The Party Season Begins For Eco Cuisine!

What's the best thing about running a catering business? Well, judging by what Sonya told me in her email yesterday, it's going about and catering both in and outside (as well as all the great feedback you get from running this kind of business, which always helps to improve your culinary skills, no matter how experienced you are). When it's too hot you can always head indoors, and when the heat calms down and the sun sets you can head outside. And that's exactly what Sonya and co did last Saturday evening. On the menu? An eclectic feast which covered every aspect of texture, flavour and deliciousness that you could possibly imagine! And not just any event, either, but a fiftieth birthday party: something which demanded the very best food delivered on time and to a high enough quality to fit the occasion. In other words, something which really mattered, and which Sonya and co worked hard to make as successful as they possibly could.

First up on the menu was everyone's favourite meat, poached chicken breast – the great foundation for a lovely range of tastes and flavours. Then came something to add a bit of contrast...namely anti-pasta with salami and spicy chorizo, olives and sun-dried tomatoes, accompanied by cornichons and baby red peppers (people really need to use more of these because they are exquisite! Ideal for use in so many things) These flavours mingle wonderfully together and provide the perfect backdrop to any Mediterranean event.

Next up was something a bit different: tortilla – full of potato and onion, baked fillet of salmon – different but also simple enough that it didn't feel like too much. The flavours didn't stop there, of course, because immediately following this was eco-coleslaw salad and delicious sautéed red peppers and a simple tomato salad.

As well as all this, there were a handful of most excellent starters on offer, too. We're talking some of Sonya's favourites...things like canapé starters of potato-beetroot-rosti, as well as courgette and halloumi (that gorgeous cheese which toasts beautifully on the BBQ and is so easy to cook that anyone can do it). Finally, a sumptuous banquet wouldn't be complete without some extra-special touches...in this case it was glorious lamb kofte with tzatziki and smoked mackerel pate on crispy leaf salad – now we're talking!

Other news for Eco Cuisine this week is that the School of Economic Science was treated to yet another marvel of a dish: a twist on the classic lentils theme that incorporated lentils with veg, topped with mashed potato. Need something like this for an event you're having? Send Sonya an email and she'll be only too pleased to discuss it with you.

Not so good news is that Sonya is currently recovering from straining some ligaments in her right arm...not much fun at all and something which the doctor says requires 3 days plus off, along with icing the painful parts every half an hour or so. Wish Sonya well for a swift recovery, please!

And remember, you can always follow Eco Cuisine on Twitter by searching for @EcoSmeagor and hitting the button.

Back soon with more news as the summer season ramps up...

Gluten free food and some great BBQ cheese!

This week's Eco Cuisine post is all about food which is gluten free, and if you're someone who suffers from Coeliacs Disease then you'll be all too aware of what a nuisance it can be...

But, before we get onto what Sonya's been doing recently, let's clear up a few misconceptions and make a few things clear for those of you who are new to this:

1: If you're gluten free, you really need to be careful: it may sound like a ridiculous allergy which really isn't that bad, but for a Coeliac, eating food with gluten in can be a real nightmare, resulting in stomach aches, diarrhoea and all-round bad feeling.

2: By all accounts, true Coeliacs differ from those who have just a slight intolerance to gluten. They can't eat barley, wheat, rye or spelt (also flour). More importantly, they have to avoid it in everything, because...

3: Gluten is in EVERYTHING. It's in wheat flour, and that's used in cake, biscuits, bread, desserts...you name it, it's in it!

So next time someone tells you they can't eat things with gluten in, please re-think what you're going to give them at dinner!

Now we move onto Sonya's adventures of the last week, which is where the no-gluten-thing comes in. The brief was this: a private party in Leytonstone, London, and it had to be totally free of this troublesome ingredient which is so good for binding bread and the like. Fortunately, Sonya and her crew know their stuff, and were able to create a range of food for the family which would be suitable for the 2 Coeliacs in question. And it worked out wonderfully. On the menu were dips, 'burnt' aubergine and tzatziki with carrot batons and oatcakes. Add this to all kinds of other lovely things – such as potato & beetroot rostis with soured cream made from Doves Farm wheat/gluten free flour – and you have a success story. Also on offer were individual tortillas, smoked mackerel pate and a waldorf salad using only natural yoghurt dressing. Lastly, there was rice noodle salad with sweet & sour dressing!

In other news, the School of Economic Science were the lucky receivers of a brand-new dish. That dish married the magical thing that is halloumi – that great cheese you can toast on a BBQ! – with whole-wheat pasta and roasted vegetables; in the mix were aubergine, carrots, courgette, onions and beetroot. All freshly cooked and a fantastic change. Because every once in a while there really is nothing like a change, right?

As for Sonya's van – you may recall an earlier blog post detailing Sonya and Mario's car-chase which resulted in them getting the stolen van back in what seemed to be one piece – the insurance company have finally made an offer, so that's good news. Hopefully it'll be sorted soon and a new van will be back on the road again.

Back again soon with more news, tips and interesting info courtesy of Eco Cuisine!

Amazing asparagus, Royal fun and really great tomatoes!

If I said Sonya wasn’t too busy in my last blog, maybe that was a mistake, because she’s certainly been busy ever since! But then, what with the Jubilee weekend – Sonya’s parents had come to visit – busyness was expected, and for Eco Cuisine that meant lots of catering for great people who know what fine organic food is all about.

It began with the Thames River Pageant – an event which so many of us got to see through the BBCs coverage, and one which Sonya and co were lucky enough to witness first-hand. After all the excitement, there was more food to come, when the neighbours came over on Monday and enjoyed all kinds of excellent food. We’re talking things like handmade burgers (so much better than the processed ones!) and spatchcock chicken. Not to forget Mario’s contribution, which consisted of pastourma – something Sonya explained to me was “Mario’s Cypriot sausage contribution”. After that there were yet more delights to come, with New Jersey Royals served up (they’re amazing potatoes), rice and mixed salad. And not just any mixed peppers, but ones straight off the BBQ…followed by that sweet thing we all know and love – that thing they call Eton Mess!

After that, Sonya had a brief pause – very brief, you know how it is! – before going back to term with the School of Economic Science. Those lucky people were more than satisfied with the food they were served, which included some deluxe couscous with roasted vegetables, and Jerusalem artichoke with puy lentil stew. Yum!

If you thought that was it, then you obviously haven’t been following our blog! One of the things Eco Cuisine does a lot of is tasting-sessions, and this was exactly what was on the agenda next, as Sonya flew over to see Louise Martin of Generation Investment Management near Piccadily. Keen to show off some simple seasonal food, there were all kinds of treats on offer, including asparagus tart, filo pastry with spinach & feta, and individual tortillas too! On top of this assortment of goodness there were a few more things which just can’t be beaten. This extensive list began with smoked mackerel pate and ended with a green leaf & asparagus salad, broccoli and black olives, sautéed red peppers and that most excellent of things: English Heritage Tomato salad.

And if you’ve heard of Heritage Tomatoes and not tried them yet, we insist you do! The ones Sonya had tracked down were some of the best. Direct from the Isle of Wight, the beauty of these is the amazing variety on offer. There were plum cherry, yellow, stripy and beef as well! “When you have tomatoes like these,” Sonya said, glowing with enthusiasm, “you seriously only need a sprinkle of good Cornish sea-salt or a drizzle of olive oil added just before serving and a few scattered basil leaves.”

What else is there to say…oh, asparagus! According to Sonya, English asparagus is still going strong and so are strawberries. Just what we like to hear. Love asparagus as much as we do? Then, in Sonya’s own words, “Try steaming your asparagus for one minute only and making a simple vinaigrette to dip them in - heaven !! and so simple.”

Back soon with more delicious food news for you.