The best thing about blogging is the community and great friendships you can make because of it. Whether that be local bloggers, others who live across the UK, or those International pen pals you can establish.
When I met Lesley Garden and Michelle Rolfe a year or two ago we hit it off right away. They were budding foodies and I was a girl who loved to eat out and learn about food, it was a match made in heaven and we've been good friends ever since. Gin enthusiasts, we've bonded over countless goblets of our favourite spirit and they're great at giving me top foodie tips on how to spruce up my dishes.
So when the duo behind the popular food blog, Lost in Food invited me and one of my other good blogging pals, Sarah of Blogs Vlogs Etc along to try out one of their infamous Supper Club experiences I immediately accepted and blocked the afternoon out on my diary.
Jumping on a train to Inverurie last weekend, one of our fabulous hosts, Michelle, picked us up from the station and whisked us away in her car dropping us at Lesley's house. Not only did the house smell incredible on entering, her home was absolutely beautiful - and her kitchen, wow, there are no words.
On arrival we were treated to a delicious cocktail devised by Lesley's husband Keith who seems to knows a thing or two about making a mean cocktail.
Boasting Wild Island Gin with limoncello, lemon curd, and sugar syrup the drink was scrumptious and was polished off quite promptly. The table was decorated beautifully, and with an elegant set up and personalised menu for the event, it was a very professional and sophisticated affair.
For starters we received a bowl of three pieces of sun-dried tomato and ricotta ravioli, topped off with a beautiful tomato consommé which had been carefully devised by Lesley, who had taken inspiration from someone who had made it on Masterchef a few years ago. Having experimented with a few different recipes she decided to make her own stock combination. She simmered the vegetables for two hours, passed the stock through a fine muslin cloth overnight to ensure it was a clear, clean stock. The dish was extremely delicious and the taste of tomato came through very strong. The creamy pasta partnered with the light consommé was stunning and I ate every last morsel. As much as I wanted to ask for seconds, I held off knowing fine well the cornfed chicken which was sizzling away, would soon be on a plate in front of me.
Each course was perfectly paired with a wine and to accompany the rich flavours Lesley had picked a côtes de provence rosé to go with the consommé. It was very light and refreshing and went extremely well with the slightly heavier pasta dish.
Moving on to mains, Michelle and Lesley ventured back at the stove overlooking the chicken they were cooking. Taking us onto the next course was a beautiful corn fed chicken breast which was served with fondant potato, buttered leeks and asparagus. The chicken melted in my mouth, as did the potatoes which were incredibly more-ish. The asparagus and buttered leeks provided a crunchier texture to the dish and were cooked to perfection. I was very impressed with how well the different ingredients complimented one another. To top off this delicious dish, we were served a tasty jus which was just unbelievable.
With this course we delved into a limestone coast chardonnay which had a much fuller body than the rosé to compliment the chicken. It went really well together and was very crisp on the palate.
To finish our three course we tucked into a gorgeous lemon panna cotta with raspberry jelly, crushed pieces of honeycomb, topped with lemon thyme. Boasting a sweet tooth, I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the dessert, and unbelievably, I didn't manage to finish it as I was so full - this may have been as a result of eating far too much homemade honeycomb before sitting down to dessert. The lemon flavour was very prominent and the sweetness of the honeycomb took the sharpness off of the raspberry jelly which popped with colour. The dessert was absolutely lovely and was presented beautifully.
Pairing a dessert wine, it was a sweet and smooth premières côtes de bordeaux which took centre stage. The sweetest and richest wine of the evening, it was served in a smaller glass and was much darker in colour in comparison to the other two lighter wines.
Taking inspiration from classic cooking, the food was perfect for our lunch occasion. Meandering through the menu, the duo had incorporated a hint of French bistro into their offering which appealed to me greatly. Following basic recipes they had and putting their own twists on them, Lesley and Michelle went over and above to showcase just a handful of the incredible talents they both boast.
Working in synch, they pulled together a spectacular afternoon showcasing outstanding food and drink. To say I was very impressed was an understatement and it was great to see these two in their element. The whole experience was very professional and I'll definitely be looking to ask them to create a bespoke menu for my next dinner party with friends, oh, and hoping they don't mind cooking it too! This is one club I'd definitely like a VIP membership for.
For Now...
Just Julia
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