Food News, with Amanda Killelea

IF traditional tripe and black pudding tickle your tastebuds or if curry and naan bread make your mouth water then a showcase of Lancashire's finest foods is the place for you.

The third Lancashire Food Festival is coming to Accrington Town Hall on Thursday, March 2 and there will be loads of tasty morsels to sample.

The best of Lancashire food will be on offer, from award-winning sausages, black pudding and pickled onions, to pies, biscuits and sarsaparilla to wash it all down.

Local cheesemakers will be on hand to show there's much more to our cheeses than just crumbly Lancashire.

There will be creamy, reduced fat and even garlic varieties all made from the essential ingredient - fresh Lancashire farm milk. For those with a sweet tooth there will be locally-produced biscuits, chocolates, fudge, ice cream and organic yoghurt.

And for those who like a bit of spice in their lives, six of East Lancashire's top Asian restaurants will be putting on displays.

So if you don't know your rogan josh from your jalfrezi, or if you're a naan bread novice, the food festival is the place to go for a taste sensation. Other attractions include live music, children's entertainment and a craft fair.

For more details call Accrington Information Centre on 01254 872595.

Now, the perpetual pinta

A LANCASHIRE dairy is using technology developed by beer boffins to produce fresh milk that stays fresh for twice as long as a traditional pinta.

The revoluntionary Cravendale PurFiltre milk, produced by MD Foods in Bamber Bridge, has just been launched across the North West.

The dairy says it tastes fresher and stays fresh for longer because more of the bacteria that can cause milk to sour are filtered out before pasturisation - leaving the milk with a greater level of purity. This same filter technology gives "ice" and "cold filtered" bottled lagers their distinctive clean, crisp taste.

Matthew Wilson, of MD Foods, said: "The filter we use is designed to let all the milk's nutrients pass through but remove most of the bacteria. This means the new milk has all the same vitamins and calcium as traditional milk but a greater level of purity and freshness.

"It stays fresh in the fridge for seven days after it is opened and up to 20 days unopened."

Pancakes with panache

SHROVE Tuesday is traditionally the day the children take over in the kitchen to make their favourite pancakes. But if you fancy something a little more sophisticated than the traditional toppings of lemon and sugar, maple syrup, honey and chocolate sauce, try this delicious savoury recipe for Salmon and Spinach Pancake Stacks

SERVES FOUR

1 418g can of red or pink salmon

100g plain flour

1 large egg

300ml milk

A few drops vegetable oil

350g spinach

350g jar of pasta sauce

4 large tomatoes, very thinly sliced

25g cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DRAIN the salmon, remove any skin and bones if desired and break with a fork into large pieces.

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark four.

Sift the flour into a large bowl.

Add the egg, milk and a large pinch of salt. Whisk to make smooth batter.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan and use the batter to make five pancakes.

Add a few drops of vegetable oil to the pan for each one.

Cook the spinach in a covered saucepan with a little water for 3-4 minutes, until wilted. Drain well, squeezing out the surplus moisture.

On a baking sheet layer four pancakes, spreading each layer with pasta sauce, spinach, sliced tomatoes and salmon. Season the stack as you assemble it. Place the last pancake on top. Arrange tomato slices over the top pancake and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Transfer to the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve with green salad.

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