What's been happening in Philly's Food World...

IT'S BEEN A BIT quiet as far as recipes go due to unforeseen circumstances but I am delighted to  announce I’ve been working on some recipes that I should have with you very soon!

I've posted some sneak previews of elements of some of the delicious dishes hitting Philly's Food World this summer, which include: Red onion tart tatin, Chocolate fondants, and my ‘Taste of the Sea’ as well as some easy home-made bread!

Red Onion Tart Tatin
I was kindly invited to write a guest blog for the Crail Food Festival, which takes place in June, and came up with a scrumptious Rhubarb and duck egg tart, which I slightly adapted from my time spent in St. Monans as a commis under the watchful eye of Craig Millar.

As well as my dish, I am going along for a chat with chef Jimmy Graham and his wife Amanda, who are proprietors of Ostlers Close restaurant in Cupar.  Jimmy is a kean forager and prides himself on using as much locally sourced produce as possible.  The article should hopefully encourage people to eat local and spread the word about this fantastic eatery at the festival.

Bread
I recently spent a few days working at The Orangery at Balbirnie House Hotel in Markinch, where I learnt a lot from their excellent pastry chef Rob.

 It was great to work with a guy with so much knowledge and passion for food.  Rob was so precise (as top pastry chefs are) that every little detail mattered; from weighing to the exact gram to using bottled water, instead of tap and stirring things a certain way.


It was top team to work with, where everyone worked for each other and got along, whilst doing a good job at the same time. 

Tart Au Citron
Balbirnie House is renowned for their first-class weddings and on my final day, I joined the banqueting team for a stint in their kitchen.  The experience of the staff shone through here and we successfully and efficiently catered for the wedding party without any disasters!

Mike from the Fife Diet suggested I give nettles a go and having always wanted to do a bit of foraging, duly put my gloves on in search of some nettles, producing a dish recommended by Mike and the Fife diet team – ‘Nettle rarebit’.  Nettles are actually very good for you (although not when they sting you!) but I did find the flavour a little strange!  However, treat them exactly like spinach and give it a go!
Sea Bass 'Express Lunch'

 If you’re out and about in the St. Andrews area during the week, I strongly recommend popping into The Seafood Restaurant for lunch.  They offer a superb two course ‘Express Lunch’ for a bargain price of just £12.95.



Websites:

http://www.ostlersclose.co.uk/
http://www.balbirnie.co.uk/
http://www.theseafoodrestaurant.com/
http://www.16westend.com/craig-millar

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