Author: jamesclay

Posted on

Flat White

So what is it with the Flat White?

It was never available in this country and now it’s all over the place. First I see Costa sell it and now Starbucks is also selling the Flat White.

So what is the Flat White? According to Wikipedia:

Originating from Australia and New Zealand, a Flat White is a coffee beverage prepared by pouring steamed milk from the bottom of steaming pitcher over a single shot or double shot of espresso. As with many other espresso-based drinks the Flat White is interpreted in a number of ways. In Australia it is commonly served as a single shot of espresso, whereas in New Zealand it is more commonly served using a double shot.

So it’s popular in Australia and New Zealand, and yes a fair of them have come over to the UK, likewise they are also popular counties to visit. But why the sudden popularity here in the UK of the Flat White?

No idea!

I have had it a few times now in the UK, from Costas and Starbucks and though nice, it’s not quite the same as a Flat White from New Zealand.

Photo source.

Posted on

Kitchen Myths

Well written and amusing article on Kitchen Myths.

We’ve all heard of urban legends, those plausible sounding but false stories that circulate so widely on email and news groups, such as the old lady who microwaved her cat or the Nieman-Marcus $250 cookie recipe. There are several web sites devoted to researching and exposing these fake stories. The same sort of thing happens in the world of food and cooking, although on a much smaller scale.

Posted on

No more blue ice cream

There is something about blue food (well here in the UK anyhow) that means it doesn’t really appeal.

There never use to be blue smarties before someone noticed that the Germans had blue smarties!

Druckers, the coffee chain, use to sell a variety of Italian ice creams, one of which was a blue banana flavoured ice cream.

Why it was blue, I do not know, but blue it was.

Now I don’t like blue ice cream, but someone in my house does, he is three! He has been asking for it!

It appears after asking that Druckers won’t be getting anymore in. I did try Patisserie Valerie, both it and Druckers are owned by the same parent company, and after a web search I did find that at one time, Patisserie Valerie also sold blue ice cream. It now appears like Druckers that they don’t sell it anymore!

So no ice cream that is the colour blue. What am I to do?

Posted on

Leerdammer

There is cheese and then there is cheese. In terms of French cheese I have tried many different kinds. With Dutch cheese my main cheese if choice is Gouda. Though I have eaten Edam in the past I haven’t really touch it for years now. One Dutch cheese I do buy now and again is Leerdammer. This is a *new* cheese in that it has only been around since 1977 and in some ways is quite a modern style of cheese.

It has a nutty flavour with a hint of sweetness. Like Gouda it has a soft creamy texture but will slice easily. There is a mature version which I prefer but isn’t that easy to get hold of.

I use it in the main in sandwiches.

Not a fantastic cheese, nor one I would put in a cheeseboard however as a sandwich cheese it works well.

Posted on

Jamie Does…

I do quite like books by Jamie Oliver and his most recent one is rather nice.

Jamie Does… is Jamie’s personal celebration of amazing food from six very different countries. Cheap, short-haul flights and long weekend getaways have become increasingly popular and within a few short hours of the UK there are new and exciting worlds of food waiting to be discovered as Jamie finds out. Each chapter focusses on a different city or region – Marrakesh, Athens, Venice, Andalucia, Stockholm and the Midi Pyrenees region of France. Classic recipes sit alongside new dishes that Jamie learns along the way. Alongside each recipe there is a beautiful photograph of the finished dish, as well as incredible reportage shots of Jamie’s experiences in each country. Jamie says: ‘The food I’ve embraced on each trip is a mixture of what you could call the clichéd star dishes – the many tagines of Morocco, the flamboyant paellas of Spain, the comforting risottos from Italy and the zingy fresh flavours of a classic Greek salad – and the recipes that I’ve been inspired to make after walking through the markets and soaking up the vibes of each place. What you’ll find in this book is fun, optimistic, escapist food you can actually cook and enjoy in your own home.’

Buy Jamie Does… from Amazon

Posted on

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

I do like a lager now and again especially in the summer. It’s not as though I don’t like a good real ale, but during the summer, a bottle of lager reminds me so much of my travels to France and Italy back in the 1990s.

One of my favourite bottled lagers is Peroni.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

When I was at an Italian restaurant for lunch I chose Peroni over a glass of wine. It has a distinctive taste and freshness and I really find it very refreshing.


Posted on

Tunnocks

Every so often, usually about once a year, I have a craving for a Tunnocks chocolate covered caramel wafer biscuit.

Available in packs of four from most supermarkets, unlike a lot of other things I crave, I am never disappointed.

I eat the four wafer biscuits, if I am good over a week, or if I am silly on one evening!

I do enjoy them, but then that is that. No more for another year.

Posted on

Spanish Paella

Made a paella the other day.

I took a large frying pan and added a splash of olive oil. Take some pancetta and add diced onions, aubergine, courgette and soften them in the large frying pan. I then added the paella rice, and it always makes sense to use paella rice, and never any other kind of rice.

I then ensured that the rice was coated and added a splash of white wine. Then I added saffron and chicken stock. The saffron I had infused in hot water. This helps to bring out the traditional yellow colour in the paella.

I didn’t have any chopped tomatoes so I added a squirt of tomato puree instead.

Simmer for twenty minutes adding more stock if required.

I added some sliced chorizo and slices of red pepper.

In a separate pan I pan fried some prawns and squid.

These were then added to the paella and it was served.

Books on Paella and Spanish Cooking.

Posted on

Lamb Chops

Have not had them for a while, but today decided to cook some lamb chops.

I roasted then in the oven with some rosemary and a splash of olive oil.

Very nice they were too.

One of the problems I have with lamb is how much they spit in the oven, more so than other meats I cook in a similar manner like pork, beef or chicken.

Means I have to clean the oven more.