Martin Dalby - Aspire Magazine

Autumn Winter Essentials
Best In The Business
Most people have got out of
the habit of stocking up their
store cupboards, but after a
long, tiring day at work I want
to know I can come home
on a cold winter’s night and
rustle up a tasty meal, even
if my fridge is empty. After
scanning the shelves for a few
minutes, I’ve usually conjured
a dish up in my head and
whilst there are many more
items I could have included,
this is my top 10 store
cupboard essentials.
PULSES, BEANS AND LENTILS
Pulses, beans and lentils have always been a store cupboard
essential. Each one has a different flavour but they all share a
wholesome, earthy quality that is pure comfort food. I always have a
plentiful stock especially tinned butterbeans, yellow and puy lentils,
pearl barley and tinned chick peas.
HONEY
It's the oldest sweetener in the world and a great substitute when
you've run out of sugar, plus it is so versatile in cooking. You can use
it in place of sugar when baking, as well as for savoury dishes such
as marinades, stir fries and creamy pasta. My favourite use is for
glazing parsnips or potatoes.
PASTA
There are so many pasta shapes currently available but I think my
top three would have to be spaghetti (for that firm family favourite
- spaghetti bolognaise), lasagne (for a lovely winter vegetable
lasagne) and macaroni (for the ultimate comfort food - macaroni
cheese).
STOCK CUBES
I always keep a kilner jar full of mixed stock cubes (I keep them
in an airtight jar as I find if left in the box the air turns them rock
hard after a few months). Because of their high salt content, I find
that when a stock cube is added you won’t need to add anymore
salt to the dish.
TINNED TOMATOES
I've always got a couple of tins of tomatoes tucked away in my
store cupboard as I use them so frequently. They are the base to
most stews, soups and sauces that I make and cross the boundaries
of cooking from most countries. I've found it's worth spending a
little bit more as the flavour of the tomatoes is more intense and
rich, reducing the need to add tomato puree.
HERBS, SPICES AND CONDIMENTS
Salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices are the most important part of
my store cupboard. It's worth stocking up, especially on spices with
a bit of a kick, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, ras-el-hanout - the list
is endless.
RICE
Rice is the staple diet of half the world’s population, so it is no
wonder it's in my top ten as it is such a versatile, inexpensive and
easy item to cook. There are many varieties and some types are
specific to certain dishes and are cooked in certain ways, but I'm
always stocked up on basmati and risotto rice.
FLOUR
Plain and self-raising flour are just two of the many derivatives of
wheat - essential in the making of bread, pastry, cakes, pies and
biscuits - few kitchens could function without it. Plain flour is used
for pastry making or to thicken sauces, soups, stews and casseroles,
whist self-raising flour is used to lighten and give an airy texture
to cakes.
OILS
Olive, sesame, sunflower, rapeseed, walnut - the list goes on. Try
buying a big, cheap bottle of olive oil, taking the top off and stuff in
some peeled garlic cloves, a couple of big sprigs of rosemary and a
long, red chilli cut in half to give you a great flavoured oil.
VINEGARS
The word vinegar comes from the French 'vin aigre' meaning
sour wine. Vinegar is also produced from other alcohols like cider,
brandy, sherry champagne and beer. Malt vinegar is used in pickling
onions and vegetables and also in making piccalilli and chutneys
and, of course, fish and chips wouldn't be the same without it.
So, if you’re looking forward to lots of comfort food this
autumn/winter, make sure you’ve got these ten essentials in
your cupboards.
Why not pop along to Appetite within Abbey Sports
& Leisure Club at 70 Slater Street (off Frog Island),
Leicester, LE3 5AS to see Neil and sample his healthy
and seasonal menu. If you’ve got any feedback, nutrition
questions, or ideas you’d like to share, why not email
appetite@abbeysports.co.uk.
Professional acupuncturist
and physiotherapist based in
Knighton, Leicester
Developed over the last 2,000 years in the
Orient, acupuncture is becoming popular in
the West as more and more scientific studies
prove its many applications to people living
in our society.
The use of acupuncture has now spread
to Europe, North America and Australia,
and today there are over three million
practitioners worldwide.
Particular interests of Richard's include
sports injuries, painful conditions and
muscle, joint and nerve pain.
Opening Times
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 9:30am - 7pm (Knighton)
Wednesday: 9:30am - 1pm (Knighton)
Thursday: 9:30am - 7pm (Knighton)
Friday: 8:45am - 5:30pm (Oakham)
14 Wyndale Road, Knighton, Leicester LE2 3WR
Tel: 0116 270 3003
Email: richardhf@ntlworld.com
Business Focus
If you are at the helm of a business in these
tough economic times first of all kudos
to you for surviving some of the hardest
economic times of the 21st Century;
secondly, you’ll be pleased to know
there are many ways you can make your
business even more viable…
• First thing’s first – know your customer. You can have the
most fantastic ideas, but if they are not relevant to your
target market their value is lost. For example if you are
selling computer software for businesses and aim your
marketing campaign at teenage girls it’s probably not going
to achieve the desired results. It seems a very obvious point
to make, but it is a vital thing to remember – always have in
mind your target market.
• That leads to marketing. Again even the most spectacular
service/product is close to useless if no one knows about
it. This is where marketing comes in – a good marketing
strategy it will help you reach out to your audiences, to let
them know about the amazing service/product you offer.
Marketing will cost you money – whether it is paying to
have fliers printed, creating a webpage, creating videos to
promote your business, paying for professional photos, it will
all cost money. However if done right it can set you on the
way to attracting your target audience.
• Don’t be put off by prospective customers saying ‘no’.
Instead try and discern the reason they said no and see if you
can improve your business going forward and adapt it to
attract other customers in the future. There is always room to
improve your business, just remember to be open to advice
and change.
• Try not to enter into a business purely because you are
attracted by potential profit margins. If your business is
something you have a genuine passion for and interest
in you are going to have a whole lot more fun, that will
translate into the time and effort you put in and will
hopefully result in good development of your business.
• Find your unique selling point. If there are already
businesses offering the same product or service as you
intend to they will already be engaging and serving your
potential target market. Be it quality products or excellent
customer service or a slight difference in you product/
service, find your USP and emphasise it.
And there you have it – Aspire’s five tips for nurturing a
successful business. The important thing to remember is that
owning your own business is no guarantee to striking it rich.
However if you invest time and passion into your business
and have a fantastic business plan, it is a great start!
Refill Your Cupboards
For Autumn/Winter
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