All Around The World

Take 200 primary school kids. Put them in a hall. Get a chef along to try and get them all to eat food from around the world, such as Thai fishcakes, curry and paella. Let madness commence as 200 primary kids first of all shout, 'eeeurghhh', in unison. Then try to control 200 kids as they all clamour to devour the food. This is just a snapshot of my working life as Expo Chef. And how I love it.

Yesterday I was asked to do a World Food Day at a primary school in Gateshead. It is challenging enough trying to inspire and encourage young children to eat the right things without the school requesting a handful of recipes that stretch the globe. But what a laugh we had. Judging by the empty plates at the end, the food that most of them had never had before was a new and welcome taste to them all. Happy days indeed.

My Caribbean bananas were, surprise surprise, probably the favourite, especially amongst the nursery kids. It is a 5 minute dessert and there are two versions; one for the adults with a good splash of rum in there, and one for the kids of course without. Give it a go. An incredibly simple no fuss dessert, 5 ingredients, that banana lovers will adore. What ever you do though, don't invite 200 kids to your house when you make them...

Caribbean Bananas
Feeds 2

2 bananas
6 tbsp honey
1 lime
A good splash of dark rum
A handful of sultanas

1 - Pour the honey into a large non-stick frying pan. Bring to the boil.
2 - Split the bananas lengthways with their skins still on and place cut side down into the honey. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3 - Remove the bananas and place cut side up onto a serving dish. The flesh should have turned all golden and caramelised.
4 - Grate a little of the lime zest into the honey and squeeze in the lime juice. Add the rum and sultanas and bring to the boil. You may want to add more honey.
5 - Pour over the bananas and serve with crème fraiche or yoghurt.

Chocka Bloc

It has to be a special day when an ice cream van parks right outside your house. Especially when that ice cream van is the travelling Choc Star containing the one and only Petra and her collection of chocolate related goodies. This weekend, South Tyneside was Petra's stop off on her monumental tour of Britain and we welcomed her with open arms, especially as she had a Choc Star style pudding in tow! Cerys was besides herself with excitement to see an ice cream van right outside of her house, and with a free ice cream given to her inside the beast with chocolate sauce poured all over it, this was about as good as it gets for a 3 year old.

If you haven't been checking out her adventures, Petra has decided to pack her bags and tour this gallant land in an effort to get inside the real chocolate loving Britain. With a different stop off each day, Petra and the Choc Star (AKA Jimmy) have been having the most amazing gastronomic adventure, meeting amazing characters and sampling foodstuffs of different styles.

And what do we get for offering her a bed and meal? Well, a superb pudding for one. But best of all for us was to finally meet Petra who is one of the most interesting people we have had the pleasure to meet. What she is doing is the stuff that dreams are made of and if I had the time and less commitment, I would love to do something like this. It must be so interesting finding out about people, the real people and the true reflection of this land. I guess you have to be a people person, and Petra is definitely that.

I decided to put out a bit of a Greek and Turkish combination of dishes along with flatbreads. One of the favourite dishes was a roast beetroot, chard and caper concoction. Simple and tasty, just how I like it. Then Petra dished out the best chocolate mousse cake we have ever eaten, especially as it was made using Willy of Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory fame Venezuelan Black 100% pure cacao. Sensational.

So bon voyage Petra and Jimmy, and we cannot wait to see you back in these parts for the Choc Star Tour Part 2!

Roast Beetroot, Chard and Caper Salad
Serves 4 as an accompaniment or 2 as a main course

6 whole beetroot, peeled and cut into quarters
2 tbsp olive oil
4 handfuls of Swiss chard, cut up roughly

For the dressing
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
A handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C, GM6.
2 - Place the beetroot into an oven tray and toss with the olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to colour.
3 - Wash the chard and with the water that clings to it, place into a hot pan or wok. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly until wilted.
4 - Combine the beetroot and chard in a serving dish. Mix together the dressing ingredients and pour all over the vegetables.

A Humble Pie

Sometimes in restaurants, there are descriptions for meals that just don't ring true. 'Essence of Crab with a Toasted Seaweed Foam', or 'A Pippin of Grape Granita and Liver Sundae', for example. Well, you get the picture. Sometimes an unnecessary use of French words are packed into a description. It all makes me feel uneasy, as if the chef is trying to hide something. Culinary insecurity I call it.

With two cabbages in my fridge, delivered in the weekly box in a desperate attempt to use up the space left void from a lack of seasonal vegetables, I had to get them used. I've seen recipes for Russian cabbage pies before and often wanted to have a tweak with the recipe in my head. But I have a problem with that description; cabbage pie. It just doesn't sound appetising enough.

When I told my wife and daughter what they were getting for tea, it was met with both shock and disgust. And who could blame them? I had conjured up an image of some overcooked cabbage with its sulphurous sloppiness slithering out of a pie crust. So I began to think of elaborate names that could hide the fact that it was cabbage pie; 'Brassica Surprise', 'Spring Green Greeting in a Crust' and 'Le Chou a Emballé dans la Pâtisserie de Beurre', were a few of the best that came to mind. I was suffering from culinary insecurity.

The resulting pie was far from disgusting. Onion seeds helped bring out the natural sweetness of a fresh spring cabbage. A pinch of chilli and plenty of black pepper gave a welcome heat. I put smoked bacon into mine which, well, added smokiness (vegetarians, leave out the bacon and you will still love it). And it was all bound together in strong Cheddar and eggs within a flaky shortcrust. After one bite, my previously disgusted daughter announced, 'Daddy, this pie is soooooooooooo good!'. And that was enough for any culinary insecurity to rapidly disappear, and for us all to eat the most surprisingly delicious of humble pies.

Cabbage Pie

1 quantity of shortcrust pastry
6 new potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 onion, halved and sliced
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
2 small spring cabbages, shredded thinly
1 tbsp black onion seeds
A pinch of chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
4 eggs
100g strong cheddar cheese, grated

1 - Re-heat the oven to 180 degrees C, GM4.
2 - Line a pie dish with some of the pastry, leaving enough for a lid. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes.
3 - Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the potato, onion and bacon. Cook for 10 minutes or so until golden brown. Tip into a bowl and set aside.
4 - Add the cabbage to the pan along with the onion seeds, chilli and seasoning. Pour in a little water and cook for 5 minutes until wilted and the water has evaporated. Tip in with the potato, onion and bacon.
5 - In another bowl, mix together the eggs and cheese. Mix in with the vegetables and bacon then pour into the blind baked pastry case.
6 - Roll out the remaining pastry to fit the pie dish. Dampen the edges with beaten egg then lay the pastry on top. Crimp around the edges with a fork or your thumb then trim off the excess pastry. Push a hole or two into the top with a knife then brush with beaten egg. Bake on the middle shelf for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
7 - Allow to cool slightly then serve still warm with a simple salad.

Whisky In The Jar

There are desserts that are complicated; you know, the kind that take a lot of forward planning and preparation, as well as making you wonder whether or not whoever you are cooking for will like them. Forget about them, life is too short. There are loads that I turn to time and time again that take minimum effort and never fail to satisfy. I'm going to start listing them on here over the year, starting today.

This weekend, I host the one and only Petra of Choc Star fame. She finally reaches the frozen north east at the end of the week as she is working at the Eat Festival in Newcastle and Gateshead. With Petra being the Queen of Chocolate, I'm leaving the desserts to her. But one chocolate based dessert that fits the category of easy, quick and moreish is the chocolate mousse. I'm sure Petra would agree.

The best thing about a mousse is that if you are cooking for loads of people, you can make lots, tip it into some nice glasses and after a few hours chilling, you will be guaranteed a whole load of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from your mates. Great! This one is a bit of an adult mousse, one that I had to hide from my daughter (sorry Cerys). With a punch of whisky, not too much sweetness and a crunch of roast hazelnut, it just takes that already impressive blend of airy chocolate and cream into another dimension. An absolute doddle of a dessert, give it a go choc lovers.

Chocolate, Whisky and Hazelnut Mousse
Makes 4

300ml double cream
200g 70% proof chocolate
50g soft brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 tbsp whisky
2 handfuls of hazelnuts, toasted in a dry pan and roughly chopped

1 - Heat up the double cream in a thick bottomed pan along with 1 handful of the hazelnuts. Break up the chocolate and add to the cream along with the sugar. Stir until completely dissolved then pour through a sieve into a separate bowl.
2 - Allow to cool slightly. Stir in the whisky and egg yolks thoroughly.
3 - Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Beat in roughly one third of the egg whites, and then gently fold in the remaining.
4 - Tip into your glass of choice. Cover with foil or shrink-wrap and allow to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. They will keep for a couple of days.
5 - When ready to serve, sprinkle with a few of the chopped roasted hazelnuts.

Do It Now, Say It Now

They say that sometimes it is best to strike while the iron is hot. In other words, act before the opportunity has passed by. In this instance, I am striking while the grill is still hot and writing this whilst the crumbs are still on my lips. For I have found a leftover revelation and I must share it now.

It doesn't take me much to get happy and giddy about food, be it a recipe or an ingredient discovery. The more simple and tasty, the more animated I become, hoping to prove that simple, easy and rustic is the way forward. Hey, it is all I can do!

I adore Welsh Rarebit, or posh cheese on toast, that combination of cheese and beer that grills to golden perfection, a common snack in our household. Looking at the tired leeks at the bottom of my fridge, nestling alongside yesterday's roast chicken scraps, gave me an idea. An even posher posh cheese on toast! So here you have it. Hot, beer tinged spicy mustardy roast bubbling delight. Hungry yet? And excuse my enthusiasm. But if you decide to make it, you might see what all of the fuss is about.

Roast Leek and Chicken Rarebit
Serves 2

2 medium leeks, halved, trimmed and sliced into 1cm chunks
1 tbsp fresh or dried thyme, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
25g butter
25g plain flour
100ml beer
150g strong Cheddar cheese
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp English mustard (I used the superb Coquet Valley Preserves mustard with Newcastle Brown Ale, seriously, source some)
A couple of handfuls of leftover roast chicken, shredded
Salt and pepper
4 thick slices of wholemeal bread

1 - Heat up the grill to high.
2 - Heat up the oil in a pan and gently cook the leeks until soft and beginning to colour. Keep aside.
3 - Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Stir for 1 minute then gradually add the beer until you have a thick beer-like roux.
4 - Stir in the cheese, egg yolk and mustard. Season with a little pepper, it won't need much salt due to the cheese. Stir in the leeks and chicken.
5 - Toast one side of the bread, turn then pile on the mixture. Cook under the hot grill until golden and bubbly. Serve with the leftover ale.

Touch The Heart

Have you ever eaten a starter in a restaurant and thought how content you would be to just have more of the starter? You know, something so delicious and moreish that you want more and then probably want to go home and make more? Indian starters spring to mind; every time I eat at an Indian restaurant, I go overboard on the delicious starters and then can't finish the main, secretly thinking that I wished I had just had a huge plate of starters.

The Chinese dim sum, a selection of small light dishes, are another example with one particular dim sum really getting my mouth watering; Chinese dumplings. Especially the ones that are all crispy on the bottom and light and juicy at the top. Although I indulge myself in most foods in my own kitchen, I had never attempted to make these before until I came across a certain Lizzie of the brilliant Lizzie Eats London.

Lizzie is new to this world of food blogging and her very first entry had me excited, as it was a simple recipe for the very dumplings that I adore but had no clue how to make. I made a couple of small changes to Lizzie's recipe and I was surprised at how incredibly simple they were to make. It made for probably the most memorable meal my wife and I have eaten this year. The best bit about it was having a huge amount of them to eat as a main course as opposed to the 4 or 5 you usually get in a restaurant. A dozen each to be precise. I served mine with a simple enoki mushroom, bok choy and pomegranate salad. Oh, and dim sum means 'Touch The Heart' in Cantonese. These certainly did. Cheers Lizzie.

Pork and Crab Chinese Dumplings
Makes 20-24 dumplings

For the dough
150g plain flour
Water

For the filling
75g minced pork
75g white crab meat (tinned is fine if you can't get fresh)
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 thumb size of ginger, finely grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped
A handful each of coriander and mint, finely chopped
A squeeze of lime juice
1 egg white
1 tsp corn flour
Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil

1 - Tip the flour into a bowl with a little salt and pepper. Pour in water and stir until it comes together to form a stiff dough. Knead for a minute, wrap in clingfilm and leave aside.
2 - For the filling, mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl.
3 - On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin sausage. Cut off pieces and roll them all into little balls.
4 - Roll each ball into a circle approximately 4 inches in diameter. Don't worry if they are thin, it will work.
5 - Place teaspoons of the mixture into the middle of each circle of dough. Bring up the edges to meet each other and crimp together roughly until they form little parcels with a flat surface.
6 - Pour a little vegetable oil into a non-stick frying pan. Cooking in batches, add the dumplings to the hot oil and cook for 1 minute. Then pour in a little water and place on the lid. Steam for 7-8 minutes, checking to see that the water isn't boiling dry.
7 - Remove and serve with a simple dipping sauce of sesame oil, soy sauce and sesame seeds and a green salad of fried mushrooms, sliced bok choy, pomegranate seeds and fresh coriander. Delicious.

A Taste Of The North

It isn't every day that you meet a hairy biker. No, I don't mean some random Hell's Angel with excess hair. I mean one of THE original and one and only Hairy Bikers, Mr Simon King. I was chuffed to bits to bump into Simon on Saturday as I was leaving my show at the Journal Taste North East England Food and Drink Festival at Gibside in Rowlands Gill. And what lovely bloke he is, every inch the warm and happy fella you see on their TV show.

The whole point of the day was to highlight what I have been singing about for ages now; that up here in the chilly North East, we have some amazing small producers supplying unbelievably good food and drink. Without sounding like the down-trodden northerner, I do think that we suffer a little when it comes to National recognition for great food and drink production. But thanks to The Journal, our flagship newspaper, the event was a huge success with thousands of people coming out to see what all the fuss was about.

I was first to present and I actually thought that the looming dark clouds and early start may have given me one man and a dog to present to. I was astounded to see a packed marquee full of food loving people who were happy to see me chirping on for half an hour. Young fennel and Seahouses kippers were the order of the day on a variation of my orange, mustard and saffron braised fennel. I love to see people smiling and realising how easy it is to cook something that may at first seem like a complicated recipe or a confusing taste combination. I was told that within an hour, my friend Sandy Higson of the brilliant Coquet Valley Preserves had sold out of her English Mustard with Newcastle Brown Ale. Happy days.

Here is a quick fish and fennel recipe that entails minimum fuss and maximum flavour. It is great with buttery boiled potatoes and greens. And if you see a Hairy Biker, one of the originals, give them a shout. You will be assured of a big cuddle and a warm smile.

Baked Mackerel with Fennel, Apple and Cider
Feeds 2

2 mackerels, filleted
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly lengthways
2 apples, peeled and cut into slices
150ml dry cider
2 tbsp cider vinegar
25g butter
Salt and pepper

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C, GM6.
2 - Put the cider and vinegar into a pan and bring to the boil.
3 - Layer the sliced fennel and apple into a small baking tray. Place the fillets on top, season with salt and pepper then pour on the hot cider and vinegar. Dot with butter, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
4 - Remove and scatter with finely chopped fennel fronds.

English Half English

“My breakfast was half English
and so am I you know
I had a plate of Marmite soldiers
washed down with a cappuccino
And I'll have a veggie curry about once a week
The next day I fry it up as "Bubble 'N' Squeak'
'Cause my appetite's half English
and I'm half English too”

Happy St George's Day everybody. I'm sure you are all wearing your red roses in your lapels today and can't wait to get out of work to get home and celebrate our National Day, probably with a few English ales, a traditional English meal followed by a rousing edition of Jerusalem. Methinks that this is not the case, for like many other traditions, us Brits seem to be forgetting what they are all about.

I still can't work out why we don't put more emphasis on St George's Day in England. We all don large pixie hats and do the jig to fiddle-based tunes whilst getting sloshed on the black stuff on St Patrick's Day. I've been there, despite not having an ounce of Irish in me. I just like to take advantage of the stout offers that are usually on in the local and I have been prone to the odd jig.

So why don't we bother too much on St George's Day? Is it because we don't have a huge multi-corporate stout company advertising it in every pub? Or is it because we are apparently losing our identity and a little pride? Or are we simply embarrassed to fly the white ensign in fear that it might look like an advert for the British Nationalist Party?

One of our national broadsheet writers condemned St George's Day last year, saying that it is too much of a flag waving celebration of Anglo Saxon survival and that it should embrace our modern multi-cultural society. I'm sorry, but I have to disagree; as much as I love the fact that we have embraced cultures into our country and subsequently improved and expanded our culinary desires; and as much as I deplore the far right element to some our flag bearers. I do think that a National Day should be just that; a day to celebrate our country and instil some pride back into it. For us to smile at each other, wish each other all the best and generally be happy about where we are from. I have to ask - what on earth is wrong with that?

I love people from all over the world and I take everybody as they come no matter what country they come from. But I am proud to be English and I have no problems telling people that. So celebrate our one and only National Day with pride, crack open a few real English ales or ciders and perhaps try my version of an English classic meal. As the one and only Billy Bragg once lamented, “Oh my country, Oh my country, Oh my country, What a beautiful country you are.” Happy St George's Day everybody.

Lamb's Liver and Bacon with Ale, Sage and Onion Gravy
Feeds 4

8 slices of good quality back bacon
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion, peeled, halved and sliced
A handful of sage leaves, roughly torn
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
300g lamb's liver, cut into strips
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp English mustard powder
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Half bottle of good English Ale, I used Jarrow Brewery Rivet catcher
100ml stock
1 tbsp English mustard
Salt and pepper

1 - In a large non-stick frying pan, heat up the oil. Cook the bacon for 2-3 minutes each side until crisp and golden. Put aside on kitchen paper.
2 - In the same pan, add the onions and sage and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft and golden. Add more oil if required. Put aside on kitchen paper.
3 - Mix the flour, mustard powder and a little seasoning together then drop in the liver. Ensure it is well coated.
4 - Heat up the oil in the pan and then add the liver. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden all over. Return the onions to the pan and pour in the ale and stock. Bring quickly to the boil then simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir in the English mustard and taste for seasoning.
5 - Serve with the slices of crisp bacon with buttery mashed potatoes and greens such as kale or broccoli.

All Aboard The Choc Star Express!

It is post 200 for me today, so time for a bit of self indulgence. Hopefully you were all watching Channel 4 last month when they screened, what was in my opinion, one of the most interesting food shows I have ever seen - Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory.

The 4 part show followed the fortunes of the hard working, determined and charismatic Willie Harcourt-Cooze in his efforts to turn his passion into a dream. With a huge love for top quality chocolate, Willie buys a cacao farm in Venezuela and the show sees him turn the bean into the bar. Hugely entertaining, realistic and with loads of Willie's brilliant simple recipes, it was a proper Sunday night treat.

In one of the episodes, Willie was seen teaming up with a lady called Petra to try out some hot chocolate recipes and then see what the public thought of them. Petra's orange infused chocolate was the winner. And how surprised was I a few days later when that very Petra emailed me with details about her plans, asking me if I wanted to participate?! For Petra has her own business selling choccy delights in her amazing converted ice cream van Jimmy, AKA The Choc Star Express.

Petra has hit the road with Jimmy on a culinary adventure to see what the folks of Britain have to offer. It is a fantastic idea, one that will hopefully spawn the most alternative of travelling books, and I will be delighted when Petra hits the frozen North East next month and she becomes our lodger for the evening.

I implore you to check out her Blog which is detailing her diary of events on the road. Get in touch with her, join her Facebook group, encourage her and most of all, enjoy her brilliant humorous approach to life via her writing. The world would be an incredibly dull place without people like Petra. And in dedication to her, I've attempted one of her recipes that I asked her to send me. Needless to say, it was simply brilliant and as you can see, it passed the Cerys test with flying colours. In Petra's own words, "It's like a cold, crunchy, dark slice of truffle and very moreish and so easy". What more do we need? Choctastic. See you in May Petra.

Chocolate, Almond and Orange Terrine

300g chocolate, min 70%
250g unsalted butter
A few broken fingers of shortbread (or digestives if you prefer...or any crunchy biscuit)
100g caster sugar
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
100g toasted flaked almonds
Grated zest of 2 oranges
A jolt of brandy (or Cointreau, or rum)

1 - Melt the chocolate in a bain marie with the butter.
2 - Whip the eggs together with the sugar - not too much but so they're well blended. Stir into the chocolate butter mix thoroughly.
3 - Stir in the broken biscuits, zest, almonds and booze. I also added a handful of glacier cherries.
4 - Pour into a medium loaf tin lined with good strong cling film and place in the freezer to set for a couple of hours.
5 - When you're ready to serve, remove from the freezer 10 minutes before, remove from the tin and peel off the cling film...and then slice that old rascal up.

Going Bananas for Bananas

I'm thinking about bananas a lot at the moment. I seem to want to use them in any sweet invention that I do. I think it all stemmed from the Skinny Banoffie Pie I did earlier this year, that superb combination of banana, toffee and cream. Bananas just seem to marry quite happily in a concoction of sweet things, with most of mine involving chocolate.

Knocking together a cake is pretty much a weekly task now, and most of them are like the equivalent of one of those 'bottom of the fridge' soups in which you use up a few things that have seen better days. That experimentation I talk about quite often is crucial to the development and confidence of the home cook. Stick with the basics then develop them with a bit of trial and error, the makings of most of even the greatest chefs.

This cake is a little like a banana loaf cake, a great 'cake' to start with for any budding baker as it is literally a cup of this and a cup of that. I've taken mine to a different level with the addition of some chocolate. I've also caramelised some bananas in honey which makes for a sumptuous, sticky and fragrant topping.

Sticky Banana and Chocolate Loaf Cake

6 bananas (3 ripe for the top, 3 not so ripe for the cake)
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g oats
100g honey
100g butter or low fat spread
2 eggs
100g chocolate, roughly chopped into small chunks

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C, GM3.
2 - Drizzle a little honey into a non-stick frying pan and heat up. Slice 3 of the bananas into diagonal 1cm chunks and cook until caramelised on both sides.
3 - Line a loaf or square tin with baking paper then line this with the caramelised bananas, pouring on any sticky caramel from the pan.
4 - Mash the 3 bananas in a bowl.
5 - Beat together the butter/margarine with the honey until pale, then beat in the eggs. Fold in the flour, oats, baking powder, bananas and chocolate.
6 - Pour this into the prepared loaf tin and bake on the middle shelf for 45-50 minutes. If it starts to go brown before cooking time is up, cover with a piece of baking paper.
7 - Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack. Perfect as a dessert with cream or yoghurt or just with a good old cup of tea.