As I sit and write this it is hot! Unusually for the UK, it has been hot for weeks, and the heatwave is only set to continue. Luckily, I live by the coast and when I’m not at home writing blogs about food, you can almost certainly find me at the beach swimming in the […]
It's long been known that Spiced Red Cabbage is secretly Rudolph's favourite food, but did you know that he prefers it with a subtle hint of juniper? He also loves how the fruity sharpness that comes with pickling cut's so beautifully through your Christmas Dinner. Not to mention that this simple recipe can be done well in advance, saving loads of time and effort on the big day.
It’s Christmas Eve. Somewhere in the North Pole a little boy wearing blue striped pajamas, an old red dressing gown and threadbare slippers blinks through the blizzard. He knows that a little way yonder he will find a cozy cottage, a herd of magical reindeer and a warming cup of mulled apple juice (Father Christmas is a member of the Kitchen Table Revolution after all).
For me, the most important thing about Christmas is all the glorious grub. From the Christmas Day feast and all those tremendous trimmings, to Boxing day Breakfast, It’s the one time of year when I really get to indulge in loads of fabulous food. I don’t like to scrimp on either quality or quantity, so inevitably there are plenty of leftovers which would be an absolute crime to waste.
One of the main reasons Bangers and Balls have come up with the Halloween festival is to prize children away from their screens and spend some good, old fashioned, family time together. We are creating bonds and memories that will last a lifetime, either out in nature or around the kitchen table.
That being said, we at Bangers and Balls don’t think that the screen is the root of all evil. What we do believe is that story is what brings us all together, and story on screen is no exception. The Magic of the Movies is something that can enchant and bewitch us all, young and old. Something that, when experienced together as a family, has the power to unite us in delight, fear, excitement and joy.
t’s a bit of a cliche these days to say that Christmas comes earlier each year. In the Kitchen Table Revolution, we started preparing for yuletide festivities way back in January when we set aside a special jar of home-made marmalade. It continues throughout the year, having just bottled our stash of Sloe Gin and visited a pear tree (minus the partridge) to gather the main ingredients for this weekend's make; Rosehip and Pear Jelly (see recipe below). The perfect alternative to cranberry sauce to go with this year's Turkey.
Researching for this blog I opened a veritable Pandora's box of folklore. Apparently juniper could be used for anything from Protecting your home from thieves and witches, treating burns and even a vaginal douche. Oh, and making Gin of course.
It is my job to distill the stories to the very spirit of what this seemingly powerful plant meant to our ancestors and indeed still means to many people today. This is no mean feat, as Juniper turns out to be one of the most widespread shrubs in the Northern Hemisphere, being found from the arctic tundra in the North, right to the edge of the tropics in the South, and everywhere in between.
Come with me now on a journey through time and space, to the fifth dimension of flavour, Umami. It’s the dawn of time. Our ancestor is examining the remains of her charred jungle home after narrowly escaping a devastating forest fire with her life. Just a little way from the edge of where the inferno […]
When I think of Native Americans I am guilty of being influenced more by old cowboy films than real life. In my mind I see feather headdresses, redskins and peace pipes. I also hear the very haunting, smooth montage music as my ‘Indian Brave’ is at one with nature and sending smoke signals across the […]
Myth: Foraging is harmful to the environment and not sustainable and should be avoided for both personal use and commercial gain. The Wild Food trend continues to grow in the uk, with more and more restaurants and supermarkets offering foraged foods to their customers as the demand for delights like wild garlic, ceps and elderflower […]