Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts

Friday, May 13

Soi 101 - Bangkok Street Food Pop Up Kitchen


Soi 101, Bangkok street food pop up kitchen @ proud Mary will host a one off street food banquet on the 15th & 16th of May.




Glasgow’s first Bangkok Street Food Pop-Up will throw a one off 5 course street food banquet including drinks across 2 days on the 15th and 16th of May in their temporary home at Proud Mary Late Night Bar at 25 Queen St with seating’s from 3pm until 10pm.

The specially created tasting menu from Chef Noi Orathai ranges from twists on popular favorites to all new contemporary dishes to give you an unrivalled flavor of south-east Asia and an authentic taste of Bangkok right here in Glasgow.

Places for the banquet are limited to 200 across the two dates with tickets priced at £25 on sale at Proud Mary and through online ticket store www.eventcube.oi with a £5 deposit and the remainder payable on the day.

Friday, April 22

Top Tips for Food Photography with The Weegie Kitchen

Mairi is a full-time PhD researcher who blogs over at The Weegie Kitchen to escape academic life. She’s a self-confessed junk food addict whose one true talent in life lies solely in her roast potatoes. Her blog has a host of easy recipes which can be whipped up after a long day in the office.

1.Lighting

The first rule to remember when photographing food it to never, under any circumstances, use the flash. I think this rule applies to all photography in fact. Unless you’ve had professional training that beautiful dish you’ve created will look wholly unappetising if you use the flash. Aim to shoot during the day and in northern light. North light is cleaner, sharper and will produce more naturalistic looking photographs. This may mean you have to schedule cooking and photographing to coincide with the hours of daylight, which can be very problematic during the winter months. However a blog schedule should help overcome this. If that isn’t possible try creating a lightbox, you can find a tutorial here. 




2.Depth of field

Playing around with depth of field can add a really interesting dynamic to your pictures. This allows you to focus on areas of interest or get up close and personal to elements of the food you want to showcase. So have a flick through the camera manual and look for information on the AV (aperture priority) mode. A small aperture setting on your camera will produce a shallow depth of field (i.e. where the background is blurred) while a larger aperture will produce sharper images overall. 


3.Before and After

When reading blogs or online food magazines I find it very reassuring to know what each stage of the recipe looks like so I know what I’m doing is correct. Take bread for example. The process of mixing the flour & water together can be a worrying phase no matter how many times you’ve made it. It’s gooey, lumpy and just doesn’t appear to be coming together. So consider taking pictures of the preparation as well as the final dish.

To capture those critical action shots you may need to adjust the shutter speed on your camera, a fast shutter speed will produce sharp images of action shots. Also set the camera on continuous shooting mode which will produce a selection of images.


4. White crockery

In my opinion, the crockery on which food is served for photography should always be white. White plates mean the food is the focal point of the shot and you then have flexibility with adding colour via props and background, or you could stick to an all-white theme (beautiful in my opinion) and add interest by layering linen and crockery. Yes there are exceptions to this rule and you can achieve some beautiful shots by contrasting the colour of the food with the colour of the plate.

If you do want to upgrade your crockery for blogging then don't bother buying a whole new dinner set. Just invest in 1 white dinner plate, 1 white side plate and 1 white bowl to get you started and then start to add a random piece of colourful crockery. This is where IKEA and TK Maxx becomes a food bloggers dream. 


5.Set the scene

Consider the dish you're creating and the theme of the meal then scour your home and garden for props to set the scene. Most food bloggers accumulate a cupboard-full of props over time but if you're starting out you’ll be amazed how your home and garden can produce props from anything. For example, I've used a tartan bow tie as a napkin holder for a Burns night meal and foraged golden leaves from the park for my pumpkin pies. Anything can be used to set the scene if you let your imagination wander and Pinterest is a fab place for inspiration.


While you’re hunting for props think about the surface and backdrop of the shot. My favourite surface is my white dining table pushed against a white wall. This neutral backdrop means I can play around with different themes, colours and props. Alternatively my reclaimed pallet coffee table is excellent for creating a cosier rustic feel to the shot. So play around with surfaces (dining table, coffee table, kitchen counter) and materials (tablecloths, marble paper, tarnished baking trays) to reflect the tone and theme of the dish.

A final point to consider when setting the scene is to make the shot look ‘lived in’. Think about catalogues and pictures of beds where the bed-covers turned down oh-so invitingly and apply this same concept to your food photography and draw the readers in, make them WANT to take a bite of that delicious meal. 


6.Scrap perfection

Plates, glasses, cutlery etc. should all be scrupulously clean before photographing however that doesn't mean you need to aim for perfection in the whole shot. You'll never find me plating up food with tweezers before photographing. I'm a blogger after all, not a professional food stylist and in my mind, home cooking isn’t supposed to look like an advert for a Michelin-starred restaurant. So within reason, embrace the mess. Icing dripping down a cake, cookie crumbs and cheese oozing out of a burger are what draw me in and make my mouth water.


Find Mairi... 

Blog | Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Why not click here to see Mairi from the Weegie Kitchen's last guest post for us. It is all about how to make a coffee table from an old pallet! 

Wednesday, December 9

Daffy's Premium Gin with Gerry's Kitchen


The increasing popularity of gin seems to be showing no signs of stopping and Scotland has become a huge distilling pot for artisan producers who are bringing their own version of 'Mother's Ruin' to the market.

When I visited The Good Food Show Scotland at Glasgow's SECC recently, there were a number of gin producers in attendance who were all doing a roaring trade as the public went wild for their gin. In fact, there was one gin producer that was so busy that I never managed to get anywhere near their stand, and that was Daffy's Gin. Fortunately, I did manage to catch up with the team at Daffy's a few weeks later when they were attending The Foodies Festival at the EICC in Edinburgh.

The first bottle of Daffy's Gin rolled off of the production line exactly one year ago today (01/12/14) but despite this, Daffy's can proudly boast to being 'the finest copper pot single batch distilled gin' in the world after the IWSC presented them with a gold award at the first time of asking. This coupled with distinctive branding and imagery and a quirky brand name steeped in history - Daffy was the Goddess of Gin and first written about in the 1700's - Daffy's Gin may well be the new kid on the block but have big plans to be the gin of choice to the discerning drinker.

I managed to catch up with Chris Molyneaux, creator of Daffy's Gin, at The Foodies Festival and disputed the crowds gathering round the stand, he was able to give me a quick introduction to Daffy's as well as sending me off with the better part of a quarter bottle of gin to enjoy at home.



Here's Chris's story;

How did you get started?

When I was 14 by grandfather opened my eyes to the glamorous world of wine. I then wrote off to a load of vineyards in France where I trained as a winemaker and learnt to distill. I always had a dream of one day founding my own drinks company and it all came together a few years ago in a conversation with a good distilling friend where we decided that the world needed a London Dry Gin so good that you could drink it straight like the finest of malt whiskies. So I started working on inventing a new distilling process and recipe and in December last year we produced our first bottle of Daffy’s!

What’s the best piece of business advice you could give?

Keep reminding yourself to have fun! There can be a lot of work, pressure, admin and stress in getting a new company off the ground but at the same time there is a lot of great things to focus on and enjoy, especially in the drinks industry!

Where would you like to see your business in 5 years time?

Being more established as a brand that many people are aware of an love and continuing with the creative ideas and innovations that we love to work on together as a team.

If you could only enjoy your product one way, what would it be & why?

Straight over ice with feet up infront of a roaring fire. The goal was to create a London Dry that had a lot of complexity and finesse that you could sit and savour it this way and at the same time that would give our gin the edge when used in cocktails due to its quality and the many dimensions of the spirit.

You can invite one person (living or dead) to your last meal – Who would it be and why? …and what’s on the menu?


Mignonne, my wife and muse for Robert McGinnis’ illustration on the front of our bottle as these days with the hectic business of day to day life, any extra time together we’ll take.. and perhaps eating a feast of sushi… it goes very well with gin you know! (Robert McGinnis is famous for his iconic artwork for Hollywood movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Barbarella, and several James Bond Films including You Only Live Twice, Thunderball, Live & Let Die, and my favourite James Bond movie, The Man With the Golden Gun)


Crafted to be enjoyed straight over ice like a fine malt whisky, or to make the perfect Negroni or a classic D&T, Daffy's uses the finest French grain, Lebanese mint and the finest botanical to create a complex yet perfectly balanced gin that is very smooth despite the 43.3% ABV strength.

I have to admit that although the gin is smooth enough to drink neat, I prefer to enjoy my Daffy's in the perfect serve Daffy's D&T with Fever Tree Tonic, which is what I had on Saturday night at the Finnieston.

Daffy's is now available in a large number stores, bars and restaurants across the UK of so if you fancy treating yourself to the world's best gin, check out the website to find your nearest stockist.

I would like to thank Chris for taking the time out to answer 5 Questions and wish the team at Daffy's all the best for the future. Keep up to date with all the news from Daffy's on Facebook and Twitter.


Find Gerry...

Friday, October 23

3 Favourite Places to have Breakfast in Edinburgh with Natbee's Fashion


Every time we are down in Edinburgh I am on the task of exploring the city with the ultimate purpose of finding the best coffee shops, places to enjoy a nice cup of tea and relax. After searching online for reviews and playing the investigator myself, I have finally managed to narrow down my list to these three gems. I am sure there are loads more that I haven't been yet but for the time being these three places hold a special place in my heart. 


Starting with my most favourite one; the Richmond Cafe in 52 West Richmond Street. This is a cute little place we found after being desperate for some bougatsa, a pastry pie that for Greeks is what sausages & beans is for Brits, aka the best breakfast ever! Luckily enough, this place offers not only bougatsa but in general the best Greek food that someone can have outside Greece. When we were there we ordered-apart from the infamous bougatsa- spinach pie and coffees and we were left with the best impressions ever. Did I also mention that the location of the shop is right next to our flat? Win-win!


Next is an old favourite one; the Black Medicine in 2 Nicholson Street. This is a place for the coffee lovers as its name suggests. As it is located on a very busy street this is a great place for something on the go, quick service and quite strong coffee. I, personally am in love with the interior, wood, plants and mirrors, makes the place feel so cosy, so if you choose to sit in make sure to take a book with you and enjoy the atmosphere. Usually it is full of students writing up their assignments so very relaxed vibes, however if you take a sit by the window I can guarantee you, you will observe all the city action :) 


Last but not least is Mimi's Bakehouse in 63 Shore Street, a paradise for ladies meet ups and cupcakes lovers. Upon arrival you get striked by the lovely deco, so pretty it makes my heart sing! All of the cupcakes and muffins they offer are delicious and oh, so beautiful, its like they create art and not baking goods. My personal favourite is the egg nog cheesecake-so mouth watering! Not to be missed!

So these are my 3 top places to have breakfast or coffee on the go in Edinburgh.

Have you ever been to either? If you have any other suggestions please let me know, I am always eager to find new places.

Find Anastasia...

Friday, April 3

Edinburgh Is... Street Food with Edinburgh Editor

There was a time - and not very long ago at that - when streetfood in our capital was pretty much chips and cheese or a somewhat suspect kabab late on a Friday evening. Obviously these still exist if you're feeling the need for them, but like the rest of the world, Edinburgh has totally fallen for street food.


Not that there’s really a hard and fast definition for street food, but for the sake of this trip around town let’s just go with the idea that it’s quick, convenient, you can eat it on the street, and above all else it has to be delicious.

The street food scene is growing pretty quickly around our streets, especially with the summer season coming around the corner, but to whet your appetite here are five places to start you off:

1. Harajuku Kitchen

You don't necessarily think of Japanese street food and Edinburgh having much in common, but you'd be mistaken. Most commonly found each Sunday at Stockbridge Market, they usually have one meat and one veggie option. They even had haggis a few months ago!

2. Brazil Crepes (Tupiniquim)

Working out of an old police box at the top of Middle Meadow Walk, Brazil Crepes is an Edinburgh institution. Serving gluten free, vegetarian crepes (amongst others), you will leave with a smile on your face. If you're coming at lunchtime be prepared to wait as it’s pretty popular, but it’s definitely well worth the wait.

3. Bollywood The Coffee Box

Another converted police box, but this time up in Bruntsfield. Naturally it’s tiny, but what this little joint lacks in space it delivers in good, honest, and above all delicious Indian food. Specialities involve an ever-changing array of soups and curries that will leave you wanting more.

4. Union of Genius

Talking of making you want more, Union of Genius started life through a passion for good soup. Today they have a shop, but can also be found in George Square most days in their van, Dumbo. If soup is what you're looking for, look no further.

5. Oink

Who doesn't like hog roast rolls? The brilliant Oink are now in a few places, but their hog roast trailer guarantees a delicious lunch is about to be had when you spot it. The tender, moist and scrumptious pulled pork rolls are simply divine - they’re also at Castle Terrace farmers’ market on a Saturday and it’s a brilliant hangover cure!



Find Craig on...

Interested in seeing your post here and helping to promote your blog? Send us an email at scottishbloggers@hotmail.com and we can talk plans!

Wednesday, December 24

Baking Christmas Gingerbread with G is for Gingers

My name is Claire and I blog over at www.gisforgingers.com. My blog is mainly fashion and lifestyle but because I have a real passion for baking I try and do a recipe post every few weeks. I hope you enjoy something a little bit Christmassy (though it doesn’t have to be) I’ve been making this recipe for years so without anymore chat we’ll get on with how to make these yummy biscuits.



Ingredients:
350g of plain flour
1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp of ground ginger
100g of butter
175g of soft brown sugar
4 tbsp honey (or golden syrup)

1 egg (beaten)



Firstly you should sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl then begin to rub in the butter. It should be a room temperature so take it out of the fridge a while before you start. Keep rubbing it together until it resembles breadcrumbs. If you are having trouble run your hand under the cold tap and it should make the mixture easier to work with. Add the sugar and mix well.



Warm the honey (a few seconds in the microwave should do it) and pour it into the bowl along with the beaten egg. Continue mixing until they are well combined.



You should then transfer the dough onto a clean, floured surface and knead it for a few minutes. The dough should be smooth and pliable.



Roll out the mixture to about half a cm thick. Keep the dough and rolling pin floured so it doesn’t stick. Next you get to do the fun part- cutting out the shapes. Here I have used Christmas shapes from IKEA. They are a little tricky to build once the dough has expanded in the oven (nothing a little cutting with a knife can’t fix once they are out the oven).




I hope you enjoy these gingerbread biscuits whatever shape you choose to do. It would also be a great recipe for a gingerbread house. Last year my house was a fail so I would love to see any blog posts about them you’ve done. 

Find Claire...

Enjoy Claire's guest post? She did another one for us back in May which you can read here.

Wednesday, December 10

Scottish Venison Stew with Scottish Food Recipes

Scottish venison and mixed root vegetables stew
Hello, everyone. My name is Gordon Hamilton and it's my great pleasure to be guest posting for you today on the blog of Scot Bloggers. I have been food blogging since 2007 but it's only recently that I have started a dedicated Scottish Food Recipes blog which I am very much enjoying developing. The easy to produce dish which I am going to show you how to make today is typical of the types of recipes I have been including and will continue to include on that blog.

Homemade soups and stews are two of the things that often make a Scottish winter bearable. Warming, comforting and delicious, they know the additional benefits of being incredibly easy to prepare, very versatile in terms of the ingredients which they can be made to incorporate and of course freezable in portions for convenient later use if you choose to prepare them in bulk. Yes, they can take a while to cook - but surely the many benefits outweigh this one small consideration?

Beef is probably the most popular meat used in stews in Scotland. In modern times, however, venison has become much more readily available, very importantly at a price which most people can afford. If you've never before tried making a stew with this wild, gamey taste of Scottish glens and moorlands, I really hope you'll give this a go.


Readily available fresh Scottish venison
Ingredients for Two Generous Portions

¾ pound/300g diced Scottish venison
2 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
1 small white onion, peeled, halved and sliced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Approximately 2 pints/1 litre of homemade game (or chicken) stock
¼ Swede turnip, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, scrubbed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped
1 medium parsnip, scrubbed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped
8 to 10 baby new potatoes, washed (whole and unpeeled)
2 teaspoons homemade rowan and apple jelly
1 tablespoon freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Browning venison in vegetable oil
Pour the vegetable or sunflower oil in to a large stew pot and gently bring it up to a moderate heat. Add the venison and use a wooden spoon to stir it carefully around as it browns and seals over the course of a couple of minutes.


Sliced onion is added to browned venison
Add the onion to the pot and continue to stir for another minute or so until it is just softened. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper.


Homemade wild game stock
This genuinely is homemade game stock. I made it from the bone of a venison haunch joint I enjoyed a few weeks earlier and froze it. Fresh chicken stock does however work very well in this dish.


Stock is added to browned venison and onions
Pour the stock in to the pot and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer as gently as possible (uncovered) for one and a quarter hours.


Fresh root vegetables for venison stew
I haven't peeled the carrot or parsnip in this instance as I like the added texture and vitamins the skins provide. They were of course scrubbed very thoroughly with a brush under running warm water. You could peel them if you wish, especially where the skins are perhaps particularly dirty or damaged.


Vegetables are added to venison stew
Add the vegetables to the stew pot and stir carefully but well.


Rown and apple jelly is stirred in to stew
I love homemade rowan jelly and make it every year, usually with added apples. It is a jelly that goes very well with beef but particularly well with a strong, gamey meat like venison. Add the jelly to the pot, stir again and bring the liquid back to a simmer for a further forty-five minutes.


Chopped parsley is added to venison stew at the last minute
Stir the chopped parsley in to the stew for the final couple of minutes of cooking only. Carefully taste, adjust the seasoning where required and ladle in to deep plates or bowls to serve with fresh, crusty bread.

Wednesday, November 26

The Gift of Giving Boozy Gifts with The Usual Saucepans


What do you mean you 'don't do' homemade Christmas gifts? I don't care that it's 'only November' and you're not feeling like making stuff; it's time to throw both those ideas out of the window, because today we're talk making boozy Christmas gifts.


I'm not a 'crafter' (although some would say 'crafty', and not entirely kindly), so if I was making Christmas gifts I think people would be justified in mistaking them for the work of a primary school kid; I'm happy to stick what I'll modestly claim to be good at: booze.

OK, so that probably makes me sound like an alcoholic, but be as it may I quite like making interesting drinks, and those who get them as presents are yet to complain either. The best part is that they're all dead easy – the hardest part is being patient enough to wait for it all to settle, then having to give it away!

Each of the following works as a gift in its own right, and it's well worth making a little extra for yourself. They go along the lines of mixing sugar and flavourings then letting them infuse the alcohol slowly – the full recipe for each can be found on The Usual Saucepans on the links included. Judging on what other parts of the internet says, you can leave them for a good three-four months (and I suspect longer) without causing them harm, but none of mine have ever lasted that long.



Christmas is a great excuse for a bit of excess, so whether you're normally one for the home made or not, I suggest you try one or two of these. My one major piece of advice though is watch your base spirit – anything 'too good' would be a waste (you'll over-power the subtle flavours), but if you go too cheap, well let's just say that if you start with paint stripper you'll just end up with paint stripper that has notes of Christmas in it. I tend to use Gordons/Smirnoff red label, but it's up to you.

Limoncello:

Bright and vibrant, both in colour and flavour, limoncello is an excellent gift. I've heard many people say that it's one of those drinks that only tastes good whilst you're on holiday, but I disagree. Serve it ice cold and you can enjoy it all year and anywhere.

Chilli & Lime Gin:

I'm a big fan of all three of those things, but combined they are even better. Both a vibrant colour – I mean, who doesn't want to drink something green? - and warming in taste, this drink is one for the guys who like to pretend they're tough (and anyone else who enjoys a warming gin!).




It wouldn't be Christmas if Christmas Pudding wasn't involved somewhere, but if yours doesn't contain enough brandy (not a problem in our family), then why not go to the other end of the spectrum and start with the alcohol and make it taste like Christmas Pudding? This vodka is flavoured by the fruit and spices, it'll be closer to the taste of an actually pudding than you'd think.

Mulled Gin:

We all love mulled wine (don't we?) and most of us are exciting that mulled cider is becoming 'a thing', so why not go the whole hog and mull your gin as well? It's Christmas-y goodness many times over and one which I will be making in an even bigger batch this year, if only to ensure there's a bottle left over for me!

So what are you waiting for? It's time to get your Christmas on and get creating something we'd all love to receive. If you like these ideas and want more Christmas, then please come over to The Usual Saucepans and join in the festive celebrations.

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