Out & About May 2017

ESSENTIAL STORECUPBOARD INGREDIENTS AND KITCHEN KIT

Here at Out&About we’d say: salt, flour, oils, vinegar, sugar, rice, tinned tomatoes, pasta, tinned pulses, tomato puree, herbs and spices. But we talked to the experts about what kitchen equipment and gadgets a good cook should own. Deputy manager at Sonning’s Coppa Club, Matt Siadatan, gave us his essentials. “Oregano for Mediterranean vibes. Great for sprinkling on to and into anything, from ragu sauces, to roast potatoes, to feta salads. “Tinned tomatoes, essential for sauces, soups, stews, casseroles – a true all-rounder! “Sea salt flakes will last you longer than table salt, and encourage you to use less salt in your cooking.” Principal at the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, Fiona Burrell (right) is an expert in life skills cookery, and has written extensively on “how to stock a kitchen”. She says: “My essential store cupboard ingredients are tinned chick peas as they can be added to stews, salads or made into a quick hummus. “A packet of dried mushrooms to give mushroom risotto a depth of flavour or to add pep to a mushroom ragout served with pasta. “Capers – to add to salads and sauces to give a bit of pep and zing. Sun dried tomato puree will add some punchy flavour to many dishes. And extra virgin olive oil – always spend as much as you can afford on this – it makes such a difference to dressings and can be drizzled onto soups and pasta dishes before serving.” Matt’s essential equipment includes: “An extra-large, non-stick frying pan; so universal! Then a speed (vegetable) peeler – it changes your world! And, of course, a decent chopping board.” Fiona swears by a microplane grater – for zesting citrus peel, grating parmesan and grating ginger and garlic for stir fries.

Windsor has a new restaurant cruiser Bateaux Windsor is a floating restaurant taking you along the Thames and past Windsor’s and Maidenhead’s many beautiful sights.

Become immersed in British history with a sightseeing audio commentary on the lunch cruise or relax to easy listening classics on the Sunday Lunch cruise. Treat yourself to some high tea on the Afternoon Tea cruise and for an unforgettable experience try the Dinner Cruise. Bateaux Windsor, Thames Side, Windsor, SL4 1QN is just a short walk from Windsor and Eton Riverside station. www.bateauxlondon.com/windsor

MOR Food... MOR sausages are low in fat but high in taste.

Each of the four unique MOR recipes blend high-quality British meat with nutritious vegetables, fragrant herbs and delicate spices, creating lower-fat sausages that taste absolutely fantastic. With flavours such as Mediterranean Chicken and Moroccan Spiced Pork, MOR can be served with everything from mashed potato to herby pesto. www.morfood.co.uk Non-dairy milks like almond and soy, gin, chocolate biscuits and sparkling flavoured water have all entered the Office for National Statistics ‘Basket of Goods’ for the first time. And Waitrose has revealed how they sell in their stores. Gin sales are up by 16 per cent, non-dairy milks by a whopping 170 per cent, chocolate biscuits by 28 per cent and flavoured waters by 32 per cent. Director of Ambient Buying for Waitrose Michael Andrews says: “With the UK experiencing a ‘ginnaissance’, it’s no wonder gin has entered back into the basket this year. “It has consistently been our fastest-growing spirit and with so many new boutique brands entering the market this shows no sign of slowing. “The gin trend has been driven by an increase in smaller distilleries, which use new combinations of botanicals to create unique flavours.”

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