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April 30, 2013

Foodie Penpals April 2013

This month, I have made a point of sitting down to write a proper Foodie Penpals reveal post. It is so easy to get swept up with things, whisked off into the cyclone of ‘I don’t have time!’ and tumbled in a big mess of minutes that seem to go too fast and days that seem to disappear. Life is busy, for all of us, but sometimes (often) it’s possible to collect up some of those minutes, keep hold of them, and then release them all in one go, to give yourself time to do something – like write a blog post. Poor, trapped minutes, doing my bidding. I hope they don’t mind too much.

While we’re sort of on the subject: part of the reason for my blogging absence, and my FPP post brevity, is that I have a second job – one that I didn’t really announce. I will do so now: I’m working as an intern for Leite’s Culinaria. Some of you may have seen me mentioning Leite’s before now, as until I became their web production intern I was a recipe tester for the site. Food glory abounds, there, and for the last four or so years it has been my first port of call when I’m on a recipe hunt. It is exciting to be working with the team in a bigger capacity, now – they are a delightful bunch. Also it means I’ve spoken to David Leite on the phone – he’s a great chef, he’s been on the TV and all sorts, and he has my mobile number. No biggie.

While we’re talking about Leite’s, let me offer you a link to the latest endeavour from that fine culinary establishment: Talking With My Mouth Full, the Leite’s Culinaria podcast. If you like food and drink, or if you simply like hearing people bicker good-naturedly, tune in and see what you think.

Wait, wait, I have another link to share! I SAID WAIT! I know there are photos down there but hang on just a moment longer.

This Saturday, my chum Miss L is running a fundraiser for the MS Society – I’ll be posting a blog with more details tomorrow, but for now allow me to share two key pieces of info. One, the event involves CAKE and STAR WARS which are both exciting and should tempt you down to the Flying Duck in Glasgow, from 1pm, to buy and eat cake (and hang out with me, obviously). Two, if you cannot make it to the actual event to buy cake and raffle tickets, but would still like to offer help and support, you can make a donation of any size here: https://www.justgiving.com/GeeksFightMSWithCake/ Consider it a Foodie Penpals call to arms.

Right, back to the original point of this post – my Foodie Penpals parcel for this month. My parcel came from Ireland, sent by the fair hand of Bridget at From a Country Cottage. The very first thing I saw when I opened the top of my parcel – which was all wrapped up in dotty paper, which made it feel like a lovely present – was this guy smiling up at me:

He is the Tayto crisp man! I’ve heard a *lot* about Tayto crisps from Irish chums, over the years, and I couldn’t wait to tuck into them. I had no idea they came in such happy packaging! And how did Bridget know that salt and vinegar is my favourite? The FPP Psychic Streak comes into play, yet again. They lasted about a minute after me opening the parcel – long enough for me to photograph everything, and no longer. They truly are lovely – really crunchy, but not the same as Kettle Chips, or Brannigan’s, or any other crisp I can think of. I suppose they’re just Tayto, and that’s all there is to it.

Bridget had also included a long note, explaining to me what all the items were, and letting me know that she’d sent me all Irish products bar one item, which is really good going. I like to send Scottish products but so often get beguiled by more exotic (to me, at least) goods, and end up filling my parcels with an eclectic mix. I feel like Bridget really took time and effort to choose Irish things to send to me, and I really appreciate it.

Next was a selection of Irish chocolate – a big bag of caramels (still going – I’m planning a baking adventure with them unless I eat them all first…), plus a macaroon bar and a mint crisp bar. Bridget said she remembered buying the macaroon bar when she was at school; that’s one of the things I like about Foodie Penpals, you can try things that people really have an emotional connection with, and happy memories of.

The macaroon was completely different from a Lee’s macaroon, which is a Scottish staple, and an item I’ve sent to more than one penpal before now. Ours is made of mashed potato and icing sugar (yes, mashed potato) and then coated with chocolate, then coconut. This macaroon was solid chocolate with little crunchy coconutty bits inside, and not nearly as sweet as the one I’m used to, which will give you fillings if you look at it for too long. I have to admit a preference for the mint crisp, though – I love anything mint chocolatey, and the little nibbly minty bits in this satisfied that craving more than satisfactorily.

The caramels are real jaw-welding chewy, with just at thin layer of chocolate and a creamy flavour. I suspect they will be rather good wrapped up in cookie dough and baked – but that’s a story for another day. Also it might be a horror story where I set my kitchen on fire, or at least end up with a baking tray indelibly covered in caramel. We will see.

My next treat was a packet of Lovely Day tea, which was so charmingly named that I liked it even before I tasted it. How can you dislike a tea called Lovely Day? It’s beyond me. As you can see from the label, the tea contains lots of lovely fruits, and is so refreshing. I made up some tea bags, using the empties I bought a while back, and have sipped my way through a couple of huge mugs at work. I really enjoy a herbal tea as a pick-me-up, especially in that slow hour after lunch. This was the perfect antidote to the usual lethargy that creeps over even the best of us of an afternoon…

This ginger is the only non-Irish item in my parcel – but you may remember that I love crystallised ginger, to the point of making my own a while back. The ginger was accompanied by a recipe for rhubarb and ginger jam, which is seasonally spot on! The G man’s mum has a rhubarb patch so I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to try making this jam with home-grown fruit; if not, there’s always the farmers market. I still have aspirations to be a jam maker, yet another ambition on the ever-growing list!

Bridget also included these pretty cards from a local company:

It is always good practise to have some blank cards around the house (you should see the selection my mum always has, it’s immense) and so now I am prepared! I especially like the blue tit, such a pretty bird, but I also like the vintage look flowers, and the bee buzzing around the fresh lavender – they are all gorgeous, and will surely come in handy – perhaps I will even spread the love and pop one in next month’s Foodie Penpal parcel.

Bridget, thank you so much for my cheerful, day-brightening parcel – it made my day when it arrived and has been continuing to add little rays of sunshine in the days that have followed. So kind of you to really stop and think about what to send, I love all of your choices.

If you would like to find out more about Foodie Penpals, here are your links:

For Euro Foodie Penpals, check out the drop down menu at the top or click here.

For USA and Canada Foodie Penpals, visit The Lean Green Bean.

For Kenyan Foodie Penpals, visit Foodie in the Desert.

To see some of this month’s Foodie Penpals posts from around the world, go over to the linkup post on The Lean Green Bean.

2 comments | tags: care packages, food parcels, Foodie Penpals, penpals; | posted in Uncategorized

April 17, 2013

Review: Hotel Chocolat Easter Egg

By Rock Salt

Just so that you know, this is a review of a product of which I was sent a free sample. The opinions in the post are, as ever, mine, and the review is honest. Please note my Patrick Stewart-worthy sentence arrangement in the first line there.

You did read that right – this is a post about an Easter egg.

Hotel Chocolat contacted me to ask if I’d like to try one of their luxury Easter eggs. Of course, I said yes, but through one thing and another I didn’t get the egg until a week after the event, and I haven’t had a moment to blog about it until now!

They sent me their Milk Beastie egg – a designer, milk chocolate egg with three praline and three salted caramel chocolates on the side. Very generous, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

My favourite thing about this product is the way it looks – it’s very stylish, with a great deal of beautiful detail. This was immediately obvious from the egg itself, with its zebra stripes, but the little chocolates also have design features hidden under the foil wrappers.

The egg itself is made from a creamy milk chocolate – the first thing my fellow testers and I noticed was that the chocolate was very melty. If, like Miss R, you like to dip your chocolate in your tea (still not sure if she was serious about that), this isn’t the product for you. You will make a big mess and there will be chocolate everywhere, mostly in your tea. If, however, you are happy not to introduce your Easter eggs to any hot beverages, or like to keep your chocolate in the fridge, have at it.

The flavour of the egg was nice but, I have to admit, not tastebud-blowing, for me. I suspect this is because of the higher cocoa content in Hotel Chocolat’s milk chocolate – more cocoa, less sugar is their mission. Despite many attempts to ‘civilise’ me, I’ve always been a fan of sweet chocolate, and this egg delivers something a little different.

The chocolates that came with the egg were more to my taste – I did have one of each before offering the others up to colleagues, in a gesture of charity and goodwill appropriate to the season. The salted caramel was very sweet with a rich and thick caramel, which swirled up beautifully without overflowing as I took a bite. Another personal note: I’d have liked more of a spike of salt in the caramel, because I’m a big fan of the sweet/salt combination, but I know that not everyone is.

The praline was my favourite part of the egg – I’ve always loved praline, and this one was a velvety smooth example of the genre. It was the right level of sweet, and not overwhelmingly nutty. It also had a purple bit on the top, which ticked a box for me straight away. I like purple. Purple’s my favourite.

In short, Hotel Chocolat produce chocolate with a distinct flavour, which I think is great – if you like Hotel Chocolat chocolate, you probably won’t want to go back to your generic brand now that you’ve discovered it. I also appreciate the ethics behind the chocolate, more of which can be discovered on their website. More than the flavour of the product, though, it is stylish, taking cues from fashion trends and a desire to be unique in the market. This is what really sets it apart from your more ‘normal’ chocolate, and what makes it a fun treat for yourself, or an interesting gift for someone lucky.

Thank you to Hotel Chocolat for inviting me to try their product – remember that they produce chocolate all year round, for your delectation!

4 comments | posted in Uncategorized

March 29, 2013

Foodie Penpals March 2013

By Rock Salt

Once again, I cannot write a post that will do justice to the wonderful parcel I got this month, from Selina at Thrift Street Life. It was full of delicious treats – only one survives unopened today, and I plan to change that over the weekend!

I am going to do the same as last month and paste my thank you email in, and let you see all the photos I took. Selina, I’m truly sorry I can’t pull together a longer post right now!

Selina! Thank you so much for my parcel – no sooner had you emailed to say it was on its way than it arrived. I’m sorry I didn’t email straight away, what a week I’m having. My emails are definitely suffering. (I’m still using the same excuse – my blog is suffering equally!)

I saved it all day yesterday and only opened it when I got home, and then was extraordinarily restrained and didn’t eat it all immediately – waiting until I can take some photos, which means cleaning a space in the kitchen, and so on…

I love the bunny lollipop, it really made me laugh, and the popcorn sounds divine. Actually everything sounds great – I haven’t tried the blueberry chocolate before so that will be a real treat for me, and I’ve been on the fence about trying bacon jam for absolutely ages, so this is the perfect thing to receive in a parcel. Your wee card was so sweet, too!

Thank you again, it’s a great parcel and I can’t wait to get stuck in, and to share with everyone at the end of the month.

I forgot, in my email, to mention the recipe card – how good does chocolate banana fudge pie sound?! Selina, truly, thank you so much for everything, it was all fabulous.

If you’d like to see the other posts from round the world, go here from Monday onwards: The Lean Green Bean.

If you’d like to find out more about Foodie Penpals, check the drop down at the top of the page or click here.

5 comments | tags: care package, food parcels, Foodie Penpals, penpals; | posted in Uncategorized

February 28, 2013

Foodie Penpals February

By Rock Salt

Well, here is my post, finally! A little bit late in the day, but better late than never, yes?

I’m afraid my post won’t do justice to the lovely parcel that I was sent this month by Venacy in Ramsgate. I will mostly let the pictures speak for themselves, and copy my email to Venacy below to give you an idea of what all the items are, and why I loved them! Time is short, my friends, and I’m afraid that this meagre blog post will have to suffice.

Dear Venacy,

Thank you so much for a gorgeous parcel!

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I love all your crochet items, especially the pumpkin – and the time and effort you put in to them and into writing all the labels for the box are really appreciated. It was like getting a very special gift. The pot holder is also particularly appreciated, as only the other day I was hunting in my kitchen for something nicer than a teatowel to put on the table. You must have read my mind.

The Mediterranean marinade sounds like just the ticket for an easy meal one night – I’m on the lookout for those at the minute, I just don’t seem to have a spare moment some days!

I have already broken into the fudge, which is delicious, and the soup will be very handy for work to help me avoid the dreaded microwave queue.

I am hatching some plans for the rock – I’m sure I can make something creative with it instead of keeping it all to myself. It is lovely to see pictures of your home town, too, that made things very personal, as did your friendly note.

I always cook Christmas dinner at my mum’s house, so the book will come in very handy and let me get planning ahead. The Moroccan recipe looks lovely, too – I’m a big fan of spinach and pine nuts together – and I have a whole box of jam jars just waiting to be filled with preserves; maybe the Seville marmalade will be the first of them.

Thank you again, Venacy, for a lovely parcel that you obviously put lots of time and thought into. It was a joy to open and to read all your little notes, it’s those kind of touches that make a big difference.

If you would like to be involved in Foodie Penpals (and why wouldn’t you?), you can find out more info in the following places:

For UK and Euro dwellers – click the tab at the top of the page here, or go to http://thisisrocksalt.com/foodie-penpals

For US and Canada dwellers – go to http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/

Finally, to see all the blog posts from this month, visit the linkup post on The Lean Green Bean.

8 comments | tags: care packages, food parcels, Foodie Penpals | posted in Uncategorized

January 31, 2013

Foodie Penpals January 2013

By Rock Salt

This month I was fortunate enough to receive not only a parcel from my allocated penpal, but also a ‘thank you’ parcel from another of the Foodie Penpals group. Marco sent me an email to say he’d like to send me something, as a gift. At first I thought to myself, ‘You can’t possibly accept that!’. I have been offered an extra parcel before and said ‘Oh gosh no, I couldn’t!’. And then I thought, ‘Why not?’. And I didn’t have a good answer for that. Here is the life lesson:

If someone wants to give you a gift, accept it.

It’s a no-brainer. Evidently I’ve been operating without brain.

So, I’ll give you a brief report on both parcels today! Firstly, my parcel from Glenys. Glenys doesn’t have a blog for me to link to, but this didn’t stop her from doing her duty and sending me a thoughtful parcel of locally made treats. Here it is:

Wilkin and Sons are a company based in Essex, but known round the country for their gorgeous jams and honey – in fact, I once sent a penpal a wee jar of their honey in their parcel. I didn’t know they do other products, too, so you can imagine that I was very excited when I opened my box to find three new-to-me products from their extensive range. As Glenys explained in her lovely long letter, the products are made in Tiptree, a place known for the quality of its fruit and veg, and a place she’s lucky enough to be able to visit regularly. For the rest of us, there are preserves and sauces, to capture the fresh flavours and have them all round the country, all round the year, all round the clock. Sometimes you just need a midnight jam sandwich, you know?

The three items Glenys chose for me are Mustard Sauce with Honey, an Organic Tomato Chutney and (I admit it, my favourite one) a Hot Apple and Sage Jelly. This last item has different packaging, and is made by Jules and Sharpie – a part of the Wilkin and Sons brand family. They make all kinds of fascinating, spicy jellies, jams, chutnies and sauces, including a spicy brown sauce that sounds divine. I already have some plans for these three beauties: the mustard sauce is going to get fired all over a big round of gammon and roasted for Sunday dinner. The chutney will get served up with my homemade Crowdie (once I figure out what ‘freshly soured milk’ is). The apple and sage jelly… well… it’s pretty much going to go on everything, but in particular Glenys recommends a spoonful in my next batch of gravy, an idea that made me nod my head in mute appreciation of how great it was. Glenys also included a recipe for bobotie, a South African dish that is a recommendation straight from her husband – it’s one of his favourites. I really like that my parcel was a collaboration between them both, I could just feel all the thought and care that had gone into it beaming out at me.

Thank you so much, Glenys, I loved my parcel and can’t wait to try everything and report back!

My ‘thank you’ parcel was from Marco, another non-blogging participant from London. First of all, I want to say again, thank you Marco – I was so touched and gratified that you wanted to send me a gift, it was such a kind thing to do. Now, let’s cut to the chase!

Marco’s parcel included a recipe for better-than-bog-standard popcorn, including suggestions for different and delicious additions that I could make. This was accompanied by a bag of aforementioned better-than-bog-standard popcorn and a wee pouch of unpopped kernels, so I could make my own! There was also a slab of dark chocolate – usually I’m a milk chocolate kind of girl, but this particular brand is sweet and fruity, with only a hint of the bitterness that usually puts me off.

Next up was a bag of flapjack bites, homemade and cut into gorgeous tiny squares. I could only marvel at how precise and even the squares were – I think this is a talent in itself, separate from the obvious talent required to make them in the first place. I also loved that the bag of flapjack was tied up with twine, rustic, practical and oh-so aesthetically pleasing.

Another little parcel tied up with twine was a bag of reindeer poo. I’ll let Marco explain this:

Don’t worry, it’s just a fun name for some delicious chocolate and cinnamon covered almonds. Wifey has perfected this recipe, just let me know if you want to have it and I’ll steal it from her

So there we are, not an actual bag of poo. Heavens be praised. I’m not much of a one for snacking on nuts of any kind, but almonds happen to be high on my list of acceptability, especially when coated in a crisp, sweet, chocolatey, spicy glaze. I used these almonds in another recipe, which will be revealed in due course…

My final item from Marco was a pouch of M&S tea bags – he says they’re one of his favourite teas, and I look forward to comparing them to my usual Yorkshire Tea – we take tea seriously in this country, you know.

Thank you again, a hundred thank yous, to my TWO penpals this month. I feel very lucky to have been sent an extra parcel, something I never expected and greatly appreciated.

If you’d like to get involved in Foodie Penpals and live in Europe – check out the info page here on Rock Salt. If you live in the US or Canada, check out The Lean Green Bean blog, where Foodie Penpals all began.

Finally, to see all the Foodie Penpals reveal posts for this month, go here.

Oh, and finally finally – new blog badges! Specific to our Euro Foodie Penpals, with my URL! Exciting stuff. Grab one today for your own blog.