Great Gaddesden Food and Flower Festival

Recently I was passed details about a local Food Fayre and Flower Festival happening in Great Gaddesden, just outside Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted on the weekend of the 21st September 2013. I really enjoy attending local events, and supporting local food producers and charities, and so I was happy to give this event a mention on the blog as it looks like a really great event to attend. 

There will be a flower festival running from Friday 20th September to Sunday 22nd September, which will include an evening Reception and light Classical Concert on the Friday, and an evening of Jazz amongst the flowers on the Saturday, with a celebration service on the Sunday. The Church will be open over the weekend to view Flower Displays and artwork from local artists such as Gordon Beningfield, and Merlin Howells, plus an art exhibition from school children. 

On Saturday 21st September, there will also be a Food Fayre with many local producers attending, a cheese talk, kids stalls and a BBQ and refreshments.

I would definitely recommend going along if you are able to. There is more information here

Featured Guest Post: Five Compelling Reasons to Go Vegetarian

A person may be of a vegetarian persuasion, or simply love vegetables, but does that necessarily mean that they should jump ship and abandon meat all together? Here are some compelling reasons to turn vegetarian or incorporate a mostly vegetable diet; leaving aside the more political question of animal cruelty.

1. It's Fulsome and Satisfying

It is an absolute myth that vegetables leave people feeling unsatisfied. There are plenty of ways to jazz up vegetable dishes and vegetarian recipes can be just as decadent, satisfying and filling as meat dishes. There is the creaminess of roasted aubergine, the earthiness of field mushrooms with the sharpness of blue cheese, the savoury notes of artichoke, and so many more flavours to enjoy.

2. Real Men Eat Vegetables

There's another cultural myth that was perpetuated many years ago by advertising, that real men need to eat red meat. So much so that during the war, when food was scarce, guess who got the meat?! It’s firmly ingrained in our culture, that it's a manly thing to do, to tend a BBQ and eat pork chops, but those who are fit and healthy often eat more vegetables than meat. Of course, meat contains proteins that are essential for body growth, but vegetables like asparagus, and pulses like chick peas also contain a high amount of protein.

3. It's Easier to Slip into that Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Bikini

Studies have shown that vegetarianism can be a good weight loss diet. Vegetarians are three times less likely to be obese in comparison to meat eaters. Of course, there may still be skinny meat eaters and overweight vegetarians. However, the odds are stacked in your favour for being slim, if you are on a vegetarian diet.

4. It Prevents Heart Disease and Cancer

The risk of getting two of the biggest killers in the western world, cancer and heart disease, can be significantly reduced with a vegetarian diet. Studies have shown that saturated fat contained in meat, has been linked in arterial blockage in the heart. Alternately, a vegetarian diet is an active preventative method in preventing and reversing the effects of heart disease. Dr. T Colin Campbell, author of 'The China Study' on disease and diet, states that ''no chemical carcinogen is nearly so important in causing human cancer as animal protein''.

5. It's Trendy

For once there's finally a celebrity trend that is actually worth taking notice of. There are plenty of cool people who have taken up the vegetarian cause with aplomb. Peter Dinklage, Joaquin Phoenix and Anne Hathaway are just a few names who’ve been nominated for PETA’s Celebrity Vegetarian 2013.

If you still need more compelling reasons to get on a vegetarian diet, have a look at some scrumptious vegetarian recipes and get motivated!

Disclosure: Article provided by Alison Wright - who a freelance writer and enjoys cooking in her spare time. Please read my disclosure policy for information about featured posts. 

Review: The Hungry Student Cookbook Collection

Every year, thousands of students fly the nest to take up a place at University, the great majority having little more culinary talent than being able to boil an egg, or heat spaghetti hoops in a pan  Many parents may be concerned about their children eating a healthy, balanced diet during their University career, whilst desperately hoping that they don’t end up surviving on either the typical student diet of economy brand tinned foods, or going down the expensive takeaways route.

Enter a refreshing revelation to the Student Cook-book Market....“The Hungry Student Cookbook” series. The series includes three different titles – “The Hungry Student Cookbook” "The Hungry Student Easy Baking” and “The Hungry Student Vegetarian Cookbook”. Having recipe-tested some of the recipes myself for these books in their production stages, I can safely say that these recipes really are delicious, wholesome, and foolproof. Best of all, there is a whole title dedicated to Vegetarian cooking, rather than vegetarian recipes being an after-thought, as you may find in many other budget cook books. These books make a great housewarming present for either the complete novice or the more-practiced chef. Packed with recipes which can be made using budget-friendly ingredients, they are a must-have on the reading list for uni.

The Hungry Student Cookbook
The book includes some great tips for purchasing store-cupboard basics, and watching your own budget,  it also includes tips on hygiene, cooking basics, and safe storage of food. Sections include Pasta, Stir-Fries, Soups, Stews, Curries, Easy Dinners, Feeding Friends, and the aptly named “The Morning After”.  My favourite section has to be the “In Bread and On Toast” section. Having been in that situation where you may have bread, but not much else in the place, this section offers some fantastic suggestions for tasty meals featuring bread as the main ingredient including Croqoue Madame, Garlic, Mushroom, Avocado and Mozzarella Wrap, and Goats Cheese Olive and Spinach Panini.

The Hungry Student Vegetarian Cookbook
This book features many similarities to it’s carnivorous counterpart – with sections on food basics, store cupboard essentials, kitchen hygiene and cooking and food storage basics. There is also a great section on “keeping it veggie” to help vegetarians know what to look out for at the supermarket if they are not used to navigating ingredients. The book also contains the same sections as the non-veggie version, but the recipes are replaced with fantastic Vegetarian alternatives. Even if a student is not vegetarian, it is typically cheaper to eat vegetarian food, and you want to hope students won't be eating meat and fish every night, so this book is a definite must have.

The Hungry Student Easy Baking
Guaranteed to wow new friends, or old friends, and family when they come to visit, this guide to Baking will leave you looking like a budding contestant for the Great British Bake Off, and even guarantee some serious extra curricular charity fundraising with all of the delicious treats you would be able to create. The book includes a list of key baking ingredients and explains the basics of baking to get you started. With healthier options such as Pumpkin and Orange Muffins, classic dishes such as Peach-Upside Down Cake, or the more adventurous Margarita Cupcakes, you are sure to find something to bake for every occasion.  The book features Small Bakes, Big Cakes, Loaf Cakes, Cookies, Tray Bakes, Breakfast Baking, Easy Breads, and Baked Desserts.

The books also include equipment lists, much of which can be bought cheaply at the local supermarket to equip your student kitchen, or perhaps as a leaving present the family could club together to create an essential kitchen kit.

I absolutely love this really great set of cook books. Although predominantly targeted at students, they are ideal for anyone who wants to eat healthily on a budget, especially if they don’t have much cooking experience and want some simple, delicious, healthy recipes to follow. I would definitely recommend buying these books. I love the style of the author, the no-nonsense ingredients used which are simple to source at the supermarket, and the fuss-free, easy-to-follow recipes which use simple techniques to create great tasting foods.

The gap in the market has definitely been filled by this fantastic series. As the book suggests, don’t leave home without it!

I would even go so far as to say, don’t enter the kitchen without it!

Disclosure: Cookbooks received in consideration for review

Veggie Spots of the Week: September 2nd 2013

So, after a lovely holiday with patchy, if ever working "free wifi" internet connection, I am now back at home linked up to my lovely broadband with an internet connection that means I can upload whatever I want to the world wide web (hurrah!).

Today I am introducing (or perhaps reintroducing) a new feature to the blog: Veggie Spots. Veggie Spots will feature a round-up of Vegetarian news, products and items each week - so here goes!

Veggie Spots #1

Daisy's Urban Cafe in Lowestoft, Suffolk. I enjoyed a delicious Vegetarian Burger at the newly opened Daisy’s Urban Café in Lowestoft Suffolk during our holiday recently. I had the Blue Cheese and Flixton Mushroom Risotto served in a Burger Bun with Chips. It was absolutely divine - fresh ingredients and freshly made. They have some fantastic Vegetarian options, and also some great meat options too – all locally sourced. The kids loved their freshly made milkshakes, which were included in with the kids meal offer, and they also serve other milkshakes and ice creams made with local ingredients in really interesting flavours. We received fantastic service, and I think this restaurant deserves to be busier than it is, for offering something different in the local area. I just hope it's still there the next time we visit. Do go and give the restaurant a try, and spread the word if you are in the local area. Daisys Urban Farm Kitchen don't seem to have embraced the internet yet - but they are right opposite the harbour in Lowestoft as you enter the town centre from the beach - definitely worth a look!

Disclosure: I paid for my meal

Veggie Spots #2

The Mermaid Fish and Chip Shop - Lowestoft. From a really good meal, straight to one of the worst places I have ever visited. I ordered a "Vegetarian Burger" which I was then informed could only be served cooked in batter - and cooked in the same fat as the fish and everything else was being cooked in.  I declined the Veggie Burger, and got hassle for daring to ask for something Vegetarian.  I then ordered food for the rest of the family as there wasnt much else available. I wish I hadn't bothered, the food was absolutely revolting (see picture - disgusting!) I also received what can only be described as abuse, and shockingly bad customer service for daring to order something vegetarian - it just goes to show how pig-headed some people really are in thinking that its enough to have a token vegetarian menu item, but still cooking it in the same fat and wrapping it in the same packaging as fish and chips. Those who are serving vegetarian food alongside non-veggie food really need to get their kitchens in order to make sure their food actually is vegetarian if they are advertising it as such. Very disappointing.

Veggie Spots #3

“World Food Café – Quick and Easy Recipes from a Vegetarian Journey”. 

A new vegetarian recipe book has recently been published by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott - "World Food Cafe - Quick and Easy Recipes from a Vegetarian Journey" 

This is a great recipe book which features Vegetarian dishes from various countries of the world including Bangladesh, Japan, Laos, and Chile. The third in a series of World Café recipe books, this book details recipes collected by the authors on their journeys around the world. Each section includes a write-up about the country and typical ingredients and dishes found in the country.  The great thing about the recipes in this book are that they originate from all kinds of different places – cafes by the side of the road, mountainside cooking tents, home kitchens, pop-up events and more up-market restaurants - so there is a real variety of recipes featured.

There are some interesting recipes such as Lychee and Rose Coconut Milk from Burma, Mushroom Cerviche from Chile, and Chakalaka from Namibia. I really like the look of some of the recipes in this book. Although some of the ingredients may be a little harder to sources in some places, we are quite lucky in that we have some great international food sections in the larger supermarkets and so the ingredients will hopefully be readily available in most places.

If you are already an accomplished cook, and you like to use interesting ingredients to create delicious new dishes from around the world, then this is definitely the book for you!

 “World Food Café – Quick and Easy Recipes from a Vegetarian Journey” is available from all major retailers, with an RRP of £20 and is published by Frances Lincoln Publishers. Disclosure: Book sent in consideration for review. 

Veggie Spots #4

Anjum Anand Spice Tailor Sauces

Cookery writer and TV Chef Anjum Anand, who hosts the TV cookery show "Indian Food Made Easy" has a new range of original sauces developed under the banner of "The Spice Tailor". Anand's visison was to develop a range that is authentic, tastes homemade and doesn't take too long to prepare.

Sauces in The Spice Tailor range include: Original Tikka Masala, Rustic Rogan Josh and  Keralan Coconut Curry. I was sent one of each sauce to sample. I really liked the way that they are packaged - you receive the base sauce, then the sauce to add extra flavour. Specially selected spices accompany each sauce, for you to add at your leisure. I think that this is a really fantastic way to package the sauces as they look really interesting, and it also takes the guess work out of how much of each spice to add. 

The sauces are all vegetarian, and made with fresh ingredients with no artifical colours, flavours and preservatives. They are a great addition to your kitchen cupboard, especially if you sometimes find yourself short of time to cook as I do - you can knock up an absolutely delicious curry in less than fifteen minutes - amazing! You could also opt to slow cook the dish to allow the ingredients to marinate together over an hour or more for a really rich-tasting curry - whichever you prefer! As the autumn approaches, I think this could be a great thing to use in the slow cooker - bung all of the ingredients in the slow cooker with your vegetables or other protein, and leave to cook all day. I can just imagine coming home to a delicious curry in the evening, knowing that it was prepared with minimum fuss. 

The Spice Tailor range is available to buy from Ocado, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Booths and selected Tesco’s stores. The online price is £2.89. Disclosure: Sauces sent in consideration for review

Veggie Spots #5
New Research
Some new research this week, found that a vegetarian diet may help protect against heart disease and cancer. Researchers in Dumfries, Scotland, found that levels of salicylic acid - the active ingredient of aspirin, are up to twelve times higher in vegetarians. An analysis of blood samples from thirty seven vegetarians, and thirty nine fish and meat eaters found a striking difference in levels of salicylic acid, suggesting that a vegetarian diet may play a role in protecting against heart disease and reducing the risk of certain types of cancer.

However, the rise in the salicyclic levels of a vegetarian diet does not act as a substitute to actually taking aspirin. Researchers found that those (such as diabetics) who regularly take aspirin to lower the risk of heart disease had even higher salicylic levels than vegetarians. A plant based diet, rich in fruit and vegetables may behave like aspirin to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer - and that can only be a good thing - another thumbs up for the vegetarian diet!