NEWS

 Ifex in Belfast is taking place 29 April and is a international event  my good friend mr Sean Owens is the salon director and has put a lot of hard work into the event and mad it one of the best in Europe ,every two years jam paced with new and exciting ideas its well worth a look and you can register on line at wwwifexinternationall exhibition .co.uk or simply click
on to my site and there is a link their will be a live theatre were chefs from all over the country will be competing against each other in various events so why not plan a few days and have a look.
  

FOOD SAFTEY

Their has been a few recipes around advising people to leave their pork a little under done I would point out that this would not be good practice as pork carries something called tricanine and can make you very unwell so when cooking pork chicken and any poultry cook it all the way through.
 

TODAYS TOP TIPS
 

If you find that you are making stock and have some left over why not use a
ice tray and freeze it that way you will have made your own stock cubes and
can be used for soup sauces casseroles etcetera.
 

SPECIALITY OF THE CAFÉ. Chicken and ham pie with creamed leeks and thyme.

A favorite dish and can be served hot or cold .one of the first things you need to do is make short pastry no not a long laborious job quick and simple 8 oz plain flour 4 oz's of butter 2-3tablespoons of water and sieve the flour rub in the butter then add the water kneed until you have a manageable dough leave to rest in the fridge .next dice some cooked ham around 4-6 oz if you are in short supply of your Owen cooked ham use a gammon steak and cook and
leave to cool chop into even sizes and the same with a 6-8 oz breast of chicken chop med sized onion and 1 clove of garlic also chop bunch of thyme and shred 3 oz of leek, double cream  ,2oz of butter on you can begin. If you are making one large pie this recipe will serve 2-3 portions but I like to make individual pies so take your small dish and rub with butter and coat with flour and shake of any excess roll out pastry even and thin set in the mould and leave to rest in the fridge now hot pan butter and don't allow it to colour add onion leeks and garlic cook through add thyme and then cooked chicken and ham reduce with cream until sauce coats the back of your spoon and taste leave  to cool .add mix evenly in pie and pack together roll out pastry for top and bake for 20-25 min's at 170 serve with a potatoes salad
with grain mustard and watercress and enjoy every mouthful .