SLIM'S PORK CHOP EXPRESS (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Liverpool has a very rich multi cultural heritage but could a restaurant advertising a unique British take on American classics with a sprinkling of dim sum dishes inspired by the neighboring China town be fusion to far? Based right on the top of Seel Street, Slim's Pork Chop Express takes a lot of its influences from the movie "Big Trouble In Little China" with the retro references lining the walls to the names of the dishes on the menu, it really sounds like an 80's child's playground. I went down one Friday to see if it is all a bit gimmicky or a fun and playful place to bring a bunch of mates for chilled out meal.

LULLY LEMON OATIBIX

Sometimes you need a good biscuit to have with a cup of tea on a Saturday afternoon after a long, hard week in work. The ultimate way to fulfill this need is to make your own homemade biscuits as not only do you get to taste the deliciousness, hot and fresh straight from your oven but your house will also acquire that amazing baking smell with is just as comforting as being wrapped in a big fluffy duvet. These oaty lemon biscuits can give you that feeling with no problem whatsoever as they are the easiest bake on the block!

LULLY LITTLE CARROT CAKES

Did you know there is a national carrot cake day every year? Well there is and it's on the 3rd of February. Who knew! This year when I spotted this celebration of all things carrot cake was about to swing by I decided to honor the occasion by baking these little carrot cake cupcakes. I filled my cake batter with crunchy pecan nuts and chewy raisins and topped them with a delicious lemon cream cheese frosting. They make the perfect little mouthful to pop in your mouth of a lully afternoon treat!

POSH PORCINI PATE

Vegetarian food has come a long way over the last 10 years. I'm not a vegetarian but with having to cook for one regularly, I've come to love meat free food and I've discovered ways to make it so tasty that I don't particularly miss meat on a day to day basis. One thing I'd never made before was vegetarian pate. Shop bought stuff is so expensive so when I saw a recipe for a version in Mary Berry's new book I instantly wanted to try it. Now Bezza is the queen of cookery but I thought of a way that I could make her recipe better; by using porcini mushrooms!

GINGER NUTTY KEY LIME PIE

I love any citrusy based desserts. That sharp kick really packs a punch and works so well with all
different types of cakes and bakes. It's only natural then that every time I see a Key Lime pie it takes all my might not to jump over and stick my face in it! I'm no food historian so I don't know what's in a traditional Key Lime pie but I say who cares about the rules and just make what you enjoy to eat! That's why for me the best biscuit base to use on a Key Lime consists of crushed ginger nuts. Lime and ginger! A fabulous flavor combination.

CHINESE VEGGIE SLOW COOKED "YEAR OF THE" ROOSTER

Saturday 28th January 2017 was the start of the Chinese Year of the Rooster and so to celebrate I decided to rustle up an Asian inspired dish but as it was a Saturday, I wanted to make something that would require a minimal amount of effort (well the weekend is a time for chilling isn't it?). This dish of five spice Quorn chicken slow cooked in a soy, ginger, garlic and chili broth was the answer to my prayers. All you need to do is add the ingredients into your slower cooker in stages and you'll build up a dinner that is defiantly going to get you in the mood for a party.

GUSTO LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Gusto in Liverpool has been around for a few years now so this isn't the first time I've walked through their doors and I'm sure many scousers could say the same. It's in such a handy location for people heading off to the arena or for those you have taken a leisurely stroll around the docks for the day. I've never had a bad meal in Gusto but  the food has been better on some occasions then it has been on others. As part of a large booking, we traveled down to the waterfront one Sunday afternoon to see this visit has going to be one of those better trips or if we were going to leave still wanting more.

MATTY'S HOMEMADE CHEESE AND ONION SANDWICH SPREAD

Have ever tried Heinz sandwich spread? The pale slightly tangy concoction they sell in the little jars with the green label? Well this tastes nothing like it even though it was my homemade attempt to emulate it using an array of fresh vegetables and pickled gherkins chopped very finely and processed together with cream cheese, herbs and mustard powder. What I ended up with was a spread that is more like the cheese and onion spread you get on pre-packed sandwiches in supermarkets. Was I disappointed? Err no! It's super scrummy delicious.

MATTY B'S AMARETTO BAKEWELL TART

The time has come for me to update my recipe for my my signature bake! My Bakewell tart!  This tart is one of the reasons I started writing this blog as people kept asking me for the recipe! It has the crumbliest almond flavored pastry, an Amaretto frangipagne and toasted almonds on top. The addition of the Amaretto adds a beautifully sharp boozy almond taste to the tart that makes it defiantly one for the grown ups.

MATTY'S CRACKIN' CRANACHAN

Burn's night happened last month (as it does every year of course!) and this year I was inspired to rustle up a dish to honor this annual celebration. Scouring the internet I came across a pudding known as a Cranachan. This traditional Scottish dessert consists of crumbled up honey roasted oats, fresh raspberries and oodles of whipped whiskey cream. Well, I knew that was the dish I had to make, it just sounded so decedent and naughty. Without wanting to face the wrath of the Scots, I've added my own little twist by adding some seeds to the oats and a mixed fruit medley to the base. I think it's proper bonnie like! 

BOOZY CHOCOLATE AND RAISIN NO FUSS FUDGE

This is the perfect recipe for any chocolate lovers out there who want to make a little treat for
themselves but without having to do too much hard work. This boozy fudge can be whipped up easily by soaking some raisins in some Amaretto, melting some chocolate and mixing everything together with some condensed milk. Transfer everything to baking tin and then pop the mixture in the fridge for a few hours and let the magic just happen. That is basically it! Doesn't get much simpler than that does it?

SUPER SLOW COOKED VEGGIE SAUSAGES AND LENTILS

So it's now mid January, it's raining everyday and it's just too grim to step outside the house. What you need is a bit of comfort food to cheer you up and this is where my slow cooker veggie sausage and green lentil dish comes in. The best part about this recipe is that it takes minimal effort to prepare and then you simply have to let your slow cooker do all the work for you. As with all slow cooked meals though, that low and slow cooking just ramps up the flavor to create something truly scrumptious to get you through these winter months.

CHERRY BAKEWELL LOAF CAKE (WITH A KIRSCH KICK)

Anyone who knows me and has been reading my blog over the years will know there is one bake that holds a special place in my heart. The Bakewell! My tart has seen me through a couple of competitions and I love to try and incorporate that classic cherry almond flavor combination into other types of bakes. When I had a tub of glacé cherries in the fridge left over from baking my Christmas cakes I was instantly drawn back to the Bakewell and so began the birth of my Bakewell loaf cake with a grown up twist of a kirsch kick!

VEGGIE PEPPER "CHICKEN" CURRY

If you don't like spicy food then I suggest you turn away now! This veggie pepper Quorn chicken curry is a great dish for blowing away those January cobwebs with its intense chili kick and fiery pepperiness. Its definitely one that's not for the faint hearted! What's also great about this curry is that it's packed full of veggie goodness with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes and Greek yogurt so that it's also good for anyone who still wants to enjoy their curry night whilst being able to cut down on some of the calories. 

TERRIFIC TURKISH EGGS

Now this dish was a bit of a revelation. Its popped up a few times recently in magazines, books and the internet as a new idea for serving eggs at breakfast time. It might seem a bit strange to be called Turkish eggs when it uses Greek yogurt but I don't really care. All I care about is knowing that yogurt, eggs, garlic, herbs and chili oil can all work together to create a brilliant breakfast (or lunch!) time dish that I'll be honest, I was hesitant to try but can now confirm is delicious. Who'd of thought it eh?

5 DAY OVERNIGHT OATINESS

I've never been one to have breakfast. I know it's the most important meal of the day but I can't normally face eating anything at 6am when I'm getting up for work. That was until I tried overnight oats. These bad boys are so easy to prepare in advance and can be removed from the fridge in the morning and eaten straight from the jar meaning there is no extra dishes to wash. Bonus! My guide below will make enough overnight oats for 5 mornings. Prepare them on a Sunday evening and that's 5 midweek breakfasts ready to go in less than 10 minutes. 

BRILLIANT BUTTER BEAN AND VEGGIE SAUSAGE STEW

I think the best thing about the winter months is that you can crack out the soup and stew recipes and whip up a bowl of comfort in less than an hour. This veggie sausage stew is also very good for those trying to lose a few Christmas lbs. It's packed with an array of vegetables such onions, celery, sweetcorn and spinach as well as a tin of delicious butter beans and just simmers away on the hob whilst you crack with your evening so by the time you come to serve, the sausages will of soaked up the chili paprika sauce and become proper plump and moist.

PERFECT HONEY ROAST PARSNIP SOUP

Please don't be put off by the picture, I know that this doesn't look like the most exciting dish in the world. However sometimes it's those dishes that don't look the best that are actually some of the most tastiest. This parsnip soup came about from having purchased a big batch of parsnips on the cheap from the supermarket so naturally I had to think of ways to use them up. A nice healthy soup was my first thought and what better flavor to pair with parsnips than sticky sweet honey. My honey roast parsnip soup was born!

NEW YEAR COFFEE AND BISCOFF BUNDT

Happy New Year! Did we all have sore heads yesterday? I was actually alright if a little bit tired. We always have a big family do on New Year's Eve and I always like to take a cake to add to the buffet by way of a thank you to our hosts. This year I took this coffee and walnut bundt cake round which I decorated with a selection of cranberries, almond and coconut which sat upon a scrumptious biscoff flavored frosting. Imagine dunking one of those little biscuits you get in hotels into a cup of coffee and that's the flavor combination you have here!

GROWN UP STICKY TOFFEE BUNDT

This sticky toffee pudding recipe that I've adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe has become one that I like to crack out on special occasions (Christmas Day for example!). It's a proper showstopper. The gorgeous sticky toffee sponge bundt looks stunning with little golden brown caramel popcorn jewels scattered on top. The best part of the pudding however is that it is laced with a generous helping of amaretto whilst the caramel sauce is spiked with a good helping of Madeira to make it a bake that is most definitely just for the grown ups!

MATTY'S BEST CHEESY TOAST

So Christmas is over for another year. Hasn't it just flown by? Did you have a nice time over the festive holidays? I did but once again I've eaten far too much. After all those sweets, chocolate and the massive mountains of cheese, ham and turkey you would think there wouldn't be any room left for anything else but come lunchtime today I had a right craving for some proper lush cheese on toast. What happened next? Well it just so happened that I made the best cheese on toast ever, so good in fact that I knew I had to share the recipe with you as soon as I could. Well, Christmas is all about giving isn't it! 

MATTYB'S GREAT BRITISH CHRISTMAS CAKE

It's Christmas Eve ladies and gentleman! You know what that means; it's time to ice your Christmas cake ready for the big day tomorrow. When I said I was preparing my cake in October a couple of guys in work looked at me like I was crazy but if you make your cake early and then soak it with the booze of your choice once a week until the 25th, you'll have a fantastically boozy fruity treat to serve as part of your Christmas spread and if you're anything like us, enough leftover to last till new year! Marzipan, icing and apricot jam at the ready? Lets go!

MATTY'S HOMEMADE MINCE PIES

So you have made your homemade mincemeat  and it's been brewing away for a while so now, in the last few days before Christmas it's time to make those mince pies. Obviously if you haven't made your own mince meat you can use a ready made variety but for me, making your own pastry, filling it with your own mince meat and baking them so that your kitchen is filled with those incredible festive smells is what Christmas is all about! My recipe below will make 8 mince pies but you can scale the recipe up if you want to make a bigger batch.

THE DELAUNAY LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Let me get straight to the point with this one and tell you that I think The Delaunay is a brilliant restaurant. A proper fancy dining experience that we have visited two Christmas times running now as a post theatre treat and hopefully, fingers crossed we'll be back for a third time next year. Let me take the time now to tell you all about why I think The Delaunay is so special and why you need to visit them the next time you are in the capital.

FLAT IRON SQUARE LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

This is a recommendation that's a bit outside the norm now as its not so much a restaurant that I'm writing about but more a foodie venue. We strolled past the Flat Iron Square on Union Street in the Southwalk area of London last weekend and it was packed full of people drinking and generally having a good time. Intrigued as to what was going on we gave it a quick google and found out that as well as hosting weekly flea markets, many small vendors sell their foodie wares here as well. Looking for somewhere to lunch the next day, we decided to stroll over and see what was on offer.

CHAMPOR CHAMPOR LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Nestled away under the shadow of the Shard is Champor Champor. Much like the time we visited Grafene in Manchester, we had no idea how we found out about this Thai-Malay restaurant but we had bookmarked it for a visit next time we were staying in Southwalk. That time was this weekend so with a reservation made for 9pm, off we trotted! The entrance to Champor Champor is very unassuming but once you walk through the door you are instantly transported to the east. An array of Malaysian/Thai inspirations decorated the red walls; Buddhas, masks and even the cow that acts as their emblem was brought to life right above us.

FRNZY AMSTERDAM (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Last weekend we went to the beautiful city of Amsterdam. It was my first time in the Dutch capital and I was surprised by the amount of South Asian restaurants that were knocking about. One day whilst exploring the area of De Pijp, close to the Heineken Experience south of the city, we stumbled across Frnzy, a Vietnamese street food restaurant nestled down one of the more quieter side streets. A quick glance of the street food style menu and we decided to give them a whirl.

LION AND LOBSTER BRIGHTON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

When Sunday rolls around and you can't be bothered to cook there is only one thing left to do; head on over to the local pub and get that Sunday roast cooked for you instead. When we discovered that The Lion And Lobster was just a stones throw from our hotel and was indeed serving this traditional British feast we just knew that we had to go and check them out. Painted bright red, Lion and Lobster's quirky exterior is hard to miss. With its traditional cartoon pub sign it really couldn't get any more quintessentially British. Stepping though the door is like stepping back to a time when the pub landlord was king and everyone came down for a sing song and a gossip down at the local boozer.

THE CHILLI PICKLE BRIGHTON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Sometimes when your googling a city to find out the best places to eat you'll get the same places popping up time and time again. "Award winning" you will hear or "best in the city" but it's when even friends start telling you about somewhere that you start thinking that this place could be particularly special. That is what happened with The Chilli Pickle in Brighton, we kept hearing such amazing things that we knew we had to give them a visit.

LUCKY BEACH BRIGHTON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

You can't really visit a British seaside resort without taking a stroll along the prom and treating yourself to a portion of battered fish, chips and mushy peas. During our recent weekend break to glorious Brighton and having walked a gazillion miles hunting the brilliant Brighton Snow Dogs we decided to take a little break to enjoy a lunchtime nibble. The arches under the prom that line the seafront is home to  Lucky Beach and as we strolled past we couldn't help but be enticed in by their tasty looking menu.

THE NEW CLUB BRIGHTON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Sometimes when you're visiting a new city you might spend ages researching places to eat, getting

recommendations from friends and family or trawling the internet looking at reviews and pictures on Instagram. Sometimes though you should just wait until you get there and you never know what you might stumble across. That is what happened with The New Club, which we walked past on our way to our hotel in Brighton. It looked nice inside and the menu sounded delicious so we decided to walk back in the evening and give it a shot.

LULLY LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE

So I realized on Sunday just gone that this would be the last weekend of the year we are actually going to be spending at home until the actual Christmas weekend (we are very busy people don't you know!). I couldn't let this weekend pass me by without baking a little something before we head off on our various travels. At the same time, I didn't want to spend all day in the kitchen so for me, there was only one cake to bake; the simply classic lemon drizzle loaf cake! Well as I always say, the oldies are the best aren't they?

GRAFENE MANCHESTER (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Why we booked a table at Grafene earlier this month is still a mystery to us? Not in a bad way you understand but its just we can't remember where or how we discovered it! Having booked said table weeks in advance for a pre-theatre dinner we ventured up to King Street in the Deansgate area of Manchester city centre on quite a wet and windy Friday evening to see if there was method to our apparent madness.

MATTY'S RED HOT XMAS ONIONS

You can't have Christmas without a good old cheese board and you can't have a cheese board without a pickled onion or two. Making your own batch of plump pickled onions is so easy to do and also makes a great gift to hand out to friends and family as part of a homemade Christmas hamper. Take a slow, stress free day to prepare these bad boys, packed full of chili and other spices to really give them a kick. These little globes of pickled goodness are so much more delicious than any version you can buy in a supermarket.

CROSBY COFFEE'S MOCHA BROWNIES (AS FEATURED IN THE LIVERPOOL COOK BOOK)

Having been blessed to be given the opportunity to give away a copy of the brilliant Liverpool Cook Book produced by Meze Publishing, I have also been granted permission to share one of the books fabulous recipes with you in the hope that it will inspire you to head out and purchase a copy of the book for yourself. The first recipe to instantly jumped out at me from the pages was Crosby Coffee's mocha brownies. Not only did they look divine in the book but I can confirm upon making them that they taste equally as delicious!

EASY PEASY CHEESY VEG PASTA

On a horrible rainy week like the one we are having in Liverpool at the moment, sometimes all you want when you get in from work is a big plate of cheesy pasta. This doesn't have to be at the expense of your waistline though. By using a low fat cream cheese you can make a low calorie version that doesn't have to scrimp on flavor with the addition of chili and garlic to keep those taste buds dancing. Finish with some veg and a grating of parmesan and you can have this dish on the table in less than 30 minutes.

THE RETURN OF THE RAVISHING RED ONION RELISH

I've whipped out another classic Christmas chutney recipe for you now with the return of my deliciously sticky and sweet caramelized red onion chutney. It's makes an amazing foodie gift to give to your friends and family. One thing to remember is that this onion relish is for life not just for a Christmas so keep some for yourself to spread on bacon butties or hot dogs throughout the whole year. This recipe will give you 1.5 litres worth of the gooey good stuff, just make sure you have the patience to let it brew for 1 month before digging in.

WIN A COPY OF THE LIVERPOOL COOKBOOK

 Released on October 20th, The Liverpool Cook Book brings together the very best of the city’s burgeoning food and drink scene; from a fantastic array of independent restaurants, to cafés, pubs, delis, producers and suppliers. The book is the 16th in the series of regional ‘Get Stuck In’ guides by Meze Publishing, who were recently crowned Best Newcomer at the Independent Publishing Awards and I'm very excited to be able to offer you all chance to win your very own copy of this fabulous book:

LULLY LEMON, MINT & MUSTARD GREENS

I've been getting more adventurous with my flavorings recently and this Sunday I decided that I would try using some lemons to flavor my vegetables. No biggy you might think but I've always had a bit of an aversion to using lemons in savory dishes after a bad lemon chicken incident in a restaurant once. I'm glad that I gave it another go at home though as the lemon, mint and mustard dressing that I mix through this selection green beans, leeks and peas really does give the greens a lully little lift.

LULLY LULLY CHICKPEA CURRY

If you are not a fan of spending time in the kitchen then you probably have herbs and spices in your pantry that you bought yonks ago that are now sitting unloved in your cupboard. Set your spices free people! A curry made from scratch is so much more fragrant and tasty than a jar from the supermarket and is a great way to use up all those odds and ends. Once you've made your spice mix, all you need to make this curry is some fresh vegetables, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and chickpeas (of course!) and you are onto a winner.

MATTY'S MINCEMEAT IN A MINUTE

Mincemeat can be very dividing. A lot of people love it but I know a lot who can't stand the stuff. If there is anything that will ever convert people to the joys of mincemeat it will be this recipe! More fresh and fruity than the jarred varieties that are rushed out onto supermarket shelves at this time of year, it's another treat you can add to your Christmas repertoire. It takes literally minutes to whip up a batch which you can use on the same day or store in sterilized jars to really intensify the flavor before baking.

THE RETURN OF JON'S CHILI DILLY PICKLES

There is always two firm camps when it comes to gherkins and pickles. There are those who will see one on a burger, instantly pick it off and throw it twenty miles away like its the dirtiest thing they have ever come across and there are those like myself who would happily sit and eat their way through a whole jar of them. With Christmas just around the corner, we thought it would be a good time to make another batch of Jon's yummy cucumbers pickled with oodles of dill and spices. Are they as good as shop bought pickles? They are better!

STREET N4 FINSBURY PARK LONDON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

We're back in the big smoke this weekend and with tickets to see a show at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park we needed to find somewhere nearby to have  pre show nibble. How lucky for us then that Street N4 should be located right next door. When we saw that it sold burgers and burritos we were instantly sold so off we popped on the tube to go and see if the food tasted as good as it sounded.

"AFTER DINNER" BISCUIT BITES

If you took a look on here late September time you would of seen my 4C and 1G Biscuit Bites. These little treats really went down a storm when I made them so I decided to give them another spin and this time I gave them a little twist by swapping out the tinned caramel so that the coconut in the biscuit filling really becomes the star of the show. When you cover that filling with some proper good quality mint chocolate then you have a little nibble that is a great alternative to those famous after dinner mints (you know, those ones!).

ALBERT'S SCHLOSS MANCHESTER (MATTY B RECOMMENDS)

A Friday night visiting Manchester for a little boogie at it's famous arena meant that it was time to give another of the city's new food and drink offerings a whirl and this time it was the turn of Albert's Schloss in the trendy Deansgate area of the city centre that caught our eye. Inspired by the Bavarian and Bohemian areas of Europe; it boasts on its website of being the first Tankovna in Manchester as well as having its very own bakery and "cook haus". I didn't know what what a Tankovna was but it sounded intriguing so off we went to go check it out.

MIYAGI LIVERPOOL (MATTY B RECOMMENDS)

It was time for some more foodie adventures in Liverpool now with a trip to Miyagi. This Asian restaurant located in the city centre up the thriving foodie hot spot that is Bold Street specializes in street food treats from the Far East. A glance at the menu shows traditional nibbles sitting alongside classic dishes with modern twists. Miyagi's namesake is a legendary movie creation, would the food be able to stand up to the name?

PANORAMA RESTAURANT DUBROVNIK (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Our adventures in Croatia continued when we took the ferry from our base in Lopud over to Dubrovnik. When we got there we took a trip up the famous cable car and little did we know that at the top we would find Panorama Restaurant And Bar. Lunch now seemed like a no brainer.

THE RETURN OF THE CLASSIC LEMON TART

A simple classic can sometimes be as great as any over the top baking showstopper. Call it a "Tarte Au Citron" if you want to make it sound fancy but really all you have here a cracking perfectly baked shortcrust filled with a zesty lemon custard. Not only is it tasty and delicious but everyone is going to think that you are amazing when you tell them you made it from scratch. Follow the recipe below and you can have a classic lemon tart made from scratch turning yourself into a classically trained pastry chef in an instant!

MANDRAC LOPUD, CROATIA PART 2 (MATTY B RECOMMENDS)

If you read the first part to my review of Mandrac, located on the island of Lopud just off the Croatian coast you will remember how I said  it was so good we would have too go back for a second time before we left! On the last day of our wonderful holiday this is exactly what we decided to do. Was the first magnificent visit to Mandrac just a spectacular fluke or would this small family run restaurant be able to deliver the goods again and really show itself off to be a glorious jewel of the Adriatic sea?

MANDRAC LOPUD, CROATIA PART 1 (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So I've just returned from a week away sunning myself on the beautiful island of Lopud, just off the coast of Croatia. During this week of rest and relaxation I had some of the best food of my life including two meals at this little restaurant called Mandrac. Situated on the same stretch of seaside strip as our hotel we discovered this little beauty on our first day and enjoyed it so much we went back on our last day. Let me tell you in this post about our first meal and exactly what made us fall in love this amazing restaurant.