Its that time of the month again where I bring you all the news of what been passing through my kitchen the previous month. August has been particularly busy and yummy!
First up is Pomora Olive Oil, an authentic olive oil ethically produced and imported from Italy. I’ve teamed up with them to try their oils and create some recipes, the first of which was this Salt & Pepper Cod. I particularly like the Chilli Oil they have and found all the variations very good quality.
Secondly something I picked up on a whim when we made burgers a few weekends go – this Habanero Jam from Gourmet Burger Kitchen. I rarely go to GBK so really had no idea what it was like before buying it. I am though a sucker for chilli based condiments and our cupboards are packed full of them. I like the simplistic design of the jars and enjoyed the taste. It is very sweet though with not much heat considering its made with habaneros.
Next up is something that Lee was very excited when it arrived in the post – a bottle of Martin Millers Gin. Launched in 1999 it is one of the biggest selling independently owned brands. Making it a little different, the gin is distilled in England and then transported to Iceland where it is blended with the purest and softest super oxygenated water. This means it has a higher surface tension that holds in the volatile spirit preventing the burn of the alcohol and the overpowering scent on the nose. The founders of the brand also started the Fever Tree Mixers range.
We tried some sweet and savoury treats from Ardens including a selection of their ‘twists’. Each flavor was very distinct which I appreciated, all too often with things such as these the flavours all bend into one. We haven’t used the Cantuccini or Amaretti yet as I’m planning on incorporating them into dessert, but I snuck one of the Almond Cantuccini whilst watching Great British Bake Off and they are delicious!
Next this lovely selection of goodies from Mextrade – a UK importer of premium Mexican ingredients. This was a great cross section of products. Lee particular like the refried beans and I loved the Rajas which had a great spicy hit. These all spiced up our Mexican night a treat!
We also were happy to try this gorgeous bottle of red wine from Tanners Wine Merchants. Tanners is family-owned, family-run independent company. It is run by James Tanner who is the fourth generation of the family to work in the company. The firm employs more than 100 people split between its headquarters in Shrewsbury and its distribution depot in Wales.
We tried the Red Burgundy, Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Maison Roche de Bellene 2013 from the Tanners House Range (£13.95) – The Tanners Buying team works very hard to ensure the Tanners label house wines reflect the very best of their type; great positive flavours from both classic and emerging areas.
Made by Nicholas Potel in the Beaune region of France, this was a really delicious wine with hints of strawberry that both me and my husband loved. It wasn’t too heavy a red wine and was infinitely drinkable.
This book, A Year in Cheese is from the team behind Androuet, the famous artisan cheese shop first opened in Paris in 1909 and establised in London in 2009 and supplies some high end eateries such as Duck & Waffle. Alex & Leo Gaurneri from Androuet tell us that, like fruit & veg, cheese is seasonal and that knowing what the animals are feeding and grazing on at each time of year helps you pick the perfect cheese. The book is interspersed with beautiful sounding recipes from Alessandro Grano, who is head chef at Le Fromargerie attached to the shop, like the Tomato Tarte Tatin pictured below.
Androuet and Le Fromagerie are now firmly inked in on my places to go next time we are in London. A Year in Cheese is published by Frances Lincoln and released this September RRP £20.00
Lastly, these Paleo snack bars from The Primal Pantry. Initially something I was unsure of, I’m not always the biggest fan of snack bars, particularly those that are ‘free from’ and often find that I’d rather have some fruit instead but actually I was really pleasantly surprised by these.
They are free from grains, dairy, refined sugar and vegetable oil and packed full of natural ingredients. Out of the 5 flavours, there wasn’t one that I wouldn’t have again although I had two clear favourites – the apple & pecan and the hazelnut & cocoa. The texture of the bars was quite soft but with lots of crunchy nuts running through them. I do like the idea of paleo eating and although I don’t follow this strictly I do try and have several days each week where I stick to this, so these would certainly satisfy any cravings on those days.
If you are brand who would like to feature your product, gadget or cookbook please get in touch at [email protected] or on twitter . Thanks to the above brands and publishers for gifting the products (except the GBK sauce which I bought myself) All opinions are honest and our own.
