Is Life Ever Fair?

Week 9

Finally, it's stopped raining and the world is a beautiful place.

Or is it? We're now in the middle of Fairtrade fortnight (22 Feb - 7 March) - a topic that is so important yet so often misunderstood.

Fairtrade has become the generic word for produce that 'gives back' to the producer. Or should that just be 'fairly traded'? Other certifications include Rainforest Alliance which is perceived to be about saving the rainforest (take another look at what they do!) and organic apparently means no chemicals added. So what's biodynamic? What's Soil Association? What's Red Tractor? What's Freedom Food vs Free Range?

We've all come to look at different seals as 'safe' badges without really understanding what they mean. Are they all good for the producer? Maybe. Are they all sustainable? No. Is one better than the other? Depends.

Is it better to have a Fairtrade biscuit made in Malawi than a flapjack from a small producer in Kent?
Is it better to pay a fixed premium for a product that is in little demand or to encourage farmers to diversify?

Are organic green beans from Kenya better than non-organic green beans from the farm down the road?

Ultimately, it's about knowing where your food comes from and understanding what all these certifications really mean - and no one is making it particularly easy. Exploitation isn't the answer. Neither is shipping products thousands of miles when you can get better from round the corner. And ultimately, if it's not commercially sustainable, then there's no point at all. Food for thought...

So, on a slightly different note this week's Food of the Week is...

Meat!

It's taken me a lifetime to work it out but finally I've realised that
a) good meat usually comes from a [good] butcher

b) it's better to buy hunks of meat rather than specific cuts because it's much cheaper and less likely to have been interfered with.

Ginger Pig is my favourite butcher of the moment. It's not just about pork (although that's where it all started) and you will find all meats from traditional breeds as well as charcuterie products in their shop. It's always busy so there's a big turnover of meat which assures me of its freshness (vs other butchers who have little on show and get things out the freezer). Ginger Pig's meat is tender and full of flavour and everyone notices the difference when they eat it.

So what's the difference?

Ginger Pig refuses to feed their livestock bought in artificial foods containing unnecessary proteins. Instead they grow their own barley, wheat, oats etc which is fed to the animals. Because everything is natural, the animals grow slower and are slaughtered between one and three months later than those reared on industrial farms.

Overall, Ginger Pig oversees every element of the rearing process from planting the seeds for the fodder, through to breeding, feeding, slaughtering and butchering right through to selling the product in their shops, and apparently no one else does that in the UK.

Best Way to Serve

Depends on what you're eating! Their butterfly lamb chops are beautiful, as is their beef fillet (great for a carpaccio) and their ham (pinker than any other ham I've seen!)

Where can I buy them and what's it going to do to my bank balance?

Price: tbc according to what you purchase

Ginger Pig has shops at Marylebone, Hackney, Waterloo (at Greensmiths), Borough Market and Pickering in North Yorkshire

www.thegingerpig.co.uk

Restaurant of the Week

Sacred Cafe

This week's choice is Sacred Cafe, with branches on Ganton Street and Kingly Court (near Carnaby Street), Westfield and Torrington Street.

It's actually more of a bar than a restaurant but the reasons for including it are as follows:

Why is it good?

It's possibly the best place for a decent cup of tea in London that won't cost the earth! Apparently it's Antipodean style.

As well as fresh brewed ice teas and the usual chai lattes, Sacred Cafe has a range of long leaf loose teas as this is a teabag free zone. All served in a 'so chintzy it's cool' teapot!

Ways to make your dough last longer

Week 8

Firstly, I stand corrected that a pancake is generally tossed and not flipped. Unfortunately tossing just didn't sound right at the time so I stuck to flipping. Hope you understand.

In preparation for the Great British Bake Off which is soon to hit our screens, I have taken up baking (much safer than flipping or tossing) my own bread. It's very cheap (about 60p a big loaf) but so far my results would be better used as weapons of mass destruction. So until I've cracked the light and fluffy thing, I'm happy to pay for the privilege of having it ready made so this week's Food of the Week is...

Bread!

For years and years I'd been happily buying supermarket bread until one day when I splashed out on some bread from The Flour Station.

Initially I thought it was really expensive. But then I realised that I didn't need to eat as much of it as supermarket loaves because it had substance to it rather than big bubbles of air. It also tasted really good (rather than of air) and remarkably, lasted a lot longer.

I've since discovered that The Flour Station was born out of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen project and was designed to bring new standards of baking to London. Which I would say they have achieved.

So what's the difference?

Their breads are sourdough or 'levain' and use a massive 24 hour long fermentation process with wild yeast (clearly where I've been going wrong as packet yeasts state just 30 minutes fermentation). I'm a big fan of their multigrain bread but recently tried their rye bread which is delicious - apparently their master baker is Polish so knows what he's doing with rye. Whatever your taste, they have loads of different breads so if you normally buy supermarket bread, try one and make your own decision!

n.b. they use some organic ingredients but focus on locally sourced so aren't always 100% organic. What is important is that they don't use anything artificial so you know it's good for you.

Best Way to Serve

With butter! Also good with jam, soup, cheese, scrambled eggs and just about anything else.

Where can I buy Flour Station bread and what's it going to do to my bank balance?

Price: £2.50-£3.50 for a big loaf

Flour Station is sold at a number of markets across London including, Wimbledon Farmers Market (Saturdays), Queens Park (Sundays), Parliament Hill (Saturdays), Borough Market (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) and the new Clapham Market (Venn Street, by Clapham Common on Fridays and Saturdays)

It's also available through Selfridges, John Lewis Food Hall, selected London based Waitrose stores and a number of delis

Restaurant of the Week

Dehesa

This week's choice is Dehesa, a charcuterie and tapas bar inspired by the cuisine of Spain and Italy (but more Spain than Italy in my opinion). It's website says that it is the sister restaurant to Salt Yard in Fitzrovia, offering sharing dishes served in a relaxed environment
www.dehesa.co.uk

Why is it good?
1) Great location - just off Carnaby Street so Oxford Circus tube is a stone's throw away
2) They have an unusual menu that mixes the best of Italian and Spanish food and wine from stuffed courgette flowers to fino sherry to iberico ham.
3) It's around £20-£40 for a meal so you get great food in a really central location for a reasonable price

Originally you couldn't book tables but this has now changed which helps as it's not the biggest of restaurants and was often packed out. It's intimate but you can also end up sharing tables so check when you book to ensure your table is suited to the occasion you are planning.