The Willoughton Wanderer
"Eating my way through life one bite at a time!"
recent posts
- Thai-Style Mackerel: A Lesson in Zing, Heat… and Over-Marinating
- Black Garlic Meatball Rice Bowl with Mustard & Fennel: A Wanderer’s Weekend Lunch Worth Repeating
- Lovely meal, warm welcome, and a small mix-up handled with good humour
- Venney’s at The Granby – A Hidden Gem on the A16
- Sticky Tables and Evaporated Dreams
about
Author: Ian Jeffery
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As the leaves begin to turn and the evenings draw in, there’s a quiet joy in bringing the harvest into the kitchen. Few things capture the essence of Autumn better than a Tarte Tatin made with apples picked fresh from the tree. The fragrance of cinnamon and caramelised sugar mingling with buttery pastry fills the…
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After three decades of wandering through France, there’s one classic dish I’ve somehow never truly tried: steak tartare. I’d seen it countless times in bistros — vaguely unappetising mounds of minced beef next to golden frites, eaten enthusiastically but never looking like anything to write home about. This recipe flips that script. By hand-chopping the…
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We popped into Beaumont’s Delicatessen & Café in Louth today lured by the promise of a light lunch and the sight of a counter positively groaning under the weight of fine cheeses and artisan pies. The deli side is a delight — neat, tempting, and brimming with goodies that whisper, take me home. The café,…
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Some dishes feel like they were made for a chilly evening, when the wind is rattling the windows and you want the comfort of something hearty but not heavy, so this is perfect for when Autumn creeps its way around the corner. This gently spicy Puttanesca baked gnocchi ticks all those boxes, and then some.…
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There’s something deeply satisfying about gathering fruit straight from the hedgerow and turning it into something warm, fragrant, and utterly comforting. Today’s wander was rewarded with a basket of plump, inky-black blackberries – the sort that stain your fingers before you’ve even made it back to the kitchen. With autumn’s whisper just around the corner,…
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Some places you plan to visit weeks in advance. Others you simply stumble into – and they turn out to be gems. The Cadeby Inn in South Yorkshire, part charming country pub, part elegant wedding venue, was one such find. We arrived without a booking, but were soon seated with menus in hand and appetites…
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There comes a point — usually halfway through chewing yet another helping of garlic mushrooms on flabby white toast — when one begins to question life’s culinary choices. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the classic; it’s just that it’s the kind of lunch that feels like it’s given up trying. Reliable? Yes. Exciting?…
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Some days, the fridge yields inspiration. Other days, it yields… well, two chicken thighs, half a pepper, and that jar of black bean sauce you swore you’d use last February. Cue the culinary improvisation—and a dish that turned out far too delicious to be a one-off. This week’s wander took us no further than the…
The Willoughton Wanderer 