Why we should all be drinking beer

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited along to an event at Young's Brewery pub The Orange Tree in Richmond.  This event was a beer and food matching event for the ladies, hosted by beer expert (and lady) Melissa Cole.

Melissa took us through a potted history of beer and brewing methods before we moved on to the important business of tasting some beers with appropriately matched foods.

Now, although I studiously took notes all evening, I have managed to misplace them.  Idiot.  Fortunately for us all, the lovely Jassy has written up the evening on her blog Gin and Crumpets and done a much better job than I would've done.  Please check it out.  I'll be testing you.

Just to prove I was paying attention, I thought I'd share with you a few of the things that I found really interesting.

1.  The term 'beer' covers ales and lagers.  What we were introduced to was Artisan beers - rather than mass produced, commercial beers.  I was amazed by the differences in taste.  Beers vary just as much as wines.  I can almost guarantee that with a bit of experimentation you'll find one that you love.  My personal favourite from the evening was the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, from California (amber coloured with a fragrant bouquet and notes of orange blossom, don't you know!).

2.  Some of the best Artisan produced beers are now coming from the States, as the Sierra Nevada proves.  So, for those of you that think that our American friends don't know their beer, think again.

3. Beer and food matching is far from a gimmick.  Melissa paired the food with beers that were designed to either complement or cut through the foods.  Check out Gin and Crumpets for some examples.  It was amazing to experience how the various beers transformed.  Something I'm keen to replicate at home.

4. You should taste beers in a very similar way to how you taste wines:

• Hold the beer to the light to check the colour
• Hold your hand over the glass and swirl
• Keep your hand over the glass until you have the glass up to your nose.  Sniff and identify the different aromas
• Take a large mouthful and ensure your whole mouth is covered
• Now, the good news, in contrast to wine tasting, you need to swallow the beer.  Bonus!

I, for one, am a convert and think I may just become a beer nerd.  At the very least, I'll be on the lookout for new and interesting beers when I'm out and about.  Step away from the wife-beater and give it a go yourself!

Goats cheese and red onion tart - recipe

Would you think I'd totally lost it if I told you I'd got this recipe from a goat?

Well, I 'kid' you not (sorry!).  I met the lovely people from Capricorn goat's cheese at the recent Tech 'n' Taste blogger event.  It's quite possible that these people are certifiable: they have created blogs and Twitter accounts for their goats and are currently running a recipe competition between Beryl and Ethel - check it out, it's pretty funny.

This cheese is tasty stuff, very creamy and mild, so I jumped at the chance to recreate one of Beryl's recipes at home.  My version below, which makes six tartlets.  One is enough for a starter, served with a bit of peppery watercress.  Yum, yum, yum.

Ingredients (makes six tartlets):
2 x 100g packs of Capricorn goats cheese, each pack cut into three slices
1 jar ready-made red onion marmalade/chutney
1 packet ready rolled shortcrust pastry
A few sprigs of thyme (optional)

Watercress to serve

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180c and grease a muffin tin.

Using a pastry cutter, cut six circles out of the ready rolled pastry.  Carefully place the rounds into the muffin tray, prick the pastry, line with baking parchment and place baking beads in them.  Bake 'blind' for 8-10 minutes.  Remove the beads and baking parchment, return to the oven and bake for a further ten minutes.

Half fill the pastry cases with red onion marmalade, whilst still in the tin.  Top each with a round of goats cheese and put them back in the oven.

Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the goats cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

Top with a sprig of fresh thyme and serve with a little dressed watercress on the side.

Goats cheese tartlet

Texture - restaurant review

Chef Agnar Sverrisson, joined forces with Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons Head Sommelier, Xavier Rousset, to launch Texture in September 2007.  The restaurant won a Michelin star in 2010, with Agnar being the first Icelandic chef ever to be awarded one.

I have to admit, I hadn't really heard much about Texture before we went.  Little B, my fine dining chum, found a lunchtime special offer (and we all know how much I like a special offer!) and a quick bit of research showed that people actually thought rather highly of it, so we duly booked.

Maybe the lack of buzz is just down to the fact that it's been knocking around for a little while?  I guess the blogosphere tends to favour the shiny and new.

We were a little underwhelmed by the venue itself, which is (strangely) attached to the Best Western Hotel, on Bryanston Street.  The decor in the high-ceilinged restaurant is pretty unremarkable and seems to be lacking a consistent theme.  It could really do with an injection of Scandi-style.

But anything lacking in the decor is quickly made up for by the food, which is super stylish.  From the presentation to the crisp, clean flavours and interesting (um) textures, this was a memorable meal.

We started with a plate of paper-thin wafers, served with a yoghurt and barley dip.  The cod skin was the most interesting, feather light with a delicate tang of fishiness. 

Bread was served alongside a faux pas.  When I asked the (head) waiter what the bread was, he informed us that it was 'just plain bread'.  Maybe something was lost in translation there.  Nonetheless, it was very tasty and the accompanying butter, flecked with Icelandic seaweed, was delicious.

An amuse bouche of tomato gazpacho with tomato 'snow' was flavoursome and refreshing.

We both had the Icelandic prawns to start.  Served with sorrel, cucumber and crisps of rye bread, this was a beautifully fresh and light starter.  The constituent flavours and textures worked perfectly together, ensuring that, although the dish was complex, it wasn't overly complicated.  I also loved the bold crockery used throughout, a welcome change from a plain white plate.

For the main course we had pollock with leeks, 'soil' and girolles.  The fish was perfectly cooked, although it isn't one of my favourites.  We weren't able to identify what the 'soil' actually was.  I really should've asked but I was far too busy eating.  The highlight of this dish was the leek, which was smoked and really added another dimension flavour-wise.

Our pudding was divine.  It had us oohing and aahing like kids at a fireworks display.  The cool, crisp cucumber cut through the rich Valrhona white chocolate mousse and ice cream perfectly and the sparks of dill added another layer of flavour.   

The food at Texture is inventive and exciting.  And £24 for three courses at lunchtime is an absolute steal.  Because the chef doesn't use cream or butter in his savoury dishes, the food is light enough to scoff 3 courses at lunchtime and not need to lie down for the rest of the afternoon.  I'm keen to go back of an evening and have a proper look at the extensive wine and champagne lists!

A weekend in Guernsey

The freshest crab, rich yellow butter, punchy cider and the sweetest tomatoes are just some of the things I associate with Guernsey.  As an island (one of the eight inhabited Channel Islands) Guernsey naturally has access to some amazing seafood but the warm climate also allows people (both commercially and personally) to grow an abundance of fruit and veg.  My parents moved to Guernsey eleven years ago, so I’ve spent quite a lot of time there.  The food is always a highlight.

The waters around Guernsey offer an amazing variety of seafood, including oysters, lobster, crab and sea bass.  The best place to buy crab from is the Crab Cabin, in the parish of Vale, where you can buy pots of freshly picked local crab.  Seafresh Fishmongers, on the fishing quay in St Peter Port, sells high-quality, local fish and shell fish, supplied straight from the fishing boats.  It’s also possible to hire fishing equipment locally, if catching your own appeals.

Classic 'Hedge veg' box.  I love the sign at the top.

If you visit Guernsey, you’ll quickly notice the ‘Hedge Veg’ boxes – these are boxes that people put out in the hedges in front of their houses, to sell the excess produce from their gardens.  Payment is made via an honesty box.   I love this system.  It really is the best place to buy fruit and veg for extremely reasonable prices.  Can’t see it catching on in London though!

The farmers market , held very Saturday at Sausmarez Manor, is a great place to pick up local produce, including jams, cheeses, bread and eggs.  When we were there last, there was also a French food market in St Peter Port.

Lovely garlic display at the French food market

One of my favourite things about Guernsey is the stunning coastline.  The dramatic cliffs give way to clear, blue waters and more than 20 beaches.  Several offer long stretches of white sand, others have rock pools to play in at low tide.  Many are easily accessible by car, others take a little more effort to reach on foot.  I love Fermain Bay: a ten minute walk through some very pleasant cliff-side woodland and you’re rewarded with a pretty little bay and a very popular cafe.  If you can bag yourself a seat, the best thing on the menu is the crab sandwich – packed full of locally caught, sweet crab.

It's that way

Fermain Bay

Fermain Bay Cafe

Cobo Bay, on the West coast, is the best spot to catch the sunset and people queue up for fish and chips, to eat whilst the sun goes down.  Vazon is Guernsey’s surfing beach and you’ll see people out all year round. 

Pembroke beach is another of my favourite spots – with its long sweep of white sand. 

Pembroke beach

Lancresse Common golf club overlooks the beach, so watch out for flying golf balls.  One of the reasons our dog, Molly, loves this walk is because she can steal them! 

Molly hunting for golf balls

There are a few cafes on the beach, including The Beach House, which is a gorgeous spot to take in the view over a glass of wine.    When you're on the coast, it’s worth hunting out proper Guernsey ice cream.  Disappointingly, many of the cafes now only seem to serve standard packaged ice creams or Mr Whippy-esque cornets.  Persevere, Guernsey ice cream is delicious and unbelievably creamy.

Cafe at Pembroke

As you make your way around the coast, you can’t help but notice the scale of the German fortifications – bunkers and towers pepper the coastline.  The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be invaded, and occupied, by German forces during World War Two.  Liberated on the 9^th May 1945, the islands celebrate a national holiday each year on this day.  If you fancy a bit of a history lesson, there are plenty of places to learn more about the German occupation, including Castle Cornet, The Underground Museum and The German Occupation Museum.

I think Guernsey is a great place to visit for the weekend, or even longer.  It’s also possible to do day trips to some of the other islands, including Herm, Sark and Jersey.  Sark is my favourite and i’ll put up a blog post soon on our recent day trip to the island.

Eating out:

The Auberge

Stunning cliff-top location with views across St Peter Port and the other islands.  Contemporary restaurant, serving seasonal food, including seafood and excellent steaks.  Service can be very hit and miss.

Pier 17

Located in St Peter Port, with great views of the harbour and Castle Cornet.  Good selection of fish and seafood.

Le Nautique

A traditional restaurant, with a wide selection of fish and seafood.  Ask for a window table, for views over the harbour.  It's best to eat quite early here, as service can be slow when the restaurant gets busy.

The Pavillion

A brasserie that makes great use of local produce.  Fantastic puds.

Accommodation:

There are numerous options for self-catering.  Otherwise, Fermain Valley Hotel and The Old Government House Hotel get consistently good reviews.  I understand that the Bella Luce has also been refurbished, although I haven't visited it myself.

Getting there:

Three airlines fly to Guernsey:

Aurigny

Flybe

Blue Islands

Prices tend to be broadly similar.  Flybe charges extra for hold luggage.

Condor Ferries offer regular services to Guernsey

Good sources of information:

Good Food Guernsey

Visit Guernsey