Great Taste Experience!

In the past few months, I’ve noticed that there have been an increasing amount of TV shows about Cooking. In particular they focus on showing viewers dishes that may seem complicated and difficult to achieve, can easily be achieved in the comfort of our own kitchens. Today I enjoyed a “Great Taste” Experience in the City Centre of Eldon Square in Newcastle. This food event is in Newcastle for this weekend only, September 13^th & 14^th, however I do believe that this event will be running in the INTU Shopping Centres throughout the UK. Definitely a great opportunity for those who are interested in food or are hoping to find some inspiration regarding cooking. This event basically is “One HUGE weekend of celebrity chefs, live demos and fab food to sample.” Sometimes when we watch chef’s cooking on TV or read a book, it may be perceived as simple & easy, yet when we try ourselves it turns into a warzone and EVERYTHING goes wrong. But through this great food event, you can watch the cooking live (the dishes did not exceed 10-15minutes), as a result you can see that a lot of the dishes can be recreated at home.

Here are just a "few" pictures I took of the event.

So if you come across this event in your city, I say go for it.. Go along and have a little look, try some food, pick up some vouchers and the recipe booklet available. You have nothing to lose, but food knowledge to gain. J

Wendy x

Recipe: Sweet Potato Crisps

After eating out and trying a certain Sweet potato dish, I had a particular urge to cook with sweet potato. See, inspiration is everywhere. Although sweet potato is generally a hit or miss kind of vegetable, as who would choose a sweet potato over normal potatoes, right? But I think eating healthy is the new “It Thing” now, so you will definitely see sweet potatoes more often.. Even in Burger places, offering SP fries substituting your usual fries (or not). I do apologise for the amount of times I have mentioned Sweet Potato, but they’re actually very tasty once you’ve given them a try. So back to the recipe.. I decided to make Sweet Potato Crisps as I was craving crisps and also I wanted to cook with the good ol’ SP, so why not! The recipe is pretty simple and easy to follow, so here goes..

All you need is:

2 Sweet Potatoes

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

A good pinch of Salt (or desired amount)

Knife / Potato Peeler / Vegetable Peeler

Chopping Board

Baking Tray

Baking Sheet / Greaseproof Paper / Foil

1. First off, set your oven to 150°c / Gas Mark 2 and let it heat up.
2. Prepare your baking try by placing baking paper / foil on and spoon the oil onto the sheet, distributing evenly on the tray.
3. Wash your Sweet Potatoes and give them a good scrub, pat them dry afterwards with kitchen towel/paper.
4. Now start slicing your SP’s using a knife or vegetable peeler and place them on the baking tray. (I opted for the Veggie peeler as it’s quicker, you get a thinner and more even slice of potato. Also you can discard the first few slices of potato as they will be smaller than the rest and may not be full circles, if you get what I mean?) If you prefer peeling the skins off, that’s up to you.
5. Once you have placed all your potato slices on the tray, spread them evenly. Make sure all the slices are flat and do not overlap or cover other slices (if the potatoes are only overlapping a little bit, don’t worry about it).
6. Sprinkle the salt over the potato slices and make sure all slices have a little salt on them. (You could also try different flavourings too; Cajun seasoning, mixed herbs, garlic powder, chilli?)
7. Place the tray full of potatoes in the oven (middle shelf), leaving them to cook for 1 hour & 30 mins (may need more). You will know when they’re done when they appear to have curled up edges and have browned slightly.
8. Once you’ve taken them out of the oven leave them to rest for 10-20mins to firm & crisp up even further, as they may still be slightly soft when you’ve taken them out.
9. Now place them in a bowl and enjoy.

Now you can satisfy your cravings and remain healthy! :)

Wendy x

Eating Out: Dojo, Newcastle.

Do you ever find yourself in that difficult position deciding where to go for lunch, dinner or even coffee?  We’ve all been there! Not knowing where to dine ‘cause there are just way too many places to go. Do you go down the route of going to a place you know for definite you enjoy and the food is great OR go somewhere you have never been because you want to be “adventurous” or something like that? As for me, I do a good mix of both.. When new places open or there is somewhere I haven’t been, I feel obliged to try the food out!  

Japanese food is definitely becoming more popular now in terms of eating out and also eating on the go as it’s healthy and easy to eat. Although I have to admit sometimes you need that extra bit of sustenance or just carbs in general, so a burger and fries is also justifiable. One of the things I must order when I visit a Japanese Restaurant, regardless whether it is lunch or evening.. A Bento Box is THE go to item. You get a bit of everything to try & can cater to your own tastes. If you haven’t tried Japanese food yet, you definitely should. And I don’t mean eating sushi that is from a local supermarket or store, but an authentic Japanese Restaurant. You will definitely taste the difference and definitely be back for more.

So last week I visited a new Japanese Restaurant in Newcastle called Dojo (Stowell Street, China Town, Newcastle). Unlike other Japanese Restaurants that I have visited, they offer special sets which include a variety of Japanese food that are mix and matched. The box I ordered was a Sushi & Udon Set which included a range of Sushi, Mini bowl of udon noodles with *Miso Soup, Steamed Egg, Pickles & Fruit* (these apply to all set meals). All of the food was eaten with much enjoyment as it was both tasty and satisfying. The amount is just right and you’re able to choose from the selection of sets they offer, such as Sushi, Udon, Tempura and Sashimi sets. However, if the special set boxes don’t tickle your fancy, they do have a separate menu for those who want to try other dishes that they offer. And the price is pretty good too, considering the amount of food you get.

I took more than a few pictures of the food, but had to narrow it down to post. If you ever find yourself wandering the streets of China Town in Newcastle, do step inside and bring out the Asian girl/guy from within and appreciate the goodness of Japanese food. After all, there is so much more to Japanese food than just sushi. Enjoy!

Wendy x

Birthday Baking

Birthday Baking

So this weekend it was my Sister’s 18^th birthday and because I am such a loving sister, I made her a cake to mark the occasion. I don’t know why, but I do love baking a good cake for the odd celebration or occasion because 1. It gives me an excuse to bake, 2. It will always been received with great appreciation & 3. It’s out of love! Baking or Cooking is all about sharing and therefore sharing the love, whether it be amongst family, friends or colleagues, workers and possibly new acquaintances. Sometimes we need that extra push to cook or step foot in the kitchen.. So why not begin with cooking for a special occasion or experimenting with recipes that you can try out on your nearest and dearest (After all, they’ll appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into it.. But whether it tastes good, then you may have to work on that!)

Every time I bake a cake, I very rarely have a specific look that I am aiming for especially when decorating. That’s because wherever we look we can gain inspiration and ideas from, just turn on the TV, flip open a magazine, maybe go for a walk even.. Like decorating this birthday cake, I just knew which fruits I wanted to decorate it with. The chocolate covered strawberries were a last minute touch I decided on, which I was inspired by looking through a supermarket magazine. You never know where creative ideas will hit you, so just keep your eyes peeled and keep a look out.

I will definitely be uploading a cake recipe or something that everyone can have a go at in the up and coming blogs I have planned. But for now, I shall leave you with the process of baking a cake through my trusty camera pictures. J Hope you all enjoy & gain some ideas.

Wendy x