Cocoa Cupcake and the BookStop Cafe

There’s plenty of cake and chat about Twitter on this week’s episode of Food for Thought. I spoke to Katie Scott from Cocoa Cupcake. She makes cupcakes, biscuits and cakes and I wanted to find out more about her business. I also caught up with the BookStop Cafe, it opened over the Bank Holiday weekend and supports local authors.

Listen to this week’s podcast here:

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Katie Scott, from Cocoa Cupcake, makes fantastic looking cakes for people’s birthdays and weddings but baking and decorating has long been a hobby of hers. Katie chatted to me about how she got back into baking, as well as how sites like Twitter help her to promote her work.

You can listen to the interview with Katie Scott in full here:

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The Bookstop Cafe opened on the Bank Holiday weekend so I went along to find out what they are offering Lincoln.

Joff Gainey, who runs the new cafe, wanted to combine his love of cake and tea with his interest in books and reading. He is also a local author and wants the Bookstop Cafe to be a place to promote and support other local authors.

You can listen to the interview with Joff here:

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If you liked listening to this podcast then make sure you tune in to Siren FM on Wednesdays at 2pm or Saturdays at 3pm to hear Food for Thought as it goes out on the radio station.

Healthy eating on Food for Thought

It might finally be the right weather for ice cream but on Food for Thought I am talking about healthy food. I have been speaking to Claire Rick, a spokesperson for the Children’s Food Trust, about how important it is for young people to eat healthily.

There’s also some best bits from previous episodes, as well as a discussion about mug cakes.

Listen to the latest show right here:

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We all know that it is better to eat healthy and to cook properly, rather than just grab a takeaway. The earlier we start doing this the better in fact, which is why charities like the Children’s Food Trust have been set up. They help schools come up with healthy menus and help parents and children out with cookery lessons.

To find out more about the work that the Children’s Food Trust does and how a healthy diet helps children to pay more attention in their lessons.

Listen to the full interview with Claire Rick, a spokesperson from the Children’s Food Trust, right here:

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Even when being healthy you can always have a little bit of cake, just be good about it. This week I tried out mug cakes. They are a student’s dream as you mix together the ingredients for a cake in a mug and microwave.

I was intrigued so tried making one, and it was a bit rubbish. It mostly went all over the microwave, so I didn’t take a photograph. But if you have had a better attempt with mug cakes, or have a recipe which works really well in the microwave, then let me know and I’ll talk about it on the show.

Food for Thought getting ready for Easter

The show this week is a bit of a mixed bag with some best of interviews, including the chef James Martin, as well as some great recipes using Creme Eggs.

Listen to this week’s show here:

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Creme egg brownies

I have come up with my own Easter tradition. The best Easter egg available every year is the Cadbury’s creme egg. I decided last year to be a bit creative and, with the help of the internet, I came up with creme egg cupcakes.

It was a chocolate cupcake with a whole creme egg in the middle, decorated with butter icing and some mini creme eggs. They were very indulgent, but also very sweet. To be honest they were enjoyable but also hard work to eat. However, if you do fancy trying them out here is the recipe I used.

This year I decided to try again, and saw a recipe for creme egg brownies online I thought I would try out. To make them all you have to do is make a normal brownie mix and press creme egg halves on top. It may sound simple but the results are delicious.

If you would like to try making these yourself I made a quick video to help you out.

There will be more talk about chocolate next week on Food for Thought as chocolatier Rosella Gugliotta, who runs Okie Coco will be talking about making Easter eggs.

Food for Thought: Electric Bar birthday and bacon for brunch

On this week’s Food for Thought I found out how the Electric Bar celebrated their first birthday as well as enjoy a spot of brunch. I also do apologise for croaking my way through the programme as a cold made me lose my voice. Very annoying when doing the radio but I tried my best.

You can listen to this week’s show here:

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A few weeks back the Electric Bar, which is on top of the Hilton Hotel, celebrated its first birthday. Their party had lavish cocktails and expensive cars but was also a chance to find out how the first year had been. So I spoke to the general manager, Philip Walker, as well as the head chef, Phil Henson.

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If you want to try something a bit different to the normal Sunday roast then why not experiment with brunch. Stokes cafe at The Collection are now serving brunch on Sundays. So to find out more about the meal and what new foods to try out I spoke to Jean Sebastian Braen, general manager at the Stokes High Bridge and Collection cafes.

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There are some great items on the menu and I tried out the pancakes with bacon and maple syrup which was definitely a treat for a cold Sunday morning.

Have I missed out a great restaurant or cafe? Then let me know. Either send me an email or tweet the station.

Food for Thought: James Martin and Rock Paper Scissors

On this week’s show I find out about Rock Paper Scissors, a crafterie and a cafe which has opened recently in Lincoln. Also on the show is an interview with celebrity chef James Martin, who chats about his latest television show as well as his thoughts on the recent UK meat scandal.

You can listen to this week’s Food for Thought in full right here:

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Rock Paper Scissors is a slightly different place than the usual ones mentioned on the show. The shop actually sells pieces of art and design as well as teaching people new crafts. Alongside all this they are also a cafe serving up slices of home made cake and fresh tea.

The shop manager, Elizabeth Dimmock, and the shop manager, Michelle Forrest Beckett, have returned to Lincoln after originally coming here to study at the University of Lincoln. They are glad to be back with their new venture and are excited about the possibilities when it comes to combining cakes and crafts.

You can listen to the interview with Elizabeth and Michelle in full right here:

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They also hold all sorts of events so to find out more head to the Rock Paper Scissors website.

The celebrity chef, James Martin, spoke to me and Sam Pidoux last week. As well as chatting about his new series, which is about baking in the US, he also mentioned his views on the UK horse meat business and spoke about gluten free baking.

You can listen to the interview with James Martin here:

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I hope you have enjoyed listening to this week’s show, if there are any Lincoln restaurants that you think should be on this show then just let me know.

Food for Thought: Crunchie Munchies and the Ellis Mill

Each week on Food for Thought I find out about the food, cafes and restaurants that are all here in Lincoln. On this week’s show I talk to Stephanie Milner who set up the alternative takeaway company Crunchie Munchies as well as visiting the Ellis Mill to see how flour is made.

Listen to the programme via the player below:

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Crunchie Munchies is a different kind of takeaway selling cakes and treats instead of pre-prepared meals. Set up by graduates from Bishop Grosseteste, money from the business goes towards community drama projects. Stephanie Milner, a co-director of Crunchie Munchies, came down to the Siren studios to chat about her takeaway cake business.

You can listen to the interview with Stephanie in full below:

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You might have seen the Ellis Mill looking over Lincoln, and last weekend I finally got a chance to visit it. The mill dates from 1798 but was closed in the 1940s. However, the mill was restored and in 1981 it began to make flour again.

The mill is now managed by Lincolnshire County Council but volunteers help to run the mill and make the flour, which you can buy if you visit the mill.

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The Ellis Mill is open on Sundays from 2pm until dusk currently, but school trips or group bookings can be arranged at other times but talk to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life first.

The mill is also looking for more volunteers, so if it would help your studies at university or it sounds like something you would be interested in helping with then get in touch with The Museum of Lincolnshire Life.

Fancy a slice of America?

Lincoln’s newest restaurant, Ribs n Bibs, is offering the city something quite different. The American smokehouse restaurant opens this week and to find out more I spoke to the manager Adam Wallhead.

Also in the programme a number of the restaurants and cafes I have spoken to as part of this show are based in Burton Road. So I find out more about the food community in that part of Lincoln.

You can listen to this week’s show via the player below:

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Ribs n Bibs is hoping to bring American food, flavours and the dining experience to Lincoln. The restaurant, which opens on Valentine’s Day, is on the Strait and the people that run it think this is exactly what Lincoln needs.

They are already fully booked for opening night and the next few days through the power of Twitter and Facebook. So to find out more about the restaurant I met up with Adam Wallhead, the manager, while preparations for opening night were still taking place.

You can listen to the interview with Adam in full right here:

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Coming up in the next few weeks on Food for Thought I visit the Ellis Windmill to find out flour is made and also Sam Pidoux and I have arranged an interview with the celebrity chef James Martin. To hear all this then you need to make sure you listen to Food for Thought on Siren FM on Wednesdays at 2pm.

Food for Thought: The Bowl Full Tapas Bar and pancakes for all

On this week’s show I chatted to Joanne Bycroft who runs The Bowl Full Tapas Bar. I also attempted cooking on the radio as I wanted to find out if you can make good gluten-free and lactose-free pancakes.

If you missed the show you can listen again online right here:

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A lot of the restaurants and cafes that are featured on this show are hidden away within the city. The Bowl Full Tapas Bar, which is run by Joanne Bycroft and her family, is no different and is tucked away on West Parade.

The restaurant serves up authentic Spanish food, but to reflect the community around them, some of the dishes have a Lincolnshire twist to them.

When I met up with Joanne a few weeks ago she chatted about her restaurant has changed and what it is like to be part of a community.

You can listen to Joanne’s interview in full below:

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Every now and again on Food for Thought I like to find out more about gluten free and lactose free cookery.

As it is coming up to Pancake Day I wondered if it is easy to substitute the flour and milk in pancakes seeing as there are only a few ingredients. To find out more I was joined by Food for Thought regulars Sam Pidoux and Jon Cresswell.

You can listen to what we found out here:

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If you would like to try out our pancake recipes, then all the details are below. If they work out well then just let me know either by email or tweeting the station.

Gluten free pancakes
Makes 4 large pancakes
You will need:
50g of gluten free plain flour
1 egg
100 ml of milk
35ml of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Measure all the ingredients into one bowl and mix. Pour some oil into a frying pan and start heating it up. Then pour a large amount of the batter into the frying pan, enough to cover the base. When the underneath is brown and cooked turn over to cook the other side. Once it is completely cooked serve up.

Gluten free and soya milk pancakes
Makes 4 large pancakes
You will need:
50g of gluten free plain flour
1 egg
100 ml of soya milk
35 ml of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt

This recipe is not actually that different as all that changes is using soya milk instead of normal milk and it works nicely. So measure all your ingredients in one bowl and mix well til there are no lumps. Heat a frying pan with a bit of oil and when hot add enough batter to cover the bottom of the frying pan. Cook both sides till brown and then plate up.

Gluten free American pancakes
Makes lots
You will need:
250g of gluten free plain flour
2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of bicarbonite of soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoon of sugar
2 eggs
12 fluid ounces of buttermilk
12 fluid ounces of milk
4 tablespoons of melted butter

Same as with the other pancake recipes, mix all the ingredients together and whisk until there are no lumps left. Then heat the frying pan and a little bit of oil, but then make much smaller pancakes. Watch the bubbles in the batter and when they start to get bigger flip the pancakes over. Once cooked both sides, serve up.

We also tried out a version with chocolate chips, which we did just by adding some choc chips to the batter before cooking it.

And the winner is… Food for Thought at the National Fish and Chip Awards

Wednesday, 30th January – 2pm

Last week on Food for Thought, we spoke to the people behind a local chip shop nominated as one of the best in the country – and in this half hour special episode, find out what happens as Food for Thought goes to London.

The Burton Road Chippy receive their East of England award | Photo: 3×1/Seafish

It’s the National Fish and Chip Awards, and Lincoln’s Burton Road Chippy are nominated for two awards. Charlotte Reid speaks to owner Des Anastasiou and follows the process of the competition, speaking to the judges to find out what matters and is there to find out what happens when the winner’s name is revealed on stage…

You can listen to this special episode online here:

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To get a taste of the big night take a look at the gallery of the awards ceremony.

Food for Thought is back with chips and haggis

It’s been a while but this is the first proper Food for Thought of 2013. To start the year off I spoke to Burton Road Chippy about being a finalist for the best fish and chip shop in the country. Also I found out more about how Burns Night is traditionally celebrated, as well as why the Scottish day is being celebrated here in Lincoln.

You can listen to this week’s podcast below.

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The excitement is building for Burton Road Chippy as this week they will find out, at an awards ceremony in London, if they are the best Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop in the country. Last week I chatted to the owner, Des Anastasiou, to find out how they are preparing and what winning would mean to them.

To get to the finals Burton Road Chippy had to compete in regionals, so they are already the winners of the East of England Fish and Chip Shop awards. Getting this far means everything about their restaurant, as well as their chips, has been judged as Des explains to me.

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This Friday is Burns Night, which is traditionally a Scottish day to celebrate the life and work of the poet Robert Burns. A Burns Supper is usually eaten to commemorate the day, which would involve haggis, whisky and reading some of Burns’ poetry.

Although the day is commonly celebrated in Scotland, Bishop Grosseteste are also honouring the day. I spoke to their Vice Chancellor Professor Muriel Robinson to find out why.

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If you want to listen to the show in full then listen to Siren 107.3FM on Wednesdays at 2pm. If you have any suggestions of great local cafes and restaurants that should be part of Food for Thought then just email me or tweet the station using @sirenfm.