A lovely joint of Norfolk reared beef, carved at the chef's table in full view of the kitchen at this renowned Norfolk restaurant - the perfect place to take our Dad out for a birthday lunch - and back to the village where he grew up.
So Granny has agreed to have the reception at her house, which has saved the problem of finding a suitable venue and no doubt saved Wills and Kate a bit of money too. As we're in·the year of austerity perhaps a delivery from Iceland could be arranged? A thirty-six piece chicken platter followed by·a thirty-six·piece dessert platter would only set them back £10. What's more you can design, print or email your invites from the website and use the party planning tool to work out quantities and menus, so there would be no·need for Lady Elizabeth Anston·to sort things out for them, and a few more quid could be saved. Beef is likely be on the menu on April 29th·and·hundreds of bottles of vintage wine and port are being earmarked for the big day from the underground vaults of the Treasury at Whitehall.· The Queens Red Poll herd at Sandringham were·under 24 hour guard since the wedding announcement but by now·the beasts will have been dispatched and should be·hanging to mature nicely - ready to be turned into cottage pies,·Wills' favourite food. Cakes too have changed over the years. I made my own, tradional three tier, royal-iced fruit cake. but Kate is apparently a chocoholic and may go for something more unusual. How about a cookie cake?·Or maybe your relationship started over a playstation?!
I catered for weddings for most of the 90’s. It's hard work, but usually a lot of fun. Not only did I organise the food and drink but it was not uncommon to carry out other unusual tasks, and of course not everything goes according to plan. Re-gravelling the drive is an old favourite at the country house wedding - impressive - until cars arriving at the reception become firmly embedded, requiring all hands on deck to push them out again.
One request to have all food served by identical twins, each with a a pair of Dalmatians forming the welcome party, was probably the most bizarre. A modelling agency provided the twins, most of whom had never served food before and stood around looking anorexic and useless. Luckily most of the guests were on diets too so weren’t bothered that the canapés weren't flowing. And I wonder if the Middletons and Wales’s families will end up having a punch up in the car park?
I had the misfortune once of being invited to a 'dry' wedding. There was going to be wine, but guests were expected to buy it from an overpriced bar. I decided to take matters into my own hands and bought a nice big 5 litre wine box and a roll of wedding paper. Wrap the wine box up in the paper, having located and released the tap first. As you arrive at the wedding, gift under your arm, hang on to it - insisting that you need to personally present it - you can now put the box on the table and pour to your hearts content. You'll make lots more friends and can join in the foodie party games too!
If I presented sweet potato soup and fennel quiche and then ripped open my shirt to show off my Masterchef tattoo would I stay in the competition?
Here are some of them - nice flyer too, Woodbridge!
This tea room won Suffolk magazine's Food and Drink Award last year for best tea or coffee shop, and I always wondered what that big teapot sign led to - we really liked the lemon cake.
When you walk into the shop and cafe expect a cheerful hello and the aroma of delicious things. Lord Iveagh - of the Guinness family - has a whole section dedicated to Guinness inspired products and a room full of sweets including farm - produced fudge, shelves are filled as you might expect to see in Harrods and there's a cafe|restaurant with rather loud upbeat music and well sourced food. On this occasion only time for the cheese scone and a capppuccino - both very good - but please don't microwave my scone.
http://www.elveden.com/shops-and-restaurant/food-and-wine.asp
According to this weekend's OFM wine feature, so we need to go to Bar Pepito in London and see what they've got or do another Ryanair weekend sherry-tasting-for-teenagers in Jerez.
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Stopped at Beccles market last week for suffolkfoodie 'research' and saw the blackboard with pea and mint soup so had to search it out. Found a great little stall selling the soup complete with homemade croutons, great homemade preserves ( mostly foraged fruit and veg) and cakes. Came home with a cup of soup, six chocolate and cherry biscuits and a bottle of plum sauce ( secret recipe!) All for a fiver!
More...
...on BBC Radio Suffolk for Foodie Friday and I'm getting a bit nervous, but just have a look at that mouthwatering (and dead easy) cheesecake recipe and drool...
Vanilla and Orange Mascarpone Cheesecake with Rhubarb Compote
Written by Claire
Vanilla, Orange and Mascarpone Cheesecake
Makes a 7in/18cm cheesecake to serve 8
For the base
- 50g/2oz butter
- 175g/7oz digestive biscuits
- Half a tablespoon honey
Melt the butter and honey over a very low heat.
Crush the digestive biscuits and stir into the melted butter until well mixed.
Press the rubble-like mixture in a loose bottomed 7in/18cm tin and place in the fridge to chill.
For the cheesecake topping
- 200g/8oz cream cheese
- 200g/8oz mascarpone
- 75g/3oz caster sugar
- Rind and juice of 1 orange
- 200ml/8floz double cream ( whipped into soft peaks)
- 1 vanilla pod or a drop of vanilla essence
Beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, sugar, orange rind and juice together in a bowl.
Fold in the whipped cream and the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod. Mix well.
Spread the cheesecake mixture onto the biscuit base and chill.
Serve with the Roasted Rhubarb and Orange compote.
This recipe can be easily adapted - if you add lime or lemon to the mixture instead of orange, and it can be served in summer with a raspberry coulis.
Roasted rhubarb and orange compote
- 700g/1.5lb rhubarb
- 150g/5oz caster sugar
- Juice and zest of one orange
Wash and chop the rhubarb into 2in/5cm lengths and place in an ovenproof dish with the sugar, orange zest and juice.
Bake in a preheated oven 375F/190C Gas 5 for about 25 minutes or until soft. Stir gently to release the juices, trying not to lose the shape of the rhubarb. Cool and serve.
Wholemeal crunchy ginger shortbread - a shortbread type ginger biscuit to bake in a tray and that I couldn't resist with my cup of tea today. The wholemeal flour makes it healthy doesn't it?
We used our Pakenham flour to make ginger crunch - and they are so delicious. If, like HRH, you want to pay the water mill a visit, they have workshops and open days and their own tea -room, and someone has been milling there for a thousand years! www.pakenhamwatermill.co.uk
