Opening up The Delicate Diner and staring at the blank screen fills me with guilt. Guilt that my own job – The Arabian Magazine – has taken me away from indulging in my food side for so long. Guilt that I have not written a single word about food lately – in spite of enjoying plenty of amazing dishes, and even cooking some myself. And guilt that I, may, possibly, just be an indelicate diner now. I shall say it quickly – the equivalent of ripping off a plaster. But… I think my wheat intolerance may be going. … I was first…
gluten free
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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 ReadingLike me, Tina has spent time in the Middle East and as such, she is very much into flavour. In fact, the biggest compliment I can pay Tina is that I would serve her own food at my own parties, it is that good, and the flavours that she uses are ones that I love.
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Continue ReadingSaturday morning. I am feeling a mixture of emotions – tired, anxious, excited, and full of Olympic energy. The sun is shining – as always, too brightly into my window in the morning – and I spend a peaceful half hour reading, the world outside and the birds singing as they encourage their young to take flight. Autumn is closing in. Already, the milkman is having to use the lights on his truck as he comes hairing down the driveway, waking me. For the last few months, he has been accompanied by the dawn chorus. Now, it is the darkness…
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Continue ReadingIt seems like forever since I last wrote on here. It is only 17 days, so the computer tells me, but it feels like a lifetime. So much has happened in those two and a bit weeks, and now I am packing again. My visit to Cornwall was creatively brilliant – and I was able to enjoy some great local produce along the way too! Then it was home to journalistic deadlines, an announcement about my own magazine, off to do some commentary at a horse show, and now getting ready for the British National Championships. I promise to blog…
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Continue ReadingOn Thursday evening, Sara and I published the very first Your Gluten Freedom newsletter. The response to Your Gluten Freedom as a whole has been amazing, and it was great to spend two days with Sara, making plans for the coming months. Most notably, this October will see the one-year anniversary of Your Gluten Freedom as we hold our third Expo in Norwich. To keep in touch with our plans, please visit the Your Gluten Freedom website and sign up. As of tomorrow, I am away for a few days in Cornwall, working on my novel and aiming to finally finish…
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Continue ReadingI am indulging in a pure, unadulterated weekend off. The magazine has gone to print, I’ve got yesterday’s Saturday Kitchen outrage off my chest, Andy Murray won yesterday – #GoMurray – and it’s a gloriously sunny Sunday. This last week was full of international visitors, and one especially got the tour around some of my favourite local shops. Barry has been a friend for more years than I care to remember, and he works in the Middle East with Arabian horses. Having arrived at ours on Monday night, I took Barry to Bungay on Tuesday for my famed ‘Black Dog…
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Continue Reading– A week is a long time. The below is the blog, as written, last week immediately after Saturday Kitchen aired. Since then, I have spoken several times with Matt Tebbutt and he is truly apologetic for his choice of phrase. He very definitely did mean faddy eaters – and they annoy me too, to be honest! Matt has also given Your Gluten Freedom a recipe for our October magazine, and it’s a cracker! So, I can honestly say that I am no longer intolerant to Matt Tebbutt. In fact, he has rather grown on me. With his agreement, I am leaving…
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Continue ReadingHappy Summer Solstice to you all! It certainly does not feel like summer. As I begin to write this, the rain is falling down outside, drenching the roses and honeysuckle outside my window. The birds are in hiding, not loudly chatting to each other about the beauty of summer, encouraging their young to leave the nest learn to fly. Even Merlin Cat is curled up on his window seat, wondering whether he would be better off inside with the other cats. I am even sure that I can hear the odd rumble of thunder, grumbling ominously in the distance, the…
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Continue ReadingSaturday afternoon, and it is stormy and wet. I have just conjured up a banana, walnut and chocolate gluten-free loaf cake, and that is now doing its thing in the oven. And while it cooks, and the delicious aromas begin to fill the house, it gives me time to think. Time to try and find the words to attempt to do my meal out yesterday the justice that it deserves. I always like to write any blog, feature or article at least a day after the event. That way, things have had time to settle. Emotions have calmed. Memories have clarified.…