Today is the first day of Ramadan and this year it falls on some of the longest days of the year. Over a billion Muslims around the world will begin fasting from dawn till dusk, refraining from eating and drinking, as a way to strengthen their faith. In the UK the days could be as long as 16 hours - a challenge that lasts for 30 days until July 17th.
Look what had appeared on the wall opposite my house when I got home after the weekend.
Is there a better way to spend a lazy afternoon than sitting and enjoying a Luxury Afternoon Tea, overlooking Neptune Marina and from the comfort of the chic Salthouse Harbour Hotel? Myself and a carefully selected afternoon tea aficionado arrived to a warm welcome from Hollie. The champers arrived first - Dom Ruinart (from the oldest Champagne house in France) We chose English Breakfast from the selection of 10 loose-leaf teas and tucked straight into a good home made sausage roll; egg mayonnaise sandwiches that were well seasoned and freshly cut, cheese scones filled with cream cheese and tomatoes were the big boys on the block and an open smoked salmon sandwich was colourful and delicately topped with a frond of fresh dill. Up a layer on the vibrant bue and rather wobbly cake stand to the sweet section. Favourites here were the mini chocolate éclairs, light, bursting with fresh cream and drizzled with chocolate. Macarons were a delicate yellow and filled with a zingy lemon curd. A fruit tartlet not mentioned on the menu was colourful with sliced strawberries, raspberry and kiwi fruit on a crème patissiere. Oh the calories! Deep breath, a little rest, the teapot topped up.
The next round included the soft creamy cupcake - we were divided on opinion, I said a little boring, companion said light and deliciously vanilla flavoured. There was flapjack and a chocoholics delight of rich, dark chocolate mousse on a crunchy biscuit base. We still had the scones to go! Whilst having a breather we discussed whether the clotted cream or the jam should go on first. These were excellent freshly baked scones, served warm, soft crumb in the middle and crisp crust. We cut them in half and tried it the Cornish way - jam on top - and then the Devon way - cream on top. Either way the afternoon tea was excellent.
On Brick Lane, of course it's complete madness, but only because you didn't think of it first - and they have jobs!
PettaFiesta will be holding another weekend of music, film and fun for all ages on the weekend of 11th and 12th July. It's a ticket only event so visit the PettaFiesta website to book. Saturday night features a communal supper cooked on the campfire by us - the suffolkfoodie team - an outdoor screening of Carousel, a not-too-horror movie, a late night cheesy disco and karaoke - keeping you entertained well into the night. Bring a tent and wake up in the morning to the glorious dawn chorus and a Sunday spent strolling the pretty garden. The Little House of Cooking will be making brunch and afternoon tea for sale on Sunday.
Food Revolution Day. Jamie Oliver the rapper ...take a look
Well tonight I managed to get a question in at the Radio 4 recording of the culinary panel show The Kitchen Cabinet, which took place at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds. The panel led by Jay Rayner included Sophie Wright (chef and author) Masterchef champion Tim Anderson, Food Historian Dr Annie Gray and Bury St Edmunds born Chef/Musician Andi Oliver. Listen to the programme on Saturday May 23rd at 10.30am. It's the last question and I use my real name!
Here's a recipe for for our deliciously creamy ranch dip which is the perfect accompaniment to our southern fried chicken or for spooning onto a barbecued beef steak. It's good to serve as a dip with celery sticks, carrot batons and cucumber too. It's quick and easy to make and doesn't require exact measurements if you're in a hurry. Use any soft and creamy blue cheese for the dip with a more crumbly cheese to fold in for texture. You can thin it with a little milk if you fancy using it to dress a salad.
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Add all the ingredients except for the crumbly cheese into a bowl
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blitz
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until as smooth as you fancy
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crumble more cheese in and leave chunky or blitz a little more
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Made on site, at the build up for the 1st European Games, Asberbaijan. The creative team from the UK fancied some home comforts. They sent me a picture of the results and the recipe:
One packet cake mix from a local Baku supermarket. (instructions in Russian)
Some water to add to the cake mix.
A 2 litre paint cup and stick for mixing.
An old camping oven found on site.
A coerced Quarter Master to keep an eye on the cakes and remove from the oven once cooked. (the team were working)
A plastic bag to mix the icing and use with the corner cut off to decorate the buns.
Tah Dah!
From 8th - 22nd May visit Ipswich and take part in the Food and Drink Forknight, celebrating all that’s good and great in the local food scene. There should be something to tickle your tastebuds. Try the very special Afternoon Tea at The Salthouse Harbour Hotel. Read all about our visit on the Ipswich Central website and check out the special offer during the Forknight.