll, it’s a bit like Subway – but with proper ingredients and a genuine atmosphere. You make you choice of roughly what roll you’d like, customise it with any other ingredients and sauces, toast and away you go.

Back in the day they experimented with Pide (Turkish Pizza) in the evenings, it never really took off but they were delicious – a definite gap in the market.

Map: The Triangle, Off Victoria Street or Fishponds

6. Zazu’s Kitchen

Alice was supposed to have written a review of our visit almost a year ago. Since then they’ve closed, changed owners and re-opened. I’ve not yet had a chance to visit since they re-opened, because they’re up in Stokes Croft but next time I’m in Bristol for a weekend or have a long lunch break I’ll certainly be heading up there.

Walking into Zazu’s is like stepping into someones country kitchen. The kitchen is open in the centre of the cafe, with seating all around. There is a selection of salads, quiches, and hot food. When I visited I had a Mezze which was served on a long wooden board and included houmous, celery+chickpea Soup, langoustine, stuffed vine leaves, chorizo and bread. Jenny had a Breakfast Quiche which included things you’d find in a British fry-up – sausage, mushroom and baked beans whilst Alice opted for a veggie salad with quinoa.

Map: On the corner of Jamaica Street and Cheltenham Road, Stokes Croft

7. Blue Juice

When I lived towards the Downs, my walk down into University was often punctuated by a visit to Blue Juice. Stepping into the place is almost like being transported to a different country, the decor and the staff show exactly what they’re about – fresh, friendly, chilled out, and vibrant. As the name indicates, they specialise in juice and smoothies. I haven’t been to that many juice bars that compare with this place – the range and freshness of ingredients sets it apart.

Down to food – mainly wraps, salads and paninis. Some good veggie options too. I’m a big fan of their breakfast burrito or quesadillas.

Map: Cotham Hill, just off Whiteladies Road

8. Portuguese Taste

This is one that’s often missed by visitors to St Nicholas Market, I’ve only started going there over the past few months despite being a visitor to SNM for several years – I’ve heard many people say the same. Forget about anything you might have against Portuguese cuisine as a result of South African chain Nandos, this is the real deal. Proper Portuguese food is rich, full flavoured and wholesome.

During the winter my favourite lunch option has been their Feijoada – a beans and pork stew served with rice. I also really loved their lamb liver and potato stew. Their real star dish though is their leite-creme (custard tart), which is saying something from someone who’s not a big dessert fan.

Map: Glass Arcade, St. Nicholas Market, Off Corn Street

9. Pieminister

I don’t think this needs any introduction, Pieminister have become an iconic Bristol brand. So what’s so special? Awesome fillings, awesome pastry – good honest food. Jenny and I are such big fans, we had them for our wedding served with some fancy veg. Flavours include Heidi Pie – sweet potato, goats cheese and spinach and Matador – beef steak, chorizo, olives and sherry. Their reputation is such that you can now find them in Harrods. The Queen even had them for one of her Christmas parties. Despite the hype, their ‘home’ remains modest – settled in Stokes Croft, food served on enamel plates, at reasonable prices.

Map: Stokes Croft or Glass Arcade, St. Nicholas Market

10. Boston Tea Party

Another leading light of the West Country, Boston has eight cafes in the area, three of which are in Bristol, that are primarily known for their fantastic tea and coffee. Their teas are how tea should be served – loose leaf in a teapot, with range of the ‘usual’ Darjeeling, Earl Grey and Roiboos and some more exciting types like Lapsang Souchong (my favourite tea) or Keemun. Coffee is all fairly traded and roasted locally, and is a step above your Nero or Starbucks.

The food at Boston is equal to the standard of the drinks. Most ingredients are locally sourced and free range, with some good veggie options. For lunch they do a range of quality sandwiches and paninis to eat in and take away or a good selection of cooked meals including the great west country burger, mezze platter, harissa-marinated chicken and delicious salads. The place on Park Street (the only one I’ve really eaten at) is brilliantly bustling at lunchtime, which just adds to the atmosphere. The downside is you can expect to wait a little for cooked dishes, but they’re worth waiting for.

Map: Top of Park Street, Clifton and Whiteladies (near the old cinema)

Other notable lunches in Bristol:

Sourdough Cafe (formerly Bakery Agnes)

Only narrowly missing out on a top 10, mainly because I’m biased towards full dishes over sandwich options. Arnaud and Emmeline make their own artisan bread which you can buy whole or made into a tasty selection of sandwiches. Their sandwiches are divine – goats cheese and honey and streaky bacon spring to mind – good value and tend to be stuffed full. They also sell some gorgeous cakes in some of the biggest portions I’ve seen. Their excellent tea and coffee is also worth sampling. Located in St Nick’s.

Trethowan’s Diary Shop

More commonly known as the Cheese Shop in St Nick’s, they do however on Wednesdays make tasty cheese based food. A couple of months ago I tried out their raclette – melted cheese on potatoes, picked onions and gherkins. They also do toasted sandwiches.

Falafel King

Another Bristol legend located by fountains serving quick, tasty veggie wraps. They are part of the same group as the Abu Noor bakery that provides Wild Oats and Chandos Deli with some of their breads. Popular with students and late night clubbers.

Day + Night

I get the feeling having passed this place a few times recently at lunchtime, that they might have stopped opening at lunch. Day + Night is a nightclub/bar, as such it is barely noticeable during the day. They did however serve the best calzone I’ve had, prices were really cheap too.

Boots

Before you shoot this down, I know you might not think Boots really fits in with our ‘blog ethos’, however I think it’s important that big food retailers become more responsible with their food. Boots deserve a thumbs up for stocking Fresh!’s naturally organic sandwiches, with their £3.50 meal deal it’s a definite winner.

Bab Mansour

A Moroccan souk nestled in St. Nicholas Market, favourites include Moroccan Lamb and Falafel.

Watershed

Well renowned arthouse cinema also a safe option for good quality food, with a range of styles and a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Spice Up Your Life

Good option if you fancy curry for lunch. Vegetarian option is good value – veggie curry, dahl, rice and poppadom for £3.50.

Caribbean Wrap

In the Glass Arcade at St. Nicholas Market, good Jamaican food especially their Goat Curry.

Hope + Anchor

Just down from The Triangle, possibly the best pub food in Bristol, usually tricky to find a table.

Chandos Deli

Ubiquitous delicatessen around the South West. Tasty sandwiches and salads.

Zak’s

Another one at St. Nicholas Market. They sell Boerewors (South African sausage), unfortunately sans Mrs Bulls.

There were only 2 options on the menu – vegetarian or meat. After we’d washed our hands with water poured over us by a waiter from an elaborate silver jug, they would bring out a huge injera (a slightly sour, lemony pancake) with neat piles of different stews spaced out on top. You’d just get one injera to share between you – the more people the bigger the pancake! I love sharing food, especially when there’s lots to go round, and it was a perfect way to eat with friends.

I’ve yet to find an Ethiopian restaurant in the UK, so if you see a good one please let me know. However I have got a couple of recipes for wat (stew) and injera.  They don’t come out nearly as well as the restaurant but still taste pretty good.

I’m currently experimenting with going vegetarian again but Matt can’t survive without meat occasionally so my latest attempt included a Doro Wat (chicken) and a Vegetable Wat. I combined two different recipes to make these – one for Doro Wat from a beautiful book called the African Kitchen by Josie Stow and Jan Baldwin, and the World Food Cafe book by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott.

The most important ingredient in any wat is berbere paste, recipe below.  You are also supposed to use Niter Kibbeh, a sort of spiced, clarified butter.  I’ve never actually bothered to make this and just replace it with butter and extra spices.  There are some niter kibbeh recipes online if you are keen.

Part 1: Make the Berbere Paste

Ingredients:

• 4 cardamon pods
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 0.5 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 cloves
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cm/0.5 inch root ginger
• 3 tbsp red wine
• 7 dried red chillis
• 4 tsp ground paprika
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Ground black pepper
• Sunflower oil
• Salt
• Sterilized jar + label

This looks complicated, but it makes quite a lot of paste, which will keep for about 6 months.  You can also do this well in advance of making the Wat.

1. Toast the cardamon, coriander, fenugreek and cloves on a dry frying pan over a low-medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant.  Then transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind to a powder.
2. Put the onion, garlic and ginger into a food processor with the toasted spices, 0.5 tbsp of salt, and blend.  Slowly add the wine as you blend.
3. Toast the paprika, cayenne, some black pepper, the nutmeg and cinnamon with 1 tsp salt in a dry saucepan, stirring constantly until fragrant.
4. Remove from the pan from the heat, add the onion-spice mixture, and gradually stir in 310ml/11floz of water.
5. Place over a low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 10-15 minutes.
6. Transfer the mixture to a sterilized jar, pressing down to remove any air pockets.  Allow to cool.
7. Cover the spice paste with oil, put the lid on and most importantly put a label on the front saying Berbere Paste and when you made it. (I always miss this step and end up with lots of jars of nondescript pastes in the back of the fridge that I’m too scared to use).  Store in the fridge for up to 6 months.

It really is worth preparing the spices properly like this, rather than just adding them direct to the stew.

Part 2: Making the Wat

Serves 2

• 2 tbsp Niter Kibbeh (or butter)
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
• 4 cardomom pods
• 1.5 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 clove
• 0.5 tsp fenugreek seeds
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 2 tbsp berbere paste
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 4 tbsp red wine

And for doro wat (chicken):

• 2 chicken drumsticks or thighs (with the bone and skin).  Pat the chicken dry with kitchen towel and rub all over with lemon juice and salt.  Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• 2 boiled eggs

Or for the vegetable wat:

• Range of cubed or chopped vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, courgettes, green beans, spring greens etc
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 100ml vegetable stock

Both Wats start with the same process:

1. Put the onions in a large casserole dish over a low heat without any oil. Stir constantly until they are soft.  If they start to stick remove the dish from the heat for a short while.
2. Add the niter kebbeh or butter.  When it starts to splutter add the garlic, ginger, cardamon, cinnamon, fenugreek and nutmeg, stirring constantly.
3. Add the berbere and paprika, stir and cook for 2 minutes.



4. Pour in the wine and 185ml/6.5floz water, then bring to the boil, stirring regularly.
5. Boil until the liquid reaches the consistency of double cream.

At this point the two recipes diverge.

2a. Doro Wat (chicken)

1. Remove the chicken from the lemon juice marinade and pat dry.  Add the pieces to the simmering sauce. Make sure each piece is coated on all sides and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Prick the boiled eggs all over with a fork and add to the chicken – making sure they are coated all over in sauce.
3. Cover and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until chicken is tender.

2b. Vegetable Wat

1. Add all the vegetables to the simmering sauce and mix well.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and stock and simmer until all the vegetables are cooked. Add more water if needed.

3. Making the injera

While the Wats are simmering, you can get the injera ready.  These are large savoury pancakes that you use to scoop up the stew.

Ingredients (for 2 hungry people):

• 300g/10.5 oz self-raising flour
• 75g/2.5oz wholemeal flour
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 250 ml/ 18floz soda water – it is really important to use soda water not tap water

Method:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Gradually beat in the soda water and 0.5 litres plain water until you have a thin, smooth batter.
3. Heat a crepe pan/large frying pan until really hot.
4. Add a little vegetable oil and coat pan.
5. Pour in a ladleful of batter and swirl it round to form a thin layer like a pancake.
6. Cook until bubbles appear all over the surface, then turn over and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.



7. Place the cooked injera on a plate and keep warm.  Putting the plate over a saucepan half full of water over a low heat is a good way to do this.

4. Eat!

Wat tastes best eaten with your hands. Rip off a piece of injera and use it wrap up some stew and sauce.

Naturally, being a Routemaster, the restaurant is entered through the traditional open entrance at the back of the bus.  The downstairs deck has been transformed into the kitchen; you feel the heat and smell the food as you pass by.  The bus gently sways as customers and staff go up and down the stairs, reminding you every now and then that you’re in an unusual venue.

Looking into the kitchen, it doesn’t really feel like your looking inside a bus.  However when you climb upstairs, and see the tables, you remember immediately that you are!  The upstairs has only a few tables.  At night, the limited number of tables together with candle light creates a very intimate atmosphere.  Being above the kitchen, it is a little warm but you can wind down the original bus windows to let in some air.

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If you’re a regular at vegan restaurants, you may not be surprised by the selection on offer.  If you’re not, then it may be of interest try some dishes which you may just assume would normally be non-vegetarian or non-vegan, but which in fact are not.  The menu comprises a mixture of dishes, mainly comprising European and Asian influence dishes.  Starters include a delicious mezze platters, and the very tasty Gyoza (wontons filled with peppers, mushrooms & seasonal veg).   It was interesting to learn that all the Rootmaster’s vegetables are sourced from a LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) Marque assured supplier.  This means the veg is produced in an environmentally responsible way.

The menu seems to change frequently, but often includes the Tofu Tower (Flame grilled and marinated local tofu with crispy fried wontons & coconut vegetable curry sauce).  If (like many veggies and non-veggies alike) you’ve been put off by bad tofu experiences, this stuff is worth giving a second chance.  The fresh organic tofu is made by a local company (Clean Bean) based near the Rootmaster, on Brick Lane and is delivered by bicycle to the bus.

The idea of Vegan desserts may seem difficult to produce at first though – starved of chocolate, cream and butter.  However, the Rootmaster’s choice includes some pretty good fondant, cheesecake and ice creams.  The dark chocolate option is always good and the vegan ice cream is very good.

Drinks wise, there is a choice of soft drinks drinks, beers and wines.  Many of the drinks are widely available elsewhere and are inherently vegan friendly.  The choice is not limited by the vegan requirement.  The wine prices are range from £4.50/glass or £13.50/bottle upwards.  Soft drinks, beer and cider are reasonably priced too.

Ely’s Yard is suprising busy at night, with several bars.  This gives the square a vibrant atmosphere, even on a rainy evening.   The bus itself has no toilets, but there is an arrangement with the Big Chill bar opposite for Rootmaster diners to use their facilities.

With starters ranging from £4-£6 per person, mains from £9-£15 and desserts £5-£6, the Rootmaster is comparable in price to many London restaurants.  If you’re vegan or veggie then is a great place to go as you’ll have not only a fun venue but the choice of the whole menu.  If you’re a meat eater, you may enjoy the setting but find yourself wishing for a meat option.  If you’re willing to sacrifice the meat and go vegan once in a while, you’ll almost certainly have a great time at the Rootmaster.

The vegan menu may not be foor everyone, but in truth, is no where near as restrictive as non-vegans may fear.  Many diners were returning customers, and a mixture of vegans, veggies and meat eaters.   It’s a fun place to eat, with a great novel setting, enthusiastic staff and an intersting menu.

Belgian beer, chocolate, waffles and frites are marketed in Britain as traditional, high quality Belgian products.  For tourists, these products are also strongly pushed as souvenirs around the centre of Brussels.  It was disappointing to see so many of the same products on sale in Belgium as in Britain.  Notably, many of the same chocolates and beer brands crowd the shelves in expensive shops.  However, by looking a little deeper,  it is possible to find more exciting produce, at a nicer price too.

Beer

Many of the shops and bars have recognisable brands such as Chimay, Leffe, Hoegarden and Duval on sale – the same as in the UK.  There are however, a staggering array of other types of beer, including Amber ales (pale), the lighter Blonde beers, slightly sour or fruity Lambic beers, white wheat beer or one of many more.

Trappist Beers are manufactured by Monks and have some of the oldest and most traditional brewing methods.   Abbey beers are produced by breweries where the original Trappist monastery no longer exists, no longer brews or are just sometimes commercial attempts to imitate Trappist beers.  Although numbers have fallen, Belgium still boasts hundreds of small, independent breweries.
La Morte Subite (Sudden Death) is both a bar and a brewery, where the fourth generation of the family serve up a wonderful array of beers (nearly 30 to choose from) in the fabulous 1920′s style bar which has been home to the bar since 1928.

Alternatively, if in Bruges, why not try the Brugse Zot (Bruges Fool) brewed at De Halve Maan (The Half Moon) – Bruges last remaining family brewery.  Enjoy a tour of the brewery, grab some lunch or just sample the beer.  Periodically steaming piles of mashed hops/barley/wheat are ejected down a wooden chute and into a barrow.  The aroma reminds you that the place is a working brewery, if somewhat touristy.  The beer is a wonderful, light, crisp refreshing beer, ideal in the sunshine after pounding the inexhaustibly picturesque streets of Bruges.

Frites

It was surprising to learn that the Belgians take frites very very seriously.  None of this French Fries nonsense.  As with the waffles, mobile serveries and street hatches serve up low cost frites left right and centre.  Popular with locals and tourists alike, there always seems to be a queue.  Frites are cooked once then, re-fried before being served to you.  This adds extra crispness and a deep golden colour.  A theatrical process of tossing the frites high in the air is observed, portion by portion, to adequately mix in the salt.  Hence the queues as each portion is cooked up to order and served with ketchup and mayonnaise in a truly continental fashion.

Waffles & Chocolate

Waffles do seem to be present everywhere in Belgium.  The smell of hot waffles off the irons from street side serving hatches fills the air of many a street.  Dangerously delicious, the light, crispy waffles are uniformly good; most probably because of the huge volume produced meaning yours is almost always as fresh as can be.

There are an alarming array of chocolate shops dotted around the centre of Brussels and Bruges, making chocolate fresh on-site, all very expensive and seemingly reluctant to give out samples.  A box of 10-12 sophisticated little chocs could cost anything from €12-15 upwards in these shops, although the choice and more importantly, aroma is wonderful.  There didn’t seem to be anything particularly Belgian about the type (truffles, mousses, praline etc) or flavours (coffee, fruit, nuts etc) but they all boasted high cocoa content Belgian chocolate.  Perhaps the growth in ‘high end’ chocolates in the UK over the last few years means the novelty of the fine Belgian chocs is not what it once was.

Restaurants

Having somewhat patronisingly heard Belgian food described as Peasant food, there appeared be precious little of it around in Central Brussels at least.  Unsuprisingly, most restaurants around La Grande Place and the Lower City are very touristy, selling Mussel & Frites at very high prices (~€20 and somewhat disappointing).

For something a little more sedate, Place Saint Cathering, in the old docks area, offers a more relaxed environment.  Again the restaurants are on the pricey side of reasonable and generally not particarly inspring.
A good choice would be  L’Achepot in the Place Saint Catherine.  It offers reasonable value, aparrently more traditional food, including a good variety of fish and offal.  They have several Belgian beers to choose from and a nice terrace, slightly away from the busier main square.  Very informal and full of locals, the Rabbit fricasse was served up with all the offal and some good crusty bread.  The black pudding, servied with apple and mashed potato is a tempting dish for the less adventourous who want to have a traditional dish.

I had never really visited Normandy so in the months leading up to our visit Jenny filled me in on some of the local cuisine (including an infamous sausage which popped open with lots of stringy pieces!). To make the most of the visit Jenny decided to lapse from being vegetarian – to be fair she would otherwise have mostly been eating cheese and bread.

We were based in the beautiful seaside town of Cabourg, which although touristy was far from tacky and full of primarily French tourists. Despite being less than 30mins from Caen’s ferry port, we encountered very few English speakers so Jenny’s GCSE French certainly came in handy! For one of the first times, we had an apartment with cooking facilities (very good ones at that). We found it made a huge difference – it’s nice to have a simpler (less rich) meal sometimes and saves money too.

Walking around Cabourg the difference between the French and English approach to food was clear. Literally a couple of streets away was the wonderful bustling Avenue de la Mer, half a kilometre of mainly cafes, restaurants and food shops. In between that and where we were staying was a decent food market too. Along the promenade were still more places to eat. It was clear we weren’t going to go hungry.

Most of our breakfasts consisted of fruit, fresh bread, juice and coffee (Jenny even curtailed her Tea addiction). Bread is clearly something the French take very seriously, living up to the stereotype of carrying huge sticks of bread around with them. Just on Avenue de la Mer there were about 4 Boulangeries / Pâtisseries all within a 2-3 minute walk of each other. They all seem to work in harmony, closing at different times, but there is always at least one open. To contrast with England – Banbury, a town famous for it’s Banbury Cakes and with a population of 40,000, has not one single independent bakery! We tried a good selection of breads as well as the obligatory Croissants, Pain au Chocolat and Pain au Raisin. The fruit was also great – we mainly stuck to Greengages (Reine-Claude), Plums (Prunes) and Apricots (Abricots).

Another pervasive food type were Galettes (or more properly, Breton galettes). These are buckwheat pancakes, usually filled with savoury ingredients. They taste significantly different to crêpes, and unlike them are apparently only cooked on one side. The most traditional versions are known as Galette Complète and feature Emmental, Ham and Egg, which Jenny tended to stick to.

In the nearby town of Dives sur Mer we visited La Galichoun, a laid back local restaurant specialising in galettes. They had a great menu deal - €10.50 for starter, main, dessert and choice of local cider or wine (notice the cidre served in a ceramic jug and cups). They even had one pre-cinema deal where you get your ticket for the independent cinema opposite as part of the offer. The galettes really were tasty – of course I had to try the Galette with andouille de Vire, emmental, camenbert, crème. Andouille de Vire is a very old version of Andouille (note the difference for Andouillette), a sausage made from seasoned pigs intestines. From what I could taste under the cheese and cream it was like nice cured ham.

The best dish we had on our trip (even according to Jenny) was found at L’Insolite in Bayeux - Galette Cotentin - Black Pudding (Boudin Noir) with Apples, Apple Puree and Calvados. Black pudding and apple is one of my favourite combinations but this really surpassed any similar dishes I’ve tried. The pudding was not quite as dry as British versions (it was more red than black).

I still don’t quite understand the distinction between French names for sausages la saucisse and le saucisson but they all seem to taste good to me. My favourite shop in Cabourg was Le Fils du Pôvre charcuterie on Avenue de la Mer.

Although only a tiny shop, it was crammed with a whole array of meat products (sausages, hams, terrines, pâtés, confits), cheeses, alcohols, vinegars and other jars containing things like cassoulet and pickled tripe.

A memorable restaurant we visited was Au P’tit Normand in Cambremer. It had a very local feel to it and some delicious sounding and looking regional dishes. It was the kind of place where our Britishness really stood out. Jenny opted for the Entrecôte sauce crémée au Camembert and I went for Soupe de Poisson followed by Tripes à la mode de Caen. Jenny’s steak was huge but she loved it. My fish soup was lovely – really rich without being overly fishy – and reminded me a little of Mum’s Crab Curry. I had never had Tripe before, so I thought since this place looks so good, this is the place to give it a go. Sadly, I have to confess to not being won over – the smell was pretty intense (even with my poor sense of smell). The stew itself was good, and I quite liked some of the smaller pieces of meat which were like slow cooked melt-in-the-mouth meat, unfortunately I just couldn’t deal with the texture of the big chunks of stomach. Many recipes I’ve seen for it indicate it’s made from the cow’s four stomach compartments, a calf’s foot, cidre/cavaldos and vegetables. I can’t say I noticed any calf’s foot, but that could well have been the bits I liked.

I’d love to hear from some tripe fans out there how you recommend eating it? I can’t actually think of anyone I know who likes the stuff. I would however give it another go.

Stay tuned for Food Adventures in Normandy part 2.

 Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 175g Self Raising Flour
• 175g Butter
• 175g Caster Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 tspn Vanilla Extract
• 1 tspn Baking Powder

For the Filling:

• 250g Raspberries
• 250g Mascarpone
• 250g Fromage Frais
• 1 dessert spoon Caster Sugar
• 1 tspn Vanilla Extract
• 4 tbspn Raspberry Jam
• Icing Sugar

Method

1. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl.  Add the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth
2. Split between two sandwich tins and bake for 30mins at 170°C.  I used baking paper to line the tins.
3. Mix mascarpone, fromage frais, caster sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Spread the half the jam and half the mascarpone mixture onto each sponge
5. Place Raspberries  (as artistically as you like)
6. Dust with icing sugar
   

This cake was really very quick indeed and I thought it was a good variation on a classic.  I used quantities for the sponge mix as recommended by my friend Kate with whom I’ve made many sponge cakes over the years at university and beyond.  The mascarpone/fromage frais mix was an idea from Delia – the quantities I used were actually those which the ingredients came in – just one tub of each.  We had some lovely little sparklers  instead of candles; thankfully the smoke alarm didn’t mind!  In total, it took less than an hour from start to finish.

The very reasonably price Mackerel fishing trips on Lyme (£8) were too good an opportunity to turn down!  In Lyme, different numbers of boats operate each day, depending on season, day and weather.  Blackboards and signs at the entrance to the Cobb (harbour wall) give information about various fishing trips, including Bassing trips, all day fishing trips and the ever popular Mackerel/sight seeing trips.  We wandered down to the end of the Cobb one sunny day to await the next boat trip.  The Frances Jane is a delightful little boat, operated by Doug and Amanda (both of whom are also diving instructors).  The boat is a converted Crabber from Cornwall, built in 1952 with a mahogany hull and was easily the prettiest boat in the harbour.

We chugged out into the bay, with beautiful views on show in the calm sunshine.  Using slithers of Mackerel as bait Amanda handed out the lines (long lines on a hand spool, with a large weight to take the line down and a bright coloured bead marking the leader line with the baited hook on the end).  Once the spool is tied onto the railings (to avoid mishaps) its a case of waiting till you feel the tug on the line before winding in the line and checking if there’s a shiny silver green/blue/black mackerel on the end.  Our haul wasn’t huge, apparently due to the hot weather and increasingly choppy seas.  The views were fantastic and the time was up before we knew it.  We’d both caught “one for the pot” and headed back to shore.

We popped into The Old Watch House fish monger at the start of the Cobb and bought a couple of Herring to supplement the Mackerel and pick up some ice packs to keep the fish cool while we walked back to the campsite.  I love the marbled silver green/blue/black pattern Mackerel have and the non slymey, not scaley feel of the fish (like you have with Trout for instance).  We gutted/cleaned the fish and opened the vino! 

I got the BBQ going and we polished off a dressed crab which we bought in The Old Watch House.  In the evening sunshine, the fish looked great.  The Old Watch House didn’t have any Sardines, but instead I bought Herring (essentially just large sardines).  Herring is more sustainable than Sardines, although I’m not sure if this is purely because Sardines are so much more popular.

We were a little low on provisions, so it was just the fish, with some black pepper corns crushed between 2 bricks.  We gave them about 3 minutes on either side, before serving up with crusty bread and salad.   We cooked the Herring in exactly the same way.  The fish skin went beautifully crisp on the barbecue and the smells during cooking were great.

Although the bones came out of the fresh fish very easily, lots of people are put of Mackerel because of the many small bones.  My tip is to always eat fresh crusty bread with small fish – so you don’t notice any little bones remaining.  All in all, the fish made a great dinner.  It left us wondering why we don’t eat fish more often?

The only downside of eating Mackerel and living in London is that inevitably you will be reminded of the tube game “Mackerel” which goes along the line of “there’s only one underground station on the whole of the network which doesn’t contain any of the letters of the word Mackerel – which one?” and then every time you see a tube map while waiting for a train, you’ll be staring and staring and cursing Dr Kate for ever telling you about the game in the first place.  Even worse, you’ll spend hours studying the map, feel let down when you realise the answer and then 2 years later, go fishing for Mackerel in Dorset and remember that you’ve forgotten which underground station it was and have to do it all again!  For the answer and many other random London Underground facts, click here.

The Good Food Store

Located on Broad Street (the main street) this shop had a delicious selection of free range meat, including sausages and bacon for our campsite breakfast, duck eggs (30p each), cheeses, fruit/veg and bread, cakes and savouries baked in store daily.

The Old Watch House

There were some lovely shops to pick up provisions whilst in Lyme Regis.  The Old Watch House fish monger is a beautiful little wet fish shop, selling local fish, the majority of which comes from Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.  A really nice touch, in addition to free ice packs to keep you purchase cold, was indicating which fish were “sustainable” on the price  blackboard.    

There was no smell of fish as you approached and went into the shop, indicating the produce was very fresh.  The fish monger said the only way to more fresh is to catch it yourself.  There were plenty of crabs crawling around on the sand at the bottom of The Cobb (the old harbour wall) but we opted for a dressed Lyme Regis crab at £4.95. 

The Lyme Bay Sandwich Company

This little shop, at the end of the seafront served a delightful array of fresh sandwiches, old fashioned lemonade, gingerbeer, posh crisps and best of all, pies and pasties.  The pies and pasties are all made by Chunk of Devon.  They looked delicious and I was please to find the meat was all free range. 

A small newspaper cutting on the wall showed that the pasties were in fact award winning having recently won the best pasty award at the Melton Mobray pie competition!  The lady behind the counter in the shop said they were very pleased that a pasty made in Devon had beaten off all of its Cornish competitors!  Reading further, it was great to see that the pasty comapny is to be features in a Channel 4 television series starring Sir Gerry Robinson named Gerry’s Big Descision which will air on Channel 4 on Thursday 9nd July 2009 at 2100. 

In the series, Gerry (one of Britain’s most sucessful business men) intervenes in failing businesses before deciding whether to invest and revive them.  I don’t want to spoil the show, but the recent success of these pasties suggests he’s worked his magic well on this occasion!  The steak pasty was undoubtedly a great pasty and indeed, five minutes later I was back in the shop buying my second pasty.  It seems that the Lyme Regis Seagulls are partial to these award winning pasties too, as one swooped down over my shoulder and carried my first pasty off just two or three bites into it!  Be warned!

Town Mill Cheese Monger

Housed in an old water mill in the centre of Lyme, lies the Town Mill Cheese Monger.  The cheese monger and his wife told us that 2 months ago, this building was disused and falling into disrepair.  The water mill has been converted to generate electricity, but it also still drives the mill stones to mill flour in the adjacent building. 

The selection of cheeses was great, with the majority being local.  We were able to sample which ever ones we wanted and opted for a Cornish Yarg (Cow’s milk,  infused and wrapped with wild garlic leaves), delicious Montgommery Cheddar and some Quickes Smoked Cheddar.  All three cheeses were local british cheeses. 

We also bought delicious biscuits – Miller’s Stones.  These were a lovely buttery digestive style biscuit, but less coarse.  To go with the cheese, we bought a fig fruit puree “English fruits for cheese” by the Fine Cheese Co.  The owners were wonderfully friendly and we wish them success with their new cheese shop.  We think it will fit in well to the food culture present in Lyme.

River Cottage local produce store and canteen (Axminster)

I’m not sure whether Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage started a trend towards independent, ethical, local food in Dorset, or whether Hugh chose Dorset because if had just such a tradition.  However, no trip to Dorset is complete without at least thinking about River Cottage.  We got the number 31 bus from Lyme to Axminster and popped in for a cup of tea.  The front of the shop has local produce, fresh fruit/veg and a lovely array of savouries.  We opted for trout quiche and a chunky pork pie to take away.  A rather delicious Eccles cake was simply crying out to be purchased as well – which although along way from it’s ancestral home in Salford, was probably the richest, crumbliest most delicious Eccles cake I’ve ever had.

The canteen at the back served drinks, light snacks and also main meals in the evening.  You can see into the kitchens and I recognised the chef off the TV shows.  There’s a lovely garden at the back.  We could see small deliveries of fresh ingredients arriving all the time, including some great looking fruit, veg and herbs. 

Beer

Those who know me or have read some of my blogs are aware that I’ve got a few breweries of which I am a big fan.  These are Cains of Liverpool (try the Dr Duncan’s or Thomas Rigby’s pubs in Liverpool), Bath Ales (try the Hare on the Hill in Bristol), Okell’s (Isle of Man) and La Morte Subite (Family brewery in Brussels, bar of the same name). 

Now in Dorset, I’ve discovered pretenders to challenge my choice of favourite beer.  The Otter Brewery (Based in Devon) do a great selection of beers and ales.  Widely available in the southwest, they are varied and popular.  However, never have I seen such enthusiasm from bar staff as I did for Palmers of Bridport, officially my new favourite brewery.  Each time I ordered, a favourable comment about the beer was passed by the waitor, bar tender or another patron!  Evidently very popular, I first opted for a delicious Indian Pale Ale.  Extremely quaffable in the sunshine.  I also tried the Copper Ale and the Palmer’s 200.  My favourite was easily the 200.  This special brew was created to mark the 200th anniversary of Palmers brewing in Bridport.  For every pint sold, 5p is donated to the Dorset Air Ambulance (with over £10,000 donated last year).  Evidently I am not alone in my preference for the 200, as the 200th anniversary of Palmers Brewery was in 1994!  This popular brew has been in production for over 15 years ever since!  Palmers is available in many of the local pubs and by the bottle in Threshers on Broad Street in Lyme.  They also make Ginger Beer and Whisky. 

Restaurants

Fish and Chips – Now we ate out on three of the four nights we stayed.  On the first night we had some great fish and chips at By They Bay which overlooks the beach.  The fish and chips were the best we’ve had in a long time.  The batter was very light and crips, with a hint of nutmeg to make it a bit different.  Served with proper cut chips, crushed minted peas and tartar sauce.

Italian – The second time we went out, we were caught out.  It was Monday and we found to our cost that nearly everything closes on a Sunday in Lyme Regis.  The one place we found was Antonio’s Trattoria, an intimate, lively, traditional Italian.  The menu was limited to classic italian fayre, including various pasta, pizzas and steaks etc.  Antonio was obviously very popular with his Patrons and knew his regulars by name.  We were watching the pennies as we only had a little cash with us and he doesn’t take cards.  When he realised this, Antonio told us not to worry, to order what we want and if we were short, to drop the money through the letter box in the next few days.  We both opted for a very tasty tagliatelli made with local Lime Regis crab.  The food is all cooked by Anotio’s wife and his daughter was waiting on tables.  We also shared a garlic bread and tirimasu, with a glass of house red and a beer.  The bill came to £34.  We thought this was a little on the pricey side, but as the place was packed with regulars, we we obviously in the minority.  Would recommend this place for the friendy traditional feel and especially if you want to eat out on a Monday.  Located just opposite the Tourist Information centre.

Bar Food – We left it late to eat on our final night and were turned away from a couple of places at 2030 on the grounds it was too late.  Many places stopped serving food at 2100, but wouldn’t seat people from earlier.  There are several bars serving food along the front, including one offereing a delicious (if not retro) ploughmans with local cheese and chutnel.  We had a great free-range steak from Wiltshire in another.  It was cooked brilliantly and served with a fresh wild mushroom sauce, onion rings, chips and salad.  We hadn’t been expecting much and were consequently really pleased.  Service was a bit lacking however.  I felt this was down to the comination of young staff and the manager serving drinks behind the bar and being unaware of the restaurant goings on. 

However, what made our night at this place was the rather Fawlty Tower-esque escapade where as we tried to pay, the distracted staff started chasing a rather fat hamster around the bar and restaurant.  After catching the reluctant rodent in a pint glass, it was returned to the owner who apparently lived in the flat upstairs.  We can confirm that it was a hamster but that there were no hotel inspectors, spanish waitors or sickly cats in the building(!)