8 minute read
SBT Lifestyle
from SBT Issue 436
SBT Wine Club Join today
WINE OF THE MONTH
BY BRIAN LOCKIE BOQUET WINES LTD
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
BY COMMUNITY KITCHEN
SBT HOTEL REVIEW
PENNY HILL PARK
SPONSORED BY LEVELS WINE SHOP AND TASTING ROOMS
EASTBOURNE’S PREMIER WINE SHOP AND TASTING ROOM. WE HAVE A
UNIQUE AND VARIED RANGE OF WINES, BEER AND SPIRITS FROM ACROSS
WINE OF THE MONTH
Sponsored by
La Sastreria Garnacha Red Spain This delicious hidden gem from the Cariñena region of Spain and sits in the Ebro Valley upon one its vast plains. A lesser known wine region of Spain, rocks and pebbles abound and, fittingly, wines are known locally as el vino de las piedras, or ‘wine of the rocks’. and the region is one of the oldest demarcated appellations in Europe. The majority of vineyards are located at relatively high altitudes, between 400 and 800 meters (1,300-2,600ft). They are scattered along the plains of the Ebro River, extending all the way up to the slopes of the Sierra de Algairén mountain range to the west. You will find intense black cherry colour with layers of violet tones resulting in a wine with a deep attractive appearance. Complex nose with fragrant ripe red and black fruit abound and on the palate, the wine shows powerful fruit, which is perfectly balanced and mouth-filling Long finish and is a great accompaniment to roast meats and rich salads.
Pouilly Fume White France Making something of a comeback in popularity, this excellent Pouilly-Fume shows the reason why. From the right bank of the Loire Valley, this wine is a perfect example of what a Sauvignon Blanc can really achieve. Despite the uses of the word fume, the wines are not necessarily oaked. At maturity, these grapes are coated with a grey bloom, the colour of smoke — which explains why Pouilly winegrowers talk of “white smoke” to describe the type of vine or the wines made from it. “Fumé” also refers to the smoky bouquet, the renowned “gun flint aroma”, bestowed by the terroir vineyards of Pouilly-sur-Loire. Strong Citrus notes harmonise with an underlying minerality which makes for a delicious accompaniment to dishes such as salmon and shell fish and all white meats and fresh salads.
Purveyors of Fine Wines.
Well, with May on the horizon and the days becoming perceptively longer, we at Bouquet Ltd thought it only right to think about celebrating the later spring and early summer days by turning our attention to some of England’s finest sparkling wine and in deference to the family roots of our esteemed publisher, a fine bottle of Italian red reminds us that some steaks, roasts and casseroles aren’t totally out of our seasonal minds just yet.
Bouquet Ltd are thrilled to be asked to sponsor this month’s “Wine of the Month.” We are suppliers of a wide range of wines from “Popular and Modern” through to “Fine and Rare” to both the trade and private clients. After forming an alliance with Top Shelf Wine Services, we offer tasting experiences from within the comfort of your home to major corporate events, bespoke sourcing of wines upon client’s requests and broking portfolio sales along with help in auction placement for client’s collections.
Contact details for us are: Bouquet Ltd. Bouquet.winesltd@gmail.com, 07528 550574 or 07787 553262
Vegan delights!
Recipes of the Month
Berry Cupcakes Makes 10-12 depending on case size
Ingredients • 140ml soya (or almond) milk • 3 tsp cider vinegar • 140g self-raising flour • 140g caster sugar • ¼ tsp salt • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda • ¼ tsp baking powder • 55ml veg oil (or other flavourless oil) • 1 tbsp vanilla extract • Handful of frozen mixed berries (or any berry you like)
Method Preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan and line the muffin tray with baking cases 1. Combine the soya milk and vinegar with a whisk in a small bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes 2. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt, bicarb, baking powder. Use a whisk to ensure there aren’t any lumps of flour and that all the dry ingredients are well combined 3. Add the soya milk mixture, along with the oil and vanilla into the dry ingredients and quickly mix together using a metal spoon – fold together until just combined – this will take about 10 seconds. Do not be tempted to over mix as this will cause your finished product to have a dense texture. It is totally ok for the batter to be a bit lumpy – it will work itself out in the oven
4. Divide the mixture between the cases and poke a few berries into the mix, pushing them down so they are covered in batter. Tap the muffin tray on the work surface to allow any air bubble to be released – this stops the raising agents working too quickly. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until they are lightly golden and a skewer or small sharp knife comes out clean.
Finish the cupcakes with plenty more berry garnish and edible flowers if you wish
Brownie Makes approximately 9 squares (depending on tin size)
Ingredients • 225g vegan dark chocolate • 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds (linseeds) • 6 tbsp water • 200g caster sugar • 115g vegan butter (vitalite block works well) melted • 2 tsp vanilla extract • 2 tbsp espresso powder • 95g plain flour • 30g cocoa powder • 1tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • Sea salt flakes - optional
Method Pre heat oven to 180 degrees and line an 8 x 8 inch square baking tin or heatproof dish with baking paper 1. Combine the ground flax and water with a whisk in a small bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes 2. Chop the chocolate and place half into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water to melt. Set aside the other half 3. Combine the melted vegan butter with the sugar and whisk for a couple of minutes by hand until it starts to thicken and is smooth. Add the vanilla, espresso powder, flax eggs and melted chocolate and whisk until well combined. Add the remaining chopped chocolate 4. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and carefully fold into the wet ingredients. Tip into the prepared tin, smooth out, and sprinkle with more sea salt flakes, if you like. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a fork inserted into the brownie comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes until cutting
Once cooled, cut into equal squares, serve and enjoy!
Brighton Community Kitchen
There’s always something good cooking at the Community Kitchen in Brighton.
Whether that’s innovative ideas for reducing food waste or a sumptuous Indian feast from one of the South Coast’s top chefs, their team are always using food to make positive changes in people’s lives. Charity
The Kitchen was the idea of Brighton & Hove Food Partnership – a not-forprofit organisation which has 15 years’ experience as a vital hub for information, inspiration and connection around food. Its vision of a cookery school for all is now proving a reality following a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2018. The Kitchen is first and foremost a cookery school – and a varied menu of events sees classes covering a range of cookery traditions and skills, from sushirolling to vegan baking, from fermentation to African cuisine. Sessions are for cooks of all levels and take place in a state-ofthe-art teaching kitchen, centrally located on Queens Road in Brighton. All finish with a sociable sit-down meal at the long, shared dining table.
Then there are the Masterclasses – events which book out super-quickly as some of the best local chefs and food experts share their knowhow. Many of these top chefs offer their services free, to support the vision behind the Kitchen. And that’s because the Kitchen is no ordinary cookery school.
It is run as a social enterprise – all profits made from classes, events and the hire of the space as a venue go to fund community cooking sessions. These bring cooking skills and shared meals to people experiencing deprivation, isolation, poor health
Amazing facts! In the Kitchen’s first year:
3,000 meals eaten
60 volunteers
2,000 hours of time donated
1,200 people attended a cookery class
85 community course sessions
and other life challenges. Community sessions include cookery activities for people with dementia, people with learning difficulties and those living on low incomes. The team works with local primary schools so children can learn about the benefits of healthy, tasty cooking. Their newest course, Kickstart Catering, provides support and advice to unemployed people who are interested in careers in the food industry. These courses makes lasting changes to habits and behaviours which improve lives.
Brighton & Hove Food Partnership has long understood to power of food as an agent for positive change and the Kitchen is helping make that possible
for more and more people. Meanwhile, its other work – helping people and organisations to grow food, buy locally, eat a healthy diet and waste less food – continues. This ranges from campaigning about food poverty and supporting food banks to helping food businesses get together to ‘ditch the plastic’ locally.
If you want to support this work, there are plenty of ways you can get involved – from attending a cookery class to booking a private event at the Kitchen, volunteering or even making a donation.
Find out more or get in touch: www.bhfood.org.uk info@bhfood.org.uk
