Olive magazine is what you need, if you are looking for a token to give a friend or would like to treat yourself. 6 years ago when it first came out, Olive's appeal was that it was innovative. Not only it contains masses of recipes, what the editorial calls "eat in" but it opens on the outside with their "eat out" and "eat away". I remember at the time being impress by the fact that it was not about chefs or the housewifes, it was about people, people who likes food. Bloggers were included which at the time was a feast.And today, the magazine stayed true to its founding lines but it became a class act, a little gem, everything is the same but everything has been thought through, experience has simmered and has given it a rich and fantastic taste.
In the February 2010 issue, there is a little for everybody, I'll just pick bits to give you a taste:
- 10 lunch-boxes (lighter of course), afterall we are hardly 4 weeks away from our good resolutions
- I like their Menu Spy, they spy on famous restaurants such as Tom Aikens London SW3 where I promised myself to go, one day, or The Three Acres in Shelley take one of their ingredient, this week chicken, and recreate the chefs' recipes.
- A handy check list when Olive plans 7 meals for £30.
- one of my favorite of favorite is "ready in 30 minutes", I promise, I'll cook you the caramelised onion soup with gruyere croutons
And there is their star chef, the ever-present, ever in your face, Gordon doing is for ever the same bit, this time a challenge with a nobody cook to see whose of the same recipe is best, I am glad to say after a dozen challenges, it is a dead heat.
John Torode, one of the two from Master Chef, not egg-head, the other at last revealing the secret of his chocolate fondant, he talked about all the time, on the programme.
This month there is something really "magaziny" 4 people talk about their change of career, what push them to leaving their previous career or way of life and start something in food.
There is so much more, let alone: all you need to know about noddles and a little booklet full of yes more recipes.
Let me leave you with one of the in-season recipe
Rhubarb crumble tart by Simon Rimmer
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
225g plain flour
100g butter
25g golden caster sugar
1 egg (plus 1 extra, beaten for glazing)
1-2 tbsp milk
FOR THE FILLING
400g rhubarb
a pinch of ground star anise
a pinch of ground ginger
150g golden caster sugar
1 orange , zested
FOR THE CRUMBLE
150g plain flour
150g butter
100g porridge oats
150g demerara sugar
a pinch of ground cinnamon
Method
1.Pulse all the pastry ingredients in a food processor then wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the pastry out and use to line a 23cm tart tin. Chill for 30 minutes.
2.Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line the tart with baking paper, fill with baking beans and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and brush with beaten egg. Cook for 5 minutes.
3.Put the rhubarb, spices, sugar and orange in a pan and cook gently until just soft. Cool a little, then spoon into the pastry case. Rub flour and butter together to make breadcrumbs, stir in the oats, sugar and cinnamon, then spoon on top of the fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden. Serve with custard.
PER SERVING628 kcalories, protein 9.3g, carbohydrate 88.2g, fat 29 g, saturated fat 17g, fibre 3.5g, salt 0.55 g
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Robert Burns
