The Guardian: Exeter and Topsham's 10 Best Budget Eats

Well this saved me a lot of hard work - this is a fantastic guide to budget eats in the Exeter area, published today in The Guardian.

I agree wholeheartedly with what the article says about Boston Tea Party, The Real Food Store, The Georgian Tea Rooms and Avocet Cafe (I love their 'savoury' cream tea with South Devon chilli jam).  All the other places look like great places to try - thanks for bringing the Exploding Bakery to my attention 'stellar baking at bargain prices'. And I really like the sound of Petit Mange in Magdalen Rd (hopefully avoiding the knife -wielder that was running amok this week)

Thanks to the Guardian for doing such a well-researched piece on my home turf!

And what's even better is that they've produced an interactive map for budget eats for the whole of the UK.  Very kind.

Two 11 Year Olds Play with the Hummingbird Cafe Cookbook

My 11 year old daughter and her friend wanted to make something from the Hummingbird Cafe Cookbook.  We had all the ingredients for the raspberry cheesecake brownies.  Including wonderful local, Devon raspberries from our local farm, Shute Fruit.  I was getting our house ready for some guests who were coming to stay, so just let them get on with it in the kitchen.  I was rather impressed when two hours later (including a bit of refrigeration time), they presented me with the finished product:

The recipe is fairly simple, but does involve three layers so I was impressed.  The chocolate brownie and vanilla cheesecake layers are baked together in the oven and then when cool, smothered with pink creamy muck muck.

I made it again today as a treat for my daughter as she started Secondary School today.  It's simple and very fattening, but delicious.  I recommend halving the quantities if you just want to feed 4-6 people.  The original version is enormous and serves 12.  Also, where the recipe says to beat the cream, sugar and raspberries together for the wonderful pink shaving foam topping, it's best to whip the cream lightly, then add the sugar and raspberries, otherwise the mixture won't thicken.

I've never been lucky enough to visit the actual Hummingbird Cafe in London, but we've made a couple of things from the cookbook - other notable favourites are: the vanilla cupcakes, and the double chocolate chip cookies

Devon Book Review: A Taste of the Unexpected by Mark Diacono

Just a quick post to express how much pleasure I got from reading this wonderful book.  The experts on Gardener's Question Time on Radio 4 a few weeks ago were quick to dismiss people's desire to grow 'weird' vegetables - apparently white carrots are tasteless and some of the more extravagantly coloured vegetables often fail to thrive and are generally a waste of time.  So that's that, I thought, don't bother with all that fancy schmancy stuff in my veg patch.  Then...along comes this book by Mark Diacono.  He's one of Hugh's River Cottage experts, runs courses there and grows at Otter Farm near Honiton.

I unreservedly love this book because:

a) there aren't any pictures of the author posing artfully either with cleverly positioned 'mud' on knees or flour on cheek, or smiling winsomely at his prize veg with shabby chic decor in the background and old enamel mug

b) he actually took all the photos of the gardens and veg inside the book (repect!)

c) it also has recipes - some of which are a bit fancy, but some plain and easy

d) he really inspired me to experiment - hell, why not grow apricots, goji berries, szechuan pepper in our back gardens / window boxes

e) only one cute picture of child in a garden (I am really naffed off with cookery / lifestyle writers getting their kids involved in photoshoots)

f) loved his ethos of 'grow expensive/ unbuyable produce' rather than onions, potatoes, carrots type stuff

So, let's grow and eat day lilies - this was a fab bit of advice as I was sat outside next to my sprouting day lilies while I was reading this bit.  I reached over, snapped off a flower bud and it did indeed taste a bit like a French bean but with a slight chilli kick.  How naughty and lovely.  Eating flowers. Nasturtiums are budding so I shall be sprinkling them on my salads, deep frying  day lilies and planning how to fit an apricot into our full-the-brim garden.  And definitely some Egyptian Walking Onions (what a name!).  And possibly some Japanese wineberries just so I can make the delicious sounding Japanese Wineberry Trifle.

He's also got a really good blog.  I have a new foodie hero and, what's more, he's a Devon lad!

And this is our vege patch at the moment- not a gojiberry in sight.

And I had to include a picture of our Angelica (yes that green twiggy crystalline stuff that no-one has put on a cupcake even ironically since the 70s) which has turned into a beanstalk - it was 6ft tall until it keeled over in the wind.

Real Food Store, Exeter - Best Brownies in the World!

The Real Food Store, Exeter, opened on Wednesday for the first time.  I visited yesterday and was hugely impressed - great cafe on the first floor, smiling enthusiastic staff, amazing food and overall a wonderful experience.

No pictures of the brownies as we snaffled them so quickly but they were independently voted in a blind tasting by four people to be the Best Brownies Ever! Really very chocolately indeed - just right level of moist interior and slightly crispy exterior and wonderful texture - and no nuts - even better in my opinion.

These were some of the other goodies I bought (obviously on a health kick...no, I just knew my Riverford veg box would be arriving the next day...) Handmade chocs from Teignmouth, Teonie's giant and tiny cookies Love the shape of the white loaf.  I added the pastrami, cheese and cornichons to the sourdough roll.  Makes it look a bit 70s.

Real Food Store is just down from Sofa Workshop, near the bus station, opposite the entrance to the Underground Passages.

Go, eat brownies, enjoy!

Real Food Store, Exeter - Opening 30 March

It's about half an hour away from me, so not entirely local, but I'm very excited on behalf of the residents of Exeter for the opening of this new food emporium next Wednesday (30 March) at 8am.  I even like the early opening time, proving it's a proper bakery!  They'll have an in-house bakery run by Emma's Bread, a cafe and a shop selling plenty of fresh, locally-sourced, organic and ethical food and drink.

It's a community-based scheme that originated from a group of motivated Transition Exeter individuals who wanted an ethical, community-focused food hub.  It was funded by selling community shares.  There'll even be a community meeting space.

I can't wait to visit - I might even try to get there for the opening day on Wednesday when there's bound to be a bit of a buzz.  Congratulations to them for getting this off the ground!

It's in Paris St, near the Bus Station at the Princesshay end of town.

www.realfoodexter.co.uk