The old ones are the best!

So as I said in my last post, it was mine and my partner's birthdays a few weeks ago. Now it's probably fair to say that we have an interesting history when it comes to buying one another gifts, but this year the other half did me proud!

A goldmine of interesting recipes to try!

We opened our presents in bed and he (a little nervously) handed me a book shaped package. I opened it to reveal a 1913 edition of Mrs Beeton's All About Cookery. What a great present!!! There's some beautiful illustrations in there, and it contains recipes for everything from mutton to rabbit to toast. My favourite so far is pig's feet and ears fricaseed! Though I haven't actually tried it out.......

Birthday goodies. Cheers!

He also got me a bottle of pink fizz and some gorgeous smoked glass champagne dishes which I'm itching to use. My main present is a baking course of some sort which I have yet to book but am very excited about! If anyone has any recommendations about good ones let me know!

A quick plug.....

.....for a local company called Jam Gourmet Doughnuts or Jam Gou Dou.

My lovely friend Emma has recently taken over as General Manager and is working her sugar-coated socks off to publicise this little bit of heaven which can be ordered online and delivered to your door (currently within a 7 - 8 mile radius of Ipswich but looking to expand). I know!! Fresh doughnuts DELIVERED TO YOU!!!! Or you can pop into various locations around Suffolk who stock these bundles of gorgeousness.

Check them out cos seriously, who doesn't like a doughnut??

http://jamgoudou.com/

The Bistro on the Quay, Ipswich, Suffolk - Visited 28 February 2013

Well, what a busy few weeks it has been! There have been birthdays, weekends away, meals out and lots of opportunities to indulge my favourite hobbies of eating and drinking.

My parter and I have the same birthday. Lovely on one hand, but also a tiny bit annoying as, come the big day, we both secretly feel that the other should be making a fuss of us! Anyway, this year our birthday celebrations began with dinner at the Bistro on the Quay in Ipswich with my family.

The Bistro is situated on the historic waterfront of Ipswich. The restaurant is housed in a former salt warehouse overlooking the marina and is easily accessible by foot, car or sail. I will say now that this is one of my favourite places to eat in Ipswich. It's not particularly flashy but it does have an interesting menu which is reasonably priced and varied. The wine list is good, and the South African Malbec that we chose went down a treat.

After opening presents and annoying the (super tolerant, friendly and helpful) staff, we ordered. Now, I really like to try new things and I always enter the Bistro with the intention of having the latest seasonal salad or sophisticated pudding, but I always always end up having the same:

• Starter: Bang Bang chicken - chunks of chicken smothered in peanut sauce served with salad. It's basically chicken satay which I adore! There are much smarter things on the menu but I just really like this.
• Main course: Sirloin steak and chips - beautifully cooked (medium for me, well done for my dad), juicy and very large piece of sirloin with tangy green peppercorn sauce, crispy salad and "hand cut chips". The chips are the the only thing that let this dish down unfortunately. In my and my sister's opinion, they were potato wedges masquerading as chips. Wedges in chips' clothing if you will. That's not to say that they weren't perfectly cooked and very tasty, but, chefs please take note, A POTATO WEDGE IS NOT A CHIP! Other than that though, a seriously tasty main course
• Pudding: Malteser cheesecake with dark chocolate ice-cream - wow! This was off the menu for a while but they have now re-introduced it, presumably because whoever took it off in the first place has received treatment for the temporary bout of insanity and realised their error. It's chocolatey, creamy and crunchy all at the same time, and the ice-cream that came with it was superb. It wasn't so much a slice, as a vast wedge of chocolatey deliciousness that I struggled to finish but manfully managed to battle through to the end.

Everyone in our party enjoyed their food. Other dishes consumed included pork and pistachio terrine, bacon and black pudding salad, smoked salmon (starters), English lamb with dauphinois potatoes, some sort of fish which I can't remember (mains), vanilla creme brulee, and Cambridge blue and Suffolk gold with chutney and biscuits (puddings). Everything was utterly delicious and we virtually rolled home afterwards as we were so full.

The service, as has always been my experience there, was excellent. The staff were attentive without being overbearing, and were all smart, knowledgeable and helpful.

We were there in the evening, but the view out over the docks.....sorry.....marina (I'm afraid having grown up in Ipswich and frequented the Malt Kiln just a bit further down the Quay from the Bistro, with other teenage miscreants - you know who you are - it will always be the docks to me, no matter how many gin palaces moor up!) is really pleasant. It's even better on a warm summer's day, as far as I can remember. I think there was one. Once. Many years ago......

I think the thing that I really like about the Bistro is that it's smart enough to feel that you're 'out out', but comfortable enough to feel that you fit in. There is also a distinct lack of foams, smears and poncy crockery which pleases me greatly! The surroundings are elegant and uncomplicated, and there is enough space to be comfortable and not feel like you should be swapping phone numbers with the table next door because you're practically sitting on their lap. The food is well chosen and well cooked, and very reasonably priced in my view. They also have various offers and set menus which mean that you can enjoy a meal out which feels like a real treat but doesn't require a second mortgage to achieve.

Overall, I would always recommend the Bistro on the Quay to anyone looking for a great feed in pleasant surroundings with fantastic service.

http://www.bistroonthequay.co.uk/index.html

Cooking Heaven

I'm SO EXCITED!!

I've booked my tickets for the BBC Good Food Show up at the Birmingham NEC (12 - 16 June 2013) and I'm going for TWO DAYS!!

I couldn't decide between seeing Saturday Kitchen Live or Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood in the thrillingly named Supertheatre, so I decided to go on Wednesday and Thursday. Found a discount code at www.hotukdeals.com/vouchers/bbcgoodfood so also got 25% off both days. Bargain! And I'm in the second row for the berry / Hollywood baking extravaganza! Roll on June!

Maybe see you there!

www.bbcgoodfoodshowsummer.com

Recipe Books

I own many recipe books. In fact, I'm starting to think it's something of an addiction. Whether they're 1970s classics purchased from car boot sales or charity shops, or shiny new volumes full of beautiful photos and complicated dishes I'm never ever going to attempt, I just love them! My favourites are definitely those which deal predominantly with baking, and I have many many examples, most of which I eagerly flick through when I get them and then only get out every so often if I'm vaguely thinking of making something and I'm looking for inspiration.

However, there is one book which I love and turn to on a regular basis. It's one that both Gummie and my mum had - The Dairy Book of Home Cookery (1978 edition). In fact, the only reason I've got my own copy is because my mum wanted hers back so she tracked down a copy for me last Christmas! It's got recipes for everything from lobster to mutton to bread, biscuits and scones. It's the only recipe book that I annotate with my own comments and amendments as I use it, and it's probably one of the few items I would try to save if our house was on fire. All the recipes are dead simple and don't require hundreds of obscure ingredients, so for beginners it's perfect.

So, much to the disquiet of my other half, I shall continue to collect recipe books to act as dust traps on our shelves. But I will always remain faithful to the simple little gem published by the Milk Marketing Board before I was born.

Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk - visited 23/24 February 2013

What a treat!!

The second stop on my days of deliciousness was dinner and an overnight stay at Kesgrave Hall, just outside Ipswich.

Kesgrave hall is an imposing, grand old pile dating from the early 19th century. It's had various functions over its lifetime, and its current incarnation is as a hotel and restaurant.

We were there en masse for a family party with guests ranging in age from 6 months to 81 years and I'll say from the start that it was wonderful! As I said in a previous post, the event had originally been organised to celebrate Gummie's 80th birthday. Sadly she passed away just before Christmas but we all felt that it would be a nice idea to go ahead with the party as a chance for us to gather and remember Gummie together.

The Portsmouth contingent (uncle, aunt, three cousins, their other halves, a 6 year old, 6 month old and large black labrador called Denzil) arrived mid-afternoon, having picked up Grampie on the way, and soon settled in to their very comfortable rooms. One of the (many) nice things about Kesgrave Hall is that they allow dogs in some of their rooms - a real bonus for those of us that struggle to be parted from our pampered pooches! 

My partner and I arrived shortly afterwards and were shown to our little bit of luxury for the night. We were in a "standard" room which, at £140 per night for a Saturday stay, wasn't cheap (my dad VERY generously offered to treat us to a night there so that we didn't have to drive the 30ish miles home after the dinner). However it really was lovely!! The room itself wasn't huge but it still managed to accommodate a very comfortable double bed, wardrobe containing mini fridge, tea/coffee making materials and matching wooden coat hangers!! Is it really snobby that it bugs me when hotels don't trust you not to nick the hangers? And heaven forfend they should be of the plastic, shop-style non-matching variety!! Anyway......... The en suite was a good size with a bath/shower which had one of those groovy, massive round chrome shower heads. The window was huge and overlooked the beautiful grounds with nice thick curtains helping to keep the heat in and freezing cold out. And I must comment on the heating. Oh my word, the heating. I don't think I've ever been anywhere so warm on a freezing February day. To be honest, we ended up turning it right down because it was getting a bit sauna-like, and I dread to think how much it must cost them to heat the place to that level, but it was nice to be so cosy for a while.

The restaurant at Kesgrave Hall is a really nice space with tasteful decorations and a very well stocked bar. The menu is extensive and changed on a regular basis. The way you have to order  your preferred combination of the dishes, side dishes, vegetable options etc, is a little on the complicated side, but once you've got the hang of it, I really rather like the informal atmosphere / smart food combo.

As there were 17 of us (plus baby) we had booked "the Mess" - a huge room containing a vast table and sumptuously comfortable chairs. It also houses a sound system and a HUGE tv, which we put to good use watching England beat France in the 6 nations early on in the evening. Did I say beat, I meant ANNIHILATE!!! He he he he!

Once everyone arrived and we had all finally organised ourselves at the table, on came the food. And, oh it was good! There was bread and olives (bread - very  very good, olives - vile as far as I'm concerned but most people seemed to think they were delicious), and then the starters. We had pre-ordered our food as we were a large party and the efficiency nazi in me was highly impressed that all our orders had been printed onto little place cards which we grabbed before we sat down and put in front of our place settings at the table so that the waiting staff didn't have to wander around the table with plates of terrine, risotto and duck spring rolls, getting more and more annoyed because we're too busy chatting to pay them the courtesy of listening to them asking what we ordered so that we get it while it's still hot!! Ahem, sorry, I used to work in a pub that did a lot of Christmas work parties and it drove me MAD that people (a) couldn't remember what they'd ordered, and (b) didn't bloody listen, so you end up wandering up and down with large and heavy plates calling out "soup...anyone for soup.....who ordered the soup.......anyone......" at increasing volume and with an ever building desire to tip it in their bloody laps!! I made the decision very early on that I wasn't cut out to be a waitress - it's a true art requiring patience and a level of tolerance for a**eholes that I just don't possess. Right, with that rant out of the way, I'll continue.

Back to the starter, I had ordered course country pate, celeriac remoulade (thinly sliced pieces of celeriac with a mustardy mayonnaise type thing - I didn't know either so looked it up!), gherkins and toasted sourdough, and it was delicious, and very substantial. The pate was chunky, meaty and really beautifully flavoured. The bread was very good, as was the remoulade. For my main course I had opted for spicy harissa chicken, pomegranate couscous and tsatziki. The chicken was very good indeed, and the couscous was tasty but I could have done without the pomegranate seeds in it if I'm completely honest. Other main courses on offer included sea bream, cod, 28 day dry aged steak, and rump of lamb. All of which were apparently superb. I must say the steak looked mouthwatering and I did get a touch of food envy when I saw it! I had decided to go for the cheese selection rather than pudding, and very good it was too! Four different types of cheese (brie, cheddar, smoked cheddar, and a blue of some sort) came out presented on a slate (bit poncy but did look quite nice) with really good seedy biscuits, celery, grapes and very nice fig chutney. The other pudding options all looked amazing and it was a bit of a shame that most of us were so full by then they didn't all get finished. My favourite was the strawberry Arctic roll (or "artic" roll as was printed on the place cards, which did make my inner pedant giggle a bit, imagining that the dessert was going to turn up the size of a massive lorry!) with elderflower and hibiscus jelly and toasted oat crumb. Sounds a bit w**ky but actually looked really pretty and, I'm told, was gorgeous! Tea, coffee and very good truffles followed to round off a seriously delicious meal.

I must say something about the service - from arrival, throughout dinner and all the way to departure every member of staff we encountered was utterly delightful. They were polite, friendly and helpful throughout, even when having to dodge a six year old Spiderman running round and round the table. Nothing was too much trouble, and the lady who was in charge of looking after us (who did tell me her name but I'm ashamed to say I've forgotten it already) was just lovely. From beginning to end every single person made sure we had everything we needed, and more, and the whole experience was an absolute pleasure.

I would highly recommend Kesgrave Hall to anyone, whether you just want a bite of lunch, a three course meal or a bit of luxury for an overnight stay. It's not cheap (though if you just want to go for a meal I don't think it's outrageous at all), but for a special treat it really is worth every penny.

www.milsomhotels.com/kesgravehall/default.aspx

The Maybush, Waldringfield, Suffolk - visited 22nd February 2013

If you want a good feed for a reasonable price, with lovely views then this is a great pub to go.

The pretty village of Waldringfield in Suffolk is quaint and peaceful, yet only 10 minutes from the A12. The Maybush Pub lies at the end of the road which runs through the village, and sits on the banks of the River Deben. It's extremely easy to find - you follow the main road until you get the end and if you get wet feet, you've gone too far!

The pub itself is pretty old (the original part of the building dates from the mid-14th century according to http://waldringfield.onesuffolk.net) and most of the interior really is charming with lots of nooks and crannies, beautiful views over the river, and a couple of cosy fireplaces (much appreciated when we went as it was bloody freezing that day!) Outside there is a huge terrace area with lots of tables overlooking the river. It's a really lovely spot in the summer, though it does get busy! There's a decent sized car park for pub patrons and also a pay and display opposite, so there's lots of space to park your ride.

Now to the food. We rocked up just before midday and the pub was already open with a few tables occupied and lots reserved. My family are not known for having sparrow-like appetites, with Grampie having a particular dislike for the tiny portions of "over-priced, poncy, mucked about rubbish" that many restaurants (and even some pubs) apparently serve these days! But he needn't have feared as the food at the Maybush is reasonably priced, down to earth and yummy! The portions are also anything but tiny, with Grampie (who opted for plaice and chips - £10.95) being presented with a piece of beautifully battered and fried fish which wasn't far off the size of your average dinner plate!

I was also hankering after something deep fried and fishy so I chose a dish of breaded seafood (£10.95) consisting of white fish goujons, scampi, scallops, prawns and calamari. It came with perfectly cooked chunky chips (actual chips, not potato wedges masquerading as chips), and fresh and crunchy salad. Again, it was a huge portion and I struggled to finish it, having to give in eventually and grudgingly leave a few chips for fear that my stomach would actually explode. It was hot, delicious, and really hit the spot. My mum went for Whitby scampi (£9.95) which she said was also scrummy.

Two of my bugbears are poor service and horrid toilets, neither of which are a problem at the Maybush. The staff were friendly, the food came out really quickly, and the loos were clean and had heating. Am I the only one that hates having to shiver when spending a penny??

The menu at the Maybush isn't particularly posh but I've never had a disappointing meal there and would unhesitatingly recommend it for anyone. There's a variety of pub-type dishes from homemade pies, lasagne, burgers etc, gorgeous looking sandwiches, and salads, and a daily changing range of specials (the anti-pasti sounded really tasty). There is also a tempting array of cakes and puddings which we were sadly too stuffed to fit in! They seem more than happy to cater for families with a fairly extensive children's menu. It was very busy when we left so it's probably worth booking if there's several of you, but if you're only a few and you don't mind waiting for a few minutes, it's a great place for an impromptu treat.

Definitely recommended - check it out!! www.debeninns.co.uk/maybush