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Feeling inspired by the food cooked by Tom’s Feast, I decided to try out one of Tom’s recipes this weekend, using leftover beetroot from the  veggie patch, to make t he beetroot and chocolate cake that I’d had at the Valentine’s for Everyone meal last week. I like the fact that this recipe not only contains one of my five a day but is also flourless, so gluten free.  http://www.tomsfeast.com/2012/02/beetroot-and-chocolate-cake/ This cake is more of a dessert dish than an afternoon tea, is extremely rich so best served in small portions with an  accompaniment  of creme fraiche or ice cream ( I suggest Booja Booja vanilla ice-cream). Nom nom.

I didn’t think the highlight of Valentine’s Day would be eating a heart but today was set to confound my expectations in many ways. On arrival at Fareshare’s headquarters in east London we were ushered into the warehouse for drinks and canapes, where it was ubundantly clear by the stacks of unwanted foods and industrial fridges surrounding us that eco-chef Tom Hunt would be spoilt for choice of ingredients. Amongst the crates I spotted supermarket own brand goods from Tesco Value pasta to Sainsburys Taste the Difference Olive Oil Crostini, brand name goods including Nestle and Green Giant, and independent producers such as Propercorn gourmet popcorn. As I surreptiously checked out the clientele, we were served a warming aperitif of mulled cider with star anise and delicious canapés of confit rabbit offal, cod-head cakes and pork liver pate with onion marmalade. While there were certainly lots of couples out for an alternative take on the Valentine’s meal, groups of friends were also t

I’m going on a date tonight, but it isn’t with my Valentine (he’s at home stroking the cat). It’s with a great girlfriend in need of some TLC and a large bottle of wine after a recent break-up. Now I don’t normally go out for a meal on Valentine’s Night, everyone knows it’s the worst night for service and restaurants are known to churn out the food safe in the knowledge that no-one is going to complain in front of their date. Also I’m not known for looking longingly into my lover’s eyes while I await a frankly average overpriced plate of food made to look romantic in some overworked way. However I was drawn to Valentine’s for Everyone, a pop-up restaurant in collaboration with  Forgotten Feast    and their eco-chef Tom Hunt to produce a 3 course banqueting experience made up unwanted foods saved by FareShare that might otherwise end up in landfill. I’m grateful to see that everyone will sit together for the feast, so me and my compadre shouldn’t get too many looks from confused diners