hello my little custard creams! I have an exciting announcement but until I receive email confirmation I can’t say anything yet, but stay tuned this week as I have this little newsletter to thank for it amongst other things.
On the theme of relishing other people’s achievements, there is no greater feeling for a food writer than seeing people make your recipes, especially if you’re an amateur like me. This week we have not one but two stunning entries:
Sam’s Mushroom Pies
Sam’s pies not only look great but use an entire packet of Castello (we love blue cheese at this newsletter) and swapped the white wine for mirin, which is not only a great non-alcoholic option, but is slightly sweeter to counteract the saltiness of the Castello. Bellissima!
Lola’s Philly Cheesesteak
Another excellent iteration to make you hungry, and you can find the original recipe here. Lola added some chilli for a little heat, which is another great addition. Delicious!
What I had this week:
Siop Shop Peach Cobbler
You know the drill by now, but I finally took Mum to Siop Shop where this week’s star flavour was Peach Cobbler, with a peach flavoured cream filling and a nice crumbly topper. I reckon by the summer I will have a fairly comprehensive ranking table of all the Siop Shop flavours.
Co-Op Sundried Tomato Sourdough
This is apparently limited edition but I’m not sure exactly how long it’s limited for; either way I am a sucker for a lovely Mediterranean-style tomato bread, either as part of a sandwich (I had my traditional halloumi/garlic mayo/tomato/sweet chilli combo), dipped in a nice smoky daal or even just on it’s own, lightly toasted and covered in a generous layer of Lurpak.
Schofferhofer Grapefruit
A fruity beer that is juicy with a zesty but not too acidic citrus flavour. Best enjoyed when meeting excellent new friends who will humour you when the app for the bar decides to stop working, but only on your phone for some reason.
Yes Bar fries with garlic aioli
I have a soft spot for Yes as it was one of the few bars I managed to visit when I first moved to Manchester before everything closed down, and they do an excellent selection of food (their vegan chicken bites are probably the best vegan chicken I’ve had.) However I’ve learnt from previous trips that their portion sizes are surprisingly generous and the chicken needs to be shared with at least one other person, so I had the fries to myself instead. Served with a winning combo of pink mayo, spring onion and sesame seeds, it’s a gold standard of what bar fries can be.
Kims Kitchen halloumi and hash brown muffin
While I have had many hangover breakfasts, I have never encountered a hangover food greater than what Kim’s Kitchen delivered to us on this rainy Manchester afternoon. Halloumi, served with two perfectly crispy hash browns, sandwiched in a perfectly pillowy English Breakfast Muffin. Filling, comforting,
M&S Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
While carbs are a hangover necessity, I find I always crave some form of vitamin, usually in the form of orange juice. When you have to then actually leave your bed and go into town with said hangover, I would recommend powering your trip with a bottle of the freshly squeezed stuff, as it is far less sharp and acidic (especially for my fellow acid reflux people out there) then bog-standard carton juice.
Aims:
something with butternut squash slices
I am far too clumsy with knives to be trusted to hack up squash, so luckily M&S have started catering to the risk-averse amongst us with this ready made packet of large crescents of pre-prepared squash. I remember seeing a Nigel Slater recipe a while back that used this crescent style but can’t find it at the moment, so will probably try and make some form of pie with it. (I’m thinking something smoky though with chipotle?…idk.)
Korean barbecue
I’m proud of my sister for many reasons, (I come from a family of queens, what can I say) but I’m really enjoying at the moment getting to watch her get into cooking and being able to share recipes. She made Korean barbecue the other day, which I’ve never had but she reckons can be done with Quorn chicken so watch this space!
That’s all for this week, but as always do get in touch! I’d love to see if you’ve made or bought anything I’ve recommended, or if you have any ideas of what to do with butternut squash; in general though I’d love to hear your recipes, ideas or just a nice meal you had.
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