Masala Bites, Cheltenham

Place: Masala Bites, Cheltenham
Booking Tel: 01242 530531
Website: http://www.masala-bites.com/
Price per person for a 3 course meal and 1/2 a bottle of wine: £25 incl. tip
Good for: Meeting with friends / students
Dress code: Casual

Pros: good Indian food for very reasonable price and in a warm vibrant setting. A great place for eating with friends on a Friday night!

Cons: limited dessert menu, however this is a planned improvement area, we did wait quite a while for our food – we were the last table to leave the restaurant and did not massively linger over dinner!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Read on for full review...

For lovers of Indian food there is an exciting new experience in Cheltenham in the form of Masala Bites - a Thali and Tiffin restaurant that opened at the end of last year. Masala Bites is the first dedicated Thali restaurant in Cheltenham and after sampling and enjoying Thali for the first time at a festival last summer; I was very keen to repeat the experience!Thali is a healthy balanced meal consisting of a selection of Indian dishes. Masala Bites offers a wide range of Thali main dish choices, such as king prawns in goan red sauce and serves all of them with rice, dhal, vegetables, salads and yoghurt raitas. Thali dishes start from £7.95, which is incredibly good value for money.

 

Masala Bites also offers a daily lunchtime Tiffin service with a simple menu of chicken, lamb or vegetable Tiffin’s cooked fresh every day. Tiffin boxes are a kind of Western equivalent of lunch boxes and are widely used in India for the collecting of freshly cooked lunch meals from the homes of office workers; delivering the food to them in their offices and then taking the box back home afterwards. Masala Bites delivers Tiffins in disposable boxes and they contain street bites (e.g. pakoras and spring rolls), dry curry, rice, chappathi, salad and yoghurt. The cost for a Tiffin box is £4.95, which is again excellent value for money. I only wished I worked in Cheltenham so I could take more advantage of these!

 

Masala Bites also offers a small selection of wraps and noodle dishes along with the usual side dishes expected from an Indian restaurant.

 

I visited Masala Bites on a Friday evening with a group of friends - there were six of us for dinner and we had booked a table for 8.30pm. When we arrived at the restaurant the evening dinner service was in full swing. The restaurant is open plan; however there is a rear section which has the feel of being a little more separate to the rest of the main room (a good space for a large party). The interior is suffused with warm orangey tones, soft lighting and chunky dark tables and chairs.

 

We were immediately shown to our table, which was in the front part of the dining room and surrounded by people in high spirits with a great buzzing atmosphere. In fact nearly every table was filled, which boded well. We ordered drinks and a selection of popadoms (spicy and plain). The spicy popadoms were crisper and thinner than the plain ones and were delicately spiced – I am definitely a convert!

 

One of the owners, Ubad, was quick to introduce himself and needed little encouragement to tell us anything we wanted to know about his new business venture! You could see that Ubad was very passionate about the restaurant and he has lots of plans on new ideas that he wants to try out very soon - a new cocktail menu and a wider range of desserts are a couple of the ideas on the table!

 

We ordered a selection of dishes ranging from tuna kebabs and vegetable spring roll light bites to shrimps with spinach leaf, panir jalfrezi and house recommended chicken with coriander and ginger Thali’s. The light bites were brought out first and the tuna kebabs were especially good, if not what we were expecting! The kebabs were more like grilled patties and consisted of a tuna and vegetable mix served on a bed of salad. The tuna kebab was really nicely flavoured and a made good starter / accompaniment to the meal. We all had different Thali main courses and the roasted chicken with coriander and ginger was very good, being delicately spiced and not too overpowered with heat or flavours. The jalfrezi paneer was a good vegetarian option and went really well with the other dishes on the Thali plate. The side dishes consisted of a lovely fragrant vegetable curried dish, rice, raita and a selection of Nan breads and chapattis. 

 

The dessert menu was limited in choices, being either a selection of ice creams or kulfi. We tried all of them – the ice cream was not local and not memorable, which was a shame as there are some lovely local ice creams in the West Country to choose from and the kulfi was the same. This is definitely an area that has room for improvement, however could be forgiven on this occasion for the good choice of Thali offerings.

I am already planning on returning to Masala Bites very soon and really hope that as its growing reputation continues to spread Masala Bites stays true to its roots of providing good quality Indian food, using local ingredients where possible and served with genuine enthusiasm!

T :-))

Ceviche a la Chris!!

I am very lucky to have a creative husband in the kitchen :-)) This is a dish Chris made at the end of last summer and I have just come across this picture whilst having a sort out.

We first tasted ceviche on our honeymoon to Costa Rica last year and were really keen to try it out for ourselves when back in the UK. I definitely recommend having a go if you get the chance. Google has tons of recipes, however this particular one was in the Guardian last year and was submitted by Tom Parker Bowles (Tom Parker Bowles is a food writer and journalist). The link to the Guardian website, which includes a number of Summer seafood recipes is below, however I have also included an extract from the Guardian website for the ceviche recipe as seen in the picture above.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/03/summer-recipes-seafood
The ceviche recipe is about 3/4 of the way down the page.

Serves four

• 1 medium-large sea bream (around 1kg), filleted, skinned and pin-boned (ask the fishmonger to do this, if need be)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
• 3 chopped jalapeño chillies (the proper ones, not those impotent Dutch monstrosities)
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tbsp Morecambe Bay shrimps, peeled
• Crisp tortilla, to serve

Slice the bream fillets into 0.5cm strips, then dice. Place in a large, shallow bowl or plate, then pour or scatter over the lime juice, coriander, tomatoes and chillies. Add a good pinch of sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper, and refrigerate for no more than 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge, stir in the shrimps and serve on a crisp tortilla. 

Enjoy! 

T :-))

Cheesy crumpets

Out of all of the days of the week Sundays are possibly my favourite! On these days I love lingering over breakfast with a pot of tea and the morning papers; however in my case it is typically the Saturday Guardian, as I never get around to reading it all on one day!

This morning Chris and I treated ourselves to cheesy crumpets using up some of the left over Christmas brie (leftovers are one of the great throwbacks from the Christmas season)! This is actually a breakfast treat that friends of mine from Bristol re-introduced me to during the course of last year. Their version included the addition of marmite before adding the cheese, which for marmite lovers out there is really very good and definitely one to put on your list!

I am sure everyone has their own method for making these; however my technique is as follows…

• Toast the crumpet under the grill on both sides.
• Add sliced brie to the top of the crumpet and place back under the grill until the cheese is starting to bubble.
• Remove the crumpet and spread the cheese as evenly as possible over the crumpet.

[now for the naughty bit] …

• Spread a small amount of butter over the top of the cheese, this will melt into the cheese and make the crumpet go all gooey.
• Season with a little salt and pepper then eat whilst still hot…

Yum… I hope your Sunday mornings are all special in your own ways!


T :-)

Indulgent (if a little lazy) roast duck with potatoes and green salad!

Firstly, Happy New Year to you all! I hope everyone had a great Christmas break and that you are all feeling nice and refreshed for the new year ahead!

As a very special treat (and one that my husband and I had been trying to enjoy since our 1st wedding anniversary on 19th December 2010!), we shared a roast duck supper on the final evening of our Christmas break. I had been really keen to try this recipe since seeing it on Nigella’s Kitchen show before Christmas, however due to difficulties tracking down duck legs over the Christmas period and then social commitments we were unable to try this out until the final day of our holiday. Having now tried this dish I can honestly say that it is one of the easiest meals that I have ever made and also one of the tastiest!

The recipe follows and includes a great Italian proverb for preparing the salad dressing, which I recommend trying as it can be used for any salad. We enjoyed this dish (and not just because it had taken no time at all to prepare) with a bottle of Marks & Spencer Pinot Noir from the Mediterranean region of France. A lovely medium bodied wine with a good level of acidity that offset the richness of the duck very well indeed!

NB. The following recipe is adapted from a Nigella Lawson one.

Serves 2 people

Preparation time: 5 mins for the duck and potatoes, 5 mins for the salad

Cooking time: 1hr 30mins

Ingredients:

For the duck and potatoes

• 2 Duck legs
• 2 Baking potatoes
• A few sprigs of thyme
• Salt
• Pepper

For the salad

• 1 bag green salad (we used watercress)
• Olive oil
• Vinegar (red wine is best, however a white wine or balsamic vinegar would work just as well)
• Salt

Method

For the duck:

1. Preheat a fan assisted oven to 180 oC.

2. Seal the duck legs on each side in an oven proof pan (I used a frying pan that can be put straight into the oven).

NB. You do not need to add any oil to the pan, as the duck legs contain plenty and will start to release this during the sealing process.

3. Chop the potatoes into thick slices and then into quarters.

4. Take the pan off the heat and place the potatoes around the duck.

5. Baste the potatoes in the oil released from the duck.

6. Place a few sprigs of thyme into the pan.

7. Season the duck with salt and pepper.

8. Place the pan into the oven for approximately 1hr 30mins.

NB. The Nigella recipe says cook for two hours at 200 oC, however as I was using a fan assisted oven I dropped the temperature by 20 oC and found that the duck was ready after about 1hr 30mins.

For the salad:

1. Place the washed green salad into a bowl.

2. Add salt, vinegar and oil to taste and stir.

NB. Nigella used an Italian proverb to prepare the salad dressing, which I absolutely love and will be using for most salads from here on!

Italian Dressing Proverb

Four people are needed:

A wise person for the salt

A generous person for the olive oil

A stingy person for the red wine vinegar

A patient person to toss until every leaf is evenly coated (cc. 35 times)

Additionally a fifth person can be added:

A wealthy person to add a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Enjoy!! T :-)))

Sunday dinner with friends in the Slad Valley

Okay this is not the most recent Sunday, however I was browsing through my phone piccies and found the one below taken at an amazing Sunday dinner in October chez Lucy, and thought I would write a few words of thanks!

Lucy lives in the Slad Valley in a typically rustic farmhouse, which is one of my personal favourite areas of Gloucestershire and a perfect setting for a very substantial roast beef dinner! Lucy had managed to procure a humongous rib joint of beef from a butcher friend and cooked a full Sunday roast with all of the trimmings. My favourite dish was the red cabbage, which reminds me of Christmas - my most favourite time of year! Also post dinner there was one of my all time favourite desserts, a homemade apple crumble, made with fresh apples picked by Lucy's fair hands from the trees outside the kitchen the same morning!

Just to the right of the picture is my lovely husband Chris who is in conversation with my equally lovely friend Julia, only you will have to imagine she is there as I have not got her in shot! Our generous hostess Lucy is next to Chris and the rest of the table is a mixture of joint friends of ours and friends of Lucy's. A great bunch of people and I think everyone will agree a great evening!

Anyway thank you Lucy for cooking one of the best roast dinners I have had all year. Especially big thanks for the apple crumble, Julia and I had first dibs and it went down far too easily!! Seconds were pretty much a given and it was probably just as well we had to head off fairly early! Looking forward to returning the favour soon.

T :-)

Monday looms and brings with it the first full week in my new job!

So... this coming week will be the first full week in my new corporate worldy job! I have just finished eight interesting (at times) and fun filled years as an energy risk analyst with British Energy and am now starting my new role as an internal auditor with EDF Energy. Slightly daunting, however I am a big girl now and just have to suck it up and get on with it! When I think about it most ladies my age have full time jobs, households and kids to manage so what am I really worried about? A husband and adorable kitty are my only ties, so I can really embrace the opportunity and enjoy myself! I have no idea what to expect yet, well... that's not completely true (!) I do have an idea of what the new role will entail, however this is the first time in my career to date that I will be working with new people in a new environment... A little daunting at the moment, however I am sure in a months time I will be completely settled in (fingers crossed...)!


One of the great parts of my new role is the opportunity to travel and with that the chance to try lots of exciting new foods, wines and to meet new people. Already I have a two day trip to Scotland scheduled for this month, a trip to Paris in November and weekly visits to London. I have had lots of advice from colleagues already doing the weekly commute, most of whom knowingly tell me that I will soon have to get used to eating on the go and all the badness that comes with that (!), however I am absolutely determined to make sure I fit in healthy and interesting foodie experiences! Time will tell I am sure, however for the moment I am almost far too excited to eat!

T :-))

Baked Camembert...

I have always wondered what baked Camembert is like and this Friday I finally got around to trying it!

I used the following simple recipe...

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10-15 mins

Ingredients: 1 Camembert, 2 sliced garlic cloves, a few sprigs of fresh thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
2. Take the Camembert out of its wrapper and place back into the wood (sometimes with a cardboard base) box.
3. Place the Camembert on a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray.
4. Pierce the top of the Camembert and insert pieces of sliced garlic and fresh thyme. NB. I like to use lots of garlic (i.e. 2 cloves), however you can adjust for your own personal taste.
5. Sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
6. Place in the oven for 10-15 mins, or until the cheese is melted.
7. Serve with warmed french loaf and a glass of full bodied red wine!

Chris and I shared one between us with a small french baguette and it was a perfect portion size for two. I loved the softened garlic slices in with the cheese and the thyme gives a subtle infusion of flavour. I will definitely be making this again soon... such a simple dish to make and really, really tasty!

T :-))

Eating out, what is the best way to split the bill - equally or pay for what you eat?

Payment of the bill often seems to be a sensitive issue when dining out and while reading up on this recently on the web, I came across lots of views on the best approach… split the bill evenly… work out what each diner has spent… split the food equally and the alcohol only between those partaking… let the most sober person work it out… so many possibilities, but which one is the best?

My husband and I often eat out at various bars, restaurants and cafes in the Cotswolds and depending on whom we are with the etiquette around how to split the bill varies. With close friends we typically split the bill equally and make an allowance for people who are not drinking, which to be honest pretty much never happens with our friend group! With close family a parent usually picks up the bill (!) or we split it equally, while with extended family we often go down the calculators at the ready route. I always find in this instance that it is a good time to enjoy a final glass of wine, while a more zealous family member diligently works out to the penny exactly what everyone owes. At least doing it this way avoids the not enough money from some people saga!

Unless we are out with the usual crowd, I always think it is a good idea to decide at the start of the meal what the group want to do with the bill. That way everyone knows at the outset what to expect and any potential awkwardness and unspoken questions such as "I am the only one not drinking and they have ordered another bottle of wine... I wonder if they are expecting me to pay towards that?" are taken away and everyone can focus on enjoying the meal and the company.

Anyway, my own personal preference is splitting the bill equally (making an adjustment for the non-drinkers) and if we absolutely have to go down the pay for your own meal route I recommend leaving it to the most sober member or the group while you sit back and enjoy one final drink!

What do you think is best? Split it or pay your own?

T :-))

NB. Coming soon the controversial issue of should you tip and if so how much?!?!?

Peanut butter chocolate fudge (little pieces of heaven)!!

Close friends of my husband and I call Sundays "Lazy Sundays" and devote the whole day to easy living, before their hectic work week begins - I wholeheartedly endorse this idea! Last Sunday inspired by their example I decided to look for a quick and easy sweet treat to make at home using ingredients I already had in the flat. Perusing the web I came across lots of recipes for peanut butter chocolate fudge. Peanut butter is one of my favourite toppings to spread on toast, crumpets, sandwiches and just about any other type of bread product, so when I came across the recipe and realised I had all of the ingredients to hand (well most of them anyway), I could not wait to try it out! Being a little short on caster sugar I made up the difference with granulated sugar. This made the fudge slightly grainy, however it still tasted really good and my husband's and my colleagues in our respective offices (aka my food guinea pigs) did not complain and the fudge soon disappeared... I am also going to put this one on the list to make with my girl guides this winter, as being young ladies they love anything to do with chocolate and this is right up their street!


I came up with my own version of the recipe (adapted from http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/easiest-peanut-butter-fudge/Detail.aspx)...

1 cup of icing sugar
1 cup of chocolate pieces (I used giant chocolate buttons)
1 cup of smooth peanut butter
1 cup of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla flavouring (optional)


Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, add the butter and stir until melted. Take the chocolate and butter mix off the heat and stir in the peanut butter, icing sugar and teaspoon of vanilla (optional). Mix until smooth and then place the mixture into a greased 8x8 inch dish and chill until firm. When completely set cut the fudge into little pieces and store in an airtight container.


A few ideas I am going to try out in my next batches are...

• Using crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth
• Adding a teaspoon of something alcoholic (possibly cherry brandy, as I love this and think the rich flavour would work well)
• Swirling melted white chocolate through the mixture after it has been placed in the setting tray to create a marbled effect

This was a really lovely little recipe to make and went down well with everyone who tried it. I will definitely be trying this one out again soon!


Happy sweet making!


T :-))

Festival cooking ideas

For those of you who like the idea of trying your hand at a bit of festival cooking this summer, here are a few ideas... NB. All of the following involve involve ingredients that do not need to be refrigerated.

Tinned food...
Any kind of tinned food can be heated by placing in the embers of a fire - just be careful when taking the tins out and remove the lid before heating.

NB. I know this is not really cooking and more just heating up food, however this is a really good tip for festival cooking as you can keep the tins stored inside a tent (or anywhere out of direct sunlight).

Baked potatoes...
Before going to bed wrap pricked potatoes in foil and leave in the campfire embers overnight. In the morning the potatoes should be perfectly cooked and ready for breakfast. If you have tinned beans with you, open the tin and place in the campfire embers to heat through - just be careful lifting the tin out of the fire and then serve over the potatoes!

Flat breads...
Flat breads are another good festival food and are easy peasy to make. Mix flour and water into a doughy ball and flatten into a round shape that will fit within the base of a frying pan, saucepan or even the top of a tin can. When making the dough experiment with adding different flavourings, such as salt and pepper or herbs and spices. Bake the bread in the base of a pan over an open flame. Turn the bread over once browned and cook the other side. These are really good eaten whilst still hot, straight from the pan. 

Bean salad...
This dish is really nice served with the flat breads. Open and drain a tin of mixed beans or create your own selection - I like to use borlotti, pinto and kidney beans. Put the beans into a bowl or whatever you have to hand, e.g. saucepan or a paper plate. Finely chop up two chillies and a couple of cloves of garlic and add them to the beans. Cut a lemon (or lime) in half and squeeze the juice over the beans, chilli and garlic mix. Season with a generous handful of sea salt and serve...

What I really like about this recipe is that the ingredients can be changed to suit your own personal taste. Try adding more chillies or anchovies in olive oil instead of the lemon juice to create different variations.

Smores...
Smores!! These are one of the best campfire treats and involve sandwiching melted marshmallows between chocolate biscuits. NB. See one of my earlier blogs on Smores for more details.

I am planning on making all of the above and hopefully some new ones at Glastonbury next week and I will let you know how I get on. Also, if you have any other ideas for recipies let me know and I will try them out too!

T :-))

My perfect omelette...

Omelettes are a great quick and easy dish to make and work well at any time of the day. Breakfast omelettes are good with cheese, mushrooms and bacon, lunchtime omelettes are good with fresh seasonal ingredients, such as asparagus and supper omelettes really suit rich fillings like goats cheese and smoked salmon.

There are lots of different views on how to make the best omelette, however my own favourite way is as follows.

• Beat two eggs in a bowl and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Melt a teaspoon of butter and a slug of olive oil in a small frying pan.
• Prepare the filling ingredients and have them ready at the side of the pan.
• When the butter and oil are starting to brown pour in the eggs and let them set for about 10 seconds.
• Take a fork and stir it around the pan a couple of times and then swirl the pan to fill in any gaps with the runny egg mixture.
• Leave the omelette to cook for about 30-40 seconds.
• When the egg mixture has begun to set on top take the filling and place on one side of the omelette.
• Leave the omelette to cook for a few more seconds.
• Take the pan off the heat and fold the uncovered half of the omelette over the filling.
• Slide the omelette out of the pan and serve with another scrunch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then enjoy!

NB. Lunchtime omelettes are great served with a green side salad and tangy dressing, like balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

I like cheese fillings in my omelettes, especially soft cheeses like goats cheese or feta, as they melt really quickly and blend into the lovely yummy eggy mixture...

So... there you go! This is my favourite way to make an omelette and my favourite filling. All that leaves is to hear how you make your perfect omelette and what your favourite filling is?

Bank Holiday food and wine highlights...

It has been  a while since I last blogged, however this is due to lots of fun being had over the recent bank holiday weekend, so hopefully forgivable! I do love this time of year... there there are so many long weekends to make the most of and it really helps blow away the final winter cobwebs.

To start the weekend in style on Friday night a friend and I enjoyed a great bottle of pink fizz with a plate of charcuterie and smoked fish, at John Gordon's on the Promenade in Cheltenham. John Gordon's are an independent wine and spirit merchant, however they serve a selection of food and of course a wide range of drinks every day of the week (10am-10pm Mon-Thurs, 10am-11pm Fri-Sat, 11am-9pm Sun). I highly recommend this place - not only for the great food and wine, but also for the very friendly staff. Pedro the chef was especially entertaining and very attentive!

http://www.wineandwhisky.netdirector.co.uk/

Saturday morning Chris and I headed to the Curious Cafe on Bath Road for breakfast. Mmm... I really like this place. The food is well cooked, reasonably priced and comes in very generous portion sizes. Not only is the food good and served by helpful waiting staff, but the atmosphere is great and the outdoor area is especially lovely. It is like being sat in a secret garden away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world... The owners have used a real mix mash of garden furniture, trellis and wall decorations and surrounded everything with wild, jumbley overgrown flowers and shrubs. A real little piece of hippy heaven in Cheltenham! The Curious Cafe is very popular and does get pretty busy, however this all adds to the casual, informal atmosphere and attracts a very cosmopolitan clientele.

No webpage for this one I'm afraid, however the address and telephone number are as follows: 204 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7NE, Tel: 01242 226 854, Open: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm.

Later that evening Chris and I headed over to a friends house for a very sophisticated dinner party. I was in charge of the dessert and three of the other guests were responsible for the canapes, starter and main course. We had a mix of dishes, ranging from homemade sausage rolls, cockles and lava bread, surf and turf Thai stylee and summer berries and cream - it was all really enjoyable and enhanced by the great company.

The rest of the weekend was spent at a mixture of bars and friends homes... Sunday evening we enjoyed a bit of a blow out ;-) in town centre bars such as Copa, the Slug and Lettuce and JJ's vodka bar. Monday was spent at a lovely friends house watching films and eating perfect pizza. All in all a great bank holiday weekend catching up and spending time with loved ones!!!

T :-))

Pizza Express £10 set menu voucher (for two weeks only)...

Another voucher from pizza express (starter, main course and drink for £10)... just need to click the link below and fill in a form to get the voucher.

http://www.pizzaexpress-offers.co.uk/?cc=PE_201005232W_CECWDECSOFFBSSANNA_A&email=theresa148%40hotmail.comforename&surname=Peacock&utm_source=ECOS&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20100523_Offer_Setmenu_Active

Enjoy! T :-))

Picnic in the beer gardens!!

Today is so amazingly hot already and after spending Saturday doing DIY at home, the lure of being outside has finally won! The plan is to head off to the beer gardens with a picnic, some books and the sun lotion!! The beer gardens are in the centre of Cheltenham and are a brilliant place to hang out with friends and enjoy a drink in the sun! Friends are joining us later in the day and my little brother is coming along too, however he will be studying (or trying too) ;-)) for his English Literature exam next week! I am so glad my studying days are behind me (for the moment)!!

We are going to really indulge with the picnic!! So far I have splurged on lots of Marks & Spencer nibbles - they are doing a great deal at the moment of 3 little dishes for £5- and we are going to pick up some fresh bread and cheese from the Cheese Works on Regent Street on the way to the gardens. Yeah! So much to look forward too and getting to spend time with people I love! What better way is there to while away a gorgeously hot Sunday afternoon?!?!

T :-)))

The Vine, Cheltenham

Place: The Vine, Cheltenham
Booking Tel: 01242 220 170
Website: n/a
Price per person for a 2 course meal (the Vine do not serve desserts) and 1/2 a bottle of wine: £25 incl. tip.
Good for: Meeting with friends / students
Dress code: Casual

Pros: Great atmosphere / quick food service / well stocked bar.

Cons: Inconsistent food quality / can get really busy at the weekend / no dessert menu.

 Rating: 3.4 out of 5

 Read on for full review...

Last Sunday I spent a very enjoyable few hours with the Cheltenham gang at the Vine for some vino and Thai food. Chris and I were not intending to stay too long, however after a particularly trying week for all of us (in one way or another), the red wine flowed whilst we enjoyed each others company and before we knew it 10 o'clock had come and gone... whoops! Not recommended on a school night!! The Vine is a traditional style pub that serves Thai food and as we were there quite early we were some of the first diners of the night. I like the way that food is ordered in the Vine, you fill in cute little food slips and hand them into bar. They remind me of the food slips used in Dim Sum restaurants, of which I have visited many, many good ones with some very special friends... :-))

To start we had a selection of vegetable tempura, duck and pancakes and a mushroom tom yum soup. The tempura was okay, however the batter could have been a little lighter and less oily, the duck and pancakes were fine and as expected, however the mushroom tom yum soup really fell short of our expectations. I was quite disappointed as I love Thai soups, however this one tasted predominately of fish sauce and nothing else. The mushrooms were normal white mushrooms chopped into quarters and floating on the top of the water consistency soup. I passed it around the table for everyone to try (to make sure that it was not just me) and everyone unanimously decided the soup was not amazing...

For the main course we had fried rice with tiger prawns, lamb massaman curry and king prawns with tamarind sauce (except they had run out of king prawns, so used tiger prawns instead). The food came out soon after the starters, and after my slightly disastrous soup (!) I was pleased not to have to wait too long for my next course. The rice was well seasoned and nicely flavoured and there was a good ratio of prawns to rice!! The dish was a tad greasy, however overall was enjoyable and a very generous portion. In fact the dish could easily be shared between two people with a side portion of the malay bread. The lamb massaman curry had people divided. One of the group felt that the sauce was nicely flavoured, however thought that the meat did not taste like it had had enough time to infuse with the flavours. Others in the group enjoyed the whole dish, particularly the sauce. Overall this one seemed to go down quite well. The tiger prawns with tamarind sauce was probably the nicest dish out of the bunch and was cleared away fairly swiftly!!

After the main course we all felt the need for something sweet. The Vine does not offer desserts, so we decided to descend on Bella Pasta for sweet goodness (!) and yes you guessed  it another bottle of wine... NB. I did feel absolutely awful at work on the Monday and have definitely learnt a lesson (lets just hope I take it on board)!! Anyway, Bella Pasta is another story and not one for now ;-))

Overall our experience at the Vine was enjoyable, however this was mainly due to the company, the setting and the wine. The food was reasonable, but could have been better - this is the main area that pulled my rating down. We passed our comments back to the waiting staff (in particular letting them know about the soup) and were told that they have two chefs, who both have slightly different styles. Potentially if we had visited when the other chef was on, this review may have come out slightly differently... For the moment though, I do not think we will be hurrying back to the Vine, especially when there are so many other places in Cheltenham to try!

Foodie experiences this week - The Vine, Cheltenham & The Bathurst Arms, North Cerney a quick update..!

This week has been really hectic so far, however I have managed to squeeze in a couple of foodie experiences!! Sunday night was spent at the Vine in Cheltenham for dinner, which is a great venue good for meeting up with friends. I'm not completely convinced on the food though and more details will follow in my full review. Then last night after guides, I went for a very yummy country pub dinner with my dad at the Bathurst Arms in North Cerney, Cirencester. The Bathurst Arms in particular is definitely worth a visit, they have a new head chef and the menu is now uber stylish with great dishes such as pan roasted pork with spring onion mash and crispy pigs ear and slow roasted lamb shank with wild garlic mash and caramelised onion gravy. Wild garlic is one of my favourite country smells (it oddly lifts my spirits is a very healing way)!! and it was great to see this kind of local wild ingredient used in the dishes. I also spotted a wild garlic and potato soup on the starter menu, which sounded scrummy and is definitely on my hit list for a future visit. Additionally the Bathurst Arms has one of the most impressive wine cellars I have seen in the area, which for me is a real delight! I love, love, love having a great selection of wines to choose from and also the benefit of staff who know what they are going on about to help you choose! I will write up full reviews of these places very soon, however I just wanted to give you a heads up before then!

T :-))

S'MORES!!!

As the summer is finally nearly upon us and with that the promise of long warm nights sat around a campfire, it is time to think about all of the yummy food that comes with that, in particular s'mores! While some of you will be drooling at the mouth at the mere mention of a s'more, others will probably be wondering on earth I am going on about! Well... a s'more is a campfire treat that is popular in the US and Canada, however has now crossed the pond and is proving just as popular in the UK. In the US s'mores are traditionally made by sandwiching a roasted marshmallow between two crackers, one of which is covered with a layer of chocolate. The idea is that once the marshmallow has started to brown on the outside, the inside will be all gooey and runny and when placed in between the crackers will melt with the chocolate into a scrummy, sweet, sticky mess! Additionally, I have just discovered that for a bit of variation one of the crackers could be spread with peanut butter (oh good god pure heaven)!!

There is some debate about the best way to make a smore, my personal favourite (to date) is sandwiching a melted marshmallow between two milk chocolate digestive biscuits... mmm... yummy, yummy, yummy!!! However having just found out about the peanut butter idea I think I am going to have a new favourite just as soon as I can test it out!!! Also, why have I not thought of this before?!?!? Peanut butter, marshmallow and chocolate are an obvious match made in heaven!!

Anyway this is a highly recommended and a particularly fun and social treat to make. I have yet to meet a single person who does not enjoy these! So happy s'moreing and let me know what you think if you try them out and also if you come up with any new variations!

T :-))

Dominos - any pizza any size £9.99 delivered (Gloucester)

Just had this offer through from Dominos - any pizza any size £9.99 delivered (Gloucester). Offer expires Sunday 16th May 2010. Call 01452 527222 or order online. T&C apply.

Enjoy!!

Angora Meze Bar, Cheltenham

Place: Angora Meze Bar, Cheltenham
Booking Tel: 01242 230 642
Website: http://www.angoramezebar.co.uk/
Price per person for a 3 course meal and 1/2 a bottle of wine: £25 incl. tip.
Good for: Meeting with friends / students
Dress code: Casual


Pro's: Good alternative to places like La Tasca when looking for small dishes to share with friends over a bottle of wine / very reasonably priced (currently running a £15 per person for two or more, set 3 course menu offer, excl. drinks - see website for details).


Con's: Very quiet / the wine list could be a little more extensive / a little out of the way (opposite JJ's on Albion Street).


Rating: 3.6 out of 5


Read on for full review...


Sunday nights are generally spent with the Cheltenham gang, recovering from a hectic weekend over a couple of bottles of wine and some restorative nosh! Last Sunday four of us met at the Angora Meze Bar in Cheltenham, which is a family run Turkish restaurant. Admittedly we were the only diners during the 2 hours we were there, however the food was surprisingly good quality, full of flavour and very reasonably priced. The staff were extremely attentive and the chef even helped to bring the dishes to the table, whilst constantly checking to make sure that everything was okay.


To start we went for a selection of hot and cold meze, which included Ezme (a chopped tomato, parsley and walnut dish with spices), fasulye pilake (white beans in tomato sauce) and grilled sebze (aubergine and courgette brushed with olive oil and served with garlic yogurt). The meze were served with plenty of pitta bread and washed down with a bottle of the house red. All of the dishes were as described on the menu. The Ezme was a little unusual, as the chopped walnuts gave the dish a strange texture, however everyone enjoyed the starters and there was nothing left when the waiter came to clear the plates away (always a good sign)!


We all selected a different main course. I originally enquired about the fish of the day, however the chef advised that there was no fresh fish available due to it being a Sunday and their deliveries being in the week (nice to know that they only like to serve fresh fish). Instead I went for the Iskender Kebab which was described as thinly sliced lamb, served over tomato sauce on pitta bread with a portion of yogurt. When the dish came out the lamb was actually more like rolls of minced lamb, similar to how they would be if they were cooked on a skewer. Despite not being what I had expected, the lamb was well spiced and the tomato sauce made a great accompaniment to the lamb. A generous dollop of yogurt on the side, the soft doughy pitta underneath and an extra bonus in a small portion of rice (which was not stated in the menu description) made this dish really well balanced and filling. Overall highly recommended. The rest of the group went for a lamb shish kebab, a chicken shish kebab and a turkish pizza of ground lamb and chopped vegetables. The pizza was easily enough for two to share, as is came sliced into four pieces that hung over the edges of the plate. The base was very thin, however the pizza was still filling and as a group we did not manage to finish what our friend could not manage to eat! The shish kebabs were well cooked and the meat was tender. Overall the main courses were like the starters, full of flavour and well prepared and washed down with another bottle of the house red ;-) !!


Despite being rather full from the starters and main courses, we decided it would be a crying shame not to complete the experience and sample the home made baklava dessert! We were not disappointed, it was well worth trying and made a great finish to an enjoyable meal.


Overall the meal was good and the staff were friendly and attentive. The only areas that pulled down my rating were the wine list (which was limited to one type of each colour) and the setting being a little lacking in atmosphere, due to the restaurant being so empty (however this may be different if you went in after 9pm). I will definitely be revisiting soon, so my husband can sample the yummy kebabs!

My first post!

Quite a few people have been telling me that I should stop talking and start writing about anything and everything! I have decided to whittle that down to all things foody and to get things started I have posted an 2 for 1 offer for Pizza Express from times.co.uk (see next post).

At the moment my planned future blogs include...

• My favourite sweet recipes (good for all kids of all ages ;-))) and including my secret (!) recipe for peanut butter fudge!
• Campfire cooking ideas (for the nearly upon us festival season and also for my upcoming brother/sister family camping weekend, where for one weekend a year I subject my younger siblings to a weekend with very basic facilities - poor Soph)!!!
• Reviews of the best (or worst) eating places that Cheltenham has to offer. My first review will be on the recently visited Turkish restaurant, the Angora Meze Bar on Albion Street...

I'll post again soon (and feel free to hassle me if I take too long)!

NB. All comments / ideas / feedback are welcome!!

T :-))))))