Floyd's India

Keith Floyd. Oh Keith Floyd. How we all love you, and miss you.

With his eccentric presenting style Keith touched the hearts of the nation and I don't know anyone who doesn't smile as they are asked to remember their favourite Floyd episode. Sadly he was known for his boozing as much as his cooking and his generally unhealthy lifestyle soon caught up with him and he died at the age of 65. Of course, he lives on in kitchens up and down the country and his old television series is on practically every week thanks to Saturday Kitchen. So, Keith may be gone, but he is not, and will not be, forgotten!

I can't remember how we got hold of Floyd's India; I seem to think my mum bought it for us, but I'm really not sure. I do remember being quite daunted by the recipes at the time. See in 2001, when this book was published, I'd just graduated, I'd just moved in with Gav and we were young, naive and SKINT. Back then I didn't really know what cardamom pods were never mind about forking out a couple of quid for a small jar of them.

With this in mind then, it's hardly surprising that it was actually a few years before I tried cooking from the book. But once I got going I found quite a few decent recipes; the mango and chilli chutney and Floyd's imperial biryani are two of my all time favourites. This book also taught me some of the basics of Indian cooking; the preparation of a masala and the fact that a curry sauce is called a gravy.

Lately Floyd's India has been ignored and it was good to be able to put it to good use again this week. The book starts with 'Letters from India' which is a collection of Keith's memories of his travels from Kerala to The Punjab. Of course I haven't actually read these chapters but I do aim to actually read my cookbooks as well as cook from them!

Onto the recipes and I kicked off the week with green pea curry. Essentially made up of peas, tomatoes, onion, chillies, ginger, garlic and garam masala it was exceptionally quick, easy, healthy and cheap; more so as I'd made the garam masala for another recipe some time ago. The ginger and garlic gave a good flavour to this simple vegetable curry whilst the chilli gave a much needed kick. However, I found it way too light for an main evening dish and would recommend serving this as a side or a light lunch only.

Fish in banana leaf (or kitchen foil) was a top dish. Trout was marinaded in a turmeric and lime coating before being pan fried and then covered in a delicious tomato gravy and wrapped in foil to be baked in the oven. The end result was pretty stunning. The fish was perfectly moist and the gravy was incredibly tasty with a decent kick that left my lips tingling nicely. I served the fish with some purple sprouting broccoli but given the amount of tomato gravy a vegetable side dish was not needed and I won't bother next time. I'd also use fillets next time as, although I enjoy whole fish, I find eating them whilst doused in a thick sauce quite annoying.

On Valentine's Day Gav decided that he wanted to cook. Hot and dry chicken curry looked relatively straight forward, but Gav managed to drag out the cooking process to such an extent that we ate at 9.30 pm! Ho hum. It was worth it. The gravy was thick and dark brown, despite the number of tomatoes in there. Far from looking unappetising, it looked like a traditional Indian curry which instantly pleased us both (also the chicken had been cooked on the bone which is always another bonus for us). With a masala of cumin, fennel, mustard seeds, ginger and garlic purée  turmeric, chilli powder and coriander the dish really packed a punch. Hot, but not overly so, this curry was about spicing and flavours and by 'eck, there was a lot of them. This one will be repeated!

Last, but not least was the marinated and baked rabbit. A whole rabbit was marinated in a garlic and ginger purée with garam masala, lime juice and chilli powder. Although Keith tells us that the marinade should be a smooth paste, mine was more of a liquid thanks to the lime juice and I wouldn't add anywhere near as much next time. I might also use some yoghurt next time. The rabbit is then stuffed with cashew nuts and sultanas, wrapped in foil and baked for an hour. It was good in so far as the rabbit was well cooked, but sadly it lacked any real flavour from the marinade. Maybe next time I'll use Keith's marinade for his tandoori chicken.

Revisiting this book has been an absolute joy. There's lots of interesting recipes in here and they range from quick and easy tea time meals to full on dinners fit for a banquet. If you fancy giving it a go, it's still available on Amazon.

How to Spend a Weekend in Leeds

As I was born in Sheffield, but brought up close to Leeds, I have a soft spot for the capital of West Yorkshire and I like to spend time there when I can. So when I arranged a trip to meet up with Gary, or The Food Nut, and his girlfriend Clair for lunch, this trip quickly grew into a break away as I spotted a decent hotel deal and booked Gav and I in for the night. As we've visited a few times we already have a few favourite haunts and we could have spent the weekend reminiscing times gone by in a few of these. But I wanted to try some new places out, so we left it for Gary to decide and he led the way.

Now, this isn't going to be a detailed post. We were there with friends and many, many drinks were consumed so I wasn't bothering to take notes! There aren't that many pictures either as we ate in a few pubs which are generally darker than restaurants. All you need to know is that we had a fabulous time and, if you're planning a trip to Leeds soon, you wouldn't go far wrong following this little itinerary!

Our train pulled into the station just after 11 and our first stop was Mrs Atha's, an independent coffee shop just off Briggate. It's a quirky little place with lots of vintage touches in everything from the furniture to the crockery. Wanting a relaxing start to the day I went against the grain (bean?) and had an earl grey rather than coffee. Fresh leaves, a big tea pot and milk on request meant that my tea was all it needed to be.

With plans of lunch at Pinche Pinche in Chapel Allerton our trip to Mrs Atha's was a very short one and we were soon on our way to CA in a cab. I've spent a bit of time in CA before as my brother lives here and if I lived in Leeds, I would live here. There are plenty of restaurants, pubs and bars; even enough to keep me occupied and the area has a nice bustling feel to it. 

Pinche Pinche is a small Mexican restaurant serving burritos and the like alongside some more substantial main dishes. Lime and coriander cheese crust Salmon fillet sounded fresh and tasty whilst Mexican style Duck and raspberry sounded very intriguing. With a promise to myself that I could break the diet this weekend, neither were going to land on my plate and I went for one of the specials. I forget what it was called but it was essentially quesadillas filled with refried beans and cheese. I also shared some chips (which had a moreish spicy coating) and Mexican coleslaw (which had a lovely kick to it) with the husband.

The food was spot on and everyone enjoyed their choices. With a decent selection of Mexican beers and a separate, more varied menu, for evening meals, I could quite happily spend an evening here. Service was good too; friendly and welcoming.

Dessert was taken care of at Sunshine Bakery who specialise in cupcakes. The tiny cafe was packed to the rafters and with belly pork sausage rolls and sandwiches on the menu I can understand why it's a popular lunch spot. I think they'll have to expand soon as diners were sat amongst the queue of hungry customers ordering takeaway items which can't have been particularly pleasant for them. As you know, I don't have a sweet tooth so I skipped this course but I did try a little of Gav's. I was pleasantly surprised; the sponge was light and the topping was made with fresh cream rather than buttercream. It was probably the best cupcake I have tasted as it wasn't as sweet as others I have tried, but to be fair, I'd still rather have a pie...

Our next port of call, North Bar's little sister, Further North, was totally dead so we made a trip over to Meanwood for a visit to Alfred, 'another little north bar'. As part of the North Bar family, the focus is largely on the beer which suited me and my new found love of beer (lower alcohol content and prices mean that I won't go bankrupt or die of liver failure quite as soon as I'd feared). There was a nice feel to the place; big comfy sofas, retro style coffee tables and chairs and a million lampshades hanging from the ceiling. With a decent array of beers on offer and big floor to ceiling windows I could have sat there people watching for most of the afternoon.

But East of Arcadia across the road was calling... Located in the ground floor of a modern block of flats it didn't particularly appeal to me... until I walked inside. With traditional pub decor and an inviting bar, I soon settled in and on finding out that tasting boards were available, I had to give one a go. You can choose your selection of three thirds or the bar staff will help you choose and it's a really good way to try a few beers and learn more about your taste buds. On this occasion I learnt that I quite like Thornbridge's Feallan. 

As we hadn't yet checked into our hotel (and we were still carrying a rucksack of clothes with us) we were quite keen to get back into town. We stayed at the Marriott on Boar Lane. It's somewhere we've stayed before as it's perfectly located for us and a quite a smart hotel with all the amenities we need.

With plans for dinner at 7, we had a couple of hours to kill so we headed back out for drinks at The Adelphi. Situated in a big old corner building, this is a traditional pub through and through. We didn't stay long and our next port of call was Epernay for a spot of champagne, sauvignon blanc and cocktails. It was a far cry from the other places we'd frequented that day; both in terms of the look and feel of the place and the clientèle. It's smart and trendy with a good range of fizz, wine and cocktails, so if you're after real ale, I really wouldn't bother coming here.

We were booked in for dinner at Cross Keys; another part of the North Bar family. We decided to walk there and as it's located at the other side of town, this walk gave our appetites a bit of a boost. Another traditional pub, the Cross Keys has a solid menu with the likes of venison, beef and pork belly making appearances. I'd already perused the menu on-line, before we even got to Leeds, so it didn't take long for me to choose what I wanted. Potted pig was a delicious pate served in a kilner jar with a few chunks of bread. 

Main of oxtail and bone marrow hotpot with dumplings was an absolute delight for the meat lover in me. Tender and juicy chunks of meat were almost sticky thanks to the thickness of the sauce. It was a large portion too and although I loved every single bite the sheer amount of meat, and the dumplings, defeated me and I had to pass it over to Gav three quarters of the way through. 

Gav and I shared one of our favourite reds; Nero D'Avola (which also happened to be the cheapest option) and with both my red and white wine cravings now fixed, I was quite happy to get back on the beer with a trip to near by Midnight Bell where I enjoyed a pint of the pub's own brew. 

Moving back towards the location of our hotel we went to Pin Bar. It's quite a modern place with lots of wood and bare walls and I really liked the laid back feel to the bar. I enjoyed a Thorny Goat (another Thornbridge) which was on tap, but at this point we all realised (bar Clair) that we were shattered and we left after the one.

I awoke the next day hangover free; a novelty for me after a day of drinking! Thanks to a check out time of 12 noon we got ready at a leisurely pace before heading off to Laynes Espresso for a quick pick me up before meeting Gary and Clair at The Adelphi for an early lunch. Great minds obviously think alike and we bumped into the pair as we queued up for our coffee. A flat white and croissant went down a treat and Laynes is one that I will definitely return to for lunch one day.

As we arrived at The Adelphi a couple of minutes shy of its opening time of 12, we didn't want to waste time hanging around waiting for it to open so we headed back to Pin bar, which is conveniently just around the corner. Here I had an Einstock Toasted Porter which was lovely, and with an ABV of 6%, it was a good start to a day on the beer! 

Pre-dinner drinks drunk we were ready for food and, by this time, The Adlephi was ready for us. Heading straight for the Sunday dinner options I chose the beef dinner. I'll admit that the £11.50 price tag shocked a little (I generally pay around £8 in Sheffield), but this was Gary's favourite place for a roast so I went with it. Thankfully he was proved right and I was more than happy with my plate of rare in the middle slices of beef, large Yorkshire pudding, veg and roasties. A few pale ales went down nicely and a free shot of Bloody Mary was a welcome touch, despite the lack of a hangover.

I'd skipped starters and desserts on the basis that I could then partake in some cheese and ham scoffing at Friends of Ham. Gary and Clair tell me that FoH is always rammed on a Saturday, but they liked the chilled out atmosphere to it on a Sunday. I have to agree. We ordered our beer and made our way to the large seating area downstairs. With an eclectic feel to the decor, comfy furniture and a few table top games, this was the perfect place to spend a Sunday afternoon. We had a few beers including a Kernel London Sour and a Sierra Nevada Harvest and, of course, we had some cheese and ham. A selection of two cheeses (Monte Enebro and Wookey Hole Cave Aged Cheddar) and hams (Carne Salata Malenca and Finocchiona) was, considering the quality of the produce, a very reasonable £13.50. We also ordered a half portion of the expensive Iberico ham and, in all fairness, we had over ordered. Everything came on large wooden boards with bread, crackers, chutney (and chilli jam), olives and mini gherkins so there was more than enough... not that we had a struggle clearing everything up!

By the time we'd finished it was coming up to 5 o'clock and time for us to head to the train station... and so our weekend in Leeds was over... Until next time!

The Nutribox - Your chance to WIN!

A New Year, a new diet. Sound familiar? Thought so. But no matter how hard I've tried in the past I always break at some point. The trouble is that there's just too much temptation out there. With bacon sarnies on a morning, big fat pasties for lunch, slabs of cake for afternoon tea and a takeaway for dinner I could probably cram away a week's worth of calories in a day without batting an eyelid.

This year things are gonna be different. This year I'm determined to get healthy and get back into those skinny jeans that taunt me from the back of the wardrobe. And one month down, things are going quite well and I have Nutribox to thanks for for helping me along the way.

Nutribox is a Sheffield based company sourcing independent producers of deliciously nutritious snacks to be delivered to their customers every month. Customers can sign up to a pay as you go package or set 3,6 or 12 month plans and will receive a selection of energy-boosting fruit and nut mixes, all-natural energy bars and balls (packed with super ingredients like sprouted almonds, hemp seeds, flax and maca) and other tatsy snacks like raw chocolate. I was lucky enough to get a box delivered for the blog and when my box landed on my desk at work I eagerly sliced through the sellotape and broke into the box to check out what goodies I had. The first point that I have to make is that I was genuinely surprised at the number of items in there; once I'd pulled each one out for individual inspection I had trouble cramming them all back into the box again!

Not knowing where to start I was glad to find a little guide which listed everything under one of three categories; Fruit and Nut Mixes, Snacks or Treats. There's then a brief description of each product telling you what to expect. Now, with most reviews, I tend to get on with the eating part quite quickly, but I wanted to use Nutribox properly and see how it would work as part of my diet over a month or so.

So I allowed myself one item a day. A raw cookie with an afternoon cuppa, a pumpkin bar with fruit for breakfast and a Ombar chocolate bar as a post dinner treat; I found it easy to squeeze these snacks in without breaking the diet. Better still these snacks are healthy. With so many of them being made up of raw fruit (or veg) a lot of them contributed towards my five-a-day. And that's gotta beat any packet of low calorie crisps and the like as they are often low in nutritional value too.

'So what?', you might think. After all we're not all on some crazy health kick! Well, these snacks are also tasty; perfect for when you just don't feel that a fresh piece of fruit will satisfy your deep, almost painful pangs of hunger. As these snacks are pretty much guilt free, they taste even better. And if you're a health food sceptic, read on and find out what I thought to a few of the products.

My box came with a few snack bars including two Nakd bars; a Cocoa Orange and a Berry Delight. Both were surprisingly satisfying and filling. The berry bar was pretty sweet but the inclusion of cashew nuts in the mix helped to balance the flavours, and the cocoa orange bar was pretty amazing. It actually tasted like a very well known chocolate orange (I know - dates, cashews, raisins and cocoa wit a hint of natural orange & chocolate flavouring should not taste this good, but do try and believe me!). Things got even better with a Pulsin Raw Choc Brownie and even though Nutribox warns customers that we shouldn't expect a 'full-on chocolate brownie', I don't think this is a bad substitute at all.

Packets of Perry Court Farm air dried apple and pear crisps were especially good. With one sole ingredient, apple or pear, these have got to be the healthiest crisps around and although they take a little getting used to (the apple version have the texture of a potato crisp, but the sweet, sharp taste of a bramley apple) I quickly grew to like them and I'd quite happily chomp on them on a daily basis.

Ombar chocolate bars were an absolute treat. Said to be superfood chocolate, these organic raw chocolate bars with acai and blueberry or coconut were delicious and tasted like many other good brands of chocolate that I have tried in the past. Bitter dark chocolate is given the sweetest of lifts thanks to the inclusion of acai and blueberry in one, whilst the coconut added a little flavour without being overpowering in the other. Sadly the Raw Living Be the Change bar didn't really do it for me; it's far too bitter for my taste but I appreciate the need to try new things and was glad to be able to give this one a chance.

Then onto the fruit and nut mixes... Brazil Nut Mix, The Energiser and Apple Crumble are handy bags of fruits and nuts that are perfect for snacking at work or when out and about. They're full of the usual stuff; brazil nuts, almonds, dried fruit and seeds. The Raw Living Magic Mix, however is a completely different  kettle of fish. Packed with strips of yacon root and caterpillar like mulberries amongst goji berries, coconut and carob (a healthy 'chocolate') this mix is quite scary on first sight, but after taking the plunge and tucking in, I have to agree that it is a little bag of tricks! It all tastes great and if it does just half of the stuff it says it does on the back of the packet, I'm happy.

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Well, I hope that I've managed to convince you to try Nutribox for yourself, but if you need something to tempt you further how about a 50% discount? That's right, the generous guys at Nutribox have kindly said that 10 of my readers can have 50% off. Just use the code 'FEAST&GLORY50' when ordering.

And, as if that wasn't exciting enough I have a little competition for you all! Nutribox are giving away a free Nutribox-Mini*. To enter all you need to do is answer the question below and I'll pick my favourite reply to win. Simples!

It's 11am. Time for a cuppa and a bit of peace and quiet. Which snack do you grab for, why and how do you best enjoy it? For example, do you eat alone, do you share, are you a dunker or do you create your own little piece of masterchef magic and make sure every bite counts? Tell me all in less than 150 words to live-to-eat@hotmail.co.uk by 7 pm Monday 18 February 2013.

Good luck!!

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*The items shown were in the Nutribox-Mini in January and therefore only a sample of what you might receive.

Hix Oyster and Chop House; Mark Hix

Hix Oyster and Chop House was recommended to me by Paul Cocker, a fellow food lover who just happens to design cook books (First Catch Your Pig & Living Over The Shop to name just a couple). I'll admit that I probably wouldn't have bought the book had it not been on offer at the time, but at £4 I really couldn't resist! And, I'm glad that I didn't.

Firstly, this is a nice looking book. With a simple matt finish and luxurious gold raised lettering, this book feels both durable and special. Flicking through the glossy pages (which are adorned with some rather tasty pictures), the oysters, meat and 'on toast' chapters particularly appealed and I was looking forward to spending a week with this book.

Desperate to get some meat back on the menu I kicked off with Lamb Chops with Cucumber and Mint. The chops were just char-grilled (which is how I usually cook chops) so, for me, it was the warm cucumber and mint salad that was particularly intriguing. The dish was simple to prepare and the flavours worked beautifully. In fact, for me, the salad evoked memories of Thai food for me; had a few peanuts and noodles been thrown in, it would have been quite similar to a Thai style salad I make.

Fish House Salad was Mark's 'British take on a salade Nicoise' as mackerel is the fish of choice here. The rest of the ingredients are pretty standard Nicoise stuff with green beans, lettuce and eggs, and what really makes this recipe for me is the fact that the cooked mackerel is marinaded in a mix of oil, cider vinegar and spices. This really makes a difference to the dish as the flavours cut through the mackerel and gives it some lift. I absolutely loved this one; it smelt, looked and tasted good and I'd happily make it again. Despite this being a salad it was surprisingly filling and thanks to some nifty work with the oil measurements, I managed to pull the dish well within 'diet-safe' levels.

Spicy Glazed Huss with Crispy Shallots was made with coley and without the shallots. This was another easy one; the fish was marinated in a variety of spices with some honey, hp sauce, ketchup and lime juice and then baked in the oven. For me this wasn't the most successful of dishes. The spicy coating was tasty, but it was a bit too wet for my liking. Maybe adding breadcrumbs could work...

Come Friday and I was ready for a treat. And what better way to celebrate the end of the week than by cooking steak for tea?! Chop House Butter, with an ingredient list of herbs, wine and Henderson's relish (yes Mark uses Hendos in this recipe), was the perfect accompaniment; which is quite handy as I now have four packets of the stuff in my freezer. On the side I served Autumn Greens with Wild Mushrooms. Tasty and nutritious, I would have loved to have cooked everything in butter as directed in the recipe, but my diet meant that was never going to happen. It was still good though.

So... thanks Paul for the recommendation. I've really enjoyed the dishes I cooked this week and, once again, I know that there are a few more for me to try (mutton chop curry or rabbit and girolles on grilled puffball anyone?!). And with ingredients such as rabbit, mutton, veal and oysters, this is a real food lovers book and I recommend it to anyone who likes good British cooking.

Plenty - Yottam Ottolenghi

After falling in love with River Cottage Veg Every Day by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall I was intrigued by Plenty by Yottam Ottolenghi, and what, with this new healthy living kick, I was easily persuaded into buying a copy (especially as it's £15 down from £25 at Amazon at the moment). See, although Yottam isn't a vegetarian (nor is HFW by the way), Plenty is made up of vegetable based recipes.

When the book landed on my desk (getting items delivered at work makes my working day so much more fun) I was instantly impressed. It's a chunky volume with a luxurious cushioned cover and smart minimalist design. Flicking through the book I quickly found a few recipes that I fancied and I knew that I was going to get on with this one.

Working out which recipes I was going to do this week was a bit tricky. Aside from there being so many to choose from, it wasn't clear whether some were meant as sides/starters/snacks or mains. Recipes are organised into chapters according to their main ingredient; so there's a tomato chapter and an aubergine chapter for instance. Having said all this I did manage to pin a few down and this is how I got on...

Spiced red lentils with cucumber yoghurt was packed full of flavours thanks to the inclusion of coriander, cumin, turmeric and ginger. It also had a bit of a chilli kick to it, although I would probably put more in next time. Apart from being tasty it was healthy and  filling; although to cut down on the calories I did skip the 70 grams of butter, 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil and 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil, pulling the dish in at around 260 calories.

I made Castelluccio (or in my case puy) lentils with tomatoes and Gorgonzola for dinner but, for me, it was a bit disappointing. I wonder whether I just wasn't in the mood for it, or whether it was just a bit too light for an evening dish, as I really enjoyed it for lunch the next day. It was another healthy one and despite the inclusion of the Gorgonzola, the dish was actually quite fresh as there was dill, chives and parsley in there. I didn't have time to make my own oven dried tomatoes so I used some shop bought ones instead and, once again, I cut out all of the oil (I just used Fry Light instead) and the calories came in at about 370 a serving.

Roasted butternut squash with sweet spices, lime and green chilli was delicious. Yottam tells us that this is a starter dish for 4-6 people so I made the whole recipe to go between the two of us for dinner. It was light and very fragrant, thanks to the cardamom which permeated through the whole flat! With hot and citrussy flavours it was really tasty and it's definitely something I will do again. Again, I cut out the majority of the oil, but as slices of butternut squash needed to brushed with a oil and spice mix I did need to use about a tablespoon. I think calories worked out at about 370.

The last dish I cooked was probably my favourite; The ultimate winter couscous. Carrots, parsnips, shallots & squash were roasted with cinnamon, star anise, ginger, chilli and the like and then cooked with apricots and chickpeas and finally served with saffron flavoured couscous. It was really good, really filling and very tasty. Thanks to the one and only tip I managed to pick up from Hairy Dieters I skipped all of the 5 tablespoons of olive oil just by using a little water when roasting the veg (I know it will have impaired the flavour but 5 tbsp of oil is approximately 600 calories!). I also skipped the 20 grams of butter that I was supposed to fluff the couscous up with bringing the dish in at around 380 calories.

So, what do I think? Well, I really like this one. I've enjoyed the dishes I cooked this week and there are loads more that I would like to try; cardamom rice with poached eggs and yoghurt, lemon and aubergine risotto, chickpea, tomato and bread soup and baked eggs with yoghurt and chilli to name just a few. Everything just sounds so interesting and with so many unusual flavour combinations and different styles of cooking I think this one is gonna keep me busy for a while... diet or no diet.