Cibare Food and Drinks Magazine
Issue 26 BIRMINGHAM Spring 2022
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Contents RECIPE The Art of Soughdough Brioche Croque Monsieur Go Nuts for Nut Butter Wild Mushrooms Prawns on Toast Posh Mushrooms on Toast Tahini Brioche Toast Tosta De Anchoas
REVIEW 20 24 26 30 34 44 46 48
GARDENING The Edible Garden
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BOOK REVIEW
FEATURES The Gentleman Baristas White Sliced Bread Avocado Chimichurri The Symbolism & Glory of Challah Fig & Gorgonzola Sugary Toast The Bread of Affliction
Tropea 12
8 18 32 36
SH*T ON TOAST
50 52
Bread for my Breed
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PETS 64
BOOZE Heads + Tails 56
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Happy Spring!!! Happy Spring to all our lovely readers!!! I hope that by the time you are all reading this, it’s gloriously sunny and you can feel the warmth on your face now that winter has gone!!! I feel cold and I have Covid and I’m bored of all of this now. So much so that all I want to do is eat bread and toast! So that’s what we are all about in this issue. Delicious things that you can eat that will just make you genuinely happy and don’t take long to make. I mean what more could anyone want? I do not know! But honestly, dreams of summer warmth and relaxed days back to normality, with a glass of wine or preferably a cocktail is what we all want so let’s raise a toast and say ‘Cheers!’ to that and wish for ice cream weather soon!! Eve x
PS Enjoy my Shoreditch grafitti love!
Cibare
Editor’s Note
BOOK REVIEW
SH*T ON TOAST BY WHATWILLYCOOK Reviewed By Despina Mina
His ‘Non-Stresipes’ listed on his website are exactly as they sound and are genuinely simple to follow. Will comes across as a charming joker who’s having a bit of a laugh and I’m sure he is all of those things. But don’t be fooled, it takes some serious skill, dedication and a love for this job to pump out content 4
that remains relevant, fun and most importantly delicious. All of this hard work was spotted by the Mob Kitchen team, a social media platform whose target audience are students and young professionals who are looking for affordable meals that aren’t intimidating to cook (and he’s now a media partner). I don’t think it will stop there; this social media foodie kid is going places. This issue of CIBARE is all about stuff on toast. You can be as boujie or as frugal as you want with this method - from foie gras to baked beans, as long as it’s tasty the choices are limitless. It’s a fail-safe way to eat - cook something tasty and stick it on toast. As luck would have it, Will occasionally drops in quick fire videos titled ‘Sh*t on Toast’, with its own catchy theme tune. These are the three that caught my eye First up are the ‘Mega Shrooms on Toast’ - it’s like a creamy mushroom stroganoff, cooked in soured cream. With shallots Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: Despina Mina
I’m here to discuss a man called Will Hughes. I found him on Instagram last year, under the name of @ WhatWillyCook. Why did Will stand out from all the other foodie social media kids? He posts videos of himself cooking the kind of food that we could all cook, but just need a little guidance and confidence to do so. He breaks it down in a way that’s achievable, fun and has a sense of humour that tickles my funny bone. The videos, all edited by Will himself are short and sharp, filmed in his real-life kitchen. His whimsical accent for the voice overs reminds me of the deadpan Mathew Holness from ‘Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace’, very tongue in cheek.
and garlic, it’s rich and unctuous, but it’s the added saltiness from the grated pecorino and the hint of aniseed from the fresh tarragon that makes this a bit special. I’ll be making this again and with a bit more time on my hands, I’ll swap the toast for buttery mashed potatoes. It’s worth getting your hands on some fancy mushrooms (Trumpet and King Oyster in this case) as this deserves a little love. The very next day I made the ‘Chilli & Lime Bruschetta’ - this is a belter and makes me yearn for the sun to shine and to hear the clinking of beer bottles. It tasted like a fresh Mexican salsa with a nod to the classic Italian bruschetta - ripe tomatoes with a kick of chilli, a squeeze of acidic lime, a squirt of sweet balsamic vinegar and the aromatics of fresh basil. Oh and let’s not forget the raw garlic, it doesn’t smell as long as you’re all eating it, right?
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PICTURE CREDITS: Despina Mina
The final toasty delight was the ‘Nduja Butter Fried Egg on Toast’. Nduja paste is made from pork, fat, herbs, spices and local Calabrian chillies and makes everything delicious - there are no quantities given as it’s such a simple idea. I went heavy on the Nduja and mixed it in with a generous portion of butter, which is then melted in a hot frying pan so that your cracked egg can swim in all its spicy goodness. I loved the addition of smoked salt which now makes a regular appearance in my food. Get some good quality Nduja and eggs and make this post haste, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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REVIEW
WHEN TWO HUGGERS MEET OVER SPECIALITY COFFEE… By Andreas Christou
Confession time - an hour and half spent with Henry from The Gentlemen Baristas was not nearly enough. Being on a coffee shop/roaster journey in speciality coffee myself, I was fascinated to hear about how he started. Having got TGB off the ground, establishing 10 locations and a roasting plant, he still has the ability to keep growing the brand and most importantly, still has the energy and enthusiasm to keep things fresh. What was evident from the very beginning was how friendly and warm Henry is. As I foolishly entered the exit door of his original shop on Union Street in Borough, we literally bumped into each other! “Andy?” “Henry!” “Filter?” Whilst passing me his freshly poured filter. “Thank you!” “Go and make yourself comfortable upstairs and I’ll be there shortly.” 8
When Henry made it upstairs, we quickly established that we were both passionate coffee people and even more passionate huggers, so we hugged... a great hug. Another confession: I am no way, in any form an expert in the art of interviewing, but I do consider myself to be someone who can make people feel at ease and comfortable, as can Henry. There was no real structure to my questioning, but those questions came from a place of real interest. Each line that was taken just opened up another insight into the TGB culture and Henry’s beliefs. Luckily, I remembered to press record and the stories began. When Henry was studying Town & Country Planning and Architectural Law, he fell into coffee entirely by accident. At the time he was working for a friend who had a coffeeshop in Bath, which was voted 30th out of the best 100 coffeeshops by the Independent. Henry then moved to London at the same time as Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” was Cibare Magazine
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launched, at the height of Jamie Oliver’s “Bish Bosh” takeover and he fell in love with a booming hospitality industry. He even managed to earn himself a place in the Guinness Book of Records when he worked at the first London Coffee Festival at the Truman Brewery for Kimbo. Whilst working with Illy Coffee, Henry had access to some of the best kitchens and the most talented sensory people in London, which in normal circumstances wouldn’t have been the case. In the meantime, his passion and love for coffee was constantly growing. After establishing himself in the coffee world working for Illy, he then finished his employment at Kimbo before embarking on The Gentlemen Baristas, and his role in the “fight against the Baristocracy” was born. The frustration of seeing the way in which baristas were dealing with customers whilst not having a clear enough understanding of coffee, and yet still telling their customers how to drink it, was too much for him to stomach. Henry went on to explain that launching The Gentlemen Baristas was about showcasing well-mannered and welcoming Baristas with the ethos that “good coffee is a right, not a luxury”. TGB Baristas in the early stages experimented with coffee and still do to this day. They let their customers try it, as they receive instant feedback and the customer feels part of the process, and that their opinion counts. “We reinvented the coffee house as we saw it, a place for strangers to speak, 10
try new flavours, make new friends and where everyone always felt welcome”. What I understood early on in my visit was that it is the TGB people who make the business what it is. The fact that Henry and Ed decided from the beginning to employ good people and train them to be excellent baristas was evident, and every staff member I engaged with during my time in the shop was first and foremost a nice person who made me feel special. In a world where there are many coffee shops on most corners of London, this is what makes a major difference on why the customer comes back. We were in the presence of a master in hospitality and Henry spoke more about the feeling his brand reflects upon, rather than just the coffee itself. We discussed the importance of being a supportive part of the community and how this was most relevant on the night of the terrorist attacks in Borough Market. Their doors locked in their community for safety and cups of tea were served. But being good is not a new concept for the company. They adopted a campaign called ‘The Good Egg Club’ when TGB was first launched. Let me try and explain how ‘The Good Egg Club’ worked. TGB produced a set of ‘Good Egg Cards’, so that if you saw someone do a good deed, you rewarded them with a card. This card entitled the recipient to a free coffee in any of The Gentlemen Baristas’ coffee houses. Alternatively, if you had a card and saw someone that needed a free coffee, you could give them a card and ‘pay it forward’! What Henry didn’t expect was that the cards the TGB team handed Cibare Magazine
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out would in turn be passed on again to many different “well deserving” people by the original recipients. He explained that the feeling of gifting this card and acknowledging someone’s “good deed” was better than walking into their store and claiming the free coffee for themselves. Giving is of course better than receiving! What a wonderful world we live in, where the majority of people are still good eggs!!!
take our coffee structure very seriously, we have chosen to sit somewhere in the middle”. With a contented smile. Henry... “This has been beautiful, who wants a hug?” So, we hugged... a great hug.
What does the future hold for TGB? To start with a bigger roasting plant with a new Loring Roaster! They are keeping their current 12kg Probat too, which will be used for the more special single origins on offer. Henry is like an excited child on the eve of Christmas, speaking animatedly about how the Loring will allow the business to roast the same amount of coffee in a day that the Probat roasts in a whole week! So, the investment goes hand in hand with a bigger push for new and more wholesale clients, spreading their two mainstay coffee blends, two single origins and a number of filters in even more locations. They are also continuing to work on many more sustainable processes including the adoption of a new approach to decaf which will allow for onsite decaffeination, thus reducing the carbon footprint which Swiss water process can typically increase. Keeping their coffee as locally produced as possible is of the utmost importance to TGB. To finish I asked Henry how they see themselves? In typical Henry style he replied… “We don’t take ourselves seriously, but we 12
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REVIEW
TROPEA BIRMINGHAM By Simon Carlo
And now to the food which, in keeping with the theme of this issue, all appears on bread in various guises, skipping from the very Italian to the more familiar but with Italian produce at the centre. There are various types of piadina – a street food dish originally from Northeast Italy – where the larded flatbread is neatly folded up like unused bed sheets, its quilted interior a colourful blend of
goat’s cheese, beetroot, and walnut, as sweet and as nutty as grandma herself. Scrambled eggs call on the finest Burford Browns which have their bright orange yolks tempered down with mascarpone. The eggs are impeccably worked: light and properly seasoned, served with Italian sausages which are punchy with fennel. There are roasted tomatoes for those who want to pretend it’s healthy and fat wedges of toasted ciabatta for those who know and accept it is not. The whole thing comes together beautifully as if the best of British and Italian produce were always meant to be together. Perhaps the best dish is the focaccia, a mammoth cut of oily bread filled with generosity and a strong sense of hospitality. Its contents are an ode to the Southern regions, where the stiletto heel of the boot joins the elegant leg which makes up the rest of Italy: smoked Scamorza cheese, blistered red peppers, the gutsy, fatty ‘Nduja sausage, and some notional rocket. It’s a brooding sandwich the size of a baby’s forearm. There is a side salad dressed to cut through it all which is more hope than attainment. You won’t reach it: the sandwich will defeat you and you should be happy accepting that.
PICTURE CREDITS: Tam Bernard Photography
I arrive at Tropea at ten on the dot, take a seat on one of the stools in the window and look to the menu for carbs to soak up the previous evening’s work. Is it too early for a Negroni? Probably. I order a double espresso. Then another. Then a Negroni: it is my day off, after all. The espresso is excellent, I could almost be in Italy were it not for the views of the swimming baths or the strong Brummie accents repeating the order back to me. The Negroni is even better: a trusty blend of Cocchi vermouth, Campari, and Navy strength gin. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that the best Negroni is in Italy. I once spent a night touring the bars of Florence trying the OG’s only to learn that most still find it acceptable to use Martini Rosso whilst charging 20 euros apiece. It’s like the English and cricket. We may have invented it but most of the world does it far better.
FEATURE
WHITE SLICED BREAD By Simon Carlo
As a child the first time I was allowed alone off the road on which we lived, it was to fetch bread. Google now tells me the distance was 160m, though to my little sparrow legs it seemed a lengthy adventure, with one fairly quiet road to cross before I navigated the gentle bend on the way to Ray’s corner shop. Guarding the pound coin in my clasped fist, with my other hand firmly clamped around that hand for double protection, I entered the shop. I headed straight to the centre aisle, looking for the amber hues of the Warburtons Toastie paper packaging. I paid, carefully counted the change which was mine and made the quick call to get either a Wham bar or bag of Warheads, knowing I had to be quick or else my parents would come looking for me if I wasn’t back. I left to find Dad waiting on the corner. He had followed me there all along. That bread shaped my childhood. It was toasted and heavily buttered as a vehicle for either baked beans or spaghetti hoops, and formed the backbone for 18
the crisp sandwiches I begged for as a treat. Even now, as an adult of sorts, my favourite food memory involves white sliced bread: curry sauce and chips in a tray from the local Cantonese takeaway with three slices of the stuff so heavily buttered that the liquid elements would merge into a nuclear yellow gloop and run down your arm as you ate it. I’ve said for years it would be my ‘Off Menu’ main course until someone pointed out it could technically qualify as my side dish. So now it’s main course and side dish. But it has to be the toastie cut. Any less and it will tear, any more (I’m looking at you Super Toastie) and you’ll never make it to the inside of the fold. It’s the bread that never goes off. The kind that will stick around as fodder for the termites in the event of a nuclear war. Nobody really knows what it is made of and equally nobody really wants to know. In the age of sourdoughs and focaccias and gourmet ciabattas hand massaged by moustachioed men on the hour, it still has a place. Only the absurd would stick Cibare Magazine
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a focaccia in a Breville, and anyone who has made a sandwich with sourdough can testify that it needs to be eaten quickly or else the bread becomes mushier than a Richard Curtis movie. White sliced bread is the solid foundation we all need. It should run for Prime Minister. We have a ritual on Christmas Day which is really quite simple. Dad makes the bacon and egg sarnies, eats with us and then returns to the kitchen to cook whilst the rest of us get drunk and play cards. The make-up of that sandwich never changes: high quality back bacon, Burford Brown eggs, ketchup, lots of that gold and black packaged butter from Waitrose, and Warburtons white bread cut to toastie.
It’s the greatest thing in the world (the childhood Cantonese restaurant has long since closed), yet I tried my best to sabotage it one year by insisting I took some rather lovely sourdough from an excellent local bakery. It was carnage. Butter and yolk and ketchup seeping through the uneven crumb air pockets, onto wrists and Christmas jumpers and new jeans that now need washing after just three hours of life. The bread collapsing into itself like a malfunction in the Hadron Collider. Children crying and adults cursing, I’d ruined the big day way worse than a 10pm showing of Mrs Brown’s Boys. I’m surprised they have forgiven me. You simply don’t get these problems with white sliced bread.
RECIPE
THE ART OF SOURDOUGH By Anthony Raffo
Where do I start with bread? It holds a very special place in my heart, with its simple fermentation process that can define countries and cultures. Like olive oil-soaked focaccia from Italy, fluffy pillows of buttery brioche from France and of course the spongy and gummy texture and beautiful crispy crust of rye sourdough from England. Sourdough is one of the oldest forms of bread, dating back as far as the Egyptians. Bread production that relies on the use of sourdough as a leavening agent has been around for most of human history. The use of British ancient grains such as rye and spelt make for a true British sourdough and for me, the king of breads to toast. The spongy texture of the interior of sourdough really undergoes an amazing transformation once it’s been toasted, turning the crumb into little crispy crystals. Just add a little salted butter to melt on top and all in the world seems right. 20
It not only tastes amazing, but sourdough has a number of health benefits due to my old friend fermentation. Wild lactobacillaceae, a group of lactic acid bacteria, are what give that characteristic sourness to the bread, and they are great for your gut. These lactic acids are a great fuel for your gut microbes and can aid digestion. Sourdough can also help keep your blood sugars in a good range and reduce the risk of heart disease what more could you want from your bread? I never really paid much attention to bread growing up, and as a chef it was one of those things that you would just serve alongside the meal, never really being the star. This of course all changed when I started a micro bakery during the pandemic. I really started geeking out on bread, researching the different processes and histories. We produced many different breads, but sourdough was the one that really caught my attention, mainly due to the fermentation process. Anyone who knows me knows Cibare Magazine
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I’m obsessed with fermentation and that one ingredient I couldn’t live without is bacteria. One of the most interesting facts I found out was about the scoring on top of the loaf: not only has it got a very practical use of letting your sourdough rise in the oven without rupturing and creating a beautiful ear, it also has a historical use. Back when we lived in little communities there would be a communal oven and people would have a signature scoring pattern so once baked everyone would know whose bread was whose. Now I’m at Anglo, the restaurant where I am head chef, it is only fitting that we serve a British spelt and rye sourdough championed as a standout course all on its own, served with a roasted yeast butter. I’m going to share that recipe with you now although I will say that sourdough is a living thing and that it very much relies on humidity, temperature and of course the different bacteria in the air. So, this recipe that works for us in the restaurant may need tweaking for your own location, but therein lies the fun in making your own bread. Sourdough Recipe: Ingredients: 195g spelt based starter 750g T55 bread flour 75g rye flour 600g warm water 17.5g salt Method: 1. Place your room temperature starter and flours in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment.
2. Add your warm water and lightly mix the ingredients until they are just combined and leave until you see the mix rising. 3. Add your salt and now mix on a high speed until the dough is cleaned away from the sides of the mixing bowl and forms a smooth dough on the hook. 4. Remove dough from the bowl and place into a wet tray. 5. Every 30 minutes fold your dough by bringing each side into the middle. 6. Repeat this folding 4 times. 7. Now remove your folded and risen dough out of the tray and on to your work bench and divide your dough into your preferred weights for your bread baskets. 8. Place your floured bread baskets with dough into the fridge to rise and ferment overnight. 9. Pre-heat your oven and baking tray to 250°C. 10. Turn your sourdough out from the baskets straight onto your hot tray and score with a razor blade as you like. 11. Place into the pre-heated oven and splash one cup of water into the bottom of your oven then close the door immediately to create steam inside. 12. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes depending on size of your loaves. 13. Open the oven door to allow the steam to escape and then it close again and wait another 10 to 15 minutes. 14. Remove from oven and leave to cool slightly. Fresh warm sourdough is amazing, but you should never cut it straight out of the oven - you should always leave it to rest as you would a steak. 15. Enjoy your home-made sourdough, slathered with some delicious butter!
RECIPE
BRIOCHE CROQUE MONSIEUR By Jack and Hayley Rowbottom
Crisp Mister? Quite literally the French to English translation of this wonderful beast of a sandwich. Packed with cheesy, gooey and buttery flavours, this is most definitely not for the faint of heart! It’s thought that one possible origin of this sandwich comes from the times when French workers left their sarnies on a radiator while they worked, inadvertently creating the first French cheese and ham toasty. Other variations include: The addition of a fried egg served on top: Croque Madame The addition of tomatoes: Croque Provençal The substitution of blue cheese for Gruyère: Croque Auvergnat The substitution of smoked salmon for ham: Croque Norvégien Ingredients: 200ml of milk 20g of plain flour
20g of butter 4 slices of brioche or thick white bread 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard 4 slices of good quality ham 4 handfuls of grated Gruyère cheese Salt and pepper to season Method: To make the béchamel sauce: 1. Pour the milk into a saucepan then add the flour and butter, slowly bringing the mixture up to the boil. Stir / whisk constantly until you have a thick, creamy sauce. Season well. To make the sarnie: 1. Heat the grill to medium high and the oven to 200°C (fan). Brush the brioche slices with melted butter and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper to toast one side only under the grill until it’s golden. 2. Remove the bread from the grill and build your two sandwiches. Place one slice of bread butter side down, add a layer of Dijon mustard, two slices of ham, a layer of cheese, a layer of
béchamel sauce, a second slice of bread butter side up, more béchamel sauce and then a final layer of cheese on top. You got that??
3. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Leave to cool slightly, then stuff your face!
RECIPE
GO NUTS FOR NUT BUTTER! By Emma Walton-Moore
We’ve all grown up eating peanut butter and Nutella, but there is a nut butter revolution taking place. In supermarkets where you once found a jar or two of peanut butter you will see a wide range of different nut and seed butters in varying shapes and sizes. You can even buy 1kg tubs! Their popularity knows no bounds. But what are they and why are they so popular? A nut butter is essentially a spread made by grinding a nut (or a combination of nuts) until a paste forms, which can easily be spread just like butter (hence the name). The reason we love them so much is that they are so very tasty, but they also carry huge health benefits thanks to their high levels of protein and essential fats. They are delicious, but also good for you! Depending on how they have been made, nut butters can be crunchy or smooth and mixed with sweeteners or spices for a more complex flavour. Almost 26
all of them go well with a fruity, sweet topping though they can also be used in savoury dishes to create a rich, nutty flavour. They are an incredibly versatile ingredient to have in your cupboard. If you want to make your own nut butter, it’s really simple. All you need is a highpowered blender and a whole lot of your favourite nuts! Toast the nuts first to release their oils and really bring out their flavour. Pop them in the blender and blitz on high until you have the desired texture. You shouldn’t need to add any extra oil, the nuts contain enough just as they are. Homemade Nut Butter Recipe Equipment: High-speed blender Ingredients: 450 grams of nuts (yes that’s it...) Method: 1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C and add the nuts to a lined baking tray in a Cibare Magazine
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single layer. Roast the nuts for around 10 minutes or until they’ve released their toasty aroma and are slightly golden brown. 2. Rub the nuts together to remove any skins that are peeling away (this particularly happens with hazelnuts). 3. Add the roasted nuts to a highspeed blender and blitz on high until you have a creamy nut butter that can easily be spread. (Don’t worry, this can take 10 to 15 minutes!) 4. Once you’ve achieved your desired texture add in any salt, sweetener or spices that you’d like, then spoon into a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Nut butter on toast – luscious! Here are some of my favourite combinations, where nut butters are best enjoyed on a slice of toast. Peanut butter and banana Almond butter and strawberry Pistachio butter and raspberries Cashew nut butter and mango Hazelnut butter and cherries Pecan butter and clementine wedges Walnut butter and apple For each of these combinations spread your nut butter thinly over a slice of toast. Finely slice the fruit and lay over the nut butter. A drizzle of chocolate or maple syrup is a nice addition for those of you with a sweet tooth! You can even add toppings like shredded coconut for some extra texture. The possibilities are endless!
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CANDIED SMOKED SALMON Premium Scottish Salmon, dry cured, brined with pure Canadian maple syrup, air dried and smoked over old whisky barrel oak.
@can_Dfood canDfoodco
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RECIPE
WILD MUSHROOMS ON TOAST WITH CREAMY RICOTTA AND FRESH FLAT LEAF PARSLEY By Dani Gavriel
Ingredients: 4 thick slices of crusty sourdough bread Extra virgin olive oil for sautéing the mushrooms Salt & black pepper to taste 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 1 bag of mixed wild mushrooms, washed and sliced 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves ½ tsp dried mixed herbs 2 tbsp salted butter 1 cup ricotta cheese, strained 1 handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Method: 1. Toast your bread, rub with garlic cloves and set aside. 2. Add the mushrooms to a pan with a little butter and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, dried mixed herbs and fresh thyme. Cook until the mushrooms turn a golden colour and start to caramelise. 3. Spread your drained creamy ricotta over the crunchy, golden slices of toasted bread. 4. Add the cooked mushroom mix and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Best served straight away!
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FEATURE
AVOCADO CHIMICHURRI By David J Rickett
Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados 1 small bunch of parsley Zest of 1 lemon 50 ml of red wine vinegar 3 large garlic cloves ½ green chilli (de-seeded) 60ml of rapeseed oil Salt to taste To serve: Crusty French stick Edible flowers, Greek basil and coriander cress Method: 1. For the chimichurri simply blend all the ingredients until you have a smooth purée. Then place the purée into a piping bag. 2. Slice the crusty bread into semi circles like little boats. Pipe two beautiful puffs onto each boat and decorate with edible flowers and your leaves. The perfect canapé. 32
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RECIPE
PRAWNS ON TOAST By Ying Bower
This Thai version of the Chinese restaurant staple tastes so much better when you make it at home! Ingredients: 15 raw prawns 1 egg, beaten Pinch of black pepper Small clove of garlic Small bunch of coriander stalks 2 tsp of soya sauce 1 tbsp of oyster sauce 4 slices of white bread, each cut into four squares or triangles.
5. Spread the prawn mixture on each piece of bread and decorate with coriander leaf. 6. Heat the oil in a pan to around 80°C so you can deep fry the toasts on a medium to high heat. Place them prawn side down first to fry for a few minutes then turn to crisp up the other side: keep turning the toasts till they are golden, remove from the pan and decorate with sesame seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Method: 1. Pound the garlic, black pepper and coriander stalk to a paste in a pestle and mortar. 2. Finely chop the raw prawns and then mix them together with the garlic, black pepper and coriander paste. 3. Add the egg, soya sauce and oyster sauce to the mixture, mix well together and leave it one side. 4. Cut the bread into the shapes you prefer. 34
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FEATURE
THE SYMBOLISM & GLORY OF CHALLAH By Gilly Balcombe
If you live in London, or any other city where there is a decent sized Jewish community, you’ve probably tasted challah. For those who haven’t, I can only compare its flavour and texture to that of a scrumptious French plaited brioche or ‘tresse’, made from a yeast dough enriched with eggs and sweetened with a little sugar, though challah isn’t usually as sweet as brioche. This symbolic and special bread is traditionally eaten by Jewish people on the Sabbath and other important festivals. It was first mentioned in the 36
Torah, or Old Testament, as representing the ‘manna’ or bread that fell from the sky and fed the ancient Israelites during their 40-year desert trek. Once their long trek was over, it is said that God decreed that whenever they made bread for the Sabbath, they would set aside a portion of the dough as an offering at the temple, to demonstrate how grateful they were to have been allowed into the Holy Land. Making this ritual offering became the task of the wives and daughters who baked the bread, and the small piece became known as ‘challah’. It symbolises gratitude to this day, and the making, blessing and eating of challah heralds the beginning of the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week when no work is permitted, or of a holy festival. For this reason, the person who recites the blessing for the bread tears off small pieces from the loaf which are then distributed to all those round Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: Gilly Balcombe
Challah – the delicious, pillowy bread so keenly anticipated throughout the working week by Jews all over the world. Baked specifically for the Sabbath, it has a long and rich history, as rich as the dough it’s made from. In fact, there are probably as many versions of this history as there are of the loaf itself.
From the Middle Ages and beyond, Jewish housewives in countries such as Austria, Germany and Poland adopted the plaited style of loaf that was made by their non-Jewish counterparts for Sunday celebrations. Thus, the bestknown variety of challah is the braided Ashkenazi style that is traditionally used on the Sabbath, or ‘Shabbat’, from the Hebrew word for seven. The woven ropes of dough are said to symbolise unity, and the 12 mounds that distinguish the challah are said to represent 12 loaves, one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Here’s the recipe I use for this classic Shabbat treat, with thanks to Lisa Roukin of My Relationship with Food for the original recipe. It may look long and complicated, but she has cleverly broken the process up into bite-sized bits and I promise it’s a lot easier than you may think. Yeast, a little sugar, salt and white flour are mixed together before egg and sunflower oil are added. Sunflower or other vegetable oil is used so that the loaf is ‘parve’, made with neither milk nor meat products, so that Jews who observe the dietary laws, or ‘Kashrut’, can eat it with either form of meal. Once the dough has been kneaded, it’s proved and kneaded again, then plaited or formed into its relevant shape, then proved again. It’s brushed with an egg wash and often sprinkled with sesame or poppy seeds, resulting in a glorious pillowy bread with a gleaming, goldenbrown crust studded with seeds. There’s even a story behind the flour that’s used: although these days many artisan bakers produce challah using wholewheat or
seeded flours, traditionally refined strong white is the flour of choice. In days of yore (or as my kids would say, before even I was born) unrefined flour was the standard for regular bread: making your challah with the far more costly refined white flour demonstrated how special it was, and the sanctity of Shabbat. Ingredients to make two medium challahs: For the dough: 900g strong white bread flour, plus extra for when kneading & braiding (although try not to add too much, as it will make the mixture dry) 30g fresh yeast or 20g instant dried yeast, dissolved in 100ml lukewarm water (I tend to use dried yeast for the sheer convenience of keeping it in my cupboard, but you can get the fresh stuff from most supermarkets or bakeries) 105g golden caster or caster sugar 260ml lukewarm water 80ml oil sunflower oil or light olive oil, plus some extra for greasing your bowl 2 large eggs 1 egg yolk 10g salt For the glaze: 1 large egg, beaten with ½ tbsp water Sesame seeds and / or poppy seeds are traditionally used, or none at all if that’s your preference. Method: 1. In a medium size bowl, combine the yeast (crumble if using fresh) and 100ml lukewarm water, together with the sugar then leave to stand for 10 minutes. The yeast will begin to activate and you will see the liquid start to froth and foam.
PICTURE CREDITS: Gilly Balcombe
the Friday night or festival dinner table.
8. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F, gas mark 6, 200°C, 180°C (fan) and if you wish, place an oven-proof dish, filled with water, on the bottom to create steam which help your bread achieve a lovely crust. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, or two trays if you’re making two challahs. 9. To make two challahs, divide your mixture in half using a sharp knife or dough cutter and set one half aside whilst you shape the first. 10. Shape the dough into a log, then leave it to rest for a minute or two, before cutting it into equal portions for the number of strands you want to plait. That is, three portions for three strands, four portions for four strands and so on. If you’re new to making challah, it’s best to start with a three-strand braid and work your way up. There are lots of easy-to-follow videos on YouTube that will help you perfect your technique. 11. Press any remaining air bubbles out of each portion of dough, then work it very gently, rolling it under your palms using very little pressure, until you have a strand that is approximately 30cm long. 12. Place the prepared strands sideby-side on your worksurface and firmly press the tops together so that they are attached. Now you can start braiding! Do this exactly as you would if you were plaiting hair, making sure that your braid is tight, but not so tight that the dough is stretched. Once you’ve completed your plait, pinch the ends of the strands together and gently tuck them just underneath the loaf. Then repeat the process for the second challah with the remaining half of the dough. 13. Place your challahs onto the prepared baking trays, then cover each
PICTURE CREDITS: Gilly Balcombe
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then add the activated yeast liquid together with 260ml lukewarm water, sunflower oil, eggs and egg yolk. Knead the mixture either by hand or using the dough hook attachment on an electric mixer for 10 minutes – the dough will go from being a rough, shaggy mix to a lovely smooth ball. 3. Add the salt, then continue kneading for an extra 5 minutes until it is thoroughly mixed into the dough. 4. Brush the inside of a large, clean mixing bowl with a little sunflower oil, then form your dough into a large ball and pop it into the bowl, brushing it all over with a little more oil to stop it sticking. 5. Cover the bowl with oiled cling film or a clean kitchen towel and leave it to rise in a warm place for between 1 and 1½ hours, so that the dough doubles in size. If you have a proving option on your oven, set the temperature at 40°C. 6. Leaving the risen dough in the bowl, use your fists to “punch” the air out of it (known as ‘knocking back’), then carefully turn it onto a clean work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour, if needed. I usually place a silicon mat on my work surface, which makes the dough less like to stick so that less additional flour is required. 7. Knead the dough for 5 minutes and, using the palm of your hand, push all the air bubbles out of it, alternating between your left and right hand as you knead. If you prefer, you can use an electric mixer fitted with dough hook set on a low speed, but for me this little period of kneading feels really therapeutic. Once the dough is soft and smooth, shape it into a ball then cover it with a clean tea towel and leave it to rest for 5 minutes.
Each particular festival has its own tradition as regards preparing your challah. At Rosh Hashanah ( Jewish New Year), the loaves are formed into a round shape to signify the continuity of life, and pieces are dipped in honey and eaten before the festive meal to express one’s hopes for a sweet year ahead. For Yom Kippur (the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement), they can be baked in the shape of a ladder to denote high hopes for the months to come. At Simchat Torah, when the end and the beginning of the annual reading
of the Torah, that is the complete cycle, are celebrated, challahs are round and baked with dried fruit and other sweet ingredients. Such goodies as walnuts, maple syrup, small pieces of apple, raisins and numerous other treats spring to mind. The only festival where challah doesn’t make an appearance is Pesach, or Passover, but that’s another story. There is so much symbolism that surrounds challah and it is so revered in Jewish culture that it is deemed to have its own specific characteristics. When the challahs are placed on their board on the Shabbat or festive table, they are covered with a beautifully designed and made challah cloth: this is apparently to shield them from feeling less important when the first blessing is recited over the wine. No matter, it’s the challah that all the kids and all your guests will make a beeline for! I’ve covered the cultural and religious symbolism that is associated with challah, but I also have to say this bread is one of the most incredibly versatile vehicles for food that I’ve ever come across. It makes wicked, luscious bread and butter pudding, it’s the best for ‘eggy bread’ every time (don’t forget the cinnamon!). Forget smoked salmon bagels, a smoked salmon challah sandwich wins hands down, whether you make it with butter or with cream cheese. Toasted with lashings of butter, or used for cheese on toast… I could go on, but I think you get my drift. Go bake or buy your challah now (and not one of those industrial ones the supermarkets sell, go to a Jewish or kosher style artisan bakery) and you will never regret it… though your waistline may!
PICTURE CREDITS: shutterstock_Damian Lugowski
one with a clean tea towel and allow them to rise until they have doubled in size – this will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on how warm your kitchen is. It’s not necessary to prove them in the oven at this stage. 14. To glaze the loaves, beat one egg together with one tbsp of water in a small bowl, and then brush this mixture over the entire exposed surface of your loaves. 15. Once you’ve egg washed the loaves you can, if you wish, sprinkle them with your choice of sesame and / or poppy seeds. Place the trays in the oven and bake the challahs for 24 to 25 minutes for the two medium challahs. And the reason for two challahs? This harks back to belief that, every Friday before the Sabbath, a double portion of manna fell from heaven to last the wanderers through the holy day without breaking the prohibition to work. 16. If you prefer to make one very large challah you should bake it for 35 to 40 minutes. Either way, remove the bread from the oven when it has a glossy, golden-brown crust and set to cool on a wire rack. Resist for as long as you can and then enjoy!
Suggested London bakeries for wonderful challah and other scrumptious baked goods! Karma Bread, 13 South End Road, Hampstead, London, NW3 2PT Daniel’s Bakery, Hallswelle Parade, 12-14 Finchley Rd, London, NW11 0DL Carmeli, 126-128 Golders Green Rd, London, NW11 8HB
RECIPE
POSH MUSHROOMS ON TOAST (Vegan) By Emma Sousa
Ingredients: 400 grams of chopped mixed mushrooms 200 grams of sliced Oyster mushrooms 1 medium white onion (finely chopped) 2 to 5 garlic cloves (I love lots of garlic!) 1 tbsp of miso paste 1 tsp of smoked paprika 200ml of vegan ‘creme fresh’ or unsweetened cream 2 tbsp of tomato purée 2 to 3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach (optional extra) Fresh parsley or coriander, chopped Olive oil Salt and pepper to season Wholemeal Sourdough Bread (toasted) Method: 1. Finely chop the onion and garlic and lightly sauté until softened and slightly golden in a splash of olive or rapeseed oil in a large pan or wok. 2. Chop or slice the mushrooms (I like to leave them quite chunky), add to the pan and stir with the onions until cooked through. If the pan becomes
dry, add a splash of water to prevent the mushrooms sticking. 3. Add the smoked paprika, salt and pepper, tomato purée and miso paste - stir in and add a little water to make a paste. Stir again, and once combined add the pot of ‘creme fresh’ and stir until combined. This is where you decide how ‘wet’ you want your mixture - add more water and you have a lovely saucy, creamy base - you don’t want it too wet though because otherwise your toast will go soggy! 4. This is the point when you add the spinach if you want to - just let it wilt in the pan with the sauce. Add some fresh chopped parsley or coriander depending on which you prefer and serve on slices of toasted sourdough bread. This will serve four people and the mushroom base also makes a great main dish with pasta, rice or quinoa…enjoy.
RECIPE
TAHINI BRIOCHE TOAST WITH BANANAS AND DATES By Ellie Cook
Spring is peeking its way through the grey clouds, and we’re suddenly all remembering the joy of sunshine! This sweet toast is decadent enough to be a star at brunch, but so simple to put together. The gentle tang of the yoghurt is a great canvas to show off the flavours of the banana and dates, and the flaky salt adds both crunch and balance. Serves two. Ingredients: 2 thick slices of brioche 100g of Greek honey yoghurt 1 large ripe banana 2 large Medjool dates 2 tbsp of tahini Salted pistachio kernels Flaky salt, to sprinkle
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Method: 1. Toast the brioche under the grill until just golden. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 2. Spread the yoghurt generously over the toasted brioche slices - rippled is better than smooth, so it can catch all that lovely tahini. 3. Thinly slice the banana, then lay the slices over the top of the yoghurt. 4. Chop the dates into small pieces, and sprinkle over the top. 5 Drizzle each toast with 1tbsp of tahini (or more, if you’d like), then serve immediately topped with a sprinkle of flaky salt.
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RECIPE
TOSTA DE ANCHOAS By Charlotte Benbow
This classic dish of Anchovies on Toast is a staple when it comes to Basque Tapas and a very popular Pintxo choice. Ingredients: 1 white baguette 1 large beef tomato 2 garlic cloves 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 white marinated anchovy fillets (boquerones) 4 brown anchovy fillets packed in oil Most supermarkets do now stock both types of anchovies: the brown ones are either in jars or tins and you will find the white marinated type vacuum packed on the chilled deli section.
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Method: 1. Slice your baguette and use four thick slices for this dish. 2. Drizzle the slices with extra virgin olive oil. 3. Next make a pan con tomate, which literally translates as tomato with bread): blitz or mush up your tomato with the garlic cloves and olive oil until you have a pulpy consistency. Spread this thinly onto your baguette slices. 4. Then take both types of anchovies, white and brown. On two of the slices of bread, lay two white anchovies and on the other two, use the brown anchovies. Finish if you wish with a sprinkling of parsley and an extra little drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
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FEATURE
Fig & Gorgonzola Sugary Toast By Sofia Gallo
Ingredients: 2 slices of (preferably) sourdough bread 15g of salted butter 2 tsp of caster sugar 3 fresh figs 60 g of mild Gorgonzola cheese 2 tbsp of honey 2 rosemary stems Edible flowers and microgreens to serve – optional Method: Start by making your rosemary infused honey: 1. Bring your honey to a boil: I used the microwave for 20 seconds on high power (900w). 2. Place the rosemary in the honey and let infuse for 10 minutes. The scent will develop more the longer you leave it to infuse. For the toast: 1. Whip your Gorgonzola: you can easily do this by using a fork or a small hand whisk. If the cheese is not as creamy as you’d like, add a little milk or 50
cream, but this shouldn’t be necessary. Once well creamed, set to one side. 2. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add the butter. In the meantime, sprinkle first some water and then 1/2 tsp caster sugar on both sides of each slice of bread. 3. When the butter is frothing, bring it to a maple colour first, taking care not to let it burn, before placing the bread in the pan to ‘toast’. This will give a gorgeous nutty flavour to the bread. Turn to ensure that each side has that lovely golden hue. 4. Whilst the bread is toasting, slice your figs in thin slices and set aside. To serve: Spread your Gorgonzola on the bread, top with the sliced figs and finally drizzle the honey over the top. Decorate with edible flowers, microgreens and some sliced nuts of your choice - I opted for almonds. Eat immediately!
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FEATURE
THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION? By Gilly Balcombe
‘This is the bread of affliction that our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat! Let all who are needy come and celebrate Passover!’ The humble matzo has a strange and mythological background. Biblical sources tell us that, when the Jews fled from the slavery of Pharaoh in Egypt, they had but 18 minutes to escape (what, all 210,000 of them!?) and they carried on their backs their bread, that had not had enough time to rise. Thus was the matzo born – except that it was probably more like a pita or flatbread than an actual matzo in those days. I’m assuming now that you all know what a matzo is. In religious terms it’s the unleavened bread that Jews eat at Pesach (Passover), the festival that commemorates the exodus from Egypt and gives us the tales of Moses, the parting of the Red Sea, the ten plagues, the wanderings in the desert and more. To this day all matzos have to be prepared and baked within that 18-minute window.
Jesus’s last supper was the first night of Pesach (so Easter and Pesach always coincide, as they are both governed by the same lunar calendar) and the famous painting that can be seen in Venice is actually inaccurate, as it shows challah bread being eaten! In the Diaspora (basically any country that isn’t Israel) the festival lasts for eight days, during which no leavened (risen) bread may be consumed, and there are all kinds of restrictions on foods that are permitted or otherwise. Israel gets time off for being…well, Israel, where it all started. Diaspora countries have an extra day tacked on because, many moons before the age of internet and telephones, it took time for the news of the festival date to reach them! Oh, and just to add more confusion, the foodie interdictions differ between Ashkenazi Jews who originate from Central and Eastern Europe, and Sephardi Jews who hail from the Latin and Middle Eastern countries. But that’s a whole other subject.
In culinary terms, and for comparison only, a matzo is a large cracker that bears a striking resemblance to a Carrs Water Biscuit, except that it’s about 15 to 20cm square, and somehow crunchier but not as hard. Are you getting the picture? It has small holes in it too, through which just about everything you spread on it oozes. It almost looks like lines of Braille. Nonetheless, it’s a joy. A matzo sandwich takes me straight back to my childhood – a simple combination of matzo, butter and sliced Dutch cheese or egg mayo. As does fried matzo, or matzo brei: it’s basically a giant matzo pancake! Beat two eggs with a little milk, add two crushed matzos and let them soak in the egg mixture until the matzos have softened. Melt a decent knob of butter in a frying pan, add the matzo and egg mixture and let it cook till the base has set. Flip it over (this does require some care and cannot be done as you would flip a crêpe!) and allow the other side to set both sides should be golden brown when you slide it onto the plate. The trick is to have one circular pancake rather than a scrambled heap, which happens easily when you get it slightly wrong. Now once it’s out of the pan the fun starts, because there are so many ways people eat their fried matzo! My preference is brown sugar and cinnamon sprinkled over the top, because nothing quite comes close to that sugary, buttery flavour. There are those who like it with tomato ketchup, and I once met someone who thought the epitome of a fine matzo brei was to have it with vinegar. No, just wrong. Then there’s the matzo pizza, invented by exasperated mums to satisfy recent generations of little darlings who were
deprived of their Pizza Express or Pizza Hut fix for a week. First, line your baking sheet with parchment paper: this is essential so that (a) you can easily scrape off the delicious cheesy bits that ooze through the above-mentioned holes and (b) you can actually clean your baking tray afterwards. Slice lots of Cheddar, some spring onions, some tomatoes. Grab whatever herbs or spices you fancy. Start with one matzo per person (it’s never enough) and build your pizza. Put a decent layer of cheese on top of your matzo, then a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes over which you then scatter finely chopped spring onion and whatever herbs and spices take your fancy. Grill until the cheese is bubbling nicely. Use a large spatula (very important!) to transfer matzo to plate and remember not to leave any of the flattened blobs of grilled cheese behind on the parchment paper. But you don’t just cook it… matzo is a great way of transporting all kinds of food to your mouth. The butter and jam combo is a staple, smoked salmon with some cream cheese, sliced Gouda as I mentioned before, chopped liver, tuna filling … there are endless possibilities. It’s also brilliant crumbled up in your chicken soup with your kneidlach (matzo balls or dumplings) and lokshen (vermicelli). Bread of affliction? Maybe for Pharoah’s slaves, but these days it’s something everybody can enjoy as an alternative to traditional bread. And don’t forget the really important part of the quote… ‘Let all who are hungry come and eat.’ Share culture, share traditions, open your home so we can all learn about one another through the food on our plates and the company we enjoy.
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GARDENING
THE EDIBLE GARDEN By Emma Sousa
I don’t know about you but one of my greatest pleasures in life is food! I’m guessing if you’re reading this wonderful foodie magazine you love food as well, right? I’m also guessing quite a few of you like cooking too. Most of my dishes consist of fresh, whole foods. I rarely eat processed foods because I know that in order to maximise health and wellbeing, both physical and mental, my body needs to be nourished from the inside out! It’s not just about the way you look, it’s also about the way you feel and eating good food is probably one of the most important ways to take care of yourself. Admittedly, it’s not always easy… if you’re a busy working Mum like me having to think of new and exciting dishes every single day of the week can be tough, trying to keep everyone in your household happy. Since becoming fully plant based over three years ago (I was a vegetarian before that), I have experimented with flavours and seasonings to enhance the wonderful array of foods that I cook with. People 58
often say to me ‘but what do you eat?’. Just think about it: there are literally thousands of foods to choose from from fruits and vegetables, to pulses and grains, to tofu and seiten to dozens of varieties of mushrooms from the almost meaty Oyster mushroom to the weird and wonderful Enoki mushroom. There is such a wonderful variety of good and tasty, wholesome foods out there. One thing that has improved since our change in cooking style at home is our herb and spices cupboard. Staples for me include garlic powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, chilli flakes and we also have our fresh herb stores. Fresh herbs are a wonderful way to add flavour to any cuisine, whatever it is you choose to eat. A lot of base foods, including meat, can be pretty bland until you add some sort of seasoning. I’m not talking just salt and pepper, although sometimes that’s all you need, I’m talking fresh basil, rosemary, bay, thyme, parsley, coriander… the list goes on. A lot of these herbs are easy to grow either in the Cibare Magazine
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garden or on the kitchen window ledge. They lift your cooking to the next level, they’re often packed with nutrients, and by growing them they are about as fresh as you can get, without any nasties sprayed on them, ready to use as and when you need them: there’s no need to store them in the fridge and let’s face it, they also look so lovely planted up in pretty pots.
and lush, glorious shrub that keeps on giving.
Take rosemary for example - this is an evergreen shrub that is a total bee magnet: it happily lives in your garden for years and years, it has the prettiest little blue flowers during the spring and summer months, and it adds great flavour to so many dishes. My favourite way to use it is in home-made breads a fresh homemade ciabatta with black olives and rosemary is to die for - or in a Tuscan bean stew to add that extra authentic favour. Fresh coriander is also a staple in my household - sprinkled over a salad, in a hummus and red pepper sandwich, chopped and sprinkled over curry, pan Asian… it’s one of my all-time favourites. The more modest parsley provides a subtler flavour but can really enhance a dish, not just taste wise but aesthetically too. Torn fresh basil leaves on a fresh tomato salad or in an Italian pasta sauce… come on, I bet your taste buds are going wild! So here are my top five herbs to grow right now.
Basil - a great one to grow in the kitchen or in the greenhouse but it can also be planted outside during the summer months. Bring basil plants indoors during the cooler months for all yearround flavour at your fingertips.
Rosemary - grow it in the garden and once it’s established you will have it for life: it makes a beautiful addition to the garden, it’s bee friendly and can be dried and stored for later use. The key to growing rosemary is to cut it back hard every year to just above the woody part of the stem and it will grow into a thick 60
Coriander - this tender annual is best grown in the greenhouse but during the summer can be grown outside in a container in a sunny, sheltered position. You will need to grow from seed each year but it’s easy and quick to grow and is probably my most used herb at home!
Mint - I love mint, it makes a great and refreshing cup of tea, and it’s delicious added freshly chopped to salads. Think Greek salads, watermelon salad (and this one is to die for!), Middle Eastern inspired salads… not to mention a great addition to yoghurt-based dressings or on a Sunday roast (plant based in my household of course). It can get a bit out of control in the garden so I tend to grow it in containers so it can’t spread too far. Chives - again a lovely addition to the garden, this is a perennial herb that comes back year after year. During the summer it has gorgeous flowers that the bees love, and it is a great companion plant to ward off those pesky bugs! A great one to use in front borders, especially in your veggie patch. I also grow garlic chives which have a deliciously subtle garlic flavour. These guys are a super healthy addition to your cooking. If you get a glut then cut, chop and freeze until ready to use. Cibare Magazine
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WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN IN APRIL April can be a funny month - the weather can be very unpredictable, hot and sunny one day, frosts or rain the next. This is the month when people usually get caught out by a late frost after enthusiastically planting out the seedlings that they have grown on the window ledge or in the greenhouse. I never plant out tender plants until the second week of May (I’m in the South of England) when I know that the last frosts are definitely over, but there are some things that you can plant out and even some seeds you can sow directly during this month. You will need to keep an eye on the weather report and fleece or cloche them if a hard frost is predicted. What can you plant out in April? Broad beans, beetroot, kohlrabi, lettuce, radish, turnips, spring peas, perpetual spinach and carrots can all be planted out now, as well as early potatoes (towards the end of the month plant main crop potatoes after chitting earlier in the month). If space is limited potatoes can be planted in pots. More tender plants such as courgettes, squash, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and aubergine will need to be kept inside the greenhouse until May. You can start sowing the next batch of seeds under cover and also sow some direct directly (carrots, onions, garlic, broad beans and purple sprouting broccoli) to ensure a constant supply of veg throughout the season. 62
I like to sow mixed lettuce / rocket leaves in the greenhouse in trays and cut them when they are very young and tender for salads - you can literally do this throughout the season to have a constant supply on the go, as well as keeping a few pots of micro greens (I like these on my kitchen ledge as they are easy to access and look pretty growing in aged terracotta pots). If your lawn is looking a bit patchy, now’s a good time to sow some grass seeds in time for early summer BBQs and to get it looking tip top. If you have a spare patch of garden or an allotment, then a small patch of wildflowers is a delightful addition for the summer garden to attract pollinators. Don’t forget to check the compost heap and make good (or make one if you don’t already have one). Nothing goes to waste in our household as it is either fed to the chickens or goes on to the compost heaps which provide the compost that ends up going back on to the raised beds once it’s rotted down. The only thing that goes into our green bin collection is hardwood cuttings from such plants as roses, buddleia and the tough shrubs that don’t easily break down. Everything else goes into the compost bins / heaps (we now have four!) including grass cuttings, leaves, chicken waste etc. Now is the time to get to grips with your garden tasks as everything (including the weeds) starts to go crazy and it can soon start to feel overwhelming if you don’t keep on top of things. The secret is little and often… a few minutes a day will keep you on track! Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: shutterstock_Sofiia Tiuleneva
Other great herbs you can grow are dill, parsley, sage, thyme, bay… there are so many to choose from, so just pick your favourites and enjoy!
PETS
IS BREAD OK FOR YOUR BREED? By Roz Lishak
So, is it ok to give your dog a baked treat? The short answer is maybe, but it depends on what’s in that product, so here are a few thoughts you may “knead to dough” … ahem need to know! With many crossover canine foods on the market, and by that, I mean lookie likie dog cakes, doughnuts, cookies and biscuits as well as bread, the temptations to share your own are tremendous. Clever as your dog may be however, his nose and eyes won’t be able to tell the difference between dog friendly goodies or the dangers hidden within human food. 64
All things in moderation certainly, and I do have to confess that I too can be a sucker for those puppy dog eyes. I mainly champion the carnivore canine diet but feel it’s important to share a few pointers with new and not so new pet parents, thoughts that you may wish to consider when joining the dots between certain ingredients and doggy health concerns. When it comes to supporting your dog’s health, consider yeast-based products which may just be the reason for some irritating issues. Now obviously, I’m not a vet, and would advise any concerned dog owner to consult a vet should you see that your loved one is exhibiting indications of daily doggy discomfort of any sort. There are a number of initial signs to look out for - let’s call these the “tell tail” signs… If your dog seems to be scratching at himself constantly, including his ears, or he starts to bite his toes, or you notice him licking and gnawing - basically just Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: shutterstock_Demkat
If you’ve ever asked a similar canine culinary question, you’re probably one of many dog parents who naturally shares a bite of their sandwich or morning toast with their pooch …or it may be because your dog accidentally swiped the slice from your plate before you could stop them!
generally “overgrooming” - these may be the first signs of an allergic reaction to something in his diet, and yeast may be the starting point. Your dog may well do this at night in secret, so also look for red or inflamed skin patches that may appear, plus any mysterious hair loss and also brown
staining between their toes, all yeastrelated reactions that are known to show up. Being aware is probably the number one factor in saving stress and discomfort in any situation but when it comes to your dog, let’s raise a toast to knowing more about baked goods!
eT am Links Simon Carlo - @meatandtoneveg Despina Mina - @forkedldn Emma Walton-Moore - @supperinthesuburbs Charlotte Benbow - @charlotte.benbow Katie Goodchild - @heritagewinesuk Emma Sousa - @theurbanflowerfarmer Ying Bower - @yingenough Dani Gavriel - @dani_gavriel Roz Lishak - @yourpupparazzi Rebecca Stratton -@cakerebecca Gilly Balcombe - @gillianbalcombe Jo Farren - @jo.farren Samina Iqbal - @samina.i Sarah Frow - @thekidstableuk Suzanne Purton - @suzanne4fitness Eve Tudor - @iameditoroffood Theo Michaels - @theocooks Jack and Hayley Rowbottom - @jacksmeatshack Anthony Raffo - @anthonyraffo Jessica Mason - @drinksmaven Urvashi Roe - @urvashiroe David Rickett - @davidrickett Andy Christou - @broodroastery @andy.creative Ellie Cook - @ellie_croissant Sofia Gallo - @in_cucinacon_sofia
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