Easy Oven-Baked Carrot + Courgette Risotto w/ Lemon + Chilli Recipe

If my messages are anything to go by it would seem risotto is hot property right now. And if you're anything like me, most of your main meals include some form of heat, so this recipes is one that that I have adapted and tweaked over time to give me just the right zing-to-heat ratio I need. It's a super easy dish, made even easier (and much quicker) by the oven-baked method. 

Heat isn't everyone's bag, so I'm only using those chilli flakes as a garnish:

Easy Oven-Baked Carrot + Courgette Risotto w/ Lemon + Chilli

Prep time: 10 minutes - Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

(makes 4 big portions)

Olive oil
2/3 cloves of garlic
250g risotto rice
750ml veg stock (2 cubes is best if you can)
2 decent sized carrots
1 courgette (leeks also works nicely + adds extra sweetness)
1/2 white onion (don’t worry if you haven’t got any, no biggy it’s not essential)
1 lemon
Parmesan cheese
Yogurt / water on hand just incase

A big pan which is suitable for your oven (if you don’t have an oven-proof pan you’ll have to make it the old fashioned slow way on the hob; pouring in the stock gradually and stirring until all liquid is absorbed.

For the Garnish

1/2 zest of lemon
Chilli flakes (Hot sauce is a great alternative, especially Cholula)
Fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

Method

- Pre-hear your oven to 200c /180 fan

- Heat some oil in your pan. Combine grated carrot, grated courgette and finely chopped onion in a nice big pan + gently fry on medium heat for 6 minutes

- Add finely chopped garlic to your pan and stir for a minute

- When everything looks nice and soft add your risotto rice and veg stock to your pan, season with salt and pepper if that’s your bag and increase your heat for 2 minutes

- Pop the lid on your pan and place covered in the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes

- After 10 minutes remove from the oven + give it a big stir. Place back in the oven for a further 10 minutes uncovered (add extra time if it’s not the stock isn’t looking quite absorbed yet, likewise if it’s too absorbed we can fix that)

- After the further 10/15 mins take remove from the oven carefully - grate 1/2 zest of lemon, 1/2 juice of lemon + as much Parmesan as you fancy. If it’s looking too thick whack in a dollop of any kind of yogurt or water and give it a big stir. Place lid on for a few mins.

- Serve with a load of Parmesan, the rest of your zest of lemon, chilli flakes + basil. Squeeze the other 1/2 lemon juice on top if you need extra zing

PS it’s ace cold the next day, blob extra yogurt on top if its a little dry or make into arancini balls

Enjoy! Mat

@mat_buckets

Learn What’s Cooking With Salted | Online Cooking School

I'm not really a massive fan of cooking shows on TV. These days, they seem to be all about celebrities and focus solely on the stress of how, why, and when someone is going to fail. There's also not much actual food, just constant zoom-ins on sweating contestants and worried looking presenters.

I guess I'm just old school. I'm addicted to cooking programmes from a decade or two ago, searching through the various iPlayers and YouTube for long lost shows. Raymond Blanc, Keith Floyd, Rick Stein, the first series of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - basically, anything that focuses on food and cooking, rather than celebs and point scoring. My most recent find was this gem: a young Marco Pierre White cooking for Raymond Blanc. See if you can spot an even younger Gordon Ramsay, lurking in the background.

So, when the opportunity came to get a sneak-peak of Salted - a website described as the Netflix of cooking - I jumped at the chance, not least because the blurb on the site suggested that this could be the real cooking I was hankering for.

Munchies BBQ Road Trip + Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey

I’ve been learning a lot about BBQ recently - and not just how to eat it. Watching chefs on Salted.tv (more on that from us soon!), like LA based BBQ guru Roy Choi, has opened my eyes to the skill required in achieving the perfect grill.

Not that I thought BBQ was that easy before, you understand; but, I hadn’t really appreciated the subtleties that make up a decent BBQ: knowing your heat levels, finding your hot-spots, cutting your seasoning, and trusting your timing enough, rather than prodding the meat every three seconds. I guess there’s a lot of tips and tricks out there because BBQ is just so popular. In fact, it’s popularity never seems to let-up, even when the weather is bad. Although, that’s just a good excuse to gather closer to the flames really and warm up with a glass or two of Jack Daniel’s.

London, as ever, has reacted to - and led - this rise in BBQ popularity. The long established Bodean’s has been joined in recent years by the likes of Pitt Cue Co., Porky’s, and the more up-market Smokehouse. Unfortunately, Edgware Road’s BBQWhiskyBeer has left London. That was seriously incredible BBQ, winning Ribstock in 2013. It needs to return!

Part of BBQs rise has to be due to the personalities behind the grill. Guys like Neil Rankin, Richard Holden, and the brilliant Mark Gevaux (aka The Rib Man) do their thing both in the kitchen and on social media, giving us a ‘flavour’ of their craft at any time of day. It’s these big personalities and near endless BBQ styles that have led food channel Munchies, along with Jack Daniel’s, to celebrate London’s BBQ scene in their new BBQ Road Trip series.

The series airs online soon, but Meat Mission, that Cathedral of meat worshippers (okay, maybe it’s just a chapel), will be screening the first episode, along with food and, of course, BBQ’s favourite friend Jack Daniel’s. Get your tickets here.

If you can’t make it, how about the BBQ Championships in Tennessee instead? Just head over to the Jack Daniel’s website to find out how you can win an all expenses paid trip.

This post is in partnership with Vice + Jack Daniels. Thank you for taking the time to support the projects + businesses that make this blog happen.

You can find Nik at - Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter

Duff Beer | Official Licensed Simpsons Beer

image source

'Well beer, we've had some great times.' - Homer.

It's fair to say that in The Simpsons, Homer deserves his mantel as a 'drunken gambler'. Wine, whisky (does that count as beer?), dry martinis, and a cocktail prepared by the almost teetotal Ned Flanders, all find their way into Homer's drinks repertoire. 

Despite all of this - and despite inventing a cocktail of his own - Homer's mainstay is definitely beer. Did you see Mat + Hollie visited Springfield?



He's not, as many would believe, a complete stickler for the wonderful Duff, having dabbled with Fudd, Red Tick Beer, and Tuborg (the beer of Danish Kings); but it does seem to be overwhelmingly his drink of choice. 

Now, word on the street is that we'll soon be able to join Homer in a can of the red stuff. Chile will be the first country to see Duff on the shelves, followed by select countries in Europe. At least, that's what the papers are saying! 

And I for one welcome this new beer, encouraging others to fill their car holes (or underground salt mines) with crate after crate of the stuff.



Hopefully we'll see Henry K. Duff's Private Reserve follow too...although fortunately, there's no news on the release of Duff Zero.

 Altogether now! 

'Duff beer for me, Duff beer for you. I'll have a Duff, you'll have one too'.

You can find Nik at - Twitter | Instagram | Heavy Denim | Newsletter

i-D + Don Julio Tequila | La Cantina Primavera

Mat might currently be sitting a lot closer to Mexico than I am - him being in Florida and all - but here in London, I don’t seem to be able to move for tequila. That’s not a problem for me - I love the stuff! Judging from the reaction to our post last year on London’s first tequila festival, a lot of folks don’t agree, which is a real shame.

Tequila is such a great drink. Ignore the cheap stuff, served up in a shot glass with lime and salt; real tequila has a taste to better most spirits and a range of flavours that possibly surpasses even whisky.

At one end of the scale, tequila is light, sweet, and fruity; while at the other, it’s can be warm, mellow, and smoky. Anyway, I’ll stop there. I could talk about tequila all day; but I won’t, as thankfully someone far more qualified has already done the talking for me

These guys really went town - although I expected no less from Gizzi Erskine, to be honest. The aim of the night was to challenge people’s perceptions with traditional and innovative ways to enjoy tequila alongside authentic Mexican food.  
 

Working with tequila brand, Don Julio, Gizzi Erskine put together a fantastic looking tasting menu, alongside a range of Don Julio inspired tequila cocktails, served up for one night only...

La Caintina Primavera! (translation: The Spring Kitchen)

These guys really went town - although I expected no less from Gizzi Erskine, to be honest. The aim of the night was to challenge people’s perceptions with traditional and innovative ways to enjoy tequila alongside authentic Mexican food.  

Hopefully, this approach by Don Julio and Gizzi can help people understand that tequila is a drink of real quality and taste - and reflects what Mexico (and Mexican cuisine) is all about! We couldn’t make it to the main event, but take a look at this video to see how it went down. I’m looking forward to the next one and hoping that Mat might bring back a bottle or two from the States. Here’s hoping! Nik.

 

This post is in partnership with i-D + Don Julio. Thank you for taking the time to support the businesses that make this blog happen. Those who know, drink responsibly.  

You can find Nik at - Twitter | Instagram | Heavy Denim | Newsletter

Visiting East London Liquor Company

In 2014 I became well accustomed with whisky, on first-name-terms if you will. I started the year knowing little more than the fact I knew I wanted to like it, but in the main I was mostly indifferent. I liked the sweeter American ones, but it wasn't until I visited The Glenrothes back in November that I started to really enjoy a wider range. Like beer, you've got to try a bunch to figure out which you really like.

I haven't touched gin since I was a teenager. Paint stripper-type cheapness and blinding headaches left a lasting impression - strong enough for me never to touch the stuff in over 10 years. Maybe I was being close-minded but memory is a powerful thing. It wasn't until late December 2014 when I was contacted by Virgin Experience to see if I would like to visit the East London Liquor Company's Distillery + Bar that I'd considered giving it a second chance. One look at their website and I was sold.

Located just off the canal between London Fields + Mile End, the East London Liquor Company is the definition of a craft spirits distillery. They produce their own gin (and soon to be whisky), in small qualities, right in front of your eyes. As we waited for our tour of their distillery to start we sat patiently in the bar, knowing that just over our shoulders lurked two beautiful + imposing coppery behemoths - otherwise known as East London Liquor Company's distills. The only other bar/distillery I've been to like this was Moon River Brewing Co. in Savannah, GA. They've done a brilliant job creating such welcoming and almost homely-feeling environment.

Photos 1, 7, 10, 11 provided

As I mentioned above, I wouldn't consider myself a fan of gin, but I really wanted these guys to convince me otherwise - after all, it is one of Britain's most loved drinks. Our group was taken on a tour of the small, but perfectly formed, pristine distillery. We learnt about the distilling process, their unique + bespoke equipment, why they use certain ingredients, where they take inspiration from and why their branding means so much to them. It's true, a company's branding/positioning can make a sale (first impressions and all), you only have to look at The Apprentice's Water Task to see what I mean. Taste-wise their gin was nothing like I'd had in the past - I was pleasantly surprised. Tasting the individual flavours of each of their gins was a real eye-opener, and since has turned into my drink of choice.

Overall I genuinely enjoyed my time speaking to the folks at East London Liquor Company. Getting to share a drink with the people that make the distilling happen was a real highlight for me. We even got to try other curious drinks like rum gin and "hops"-laced gin, who knew? The latter wasn't so much to my taste, but as for their own stuff, let's just say I'm giving gin a well deserved second chance.

Thank you to Virgin Experiences for inviting us to the East London Liquor Store for the afternoon. Click the link for more information on the tour.

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Tequila Fest 2014 | Mezcal, Tequila, + Travels in Mexico

All images courtesy of Anna Bruce

Life is so full of strange coincidences. When I attended a preview drink for Tequila Fest 2014 - the UK's first tequila and mezcal festival - I didn't realise that the pictures accompanying the invite were taken by the daughter of a good friend. While me and Mat have enjoyed some recent trips to Scotland and France to sample a drink or two, Anna Bruce spent a little longer in Mexico documenting the production of mezcal and tequila.

The photos Anna took have been on show at a number of exhibitions and we've been lucky enough to grab a couple for the blog. They're amazing shots of a process I'm sure not many people are familiar with. Mezcal and tequila are both made from agave, a large, slightly alien looking succulent, closely related to the aloe plants (think aloe vera). Tequila is only made from blue agave, whereas mezcal can be made from any agave - that’s one of the main differences, if you wondered.

The process looks fairly hands-on, I imagine more so than the spirits you find in the UK. Hot, backbreaking work under the Mexican sun. Not really for me! I've always been keen on a trip to Mexico. These photos and the drinks on show at the preview reinforced that. The closest I'm likely to get any time soon is Tequila Fest, London, at the end of November, but perhaps next year Mexico could knock Japan off the top spot as the next destination to visit.

The organisers of Tequila Fest were kind enough to give us a discount on tickets, so you can save about 15% with the code "bucketspades" when you book online.

I hope folks get to visit the festival at least. If you're off to Mexico (or have just been) let us know! We love to hear travel stories, share them @nikspeller. - Nik

You can find Nik at - Conrad's Beer | Twitter | Instagram

Three Days in France with Courvoisier | Part 1

Along with 30+ total strangers, Buckets & Spades headed to France, in which turned out to be one of the most surreal weekends of my life. The only information we given by Courvoisier (myself + that chap Nik) was to meet at London Victoria Train Station at 9am, with a suitcase packed with enough clothes for three days. And don't forget your suit. So I set my alarm for an insane 3am the night before, and travelled down to London, to meet our new friends for the next few days.

The theme of the trip was #HeresToNow; celebrating the moment, thinking spontaneously and ceasing the day. Courvoiser's aim was to keep us in the dark about the whole trip but a sneaky Google search on the train down told me that it was likely we'd be headed to the swanky Le Chateau in Jarnac, south of France.

Along with a bunch of bloggers, press and competition winners we boarded the Gatwick Express, and each given a seal envelope that confused us all the more. Man, it was so early, but my intrigue was 100% piqued.

Trip to Brighton Part 1

1 & 2. Best way to start the day, breakfast at Jamie Oliver's Recipease 3. Old industry sign at Kensington Gardens 4. It's bike central down there, this Brooks saddle caught my eye 5. Tired traffic cone 6. "Here here", not sure what was up there there though 7. Cassette Lord near the prom 8. A trip around Brighton Pavilion, amazing 9 & 10. Walking down the beach on the only day of good weather, this rock seemed to stand out 11 & 12. Beach huts in Hove 13. Immense selection of ales at Craft Beer co. 14. Lunch at Bread & Milk 15. V-Dubz 16. Strong stuff at Small Batch Coffee

Last week Hollie and I headed down to Brighton for a few days for our annual "late" summer break. I really couldn't wait, our Berlin trip fell through due to lack of money so I suggested Brighton, as Hollie hadn't been and knew she would love it. I was right, she did! We spent 4 days wondering around, stumbling across some pretty brilliant coffee shops, cafes and pubs along with vintage and independent stores; I was glad we didn't have too much planed as we might not have come across these gems otherwise. I'd been to Small Batch Coffee in Hove before but we checked out the Jubilee St. branch, which is their flagship. Along with great coffee it's got some serious people watching window space. Check out their neat cups above. We also had a few coffees in Coho in The Lanes, which is another I'd recommend. Jamie Oliver's Recipease is als  well worth a visit, we had breakfast there three days in a row; best scrambled egg I've ever had. Knowing that we both love a good ale, our friend Nic recommended we pay a visit to a super specialist pub called Craft Beer co., we were not disappointed. This is seriously the place to be if you like discovering new beers, really nice modern environment and clued up staff. Apparently there's a couple of them in London too?

Hollie was really keen to visit the Royal Pavilion, we both hadn't been before and whoa, we were totally blown away. It's pretty spectacular on the outside but the inside is on another level. The audio commentary stated, "How did the hall make you feel, where you shocked?" Hell yes, it was one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been in. It's hard to get your head around that is was built for George IV in built in 1787, 

I've got loads more photos to share and we picked up a few bits and pieces so I'll save that for a part 2. Over the past couple of years I've spent quite a bit of time down in Brighton, each time it makes me think how ace it would be to live there, and now I think I've got Hollie on board. That's the dream. 

Have any of your guys been down to Brighton?

Bottle Cap Blues

I don't really share videos that much but heck, I love beer. If you're anything like me after watching this video you will want to try it yourself. A word of warning though, if you screw it up it makes a whole load of mess. So don't try it at home, do what I did and try it at someone else's. Who'd have thought you can only a bottle of beer with a Ipod or even you arm?

The Bottle Cap Blues is by Adam Young & Chris Sumers. 1:58 minutes of brilliance.

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Don't forget to enter the URBANARA tartan picnic blanket giveaway here

Inspiration - Food Packaging

I had some time to kill on Friday so  I decided to go around various supermarkets and food markets for some design inspiration. As I've mentioned I've been working on a logo for a charity so I thought it would be cool to see what's going on on that front, but I did veer off and just snapped anything that caught my eye. I was mostly looking for logos & fonts, colour combinations, packaging shape/style, off-beat stuff and of course humor! All these beauties were found in Waitrose, Booths and a local food market called Barton Grange. I had to be careful as I was getting a lot of suspicious looks in the bigger supermarkets, I've heard stories of people being arrested for taking photos in one place.

You guys know I'm really into stuff like this and I know a few of you do too so I thought it might make a regular feature of it, you never know when this stuff might trigger an idea. Has anyone seen any interesting packaging of late?