An Old friend, one i will never forget.

 

23 years ago I met a man I will never forget, he was a retired chef from Switzerland.

Our first meeting was at Sepp’s house, I was the young man his daughter had been going out with for a while, an Englishman that stood out like a sore thumb in Northern Ireland.

At the time we met, Zoe my now wife was on holiday with her friends, flights had been delayed hence her not being home when I arrived.

Sepp was a gentleman I was invited in to wait, this was an experience in its self, I wasn’t offered coffee or tea I was given a glass of wine in a clay cup, and this was shortly followed by cheese fondue, this was Sepp’s form of hospitality.

Over the years myself and Sepp formed a bond that was very special, we both loved food, we both loved wine, we both loved home grown produce and most of all we both thought the world of Zoe and the beautiful two children she brought into the world.

Sepp’s life wasn’t easy but he gave all he had to ensure his family were cared for, he was a fantastic granddad to Lillie and Fynn and will always be part of their lives.

Early September 2015 we endured a very sad day, in the early hours Sepp lost a long battle with cancer and passed away.

Over the past few months Zoe, myself and the kids have supported each other to get through this very difficult time, emotions are still high but we survive day by day, Sepp is a huge loss and always in the front of our minds.

Last time I was in Northern Ireland I managed to sort through some of Sepp’s culinary history, menus he had devised when he was a head chef, recipes he had used and trophies he had won, the man was one of the best in his field when he was younger, a chef I have always looked up to and respected.

Over the next few months I would like to share some of his recipes (Sepp loved the blog and what it stands for) they may be old but they are classics that every chef should have in their collection.

So watch this space, Sepp’s memory will go on and his culinary talent will be shared for you all to enjoy.

Sepp Zwahlen

A good cook is the peculiar gift of the gods.

                                 He must be a perfect creature from the brain to the palate,
                                                   from the palate to the finger's end.

Food Heroes

CARROLL’S HERITAGE POTATOES is a small family business based in beautiful rural North Northumberland at Tiptoe Farm.
Lucy and Anthony Carroll and their wonderful team work hard to grow harvest, pack and distribute approximately 17 unique varieties of potatoes specially grown to provide you with gourmet eating qualities – excellent flavours, textures, colours, shapes and a taste of history.
They provide you with an efficient next day, mail order delivery service straight from the farm to your door. You can choose from approximately 17 varieties, which will enable you to cook with some amazing varieties of Carroll’s Heritage Potatoes.

mailto:info@heritage-potatoes.co.uk

Recipe: Orange short bread

Ingredients

1 Orange
4oz Plain flour
4oz Corn flour
5 oz Butter
4oz Icing sugar

Method

Grate and zest the orange
Sift together the flour and corn flour
Cream the butter, icing sugar and zest until very soft and light
Gradually beat in the flour & corn flour
Pipe with half-inch nozzle
Bake in the centre of oven 350c for 15-20 minutes
Remove from oven and allow to cool

Recipe: Banana cheesecake

Ingredients

For the base
40 grms Pecan nuts toasted and finely chopped
4 oz Oatmeal biscuits
50 grms Melted butter

For the filling
4 Banana
2 tsp Lemon juice
3 Eggs
10 oz Cottage cheese
6 oz Caster sugar
Vanilla essence

Method

Mix the nuts and the crushed biscuits with the melted butter
Press the mix into a 9" cake tin
Blend or crush the bananas with the lemon juice, sugar, egg, cheese and vanilla essence
Fill the cake tin with the mixture
Bake on the middle shelf for 50 minutes at gas mark 5 or until firm

Recipe: Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients

Pastry
4oz Chocolate
2 oz Butter
4 Eggs
8oz Golden Syrup
6 oz Pecan Nuts
Vanilla Essence

Method

Line 9 inch tart tin with tin foil
Roll and line with pastry, and bake blind for ten minutes at gas mark 6

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double pan gently
Whisk together eggs, syrup and vanilla essence, then mix well with the melted chocolate
Stir in thr shelled pecan nuts and poor into the cooled pastry case
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the tart has puffed slightly in the centreand is just set, serve warm

Recipe: Tarka Dahl

Ingredients

6 oz Red Split Lentils
1 tsp Groung Tumeric
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1 1/4 pints Boiling Water
1 Onion chopped
1 tsp Ground Cumin
2 Cloves Garlic
Little Salt
Little Oil

Method

Fry chopped onion and garlic until soft, add the lentils, spices, water and seassoning, simmer for 15 minutes or until ready.

Recipe:- Sepps Wheaten Bread (Mums)

Ingredients

1/2 pint butter milk
2 cups self raising flour
1 cup whole meal flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 table spoon salt
1 table spoon baking soda

Method

Sift flour and salt, add wholemeal and wheatflour.

Before adding Buttermilk, mix the baking soda in the cup with it and add to the dry ingredients, mix to form a soft dough.

Knead the dough and place in a floured tin

Bake in a hot oven for 3/4 hr.

Sepps green tomato chutney

Ingredients
1lb chopped onion
2 floz water
5lb Green tomatoes sliced
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tblsp pickling spice
1 pint malt vinegar
1 lb brown sugar

Method
In a medium saucepan, cook the onions in the water over a moderate heat for 8-10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and drain the onions in a colander.

Transfer them to a perserving pan and add the tomatoes, salt and pickling spice.

Place the pan over moderate heat and slowly bring the mixture to the boil, stirring occasionally and adding just enough vinegar to prevent the chutney from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the chutney is thick.

Stir in the remaining vinegar and sugar.
Cook stirring frequently for 20-25 mintes or until the chutney is thicker again.

Remove from the heat and pour into dry warmed jam jars, seal the jam jars air tight covers, label and store in a cool dry palce. 

Fritz Zwahlens Fondue

Serves five

Ingredients
500g emmental (Grated)
500g Gruyere (Grated)
.5 ltr dry white wine
5 gloves garlic (Finely slice)
Corn flour to thicken (add kirsch to a liquid consistency)

Method

Rub the fondue dish with a piece of halved garlic, and leave it in there! Add the wine nutmeg and cracked black pepper and bring to the boil. Then add the cheese and stir once in a while, when all the cheese is melted thicken with the corn flower and kirsch liquid and bring to the boil. Enjoy with friends.

Great North run

With the great North run being on in the Northeast this weekend i thought it may be a good idea to share this article i found on the good food site.

A good diet filled with the right nutrients is an essential part of any exercise routine, but it's especially important for endurance events like marathons or triathlons. Follow our tips to make sure you bound over that finish line...

The C factor - carbohydrate

'Hitting the wall' or 'bonking' is every distance runner's fear. It might sound like an old wives' tale, but it's a phenomenon that can happen to anyone, no matter how much training you've done. It occurs when the body's carbohydrate fuel tank - the body's preferred energy source during high intensity activity that is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen - gets low and the brain and muscles show signs of fatigue. If you hit the wall during a marathon you'll know about it, every step feels like wading through treacle. You can avoid the dreaded wall by 'carb loading' before and during a run to maximise your energy stores, which means stocking up on lots of carbohydrate-rich pasta, potatoes, and certain fruits and vegetables.

The power of protein

Protein helps to rebuild muscle, so is particularly important after a long run to repair damaged tissue and stimulate the development of new tissue. Good protein foods to eat after a run include milk, cheese and yoghurt, white meats and eggs.

Be prepared

You need a different balance of nutrients at each stage of your training plan. With a few weeks to go, now's the time to try out foods and recipes to make sure they work for you.

A few weeks before

Your nutrition plan needs to kick in at least a few weeks before the big day. Experimenting with foods before and after a run and finding recipes you like is important - the last thing you need during the race is an unhappy stomach. Low GI carbohydrates such as wholegrain rice and pasta are good to introduce into your general diet at this stage as they release energy slowly and will build up your carbohydrate tank. The final week is the time for real carb-loading, so make pasta and porridge your friend. Be wary of gas-inducing carbs, however, such as broccoli, cabbage, beans or too much fruit, or it could make for an uncomfortable run!

Before long runs

A few hours before any long run, eat a meal high in low GI carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat to give your body all the nutrients it needs for the next few hours. Porridge with fruits, a chicken sandwich and fruit or a bagel and peanut butter are good options.

During long runs

It's important to replenish your carbohydrate stores during runs of 90 minutes or more. The body can only store around 2,000 kcals of glycogen and after a few hours of running, your fuel tank warning light will flicker on unless you frequently top up your carb stores. High GI carbohydrate foods are best during a run as they release energy quickly. Choose specially designed sport gels and isotonic drinks, or try bananas, oranges, honey, dried fruit or gummy sweets such as jelly beans. Fuel every 45-60 minutes during a long run, with around 30-60 grams of carbohydrate (120-140 calories) per hour (e.g. a large banana, white bread honey sandwich or energy gels), and don't forget to stay hydrated with plenty of fluids and electrolytes.

After long runsYou have a window of around 30 mins when the body is primed to replenish its carbohydrate stores and soak upmuscle-repairing protein after a run. Chocolate milk is a good mix of protein and carbs, or whizz up a smoothie with lots of fruit. Drink plenty of fluids too to replace water and electrolytes lost through sweat.

An interesting article i found today from the Irish post.

British and Irish beef among most expensive in Europe

BRITISH beef is the most expensive in Europe – and beef from Ireland is hot on its tails.

A new report by the Livestock and Meat Commission shows that beef from Britain has retained its top spot, with the North of Ireland coming in second and beef from the Republic in fourth place.

An increase of 22.4 cent per kilo saw the average price of British beef rise to 480 cent – the biggest jump on the list.

The North’s price came in second, after an 18.5 cent increase put it at 472.8 cent per kilo, with the beef from the Republic coming in at 405 cent, following a 13.3 cent rise in the price per kilo.

France and Italy made up the remainder of the top five – Italy coming in third place and France in fifth.

The prices for January are compared with December figures – with the majority of the 16 countries surveyed seeing a rise in beef prices.

The value of the sterling against the euro is thought to behind the sharp increase in beef prices in Britain and the North of Ireland.