Bolton Food & Drink Festival is almost here with it's 2012 edition, and as I blogged about previously, there is so much going on, so much that you can read abouthere. If you've been living under a rock for the past few months, it is to be attended this year by culinary luminaries including James Martin, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Michael Caines, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood (for tickets to these events, get them here).

And one of our members is also getting in on the act. Izabela's @ Vanilla Red will have a stall for the duration of the festival, one that shouldn't be passed by without stopping to sample the delights on offer, delights that will include sausage and bacon sandwiches in the mornings, and also food that fits into their festival theme this year . . . A Celebration Of European Food.

And, on the evening of the 26th, they will be furthering this theme in their excellent restaurant, where there will be dishes available from across Europe along with continental lagers that perfectly compliment the food. And, as if that wasn't great enough, with every purchase of one of these dishes, you get a lager free. What more could you want?

Dishes include:

• Bigos - The national dish of Poland and Ukraine, but also very popular in Lithuania and Belarus, Bigos can literally be transated as 'confusion', 'big mess' and 'trouble'. A hunter's stew, there is no definitive recipe, but it usually contains meat (including, sausage, pork, ham, beef, veal, and venison), sauerkraut, tomatoes, honey and mushrooms.
• Borscht - A soup of Ukrainian descent, Borscht is another dish popular amongst the Eastern Bloc, and has beetroot at it's base. Again, it has many varients across the regions, but it traditionally contains a mix of beef or pork broth, potatoes, carrots, root vegetables and garlic. Often served hot, but also eaten cold.
• Gulasz - The Hungarian National dish, Gulasz (more commonly known as Goulash) has been popularised across Western countries throughout the years. It is a hearty stew consisting of meat (ranging from beef, fish, wild boar and rabbit), onions and peppers.
• Pierogi - Popular across Northern and Eastern Europe, but enjoyed as far as China and Canada, Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough, first boiled then baked of fried, then stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or even fruit.