MY BLOG, MY RECIPES, MY FOOD!
A theatre wouldn't be my first point of call when looking for somewhere to eat but when looking for somewhere to eat after going to see a matinee performance of the Everyman Theatre's Company production of Fiddler On The Roof (which was stunning btw!) we saw that they had their very own Everyman Bistro offering up food prior to evening performances. Somewhere to eat right where we were spending the afternoon? Made perfect sense to give them a try and so we made a table reservation and after enjoying the show we headed down into the Everyman's basement to take our seat.
So having enjoyed the £12.95 pre theatre menu at Bistro Franc in my previous post and being lucky enough to have tickets to go and see Sheridan Smith star in Funny Girl at the Liverpool Empire last week, we decided to give their sister restaurant, Bistro Pierre a whirl. Their pre theatre menu offered a different selection of starters and mains so it's practically like visiting a completely different venue isn't it? Could Bistro Pierre offer a tasty trio of courses similar to that of Bistro Franc? We headed off to go find out.
One of the good things about having this blog is being able to reach out and try and connect with people for a good cause. So this post is a bit of a begging one but I don't care because I'm doing it to raise money for Red Nose Day 2017. Myself and a bunch of guys from my work are riding a stationary bike in a relay for 180 miles from our hotel in Liverpool to our head office in Hammersmith. We are hoping to raise £1000 for Comic Relief and you can help by donating as much or as little as you can to support our bike ride!
Looking for a three course dinner in Liverpool priced at just £12.95? Not possible I hear you cry! Well let me take some time to introduce you to Bistro Franc on Hanover Street, Liverpool. This French restaurant has been operating in the city for a fair few years now and is famous for offering it's patrons a three course pre theatre menu for just that. Cheap? Yes, but is the food any good? With tickets to the Liverpool Empire theatre one evening last week to see the touring production of Rent and without wanting to spend an arm and a leg on dinner; it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it and find out.
Oh, I do love a good mozzarella stick! Biting through that crispy breadcrumb coating and letting that stringy cheese just dribble all over your chin? Yup, it's totally messy, dirty and wrong but I bet there are a lot of people out there reading this agreeing me right now. One question? How can you make mozzarella sticks even better? Simple! Make your own home made versions and use crushed cornflakes mixed with panko breadcrumbs, garlic and onion powder to make the most delicious, crispy coating ever!
I think most people who have ever stepped through the doors of a Pizza Express will of tried their dough balls at least once in their life but I don't think many people would consider trying to make them at home. That can seem like quite a lot of faff but this is were my cheat's version comes in. By using ready made pizza dough you can have these herby, cheesy, garlic knots on the table in under 1 hour but don't worry; the guilt of cheating will disappear once you try your first one. Trust me, they are proper lush!
Classic recipes might not be terribly exciting or have all the bells and whistles of a show stopping celebration cake but for when you want to whip up something easy after a stressful week of work then they are perfect. A favorite of mine is the lemon slice, a simple zesty lemon sponge topped with a layer of even zestier lemon icing. This all in one recipe can be in the oven in less than 15 minutes if you have a handle on your baking skills it's also a great recipe for beginners to try too. Most importantly; its makes some right lully cakes! 
Don't get me wrong, I love a tin of Heinz cream of mushroom soup but you wouldn't dish it up at a dinner party for your friends and family now would you? What you need is a posh version which will blow the socks off your guests. It's also super simple to make so it's a stress free starter too. The posh elements in your soup come from the porcini mushrooms and the celeriac but you will get your money's worth as you will use all the mushrooms and the soaking broth to really add flavor to your soup whilst the celeriac give it it's body. 