It’s not often that you’re invited by an award-winning chef to review his latest book and sample some of the cuisine so when patron of The Yorkshire Dales’ Clarendon Inn, Lionel Strub, found a new outlet for combining storytelling with culinary creativity having teamed up with much published author Neil Russell-Jones we got a bit giddy.
The Dining Club of Interesting Occurrences combines witty and amazing tales written by Neil and features food from around the world, the recipes are brought to life by Lionel. It’s a quirky and winning combination.
With the Clarendon Inn near Grassington as the backdrop for the official book launch and signing we were welcomed with a glass of champagne (provided by the Wine Society – thank you very much) and Graham couldn’t resist a glass of Timothy Taylor Boltmaker, we were introduced and spent an entertaining half hour talking to Neil who regaled us with the journey he’s been on to bring this book to print. Existing as a unique blend of both novel and recipe book, ‘The Dining Club of Interesting Occurrences’, features an eclectic collection of characters who come together as a dining club to enjoy storytelling of global escapades and what would a dining club be without food?!
The book is a set of short stories spanning horror, adventure, comedy and mystery, which are based on real conversations that have taken place with the focus being on the extraordinary. Each story is then matched with a food theme and here is where Lionel steps in. He has created, devised and manipulated colourful and creative recipes, wonderfully crafted to reflect the theme of each story such as a particular geographical or culinary topic. Each story is followed by a menu, then the recipes for the food on offer during the story telling. With ingredients, preparation and cooking time, degree of difficulty, method and Chef’s tips these are put together in a simple, easy to follow way. With Lionel’s many years as a world-class chef, the recipes are accessible to everyone, requiring a basic home kitchen. The other wonderful thing is that the numerous menus span the globe – e.g. Cornish, Central Asian, Caribbean etc.,
Lionel said, “This has been a really fun project for me. The concept for this book is so fresh and it’s been a joy to bring some added colour and flavour through my recipes… but trust me there is already plenty of all that in Neil’s storytelling – this book most certainly entertains on all levels, and to me that’s a job well done!”
Although a native of France, Lionel, 56, now based in Hebden, North Yorkshire, has a great affection for the county he has now lived in for the past thirty years. Classically trained, he graduated from Ecole Hoteliere de Strasbourg in 1982 followed by three years at Le Restaurant des Vannes in Liverdun, an acclaimed two Michelin star restaurant with head chef Jean Pierre Cotard. In 1986, Lionel moved to London and worked in a number of top West End eateries before relocating to Yorkshire in 1989 to work at ‘La Grillade’ in Leeds. In 2001 Lionel acquired the Fig and Fennel delicatessen in Wetherby with the launch of The Fennel restaurant in 2004. In 2010 Lionel opened Mirabelle in Harrogate and more recently acquired The Clarendon Inn an award-winning rural pub with rooms in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
To give us a real flavour of the food within the book we were treated to a small selection of dishes. Lionel’s take on Bulls Blood for starters made with beetroot, paprika, port and seasoning. Pea and Ham Soup, Kavardak Beef Stew, Cured Smoked Salmon Blinis. We were in food heaven and as soon as we got home I made an immediate start on the book to get a handle on whether or not we can reproduce the recipes. The book is still on my bedside table as I treat myself to a story every night.
The recipes really do look very straightforward. We were so impressed with Lionel’s food and his beloved Clarendon that we have booked a Saturday night stay with dinner and Mother’s Day Sunday lunch for the entire family.
This collaboration all started with Neil Russell-Jones who is a prolific author and management consultant with over fifteen books under his belt. Covering management topics, growing food, fiction, history, Sci fantasy, poetry and he has also written several libretti. Our chat with him was fascinating as his passion for this latest literary foray shines out of him. I couldn’t wait to get my sticky mitts on my signed copy and it does not disappoint. The stories are quirky, inventive, incredibly compelling and once I have read the entire book from cover to cover and made my recipe selection I’ll be reaching for my apron!
The Dining Club of Interesting Occurrences is published by Yorkshire based Fisher King Publishing and is available at all good retailers and online via http://a-fwd.com/asin=1914560248 or https://uk.bookshop.org/books/1639359247_the-dining-club-of-interesting-occurrenc/9781914560248
The Clarendon Inn, Hebden, Nr Grassington (http://clarendoninn.co.uk/)
Words and images by Deana and Graham Morgan
