It’s the hottest day of the year , tomorrow will be even hotter. Ted has come to the end of his journey. The pub is full to send him on his way. Francis has been gone 8 long years, ‘Though lovers be lost love shall not’ as the great Welsh pub man would say. Soon…
Author: southstarbrew
Food : Prawns , Feta, Fennel and Orzo
It’s interesting how Christmas Traditions start. There is something about the Pagan then Christian ritual of Christmas that seems to encourage us to do and eat and drink things in a ritualistic way as well for sustenance and hedonism. This warmed salad of prawns, feta, fennel and peppers tossed through barley shaped orzo pasta has…
Life : Ashes Beneath the Turf
I walk through misty rain. The dog jumps and charges in the wind. We come to where manuka and kawakawa meet grass . Here my grandparents lie. Ashes beneath the turf. A place reserved for those who served. Survivors of a second world war. All but passed now, all ashes beneath the turf. I sit….
Food : Bamberg Onions and Obatzda
I have been in a German frame of mind recently. We are running a small Oktoberfest and we have brewed an Oktoberfest lager and our annual rauchbock . These two food recipes both are inspired by Schlenkerla who amazingly post recipes to some of the dishes in the tavern on their website, you can find…
Beer : Pub, waiting for a curry
I step into the pub. The ambience is warm, cosy and alive. Three small dogs followed by a toddler tear around at my ankles. Young bar staff with colourful hair and elaborate eyebrows herd the dogs and children with beaming smiles. I order an imported Welsh bitter.A character in a cape comes in. Buys a…
Food : Black Country Faggots
“Faggots remind me of the less-comfortable pubs that are better for it: hard, dark-wood bench seating, whitewashed walls and a low ceiling, a small crackling fire and the low murmur of locals leaning against the bar. I come alone and like a corner table and a pint of bitter with a pickled egg. The faggots…
Cider : Wassail
Every year on the first or second Saturday of July I celebrate wassail. What the hell is wassail? Well it is a couple of things. There are broadly two traditions of wassail both of which would occur on either the eve of the feast of epiphany or on the old pre Georgian calendar Twelvey Night….
Food : Cabbage Rolls
Lahanodolmades, Töltött káposzta , Szárma, Balandėliai , Halubcy , Golubtsy ,Gołąbki, Holubtsi , Kāpostu tīteņi , Holubky , Holishkes , Prakas , Krouv Memula , Kåldolmar, Kaalikääryle , Kapsarull, Japrak , Sarma, Сарма , Japrak , Јапрак , Punjeni kupus , Arambašići, Сарми, Sarmale , Lahana dolması, sarması, Kələm dolması, Kaghambi tolma (կաղամբի տոլմա) ,…
Food : Scotch Eggs
A descendent of the Mughal Nargesi kebab of Lucknow? The creation of the Fortum and Mason Department Store in London? Originally made with minced fish in Whitby ? There are many theories about the origin of the Scotch Egg. Personally I choose the Nargesi origin, hard to look at these Indian kofta with boiled eggs…
Food : Baechu-kimchi
This my basic Kimchi recipe. I make large batches as I have extensive fridge space and I make for a friend as well as for myself. You can of course scale it down. For me the game changer to fermented veg method has been topping the ferments with water. Most recipes say you have to…
Raise the Dawn 