Honey Wild Creative Food

WeGotTickets - Your Online Box Office - HONEY WILD ANNIVERSARY SUPPER CLUB IN THE SCOTTISH BORDERS

2012-02-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

WeGotTickets - Your Online Box Office - HONEY WILD ANNIVERSARY SUPPER CLUB IN THE SCOTTISH BORDERS

My Review of Honey Wild's First Pop up Supper Club in Edinburgh

2012-02-20T13:44:00.003-08:00

On Friday, I did my first Honey Wild 'pop' up supper in an Edinburgh town house in Morningside offered up for the night by Joe and Jim. They made a huge effort decorating the living room to stunning effect with hilarious place name tags by Jim above , pink flamingo plastic ice buckets bought from the in the The Camargue in France, colour co-ordinated tables with a beautiful array of gold and red place mats, coloured glasses , white linen and lovely flowers. The room was candle-lit and ready at 7.30 p.m. to recieve 18 guests comfortably. on three tables of six.

The menu for the night was an elaborate five course meal. As ever, all the food is prepared by me from scratch from the rolls right through to the petit fours and I believe passionately that this comes through in the quality and taste of the finished meal making it worth all the effort. Guests mingled before sitting down at their tables and the atmosphere convivial and spirited right from the start with hosts offering their guests a glass of Pamplerosa to kick things off.

Amuse Bouche in the form of verrines were handed to guests while still standing . These originate from France and are typically a combination of three main ingredients.where the flavours, colours and texture compliment each other and as the name suggests are designed to stimulate the taste buds. There are infinite possibilities which makes me love them all the more. I served Nicoise Crumble which is made up of layer of a ratatouille made in miniature, a layer of cream and cream cheese with olive oil and seasoning and topped with a crumble and delicately served in a shot glass. I also served Carrot Puree & Caraway Seed with Goats Cheese & Mint pictured below.

For the starters we served Caledonian Oysters www.caledonianoyster.co.uk. They were undoubtedly the star guests of the evening with even the non oyster eating guests praising the presentation which you can see from the picture below was stunning. The oysters tasted divine with the Bloody Mary lovingly prepared by Joe. We included a twist with some fresh horseradish and sherry ensuring it had a huge kick certainly judging by the faces of the testers earlier on.

The other starter was freshly made Tagliatelle served heated with Roasted Red Peppers, Pesto, Sauce Vierge, Capers, Black Olives, Basil & Parmesan. There a many different layers of flavours in this dish and was received well.

As a palate cleanser , I served Lime Sorbet with Mint Leaves. This to me tastes like diving into a cold pool in a hot summers day, it is so refreshing. Actually, at the last two suppers, I forgot to serve the sorbet and I nearly did the same on Friday. It gives you an idea how frantic it is in the kitchen at this point that we can ALL forget.

On to the main courses which were Beef Osso Bucco, Risotto and Purple Sprouting Brocoli, Asparagus & Green Beans and Pan Fried Sea Bass Fillets with Beurre Blanc, Sauteed Boiled Potatoes and the above vegetables. Unfortunately, there are no photos of these as they left the kitchen. I like to think it is because they were so good that they were eaten before Jess, a guest and the lovely person who took most of these photographs, got a chance. Her only option was to photograph the empty plates which I am happy to say was the case with all of the plates. I have also talked about these dishes elsewhere so will not discuss here.

On to the desserts. I like to give loads of choice because, quite simply, I think why not and I love doing them. The choices were Orange & Almond Blossom Cake, Treacle Tart, Strawberries with Limoncello & Shredded Basil and of course, Cheese. There was on even balance between all choices. I served them with Vanilla & Cardamon Ice Cream. I also had Mint Ice Cream which was utterly delicious but guess what we forgot to serve it! Not really sure what the guests thought individually of the desserts apart from the Orange Blossom cake which received high praise from one guest but again the general feedback was good. I am still eating my way through the left over treacle tart with its ginger and lemony tangs and nice consistency. The strawberries served in champagne coupes with the limoncello is a delight to behold and it tastes good!

And when it comes to the cheese , I have got Jade who effortlessly produces the mosts exquisite cheesboards I have seen in a while. I get all my cheese from Mellis in Morningside. I always try to choose cheeses that are a little unusual or just very good like Valdeon, Taleggio, Ragstone or Mull Cheddar. And finally the Petit Fours were served with coffee. I keep these simple just great Belgian chocolate sourced from Cocoa Black in Peebles, cream and a little butter and dusted in cocoa powder. Simple is good.

So that was dinner but the evening continued for a couple of hours or so. Here are some of the pictures of the after meal party which I was part of and of the team in the kitchen to include Wendy Paterson of InsideoutChef www.insideoutchef.com who answered a last minute call to help and came along and mucked in and taught me a few things I didn't know. Scottish Supper clubs are a relatively new phenomenon and this kind of helping each other out is fabulous and much appreciated. So there it is , a great night. Thanks again to everyone. Roll on the next one or come visit me in Innerleithen for the 1st anniversary supper evening to be held on the Friday the 30th March where I can promise I will pull out all the stops to make it a great night.

A well deserved drink at the end of service!

Pop Up Edinburgh preparations

2012-02-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

Went to visit the hosts house for Friday the 17th pop up in Edinburgh. They are making an incredible job of dressing up the space with beautiful table designs using lace tablecloths, beautiful crockery, etc all drawn from family heirlooms and plans for flowers, candles and flamenco ice buckets no less. I am excited about moving the operation to a townhouse although I will, at times, be out of my comfort zone i.e. I don't know where anything is plus any cook will tell you using someone elses cooker and oven is like leaving your blue blanket at home. It is also nice to hear your guests are excited about the event. Just have to deliver the food now - gulp, no I mean no worries ha ha!

Musings over the menu for March 30th Anniversary Supper club

2012-01-31T14:04:00.000-08:00

Pot au Feu

Many years ago , I ambitiously attempted Bollito Misto (Boiled Mixed) for a New years banquet in our house at West Preston Street in Edinburgh. I love what I had heard about the french new year where course after course of food is served throughout the evening. Food 'with' wine instead of just drinking alcohol which seemed to me to be the main idea of celebrating new year in Scotland! I can't remember much about the meal apart from getting help as I was out of my depth at the time (bless the younger me though for trying). I do remember everyone still drank buckets of wine and fell out. Ah memories! You can't change hundreds of years of tradition I suppose. The French version is called Pot au Feu (Boiled Beef) which I think is a little simpler in style though I have yet to trawl many different recipes to decide on the best recipe though I have a feeling it will be based mostly Julia Child's Potee Normande with a few bits of tinkering here and there. I am thinking about making this one of the main courses for the anniversary supper club rumoured to be on Friday the 30th of March. You can book now before everyone else if you like. It is made up mainly of Beef plus a variety of other meats such as pork, chicken, sausage (have seen a recipe with calf's head just ha ha, I will do that yet!) and vegetables carefully simmered for different lengths of times over a long period (5-7 hours) and served with the vegetables with various sauces. The French and Italian sauces are broadly similar but I may prefer the italian versions such as frutta di mostarda (fruit preserved in wine and mustard syrup) or an anchovy based paste to some of the French options as they just seem more gutsy, robust and complimentary to the meats. It's not an especially pretty dish to look with the crude cuts of vegetables and shed loads of meat but with the right cooking, it is going to taste amazing. In Mastering the Art of French Cooking , they say
"Here is the sumptious family-style boiled dinner which will serve 12 or more, and always makes a great hit with the guests. It is brought to the table in its pan looking for all the world like a plain pot-au-feu. The host starts the proceedings as usual by spearing out the beef and placing it on a dish. Then he finds a sausage, and after that a big piece of pork. Finally, to wild acclaim, he brings out a chicken".

This kind of serving food as a performance really appeals to me though I am not sure if I would be able to pull that off. I would like to try. We shall see. It depends on the number of guests. Any more than twelve... but I just love the idea behind this food as it is about more than just eating it. It is the whole ritual around cooking and eventually serving it that seems really meaningful to me.

More research to do which I may blog about if I get time and if I decide to do it. The other dish I am going to do is a Lobster Bisque. I will probably do it as an amuse bouche in expresso cups served with little croutons (I so love the 'everything in miniature' aspect to this delightful invention) because, to be frank , I can't afford to do anything else at £20 a head. This soup is ideal for this because of the intensity of flavour which is one key element to little mouthfuls of food. Bottom line, I really just want an excuse to put this Salvador Dali image into this blog because I love it.

Lobster Bisque Amuse Bouche

I Love Cakes

2012-01-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

Finally, I am getting around to talking about one of my favourite ways of spending my time, making cakes. This,I may add, also makes my family happy and I do feel home made cakes knock the pants off supermakerket bought ones. For one thing, I know what's in them and I don't have to worry about my child bouncing off walls as a result of additives. I can't really recall when I started loving making cakes. I have , over the years, built up a repertoire and thought I would include three of the recipes of some that have stuck and that I produce again and again. I will give you the recipes I work from though I do tend vary the quantities a bit here and there i.e. an extra egg to make it more moist or more of something to strenthen the flavour etc as I get to know the recipe better even though told I am counselled to stick to the recipe with cakes more than anything. Though I would emphasize I don't do that with new recipes.It's like learning the rules before I break them. In that way, I am not one of these cooks who can just get a few ingredients and throw them all together without even consulting a recipe and ta ta , masterchef! I am, I confess, a recipe addict. I check the recipe even when I have cooked something loads of times. Also, you can read of ton of different recipes for supposedly the same dish and learn new tricks to improve your favourite dish. However with cakes sometimes, I feel a bit like a charlatan taking credit for them. All I do is throw the ingredients together and stick the oven on. I am told by friends, as they take mouthful of cake, that cake-making is a talent. Oh ok , if you insist. It is always nice to think one has some talent since on reflection, cooking is the only thing I have ever been particularly good at.

Tart Au Citron

I have definitely earned the 'I know how to make Tart au Citron' t- shirt. I have practised and practised this one and spend my life trying to improve my pastry. Now I do take credit for good pastry. That is a talent and getting a compliment for my pastry is the one thing that makes me brim with pride. It would be an added plus if I got a new best friend who was also a pastry chef. So many different methods to choose from. I am gettng there. Having said that I got totally sick of the taste of sweet pastry when making a large quantity for a catering event. The trick which you may be aware is to make it the filling night before. This ensure a wonderfully tarte taste.

Recipe

Sweet Pastry
350g plain flour
pinch salt
150g unsalted butter
100g icing sugar
2 eggs beaten

Filling
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
275g castor sugar
190 ml double cream
250ml lemon juice
finely grated zest of 3 lemons

1) Sift flour on to a work surface and make a well, add butter and work with fingertips and thumb till very soft (I don't this, I keep it slighlty colder and use a pastry scraper to chop the butter in), add sugar and mix, add eggs to butter and mix and incorporate the flour. Everybody has their own way of doing this , I use the fraisage technique where you use the palm of your hand to incorporate the butter then bring to a ball , knead a few times, and pop in the fridge in clingfilm to rest.
2) Preheat oven to 190c and blind bake pastry for 10 mins in a 23cm round loose-based fluted cake tin
3) To make the filling, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar. Add the cream, then the lemon juice and zest whisking all the time. As I said, you could leave overnight to improve the flavour
4) Reduce oven to 150c, put tray on baking sheet and carefully fill. Return to oven for 35-40 mins or until set. Cool before serving.

Coconut Cake

I am always getting the words jumbled when I type this and I am sure I will end up putting the rude version on one of my menus! This cake is from Delia Smith and is a complete star. The combination of the fresh coconut (nearly did it again!) and marscapone and fromage fresh makes it taste like you have a very tasty piece of ice in your mouth. Very popular at my supper clubs. I created a friand version at my catering event in town before christmas, photograph above. I think there is scope to creat a really tall one for a wedding.

Recipe

For the Cake
75g finely grated coconut (I always use more than reccomended)
175g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
175g very soft bvutter
175 golden castor sugar (i usually just use normal)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the coconut frosting

4o g freshly grated coconut
250 g marscapone
200ml fromage frais
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 dessertspoon of castor sugar

For the topping
50g coasrly grated coconut (I use tons)

Use 2 8 inch (20cm) cake tins 1.5 inches (4 cm deep) and pre-heat the oven to 170c

1) First thing is put coconut in a polythene bag and break up with a hammer (or get your husband to do it, oh sorry that's just me) and remove the outer shell. Then use a peeler to peel off the inner shell. Now Delia doesn't mention that this whole process is a total pain in the arse and your hands end up feeling arthritic at the end of it. I have learned the hard way and brace myself or try to find an unsuspecting victim to help me. Then grate preferably in a food processor because if you haven't cut yourself peeling the inner skin off, you will catch it on the grater.

2) The cake is basically a victoria sponge with coconut in it. Sieve flour high etc and this is a good bit , just add all the other ingredients and go in with an electric whisk until smooth. If a little stiff, add some water until it drops off the spoon. I feel that this method minimizes the chance of the cake rising as much as it could. I am a big fan of the old fashioned method. However, by the time you have mucked around with the coconut, you just don't care anymore and once you put the two halfs together and the topping, it is fine. Now pop in the oven for 30-35 mins until a skewar comes out clear. Leave in the tin for 5 mins then cool on a wire cooling rack until cold.

3) To make the frosting whisk together all the ingredients. Put a layer on each half with a palate knive then sandwhich them together. Then cover the exterior of the cake with the frosting. It's a bit of a messy job and you just have to make sure the frosting cover the whole cake so the coconut topping will stick. Finally cover the cake with the fresh coconut (as I said I always make sure I have tons) . Now all you have to do is find a beautiful cake stand to put it on and pop it in the fridge to chill until you serve it to your stupendously impressed guests.

Friands

I started making friands a few years ago when I stumbled on a recipe in an unlikely book I had purchased dead cheap from a book club at work. I don't know why I like them so much, I just do. My freezer is full of them and my son regularly takes them to school for lunch. Other people like them too. The classic recipe includes egg whites, ground almonds, melted butter, icing sugar and a little flour then maybe a filling of your choice. There is no end to fillings from blueberry to chocolate, lemon drizzle, fig or combinations of whatever you like. I have found a huge variation in the recipes and I could definitely fill a book telling you about them. There's a thought, however that would require focus and I am easily distracted. They can be eaten as a little cake to have with coffee or served as a dessert with a dollop of ice cream and soft fruit . They originated in France and were called financiers to emulate little rectangular gold bars. Friands as they are also known now are oval shaped as above (you even get round ones partly cause the oval shaped tins are hard to find here I suspect) and have been championed by Australians and New Zealanders. Apparently, they can be found piled high in beach bars etc and are widely eaten and as popular over there as croissants in France or cup cakes here. I have an idea to start selling them commerically this year on a small scale of course and see how it goes. 'Lets make Friands' is my working title, my hubbie thinks it's a rubbish name? Everyone has pretty much loved them so we shall see. And another great thing about friands is they are a perfect way to use up any egg whites you may have. I just pop them in the freezer and have a friand-making day every so often when they start to overcrowd my freezer. On the flip side, if you are making friands and end up with egg yolks, you can make some ice cream which go perfectly with friands. Anyway, I feel I may be over-selling them to you now so here is the basic recipe. As I said above , the friand oval shaped tin are hard to find and in fact the individual tins are a real muck about . I invested in an 18 hole silicone tin which I got imported from France and costs me thirty five quid! I know! So if you would like to kick start my business you are welcome to order them from me!

Recipe- Almond Friands
160 g unsalted butter
90g ground almonds
40g plain flour sifted
165 icing sugar
5 egg whites
icing to dust

Preheat oven 210 c grease 125ml friand tins or muffin ones will do
1) Melt the butter in a small suacepan until butter deep golden, strain and set aside to cool until lukewarm
2) Sift flour and icing sugar into a bowl and if you can still see through the cloud this creates, add the ground almonds
3) Seperate egg whites and mix with a fork lightly until just combined. Add the butter to the flour mixture with the egg whites. Mix gently again until just combined
4) Spoon into friand tins until three quarters full. Pop in oven for 10 mins then reduce heat to 180c and cook for another 5 minutes. They are ready when squewer comes out clean and when the batter has shrunk from the sides of the tin. Again, I find this vaires with each batch. Remove and cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Honey Wild 'Pop Up' in Edinburgh Friday 17th February 2012

2012-01-28T02:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the proposed menu for the first pop up in Edinburgh. Two regular guests of my supper club in the Borders have offered their house in Morningside as a Honey Wild location which is true to the spirit of the whole supper club movement. Over half of the guests to last years' supper clubs travelled up from Edinburgh. In December, I did my first Christmas Canapes Christmas party in penthouse suites for a blue chip company. This was a great success and gave me an appetite for coming into the city to do more. I am very happy to be able to offer this ;'pop' up option in the city.
To celebrate Edinburgh's long love affair with this oysters, I am going to kick start the evening, by serving them raw with a Bloody Mary and a Virgin Mary Salsa. For the main courses I have been invited by my hosts to include my favourite main courses from last year's suppers. I am going to choose a couple of classic dishes which probably best represents the kind of food I like to cook. Firstly Osso Bucco using shin of beef which is a pleasure to cook and serve and was a big hit at October's supper with the meat literally falling off the bone and going very nicely with the traditional Milanese Risotto. Secondly I will cook Pan Fried Sea Bass Fillets with Beurre Blanc. I love the freshness and the simplicity of this dish. As ever , if you can't or won't eat the options or have specific requirements, I am happy to discuss this with you and come up with something that will suit. Actually, I quite enjoyed this part of the food last year. It surprised me how incredibly grateful and delighted people were that time was taken and they didn't have to feel the usual 'nuisance' that they tell me they had learned to expect when eating out. I would like to think this flexibility is a defining feature of Honey Wild and supper clubs in general. So here it is. I hope you like it!

Menu

Amuse Bouche

Carrot Puree & Carroway Seeds with Goats Cheese served with Pitta Triangles

Nicoise Crumble

Choice of Starter

Fresh Oysters served with a Bloody (Virgin) Mary Salsa

Fresh Tagliatelle served with Roasted Red Pepper, Black Olives & Capers with Pesto

Served with Fresh Home Made White and Brown rolls

Palate Cleanser

Green Apple & Honey Sorbet

Choice of Main Course

Beef Osso Bucco served with Milanese Risotto

Pan Fried Sea Bass Fillets with a Beurre Blanc Sauce Served with New Potatoes

Both served with Green Vegetable Platters

Choice of Dessert

Treacle Tart

Orange Blossom Cake

Strawberries with Basil & Limoncello

Cheeseboard

To Finish

Fresh Coffee & Petit Fours

Honey Wild first pop up Supper club in Edinburgh

2012-01-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Friday 17th Febraury 2012 at 8 p.m.

£25 per head BYOB

Menu to be published soon

A year in supper clubs

2012-01-22T11:35:00.000-08:00

It will be Honey Wild's anniversary on March 26th. I have been reflecting on what motivated me to start the supper club last year. I had been coming back to cooking on and off for years and had done a couple of personal chef jobs in the Borders for prestigious clients encouraged by my lovely friend, Caroline McNairn. As an artist, Caroline believed that everyone should pursue that side of themselves and totally backed my dream to eventually be able to live through my food and cooking. This was refreshing in my world where common sense invariably prevailed. I will always cherish the memory of stepping out of the real world and visiting her cottage tucked away up the hill at Hollylee to sip coffee with her & Hugh and talk about our hopes and dreams which we resolutely refused to give up on. One evening a couple of years ago, Caroline arrived at our house for dinner and declared that she had found the name to hang my dream on. With impressive sweeping strokes befitting an artist (my writing is awful) , she wrote:

Honey Wild and Manna Dew

on a piece of paper and handed it to me. She then pulled a small book out of her bag turned to the correct page and read out loud the poem "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by John Keats. When she had finished she placed the book on the table , took her glasses off and said with laughing eyes "Anyone can come up with Wild Honey but it takes a poet to come up with Honey Wild".   Her inspiration came from over twenty years ago when I had tried to start a catering business called Manna inspired by working on various events while working at a gallery in Edinburgh.  For easily the maddest year of my life, I worked as an "Administrator" at the 369 Gallery, a Bohemian contemporary and frankly sometimes ridiculous art gallery that had broken away from the Scottish Arts Council and was trying to go it alone. It didn't help that none of us were very mature and ran the gallery as if at one long boozy night out. It was doomed to failure but perhaps looking back now that doesn't really matter. It was the fingers up to the SAC at the time. Bizarrely, I don't remember doing a single administrative task.  I spent most of the time holding off creditors, tripping over drunk exhibiting artists from the Eastern Europe, conflicting with so- called colleagues and hosting several banquet style events  because no-one else would do them and we had already been paid! This was where my interest in food and feeding people as a celebration   was born and it has stayed with me ever since. At that time, I was learning to cook but was still pretty rubbish at it.  However , my friend Annie  was and still is a fantastic cook, a natural (I have worked hard to get here, she just seemed to have the gift).   it was the festival of 1992 that we did about three banquets together for the Independant, The BBC & John Smith, the nearly prime minister. We even did a gallery auction hosted by Robbie Coltrane. I can never stop myself telling my eye rolling 7 year old that I have met Hagrid. "Whatever mum"! That reminds me Caroline once told me that she was once Robbie's girlfriend and that she dumped him by leaving him a note, priceless and I didn't say "Whatever Caroline". Back to the banquets. We had just 48 hours, £300 and not a clue what we were doing. We were going for decadent, sumptious with food presented as though it were  a work of art in itself. We ran around town buying food from Valvona, Argyle Place and Victor Hugo. We hired crockery, crystal glasses, white linen etc . I am amazed it didn't get nicked although it did takes several hours to locate it all the next day when the gallery resembled a war zone. We threw red velvet drapes over a long banqueting table with an expensive beautiful Russian bowl as the centrepiece with Langoustines and Samphire spilling out over the top. We filled large silver platters of marinated vegetables , tray upon tray of smoked salmon, salamis, parma ham, stuffed eggs & tomatoes, huge bowls of salad and an array of sumptious desserts. We dressed in our best party frocks and suits and served oysters and champagne to guests as they arrived. It was opulant, decadent, elegant and over the top and we loved it. It was Babettes Feast! The gallery setting was perfect with brick walls and black cast iron gates on the windows . with tall gold candelabras burning evocotively in the corners of the room . They were inspired stunning events partly, I think, because they were impromptu. We even had a fireworks display at one event and I am surprised we didn't burn the gallery down years before it actually happened. Not long after that summer , I was sacked for being a crap administrator. Perhaps my job title should have been Events Organiser? Ironically and after a fashion, I have become quite a good administrator though perhaps if I had stayed crap , I would now be a full time foodie . I always say that no-one ever says " When I grow up, I want to be an administrator".Anyway, that is how the name came about though I shortened it to Honey Wild as the Manna Dew was too much of a mouthful. And I suppose it also explains essentially how I got here over 20 years later though obviously  other things have happened in between.

Here is the sad part. Caroline died of cervical cancer in September 2010, .It was really  unfair and all those things.We became good friends when she moved back to the Borders a few years ago and is my favourite artist by a mile with her paintings full of colour, optomisim and deeply complex ideas. I will never tire looking at them which is just as well as we acquired a few over the years.

In March 2011, I decided I would try a supper club which I had read about.and they sounded fun and something I could do alongside my other commitments. It also offered possibilities of satisfying my erstwhile craving to present food in a lovely setting. We converted an old mill lodge and have an unreasonably grand living room. The room looks amazing set up as a pop up dining area, candlelit and flooded with my mother's stunning flower arrangements.The first supper was more like a party with a good number of friends and family present. I read a verse from the poem and dedicated it to Caroline who I feel has been a big influence and has always encouraged me to keep going no matter what. Since the first, we have had well over 150 guests, some repeats and lots of new people. Everyone has been lovely and I can say truly 90% of guests (it isn't for everyone) have loved the whole set up which is different from a restaurant. Guests who have never met speak to each other, come into the kitchen to talk to us on the way to the bathroom, I often come and sit with the guests later on, the service isn't as professional as a restaurant and actually I am ok with that though we do aim to get the food out hot  etc. The suppers are alot of work. I produce too much .food for too little money. I just can't help myself. I spend hours trawling through recipes to create the right menu. It is a great excuse to try out amuse bouche such as ceviche, Nicoise Crumbe, Little Tarlets which I love doing but what a fiddle they are! , Starters have included Beetroot & Apple Soup,Creamy Scallops with Pancetta, Moules Mariniere, Chestnut Soup . Guests have loved my palate cleansers to include Lime Sorbet with Mint, Green Apple & Honey Sorbet.   Main courses have included Venison Casserole, Osso Bucco, Pan Fried Pheasant , Cassoulet, Sea Bass, Butternut Squash Risotto . I love making desserts and like to think I have managed to impress the guests in some part with my cakes, pastry, ice creams and yes choccy mousse! I am often totally out of my comfort zone as I feel I have to produce some food to order much to the stress of everyone in the kitchen. So far I have delivered but possibly at some cost to me and my helpers. It is true my family help me as well as some paid staff and I owe them a debt of gratitude which I am pretty sure I have failed miserably to convey. I do prepare everything I can from scratch (and I mean everything, rolls, pasta, stocks, ice creams, sorbet etc)   but that is nothing if I don't prepare it 'well' from scratch. Luckily, I am told I do not disappoint and whilst the little doubting voice in my head never completely goes away, the suppers have finally made me accept at some level anyway that

I do know how to cook.

And for me that feels really good.

Why I love Food and cooking

2012-01-20T02:33:00.000-08:00

Wow what a time I have had over christmas. I don't want to bore you but it included a busy time up to christmas with catering, a brutal eye infection which made cooking difficult to impossible, My sister had a stroke and she lives in Greece so I had to fly over there and for a while we were not sure how well she would do. She is fine, hurrah and making a great recovery though she is planning to sue Greece for giving her a stroke. Difficult times. My body then decided to cave in and I fainted in my hotel room and had a kind of a seizure which I am prone to ( hopefully they will work out why this times as it is jolly unpleasant when it happens) and ended up (again) in an ambulance tearing through the streets of Patras to the hospital from hell with an A&E department to outstrip any soap on TV. My poor mother now torn between nursing my sister in a hospital on one side of the town and me on the other. As ever, my life flashes before me and there is a moment if I wander whether I will make it through this time which melodramatic or not is how these episodes make me feel. Three days in a hopsital then a flight back home, Home sweet home. I love my home, my family and my cooking. It is a week later, my eye has cleared up, mentally I am in one piece and I am contemplating a small run (just a small one honest) and once again food, cooking and supper clubs. Actually I decided to throw together some chocolate mousse for dessert the other night while I hovered over my very experienced good cook friend and criticised her every move ( in the nicest possible way!). She got the last laugh as my mousse turned out spectularly badly. I had added the egg yolks too quickly. Worse still, I managed this twice! I still haven't got over the horror of this. At one of my supper clubs , I threw together about twenty near perfect mousses goddamit. Clearly I was not ready to return to cooking last week. It also reminded me that one can never be too casual about cooking. Every task , for me anyway, has to be approached with the right attitude or it stands a good chance of going wrong. Nigella Lawson says in one of her books " What I have discovered , after a lifetime of cooking, is that anything which holds true in the kitchen , is just as true out of the kitchen" I buy into that and I am not even really sure why, it just feels absolutely true! Cooking & food for me is just a reflection of life, full of infinite possibilities, a port in a storm and very very tasty! Thinking what to cook that evening, if I am not working or running around is one of my first thoughts of the day. It is part of the meaning of life, of existence and I am happy today that whatever real or imagined fears I have about living, food and cooking is one of life's joys. On that note, I am going to go off and look at some recipes with a fresh coffee, warmed milk and perhaps a slice of Lemon Drizzle cake. I am still in recovery after all. Karen

Honey Wild Christmas Party Menu for Client , Caliberi Interactive on the 9th December 2011

2012-01-02T03:20:00.000-08:00

Amuse Bouche

Nicoise Crumble with Goats Cheese & Cream Verrine

Dill Smoked Trout with Avocado Mousse & Crème Fraiche Verrine

Savoury Tartlets; Tiny Sun Dried Tomato with Basil, Wild Mushroom Compote with Thyme Jalapeno & Onion*, Caramelized Red Onion , Tarragon & Goats Cheese

Canapes

Little Bowls of Chestnut Soup

Seared Scallops with Boudin Noir & Apple Puree

Breast of Pheasant with Wild Mushroom Compote & Honey Wild Cranberry Relish on Fresh Mini rolls

Pigs in Blankets

Palate Cleanser

Apple & Honey Wild Sorbet

Fork Food

Beef Carbonnade

Chicken Fricasse

Fresh Tagliatelli with Gorgonzola, Walnuts, Spring Onions & Cream

Desserts

Strawberries with Basil & Limoncello

Fresh Coconut Friand Mountain

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Stem Ginger Ice Cream

Cheeseboard

To Finish

Petit Fours

Honey Wild Christmas Hamper

2012-01-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

This year I experimented by making Christmas hampers for my family and select friends . They were a great success. I kept the presentation simple using greaseproof paper and garden string to wrap the cakes and simple sterilised glass jars for the relishes. I also added othet little personal touches for example , an extract from the poem, "La Belle Dame Sanse Merci" by John Keats where the name Honey Wild comes from and a little set of stunning relish dishes. The feedback was that it was lovely to get such a personalised gift as everything in the hamper was made by me (OK I admit I am not a potter in my spare time). I am now looking into putting more hampers together to perhaps sell with the emphasis being on home made products only. Feedback would be welcome.

Honey Wild Christmas Hamper

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Sticky Gingerbread Cake

Christmas Tea Loaf

Cranberry Relish

Carrot & Almond Relish

Shallots in Balsamic Vinegar

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Petit Fours

Set of Relish Dishes

Bon Appetit!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and thanks for all the support for Honey Wild in 2011. Looking forward to 2012 where the possibilities include running more supper clubs, developing the catering side of things, blogging, cooking and producing some new Honey Wild products but most of all I will keep researching, cooking & serving fab food to celebrate the joy of life! Bon Appetit!

It is official I am a Domestic Goddess

2011-11-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

CRANBERRY RELISH
This year I decided I was going to give everyone Christmas hampers instead of actual presents. Honestly that Kirsty allsop sth or other has alot to answer for. This recession driven money saving idea will probably drive me mad (and my husband who has to make hamper boxes. He is a joiner and perfectionist to trade) However, it is also fun. So far making Sticky Gingerbread, Lemon & Orange Drizzle Friands, Truffles, Cranberry Relish, a Carrot & Almond Relish. The rest I am still planning and will fully address after the 9th December when I have my first big Honey Wild catering event , very posh canapes, some hot food and yummy desserts. I will post the menu shortly. (It includes Seared Scallops with Green Apple Puree & Boudin Noir (bought online as none in our local co-op strangely) . I need to work out how to get Honey Wild labels for everything which I don't have a clue about and next year I plan to dip my toe into the world of farmers markets to hopefully sell some of these products. Early days

Chocolate Fudge Cake

2011-11-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

Asked for recipe for this yummy cake on twitter so here it is

175g unsalted butter softened, 175g golden castor sugar, 3 eggs beaten, 3tbsp golden syrup, 40g ground almonds, 175g self raising flour, pinch salt, 40g cocoa powder. For icing: 225g plain chocolate broken up into bits, 55g muscavado sugar, 225 unsalted butter, 5 tbsp evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla essence. Two 20cm/8 inch loose bottomed cake tins greased & lined . Gas mark 180c/350F/gas mark 4. I made the cake first then then the icing but either way would do I suppose.
First cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and light, beat in eggs gradually , stir in syrup and almonds. Sift flour,cocoa & salt then fold into mixture. Add water if required ( I did but often add more egg than asked in the recipe as usually works better for me but did not this time and was pretty dry at this point), you need to get a dropping consistency . Pop in tins and into oven for around 30-35 mins until springy to touch or a skewer comes out clean. Leave in tin then remove and cool on a wire rack. For the icing pop chocolate, sugar, butter, evaporated milk & vanilla essence in heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat gently, stirring constantly until melted. Pour into a bowl , cool a bit then pop in fridge for around an hour until spreadable. Sandwich together with half the icing then over the top and sides making little swirls on top for fun. Cake done
We all devoured it for pudding last night . While the actual cake tastes similar to lots of chocolate cakes (yummy), I really like the fudge-like icing. This cake is on the menu for Dec 3rd supper.

Party time

2011-11-15T14:18:00.000-08:00

With bookings taking off , we are looking forward to our last supper club of 2011 and I feel the menu (see previous blog) is one of the nicest yet with a festive feel and lots of variety. I plan to include some Tapa & Mezze recipes to include Gambas Al Ajillo - Garlic Prawns seared with White Wine & Chilli. In fact, I realise have been doing this dish for ages without thought but a nice name always helps doesn't it. I am also thinking of a Carrot Puree with Caraway Seeds served with Pitta Bread Triangles to balance the heat. And that is just the Amuse Bouche! I have possibly changed my mind about the sauce for the pheasant and fancy moving to a richer sauce such as Prune & Armagnac which I feel is a bit more festive. It also means I can serve yummy Gratin Dauphinois which never gets tired, well not to me anyway. What else, I am going to add to the desserts, a Stem Ginger Ice Cream. I made some for the family at the weekend and it is a real stunner and fit for christmas. And this weekend I will try out some Filo Crackers for the Petit Fours. If this is all appealing to you, it would be great to see you on the 3rd. Just send me an email : honeywildandmannadew@gmail.com and join in our joie de vivre and not quite start of christmas, but definitely a nod towards it, celebrations .

3rd December Menu

2011-11-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

Amuse Bouche

Tapas & Mezze

Choice of Starter

Chestnut Soup served with Crispy Pancetta & Fried Croutons

Fresh Tagiatelli with Roasted Red Peppers, Olives, Capers & Pesto

Palate Cleanser

Apple & Honey Wild Sorbet

Choice of Main Course

Pheasant Breasts with Drambuie & Mushroom Cream Sauce served with New Potatoes & Roasted Vegetables

Swedish Salmon served with Dill Mayonnaise Sauce, Warm Potatoes & Cucumber Salad

Choice of Dessert

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake with Gold Dust

Seville Orange & Almond Tart

Strawberries with Limoncello and Basil

To Finish

Coffee served with Petit Fours

No more supper clubs after the 3rd dec until end Jan

2011-11-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Final menu for 3rd December soon. I am busy working on a canape /finger buffet menu for a fun christmas party that I am really excited about. Fabulous fun and grief researching, trying to get it right etc. Last supper club until the end of January so book now.. I am serious about family and christmas so am taking time out over the festive period and visiting relatives in the new year. Have decided to make christmas hampers with lots of cake, relishes and a few surprises for presents - a so called recession choice- it'll end up costing me more grief and money probably. Ain't that always the way. Pretty sure my 18 year old son won't want a hamper, a recipe for mum's pasta tomato sauce being quite high on his agenda "mum, since leaving home I have discovered I hate packet sauce" . Result! Alan, my husband /joiner/designer extraordiniare (he designed the house we live in , well after 3 years in a caravan in the garden, we have the t-shirt, ) will make the hamper boxes but he can't make any old box so no doubt that will become a drama. Christmas, such fun! Anyway, my original point was book now.

Saturday 3rd December 2011 Next Supper club. Menu coming soon

2011-10-31T04:11:00.000-07:00

Pheasant and Salmon on the menu

Ceviche

2011-10-29T02:59:00.000-07:00

At the last supper club , I made two ceviche recipes to present as my amuse bouche. They were a big hit. I worried latterly that they might be too similatr to sit together but infact the central ingredient of halibut in the traditional ceviche and the mozarella in the vegetarian version gave them their own unique flavour. Anyway, here are the recipes. Ceviche as I am sure you know, originates from South America, some sources say originally Peru. We are all pretty familiar with it. Because some people struggle with the idea of 'raw' fish as it isn't actually cooked (though is effectively in the marinating process) , I decided to do a vegetarian version. Again I did not get lovely photographs of the ones I did and they looked lovely. I realised at this last supper club how essential it is to record the event and the food especially when both are fab, just to share it and ensure my food and events are recorded Make this as amuse bouche to go with an apperitif or starter. Your guests will be dead impressed.

Ceviche

Marinated Halibut with Avocado, Chilli & Cucumber
350g Halibut (the best you can find, if in Edinburgh from Eddies Fish market in Marchmont)
1 tsp Maldon (it has to be Maldon, oh dear, I am starting to sound ike Nick Nairn) Salt
Juice 2 Limes
1 small red onion 'finely' chopped
1-2 green or red chillies (seeds removed) - really up to you how hot you like your food. You want a kick but you don't want your guest choking)
3 plum tomatoes firm, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 large avocado diced
2-3 tablespoons coriander chopped 2 tbsp olive oil.
Soured cream optional (quantities for four but really just a guide)

I served them in little glasses on a bed of gem lettuce with a spoon and little Tostades but you could put on a starter plate. and maybe served with a little soured cream to add another dimension.

Slice halibut thinly and mix with salt and marinade for 40 mins or longer. Should look opaque and not raw when properly marinated. Prepare all the other ingrendients and mix together, chill for 40 mins and serve

Ceviche de Verduras
1/2 Red Onion diced
3 Limes
1 Re Pepper
1 Avocado
1.5 Red or Green Chilli
200 g Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
2-3 Tbl Coriander Leaves
Maldon Salt & Fresh Pepper
Serves 4 ish
Marinate red onion and one lime for 20 mins. Chop all other ingredients. Drain onions and add to other ingredients with other 2 limes. Refrigerate 20 mins and serve.

Taste everything as you go and get those around you to do the same. The recipes are aa essential guide, not the law and you may want to amend quantities here and there. Trust your palate.

New books

2011-10-29T02:18:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks I have gone through a spate of buying and acquiring new cookery books which is very inspiring. My head hurts reading recipes. Here are some of the titles
Purple Citrus by Silvana Rowe- gorgeous photographs and recipes from Mediterranean (Eastern mostly) with her twist on it. She has a thing about edible fowers I notice!
Francescos Ktichen by Franscesco de Mosto - my book dealer friend to be referred to as Gus going forward (cause that's his name!), sent this home with my hubbie yesterday. Full of Venetian history, wonderful photographs and recipes as grand and steeped in history as the place itself. Great irreverent (this is who I am) photo in the middle of the book of Francesco with a fag in his mouth kneeling down by his stove- priceless.
Rick's Eastern Odyssey by Rick Stein - another one from Gus. Really interesting book from Rick with recipes from Cambodia,Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and so on. Ambitious to the point of ridiculous but fabby. However, I have a shopping list that in some cases probably necessitates a flight to these places. I am definitely going to try and acquire the ingredients for one or two, for example, I fancy testing Vietnamese Spring rolls I need to get hold of Vietnamese rice papers, dipping sauce etc, back to my last point. I do like recipes where you can just open your cupboard door- like pasta dough!
Casa Moro by Sam & Sam Clark- I love these excellent Spanish & Moroccon inspired books. Just bought this one but will use it tons and tons. I went on a cycling holiday to Spain when I was eighteen and can still remember the thrill of eating the most amazing food, simple with fresh flavours, in unassuming cafe's with TV's blaring. In Scotland the kind of place you would expect to eat a bacon buttie. I got served fresh tuna fish for the first time in my life. I thought it was divine and was probably my first reaisation that good does not generally come out of a tin. Anyway, my mum coming back from Morroco today which I have never been to. Looking forward to hearing about the place and especialy the food and will cook her something from this book.
Chocolate Recipes by Green & Black's going to try the chocoate crusted lemon cake today, a marrying of citrus and chocoate. Will let you know how I get on. Apparently one has to be careful with the pastry as the chocate can taste bitter if over-cooked.
Pastry by Michel Roux Some nice recipes. bought it to work on my pastry skills
Terrine and Verrines by Frank Pontais my favourite purchase this month. Definitely a caterer's book. The recipes pretty complex but I love it. Again ingredients and equipment to source.
and finally Jamies Great Birtiain by Jamie Oliver Jamie's books are a bit like Delia's or Nigella's , a complete must for your shelves. I dip into them all again and again though find most of them a bit irritating to watch on TV.

Oh what a night!

2011-10-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Friday's supper club was a great success with everyone getting into the dress up spirit and a fantastic atmosphere throughout the evening. It was a high pressure service with much of the menu been served to order which if I say so myself is no means feat for 32 people. We started the evening with a fish and vegetarian ceviche amuse bouche. Latin American in origin these are a delicious combination of lime marinated fish or in the case of the veggie option, red onions combined with different combinations of red peppper, tomatoes, cucumber, & avocado. Heat is added by the addition of red or green chillies and finished off with fresh coriander. Guests commented on how delicious the halibut-based version was. Guests arrived dressed in an array of outfits to include hats, feathers, scarfs, lace gloves, cleavage themed dresses, wonderful billowing skirts, red lipstick, sparkling jewellery and of course heels and that was just the men. We, the staff ,were all dressed up in Burlesque outfits tottering prescariously around the kitchen in our heels. The starter included a roasted tomato basil soup but the majority opted for the king scallops , of course they would. I sourced these from Eddies famous fish market in Marchmont. They were a big hit and VERY stressful to cook and get out seared and not over cooked as they should be. BUT...judging from the feedback we did it. They were served with an onion and cream based puree, pancetta and leek matchsticks. We forgot about the lime sorbet so served that after the main course. This may give you an idea of the pressure on the service not helped by a mooile cooker deciding to burst into to flames at one point. Alan, my hubbie, took decisive action and threw it in flames out of the window. A neighbour thought we were having a fireworks display! The main course had a set of demands all to itself. We served the Ossoc Bucco with risotto and green vegetables in a lemon & mint butter sauce which again mostly had to be addressed at the point of service The vegetarian option was freshly made open lasagna with wild mushrooms & asparagus and a nage butter sauce (Nick Nairn - amazing flavours in this). And lots of little issues came up that you just cannot second guess. By this time, we had started to get used to the stress and things were coming together nicely. I like when the last main dish goes out as we can all breath a big sigh of relief. I tend to go out and speak to the guests at this point whilr the staff soldier on with the desserts. There were some fabulous guests to talk to and all seemed happy to be at the supper club and incredibly postive about the whole experience. Again, comments of my facebook page back this up. For desserts I served coconut cake, sticky gingerbread with fresh blackberry ice cream and sorbet and little strawberry tarlets with creme patisserie. My pate sable pastry was acceptable ( I always worry about my pastry) & scottish cheeses from Mellis cheese. . To finish we served coffee and petit fours. Everything on my menu is homemade from the rolls, to the stocks, to the pasta, ice cream, pastry, petit fours. All my menus are throughly researched and recipes compared before settling on the final choice. Cooking is a passion and the supper club a labour of love. It is FANTASTIC to get the kind of feedback and vindication I am getting from guests that it is worth going to this trouble. I believe it makes a difference. The same applies to the sourcing of good ingredients such as local eggs, meat, fish and so on. Supper clubs are different to restaurants. They are typically run by non professionals in their own homes and while we aspire to great service, good food and a good atmosphere, there is always the caveat that it is in your home and therefore meant to be more informal than a restaurant. Guests were able to talk to the staff and wander into and sit in the kitchen after service lending a real party atmosphere to the proceeedings. I really enjoyed this one and look forwad to the next. Sadly I failed again on recording the event properly due to a last minute cancellation by a photographer who had been lined up for the night. There was a certain lady taking photographs and I am hoping she may be generous enough to share some of them with me for this blog. If any other guests took phootgraphs and is willing to share them , let me know. Thanks to all staff and guests for sharing in my joie de vivre! Karen

Strawberry Tarts

2011-10-18T05:02:00.000-07:00

Making little strawberry tarts is quite simply a divine self indulgent pleasure from start to finish from making Pate sucre to lining the pastry tins (you could amost eat the pastry raw it looks so good- I didn't), then the on to the creme patisserie with the lovely aroma of vanilla and finished with a dash of brandy. Then, as if that isn't enough the delight of topping the tart with delicious strawberries and glazing with red current jelly & more brandy. A sprig of mint, a dust of icing sugar. Done . Utter Perfection Like a beautiful child such as this which will suffice as a picture. Well anyone can post a photograph of a strawberry tart!

We might as well dance. Next festive supper club Friday 9th December 2011

2011-10-16T05:33:00.000-07:00

The response to the next supper club on the 21st October has been amazing with us having to turn away disappointed last minute bookings. Yes is a nicer word than no and it is in my nature to just say 'Oh just come along, I will fit you in'. But I am pushing the boundaries at 32 (same as my age ha ha) and am approaching the logistics of serving the food like a military operation as it is. So reluctantly , I am saying fully booked. I have decided to flag up the next date on 9th December (I will call it Relish Sweet after my twitter name) which will hopefully get everyone ready for the christmas spirit. Fridays seem to be a good night with the feeling that you haven't given up your whole weekend to come (we all lead such busy lives!). We are running with the Burlesque theme because frankly we love it. It is, we are finding, a huge amount of fun and seems to be inspiring staff and guests alike with the caveat always there that you can come as you are if you wish. I may even change the format to banquet style and have some fab entertainment. Let me know if you are interested in coming and I will give more details after the 21st. Off to town now to discuss hair, feathers and masks but no tassles. Oh la la!

21st October

2011-10-11T22:01:00.001-07:00

If a guest on the 21st , I need your menu choices ASAp, starter & amin, email me on honeywildandmannadew@gamil.com or message me here, or on facebook or twitter. Thanks

21st October 2011: Exquisite, Decadent, Elegant & Fun

2011-10-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

"I met a lady in the meads,
Full Beautiful, a faery's child;
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild"

For a bit of 'joie de vivre', we are adding a burlesque flavour to our evening with decor and dress up. As a guest, there is no pressure whatsover for you to dress up, we are more than happy for you to come as you are. Equally, you are welcome to join in the spirit using the 20's, 30's and 40's as a rough guide. The overall aim is to serve good food in a friendly, relaxed and I hope fun atmosphere. We are more than fully booked for 21st at the moment but it is always worth checking for cancellations which sadly do happen. For this & future dates email me @Honeywildandmannadew@gmail.com or message me on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Honey-Wild-Supper-Club-honeywildandmannadewgmailcom/191850110839266

Blackberry Ice cream

2011-10-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

This is delicious and dreamy and I accidently discovered that it is DIVINE with Sticky Gingerbread (will post that recipe seperately when I have time) when serving it to the family for pudding on Sunday night by TV. We started eating it as any old dessert, then we all ood and aad and had second helpings. I decided a must for next supper club. Adding a Blackberry Sorbet with Cassis elevates it to even greater heights. Here is the recipe taken from Blanche Vaughan's blog.I tend to look at tons of recipes when trying something new, choose one or two , practice compare, then adopt and hopefully improve on it over time.

1 litre of double cream

200 ml milk

2 vanilla pods

8 egg yolks

200g castor sugar

500g Blackberries

Ice cream maker

Heat cream and milk in pan with vanilla pods (scrape seeds out & pop in the milk), leave to cool and infuse vanilla for 30 mins, seperate the egg yolks (suggest making friands with the egg whites (will post in recipes later) , never throw out as you can freeze them and do another day) and mix with the sugar. Add milk and cream and whisk, pour back into pan and heat gently (never boil) until it thickens to a thin custard (coats the back of a wooden spoon, I found this takes practice as unlike custard you don't want it too thick but equally if it doesn't thicken a little it won't do what it has to do in the ice cream maker . Recipes make everything seem so easy and ostensibly it is but even the simplest things need a careful and consistent approach in my experience. I never take any process in cooking for granted. I reckon any chef can mess up anything in cooking even easy stuff on occasion though I am sure many chefs out there might disagree. Nick Nairn's website asserts that anyone can cook but the glass half empty view is anyone can mess it up. Truisms are us! Pour in to a bowl and let it cool thoroughly. Whizz up blackberries in a blender then strain through a muslim to remove pips. When cold, add to cream & milk and pop into the ice cream mixer, churn up then put in the freezer (yum).

Final seats

2011-10-06T11:03:00.001-07:00

Four spaces left for October 21st supper club. Book now by emailing me @ honeywildandmannadew@gmail.com

It's here! The menu for 21st October 2011. Hope you like it.

2011-10-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

Amuse Bouche

Marinated Tuna with Avocado, Chilli & Cucumber

Saffron Rice with Caremalized Crispy Onions & Greek Yogurt

Choice of Starter

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy Scallops with Pancetta & Leeks

Served with Homemade Brown & White Rolls

Palate Cleanser

Lime Sorbet with Mint Leaves

Choice of Main

Shin of Beef (Osso Bucco) with Risotto & Braised Little Gems of Lettuce & Spring Onion

Open Lasagna of Wild Mushrooms & Baby Asparagus with Herb Butter Sauce

Choice of Dessert

Sticky Gingerbread with Blackberry Ice Cream & Sorbet Duo

Strawberry Tart

Fresh Coconut Friands

Scottish Cheeseboard

To Finish

Coffee served with Petit Fours

21st October bookings filling up -FAB

2011-10-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say , we are now up to 19 bookings and that is without the menu! Time to book if you are planning to come as I have a few more 99% certain due to confirm and I can take 30 maximum. Either email me: @ Honeywildandmannadew@gmail.com, message me on facebook or book tickets through wegottickets link to follow. Planning to post the menu later tonight.

Sunshine in Leith

2011-10-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

Back from a really good meeting with a fabulous friend about the marketing and PR and the fun side of Honey 'Wild' which I want to be just that. Lots of work to do. Had cappucino in 'Relish' at the shore which I thought very pleasant. And I bought a delicious bottle of Proseco to drink with risotto tonight. So much choice in Leith now. Parking a total nightmare. When I lived in Edinburgh (ten years ago!!), my husband had a workshop in an old Maritime bonding warehouse. So we spent quite alot of time in the Port of Leith, The Shore bar, the Waterfront, Fishers, Fitz Henry & Vintners to name but a few. and so on eating all the delicious food on offer- lot s of fish. Leith definitely offers something unique in Edinburgh and continues to have its' very own spirit and culture tae boot! However, although my Leither friend insisted the sun always shines in Leith metaphorically, I though that was stretching it a bit. It was definitely raining cats and dogs metaphorically and literally.

I am pondering the final details of menu for the 21st October

2011-10-02T03:57:00.000-07:00

Bookings are coming in for the 21st October and I am getting to grips with the menu, this blog and the general planning. I will post information here and on facebook re: the menu. In the meantime, if you want to book you can do it through wegottickets (link on facebook page) or email me at @ honeywildandmannadew@gmail.com or post your email address here and I will contact you. Lift share possibilities from Edinburgh where I am off to now for cappucino in Leith - fab!

.c

I am having fun now

2011-09-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am gettng the hang of the blog design thing now and I haven't had help from ANYONE despite my pleas/hints hah! I feel triumphant. Haven't filled a few pages such as about me gallery, menus etc but it is all here along with a plethora of photos. I also don't have a clue how to put in the links to supperclubfangroup facebook, wegittickets etc and based on expereience, I will just work it out myself eventually. And it is focusing my mind on where I am going with all this. My eyes are glazing over and no-one is even following the site yet (just as well) so essentially I am talking to myself. I am just going to put a photo in here because I can. Here is a really daft one. I will get back to the actual business of producing,talking about food etc soon.

hi

2011-09-24T10:20:00.001-07:00

Just trying to get this up and running so bear with me. In the meantime for information on the next supper club 21st October , see my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Honey-Wild-Supper-Club-honeywildandmannadewgmailcom/191850110839266

Leap of faith- Dare to be different

2011-05-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

After two very successful supper clubs where food and ambience was enjoyed by all ,we are doing our 3rd supper club.
Moules Mariniere, Pasta i Fagioli , Coq Au Vin, Pan Fried Sea Bass Fillets with Beurre Blanc, Platters of Vegetables , Chocolate Mousse, Orange Blossom Cake , CardamonIe Cream, Fresh Soft fruit and Inspired Cheese Boards are included this time in a six course menu all for just £25. If you have any dietary requirmements or simply can't/won't eat the choices, let me know and I will agree a compromise. I will even do a birthday cake. Believe it or not , I have been asked for one on both supper clubs. Guests are invited to bring your own delicious wine and drinks which we will keep ice cold as required . You can request your own table or perhaps share with some other people. The atmosphere is informal ( the bathroom is through the kitchen- you can wave to the cook) but the service very professional as it should be.
It is a unique experience and one the guests and the staff have thoroughly enjoyed so far.
Book now by confirming here or and emailing me if I don' already have your details or give me a call on 07536088863 Karen

second post

2011-04-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have made a little progress and at least changed my front page (in between the masterchef final - first I have seen , quite humbling though it is amazing what can be acheived under presure I have found. About to declare a new date for next supper club for anyone reading (can't be anyone on this yet!) after meeting the local environmental health officer to get the low down over a bottle of cuddy bridge apple juice ( very refreshing). They will be happy with a double sink/hand basin pretty much before the next supper club. Also I need some time to set all this up so I can move beyond facebook and create a platform for more people to access . I have decided after some research the blog is the way to go for now unless some whizz kid turns up to help me then I will have both. I am also thinking about the next menu and have some ideas but feel I want a little space to work on that.

14th May 2011

2011-04-26T13:18:00.001-07:00

Next supper club

FIRST POST

2011-04-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Now trying to set up a blog having sorted out facebook and twitter for my uderground supper club Honey Wild. No doubt a few learning curves to go through here too