COOKING BYDEI Shelma Dei shares her stylish recipes

Discover a local culinary gem

hat is Welsh food? There is so much more to our local produce than lamb, leeks, and rarebit. Of course, these are on the menu alongside the familiar sweet W treats of bara brith and Welsh cakes. Still, other incredible ingredients are filling the dishes on the Taste of Wales menu at Thomas Restaurant.

Thomas Restaurant in Cardiff Bay

The elegant restaurant is a cosy but bright space filled with comfortable booths and stylish furniture. It has gained an excellent reputation as a perfect setting for a family celebration, a catch up with friends, client meeting or an intimate dinner for two. The restaurant is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, evening a-la-carte dining and for traditional roasts on Sundays. Led by Head Chef, Andy Martin, who has been working at Thomas Restaurant for 8 years. He has a real passion for food and has travelled around the country gaining experience in 5 Red Star, 2 Rosette and Michelin Star restaurants and hotels. The front of house team is led by experienced Food & Beverage Manager Adam Jasiczak. He has a wealth of experience in hospitality and has trained in four-star and rosette establishments.

Lunch or Dinner?

Some of the lighter bites on the lunch menu are a rich Welsh onion soup with rarebit croutons and homemade crusty bread, or Anglesey eggs with a Blaenafon cheddar and leek sauce, a herb crumb and grilled homemade sourdough – ideal as a starter – or a cychwynol too. For something a little heartier you could indulge in a Celtic Pride steak burger bacon, pickles, smoked mayonnaise on a brioche bun and French fries. Plus, you can add your choice of Monterey Jack or Perl Las Blue Cheese. Or the traditional Welsh cawl, which is a lamb stew served with Caerfai cheddar and homemade crusty bread. After a more relaxed daytime menu, things move up a notch in the evenings. Some of the notable dishes include braised lamb shoulder served with an onion cake, carrot and caraway puree and a homemade mint sauce, or the grey mullet with winter cabbage, fish stock, baby vegetables and baby herbs.

The Dessert Menu – Bwydlen Pudin

If you have a sweet tooth, there is so much to choose from that will hit the spot. How about, a Celtic Raspberry Wine poached pear served with fresh honeycomb and honeycomb ice cream, or a homemade ginger and lime sticky toffee pudding with your choice of custard, cream or ice cream?

Want to try a traditional dish with a twist? Then it will have to be the homemade Monmouth pudding served with vanilla ice cream.

Taste of Wales Afternoon Tea

What could be better than a traditional afternoon tea but with a Welsh twist? Consisting of delicious, delicate finger sandwiches; with Carmarthenshire ham, smoked salmon and Black Bomber cheese. A savoury leek and goats cheese scone, alongside traditional and fruit varieties and mouth-watering homemade cakes. All washed down with Welsh Brew Loose Tea, or coffee if you prefer, for £14 per person.

Make a Reservation

Thomas Restaurant is found at Future Inns in Cardiff Bay. It is open Monday – Friday between 6.30am-10.00pm and Saturday – Sunday between 7.30am-10.00pm. Bookings can be made by calling 02920 487111, by emailing thomas@futureinns.co.uk or www.

futureinns.co.uk/cardiff/restaurant-bar

Hey Guys, My name is Shelma Dei, my love for food stems from my childhood and also being rather fussy when it comes to food. I am very passionate about food and love to create dishes that spring into mind. I love to experiment with different ingredients, often things you wouldn’t expect to put together. During Covid-19 it has been a very testing time not only for myself but obviously people around the world. My whole working life has dramatically changed due to the virus . I have slowly watched my work pattern change dramatically where I have been working from home since the 2nd week of March. Since I have been at home I have made so many dishes I have lost count. I have stumbled across black rice , which I can’t get enough of. Such a lovely flavour and also colour. The first time I made black rice I felt it needed more flavour so I added coconut to it. After this discovery I was making back rice every other week. Pairing the rice with prawns or salmon. I also said to myself that I would need to work on desserts , I don’t make desserts often so last month it was time for me to learn how to make pancakes ( never made in my life). I decided to make almond pancakes with raspberry’s and maple syrup . They actually cake out so pretty and also tasted really lovely. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I enjoyed creating them! @cookingbydei

COOKING BYDEI Shelma Dei shares her new found favourite recipes during lockdown

Black Rice with Butter Chilli Prawns Ingredients

25g butter 2 tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped) 1 red chilli (seeds left in and finely chopped) ½ tsp sweet paprika 12-20 large raw tiger prawns with shells Juice of 1 lemon A bunch of parsley 120g black rice 2 tbsp of raw coconut

Method: Black Rice

Add rice to a medium pan and bring to boil over high-heat. Add the coconut oil and reduce heat to medium-low to maintain simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed. This should take 35-40 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Method: King Prawns

Melt the butter and oil together in a frying pan. Add the garlic, chilli and paprika, then fry for 1-2 minutes until starting to turn golden. Turn up the heat, throw in the prawns and fry for a few minutes, stirring until all the prawns turn pink. Take off the heat, season and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.

Fluffy Almond Milk Pancakes Makes 8-10 pancakes Ingredients

135g/ 4 ¾ oz plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp Himalayan salt 1 tsp of brown sugar 130ml/ 4 ½ oz almond milk (you can use any milk of your choice) ½ tsp vanilla bean paste 1 large egg (lightly beaten) 2 tbsp melted butter (cooled slightly)

To Serve:

Maple Syrup Butter Raspberry’s Icing sugar for dusting purposes

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon spice and brown sugar into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the milk and egg. Then whisk in the melted butter and the ½ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. Pour the almond milk mixture into the flour, and using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter. Let the batter stand for a few minutes. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add butter. When it’s melted, ass 1 and a ½ scoops of batter. It will seem very thick but this is how it should be. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Stack the pancakes on top of each other and dust with icing sugar. Serve with lots of maple syrup and butter, garnish with raspberries or a topping of your choice.

A TASTE of the Caribbean

White sandy beaches, bath-warm turquoise waters, and year-round sunshine… the Caribbean is even more seductive and beautiful in the flesh than on the postcard. he three S’s – sun, sand, and sea – are invariably the region’s biggest headline grabbers, but the Caribbean is also famous for its fantastic cuisine. And no visit to Jamaica, the Caribbean’s T cooking ingredients – designed to transport you to the tropics. The high-end brand is the brainchild of Dr Carlton Brown, a first generation BritishJamaican who wanted to pay homage to his mother and his mother in law – who are both passionate about cooking, family and largest and liveliest island, is complete fun – and his love of Jamaican culture. without sipping a fruity rum punch and Dr Carlton explains: “I wanted to help bring sampling a classic Jamaican Jerk dish while the vibrant Caribbean tastes and flavors the sound of reggae permeates the air. I grew up with to the British market.” To While we might not be able to get to this end Marshall and Brown has created a Jamaica very easily right now, but we can Enter Marshall & Brown, a premium range of Jerk sauces and seasonings, made live the Caribbean dream right here in the product line specialising in delightfullyfrom all-natural ingredients, which are great UK. packaged authentic Jamaican food and for transforming your barbecues from drab

to fab. Your barbecue will taste even better when accompanied by a Mama Brown Rum punch cocktail, made with Jamaican rum. For something sweet, get stuck into a Mama Brown rum cake – named after Dr Carlton’s 97-year-old mother who still bakes cakes today. Mouthwatering flavors include coconut, Key Lime, pineapple banana and original; all are moist and delicately flavored with the finest rum. Meanwhile Marshall & Brown’s rich, creamy rum truffles, made by an awardwinning master chocolatier, are sinfully

delicious and spiced with deluxe Jamaican rum. Blue Mountain coffee is considered as one of the finest coffees in the world and Marshall and Brown recently have launched their single origin, single estate, Blue Mountain Coffee. Smooth, dark, and handsome, it’s a must for any coffee

connoisseur. Tea more your bag? Try Marshall & Brown’s range of natural infusion teas from lemon and ginger to turmeric and peppermint. All told, if you are looking for the authentic taste of the Caribbean in the UK then you are going to love Marshall & Brown. The upscale brand is waiting to hear from you with a big warm, smiley Jamaican welcome. For a flavor of the Caribbean visit www.marshallandbrown.co.uk, email sales@marshallandbrown.co.uk or call 0203 303 0493.

Corporation Yard FOOD MARKET

The street food festival you don’t want to miss! omething different has come to Cardiff … After several months of lockdown, the whole of Cardiff is finally opening back up, and although normality is still a distant memory, the new S outdoor street food experience is on everyone’s mind. A huge marquee has been set up in Canton, seating for up to 140 guests and also accommodates for the changeable Welsh weather. This is another incredible addition to the new norm in Cardiff’s post-Coronavirus scene. Corporation Yard Food Market brings quality food and entertainment to what has been an unpredictable year. It features Michelin Star James Sommerin, with many other fantastic local businesses, such as Wingstack, Waterloo Tea,

Cheesesteak Co, Crêpe ‘N Go and many more. So, whether you fancy grilled lobster or a sweet treat, there’s enough selection for all the family. This month Calabrisella Wood Fired Pizza, F.A.B Burgers and the dessert option soon to be confirmed will be replacing Keralan Karavan, Cheese Steak Co and Crepé N Go. You can order all of these delicious treats to your table via an app, as well as a booking service to reserve your tables (currently up to 6 people). Like everywhere for the foreseeable future, the food market is Coronavirus aware, with a one-way system and social distancing measures in place. Every weekend (Saturday – Sunday), join the hustle and bustle of the Indie Superstore outdoor market that features local

independent businesses in South Wales. Here you can enjoy fresh vegetables, plants, bakeries, garments, classic records and unique artwork all in one space. The variety of vendor trucks and stalls creates a vintage vibe. It’s a great setting for the market and drives visitors to Canton. It’s filled with quality traders selling every item you can think of at a great cost. All the traders are so different with many interesting items for sale. The event has a great ambience with vibrant music being played in the background. There’s something for all the family to enjoy. Corporation Yard is definitely one to keep your eye on this September. If you’re looking for a little escape from the city or a ‘night-out’ with family and friends,

the laidback atmosphere provides the perfect environment to get back to social interactions with loved ones. Whether you want to dress to impress or call in after work, there is a vendor to suit all. It’s guaranteed to be at the top of everyone’s post lockdown venues to visit this month in Cardiff. Help support local independent businesses in South Wales and head on down to Corporation Yard Food Market. Open for the foreseeable future. Thursday – Sunday table bookings from 4pm to late. To book, visit www.fatsoma.com/

corporationyard

Instagram: corporationyard Instagram: indiesuperstore

GROUNDS FOR GOOD ®

Good for the environment, good for you, good for the community s a nation, we love our coffee, right? So much so that, in the UK alone, year on year, sales of coffee have grown by around 10%, with no sign of decline. In fact, after A as a social enterprise and profits will go to The Wallich; a National charity supporting homeless individuals across Wales and their rehabilitation back into employment. GFG will provide a number of placements for individuals, equipping them with useful practical and business skills in readiness for oil, coffee is the second largest traded their return to the workplace. It will also commodity in the world! a trip to landfill and then a wonderful new enable them to give back directly to the Coffee and the establishments the world and meaningful purpose found for them to charity that supported their own recovery. over where it’s enjoyed, is synonymous with benefit our wellbeing and our communities? GFG will launch this Autumn and all free, open discourse in which new ideas can be discussed without prejudice. It is over coffee that friendships and alliances are made and nurtured. But what if coffee can be used for a greater good? Meet Amy and Rosie, co-founders of Grounds for Good® (GFG). Both successful beauty entrepreneurs and highly qualified professionals in their respective fields, with a shared passion for natural, vegan and products will be vegan, cruelty free and made from a variety of 100% natural ingredients, mainly sourced from Welsh suppliers. All products will be developed and hand made in Wales. A major downside to our favourite drink is clean wellbeing. This was the starting point Their online shopping experience will that most coffee grounds are used only once of GFG. It sounds cheesy but it was over a soon be available along with a number of and then succumb to landfill. Decomposing ‘cup of Joe’ that Amy and Rosie first met a wholesale packages for retail and coffee coffee grounds in bulk quantities give off few years ago, soon realising their shared establishments across Wales and the UK. harmful Methane gas, which is around passion for championing natural beauty and You can connect and support GFG on all x34 more potent than Carbon Dioxide as ‘clean’ products. Drawing upon their years social media platforms @groundsforgood. a greenhouse gas. Methane gas is thus a of experience they have harnessed ‘three All press to be directed to: primary cause of global warming. With an angles of good’ to form GFG and have pr@groundsforgood.co.uk. ever-increasing coffee-drinking culture, this problem is only set to worsen. Most coffee establishments also have to pay high curated a gorgeous collection of personal care and lifestyle products. All embrace the beneficial powers of reused coffee grounds Grounds for Good believe that every person has a right to a place they can call home. commercial waste rates to remove their and their powerhouse extracts. GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT :: abundant, wet and heavy coffee grounds. Good for the environment; Good for us; GOOD FOR YOU :: So, what if these waste grounds could avoid Good for our community. GFG will trade GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY ::

VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY