A week of two halves!

What a mixed week I've had!

6th August was my husband's birthday and I booked for 4 of us to eat out in Leeds at Fazenda, a rodizio bar and grill featuring continuous tableside service of 15 different prime cuts of meat! Yikes! I did make sure they had a vegetarian option when booking. Upon arrival the meat eaters were given what looked like a beer mat with red (no thanks) and green (yes please) on either side. To begin with we went up to the salad bar which was amazing with its vast selection of delicacies. I could have made that my entire meal but did in fact enjoy a pumpkin risotto and also had a dessert included with my meal. Seeing the meat did not put me off as it all looked good quality. However, it did feel as if the waiters were surrounding me as they sliced their skewers of meat and I played a game of dodgeball with my plate and glass so that no juice nor fat dripped onto my food.

10th August was my birthday and a (meat eating) friend accompanied me to Roots and Fruits in The Grand Arcade in Leeds. This is a vegetarian and vegan cafe which has been open for the last 25 years and changed hands about 2 years ago. The decor is inviting with pictures by local artists adorning the walls and Kay, the owner, offered a friendly welcome. She was knowledgable about the food on offer and informed us that much of the produce is purchased locally at KIrkgate Market. We were there for lunch and whilst my friend chose a vegetable lasagne I went for a Carribean dish which included salad, hummus, coconut and jackfruit (new to me). We drank smoothies and tea and shared a slice of rich chocolate guiness cake. The restaurant is the only one in Leeds approved by the Vegetarian Society and has high ethical and sustainable credits with vegetarian, vegan and gluten free being catered for.

Later in the week my sister came to stay and off we went to The Veggie; an organic vegetarian cafe in Ilkley. I enjoyed a warm toasted pitta stuffed with cauliflower and chickpea fritters with salad, hummus and sweet chilli sauce. My sister had a sandwich of goats' cheese, red onion chutney and rocket in granary bread. We then finished with tea, coffee and a slice of coffee and walnut cake. This cafe also caters for vegetarian, vegan and gluten free diets.

All three places offered good vegetarian meals although if you don't like the look of meat I would not recommend Fazenda. However if, like me, you just don't like the taste, I would actually recommend it. There were 2 vegetarian choices, 2 vegan choices and 2 fish choices and, of course, that wonderful salad bar!

Why was the beach wet?

... because the seaweed! 

Seaweed is definitely having its moment in the sun (and sea) at present. Its culinary uses go way back in history but is probably something we now associate with chinese food and japanese sushi where it is a healthy dietary staple. Years ago we took our children on a trip to Legoland and London whilst staying in Windsor. There was a chinese restaurant with a reasonable buffet which we thought would be a good introduction to chinese food. My daughter, aged 4 at the time, used a chopstick in each hand to carry seconds of crispy seaweed across from the serving platter, hovering over our drinks, to land successfully on her plate where it was consumed with enthusiasm. It's maybe no coincidence that she was really in to The Little Mermaid at the time!

Seaweed contains many nutrients with iodine, calcium, protein and vitamin C amongst them. It is low in fat and high in fibre content. We probably don't recognise that we are eating it in some forms as it is used as an additive in many foods and drinks. Seaweed flakes (dulse) can be used as seasoning.

I have been wrong in thinking that samphire is a form of seaweed when in fact it is a plant from the parsley family which grows along the shoreline and salty mudflats. Whilst harvesting it is a slow fiddly job, cooking it is a breeze as it takes merely 1-2 minutes in boiling water to soften. It has a crisp and salty flavour which, apparently, goes well with fish, but for vegetarians makes a good accompaniment to eggs and other seasonal treats such as asparagus, fennel and peas. The other night I made the following concoction and it was truly delicious.

Panfried samphire and asparagus served with 2 soft poached eggs, a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a sprinkling of grated parmesan. From pan to plate in 4 minutes - bliss! Would have been even better with some sodabread on the side.

So, even if you can't get to the seaside this summer, at least you can still have a little taste of the sea!

God's own county!

1st August every year (since 1975) is Yorkshire Day; a celebration of all things Yorkshire.

Over the years I haven't always been aware of the commemorative day until being accosted by people handing out Yorkshire Tea samples or hearing "Ilkley Moor Baht 'at" being played at the bandstand. On one occasion I was picnicking with my children on Ilkley Moor when an octogenarian stood up from his camping chair and cast off his tartan rug to play it on his trumpet whilst his wife looked on - random, eccentric yet somewhat patriotic and heartwarming.

Yorkshire has many things to be proud of; our cities, market towns, scenery, two national parks, agriculture, heritage, sporting prowess, industry, diversity and yes, our food!

Yorkshire Puddings are probably the most famous but we also have our own curd tarts, parkin, fat rascals and pikelets. 

For those with a sweet tooth, we invented liquorice including Allsorts and Pontefract Cakes as well as Yorkshire Mixture boiled sweets with its mix of rock, humbugs, peardrops and sugary fish. Confectioners include Terry's, Rowntree's, Thorntons and Mackintosh's.

Our rhubarb triangle produces both seasonal and forced rhubarb. Cheeses include Wensleydale and Shepherds Purse and you might like to add a splash of our Hendersons Relish on the side. 

As mentioned we enjoy Yorkshire Tea which we mash, not brew! Ginger beer originally comes from Yorkshire too.

We can boast a number of breweries including Timothy Taylor, Black Sheep, Theakston, Tetley's, John Smith's and Copper Dragon as well as a multitude of micro breweries.

I am Yorkshire Born and Bred as they say and, what's more, I'm proud of it!

In the beginning ...

 A friend has boycotted my blog as she's sick of hearing about my trips to Italy (well jel!) so I hope she won't mind me writing about a day trip to York instead!

The day? A sunny Saturday in July

The place? Bettys in York

The reason? To meet up with an old vegetarian friend whom I hadn't seen in 8 years or so ...

I first met her whilst on holiday in Kos in 1987 and we immediately hit it off and saw each other regularly over the next few years. She was a pescatarian at that time but shortly afterwards gave up fish too. As a child she had lived in rural Lincolnshire and was happy to mop up meat blood and juices with white bread - ugh! I'm not sure what made her vegetarian but I'm sure knowing her influenced my decision to become a veggie.

Eating out in the late eighties and early nineties was not easy for vegetarians and we had many a slimy vegetable lasagne over the years but it did show me it was possible to eat meat-less meals. On one occasion we were staying in Aviemore when I decided to extend our break by dropping in on my then pregnant sister. "Could four of us come and stay tomorrow night - oh and one is a vegetarian?" We arrived to the smell of lasagne cooking and settled down to eat. I remember my husband and I looking on in alarm at what we thought were huge balls of mincemeat only to a realise with relief that they were walnuts!

I took the plunge in 1990 and gave up meat and fish completely. After only a few weeks my migraines subsided a little and I felt energised, as if meat had made me sluggish. I think it must have been the sudden change of diet that perked me up but sadly the migraines eventually returned and the energy evaporated!

Around that time I was trying for a baby and, sadly, had many miscarriages. I worried that my diet was contributing and had many tests to try and find the reason. The young registrar looked at my blood test results and pronounced I was the healthiest vegetarian he had ever come across! I am pleased to say that I have since had 2 healthy children.

What is more, I'm actually proud to be vegetarian and so raise a cup of tea and chomp on a Bettys Fat Rascal to my friend of 28 years for showing me the way!

A Taste of Tuscany!

Ok so I've been back from Italy for a week now but thought I would carry on my ramblings about all things Tuscan.

Whilst staying with friends near Lucca we had wonderful meals a casa; home-made pizzas cooked in the outdoor pizza oven, home-grown yellow plums, a delicious antipasti supper etc., and some delicious (and interesting*) meals out.

A favourite starter was a variety of pecorino cheeses served either with honey and walnuts or a selection of chutneys such as chilli, onion and ginger. For il primo or il secondo I enjoyed pasta with sage butter, gnocchi with pesto and a walnut and corgette flower pasta. Not to mention wonderful gelati!

In Florence I feasted on pizza, pasta, melanzane parmigiana (an aubergine bake), tuscan tomato soup and salads. The two most interesting courses were at a new restaurant called La Menagere. For primo I had a kind of risotto made with rice, rosemary, coffee powder, raisins and roasted seeds. Unusual tasting but rather nice. 

For secondo I had a poached egg on stewed red radicchio with melted pecorino cheese and red wine reduction served with a barley cracker - so pretty it looked like dessert! It was lovely to try different vegetarian food combinations.

My only downfall was agreeing to tagliata di manzo* (for 2 people) to share with my friend. Sadly we had only glanced at the menu and mistook tagliata for tagliatelle! The huge platter of sliced grilled beef served on a bed of rocket and tomato arrived with great aplomb and was promptly waved away. We re-ordered whilst the meaty dish was enjoyed by the men in our group!

Perhaps it's time to start learning Italian!

In the market for tasty food!

Having just returned from a week in Tuscany I can't wait to share my new found favourite foodie place with you. Having visited many cafes, bars, restaurants and gelaterias, my favourite is on the first floor of the Central Market in Florence, in the San Lorenzo quarter.

The building itself is very impressive with its two storeys made of glass and cast iron from 1874. It has, in recent years been renovated. The ground floor market itself sells an array of meats, fish, cheeses, fruit, vegetables, pastas, nuts, spices, olives, oils and some takeaway Tuscan foods. 

Move upstairs and you will find a large airy space flooded with light, vibrant with colour and echoing with the chatter of people enjoying good food. There's a choice of 500 seats so you can be right in the heart of the dining or tucked into a quiet corner to read and eat in solitude or merely people watch in fascination. You will be surrounded by 12 food shops selling ready to eat cheeses, breads, pizzas, pastas, truffles, vegetarian burgers and salads, cakes and pastries (as well as meats and fish). There is a beer bar, coffee bar, Chianti tasting and refreshing juices. Cookery books are sold in one area and a cookery school is tucked into another. It has a great vibe with people from all nationalities coming together and enjoying good, healthy, tasty food.

The strapline is "Quality is a value. Spread the word!" 

The tables were kept clean and clear by a number of staff sporting logo t-shirts and the Mozzarella Man could be heard tooting the horn of his trolley as he moved amongst the customers with his wares. There was a definite sense of pride amongst the people working there. A map showing the layout of the market could be picked up at various points as well as the Information Desk where bookings for the cookery school were taken and a green home service ensured delivery within 3 hours.

I overheard an American lady exclaim how great it would be to have the same set up back home in the USA and I wanted to shout "no, bring it to the UK first!" Many of our markets have become tired and underused and it would be wonderful to re-energise them by bringing people in to eat locally produced and prepared food. Yes we have local farmers markets but how wonderful to be able to go to one central place in the towns and cities and enjoy a quick, nutritious, good value bite whilst on a lunch break from work, shopping or sightseeing.

I enjoyed pizza caprese on my first visit and a popeye veggie-burger the second time - both scrummy!

Taking flight!

Friday afternoon saw me taking a Ryanair flight from Leeds to Pisa. As soon as we boarded I was handed a menu card which, unbelievably, had a good selection of vegetarian snacks. Yes there were the usual pop and sweets and crisps and buns along with a host of hot and cold beverages but, on this occasion, I was not limited to a tube of Pringles and a Kit Kat. This menu offered croissants, cereals and porridge for the morning traveller, two vegetarian snack packs, olives, nuts, two flatbreads, patatas bravas, mozzarella sticks, salad, oven chips, ratatouille with fusilli and a panini. All the food had clear labelling and, in fact, the patatas bravas and snack packs did not have the v-sign, so was very useful.

 

The menu card had this Andy Warhol cartoon type figure and encouraged us to "use call bell to order at any time!" What service!

For a low-cost airline I would agree; definitely a spiffing selection!

Several years ago on a flight to Špain my pre-booked veggie meal was nabbed by someone else. Sure, Spain isn't exactly long-haul but if I don't have food I tend to suffer a travel migraine (as demonstrated on my birthday last year with the infamous birthday barf whilst trying to locate the villa!) The stewardess was very apologetic but could offer nothing vegetarian. She did, in fact, kindly give me an apple from her own locker.

Airport and airline food can be tricky. Even last year when delayed at Barcelona airport the poster in the cafe read "healthy Mediterranean veggie paninis" but was actually with chicken and bacon! 

Of course these obstacles can pale into insignificance compared to actually trying to get a veggie meal abroad ... but those stories can wait until another time!