Salmon fillet on a bed of asparagus with a mild pepper sauce

Originally uploaded by photocumbria

Salmon fillet on a bed of asparagus with a mild pepper sauce.

The fillet was poached in water for ten minutes. The Asparagus was a cheat … it was frozen (and not bad either).

The sauce was 1/2 pint of milk with one egg yolk plus a tbl spoon of corn flour, microwaved till thick and two large dollops of whole grain mustard added and lemon juice to taste and whisked till smooth.

Potted shrimp on a Carr's water biscuit

A divine snack if ever there was one.

Just remember to warm the shrimp first, otherwise as you try to spread it, the crackers will explode!

(This was the last of the six, they were too good to leave!)

Should you need to know, it was Morcambe Bay Potted Shrimp, boght from Morrisons.

It’s not a perfect photo, but hunger and desire beat art this time!

A really lovely t-bone steak from my local Morrisons; and as befits the best meat, reduced in price too!
Five minute in the frying pan, and five minutes to rest – it was a treat.

Digestion aided by a very good wine and “The Watchmen” DVD.

This should have gone live yesterday (Saturday) but the post the post dissapeared somewhere between my iPhone and the web…

Went out for a Christmas dinner in a pub in central Carlisle (no names, but it was called the Apple Tree) on Saturday night.

It was awful.

The starter of prawn cocktail was some prawns with a “cocktail” sauce added in a paper cup.
The cheap turkey arrived with packet gravy and microwaved veg.
Pudding was a cheesecake with still frozen fruit on the side!
The only saving grace was the company and the wine…

It’s called the £4 Festive Feast…

Buy two cartons of fresh tomato soup + a loin joint of pork + vegetables + a strawberry trifle all for the princely sum of £4.

It should have cost £12, but the offer reduces it by £8. It’s also limited to one meal offer per customer too.

Here’s a video I shot a couple of years back, at the Dalemain Marmalade Festival.
Amongst other people, it features Guardian food writer, Dan Lepard and food historian Ivan Day – giving great hints and tips on making the best marmalade possible.

The 2010 Marmalade Festival takes place on 13 and 14 February, again at Dalemain, near Penrith in Cumbria.

A few notes!

1. Paddington is a contrivance to make the story work – but he was, and still is part of the festival!
2. It’s a really nice place to visit! One of the quieter Lakes attractions and a jolly good tea room too.
3. The “world’s most expensive marmalade” wasn’t that special…

Sunday brunch - Poached eggs, fried bacon and samphire on toast

So this is my fourth blog!

“Woo!” you say, and quite rightly too.

This one will be quite different to my previous three (which deal with photography) This one will deal with food in and around Cumbria.

From producers and manufacturers, to restaraunts and cafes to free food and expensive food. Here I hope to detail my adventures in food in Cumbria.

Here I will also be listing recipes and techniques I use when cooking, which hopefully will stimulate your taste buds and get you cooking too.

There’ll also be guides and photos of food and “foody people” from around Cumbria.

So for now, that’s it or should I say “bon appatit” ( I know, it’s a cliche! But one has to start somewhere.)