50 Great Appetizers

I’ve been away now for just over 1 month since my wife gave birth to our beautiful baby daughter, Mia (more photos of her soon, I promise), and I’ve been missing you all.

To make up for it and as a thank you to all those readers who’ve sent good wishes to us (and also to anyone else who happens across this post; greetings!), I’m giving away another great FREE COOKBOOK.

This time around the book is “50 great appetizers” by the great Pamela Sheldon Johns.  I’ve read it and can say that it’s a great little reference book that you’re going to be keeping in the kitchen for a long time to come.

All you have to do to win this free cookbook is leave a comment on this post (or send me an email) telling me why you should receive it.  I’ll pick a winner by around the second week in July…

I’ve been talking about Gosia’s pregnancy on this blog for months now (check out the scan photographs here and here), and am now happy to announce the arrival of Baby Mia.

Mia's First Bath

In these photographs (and, indeed, as I type) she is just 5 days old but already beautiful. And just look at all that dark hair!

Baby Mia

If the website is a little quiet over the coming weeks then I apologise in advance; I’m sure you’ll agree that my excuse is well worth it.

I was watching “Willie’s Chocolate Revolution” on TV recently when I saw a chocolate soufflé and realised I’d never made one before.  Sure, I’ve made soufflés before, but never a chocolate one. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, I couldn’t stop thinking of it.  I just had to make one.

Easy Chocolate Soufflé

Read the full article »

Before you read this recipe please note that it is also time for our Seasonal Food Blogging challenge, “In The Bag“.  Basically you cook a dish using pre-selected seasonal ingredients, – this time Broccoli and Blue Cheese – blog about it, then send me an email with the link, photograph, and name of the recipe. Please send entries to scott [at] realepicurean [dot] com before 31st May 2009 for inclusion in the roundup.  You can read here for a previous edition which outlines the rules in full.  Read last months here.

I’ve had my eye on the stinging nettles near where I take the dog for a walk for a while now; nettles are one of natures great freebies and I really needed to grab some before it was too late (fresh young leaves are the best, so March / April are the best times).  I’ve tried Nettle Soup before, which is fantastic, but never ventured further than that; now I can happily report that Nettle Pesto is delicious too.

Nettle Pesto

Read the full article »

Spring, it seems, is finally here.  My tomato plants are now shooting up at a rate of knots, ants have invaded the kitchen, and (best of all), rhubarb arrived in this weeks organic vegetable box.

Rhubarb Fool

Read the full article »

I’m happy to announce that I have the opportunity to give away a free “Mayan Magic” Chocolate Making Kit to one lucky blog reader.

In short, the kit allows you to make your own chocolate from home and contains all the essentials: cacao powder and  butter, natural sweetener, you get the idea.

I’ve not tried it and couldn’t possibly tell you if it’s any good, but hey, it’s CHOCOLATE and it’s FREE, so what could possibly go wrong?

To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post (or send me an email) before the 22nd of April 2009 with your idea for flavours / fillings for the chocolate…

Easter is a big deal in Poland, a country where 90% of the population are Roman Catholic.  The end of lent is marked by feasting throughout the Easter weekend, and this cake “Babka Cytrynowa” (literally translated as “lemon Grandma cake”) is just one of the many traditional dishes that is used to mark the occasion.

Polish Lemon Cake

Read the full article »