Those of you that know me well know that my favourite restaurant is Relish. Located at Newton Flotman and run by husband and wife team, Jeremy and Rachael Parke, Relish has been the scene of many a milestone for me over the years. From dodgy first dates to the ‘I’ll just stop for a glass of wine’ moment – and you roll out four hours later – Relish has been the backdrop to my life over recent years. I even hired out the whole venue for my 40th birthday, back in January, and we all enjoyed what Relish does best – a…
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Continue ReadingAh, my dear Delicate Diners. It’s been a sad time for me the past week as I lost two friends in four days. Grief is always difficult to deal with at the best of times, but add in such loss and an incredibly busy time of year, and you reach a stage where you just need to work through your list of what needs to be done – rather than what you would perhaps love to do. I have blogs lined up about the new Fire & Feast offering at Relish Restaurant, as well as tonka beans at Ragdale Hall, but these…
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Continue ReadingOutside, the sun is shining but it is cold! Mother Nature seems to tempt us with a few days of warmth before sending cold winds back to send us racing indoors in search of jumpers and warming cups of coffee. In spite of this weather rollercoaster, nature’s own bounty is plentiful and for that reason, May remains my favourite month of the year. From the cherry blossom dressing the trees to the arrival of fresh Norfolk asparagus in the shops, there are signs everywhere that summer, is at last, unfurling herself and is ready to warm us in her soothing…
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Continue ReadingThis week is Coeliac Awareness Week here in the UK and my Twitter feed is full of information about this disease, as well as special offers for those affected by it. An estimated half a million people in the UK alone are undiagnosed sufferers of Coeliac Disease. And that is without taking into account those that are intolerant to gluten, such as myself. Awareness of both conditions is essential – as my Two terrible lunches, the ‘odd crumb’ & salvation… blog proved. Your Gluten Freedom has just held its second Expo here in Norwich, and we have only just begun to share things…
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Continue ReadingI don’t know about you, my dear Delicate Diners, but Scotch eggs are something that I miss very much in my gluten-free life. They scream of picnics, of summer days, of eating outside – at the beach, a show, in the garden at a party with family around you, wasps buzzing around a groaning plastic table covered in open jars and jugs of Pimms. Yes, the great British Scotch egg is a thing of delight indeed. The history of this golden ball of crumbed delight is varied. Fortnum & Mason claim to have made the first one in the 18th…
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Continue ReadingWow – what a day yesterday was! The 2nd Your Gluten Freedom Expo, held at The Forum, Norwich, saw large crowds enjoy a wonderful six hours or so of gluten-free delights, many of which were dairy-free and vegan too. Organised by, and the brainchild of, Sara Matthews of Sara’s Homemade Kitchen, the Your Gluten Freedom Expo had it all – sunshine, great food, brilliant demos, perfect tastings, education, humour and, above all, awareness. “I chose 8 May for this Expo as 9-15 May is Coeliac Awareness week,” Sara told me. “I felt that having the Your Gluten Freedom Expo at…
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Continue ReadingWe had a slice last night – badly sliced and decadent in the extreme, and it was light, flavoursome, aromatic, balanced, indulgent and wickedly delicious, all in one mouthful. I did wonder if a slice late in the evening, before going to bed, was a good idea, but I slept well.
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Continue ReadingThis time next week, the second Your Gluten Freedom Expo will be taking place at The Forum in Norwich. The Expo will bring together a whole range of gluten-free – and often dairy-free, low sugar and vegan, too – offerings under the same roof. With cooking demos and educational talks taking place throughout the day, this Expo really is worth a visit.
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Continue ReadingOh dear. I am enjoying time catching up with my friends and, being the foodie types, we like to eat out. So yesterday and today, I met up with friends; yesterday, the food was sent back; today, we walked out. I know that being a Delicate Diner does make things a little more difficult than usual but I am quite shocked at both yesterday’s and today’s experiences, for different reasons. Although both could result in serious consequences. Day two, further down, is the more disturbing read if you are Coealic or gluten intolerant and it raises many questions about education…
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Continue ReadingI am sorry for being so absent – my few days in Las Vegas was very busy, full of migraines and headaches, meetings and work, and then the horse show to focus on too! The food was average in the hotel I was in and was summed up by this cake below… I’d ordered steak for the last night in Vegas, and gone through all the options with my waiter. There was no sauce option for me – even the champagne sauce contains gluten (seriously?!) – so the waiter proudly presented me with a plate of steak with lemon butter sauce, that…