Firstly, may I apologise for my lateness in posting this promised interview that was due to be published in April
Margaret is another hard working blogger. Posting regularly and always offering give-aways & competitions. Something I've not really had the opportunity to do much of to date, putting me to shame!!!
Want to know more? read on........
Debs - Q. When did you start your blog & why?
Margaret - A. I started my blog in September 2006. My son suggested I start a blog and he set it up for me because he knew I was trying to find ways to start an online record of my cooking. Prior to starting my blog, I had no previous knowledge of the world of blogging.
Debs - Q. Tell us about your weakness for kitchen gadgets and what’s your latest purchase?
Margaret - A. Yes, I do love gadgets and just can’t resist them. They do have to be fit for purpose though and the vast majority of them are, I guess this is because I buy good, reliable brands.
Take for instance ring pulls on food cans, I just don’t seem to be able to pull the lids off safely or I find the contents of the can splatter everywhere, or worse still the ring pull parts company with the lid. I bought a ring can pull and wouldn’t be without it now. This is one of my low value gadgets.
My latest gadget, and most costly, is a Kenwood Cooking Chef. We attended the Birmingham Good Food Show just before Christmas 2009 and Kenwood were demonstrating this machine. I had seen this previously in magazines and had read up on it, it seemed to be the perfect dream kitchen machine. My husband, to my delight, said he would buy it for me as a Christmas present for this year, next year, the year after that, and I guess the year after that too! The Kenwood Cooking Chef only came out a few months ago and is a truly wonderful piece of kitchen machinery.
Debs - Q. You cook many recipes by various chef’s/cooks. Who is your favourite chef/cook and why?
Margaret - A. Delia Smith has to be my favourite cookery writer. She has given us some wonderful recipes and mostly I trust a Delia recipe to work, because she tests them over and over again in a domestic kitchen. Delia introduced us to the Melting Chocolate Pudding, a recipe given to her by Galton Blackiston the owner of Morston Hall Hotel in Norfolk. There are very similar recipes around but all with different names. This pudding is everywhere – magazines, cookery books, restaurant menus and can easily be made at home.
My favourite chef has to be Jamie Oliver he has brought us in the main, healthy food recipes. He has inspired twenty and thirty year olds, male and female to cook, by being so passionate about food and cooking. He has also helped to turn around the school meal service in the UK, which sadly before the Jamie Oliver Schools Campaign, served up poor quality food to our school children. He inspires us to cook with his television appearances and his informative books. I was fortunate to eat at Jamie’s Italian in Brighton last year and the food was superb.
Debs - Q. What is your favourite cuisine?
Margaret - A. It has to be Italian. Pasta is so versatile and can be used in so many dishes, everything from salad to baked spaghetti. Somehow, I always feel Italian food is healthy and enjoy both cooking Italian recipes and eating it. I also love most Italian foods, especially the meats. At Christmas I always buy a few boxes of Panettone – there is nothing I enjoy more than a Panettone bread and butter pudding.
Debs - Q. What is the most successful dish you have created in your kitchen?
Margaret - A. Beef Wellington – I cooked this for a special birthday family dinner, for my husband. Everyone said it was the best home meal ever, and most memorable.
Debs - Q. And, what is the most unsuccessful dish?
Margaret - A. The most unsuccessful dish was Red Cabbage with Cranberries. I know this answer is the complete opposite to my answer above, where I mention Delia recipes work. To be fair to her, maybe this was just not to our taste. I made this after Delia brought cranberries to our attention, we all went out and bought them, and then thought that we should like them. I call them the dreaded cranberry. Red Cabbage with Cranberries just didn’t work and braised red cabbage just doesn’t need messing around with.
Debs - Q. Have you, do you, or would you, work in the food business.
Margaret - A. The answer is no, to all of the above. I would love to test kitchen gadgets here at home in a domestic environment though!
Debs - Q. You run a lot of competitions on your blog. Tell us a bit more about that.
Margaret - A. In the past I have run competitions and giveaways for PR companies. It seemed a good idea at the time, and I dipped my toes in the water to see how successful or otherwise they would be. I have quickly learnt though, that unless it is designer chocolate or cookery books, they have a tendency to fail. Not sure that you will see many more ill judged competitions or giveaways on the blog in the future!
Debs - Q. What is the most memorable meal you have eaten out? Where was it & why do you consider it to be so good?
Margaret - A. The most memorable meal I have eaten out is at The Gables Tea Room, Weobley, Herefordshire. We were out and about on a tourist trail and came across this beautiful village. The tea room caught our eye, and they were serving the most perfectly executed meals, desserts and cakes. Everything was either made on the premises or came from Weobley Dairy. They use locally sourced products, where they can. Our lunch was superior to most of our dining out experiences and came at a fraction of the cost. They will never win any Michelin stars but it was good, honest food. After we left, we realised just how incredible these little hidden gems are. We have been back a couple of times and are about to go again.
Debs - Q. Likewise, what is the worst meal you’ve eaten out?
Margaret - A. We booked in at a reputable Restaurant for a meal in an area that is a food/tourist hotspot. For the main course, my husband ordered sirloin steak – it arrived with a very bland selection of vegetables and to make matters worse his steak was greasy, I think they must have fried it in loads of oil, it definitely hadn’t been seared in any way. People were walking from a bar lounge area past our table in a constant stream, to make their way to either the Ladies or Gents – not good and quite annoying. This place has very good reviews, but other than location and the clientele, I couldn’t for the life of me understand why the restaurant was so popular.
So, to end our interview for May; please join me in saying a big 'thanks' to Margaret for giving us her time in creating this interview.
Don't forget, pop over to Margaret's blog, Kitchen-Delights to have a peak inside.
That all folks......
