Recently I have been in sombre mood over some of the developments in the beer market. Certainly the trends of hazys , pastry stouts and milkshake beers don’t fill me with joy. Also as someone who comes to all this from the food side of things the way these trends take beer further and further…
Author: southstarbrew
Food : Pork Chops Braised in Cider
A pretty classic combination of pork and cider with a little aniseedy fennel added to the mix. I used the cider from my friends at Peckham’s who in my opinion make the best cider in the country. I kind of think of this as an upside down Lancashire Hot Pot . Upside down in that…
Beer : The Death of Brown Ale
Sometime, about a decade ago, it looked like we could save brown ale. The American variant had potential ,a full new world hop aroma with a clean fermentation and a nutty , caramel , lightly chocolatey malt profile. It wasn’t as food friendly as English Brown Ale but it was a start. The number of…
Music : Thistle Hall , a community of noise
In 1996 I moved schools from Rongotai College to Wellington High School. At Rongotai I had been part of a small group of heavy metal listening friends in a school whose focus was definitely more geared towards sport. Wellington High was a gloriously different beast with a strong music tradition. Members of Shihad had graduated…
Food : My Happy Place
Its Sunday afternoon. I have all day to myself. Apart from walking the dog I have responsibilities to no one. The sun streams through the kitchen window of my wee 70’s home, there is a freezer full of farm kill, a larder of possibilities, a fridge full of veggies and a garden of herbs. A…
Food : Vegetarian Steak and Cheese Pie
Vegetarian Steak and Cheese Pie 15 years ago I had just come out the end of an arts degree and graduate diploma in social policy. I had worked in kitchens as a kitchen hand / dish pig through my degree and now was working days at Moore Wilsons. I was also at the end of…
Travel : Brussels with the Neilsons
Saturday I woke went down onto the street and bought a coffee and pain au chocolat from the sandwich shop at the foot of the hotel. I walked over to the Church of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours which was ringing its bells and had my breakfast on the street below. I then headed back to…
Travel : Yorkshire to Brussels
Friday I woke , breakfasted at the pub and headed off for a last walk around Hebden. The sun was back out , the morning crisp and Hebden was immodestly picturesque. I walked down the canal and took in the narrow boats. Had a coffee and then headed for the train station. A quick train…
Travel : Vocation brew day Cragg Vale and Hebden Bridge
Thursday I woke after a strange dream filled nights sleep. A combination of all the homelessness I had seen and some odd open plumbing system on the toilet cistern that created dripping water noise all night resulted in me dreaming I was sleeping rough. I pulled myself together , went for breakfast in the small…
Travel : Heading up North
Weds I packed my things , said goodbye to Stu and Fritha and headed north by train for Yorkshire. Once in London I got onto my Leeds train and as I sat in the isle seat waiting to leave I felt a whack on the back of my head. A distinctive voice said sorry and…
Raise the Dawn 