Elderflower Champagne

It's mid way through elderflower season so you've only got a couple more weeks before this wonderful flower is past its best. There are quite a few elderflower recipes out there to try; elderflower cordial, elderflower fritters, elderflower...

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Roasted Tomato Gazpacho with Brunoise Vegetables

This recipe was inspired by the velouté with diced vegetables which I had The Kitchin in Edinburgh. I really liked the simplicity of the small diced vegetables and thought it would work well with a refreshing gazpacho soup. Brunoise is a kind of a "posh" cutting...

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Edinburgh Trip

I've never been to Edinburgh, which is a surprise to most of my friends as it's only a couple of hours on the train from where I live and chock full with some really nice places to eat. So this past weekend I finally went. I caught the train up to Carlisle to meet up...

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Bourbon and Toffee Vodka “Hardshake”

As a child I loved milkshakes, as an adult I think I like them even more. There are now many recipes on the internet for adult milkshakes or "Hardshakes", this is one of mine: Ingredients (makes 500ml) 70ml Bourbon (I used Woodford Reserve) 35ml Toffee Vodka (I used...

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Panzanella

This is a great recipe if you have some stale bread, it has to be good bread and certainly not white sliced. I used my personal favourite elderflower sourdough from Staff of Life bakery. Ingredients (serves 2-4) 100g of stale bread 4 medium tomatoes 1 roasted red...

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Ulverston Food Festival 2015

A bright sunny Saturday saw in the second annual Ulverston food festival and it didn't disappoint. Organised by Taste Cumbria the streets of Ulverston were awash with stalls and the hustle and bustle of festival goers. Armed with my pint of First Emperor from Eden...

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The Perfect Liqueur Coffee

I've always struggled with making my own liqueur coffee, getting the cream to float on top every time can be tricky. So I asked Nicki from The Wheatsheaf Inn, Brigsteer (Cumbria Life's 2015 dining pub of the year) for some pointers on how to make the perfect liqueur...

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Stilton, Bacon and Grape Ciabatta

As it's British sandwich week (11th-17th May) I thought I'd share my favourite sandwich combination. I first came across this sandwich at a sandwich bar called Porters in Kendal. Years after the owners moved away I still haven't seen this combination anywhere, which...

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