Taste Bud Time Travels

Photo: aussiegall / everystockphoto

I've always been fascinated by history, in fact I preferred factual books to fiction when I was at school, which probably explains why I did better at my History O Level exam than I did in English Literature.
My love for the past and how it has shaped the modern world is still strong. Food throughout history is a particularly enthralling subject.


You could say that my kitchen has become a little time travel machine or maybe even the Tardis. I may not be like Doctor Who saving worlds across the universe but I have been making some new discoveries through culinary activities.

Just over a year ago I met Alan Coxon at a food and craft festival in Woburn. Some of you may remember him as the television chef who had his own show 'Coxon's Kitchen College', he also appeared on Great Food Live on UKTV Food. Alan is the food archaeologist, so for him food history is his passion. Alan Coxon is a mine of information when it comes to food, he loves facts, details. Mention an ingredient or a recipe and he will tell you where it comes from, the history and any weird and wonderful fact you care to imagine.

Photo: © childsdesign

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Alan's passion led him to create three vinegars based upon and inspired by ancient recipes. He took cues from three very different cultures – Medieval, Roman and Ancient Greek. From these, Ale-Gar, Roman Vinaigre and Ancient Greek Vinaigre were born. It wasn't a simple process or quick development to make them. From start to finish it has taken Alan 10 years to perfect the recipes as well as the bottles.

So back to my time travelling. I have been using these vinegars with abandon in my cooking. Although they are vinegars, they are not sharp and mouth puckeringly sour, so don't think of them as a malt vinegar that you splash on your fish and chips. The flavours are complex, yet subtle and soft and much more like a fine wine, in that respect.

I have used the vinegars in all manner of ways from dressings to marinade, in sauces, casseroles, stir-fries, even in sweet dishes, they really are that versatile. The Ale-Gar is based on a 15th century recipe, the vinegar being created from chocolate stout malt which has a unique flavour with a slight taste of cinnamon. I've used this in just about everything! Simmer a quantity until it has reduced to a syrupy consistency and you have a wonderful drizzle for duck.

The Roman Vinaigre is made from quality wine and distinctly herbal in character. I noticed the chamomile flavour first which is quite unusual but quickly grew on me. Try it drizzled over fresh sliced peaches with prosciutto, it is wonderful.

The Ancient Greek Vinaigre is also wine based, bitter-sweet and fresh. There is a hint of coriander which I found makes it ideal to use in Asian recipes, particularly oriental stir-fries.

These vinegars are a truly wonderful addition to the kitchen, not only do they taste good they look good too in handsome bottles. They are very nearly ousting the balsamic and rice vinegar in the cupboard, not to mention the Worcester sauce.

You can buy online from foodbyalancoxon.com

Put to the test: Raw Nibbles Caramel Slice

Photo: © childsdesign

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When someone offers you a slice of cake, it’s pretty hard to refuse, so when I received an email from Raw Nibbles asking if I’d like to review one of their products, it was a done deal!

You may have noticed that I haven’t been reviewing products very much lately, on my blog. There’s a simple explanation for this – I am very picky now, which I hope is a good thing.
Emails regularly drop into the Cheeky Spouse inbox from PR companies, in a bid to get me interested in reviewing various products for them (for free, I might add!), but I’m always looking for things that are a little less mainstream in favour of something different.

Raw Nibbles products certainly fit the bill. They’re from a (very) small Norfolk company, made by hand in small batches and everything is raw. I don’t know much about gourmet raw food and I am making an effort to learn, I promise you, but what I do know is, that it isn’t just carrot sticks!

Up for the test was a Raw Caramel Slice. It looks just like a gorgeous hunk of Millionaires Shortbread but there’s no butter in there and being dairy free it is perfect for vegans.
You don’t miss the butter though as the biscuity base is rich and nutty tasting that more than makes up for that.

On top of the biscuit is the caramel, all oozing and soft, just as it should be, but not made from cane or beet sugar, as you would expect. I noticed the ingredients list contains coconut sugar, agave nectar and dates, so I suspect that is what gives the sweetness and toffee-like flavour. Clever stuff!

The final layer is raw ‘milk’ chocolate. Again, no dairy. Raw chocolate isn’t so strange and the more types I’ve tasted, I’ve found it to be extremely delicious with such a smooth texture that doesn’t cling to the tongue – an altogether pleasant sensation.

That generous hunk, which was enough for two to share, most definitely gets a thumbs up and I’m not even a vegetarian/vegan. Even the most ardent dairy lover wouldn’t miss the butter, cream or milk.

Could these type of raw food indulgences be the way forward to treating yourself more healthily? I’ll let you decide after you’ve had a look at the Raw Nibbles website www.rawnibbles.co.uk

Restaurant quality food at home: David Oliver Fine Foods

As a home cook, I don't often buy ready meals, not because I think they're substandard or because I'm snobbish in any way, but I just love to cook, so it rather goes against one of the parts I enjoy about food.
On this occasion it may seem odd that I'm writing about pre-prepared meals, but I was given the opportunity to try some restaurant quality complete meals and give my feedback on them. It's not often that I get the chance to test out something as premium as these so obviously I was enthusiastic.

David Oliver Fine Foods produce a range of dishes using the finest ingredients from specially selected sources and prepare them using the same techniques that are used in quality restaurant kitchens.
The creators David Holliday and Oliver Shute, both chefs and friends, set up their business to make exceptional ready meals, recognising that there was a lack of good quality complete meals that led to them feeling frustrated by the mediocre offerings.

David has a wealth of experience in the world of food, he was the head chef at The Pot Kiln and later went on to run The Harwood Arms in Fulham, the first London pub to receive a Michelin Star. He now owns his own catering business, Season 2 Taste, based in Henley-on-Thames.
Oliver too is well experienced in food, he has worked with Clarissa Dickson Wright and as a private chef to distinguished guests at Scottish castles to chateaux in France and luxury chalets in Chamonix. He now runs his own outside catering company, The Pot Kiln Anywhere and co-owns The Game and Wild Food Cookery School.

Knowing about their background I was expecting something really good and I wasn't disappointed.
There are four meals in the range: British Beef & Dorset Ale, Guinea Fowl & Lentils, Rabbit & Flageolet Beans and Classic Venison Stew. All are complete meals which means you get a good balance of meat and vegetables in a satisfying sauce. No need to serve them with anything more than a piece of crusty bread.

British Beef & Dorset Ale
This stew is described as being able to take you back to the sort of meal that your grandmother used to make with its earthy root vegetables, melt in the mouth Yorkshire beef and deep rich beer gravy. I think I could agree. The beef is indeed meltingly tender and the vegetables (carrots, swede, turnip and mushrooms) are perfectly cooked and even after reheating they retain a good texture. The flavour is deeply savoury and comforting, enriched with butter and honey and flavoured with thyme, perfect for a cold evening.

Guinea Fowl & Lentils
Claiming to be be a "bit of a show stopper" because it contains a whole breast of guinea fowl in it. I loved it, not just beacause of the whole breast, but because of the moistness of the meat which is flavoursome and tender. The mixture of puy lentils, carrots and smokey pieces of bacon cooked with wine are the perfect accompaniment, wholesome and fulfilling. I maybe would have preferred the skin on the guinea fowl to have been crisp – but bearing in mind the way it has to be heated that wouldn't be achievable without drying out the meat – but it was fine nevertheless.

Rabbit & Flageolet Beans
The first thing that hits me is the lovely scented herbal flavour from the rosemary which gently suffuses the whole dish. As well as the beans, there are courgettes which are perfectly cooked. They have not turned to a mushy consistency which is very pleasing. The large pieces of rabbit have a good flavour although they are slightly on the chewy side. I haven't had rabbit very often, but I do know that it needs some long slow cooking to make it more tender.

Classic Venison Stew
David Oliver rightly declares venison as being the "king of meats" although I personally don't agree that it is underrated. This dish though, has certainly done it justice with big chunks of tender venison cooked in a red wine sauce, with sizeable pieces of sweet potato and new potato. It has a great flavour, not too gamey and the pieces of smoked bacon give it nice roundness. A good robust stew and my favourite.

They are all great meals if you're looking for high quality food that doesn't have any unnecessary ingredients or additives. They'd be fantastic for a dinner party and a sure fire way to impress your guests. Whether you choose to hide the packs or not, is up to you!

For more information and to order online visit: www.davidoliverfood.co.uk
Pictures taken from the David Oliver Fine Foods website

Serious Pig

I receive lots of requests from PR companies wanting me to review various food (and non-food) products for them, and I have to admit many of these aren’t suitable for inclusion in my blog. But this time I was asked to consider some Snacking Salami from Serious Pig. I had already sampled a tiny nibble when at the Real Food Festival recently and was impressed enough to take Ceres PR up on their offer, after which, they duly sent some in the post.

Serious Pig is a new British company that started out as most good ideas do, down the pub over a pint or two. George Rice and his friends were feeling peckish, but the bar they were at offered very few inspiring snacks to nibble. George being passionate about pigs and all things packed with porky goodness hit upon the idea of a wholly British Snacking Salmi.

After much legwork and research to find the most excellent British free-range pork and track down the best charcuterie experts, George finally developed the ultimate recipe.

Well, what did I think? It ain’t half bad, smokey, chewy, meaty with just the right amount of saltiness and packed full of flavour, enough to satisfy any ravenous carnivore.
There are two types to choose from, Classic which is lightly smoked and made with cracked black peppercorns and then there’s the Spiced, made with smoked paprika and a pinch of chilli flakes.
I liked both of them in equal measure, the Spiced isn’t too hot, but gives a nice savoury warmth. The Classic is spicy but in a different way with the peppercorns giving little bursts of fragrant bite.

Perhaps some of you are thinking that a Snacking Salmi is not a new idea and I’m more than aware that there is already something on the market that claims to be ‘a bit of an animal’, but Serious Pig is different. It is wholly British and made with free-range pork, a provenance I’d prefer over the other brand.

Because the salami doesn’t need to be refrigerated and has a long shelf life it is great for taking on trips, picnics and anywhere you care to eat it. The stripy packaging, echoing a butcher’s apron, is minimal and easy to open too, therefore lightweight with the minimum amount of fuss – no stray sausages shooting through the air as you try to rip open the packet!
A great grab ‘n’ go snack food with quality to boot.

Currently available in Selfridges, pubs, delis and farms shops across the country.
It is also availble online from: www.seriouspig.co.uk
Photo: ©childsdesign 2011

Douwe Egberts Aromettes®

I was offered the chance to try out a brand new coffee product from Douwe Egberts and being a coffee lover, I thought why not, even though it is a well-known brand.

From the look of the packaging you may be forgiven for assuming that it's instant coffee, but it is fresh ground coffee cleverly pressed in to one cup portions.
It can be tricky getting the amount right to achieve the perfectly flavoured cup, but the handy coffee bean-shaped pellets can be dropped into your cafetiere or filter machine and used just as you would loose ground coffee.

As each Aromettes® is a tightly compressed bundle of coffee, all the aroma is firmly locked inside, only releasing its fresh roasted taste as soon as it's hit by hot water. The Aromettes® broke down instantly and were really easy to use and as there was less chance of me spilling ground coffee all over the place (which often happens) they were less messy too.

I was sent two varieties, smooth aroma and intense aroma, the first being a lighter roast suitable for everyday drinking and the second a richer, deeper roast, perfect for after dinner or if you need a pleasurable caffeine kick.
I do like the flavour and it is what I would expect from Douwe Egberts. It isn't an out-of this-world gourmet coffee, but if you're looking for something to please all palates, then it is a safe choice.
With its fun-shaped portions, is it a novelty? Well that depends on how you conduct your home entertaining, but it is practical, simple and the results are good.

Douwe Egberts Aromettes® are available exclusively from Tesco. RRP £3.69
Thanks to The Bottom Line Consultancy for supplying the samples
Photos: ©childsdesign 2011

Quickasteam

I've been trying to ween myself off certain pieces of kitchen gadgetry, mainly because past purchases have led to disappointment or simply because what I thought would be a labour saving device has turned out to be more trouble than its worth.


I've had my fair share of gizmos that ended up gathering dust in the back of the cupboard, a pasta machine, that was fun to start with, but why make it when shop bought is perfectly fine. Then there was the bread machine, which did get used several times, but I was never happy with the texture of the loaves it produced and the ice cream maker, which requires the bowl to be placed in the freezer for hours on end before I could even start churning the ice cream, but most annoyingly of all, is that I rarely had room in the freezer to fit it in, in the first place.

My cynicism for culinary contraptions almost stopped me taking up an offer from a PR company (Mad as a March Hare) to try something out for them. Luckily nothing too complicated or electrical was required for testing and I'm now completely sold on it.

You may be familiar with those clever little Toastabags, well they've now brought out another cook in the bag method called Quickasteam.
Most people have a microwave (yes, even me) and the Quickasteam bags allow to steam cook anything from vegetables through to fish and chicken, whether it's fresh or frozen. It takes only a fraction of the time that it would take using a conventional hob or oven so saves time and is very economical with the gas or electricity, which is very welcome considering the rising price of utility bills.

I was sent two packs of bags, one large set suitable for 3-6 servings and a smaller one for
1-2 servings. They're very easy to use, I dropped in some new potatoes with a sprig of thyme, salt and pepper and a knob of butter, sealed the bag, placed it in the microwave on high for about 4 minutes, and ping! they were done to perfection.

The great thing about cooking this way is that the bag keeps in all the flavour and if you're health and nutrition conscious, all the goodness too, although you may want to skip the butter.

I also cooked some curly kale which turned out rather well. There was the barest amount of water on the leaves, left after washing them, this generated just enough steam to make the kale tender but not wet and mushy. Another plus point for the bags is they keep in most of the cabbagey pongs, I shall bear this in mind when doing cauliflower, anything to avoid infusing the house with smell of boiling brassicas.

At just £1 a pack, I think I'll be ordering some for myself when this little lot runs out.

For more information and to buy online: www.toastabags.com
Pictures taken from Toastabags website.