Keep In Touch

                   

Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Aberdour Castle






IMG_5800


Aberdour Castle is a striking, partially ruined manor house just off the coastal road which runs along the Firth of Forth, and lays (disputed) claim to being the oldest Scottish castle still standing. We'd just driven across the Forth Road Bridge through thick fog, and might not have stopped if the visibility hadn't improved, but we arrived at Aberdour in beautiful sunshine which was perfect for wandering the gardens.


IMG_5823


One of the most distinctive features is this beautiful painted ceiling, in one of the remaining original rooms. The colours are faded, but the patterns are still quite clear.



IMG_5820

IMG_5822


We also walked across to the huge dove cote, a stone beehive-shaped building which would once have provided a decent supply of meat for the castle's residents. On the terrace below, the curators have re-planted the old orchard, so in a few years time it will be even more impressive.



IMG_5819

IMG_5801

IMG_5805


Just around the corner, the small Norman church is also worth a visit. Previously fallen into ruin, St Fillan's was restored in 1925-6, and now has regular Sunday services again.



IMG_5780

IMG_5773

IMG_5783


Monday, 28 May 2012

Warkworth Castle




IMG_5635


Warkworth Castle (in Northumberland) has a beautiful and well-preserved keep, full of narrow staircases and secret passages. Not that these were ever used for the nefarious purposes of which I think when I daydream of castles with secret passages, mind you - they seem to have been built primarily for allowing servants to serve food and drink without wandering through the main rooms. One clear example of this being the stairs from the wine cellar directly up into the great hall - very practical!

We arrived just after a coach-load of small children, which for a moment looked like it could have been very bad timing. Fortunately the kids were being carefully herded around by teachers and parents in quite big groups, so we didn't find ourselves tripping over them all the time. And on the plus side, there were several costumed volunteers on hand to work with the school group, which added to the atmosphere more generally.

There's also a hermitage, accessible only by boat - the boats only run on certain days, and we unfortunately missed it, so it's worth checking to see if you can time your visit to coincide with the boats.


IMG_5649

IMG_5647

IMG_5644


Saturday, 26 May 2012

Fusion Room, Preston



Preston is famous for having the biggest bus station in Europe, and is the town where I did my A levels... but it's not exactly known for fine dining. So when my mum told me that she'd been to a new, top-class restaurant which was also happy to cater for her vegan, wheat-free diet, I was excited to have chance to try Fusion Room for myself.

We phoned in advance, and they prepared a special menu for us, so that we actually had three starters and three main courses to choose from (the regular menu has one veggie option). There was a selection of tasty bread rolls to nibble while we contemplated the menu, of a variety of different styles. There's not much to say about bread, but my mum's gluten free rolls were surprisingly light, and in fact I think her seeded roll could have held its own alongside the regular bread. If you've ever tried gluten free bread, you'll know this is quite an achievement.


Bread & Oil

I had a goats cheese & asparagus slice to start, which was incredibly rich. I seldom wish for less food, but in this case I would have been quite happy with half the portion. The goats cheese was made into a thick and creamy terrine, and the taste was quite mellow, although it still overpowered the asparagus a little.


Goats Cheese & Asparagus Slice


Andrew and my mum both ordered tomato soup, which came topped with a thick layer of basil foam. I've been reading a lot about food science lately, including foam and other textural experiments, so this was fun to see, and the foam was actually warm which came as a surprise to me. I had a taste, and it was definitely something I'd consider if it's on the menu when we go back.


Tomato Soup with Basil Foam


For my main course I selected a dish called "Shallot Textures" which consisted of shallot risotto and a shallot tarte tatin, topped with a roasted fig. I wasn't sure how well the fig would work with the other parts of the meal, but it actually complemented the shallots perfectly. The caramelized tarte was quite sweet, but the risotto was savoury with a slightly bitter edge which balanced it out. I'd certainly eat this again.

The main courses were served with more vegetables than we could eat (broccoli, carrots, and roast potatoes) - a pleasant change from some high-end restaurants who really do seem to believe that less is more.


Shallot textures


Andrew ordered trout (which has no place on a vegetarian blog!) and my mum had a mixed vegetable stir fry, served with rice and a spring roll, which she enjoyed.


Vegetable Stir Fry


For dessert, I had the chocolate & amaretto sponge with orange sorbet. The moment I saw amaretto on the menu, I knew what I'd be ordering. Unfortunately, the orange sorbet was so sharp and strongly flavoured that I couldn't actually eat it with the chocolate cake - at least, not if I wanted to be able to taste the chocolate and amaretto (which I did!). So I ended up effectively eating two separate desserts: a sherbet-orange sorbet, and a chocolate amaretto cake. Both of which were delicious, but it was a shame they didn't quite work together.


Chocolate & Amaretto Sponge


My mum had told us all about a sophisticated rhubarb dessert which she'd loved on her previous visit, so she was a little disappointed to find that when we went, the only suitable option was a selection of sorbets. However, they made it look incredibly pretty, and the flavours were as bold and bright as the colours.


Sorbet selection


Andrew had a lemon tart, which was a sort of deconstructed lemon meringue pie (the meringue having been cooked with a blow-torch, straight onto the slate). This was served with raspberry sorbet, but in contrast to my dessert, in this case the lemon and raspberry were both vibrant flavours which could stand together without either overpowering the other.


Lemon Tart


Overall, we had a fantastic meal and it's always great to see a restaurant go to so much trouble to make vegetarian and vegan guests feel just as welcome as everyone else. While there were some elements that seemed slightly unbalanced, this didn't stop me enjoying my meal - and I'm sure it will only improve as the chef gathers more experience. I'll definitely be going back next time I'm in the area.