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FOOD MATTERS:SMART SWANSEA EATING

WIN:CREATE YOUROWN BURGER

THE GREAT FOODS OF CHINAWINTER DESSERTS: DAVID'S TIPS

ISSUE 4 : FEB/MAR 2016

A NIGHT OF FOODAND AGONY

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WELCOMEWe're now well into 2016 and I'm guessing most of you have givenup on your new year's diets? That's good! Eating everything inmoderation, getting some exercise and having a few lesschocolates is always more sensible than a crash diet anyway (butwho am I to give dietary advice?).

Plus it means you are able to enjoy eating out again. And we areblessed with some excellent restaurants, cafés and pubs inSwansea – so all the better!

Love is certainly in the air this issue, with plenty of inspiration forcooking your own romantic Valentine's Day meal from ChrisKeenan, executive chef at the Ship Inn (page 22). Don't want to getyour hands dirty? Then check out some of our advertisers, who areoffering to do all the hard work on 14 February so you canconcentrate on the romance.

What else have we got? Our London-based, Swansea-borninnovation chef David Llewellyn gives us some quick tips on makingdelicious winter desserts (page 7), before local cookery teacherDanny Rees explains the key to a healthier 2016 is to eat a littlesmarter (page 12).

On page 17, Gigi Gao from the Favourite Authentic Chinese beginsa regular column on Chinese ingredients – kicking off with a broadlook at Chinese cuisine in general. We also speak with award-winning food writer and former Masterchef judge Jay Rayner aheadof his new show at Swansea's Grand Theatre (page 27). And don'tforget our regular features like Life in the Kitchen, Foodie News,Local Produce Markets, and more! Quite a lot to cram into such asmall magazine. But cram we did.

Remember, we love to hear from businesses and readers alike –send your suggestions for features, competitions and recipes toinfo@tasteswansea.com.

Until next time, buon appetito!

Chris CarraEditor

Taste Swansea Magazine

February/March 2016

PublisherTaste Swansea Magazine

Phone07525 069850

General Enquires &Advertising

info@tasteswansea.com

EditorChris Carra

DesignSteve Homer

Editorial AssistanceBen Watkins

TasteSwansea.com

Twitter:@Taste_Swansea

Facebook:facebook.com/TasteSwansea

DisclaimerAll effort has been taken to ensurethat the information contained inthis magazine is accurate at the timeof publication. However TasteSwansea Magazine accepts noresponsibility for the consequencesof errors or omissions. All text,artwork and photographs submittedfor publication within this magazineare accepted on the understandingthat prior permission has beensought by the subscriber whererelevant. Opinions expressed in themagazine are not necessarily thoseof the publisher, editor or designerand the magazine is in no way liablefor such opinions. No part of thispublication may be reproducedwithout written permission of thepublisher.

CONTRIBUTORDANNY REES

CONTRIBUTORGIGI GAO

CONTRIBUTORDAVID LLEWELLYN

CONTRIBUTORCHRIS KEENAN

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FOODIE NEWSCOFFEE PUNKSOne of Swansea's newest third-wave coffeehouses – Coffee Punks – opened on theKingsway in December, and aims to deliversomething very different from bland chains likeCosta and Starbucks. Coffee Punks owner GlenAdams is a passionate guy and an expert whenit comes to the coffee industry. He told TasteSwansea that trying to replicate a chain shouldnot be the goal of any independent café –being individual is the key to great coffee.'Where an independent coffee house cancompete and win outright is with quality,' headded. Coffee Punks have also introduced anew student discount scheme, offering agenerous 15% off food and drinks.

LASAGNELUNCHES!Specialists in Italian breads, cakes andconfectionery, Kristy's Bakery on EversleyRoad in Sketty has also been makingtraditional lasagne 'ready meals' for years– allowing regular customers to enjoyrestaurant quality dishes at home. Butnow, on every Thursday and Fridaylunchtime in February, they are offeringthe chance to enjoy hot, fresh lasagne andsauté potatoes in their little café for £4.50.If you consider a toasted sandwich isusually around a fiver these days, that'snothing short of a bargain. Bellissimo!

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The quirky Uplands coffee shop Steam hasstarted the year with a sharp new re-brand andis now called Squirrel. While the essence of thecafé is the same – and you can still get asausage sandwich and a coffee for around afiver – Squirrel now places more emphasis ontheir night-life. Evening meals include a chicken and chorizo burger, and spiced curry battered halloumiand chips, while their creative cocktails have a big gin influence – including the 'Buttered' (buttered gin,pineapple and tonic) and 'Grape' (gin, grape, sage, lemon and tonic). Sounds delicious!

WHAT'S NEW?If you have any foodie news for

the next issue we'd love to includeit - please email details toinfo@tasteswansea.com

Having been voted 'The Best SundayDinner in Llanelli' last year by readers ofthe Llanelli Star, The Bridge in Llangennechhas also been shortlisted for the 'Food andDrink Award' at the Llanelli Star andCarmarthen Journal West Wales BusinessAwards. The awards were to be held at theStradey Park Hotel on 22 January, just asTaste Swansea went to print.

BEST ROAST IN LLANELLI

UPLANDSSQUIRREL

The enchanting Fairyhill in Reynoldston runtheir popular wine tasting lunches at thestunning hotel once a month. The informalevents include a walk-around tasting,followed by lunch. Canapés are served toaccompany the wines, and you are able toorder any wines that take your fancy at theevent. Upcoming tastings will be held onSaturday, 6 February and Saturday, 12March, between 11.30am and 1pm. Thetastings are £5 per person, in addition to thenormal lunch prices.

WINE TASTINGS

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Now that the festive season isover and the feasting has cometo an end, we are left to battlethe new year health kick.Balance and moderation arewords we are likely to hear thismonth and, though this is true,what do you reach for whenyou need something a bit morecomforting? It's certainly not astick of celery.

Thankfully there are manyideas for hot and cold dessertsover the winter months, withapples, pears, pineapple,passion fruit and citrus allperfect to use at this time. Fora quick and indulgent after-dinner treat, I love to breakinto chunks some panettone orbrioche left over fromChristmas, smother it withsome local marmalade, pourover a little indulgent home-made custard, and then bakeuntil golden, crispy andastoundingly comforting.

For something a bit fruitier, trycutting a fresh pineapple intolong wedges, then put it into a

Enjoying the miserable weather? Us neither. But thankfully TasteSwansea's innovation and development chef DAVID LLEWELLYN is onhand to give us a few ideas for desserts that will offer a littlecomfort to stave off the depressing winter chill.

CCOOMMFFOORRTT IINNTTHHEE CCOOLLDD

BY DAVID LLEWELLYN

frying pan of melted butter.When the pineapple starts tocolour, add a good glug ofdark rum (watch out for theensuing fire storm!), then adda large teaspoon of darkbrown sugar and a good fewturns of the black pepper mill.

Black pepper and pineappleare a fantastic combination!Once the sugar has meltedand has a nice caramel colour,finish with a small dash ofcream. This results in a lovelywarming butterscotch sauce.Serve with a spoonful of crèmefraiche, put your feet up andenjoy.

There are occasions, especiallywhen it's miserable outside,that only chocolate will do – somake it a bit special and sharea warm bowl of meltedchocolate fondue with home-made shortbread, marsh-mallows and salty pretzels todip into. The fondue isincredibly satisfying to makeand, like myself, when youknow how to make it you will

want to use it on everything youcook! Start with 300ml coldwater, 50g caster sugar and 25gof coco powder. Whisk thistogether over a medium heatuntil all the coco and sugar hasdissolved. When it's just underthe boil, take it off the heat,break up 50-60g of good qualitydark chocolate and add it in tothe hot liquid, piece by piece,whisking as you go until it has allmelted and you are left with abeautiful silky, shiny sauce.

This sauce is also fantasticdrizzled over a classic poachedpear. Poach the pear with anopened vanilla pod, a star aniseand half a cinnamon stick – aflavour that will match thechocolate perfectly.

Comfort comes in many forms,but this time of year taking amoment to give yourself andothers a little treat will alwaysprovide a smile – even if theweather won’t.

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POP-UP KITCHENSSwansea isn't blessed for choice whenit comes to pop-up kitchens, but moreand more are arriving which is greatto see – there's so much scope forcollaboration between location andcuisine. If you know of any pop-ups weshould feature, please send details toinfo@tasteswansea.com.

After a successful maiden pop-up late last year,the luxury dining hotel will be hosting anotherevent in conjunction with Babitas Spice Deli onThursday, 25 February. An evening of authenticIndian fine dining at one of Swansea's mostpicturesque hotels, in the heart of Reynoldston.Certainly a pop-up not to be missed!

The Uplands' favourite pop-up kitchen, MalabarAaanaa, returns to Noah's Yard on severalWednesdays in February. Their Middle EasternPomegranate Kitchen will take place at Noah's onWednesday, 3 February, while there are also twoFebruary Keralan Kitchens at the bar: the first, onWednesday, 10 February, will feature a specialChettinad Thali – a type of cuisine from Tamil Naduin South India. The next one takes place onWednesday, 24 February, featuring a Goan Thali.

Malabar Aaanaa also pop‐up in the

intimate Sketty Bistro and Café on

Eversley Road on selected Friday

evenings this month, with both

kitchens serving up mouthwatering

home‐made food. The next

Pomegranate Kitchen in Sketty

takes place on Friday, 5

February. Then a special, fiery

Goan‐themed Keralan Kitchen will

be happening at the Bistro on

Friday, 19 February.

All events are subject to change. Check individual websites for times andmenus, and check out TasteSwansea.com for regular pop-up kitchen updates.

SKETTY BISTRO & CAFE

FAIRYHILL HOTEL

NOAH'S YARD

IF YOU HAVE A POP-UP KITCHEN,PLEASE SEND DETAILS TO:

info@tasteswansea.com

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MARKETSIt may be a new year, but you can guaranteeSwansea's local produce markets will be back intown, selling your favourite foodie treats – bread,beer, burgers, sweets, cupcakes, vegetables andmore!

The awful weather certainly put a dampener onmany of last year's outdoor markets, withdisruptions to some of the most popular events –Mumbles and Uplands in particular. But both returnthis month with regular producers such asMalabaar Aaanaa, Little Valley Bakery, Cocoa Bean,Mumbles Brewery, Goggi's Cuisine, the MumblesPate Company, Taste of Persia, Pop Cycle to namebut a few.

The following are correct as far as we know,although all are subject to change due to weather.Contact the market organisers directly for moreinformation.

LOCAL PRODUCE

MARINA MARKETSUN 14 FEB, SUN 13 MAR

UPLANDS MARKETSAT 30 JAN, SAT 27 FEB, SAT 26 MAR

MUMBLES LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETSAT 13 FEB, SAT 12 MAR

SKETTY LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETSAT 6 FEB, SAT 5 MAR

@ BISHOP GORE SCHOOL

PENCLAWDD LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETSAT 20 FEB, SAT 19 MAR

PENNARD LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETSUN 14 FEB, SUN 13 MAR

@ PENNARD COMMUNITY HALL

PONTYATES LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETSAT 20 FEB, SAT 19 MAR

@ PONTYATES WELFARE HALL

PONTYBEREM LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETSAT 13 FEB, SAT 12 MAR@ PONTYBEREM HALL

CARWAY LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETSAT 6 FEB, SAT 5 MAR

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Are we missing any? Let us know!Email info@tasteswansea.com

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his new year, like millions of others, Ihave resolved to be a better person.However, I won’t be tempted by thelatest diet or fitness craze, as they

usually fizzle out – they just aren’t sustainablein the long term. Losing weight and getting fittop the charts of New Year’s resolutions eachJanuary, and the diet and fitness industry willbe rubbing their hands with glee at theprospect of billions more pounds being spentby consumers. The 'big food' industry – thesupermarkets, fast food outlets and processedfood manufacturers – help to get us fat andthen the advertising world makes you feel crapabout yourself, and pass you on to an industrywho can help (for a fee of course), turn youinto a fitter, slimmer version of yourself. It’s aracket that’s for sure and one I feel it’s hard toavoid.

We live in strange times indeed. For the firsttime in human history more people suffer theeffects of fat related diseases than from theeffects of too little food. Are we to blame – usmortals with little willpower to resist an extraslice of cake – or are there darker forces outthere imploring us to eat junk? My guess is abit of both.

SMART SWANSEA EATINGFOOD MATTERS:

WITH DANNY REES

It's February and you've probably already givenup on your diet. But fear not – as local chef,cookery teacher and Taste Swansea columnistDANNY REES explains, the key to a healthier2016 is to simply eat smarter – and it is as easyas it sounds!

T We are all able to exercise free will and live ahealthier lifestyle but it sure does require youto ignore the messages you are bombardedwith every day. Our evolution doesn’t help useither – we have evolved to eat lots of calorie-dense food when it presents itself, which inour world of cheap excess, is often. This playsinto the hands of the 'big food' industry – thesoft drinks giants, the big alcohol companies,the junk food industry and the supermarkets.Junk is everywhere. Adverts are constantlybombarding you with messages to eat, drink,eat, drink, and eat. Always food high in fat andsugar. Have you seen an advert for eatingmore cabbage lately? No, nor me. Even fillingup your car means avoiding sweets, chocolateand fizzy drinks, all on offer at the till.

If, like me, you are prone to weight gain, thenwho is to blame for the excess around ourmiddles? A very straightforward answer wouldbe the individual. You (and me) are the onesresponsible for eating the food, right? Butkeeping your weight down isn’t easy in anenvironment where there is too much easilyavailable junk food, and messages imploringus to buy it and eat it.

Our high streets, once home to the baker,greengrocer and butcher, are now awash withtake away and fast food retailers.Supermarkets are a minefield too, with some40-50,000 items on sale; the vast majority of itprocessed in some way. My local area – theUplands – has a KFC, Subway, Costa,Sainsbury’s, Tesco and various take awayoptions competing for business. We needprotecting from these giants but, in ourcapitalist world of the free market andderegulation, we are left to fend for ourselvesand need to make smart choices or suffer theeffects of a diet high in fat, sugar and salt.

So what can we do? Here are few things thatare realistic and achievable.

First of all, eat a diet that consists of wholefoods as much as you can. Fruits, vegetables,lean meat, fish, pulses and staples such as riceand pasta should be eaten daily as part of ahealthy diet. Sure, have a treat – but make itjust that. Avoid processed and junk foods asthey are often packed with salt, saturated ortrans-fats and sugar. Read the labels of anyprocessed foods you use and if the ingredientslist goes over five or six items – or there arethings you don’t recognise – then the chancesare the product isn’t good for you.

Secondly, cook more. Cooking needn’t bestressful, time consuming or costly. The greatirony today is that we’ve never had so muchcookery advice. But the celebrity chef endorsed

books and programmes have hardly encouragedus to get into the kitchen. It’s just food porn andThe Great British Bake Off and Masterchef aregreat examples of how these shows are a barrier tohonest, simple cooking. These programmes showjust how stressful, time consuming and costlycooking can be. The recipe I feature on the nextpage is super easy, healthy and cheap.

Next, enjoy your food, but eat only when hungry.Eat slowly and eat consciously – savouring eachbite, and stop when you are full. Take time out forfood; don’t eat a miserable pack of sandwicheswhile hunched over your desk at work. Go out, situnder a tree, have lunch with colleagues, use yourworks canteen, go to your favourite café.

Resist using the ‘big food’ industry. Thesecompanies are in a battle for your money and theywill stop at nothing to get it. Billions are spent inmarketing the food to you and then they turn upon every corner of your town, and sell cheap foodto get you in. How can a local, honest and healthyretailer compete with that?

"Junk food iseverywhere!"

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We are both blessed and cursed in Swansea.It seems that the rise of the supermarkets, thefast food and drink outlets continuesunabated – but there are alternatives. Insteadof going to the supermarket every week, trythe Mumbles or Uplands local producemarkets. We also have one of the country’sfinest food markets in Swansea and St Helen'sroad is great for Asian produce. When younext fancy a light bite or lunch then Govinda’svegetarian and vegan restaurant on CraddockStreet is fantastic value. Crumbs, anothervegetarian café in the Uplands, is perfect for agood value bit of grub, a coffee or wonderfulfresh juice. Brewstone, also in the Uplands isgreat for a wood-fired pizza or wrap, excellentcoffee, cakes and tapas.

When it comes to coffee, I have an instinctivedislike for Costa and Starbucks. Mostly,

because they have instilled an Americancoffee culture here which is replacing our teaand Italian coffee tradition. Who on earthwants a huge flagon of toffee nut latte comingin at a whopping 400 calories? My newfavourite café is the Square Peg in Sketty. Notonly do they serve fantastic coffee but theyare also a social enterprise, using profits tomake a difference to those affected bypoverty here in the city.

Finally, for a lovely treat, I like to head to theFavourite Authentic Chinese on BrynymorRoad. This friendly café uses no MSG in theircooking and offers authentic, fresh Chinesedishes instead of your usual 'slop in a wok'.

FOOD MATTERS CONTINUED

"Resist using the‘big food’ industry."

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long with the humble and wonderful onion,my cupboard is never without a tin of goodquality plum tomatoes. Both these

ingredients form the base for so many wonderfuldishes and the great European cuisines would bemuch different without them.

The tomato sauce in this dish can be made inlarger quantities as it keeps for a good fewdays, and can be used in pasta dishes and asthe sauce for patatas bravas. I include hotsmoked paprika to add an earthy Spanishspice to the sauce, but you can leave it out ifyou prefer.

This easy sauce takes minutes to prepare butleave it simmer for as long as you can for theflavours to develop and for a thick texture. Itop the tomatoes with grilled halloumi.Halloumi is a ‘Marmite’ cheese – you either loveit or hate it. I love the salty taste and squeakytexture, and grilling or frying it is essential toappreciate its glories. Don’t use white slicedbread as a base – the better quality the breadthe better your overall dish will be. Irecommend a loaf from Kristy's Bakery inSketty, hand cut to your preference.

RECIPE

Serves 22 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes1 medium onion, chopped1 clove garlic, sliced1 tbs olive oil2 tbs tomato puree1 tsp hot smoked paprikaHalloumi cheese, cut into 6 thickslices and grilled until golden on eachside2 thick slices of bread, toasted andbuttered

Fry the onion and garlic in the oiluntil soft, with a little colour. Add thepaprika, tomato puree and stir in thetomatoes. Leave it to simmer forabout 20 minutes, breaking up thetomatoes with a wooden spoon. I liketo season the sauce with a little saltand also some sugar to help balancethe sharpness of the tomatoes.Spoon the tomatoes onto the toastand lay three slices of halloumi ontop of the tomatoes.

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BY DANNY REES

Spiced Tomato Sauce withGri lled Halloumi on Toast

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Iove to share the cuisine of my homeland withthe lovely people of Swansea, so I will bewriting an article for every issue of thismagazine, sharing with you some different

aspects of Chinese food. It may be a superingredient or a healthy style of cooking – there areso many things we can talk about! Before we lookat individual ingredients, it would be a good ideato introduce you to the general cuisine andflavours of Chinese food. Just like the othercountries of the world, China has many differentregional tastes – all very different, and veryrecognisable.

The eight main styles of Chinese cuisine are asfollows: the Yue, the Chuan, the Hui, the Lu, theMin, the Su, the Xiang, and the Zhe. At theFavourite Authentic Chinese, we mainly focus onboth the Lu and the Chuan. The Lu cuisine iseaten in the cities of Beijing, DongBei and – myhome city – Yangquan, all in the North of China.Lu is all about savoury tastes and big full flavours,and we love our roasted dishes and stews.Perhaps the most well-known dish from thisregion is Peking Duck, but others include hot andsour soup, Beijing sauced pork and the 'salt andpepper' dishes, like salt and pepper king prawnsand squid – delicious.

We now move west for the Chuan cuisine, whichis eaten in the province of Sichuan and theWestern regions of China. Chuan is noted for itsspicy flavours and the use of chili andpeppercorns in its dishes, as well as peanuts,ginger, garlic and peppers.

In her first Taste Swansea article GIGI GAO, owner of the Favourite AuthenticChinese on Brynymor Road, gives us some insight into the diversity ofChinese food, as well as the specific tastes and dishes of the delicious Lu and Chuan cuisines.

THE GREAT FOODSOF CHINA

Notable dishes from this region include spicyboiled fish (which is my most favourite meal!),Kung Pao chicken, hot and spicy chicken on thebone, and fish and pickled cabbage – this lastone is very popular with our Chinese customers,but maybe not so much with locals!

BY GIGI GAO

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What was the first meal you ever cooked?That would be a Delia recipe for SmokedBacon and Tomato Soup, and a country loaffrom my mother's Good Housekeepingcookery book. It really was a fantastictraditional recipe with no messing about, anda massive emphasis on quality of ingredientsand seasonality. Love it to this day.

What's your favourite meal to cook foryourself?I love a good braised beef dish – beef shin,feather blade, and short ribs are a favourite; acut of meat where there is enough fat to meltwithout being greasy. Gently cooked for a longtime with some root vegetables, a thick sauce,mashed potato (with too much butter) andbraised red cabbage with cranberry. A winterfavourite!

What's the most popular item on your menuat the moment?Funnily enough it's a braised feather blade ofbeef. It’s a delicious dish that takes a lot ofwork, but is worth it. After cooking the cut ofbeef for around 3-4 hours, the fat begins to goincredibly gelatinous and keeps the meat verymoist. We serve it with parsley mash, seasonalvegetables, pancetta, and pearl onion jus. Itgets fantastic feedback!

LIFE IN THE KITCHENGARETH HOPEIn each issue we love to chat to chefs from the city's best restaurants. This month, GarethHope, executive chef at the elegant Bayside Grill in Swansea's Marriott Hotel, takes usbehind those mysterious kitchen doors to chew the fat.

I ate lunch at the Bayside Grill on ChristmasDay – what's it like working that shift?Christmas Day is a high pressure and excitingday. Strangely enough I enjoy working onChristmas Day and have done almost all mycareer. The atmosphere is great in the kitchenespecially considering everyone wants to gethome for a mince pie. It's very hard work andweeks worth of prep and organisation go into it.

What's the best thing about being a chef?The environment you get to work in. It can be avery tough environment with tempers flaringand high expectations, but everyone in thekitchen is in the same boat. All the good andbad challenges that get thrown at you – you gothrough them together. I'm very lucky becausethe team I work with is fantastic. Very young,energetic and excitable. Everyone wants towork hard and progress, and it's a very excitingtime in my career.

And the worst?Nothing really comes to mind.

Finally, if you weren't a chef, what would yoube doing?If I wasn’t a chef I think I would have joined thearmed forces – both my dad and brotherworked in the RAF, and I grew up in that kind ofenvironment. You work as part of a team inboth careers and I think that is what isattractive to me.

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SWANSEA BAY GOOD FOOD CIRCLE:

uring February, SwanseaBay GOOD Food Circlemembers will host variousValentine's food events as

well as other themed evenings.Then on Monday, 14 March, theypresent the Swansea Bay FoodTourism Conference – now in itsfifth year – at Sketty Hall.

In recent years they have hadcelebrity chefs such as StephenTerry, Franco Taruschio, andShaun Hill. This year, the celebritychef attending is Michelin starredchef Bryan Webb, from the award-winning restaurant Tyddyn Llannear Corwen, North Wales. Duringthe morning Bryan will be holdinga workshop for chefs and, afterlunch, he will be interviewed live,giving you an insight about his lifein the kitchen.

The event is open to all chefs,restaurateurs, café owners andlocal producers, and is anexcellent opportunity to build local

Booking for the Swansea Bay Food TourismConference is essential as places are limited. Formore information please call Tourism Swansea Bay,organisers of the conference, on 01792 403339 oremail info@tourismswanseabay.co.uk.

Members of Swansea Bay GOOD Food Circle work together todeliver a good food destination; taking pride in offering fresh,seasonal, local produce – SwanseaBayFoodCircle.co.uk

CHAMPIONS OF LOCAL PRODUCE

contacts for the year ahead in afriendly environment.

Producers are more thanwelcome to bring samples of theirown produce to show others.

If you are a Swansea Bayrestaurant, bistro, pub, café ortea room offering seasonal localWelsh produce within your menu,or you are a local food producerand would like more details onthe Swansea Bay GOOD FoodCircle, they would love to hearfrom you. It is free to join thecircle!

To keep up-to-date with all thefoodie events, follow the circle onTwitter: @SwanseaBayFood, or onFacebook: SwanseaBayFoodCircle

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[VALENTINE'S NIGHT & YOU!]is a great excuse for a

romantic dinner – whether you relax and goout to your favourite restaurant, or choose totest you own culinary skills by preparingsomething special at home. If you areplanning to create something sensationalyourself, careful menu choice is crucial andputting a little thought and planning into themeal will reflect how much you care for yourpartner. Sophisticated food is romantic, and aflambé dish is sure to impress – but pleasebe careful not to set anything other than thefood alight!

You could also recreate a meal you firstexperienced together, perhaps on holiday –this is sure to conjure up warm memories. Ofcourse ingredients like asparagus, oysters,champagne and chocolate are famouslyconnected with Valentine's Night, but thereare many other romantic ingredients:almonds, honey, mustard, raspberries andstrawberries, sweet basil, ginger, pineapple,garlic, vanilla, coffee and bananas are all saidto have aphrodisiac qualities. And with thatlittle lot at hand, you should have no troublesending out all the right messages.

Plan your menu around ingredients you knowyou and your partner enjoy. Choose dishesthat are not too fiddly to eat, and avoidmaking the courses too large, leaving roomfor a few chocolates and some good coffeelater.

with EXECUTIVE CHEF CHRIS KEENAN

Warm Fruits de MerA seafood dish which is wonderful for sharing. It'seasy to prepare yet stylish and sophisticated, andsure to impress.

Chargrilled Ribeye SteakJuicy and succulent – enough said.

Creme brulee, fruit compote, shortbread biscuitA classic French dessert with all sorts of flavoursand textures going on. A delicious way to end alovely meal, and can even be made a couple ofdays in advance.

My Valentine's Menu

Chris will feature in the next issue ofTaste Swansea with a selectionof his recipes

Chris Keenan is an award-winning Michelin starchef, a published author, food writer, and a TVand radio broadcaster. He is currently engaged asExecutive Chef at The Ship Inn, Port Eynon. Chriscan be contacted at:chris@chriskeenanfood.co.uk

|alentine's Night

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Creme Brulee425ml cream100ml milk1 split vanilla pod50grms castor sugar

MethodFirstly bring the milk and cream together with the split andscraped vanilla pod to a gentle simmer, then allow to coolfor a minute or two. In the meantime, whisk or beat theeggs and the sugar together until it increases in volume and becomes light and frothy. Carefully and slowly pourthe hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking all the while. Pour the mixture into ramekin dishes and setthese into a deep sided tray. Fill the tray with water that comes at least half way up the side of the dishes. Placein an oven pre set to 160C for about 25 minutes. When they seem set - but still with a good wobble on them -they are ready. Place in a fridge to set and cool. Sprinkle generously with some fine castor sugar and glaze with ablow torch until nice and caramelised. Serve with a shortbread biscuit, a little fruit compote or coulis and even achunk of homemade honeycomb for a little extra texture.

CHRIS KEENAN'S RECIPESWarm Fruits de Mer

6-8 fresh scallops14-16 shell on crevettes (cooked)Live mussels cleaned2oz garlic butterDressed leaves, lemon or lime to garnishLittle oil for cookingDash of dry white wineChopped parsley

MethodSimultaneously heat up your crevettes in garlic butter,and cook the mussels in a little dry white wine and parsley.Sauté and season the scallops in a little hot oil.Arrange all on a suitable presentation dish while still warm,garnished with lemon, lime, granary bread and a smalldressed salad.

Rib Eye Steak with homemade triple-cooked chunkychips.

2 x 8-10 oz Rib Eye Steaks2 field mushrooms2 half tomatoes2-3 large Maris Piper potatoesSalt and pepperOil for cooking

MethodFirst you need to get the chips on the go. Peel thepotatoes and cut them into chunky chips. Place into asteamer or a sauce pan of hot water and bring to agentle simmer until they almost break when you bendthem. Leave to one side so they can drain and dry.

Next turn the fryer to a medium heat suitable forblanching, drop the chips in for a couple of minutes oruntil they take on a very pale colour.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a shallow frying pan, season thesteaks on both sides and slowly lower the steaks intothe pan. They must sizzle on first contact with the oil.Now, how long you cook the steaks for depends onwhat degree of 'doneness' you like but, as a guide, cookthem for one minute on each side continuously untilyou get the steaks just as you like them.

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At Taste Swansea we love a good local market – asyou've probably guessed from our Local ProduceMarkets page earlier in the magazine! So we werevery excited to hear of a brand new undercovermarket set to hit Swansea, at Mosaic restaurant –just off St Helen's Road. The Mosaic Market willtake place on the first Saturday of each month,with the inaugural market planned for Saturday,5 March.

MOSAIC MARKETWhile not solely food and drink, they alreadyhave a good mix of stall holders lined up,including a vegan section, a bakery and a deli,as well as jewellery and crafts.

Speaking with Taste Swansea, owner and headchef Brennan Street said, 'We're really lookingforward to the first one, it should be a fun day.We are also offering discounts on dining too.And if the first one goes well we hope to growthe event with live music.' The markets takeplace from 11am to 3pm. See you there!

Small tables are £20, with large trestles £30.If you're looking to book a stall please emailMosaic directly: mosaicswansea@gmail.com.

New!

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s a result of the recent inclement weather,my mind has never been far from thethought of gathering around a roaring logfire in a rural setting and tucking in to

some wholesome home-made comfort food –preferably washed down with some good real ale.Throwing caution to the wind (and rain) I set outto do just that!

The Gower Peninsula has long been a favouritehaunt of mine and, due to living abroad for manyyears, it had been some time since I had exploredmy child-hood playground. My mission was toventure to The Ship Inn, Port Eynon.

I recall the pub having previously been very tired-looking, but it now offers a great first impression –tasteful, rustic, seafaring décor. Seriousinvestment has taken place here and knowingthat chef Chris Keenan was in the kitchen, thissignalled to me serious long term intent by theowners. My first wish came true with a temptingroaring log fire.

The second part of my mission was immediatelyaccomplished as I was greeted by Cati (or was it

her identical twin Charlie?), who served me a lovelypint of Gower Gold.

As for my third wish, this also materialised withefficient service and a smile. As a starter, a largebowl of home-made butternut squash soup withwarm crusty bread. Truly one of my favourites, butserved with an optional hint of chilli to add furtherprotection against the elements. It was delicious.

This was followed by another comfort food dish –bangers and mash. These were pork and applebangers, not the usual Cumberlands which are sodominant on menus these days, and the flavour ofapples really shone through. The portion was hugeand the onion gravy was rich and tasty. I'm surechef used a good measure of red wine! In all, alovely comforting dish – simple, but executed verywell.

Suffice to say after two courses I didn't have roomfor the bread and butter pudding and, regrettably,I had to to call it a day there. But frankly I was socomfortable in the corner of the room that I didn'twant to leave! For great food I'll happily goanywhere regularly, irrespective of the location –and I strongly recommend The Ship Inn.

REVIEWTHE SHIP INN, PORT EYNON

A

Steve Homer

"I was so comfortable...I didn't want to leave!"

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THIS PAGE COULD BEADVERTISING YOURBUSINESS IN THE

NEXT ISSUE

BOOST YOUR FOOD AND DRINK BUSINESS…

Our next issue will be out in mid-March.

Crammed full of foodie news, reviews, articles and opinion.Make sure YOUR business is a part of it.

Bi-Monthly

Affordable and competitive advertising prices that suit your budget

Interesting, informative and engaging content

No contracts

Discounts available

All adverts for the Apri l/May editionmust be placed by 2 March.

For more detai ls and prices email:info@tasteswansea.com

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A NIGHT OF FOODAND AGONY

Jay brings 'A Night of Food and Agony'to Swansea's Grand Theatre on Friday,

29 April at 8pm.

Photo:Levon

Biss

Jay Rayner has enjoyed a delicious career – anaward-winning writer, journalist, a judge onMasterchef and a broadcaster, and even anoccasional jazz pianist! And this April he's inSwansea, appearing on stage at the GrandTheatre in A Night of Food and Agony. Speakingexclusively with Taste Swansea, Jay talks aboutJapanese food, Soda Streams and his new show.

What's your favourite kind of cuisine?If I had to eat the food of only one country forthe rest of my life, it would be Japan. We arefinally beginning to understand just howdiverse it is. Plus I adore grilled eel.

And if you could eat just one meal for the restof your life, what would it be?This sounds like the stuff of utter nightmares.The same thing? Day after day? My choicewould be irrelevant because, after about aweek, I’d be sick of it. You might as well give mea protein shake.

What about a favourite drink?Sparkling water. I’m addicted to it. My wifebanned me from having it in the house for awhile because I was getting through a dozenlitres a week. So I bought a Soda Stream.

You know the food industry inside out – give usa fact that may surprise us.On a large scale carrots are always harvested inthe middle of the night when it’s cool, becausethey’d start decaying more quickly if harvestedby daylight.

What do you know about the Swansea foodscene?I must confess, not much. Once, after recordingan edition of the Kitchen Cabinet – the foodshow I present for BBC Radio 4 – we did eat atsome huge Indian restaurant on the hill aboveSwansea. Nice enough food but the place wasodd. It looked like the setting for a wedding butI wasn’t getting married.

You should read Taste Swansea moreoften! So what's the idea behindA Night of Food and Agony?It’s a night of two halves. The first is anhour of stand up comedy about dreadfulrestaurant experiences. In the second I’mjoined by the rest of my jazz quartet as Itake to the piano for an hour of songsabout both food and drink, and thatreflect my childhood being raised by anagony aunt, because my mum was one.

What kind of thing can we expect?A lot of good laughs, some swingingmusic and some truly filthy stories of thesort people from Swansea love.

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GET INVOLVEDI f you've reached this page and sti ll haven't guessed, Taste Swansea is

a dedicated food and drink magazine for all foodiesin Swansea, Gower and Llanelli .

Fashion, cars, and property? Sorry, not interested!However, we are interested to hear from the following:

READERS:Loved an article and want to get in touch with the writer?

Seen an error (they do happen now and again) and want to point it out?

Want to subscribe to the magazine? Get in touch!

CHEFS:Read our articles and think you can do better? Have a special recipe you'd love to share

with our readers? Get in touch!

BUSINESSES:Want to reach out to thousands of hungry foodies? Want to share some information about an upcoming event?

Have an exciting new menu? Get in touch!

MARKETS / POP-UP KITCHENS:Involved with a local produce market we haven't mentioned on our pages? Run your own pop-up kitchen and think

it needs more publicity? Get in touch!

TasteSwansea.comTwitter : @Taste_Swansea

Facebook : facebook.com/TasteSwansea

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PRODUCER IN FOCUS:

In this feature we get a real flavour of some of Swansea's most celebrated food and drinkproducers. This issue, we speak with local spice guru VICKI THOMSON of Malabar Aaanaa – amainstay at the Mumbles and Uplands local produce markets, as well as host of several popularpop-up kitchens in Noah's Yard.

Take us back to the beginning – when and why didyou start Malabar Aaanaa?Malabar Aaanaa was established in the spring of2013, after being inspired by my friends andadoptive family in a small village calledChendamangalam in Cochin, Kerala. I also wantedto revisit a previous food business I had, called TheBanyan Tree Deli.

What kind of produce do you specialise in?We specialise in South Indian food, with the mainconcentration being Keralan. At the producemarkets you will find a mix of vegetarian and veganhot street food including Masala Dosa, Uthappam,Masala Vada wraps, and ready prepared SouthIndian spice pastes and main dishes. At the pop upswe have two types of cuisine – the Keralan Kitchenserves South Indian Thalis and The PomegranateKitchen serves Persian and Middle Eastern mezzedishes. I wanted to show the wider aspects of Indiain the food we deliver.

How is Kerelan cooking different to the kind ofcurries we may be used to in Swansea?Cuisine from South India is very special anddifferent from most of the Indian fare on offer here;this tends to be North Indian and Anglo Indian. Themain differences between South Indian and NorthIndian food is that South Indian can be spicier. Ituses coconut oil instead of mustard oil, coconutmilk instead of dairy products, and also generallyuses tamarind and Kokum instead of tomatoes as asouring agent.

MALABAR AAANAA

You go to India now and again – do you come backwith lots of new ideas?I've been travelling back and forth to India for the last14 years; my first love was Rajasthan with its aridlandscapes and bursts of vivid colour, Moghularchitecture, and delicious dal with buttered chapattiand cups of hot masala chai. I then visited Kerala or –as my friend Dipin proudly informs me – 'Gods OwnCountry', which is far more laid back than the north,with its coconut groves, back waters, beaches,temples and a bounty of seafood and vegetables.Kerala is a larder of inspiration, from the people youmeet, the landscapes you see and cuisine on offer. It'shard not to be inspired by each visit.

What's your favourite thing to cook and eat yourself?My favourite thing to eat is obviously Keralan,especially food prepared by my friends Divya andDeepa who make the best sambar, prawn fry, fishcurry and beef fry with parotta. I'm very keen onhome cooked food. My favourite dishes to preparewhen I have no time pressures would be venison pao,Kerala prawns and a spicy fish dish cooked in bananaleaves

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In the mood to get creative? Want to seeyour favourite burger come to life on a realmenu?

In this exclusive competition, the exceptionalnothing but… Simply Fabulous Burgers – locatedinside No. 6 on Princess Way – are asking TasteSwansea readers to create their next best-selling burger!

Find inspiration, choose your ingredients andget the idea to us. The reader with the mostdelicious and creative concept will see theirburger on the nb... menu!

In addition you will be invited to come and jointhe awesome nb... chef in the kitchen to cookyour creation for yourself and three friends!

Keep in mind that nb... are all about taste andusing the finest local produce.

To be in with a chance to win, head toTasteSwansea.com, go to the 'Competitions'page, and enter your burger idea! It's thatsimple.

Design your ownnothing but. . .

Simply Fabulous Burger!WIN!

Competition closes Saturday, 5 Marchwith winners selected by the restaurantand notified soon after. No cashalternative to the prize will be offered. Theprize is not transferable, and subject toavailability. We reserve the right towithdraw any prize without giving notice.Taste Swansea is not responsible forinaccurate prize details supplied to anyentrant by any third party connected withthis competition. Terms and conditionsapply.

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