Bar 10, Tenby

As you can see we ate out quite a lot which is always nice when on holiday. We were there for the first few days with our friends Mark and Sarah who also have 2 small children so on this occasion we got the lovely Mrs Lewis in to babysit (I still don't know how old she is but she is definitely over 80 years old!) and went out without the children for a change!
We stopped at the Bush for a drink on the way (obviously!) and then made our way into Bar 10 at around 8pm. This has been a Burger bar for years so not quite my cup of tea so was pleasantly surprised to find it really nicely decorated - uber modern and very "wine bar" with a real buzz to it. For atmosphere this has to be the highlight of the holiday and comes highly recommended!
We had a table upstairs which overlooked George Street so we could watch the world go by as we chatted. The menu was good and included some fish specials as well as some interesting dishes such as good old fashioned liver and bacon.
We ordered some wine and perused the menu finally deciding on starters of crayfish and prawn cocktail for myself, whitebait for Sarah and fishcakes for both Jon and Mark. All were delicious - my prawn cocktail was really fresh, crisp and a delight to eat. The whitebait were a blast to the past and the fishcakes were tasty.
For mains we ordered steak and chips for myself and Mark and the liver and bacon for Sarah and Jon. Again, cooked really well, freshly served and very tasty.
A pretty good meal and well priced although on that night the only thing letting the place down was the slightly unfriendly waiter but having returned a few days later for a light lunch (and a much less busy bar!) the chap was much more accommodating and we had a nice glass of wine with some friends.
This would be in my top 2 places to eat in Tenby at the minute - the atmosphere is great, food tasty and not overpriced.

Top Ten Kitchen Gadgets

So much of our time can be spent preparing meals for our friends and family, that could be saved by having the right tool for the job.

We have listed our Top 10 Kitchen gadgets, but this list is by no means exhaustive, and we're always on the look out for a new time-saving piece of kitchen equipment. Feel free to comment at the foot of this post with your own suggestions.

Our current list:

1. Hand-held Blender - Far and away the most useful piece of equipment in our kitchen. We have used it for blending the children's food when they began eating solids, for making soup and smoothies, chopping herbs or onions, making breadcrumbs and whisking. Choose one with plenty of attachments, you won't regret it. One word of warning, check which attachments can be put into the dishwasher.
   
   See Hand Blenders on Amazon
   


2. Espresso Coffee Machine - Nothing beats the smell of a fresh cup of strong espresso coffee or the luxury of a authentic cappuccino or latte. Prices for a coffee machine can vary hugely, but our Gaggia Cubika 74511 Espresso Coffee Maker, has served well for many years. Choose one of the well-known makes such as Flavia, Krups, DeLonghi, or Gaggia, but don't be seduced by the larger commercial coffee machines (unless you intend opening your own café) as most entry level coffee makers will suit any domestic kitchen.
   


3. Coffee Bean Grinder - We have two coffee grinders in our kitchen. The first is used for the obvious task of grinding coffee beans, the other is used to grind spices for curries. See more Coffee Grinders.
   
   Once you have your coffee grinder, have fun trying out new varieties of coffee bean or perhaps combine two separate blends to find one that suits your tastes.
   


4. A good set of knives - A good quality cook's knife and paring knife are essential, as too are a carving knife and a bread knife. In our opinion, it's much wiser to spend as much as you can afford on a small number of general purpose knives, rather than buying a large expensive set containing knives that will receive little or no use.
   



5. Knife Sharpener - Sharp knives are safer than blunt ones, so it's worth making sure you've got a good knife sharpener too. We tried plenty, including a traditional sharpening steel, but this Chantry Knife Sharpener is the best we've ever had.



6. Roasting tray - The more solid the better and make sure it's suitable to use both in the oven and on the hob. The best we've got is this Hard Anodised Roasting Trayfrom Silverwood.
   


7. Blow Torch - Perfect for browning the topping of a crème brûlée. Instead of buying an expensive chef's version from the local kitchen shop, head to your nearest DIY or hardware store and pick up something for a fraction of the cost.
   


8. Saucepans - Our cast-iron Le Crueset pans have served us well for fifteen years and still look as good today as when they were new. The only downside is that they are not recommended for use in the dishwasher, but they hold the heat well and food does not stick so they are worth this little sacrifice. For a budget option, Ikea produce an excellent range of saucepans ideally suited to students and anyone setting up a new home.
   


9. Cork Screw - How else can you get the cork out of the bottle while waiting for your meal to cook? We have a Vacuvin Winemaster Corkscrew which has served us well for many years. You might also want to consider the Vacuvin Vacuum Wine Saver , although we admit that ours isn't used as much as it should be!
   


10. Cast Iron Skillet - for frying steaks. The heavier ones will hold the heat and the raised profile gives the appetising seared lines.

Heston Blumenthal's Feasts

Heston Blumenthal's new TV series started on Channel 4, with the chef's totally surreal take on a Victorian Feast.

Using Lewis Carol's tale of Alice in Wonderland, Heston set about creating his version of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party for six specially selected guests. The lucky six were Rageh Omaar, Dawn Porter, Jemma Redgrave, Richard Bacon, Toby Young and Kathy Lette.

Drink Me
The guests were served a "Drink Me" potion as a starter, which comprised a bubblegum pink liquid, served in a specially designed drinking glass. The idea being to surprise the tongue with six very individual tastes of toffee, hot buttered toast, cherry pie, custard, pineapple and turkey. Seemingly an impossible task, but after infusing each of the original constituents in milk, straining, and with the addition of gelatin and colouring, the six flavours were stacked on top of each other within the glass. Judging from the look on each diner's face, the effect of the distinct flavours, was amazing and totally unexpected.

Turtle Soup
One dish thought of by Victorians as the height of luxury was Turtle Soup. While it is possible to legally buy turtle in some parts of the world, Heston felt that this might be a step too far for his guests and so hit upon the idea of another favourite of the Victorians, Mock Turtle Soup.

Taking calf's head and making a broth to form the Mock Turtle Soup was not enough for Heston. He filtered, froze and whizzed the broth and then put into watch shaped moulds and then finally covered the "watch" in gold leaf. His idea being to recreate the part in the story when the Mad Hatter dipped his watch in his tea.

The dish was served to the guests with the gold watch in a tea cup, together with a pot of hot water and a bowl containing a selection of delicious looking tit-bits.

An Edible Victorian Garden
For the third course of his Victorian Feast, Heston Blumenthal decided to deliver a Victorian garden to his guests and so a large board was constructed, filled with "soil" made from black olives, dried and chopped, a variety of salad and miniature vegetables, "pebbles" of baked new potatoes, plus fried eel and waffle cones and topped with deep fried insects, stuffed with an onion mayonnaise.

Yet another bizarre sight for the six guests, but they tucked in with delight to each and every corner of the garden and even managed to stomach the insects, which obviously tasted hugely better than they looked.

Vibrating Jelly
The dessert course took yet another unexpected turn as Heston explained that the Victorian's love of drugs and sex caused him to invent an Absinthe flavoured jelly, mounted on a base containing vibrators to induce a wobbling motion to the whole dessert. Add luminescence to further enhance the mind-blowing effect and you have a perfect way to round off a Victorian Feast - Heston Blumenthal style!

Each course devised by the chef, showed a level of genius that bordered on insanity, but Heston's thirst for knowledge into the history of cooking and also the science of food enabled him to acheive the seemingly impossible. The expressions of delight, wonderment, fear and laughter on the faces of each guest was magical and I wished I was there to enjoy the tastes too.

I eagerly await the next episode when Heston attempts to put his twist on a Tudor Feast.

About Heidi

As a wife, mother and a dedicated cook, I was inspired to produce my own website, Dinner at Home to list some of my favourite recipes and share my ideas with regard to entertaining at home.

This blog will allow me to share more of my thoughts regarding food in general, including my favourite restaurants, my comments on recent food related TV programmes.

In addition to writing about food, I make no apologies for including references to Tenby, in South Wales, where I was lucky enough to grow up and where I continue to enjoy many family holidays.

Please keep checking back on these pages and feel free to add your comments.