Latest news with #Mary's
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Top five BBQ hacks from Glasgow MasterChef champion
Gary Maclean, a former MasterChef champion from Glasgow, has teamed up with Mary's Meals to encourage people to support the charity during National BBQ Week. Mary's Meals provides more than 2.6 million children in 16 countries with a daily meal at school, helping to fight hunger and promote global education. (Image: Supplied) Read more: Glaswegians reveal unusual BBQ meats they're most tempted to try To help the charity's mission, Gary is encouraging Scottish families to make a small donation at their upcoming BBQs. With that in mind, the chef has shared some game-changing advice to help bring summer BBQs to the next level. He said: "This National BBQ Week, you could ask family and friends for a small donation to come along to your barbecue, and if you use my five top tips, you'll make your guests happy all while giving hope to hungry children." Gary's top five tips include marinating meat overnight, bringing meat or fish to room temperature before cooking, using two heat zones on the barbecue, adding a bit of smoke, and letting meat rest before carving. He also shared some bonus tips, such as grilling courgettes, mushrooms, and leeks, using half an onion to clean the grill, brushing on sweet glaze or BBQ sauce near the end to avoid burning, and trying dessert on the grill with halved peaches or apples in foil with brown sugar and a splash of whisky. Gary also suggested some Scottish twists on barbecue classics, including haggis-stuffed peppers, whisky-glazed venison burgers, Aberdeen Angus brisket with Irn-Bru glaze, and seaweed butter corn. (Image: Supplied) Read more: Glasgow chef lecturer recognised by top culinary academy Dan McNally, head of grassroots at Mary's Meals, said: "With the sun out and with Gary's top tips, there's never been a better time to get grilling, all while supporting Mary's Meals. "It costs just 10p to provide one school meal to a hungry child with Mary's Meals. "With a £5 donation at your next barbecue, we can reach 50 children with a nutritious meal." The charity is also selling cooking aprons through their online shop, these aprons can be purchased for just £15 and help to feed 150 school children. More information about Mary's meals, including how to donate, can be found on the charity's website.
Forbes
27-04-2025
- General
- Forbes
The Best Homemade Blueberry Muffins Explode With Berries
The Infamous Blueberry Muffin at Mary's Marvelous which closed in 2021 was known for being more ... More berries than batter. When I lived in New York, I would look forward to my trips to the beloved Mary's Marvelous in East Hampton, New York. There were so many reasons to love Mary's Marvelous, not the least of which was their spectacular blueberry muffin. I'm not even a blueberry muffin person, but their muffins were literally exploding with big plump juicy blueberries. This was not an anomaly. Every time you went into Mary's, you saw these blueberry muffins, and every day they looked and tasted just as good—they really were a work of art. In September 2021, Mary's Marvelous closed and according to her Instagram account, she planned to write a cookbook. I was excited that she was going to publish a cookbook and the secret to her muffins, and I waited for months for the recipe. After a few months, I just couldn't wait any longer so I went down a blueberry-muffin rabbit hole. I tried to reverse engineer the muffins and even sent a DM to Mary's Marvelous. I was told to put blueberries on top of the batter in the muffin tin but I interpreted that as leaving them on top to let them fall into the batter naturally. I tried all sorts of tips and tricks, but no matter what I did, I could not re-create her blueberry muffin. So I turned to the Internet. I looked for an old-fashioned tried and true blueberry muffin. I tried a number of recipes, and quickly saw that many of the recipes are similar and seem to be based on the recipe for the Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffin. The New York Times has a recipe for that one, and it is a very good muffin but it wasn't as good as the one I remembered from Mary's. [The New York Times version also calls for mashing some of the blueberries to add to the batter for extra moisture, but it has a tendency to turn the batter grey.] The number of juicy fat blueberries in each muffin was what I loved so much about the Mary's Marvelous muffin. In a recent radio interview, she said, in a summer weekend, she would make 100 blueberry muffins by hand on Saturday and another 100 on Sunday. Her motto was 'more berries than batter.' If you are a blueberry muffin fan, you will be excited to learn that Mary Schoenlein, the owner of Mary's Marvelous, and creator of the infamous Blueberry Muffin, has finally published her blueberry muffin recipe in her new Substack newsletter. I just found out about the newsletter and was excited to see she wrote about the legacy of her blueberry muffin, provided the recipe and unveiled the technique of filling the batter to the brim with berries. The tip is to portion the batter—with no berries—into the individual muffin tin and hand-fold about ¼ cup of berries carefully into each muffin. On that same radio interview, she said to hand-fold the blueberries into the batter until the berries pop-out of the batter. To capture the 'more berries than batter' style, large frozen organic blueberries are equally ... More divided. Half are mixed into the batter, and the rest of them are distributed equally on top of the unbaked muffins for an even ratio of berries to batter. Because I have been making my own blueberry muffin mash-up since Mary's Marvelous closed in 2021, I took her tip of adding blueberries to the top to my current recipe. I divide the blueberries in half and fold 1-cup of organic frozen blueberries into the batter and portion the batter into the individual tins. After that is done, I distribute the remaining 1 cup of blueberries equally among the batter in the muffin tins. I push them into the top, but I don't fold them into the batter. I've made this recipe with both fresh and frozen blueberries. And, even during blueberry season, I prefer using frozen organic blueberries. I love using frozen because I can make these muffins anytime the craving hits, and I have noticed that the flavor of the blueberries is more consistent and tangier. If you use frozen blueberries, add the blueberries straight from the freezer and note that the muffins will take a little longer to bake, so make sure to start checking at 20 minutes. You can subscribe to Mary's Marvelous new Substack if you want to make her recipe or you can follow my recipe below for a mash-up of old favorites. A blueberry muffin exploding with berries is universally loved and easy to make at home. These blueberry muffins literally explode with bright purple, fat, juicy blueberries. The batter bakes up light and white with a crumb that is not delicate but also not dense. It is just right with a slight lemony aroma and a crunchy cinnamon-sugar top. If you don't like cinnamon, you can leave it out but don't omit sugaring the tops because it makes a delicious crunchy muffin top. I love using the square parchment papers that are sold as hamburger dividers instead of the muffin tin liners for a fancy yet rustic look. Makes 16 regular size muffins 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 cup granulated white sugar Zest of a large lemon 2 eggs 2/3 cup milk 2 cups flour (un-sifted) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 cups frozen blueberries, divided 2 tablespoons sugar + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon mixed together for tops, cinnamon is optional but it adds a nice flavor to the top of the muffin.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
10 Of The Best London Restaurants For Vegans
Kin, Fitzrovia adashandsplash From upscale eateries to casual cafés, most London restaurants offer an array of vegan menus either separate or incorporated into the main menu. And the vegan offer continues to expand and get more creative as the demand for vegan food continues to sore. Whether you're craving plant-based takes on classic dishes, creative international flavors, or indulgent desserts, the capital's restaurants offer something for every vegan foodie. Kin, Fitzrovia adashandsplash Newly opened Kin offers an exclusively vegan and vegetarian menu that's both varied and delicious. And even better, no faux meats are used. Highlights include small plates such as sweet potato with vegan parmesan and bigger ones like courgette and pistachio spaghetti. There's also a fabulous weekend brunch that can be paired with a selection of waste-free cocktails. The restaurant is super charming but petite so be sure to make a reservation. Bubala, Soho Bubala Almost all the dishes at Marc Summers' popular Soho bistro are vegan, with a few veggie dishes thrown in. And for purists, there's a separate all vegan menu. Both the Soho and Spitalfields locations are always busy so it's no wonder that a third location in Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross will open this year. Every dish is a highlight from the baba ganoush with curry leaf oil and pine nuts to cucumbers with tahini and chilli cucumber chilli to Jerusalem artichokes, ras el hanout and miso. Be sure to save room for the insanely moreish desserts including salted caramel chocolates and the coconut tahini fudge. Mary's Mary's Jason Atherton's Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social has been renamed Mary's which makes it sound like a homely cafe. It's anything but as it retains the sophisticated vibe of the previous restaurant with chic interiors and paintings on the walls. In terms of the food, the menu is a bit more casual and it has a great plant-based offering. There's a separate vegan menu with outstanding choices like shiitake mushroom tartare; miso aubergine, with crispy onion, pickled cucumber, in a satay sauce and globe artichoke, ratatouille, grilled courgette, black olive in a basil dressing. Cauliflower steak at Kapara Spoton Media & Production Ltd It's no surprise that Chef Eran Tibi's Kapara features a bold and creative vegan sharing menu. Priced at £64 per person, it's a generous menu which will likely require a doggy bag. Starting with one of the best and fluffiest pita breads in town, accompanied by a spiced tomato dip and creamy hummus, you'll move on to smoky blackened aubergine with tahini and pomegranate molasses. Other highlights include chickpea panisse with green harissa; wood-fired leeks with sweet potato dumplings; and tender stem broccoli dressed in miso and sesame. Save room for dessert, a sticky treat of medjool dates, black treacle, baharat chantilly and crumble. Caramelised Celeriac at Cord, London Steven Joyce Located in a grade II listed Lutyens-designed building, Cord, by Le Cordon Bleu, is the first fine dining restaurant in London by the famed culinary arts institute. Founded in Paris in 1895, Le Cordon Bleu occupies a unique place in the history of culinary arts as one of the oldest and most prestigious cooking schools in the world. The focus remains on innovation so the vegan tasting menu here is both beautifully presented and creative. Highlights include black truffle shiitake, sourdough, and black garlic; globe artichoke with tarragon and mustard seeds; caramelised celeriac and for dessert, 70% Guanaja chocolate delice with caramel sorbet. Pastaio Pastaio Founded by British chef Stevie Parle in 2017, this friendly Italian restaurant aims to serve pasta that's both affordable and very tasty. Every morning, the skilled team makes fresh pasta by hand. For vegans, there is a 'green menu' with a delicious range of pasta dishes including Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce, Basil, Casarecce; Aglio e Olio, Crusco Chilli, Parsley, New Season Purple Garlic, Linguine; and Courgette, Mint, Garlic, Chilli, Casarecce. And don't miss the delicious starter, Aubergine caponata, tomato, olive, pine nut, raisin and mint. The quality of food and extremely reasonable prices is a winning combination indeed. Gulai Daun Singkong Pete, a vegan dish at Toba, London Toba This authentic Indonesian restaurant that takes you on a journey through the diverse culture of foods and flavors that represents multiple islands in Indonesia. Bringing that authentic Indonesian spice, expect most items to have at least a little bit of kick. The vegan offer is decent with highlights like Gulai Daun Singkong Pete (kale braised in traditional thick coconut milk sauce with tofu, tempeh and sator beans) and Crispy Fried Tofu Stuffed in Vegetable, served with Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce. Cinnamon Club, Westminster Cinnamon Club Plant-based menus at Executive Chef Vivek Singh's Cinnamon Club are always a joy. From chargrilled achari cauliflower with a Peshawari sauce to Kolkata 'meat' style jackfruit curry, vegans are well catered for. There's also a separate vegan tasting menu for £45 that includes Pani Puri – tangy potato in semolina shell, mint and tamarind water; Spiced aubergine steak, pumpkin chutney, masala peanut or Tandoori cauliflower with carom seed, coriander chutneychutney, Kale, quinoa and sweet potato kofta, tomato lemon sauce, saffron rice or Jumbo morels with spiced tofu, tandoori king oyster, truffled millet khichdi shiitake crisps. Dessert is coconut and tapioca phirni with mango passion fruit jelly. Caramello, Bancone's twist on the creme caramel Milly KR & Jade Sarkhel Bancone has a great selection of vegan options including fried artichoke, romesco; chilli, garlic, parsley, spaghetti 'alla chitarra' and Cime di rapa, gnocchetti sardi, broccoli, pickled chilli. But the main reason to visit is for a vegan dessert that has been on the menu for two years by popular demand. The moreish dessert is a twist on a creme caramel is made with coconut milk, coffee and toasted buckwheat. Koyn, Mayfair Koyn Launched by Samyukta Nair, with chef Rose Chalalai in June last year, KOYN Thai has become known for its unique take on traditional Thai cooking, inspired by Rose's childhood in Bangkok, and also her years at her Paris-based restaurant, Rose Kitchen. Koyn Thai is hidden below Nair's Koyn Japanese, which continues to reside on the ground floor of the Grosvenor Street location. Chef Chalalai's green vegetable curry and warm grilled aubergine are both excellent vegan choices.
