Plan to stuff Chalkie is the dog's bollocks
Word has reached us that there are plans afoot to stuff Rick Stein's cute canine sidekick, Chalkie - once he's passed away, naturally. The staff at the Seafood Restaurant love the little mutt so much they want to share him with his adoring public and display him at the front of Padstow's foodie Mecca in his afterlife. That way, everybody can stroke the winsome Jack Russell without fear of getting their hands (or ankles) chewed off. What a touching way to remember the better half of a superlative culinary double act.
Search is on for the world's prize tosser
The search for a new Guinness world record pancake-tossing champion got under way this week, with a £5,000 prize pot for the person who can toss more than 416 pancakes in two minutes. The event and prize money have been organised by Moo milk - which says its milk is the only milk that cows recommend by name.
Never mind the quality, feel the celebrity name
TV chef Ainsley Harriott is in hot water (or maybe a thin consommé) after his chicken soup was found to be just 1% chicken. The Ready, Steady, Cook host lent his name to a broth said to be "crammed full of gorgeous chicken and leek flavour". But the Ainsley Harriott Scottish Style Chicken and Leek Cup Soup contained precious little meat. A spokesman for the Food Commission said: "There are big pictures of chicken and vegetables next to a picture of Ainsley. It's perfectly legal, but the main product is starch. It's not full of chicken or vegetables." Tim Robertshaw, boss of manufacturer Brand Partnership, was unavailable for comment.
Should whisky trifle be forgot, and never brought to mind?
The world's first haggis paella was served on Burns Night this year. Chef Michael Cox served the special dish to diners at La Tasca in Union Street, Aberdeen. But a local poet has now challenged Cox to create an equally fitting "fusion" pudding. Lorna Angus, a retired teacher, addressed him in verse, including the following lines:
But chef, just while ye're in the mood/An' dishin' up this hybrid food/Can you create a Scottish pud/A real best seller/A fitting ending, just as good/As Scots paella?