Cibare Food Magazine Issue One

Cibare
www.cibare.co.uk
Issue one, September 2014
Cibare Food Magazine www.cibare.co.uk
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Contents
Health and Nutrition
Getting back on track after the
holidays
Flirting with fat
Raw Condence for a day.
The nettle
Reviews
Tea
Cofee
Alcohol
Beer
Mediterranean Restaurants
Snacks
Secret Cafe
Shopping Local
Where to buy local
Shopping local to make your own
desert
Grow Your Own Garden
A French Tale
Feature:
Future food
Cookie corner
Food Gadgets
Sources and Credits
Editors Note
c
i
b
a
r
e
Welcome to Cibare!
We are not about celebrity gossip or chefs telling us
what is fashionable to eat now, we are just normal
people who enjoy our food and health nuts who
work with food and nutrition, sharing our ideas and
passions with you the reader.
We buy our food from local people and go to
restaurants in our area to have a great meal. We are
your friends and neighbours who love a good meal
and a drink, and every now and again might go for
a run.
From the Cibare team, enjoy our rst issue and dont
forget to tell your friends all about us!
Best wishes,
www.cibare.co.uk Cibare Food Magazine
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REVIEW
Its all about tea
There is something to be said about having a
hot drink. I dont know if its because were
British or if its just part of human nature but
there is nothing like a relaxing cup of tea that
just makes you feels so good. Maybe it all
started for some of us when we were young
and our parents drank tea and we wanted to
be like them? I know I dont really remember
a time when I didnt drink tea. Throughout
my life it has been there to make me feel
better when I was ill or feeling upset...from
having friends round for a cup of tea and a
chat or going out for tea and cake. Whether
its a part of our family traditions or a part
of our social interactions, its an important
part of our lives.
Ive looked at a few diferent companies
ranging from The London Tea Club to some
that you can buy in your local supermarket,
such as Tea Huggers.
Chash Tea
Chash gave me the most beautiful tea that
Ive ever seen - a Flowering Tea Ball.
Simply pop a ball into a cup of hot water
and watch as it slowly opens up to show a
beautiful red ower. Its very impressive and
looks beautiful in a glass cup. But it doesnt
taste like it looks, its very nice but its taste
is closer to a camomile or single herb tea
like a nettle tea. Both of these teas are really
gentle on your stomach and that is exactly
what it did for me - I wasnt feeling too good
and it seemed to settle my delicate stomach.
Lovely.
The London Tea Cub
This company is a club that you sign up to
and they send you a little box in the post with
a few varieties of wonderful tea, both loose
and bagged.
The China Pearls come as a loose tea where
you simply pop one into your cup and watch
it open slowly. The tea pieces are quite large
and sit at the bottom of your cup so you
dont have to worry about drinking them,
but it looks really nice in your cup. The tea
itself initially smells and tastes like a grassy
tea but then strengthens it changes (I may
have tasted it too soon though). All I can
taste now that its avour has come through,
is a watered-down whiskey taste which I
personally really like.
It is a lovely relaxing tea that works perfectly
for your own consumption or in your
personal teapot to share sitting on the sofa
or spoiling with a friend.
by The Editor
4
Phom Teas
Almond and Cherry loose tea, it smells
instantly amazing!, iIt is nice and sweet and
the almond avour is nice and strong but
not too much to over powering the fruit. It
also leaves an almond feeling in your mouth
as if you have been eating them.

Tantalising kiwi and strawberry. Again it
smells wonderful and it tastes of a lovely
strawberry, although I dont get much from
the kiwi. They are both lovely fruit teas that
you could drink it every day.
Tea Huggers
The Chill Out tea full of strawberry, basil,
chamomile and positivity is really quite
calming. Its like a sweeter chamomile tea so
you still get that grassy taste coming through
but with the fruit and the basil it just tastes
better. If you are trying to drink chamomile
for health reasons then try this as its much
nicer but with the same efect.
Good Night tea - This is a great tea. It is a
rooibos with fruit, lemon balm and lavender
tea and it really does calm down your mind
and your body for a restful nights sleepbed
time. It tastes sweet from the rooibos but
with a calming lavender smell it relaxes you
whilst you are drinking. You will nd these
teas in my cupboard.
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REVIEW
Time for a cofee.
Cofee Beans
Has Bean Cofee
Has Bean is a cofee subscription service,
ofering a wide range of beans delivered to
your door.
We were sent a selection of cofee from
El Salvador, Costa Rica and Ethiopia. We
commented on the freshly ground cofee
and then tested them in two diferent cofee
makes: a French press cafetiere, and an
Italian stove-top Moka Express.

El Salvador
Ground cofee: Citrus with undertones
of cream and tobacco with a bittersweet,
creamy aroma.
Espresso: Noticeable citrus avour still
there but with a wisp of ora slight tobacco
after taste.
French press: The creaminess came through
to a greater extent and the distinctive zing in
the rst stage of the mouthful, this gives way
to a rich, mouth coating creaminess. The
tobacco taste was much mellower, making
this a smooth, creamy mug with a pleasant
strength behind it.
Costa Rica
Ground cofee: Dark chocolate aroma with a
bold bitter-citrus almost vinegary kick.
Espresso: Strong, bitter avour with the
rounding sense of chocolate.
French press: A sharp bitterness of the
ground and short-brewed cofee mellows
into a more rounded smoother chocolatey
avour.
Ethiopia
Ground cofee: Incredibly sweet smelling,
like fermenting grass silage and dare I say
it horse manure. A strong, distinctive,
pungent aroma.
Espresso: The aroma of manure survived the
brewing. Because of the sweetness, it was
mellower than the other cofees reviewed.
French press: The longer version of the
cofee was creamier and almost allowed the
oral, grassy avours to emerge, making the
overall avour less intense.
by Dorothy Martinez
6
Pact cofee
Pact Cofee is an online supplier producing
short-run roasts which are generally
available for about a week.
I tried Date and Pecan , a really lovely smooth
cofee blend. While the beans smell divine,
with a sweet pecan aroma, the avour in
drinking isnt really evident. However, the
smoothness of the cofee is reminiscent of
the creamy sweetness of dates.
It isnt bitter at all and naturally sweet - I
normally take sugar but there was no need
to with this. Its a great cofee that I would
happily drink every day.
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REVIEW
Booze
by Andy Tudor
With a cleansed palette and not a thought on
my mind, I sit by the warm re with the drape
of my smoking jacket inches above the warm
rug. Listening to the crackle of the wood and,
with the warmth of my moustache taking
me to a happy place, the grandfather clock
chimes distantly to remind me that another
hour has passed in the annals of time.
Wistfully, I reach for my crystal decanter to
pour another short of Three Barrels Honey
brandy and as the golden nectar refracts
of the light of the re dancing across the
glass I bring it to my lips to taste its syrupy
pleasures. Actually, Im sat in my lounge
with the X Factor on in the background and
my laptop on my legs. But theres something
about a good brandy yknow.
This one has a heritage going back to 1814
and is blend of their VSOP with natural honey
avourings, making it smooth, aromatic, and
moreish. Perfect both at room temperature
straight and on the rocks (why not add some
orange zest for even more zing!), the team
at Raynal & Cie have put together a great
little number that melts on your palette and
glides down your throat like velvet (unlike
some other honey-based attempts *ahem
Mr Daniels!*).
With competition from Stara Stokolava and
Christian Brothers, and the Goa favourite,
Honey Bee Premium, only time will tell
if the Scots can spread the word beyond
Sippinghurst and into the mainstream
lexicon but it sure is promising.
ANDYS TIP: Try if you like a good brandy
now and again and want to slip into your
slippers with a good book or equally if you
want to make some Sidecars with a twist
after a dinner party.
Three Barrels Honey Brandy
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As not much of an eater of coconut-based
delicacies or a white rum acionado, the aroma
of Jamaicas nest coconut rum initially
brings a sense of apprehension. Remembering
downing a pint of Bacardi in my former years,
I ice a glass and pour a double leaving it to cool
for a second. Intriguingly, it smells completely
diferent now - far less potent than from the
bottle neck and as the ice starts to crack I take
a tentative frosty sip.
Syrupy initially and with a (nice) bite as it
reaches the back of your throat, it has a
fragrant, subtle aroma that actually keeps
me coming back to snif repeatedly. Of all
the white spirits, (i.e vodka, tequila, sambuca
etc.) I think only gin would beat coconut rum
out on a hot day at the beach, and subtlety is
whats winning me over here as the taste is
so delicate. Its making me forget my anti-
coconut dispensation and instead presents
something far more appealing to my palette
- a clean almost candy oss-like taste that
acts as a great base for any fruity cocktail.
Far better than Malibu and available widely
in the UK, the importers at J. Wray & Nephew
have struck gold here and its something the
Arawak Indians would be proud of.
ANDYS TIP: Forget the competition, next time
you head to a supermarket grab one of these
authentic bottles instead.
Koko Kanu Coconut Rum
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REVIEW
Warm dopplebock, anyone?
Beer is so much more than a quick pint
by Paul Ralhan
Hearing someone describing a warm
dopplebock with a thick and sticky mouthfeel
may raise a few eyebrows, but for many its
the prelude to a sensory experience crafted
to please. Before you read any further, pour
yourself a beer.
Before you raise the glass to your lips, pause
to contemplate what youre about to taste.
Look at it; watch how it slides into the glass
as you pour it. Study it closely. Immerse
yourself in the rich colour and how the light
around you highlights the hue. Watch the
bubbles leisurely ascend and congregate at
the summit. Behold its beauty before raising
the glass to your mouth. Baptise your lips
with the velvety cloud of foam oating at the
top; now gently tip the glass into your mouth
and liberate the beer from beneath it.
Is it cool and crisp or does it blush your taste
buds with a tantalisingly rich and warm
tingle? Place the glass down before you, and
look through the veiled void left by what
has now become a cinematic symphony of
sensations within your soul. Watch the laced
shade sliding slowly down the smooth glass.
A beer is more than liquid refreshment. Its a
romantic pleasure; an ever-evolving fusion
of avours and sensations which predate
written history.
Despite this undisputed antiquity, it is
incredible how little a lot of people know
about the universal beverage. Suggestions
on which stout to serve with sirloin are
rare, and youd be hard-pushed to nd a
recommended India Pale Ale as the perfect
medium-bodied ale to accompany an almond
Bakewell. Even the most basic perceptions
of beer are hazy: What is ale? What is the
diference between ale and lager? Does it
taste like bitter?
Beer simply does not get the kind of attention
it deserves.
It is worth noting that beer is an agricultural
product. Its raw materials are barley, hops
and, by an overwhelming majority, water.
It seems simple enough but there are many
taste experiences to explore in a beer, and
this complexity begins with what most would
say is a tasteless component. Referred to as
liquor when destined for brewing, water
inuences the avour of a beer. It has its
own avour which it picks up by dissolving
minerals as it travels through incredible
time spans to get to the brewers vat.
Tasting beer is an exploration of carefully
crafted contrasts, perfect harmonies,
subtle layers and hidden surprises. The
best brewers have the ability to reach out
and give us an experience, and not just a
volumetric glass of beer. Brewing good beer
is a combination of developing new ideas
and perfecting older styles.
10
A man who
doesnt care about
the beer he drinks
may as well not
care about the
bread he eats.

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Brewers brew by them. Consumers buy
by them and competitions are judged by
them. Beer styles honour age-old traditions
which have been owing out of casks for
centuries. Some brewery bufs assert that
beer is art, and any attempt to restrict it to a
list of preordained categories diminishes its
greatness. They say styles are nothing more
than a crutch for an unimaginative mind.
But style is a beers bloodline. Styles honour
and acknowledge the past and give rise to
the present. The style of a beer is illustrated
with a kaleidoscope of colours. It presents a
lively demonstration of culture, chemistry
and creativity.
A man who doesnt care about the beer
he drinks may as well not care about the
bread he eats. In 1977 author and journalist
Michael Jackson opened his magnum opus,
The World Guide to Beer, with this strong
salutation as he embarked on a journey to
increase awareness and appreciation of beer
to a higher level. We are now better guided
by tasting notes and drinking checklists, all
of which will reward the discerning drinker
with a rich and enjoyable experience.
Just as important as ensuring the beer is
at its optimum temperature, matching the
correct and squeaky clean glassware to
the beer, topping a good pour with a tight
and long-lasting head, is the expectancy of
the drinker. Reading a guide is no substitute
for experiencing diferent beers, and just
as each brewers recipes are diferent,
so too are the histories each drinker
brings to the table. Everyone sees things
diferently. We all vary in our sensitivities
to diferent chemicals. A beer which may
seem sickeningly buttery on one palate may
be perceived comfortably caramel-like on
anothers. Drinking alone is ne, but there
is a fuller understanding of beer as well
as a stronger community waiting to be
discovered when pursued in pairs or in the
company of others.
Light, dark, strong, weak, zzy, at, canned,
bottled or draft, beer has uidly adapted to
full every role it has been asked to play. Its
versatility makes it a complicated subject,
even harder to study than wine in terms
of deconstructing what is in the glass. It is
perhaps abstract, but certainly not esoteric.
Beer tasting however, can nd itself caught
in a paradox, playing a bit-part role. Like any
aspect of a consciously lived life, enjoying
beer to the fullest requires education,
knowledge and wisdom which can only
come from acquiring experience. It is with
each drinkers understanding following
each journey of discovery beer can step
out from the dark shadows and into the
brilliant limelight. Despite indications that
wine and beer developed around the same
time, it seems that right from the outset
wine was a much more luxurious product
mostly reserved for royalty and the wealthy.
Beer, however, was drunk by everyone.
Perversely, even with such popularity and a
profoundly deep-rooted ancestry, the beer
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family is easily overlooked and widely
misunderstood. Yet it remains humble.
Some fans feel its time for beer to enjoy a
renaissance.
Championing a craft beer revival with
brands such as 5am Red Ale and Dead Pony
Ale is BrewDog. Aiming to reinvent lager
with a product which celebrates how the
drink was originally made, joint founders
James Watt and Martin Dickie feel that,
lager is often demonised or derided as the
choice of drink of chavs and louts, which is
the result of laddish marketing that diverts
attention away from taste and enjoyment
and undermines the potential of lager as a
creative and artisan beer.
Brewdog is on a mission to make the drinker
feel as passionate about the taste of its craft
beer as the brewers are. Brandishing a bright
blue bib to spearhead what theyre calling a
revolution is the aptly named Punk IPA. Its
remit is to blow the drinkers mind and it
does this by leaping of the shel, and surng
over the crowd to get your attention. Light
golden in colour, with hints of tropical fruits
and light caramel aromas passing through
your nasal cavity, Punk IPA possesses enough
complexity and body for beer connoisseurs
as well as being drinkable enough for the
craft beer novice.
Sourcing its liquor from the green lungs
of London, Redemption Brewery is another
up-and-coming urban craft beer producer,
rooted deep in the heart of industrial
Tottenham. A passion for creating cutting-
edge, hand-crafted beer has clearly been
the inspiration, and netted an impressive
collection of awards including a Services
to Real Ale award for founder Andy Mofat.
Redemption has a core range of six cask ales,
each proudly boasting its own individual
category award. The Fellowship London
Porter is a tremendously drinkable ale,
and an interesting one to deconstruct and
describe on a tasting record. With cofee
aromas, toasted malt and liquorice avours,
its easy to see why this dark brown ale was
awarded a Society of Independent Brewers
(SIBA) gold medal in its category. Just three
ingredients - grain, water and hops are
transformed by yeast. Beer is surprisingly
simple yet dazzlingly versatile in a range
of rich sensations it can ofer. It has been
the collective eforts and imaginative
innovations of brewers, entrepreneurs and
beer connoisseurs to enthuse the limitless
adaptability of beer through centuries of
its evolution. Its greatness depends on a
community of enthusiasts to complete and
continue its purpose. It is only as good as the
people who seek, covet it and enjoy it. Now
raise your glass, pause for a nal snif and
toast something great or someone special.
Good health!
13
REVIEW
My Secret Cafe
Letter from a happy Customer
by a Happy Member of the Public
I was walking through Hilly Fields Park
in Eneld with the kids and we decided
to go for some lunch. We were aiming
for the street, when I saw your sign in
front of the church and decided to go in
and take a look. Im so pleased we did.
We found a hidden gem of a little cafe hiding
inside the church that not only served us
great sandwiches and a toasted panini with
cheese and chilli jam, but you actually made
a great cofee (which was all I really wanted).
The kids had somewhere to play after we ate
so I got to relax with one of your papers and
have another cofee and a sneaky slice of
cake. To my surprise, not only did you make
your own cakes but they were gluten free!
I couldnt have been happier with my morning.
We ended up staying for over an hour (well,
two). Three cofees and two happy children
later, we left for home full, relaxed and
ready to tell my friends of where I had been.
Thank you for my lunch and lovely day.
Yours,
Your new customer who will be returning
soon. (I will need more cofee)
If you wish to tell us about your Secret Cafe
then tell email us: editor@cibare.co.uk
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Karens Kitchen at St Lukes Church
1A Phipps Hatch Lane
Eneld, London
EN2 0HL
In conjunction with Karens Kitchen and The Buggy Network
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REVIEW
Snacks
Snack for you to enjoy at home and on the move
Nom Bar
An organic oat-based bar, Nom is like a ap
jack but without the syrup. Instead it uses
agave nectar which makes it just as nice and
sweet. Its lling and full of good ingredients,
chewy and full of texture. Its a great snack
to give you a slow release of energy.
Available in Whole Foods, Planet Organic
and independent retailers.
www.nomfood.co.uk
Bounce Natural Energy Ball
These are great. Gluten-free, high energy
protein snacks that come in lots of avours.
They are quite small, about the size of a lime,
but ll you up as if you have eaten something
much bigger. They taste diferent to any
other snack that Ive tried but I love them.
My favourite is the Coconut and Macadamia
ball but the peanut one is good too.
Available at retailers nationwide.
www.bouncefoods.com/uk
The Raw Chocolate Co
Wow. This is delicious stuf. I tried the Mint
Raw Chocolate bar, and the Raw Chocolate-
covered Raisins and Goji Berries.
The bar is nicely minty and complements
the dark raw chocolate perfectly. Its got
no sugar added but is instead sweetened
with Xylitol, a chemical sweetener used in
diabetic confectionery. It is vegan too. But it
tastes good to my palate and eases the guilty
pleasure of enjoying chocolate.
www.therawchocolatecompany.com
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Pana Chocolate
Made in Australia from organic and raw
ingredients, this is just delicious. I had the
plain chocolate. which highest in cacao, but
because its a raw chocolate it has a more
intense avour. Having said that, its as easy
to eat as any other dark chocolate bar but,
because of the good ingredients, with less of
the guilt.
I will most denitely be buying this again
and I look forward to trying another avour.
Available through independent retailers.
www.panachocolate.comwww
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HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Personal Trainer for the Ladies.
Getting back on track after the holidays
by Anne Iarchy
The holidays are over and its back to school
for the kids and back to work for the adults.
Going back to work, or getting back into a
routine after some time of, is very hard.
Generally, the bare minimum is the rst
thing we start with. Making sure we get up
on time and arrive at the school gates and/
or at work on time is probably the rst
priority. But what about getting back into
your exercise and healthy eating routine?
Lets start with exercising.
Although you might have been more active
during the holidays, going for a swim here
and there, walking along the beach or
touring a city, its not the same as focusing
on your exercise regime.
For exercise to be efective, there are two
important things to keep in mind: Do it
regularly, and push yourself just outside
your comfort zone each and every workout
How regular is regular enough is an
interesting question. It all depends on what
you want to achieve and what your goals are.
Are you training for an event? Do you want
to get rid of those extra pounds you put on
during the holidays? Or do you nally want
to make a lifestyle change once and for all?
Ideally, you should do something six days a
week. Dont worry, that doesnt mean you
have to have a massive workout six days days
a week - three or four should be something
to aim for. The other days are for cross
training: doing some activity unrelated to
what you are training for.
So, for instance, if you are training for a
running event, cross training might mean
cycling, swimming, walking, strength
training or anything that has nothing to do
with running.If you are working towards
a weight loss goal, cross training would be
any cardio exercise you enjoy doing on the
days you dont do any strength training.
Remember to have one full day a week of
rest.
Pushing yourself outside of your comfort
zone is the key to success and seeing results.I
often see people doing the same workouts
over and over again, not really making a
special efort. The fact that they went to the
gym or their exercise class is a big enough
efort. However, if you want to see results
and improve, the only way to achieve it is by
pushing yourself beyond whats comfortable.
Im not talking about pain due to an injury,
but muscle burn and tiredness. Muscle tone
only changes if the muscle is broken down
and then allowed to rebuild over the next 24-
48 hours, together with the right nutrition.
18
So how do you get back to your exercise
routine?
The day before you go back to work, book
your workouts into your diary. The rst few
weeks are especially important. You might
not know what workload is waiting for you,
but if you dont plan your workouts in the
same way you plan your meetings, you will
never get to them.
You might have to rejuggle the workouts a
little after the rst couple of days, but dont
cancel them. Just time them diferently even
if it means getting up earlier or doing it at
diferent times. Otherwise, it will just drag
on and on and chances are that two weeks
later, you still wont have gone back to your
normal routine.
Now on to your healthy eating routine.
You probably overindulged a little over the
holidays - isnt that what holidays are for?
However, its very easy to come home and
keep overindulging. You got used to that
extra dessert, meals out and not having to
cook, and that extra glass of wine was really
nice.
Getting back on track is hard. Here are my
top tips:
The few days before going away are always
hectic, trying to nishing everything of,
packing, making last minute purchases. But
pre-cooking and freezing a few meals for
your return is well worth it. At least you will
know that your rst meal coming back will
be a healthy one.
If you can, book a supermarket delivery for
the day or day after your return. Make sure
it contains a lot of fruit and vegetables, and
anything fresh you normally have in your
fridge. Schedule some meal planning time in
your diary for the day after you come back.
The more you plan, the easier it will be to
get back into healthy eating habits. If you do
leave things to luck/chance, you will end up
eating take-aways or processed food.
Once you have planned your meals, schedule
some cooking time. Remember, most of the
food you had when away was freshly cooked,
so keep up the good work. Just make sure
you cut down on those holiday portion sizes.
Cut out the desserts for at least 10 days to get
rid of after-dinner sugar cravings. Replace
them with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables,
or some healthy snacks from my Snacks
& Treats cookbook, which are wheat free,
sugar free and mainly diary free.
Take a good multi vitamin to rebalance your
vitamins and minerals. That will help with
cravings caused by overeating. Drink lots
and lots of water or herbal tea. Dont forget to
plan your next supermarket trip or delivery!
Planning on the exercise front as well as on
the nutrition front is the key to success.
Dont delay and you will be nicely on track
to get rid of the holiday overindulgence, but
also get back on track to achieve the health
and tness goals you had planned for 2014.
Cookbook can be purchased on:
www.barnetpersonaltrainer.co.uk/cook-books.html
19
Te Herbalist
The Nettle
by Jo Farren
Ive just spent my rst summer in my very
rst house with a garden. Previously I had
lived in ats, so I was really excited to get
the chance to try and grow my own food and
herbs at last.
I classify myself as a brown bottle herbalist,
meaning that I buy my herbs from producers
to make teas and tinctures rather than
grow my own. To be honest, Im not great
at growing plants so I doubt I would get the
yield needed for business purposes. But, for
my own personal challenge and use, I was
really keen to have a go.
I started with some easy plants - tomato,
blueberry, strawberry, lavender, rosemary
and thyme. I actually managed to grow some
strawberries and was thrilled to be able to
successfully grow something I could eat. And
whilst picking the strawberries, I discovered
that Id also managed to cultivate a small
patch of nettles. Nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a
plant which is well used amongst herbalists.
So, although this weed had emerged, I was
really thrilled!
Herbalists use the leaves and the root of
the plant for diferent things, which is
quite common. (Dandelion for example is
another wild plant where we use root and
leaf for diferent ailments.) But here Id like
to focus on using nettle leaves. As I look out
of the window I feel that is fairly safe to say
that summer is ofcially over. But it will be
back next year and so will various seasonal
ailments. Nettle leaves contain high levels
of avonoides such as quercetin and formic
acid, and carotenoids like beta-carotene
and zeaxanthin. Herbalists use nettle leaf
very commonly to help reduce inammation
and to provide relief to hayfever and similar
allergies. It is not a very well-known fact,
but nettle provides an antidote for its sting.
As a child, I remember being told by my
grandmother that dock leaves will provide
relief when rubbed onto the stung area and
that they always grow in close proximity to
nettle. This is true, but crushing the nettle
leaves and rubbing them against the area will
also help to make it feel more comfortable,
providing you can deal with the initial pain
of the sting!
It has been said that during World War I,
troops in the trenches used nettle on their
swollen, rheumatic joints to provide pain
relief from the inammation which came
with trench foot. And this is not the only
anecdotal use of herbal medicine in WWI. It
is said that garlic and thyme were also used
as anti-inammatories too, as the number of
casualties was enormous and the provision
for medical care was minimal. Thus herbs,
which had previously been considered a
poor mans medicine for many years, had
become incredibly useful once again due
to their availability and low cost. Nettle is a
great example of a low-cost, highly available
herb which is massively underused today.
20
In addition to its anti-inammatory properties, it can also be used nutritionally as it
contains a high amount of Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene. I often recommend nettle tea
to folk, including breastfeeding mums, because of its nutritional content, and nettle
soup is a delicious way to get the health benets of this fabulous plant.
Now, dont be put of by the fact that it is stinging nettle. Don your gardening gloves and
go foraging. If you are collecting wild nettle, do ensure that it is in fact nettle and not
another plant, there are many which look similar. Being stung is always a good indicator
of nding the right plant! You should also avoid foraging from private land, near high
trafc/highly polluted areas or too close to the ground, as you may have animal urine
on the leaves.
Once you have your nettles, try making a soup!
Ingredients
1 onion
3 large potatoes
2 pints chicken or veg stock
Oil or butter for cooking
Seasoning
A few handfuls of nettle tops (picked prior to fowering)
Method
Dice the onions and cook in oil or butter until soft
Dice potatoes and add, along with stock
Simmer until the potatoes are just of being fully cooked
Add a handful of nettle tops (more or less depending on taste)
Continue to cook for fve minutes
Blend with a stick blender and serve
This recipe can be adapted according to your taste. Peas are a great addition for
example. Enjoy, and please drop me a line with your stories and adaptations.
For more information, please visit: www.jmherbalist.co.uk
21
Paleo Pancakes
Ingredients
2 Eggs
1 Banana
Method: Mix
22
FOOD
Breakfast
Orange and Macadamia
Granola from Graze
23
24
FOOD
Lunch
Peanut butter and bacon on a sesame seed bagel
25
Chorizo and onions sauted with balsamic vinegar,
brie and spinach on which bread.
FOOD
What to do with: Pasta and Prawns
by Dorothy Martinez
When I have an excess amount of prawns,
which I occasionally do when I buy in bulk
from Hoo Hing supermarket and they
wwewont all t in the freezer, there are a
few ways in which I use them up. One of
my favourites is a fantastic and slightly edgy
pasta sauce that I rst enjoyed at La Porchetta
in Stroud Green Road, London N4, known
as Penne Vodka. Essentially its a creamy
tomato sauce with prawns that is slightly
de-sweetened by using a dash of vodka. The
amount of alcohol in this dish is not enough
to afect the kids, so yes, I denitely do feed
it to them, but you have to make your own
call on that. If youre cutting down on carbs,
using extra prawns to slightly less pasta is
a more expensive but delicious ratio to play
with. Use large prawns in the main, but you
can add small cooked ones as well if you
want more of them and you plan to eat it
all at once. Another good addition is a pack
of ready cooked shell on pint-o-prawns, as
they make the nished dish look just that bit
more special. If you use them youll need
to provide nger bowls as they have to be
shelled at the table which is something I
quite enjoy doing.
Which pasta
The shape of the pasta can make a huge
diference to the way the nal dish works
out. I would always use penne with this one,
but you might feel diferently. Generally
I use supermarket own brands, but if its
on special ofer, I might go for the slightly
smaller quills that De Cecco (the yellow and
blue packet) make and if Im feeling ush
(and close my local deli, Marino & Roberto
on Green Lanes, London N21), I might stretch
to a box of Barilla. But you may prefer a
diferent shape, and fancy using farfalle,
fusili or even a long pasta. Its up to you.
The great thing about this dish is that there
are no particular rules, just what works best
for you.
Timing is quite important with this sauce
because you have two items - prawns and
pasta that will taste overwhelmingly better
if they are not overcooked. I start by making
the tomato sauce, then I cook the prawns (and
reheat cooked prawns if Im using them) and
then mix the sauce and the prawns together
with a good splash of cream and a dash of
vodka, to be served immediately.
Im normally a bit fussy about using Parmesan
on sh, but its a rule I happily out with this
dish - unless Ive run in to the food gatherer
and have to hand some Botarga di Muggine
(the dried roe of the grey mullet), which is
ideal and would probably meet with greater
approval among Italians themselves. And
please, for the love of Good Food, make sure
the pasta is properly al dente and give it a
splash of cold water when you take it of the
heat, to stop it cooking.
26
Dinner
Recipe for Penne Vodka
Serves 4 (2 adults and 2 children in our house) with
some left over for lunch the next day
400g Penne pasta
For the tomato sauce
1 small onion (nely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (nely chopped or otherwise
crushed)
Couple of tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of tomatoes, cored and hand squished
400g large prawns (mainly raw prawns but you can
add a few cooked shell on pint-o-prawns if you like)
About 100ml single cream
25ml Vodka
Flat leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish
Method
Soften the onion and garlic in the oil in a large
frying pan until translucent this should take 7 or
8 minutes
Add the tomatoes and salt to taste, stir well to
combine and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring
occasionally until the sauce is thick and a lot of the
liquid has evaporated;
After about 5 minutes, put the pasta on to cook.
In the last few minutes, cook the raw prawns in a
frying pan with a little olive oil until almost, but not
quite, cooked they will nish of in the sauce and
you dont want to overcook them.
If using them, add the cooked prawns to the frying
pan and stir them about a bit. Then add the sauce to
the prawns in the frying pan and mix well. Once its
simmering, add the cream and stir it in. Bring to a
gentle simmer, and then stir in the vodka.
Drain the pasta, giving it a quick sprinkle with the
cold tap and then return to the pan in which it was
cooked. Stir in the sauce, sprinkle with the chopped
parsley and serve immediately from the pan.
27
28
FOOD
What to do with: Pasta and Prawns
by Daniela Gavriel
Dinner
29
Teapigs Matcha
Super power green tea drink
with Elderower
REVIEW
Alexandra Palace famers market
Hidden away in Muswell Hill towards the bottom of Alexandra Palace, is one of Londons
most famous and mostpopular of Farmers Markets.
The rst stall I passed sold nothing but diferent kinds of tomatoes, I got very excited and
bought a mixed bag immediately. Other stalls sold locally produced raw honey, garlic,
trufes and mushrooms, and of course, lots of cheese.
There were also products that were new to me. My favourite being Mr Prempys who makes
raw and organic cakes free of gluten, dairy, rened sugar, wheat and soya, and they taste
amazing. I spent a morning perusing vegan food, cured sausages, fruit and vegetables and
even a dairy supplying milk and butter. It was wonderful. I went home with my raw cakes
and bag of tomatoes as well as raw local honey from the Local Honey Man. I bought vegan
and Paleo cave man bites from Nyborgs, cookies, cheeses for our cheese pages, as well as
lots of vegetables.

It was a great market with some good food. I will be going back soon and highly recommend
that you go too.
30
31
Raw Confdence
Raw Condence The One Day Recipe Plan
by Alison Matthews
Have you thought about trying raw food but dont know where to start? You may think its
complicated, or will take ages to prepare. There are many complex books and recipes out
there and there are lots of pieces of equipment you could buy if you wish to such as a
dehydrator or expwensive blender.
The good news is that you can introduce raw food into your daily diet very easily with little
or no equipment at all and without buying lots of unusual foods. I recommend having a
blender as it does make it easier to combine ingredients quickly and thoroughly.
If you want to give raw food a try, heres a one day meal plan which will show you that there
is more to raw food than just salad and fruit.
BREAKFAST Buckwheat & Chia Seed Porridge
- 1 large handful of buckwheat groats (raw buckwheat) soaked over
night in 112 times their volume of water
- Half dessert spoonful chia seeds soaked overnight in 112 times their
own volume of water
- 1 handful raisins soaked overnight in a little water
- Small cup of nut milk, juice or ltered water
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 banana
Other fruit, nuts or seeds if you wish
Rinse the soaked buckwheat and blend with chia seeds and the water from raisins. The chia
seeds will be gloopy when they have been soaked discard any which are still dry. Add
half the banana then add the nut milk, juice or ltered water a little at a time and continue
blending. Serve with soaked raisins, the remaining banana and add other fruit, nuts or
seeds to taste.
32
LUNCH Sunower Pt
- 2 handfuls sunower seeds
- 4 sundried tomatoes
- Salt if required
- 1 spring onion
- Water as required
Blend all the ingredients together to form a pt. Go steadily with the water or the mixture
can become too runny. Serve with salad. If you wish you could also serve the pt with
oatcakes or rice cakes (which are not raw!). Will keep in the fridge for about 3 days
DINNER
Guacamole Stufed Mushroom(s)
For the mushroom:
- 1 Portobello mushroom or 3 to 4 small mushrooms per person *
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 14 to 12 lime (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon tamari or nama shoyu
Mix olive oil, lime and tamai / nama shoyu in a bowl. Prick the bottom of the mushrooms
with a fork and marinate for 12 to 1 hour.

For the guacamole:
- 1 large avocado
- 3 sundried tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- Pinch Himalayan salt
- 1/8 teaspoon chilli powder or paprika
- Juice 12 lime
Blend the avocado, sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, chilli powder / paprika and lime together.
Stuf the mushrooms with the avocado mixture. Serve 1 large mushroom (or 3 to 4 small
ones) with a little salad. If you dont like mushrooms, you could use the guacamole to stuf
red or yellow peppers, but without the marinade.
Chocolate Delight
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 to 2 tablespoons agave (to taste)
- 12 teaspoon vanilla essence Water if required
Blend all the ingredients together, adding water slowly to avoid the pudding becoming too
runny. Refrigerate and serve slightly chilled.
W: www.rawcondence.com E: Alison@rawcondence.com T: 07976 246151
33
Nutrition 101: Flirting with fat
Fat is not the enemy. Te right kinds of fats are essential to our health
by Thomas Bisson
What is fat?
The primary functions of body fat are to
provide energy, to insulate and to act as
protection for the vital organs of the human
body. What we have trouble understanding
is that the fat in food is not the same kind of
fat that is stored in the body. Additionally,
diferent people have diferent body types,
so the way fat is used and absorbed is unique
to each person.
When we consume food, the elements of
threat food are broken down and separated
into what needs to be absorbed, stored or
disposed of. The misconception of eating fat
is that it is directly distributed to our stomach
or thighs as a fat deposit. The reality is that
fats, along with the other nutrients in our
food, are stored as a fuel source for the future.
The extra fat layer over a persons stomach
or thighs is not the direct result of eating
fat - it is the result of over consumption of
carbohydrates, proteins and fats, as well as
sodium, processed sugars and any number
of other nutrients. When you exercise, those
stored nutrients act as a fuel for the body.
An increased level of physical activity will
help eliminate the excess stored nutrients
over time. That extra layer on your stomach
is a fuel source waiting to be used, and if you
dont use it, it will just accumulate.
So where can we nd the best source of
healthy fats? First, step away from the
confectionary and head to the produce
section. There you will nd foods that are
naturally abundant in healthy fats. Nuts,
avocados and chickpeas are all healthy fat
alternatives. Consider replacing your butter
or margarine spread with a natural oil such
as coconut oil. 100% peanut butter is a great
source of natural fats and carbohydrates.
Be sure to take a look at the label to ensure
youre getting an additive-free variety so it
remains a source of natural nutrients and
healthy fats and carbs.
Your body needs fat to keep it healthy and
functioning properly. Even your brain is
made up of fat, controlling your nervous
system through your entire body. It is the
fats in your body that help to carry the
signals from the brain to the various body
parts efciently and efectively.
If youre struggling to read the nutritional
label, consider taking your eyes of the
general fat and carbohydrates and focusing
more on the content levels of sodium, sugar
and trans fats. Its proven that reading the
nutritional label is an important part of
living a healthy life - just make sure you are
reading it the right way.
Fat is the misunderstood nutrient of our
time. Make fat your friend and embrace it as
an element of your healthiest and happiest
self.
Thomas Bisson www.supergene.co.uk
34
35
36
Strictly speaking, youd probably have these in a restaurant rather than taking them away,
but heres how to fake them anyway.
Youll need:
Burger buns
Extra lean mince (I get mine locally from Joanne Gubb and its marvellous)
Salt and pepper
Red onion
Gem lettuce of some sort
Large tomato
Sliced cheese (you choose which)
Jar of sliced pickles
Jar of pickled jalapeos
American mustard
Tomato ketchup
A burger is one of the simplest things to make, ever. Whenever I make burgers, everyone
and his dog starts discussing the various things they use in their burgers, including the
obligatory egg to bind it. I try not to roll my eyes at this, but instead wait for them to try
my burgers, which consist of nothing but extra lean minced beef, a bit of salt and a good few
grinds of pepper. And thats it. You dont need to bind them with anything; just shape them
into burger shapes (make them quite at as theyll contract when they cook) and they will
hold themselves together if you dont bother them too much while they are cooking. They
taste awesome.
Of course, if you want to add onions, garlic, pickles, herbs, spices and lord knows what else,
then do. But the wonder of burgers is, in my opinion, the combination of simple ingredients
and simple accoutrements, stacked just as you likes them.
FOOD
Gourmet burgers
by Dorothy Martinez
Fakeaway
37
Cheese
Of course, you dont have to have cheese, but I personally like a cheeseburger. If you shop
around in places like M&S, you can sometimes nd a wide range of ready sliced cheese,
which is great for burgers. I have a preference for Emmenthal, but many people like the
classic slice of processed orange cheese, the sort that comes in individually wrapped slices
in packs of 10. There is nothing wrong with this at all. Others prefer a slice of blue cheese,
some like to go Italian with mozzarella, or Tex Mex with chilli cheese or Monterey Jack and
some jalapeos.
Accoutrements
The basics are gem lettuce, tomato, sliced sandwich pickles, sliced onions and cheese,
with American mustard and tomato ketchup on ofer. And a jar of jalapeos is perfect for
those who like a bit of a kick. Its perfectly acceptable to serve these salads with a choice
of Emmenthal and orange burger cheese. However, if youre going to use mozzarella,
try adding some slices of avocado; guacamole, sour cream and jalapeos with Monterey
Jack; and maybe some caramelised onion marmalade or griddled courgette, pepper and
mushroom if youre using a goats cheese. It depends how far you want to go. If youre
cooking for a crowd, allow people to get stuck in and stack their own.
Sides
Theres always a huge array of sides available in fancy-pants burger joints, and most of
them require a sizeable deep fat fryer to do properly, which I dont have and I imagine most
people wont want to be bothered with. For special occasions, I might make onion rings, but
generally I just by some really nice ones and some decent oven chips and keep an eye on
them so they dont burn. When making burgers at home, more elaborate sides, such as Mac
and Cheese, usually get over looked entirely. Burgers with mac and cheese is not really part
of UK culture, but if youre giving it a go, try a good spoonful of Cajun spice and a mixture
of cheeses, including one blue cheese.
Bread
You choose. I am never that successful with making my own bread so usually I get some
sesame seed buns from the supermarket, lightly toast them and then swish them around in
the pan the burgers have been cooked in to soak up the avours a bit. However, there are
lots of bakeries in the area, so if you want something a bit more special then pop in to your
local and discuss your needs with them.
38
39
FOOD
by Dorothy Martinez
Steak Tartare
Steak, white onion, red onion, baby
gerkins, fried mushrooms, makrel
and an egg yolk.
Serve with fresh bread and real butter.
40
SHOPPING LOCAL
Buying your food locally
by The Editor
My perception of food has changed drastically
ov er the last few years with it be for health
reasons or just personal preference.
Ive become very intolerant to certain foods
and so getting used to that in itself was very
hard, especially after thinking that I could eat
anything I wanted! When you have children
you suddenly nd everyone telling you to
buy organic seriously, have you any idea
how expensive it is to do that. I have to say
I did try but it was so expensive that I just
couldnt keep doing it, I ended up peeling
and washing regular produce a little better,
as it was cheaper, and found this to be just
as good - although I have stuck with organic
milk as we prefer it as a family.
Throughout this year Ive been learning so
much more about how food is produced and
how diferent processes afect the tastes
and it is really quite shocking at what some
businesses / brands do. We are surrounded
by large corporations making a lot of money
out of us regular folk, but what about quality?
What about the little guy?
It turns out that the little guy lives closer to
us and produces a much better product and
although their prices are similar to organic
produce, if you stick to the seasonable food
youll nd that it can be great value. A bigger
benet is that you are also putting money
back into your local community and helping
your neighbour and, after all, who doesnt
want that?
After searching my local area on twitter I
from your local shops in Eneld and they
will deliver to your door. They only use
small businesses in the area and the local
farm / orchard at Forty Hall for their fruit
and vegetables (they do only deliver within a
small radius at the moment).
I also found Farm Drop, a company that
works in a completely diferent way where
you can pick up from a local drop-of point
with produce essentially coming directly
from your farmers and producers. If you
cant get to a local collection point, you can
still buy online.
Both of these business are helping their
community, just in slightly diferent
ways. You can see more about Farm Drop
and The Food Gatherer below.
41
Farm Drop
Farm Drop has been set up to help the local
farmer make more money out of their produce
by selling it back to their local community.
They can also help local individuals, who
would like to become a shop owner / keeper,
create their own small business by supplying
them with the produce. You can buy online
or meet your keeper every week at a pre-
arranged pick-up point where the famers
also drop-of too. Everything is within a
short distance of itself creating a community
of producers, keepers and buyers, in a small
radius. Why travel to the ends of the earth
for your food when it is being grown up the
road or around the corner? Admittedly you
cant nd everything you need but with a
butcher, a baker, some fruit and veg, juices,
cheese and jams and chutneys you are not
far of. Ive even bought freshly made pasta
as well as sauce from our local supplier. The
quality was just wonderful and I didnt pay
very much either. It makes you ask yourself
why am I spending money in a large stores
where food has been sat in freezers for
extended periods of time, when I can go and
buy fresh and local without spending more
money. If anything I only spent pennies more
on organic and local produce but what I got
in return I would have spent more far more
in that large store. The only thing Ive not
seen is a sale or a multi-buy deal, but I guess
if a farmer had an abundance of something,
that would be ofered to customers when
they placed their orders.
I really like Farm Drop, even the lovely keeper
that Ive been meeting in Muswell Hill at the
Clissold Arms and who also works for the
bakery at the Farm Drop. Tara organises
all of the bakers market stalls so she really
knows her stuf when it comes to setting up
these types of events. It is lovely to stand and
chat to her and, of course, all of the other
people that come to buy their produce every
week. It was nice to see the children coming
and picking up the food with their parents,
asking to see the carrots and sausages that
they had bought online. Such a healthy and
fun way to take the kids shopping and so
lovely to see their enthusiasm for food. (One I
certainly hope will rub of onto my children).
All in all a wonderful experience. The Farm
Drop are working hard to build up their
business whilst creating more business for
farmers and communities in turn. They
help each of the keepers get set up and
running as well as continuously working
on their website so that it is up to date and
full of great images of food to entice you to
buy more. The company seems really lovely,
welcoming and happy to chat. They spoke to
me about their crowdfunding project which
is going really well, and although it has had
some large investors, it goes to promote
their wanting to be a part of a community
projects. It is all working though, the
websites are being upgraded and they are
expanding so that everyone has enough help
to run their programs properly. It seems
like a great project to be a part of and a lovely
little business to have on the side if you have
space or if you are a producer. It wont
make you rich but it will make you a great
person to know and work within your local
community, and if you have a bakery or you
make food yourself, what a wonderful way to
promote yourself. I would love to set one up
myself, but where?
42
Food Gatherer
When Emma Lundie moved to Winchmore
hill, it was a shock that her favourite local
shops were so far away from each other. She
was used to her deli, bakers and butchers
being tucked away on the same road, within
easy access. Now that she has relocated to
a diferent area, the best shops seem to be
scattered all over the place. How hard does
it have to be to get great locally produced
food? Why do we have to travel so far to get
amazing food when its more convenient to
go to Sainsburys or Tescos, and why oh why
cant I choose what I want online and get
them to deliver directly to me?
Emma Lundie already had her own food
business and a lot of knowledge in the food
industry, so when she had the idea of creating
a group of businesses who would join forces
for delivery it was a great extension of what
she already knew. The obvious benets to
this were that she could choose businesses
that reached the high standards that she
would want and that many locals would
expect also. Thanks to these high standards
she has combined, some would say, the
best food producers in Eneld creating the
perfect online delicatessen.
This is how the Food Gatherer was born. Its
worth mentioning that in Eneld they have
an Eneld Innovation Award which Emma
Lundie won a few years ago with the idea of
the Food Gatherer. This gave her that extra
help nancially that she needed to get the
business up and running. Its taken her
almost two years but after having a family
and working on her other food business, she
decided to take it slowly and steadily and to
ensure that it was done in the right way.
She really has chosen some amazing
businesses to be a part of the project. With
Ebbys Kitchen, Forty Hall Farm, Holtwhites
Bakery, Peatchey Burtchers, The Larder,
Village Wholefood and Palmavera, her own
business, they are a great group of places
to shop in person as well as online. With
them all, in one way or another, being local
producers they all massive advocates of
shopping local and eating as locally produced
or grown food as you can. You dont need to
buy from your local supermarket either when
you can buy from this group of stores. Yes
you will need your toilet roll etc but your food
can come from your hometown and made by
your neighbour. Not all of the food is locally
produced, Palmavera may be imported food
from Sardinia but she is selling in a very
locally produced way too, so its not being
transported more than it has to be.
The thought of buying your food that has
been produced on your doorstep is right
here. The Food Gatherer has gone one step
further than some businesses, where she is
arranging delivery too, so the buyer doesnt
have to travel, which can be quite handy
for evening times when you are at home
or back from work. Emma also does all of
the deliveries herself too, so as to test out
how they are going and can speak directly
to customers herself and get important
feedback plus she absolutely loves it. For
some people, Forty Hall is a fair distance
away and can be difcult to get to from
the other side of the borough but the Food
Gatherer makes it easier to get their veggie
boxes as well as their products from Village
Wholefood store which is a great health food
shop too. Ebbys Kitchen only usually sell
at market stalls so its nice that you can buy
freshly made food by them too online. Its
a wonderful array of foods that you can get
online and delivered to your door. Now you
just need to live in Eneld, and to be honest
it is worth moving just to get your deliveries
from such a wide array of wonderful local
producers.
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44
REVIEW
Mediterranean Food
by The Editor
Restaurant Reviews
Thalassa
Named the sea, Thalassas sea food is certainly exceptional. My extended family soaked up
the traditional Greek atmosphere with a table laden with prawns and scallops wrapped in
Parma ham during our starter.
We managed to savour several of the main dishes on the menu between us and all were
gratefully received. Fish, Prawns, Surf and Turf and a huge and expertly cooked Steak (as
attested by two dear friends and steak connoisseurs). The variety of dishes is impressive
and both meat and sh mezes ofer a satisfying smorgasbord. We were all enraptured with
our own food at the same time as eyeing up everybody elses. After Thalassas performance
in starters and main dishes we were only too keen to sample what the desert menu had to
ofer and we could not have been more pleased. I devoured a traditional rose petal sorbet,
just a fraction of a second too slowly to avoid the wandering spoon of one of my companions
who couldnt resist ordering another as their second desert! I was tempted to make it two
myself (but: hips!). The restaurant ofers great value and is perfect for family events and
intimate soirees that is regularly full of music and dancing.
Thalassa 110-112 Chase Side, London, N14 5PH- closest Tube: Southgate
45
Kervan Sofrasi
A pub conversion with understated glamour and authentic contemporary Anglo-Turkish
food. Kervan Sofrasi can cater for large gatherings over two oors and the lively atmosphere
is renowned to kick of weekends thoroughly for both the locals and junkets from further
aeld who keep the team consistently busy in this efcient and warm establishment. Another
Southgate restaurant with a celebrated steak, they also serve platters overwhelmed with
pieces of lamb and chicken, ribs and lamb,chicken and shashlik kebabs- accompanied by
comforting mounds of rice, couscous, salad and humous.
Kervan Sofrasi, 107 Chase Side, London, N14 5QD- closest Tube: Southgate
Skewd
Premium Turkish cuisine for the discerning palate in a dark, sleek and modern restaurant
that caters to a variety of guests. We commenced festivities with ballooned pitta bread, I
cant think of another appetizer thats more fun (though alcoholic Danish breakfast could
be a contender). My modest starter consisted of shredded coconut coated prawns fried
and served with chili lime and coriander aoli. I cannot deny that the main I followed that
with: Chicken Shish and rice- was the best Chicken Shish and rice I have ever eaten in
my extensive experience with Chicken Shish and rice! I couldnt stop smiling- or eating...
My friends and I shared that magic moment when the table suddenly becomes aware that
wed fallen into ecstatic silence over our food. And then, their creme brle is just perfect.
Absolutely worth a visit.
Skewd, 12 Cockfosters Parade, Cockfosters, London- nearest tube: Cockfosters
46
FEATURE
Future food: Inhabited London Bridge
by Elizabeth Katherine Hobson
A growing population and dwindling supplies mean we
face some tough questions for the future.
Over the last decade, world grain reserves
have fallen by one third. World food prices
have more than doubled according to Lester
R. Brown of the Earth Policy Institute in his
book, Full Planet, Empty Plates.
The current global population is 7.2 billion,
by 2050 this is projected to rise to 9.6 billion.
Also increasing the demand for food crops
is the rise in biofuels (the owners of the
worlds one billion motor vehicles are pitted
against the worlds poorest people for grain,
says Brown) and growing appetites for meat
(because the conversion of grain into meat
involves signicant energy loss).
Nearly a third of the worlds cropland is
being lost to wind and water. Overgrazing
and over cultivation strip protective layers
of vegetation, leaving soil vulnerable to
erosion. The United Nations estimates that
18 million acres of forest are lost every year
and agriculture is the leading cause. Only 31
per cent of the Earth is now forested and the
pressure to clear more and more land is great
(especially considering the power dynamics
between rich countries with insatiable
appetites for resources and poor countries
with the lions share of undeveloped land).
Not only are poor countries clearing land
to grow crops they can sell, but importing
countries have acquired land in other
countries to cultivate themselves. There
is at present at lack of comprehensive
information on these land grabs but a 2009
World Bank report found that much land was
being set aside for biofuels, industrial and
cash crops with only 37 per cent purchased
on which to grow food.
Along with our forests, we are losing
biodiversity and altering hydrological cycles
but forests are also natural carbon stores,
so clearing them releases emissions that
intensify global warming.
The average amount of food one person
consumes in a day takes 2,000 litres of water.
According to Brown, 70 per cent of world
water use is for irrigation. Most growth
in irrigated areas was traditionally fed by
surface sources such as dams and rivers
but by the 1970s such opportunities were
pretty much exhausted so the emphasis
shifted to underground sources. Signicant
fossil aquifers that will never rell are
being depleted at an alarming rate and the
majority that are replenished with rainfall
are being pumped at a rate greater than they
can recover.
Despite the massive proportion of our water
use that goes to irrigation, irrigated land only
accounts for 40 per cent of food production,
the rest is rain fed. Unfortunately, climate
change is responsible for creating instability
that is regularly destroying entire crops in
entire regions.
47
With a half life of 5730 years, the carbon weve
been busily spewing into our atmosphere
since the Industrial Revolution is going
nowhere. Now at the highest concentration
for at least 800,000 years (British Atlantic
Survey) we have no reference for what to
expect - but continued reliance on consistent
and predictable weather for farming is
appearing increasingly unwise.
The way forward
But there are solutions. Some are very
simple like incentivising farmers to adopt
integrated approaches to their work:
growing shade-loving varieties of cocoa in
Ghanian forests, for example, or eating less
meat (this is not happening globally but is in
the U.S. which is a fairly reliable indicator
of future global trends). Some are a little
more high-tech than this. Vertical farming
is one. Vertical farming can be incorporated
into residential architecture or commercial/
industrial, taking the form of skins around
buildings or making use of rooftops as well
as occupying dedicated futuristic towering
gardens of Eden (Dickson Despommier).
Some use soil, many use hydroponic systems
with nutrient-enriched water, most take
advantage of conveyor belts that carry the
plants around the area so each one gets the
same amount of sunlight. Pesticides are
unnecessary inside and many vertical farms
follow sustainable and environmentally
friendly practices throughout their work in
keeping with the ethics of their operation.
In Linkoping, Sweden, Plantagon is building
the International Centre of Excellence
for Urban Agriculture, a 2001: A Space
Odyssey-esque monolith which will be a
working vertical farm for scientists to test
new technologies. In Vancouver, Alterrus
supplies a number of local restaurants with
a farm on the roof of a car park. Producing
68 tonnes of leafy green vegetables and
herbs a year, it requires only 10% of the
water required in traditional farming and
produces considerably higher yields. Laurie
Chetwood designed the winning entry to
The Worshipful Company of Chartered
Architects and The Royal Institute of British
Architects London Bridge competition with
an inhabited London Bridge. The architects
website explains that it includes solar-
powered spires, housing a self-sufcient
hydroponic organic farm and commercial
centre, taking advantage of renewable
energy generation, harvesting and efcient
re-use of water, solar heating and natural
ventilation. The commercial centre consists
of a public and a wholesale fresh food
market, cafes, restaurants and residential
accommodation.
Vertical farms can help feed people. This
is so important. Even in the UK we have
families depending on food banks and
prices wont stop rising. They can help to
ease up demand for our precious land. And,
they can cut carbon emissions exponentially.
This is what we need to pursue. Elizabeth
Hobson writes the Radical Mother blog and
has particular interest in future farming
methods. elizabethhobson.wordpress.com
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How did my garden grow?
September is the time when gardeners
habitually mull over the growing season
and make a mental note or proper record
if they are the organised type of which
plants have fared well and which have been
disappointing. We also tell ourselves, and
anyone else who is prepared to listen, that
its been a good or bad year based on nothing
more scientic than what happened to us.
Gluts and pests
If I was to sum up this growing year in terms
of the hits and misses then the key words
would have to be gluts and pests. The mild
and wet spring here in north London meant
every plant started into growth a good few
weeks early, much to the delight of the slugs
and snails, who were awake early too and
ravenous. Slugs and snails are always my
number one pest but Ive never known a year
as bad as this one. I tried a combination of all
the usual organic methods letting nature
take its course, barriers, traps, picking of
and sacricial planting but I could not get
on top of the problem. Having lost all my
broad beans and French beans I resorted
to using ferric phosphate pellets (approved
for organic gardening) and within days the
numbers became manageable again.
Growing from seed
I grow annual crops from seed, starting them
of on the kitchen window sill and moving
them into the mini greenhouse once they
have been picked out into individual pots
and are putting on strong growth. As light
levels were low, I delayed seed sowing by a
few weeks. I nd plants will always catch up
and unless you have the benet of a well-lit,
heated greenhouse it is better to wait until
conditions are right rather than adhere
strictly to the sowing instructions and risk
having weak, leggy seedlings. I sowed basil,
broad beans, cape gooseberries, chillies,
courgettes, cucumbers, French beans,
tomatoes and tree spinach. Everything
germinated well with the exception of the
courgettes, which I can only assume were a
duf batch because Ive never had problems
with them before.

Other crops
Last October I planted two rows of shallots
from sets and two rows of garlic in the same
bed as the two globe artichokes Id grown
from seed earlier in the year. I think this may
have been a mistake because despite lots of
rain, both the shallots and the onions were
rather small when I harvested them in July
and I suspect the artichokes, which thrived,
deprived them of water. So this year Ill give
them a bed of their own and water regularly
and see if that makes a diference.
Herbs
The permanent herb bed has been a delight.
The fennel is about six feet tall and a magnet
for all manner of insects. I rarely use the
leaves but love the seeds. The standard
bay tree, chives, hyssop, lavender, mint,
rosemary and sage are also thriving, but the
thyme was a disappointment so Ive replaced
it with oregano.
48
GARDEING
Grow your own garden
by Carole Stanley
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Ive never been successful with thyme and I
must have tried over a dozen types over the
years. I cant grow it in containers and now
Ive discovered I cant grow it in a raised bed
either. I wonder why?
Fruit bed
In the fruit bed I have a thornless blackberry,
Raspberry Autumn Bliss, and a dozen
strawberry plants. What a diference it has
made growing these fruits in a raised bed
compared to containers. The raspberries
and blackberries have been plentiful, plump
and sweet and have clearly benetted from
being able to get their roots down deep. The
strawberries also seemed happier but were
not prolic, and the slugs and snails ate quite
a few. I raised the plants from runners a few
years ago but they are past their best and I
shall be replacing them with new plants.
Conclusion
All things considered it has been a good
growing year for me. Fabulous fat raspberries,
more cucumbers than I could give away and
kilograms of ripe tomatoes were the highlight,
and as I write Im hoping for a mild and sunny
September to ripen the cape gooseberries.
It was disappointing not to have any beans,
but next year Ill get on top of the slugs and
snails before I plant them out. Over winter
Ill be growing shallots and garlic again and
this time Ill water more often. And as the
days get shorter and cooler Ill be poring over
my records and planning what to grow and
what to leave to others next year. Yes, Im
one of those gardeners who keeps all sorts
of records. And when I glance of my list of
what not to grow and why its nearly always
because they get decimated by slugs and
snails will I take any notice? I doubt it!
Carole Stanley write the Little London Garden
blog: www.littlelondongarden.blogspot.co.uk
49
50
A FRENCH TALE
A Persistent Predator
by Gillian Balcombe
Life across in France, cest simple, non?
I have a good friend in France who, for the
sake of anonymity, we shall call Pierre.
Pierre and his wife live in a lovely house
built on restanques or terraces on a wood-
ed hillside and he is justiably proud of their
home and the surrounding land, which over
the years he has transformed into a verdant,
tranquil haven, where they raise chickens
and all manner of fruit trees, enjoying all the
produce with equal enthusiasm.
For many years however Pierre has been
plagued by the attentions of a single wild
boar - un sanglier. This wily old beast has
shown no respect for Pierre's continued hard
work on his land and he has made a mockery
of the fences Pierre has erected against the
marauding creature's frequent invasions. He
has regularly caused both mayhem and con-
siderable damage to my friends' property, as
well as to Pierre's temper.
About ve or six years ago, to the great
amusement of his family and friends, Pierre
designed and constructed a large, humane
trap in which to ensnare his tormentor.
This he placed on the lower part of his land,
near the thicket of trees where the boar hid.
Pierre is a very patient man and over the
years his home-made contraption caught
rabbits and other small animals, which he
gently put back into the undergrowth (if they
didnt scoot out of the cage too fast when
he opened it!) and even his own goats. But
the porcine intrusions continued, the boar
avoided the trap and hope gradually faded.
Until, that is, the end of last summer, two days
before Pierre and his wife were due to leave
their home to attend a family celebration in
another part of France. As he was working in
the gardens, Pierre heard the unmistakeable
clack of the door of his trap closing behind
some animal or another. His rst thought
was that yet another rabbit had ventured in:
it wasnt until he registered the fact that the
cage was rattling and swaying violently from
side to side and he heard the other sounds of
furious squealing and grunting, which when
translated from the original sanglier meant
Get me outta here!, that he realised that he
had nally been granted his wish the pig
was his!
Well this was all well and good but what to
do next on the eve of departure? His rst
thought was that he should release the crea-
ture but this would mean that the battle of
wits could continue for the next decade and
he felt he was getting a bit old for all this.
And his wife thought it was one of the most
ridiculous ideas shed ever heard, given the
constant complaints shed endured because
of this creature and its regular incursions
onto their land. Now, despite the fact that
hes hunted in the past, and hes the son of a
farmer, our Pierre is a very soft hearted man.
None of those chickens he raises ever hit the
family pot, they all spend a very happy life
scrubbing round the terraces and at the last
count there were nearly 40 of them but this
time there was no alternative it was him or
the pig. In fact, it was his wife or the pig. So
he steeled himself for the inevitable himself
51
for the inevitable and with a heavy heart
went to his gun cabinet, unlocked it and did
the deed, cleanly and instantly.
Its one thing having a wild boar rattling round
in a cage in your back garden, quite another
when its been transformed into umpteen
kilos of something requiring the skills of a
master butcher. And it became even more
of a problem when Pierre announced to
his wife, having despatched the creature to
porcine heaven, that he really wasnt feeling
terribly well and that he had to lay down.
This, to her, was as unacceptable as the
original idea of releasing the beast back into
the grounds to continue its war of attrition.
It simply would not do. No way was she
prepared to have a large boar carcase rotting
on the lower terrace till they returned from
their trip. Being a practical woman, she
suggested that Pierre telephone some of his
former hunting friends for advice.
A few calls later, and the problem was solved.
It transpired that one of their number was
expert at turning the hunting spoils into
(reasonably) recognisable cuts of meat. So
Jean (as we shall call him for the sake, once
again, of anonymity, arrived at their home
with great alacrity and set about his task.
Pierre was able to take to his bed for a short
while and when he surfaced, the job was
done. By way of thanks, he very gratefully,
and with a huge sigh of relief, handed over
half the resulting portions to Jean, who set
of home to create wild boar pat, wild boar
sausages and whatever else one does with
the stuf. And this was why, when I visited
them shortly thereafter, I was advised not to
open the spare freezer, unless I wanted to
confront various parts of the (now deceased)
brazen boar. Needless to say, I followed that
advice to the letter.
52
SHOPPING LOCAL
Sourcing your meals locally
by Daniela Gavriel
Warm spiced apple and raisin crumble
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the crumble topping
90g cold butter
90g plain our
40g soft brown sugar
For the lling:
30g butter
3 large apples cored and chopped
40g soft brown sugar
3 tbsp white wine
50g juicy raisins
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4
To make the crumble, nely chop or grate
the butter into the our. Rub with your
ngertips until the mixture resembles
breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, mix and set
aside.
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the apples
and cook gently for around ve minutes. Add
the sugar, wine, raisins and spices and cook
for a further ve minutes. Pour the lling
mixture into an oven dish and top with the
crumble. Cook for 25 minutes or until the
topping is golden brown.
Serve with double cream, ice cream or
custard.
Stockists Details:
The Village Wholefood Store
23 Forty Hill, Enfeld, Middlesex EN2 9HT
020 8366 5108
www.villagewholefood.co.uk
Deli on the Green
251 Hoppers Rd, London N21 3NP
020 8882 5631
www.facebook.com/pages/Deli-on-the-
Green
Ebbys Kitchen
Forty Hall Farm
Holtwhites Bakery
Palmavera
Peatchey butchers
The Larder
53
SHOPPING LOCAL
Cant cook, wont cook?
Lizzy Steinhart
Nobody taught me to cook. Ive never been
on a cookery course, to a demonstration,
or worked in food. How is it that I can cook
when other people cant? Mainly because it
doesnt intimidate me.
Thats where I think every things gone a bit
wrong. This countrys gone mad in the last
few years with our love of all things cooking:
Jamie and Nigella, the Hairy Bikers, Lorraine
Pascale, James Martin. MasterChef and the
Great British Bake Of... there is no end to the
cookery programmes on TV. In some ways
its good. Its engaged people with food in
new ways. Weve watched the series, bought
the celebrity cookbooks, looked up recipes
on the internet and, in some cases, spent
vast sums of money on cookery courses and
equipment to develop fancy skills. But this
hasnt lead to more people cooking overall.
I think people have actually been put of
cooking for their friends. The bar is now so
high that you can no longer just invite your
friends over for a casual supper, put a bowl
of crisps in front of them when they arrive
and serve up a bowl of pasta and salad,
nished of with some shop-bought pie and
ice cream.
Back to basics
Like many, I learnt to cook without even
knowing. I simply absorbed the smells,
avours and techniques of my mothers
cooking as I grew up. She let me help her
set the table, stir the soup, whisk the eggs,
go to the butchers shop and the local green
grocer with her and without actively teaching
me, showed me how not only to cook, but
how to bring people together with a meal.
Somehow it always felt important. From
weekday evening meals when my father
came home from work, to dinner parties
at the weekend, food was the centre of our
home. I remember the sense of the exotic
these dinner parties created: the cooking
and preparation, the smells of food, musty
mahogany, leather chairs, cigar smoke and
smoke. Its the smells that overwhelmingly
bring back these memories.
When, as an adult, I started entertaining,
I slowly realised many of our guests didnt
return the invitation. I started to hear
mumbled excuses: Wed love to invite you
over, but theres no way I could put on a meal
like you do, Our ats a mess, We dont
have a dining room. When all I wanted was
a simple supper with friends.
Simple pleasures
Whether its cheese and crackers, sh and
chips from the local take-out or an M&S
pizza and salads, eating is ultimately about
sharing and being sociable. Put aside ideas
of the perfect three-course gourmet dinner
party that you aspire. Invite a friend for a
meal. Dont apologise that its not going to
be gourmet. Put aside the fancy cookbooks,
do what you can, cheat as much as you like
and enjoy the simple pleasure of a meal with
friends. In short, relax and youll learn to
love cooking again.
Lizzy Steinhart is an independent food
consultant based in North London.
@foodielizzy
54
Crunchy versus Squidgy
Smooth versus Chunky
Yes, dear dunker, it`s the one you`ve been
waiting for. In the red, white and blue
corner, weighing in at whatever it says on
the side of the box, it`s the one and only
BISCUIT TIN! That`s right folks, this reigning
British champ, the bickie tin, is a worthy
container: with its crunchy and somewhat
snappy personality this selection of British
biscuits is certainly a contender to sink your
teeth into.
With a huge variety of original avours
ranging from the nations favourites, the
smooth and creamy Bourbon and his
sidekick the exemplary custard cream, to
the fruity Jammie Dodger with its cheeky
little grin, who could dismiss this traditional
selection. We salute you all, the chocolate
nger, the suggestive Digestive (with or
without its chocolate coat) and even the pink
wafer, an underdog these days and a bit of a
lightweight, but still a rm favourite with its
younger fans. Lets hear it for them all, as
our homegrown square biscuit tin steps into
the ring to meet his match.
Travelling all the way across the Atlantic, in
the Stars & Stripes corner, please welcome
the new kid on the block - the COOKIE JAR!
Say howdy to the American cookie which
weighs in bigger, rounder, deeper and ever
so slightly softer than its British opponent.
But don`t be fooled by its deceptively mellow
nature - the range of variety in texture and
taste in the complete cookie experience
is as wide as the Grand Canyon. Theres
Double Choc Chip, Maple Pecan, White
Chunky Choc, Peanut Butter Crisp, Oatmeal
and Raisin, Ginger Dark Choc Chip, Spicy
Pumpkin and any number of variations on
these themes, to name but a few.
Now, you may well be thinking hold on here,
a cookie is a biscuit and a biscuit is surely
a cookie? Oh, no, no, no! There are many
subtle and even some obvious diferences
between the two, enough to ensure a most
satisfactory contest. The main diference
between the two contenders is that the soft,
chewy and melt-in-the-mouth cookie has
chunks of ingredients INSIDE, added to the
dough before its baked so that the whole
mixture is full of textural surprises with every
bite. On the other hand, the crispy, snap-
happy biscuit variety is happy to display its
attributes on the OUTSIDE with coverings
and llings added to the biscuit after baking,
whether a chocolate coating or a creamy and
jammy lling. The baked dough is simply the
biscuit, the whole biscuit and nothing but
the biscuit.
So, there ya have it baking fans, be it the soft-
hearted American born cookie or the stif
upper lipped biscuit of the Brits.we enjoy
them all and will continue to bake them to
the limit!

FEATURE
BISCUIT TIN V COOKIE JAR
by Roz Lishack
55
Back to the very rst bake:
All this has made me wonder just who baked
the very rst cookie? Who had the spark
of inspiration that resulted in the magical
moment of creating the very rst biscuit?
Did you know that one of the earliest
encounters of the cookie kind took place
in 14th century Paris, where Renaissance
cook books were rich in cookie recipes? In
Elizabethan England, in 1596 to be exact, a
recipe for the early parchment cookie was
found in a book by Mr Thomas Dawson. In
Olde English, in a piece of text that is just
begging for spell check and which is not the
fault of your writer, Mr Dawson states:
To make ne Cakes, take ne owre and
good damaske water you must have no other
liquer but that. Then take sweet butter, two
or three yolkes of eggs and a good quantitie
of sugar and a few cloves and mace as your
cookes mouth shall serve him, and a little
safron and a little gods good, about a spoonful
if you put in too much they shall arise. Cutte
them into squares lyke unto trenchers and
pricke them well, let your oven be well swept
and lay them uppon papers and so set them
into the oven. Do not burn them if they be,
three or foure days they bee the better.
Is there any crumb of a cookie moral that we
can glean from this fascinating recipe above?
For me, it would be who actually gives an
ounce about measurements in baking - and
if you do burn your biscuits, just wait a few
days and nobody will notice!
So whats your preference? Dressed and
layered biscuits or crumbly, chock full
cookies? Whichever it may be, until next
time dear dunkers, and may the bake be
with you!

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56
Simply Cook
by Dorothy Martinez
Home cooking re-invented
Cod and chorizo
Summary: Nutritious and warming, guilt-
free comfort food. The boldly spicy broth
and salty chorizo contrast wonderfully with
the sweet and smoky sh.
Difculty: None really. It was very easy
and quite quick to make actually its
opened up a new world of possibilities for
me with broth and meat dishes. The pots
are very handy to use and the instructions
straightforward. It helped to prepare the
shortlist of ingredients beforehand, then it
was just a case of throwing it all together.
Did the kids eat it? The beans were too
spicy for them; one of them ate the sh, but
the baby who is admittedly going through
a fussy stage didnt even try it.
Would I recommend it? Yes.
What could be better? Slightly bigger
portions for the whole family.
57
GADGETS
All kitchen iteams are from:
notonthehighstreet.com
Firebox.co.uk
KeepCup.com and Vektra.co.uk
58
Sources and Credits

Copyright notonthehighstreet.com
Copyright Firebox.com Ltd
Future food: Inhabited London Bridge
PICTURE CREDITS: Chetwoods
Architects
Ian Pierce and Katrina Campbell for
the Food Gatherer photographs
Oli Sander Photography for Karens
Kitchen Review
Anne Iarchy image taken from http://
actionpotential.org.uk
Photo Credit to Carole Stanley for her
article on Growing your own garden
All kitchen iteams are from:
notonthehighstreet.com
Firebox.co.uk
KeepCup.com
Vektra.co.uk
Special Thanks to:
Koko Kanu
Three Barrels Honey Brandy
Redemption brewery
Brew Dog
Bounce Natural Energy Ball
Nom bar
The Raw Chocolate Co
Has Been Cofee
Pact Cofee
Chash Tea
The London Tea club
Teapigs
Phom Teas
Simply cook
Farm Drop
The Food Gatherer
59
Opening
September 30th
with a new menu

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