These chocolates are basically alcoholic truffles (of which I’m not normally a fan; the acrid harshness of a whisky gone sour never really did it for me, whether encased in chocolate or not), with a slight twist.  The twist in this case is that they are intended to be served cold from the fridge – a sensible enough idea in the middle of summer as no-one really enjoys biting down on a soft lump of molten chocolate.

The flavours included in this selection are Margarita, Mojito, Indian Summer, Chocolate Martini, and Cosmopolitan, my personal favourite being the latter which despite being chilled was bursting with fruity flavours.  For anyone not familiar with the drink, incidentally (I wasn’t), a Cosmopolitan cocktail is made from vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry and lime.

All together, these make a great alternative to traditional alcoholic chocolate truffles for anyone that is a fan although the box price of almost £20 will put some people off.  It is worth noting though that they are currently on offer at 2 boxes for £25 which is much better value for money and well worth taking advantage of.

Final note: The current lack of recipes on this site (emphasis on current, as the following is not an excuse for my normal irregularity, which you’ll just have to live with) is due to my recent holiday and the fact that my daughter, Mia, unexpectedly went into hospital for a while towards the end of this with an infection.  She is OK now (touch wood), and I’ll get back to the grindstone, so to speak, very very soon.

I’m actually still in Poland, but this year we also went away to a little town called Tlen which is basically a forest clearing with a railway station, handful of restaurants, and lakes, coupled with temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees c.

It’s quite suprising that in Polish forests (of which there seem to be loads) the lakes are often surrounded by sandy beaches.  Poles flock to these beaches, making the most of the hot weather despite the fact that the beaches are generally pretty well hidden.  In England, we’d probably chop down the forest to build a car park; now there’s progress for you!

We travelled by train and stayed in a wooden shack (albeit a rather fancy one) on the edge of the forest, and spent the week worrying about baby Mia who has now developed a throat infection (poor girl!).  Still, we managed to fit in the aforementioned walking, swimming, etc.

There’s a bit more writing below the photographs (photographs which were taken with my Blackberry and not a professional camera – yeah, there’s your usual “crap photo” disclaimer), which you should read, presuming you’re still interested.  And if you’re not, why are you still here?

While wandering through the Polish forest we picked and ate loads of wild strawberries, and while this was not terribly remarkable in itself (I’ve done the same in Scotland), these tasted just like Rasberry Bubble Gum.  You know, like you used to chew when you were a kid.  Wierd, huh?  More interesting perhaps is that the forests are full of wild blueberries.  Now, I know that Tesco back in the UK and the like sell blueberries at more than a quid for 100g, so surely it must be easy to pick yourself a hundred quids worth.  Methinks a certain supermarket is ripping us Brits off?

A final note relates to the last couple of photographs in the album below, taken at a roadside restaurant we stopped at on the drive home.  This restaurant consisted of 3 large BBQs, a wooden building and a load of outdoor tables.  We stopped, ate (the woman in the second to last picture is saying “no photographs please”; too late), and I have to say it beats a Ginster’s Cornish Pasty anyday.

See you in a week or so!

My brief conclusion is that it hasn’t, but I’m blaming that – and the silence of many other blogs around the internet – on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.  It’s just so much easier these days to take a quick photograph on your mobile phone, choose “send to Facebook” or similar, and add a little comment, than it ever was to plug in your camera, download a photograph, log into your blog, upload the photograph, type the blog post…you get the idea.  With this in mind, I’ve decided that in the interests of regular blogging you’re going to be seeing a lot more mobile phone taken photographs from now on.  Yes, that’s 2 paragraphs of a disclaimer into why the quality of my photographs is lower than normal.

Abbots Garden Asparagus

Here’s my second recent article  with such a photograph, taken when I visited the local “Abbot’s Garden” farm shop recently to pick up some fresh asparagus.  I use the term “farm shop” loosely in this case; driving down a country road there is a sign with an arrow simply saying “Asparagus”, and following the arrow directs you into a farmyard where there is an honesty box and table stacked up with asparagus and gooseberries (the items for sale changing with the seasons).  Both were bought in abundance and quickly eaten with the simplest preparation possible.

And here’s something else.  What’s with that smell associated with eating asparagus that anyone who eats sufficient quantities of it will know, but no-one wants to talk about?  You know, you go to the toilet and….well, basically it makes your wee smell.

A quick search on Google yields the answers.  The British Asparagus website blames it on “sulphur-containing amino acids” which are broken down by the body when it is eaten (The Guardian calls this acid Mercaptan).  To make the issue more complicated, some people’s bodies don’t break down these acids, meaning they don’t witness the same effect – and will presumably look at you strange if you ever mention it.  Perhaps even more strange, is that some people who do have the effect simply can’t smell it due to their genetic make up.

On a final note, if the next time you eat asparagus you find yourself sniffing when in the toilet, don’t blame me.  I may have planted the seed, but it’s your sick mind that makes you do it.  ;)

You’ll also have to forgive the photograph snapped with my mobile phone (as soon as I saw all the vodka cocktail related goodies that had arrived while I was out), as my  hands were shaking too much with anticipation to get out my “real” camera.

Smirnoff Black Cocktail Stuff

The premise goes something like this: Smirnoff are vodka experts and are making the most of social networking’s popularity by having a Smirnoff Black cocktail mixing session tomorrow at 7pm (24/06/2010) on Twitter (http://twitter.com/sblackpopupbar).

Put simply, a “mixologist” will share various tweets explaining how to make some hopefully delicious cocktails, and we’ll all sit at home making a mess of it while getting merrily drunk.  I’m certainly up for it, and if the contents of the free hamper I received (pictured) are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.

And if this all seems a little bit too much like advertising for you, lighten up.  Fancy a drink?

Rapeseed, a close-up

Recent articles cite rapeseed oil as being good for reducing cholesterol, while being low in saturated fat (compared to olive oil), and high in unsaturated fats.

What is “Cold Pressed”?

Cold pressing is the simplest way of extracting oil, and simply involves squeezing the nut, seed or olive in a press until oil is released; this is in contrast to the cheaper cooking  oils whereby the oil is extracted under heat or by using chemicals.  In fact, most rapeseed oil was extracted in this latter manner until recently and simply labelled as “vegetable oil”, whereby it has lower health benefits and a blander taste.  Basically, the use of cold pressing gives a better product which has only come onto the market in recent years.

Fields of Oilseed Rape

In the Kitchen

I’ve been using this oil for around a year now, not as a replacement to olive oil, but as additional oil available to me.  Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil is great drizzled over salads, where it has a nutty taste unlike the pepperyness of olive oil (great for a rather more “English” style salad).  It is also my new oil of choice for homemade mayonnaise (using this method), where the oil doesn’t turn bitter – unlike extra virgin olive oil does when processed, something apparently due to “bitter tasting polyphenols“.

The real benefit to this oil though it its versatility; it has a smoke point of around 230 degrees (see here) compared with just 190 degrees c (375f) for extra virgin olive oil (210c / 410f for the refined), which means it can be used for shallow and deep fat frying, roasting, you name it.

In addition to this is the little know fact that the leaves themselves are edible and are sometimes called yau choy – similar in name and use to the popular bok choy.

So why isn’t it more popular?

Despite the yellow fields of oilseed rape being a common sight in Britain during May, the fact is that many people just don’t associate it with a high quality food product.  Until 30 years ago, the plants were not even edible (this has since been rectified though selective breeding techniques), and any oil produced was put to industrial use.  Even since then, the majority of rapeseed oil is used in other rather bland foodstuffs, such as margarine (yuk).

Many of today’s familiar cooking names are starting to spread the word, such as Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and James Martin (source here), so it seems as if the professional world is now convinced, and the domestic world (that’s us!) is sure to follow.

Why not give it a try and let me know your opinions, or tell me about any Rapeseed Oil uses you might have?

The snow has finally melted meaning that Christmas now, surely, is over.  After all that seasonal indulgence, now is the right time to make yourself feed better with a little detox.  This month Julia at A Slice of Cherry Pie is hosting our seasonal food blogging event “In The Bag”, and we’ve got a great one lined up:

Bag Contents:

• Lemons
• Garlic
• Sesame seeds

Entry Details

All you need to do to enter this event is make a dish using the ingredients and blog about it then send an email with ‘In the Bag in the subject line to asliceofcherrypie AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk by Sunday 31st January with the following information:

• your name
• a link to your post
• a picture of your dish

Rules

Here are the loose rules – but ultimately remember the objective is to have fun whilst highlighting seasonal food:

1. Participants should attempt to use all the ingredients ‘in the bag’ for that particular month, but may leave one out if they prefer.

2. Participants can include any extra ingredients that they see fit.

3. Entries should include a link back to the host for that month, and the post should be tagged “In the Bag”.

4. Entries can be written any time during the month, as long as the URL is emailed to that month’s host before the closing date.

5. Participants from outside of the UK are most welcome to join in and substitute an item from their own local seasonal produce if necessary.

Britain Under Ice

In amongst all of the snow slush, I’ve somehow managed to salvage the entries for Christmas 2009′s Seasonal Food Blogging Event “In The Bag“.  For this even I challenged food bloggers to come up with a dish using the ingredients of cranberries, clementines or mandarines, and nuts.  We’re not exactly bursting at the seams with entries, but what we have are corkers; check them out below.

This month (January) sees In The Bag return to Julia at A Slice of Cherry Pie. What will she have in store? Only one way to find out, details soon…

What better time is there in the year for me to become re-involved with this great recipe creation event, other than at Christmas?  I hope you can all join in with me, too.  It’ll be fun, I promise!

All you need to do to be included in my round-up article is to create a dish using the ingredients below and email the link across to me before the cut off date (04 January 2010).  Simple!

Bag Contents:

• Cranberries
• Clementines or Mandarins
• Nuts

Entry Details

Make a dish using the ingredients and blog about it, then send an email with “In the Bag” in the subject line to scott [at] realepicurean [dot] com by Monday 4th January 2010 with the following information:

• Your name
• A link to your post
• Your picture of the dish, if applicable

Rules

Here are the loose rules – but ultimately remember the objective is to have fun whilst highlighting seasonal food:

1. Participants should attempt to use all the ingredients “in the bag” for that particular month, but may leave one out if they prefer.

2. Participants can include any extra ingredients that they see fit.

3. Entries should include a link back to the host for that month, and the post should be tagged “In the Bag”.

4. Entries can be written any time during the month, as long as the URL is emailed to that month’s host before the closing date.

5. Particpants from outside of the UK are most welcome to join in and substitute an item from their own local seasonal produce if necessary.

Our Zebra Cake

Unlike ours, which was served “bare” (that is, without any icing), Jane has shown she has some real talent in the kitchen by fashioning hers into a handbag (below).  Style is honestly lost on me (I’m a man, it stands to reason), but that just looks great, doesn’t it?

Jane's Zebra Cake, in the making.

Jane's Zebra Cake (2)

The challenge is on.  Can you do an even better job of baking a Zebra Cake than Jane did?

I'm watching you!

I’m no La tartine Gourmande, that’s for sure – Bea was already blogging within a couple of weeks of giving birth to Lulu (and well done to her for doing so!).  I honestly didn’t realise how much time out of your life a little baby can take.

It’s important not to lose sight.  I still love to eat good food , but hardly find the time to take photographs and blog about it.   Just the other day I had a delicious salad of mixed tomatoes (black, green, yellow and red varieties) with rocket and balsamic vinegar that I’m sure would have looked so good in a photograph, if I’d have bothered taking one.  Some of those tomatoes (bright orange and super sweet Sungold type) were grown in my conservatory; despite not knowing what I’m doing, they’re coming out just fine and I’ll be doing the same next year.

I’ve been in the kitchen a fair bit recently, too, so I can feel a few recipe posts for the blog brewing.  My blackcurrant jam turned out much better than last year (adding the sugar later was the key), and I have a pork bolognese recipe I just need to share with you all.  Perhaps more exciting (to geeks like me); I can see hawthorns, rosehips and elderberries growing in a local hedgerow which are just crying out to be picked, when the time is right.

Finally, I haven’t forgotten the cookbook giveaway I promised a couple of weeks ago.  I pick (drumroll please)….Jennifer H!  30 years of canned food is way too much.  The book is yours!