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| Plus, a deliciously authentic Rumtopf recipe and Christmas shopping inspiration |
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A specially curated guide to help you enjoy the next 48 hours in Bath
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK | KEEP STRIVING
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| "If you're always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be" |
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Maya Angelou
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REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY | WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM
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| Remembering those who fought for us |
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Residents from across Bath and North East Somerset are being encouraged to mark Remembrance Day and Armistice Day at home this year. Remembrance events have been scaled back due to the lockdown restrictions to help stop the spread of coronavirus, and residents are being respectfully reminded not to put themselves or others at risk by turning up to pay their respects.
Some small events will still take place with invitees only and the Remembrance Service at Bath Abbey will be limited to 60 people who will need to obtain a ticket in advance. The Royal British Legion Wreath Laying Ceremony on 8 November can be viewed on the Council’s Youtube channel.
The Chair of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Councillor Andrew Furse said: “I know for a great many people it is incredibly important to come together as a community to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. However, for the sake of our community and to help stop the spread of Covid-19, I would urge people this year not to take unnecessary risks and to remember the fallen at home.”
Sunday 8 November:
The Royal British Legion Wreath Laying Ceremony – at the City of Bath’s War Memorial, Royal Victoria Park, with invitees only. The Mayor Councillor Manda Rigby will lay the first wreath. The ceremony will be filmed and will be made available to watch on the Council’s Youtube channel from 10.45–11.15am. Anyone who would like to lay a wreath can do so informally after 1pm.
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WEEKEND RECIPE | BEEF & BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY
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by Melissa Blease
Curry doesn't have to be complicated – and this dish proves the point. This comforting dish of spicy satisfaction can be as hot or mellow as you choose. Because you're letting a decent curry powder do the hard work for you, you can choose to turn the heat up or down accordingly, while the coriander and cumin further enhances the flavour, the fresh ginger adds warmth without fire – and the fresh red chilli is there if you want it.
During cooking, the butternut squash breaks down into a velvety sauce that binds the dish together, while the chutney elevates this dish to stellar heights, bringing depth and a unique sweet/sour personality to the party – either a fruity, complex aubergine pickle or milder mango chutney work really well. Meanwhile, if you like your curries creamy, the coconut milk does the trick.
This is a classic low'n'slow dish, happy to wait for when you're ready to eat it rather than the other way around. It also benefits from being made 24 hours before you plan to tuck in, which allows the sauce to thicken while the meat relaxes and the spices get to know each other. As with all curries/casseroles, it also freezes well.
Ingredients (serves 6)
1.5kg stewing beef (shin is good), cut into approx 3cm cubes
750g butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5cm knob of ginger, grated
Finely sliced fresh red chilli to taste (optional)
3–5 tsp curry powder (choose your strength)
500g good chutney/Indian pickle
Approx 800ml beef stock
400ml tin coconut milk (optional)
Oil for frying
To serve: plain boiled rice (pref. Basmati) or roti
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees or set the slow cooker to low. Season the beef with the cumin and coriander.
2. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish and brown the beef in batches, putting each batch aside as soon as the chunks have caramelised around the edges.
3. Add more oil to the pan if necessary and sauté the onion, butternut squash, garlic, ginger, fresh chilli (if using) and curry powder for 4–5 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
4. Tip the browned beef back into the casserole dish with the chutney, stock and coconut milk (if you're not using coconut milk, add an extra 400ml of water or stock) and stir well.
5. Cover the pot and cook in the oven for around 4 hours (stirring occasionally and adding more water/stock if necessary) or in the slow cooker for up to 8 hours, until the meat is very tender.
6. Serve with rice and roti.
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MAKING XMAS SPECIAL | DELICIOUSLY AUTHENTIC
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Be warned, you don’t need to try this… but if you do, then it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll be making bigger and even more elaborate, multi-layered Rumtopf creations for years to come. The best part - start now and your first signature party piece will be ready for Christmas, or the perfect gift for friends.
Traditionally Rumtopf (meaning Rum pot) was a mitteleuropean way of preserving fruits from the summer months to enjoy later on in the darker days of winter. Rumtopfs enjoyed some popularity in the UK in 70s and although for many it has never gone away - right now seems a good time for it to enjoy a renaissance.
Prep time one hour. Ready in 1008 hours (six weeks)
The process is simple: use the fruits you like, bananas are a no-no, but peaches, berries and autumn windfall fruit work really well. You can use just one fruit if you like, but building up in layers is more traditional and makes a colourful and delicious dessert when served. Also the rum develops an incredible fruity kick.
So, wash the fruit, pat dry, (peel orchard fruit if you like or leave, it’s all okay) and chop into inch-sized chunks – small berries can be left whole and cherries can retain stones, which is great for flavour, but with bigger fruit, it’s best to remove stones, pips and cores.
Once you have a layer of fruit in the jar, cover with plenty of sugar, then add dark 40% ABV rum to the jar to cover the fruit. Make sure the fruit is completely covered by at least an inch of rum. Never stir the Rumtopf, and store in a cool place.
If you start early in the autumn you should leave plenty of space in the jar to add other fruit layers, once again covering in more sugar and more rum, and keep building up the layers but you’ll need at least 6 weeks for the last fruit added to be ready.
If you are starting now and want to have this ready for Christmas, keep it simple and maybe use some softer fruit: plums, figs, cherries etc and maybe in three weeks time add some satsumas, or cranberries for the top layer, with more sugar and rum.
Then patiently wait, wait, wait.
Come the special day, serve like a fruit salad, on its own or with ice-cream, or custard or if you have room, a side to Christmas pudding. However you enjoy your Rumtopf make sure a snifter of rum juice is poured over, and for a celebratory treat, try adding the Rumtopf rum to champagne for a festive cocktail base. Naturally the alcohol content of the Rumtopf is rather high, so please adhere to sensible guidelines. Enjoy!
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WEEKEND WINE | A LAND OF BROAD SKIES
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A producer and wine region you need to know about. Swinny Vineyards is located within the Franklin River region of Western Australia. A remote and isolated region that is one of the coolest and most remote wine-growing regions in Australia. Typically, we think of WA for pristine Instagram worthy white sand beaches, clear blue skies and continuous sunshine and landscapes you could stare at for hours… you are right, but you can also find world-class wines there too.
Frankland River Grenache, Swinney Vineyards – Normally £29.50 Currently £22.50*
Lifted aromas of rhubarb, summer pudding and subtle Chinese five spice with a hint of musk sticks. The palate is tightly wound with expressive ripe fruits of maraschino cherry, blood plums and anise with a cool wet slate minerality running through the spine. Long, textural, juicy and fresh with incredible depth.
Frankland River Syrah Mourvedre Grenache, Swinney Vineyards – Normally £29.50 Currently £22.50*
Deep garnet with purple hues, dark and inviting with fresh blueberry and satsuma plums, couverture, slight white pepper and coal dust. A plush and velvety structure supports the distinct blueberry fruit aromas. Lavish, polished tannins provide an excellent backbone to the lively and expressive fruit characters. The wine is medium to full-bodied with a rich texture balanced by a savoury, dry and mouth- watering finish.
Farvie Frankland River Grenache, Swinney Vineyards - Normally £88.50 Currently £71.55*
Glorious, deep raspberry juice colour. Cherry and black raspberry on the nose open to nuances of cassia, black truffle salted caramel and beef stock. In the mouth, it has an astonishingly seamless texture for such a young wine, with flavours of stewed cherries and bittersweet 'Moro' - Sicilian blood orange. There is fine acidity and a rounded, warm finish. Farvie Grenache is the result of a ridiculously painstaking selection effort, involving visiting each vine three times to pick out the fruit that has reached the 'sweet spot' of optimal ripeness - neither too exposed to the sun, nor too shaded.
Farvie Frankland River Syrah, Swinney Vineyards - Normally £88.50 Currently £71.55*
An awe-inspiring wine with the aroma of Hermitage and the texture of Richebourg, Farvie Syrah is a selection of fruit picked exclusively from the 'morning' side of the vine rows, which ripens more slowly and gently than fruit exposed to the afternoon sun. Whortleberry, aronia and purple grape lead into nuances of clove, star anise, stargazer lily, musk, leather and iron as it opens in the glass. In the mouth, it is super-refined, intense and concentrated in flavour; with gorgeous soft succulence of texture. There is a sprinkling of powdery tannin - discernible but utterly delicate. Undoubtedly a great wine, it would be intriguing to watch this evolve for 15 years or longer - but oh, it's so irresistible already. Utterly harmonious.
Discover the range which apart of our Fine Wine Mangers promotion until 16 November.
*Save over 20% off these impeccable wines when bought within a dozen of your choice online only.
The Great Wine Co.
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COMEDIES ON NETFLIX | FILMS TO RAISE SPIRITS
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| Hunt for the Wilderpeople |
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If you’re in the mood for a whimsical comedy, you absolutely have to see Hunt for the Wilderpeople by writer/director Taika Waititi. Released in 2016, this New Zealand adventure movie follows a grumpy Sam Neill as as he’s forced to team up with a foul-mouthed child when the two are the target of a manhunt. With Waititi’s playful anarchy filling the whole thing out for good measure, this movie is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
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| The Death of Stalin |
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If you like dark comedy, you’re in for a real treat with The Death of Stalin. Veep and The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci is Hollywood’s best working political satirist and with his 2017 feature he hones in on the absurdity of totalitarianism with a razor-sharp comedic bent on the death of the Soviet Union’s infamous fascist leader, Joseph Stalin. Carried out in the fashion of Iannucci’s signature acerbic stylings, this is film will undoubtedly have you in stitches.
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| Lady Bird |
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Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird is a hilarious coming-of-age story. Saoirse Ronan plays a young girl named Christine who struggles through her senior year at a Catholic high school and grapples with the realities of relationships and friendships. This is a mother-daugther story, and while it gets intensely emotional, it’s also incredibly funny.
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| About Time |
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This romantic comedy by Richard Curtis features Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams at their most charming. Gleeson plays the role of Tim Lake, a man, who like all the men in his family, has the power to travel in time. Prepped with the advice of his father, played by Bill Nighy, we follow Tim on his heartwarming quest for love.
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WASTE NOT WANT NOT | OUR TOP TIPS
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| Carrots |
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Spectacular in soups (with coriander), hummus (with cumin), stuffings, muffins and – of course! – cakes. Mash them with spuds to lighten the load; muddle them with roast potatoes on a Sunday; roast them in a balsamic glaze and serve in a winter salad crisped up with chicory and topped with mozzarella; simmer them with honey, butter and just a little bit of water for a sweet, shiny side dish, wonderful with roast chicken; grate with raw potato and make rosti, delicious topped with fried eggs for brunch.
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| Peppers |
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Stuff raw, hollowed-out peppers with all kinds of everything from minced beef or lamb medleys to cheesy cous cous/rice combinations before baking. Peppers are always welcome in sausage casseroles, love pairing up with goats' cheese in a tart, and add a sublime silkiness to pasta dishes, either as part of a tomato-based team or a stand alone pasta sauce ingredient – simply roast them until the skins caramelise and tumble with sautéed shallots and garlic before stirring through cooked spaghetti.
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| Beetroot |
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Slow roast whole, raw beetroots in tinfoil, glazed with plenty of honey and thyme; blend cooked beetroot into a dip with cream cheese and/or crème fraiche to serve on blinis, preferably topped with smoked salmon; grate raw or cooked beetroot into a batter to make fritters; mix cubes of cooked beetroot with crumbled feta cheese and add to a soda bread mix; bake with potatoes and use the flesh to make beetroot gnocchi; grate raw into a chocolate brownie mix to add a subtly sweet, jammy intensity – yes, really!
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| Onions |
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Roast whole, well-seasoned onions, drizzled with olive oil, until the flesh just starts to collapse (50 minutes-ish) and top with grated Parmesan cheese for the last 10 minutes for a deeply umami crust. Make a pastry base and fill with with caramelised onions, eggs, double cream and gruyere cheese before baking for just 20 minutes. Knead caramelised onions into white, wholemeal or granary bread before the second prove, or use them as the base for a sticky savoury jam – and remember: there's nothing not to love about a classic French Onion Soup.
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BRLSI ONLINE | HERSCHEL AND VISUAL ARTS LECTURE
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| How the Sun Paints the Sky |
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Unless they are astronauts, humans must view the Universe through the window of the Earth’s atmosphere. Although a clear sky is relatively transparent to visible light, bright astronomical objects — most noticeably the Sun — can paint the entire sky with luminosity, colour and shadow to be captured by both landscape painters and photographers. How does this happen and what physical processes are responsible for these beautiful colours, gradations and patterns? The talk – by Dr Robert Fosbury, Emeritus astronomer at the European Southern Observatory and an honorary professor at the Institute of Ophthalmology at UCL – explains some of this and is illustrated with spectacular images of the sky from space and from above the European observatories in the Chilean Atacama desert.
7.30pm on 6 November, £5 for visitors, £2 for BRLSI/Herschel members and students.
brlsi.org
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THE BIG SHOPPER | NEW FROM CHANEL
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| Bleu de Chanel Parfum twist & spray |
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Bleu de Chanel Parfum is an intensely woody aromatic fragrance that opens with freshness and then lingers with a precious accord illuminated by New Caledonian sandalwood. It is now available in a refillable, travel-friendly twist and spray, a perfectly elegant combination of technical and practical. The ideal format for travel or after sport, you can take it with you wherever you go. 3 x 20ml – RRP £91.00
Buy online at: chanel.com
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RESTAURANT MEMORIES | FISHY GOINGS ON
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Onefishtwofish
By Melissa Blease
Before Bath fell foul to regeneration fever, a stylish little fish bistro on the east side of the city, which opened in 2005, set the kind of standards that those who sought to inveigle themselves with the city’s 'new foodie' cognoscenti often overlooked in their search for The Next Big Thing.
Onefishtwofish was neither flash nor fusty. Despite being located in a subterranean cave on the edge of Bath weir, stone floors, barrel-vaulted ceilings and rough-hewn white brick walls gave it a 'Mediterranean dock' vibe. The bright but intimate ambience appealed to both traditionalists and the younger, modish set alike, while menus – although thoroughly modern in terms of sourcing and sustainability – offered instantly recognisable classics amongst the sort of flourishes that kept fashionista attention levels up.
Freshly baked bread came as standard with the menu, as did an aperitif of Crémant d'Alsace. Proper fish soup, laden with tomatoes and accompanied by a huge bowl of rich, rich rouille, was always writ large at the top of the chalk board menu, followed by potted herring “to go with, or before, or after, any of our dishes.” Classic comforters such as fish pie or Cod Mornay were poised to take you back in time while you made sense of the here and now, any fish on the menu could be battered and served with chips and – should you want your breakfast at suppertime – there was always Kedgeree, served
with or without Bloody Mary on the side. But beyond the fabulous food, there was a certain magical charm to Onefishtwofish that had little to do with “creating a vibe” and everything to do with... well, this sorta thing:
The dynamic, smoky blend of exotic aromatics that hunks of cod were rubbed in was delivered to the restaurant every day in a Nepalese pot that always, always had to be returned to the Nepalese chef that delivered it because “the pot belonged to Shiva.” The cream in the sauce that the fat, sexy mussels came bathing in came from an organically reared Jersey herd whose produce was such a hit in Onefishtwofish that the farmer had to get a whole new cow just to keep the restaurant’s supplies up.
The langoustines that swam in the tank by the front door were pets, not produce; the three huge cats (including a marmalade mister who bore a striking resemblance to Bagpuss) that permanently patrolled the dining room wore collars with one simple message engraved on the back of their name tags: “Feed Me.”
And “feed me”, Onefishtwofish did indeed – and those cats, and many other folk, too. But as we're all well aware, time and tide wait for no man. Should the tide ever turn again, perhaps Onefishtwofish will once more wash up on Bath's shores – and who knows? Next time around, it could be The Next Big Thing.
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NOVEMBER ISSUE | OUT AND ABOUT & LOOKING GOOD
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| City Special: Bath Unlimited |
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How Bath is the home of pioneers, with great innovation, design and expert services delivered across the globe.
And...as always, there is so many great reads by our team of wonderful writers and contributors as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses. We hope you'll enjoy the read.
15,000 copies are delivered door to door, and during lockdown you can pick up a copy at many places around town and from our stands at Waitrose, Sainsbury, M&S Foods (Twerton Mills), Tesco in Weston Village, while stocks last.
Alternatively, you can read the full magazine on our website
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LOCAL ART | DYNAMIC BRUSHWORK AND MARK-MAKING
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Emma Rose artwork
Wanting to find an original Christmas gift? Emma Rose’s unique artwork could provide the answer. Her work features Indian and French inks with acrylics, some with gold/silver leaf (see Into the Unknown, shown here). During lockdown, you can buy her work online and post lockdown, come and see her original paintings, limited edition giclée prints, cards and booklets in her studio in Wellow. She will be also be exhibiting at the Bath Contemporary Artists Fair (along with 40 other artists) on 13 December from 10am–5pm at Green Park Station. Emma creates many commissions – do feel free to chat about one.
07885 235 915; emmaroseartworks.com
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ANNUAL EXHIBITION | OUR MAKERS AND CREATORS
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| Bath Society of Artists’ open exhibition |
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Founded in 1904, the Bath Society of Artists is well known for its annual exhibition which is open to members and non-members and held in the Victoria Art Gallery. This year the exhibition has gone digital – so you can visit their online gallery from 2 November and marvel at your leisure – there are some big treats in store.
Enjoy our two minute read here
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INTERIORS | LOVING THE LOTUS
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| By Farrow & Ball |
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"As the lotus rises on its stalk unsoiled by the mud and water, so the wise one speaks of peace and is unstained by the opinions of the world.”
These words from Buddha draw on the spiritual metaphor of the beautiful lotus flower which grows from muddy waters. There's no muddy water in this interior, just the enchanting motif of the lotus in repeat on a wallpaper that creates an active visual dynamic within the room. £125 per 10m roll, from Farrow & Ball.
farrow-ball.com
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THE KIOSK | MAGAZINE MOMENTS
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Curated by Daniel McCabe – Magalleria
Sweden’s Fool Magazine is often described as the best food magazine around. Now published in hardcover, the latest issue takes on Tokyo, a city said to have the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world. If you’re into Japan, Japanese culture and cuisine we know you’ll find this a treat. With first class journalism, sublime photography and print production from one of Sweden’s finest art house publishers, it was no surprise that this 240 page beauty sold out on release. They’re thinking of a reprint, but if you want it for Christmas you might need to get a shuffle on.
£25; magalleria.co.uk
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ON THE BOOKSHELF | GREAT ESCAPES
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| Himalaya: A Human History by Ed Douglas |
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This is the first major history of the Himalaya: an epic story of peoples, cultures and adventures among the world's highest mountains. Spanning millennia, from its earliest inhabitants to the present conflicts over Tibet and Everest, Himalaya is a soaring account of resilience and conquest, discovery and plunder, oppression and enlightenment at the 'roof of the world'. Featuring scholars and tyrants, bandits and CIA agents, go-betweens and revolutionaries, Himalaya is a panoramic, character-driven history on the grandest but also the most human scale, by far the most comprehensive yet written, encompassing geology and genetics, botany and art, and bursting with stories of courage and resourcefulness.
Bodley Head, £25
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| The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman |
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Richard Osman's debut crime novel The Thursday Murder Club – just named WH Smith's Book of the Year for 2020 – will whisk you away from your own life and into those of four septuagenarians friends who live in a retirement community. Led by a former spy, they form the Thursday Murder Club to solve cold cases for fun. But when a shady property developer is found dead, the four find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
In September, the book became the fastest selling adult crime debut since BookScan records began, and is still at number three in this week's UK Official Top 50 chart.
Viking, £14.99
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ANNOUNCEMENT - OUR DECEMBER ISSUE
Abiding by the spirit of the current lockdown period and wishing to respect Government guidelines we are rescheduling the publication of our December magazine - originally intended for 24 November.
Our aim is to now publish on the first week of December shortly after the lifting of restrictions when we will be able to sensibly commence our full residential delivery.
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ON THE BOX | FEEL-GOOD MOVIE
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| The Secret: Dare to Dream (2020) |
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Miranda Wells is a hardworking young widow who's struggling to raise three children on her own. A powerful storm soon brings a devastating challenge and a mysterious man, Bray Johnson, into her life. In just a few short days, Bray's presence reignites the family's spirit – but he carries a secret that could change everything.
Starring Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas and Jerry O'Connell, this is the perfect feel-good film we all need right now.
Released on Amazon Prime today
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PROPERTY OF THE WEEK | ON THE MARKET
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| Cambridge Terrace, Widcombe |
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A most attractive Grade II listed townhouse with accommodation laid out over four floors. It is presented beautifully throughout and features a wonderful master bedroom and drawing room, both of which have superb views over the city of Bath.
In addition, there is a wonderful living space at garden level with a kitchen and garden room, all of which lead out onto an attractive enclosed west-facing garden. The whole garden is well enclosed with Bath stone walling and mature shrubs.
Having been fully modernised with quality craftsmanship, including a handmade kitchen with underfloor heading, wardrobes and cabinets, the property has retained many of its original period features to include fireplaces and cornicing together with high quality door furnishings, bathroom and kitchen fitments. There are three good-sized bedrooms.
In addition to the lovely garden, the property has the benefit of a single parking space. This is a quite a splendid property and a viewing is strongly recommended by the sole agents Cobb Farr. OIEO £1.2million
To view this and many more visit: Cobb Farr
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