In spring, you cannot have failed to notice that Norfolk’s fields were gold. Driving through the beautiful countryside found in this wonderful part of the world, at every turn, you can see field after field of golden flowers, gently swaying on the breeze. It is these flowers that produce one of our native oils – rapeseed oil. As someone who is a big fan of using local produce wherever possible, what can be better than rapeseed oil? Grown here in Norfolk, harvested and pressed here, it is straight from field to shelf with none of the miles. Compared to olive…
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Continue ReadingMonday 8 May saw many of Norfolk’s top restaurateurs, producers, butchers, coffee shops, pubs and other foodie establishments gather together at The Forum Library in Norwich for the launch of The Norfolk Cook Book. Printed and produced by Meze Publishing, who are producing a series of regional cookbooks, The Norfolk Cook Book launch truly celebrates the very best of our wonderful region. Those of us that live in – and love – Norfolk have been very vocal about our county for many years. Now, it seems that the rest of the UK is starting to notice the great produce that comes from our…
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Continue ReadingI have long been a fan of Crush Foods. It was, curiously enough for a company who specialises in rapeseed oil, their granolas that first caught my attention. Naturally sweetened, instead of full of added sugars, their granolas include honey from Norfolk and apple juice from Suffolk. For me, their delicious cereals have been the morning choice for those that care about what they put in their breakfast bowls first thing. And, in case you are wondering, the honey, apple and cranberry is my favourite. I then became familiar with their oils. Rapeseed oil is certainly one of Norfolk’s greatest products and…
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Continue ReadingIt is almost time… At 10am tomorrow, the doors open once more on Norfolk’s premier gluten-free event – the Your Gluten Freedom Expo. Held at The Forum in Norwich, the Expo follows on from the last two high successful events, and is eagerly anticipated by many. The first gluten-free Expo was held last October to great success, and founder Sara Matthews, of Sara’s Kitchen, must be applauded for her vision. Since then, the team may have grown but it is still very much Sara at the helm. In a bid to keep things moving forward, there are a few changes this…
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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 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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This 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 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…
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Sunday afternoon. The first day of 2016 that has actually felt like spring. And I am doing one of my favourite things – cooking with chocolate. I should point out that this is not as I have been daydreaming about chocolate. After all, it was Easter last weekend and, while I am a great chocolate saver and have only just started to nibble the ears of my dark Lindt bunny (to the horror of my chocoholic friend, Wizzy!), I feel no need to be making anything chocolatey and unctuous right now. So, why the chocolate? In a word – Galton.…