Pitt Cue Co Cookbook

I have been trying to control my urges to buy new cookery books for a while now, because I don’t have any shelf space left for new ones, but one that I simply couldn’t resist is the new Pitt Cue Co. “The Cookbook” this was definitely right up my street, there’s been a real buzz about the Pitt Cue Co. that’s even reached out as far as Devon. They started out in a catering trailer and have gone from strength to strength with a new restaurant in Soho.

They hold all the values for food that I hold dear, best quality meat utilizing the cheaper cuts there’s a recipe here for Buffalo Pigs’ Tails, some wonderful side dishes, such as the fennel cured pork scratchings above, cocktails and shooters, such as the infamous Pickleback, Bourbon and Pickle juice above which works so well . But mainly there are some great and inspiring BBQ ideas that step out of the boundaries of most peoples idea of what BBQ food is.

The photography is pretty awesome too. All in all inspiring stuff, if you haven’t got this book yet, then you should go and get it now.

Rahilas Fragrant White Chicken Korma

I’m not really one for ready meals it must be said, but this one had piqued my interest, I had seen snippets of the series Food Glorious Food that had recently finished with winner Rahila Hussain, with her series winning Fragrant White Chicken Korma. So when I saw it in M&S and knowing that I had some busy days ahead at work, and so would appreciate the ease of a quick curry.

The curry was sold on its fragrance, which when the tray was pierced was very evident. What wasn’t quite so appealing was the colour and texture, looking quite grainy and an off grey colour. I served mine on a bed of Pilau with some garlic and coriander nan breads, and as suggested sprinkled a little chopped coriander over the top.

As I said the colour wasn’t particularly appealing, and there was no obvious other colours present. When warmed for 4 minutes in a microwave… the fragrance was definitely there. A bit spicier than most other kormas with a nutty yoghurty texture and some good chunks of chicken thigh meat were good, for me thigh meat in a curry is so much preferable to bland breast meat.

It certainly was tasty and appealing, but I really couldn’t see the massive fuss to be honest. I think a good well spiced homemade curry would be preferable to my palate, but maybe I’m just a bit of a food snob…….

If you’ve tried the curry I’d like to hear what you thought?

Perfect Alfresco lunch

One of my all time favourite meals has to be crab sandwich and chips while sat on a beach, though quite often it fails to hit the spot perfectly, well I have just found my ultimate alfresco lunch today at the Hive Beach Cafe  at Burton Bradstock in Dorset http://www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk/ on our way back from a family holiday, we stopped here, and were very pleasantly surprised.

You can eat your meal or have a coffee and cake a few metres from the beach in the most wonderful surroundings. We shared a pot of crayfish to start, delicious, and I was easily tempted by the crab sandwich and chips, thickly filled with delicious hand picked dorset crab, and spot on chips, while my wife had a smoked salmon and cream cheese ciabatta which she thoroughly enjoyed.

The menu was wonderful with seasonal fresh local fish, from sardines and mackerel to sea bass and even lobster with chips.

We will be certainly returning to try further of these delights.