You may be pleased to know that Is My Blog Burning has been updated. It has a fresh, wonderful new look but I think you will have to update your RSS feed reader with a new feed address.
More importantly you can register, log in and upload your event details rather than relying on me! Hurrah. And it seems to work too!
This Post was written by Andrew from Spitton.biz
This Post was written by Ryan from Ryan's Recipe Blog.
I have just been accepted as a member of the UKFBA so I thought I would pop in and say Hi!
I have been cooking for a long time, and recently discovered the food blogging scene so thought I would give it a go. I love trying out new recipes, either making them up, sharing with friends and family, or trying out new recipe books.
Hopefully I will be able to learn a lot from the other members, so look forward to taking part in this Association!
This Post was written by The Caked Crusader from www.thecakedcrusader.blogspot.com
Please stop by my site and take a peek!
Thanks
This Post was written by Naomi from Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried
I have recently found out that I have leaky gut syndrome and have decided to follow the specific carbohydrate diet to heal myself - it's supposed to work wonders.
But I'm left with a cupboard full of gluten free flours; sorghum, chestnut, millet, tapioca, teff.... I've decided to give them away to one lucky UK blogger so that they won't go to waste while I am getting better and avoiding flour of all types, gluten free or not.
All you need to do to add your name to the list is to visit this post and let me know that you would like the flours. At the end of the month I'll put all the names in a hat and pick a winner, box all the flours up and send them with love.
Hope to see you there.
Naomi x x x
I've been sitting here updating the UK Food Bloggers Association list of members and adding the new members to the list of authors and we've reached the 100 mark. Fantastic, 100 members! But this is a double-edged sword, as on entering the 101 member blogger gave me a red error message - I can't have more than 100 authors on the blog! Eek.
So I'm not sure what we do now. It looks like new members will have to email me with posts they want to put up, which is going to be a logistical nightmare to be honest - and I'm really not sure I'm going to have the time.
I need to have a think on this, but in the meantime if you have any thoughts or suggestions they would be most welcome.
This Post was written by Julia from A Slice of Cherry Pie
This Post was written by Andrew Webb from Eating Albion
From here:
to here:
Hello readers and fellow members of the UKFBA. I'm a long time member - first time poster, but I thought you'd all be interested in a little food based project I'm working on for Channel 4 and how you can help shape it.
Firstly, have a skim over Eating Albion, particularly the about page, this post and finally 'Eating Albion goes mainstream' for indepth information on what I'm doing. If you've got an egg on the boil and not got time for that the premise is this: I travel around the UK for seven months investigating interesting food and people. But what makes this extra special is that I'm guided by you guys, the readers. Think Louis Theroux of food guided by you. Of course I can't go everywhere, so we're also building a google map that allows you to add your reviews and journeys to it, along side my route.
Why are we doing this? Well the online noise and reaction to the Big Food Fight season on C4 in January showed us that there's a real interest to find out where food comes from, how it's made, and how it's consumed. So that's what I'm going to do. As well as meeting farmers, producers, growers, retailers and chefs, I want to meet you, fellow food bloggers, hopefully from the different regions of the UK. You don't have to represent that region per se, for example you could be a Italian food blogger living in Wales, you just have to be interested in talking about food and sharing the knowledge of your local area with the rest of the country.
Finally, if you're within easy reach of Central London, I'm hosting a 'beers/wine & chats' night at Channel 4 head offices to showcase the project and see if we've got the tone right. We can take about 15 people maximum, for more information and details on how to attend, see this post on EA.
Just one final thing. This isn't a TV show, it's a proper web based thing using all the goodness of the internet: linking to blogs, hosting video and images, a Google map and recipes. It'll also have great content and a great story at the heart of it that will inspire others to do the same.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Andrew
PS. Here's a picture of me with a Gordon Ramsay mask on.... just for a laugh.
The first of our reviews of weird and wonderful cookbooks by Foodari member Aniawl.
It doesn’t get much more decadent than Monsieur Henri Toulouse-Lautrec - the artist remembered as much for his paintings as for his fondness of the seedy underbelly of late 19th century Paris with its cabarets, girls of the night and his favourite muse – the “green fairy”
But what about the food...One thing, which is certain, is that restraint did not feature highly in his vocabulary, or on his plate. Although not included in this book, he is credited for invention of “steak Lautrec” which involves taking 3 steaks, stacking them one on top of another and grilling together till the one on the bottom and the one on top are charred. Then you separate the steaks, throw the top and the bottom one to the dogs and eat only the middle one, which by then should be perfectly cooked.
As I don’t own any dogs and my cats won’t touch anything that hasn’t been turned into neat cubes and encased in jelly, I haven’t had a chance to try this one, maybe some day. I also decided against attempting the Fillet of herons, Stewed marmots or pan-fried Squirrels : “ Having killed some squirrels in autumn, skin them the same day and empty them. Roll them up in a piece of lard and let them brown with some good quality butter in a copper saucepan…one must not risk using spice of any kind as it may take away from the animal and its exquisite nutty flavour.”
The book however has a few more accessible, although certainly unusual recipes. You may want to attempt this one:
| A Green Chicken Take a piece of ham, some bacon, some sausage meat of port or veal, some soft bread crumbs and parsley. Chop it up, salt and pepper. Blanch a kale, take out the heart, chop it and mix it with the meats. Mix it up with the whole beaten eggs and a half a glass of milk. Roll the stuffing up in several large kale leaves, laid one on top of the other in such a way as to give the appearance of a galantine of fowl. Tie up and put it to cook in boiling water with some fat, some potatoes – like a cabbage soup - for one and a half to two hours. Salt, pepper with aromatic and ordinary pepper. Untie the green chicken and serve it surrounded by potatoes. The broth makes an excellent soup. A large stuffed cabbage roll: Stuffing: 1/3 lb. Each ham, pork sausage and pork or veal; ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup parsley leaves, (use ¼ lb lard only if sausage is very lean). |
Have you noticed how there’s no mention of actual chicken in the recipe above? Nope. There just isn’t. I blame it on the absinthe.
Saint on the grill
|
One perfect ingredient, many ways to cook it
One competition, 5 LUCKY WINNERS!
As promised, here comes your chance to win Marcus’ new book!!!
Focusing on one ingredient at a time, Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing presents at least three imaginative, delicious but simple ways of cooking with it, offering a wealth of fresh ideas on how to use the everyday ingredients that repeatedly show up in your shopping basket. (.... Read the rest of the review and find out more about Marcus' new book here.)
To win the book, all you have to do is tell us about your favourite ingredient, including why it's your favourite and what is your favourite way of cooking it. Post a recipe using this ingredient, and preferably some photos, containing a link to my blog, and a link to this event and the words 'One Perfect Ingredient'. Preferably, your ingredient will be the main ingredient in the meal or feature strongly in the dish, and it can fall within one of these categories: Vegetables, Fish and shellfish, Meat, Dairy and eggs, Fruit and Store cupboard (e.g. chocolate, pasta, couscous, rice, legumes, etc.). If you wish, you may post more then one recipe! You're also welcome to submit more than one entry!
Non-bloggers are also welcome! E-mail me your photos and recipes, and I'll post them on my blog for you!
Unfortunately, the competition is restricted to UK and Europe only, as DK have said they will post the book only to European and UK addresses. I'm sorry about that.
To take part and win Marcus' book, please send an e-mail to maninas [DOT] wordpress [AT] yahoo [DOT[ co [DOT] uk including the following information
Please submit a post specifically written for this event, and please do not submit this post to other blogging events; one exception are photography events such as Does My Blog Look Good in This.
The deadline for this event is 7th April 2008.
During the following week, I will post a round-up of all posts on my blog, and draw the winners! My method? Easy peasy! Writing all names on a piece of paper, putting them in a bowl, and drawing the 5 lucky winners! After that, I will e-mail you to ask you for your addresses, and send them to the publisher, Dorling Kindersley, who will post the book to you!
______________________________________________________
Hi all,
We've got a new camera (yay) and need to buy a macro lens for some close up food photos etc. Now I lack knowledge in this field entirely. A quick scan of Google shows me lots of stuff - can anyone shed any light on what I should buy - recommending something or such?
This Post was written by Scott from Realepicurean
If you click on each picture you'll be taken to the blog that it came from. It was so hard to find a winner but in the end I chose Cheryl at Gruel Omelet for this fabulous entry:
I hope you're feeling inspired now because we're going back to our kitchens armed with wooden spoons and creativity for round 2! Here's how to enter.
Entry Details
All you need to do is bake a cake, or several smaller cakes, with an Easter theme then post about it on your blog, including a link to this post so that people know what the event is about and how to enter. Feel free to use the logo too.
Once you've baked your cake and posted about it send an email with ‘Easter Cake Bake’ in the subject line to asliceofcherrypie@yahoo.co.uk by Monday 31st March with the following information:
• your name
• the name of your blog
• a link to your post
• a picture of your cake(s)
I’ll post a round up of all entries and announce the winner. Happy baking!
This Post was written by Julia from A Slice of Cherry Pie
This Post was written by Margot from Coffee and Vanilla.
I wanted to share with you my new discovery - Lemon Thyme.
I'm sure many of you know this herb, but some maybe not... like me a week ago.
I discovered it by chance when my online ordered groceries arrived with surprise, they replaced mint that I have ordered with lemon thyme ;)
I did not use it like I previously planned to do with mint, in my favourite Minty Cherry Tomatoes but... I made something even more delicious: Baked Salmon with Seaweed Salt and Lemon Thyme.
Have a great and sunny week! :)
This Post was written by Holler from Tinned Tomatoes
No Croutons Required is a monthly soup and salad challenge hosted by myself and Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen. The challenge is vegetarian based, but we hope it will just be a great line up of good food that anyone can enjoy!
Our first, ever challenge was hosted by Lisa. And, boy that was a round-up and a half! We had 71 delicious entries, I mean, can you believe that? It was just mad!
The winner of our first challenge, to make a vegetarian soup that even the most carnivorous diner would drool over, was the super talented Johanna with her Wanton Dumplings in Ginger Broth.
Doesn't that look stunning?
Well done Johanna!
So now it is my turn to host. Eek, the nerves!
The No Croutons Required challenge for March is to make a spicy soup that will tingle on the tongue.
Check out the rules here!
This Post was written by Jonathan from Foodari
As we enter the 2nd week of the 2008 Fairtrade Fortnight we felt it was time to add our support to this worthy cause. Fairtrade has helped millions of people from developing countries – farmers, workers, their families and the whole economy since its inception. Farirtrade was launched in the late 80’s in the Netherlands with goal of improving the situation of the producers by focusing on the role of the consumers. Since that time Fairtrade has developed into a world recognised label of approval for fairness and ethical production.
Fairtrade Fortnight is an annual event to celebrate the products which carry the fair-trade label. The Fortnight kicked off with an action-packed event on London’s Southbank on Sunday 24th February and runs through to March 9th. There are plenty of ways for the public to get involved to support this worldwide campaign. Its not too late as there are lots of exciting events going on this week. To learn more and to find out when the Fairtrade bus is visiting your area click here.
To give a balanced view in the very near future Foodari will be exploring “How Fair is Fairtrade?”
What's a "Tunstall Tortilla", or a "Potteries Poppadom", or a "Clay Suzette"? They're some of the names given by the locals to Staffordshire oatcakes. Staffordshire oatcakes are a fantastic fast food available around Stoke on Trent. Made with oats they're fairly healthy (but most locals would have bacon and cheese and possibly other fillings on top). They're very cheap, where else can you get a cooked meal and change from a pound?
The shops are run by some great characters (pictured above is Oatcakes and Pikelets which is situated opposite Hanley's Central Forest Park). Every shop is slightly different, and has it's own secret recipe. See here for a map of all the shops that I'm aware of (I'm working my way around each one to try and find the best).
The reason for this post is to alert you to the disappearance of the last Hole in the Wall oatcake shop. This historical gem is facing demolition and the local paper, The Sentinel, has launched a petition to help save the world's last remaining hole in the wall oatcake shop. Should the National Trust step in (like it has with the Birmingham back to backs)?
When I asked Glenn Fowler for permission to take the photographs below of the Hole in the Wall, he said (tongue in cheek) "they'll be valuable when we're gone"!
This Post was written by Bill from Good Food Shops.
