Book Review

Book recommendations for spring

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout Whether you have read the forerunner of this exquisite novel (Olive Kitterage) or not, this story of the lives, tribulations, highs and lows of the inhabitants of small town Maine is an absolute treat. In a series of vignettes, with the indomitable Olive Kitterage at its heart, Strout’s portrayal holds no bars in uncovering the hidden underbelly of what is, on the surface, a genteel New England community. She reminds us that wherever we come from we have the same capacity for pain, loss and love, and ultimately the same fate. At once sombre, funny, sad and uplifting, this is American literary fiction at its best. Published by Penguin: £14.99 The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel Third in the extraordinary Wolf Hall trilogy. HarperCollins: £25

The Long Call by Ann Cleaves First in a new crime series set in North Devon by the author of the Vera and Shetland series Pan: £8.99

The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather Remarkable true story of a hero’s exposure of the Nazis’ activities at Auschwitz. Penguin: £7.99

Plymouth Bronze Age to Today How Dartmoor tin put Britain’s ocean city on the map. Pen & Ink: £19.95

Diary of a Wimpy Kid; The Meltdown Latest DOAWK instalment, new in paperback. Puffin: £6.99

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Flavour Fest

The South West’s largest FREE food and drink festival Featuring over 120 regional food producers, the popular cookery theatre, KID’S Activities and more! Plymouth City Centre 29 to 31 May 2020

Food Diary

Friday 10th to Saturday 11th April Easter Food & Craft Fair A fabulous selection of artisan food, drink and crafts at the Easter Fair in Butchers’ Hall, Tavistock from 9:30am to 4:00pm each day.

Friday 8th to Sunday 10th May Exeter Food & Drink Festival 2020 A feast of top-notch South West food, drink, live music and family entertainment will be on offer once again as one of the region’s finest food festivals returns to Northernhay Gardens on the early VE May Bank Holiday Weekend in Exeter city centre. Now in its 17th year, the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink is the perfect recipe of exhibitors, activities, music and cookery demos. Festival goers can look forward to our three main themes for this year’s festival: Fish Friday, Meat Up Saturday and Live Better Sunday. With Michael Caines at the helm, the festival is set once again to be full of tasty treats and plenty of delicious local produce. Friday & Saturday 10am - 11.30pm, Sunday 10am - 5pm.

Friday 15 May to Saturday 16 May Foodies Delight Festival Treat yourself to a delicious selection of foods and drink at the Foodies Delight Festival in Butchers’ Hall, Tavistock from 9:30am to 4:00pm each day.

Friday 29 to Sunday 31 May Flavour Fest, Plymouth The South West’s biggest free food and drink festival returns to Plymouth’s city centre piazza with the region’s best producers showcasing what they have to offer. You’ll be able to buy everything from fresh produce to spirits, fudge, cakes, spice mixes and much more. Pick up useful hints and tips from the chefs on stage in the Cookery Theatre and tuck into the delicious street food on offer too.

Saturday 30th May Tavistock Street Food Festivals After the success of last year’s street food festivals, May will launch the first of this year’s monthly festivals, featuring a sumptuous array of cuisine from all over the world. Prepare to have your taste buds tantalised with a selection of food including Thai, Mediterranean, raclette, delicious artisan burgers and much more - you will be spoilt for choice! There will also be a full bar, plus a gin & prosecco bar serving a huge selection of local gins, courtesy of Copper Moon. Live music will be hosted by ‘All About Iris’, a local duo guaranteed to get those toes tapping! The event takes place from 5:30pm to 8:30pm in Bedford Square, Tavistock and entry is free. If you are interested in being involved in this or one of the later festivals please email jo@missivyevents.co.uk. A series of street food festivals will continue throughout the summer on:

Saturday 27th June, 25th July, 29th August, 26th September

A warm welcome awaits everyone at the Fox Tor Café situated in the heart of Dartmoor, including those with muddy paws! We offer a range of quality, locally sourced hearty homemade food alongside an extensive beverage menu. We also have a well equipped bunkhouse that accommodates up to 12 people. Fox Tor Café Two Bridges Road, Princetown PL20 6QS www.foxtorcafe.com 01822 890238

Let’s celebrate with a cake! Easter, birthdays or just the fact Summer will be here soon...

Steak & ale pie

Ingredients

1 white onion 300g diced stewing steak I pint of ale ½ tsp garlic puree (1 diced clove) 1 tbsp of tomato puree Jus-Rol shortcrust pastry 1 egg

At The Walkhampton Inn, we pride ourselves on our homemade steak & ale pies. They are a staple on the menu and a hearty, flavoursome, traditional country dish. We serve our pies with either homemade skin-on, triple-cooked chips or creamy mash, green peas and gravy. Our head chef has kindly adapted the recipe for readers to make at home.

Method

Dice the onion finely, fry until soft in a dash of oil and set aside.

Combine the beef stock (either a tbsp of granules or approx. half a Knorr beef stock cube) with the ale (the darker the better).

In a separate pan, fry the diced steak until brown on the outside ensuring the steak is evenly spread in the pan. Then combine with the onions, ale and stock and put back on the hob.

Stir in the garlic puree or diced clove and tomato puree and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer the mix for around 1 hour until it has reduced and the meat is tender. Then set aside to cool.

Roll out two sheets of shortcrust pastry, one 100g and one 30g, to roughly the thickness of a 2 pence piece. Butter a 450ml pie dish and line the bottom and sides with the larger pastry sheet, making sure to overlap the edge of the dish.

Add the cooled mixture to the pie dish (ideally cool it to room temperature, but slightly warmer will be fine) cover the top of the pie dish with the other pastry sheet and crimp around the edge to seal. Make a couple of holes in the top and egg-wash the lid. Bake the pie at 180 degrees for 50 mins. Remove from the dish and serve.

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