The Foodie May 2010 Issue 1 £1.45
Spotlight on:
The histroric city of Chester
Profile: ‘The
Teenage Chef’ Sam Stern
Recipes: Sizzling
easy-to-cook summer meals
Hints and Tips:
Getting the most out of your food
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Editors Letter
elcome to the latest installment of The Foodie, the food and cookery magazine for all of those non-chefs out there, those who enjoy the simplicity of cooking yet are un-experienced in the kitchen. This issue is celebrating the re-appearance of the sun in our lives and the impending long, hot nights that make these summer months so special. As always, this issue is
Page
packed with sizzling recipes, which are all perfect for the rising temperatures. This month, the Spotlight on section is dedicated to the diverse and enigmatic city of Chester. Steeped in history and thriving with local produce, this city is a must-see for the foodie who likes a touch of history with their main course. Also included in this summer edition of The Foodie, is an introduction
Contents
4-5 6 7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16 17 18-19 The Foodie May 2010
to the chef Sam Stern, the 19-yearold student who is fast becoming a hit having released five cookbooks all bursting with flavour and inspiration. As always, we at The Foodie believe that cooking should be exciting and an experience to learn from, not a hard, tiresome chore full of complicated recipes that are difficult to follow. So take our lead, follow our recipes, eat well and have fun! Gemma Littleton The Foodie Editor
Summer recipes Summer recipes Spotlight on Chester Eat on the Cheap Eat on the Cheap Profile: Simply Sam Summer recipes Hints and Tips The Foodie Speaks Summer Recipes 3
Summer
Easy homemade burgers with tomato and onion relish
Serves 4 300g lean beef mince 2 cloves of garlic 1 large white onion, finely chopped Mixed dried herbs Crushed chilies (optional) 1 tbsp olive oil (will need more if you choose to fry the burgers.) Salt and black pepper 1 egg (beaten) For the relish: 2 large tomatoes 1 red onion Olive oil Balsamic vinegar Salt and black pepper. 1. Mix the mince, seasonings and herbs in a bowl, add the chili flakes if you want your burgers to have a bit more of a bite. 2. Gently fry the garlic and onion until soft. Try not to colour them as this means that they have been cooked too
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much. 3. Mix the onions and garlic into the mince, then add the egg to act as a binding for the mixture. Be careful not to add too much as this will make the burgers too sloppy. 4. Shape the burgers
and set aside to chill for about an hour to allow the mixture to fully bind together. Use this time to make the tomato and onion relish. 5. Preheat the grill, or pan depending on the cooking method you choose. Cook the burgers for about 4 minutes
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Recipes on either side, depending on how well done you would like them. For the relish: 1. Chop the tomato and onion, mix them together in a bowl. 2. Add a generous pouring of olive oil. Pour in the balsamic vinegar
according to your taste; be aware that a little goes along way. 3. Season with salt and pepper.
Hint
You can substitue a third of the mince meat for breadcrumbs as a cheaper option.
Above: Homemade burrger
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Summer Recipes
Chili chips with garlic and lemon dip
season with the salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil. 3. Sprinkle the chili flakes and toss the potatoes until all are Serves: 2 covered in the chili 3 or 4 Large potatoes oil. Salt and black pepper 4. Cook in the oven for about? Until the Olive oil chips are golden and Dried chili flakes crispy.
For the dip: For the dip: 4 tbsp mayonnaise 2 cloves of garlic 1. Mix about half of (very finely chopped) Juice of 1 lemon 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Wash the potatoes, you may peel the skins if you wish but it is not necessary for this recipe. Cut them into chip sizes, whether that is chunky or French fry style, they taste just as good either way. 2. Lay the potatoes on a baking tray,
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the chopped garlic in with the mayonnaise in a bowl. 2. Add half of the lemon juice to the mixture and stir so that it mixes well with the mayonnaise and garlic. 3. Taste the dip, and add more garlic or lemon juice according to your preference. Make it to your own flavour.
Above: Chili Chips The Foodie May 2010
SpotLight on: Chester
Experience a taste of what Chester has to offer By Gemma Littleton
nent feature of the cities appeal. ollowing the sucA spokescess of last year, person for ChesChester tourism board ter tourism board are yet again running said: “After the the unique ‘A Taste success of last of Chester’ walking year’s walking tours. tours, it was obThe tour allows vious that it was visitors to the city to popular enough to indulge in a sensory bring it back for a journey of Chester, second year. combining the cities The tour is special thriving 2,000-year because you get history with the food to experience the that it has produced history of the city through the generafrom a different tions of time. angle to what alThe guided ternative tours ofwalk will take visifer and of course tors throughout the you get to fill your city, starting from the belly along the Town Hall and workway.” ing its way around Food that the many eateries and will be sampled delis that are a promi- will vary from
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cheeses, to breads and cakes, local meats and plenty of other enticing nibbles to tempt your taste buds. The tour will return to the streets of Chester from Saturday 1st May, and will run every Saturday and Thursday thereafter until October 31st, leaving at 2pm and lasting approximately an hour and a half. The price of the guided tour is £5 for adults, with concessions at a discount rate. For tickets contact the Chester tourism board on 0845 647 7868. 7
Eat George and Dragon
Chester
on
The menu The hotel itself is an odd choice obviously was mismatch of furniture and décor, much like the crowd that it not as extensive had we chosen from the attracts, a combination of students and the older generations, main menu, however sprinkled with a few families on it was not too disBy Gemma Littleton the weekend. However it was not appointing. There he George and Dragon an unpleasant dining experience, would have been at least one meal that Hotel’s two for £7 meal the atmosphere was what you deal is no doubt success-would expect from any pub on a should be to a cusful for a hotel which is situat- Wednesday night, a low murmur tomers taste. The ed so close in proximity to the of customers at the bars and ta- only meal that was University of Chester boasting bles. The staff were pleasant and not on the deal, which hundreds of students who are approachable, however we were a I would of expected to looking for a cheaper option little unsure as to whether it was be so was some sort to dining out. I was curious to table service or if we were expect- of burger, as I would of imagined this to experience the quality of theseed to order at the bar and after be a popular option. several minutes of waiting to be meals, when they can be sold Although next to told, we decided for ourselves for as little as £3.50 each. the deal menu there that it was the latter. was the list of burgers meal which were all priced around the £4.50 mark, so it would not be too much of a variant off £7 if you both chose to have a burger meal. I chose the chicken ceasar salad, and my companion went for the hunter’s chicken which was described as a chicken breast topped with Above: Front view of the hotel cheese , bacon
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Special
the
Cheap
rant, although it was sold under a completely different name, I know that the combination of chicken, bacon, cheese and bbq flavours, all work exceptionally well together. It seemed my partner agreed with this opinion, although again , as with the ceasar salad, one taste did seem to dominate the meal, that of the bbq sauce. The Above: Chicken ceasar salad chips were chunky and crisp, and and a bbq sauce. The only downfall of this there was just the right amount The food was pleasant meal was that, in to compliment the size of the served in less than 15 my opinion, the taste of chicken breast, therefore leaving minutes, which for what the ceasar sauce was over the customer pleasantly full. we ordered, was in good powered by the parmesan Overall, the meals that time. The dishes were cheese, therefore it could we experienced for £3.50 each presented well, as the of done with having a littlewere a lot more than what our accompanying pictures more of the sauce drizzled expectations were set at. The demonstrate, the ceasar over the chicken. portion sizes were just right, and salad in particular looking The hunter’s chick- the crucial flavours were there very appetising, although en, which was served with in both of the dishes. I would as this was my dish I am chunky chips and salad, definitely dine at The George and slightly biased. was a fairly large chicken Dragon hotel again, purely for the The ceasar salad breast which was covered reason that it is excellent value ticked the majority of the in lashings of the bbq, for money. boxes of what it should therefore disguising any The George and Dragon Hotel: be, plenty of croutons anddryness of the chicken it- 01244 380 714. chicken, ample parmeself. Having had a similar san shavings served on meal at a different restau crunchy lettuce leaves.
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as fellow diners who were not tak-a red wine and stilton ing part in the £15 deal. My part- sauce. The steak was ner, who is a vegetarian, was also cooked to perfection, impressed by the menu choice which to my liking is which offered a non-meat option slightly pink in the and plenty of fish dishes. centre, and it truly Wanting to have a truely did melt in the mouth. French dining experience, I The accompanying By Gemma Littleton chose the frogs legs for a starter, sauce was very rich which were served in a creamy and there was a lot of garlic sauce on a bed of sautéed it which was a positive hen you think of a cabbage. The were absolutely thing as it went sucheap student meal, perbly with the steak. a French restaurant delightful. The sauce complimented the slightly fish taste of My partner chose the boasting gourmet type dishes the legs, which the cabbage gave vegetarian option as is not what usually comes to a sharp contrast in flavours in opposed to another mind. However, Chez Jules comparison to the creamy sauce. fish dish, which was is the perfect combination of My partner decided on the musa mushroom and both. sels, which was served in typical courgette ratatouille The Monday student moules marinière sauce. They served with a slightly offer, which is also availsmelt beautiful and her empty seasoned stack of able on Tuesdays for nonbowl indicated that they tasted couscous rice. She students, consists of two commented that the courses from the menu which how they smelt. The main course was ratatouille was excelchanges daily and a bottle slightly trickier to decide on conlent with a combinaof house wine for the very sidering that there was at least tion of vegetables in it reasonable price of £15. five dishes that I would have been other than just mushThe choice on the more than happy to pay full price rooms and courgette. menu was excellent and it for. Eventually I went for the rib Also she said that was encouraging to see that we were given the same menueye steak, which was served with there was just enough of the rice to soak up the tomato base of the sauce and that the slight seasoning of the couscous was subtle yet combined perfectly with the more dominate flavours of the ratatouille. Both dishes were served with an accompanying vegetable platter which consisted of beautiful potato dauphinoise, new potatoes, Above: Chez Jules carrots, cour-
Chez Jules
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be missed. Chez Jules: 01244 400 014
Above: The vegetarian option
experience gettes and broccoli. The only sion busting Chez Jules was an enjoycriticism of the main course time able one. For was that the vegetable side and time again. The £15, this deal was served in a rather small food is exquisite, the is one not to dish for the amount of vegeta- staff were friendly and bles there meaning that every- welcoming and the whole thing was just piled on top of Eat on the Cheap also recommends: each other and the sauce from the dauphinoise potatoes over powered the other individual flavours. • Pizza express - 2 for £12 - Visit www.pizzaexThe wine that was press.co.uk included in the offer was a 12 per cent French white and • La Tasca - 50% off - Visit www.latasca.co.uk for a extra £2 there was the option to upgrade to a more reserve wine, however we felt • Slug and Lettuce - 25% off - Visit www.slugandlettuce.co.uk that the house wine which we sampled could not be faulted and was more than adequate • Cafe Rouge - 2 for 1 - Visit www.caferouge. in complimenting the food. co.uk The restaurant itself succeeds in creating a Europe- • Zizzie - Buy 1 main course, get the second for £1 an ambiance. The menus were - Visit www.zizzi.co.uk all handwritten which added to the shabby chic charm of • Pizza Hut - 2 for 1 - Visit www.pizzahut.co.uk the restaurant. If you are after a fine dining experience yet are re- • The Sushi Bar Chester - 25% for students - Valid stricted by the purse strings, I student I.D. is necessary would recommend the reces-
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Simply Sam
With Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey rallying behind him, it is no wonder that Sam Stern is fast becoming a student sensation in the food industry. Gemma Littleton takes a closer look at the chef who is on a mission to get the younger generation in the kitchen.
ture chef who brings a simplicity to the art of cooking, going onto releasing a further four books. The latest book ‘Eat Vegetarian’, is packed full of easy, delicious vegetarian dishes although Sam insists that even the most dedicated meat eaters out there will be swayed by some of his recipes. “The first book was really for kids like am Stern could be me, who enjoy food described as any and are eager to learn other teenager. more about cooking Favouring programmes simple dishes. I was such as The Mighty lucky, as from a young Boosh and Family guy, age I watched my listening to The Kooks mother in the kitchen or Kings of Leon, fairly and picked up most of normal teenager charmy skills from her. I acteristics you may say. wanted to teach young Yet Sam is not just any people that cooking is normal teenager, he is fun and can actually be the Teenage Chef. quite cool.” Having achieved Raised in North the impressive task of publishing his first cook- Yorkshire with a large book at the young age of family of three sisters 14, Sam has since grown and one brother, Sam and developed into a ma- had what he would call
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a “normal, busy, bustling childhood”. So did the young Sam always dream of becoming a culinary whiz kid when her grew up? “I was always torn between wanting to become a vet or a fireman when I was young, been a chef didn’t even come into my head. I just knew that I was passionate about food and cooking came naturally to me.” There is something very refreshing and innocent about Sam’s take on food. He believes that it is for us to enjoy and experiment with. There are no fancy pompous attitudes when it comes to his recipes, preferring to create simple, honest dishes such as ‘Banging sausage casserole’ and ‘Chicken strippers’. And as if becoming a chef extraor-
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m:
The Teenage Chef
dinaire was not timeconsuming enough, Sam is current studying politics and sociology at the University of Edinburgh. “I love university, it is such a different experience to live away from home. Although the cleanliness of the kitchen in my student flat is somewhat to be desired, I have often felt the need to wash my hands after merely using the oven gloves. But that is student life I suppose.” Chef, student, teenager. Sam Stern is all of these things, yet in his own modest opinion he is “just simply Sam” and there is no doubt that we will be seeing, hearing and watching a great deal more of this chef in the future. Sam Stern’s Eat Vegetarian is out now.
“I wanted to teach young people that cooking is fun and cool.”
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Summer
Chili, Lemon and Prawn Pasta 500g Cooked prawns 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped) 1 onion (finely chopped) A handful of sesame seeds Chili flakes 1 lemon 1 jar of Sundried tomatoes (keep the oil) Spaghetti 1. Fry the garlic and onion, using the oil from the sundried tomatoes, until soft, do not colour. Boil the water for the pasta, and slowly cook the spaghetti while the other stages are been completed. 2. Add the sesame seeds and brown them off. 3. Throw in the prawns and cook 14
them with the onions and garlic for about 4 minutes. Most prawns that you buy frozen are already pre-cooked, so you should not need to cook the prawns for any longer than 4 minutes. 4. Sprinkle over the chili flakes, tasting as you do
so that you do not overpower the other flavours. 5. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and stir into the sauce mixture. 6. Roughly chop the sundried tomatoes and toss them into the mixture. The tomatoes do not need to be overcooked, take care not to let them burn. 7. Mix in the pasta with the prawn mixture, ensuring that the sauce from the oil cover each spaghetti strand. 8. Serve with a further sprinkling of sesame seeds and the other half of the lemon juice.
The Foodie May 2010
Recipes
Above: Chili Prawn pasta
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Hints
and
Making the most out of your food and money Get organised, plan what you are going to cook and write a shopping list. This way you only buy what you need.
Tips Add lentils or other dried beans/peas to meat dishes to pad them out when you only have a little amount to cook with.
To refresh dayold bread, run it under a cold tap and then re-heat it in the oven for 5 minutes.
Shop at yor local butcher/baker when shopping for just yourself where you can purchase just one of items, instead of buying multiples at the supermarket.
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Cook meals in batches and freeze them, this way when the money is abit tighter or you do not have time to cook from scratch, you already have a meal prepared.
The Foodie May 2010
The Foodie
Speaks
Lets eat local! By Gemma Littleton In an age where everything can be obtained at the click of a button, with food shopping completed in a flash, has the true enjoyment of food shopping been lost forever? Here at The Foodie, we believe that you cannot beat the thrill and excitement of trekking down to the farmers market on a Sunday morning, and experiencing the smells, sights and sounds. It is a worrying development that so many customers are willing to purchase food items online, without even the chance to see what they will later be consuming. As a magazine that are passionate about local food, it
The Foodie May 2010
seems ludicrous that so many people are happy to spend their money on overpriced food items at the supermarkets, where there is such a plentiful array of fresh food available within local distance. Not only does shopping local have its obvious benefits such as boosting the economy of the area in which you live, the food that you are purchasing will only be in-season food. Therefore you are in the knowledge that the produce has not been flown in from some farflung country-requiring plane and cargo travel therefore an obvious increase in carbon emissions. The produce that you find at your local farmers market will taste fresh and look vibrant, therefore making your cooking more appealing and enticing. If you are shopping
and cooking for just one person, then the benefits of buying directly from the butchers or bakers are that you can just buy one item of what you need or want. Whereas if you shop at the supermarket, you are often required to buy multiple items in packs, leading to a waste of food and your money. Obviously not every town will have a farmers market, but most will have a small, independent butchers, bakers or greengrocers and just by simply shopping at these local amenities will make a difference to your towns economy and ultimately your enjoyment in cooking.
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Summer
Potato and onion soup with crispy bacon pieces. 450g white potatoes 1 onion 3 or 4 rashers of bacon 50g Butter 850ml veg stock or water Few sprigs of fresh parsley 3 tablespoons of milk Salt and pepper to season 1 rasher of bacon to finish 1. Dice potatoes into small chunks, chop the onions very finely. 2. Melt butter in a pan. Add the onions and flavour with the salt. Cook for one minute until soft. Add the bacon.
Hint
If you dont have access to a hand blender, you can simply mash the potatoes with a fork or a masher.
4. Sweat them, cover with the lid of the saucepan for about 10 minutes, allowing to gently simmer.
6. Add the parsley, and blitz with the hand blender. Stir in the milk and reheat.
7. Season and ad5. Add the stock just to your taste, or water and serve with bits bring to the boil. of crispy bacon Reduce the heat sprinkled on top. and simmer again 3. Stir in the potatoes. for about 10 minutes. 18
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Recipes
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