Mannablog - Food In South Devon

We had a totally delightful day last Saturday when we hosted a hen party for 11 at the cooking school.  All planned in secret, the friends, work colleagues, mum and mum-in-law to be opted for a Tuscan theme for the day and managed to keep it all from Lindsay, the bride to be, until they were actually in Devon on the evening before the event.  Luckilyshe was totally into it and was delighted when she turned up at the school on Saturday morning and found out exactly what we’d be cooking.

Tuscan cooking is all about simple, rustic fair; lots of beans, grilled steaks, baked fish and fresh, seasonal vegetables simple prepared and presented.  The area is famous for beef and of course chianti, so bistecca fiorentina had to be on the menu.  This consists of a huge chunk of t-bone steak, 2.5 kilos in this case, rubbed with oil and seasoning and chargrilled on the barbecue. (more…)

Did you realise that the lovely pork sausages you just tucked into for brekkie may have contained as little as 42% pork and of that pork much of it may have been fat or connective tissue and so your banger may have only contained 30% lean pork meat?  Me either!  But, having invited Lesley and Richard Goodman of Gara Barton Venison and Rare Breed Pork into the school, and spent a day making and discussing sausages, we now know a whole lot more.  Not only that but we also made a vast array of delicious sausages and sent everyone away with a a variety party bag to take home.  My favourites were the Toulouse Sausage, because I made them, which contained pork cut by hand rather than minced with garlic and red wine - delicious but a bit hot for brekkie.  We’re hoping to put together another sausage making course in the autum, let me know if you’re interested.