Are you, like me in a business where you get people telling you how to do your job? From pricing on the menu to the contents of the dishes, from sourcing of our food to how we cook it, we get enough advice to write a book (now there’s a thought). It doesn’t really wind […]
Previous published in the Northern Echo Put yourself in my position. It’s six o’clock at the beginning of the evening, the booking diary’s full, the staff are all briefed, the kitchen’s all prepared, the candles are lit and we’re waiting for the first diners to arrive. It’s quiet at the moment but within a short […]
It’s the season of leeks and potatoes – and there’s plenty of local ones available. So here’s a traditional winter warmer. This is a lumpy rather than pureed soup and is so much better than any tinned version. Like most soups, it’s simplicity itself to make. Why don’t more people do it? Don’t be tempted […]
Previously published in the Northern Echo Our lives are governed by rules: rules for driving on the road; rules for how we should dress for work, interviews and appearing in court; rules for queuing at the post office; rules for writing emails and letters; rules for eating food. Who invents all these rules? Obviously we […]
Previously published in the Northern Echo A recent recipe on here was for a beef pot roast and, if there’s any left over, the remains can be used for a cottage pie. Of course, you don’t need to wait for that though. If there’s no left overs, just sauté some chopped onions, add 450g of […]
Quality meat doesn’t need to be expensive. If you want fillet steak you’re going to have to raid the savings account. But there’s more taste in the cheaper cuts from the same animal. And we British have a long history of making delicious dishes using slow cooking techniques. Today’s recipe uses silverside which is a […]
First published in the Northern Echo One of the first pages I turn to in the Northern Echo is the letters page: Hear All Sides. It’s compulsive reading; even more so than in most other papers I read. People’s views are always interesting but one would assume it’s generally those who feel very strongly about […]
First published in the Northen Echo Some of the simplest combinations make surprisingly delicious dishes. This week’s recipe isn’t really a recipe at all because you could use so many different combinations of ingredients to come up with your own dish. It’s really just about having the confidence to give things a try. So, for […]
First published in the Northern Echo. Young Kieran at work’s just passed his driving test and, like the patronising old fool someone of my age can be, I started to go on and on about how insurance companies insist that this was now the most likely time for him to have an accident. Even though […]
We’re prepared to eat steaks and other identifiable cuts of beef, as well as the ubiquitous stewing steak where you can’t always be sure what cuts are in it, but many people are funny about the cow’s tail. There’s only a certain amount of meat on it but what there is is really tasty. And […]
Bill Oldfield 