How do you make 40m Easter eggs?


Easter Eggs

Really nice and interesting video from BBC News on how Cadbury make their 40m Easter Eggs (50% of the UK market).

Easter is one of the most popular times of year for chocolate-makers and it has been revealed that despite the current economic downturn, confectionery sales in 2009 have continued to rise, with predictions of record sales this Easter.

Watch the video.

Interesting is how in other markets, the US and Europe, they prefer chocolate bunnies and chicks, whilst in the UK market we prefer chocolate eggs.

Photo source.

In order to make an omelette you need to break some eggs

If you read this blog you will know that I am a fan of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipes (and his books as well).

However I did not think much of his recent breakfast column in the Guardian today.

Fruity, nutty bread, herby baked eggs and savoury drop scones invite you to linger, put on another pot of coffee, read all of the paper, throw more logs on the fire. Perhaps you’ll enjoy it so much you’ll make a date with yourself to do it more often.

Sorry didn’t appeal to me.

I do agree with Hugh over rushing breakfast, it is important not to eat a hastily spooned bowl of cereal or a slice of toast nibbled as you walk to the car.

As I got a decent pancake pan for Christmas, I have been using it to make omelettes for breakfast.

In order to make an omelette you need to break some eggs, whisk together. Some people add water, others add milk, I add nothing. I also use organic free-range eggs as they taste much better than cheap eggs.

Heat the pan, add a little oil or butter. Add the whisked egg (three eggs if you must ask). As the eggs set add a filling if you so choose. I normally grate a little cheese on, sometimes some lightly cooked mushrooms.

Once the eggs are nearly set (they will continue to cook on the plate) slide and flip onto a plate.

Serve with some granary toast and fresh coffee.

Now that’s what I call a breakfast!

Breakfast at Bloomsbury

I was recently up in London and stayed at the Ambassadors Hotel in Bloomsbury. I generally dislike having breakfast in hotels, as more often than not they are overpriced and though have extensive choice are not really value for money. For example a month or two back I stayed at the Thistle Barbican Hotel and breakfast (though included in my room rate) would have cost you £15.95. For that you would have to queue up unless you got up really early. Having sat down in the Thistle, if you were lucky, the waiting staff would bring you some coffee and toast. Then it was self-service for the cooked breakfast, which was not very inspiring.

So I was well pleased with breakfast at the Ambassadors Hotel in Bloomsbury. It was about the same price as the Thistle, but unlike that place, at the Ambassadors they served you your cooked breakfast at the table, and what an excellent cooked breakfast it was.

breakfast

Beautifully served, it consisted of an excellent meaty sausage, some very nice grilled bacon, a small bowl of baked beans, grilled (and skinned) tomato, mushroom, bubble and squeak, black pudding and egg. You had a choice of eggs (chicken or duck) and cooked to your liking, I had a poached duck’s egg. It was also garnished with lettuce, not sure about the lettuce.

There was quite a choice of other cooked items as well, such as boiled eggs and kippers.

Along with the cooked breakfast, there was also a (self-service) selection of toast, bread products such as croissant and panettone, fruit, yoghurt, juice, cold meats, cheese and smoked fish.

Overall I was well impressed and would recommend the breakfast, though still not sure about the lettuce.

Gala Pie

How on earth did pork pie with egg come about?

Did a baker one day, go oops…. dropped an egg into that pork pie mix, ah well maybe no one will notice…

Special request perhaps?

Are there other variations which didn’t work, and as a result never saw the light of day…

Ah pork pie with strawberry yoghurt, hmmm nope that doesn’t work for me.

And why is it called a Gala Pie?

Really, really, is this real!

I did a double take when  first saw this kitchen gadget in John Lewis recently.

I could not believe that such a device existed.

Well it does and here is the photograph to prove it!

Egg Toaster

It is a toaster which you can use to also poach an egg!

Bizarre!

My second quiche

Well having made my first quiche, I went ahead and made another.

Quiche

I was inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe I saw on his At Home series, though this is not quite the same as he used potatoes and asparagus  in his.

First I cooked the pastry case blind, I will admit to using ready made pastry; well it is easier and faster at times.

Once this has cooled, in a pan I cooked some onions off with red pepper, mushrooms, parsley and pancetta.

These were then placed in the pastry case.

I then in a jug, mixed four eggs, some cream and a splash of milk.

This I poured into the pastry case.

I then placed the quiche in the oven, and topped up the egg mixture (which I may have spilt if I did this before I popped it into the oven).

The quiche is then baked in the oven until the egg has set and has gone slightly brown.

Asparagus Quiche

As I was making this asparagus quiche, it occurred to me that I hadn’t ever made a quiche before.

Asparagus Quiche

So this is my first quiche.

I was inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe I saw on his At Home series, though this is not quite the same as he used potatoes in his.

First I cooked the pastry case blind, I will admit to using ready made pastry; well it is easier and faster at times.

Once this has cooled, in a pan I cooked some onions off.

These were then placed in the pastry case.

I then in a jug, mixed four eggs, some cream and a splash of milk.

This I poured into the pastry case.

I then added some cooked asparagus.

I then placed the quiche in the oven, and topped up the egg mixture (which I may have spilt if I did this before I popped it into the oven).

The quiche is then baked in the oven until the egg has set and has gone slightly brown.

Chicken with honey and coriander

This was a Chinese meal with some additional extras.

Chicken with honey and coriander

The chicken was roasted in the oven with mushrooms, onions and spring onions (scallions) with honey and coriander.

I served the chicken with home made egg fried rice, basically take some cooked rice and fry with chinese five spice, spring onions and beaten egg.

I also cooked a selection of mushrooms including shitake and oyster mushrooms.