Some days just don't go very well for restaurants and Fornham Fine Foods was having a bad day when we went for lunch. We were surprised that fishcakes, one of the few hot things on the menu, was already off the menu by 12.30. We guessed that there was probably a 'chef problem' as everyone seemed to be waiting and the staff looked frazzled. But we ordered a steak sandwich and a smoked fish platter. It still hadn't arrived forty minutes later. Then when the fish arrived there was no steak sandwich because it hadn't been cooked yet - even though the menu said 'served pink'. The waitress eventually brought the steak, decided enough was enough and said there would be no charge for the meal. The food was very good in spite of the wait so we wanted to pay something, at least for the drinks, but she wouldn't let us. She didn't know we were food bloggers but she does know that messing your customers about while you decide who is going to be your chef isn't a very good idea.
The people who win prizes for writing about food.
This year's SuffolkFoodie annual leave was taken on a 48 hour trip to see the best (and probably the most hyped) of the latest London eat-and-drinkeries. Starting at Taberno do Mercardo (via a really nice tea merchants on the way, and only minutes from Liverpool Street station) we had small pretty plates that featured tinned cold monkfish, runner bean 'fritters' on clam broth, cuttlefish with pigs trotters, drippingly soft cheese with toasted bread, prawn rissoles and the runniest custard tart. The waitress was as excited about the food as we were so even with just one glass each of house sparkling rose - shining like a citrine jewel - it was easy to spend half of our budget on the first meal.
Here is something creative and arty to entertain the children eating at The One Bull, Bury St Edmunds, The Cadogan at Ingham or The Crown at Hartest between 24th July and 31st August. Let their imagination and creativity run wild to turn a plate image into an amazing picture.There are two categories – 5’s & under and 6’s & over.There are prizes too with a £50 voucher for the winner of each category at each pub. (one entry per visit).The winning entries will be displayed at each pub. Look out for the pictures being tweeted under the hashtag #TheGreatGustoChallenge. My favourites so far... The Crown Hartest above and this lovely One Bull.
Oh the things we do in London to entertain ourselves...
Steve Robson is from Middlesborough (where incidentally, Johny Cakes lived for a while a long time ago) but has settled in sunny Suffolk and is Head Chef at The Cookhouse restaurant at Suffolk Food Hall. Ipswich. Here is his recipe for Chocolate Fondant.
Yis' day on my visit to The Cookhouse at The Suffolk Food Hall for lunch, I had the chance to chat to owner Oliver Paul, who jointly runs the business with his cousin Robert. This is diversification on a hooge scale, with former cattle rearing units and silage clamps converted into a massive food hall, garden centre and cookhouse. There are commercial food production units complete with ice cream parlour and a large play area for kids with beautiful views across to the River Orwell. This is the kind of place you can wander for hours, with one area leading you into the next and something new round every corner. The provenance of this food doesn't get much better. Keeping it on the family farms with milk-fed pork, game, carrots, potatoes and onions coming from Broxtead while the Freston farm provides the Red Poll beef. The butcher in the food hall even sends the chicken carcasses to Steve Robson, the head chef (and our new Dish of the Day) to make stock. Nothing is wasted.
I ate a starter of lemon and herb hummus with flatbread and olives, chosen from the Summer Set Menu (2 courses £15.50/3courses £19.00 and hooly good value). Then I chose the Deben mussels which are from local supplier Simpers of Suffolk. Last time I tried their mussels I thought they were on the small size, but these were plump and succulent, although a bit hard going served with two thick doorsteps of bread and chips. There isn't a commercial deep fat fryer? They must be soft in the hid, I thought, but these homemade chips were great. I'm a fan of bite size desserts because you can pretend that you are aren't eating so much, so I pretended that I wasn't eating very much and chose 'A couple o' three'. A properly made mini apple and elderflower turnover, a slice of summer puddin' and - best on the plate - raspberry and balsamic sorbet. A roight old Suffolk feast.
Today suffolkfoodie decided it was time for an AGM - we haven't had one for a few years - so we're off to various places to eat, drink and investigate the general state of foodie affairs. We'll be visiting the new transport cafe on the A14 looking for Johny Cakes' all time favourite dish liver - any kind - and bacon, and trying some organic food in Fornham. Then we'll go somewhere for lunch.
I couldn't resist these Nar Valley grown tomatoes from Swaffham High Street greengrocers. All shapes and colours with a kilo for £4.
Toast is getting big and very posh. It's moved across from San Francisco and been spotted at the London based Brickhouse Bakery who have been creating limited edition flavours. If you want to look like Gwyneth Paltrow, then eat Avocado Toast. Gwyneth has a recipe for vegan avocado toast in her recipe book, 'It's All Good' - she compares it to 'a favourite pair of jeans'. Here at SuffolkFoodie, we don't look like Gwyneth but are bang on trend; we're eating Hot Cromer Crab on Toast.
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
1 dressed Cromer crab
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons readymade English mustard
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chervil
juice of 1/2 of a lemon and a teaspoon of the finely grated rind
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a little oil, for greasing
4 slices of thickly cut bread (sourdough is perfect)
Preheat the oven to 180C / gas 4 and lightly oil a baking tray.
In a bowl mix together the crabmeat, mayonnaise, mustard, half the chopped herbs, lemon rind and lemon juice, and season well.
Preheat the grill, or heat a griddle pan, and lightly toast the bread on one side only. Arrange on the prepared baking tray, toasted side down, then generously spread each slice with the crab mixture and sprinkle with a little of each cheese. Put into the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, until the cheese melts and turns golden brown. Take out of the oven, sprinkle with the remaining chopped herbs. Serve with the salad leaves, tossed with the dressing, and a wedge of lemon.