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Cookery School with Rosemary Shrager

The day we had been waiting for finally arrived! Two of our Witches...Phoebe and Catherine set out early this morning for a day of culinary magic with our favourite chef Rosemary Shrager. The cookery school is set in the idyllic North Yorkshire countryside at the swanky Swinton Park Hotel. We rocked up in Phoebe's tiny Peugeot and were greeted warmly by Rosemary herself who had coffee and chocolate brownies waiting for us. A dark cloud had settled over the dramatic landscape and Rosemary's cosy, warm kitchen sprung to life as we got stuck into the recipes that we would be cooking today. The menu was as follows: Soda Bread; Tomato soup; Prawn, Olive and Fennel Salad; Twice Baked Cheese Souffle; Rice Balls and Lamb Chops with Fennel, Peas and Mint.



Our gravity-defying souffles...yummy!



This, you may think was going to be quite a lot of hard work but under the watchful eye and generous praise of Rosemary we were chopping shallots and whisking up egg whites like the pros.



  We are proud to say that we were on the winning team and our beautiful, perfect souffles received woops and cheers from Rosemary as they were pulled from the oven (how smug were we!) The day ended with a sumptious lunch with Rosemary with all of the dishes we had created, chatting about her new cookbook and top tips and techniques. It truly was a perfect day, not to be forgotten. Culinary Bliss! Thank you Rosemary. 

 

David made us laugh in his racy apron...ooooh saucy!



 









To purchase Rosemary's new book go to:  http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/rosemary+shrager/absolutely+foolproof+classic+home+cooking/8135239/

Fame!

We could get used to this...swanning into the 3 Acres in our finery for a spectacular day of free food, free drink and being treated like a star, in our very own Sainsbury's magazine photo shoot. We glided elegantly into the 3 Acres car park after our near death experience, involving a head on collision with a giant tractor, we would like to say we arrived in a swanky limousine but alas dear viewers it was nothing more than Caroline's silver Corsa, with a temperamental exhaust, which trumped all the way into the car park. Amanda, of course, had made her own way there; choosing to arrive a little more gracefully. When we arrived we found Amanda had already installed herself at the bar with a glass big enough for her to swim in. After the excitement of being shown to our suite, jumping onto a few beds and having our make-up touched up by Kara, we descended into the Krug dining room.

And so began two exciting hours under the expertise of photographer Steve and Art Director Alex. This included a lot of reminiscing about past meals and funny stories, which, as the wine flowed got ruder and ruder. With mouths full of cheese, crackers and wine who knows what the final pictures will look like, all we know is we can't wait to see them in the September issue of Sainsbury's magazine out on the 1st August 2011, we're waiting with baited cheesy breath.

Tea and Cake

A year ago I turned thirty. Thirty? How had I got here? It was time to tick another box on the application form, I was older than Beyonce...there was a big three in front of the zero! On my thirtieth birthday I woke up feeling depressed that my twenties had left me and I had been pushed rather too quickly into my thirties, I wasn't ready yet...I laid awake staring at the ceiling trying to figure out...beyond the hangover whether I felt different or not. I didn't. But here I am a year later turning thirty-one and I actually feel fine, because for the first time ever I've stopped counting. Yes, I would like to be younger and now that I'm too old for Club 18-30 I'm starting to think that actually I might like to go...ok maybe not. I am after all a grown-up now and so for my thirty-first birthday I decided it was time to celebrate in a grown up way.

 Amanda, Caroline, Danielle and Phoebe all helped me to celebrate at Gerry's at Neaverson's in Huddersfield. It's a charming little tea shop in the town centre, decorated with teacups, bunting, white tablecloths and serving up a tasty lunch and a generous slice of cake. I love it, it was the perfect location for our sophisticated lunch...that is until Danielle declared that she had Phoebe's underwear in her bag...and fired a thong across the table at Phoebe's head. Luckily Phoebe caught it in time, or it would have landed in the middle of a table of women who were sat behind us! It turned out Phoebe had saved Dani from a fashion crisis and had loaned her some underwear about a year ago and so Dani was kindly returning it in the middle of lunch in front of the entire clientele at Gerry's!

I had a fantastic day...sipping tea with the girls and greedily tucking into chocolate cake. Unwrapping my beautiful presents, including an amazing Laduree cook book and feeling very grown up. Maybe my thirties won't be so bad after all, especially if my four favourite witches are here for the journey too...I guess that age doesn't really matter anymore.

Catherine xx

Read more about Gerry's in our restaurant reviews

June's Theme

It's funny isn't it how sometimes you can get a light bulb moment in the strangest of places and at the weirdest times. JK Rowling said that Harry Potter just walked into her head whilst she sat on a train, ok so this is slightly different but I did have a light bulb moment for this month's theme whilst scrubbing the toilet. I don't know what it was about the toilet that suddenly gave me inspiration but staring down into the toilet bowl there it was...this month's theme!

Thankfully it has absolutely nothing to do with toilets or scrubbing the bathroom, but I was thinking about the Intellectual Dinner Club and how this month I really wanted to set us a challenge, something that would inspire us, really make us work. I started thinking about school and the subjects I always enjoyed such as art and design and technology and then I thought, why on earth did I never pursue these interests when I was younger? I was always so fascinated by artists and designers, I loved learning about where they got their inspiration from to create something so amazing or quirky or sometimes downright ugly. And so there was my light bulb moment, there was the theme...finally! So this month I have decided that we are going to research a designer and find out about what inspires or inspired them. I then want us to look for our own inspiration, for example maybe each of us could take inspiration from our surroundings, another designer , a country or a pretty flower. Then what  I really want us to do is put some work in and design something based on our inspiration...anything... a car, a picture, a clothes line, make-up range...anything! I quickly threw off my horrible rubber gloves and sat and scribbled my idea down. For the first time I feel confident that everybody in the group will like this theme...including our toughest member Amanda! If she purses her lips I know it's a disaster and that she hates it but honestly I think I've got it this time. It is going to be a challenge and what with work and everything else going on in our lives right now I have no idea how or when we are going to get chance to do our themes...but I can't wait to get started!

Catherine

May's Meeting

"This is not the Golden Cock” said Dannii as we pulled into the car park of the Old Corn Mill. As a surprise to Dannii we had decided to dine at one of her favourite restaurants rather than somewhere she was less enthusiastic about. During the car journey we had managed to distract each other so well that not only had Dannii not twigged that we were  travelling in the wrong direction, but I ended up being locked in the car (Last time I sit in the middle again dammit!). And so began the evening of fun and laughter. You know the Black Eyed Peas song about having a feeling that tonight’s going to be a good night, well that song could have been written for the evening (rather than the dirty one

about lady humps). We were all in a really brilliant mood! Work had been particularly tough for me 

but I was looking forward to a good meal with my friends and fellow witches.

The restaurant was homely and cosy with squishy armchairs and comfy seats. The menu was traditional but with nice touches such as wine recommendations with certain dishes. Amanda took advantage of this and was very happy with her recommendation. Phoebe was struggling to choose her main and asked for a recommendation from the waitress. Unfortunately the waitress had not sampled either dish so was unable to help.

Our conversation quickly turned to Dannii’s holiday in LA which sounded AMAZING! She got a tattoo at the famous LA Ink, nearly got to attend a premiere with Johnny Depp, attended a medieval banquet and nearly appeared in a show until the organisers found out that Dannii’s boyfriend Dan was about 8 foot too tall for the costume! It’s Cathy’s birthday this month!!! We discussed parties she could have and discussed the possibility of an 80’s party. We shared our most embarrassing outfits from the 80’s and 90’s. (legwarmers and ra-ra skirts anyone?) which bizarrely are all back in fashion again and then struggled to think of any fashion highs in the noughties, which posed the question “Fashion in the noughties – what has it ever done for us?”
(answers on a postcard please folks!).

The meal arrived and was delicious. Dannii’s starter arrived and seemed to be comprised of 15 different types of fish all cooked in different ways. The mains were delicious and the sweets were very yummy. Thank god they had not committed the cardinal sin of putting dates or fruit into the sticky toffee pudding and also gave you a choice of custard, cream or ice cream. (Me? It’s cream all the way baby! None of this ice cream nonsensearoo). We had a true flash of the future that night I can tell you !! On the next table were 5 ladies of a certain age, well sweet Jesus they could have been us in about 20 years. There was the noisy redhead, the leader, 2 sweet ones and a slightly tubby one!! It was eerie seeing them. I’d like to think it was something akin to when Carrie sees the 4 new New Yorkers at the start of the Sex and the City film all looking glamorous and stylish, but only if it was set in Huddersfield and there were 5 of them.

And so it was time to come to our theme. I had set the theme and was extremely nervous as it is the sort of the theme which involves telling people what is in your head. (Never a good thing in my case) and through the medium of film. What was great was that we had all gone in very different directions, I ventured a bit close to dungeons and dragons territory. Cathy peered worryingly out from behind Julia Roberts, Amanda outshone Carrie Bradshaw in the wardrobe stakes, Phoebe wore nothing but a shroud of mist and Dannii, well Danii was superimposed onto Ariel from the Little Mermaid,.... badly which caused me to laugh so hard a bit of snot came out!!! The theme was about imagining yourself in a film, and to try and identify what that said about you. What was really interesting was that basically everyone got it bang on and without realising it. Amanda was super stylish and elegant, Phoebe could soothe a troubled situation, Cathy was a great and wise friend, Danni?? Well she’s just nuts (only kidding lovely xx)

And so ended a great evening. Can’t wait for the next one.

Caroline

April

Hooray it's Dinner Club time again and this month we have set our sights on the Fleece Inn, a popular pub situated on the edge of the picturesque hills in Holme, near Holmfirth. After a short car journey down windy roads we pulled up in the pub car park feeling optimistic  as the scenery really is beautiful and the pub looks welcoming.

We were  seated at a table in a cosy corner near the bar where we perused the menu. The Fleece Inn offers an a la carte dinner menu as well as a good choice of daily specials on the chalk board.  As we were served our nicely presented meals we quickly realised that this was more than just pub food, it was delicious and definitely more of a restaurant standard.  As we tucked into our dinner, the atmosphere in the dining room was freindly and relaxed, the service great, nothing was too much trouble. Despite the fact that it was really busy, the lady serving us still made time chat which put us at ease straight away.


Our conversation drifted from cake decorating, there had been a lot of birthdays and therefore opportunities for Catherine and I to practice our new hobby, to the Royal wedding. We discussed what we thought Kate Middleton's dress would be like, and the horrors of Diana's! And of course Prince William's receeding hairline came under scrutiny.


So finally to my Theme which was 'The Intellectual Dinner Club Desert Island Discs'. We have covered many topics so far during our time at the Intellectual Dinner Club, but music hadn't yet made an appearance, so I thought it was time for us to share our taste in music by choosing eight songs that represent different times in our lives. I was intrigued to hear what my fellow Witches would choose and how it would reflect their personalities.  Everyone found it really hard to narrow it down to just eight, Caroline declared that it was like having to decide which child to rescue in a disaster!


However the ladies didn't disappoint, some totally excellent song choices appeared and also some really surprising ones.  I cracked up when Catherine chose George Michael's 'Fast Love' and I don't think anyone saw my Gypsy Kings' 'Bambeleo' coming either! Ha ha! I enjoyed learning about Caroline's rock chick side to her personality and felt culturally educated by Amanda's choices, which she actually played snippets of on her fancy laptop.  

Those cool dudes The Gypsy Kings

  It turns out that looking back on our lives through music  showed us what a big part of your life it plays and that  listening to a song can immediately transport you back to another time and place.  


We left the Fleece  fairly late feeling full and happy and already looking forward to next time...

Phoebe x