It is a little known and ironic fact that Scottish people are really good at making ice cream. Tomorrow is the last day of August and, although I can't actually remember summer happening (apart from in the Spring), this must mean it is the end of it. So here are my favourite places that I would have gone to eat more ice cream this summer if I hadn't been so busy making soup to keep myself warm:
Colpi - Their Italian style ice cream only comes in one scrumptious creamy flavour but the fun is all in the accessorising which obviously appeals to the girly side of me. They have a sprinkle, syrup and waffle cone to match every outfit, but personally I find it hard to resist the single nougats. My nearest one is in Milngavie and is regularly used to bribe my children.
Nardini's - The best reason to go to Largs. The cafe is an art deco tea room and the sundaes are enormous. There's one on Byres Road in Glasgow as well but it definitely tastes better at the seaside.
Janetta's - I worked in the cafe next door to Janetta's during my first couple of years at university in St Andrews. They were always queued out the door, we were not. The cafe closed, I lost my job, and Janetta's took it over, but I forgave them because their ice cream is delicious. I have to go on a pilgrimage at least once a year.
Katy Rodgers Artisan Dairy, Knockraich Farm, Fintry - This place is amazing. You can mix up your own cold stone concoctions in their lovely cafe which means my children always insist on something disgusting like jelly babies in mint choc chip, but the ice cream, frozen yoghurts and sorbets made in this dairy farm and creamery are really delicious. Last time I went I tried the melon and ginger and I have been obsessing about it ever since. I'd also highly recommend their pro-biotic yoghurts.
Special mention this year also goes to The Pokey Hat in Oban which we were introduced to on our 'summer' camping trip and officially has the best name ever for an ice cream shop. Go and try their turkish delight ice cream before you get on the ferry. You won't be disappointed.
Thursday 30 August 2012
Monday 27 August 2012
Bank holiday baking bonanza
This weekend has been all about the the bread. I am slightly obsessed and my kitchen now looks like a science lab, come illicit still.
I've baked bread occassionally over the years but the obsession started in earnest in June when we went on our family holiday to Lyme Regis and made a daily pilgrimage to the Town Mill Bakery. I love everything about it: the communal cafe set up and open plan kitchen, the friendly atmosphere, the home made muesli, jam and peanut butter and, of course, the bread. We started each day with a mountain of toast, fresh apple juice, coffee and a pastry or two on the side, and I left inspired to bring some of that feeling back to our every day world. I heard on the grapevine that the franchise is up for sale, and if I lived at the other end of the country and had won the lottery I would definitely be up for it. As it is, my home kitchen will have to do for now.
Since then my bread maker has been relegated to emergencies, and I've been working my way through Richard Bertinet's great book - Dough. Every weekend, I've been trying something new and watching my family devour the results. It takes a lot of time, but it is time well spent and I am now addicted to therapeutic qualities of the French kneeding technique which I'm sure helps set off the calories I am now consuming in fresh bread. Next time I go to visit my parents, I'll definitely be insisting we head to Bath to check out the Bertinet Kitchen.
Although my results so far have been impressively edible, I decided that I really wanted to get a bit of expert advice, especially as I wanted to take it to the next level and start experimenting with the king of all artisan breads - the sourdough.
That's when I found Lesley's Kitchen, run by the lovely Lesley Martin, and signed up for her one day sourdough class. Lesley and her husband run a B&B and baking school in Muirkirk, Ayrshire. They converted an Old Church into their beautiful family home and business and Lesley now passes on her many year's of baking expertise to keen amateurs like myself in the heart of her amazing kitchen. I had a brilliant day, starting with fresh cake and coffee on my arrival, to going away armed with my own starters to try and keep alive and a whole host of new tips, suppliers and techniques to try out. The next day I baked off the white and sourdough loaves I had started under Lesley's expert tutelage and enjoyed the fruits of a day well spent. Now the only decision I have to make is which course to try next!
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I've baked bread occassionally over the years but the obsession started in earnest in June when we went on our family holiday to Lyme Regis and made a daily pilgrimage to the Town Mill Bakery. I love everything about it: the communal cafe set up and open plan kitchen, the friendly atmosphere, the home made muesli, jam and peanut butter and, of course, the bread. We started each day with a mountain of toast, fresh apple juice, coffee and a pastry or two on the side, and I left inspired to bring some of that feeling back to our every day world. I heard on the grapevine that the franchise is up for sale, and if I lived at the other end of the country and had won the lottery I would definitely be up for it. As it is, my home kitchen will have to do for now.
Since then my bread maker has been relegated to emergencies, and I've been working my way through Richard Bertinet's great book - Dough. Every weekend, I've been trying something new and watching my family devour the results. It takes a lot of time, but it is time well spent and I am now addicted to therapeutic qualities of the French kneeding technique which I'm sure helps set off the calories I am now consuming in fresh bread. Next time I go to visit my parents, I'll definitely be insisting we head to Bath to check out the Bertinet Kitchen.
Although my results so far have been impressively edible, I decided that I really wanted to get a bit of expert advice, especially as I wanted to take it to the next level and start experimenting with the king of all artisan breads - the sourdough.
That's when I found Lesley's Kitchen, run by the lovely Lesley Martin, and signed up for her one day sourdough class. Lesley and her husband run a B&B and baking school in Muirkirk, Ayrshire. They converted an Old Church into their beautiful family home and business and Lesley now passes on her many year's of baking expertise to keen amateurs like myself in the heart of her amazing kitchen. I had a brilliant day, starting with fresh cake and coffee on my arrival, to going away armed with my own starters to try and keep alive and a whole host of new tips, suppliers and techniques to try out. The next day I baked off the white and sourdough loaves I had started under Lesley's expert tutelage and enjoyed the fruits of a day well spent. Now the only decision I have to make is which course to try next!
Sunday 26 August 2012
A mission statement and a trip to Durham
This is a blog about my personal mission to build a life for myself and my family that allows me to go to bed at night feeling good about myself.
Over the last 12 months I've come to the realisation that I'm tired of working hard and making sacrifices that damage the things and people that I love, and that I want to get to a place where if I do make those sacrifices they are for something that I am truly passionate about.
What are my passions? Simple really; good food, good people, good places and the good feeling they give you. I cook, I bake, I practice yoga and I want to combine these hobbies, come obsessions, with my skills in marketing, sales and customer service to build a business that enhances my life and the lives of others.
Only problem is, I don't know what that business is yet! I've got lots of ideas, and this blog will chart my journey as I explore them. Starting on the premise, that I know the kind of businesses (and people that run them) that I love and I want to give them the praise and recognition they deserve as I aspire to be more like them.
I'm based in Scotland, in a beautiful village on the outskirts of Glasgow, but I do a lot of travel for my work, and as I sat in yet another Starbucks this week prostituting my ideals once more for the benefits of free wi-fi, I realised that this was not where I wanted to be. Physically and philosophically.
I packed up my laptop and hit the streets of Durham in search of a better way of life.
My first stop was a cafe called Vennels. I hear it's an institution in Durham, but there is no way that I would have walked up the alley to it's tiny courtyard to find it and the delicious home made quiche, pies and cakes that it sells, if I hadn't been with someone that knows better. I also broke free from the shackles of the chain hotel on my trip and stayed in agreat boutique hotel called Gadds Townhouse. The food was delicious, and the themed rooms and opulent, boudoir meets 19th century brothel interior, made an otherwise boring work trip almost fun. The stairwell and corridors were looking a bit shabby, but you know what, that's probably because they don't get enough people staying there because they're all opting for the boring business hell-holes down the road instead. The only thing I didn't like was the muesli, which was over sweet rabbit food. But I have a thing about that, and should have known better. Their sister restaurant Zen, which serves an asian fusion menu was also a tasty alternative to another night at Pizza Express.
I wanted to go to Durham university and they rejected me. I was devastated at the time but I've forgiven them now, and I ended up going down a different path that has allowed me to meet so many lovely people. It therefore, seems only right and fitting that a crappy coffee in Durham should set me off down a new path in life. Who knows where it will take me this time.
Over the last 12 months I've come to the realisation that I'm tired of working hard and making sacrifices that damage the things and people that I love, and that I want to get to a place where if I do make those sacrifices they are for something that I am truly passionate about.
What are my passions? Simple really; good food, good people, good places and the good feeling they give you. I cook, I bake, I practice yoga and I want to combine these hobbies, come obsessions, with my skills in marketing, sales and customer service to build a business that enhances my life and the lives of others.
Only problem is, I don't know what that business is yet! I've got lots of ideas, and this blog will chart my journey as I explore them. Starting on the premise, that I know the kind of businesses (and people that run them) that I love and I want to give them the praise and recognition they deserve as I aspire to be more like them.
I'm based in Scotland, in a beautiful village on the outskirts of Glasgow, but I do a lot of travel for my work, and as I sat in yet another Starbucks this week prostituting my ideals once more for the benefits of free wi-fi, I realised that this was not where I wanted to be. Physically and philosophically.
I packed up my laptop and hit the streets of Durham in search of a better way of life.
My first stop was a cafe called Vennels. I hear it's an institution in Durham, but there is no way that I would have walked up the alley to it's tiny courtyard to find it and the delicious home made quiche, pies and cakes that it sells, if I hadn't been with someone that knows better. I also broke free from the shackles of the chain hotel on my trip and stayed in agreat boutique hotel called Gadds Townhouse. The food was delicious, and the themed rooms and opulent, boudoir meets 19th century brothel interior, made an otherwise boring work trip almost fun. The stairwell and corridors were looking a bit shabby, but you know what, that's probably because they don't get enough people staying there because they're all opting for the boring business hell-holes down the road instead. The only thing I didn't like was the muesli, which was over sweet rabbit food. But I have a thing about that, and should have known better. Their sister restaurant Zen, which serves an asian fusion menu was also a tasty alternative to another night at Pizza Express.
I wanted to go to Durham university and they rejected me. I was devastated at the time but I've forgiven them now, and I ended up going down a different path that has allowed me to meet so many lovely people. It therefore, seems only right and fitting that a crappy coffee in Durham should set me off down a new path in life. Who knows where it will take me this time.
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