Autumn has arrived

Summer seems a distant memory ... the autumn larder gets the senses tingling and we all know that it is time to warm ourselves with all the joy the west country has to offer.

Autumn is without a doubt my favourite time of the year, as food takes on a more humbler approach.All the salads and light lunches taking a back seat and giving way to stews, broths, braising, rustic risotto`s and heart warming velvety soups, slow roast pork knuckles or confit duck, mallard , brassicas and root vegetables to name but a few.
How can one not get exited like a sugar crazed child in a candy store?

We are in the process of refurbing the Cavendish Restaurant and taking a different direction with the feel and food style.
A more humbler approach to suit every pocket and still maintain a air of eligance to wich enjoy a evenings dining or a lazy luncheon.
We are very exited and hope it all comes together in the next few weeks.

We are currently still running our 2 Course £10 lunch menu. Mon-Fri , Noon - 2pm

Sunday lunches are going down a storm and getting a table at last minute notice might be tricky?But we will do our best to accomodate you!

Thought i would share some of my favourite recipes for October as the ingredients are at their best for the next few weeks.


Spiced Parsnip Croquettes

Peel and chop 1kg Parnips,tranfer to a roasting pan.Add 100g diced unsalted butter, 75ml olive oil, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp grated nutmeg,2 tbsp demerera sugar, salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven 200*C for 15 min till soft and allow to cool.Peel and chop 400g potatoes and boil in salted water till soft.Strain the liquid and allow to cool.Tranfer the Parnips and potato to a mixing bowl.Add 3 egg yolks, 150g grated greyere cheese,2 tbsp chopped spring onion, chopped chives and chervil and mix thouroughly.Place the mixture in a piping bag and pipe finger size pieces onto grease proof paper.Refrigerate to firm up.Roll the fingers in flour ,then egg and finaly seasoned breadcrums.Deep fry at 180*C till golden or bake in the oven .

Quick Apple Crumble

Peel and core 3 Granny Smith,2 Braeburn and 3 English Cox apples,cut into equal size chunks(using various apples give you better texture and depth of flavour).In a large pot bring to the boil 100g Sugar, 1 Vanilla pod, Juice and zest of a lemon, 75g unsalted butter and 50 ml water.Once a light caramel has formed, add the diced apples and cook with the lid on till the apples have softened and transfer to a oven proof dish.In a mixing bowl crumb together 200g digestive biscuits,100g toasted nibbed almonds,50g toasted oats,100ml honey and 75ml melted butter.Sprinkle topping over apples and bake in pre heated oven 200*C for 15 min till golden

Sloe Berry Preserve

Freeze 500g of Sloe berries.In a medium pan bring to the boil 200g castor sugar, 50ml water, 100ml rose` , juice and zest of 2 Oranges, 50ml apple juice, 1 bayleaf, 1 clove, half a stick of cinnamon and some freshly ground black pepper.Reduce the liqour by half and then add the frozen sloe berries,turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes till the mixture starts to thicken.Transfer to a kilner jar and allow to cool.Great as a addition to Roasted Venison or Duck

Roasted Pumpkin and Coconut Veloute

 Transfer 1kg of peeled and chopped pumkin to a roasting tray,drizzle with olive oil, salt,freshly cracked pepper, 4 cloves crushed garlic ,1 tbl spoon cumin seed and pinch of curry powder.Roast in a pre heated oven 200*C till soft and slightly charred.In a medium pan sweat down 3 Bannana shallots,stick of Celery,1 tsp coriander seeds,add 500ml light chicken stock and reduce by a third, add the roasted pumkin, 200ml coconut milk and bring to the boil.Blend till smooth and adjust seasoning.Serve with a swirl of coconut milk,chopped coriander and toasted pumkin seeds

A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down....

So......

Another mad day in the Cavendish Kitchen,lunch was a success as always "Happy Patrons"we do love them!

Today i decided to go on the attack in the Cavendish Dungeon(as we like to call it)better known  as the pastry section.Made some lovely fig,walnut and apricot loaves for the cheese board which was followed shortly with a white chocolate,golden raisin and almond fudge,and not forgetting the ever popular "Valrohna Triple Chocolate Brownie"it sounds boring but as always ....we put our unique signature on it to transform it from your Gran`s might...to a Culinary Delight.

New spring menu`s are in full affect,tasting menu done,market menu sorted for tomorrow!
Mothers day is fast approaching and we are nearing capacity and yet we still want more.

What is it that drives us,motivates us?
Why are chefs so obsessed with food you might ask?
Is it the madness of a busy service?
The brother hood between chefs?
The fine tuning of various elements to come together in perfect  harmony?A culinary orchestra with the maistro at the helm leading the way through the corus`s?
The cheeky pint at the end of a hard day?
The joy on a customers face when presented with a edible work of art?
Or is it the symphony that explodes on their taste buds as the meal is savoured and their longing for the next taste tickling sensation?The joy of happy customers?

The truth i can honestly say is.....Raw passion, determination,motivation, inspiration and great understanding of one`s product,being true to yourself and cooking from the heart!!!
That to me makes cooking  extra special!!x

Spring is here....

Woke up this morning to find the sun radiating through my bedroom window,awakening me with such a sunny disposition.What a way to start the day...
Their is allways so much love in the air when spring has arrived,call it nature,prudiness or just call it insane....I do.

Arriving at work today i was greeted with a smorgesborg of goodies from my vegetables supplier Charlie Hicks,First of the new season wild garlic,Monks beard,Sea kale ,Jersey Royals to mention but a few.
I do think it is time for us to think out the box and let our imagination run wild........

Opened the water bath to find the lovely lambs chests that we had put in yesterday being so beautifull with a slight buttery melt in your mouth goodness that is really hard to put into words,all i can say is Damn it tastes good!The beef cheeks are just as tender and will be a great asset on the assiette of Blue downs Beef.

My friend Dave recently delivered to us a 56kg middle white crossed with gloustershire old spot pig,a beautifull speciment,We roasted the shoulders for the Bath Half marathon and made our own Bacon&Ham,(we have enough ham to last us till next spring i would think?)Wow ....how a pig can stretch
Today for the Market menu we had the panne`d shoulder with Butternut sqaush puree and baby figs...IT FLEW OUT THE KITCHEN.
Thanks Dave me o`l mukker,she has served us well.