The Lancashire Cook Book - review and giveaway

Lancashire is a county famous for its warm and friendly welcome and now increasingly its amazing food. Meze publishing have worked with a range of chefs and food producers from across the county to compile a beautiful celebration of the amazing food that is available in my home county.

I am really lucky to have eaten at most of the venues and sampled the wares of most of  the producers and the book does a fab job showcasing the amazing array of produce that I am lucky to have on my doorstep. The compilers have also worked with VisitLancashire.com and Hospitality Action, who both do great works , one is promoting visiting Lancashire (food being an important attraction) and the other working to support members of the hospitality industry who have fallen on hard times.

The eagerly awaited Lancashire Cook Book was released on June 23rd, brimming with recipes and stories from local heroes all sharing a passion for upholding Lancashire’s reputation for proper food.

This book will be number 12 in the series of regional ‘Get Stuck In’ guides by Meze Publishing, who were recently crowned Best Newcomer at the Independent Publishing Awards.

Award-winning Celebrity chef Andrew Nutter has written the foreword and his ethos sets the tone for Lancashire’s passion for first-rate local produce:
“There's never a dull moment in the life of a restaurateur but what excites me on a daily basis is the delivery of all the fabulous regional Lancashire produce - utterly inspirational - so check out the recipes"“I'm very proud to be part of the Lancashire Cook Book, firstly showcasing my flagship restaurant Nutters but secondly being able to share with you the birth of The Bird at Birtle my new gastro pub venture,” he says.
With his brill and wild garlic pesto recipe, Nutter shows how Lancashire is mixing up innovation with tradition in the most delicious way, and Preston City BID manager Mark Whittle shares his enthusiasm:
“Preston city centre has a vibrant and evolving restaurant scene; we are delighted that it has been recognised and showcased in this fantastic publication.”
BBC Radio 2’s Nigel Barden contributes his Jacob’s ladder recipe and Chadderton’s very own Simon Wood also features fresh from his 2015 MasterChef win and the release of his first book At Home with Simon Wood.

Lancashire’s independent food scene leaps off the page with entries from traditional pubs and fine dining restaurants including 2015 Good Hotel Guide’s ‘Editor’s Choice Award’ winner The Inn at Whitewell and the folks at The Catford Inn who landed themselves ‘Tourism Pub of the Year’ 2015.

Not to mention a plethora of local retailers throughout Saddleworth, Chorley, Bury and Clitheroe, such as Huntley’s Country Store whose very own Tom Wood won 2015 ‘Butcher of the Year’, the award winning Butlers Cheese and many more including Browns Butchers whose owner Chris Brown had this to say:
“At Browns we can’t wait for The Lancashire Cook Book to be released. We feel this is a wonderful stepping stone to the heart of Lancashire and what it truly offers. Being involved is a fabulous experience.”
Ian O’Reily at Gazegill Organic Farm feels just as passionate about the book’s release:
“We have always been passionate about local and sustainable food and to have this great cook book reinforces our love of local whilst highlighting the oasis that Lancashire is for food outlets and destinations, there can be few counties that can produce just about every ingredient you could wish for and at unbeatable quality.”

From Bashall Barn Farm Shop’s braised blade of beef to twice-cooked confit of duck with rabenda jus at Samlesbury Hall; Lancaster lemon tart at Barton Grange Garden Centre to blood orange cheesecake at The Yellow Tree Inn; The Lancashire Cook Book promises to deliver something for every palate.

The Lancashire Cook Book retails at just £14.95 and will be available soon in all of the businesses featured in the book as well as select local gift shops, book shops including Waterstones and online at www.amazon.co.uk.

Just a couple of points to note Dukpond - Preston is now closed and The Yew Tree, Anglezarke is currently closed due to a fire. My only slight niggle with this gorgeous book is why when Lancashire has amazing new potatoes( in fact potatoes in general) do several recipes feature Jersey royals, which are good but not exactly local.

We are lucky enough to have one copy to giveaway to a lucky reader of this blog, your prize will be sent to you direct from Meze Publishing. Just enter via the rafflecopter link

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Some content and all photography supplied by Meze Publishing. Review copy was supplied free of charge from Meze, all thoughts, opinions are my own.

Lancashire Food loves.....

As we go out and about in Lancashire (and sometimes a little further too !) we come across great places to eat and or products to buy, we are also in the fortunate position that sometimes we are also sent or given products to try, so we have decided that every so often we will write a post about some great things we have come across.

The selection will be pretty random and will cover all sorts of different things, so here goes, let us know what you think in the comments and whether you would like to see more of this type of post its a bit like instagram but in words and pictures.

A few weeks ago we were kindly sent a selection St Helen's Goat Milks and cheeses to sample and very pleased with them we were too, I made several recipes with the mature goats cheese and was very impressed with the flavour being mature but not overtly goaty like a lot of the mature goat cheeses can be. We particularly enjoyed the goats butter as well which has a mild creamy flavour and worked well in cake baking as well as spread liberally on fresh home-made bread.

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For many years I have been a subscriber to Country Living Magazine and I a always pleased to see Lancashire venues and producers being featured, in last months magazine there was an offer alongside an article on Gazegill Organics for their Moo box. Gazegill Organics is a organic farmstead in the stunning hill country of Lancashire and one of the only places in the county which supplies raw milk and cheeses. I have previously bought meats and cheese from the farm at Clitheroe Food Festival and they also regularly stand some of the other farmers market in Lancashire, so snapped up the opportunity to buy the Moo box at a discounted price and what amazing value it was.

The moo box contains raw milk, cream, 4 types of cheese, 12 sausages, beef olives, 4 x minced beef, 4 x diced steak, braising steak and a huge roasting joint, fabulous value and fabulous quality meats.

The box filled the freezer and will be feeding us for quite sometime, it has fabulous flavour and comes highly recommended.

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The Bees Country Kitchen is another recent discovery for us, a great addition to the Chorley food scene, every day the talented team create hearty wholesome food on their funky market stall. Great prices abound and so you can enjoy their delicious food at home they also have a "pantry" or kits ready for you to whip up a wholesome treat. I have tried the brownies and the Tuscan bean soup and both where a great success. You can find them on Chorley market and also at various pop occasions including Crafty Vintage, they also provide an outside catering service too.

                              

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Beyond Bread  - London - on a recent trip to the big smoke (that's London for those not in the know) we popped in to the lovely friendly Beyond Bread in Fitzrovia for a quick coffee and cake before catching our train home. This totally Gluten free bakery is a great find and the breads and cakes delicious.

                              

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Mahlab- a recent spice discovery for us, used a lot in Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern cookery, this pale cream coloured spice has a bright cherry almond flavour, with a citrussy edge, I am looking forward to baking with this once the sun comes out. I purchased mine from Steenbergs.

                                           

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Ayni Chocolate discovered at BOB (Best of Britannia) when it was hosted in Preston City centre recently, this local paleo chocolatier hales from Lancashire and is very allergy friendly, gluten, diary, nut, egg, grain, sesame seed, soy and refined sugar free this is chocolate for all, available mail order.

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We also paid a visit to the foodie capital of Cumbria - Cartmel, home to L'Enclume Simon Rogan's flagship restaurant, we weren't however dining there. We were in the area to visit the Holker Hall Garden Festival and decided to make an overnight of it and we weren't disappointed. We booked into Broughton House B and B situated in the stunning Cartmel Valley, which comes very highly recommended its more like stopping at a friends than staying in a B and B and the Cate made us so so welcome, the breakfast was excellent.

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Eating at the Cavendish Arms - Cartmel for our evening meal and very good it was too (book just in case), this traditional pub situated in the village centre served some delicious dishes and the prices were very reasonable.

Queen of Hearts Cookie Company

"The Queen of Hearts baked some tarts cookies all on a summers day" and guess what they were all for me ! 

Queen of Hearts Cookie Company is a true Lancashire, based in the heart of the delightfully scenic Ribble valley. Queen of Hearts focus is on baking and creating exquisite cookies for all special ocasions, their cookies are made and decorated with love, care and attention and oodles of creativity too. Only quality local ingredients are used to create these gorgeous looking biscuits.

My sample arrived well packaged in cute sparkly box all tied up with a cerise ribbon and a vintage style label. On opening the package a sealing label invited me to indulge with the  "eat me" on the label, so I opened the tempting parcel, the delightful scent of freshly baked vanilla cookies tempting me further.

Sorry but the vintage plate is not included !

In the tissue paper parcel were beautiful little vintage style decorated cookies, hearts, butterflies, chicks, bunnies and flowers, all sumptuously decorated with pastel lustre icing and detailed with lacy designs, flowers, vintage patterns and swirls and dots, utterly utterly gorgeous. I felt very guilty sampling them but sample them I must.

Each petite biscuit is a crunchy buttery vanilla mouthful, the cookie and icing combination not too overtly sweet. These cookies have been made with love and its shows, my mind ran with ideas of how these cookies could be used

• wedding favours, themed to the brides dress or colours
• Christenings
• Births or Baby showers , cute little bunnies or chicks - pink or blue 
• Easter / christmas
• Valentines - wouldn't they be stunning for a proposal ?
• Significant birthdays
• Children events
• Corporate events
• Many many more 

I understand that commisions are welcomed and the biscuits can be made in a variety of flavours and types, such as Spice, Rose, Chocolate and even gluten free and organic.

Queen of Hearts has a website and a facebook page were you can contact them and place your order.

Clitheroe already features a mad hatter themed teashop and now has a cookie company which is fit for a queen too.

I was approached to undertake a review of Queen of Hearts Cookie Company  as a local food blogger and provided with a sample free of charge.

Parkers Arms - Newton in Bowland

For many months I have followed Stosi Madi of The Parkers Arms on twitter, a passionate advocate of local food. Today finally saw our first visit to the fine establishment nestled in the nook of the rolling moorland countryside of the stunning Forest of Bowland.  Just 10 minutes drive from Clitheroe but a world away, this is pub/restaurant with rooms and is everything a country pub should be, warm, welcoming with fabulous local food, lovingly prepared. On pulling up on the carpark what first strikes you is the silence, well lack of intrusive noise anyhow, all we could hear were sheep bleeting and birds singing.

We were warmly and genuinely welcomed by front of house AJ , the fire already lit in the grate and the bar warm and cosy. We had booked but where given a choice of tables and chose to sit in the window so we could watch the  panorama of the glorious hillside outside.

Mr B ordered from a fine selection of local ales from Bowland Brewery - "Sawley Tempted" as I was driving I choose one of their soft drinks, I note they had a fine selection of mawsons traditional drinks to refresh any passing traveller, this being on the scenic route to the Ribblehead viaduct.

Whilst we perused the menu and the daily defined specials we chatted with the lovely friendly staff, the whole menu is focused on local seasonal produce, beautifully prepared to emphasise its best points and is just the right length, enough choice but not too much that you get bamboozled or doubt on the freshness of the produce.

Our choices made and we were pleased to be joined by other diners as the establishment started to fill up for lunch. Our first hints of the delights in store was the arrival of our first appetiser - crunchy roasted potato skins with tomato relish, delicious crunchy skins sprinkled with sea salt and served with a sweet smooth tomato puree, sweetened by being roasted. Delicious.

Next a tasting plate of local ( and when I say local I mean local a mile or so up the road) Dunsop bridge trout with horseradish and homemade country bread, the trout has been treated gently and was beautifully tender , the creamed horseradish just spiky enough to cut any oiliness from the fish. Then the puffy fluffy lancashire cheese souffles arrived, soft, yeilding and cheesy ( in the best way), also featuring local eggs again from the chickens at a local farm.

Next my Black pudding, egg, crispy potatoes and homemade chutney were delivered, perfectly roasted black pudding was complimented with a dippy egg and homemade chutney, a delight for the taste buds, the crispy potatoes perfectly complimented with the herb oil drizzle. My dining partner had selected the Spiced venison loin, pickled damsons and  homemade bread, I snuck a little taster of the venison which was tender and well balanced with the pickled local damsons.

By this stage we were getting a little full, AJ told to relax our mains would be with us soon, after a suitable polite pause( so grateful) ( whilst watching the other delights emerging from the kitchen) our mains were delivered, Hot-water crust pork and rabbit pasty, roasted roots, kale and thrice cooked chunky chips for my dining partner and Sole, sea vegetables, saute potatoes and lemon butter sauce for me.

WOW , all the food was beautifully presented and the portions exactly the right size, my sole was tender , cooked on the bone just how I like it , the sauce buttery lemon but not over powering , matched well by the sea vegetables which provided a nice salty edge to the dish, the potatoes were equally delicious and well matched to the rest of the plate. The cute pasty was packed with filling, moist and juicy all encased in a golden pastry crust, the chips triple cooked were a revelation and very much lived up to the recommendation of AJ, but I am sure the alternative of creamy mash would be just a good. The little dish of roasted roots and kale was great accompaniment to the pasty which needed the robust "roast dinner" flavours to meet the challenge of standing up to the slighty gamey pasty.

By this stage we were full, Mr B even leaving a couple of the chips,  however  the dessert menu looked equally scrumptious all made on the premises including the elusive local "wet nelly" !

All in all this lunch is up there with my best dining experiences and we will definately be visiting again, the food is very reasonably priced for the quality and the fact that this is real Lancashire Food and the word local really means local , I can only recommend you visit yourself very soon  for stunning food and the stunning landscape.

I'd like to apologise for the lack of photos too, the food was so good it disappeared to quickly to get many snaps. They are open Tuesday to Sunday and have a special very seasonal very local special menu on weekdays that is sourced from within either 10 or 20 miles of the pub and they serve a traditional Sunday lunch on Sunday's. I'd also to point out that the Parkers Arms did not ask me to write a feature on my blog and that I paid for my lunch. Stosi did know I was visiting as I had booked a table, at the time of my visit lots of other diners were also enjoying the same food and ambiance.

Callooh! Callay! - Funky tea shop Clitheroe

Callooh Callay is funky little tea shop in the lovely Lancashire market town of Clitheroe, for those in the know its smack bang in the centre of all things foodie, the area is well blessed with fabulous growers, farmers, producers and talented chefs and cooks who make use of all this great grub to produce some of the best food in the country.

Callooh Callay sits on the charming traditional high street, so is very handy to bob into for a drink or a light meal whilst you are enjoying the delights of Clitheroe. Based on the theme of the mad hatters tea party, this quirky little tea shop draws you in. the decor is great, all chintzy retro, with lots of recycled and reused crockery, fabrics and furniture. The flooring however is amazing and its worth paying a visit for this alone, its an old map blown up of  Clitheroe and then made in vinyl, amazing !

The menu is relatively short, but thats not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion and is a range of soup, sandwiches, toasties and  homemade cakes. The tea menu however is longer after all this is an ode to all things "Jabberwocky" after all, lots of custom blends specially made for the tea shop. They also serve "Hot Vimto", a classic winter warmer. 

Service was attentive and our food arrived in a reasonably time, so it was freshly prepared, both the sandwich and toastie that we ordered were well flavoured and accompanied by vegetable crips and homemade coleslaw and some dressed salad. So all in all a great little tea room.