Half term skyline fun and a chicken curry

Skyline

This week is half term, my eldest daughter is away on Guide camp and my son is busy revising for his last few A levels. On Tuesday he needed a little help working through some practice papers, so to give him & my wife some peace and quiet to work together, I decided to take the dog and my youngest daughter out for a walk. We luckily live on the National Trust's Bath Skyline walk, an impressive six mile circular route mainly through the beech woodlands and meadows that overlook the city of Bath.
Of course, being half term and England, it was raining, so waterproofs and wellies were called for.
The terrain of the skyline walk is very varied, rising nearly 200 meters in one part, some woods covered in bluebells others carpeted in wild garlic, paths that pick through exposed tree roots and around uncovered limestone from the old quarry that supplied the stone that built many of the old Georgian houses in Bath.
We strolled slowly along the route, the dog running off ahead of us, having a good sniff about and then running back to enthusiastically report her findings, before repeating the process time and time again.
After an hour or so, we came across a natural depression in a large clearing in the woods, the National Trust wardens have cleverly created a play area here, the piles of branches willed us to build a den, unfortunately I'm no Bear Grylls so I was thankful when my daughter decided that it was time to carry on with our walk, but not before we'd jumped across all the "stepping logs" and attempted to traverse the "high wire of death", which luckily for me was only six inches above the ground.

"High wire of death"

I-spy turned in to chatting about the natural foods that could be foraged along the walk and then wondering whether Robin Hood lived in a wood like this and if he did, just what food would he have eaten ?  "Wild rabbits, deer or maybe pheasant" I suggested, "what about Pizza" joked my daughter, "he could get Domino's to deliver", "or maybe chinese or a curry ?" now I'm not sure what it is about being wet and in the fresh air, but all this talk of food made us realise that we'd walked through lunch time and were both hungry. By now we were about two miles from home and decided to take a short detour. Rather than continuing along the skyline walk, where it passes the golf course, a windy and exposed landscape, we decided to duck down to the pretty village of Bathampton where we could pick up the Kennet & Avon canal and finish our walk along the tow path. More importantly there is both a cafe and a pub so we could get something hot to eat and drink. As we got nearer and near to the canal our thoughts turned to food and soon it's all we were talking about, deciding what we were going to eat. I'm not sure why, but this seems an easy choice for a nine year old "Fish & Chips followed by ice cream", "Ice cream, in this weather" I taunted, "of course Dad". My mind was elsewhere, I needed  something to warm me up and it soon left wet Bath and found itself in India, "a curry, that's what I want", though the thought of her chips was enticing too, "curry & chips" I exclaimed.
We decided to pass on visiting the converted barge which serves as the cafe, we were pretty sure they didn't serve chips and go straight to the pub.
The tow path is on the far side of the canal to the rest of the village and as we crossed the bridge, we glanced along the canal - the cafe barge was all shut up - no doubt due to the weather and lack of walkers today, so we were pleased with our decision.
Not much further now to the pub, my mind generating the best curry I'd ever had, hot, spicy and aromatic.... down the steps.... succulent pieces of chicken..... round the corner......twice fried chips glistening in curry sauce.......up to the closed front door, beyond it the welcoming charm of the local village pub. The closed front door should have been a sign, peering through the window, all the lights were off - disaster ! For some reason the pub was closed.
There was only one thing for it, a quick march home - two miles double time making up silly songs as we went...

"I don't know but I've been told,",
"I don't know but I've been told",
"Curry and Chips is not being sold",
"Curry and Chips is not being sold", 
"I don't know, but it's been said",
"I don't know but it's been said", 
"All we've got is a bit of dried bread"  

We were soon home, too hungry to make proper chips so emergency oven chips out of the freezer and into the stove, a couple of fish fingers in the frying pan and 10 mins later my daughter would be warm & fed.
I still wanted a curry and luckily I had the ideal solution in the cupboard. A Kerala Chicken Curry from ilumi. Two minutes in the microwave and it was ready, succulent pieces of chicken in an aromatic coconut based sauce, poured over some chips was just right to satiate my appetite.

Kerala Chicken Curry with Chips

ilumi

Those of you who know me, may find it odd that I had something such as a microwave chicken curry in the cupboard, after all cooking is my way to relax and I'm always, probably quite annoyingly, sending photos to my friends of the dishes I've invented and cooked.
So who are ilumi and what am I doing with instant microwave food ?
The latter question is easy to answer - much as I love to cook, sometimes life is just too short: with a business to run and three kids needing Dad's "taxi" there are times when there's just five minutes to grab something to eat, so a tasty, ethical, microwave dish is just the ticket - though I have to confess I didn't buy the Chicken Curry nor the Chickpea one mentioned below, they were sent to me as free samples.
ilumi is a new range of instant dishes that are all Gluten free, so suitable for a Coeliac like me, lactose free and nut free. Some of the range is also vegan, so obviously suitable for vegetarians too.

Wind the clock back six years, before I was diagnosed as a coeliac. We were putting in a new kitchen and for a week or so had nothing other than a microwave, a kettle and the bathroom sink. At the time there was just me to feed, so I was on the lookout for something that was quick to heat up in the microwave, cheap, tasty & nutritious - oh and that didn't require a fridge. This is when I discovered "Look what we've found", a range of microwavable dishes that didn't need to be kept refrigerated.

What attracted me to this range was that not only did it claim to use 100% natural ingredients, but the key ingredient was sourced from a small regional British farm, with the traceability able to name the farmer on the packaging. They kept me fed during that time with dishes such as Tees Valley Beef in Black Velvet Ale and Herdwick Mutton Stew. Once the work was finished, to be perfectly honest I forgot all about "Look what we've found", as I was enjoying cooking in a new kitchen. That was until two years ago when I was diagnosed as a Coeliac, and thus have to maintain a gluten free diet. By chance I discovered that some of the "Look what we've found" range were gluten free and so were ideal to keep in the cupboard for those occasions when I had to grab something quick to eat - which now that two of my kids are teenagers, seems to be more and more often !
My favourite two dishes from  "Look what we've found" are Tees Valley Chili Con Carne and the Tees Valley Beef meatballs - both are flavoursome,  meaty and ideally suited to a quick meal when twinned with some rice or pasta.
Not all of the "Look what we've found" range are gluten free, so some care has to be taken when ordering, so I was delighted when I read last week that the company that produces "Look what we've found" was releasing a new range called "ilumi" where every dish is Gluten, Milk & Nut free.

Initially the range comprises of six main course dishes, three soups, two sauces and two rice dishes and like the original range, these all have a twelve month shelf life without having to be refrigerated. Although primarily designed to be heated in the microwave, they can also be heated in a pan, so also make ideal camping or summer festival food.
The two samples I received were both curries, but the range is broad and includes both a Chili Con Carne and a Beef meatball dish, which I'm looking forward to comparing to the original LWWF one.
The Karala Chicken curry comprises of marinaded chicken cooked in coconut milk sauce with a lightly spiced background. It was both aromatic and succulent. Personally I'd have preferred it if the sauce was slightly thicker, but maybe that was because I decided to try it with chips rather than the recommended rice. Certainly a dish that I would be happy to buy and keep in the cupboard on standby.
The other sample I received was Vegetable & Chickpea Jalfrezi. Aware that the chicken curry probably would have benefited from being served with rice, I prepared some brown basmati rice to accompany this dish.

Vegetable & Chickpea Jalfrezi

 Jalfrezi comes from the bunjabi "jal" - pungently spiced and "frezi" - stir fried and is now the most popular curry dish served in restaurants in the UK, albeit with various adaptations.

Unfortunately I think that this version falls short and I found it very disappointing.
I had expected a warm, inviting and colourful dish of chickpeas, tomatoes, onions & green chili with a selection of spices making themselves known, but what I got was a collection of overcooked vegetables with some mushy chickpeas in an indistinct, yet slightly spicy, brown sauce. This recipe doesn't include green chili nor green pepper, key ingredients to a traditional jalfrezi, but instead uses red pepper and green beans that impart a bit of an odd taste. Not a dish I would recommend.

From my previous experience of "Look what we've found" and the "ilumi" Kerala Chicken curry, the Vegetable & Chickpea Jalfrezi doesn't meet the normal standard I'd expect, and I can only assume that it is a blip and so I have no problem recommending that you try the rest of the range, which can be found at ilumiworld.com. 

ilumi can also be found on Twitter via @ilumiworld and on Facebook.

Pizza Express, Gluten Free. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good, Daleks look on Last Sunday started as a wonderful day. I took my daughter and her friend to the Little Theatre, an independently run local cinema, to watch Dr Who 1966 style in "Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD". The film was introduced by Who-Ology author Cavan Scott and the girls were transfixed throughout.  After the movie, we'd booked at table at Pizza Express. Pizza Express was my favourite pizza restaurant before I was diagnosed as a coeliac and so when they announced their new Gluten Free menu, I immediately wanted to try it and of course the girls love Pizza. When we left the cinema  they were still in Dr Who mode and ran all the way to the restaurant, arms outstretched in front of them, shouting "exterminate, exterminate". My wife, not a fan of Sci-Fi, met up with us at the restaurant, where we were seated in an alcove at the back - a great location as we could be as noisy as we like without disturbing the other diners. Green's Pilsner Whilst we were deciding on what to eat, our waiter brought us a couple of beers and some large Sicilian olives - Pizza Express have given their Gluten Free options serious thought and offer a Gluten Free beer from Greens - a rather lively Pilsner. Sitting there with the sun shining in through the window made us feel like we were back on holiday in Italy. With their recent revision to their menus, Pizza Express offer two gluten free starters, two side dishes, two main courses and a large range of thin crust pizzas. New to the starters is a Gluten Free Butternut squash risotto, which we ordered along with a Gluten Free Veneziana for me, a GF Capricciosa for my wife & two Piccolo for the girls. Although my wife isn't a coeliac, she knew that I'd want to try whatever she ordered.

The Bad, Although not immediately obvious due to the mop of roquette on top, when the risotto arrived it was more akin to rice soup than the lovely dish pictured on the menu; far too much liquid remained. Risotto picture from the menu Risotto served to us Unfortunately, rather than the sweetness introduced by the butternut squash and the saltiness from the Gorgonzola  the risotto's overpowering flavour was that of garlic and although the rice was cooked through, the squash varied between under and over cooked. I'm not sure what the roquette was meant to add to the dish, if it was for a hint of colour, then some fresh parsley to balance the garlic or the more traditional sage, would have been better. I think I'd be fair in writing that this was pretty much the worst dish I've eaten out in a long time and as it was prepared for us, I wouldn't recommend it. Gluten Free Veneziana Pizza The pizza wasn't that much better. Although a Gluten Free pizza base is never going to be as good a texture as a regular one, simply due to the lack of gluten, this one also lacked the yeasty flavour of a freshly made pizza. I also felt that it was also not cooked properly, so whilst crunchy around the outside and cooked on top, the centre of the base was, although not soggy, certainly not crispy. Finally we ordered desert. Pizza Express have gone to the trouble of adding a Gluten Free chocolate brownie to their desert menu, which is a great addition, though I'm a little confused as to why they haven't marked the three naturally NGCI dishes of Caffe Reale, Rasberry sorbet or Gelato as suitable for a gluten free diet? The brownie was good, chocolatey with a gooey centre and although it doesn't mention it on the menu, it did contain nuts, so may not be suitable for everyone. It's part of their Dolcetti range of mini-puddings served with a coffee. A good combination at the end of the meal.

The Ugly,

Unfortunately about half an hour after leaving the restaurant I started to get those "you've been glutened symptoms", which meant an early night feeling sorry for myself. Luckily they only lasted about 24 hours. The previous time I was glutened I had bad stomach cramps for about 3 days, so I imagine that this was a minor cross contamination issue, rather than a dish containing gluten ingredients.

Understanding what a massive investment Pizza Express must have made introducing a gluten free option in to their restaurants and knowing that they've worked closely with Coeliac UK developing suitable procedures and practices, I can only put my experience down to teething troubles at my local branch which possibly needs to revisit their training, though the waiter that served us certainly gave the impression of being Gluten aware. I've spoken to other Gluten Free bloggers and although not every pizza has been perfect, no one else has experienced such a poor risotto nor being glutened.

I mentioned my experience on Twitter yesterday, without any mention of this blog and was promptly contacted by Pizza Express anxious to discover what had happened, which is great customer service and helps to give me confidence that this problem will be dealt with in an efficient and professional way.

Marshfield Ice Cream, nr Bath

We visited Marshfield Farm, the home of Marshfield Ice Cream for a tasty treat on my daughters 9th birthday.

We’d seen on their web site that the farm is open to visitors during the weekend and that there was an ice cream parlour serving some of the 26 flavours of ice cream Marshfield produce.

If you’re now imagining a glitzy, chrome, 1950’s Americana Ice cream parlour with roller-skating waitresses in rah-rah skirts, then you’re going to be disappointed, however if you want to see a beautiful Cotswold stone, working dairy farm, whilst tasting the most delicious ice cream, then you’re in luck.

The ice cream parlour is situated in a stone barn that dates from the 17th Century, story boards adorn the walls, telling the story of Marshfield Ice Cream and there are a selection of tables & chairs.

On a sunny day, just the kind when one wants ice cream, what could be more idyllic than to sit outside the barn, in the farm yard, with chickens roaming about, taking in the Sun whilst eating a luscious ice cream?

On the day we visited there were most, if not all of the flavours available, and these can be had in a cone, tub or as a Sundae. There also seems to be no problem having a little taste of a flavour first – and we were encouraged to try the new banana & chocolate flavour – this was a great choice for a coeliac like me, as unlike the previous Banoffee flavour, this one is gluten free, as are most of the ice creams – those that aren't are well labelled “Contains Gluten” and are in the main fairly obvious exceptions, such as cookies & cream.

As any 9 year old would, my daughter devoured her wonderful Rocky Road Sundae: 
two large scoops of chocolate brownie ice cream, Honey Comb Ice Cream, cream, marshmallows, chocolate sauce and as if that wasn't enough, she requested an extra flake, which was added without any problem. Her opinion was “Yummy and lush”. 

We adults were a little more restrained, just trying three large scoops each!

We made a special journey from the centre of Bath to the farm and would undoubtedly do it again. If you’re visiting any local attractions then I would certainly recommend popping in to Marshfield farm for an ice cream or two – especially on a sunny English summer’s day.