An Interview with Chef Mark Greenaway and WIN tickets to the Foodies Festival, Edinburgh

If Mark Greenaway was a stick of rock, then written all the way through, it would say "Scottish Produce".  I had the pleasure of speaking with Mark and asking him a few questions about food and his style.

About Mark Greenaway
Mark Greenaway is an award-winning chef and restaurateur in Edinburgh, who received the coveted three AA Rosettes following the opening of his first signature restaurant; No.12 Picardy Place,  Edinburgh in 2011. He has continued his success at Restaurant Mark Greenaway in North Castle Street, and also appeared on The Great British Menu. Mark has received fantastic reviews across the board and been featured in some of the industry’s top publications and newspapers. With confident and assured cooking, using superb local produce, Mark’s menus are intriguing and his presentation is clean, modern and as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.

Restaurant Mark Greenaway

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your careers as a chef?
It has to be the produce that I use, seasonal produce in Scotland is so varied, from the first summer strawberries to Gartmorn Farm  duck.  When I get such good produce I just want to start experimenting.

What is your favourite Scottish ingredient and why?
Berries in the summer.  It's all about the quality and size of Scottish berries,  strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and brambles I use them all in my recipes,

What restaurant trends do you think will transfer to home cooking in the next couple of years?
I think the use of water baths will move into the home, they provide a level of consistency.  If you water bath a fillet of beef then caramelise it underneath you get a something really special.  The prices of water baths are coming down, so they will be more accessible for home cooks.

Do you think competitions like Masterchef have a positive or negative effect on the industry?
Masterchef, Great British Menu, (Mark has been a contestant in the Great British Menu)  all have a positive effect on dining out.  They allow people to see the standard that restaurants should be providing, many of them are simply not good enough.  Customers are becoming more discerning and looking for quality produce.  We need to support local producers like Natalie at Hebridean Sea Salt our Scottish products are as good if not better than others, as chefs we need to support locally sourced products, aim to cook with 100% Scottish produce.

If you were offered your own TV series, which country or countries would you like to visit and what kind of cuisine would you like to learn more about?
That's easy, I would make a series about Scotland, show people our amazing produce and learn more about Scottish produce.  I'd show the diver on the Isle of Skye who dives for scallops and Scotland's own chocolate company IQ Superfood Chocolate based in Stirling who supply chocolate to Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. Why shouldn't Scotland be a high quality chocolate producer? It's no further from the source of cocoa than Belgium or Switzerland!  We have to believe in our produce and promote it to the rest of the world.

Do you see what I mean? A champion of Scotland's larder through and through!  Mark Greenaway is just one of the top Chefs who will be at the Foodies Festival in Edinburgh, here's a little more information about the Festival and don't forget to enter the competition to win a pair of tickets.




Foodies Festival’s flagship event returns to Edinburgh Inverleith Park 7,8,9th August, celebrating its 10th anniversary with a three-day showcase of Scotland’s finest culinary talents and regional produce as part of the Year of Food and Drink Scotland.

Following the success of last year’s Edinburgh Foodies Festival - which welcomed 34,000 foodies - organisers are expanding the festival site by 50%, making room for new food and drink theatres, an extended Producers Market and a huge selection of street food for visitors to feast on.


Bee Keeping, Oyster Shucking, Sushi Making and Foraging are just a few of the hands-on masterclasses festival-goers can try in the new Tasting Theatre. Chocolate addicts can get an instant hit of coco with ‘How to Sniff Chocolate like a Rockstar’ lessons from Coeur de Xocolat in the Cake and Bake Theatre, which also hosts local bakers offering 3D cake modelling, Chocolate Making and Sugar-Craft masterclasses.  A complementing Chocolate, Cake and Bake Village is a paradise for home bakers filled with the latest gadgets and baking essentials – a haven for Great British Bake Off fans.


A new Wine, Champagne and Craft Beer Theatre invites foodies to take food and drink matching masterclasses with experts Charles Metcalfe, Neil Phillips and beer expert Melissa Cole. Gin and Whisky masterclasses are also available, with a daily cocktail-making competition between local bars to find Edinburgh’s Best Mixologist.

Jamie Scott

The Aga Rangemaster Chefs Theatre welcomes Michelin-star, celebrity and top local chefs who will cook their favourite summer recipes, inspiring visitors to recreate these dishes at home and experiment with new flavours and ingredients. Chefs confirmed include:

Michelin-star Marcello Tully - Kinloch Lodge
Jamie Scott - MasterChef: The Professionals 2014 winner
Adam Handling - Adam Handling at Caxton voted Scotland’s Chef of the Year
Mark Greenaway – Restaurant Mark Greenaway and Bistro Moderne
Tony Singh - TV Chef and food Author
Paul Wedgwood – Wedgwoods
Neil Forbes – Cafe St Honore
Jian Wang - Chop Chop
Graeme Pallister – 63 Tay Street
Colin Findlay - Melville Castle
Kim Atcharahorn Kaewkraikhot - Chaophraya
Ian McAndrew - Blackaddie

In celebration of the Year of Food and Drink Scotland, the Producers Market has been extended to showcase Scotland’s natural larder and abundance of quality produce. With over 200 artisan producers selling award winning cheeses and condiments, jams and bakes, confectionery, cured meats and more, visitors will be spoilt for choice for what to buy to take home and enjoy.


An extended Street Food Avenue at the heart of the festival serves up a huge selection of hot and cold dishes from around the world. Japanese, Thai, Brazilian, Argentinian, Indian, Mexican, French and African are just some of the cuisines visitors can tuck into in the Feasting Tent.


The BBQ Arena is perfect for fans of outdoor cooking with daily ‘King of the Grill’ cook-offs. Or for those brave enough, the famous Chilli Eating Competition challenges entrants to try and break last year’s record of 14 varieties of chillies eaten without a drink to win the Chilli Eating Crown.


After a day of feasting and fun, foodies can relax with a spot on the grass and soak in the atmosphere with live music from the entertainment stage and a refreshing cocktail, glass of bubbly or a Pimm’s from the Giant Pimm’s Teapot and Galleon Mojito bars.


Little foodies can explore their taste buds and learn basic cooking skills with Picnic in the Park themed masterclasses in the Childrens Cookery Theatre, where Kiddy Cook will show them how to make finger sandwiches, jellies and chocolate bugs.


Tickets:
Tickets are on sale now at www.foodiesfestival.com or by calling 0844 995 1111

Friday adult day ticket £10.00 (£8.00 concession)
Saturday or Sunday adult day ticket £13.00 (£11.00 concession)
3-day adult ticket £20.00 (£16.00 concession)

Friday VIP ticket £35.00
Saturday or Sunday VIP ticket £38.00
VIP tickets include a welcome glass of bubbly, access to the VIP tent with private bar and refreshments throughout the day, priority entry to food and drink masterclasses, a goody bag and a showguide.

All children aged 12 and under go free to all Foodies Festivals when accompanied by an adult.

Open times:
Friday 7th August: 11am – 7pm
Saturday 8th August: 10am – 8pm
Sunday 9th August: 10am – 7pm

Sponsors: Wines of Rioja, Baxters, Mackie’s of Scotland and Magnum Scotch Liqueur.



I have two pairs of tickets, with show guides, worth £19 to give away for entry to the Foodies Festival, Edinburgh. Simply follow the directions on the Rafflecopter to enter and remember if you don't win, you can use the code 'Foodies' to get a discount on tickets from Foodies Festival 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


About Foodies Festival:
Foodies Festivals launched in 2005 with a single event at an Edinburgh hotel after founder Sue Hitchen noticed a gap in the Edinburgh market for a food festival. Following its successful launch, which welcomed 5000 visitors, the festival expanded to Brighton and Hampton Court Palace in 2006 and continued to introduce festivals across the UK including Bristol, Tatton Park, Clapham Common, Battersea Park, Oxford, Marble Hill and Kenwood House. To date Foodies has welcomed over 2 million visitors and helped launch hundreds of new businesses and supported thousands of small producers.

2015 Foodies Festivals:
Brighton, Hove Lawns: May 2,3,4
Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park: May 15,16,17
London, Syon Park: May 23,24,25
Bristol, The Downs: June 26,27,28
London, Alexandra Palace: July 3,4,5
Cheshire, Tatton Park: July 17,18,19
London, Clapham Common: July 24,25,26
Edinburgh, Inverleith Park: August 7,8,9
Harrogate, Ripley Castle: August 21,22,23
Oxford, South Parks: August 29,30,31

Labels: Edinburgh, Foodies Festival, giveaway, Mark Greenaway, tickets, Top Chefs, win

posted by Janice @ 18:47 34 Comments

Love from Indie Street and an Edinburgh Giveaway

Do you have friends in Edinburgh, or love to visit this fabulous city?  If so you are in luck, because there is an amazing new concept called Love from Indie Street, where you can browse a virtual high street of Edinburgh's best independent businesses from your armchair and choose a personal and original gift voucher for your family and friends. From restaurants to florists and beauty salons to gift shops, there is something for everyone.

View of the Balmoral Hotel, Waverley Station and  Princes Street, Edinburgh  from the Scott Monument

It can be tricky (and expensive) to send gifts through the post and some people can be difficult to buy for, so we often rely on gift vouchers to make sure that the recipient receives a gift they would like and it arrives in one piece!  The difficulty with gift vouchers is that they are generally for large multi-national companies.  So Love from Indie Street,  allows you the flexibility of a gift voucher while allowing the gift recipient to choose from a range of independent retailers whose offerings are so much more interesting and original.

You can search for gifts by type: Children, Fashion, Food and Drink, Health, Home and Leisure, or you can choose by price or by occasion.  You can even set up your own wish list so you get the vouchers you would like!   I've picked out five different gifts, which really appealed to me, some are 'things' others are 'experiences' and  prices range from £5 to £95. There are many more options so please do go and do a little window shopping on Indie Street, I'm sure you will be tempted.


Handmade Chocolate and Hot Chocolate from Coco This voucher can be used to choose a hand made chocolate bar from Coco Chocolate's wide range and enjoy a hot chocolate in one of their beautiful Edinburgh Shops. A perfect stocking filler or secret santa present! from £5.00



Creative Cookware The perfect stocking filler for the budding chef in your life. Let them upgrade their utensils drawer or baking cupboard to take their culinary feats to the next level vouchers at  £25/£50/£100
Coast and Bridges Bike Tour Cycling is very popular, so what better for the cycling enthusiast in your life than this 5 hour, 42 km cycle tour starts in the heart of Edinburgh’s port, the vibrant and buzzing Leith on the east coast of Scotland. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants for a pre or post ride snack. The tour then heads on a beautiful route out of town to the north west, following the shore line of the Firth of Forth towards the iconic Forth Road and Forth Railway bridges and the picturesque town of South Queensferry. Where you will see the Forth Rail Bridge and one of the best views of Edinburgh as you look back along the waterline and then head back to town. £40 (other tours are also available)

Baby Food Casting  Isn't this just so special? Capture the memory of just how precious and small a baby is with a stone casting voucher.  An ideal gift for new parents or proud grandparents and is something they will treasure forever. The baby casting is of two baby feet, mounted in a beautiful box frame. Choose between a natural wood or white frame. The frame comes with a choice of three mount colours; Ivory, Baby Blue or Baby Pink. £80 (other castings are available)


Narcissus Flower School 3 hour workshop Treat the budding florist in your life with a voucher for a three hour workshop at the Narcissus Flower School. Perfect for those who would love to learn the traditional craft of floristry in a modern school, these practical, classes are suitable for the complete beginner with a new interest through to those who may be considering a career in floristry. £95

The options go on and on, there are restaurant gift vouchers, romantic hotel break gift vouchers, vouchers for handbags, gift shops, galleries and special gifts for children. All of them are delightful, and then there are Love from Indie Street vouchers, the perfect gift to give someone if you are not sure exactly what to get them but know that they love using Edinburgh's best independent businesses. You buy the voucher and they can then choose where they want to use it from all of the businesses that are part of the Love from Indie Street community. All they have to do is contact Love from Indie Street once they have made their choice and they take care of everything else.



I have a £20 voucher for Love from Indie Street to giveaway, simply complete the activities on the Rafflecopter widget to enter.  Due to the nature of the giveaway it is open to anyone over 18 (virtual voucher sent to email address) and not confined to the UK, however the recipient of the voucher must be able to redeem it at one of the independent retailers in EDINBURGH.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Labels: Edinburgh, gifts, giveaway. win, Love from Indie Street, voucher

posted by Janice @ 07:00 12 Comments

St Andrew's Day Out and St Andrew's Night In

Pupils from Royal Mile Primary in Edinburgh today (Wednesday 29 October) accompanied Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop in launching St Andrew’s Day Out 2014, encouraging Scots and visitors to Scotland to take advantage of the wealth of events and offers available across November to celebrate St Andrew’s Day.

P4 pupils Sophie Martin (chef), Angelina Wood (skier), Siaka Jateh (golfer) and Erkan Gullupinar (surfer), all aged eight, got into the spirit of the celebrations, dressed to represent the vast range of activities on offer across Scotland - from food and drink events and surfing lessons to skiing experiences and mini golf – all to mark our national day on 30 November.

Over 200 participating attractions across the country are offering 2 for 1, kids go free or free entry, presenting a huge variety of fun days out to suit every taste.

Culture vultures can enjoy visiting House for an Art Lover in Glasgow and the latest exhibits at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, while outdoor enthusiasts can take in the best of Scotland’s scenery at the Nevis Range, explore the countryside with Segway tours in Dumfries or go Nessie hunting at the Loch Ness Centre. Budding scientists can investigate the cosmos at Satrosphere, Aberdeen or learn about the world underwater at Macduff Marine Aquarium.

In addition to over 200 attractions in Scotland running discounted offers, there are a variety of St Andrew’s Day events taking place through the Scotland’s Winter Festivals programme, funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by EventScotland.  To find out what’s on across Scotland this St Andrew’s Day, and download your event vouchers, visit www.scotland.org/winter

Labels: Edinburgh, events, Glasgow, Scotland, Scotland.org, St Andrew's Day

posted by Janice @ 20:50 0 Comments

Mark Greenaway to join Nairn's Oatcakes at Edinburgh's newest market

Labels: Boxsmall, Edinburgh, Festival Square, Mark Greenaway, Nairn's Oatcakes, oatcakes, win

posted by Janice @ 18:34 0 Comments

A tourist in my own country

Yesterday, I took a trip to Edinburgh to meet up with my friend Tracey and her family.  We haven't met up for three years but it was just as if we had seen each other yesterday.  I travelled to Edinburgh on the train so arrived at Waverley Station right next to Princes Street Gardens and this fabulous view of Edinburgh Castle.
Tracey and her family were touring the Castle so I headed up there to meet them, it was great to see the trams finally running around the city, although they are only practicing at the moment so run without passengers.  When we were in Dublin we used the trams there and found them simple and to use.

After some lunch we headed back to Waverley Bridge to join one of the tour buses that take you round Edinburgh to see the highlights.  I've done the tour twice before, but there is always something new to see or some different perspective from a new tour guide.  However, the highlight of the trip, apart from meeting up with my friends, was walking up the 247 steps to the top of the Scott Monument.

Scottish National Gallery and The Scott Monument

Labels: Bus tour, cake, cupcake, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Scott Monument, Scottish National Gallery

posted by Janice @ 20:46 16 Comments

Win Edinburgh Book Festival Tickets

I have two tickets to give away for a children's foraging and cooking session on Monday 12th August at the Edinburgh Book Festival, with Fi Bird of The Forager's Kitchen. 

Read my REVIEW of the Forager's Kitchen with recipe for New Potatoes in Ramps and Lemon  I also made Honeysuckle Syrup from the book and it features in  Poached Apricots with Honeysuckle Syrup.

Fi Bird is a graduate of St Andrew's university, mother of six and a past Masterchef finalist who has always had a passion for cooking. She is self-taught, with an approach to food based on knowledge of tight budgets and limited time. Campaigning for healthier diets and for cookery teaching at Primary schools, she writes articles and recipes extensively for newspapers and magazines. She is a member of the Guild of Food Writers, and also develops recipes for Tern TV.

Fi and Dr Stephen Bird are the founders of Stirrin'Stuff, which works in partnerships to educate children about food. Stirrin'Stuff is committed to sustainable development and ethical best practice. Dr Bird has recently completed a course in human nutrition. In May 2008 Matthew Fort wrote that "Fi acts like a frontier food marshal. She gallops from school to school, from community to community, bringing with her experience, passion and boundless enthusiasm." when reviewing the campaign for his Round Britian with a fork column in the Guardian Food Magazine.

Here are the details of the cookery session:

Foraging for Food with Fi Bird

Create culinary delights with expert forager and cook Fi Bird. Whether you live in a large city, in open countryside or by the coast, there are plenty of delicious ingredients growing in the wild. And once you have brought your bounty home, Fi has hundreds of recipes you can use. Tasty treats await!


How to enter the Giveaway

Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below.  The prize winner will be contacted by email on Friday 9th August.  I will not publish the name of the winner until after the event but will pass on the name of the winner to Fi Bird to ensure entry to the event.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was not paid to run this giveaway, all opinions are my own. 

Labels: children, Cooking, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Book Festival, Fi Bird, foraging, giveaway, win

posted by Janice @ 13:33 1 Comments

Cupcake Decorating Masterclass!

I've had a really fun day today, decorating cupcakes!  When Jac from Tinned Tomatoes spied this class at 3D Cakes in Edinburgh, being offered on Groupon, she contacted me to see if I wanted to go too.  We finally found a date which suited us and Claire of A Kiss of Cookies joined us too.

It's a good two hours drive to Edinburgh for me,  I had planned on getting the train which is only an hour but with the Bank Holiday, the trains were disrupted by work on the line.  Luckily my SIL lives just outside Edinburgh, so Brian drove up and took his Mum over to see her after dropping me off at Roseburn Terrace.

Our Cupcake decorating tutor was called Sue and she started by telling us about 3D cakes and some of the unusual cakes they have made, like a lion and lioness for a wedding anniversary cake.

Sue started us off with flowerpaste which we learned to roll very thinly and use cutters to cut out butterflies and daisies.


The dusting and decorating came later, but I was surprised how easy it was to make an effective flower with the cutters.  We then moved on to the trickier rose, again helped by a special cutter for the petals.



Mine is slightly dodgy but it looks rose-like enough for a first try.  The leaf is cut from green flower paste,  the veining is part of the cutter.


We left our flowerpaste efforts to dry and moved on to working with fondant.  I love the little parcels with fondant bows and can see that I will be using these quite a lot.




Again I could probably do this better with more practice, but learning the technique by 'show and tell' followed by making them yourself and getting personal attention from Sue, really made the difference.


We also made some chunky hearts, I didn't use mine on my cakes as I had enough other things to use, they also look a bit rude ;-)


Here are few of the decorations before they were dusted and glittered.  I think I like the parcels better without the glitter.




We then learned how to make ladybirds.  They are rather large but that was how we were shown.  I'd like to try making them smaller, now I  know how.




I also cut out some little hearts with some cutters that were at our work stations.


We then made fondant roses, they took a bit of getting the hang of, but I think I may be making more of them. 




Now it was time to dust and glitter, dry brush for dust, so all that had to be done first, then damp edges and dip in glitter.

Here is Claire, working hard making something, look how fast her hands are moving!!!

And here is Jac, relaxing with her finished decorations.

The next step was to pipe the butter cream onto the 12 cupcakes provided for us to decorate and then place our fondant and flowerpaste on top of the swirls.
I haven't actually eaten any of the cupcakes yet, but  they do look pretty and I am definitely going to have a go at making more. 

Many thanks to Jac for organising the day out and to Sue for creating such a relaxed atmosphere.

Labels: 3D cakes, A Kiss of Cookies, cupcake class, cupcakes, Edinburgh, flowerpaste, fondant icing, Groupon, Tinned Tomatoes

posted by Janice @ 20:55 18 Comments

Lunch at Hadrian's Brasserie, Edinburgh

Today we went to Edinburgh for a Spa Day at the Balmoral Hotel. This was a Christmas present from my Mum and included lunch in Hadrian's Brasserie.  The Spa is superb and the treatments were excellent, it's not cheap, but is a lovely treat.

Apologies for the quality of the photos, I didn't want to take my DSLR with me so took the little Nikon L2.  It reminded me why I upgraded!   This is the menu which you probably can't read, the two course lunch was included in the Spa Day Package.

I had the Roast Pumpkin soup with Parmesan Croutons, it was very smooth although I thought it could had done with a little more seasoning.

The starters were served with a wooden platter of rolls, in fact they brought us a second serving of rolls, they were very nice although a little chewy.

We both chose the Sea Bream with wilted spinach, red pepper, baby artichokes and salsa verdi.  Now this was really delicious, the skin was crips and the flesh was perfectly cooked, the vegetables and sauce were also excellent.

Overall, I felt the menu was overpriced and although the food was very good and the service was very attentive, I don't think it was good value.  I stayed over at the Carrick Lodge Hotel in Ayr last Monday night and had a superb meal with excellent service that was a much better deal.

Labels: Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, Lanark Blue, Pumpkin Soup, Sea Bream, Spa Day

posted by Janice @ 20:30 6 Comments

Valvona and Crolla, Vin Caffe, Edinburgh

Today Mr Farmer and I went to Edinburgh with my friend Avril whose birthday was today.  You can find out why we were in Edinburgh on my other blog Serial Crafter but the foodie part of the story has to be told here!

Foccacia

Hummus with Crostini

We started with a selection of  Stuzzichini, we had the olives in a chilli mariade, foccacia and hummus with crostini.  The hummus was particularly good and had nice texture.


For my main course I decided, that after watching the Great British Food Revival programme about how we were not eating British Crab, I decided to have the LINGUINE CON GRANCHIO Pasta tossed with Crab meat lightly cooked with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, chilli and parsley.


It was a lovely plateful of food, really tasty crab and the portion size was just right.

PATATE ARROSTO Diced roast potatoes sautéed with extra virgin olive oil, seasoned with Maldon sea salt

We all enjoyed our food and a glass of the house white, and other than there being no-one to greet us as we entered the restaurant, the service was good.  The ambience in the upstairs restaurant was relaxed, with a mixture of business people and shoppers taking time over their meal.  I would certainly return to eat there again for an informal but special lunch.

Labels: Edinburgh, Valvona and Crolla, Vin Caffe

posted by Janice @ 21:53 6 Comments