Indian Summer Menu – June

Coming up in 3 weeks’ time is our Indian Summer event. We love the alchemy of spices and the wonderful flavours of India and they’re coming to the Manor soon!

Just like our our Chinese event, the food will be served up family style which will make the evening fun and interactive.

We’ll be splitting the evening into two parts – starting off with an array of Indian street food snacks, all of which vegetarian. The mains will be a selection of “curry classics” but with the usual Dinner at the Manor twists.

Have a look at the menu and let us know what you think! What are your favourite Indian dishes?

Ottolenghi’s Return to the Manor

A taste of the Mediterranean came to the Manor earlier this month, in the form of Ottolenghi’s (and Sammi Tamimi’s) Jerusalem book, which has just won best cookbook at the IACP cookbook awards. We ran events on both the Friday and Saturday nights, welcoming in 26 guests, some old, some new to our supperclub, keen to try some Israeli treats.

I think there is a perception that Ottolenghi’s cuisine is complicated, but I think what really puts people off is some of the hard to obtain ingredients – such as preserved lemons, sumac, z’ataar and pomegranate molasses. We got some ingredients online but we did find that supermarkets are getting much better at having diverse ranges for sale. Plus, I always think that cooking is all about making something with what’s locally available, so don’t feel afraid to substitute an ingredients if you need to. For example, maple syrup was used instead of date syrup in one of the recipes, simply because I knew that I probably wouldn’t use date syrup again. Just use what is accessible to you, you never know you might create a new taste sensation!

The Jerusalem book is a good introduction to Israeli food – from the melting pot of Jewish influenced cuisine to more traditional Palestinian fare. This is interspersed with accounts from Ottolenghi about his experiences of growing up in such a beautiful place, but one that is so plagued with political unsettle. It certainly makes it an intriguing place to visit one day.

We tried to pick a good range of morsels that people would expect to find on a middle eastern menu, but also those that may surprise and intrigue. The welcome drink was a vodka spiked pomegranate fizz with rose syrup. This was paired with canapés that included homemade falafel. These were filled with tons of lovely spices and, believe it or not, raw chickpeas. This ensured the texture was moist and light rather than dry and heavy. I love falafel and loved cooking these so may invest in a proper press. Also on offer were crostini with a vividly pink beetroot and zataar dip. This was full of complex flavours – sweetness from the beetroot and maple syrup; saltiness and intense savouriness from the z’ataar. The final canapé was a little lamb and pine nut koftas, seasoned with allspice and cinnamon (amongst other spices) and served it a smooth tahini and garlic sauce.

Wonderful Welsh Fodder

I had an impromptu trip to the North Wales coast this weekend. Without going into too much boring detail, I was all set for a holiday to the Basque country (I was packed and everything) when I realised my sodding passport had gone AWOL. I am now probably the leading expert in replacing passports in the whole of West Leeds. Needless to say travel to Spain had to be cancelled. Having said that I was all hyped up for a trip away and had no intention of returning to work, and so we picked a destination that was pleasant and close enough to the Liverpool passport office! The small saving grace was that the weather in Wales was actually far nicer than what was being forecast in our foreign destination, what a relief!

So, North Wales… land of castles, Anglesey salt, slate (for using as plates) and BLACK BOMBER CHEESE, mmmmmm. An unexpected foodie paradise I am sure you will agree. We kick started our weekend at the newly opened Welsh Farm Food Centre, housed in an old farm on the edge of Colwyn Bay. Beautifully renovated, it’s home to a massive farm shop, bee centre, tea room, restaurant, cookery school and overnight accommodation – lovely! I rinsed the farm shop buying local ales, mustard, honey, cheeses, biscuits, fudge and reasonably priced crockery. The meat counter also looked first class, but sadly we didn’t need any meat and so there seemed no point in browsing further if I couldn’t buy any.

Their Hayloft Restaurant is a bit of a destination dinner spot. It won’t get much footfall and so will rely on those who know that the farm shop exists. We decided to book for later in our trip after we’d visited the shop. As it’s all newly renovated the spaces are absolutely gorgeous and dripping in luxurious fabrics and furniture that reflect the colours and shapes of the natural world.  We perused our menus whilst sat in the quiet bar area. I ordered a local Welsh white wine to slurp as I chose. Unfortunately this was sold out so I went for a French counterpart, which was a bit disappointing. In hindsight I guess it’s the wrong time of year to expect local wine – especially after last year’s summer.

The Hayloft Bar

Lebanese Kitchen

Lebanese Kitchen

Saturday 21st September 2013, from 7pm, £30pp Sorry this event is now sold out

One of the newest additions to the Manor’s library is Salma Hage’s ‘Lebanese Kitchen’ and what a welcome addition it is too. This is the ultimate encyclopedic homage to Lebanese cuisine and is one of the most beautiful and tactile cookbooks we’ve ever owned.

Our Ottolenghi events always seem to be popular, perhaps because the food is still not that mainstream. We hope that this Lebanese event will be equally popular. As a very fertile land, Lebanon lends itself well to very seasonal produce of the freshest quality.

Think spicy falafels, comforting dips and juicy slow cooked meats with hints of earthy and spicy zataar and sumac. These are all ingredients we love cooking with at the Manor and which we can’t wait to bring back into our West Leeds Kitchen. Book on now to avoid disappointment!

Sorry, this event is now sold out

You may want to read our ‘what you need to know’ page for our terms and conditions.

Manor Vs Food!

Manor Vs Food

Saturday 17th August 2013, 7pm, £30pp Sorry this event is now sold out

Like many others we are huge fans of the cult American junk food show ‘Man Vs Food’. Its vulgar and gluttonous food challenges never fail to make us feel instantly hungry! Whilst we promise not to fill you to the point of explosion, nor burn your insides with chilli heat, what we do promise to do is to bring you classic Americana recipes from our favourite American cook books.

Manor vs Food, Manor vs Food!

For this event think juicy slow cooked BBQ meats, burgers & sliders, crunchy slaws, comforting mac ‘n’ cheese, and punchy sauces, mmmm it’s making us salivate now! As it’s our summer event we’ll be hoping to utilise the BBQ and make even get guests out in the garden, weather permitting. If you love big, bold food then this is the supperclub for you!

For your own slice of America in West Leeds, book now using the link below!

Sorry this event is now sold out

You may want to read our what you need to know page for our terms and conditions.

British Summer Afternoon Tea

British Summer Afternoon Tea

Saturday 6th July 2013, 3pm – 5pm, £20pp – now sold out

Having run a number of private afternoon tea events we’re now opening these up to other guests. We love any excuse for a good old baking session and we’ve recently put together a mismatched tea set and are keen to put it to further good use!

For the cheaper price of £20pp we’ll be offering 4 types of savoury, 4 types of sweet treat and a welcome cocktail on arrival. Think picnic sandwiches, fresh quiches, fruity cakes and creamy delicacies all served up in our shabby chic, Victoriana dining room. As always guests are encouraged to bring their own drinks, which we will embellish with a selection of fine teas and coffees. Use the link below to secure your space!

This event is now sold out

For our terms and conditions you may want to read our what you need to know page.