A wonderful lunch at The Belsfield Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere

Having wandered around Bowness-on-Windermere for a while enjoying being tourists but not finding anywhere we were inspired to eat we found ourselves back at the boat pier where we had arrived on the steamer 'Tern' in the morning; overlooking the pier is the The Belsfield Hotel. We crossed the road and found the brasserie menu displayed by the gate and it sounded very interesting, so a short walk up through the gardens and we found our way in through the terrace doors. Very quiet, empty in fact, and I was afraid that they were not serving food, but the moment we spoke to staff we were looked after attentively and yet utterly unobtrusively. The service really was second to none and the food was delicious. The hotel itself is out of our price range, to stay at, but for a lunch overlooking the lake from a fantastic vantage point I think The Belsfield is impossible to beat. They are in the process of major renovation to move from a 3* to a 4* rating but this was in no way detrimental to the service or the food.

I don't sit taking photographs of my food so you will just have to make do with a picture of Lake Windermere from the terrace of The Belsfield Hotel.

A wonderful lunch at Melton's

My mind is on my stomach - it is a happy stomach. Lunch was a delight at Melton's:

My choices......

Hand-Dived Scallops - Saffron Crispies
Braised Fennel, Spiced Fish Sauce & Coriander
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Apple Orchard Chicken - Ampleforth Cider Cream
Parsley Mash Potato, Mushroom, Black Pudding & Cabbage
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Yorkshire Rhubarb - Crumble, Warm Jelly & Custard, Rhubarb Sorbet
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I think I made a perfect choice from a menu that tempted with every dish. For me the starter and the dessert were just stunning while the main course still met and passed expectations. Whilst waiting for our starter we were served a delightful 'amuse bouche' of creamed leek soup with a little lemon oil drizzled on top. Complimentary still or sparkling water and filter coffee help you feel like a guest as much as a customer.

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The scallops were perfectly balanced between needing to be cut and pulling apart, tender and juicy - complemented beautifully with the fennel and coriander with the spiced fish sauce adding a wonderful umami highlight. I had no idea what to expect from 'Saffron Crisipies' but they were just that and had an almost palate clearing lightness and the gentlest hint of almond. My stolen forkful of Alastair's duck terrine was rich and luscious - I had been very tempted by this starter.

The chicken included both dark and lighter meat, which was good for me as I tend to prefer darker meat and often you just get breast meat which I can find slightly dry. Here the balancing of the more delicate breast meat against the cabbage and the richer dark meat with the mushroom and black pudding made it almost feel like two separate dishes tied together by the parsley mash and the sauce. Alastair had the venison and my thieving gained me a tender mouthful with less intense flavour than I had been expecting - memories of childhood venison in Scotland didn't seem to match this tender succulent mouthful.

(Unfortunately, Melton's haven't put a picture of the chicken on their Facebook page.)

And on to the dessert.......

I have been looking forward to this rhubarb creation since it appeared on Melton's Facebook page back in February  As a true West Yorkshire lass I have an appreciation for the finer things in life - one of the finest being rhubarb. Did you know you can hear rhubarb growing if you visit the arcane wonders of the dark rhubarb sheds of the 'Rhubarb Triangle'? What can I say about the dessert.... it was sublime :) From the gently sweet but refreshingly tangy coolness of the sorbet with its artfully placed slender stick of rhubarb, to the warm almost mousse like jelly with a heart of vanilla custard and between them the gorgeously tart rhubarb hiding below the crispy crumble topping. I didn't steal any of Alastair's cheese - nothing was allowed to interrupt the rhubarb worship ;)

This treat was due to my winning of the Melton's meal for two back in January we saved it for this weekend, a week before Alastair's birthday and the day before he flies off to Bosnia Herzegovina to see Chloe.

While Melton's is well beyond our pocket for a normal meal out we would happily return for a special occasion. A beautiful, un-rushed, calm and 'cared' for meal: cared for in the presentation of every item of food and in the unobtrusive but friendly service.

Thank you Melton's - we hope to be back :)

rather a long break.....

....... normal service (whatever that may be) is returning...

Life has seemed a little non-directional for a while. Time to get back.... well not on track .... more get back off the track! Never been one for tracks but recently, to extend this metaphor a little, I have been stuck in a bloody big rut on some track I accidentally wandered on to! So back to forging my own trail......

New project: knitting a jumper, picture to follow :)
New game: Munchkin - fantastic game, particularly if you have numbers of teenagers around!
New food: umami paste

Arancini, Cherry Tomato Jam and Green Beans

Better photography this time :)

This was enjoyed by all present, including special guests from across the pond: Jamie Sloan, Beth Chism and Chris Shott in the kitchen at The Delicious Dish :D

Arancini in oatmeal

Half of the arancini rolled in rice flour, beaten egg and finally coarse oatmeal.....

..... all ready for the oven :), also the fantastic oatmeal and the Cherry Tomato Jam pan......... I'm getting hungry now!

Baked Arancini with Cherry Tomato Jam

From the ashes of last nights meal, tonight's arises like a phoenix..... well more like little orange balls but hey :)

Arancini are traditionally deep fried but I rarely deep fry if there is an alternative that seems suitable. I have kept the aracini simple and not given them a filling; they are balls of risotto chilled then rolled in rice flour, then egg and finally oatmeal. If you eat gluten then using flour and bread crumbs would be more 'normal'.

One of the reasons for not stuffing them with mozzarella or other filling is that the accompanying Cherry Tomato Jam is moreishly intense so I wanted to pair it with a less complex flavour. The other reason is that these are my first arancini and I'm keeping things simple!

We will have these with green beans cooked so they still have a bit of crunch - I hate overcooked vegetables  but am sometimes guilty as life rudely intrudes on cooking at times!

At present the arancini are at the chilling stage and the Cherry Tomato Jam (below) is finished and just needs reheating.

Sweet Corn Risotto :)

Well the risotto was a success, gorgeously creamy and gently piquant with the chorizo. The photography, however, left a lot to be desired. I forgot and then grabbed my iphone and snapped a very poor out of focus shot. Will have to keep the trusty olympus handy if I'm going to manage decent foodie pictures!

Sweet Corn Risotto - with Pork Spare Ribs

Just a Taste » Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread

Just a Taste » Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread



Been wandering around some of the foodie blogs I have bookmarked and came across this - looks yummy. However, what I particularly love is her suggestion at the end for a "bread rising cupboard". Previously known as your tumble dryer! Love it :)

Life changes.... it would be boring if it didn't...?

This post isn't actually about the changes but is more a result of them! (more of changes later!)

This is about food - well tonight’s dinner to be precise. Inspiration was needed. I had promised risotto last night with an added extra treat, for the kinder, of spare ribs (waiting in fridge to be roasted off) but that damn life stuff intruded. So back to the risotto idea, a day late.

Great, we're having risotto...... well that's a very broad statement, in this household at least. Hmmm (she ponders), looks in vegetable boxes, onions, hmmmm, thought intrudes (they do this randomly all the time) what am I going to do with those long-life corn on the cob (yes a very odd purchase - seemed like a good idea at the time). A marriage comes to mind: risotto and chowder....

So we will: sauté onions, add garlic, add chorizo, add white wine, add mild stock (chorizo and parmesan if I add later will add enough saltiness) a ladle-full at a time............ add corn kernels, a little more wine possibly..... Herbs? hmmm .... Please at this point note (and remember for future reference) that by this time the addition of wine includes adding it to the cook :)... oh yes where were we....ok I admit I'm actually at the ladling point (brb), this also means the first glass of wine has been added to the cook. I think I will ladle in the stock (could have used the corn husks, milk, water and possibly a little vecon to boil up into stock - but I thought of this after I threw the corn husks away) until 2/3 done then add the sweet corn.

So that (plus the barbecue spare ribs - mustn't forget the spare ribs) is going to be dinner. I might manage pictures! And I will manage a review and write up the final recipe if it's a success.

Tonights Dinner: Tomato and Anchovy Sauce with pasta

Serves 6
Adjust anything to taste and always, always taste as you are cooking (including the wine!)

Olive oil & butter
3 Medium Onions
1 small bulb of garlic
1 red chilli de-seeded
Herbs - I used basil and a Herbs de Provence mix today
Red wine
10 anchovies in oil (drained)
2 x 200g tins of Italian tomatoes I used organic tomatoes from Suma (bought on Amazom!)

Fresh basil leaves to serve - though I have a thing for rosemary atm and might add some whilst cooking tonight and a sprig on serving :)

Use a nice wide, thick based, shallow pan with neatly fitting lid if possible. I use a risotto pan for most pasta sauces.

• Melt 1oz of butter in pan with large slug of olive oil
• Fry roughly chopped onions till starting to brown (add more oil/butter if needed)
• Reduce heat and add roughly chopped garlic
• Add finely diced chilli (Tip: if it's a hot chilli try adding half then taste after tomatoes have been in for 15mins before adding rest. You can always add more, you can't take it out!)
• Add about a table spoon of your chosen herbs
• Continue cooking for a few more minutes.
• Add about a glass (old style not new style... Ok! About 125ml) of red wine followed by the anchovies.
• (Look in pan and think 'that could do with more wine and add a slug for good luck - well that's what I always do anyway)
• Turn up heat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring all the time, allowing anchovies to breakdown into the sauce.
• Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and put neatly fitting lid on pan.
• Simmer for up to an hour

Cook pasta of choice 'al dente'