Food Word of the Day: Riddle
We got to witness this process on our tour of the cellars at Taittinger while on our tour of Europe. You can see a video of the process showing the speed of the riddlers here. Read more
Posts tagged ‘food’
Apr 26
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Food Word of the Day: Pinguid
I am a closet logophile. I consider myself well-read but I am regularly surprised and delighted to come across new words, particularly when they are related to food and eating. Sometimes, though, despite there being over a quarter of a million words to choose from, I like to make up my own. Composite words like “delucious” can be both fun and descriptive. Read more
Homemade Hummus [Recipe]
Growing up in Ireland in the 70s and 80s fancy food generally meant a salmon en croûte, a Baked Alaska or a prawn cocktail on half an avocado topped with Marie Rose sauce. Findus Crispy Pancakes were the height of cool. Then pizzas arrived – hideous things that could be heated under the grill. We thought they were delicious because we had no frame of reference – we didn’t know how good pizza could taste. We drank instant coffee with pride. We had a coffee percolator that was dragged out a few times a year when my mother entertained, but the coffee was left sitting for hours and it tasted awful – the instant stuff was so much nicer. Read more
Growing Veg 2016/#3 – Seedlings & Herbs Update, Outside Prep Begins
I was born for this life. I can’t explain the joy it gives me, watching seeds grow into plants, then watching them flowering and fruiting. I have spent many happy hours watering and transplanting and already I am getting dividends. My herbs are on fire – I can barely keep up with them. My tomatoes are growing taller by the day and my cucumbers have begun to flower, giving me my first tiny cucumber of the season. Read more
Salt, Pepper & Rosemary Cheese Crackers [Recipe]
My conservatory is a sea of green. My tomato, cucumber, pepper & chilli seedlings have now been transplanted and fill one set of shelves. My windowsill is covered with red vases containing an assortment of fresh herbs – rosemary, melissa (lemon balm), basil, coriander, tarragon and mint. The smell of the herbs is intoxicating, particularly when the sun shines and warms the leaves. Read more
Homemade Coconut Body & Lip Butters
There is a certain pleasure to be had from walking into an expensive department store and perusing the extensive range of beauty products available. Helpful and “qualified” staff will assess your skin’s needs and talk you through the benefits of their range. (“Qualified” in this instance generally means they’ve been trained on their company’s product range and how best to sell them.) You leave with a bag of products carefully wrapped in tissue paper and a gorgeous (branded) bag, promises of bright, wrinkle-free skin within days and a significantly lighter wallet. Read more
Life in the Woods
Walden is perhaps the most influential book I’ve never read. Thoreau’s tale of life in the woods was introduced to me while I was still in my teens via the film Dead Poets Society. Even then it struck a chord. “I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately… to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” I like to think I’ve been sucking that marrow all my life, balancing studies and career with plenty of simple pleasures – food, friends, songs, travel. Read more
The Rosemary Experiment
Since I began my journey towards self-sufficiency I have become more and more aware of waste, whether it’s water, energy or food. I hate seeing even small amounts of leftover food going to waste, even if I don’t have an immediate use for it. I will put it into an appropriate container in the fridge or pantry and try to use it within a few days. Read more
Thai Chicken Curry [Recipe]
I love Thai food. It is a feast for the senses – fragrant and aromatic with a heady mix of spices, a touch of heat and a balance of flavour across sweet, sour, salty and savoury (umami) . It is vibrant and colourful, with fresh vegetables and herbs just as important as the meat or fish component. And it uses a variety of textures, from crunchy vegetables to soft meat and sticky rice. Read more
Harmony
It’s almost three years since we set off on our tour of Europe and I still love looking back through the photos. This was taken in Rioja, one of the most scenic places we passed through. This was one of the many occasions when we appreciated the fact that our camper van was dark green. We could park in stunning locations and blend into our surroundings. We were not a disturbance, but instead were in harmony with our environment. If we ever replace the van (and we hope to), we will get something very similar. Read more
Growing Veg 2016/#2 – Seedlings & Herbs
This year I have vowed to provide more regular updates on my vegetable growing endeavours. Last year I had some great successes and took millions of photos, but was so busy actually doing it I hardly got round to writing about it. To take the pressure off, this year I will write shorter posts more frequently. Some might contain only a few words and photos, just to show you how things are progressing. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep that going, even when the growing season kicks off in earnest. Read more
Murder at the Pool Party
Morgan sighed. This was not the bachelor party he’d had in mind. Or stag party, as some people call them. Why on earth would a crow want to go to a stag party? He had envisioned a more subdued gathering, perhaps a nice meal with a few close friends followed by a few pints at the local – nothing too crazy. Instead he was surrounded by a bunch of whooping, splashing, pool-bombing hooligans. He wasn’t even sure he knew everyone. Who the hell was that guy with the big, shiny wings? Bloody show-off. Read more
Lithuanian Kugelis | Potato Pudding [Recipe]
Asta walked into the kitchen and sniffed the air, taking in the familiar scent. “Ooh, are you making kugelis?!” she asked excitedly. “I am – I’m testing recipes. How do you make yours?”, I replied. Asta wrinkled her forehead in confusion. “What do you mean, how do I make mine? There’s only one way to make kugelis.” Alas, if only it were so. Read more
Seasons
Winter has been brief in Lithuania this year. We had unseasonably balmy temperatures in December and didn’t get any real snow until after Christmas. We had two or three weeks of what I consider a typical Lithuanian winter, with snowy fields, clear skies and a low sun that highlights the stunning scenery. Fearing it would not last, I got myself stuck in the snow trying to take photos while I could. Read more
Growing Veg 2016/#1 – Getting Started
The snow has cleared, the days are getting longer and my desire to get back out into the garden is growing stronger by the day. We had some great successes last year and had extended periods where we ate mostly our own vegetables. We also managed to store a large amount of fruit and vegetables for use over the winter. This year, though, I want to do more. Read more
My Food Odyssey 