Scotland Food News – February 2015
Forget your so-called Valentine’s Day; February is all about pop-up burger joints, Middle Eastern cookery, and experimenting with strong cheese
Let’s start this month with some helpful, practical cooking advice, courtesy of the Edinburgh Iranian Festival. The Festival’s Iranian Cookery Class will introduce attendees to the skills, style and quirks of Iranian cookery, with a focus on the stuff one tends to make a bit of a hash of – getting the spices right, and making traditional Middle Eastern flatbreads that look and taste like the real deal. It's a chance to try something new, but with the added bonus that if it all goes wrong you can simply eat the evidence and no-one need be any the wiser. Can’t try that at a pottery class, that’s for sure. 8 Feb, 2pm. Nawroz Restaurant, 26 Potterrow, £30. Call 01316672299 to book.
So that’s Edinburgh set to emit fragrant and spicy aromas for the foreseeable future, but what about Glasgow? Head to the west these days, and… well… there’s a lot of meat going around. As you walk down West Regent Street to the constant sound of mooing and lingering smell of caramelised onions, it would be easy to say that Glasgow’s obsession with all things burgerish has got a little bit out of hand. That said, we’re always open to new ways of interfacing with red meat, and that’s just what to expect from a pair of pop-ups on the way this month.
First up is the return of the El Perro Negro pop-up to Brewdog in the West End – Nick Watkins’ ‘Top Dog’ burger has been dubbed the best in the city, and given that said city must now be around 35% beef that’s a big endorsement. Get down early for your chance to put it to the test, or to try out the ‘Mad Dog’ complete with lashings of Glasgow’s own ‘Mega Death hot sauce.’ 22 Feb while stocks last, Brewdog, 1397 Argyle St.
Also popping up this month in the city centre is Audio Beef, brought to you by the self-styled ‘Mad Chef’ behind Bloc’s outrageous food menu. Expect a New York-inspired experience with tunes, food, and the kind of exciting foodie experimentation that only a man who calls himself ‘Mad Chef’ can provide. 19 Feb, £23, tickets from Bloc, 117 Bath St.
For a slightly more sedate but equally experimental vibe, immerse yourself in a world of savoury goodness with Innis and Gunn and IJ Mellis’s collaborative talk at the brewers’ Edinburgh HQ. Over the course of this evening, dubbed 'Fermentation at its Finest...', you’ll try out four beer and cheese pairings, with the brewers and cheesemongers talking you through each combination. Hear from the experts on what cues to look for when getting your flavours together, and get plenty of inspiration to turn your next trip to the shops into a fermented dairy and hop-filled success. 17 Feb, 6pm, 6 Randolph Crescent, £20.