A year ago today I made my first tentative steps into the world of blogging. I had always thought of blogs as the domain of the self righteous and geeks but, I had been getting some very positive feedback from people about the food I had been cooking for my evening meals so a blog felt like the most logical step. The thing that was stopping me was self doubt. Would I be able to write something that people would read and more importantly, would anybody read the dashed thing?
My biggest fear was my mental block for written English. I have always read a lot but whenever it came to putting pen to paper I froze. I only ever scraped past written exams, even if I knew the subject inside out, so choosing to write for the sake of it was a scary proposition. Fortunately Z has been on hand to proof read for me, because this would not be the blog it is if it hadn't been for her.
I decided from the outset that I didn't want to write a recipe blog, I felt that the story behind each dish would be more entertaining*. I hope that I was right and that whether you've been reading all year or have only just stumbled across Tonight's Menu, you like what you have found. Hopefully you have even been inspired to cook something, who knows?
As this is the first birthday of Tonight's menu I had thought about cooking a celebration meal, or looking back through a year of cookery to choose a favourite to cook again. However, capricious fate has played me like a Mississippi Boat Whore and rather than rustling up a delicious meal I'll be spending the evening in the company of the Idiot B*stard Band.
To keep your culinary juices sated I have looked back over the last year to check on the most popular blog posts and present them here for your pleasure. As tradition would dictate they are in reverse order.
10. Venison and Chocolate Casserole. The antidote to Halloween and it's Americanisation was to cook something inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations.
9. Chorizo and Bean Stew with Gurnard. Possibly my favourite dish in the top ten. The lightness of the poached fish really worked with the earthy Spanish flavours from the bean stew.
8. Fish and Greens with Fufu. The only entry in the top ten from the Olympic Food Challenge, an undertaking that completely took over Tonight's Menu during the summer. The fish in question was Catfish which we had never eaten, or cooked with, before. It was very good too, a strong meaty fish with no fiddly bones.
7. Cheese Club, Cheese with Added Stuff. From only last week and the first of three top ten hits from Homage 2 Fromage, Leeds' first and only cheese club.
6. Yorkshire Cheese. The second entry from Homage 2 Fromage, this time with a local twist.
5. Posh Fish and Chips. With three fish blog posts in the top ten I'm assuming that there is an apetite for seafood out there. I'm still trying to eat fish that isn't cod or haddock whenever possible. The posh fish in this meal was marlin and it was good.
4. Irish Cheese at Homage 2 Fromage. The higest ranked cheese club post is here at number four. The Irish theamed night included a visit from the wonderful Cooleeney Farm.
3. Yorkshire Chicken Mole. I'm happy that highest ranked recipe for the year is this Yorkshire twist on a mexican classic. Chicken and chocolate are a marriage made in Wakefield.
2. Leeds Pork Pie Challenge. The first self imposed challenge on Tonight's Menu was to try and find Leeds' best pork pie. I like to think that I was thorough, although I am still willing to be proven wrong.
Which brings us to number one, top of the pops, the big cheese, the most read post in a year of writing almost 300 musings about the food we eat.
1. Johnny Fontane's. This is the only restaurant review I have written and, saddly, Johnny Fontane's did not make it to it's first birthday. To my astonishment, even after it closed, this post is still being read a couple of times a week. Perhaps I should do more reviews, but then we wouldn't want more restaurants going bust would we?
So there we have it, the ten most read posts from a year of blogging. It has been a fun year that I have taken a lot from. I think my writen English has improved and I know that my photography certainly has. This list does not actually include my favourite meals of the last year, but I'll save them for a different post in a day or two**.
Thank you all for continuing to read and talk about food with me. Finally I think we should all thank Z, without her this really wouldn't be Tonight's Menu, it would probably be Tonights' Menue.
*if not for you my loyal reader then for me.
**I'm allowed a couple of monatages, it's my birthday.
Showing posts with label Special Occasion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Special Occasion. Show all posts
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Monday, 7 May 2012
Weekend Away feat: Tapas and Pulled Pork
As I alluded to on Thursday, we have just returned home from a long weekend away. Our journey south first took us to Windsor on Friday, to spend the night with Z's Mum and Step-Phil. We set off after breakfast and broke the journey up with a service station lunch. Z and R had a brace of sandwiches between them and I, in a fit of gay abandon, had what can only be described as a Double Whopper*. We made Windsor in good time and Z's mum was able to get a decent grandson fix before we put him to bed.
Once R was safely tucked up in bed, Phil and I cracked on with the the evening meal; Tapas. Z's Mum had looked out recipes and bought all of the ingredients, all that was left for us to do was follow them to the letter and all would be fine. We cooked; garlic prawns, patatas bravas, garlic chicken, tortillia, albondigas, and of course, chorizo cooked in white wine (only because there was no sherry) and butter beans in tomato sauce. The meal was finished with a gorgeous and light crema catalana that Z's Mum had cooked in advance.
On Saturday we left Windsor behind and hot-footed it to Poole for my niece's 3rd birthday party. I used to work in a children's centre and love kids but I will never have the energy, or bottle, to be a children's entertainer. The woman at the party managed to keep dozens of 3 year olds happy for ages and left them with just enough energy to sit down for a party meal of sandwiches, savouries and cake.
After the party, my brother and I went to the local to watch the FA Cup final and to have a good catch up. A few light ales later it was time to go to our hotel and try to settle R in his new surroundings. Luckily he was so exhausted from the party he went out like a light. He slept so soundly that Z and I got room service and ate in the room. We shared a meat platter, a portion of garlic bread and a bottle of red wine. For the record, I'm definitely not reviewing the hotel or the restaurant.
The 3rd birthday party aside the main event, and the reason behind the mad mileage this weekend, was the Christening of my nephew. Hatches, matches and dispatches are the events that pull families together regardless of distance. After the ceremony, at which all of the children were well behaved, we went back to my brother's house for champers and pulled pork baps. Two pork leg joints had been roasted in a low oven overnight. The meat fell apart as soon as you looked at it so there was no need for carving. Crackling, stuffing and apple sauce made for a brilliant celebration lunch.
Today, bank holiday Monday, we have had to brave the traffic. I normally try to avoid driving whenever a mass-commute is in effect but working on Tuesday meant we had to get home today. After a bottom numbing 6 hour drive**, we finally made it back to Leeds. What I really wanted was a huge salad to try and redress the balance of excess that the weekend had delivered.
Alas, we arrived home after the shops had closed so we were faced with the contents of the store cupboards. Z worked her magic and soon a tuna and tomato pasta sauce was born. A glass of wine and some garlic bread accompanied this meal too.
*this is because it was a Double Whopper. I'm not really a fan of BK or McD's but no matter how much work Heston and his cronies put into saving the service station's beleaguered reputation, the food on offer really isn't that great. We need to start taking packed lunches and having A1 layby picnics.
**including a couple of comfort stops for Z and R.
Once R was safely tucked up in bed, Phil and I cracked on with the the evening meal; Tapas. Z's Mum had looked out recipes and bought all of the ingredients, all that was left for us to do was follow them to the letter and all would be fine. We cooked; garlic prawns, patatas bravas, garlic chicken, tortillia, albondigas, and of course, chorizo cooked in white wine (only because there was no sherry) and butter beans in tomato sauce. The meal was finished with a gorgeous and light crema catalana that Z's Mum had cooked in advance.
On Saturday we left Windsor behind and hot-footed it to Poole for my niece's 3rd birthday party. I used to work in a children's centre and love kids but I will never have the energy, or bottle, to be a children's entertainer. The woman at the party managed to keep dozens of 3 year olds happy for ages and left them with just enough energy to sit down for a party meal of sandwiches, savouries and cake.
After the party, my brother and I went to the local to watch the FA Cup final and to have a good catch up. A few light ales later it was time to go to our hotel and try to settle R in his new surroundings. Luckily he was so exhausted from the party he went out like a light. He slept so soundly that Z and I got room service and ate in the room. We shared a meat platter, a portion of garlic bread and a bottle of red wine. For the record, I'm definitely not reviewing the hotel or the restaurant.
The 3rd birthday party aside the main event, and the reason behind the mad mileage this weekend, was the Christening of my nephew. Hatches, matches and dispatches are the events that pull families together regardless of distance. After the ceremony, at which all of the children were well behaved, we went back to my brother's house for champers and pulled pork baps. Two pork leg joints had been roasted in a low oven overnight. The meat fell apart as soon as you looked at it so there was no need for carving. Crackling, stuffing and apple sauce made for a brilliant celebration lunch.
Today, bank holiday Monday, we have had to brave the traffic. I normally try to avoid driving whenever a mass-commute is in effect but working on Tuesday meant we had to get home today. After a bottom numbing 6 hour drive**, we finally made it back to Leeds. What I really wanted was a huge salad to try and redress the balance of excess that the weekend had delivered.
Alas, we arrived home after the shops had closed so we were faced with the contents of the store cupboards. Z worked her magic and soon a tuna and tomato pasta sauce was born. A glass of wine and some garlic bread accompanied this meal too.
*this is because it was a Double Whopper. I'm not really a fan of BK or McD's but no matter how much work Heston and his cronies put into saving the service station's beleaguered reputation, the food on offer really isn't that great. We need to start taking packed lunches and having A1 layby picnics.
**including a couple of comfort stops for Z and R.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Welsh Dragon Sausages and Mash - Happy St David's Day
There are some things in life that it is perfectly acceptable to have favourites of. Favourite football team: Leeds United. Favourite graphic artist: Pete Fowler. Favourite holiday destination: Barcelona. There are other things where favouritism can be a bit more tricky. You shouldn't really have a favourite child* and you certainly shouldn't have a favourite parent's nationality.
My Dad was Scottish and my Mum is Welsh. The 5 Nations (now 6) always brought raised national pride especially between my Dad and Granddad. I always felt torn between the two and see myself as half Scottish and half Welsh. The only time I don't want either team to win is when they play each other.
My spilt-national-personality does come with its advantages. I celebrate an extended number of national days. Already this year we've toasted Robbie Burns with a haggis supper and today we're celebrating St David, the patron saint of Wales.
On a recent trip to an other one of my favourites, B&J Callard butchers on Leeds Kirkgate Market, I found Welsh Dragon Sausages**. I duly bought half a dozen and put them aside for tonight. Simply grilled and served with mashed potatoes they make a great mid week treat. To make the meal that little bit more Welsh I added fried leeks to the mash. Mwynhewch eich bwyd!
*unless you only have one in which case it should be that one.
**the sausages contain NO dragon. There was a case in 2006 where Powys trading standards asked a butcher to re-label his Welsh Dragon Sausages, not because they didn't contain dragon but because it was too ambiguous that they contained meat. The ingredients stated the per cent of pork that was in the sausage but that wasn't good enough for the man from the council. "I don't think anyone would imagine that dragon meat was being used but we would not want vegetarians to buy the sausages believing they were meat free."
My Dad was Scottish and my Mum is Welsh. The 5 Nations (now 6) always brought raised national pride especially between my Dad and Granddad. I always felt torn between the two and see myself as half Scottish and half Welsh. The only time I don't want either team to win is when they play each other.
My spilt-national-personality does come with its advantages. I celebrate an extended number of national days. Already this year we've toasted Robbie Burns with a haggis supper and today we're celebrating St David, the patron saint of Wales.
On a recent trip to an other one of my favourites, B&J Callard butchers on Leeds Kirkgate Market, I found Welsh Dragon Sausages**. I duly bought half a dozen and put them aside for tonight. Simply grilled and served with mashed potatoes they make a great mid week treat. To make the meal that little bit more Welsh I added fried leeks to the mash. Mwynhewch eich bwyd!
*unless you only have one in which case it should be that one.
**the sausages contain NO dragon. There was a case in 2006 where Powys trading standards asked a butcher to re-label his Welsh Dragon Sausages, not because they didn't contain dragon but because it was too ambiguous that they contained meat. The ingredients stated the per cent of pork that was in the sausage but that wasn't good enough for the man from the council. "I don't think anyone would imagine that dragon meat was being used but we would not want vegetarians to buy the sausages believing they were meat free."
Monday, 13 February 2012
The Christening Weekend
It has been a long and exhausting weekend. We have had guests from as far afield as Poole and Edinburgh. In total 6 adults and 3 children (toddlers and babies) all managed to sleep in our little house in South Leeds without any bloodshed or arguments. We also managed to organise a table for our household plus an additional 8 grown-ups in one of Leeds' many superb pubs for Sunday Lunch.
"Why did you do all of this?" I hear you ask. The clue is in the title but allow me to delve into more detail. Sunday 12th February 2012 was the date that my first born son was baptised. I'm not overtly religious but I am a traditionalist at heart. I was baptised as a child and I have Godparents, I am a Godparent myself to my beautiful niece. Z and I were married in a church not a field. I take no umbrage at field weddings, I have been to two and they were both really good weddings, but they are not for me.
I am however, getting ahead of myself. Due to the arrival of various family members at varying times this blog has taken a hit. I have not had time to update Tonight's Menu since last Wednesday, tonight I aim to make amends.
Thursday 9th February
Penne with Leeks
The first of our guests to arrive for the weekend would be my Mum*. She wouldn't get into Leeds until late on Friday but that left precious little time for giving the house the kind of clean reserved for royalty and Mothers-in-law. To facilitate the uber-hoover we needed a quick meal.
After the curry a few nights ago, all that was left in the fridge by the way of vegetables was a solitary leek. The leek was shredded and fried in butter. I added the end of the roast pork from the weekend and controversially two leftover sage and onion stuffing balls. The stuffing worked as great seasoning. The sauce was finished with half a pot of crème fraiche and stirred through penne pasta.
Friday 10th February
Friday Night Take-away - Beef and Green Peppers in Black Bean Sauce
Incoming relatives or no incoming relatives, there are some things that just don't change. Our ongoing tradition to eat home-made take-away style food on Friday nights is normally one of the highlights of the week. For obvious reasons there is a food-eclipsing highlight this week. This simple stir-fry was very good though.
Strips of rump steak were fried with a small onion and a green pepper before some superb black bean and chilli sauce was added. I have said it before and I'll probably say it again, Leeds has some very good Chinese supermarkets. There is no excuse for poor sauces in this city.
Saturday 11th February
Goulash
On Saturday we were joined by the remainder of our house guests. My little brother, his wife and two children arrived around lunch time. There was no way that we could transport them all home from Leeds Railway Station so Graeme and I fell on our swords and walked home. We did have one task to complete on our journey and that was to deliver the Christening cake to the pub for Sunday.
Somehow we lost a couple of hours on our way home. By the time we got back Z had already started cooking the evening meal. With 6 adults to feed we decided that a single pot of a slow cooked stew would be the way forward, an 'everything thrown in together and ignore' type dish. This way we managed to spend some quality time together before we sat down for a meal.
As luck would have it, a chance conversation with my German caretaker brought up the subject of goulash. I haven't had goulash since school dinners way back in the annals of time. The recipe he gave me was simplicity itself. Equal quantities of beef and pork (I got braising steak and pork shoulder), two onions, three peppers, two tins of tomatoes and stock.
I had been told to season and add herbs that I like, this really is my kind or recipe. The one thing I was told I couldn't leave out is paprika. I was also told that the longer it cooked the better. In total we probably cooked the goulash for 4 hours. I wish we had rediscovered goulash earlier during winter. I have a feeling that we'll not cook this again for sometime but I will be looking forward to it.
Sunday 12th February
Roast Beef
The big day finally arrived for us. We knew that we wanted to have R christened even before we knew what gender he was but I was still nervous. What if he cried in church? What if he refused to go to the Minister? What if he had one of those delightful accidents that can clear rooms? I should have known that R would do me proud and that I would have nothing to worry about but I reserve the right to worry.
We had held a full on kiddie party, including a finger buffet, for R's first birthday so we didn't need to go there, again**. As I pointed out earlier I'm a traditional kinda guy and I really wanted a family occasion on a Sunday to include a Sunday Lunch. We had booked a table for 19 at The Midnight Bell, Leeds Brewery's flagship pub.
This is not a review site so if you would like to see a review of The Midnight Bell's Sunday offerings you will have to check elsewhere. However, I will go on record to say that the food was superb, the beer was awesome and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. R and I shared my starter of spiced whitebait and he let me have most of my roast beef with all the trimmings.
We bought the cake from Donna Makes Cakes, an independent cake maker and decorator from Belle Isle, after a recommendation from a friend. Donna worked with Z's brief to make a stunning chocolate mud cake that really finished off the meal. Back at home we finished the day grazing on cheese and biscuits.
Monday 13th February
Gnocchi with Pesto
The final meal in our marathon weekend was another that needed to take no time to prepare and moments to cook. Mum's train back to Auld Reekie (that's Edinburgh, not an elderly dog), Z's evening of babysitting and R's bed time were all due at 7pm.
Another food blogger, Big Spoon, Little Spoon, had cooked gnocchi last weekend and inspired me. I know Mum doesn't like goats cheese so I decided to use pesto for the sauce and added some chicken and tomatoes. This was the first time Mum had eaten gnocchi so it's a shame they were shop bought and not that great. Later in the year I'll be making huge batches from scratch so I'll cook her some more then.
All told I have had a brilliant yet exhausting weekend. If you were involved in any part of it, guest, host, family or friend; thanks. It wouldn't have been the same without you.
*Hello Mum.
**Nor will be going there again any time soon.
"Why did you do all of this?" I hear you ask. The clue is in the title but allow me to delve into more detail. Sunday 12th February 2012 was the date that my first born son was baptised. I'm not overtly religious but I am a traditionalist at heart. I was baptised as a child and I have Godparents, I am a Godparent myself to my beautiful niece. Z and I were married in a church not a field. I take no umbrage at field weddings, I have been to two and they were both really good weddings, but they are not for me.
I am however, getting ahead of myself. Due to the arrival of various family members at varying times this blog has taken a hit. I have not had time to update Tonight's Menu since last Wednesday, tonight I aim to make amends.
Thursday 9th February
Penne with Leeks
The first of our guests to arrive for the weekend would be my Mum*. She wouldn't get into Leeds until late on Friday but that left precious little time for giving the house the kind of clean reserved for royalty and Mothers-in-law. To facilitate the uber-hoover we needed a quick meal.
After the curry a few nights ago, all that was left in the fridge by the way of vegetables was a solitary leek. The leek was shredded and fried in butter. I added the end of the roast pork from the weekend and controversially two leftover sage and onion stuffing balls. The stuffing worked as great seasoning. The sauce was finished with half a pot of crème fraiche and stirred through penne pasta.
Friday 10th February
Friday Night Take-away - Beef and Green Peppers in Black Bean Sauce
Incoming relatives or no incoming relatives, there are some things that just don't change. Our ongoing tradition to eat home-made take-away style food on Friday nights is normally one of the highlights of the week. For obvious reasons there is a food-eclipsing highlight this week. This simple stir-fry was very good though.
Strips of rump steak were fried with a small onion and a green pepper before some superb black bean and chilli sauce was added. I have said it before and I'll probably say it again, Leeds has some very good Chinese supermarkets. There is no excuse for poor sauces in this city.
Saturday 11th February
Goulash
On Saturday we were joined by the remainder of our house guests. My little brother, his wife and two children arrived around lunch time. There was no way that we could transport them all home from Leeds Railway Station so Graeme and I fell on our swords and walked home. We did have one task to complete on our journey and that was to deliver the Christening cake to the pub for Sunday.
Somehow we lost a couple of hours on our way home. By the time we got back Z had already started cooking the evening meal. With 6 adults to feed we decided that a single pot of a slow cooked stew would be the way forward, an 'everything thrown in together and ignore' type dish. This way we managed to spend some quality time together before we sat down for a meal.
As luck would have it, a chance conversation with my German caretaker brought up the subject of goulash. I haven't had goulash since school dinners way back in the annals of time. The recipe he gave me was simplicity itself. Equal quantities of beef and pork (I got braising steak and pork shoulder), two onions, three peppers, two tins of tomatoes and stock.
I had been told to season and add herbs that I like, this really is my kind or recipe. The one thing I was told I couldn't leave out is paprika. I was also told that the longer it cooked the better. In total we probably cooked the goulash for 4 hours. I wish we had rediscovered goulash earlier during winter. I have a feeling that we'll not cook this again for sometime but I will be looking forward to it.
Sunday 12th February
Roast Beef
The big day finally arrived for us. We knew that we wanted to have R christened even before we knew what gender he was but I was still nervous. What if he cried in church? What if he refused to go to the Minister? What if he had one of those delightful accidents that can clear rooms? I should have known that R would do me proud and that I would have nothing to worry about but I reserve the right to worry.
We had held a full on kiddie party, including a finger buffet, for R's first birthday so we didn't need to go there, again**. As I pointed out earlier I'm a traditional kinda guy and I really wanted a family occasion on a Sunday to include a Sunday Lunch. We had booked a table for 19 at The Midnight Bell, Leeds Brewery's flagship pub.
This is not a review site so if you would like to see a review of The Midnight Bell's Sunday offerings you will have to check elsewhere. However, I will go on record to say that the food was superb, the beer was awesome and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. R and I shared my starter of spiced whitebait and he let me have most of my roast beef with all the trimmings.
We bought the cake from Donna Makes Cakes, an independent cake maker and decorator from Belle Isle, after a recommendation from a friend. Donna worked with Z's brief to make a stunning chocolate mud cake that really finished off the meal. Back at home we finished the day grazing on cheese and biscuits.
Monday 13th February
Gnocchi with Pesto
The final meal in our marathon weekend was another that needed to take no time to prepare and moments to cook. Mum's train back to Auld Reekie (that's Edinburgh, not an elderly dog), Z's evening of babysitting and R's bed time were all due at 7pm.
Another food blogger, Big Spoon, Little Spoon, had cooked gnocchi last weekend and inspired me. I know Mum doesn't like goats cheese so I decided to use pesto for the sauce and added some chicken and tomatoes. This was the first time Mum had eaten gnocchi so it's a shame they were shop bought and not that great. Later in the year I'll be making huge batches from scratch so I'll cook her some more then.
All told I have had a brilliant yet exhausting weekend. If you were involved in any part of it, guest, host, family or friend; thanks. It wouldn't have been the same without you.
*Hello Mum.
**Nor will be going there again any time soon.
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