Craig and I were recently the lucky recipients of a fancy evening meal. Free food I hear you cry? Yes please. The catch? We had to cook all of our local ingredients from scratch using A Taste Of Sheffield recipe. Simples. Well I say simple, I have a very sweet husband to be (don't think that'll ever get old) who kindly cooked up a storm while I enjoyed X Factor plus he knows his way around a kitchen much better than I ever will. I must confess the photography is mine though, dark nights and a cottage kitchen don't make for the most swoon worthy picture although snaps to Craig for his food styling and top presentation skills.

The Taste Of Sheffield recipe was compiled by Mark Jones, chef at The Copthorne Hotel in Sheffield which is literally a stones throw from my office window and somewhere I've enjoyed a fair few lunches so when team Copthorne got in touch with this fun project I was more than happy to oblige. Sainsburys rather sweetly delivered the ingredients in one fell swoop so I didn't even have to leave the sofa, my kinda food shopping. The recipe is packed to the rafters with seasonal produce including lamb, Hendersons relish (a Sheffield taste sensation), red cabbage, Maris Pipers and Wensleydale cheese (tell me I'm not the only one who instantly thinks of Wallace & Gromit?)

Craig found the recipe pretty easy to follow although it's certainly one best saved for a day where you've got a bit of time, maybe a Sunday lunch or a weekend date night meal. The cabbage alone takes a whopping two hours to cook although I must admit it was one of the tastiest things on the plate, closely followed by the mash potato - cheese, potato and cream, what a mash made in heaven. Lamb isn't usually my favourite meat of the bunch but paired with the cabbage it really was a treat. 

Who's the better cook in your house? Are you going to try this Sheffield show stopper of a recipe? If you do be sure to use the #TOTTChef so I can admire your handiwork.

*All ingredients were kindly sent to me.