savourIssue 01 2014

04

Hot Cross BunsTraditional spiced, sticky glazed fruit buns with pastry crosses. Served as aclassic Easter treat, the buns can also be enjoyed at any time of year.

Method1: For the buns, sieve the flour, salt and ground mixed spice into a large mixing bowl, then rub in the butter using yourfingertips. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then add the sugar, lemon zest and yeast. 2: Beat the egg and add tothe flour with the tepid milk. Mix together to a form a soft, pliable dough. 3: Turn out the dough onto a lightly flouredwork surface. Carefully work the mixed dried fruit into the dough until well combined. Knead lightly for 5 minutes or untilsmooth and elastic. 4: Grease a large, warm mixing bowl with butter. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into theprepared bowl, then cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour to prove. 5: Take the proveddough from the bowl and knock it back on your floured work surface. Shape it into a ball again and return it to the bowl,then cover once more with the tea towel and set aside for a further 30 minutes to rise. 6: Turn out the dough one moretime onto a floured work surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into abun shape using the palms of your hands. Cover the buns again with the tea towel and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.7: Grease a baking tray with butter and transfer the buns to the tray. Wrap the tray with the buns on it loosely ingreaseproof paper, then place inside a large polythene bag. Tie the end of the bag tightly so that no air can get in and setaside in a warm place for a further 40 minutes to rise. 8: Preheat the oven to 240°C. 9: Meanwhile, for the topping, mixthe plain flour to a smooth paste with 2 tablespoons of cold water. 10: When the buns have risen, remove the polythenebag and the greaseproof paper. Spoon the flour mixture into a piping bag and pipe a cross on each bun. 11: Transfer thebuns to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until pale golden-brown. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven,brush them with the hot golden syrup, then set aside to cool on a wire rack.

IngredientsFor the buns: • 625g/1.3lb strong white flour, plus extra for dusting • 1 tsp salt • 2 tsp ground mixed spice • 45g/1.5oz

unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing • 85g/3oz sugar • 1 lemon, zest only • 1½ tsp fast-action yeast

• 1 free-range egg • 275ml/10fl oz tepid milk • 125g/4oz mixed dried fruit

For the topping: • 2 tbsp plain flour • vegetable oil, for greasing • 1 tbsp golden syrup, gently heated, for glazing

Welcome to

savour contactsissuu.com/savour

A celebration of north-east food and drinkISSUE 01, 2014

It hasn’t been a horrendously bad winterbut, I’m sure, like me, you’re weary of it andready for a change. Late winter and earlyspring can be a tough time for the homechef but there are still lots of recipes to takeyou into the new season and deliciousdishes to bring out the best of the season’sbounty. So celebrate the end of winter andput away your heavy coat for another year.Early spring sees food start to lighten afterthe comfort foods of winter, but not toomuch. Don't forget the stews and casserolesjust yet.

In this issue I chat with Scottish chef TomKitchin at his Leith restaurant, firmlyestablished as one of the finest places to eatin the country, and meet Ryan Fowler, whohas been enjoying rave reviews since

opening Rock & Oyster in the heart ofAberdeen. Read a great tale of anAberdeenshire-based husband-and-wifeteam who have created natural, healthytreats especially for dogs and find out whythe Aberdeen Universities’ Boat ClubPresident swaps her one-piece for a pinny.

We’re off to Edinburgh to sample twoamazing eateries in our ‘Breakaway’ pagesand, of course, there’s lots of local foodienews and some fantastic recipes for you totry at home.

Our handy, pocket size magazine reflectsthe wealth of talent in the Grampian area,be it the skilled producers or theadventurous chefs who strive to ensure ourregion remains a premier destination forculinary excellence.

FROM THE EDITOR

savourIssue 01 2014

05

Savour is produced by

Mackintosh Media Ltd.,

Regent House,

36 Regent Quay,

Aberdeen

AB11 5BE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Steve MacKintosh

T: +44 (0) 1224 288981

E: steve@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

EDITORIAL

Eric Farquharson

T: +44 (0) 7730133036

E: eric@mackintoshmedia.co.uk

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Calum Farquhar

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@SavourMag

savourIssue 01 2014

07

A celebration of north-east food and drinkISSUE 01, 2014

CONTENT

ingredients

Love Food Hate Waste p10/11Tips on how to utilise yourleftovers

Farmers’ Markets p14/15What’s on at the localfarmers’ markets

A Tale of Doggy Treats p16/17Local couple produce healthydoggy treats

Mother’s Day p22/23Ideas for Mum’s breakfaston her special day

Something’s Cooking p26/27Something’s cookingon Speyside

Tom Kitchin p28/29Tom Kitchin spillsthe beans

Breakaway! p50/51Breakaway to Scotland’scapital city

27 41 54

12

28 44

20

savourIssue 01 2014

08

NewsBites...

Farm shop shakes up your wake up

Kildrummy toKuala Lumpur

Scotland’s Chef of the Year, David

Littlewood, is still flying high. Having

recently invested in the Kildrummy Inn in

Alford with brother-in-law Nigel and their

wives, David is further spreading his

wings by flying to Kuala Lumpur. In April

he will cook lunch and dinner to promote

Scottish produce at the prestigious

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, culminating in a

seven-course tasting menu with paired

whiskies.

David has also been confirmed as one of

the chefs attending the European Seafood

Exposition in Brussels this May as part of

the team for the Federation of Chefs

Scotland. Visitors will be treated to top

quality produce served by the team in the

Scottish Pavilion. This year there will also

be a ceilidh and a dinner for 500 guests.

An Aberdeenshire farm shop has been

encouraging its customer to refresh

their morning routine and take the

time to have a healthy breakfast each

morning.

The Store, in Foveran, near Ellon, has

recently been supporting Farmhouse

Breakfast Week, managed by the Home

Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA), for

the tenth year running, in a bid to

remind people how important it is to

have a healthy breakfast.

Alarmingly, one in four consumers are

still missing out on breakfast, but the

morning meal is vital, as your body

and brain requires the nutrients and

energy to get through the day.

The award-winning family-run farm

shop, which follows a farm-to-fork

approach, has an on-site butchery,

which gives them 100% traceability

and control on all their products and

meat produce. The Store’s daily menu

and shop sells it own hand-reared

produce, so the farm shop can be sure

that the breakfast products on offer are

fresh, local and natural.

The Store managing director and

farmer, Andrew Booth, said: “With 47%

people regularly skipping breakfast

during the week, we really wanted to

remind people how important this

meal is. Without breakfast, people tend

to have lower energy and

concentration levels, which is not good

for children at school or adults at work.

We wanted to educate our customers

about the impact that skipping

breakfast can have, and also show the

importance of eating fresh local

produce, where you know exactly

where it comes from – something we

can be sure of with our meat produce.”

The Store is open seven days a week,

from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. To find out

more about The Store, contact

(01358) 788083 or visit

www.thestorecompany.co.uk

NewsBites

savourIssue 01 2014

09

Luxury North-eastDestinationShortlisted

Caber CoffeeGives Cause ForCelebration

A prestigious hotel on the outskirts ofAberdeen is celebrating after beingshortlisted for a series of local tourismawards.

The Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe HouseHotel and Spa has been nominated forthree accolades in the Aberdeen City andShire Tourism Awards.

The awards, which are supported byAberdeen City and Shire HotelsAssociation, recognise and celebrateexcellence in the region’s hospitality andtourism sectors.

Ardoe House Hotel and Spa has reachedthe finals of the Restaurant of the Year,Local Marketing Plan of the Year, andYoung Ambassador of the Year categories.

Hotel chef, Alan Clarke, was nominated byhis peers under the Young Ambassador ofthe Year category. The 22-year-old seniorchef de partie has had a fantastic 12

months, culminating in his representation

of the UK and Ireland at this year’s

‘Professions Challenge’ in Paris. Mr Clarke

received a judge’s commendation for his

expert cooking after spending four days

in the French capital, competing against

12 top young European chefs.

Ardoe’s general manager, Peter Sangster,

said: “Alan has been a great ambassador

for Ardoe and thoroughly deserves his

nomination. He is a real talent and plays

a key role in providing visitors with the

best possible experience.

“The destination has undergone some

major improvements over the last year

and it is particularly pleasing that the

refurbishment of our Blairs restaurant has

been recognised by tourism experts from

across the North-east.”

Five good causes have started 2014with cause for celebration thanks toAberdeen-based Caber Coffee.

The company, which is based on thecity’s Holburn Street, has donatedmore than £1300 to Simeon Care forthe Elderly, Choices Aberdeen, FlyCup Catering, the ScottishHuntington’s Association and Co-wheels Car Club.

The cash windfalls have been madepossible thanks to the generosity ofpeople enjoying ETHYCO, CaberCoffee’s Fairtrade ingredient rangewhich, as well as supporting thecommunities where the product isgrown, donates a percentage of therevenue generated by sales to UK-based social enterprise projects.

Caber Coffee managing directorFindlay Leask said: “Simply byenjoying a cup of coffee, people cando great things for good causes andwe are delighted to pass on thesedonations.

“We look forward to hearing fromother organisations who would liketo benefit from the next round ofdonations later in the year.”

savourIssue 06 2013

10

With celebrity chefs, such as Jamie Oliver,creating enviable dishes out of last night’smeal, recycling has never been more on-trend. The more homemade a dish looks,tastes and smells, the better. And no onedoes homemade like the ScottishWomen’s Rural Institutes. With nearly 98years under their pinnies, SWRI has beenutilising leftovers since the First WorldWar and isn’t showing signs of stoppingnow.

Isobel Robertson, national chairperson ofthe Scottish Women’s Rural Institutes,says: “In the war, we didn’t have a choicebut to make use of our leftover food;once it was gone, it was gone! But nowwe choose to make use of our leftovers tosave money, reduce waste and improvetaste. Food waste has improved in thepast few years but we still effectively

throw away up to £450 each year inwasted food. Together, we want to helppeople save money with clever cooking.”

Jane Hogg, a national SWRI demonstrator,is a specialist in the art of zero foodwaste.

“Being brought up in a traditional farmingbackground, my mother always workedwith the theory of ‘waste not, want not’,always providing good healthy food withminimal waste”, says Jane. “Get back tobasics and use your senses as opposed torelying on best before dates. If it smellsoff, chances are it probably is.”

Working part time as a cook, Janeregularly looks at new ways to cut backon costs while maintaining quality andtaste. Take inspiration from her moneysaving recipes on the next page:

Dated is no longer old; it’s vintageHomemade is not cheap; it’s chicLeftover food isn’t for the bin;

it’s tomorrow’s dinner

11

HashCakes

Method1: Cook the onions in the butter for a couple of minutes.

2: Add to the mashed potatoes, cooked meat, and vegetables and mix well.

3: Add the olive oil and breadcrumbs to form a firm but not stiff mixture.

4: Form into 8 balls and flatten slightly, then dust with flour.

5: Using a pastry brush, paint egg on both flat sides of the cakes and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, patting down lightly.

6: Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook the cakes on each side for 5 minutes. Alternatively,

cook in the oven at 180°C for 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 200g/8oz leftover cooked pork, chicken, turkey or beef, roughly chopped • 250g/10oz any cooked vegetables (e.g.

carrots, Brussels sprouts, peas, broad beans, cabbage), roughly chopped • 500g/1½lb warm mashed potatoes • 1 onion

• 25g/1oz butter • 25g/1oz breadcrumbs • 2 tbsp olive oil, vegetable oil for cooking • 2 tbsp flour • 1 egg, lightly beaten

250g/8oz breadcrumbs

Lime & HoneyStir-fried Pork

Method1: Finely grate the zest of 1 lime and squeeze the juice from both limes.

2: Mix the zest and the juice with the cornflour, honey, soy and sweet chilli sauces, then set aside.

3: Cut the pork into bite sized pieces.

4: Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir-fry the pork for 4 minutes.

5: Push the pork to the edge of the pan, add the vegetables and stir-fry for another 3 minutes.

6: Add the lime & honey mixture and heat until simmering and thickened.

Ingredients• 2 limes • 1 tbsp cornflour • 2 tbsp clear honey • 3 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce • 500g/1lb pork fillet

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil • 1 red pepper, deseeded & cut into strips • 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks • 4 spring onions, trimmed

& sliced

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Pheasant Breasts Braised in Cider

Method1: Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2: Butter the pheasant breasts and then wrap in the bacon. Place in an ovenproof dish (sothat they aren't too cramped together) and then pop in the oven for 25 minutes. 3: After 25 minutes, reduce the oventemperature to 170°C, pour 250ml/8fl oz of the cider over the pheasant breasts, cover with a lid or tin foil, and return tothe oven for another 60 minutes. 4: Towards the end of the cooking time for the pheasants, pour the remaining cider intoa saucepan and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by about half. 5: Thinly slice the shallots and cook very slowlyin a little butter until soft. Then add the caster sugar and continue to cook until lightly caramelised. Remove from the heatuntil ready to finish the sauce. 6: Check the pheasant breasts during the cooking time to ensure that they do not dry outand add more cider if necessary. 7: To finish the sauce, add the flour to the shallots, place the pan back on a gentle heatand mix together. You may need to add a little more butter at this stage if the shallots are very dry, but they shouldn't be.Now add the cider reduction and the crème fraîche, and cook together over a low heat until the sauce starts to thicken.8: Once ready to serve, slice each breast into about five slices and place on the plate still in the shape of the whole breast.Pour the sauce over the meat and serve.

Top recipe tip:

This recipe also works well with whole pheasant. Cover the breasts of the bird with bacon and add the cider half waythrough the roasting, covering in the same way and it will help keep the bird moist. You can then make the sauce fromthe cooking juices in the roasting pan along the same lines as above.

Ingredients• 4 pheasant breasts (young hen breasts if possible, as they won't be so tough) • 4 large rashers lightly smoked bacon• 500ml/17fl oz dry cider • 5 shallots • knob of butter • 1 tsp caster sugar • 30g/1oz plain flour • 100ml/7tbsp full fat crèmefraîche

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savourIssue 06 2013

Game isn’t just for smart dinner parties. It’s soversatile that you can serve it any day of the weekfor any occasion. Pheasant, rabbit, venison andpartridge are so versatile: From terrines andtagines to stir fries, curries and comfortingcasseroles, there is a dish that everyone can enjoy.For those who watch what they eat, game is agreat choice as it is lower in fat and cholesterolthan many other mainstream meats. Here are afew ideas…

Brunch

Who wouldn’t want to wake up to venison orpheasant sausages, eggs and bacon? Fried breadoptional!

Family favourites

If the kids have never tried game before, one ofthe best ways to introduce it is through familiardishes such as minced venison ‘shepherd’s pie’ orbreadcrumbed pheasant nuggets. Rabbit is also agood choice for children as the flavour is mild andnot ‘gamey’.

Midweek supper

If you’re tired and hungry, slice up some pheasantor partridge breasts and stir fry with whatevervegetables you have in the fridge. Easy!

Snacks for sharing

Fajitas are a sociable way of eating. Spice upvenison or pheasant strips with chilli, lime anddried oregano and flash-fry with red onion andpeppers. Bring the sizzling pan to the table withtortillas, guacamole and salsa and get stuck in.

Informal food for friends

Mixed game pie is a pub classic and therefore asure-fire winner for relaxed evenings in withfriends. Serve with spuds − chips, mashed orboiled − and garden peas.

Sunday roast

A juicy, golden roasted pheasant is hard to beatand makes a great centrepiece on the table. Orhow about serving neat individual partridges toeach guest with all the trimmings?

The smart dinner party

Slow-cooked partridge casserole with wine andherbs, venison Wellington or rabbit noisetteswrapped in Parma ham are sure to impress.

You will find game featured in most magazinesand cookery books these days as chefs are big fansof this local, healthy and tasty meat. So you’llnever be short of ideas. During the season, gameis readily available in butchers’, supermarkets andfarmers’ markets, and don’t forget to look for it onpub and restaurant menus too.

Because there are so many different species ofdeer, you will find fresh venison is available mostof the year. It can also be bought frozen at anytime. Don’t avoid frozen game – stocking up yourfreezer with game during the season is awonderful way of enjoying game out of season.

The Game-to-Eat campaign is dedicated toincreasing the eating and enjoyment of local wildgame. You can find delicious recipes atwww.gametoeat.co.uk to try at home. So, pleasetuck in and spread the word about this fantasticproduce of the Scottish countryside.

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savourIssue 01 2014

Inverurie Farmers’ MarketInverurie market has been running in Market Square from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month since 2003. The

market features a wonderful range of local provenance produce from the likes of Ingram’s Homecure, The Store, Devenick Dairy,

Mortlach Game, Granite City Fish, Alan Bruce Cakes, Crannach Bakery, Cakes by Design and many more. Located adjacent to

Mitchell’s Dairy, the market provides the perfect opportunity to stock up on a wealth of fantastic local produce and then treat

yourself to a hot drink or brunch in the Dairy.

Featured ProducerIngram’s Homecure produces delicious dry-cured bacon, sausages, hams and pork at their farm at East Pitscaff, Newburgh and also

supplies a wide range of retail outlets and restaurants. Produced to the highest standards of animal welfare, the short distance

from field to fork helps to seal in the taste of their excellent produce. Ingram’s also attends the Stonehaven, Banchory and Aberdeen

Farmers’ Markets. Visits to their farm shop can be arranged by appointment.

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savourIssue 01 2014

Farmers’ Markets can be found at:ABERDEEN last Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.ALFORD last Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

BALMEDIE 2nd Saturday of the month 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.BANCHORY 3rd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.HUNTLY 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

INVERURIE 2nd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.MACDUFF Last Saturday of the month 9 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.PETERHEAD 1st Saturday of the month 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.STONEHAVEN 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

TORPHINS Every Wednesday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.TURRIFF 3rd Saturday of the month 9 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.WESTHILL 1st Saturday of the month 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pork Tenderloinand Apples

Method1: Place the rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. 2: Peel, core and cut each apple intoeight wedges, rubbing the cut edges with the lemon half, and then juice the lemon half into a small bowl and set aside.

3: Next, in a 26cm/10” skillet, melt 2 tbsp of the butter with the sugar over a medium-high heat and add the apple wedgesto cook until soft and a rich amber colour. (Reduce the heat if they start to burn.) Set aside and keep warm. 4: Dry thetenderloins with paper towels and season with salt and pepper, then heat the oil in a 30cm/12” ovenproof skillet over amedium-high heat until very hot. Sear the pork on all sides until nicely browned and then put the skillet in the oven androast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centre of the pork registers 60-63°C/140-145°F (10 to 15 minutes).Transfer to a warm plate (but don’t clean the skillet), tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. 5: Set the skillet over amedium heat and add 2 tbsp of butter. When it melts, add the shallots and cook until soft but not browned. 6: Removethe pan from the heat and add the Calvados. 7: Return the pan to the stove, raise the heat to medium high, and boil untilthe Calvados is almost gone. 8: Add the cider and thyme; simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. 9: Add thecream and cook over a very low heat until the sauce is golden and coats the back of a spoon. 10: Cut the remaining 3tbsp butter into 1cm/½” cubes and swirl them into the sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and ˆ tsp of the reservedlemon juice or to taste. 11: Slice the pork and serve with the warm apples and sauce.

Ingredients• 2 medium Granny Smith apples • 1/2 medium lemon • 7 tbsp unsalted butter • 1 tbsp granulated sugar • 2 pork tenderloins(about 450g/1lb each), trimmed and cut in half crosswise • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil • 2 large shallots, finely minced • 60ml/2floz Calvados or Cognac • 60ml/2fl oz apple cider • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves • 80ml/3fl oz heavy cream

Just because your ingredients are local, itdoesn’t mean you can’t enjoy more exoticflavours. This pork tenderloin and apples recipewill transport you to the Sunday dinner table ata French bistro.

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savourIssue 01 2014

It’s not only humans who have

to watch what they eat. Our

four-legged friends are often,

quite inadvertently, fed a diet

that is harmful to their health.

Enter the WowDog team.

The WowDog Bakery was

founded by Aberdeenshire-

based husband-and-wife team,

Louisa and Steve Cannon.

Working from their kitchen in

Old Rayne, they bake natural,

healthy treats especially for

dogs. Only the most carefully

chosen, natural, human-quality

ingredients go into their dog

treats making them a healthy

and tasty choice for dogs. They

didn’t feel right about feeding

their Beagle mass-produced dog

treats filled with artificial

additives and animal by-

products so they took matters

into their own hands and

WowDog Bakery was born. I

went along to meet Louisa and

Steve who certainly proved to

me they’re anything but barking

mad!

Wow!A Tale of Doggie Treats!

Q: Supermarket shelves are burstingwith pet foods and treats, so whatinspired you to launch WowDogBakery?

A: Our beagle Breagh is a very importantmember of our family and we want herto be as healthy and happy as possible.

A few years ago, she developed a largefatty lump under the skin on her side.Obviously we were worried and took herstraight to see the vet. Thankfully, after abiopsy, the vet reassured us that thelump was harmless but it got us thinkingabout the food that we were feedingher.

Up until this point we had always fed herbrand name dry dog food bought fromthe supermarket, thinking that it must begood for her. After lots of research, wewere quite shocked to learn that thefood we had been feeding her containedadditives and ingredients, which couldperhaps be linked to a range of healthissues in some dogs.

We changed her onto a natural dog foodand decided to try baking her some

natural treats as an alternative to whatwas available in the supermarket. Weresearched ingredients that are natural,healthy and beneficial to dogs and setabout creating recipes. Breagh was veryhappy to be chief taster and wedeveloped the idea from there. Workingclosely with the Trading Standardsdepartment at Aberdeenshire Council,we developed a small range of biscuitsand began selling them at farmersmarkets in the area. The feedback wereceived was extremely positive andWowDog Bakery was born.

Q: What’s so special about thecontent of these doggy treats?

A: What sets us apart from themainstream treats is that all ouringredients are very high quality, naturaland human-grade. We use a few, simple,carefully chosen ingredients: Local oats;local free-range eggs; locally producedOla rapeseed oil; honey; Cheddar cheese;Lactofree milk; Plamil unsweetenedcarob chips; and Meridian 100% peanutbutter.

We never add salt or sugar, and our

17

savourIssue 01 2014

treats are free from wheat, lactose,artificial colours, preservatives andanimal by-products. They containomegas 3, 6 and 9, which helppromote healthy joints and a glossycoat. Our packaging is sustainableand every treat is hand-cut, bakedand packed to order in the kitchen ofour home.

Our treats are also a very goodchoice for dogs with sensitivestomachs or allergies.

Q: Based in Old Rayne, how doyou go about sourcing theingredients necessary forproduction?

A: We think it's very important tosupport local business so we try tosource as many of our ingredients aspossible close to home. We uselocally produced Ola rapeseed oil,and we purchase our peanut butter,herbs and spices from The GreenGrocer in Inverurie. We get free-range eggs from Marshall’s FarmShop in Kintore and oats fromGrampian Oat Products in Boyndie.We’re always on the lookout forregional ingredients.

Q: You have a rather unusualCEO in the tasting department.Tell us about her.

A: Well, before Breagh came leapinginto our lives, we did a lot of readingabout beagles and should haverealised what we were gettingourselves into when one bookwarned: "Beagles are not for thefaint-hearted!!" Our one really, reallyisn't! Her list of crimes is extensive.

She is food-obsessed - I mean really,REALLY food-obsessed. She will stealany unguarded food no matterwhere it happens to be situated -and does so regularly, especiallywhen we have unsuspecting guestsnot used to her thieving ways. She isan unbelievable escape artist andseems to suffer from selectivedeafness - although funnily enough,she can always hear a crisp packetbeing opened in the kitchen nomatter how far away she is! She hasabsolutely no desire whatsoever toplease us and has chewed her waythrough a fairly substantial amountof our property. Although, to be fair,that was when she was a puppy.

Despite all of this, she is very muchpart of the family and was no doubtdelighted when we started up theWowDog Bakery as she now has aconstant supply of treats.

Unfortunately, Breagh isn’t exactlydiscerning when it comes to foodbut we can say that she will almostdo anything for a WowDog treat –which, after meeting her, you willrealise is high praise indeed!

Q: Please explain how your ‘trybefore you buy’ offer operates.

A: Much to the disappointment ofmany humans who think it’s a fancypiece for them, our stall is alwaysstocked with lots of free samples forour four-legged friends to try andsee which variety gets the waggiesttail. For people who can’t make italong to see us at our stall, we sellsample packs through our websitewhich contains one treat of eachvariety.

Q: Where can you buy WowDogproducts?

A: We go to the Stonehaven, Turriffand Aberdeen Farmers’ Marketsevery month, and you can orderfrom our website(www.wowdogbakery.com) or buyour products from:

Inverurie – Inverurie Pet Supplies orThe Green Grocer

Aberdeen – The Hammerton Store orThe Dapper Dog

Oyne – Touched by Scotland

Kintore – Marshall’s Farm Shop

Peterhead – Violets Pet Store

Turriff – Partridge’s

We also attend various eventsthroughout the year. This year wewill be attending events such asScotland's Best Outdoors (AECC),Taste of Grampian, the Turriff Showand the Huntly Hairst. We’re alwayson the lookout for new stockiststhough, particularly in the Huntlyand Stonehaven areas. We can’t haveour customers going hungry!

Q: Any plans afoot to increasethe product range?

A: Last year we did some trialbatches of a banana-based treat,which proved to be very successful,so we’ll look to get that organisedfor this summer. We are alsodeveloping a Luxury Doggie Bagsuitable for birthdays or Christmaswhen people may want to give theircanine buddies an extra special treat.

In December I became the proud, if not a littleapprehensive, owner of an allotment! I’vealways fancied growing my own fruit andvegetables and now it was about to becomea reality. “Hurrah!” I shouted when word camethrough my application had been accepted.“I’ve got a plot!” “So did Guy Fawkes,” camethe witty response,” and look what happenedto him!” Actually, now I’ve donned my welliesand grabbed my spade, it appears beinghung, drawn and quartered may probably bea lot less painful!

I’ve been writing for years about restaurantsoffering produce on their menus ‘from field toplate’ and now it was to become a reality forus. Excitedly, my wife and I met the allotmentofficer who was to show us our patch.

Wrongly, I assumed I’d be taking over fromsomeone who had tilled the soil for a numberof years and come spring all I had to do waspop in some carrots and onions. Evidently theonly crops growing here were the mostvivacious docks, dandelions and nettles everseen by man. Undaunted we accepted the keyand began to make plans. It soon becameevident my wife had ambitions way abovemine and, after consulting her Allotment –Month by Month book, revealed her plans fora horticultural masterpiece. Not for her thecontentment of some cabbage, potatoes orleeks. Clearly she had harvested the index atthe back of the book and no form ofvegetation was to escape our humbleallotment.

Lottery funding some years back allowed the erection of a huge metalfence to protect the results of a year of toil from intruders. Reminiscentof a POW camp, there is great camaraderie amongst the gardeners,especially at harvest time when over-exuberant crops can beexchanged. Despite my belief that it’s not an age thing, many of ourneighbours are, shall we say, pretty mature and, considering the back-breaking efforts required, I’m impressed by how they carry onfearlessly. Perhaps that’s where the saying came from: “Old gardenersnever die; they simply lose the plot!”

Anyway, back to the task in hand. According to the aforementioned‘bible’, there is not a great deal to be done in winter other thanturning over the soil and digging in some manure. We are veryfortuitous in that the owner of neighbouring stables leaves hishorses’ deposits outside our hallowed fence free of charge. I’ve gotto hand it to my good lady; she’s not afraid to don her gloves and

get stuck in. She seems quite at home amongst thesteaming poo. She claims she’s used to it livingwith me for forty years. Whatever can she mean?

There is a downside to our partnership. As my wifeis of the gentler sex, she has taken over the role ofproject manager with such gusto that KevinMcCloud would be proud. Every time I attempt tostand upright, I get a strange look. Perhaps it’s morelike a POW camp after all! The other frustration isthat I’m more of a planner and look at the wholepicture. My wife, on the other hand, is happy todrop in any unsuspecting plant that comes her way.She views each turn of the spade and exposure ofsoil as the immediate home of anything green.

Raised beds are the order of the day, permanently separating theareas of your plot that you cultivate from those that you walk on,but make sure you can reach the centre of your bed from the path.It need not cost that much as part of the fun of owning a plot isthe scavenging and utilising of old materials. We inherited someold pallets, which I deconstructed and used as a fence and in theconstruction of some raised beds. The grandkids have come alongto lend a hand but, despite my efforts to involve them in theconstruction of a compost box, they’ve always managed to escape!!

So, hopefully I’ve set the scene for future episodes when betterweather and more daylight should ensure more constructivecomments from our rhubarb patch.

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March

As the days get longer, help yourself to fresh seasonal flavours. Stuff

cockles into a rustic paella, serve grilled sardines with lemon wedges and

sprouting broccoli, or wow with native oysters.

• BLOOD ORANGE • CLAMS • KALE

• PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI • SEA BASS • COCKLES

• OYSTER • SARDINE

April

The days may still be short but thereare still many healthy fruits andvegetables in their prime during thelate winter season. Enjoy nutrient-packed root vegetables, such ascarrots, and versatile winter greens,such as spinach and kale. Citrus fruitsare a treat this time of year, so stockup on oranges and grapefruit, and trydelicious pineapple and pomegranatesto add fibre and vitamin C to yourday.

in season

April's seasonal ingredients peak like soufflés, so make the most of them

before they run out of puff. Get cracking with your crabs, pick your own

watercress and go wild for morels.

• CRAB • LAMB • MOREL • ROCKET • SARDINE

• SPRING ONION • WATERCRESS • RHUBARB • WOOD PIGEON

• LANGOUSTINE • ASPARAGUS

There have been controversial reports about milk and

whether it is good for you or not, so let’s just remind

ourselves of the key benefits of the ‘white stuff’.

Just one cup of milk provides 30% of the daily value

of calcium, a mineral that helps build and maintain

strong bones and teeth. To get that amount of

calcium from other foods, you’d have to eat more

than seven cups of raw broccoli, for example.

Calcium is critical to the formation of bones in

children and teenagers, and becomes equally

important to rebuild the bone mass that we lose as

we age.

Several observational studies show that people who

consume more dairy products weigh less and have

less body fat than those who consume less. Milk

seems to satisfy our hunger better than other drinks

- perhaps due to its protein - suggests a study

published in 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition. In that study, people who drank skimmed

milk felt fuller and ate less at their next meal than

people who drank a fruit drink. If you are concerned

about weight gain, choose semi-skimmed or

skimmed milk instead of whole milk, which can have

as much as 8 grams of fat per serving.

Scientists are discovering that vitamin D is not only

important for proper calcium absorption, but also

may improve immunity, reduce risks for somecancers, diabetes and multiple sclerosis, and promotebetter blood pressure. According to new researchpresented at the annual Experimental Biologymeeting in April 2010, milk provides nearly 43% ofthe vitamin D we get through our diets, making itthe number one source. Fortification of milk began inthe 1930s to prevent rickets, a disease characterizedby soft, deformed bones.

One cup of milk provides 16% of the daily value forprotein, which builds and repairs muscles. In fact,several small studies (partially funded by the dairyindustry) found that chocolate milk might helpathletes refuel as well as or better than popularsports drinks. Chocolate milk contains the mix ofprotein and carbohydrate the body needs to recoverits energy supplies after an intense workout.

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Eggs FlorentineA classic Eggs Florentine is perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch

Method1: Preheat the grill to medium. 3: For the hollandaise sauce, place 75g/2½oz of the butter into a small saucepan and melt

slowly over a gentle heat. Once melted, remove from the heat and set aside. 3:Place the egg yolks into a bowl set over a

pan of gently simmering water (take care not to let the bowl touch the water) and beat until pale and thickened. Add the

water, lemon juice, salt and freshly ground white pepper to the egg yolks and beat for another 30 seconds. 4: Add half of

the remaining butter to the egg mixture in the bowl and stir for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from

the heat and beat in the remainder of the butter. 5: Slowly pour in the melted butter, whisking constantly, until the sauce

reaches the consistency of double cream. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and freshly ground white pepper. Keep the

sauce warm by resting the bowl in a pan of lukewarm water. 6: Place the buttered muffins onto a baking tray. 7: Arrange

the steamed spinach on top of the muffins, top with the poached eggs and pour the hollandaise sauce over the top.

8: Place the tray under the preheated grill for 1-2 minutes or until the top is bubbling and just turning golden-brown.

9: Transfer the eggs Florentine onto two serving plates and serve immediately.

IngredientsFor the hollandaise sauce • 100g/3½oz butter, cut into cubes • 2 free-range egg yolks • ½ tbsp cold water • ½ tbsplemon juice • salt and freshly ground white pepperFor the Eggs Florentine:• 2 English muffins, split in half horizontally and buttered • 2 large handfuls baby spinach, steamed• 4 free-range eggs, poached

Plan the menu in advance. The best

thing is to plan the menu ahead of

time but, if you wake up on Mother's

Day and decide it's important to make

breakfast at the last minute, you still

have time.

Purchase fresh ingredients early in

the morning if local bakers, stores,

markets, etc. are open. If not,

purchase these the day before.

Make baked goods fresh on the day.

Get up earlier than you normally

would.

Prepare a breakfast that is easy for

you to make. Unless you're a chef or a

very patient cook, it's best to avoid

concocting an elaborate breakfast, as

that might take a long time to

prepare, then cook and clean up

afterwards. Choose something you

know you can cook and that won't

leave a big mess after for you to tidy

away, as that'll simply take you away

from spending time with her.

Make one of her favourite foods.Prepare something that she might

even have eaten for lunch many

times. Do not make something new,

because she might not like it and it

would spoil your surprise and her

enjoyment. Prepare bagels with some

herring on the side, as this is often

served for a Sunday breakfast or

brunch. Add a glass of orange juice

and a cup of tea for an easy-to-make,

delicious breakfast.

Be creative. Make her pancakes and

dress them up so they look really

pretty, as well as delicious. Top them

with strawberries, place them nicely

on the plate. Mother will love your

strawberry pancakes and might even

give you a bite to taste. Serve it with

half a grapefruit and a cup of coffee,

and she will certainly appreciate it.

Make sure to get up earlier thanyour mother. If she gets up before

you do, your plan will go down the

drain. Also make sure you get up early

enough so that you can make the

meal without having to worry about

the time.

Clean the kitchen the night before

so that you it will be clean for you

in the morning. Make a list of all the

ingredients you need and make sure

you can grab them easily without

having to search for them. Set the

table nicely with the cutlery you need

and the condiments for the meal.

Bacon and scrambled eggs sounds

like a great breakfast, served with

buttered toast, juice and coffee.

Find all the recipes the night

before and make sure you that you

have all the ingredients on hand and

ready to go. If you are not used to

cooking often, cook just one or two

items instead of an entire menu.

Clean up after. Scrub the pots and

pans that you used, put the cutlery

and plates in the dishwasher, and

clean the teapot.

This page is for all you kids, so now’s your chance to show just how much you love and

appreciate your mum! Mother's Day is an occasion to stop and acknowledge the importance of

her role in your life and to say a special ‘thank you’ for all that she's done for you over the

years. On this one special day, set aside for mothers everywhere, treat your mum to a special

breakfast − prepared by you − and just for her!

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Drink’sNews Bites...Sipping on SpeysideWine, Dine and

Be Tutored at TheAtholl

Competition Winner

Following huge acclaim, Carol Brown ofWine Uncorked will be presenting anotherTutored Wine Dinner at The Atholl Hotelon Friday 14th March at 7.30pm. Joinwine educator Carol for a three-coursedinner with wines from South Africawhen, following a welcome glass ofsparkling wine with canapés, Carol willintroduce you to a wine she has selectedto complement each course. Book yourplace now as these evenings are alwayswell attended. Visit www.atholl-aberdeen.co.uk or call (01224) 323505 tomake a reservation.

There will be plenty to EAT in the Wilson

household in Edzell Woods. They have

a copy of Nigel Slater’s latest book EAT

winging its way to them, after they

submitted the correct answer to our

competition in the last edition of Savour.

Enjoy!

n the year of Homecoming Scotland2014, what better place to celebratethan in glorious Speyside during thewhisky festival? Playing host to over 50distilleries, Speyside is truly at the heartof Scotch malt whisky and will behosting five magical days and over 300events.

Themed on Whisky, Food, Music, theriver Spey itself and Heritage & Culture,Speyside looks forward to welcomingwhisky lovers, old and new, from acrossthe world, who want to explore thetraditions behind the unique Speysidesingle malt whiskies and discover thepassion behind them.

Learn about what makes them special,how small differences in location canmake a huge difference in taste, whatmaster distillers do to make theirwhiskies unique and much more.

There is plenty on offer to suit a rangeof tastes - from sipping single maltsand rambling from distillery to distilleryto watching wildlife, savouring theflavour of local food, getting to gripswith challenging golf courses ordancing the night away at a localceilidh.

*All details subject to change. Pleasecontact the event organiser for moreinformation.*

Chocolate and wine sounds like the

start of a great night in, doesn’t it?

Chocolate, however, is one of the more

challenging foods to match wine with.

For a start, there are so many options:

the percentage of cocoa solids; white,

milk or dark; nuts or soft centres;

chilli… I could go on…

You generally need some sweetness in

the wine or it will taste bitter. And then

it’s a question of picking out flavour

matches in the chocolate and the wine.

An exception from the sweetness point

of view would be a ripe and juicy

Californian Zinfandel; I often find

chocolate aromas in a Zin. Try it with

dark chocolate with dried cranberries.

Staying with dark chocolate, imagine a

dark chocolate brownie or oozing

chocolate fondant alongside the

chocolate and cherry characters of a

late bottled vintage Port. Some folks

also swear by a sparkling Australian

Shiraz.

The nuttiness and dried fruit traits of an

aged Tawny Port are a good match

alongside a bar of milk chocolate fruit

and nut and you can continue to enjoy

it with some Stilton afterwards. Staying

with fortified wines, a Vin Doux Naturel

from the South of France would be a

good choice.

The Muscat grape in its many sweet

forms is one of chocolate’s best friends.

On the light and fun side, try Asti from

Italy or one of the new Brazilian

Moscatos alongside a chocolate

pavlova or white chocolate mousse.

You can even sneak peaches or

raspberries in there and it will be quite

happy.

Working up the Muscat spectrum,

another dark chocolate match is a

Rutherglen fortified Muscat from

Australia. Look out for Orange Muscat,

especially if you have orange hints with

your chocolate, and Black Muscat too.

At the end of the day, it’s all down to

personal taste and what you enjoy, but

it’s interesting to experiment.

Wines to try

Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora, Australia 37.5cl £8.49 Fountainhall Wines

Campbells Rutherglen Muscat, Australia 37.5cl £11.95 Wine Raks

Maury Grenat 2007 Languedoc-Roussillon, France 50cl £9.75 www.schlossrothenberg.co.uk

Corney and Barrow 10 year old Tawny Port £18.50 www.corneyandbarrow.com

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‘Stag’s Breath’chocolate moussewith a mountain ofprofiteroles

Method For mousse:1: Melt chocolate and water together. 2: Cool and beat in butter. 3: Beat in egg yolks one by one and add 1 tablespoonof ‘Stag’s Breath’, then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. 4: Pour into glass bowl and leave to set.

Method For profiteroles:1: Bring butter and water to boil. 2: When bubbling, draw aside and immediately add flour all at once. 3: Beat until smoothand paste leaves the side of pan. Cool. 4: Whisk eggs lightly and add slowly to mixture, beating all the time till paste issmooth and shiny. 5: Place teaspoons of paste onto a damp baking sheet. Bake at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes until firmto touch. Place on rack to cool. 6: Whip cream stiffly and fold in 2 tablespoons of dulce de leche. 7: Open hole inprofiteroles gently and fill with cream. 8: Spread tops with a little chocolate icing (buy fondant icing sugar and add a littlemelted chocolate). 9: Pile profiteroles onto top of chocolate mousse and serve immediately.

IngredientsChocolate mousse:

• 150g/6 oz good plain chocolate • 75ml/2½fl oz water • 12g/½ oz butter • 3 eggs, separated • Pouring cream

• 1 tbsp ‘Stag’s Breath’ liqueur whisky

For profiteroles:

• 75g/3oz butter • 225ml/7½fl oz water • 3 eggs • 75g/3oz flour • 300ml/½ pt double cream • 2 tbsp dulce de leche

Something’s Cooking atWhisky Festival

Scotland’s best-known whisky producingregion is about to host an influx of fansfor the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival –and they will discover that the nation’sfavourite tipple features not only inglasses, but also on plates. Kicking offWhisky Month for Homecoming 2014, thefive-day festival, which takes place from1-5 May, will celebrate the very best inScotch whisky and show how it can beused to raise a dish from merely ‘normal’to ‘extraordinary’.

Proving that whisky doesn’t have to beserved in liquid form only, the ambernectar features in many of the recipeswritten by food enthusiast, Clare Russell,who lives in the heart of malt whiskycountry at Ballindalloch Castle, which has

been home for over twenty generationsof her family.

“I take great pride in using localingredients and whisky is a superbexample of a product that is, quiteliterally, on my doorstep,” says MrsRussell. “The Spirit of Speyside WhiskyFestival seeks to promote the marriage ofwhisky and food and I, for one, amdelighted to support this aim.”

The region – known throughout theworld as being the spiritual home ofScotland’s national drink – has some first-class restaurants and food producers andmany will be playing a major role in thefestivities.

Festival manager Mary Hemsworth says:

“It’s wonderful to see our Lady Lairdexperimenting with whiskies from thelocal area. We want to encourage chefs tofollow Mrs Russell’s lead and get creativewith whisky. There are lots of food-relatedactivities taking place over the course ofthe festival in lots of different locations.Visitors can go on a gastronomic rambleacross the region and, of course, learnhow to pair food with some of our best-known and best-loved Speyside malts.”

Visitors to the Spirit of Speyside WhiskyFestival may want to try their hand atsome of Clare Russell’s whisky-infusedrecipes. Further recipes are available inboth of her cookery books, I Love Foodand I Love Food 2.

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27

Fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef en croûte stuffedwith haggis and served with a mushroom andwhisky sauce

Method1: Melt the butter in a pan, add finely chopped shallots and cook till soft. 2: Add the finely chopped mushrooms and

seasoning. Fry gently for 5-6 minutes. 3: Transfer to a bowl, stir in the parsley and lemon juice, then cool. 4: Brush the fillet

all over with oil. Season and seal for a minute on each side in a pan. Transfer to a plate and cool. 5: Roll out the pastry

thinly on a floured work surface. 6: Slice and spread the haggis over the middle of the pastry the length and width of the

fillet. Spread the mushrooms on top of the haggis. 7: Brush the top of the fillet with mustard and place mustard-side down

on top of the mushrooms. 8: To parcel the steak up, paint one of the long edges with beaten egg and both of the short

sides. Parcel together, trimming any excess pastry off. 9: Place the sealed edges down on a roasting tin. Use the pastry

trimmings to decorate the top and brush all over with beaten egg. Bake at 220°C for about 30 minutes till golden.

10: Leave to rest for 10 minutes then carve. Serve with mushroom sauce.

Mushroom & whisky sauce:

1: Fry the onions and mushrooms in the butter in a pan till soft. 2: Add the whisky, cream, salt and pepper.

3: Simmer for a few minutes and serve with the fillet of beef, sprinkled with a little parsley.

Ingredients• 750g/1lb 12oz fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef • 350g/12oz wild and cultivated mushrooms, finely chopped

• 25g/1oz butter • 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped • Squeeze of lemon juice • 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley • Groundnut

oil • 400g/14oz puff pastry • 1 roll haggis • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 1 medium egg, lightly beaten • Salt and pepper

Mushroom & whisky sauce: • 50g/2oz butter • 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced • 100g/4oz mushrooms, finely

sliced • 1 tbsp whisky • 150ml/¼ pint double cream • 2 tsp chopped parsley (for decoration)

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Tom Kitchin is Scotland’s youngestMichelin starred chef proprietor;having achieved a star aged only 29,and has become a well-known face ontelevision having appeared on BBC’sSaturday Kitchen, UKTV Food’s MarketKitchen and BBC2’s successful series,The Great British Menu. Tom has, onmany occasions joined some of theUK’s most renowned chefs on theMasterchef Final Chef’s Table panel asa judge. Savour’s editor met with Tomat his successful restaurant, TheKitchin, located in the old dock areaof Leith which he owns with wifeMichaela.

Q: Many restaurants boast seasonalproduce but, what to you, does‘seasonality’ really mean?

A: For me, seasonality is at the heart ofmy cooking and it’s the foundation of allmy menus and recipes. I’m almostfanatical about working with the seasonsand nature’s seasons are where I getmuch of my passion and inspiration fornew dishes and flavour marriages.

Seasonality is about using the freshestingredients available and making themost of fantastic local produce when it’sat its very, very best.

Seasonality in essence for me meansgetting my hands on the very first grouseof the season on the Glorious Twelfth,

getting my hands on the first, newlypicked asparagus at the absolute start ofits short six week window and enjoyingevery single spear, or sourcing the veryfirst, fresh Scottish wild salmon straightfrom our Scottish waters in Spring.Seasonal moments like this are whatcreates buzz and excitement in mykitchen.

Q: Tell us about the concept behindthe ‘Chef’s Celebration to the Season’Menu.

A: These menus are exactly that – theycelebrate glorious fresh, quality producethat is bang in season. The menu canchange from one day to the nextdepending on what I can get my handson that very day.

I want my customers to experience andunderstand the beauty of locally grownproduce and to try things the minutethey are available so they can taste howincredibly fresh the ingredients are.

For me this really is the essence of goodcooking. I wouldn’t want to eat anythingout of season as you just don’t get thesame flavour or enjoyment.

Q: 2010 saw the birth of the nowfamous Michelin starred Castle TerraceRestaurant. What’s your involvementwith this exquisite eatery?

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29

A: Castle Terrace is our sister restaurantand I’m very proud of what we’veachieved there, but Dominic Jack is theChef Proprietor and is running the show.I never cook at Castle Terrace and theacknowledgements that we havereceived for the food is only down toDominic’s incredible talent andoutstanding pallet.

Dominic and I have known each other foryears and he is a truly brilliant chef butalso a dear friend. We totally share apassion for delicious food and workingwith amazing Scottish produce goes allthe way back to when we workedtogether at the Gleneagles Hotel. CastleTerrace Restaurant is going from strengthto strength and I know that Dominic willcontinue to be a big name in the futureof British cooking.

More recently we’ve been workingtogether very closely. Last March weopened a gastro-pub in Edinburgh calledThe Scran & Scallie. It’s been completelydifferent working with the pub to whatwe do on a daily basis but we’re havinga lot of fun developing the menus,discovering and recreating sometraditional Scottish pub dishes.

Q: The Kitchin is very much a husbandand wife partnership. What’sMichaela’s involvement in the

business?

A: My wife Michaela is instrumental inour business and from the verybeginning, Michaela has been a truedriving force. We both bring verydifferent skills to the table, but wecomplement each other. Michaela’sexperience in sales, PR, marketing andfront of house are invaluable, but it’s herpassion, attention to detail and workethic that are always helping to move thebusiness forward. It is inspiring that sheis still so involved in the business on adaily basis juggling work around our fouryoung boys, but she says she wouldn’thave it any other way. I suppose ourindustry is a way of life and having anunderstanding and respect for what shedoes allows me to focus on my cookingand other developments.

Q: What can we expect from yourbook ‘Kitchin Suppers’?

With ‘Kitchin Suppers’ I wanted to sharesome of my own knowledge of homecooking and inspire people, fromexperienced cooks to beginners to trynew and easy recipes at home. It reallypresents a selection of my favouriterecipes and shows just how inexpensive,accessible and uncomplicated homecooking can be. I wanted to be able tocreate something which could give a

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helping hand and inspire people to learnthat home cooking for different occasionsdoesn’t have to be time consuming orcostly. We’ve had some lovely feedbackon the book and that is alwaysencouraging.

Q: You opened in Leith in 2006 and byJanuary 2007 had been awarded 1Michelin Star. Is gaining a 2nd Starsomething you are actively seeking?

I’m extremely proud of our Michelin starand all the other awards we’ve received,but I’ve never cooked for accolades andawards. However it’s made me want toput my head down and work evenharder. Of course a second star would befantastic, but I just want to cook food thatI enjoy eating and ensure other peopleenjoy it too.

Q: You regularly make an appearanceon our television screens. When canwe next expect to see you popping upin our homes?

A: I’ve seen the difference it can make tothe business but I’m still very selectiveabout the projects I work on and have tobe passionate about them first andforemost. It’s always an honour to be

considered to be involved in programmeslike judging on MasterChef and beingpart of The Chef’s Protégé, and I’ve hadsome fantastic experiences - but I’m verymuch a chef’s chef. I’m genuinelycommitted to being in the kitchen foreach and every service and my focusright now is The Kitchin and ensuringthat The Scran & Scallie runs smoothly.

Alongside that I love experimenting withnew recipes and seasonal ingredients, sowe’ll see what will happen in the future,but if a project feels right I woulddefinitely consider it.

Q: What are the future plans for Tomand Michaela Kitchin?

A: Looking to the future we want tocontinue to grow and develop ourbusinesses so we can keep up our highstandard and passion, but we’ve only juststarted, there’s a whole list of things Iwant to achieve.

And of course enjoying watching our fourboys growing up, and hopefully soon geta wee bit more sleep as they get a littleolder!

Continued on page 31...

78 Commercial Quay, Leith,

Edinburgh

0131 555 1755

www.thekitchin.com

Tuesday – Thursday

12.15 p.m. – 2.30 p.m.

6.30 p.m. – 10.00 p.m.

Friday & Saturday

12.15 p.m. – 2.30 p.m.

6.30 p.m. – 10.30 p.m.

Closed Sunday & Monday

See The Kitchin’s sister eateries

The Scran & Scallie and Castle

Terrace Restaurant Pages 50 & 51

THEKITCHIN

Heather Clark, home design adviser at John LewisAberdeen, is on hand to help you create the perfectspace for cooking and dining this Easter. She said: “AtEaster, in the throes of spring, it’s the perfect time tomake changes and introduce fresh colour schemesand seasonal trinkets to your home.

“Easter can be a second Christmas, with the additionof colourful trees and wreaths in your dining area,from the yellow wicker tree that begs for hangingornaments to evergreen wreaths decorated withflowers and traditional-looking eggs.

“When it comes to kitchen accessories, bright pastelshades - such as the sunny shaded oval bowl – areessential to help keep the theme across your livingspaces feeling fresh and in season. With vintage

inspired jugs, such as the Polly Pantry chicken jug,

you can add an alternative Easter feel to your kitchen.

“No kitchen and dining area can be complete,

however, without the Easter bunny sneaking around.

While you may not want the real thing roaming your

home, with bunny bunting and colourful figurines

available from John Lewis Aberdeen, you can enjoy

the creature comforts without worrying about your

chocolate going missing!”

For further expert advice on creating the perfect

space for cooking and dining, make an appointment

with a member of the home design team at John

Lewis Aberdeen by calling (01224) 625000 or visiting

the store on George Street.

AGA - your warmwelcome homeAn AGA is not simply a cooker but away of life. Since the very first modelwas installed almost 90 years ago,the AGA has taken root in the heartsand lives of hundreds of thousandsof people around the world.

That’s because an AGA is more thanjust a cooker. For generationspeople have waxed lyrical about thegentle warmth an AGA cookerprovides, the feeling it creates in thehome and, of course, the fabulousfood it can help produce.

The team at AGA Aberdeen is onhand to offer expert advice on allAGA models, including, the newelectric AGA cookers – the AGA TotalControl and AGA Dual Control. Bothare built for the 21st century, withprogrammable features that areflexible to your lifestyle.

AGA Total ControlThe innovative AGA Total Control isdesigned for those who wantultimate flexibility. Its ovens and

hotplates can be controlledindependently and there’s even anadditional feature which allowssome models to be controlledremotely via a mobile phone, tabletor laptop.

AGA Dual ControlThe new AGA Dual Control isdesigned for those who likeflexibility but still want to takeadvantage of the indefinable AGAwarmth in the kitchen. With thisclever model, the hotplates can beswitched on and off as the ownerpleases and the ovens can either beon full or set at a lower economysetting.

Finer FoodThe AGA treats food differently. Putsimply, it doesn’t blast food withdrying direct heat. Instead, radiantheat from the cast iron ovens gentlycooks food, locking in flavour,moisture and goodness, meaningthe food you serve tastes delicious.

To find out more or to attend an AGA cooking demonstration, visit AGA Aberdeen, 169 Rosemount Place,

Aberdeen AB25 2XP | Tel: 01224 647441 | Email: aberdeen@aga-web.co.uk

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NewsBites

Aberdeenshire RestaurantContinues to Go the Extra Insch

Ballathie HooksGuests with FishingDealAn award winning North-east

Aberdeenshire restaurant is continuing itsquest to raise funds for a local hospital.

Eat on the Green, which is owned by theKilted Chef, Craig Wilson, has produced aspecial DVD to help raise funds forFriends of Insch Hospital.

The popular eatery, which recentlycelebrated its 10th anniversary, hascurrently raised over £16,000 by hosting anumber of special events, and it is hopedthat sales of the film will help boost thefigure.

The special charity DVD features clipsfrom previous fundraising activitiesorganised by the restaurant. A number offamous Scottish faces appear in theproduction including First Minister AlexSalmond, Lorraine Kelly and Sarah Mack,along with Emmerdale stars that attendedthe ‘A Day with the Stars’ fundraisingevent sponsored by Inverurie GardenCentre.

Mr Wilson hopes that the sales of theproduction can boost the total for thecharity, which is very close to his heart.

As well as launching the DVD, The KiltedChef also presented a cheque to TheFriends of Insch Hospital nurses inrecognition of the care they gave his latefather before he passed away.

Mr Wilson said: "The nurses and the otherworkers at Insch Hospital do a wonderfuljob and I really value the skill andprofessionalism of what they do. I knowmy dad would have appreciated megiving something back to say thank youfor the care he received at the hospital.”

Chairman of Friends of Insch, AlasdairMcCallum, said: “The Friends of InschHospital and community were delightedwith the successful fundraising eventorganised by Craig and his family, and wewould like to say a personal thank you toCraig and all the sponsors. The hospitalwas built after the First World Warthrough donations from the communityand individuals, so events like these reallyreplicate the original story of theconstruction of our Memorial Hospital in1922. It was especially heartening to havethe involvement of our hardworkingnurses, who were treated like royaltythroughout the event, which they arecertainly going to remember for a longtime.”

The ‘Day With the Stars’ DVD, is availableto purchase at the Eat on the Greenrestaurant and Insch Health Centre, aswell as a number of shops in the Inscharea. Copies are also available on theFriends of Insch website:www.friendsofinschhospital.com

Leading Scottish country house hotel

Ballathie is offering guests their own

special ‘Catch of the Day’ by fishing

for salmon on the River Tay.

The four-star, 53-bedroom mansion

near Perth is offering dinner, bed and

breakfast plus a day’s fishing on the

river from £139 per person per night.

The package includes the services of

a ghillie and boat, but those seeking

to hook the ‘king of fish’ need to

provide their own equipment. For a

small extra charge, the hotel will also

provide packed lunches.

“It’s a thrilling experience for

experienced anglers as well as those

who have never fished before,” said

Ballathie’s general manager, Jody

Marshall. “Fishing can be done from

the boat or the river bank.”

The package is available until 30

March. No fishing is permitted on

Sundays.

To check availability or for more

information, call (01250) 883268 or

send an email to

email@ballathiehousehotel.com

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savourIssue 01 2014

Food DIY Skills Revivalwith pedometers similar to those worn by

runners who want to know how far they

have travelled. But instead of measuring

distance, the gadgets are being used to

find out when the cows are ready to

breed. The theory behind the idea is that

cows are more active when they are in

season, so a spike in activity indicates that

they are ready to be inseminated. In many

ways dairy cows are a lot like humans. If

they are in the mood to breed, they

generally become a lot more excitable

and will explore their surroundings seeing

what’s on offer. That, of course, increases

the amount of steps they take.

The gadgets, which are attached to the

cows like an ankle bracelet, then feed the

data back to a computer allowing the

farm workers to individually monitor the

herd.

You’ve baked your own bread, producedyour own pasta and churned your ownice-cream. So how about making yourown cheese, curing your own bacon andsmoking your own salmon? These are thelatest back-to-basics skills being learnedby foodies.

Tim Hayward, author of Food DIY and anadvocate of smoking, curing and allthings hands-on, said: “It’s an interestingphenomenon. There is a craft movement

going on and an interest in ‘make do andmend’ and the austerity thing. But there isalso an increased awareness of food andwhere it comes from – there is a wholeclass of food geek we never knew was outthere.”

He added: “Smoking is huge, and saltingand curing. You can smoke food using acardboard box or a biscuit tin. It isforgotten, arcane knowledge, but if thereis one thing that is not rocket science, thisis it.”

Oldies but GoodiesThe cookery writer and Great British BakeOff judge Mary Berry has been namedoldie of the year. The awards, run by ‘TheOldie’ magazine, celebrated thecontribution of mature people.

Trot to HotA herd of dairy cows has been kitted out

36

savourIssue 06 2013

37

savourIssue 01 2014

LateWinter TunaNiçoise

Method for mousse:1: Heat the oven to 200°C. Toss the potatoes with 2 tsp oil and some seasoning. Tip onto a large baking tray, then roast

for 20 minutes, stirring halfway, until crisp, golden and cooked through.

2: Meanwhile, put the eggs in a small pan of water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes, depending on how

you like them cooked. Plunge into a bowl of cold water to cool for a few minutes. Peel away the shells, then cut into

halves.

3: In a large salad bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, red wine vinegar, capers and chopped tomatoes. Season, tip in

the onion, spinach, tuna and potatoes, then gently toss together. Top with the eggs, then serve straight away.

Ingredients• 450g waxy potatoes, unpeeled and thickly sliced • 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil • 4 eggs • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed • 50g SunBlush or sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped • ½ red onion, thinly sliced

• 100g baby spinach • 2 x 160g or 200g cans yellow fin tuna steak in spring water, drained

Bellowing orders at her cowering crew as theypower down the River Dee, Lauren Cammaertisn’t your average 5’3” cox; as, behind the façadeof the ruthless competitor, the AberdeenUniversities’ Boat Club president swaps her one-piece for her pinny at every availableopportunity.

And she’s not alone. It would appear that for the19th Aberdeen Asset Management Universities’Boat Race, March 2014, Lauren has an army ofkeen bakers behind her, all inspired by thenation’s on-screen fascination: The Great BritishBake Off (GBBO). This new generation ofuniversity students spend their evenings addingtheir own touches to the latest Delia Smithrecipe, baking artisan bread and designingwedding cakes. And this pastime isn’t genderspecific; even 6’3” Alexander Hitchinson takespride in his homemade bread. It’s just as wellthey all have such a stringent exercise regimeand youth on their side.

However, 23-year-old Lauren went one stepfurther than other adoring GBBO fans andapplied to be a part of the 2013 series. Diligentlyshe pulled her application together, consistingof 12 original recipes and a 35-question-longinterrogation form. After submitting, she awaiteda response eagerly. Weeks came and passed,and the realisation that she was not successfulbecame reality. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t

disappointed, as it took me weeks to put myapplication together, but I was not going to bedisheartened. I dedicated my baking skills toother causes - like bribing my crew out of theirwarm beds at 6 a.m. on very cold mornings toprepare for the race!” says Lauren.

The Canadian-born competitor first discoveredher passion for cooking during the wintermonths of her childhood. Inspired by hermother and sister, Lauren followed suit andbaked her way through the chilly festive months.She explains how it all began:

“Where we stayed in Canada, the winter monthswere perilous and there were often days that wewere barricaded inside by snow. To relieve ourboredom, my mom taught my older sister and Ito bake. I was instantly fascinated and spent therest of my junior years with sticky fingers,covered in flour and icing sugar. My baking waspretty mediocre to start, but, like anything, itimproved with time. I like adding my own littletwists onto recipes just to see what happens.Sometimes it’s disastrous but that’s part of thefun. My signature bake is a batch of red velvetcupcakes where I take elements from NigellaLawson’s recipe and add my own cream cheeseicing recipe. When I’m not too busy, I takeorders for wedding cakes which have definitelyproven to be my biggest, but most rewarding,challenge yet.”

A dollop of determination...A spoon full of courage...A bucket load of The Dee…And one red velvet cupcake

Lauren moved to Aberdeen when she was eight

years old and started at Robert Gordon’s College.

From there, she progressed to the University of

Aberdeen to study medicine from where she

hopes to graduate as a doctor next year.

Although she was involved in last year’s race,

Lauren viewed her presidency as a chance to

step up to the plate and bring the University of

Aberdeen to victory once more. She jokes: “I

bribed the crew with fresh, hot chocolate chip

cupcakes to train all winter so hopefully that’ll

do the trick!” Lauren had hoped to re-apply for

the 2014 GBBO, but filming started at the same

time as the race and there was no competition

about which she was determined to see

through. Her last year at university will hopefully

be one filled with delicious cakes and rowing

triumphs.

Find out whether Lauren’s cakes secured her

crew the winning position at

www.facebook.com/AAMBoatRace or at

https://twitter.com/2014BoatRace.

Lauren’s chocolate chip cookies

Method1: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C for fan oven).

2: Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together into a bowl.

3: In another large bowl (or standing mixer), cream together the butter or shortening, both sugars and the vanilla extract.

4: Beat in the egg until smooth.

5: Add the bowl of flour mixture and mix in slowly with a wooden spoon until just combined. This will make a soft, buttery,

doughy mix. Fold in the chocolate chips

6: Roll teaspoon-sized blobs and place them on a greased baking tray. They will spread and flatten so space them out, 6-

9 per tray.

7: Bake until golden brown at the edges and a bit underbaked in the middle for a chewy cookie (around 8-10 minutes).

8: Cool on a wire rack and enjoy them warm with a glass of cold milk for the true Canadian experience!

Ingredients• 1 cup plain flour, sieved • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or butter

• 1/4 cup golden caster sugar • 1/2 cup soft brown sugar, firmly packed • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 large egg, well beaten

• 1 cup chocolate chips (a mix with roughly chopped hazelnuts for Nutella chip cookies)

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savourIssue 01 2014

Bogey on Down toThe Locker Room

Whether you just want to grab a burger

or sit down and indulge in something a

wee bit fancier, the Locker Room in

Aberdeen’s Market Street will have

something to tickle your taste buds. It’s

perfect for lunch, dinner and a coffee

stop, or as a venue for meeting friends for

after-work drinks. They have a finely

tuned menu and all dishes are made withfresh ingredients and local produce. Enjoythe harbour views as you indulge in someof the best bar dishes in the city. Juniorsare also catered for with a top-notchmenu for only £4.95. There are also anumber of special offers and promotionsduring the week, which change regularly,so keep checking the menu to find outwhat goodies are on offer. There’s aterrific collection of beverages too,whether you’re a wine lover, enjoy an ale,a wee dram of whisky or a fancy cocktail.

If you are tasked with organising a nightout, an office party or a stag event, theLocker Room has some great golf andfood packages available to make theevening go with a swing! It is also an

ideal location for corporate events. You

can arrange a meeting in one of two

function rooms that offer excellent

packages at competitive prices. Don’t

forget they also create hot and cold

buffets for corporate events and group

bookings.

The Locker Room is housed on the first

floor of the flagship Gamola Golf store, so

it’s a natural haven for golf enthusiasts.

Enjoy the food and hire a simulator for £5

for half an hour in the state-of-the-art

driving range.

Great food, knowledgeable staff, terrific

atmosphere and the perfect city centre

location make this a ‘must visit’ any time

of day!

savourIssue 01 2014

41

Ultimate Surf ‘N’ TurfThis recipe is real luxury! You can’t beat a meal like this - super qualityingredients cooked simply without fuss.

Method1: Pop the seasoned steaks on a red-hot barbecue for a few minutes on each side until cooked rare and still mooing, but

with a wonderful char on the outside.

2: While the steaks are resting, dispatch the lobster, which has been in the freezer for an hour, with a sharp knifepoint tothe head, and cut in half.

3: Place the lobster on the hot grill for a few minutes on each side until cooked through (turned pink).

4: Place a knob of butter, mixed with some chopped chives and parsley, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon, to melt onthe cut side of the lobster and rested steaks.

5: A glass of Prosecco only adds to the luxury…

Ingredients• 2 dry aged rib-eye steaks • 1 live lobster (1 hour in freezer) • Salt and fresh ground black pepper to season • Large knobof butter • Handful finely chopped chives and flat leaf parsley • Squeeze of lemon juice

Recipe and Photo courtesy of Marcus Bawdon - www.countrywoodsmoke.com

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savourIssue 01 2014

The AdelphiKitchen

Things have just got ‘dirty’ in Aberdeen, as

award-winning chef and restaurateur,

Chris Tonner, opened the doors to The

Adelphi Kitchen last month.

In just two months, Chris and his team

have turned what was the much-loved La

Stella restaurant into the next big thing to

hit the culinary trail of the Granite City.

Chris has a vast experience in food, both

in restaurants and catering on location.

His unique style of food makes the

brilliant Scottish produce that he utilises

look like art on a plate. He is extremely

proactive in all of his establishments,

which include The Courtyard in Alford

Lane and being responsible for the

kitchen at The Tippling House. He

endeavours to share his talent and skills

with all of his staff, and some of the chefs

that he has nurtured have gone on to

procure places in the kitchens of some of

Scotland’s top chefs, such as Tom Kitchin.

The 40-seater restaurant has completely

changed its décor to match the rustic and

back-to-basics way of cooking the best

meat and seafood available in the region.

Together with his manager, Carolina

Carleschi, Chef Tonner will supervise every

service at The Adelphi Kitchen, which has

introduced ‘dirty cooking’ to the city.

By cooking meat and seafood either by

smoking or directly on charcoal, The

Adelphi Kitchen guarantees to give their

diners a mouth-watering and memorable

experience.

Chris was first introduced to ‘dirty

cooking’ by expert Marcus Bawden from

Countrywoodsmoke.com Marcus lives in

savourIssue 01 2014

43

Devon but spends six months of the year

in the north-east of Scotland and is a

huge fan of the wonderful produce

available in the area.

With a newly installed open bit barbecue

in the kitchen, together with a steel hot

and cold smoker for ribs, pulled meats

and sausages, The Adelphi Kitchen is

bringing a brand new style of dining to

the heart of Aberdeen.

The Adelphi Kitchen’s menu boasts

oysters from Loch Fyne, and freshly

caught crab claws and langoustines from

north-east waters – and Chris is proud to

say that his new venture has the largest

selection of seafood available in any

Aberdeen restaurant.

He has an unsurpassed pedigree for his

meat counter too – supplied by John

Davidson and G McWilliam – which,

together with other local producers

including Ola Oils, Braehead Foods and

Blue Flag Fish, makes for a perfect

partnership throughout.

Throughout each service (Tuesday -

Friday, 12 - 2.30 p.m./5 p.m. - late, and

Saturday all day - late) there is a range of

specials, which will include a weekly

changing surf-and-turf option, daily fish

specials and a ‘meat of the week’. Paired

with the featured brewery and their wine

of the month, the team at The Adelphi

Kitchen will be able to guide their diners

to the perfect match.

Speaking to Savour, Chef Tonner said: “If

you are into food culture then you will

love The Adelphi Kitchen and its cosy

atmosphere as foodie events will be held

regularly. The new front of house team

are on hand to look after our diners and

help them with their menu choices if

needed, and we look forward to seeing

you there.”

Ryan Fowler has been enjoying rave reviews since opening Rock

& Oyster, Aberdeen’s newest seafood restaurant in the heart of

the city. Ryan, who is head chef and manager, creates

contemporary, yet classically simple, dishes complemented by an

ever-changing array of speciality beers. Ryan talks to Savour’s

editor about his exciting project.

Q: Opened in August last year, many peoplehave still to visit the Rock & Oyster. Whatdining experience can they expect?

A: We designed the restaurant to be relaxed andfriendly, a bit more laid back. It is somewherepeople can come and feel they can spend hourseating, drinking and socialising. We like toexperiment with the food but the menu is designedto be simple, straightforward cooking with no fuss.

Q: So how would you summarise the cuisineyou serve?

A: We are predominantly a seafood restaurant. Thefood is simply done using the freshest ingredientsand making them stand out on the plate, whether itis fish and chips, gurnard ravioli or one of our dailychanging desserts. We take great care in producingthe best tasting food possible.

Q: You are a fairly new name in the Aberdeenfood scene. Can you tell our readers a bitabout your pedigree?

A: I have been in Aberdeen for three years butoriginate from Fife. Most of my career to date hasbeen spent in Edinburgh. I was charged withrunning The Dogs kitchen under the guidance ofJames Scott before leaving to travel further north,where I spent most of my time working as seniorsous chef at the Holiday Inn Westhill before takingover as head chef at Pavarotti’s. From there I tookover the reins of the restaurant before fulfilling myplans by opening Rock & Oyster.

Q: It’s an interesting name. Who created theconcept?

A: The concept was created by me. I wanted a greatrestaurant where customers could take their time

and enjoy an all-day experience instead of the

normal lunch or dinner service. I wanted to create

somewhere where people could relax and socialise

as well as enjoy our great selection of food and the

speciality beers we have on offer.

Q: What’s on offer on the ‘Express Lunch’menu and the Sunday lunches you promote?

A: The Express Lunch begins at 11 a.m. and is serveduntil 3 p.m. We offer Cullen skink or an alternative

freshly made soup of the day and a ½kg pot of

mussels with a variety of sauces from only £10.

Brilliant value!

The Sunday lunch is new to Rock & Oyster. We only

started in January this year to encourage people

who don't really like seafood to give the restaurant

a try. It’s also an opportunity to promote our eatery

as a great place with a relaxed atmosphere for

families who are looking for Sunday lunch. We offer

two courses for £16.50 or three courses for £20 and,

as well as our normal seafood options, we offer a

Sunday roast which changes every week to keep our

menu interesting.

Q: What's the thinking behind your specialitybeers?

A: As micro-breweries are popping up all over andthe demand for good beers is becoming greater

each week, we thought it would be a terrific idea to

work with Scottish breweries around the country

and promote great drinks alongside our fantastic

seafood. We change the brewer each week to give

our customers a tremendous variety of beers.

Not only does the coothie village of Rothienormandeliver a quiet slice of north-east countryside, but italso serves up delicious food too. Snuggled amidthe tumbling green, the village is home to TheSteadin, a comfy and cosy rural retreat. You’ll findtraditional Scottish fayre that is tasty and freshlymade with generous portions to appease thehungriest loon. Open seven days for breakfast,lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, this gem of arestaurant deserves to be popular.

The breakfast menu includes rolls oozing withassorted fillings or try the full Steadin breakfast foronly £5.00. Lunchtime treats include an assortmentof sandwiches, baked potatoes, paninis and toasties.Meet some friends for a ‘fly’ cup or afternoon tea,or make dinner conversation between mouthfuls ofsizzling steaks or mince and mealie. There’s anamazing offer on Thursdays when you can tuck into two delicious steaks and all the trimmings foronly £25 per couple. On the last Sunday of everymonth come back from the Kirk and enjoy adelicious carvery - so don’t forget to book now andtreat mum on her special day. Sweet tooth fans

won’t be disappointed either with desserts rangingfrom sticky toffee pudding to banana split. Thebairns are catered for too with their own menu,which includes juice and a scoop of ice cream in theprice.

No time to sit in but too busy to cook? Takeadvantage of the takeaway service and impress thefamily with delicious food at a further reduced rate.The upstairs function room caters for up to 40guests offering the perfect venue for that specialoccasion. Just think…a good time and great foodwith no stress!

The experienced and friendly staff offer evolvingspecialities which you can view on their website,www.thesteadin.co.uk But I must tell you about the“pensioners’ special” served from Monday – Fridaybetween 12.00 and 2.00 p.m. With a delicious twocourse meal for only £5.95, I say roll on the years!!

‘Hidden gem’ is often an overused expression but,with great quality food at amazing prices, theSteadin certainly is one. Give it a visit now!!

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savourIssue 01 2014

NewsBites...

We Love OurMorning Oats

The Store SupportsSustainable Future

An Aberdeenshire farm store and coffee

shop has supported a Scottish conference

to help drive and develop growth in the

agricultural sector.

The Store in Foveran, near Ellon,

presented at the ‘Action on Agritourism’

conference in Perthshire, organised by the

Farm & Estate Diversification Group (FED)

and the agritourism membership

organisation, Go Rural, as they launched a

new strategy group to develop a robust

agritourism sector and deliver a

sustainable future for rural businesses in

Scotland.

The conference brought together the

owners and managers from leading farms,

estates and tourism attractions, as well as

politicians and public bodies, including

Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and

Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead, and

Minister for Enterprise, Energy and

Tourism, Fergus Ewing, who both spoke

at the event.

Nearly half of us start the day with a

bowl of porridge, according to new

figures. Research from retail analysts

Mintel show 49% of Britons eat

porridge, with 23% of people saying

they eat it virtually every day. Porridge

consumption is highest among 45- to

54-year-olds, with some 56% of this

group enjoying it. The number drops

for 16- to 24-year-olds, with four in ten

saying they eat it.

The poll is backed up by industry sales

figures, which show that the quantity

of hot cereal sold rose by 20% from

2008 to 2013. Heidi Lanschuetzer, food

and drink analyst at Mintel, said: “With

an increased selection of higher-priced

porridge options now available, Brits

have not just been consuming more

porridge, but trading up to more

varieties and flavours. These premium

porridge options include flavoured

varieties, like apple and blueberry or

golden syrup, and ready-to-eat pots

where you only need to add water.”

Porridge oats, which in the UK are

mainly grown in Scotland, have

inherent health benefits, notably the

fact that they can lower cholesterol. An

annual world porridge-making

championship is held every October

with the title awarded to the maker of

the best traditional porridge using

oatmeal, water and salt.

49

savourIssue 01 2014

NewsBite

nibbles

Capitalise on 2014Opportunities

2014 will be an exciting time for Scotlandas it plays host to the Glasgow 2014Commonwealth Games, the 2014 RyderCup at Gleneagles and the second editionof Homecoming Scotland.

These events are set to provide asignificant economic boost for Scotlandin general and the food and drinkindustry in particular.

The year offers a platform for Scottishfood and drink companies to capitaliseon the business opportunities that theybring and an unrivalled occasion topromote Scotland as a “Land of Food andDrink” on a global stage.

Each year, Scotland hosts literally

thousands of events, ranging from the

world's largest arts festival and huge

international sporting occasions to

community and special interest events for

enthusiasts. Visitors to these events spent

some £24m on food and drink in 2012

and this figure is projected to increase to

£33m in 2014. This represents a fantastic

opportunity for the food and drink sector

and is our chance to shine to the world.

No matter your company size or where

you're based, there is something for you

in 2014. So grab the chance to be part of

this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A company called +tongtong has

created a table called Mooncake, a

concept where diners eat not off

plates, but directly off the tabletop,

heightening the shared experience.

No need for a dishwasher then??

www.tongtong.co/objects

Get The Taste of Grampian date into

your diary now to avoid missing this

year’s event. Saturday 7 June is the

big day, when you can taste and buy

from a wide range of quality food

and drink products at Thainstone,

near Inverurie.

Keep the kids occupied during the

Easter break. Book them into a terrific

new Nick Nairn Cook School course.

On 9 April, the school will host a 3-

hour kids’ lunch club where budding

chefs can cook a ‘Pasta and Puds’

lunch. 9-16 year olds can bring an

adult at no extra charge. Cost £79.00.

www.nicknairncookschool.com

Castle Terrace Restaurant opened its doors in July 2010,

combining the culinary expertise and flair of the team behind

award-winning Michelin star restaurant The Kitchin. Castle Terrace

Restaurant, led by Edinburgh-born Dominic Jack was awarded a

Michelin Star in October 2011.

The restaurant presents modern British cuisine influenced by

learned French cooking techniques and an appreciation

of the best ingredients available from Scotland’s outstanding

natural larder. The well-balanced and exciting menus reflect

Dominic’s many years of training in some of Europe’s top

Michelin star kitchens - such as l’Arpège, restaurant Les Elysées

and Taillevent in Paris.

Castle Terrace is a true representation of the finest and freshest

seasonal Scottish ingredients and offers elegant and wonderfully

balanced dishes, all prepared with a delicate flair and passion.

The team behind multi award-winning restaurants The Kitchin and Castle Terrace

opened  The  Scran  &  Scallie  in March 2013 in  the  popular area of

Stockbridge. The Scran & Scallie offers relaxed dining with menus showcasing

great Scottish food - or ‘scran’ – and a range of traditionally brewed ales served

in a relaxed and cosy setting.

Two of Scotland’s top Michelin star chefs, Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack have

come together to create menus of fresh, home-cooked dishes using quality,

seasonal, local produce, with the support of David Umpherson who has taken

on the role of Head Chef at the pub.  The food available reflects the team’s ‘From

Nature to Plate’ ethos and includes fresh, modern dishes alongside some

forgotten classics such as Sheep’s Heid Scotch Broth; The Scran & Scallie’s

Traditional Fish Pie; Tripe & Ox Tongue and a seasonal ‘Crumble of the Day’. 

The pub is open seven days a week serving lunch, bar ‘scran’ and dinner along

with brunch at  the  weekend. It also offers an extensive drinks menu

throughout the day.  

A Gourdon takeaway has beenofficially voted as having thebest chips in the area.

Hornblowers was picked for thetop award by members of thepublic, who took part in anonline vote in The Choice ChipAwards.

It is the second year running thefish and chip shop has won thisaward.

The takeaway, which is situatedunder the main restaurantbeside the picturesque 19thcentury harbour, came top outof the 100-or-so chippiesparticipating in Aberdeenshire inthe competition run by theNational Potato Council.

Owners Alex and Ruth Grahamesaid they were delighted atbeing voted as having the bestchips in the area.

Alex said: “This is, if you excusethe pun, chip-tastic news.

“We were delighted enough atbeing nominated, so for thepeople of Aberdeenshire to votefor us as having the best chips inthe area is just amazing.

“Our staff are so happy at theaccolade too, as they work hardto ensure every portion of chips

is the highest quality and alsohave great customer service sopeople come back again andagain.

“We are rightly proud of ourchips – our potatoes are sourcedlocally from WM Fraser inPotterton – and our fish, whichis chosen from the best landedthat morning at Gourdon andPeterhead; so we celebrated thiswin by holding a competition.

“During Chip Week we wereoffering a chance for customersin the restaurant or takeaway towin a bottle of wine if theyfound a heart-shaped chip intheir meal.

“We love our chips and want asmany people as possible to trythem to find out how good theyare!”

More than 250 million fish andchip meals are sold in the UKeach year, with the dishoutselling Indian takeaways bytwo to one. More than 1.6million tons of potatoes aremade into chips every year inthe UK – weighing the same asmore than 14,000 blue whalesor 4,000 jumbo jets.

savourIssue 01 2014

53

I adore Orchid in Langstane Place, Aberdeen. It’s sooo like me! Stylish and comforting!Apart from feeling so relaxed there, the cocktails on offer are unique and often ratherquirky. They have classics and old favourites and if you want a bit of fun whilst learningabout cocktails, ask at the bar about their mixology classes.

www.orchidaberdeen.com

For a classy lady like me, there is nothing better than sipping cocktails from vintageglassware in a stunning, yet casual tavern. Follow in my footsteps to the TipplingHouse in Belmont Street, Aberdeen and chose from a fantastic cocktail menu. A bigplus too is that the kitchen is overseen by Beetroot Restaurants…can’t get muchbetter than that!!

www.thetipplinghouse.com

One of my best-kept secrets but one I’m prepared to share with you is the delights of99 Bar and Kitchen. Tucked away in Back Wynd, Aberdeen, you’ll find me nestled in acomfy sofa sipping a delicious cocktail by candlelight. As 99’s cocktails are made withseasonal ingredients, they are constantly evolving so you’re never quite sure what thenext season will bring. I love it here!

www.99aberdeen.com

I love seeing those bartenders shake their stuff and undoubtedly the place to see thisand be seen in is Amicus Apple in Langstane Place, Aberdeen. You’ll need a bit of time toget through the extensive drinks list but can I recommend my favourite, ‘Taste theRainbow’… you’ll love it! This is a lively and modern rendezvous and one not to bemissed.

www.amicusapple.com

Soul Bar may not be one of the new kids on the block but it’s still one of the best. Itcertainly manages to maintain its popularity and little wonder. It’s a unique setting andstill serves the best Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Daiquiri in town. I had great fun with themixology package here where, for only £20, I was taught how to mix 3 cocktails. Hic!

www.pbdevco.com

54

savourIssue 01 2014

Caramelised Appleswith Ice Cream

Method1: Put a medium-sized oven tray in the freezer.

2: Peel, core and chop the cooking apples and add to a deep pan with the juice of a lemon and four tablespoons of goldencaster sugar. You can even leave the squeezed lemons in the pan. Pop the lid on and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.A bit of texture is welcome in the ice cream, so don’t let the apples soften to a purée.

3: Tip the cooked apples into a large bowl, pour the ready-made custard over and fold together. Tip the mixture into thechilled tray and freeze for two hours, giving it a stir at the halfway stage.

4: When the ice cream is almost frozen, peel and core the dessert apples and cut into segments. Warm the butter in a frying pan and add the apples with the remaining four tablespoons of golden caster sugar. Turn them occasionally making sure that all the apples are evenly caramelised, which should take 10 minutes or so.

5: Serve the piping hot apple segments with the home-made apple ice cream.

Ingredients• 4 cooking apples • 1 lemon • 8 tbsp golden caster sugar • 1 litre/1¾ pints ready-made vanilla custard • 50g/2oz butter

• 4 dessert apples