Vanilla pannacotta

We didn't do the Valentine's dinner yesterday. My husband was at the high table in his college (not very romantic on his behalf, but then, what did I expect? sigh). So let's just say my Valentine's day was a bit of a downer. To cheer up myself, I cooked some Vanilla pannacotta to have for breakfast on Saturday.

Vanilla Pannacotta
Ingredients:
1 sachet of Dr Oetker gelatine
120ml water
300ml extra thick double cream
2tbsp vanilla syrup
2tbsp caster sugar

Start by dissolving the gelatine in 120ml of freshly boiled water (sprinkle the gelatine into the water, not the other way around). Stir until mixed thoroughly. Add the cream, sugar and vanilla syrup to make a pint of cream-gelatine mix.
Pour in the cups or whatever moulds you use. It sets in a couple of hours in the fridge, but you can leave it overnight. To dip the pannacotta out of the cups, place the cups in the bowl with hot water for a minute, then take them out, cover with a plate and carefully dip over.
I have also added some mini fruit hearts at the bottom of the cups before pouring the cream.
I served it with Raspberry & Redcurrant syrup (Selsley Foods) which added a much needed tart note.

It set really well, and was lovely. The problem I have with pannacotta is that it is so rich, that usually I struggle with finishing it. Next time I make it, I should remember to use smaller moulds, just enough for a couple of spoonfuls.

Burns night dinner (minus the pipers)

If you think Burns Night is only celebrated in English-speaking countries, you will be wrong. Robert Burns' poetry is well known and much loved in Russia. There are numerous Robert Burns' societies, and many Russians are happy to host a Burns supper. Saying that, I doubt many of them serve a genuine haggis.
I have never tried this famous dish before, that is until the last night. Blame it on my blogging inspirational foodie friends, Karen from Lavender and Lovage and Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.
I have been admiring numerous recipes and photos of the traditional Scottish food on their blogs, and finally took the plunge and bought a haggis. Traditionally the menu includes "haggis wi' bashit neeps an' champit tatties". My husband is not a big fan of any mash, and I just knew he would avoid eating swedes in whatever disguise they were presented.

I bought the Macsween's haggis, as from all reports this was the real thing to try. According to their site, "A Macseeen haggis contains lamb and beef that is cooked before being combined with a unique mix of oatmeal, onions, pepper and spices. This is then packed into a traditional or clear casing, after which the whole thing is cooked once again, before being vacuum packed"

I cooked the haggis, following the instructions on the packet. Ta da! I brought in a big plate with haggis and veggies. Lacking a piper, it was still a Scottish-themed dinner, or at least it appeared so to us, Russian-Italian family.

In texture and consistency the haggis reminds me of the Russian dish called kendyukh, which is basically a stomach filled with buckwheat groats, spices, onions and offal. My Mum told me that when she was a kid, her grandma used to cook it for hours, and that the aroma was fabulous. I don't think I have ever tried it either.
I loved the sight of roasted "tartan" vegetables on Karen's blog, and totally nicked her idea. To see her recipe, just follow the link. I didn't have any Scottish heather honey, and though I grow thyme in the garden, it was raining so hard that I didn't dare to venture out to pick some for my veggies. Instead of the smoked sea salt, I used the sea salt with dried rose petals (well, I thought, that wild roses do grow in those parts of the world, so it will be Scottish enough).

For my veggie dish I cubed 3 potatoes, 2 carrots and 2 parnsips, tossed them in the olive oil and seasoned with sea salt with wild rose petals, and a bit of black pepper. I roasted the cubed beetroot separately in a small dish, so as not to turn the other veggies pink, and mixed all the veg together once they were well cooked.

This is a great side dish, and I will be definitely doing it again.

What did we think of the haggis? It is an acquired taste. Quite spicy, I thought. It also reminded me of the Ferrarese speciality, salama for Christmas, which is also a big ball of spicy meat (though the recipe for salama is different). My husband and I agreed that it was nice. I am actually quite curious now to try the vegetarian variety.

And to round off the Burns night we had some Cranachan, made with defrosted raspberries, crunchy oats, cream and quark,whisky and honey as well as the delectable Raspberry and Redcurrant syrup from Selsley Foods.

I had to buy a bottle of whisky for the recipe. I know almost nothing about whisky, and got the smaller bottle of The Famous Grouse. It will last me a year or so, if I use a couple of tablespoons at a time in cooking. It will probably be lovely in roast fruit dishes like figs or quinces.

For more haggis inspiration, read the posts by my friends
Veggie Haggis with baked onions & tomatoes

Haggis and cheese pastry parcels
and
Hot baked tatties

The next day we had the leftover haggis in roast sweet pepper shells, mixed with grated carrot and topped with quark.

Did you celebrate the Burns Night? 

Mulling syrups from Selsley Foods (giveaway c/d 10 December 2013)

Mulled wine and mince pies are always welcome at Christmas parties. I have recently tested and reviewed Gourmet Mulling Syrup from Selsley Foods, and was very impressed with the high quality of this flavourful non-alcoholic syrup. It contains a special blend of spices and comes in a beautiful bottle of two sizes (200ml and 500ml).
Selsley Foods have kindly offered a prize for one of my lucky blog readers: two bottles of this spectacular syrup (200ml and 500ml) to put you in a festive mood.


For more information on Mulling syrups visit Selsley Foods page.

To have a chance to win two bottles of Mulling syrup from Selsley Foods, please enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form.


T&Cs:
Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is to answer the question by leaving a comment (there is no right or wrong answer)
(if you login as Anonymous, please leave your Twitter name or FB name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment). 

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflcopter picks the winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within a week, the prize will be allocated to another person.

If you haven't used the Rafflecopter before, you might want to watch this simple video.
The giveaway will close on 10 December 2013 at midnight (the night from the 9th to the 10th)

Good luck!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

Roast quinces with vanilla syrup

Just a couple of weeks ago I was moaning that I haven't seen any quinces in the shops, when I suddenly came across the big box of quince offered for free by one of the kind neighbours and helped myself. Then a friend emailed me, asking if I want any quinces. So, I am now "quinced" for the season, making jelly and roast quinces. It is such a beautiful fruit, which inspired many old masters of still life.

As Nigel Slater wrote: "I love the quince's shape, its generous curves and bulges. It is a voluptuous, even magnificent fruit to look at, like a Rubens bottom. (There is one in my dish now that is the spitting image of his Bacchus)."
And though for the photo shoot I couldn't find any particularly bottom-resembling quince, they are certainly curvy.

This recipe is inspired by Nigel Slater's recipe for roast quinces. He suggests cutting the quinces in half (from the photos you can see I did both halves and quarters). He uses the maple syrup, while I added the Gourmet Vanilla syrup with Vanilla pod and Gourmet Ginger Syrup from Selsley Foods (not together, but on different occasions, and both syrups work brilliantly).
We didn't have it as a dessert but as a side dish to roast chicken. I would imagine it will be beautiful with the roast ham or gammon for Christmas.

Roast quinces with Gourmet Vanilla syrup
Ingredients:
4 smaller size quinces
4tbsp + sugar
water (enough to cover the quinces)
2 cloves
1/2 lemon
4tbsp syrup (either vanilla or ginger)

Halve or quarter the peeled quinces, remove the seeds. Take half a lemon and rub it over the quince pieces to stop them from browning. Put the quinces in a medium pan, add the cloves, sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice and water, enough to cover the quinces.

Poach the quinces for about 10-15 minutes until quite soft. Nigel suggests cooking them for longer, but the first batch I was doing started to go a bit mushy, so I would't cook them longer in water.

Take the quinces out of the pan and put in a deep baking dish or tin. Add some of the liquid from the pan and pour the syrup. Roast in the oven preheated to 180C for about 25 minutes.
Serve as a side dish to roast meat or as a dessert.

I should also add that both Gourmet Vanilla syrup with vanilla pod and Gourmet Ginger syrup work exceptionally well with the roast quinces. What I love about Selsley foods syrups is their superior quality. The vanilla syrup actually has a vanilla pod inside, and the ginger syrup has a long piece of ginger. They are delicious, and until 15 November you have a chance to win a selection of beautiful syrups from Selsley Foods on my blog (see Selsley syrups giveaway).

You could also try this recipe with the maple syrup.

For the original Nigel Slater's recipe and other quince recipes, check the link Quince recipes.

I am entering this recipe in the Dish of the month linky created by Farmersgirl Kitchen blog and hosted this month by A little bit of heaven blog.

Gourmet Mulling Syrup from Selsley Foods

What do you associate the glass of mulled wine with? Family gatherings and the table groaning under the weight of food? Tales of the Victorian times? The historians claim that the first mention of the mulled wine appeared in the Roman times. There are many names and versions of this classic hot drink. There is a beautiful non alcoholic Gourmet Mulling Syrup from Selsley Foods which will transform your mulled wine or hot apple juice into a work of art.

It contains a special blend of spices, and as it is a sugar based product, it simply dissolves in the hot drink. Selsley Foods promise:"Simply add to your chosen drink in 8:1 ratio, heat and serve. For example, our 500ml bottle contains enough syrup to make a minimum of 6 bottles of wine..."

The syrup comes in a beautiful bottle (there are two sizes: 200ml and 500ml). There is a whole cinnamon stick inside. The deep golden colour looks very enticing. If you are looking for foodie gifts for Christmas, you might want to add this precious bottle to the list.

And while you might not yet be enthusiastic about the coming Christmas, this is such a versatile product that you can use it in many recipes and dishes. It will be lovely smothered over the barbecue sausages, or mixed in a marinade for the roast lamb.

I have tested it in a recipe for Advocaat banana cake with roast plums.

Advocaat banana cake with roast plums
Ingredients:
1 banana, mashed
3 medium eggs
200g caster sugar
125ml Advocaat
2tbsp vanilla essence
150g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
50g ground almonds
100g cornflour
170g butter, melted
1tbsp Gourmet Mulling Syrup

Plums, halved
Gourmet Mulling Syrup

In a big mixing bowl mash the banana, add the sugar and eggs and beat them together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour the cake mix in the oiled cake ring tin and bake at 180C for 45+ minutes (check with the wooden skewer if the cake is done). The cake is very moist and flavourful.

For the roast plums, just halve the big plums, put them in the deep ceramic dish, slightly buttered. If the plums are sour, sprinkle a bit of sugar. Pour the Mulling syrup over and place the dish in the oven preheated to 180C for half an hour. The aroma is totally mouthwatering. The flavours are incredibly good too. Serve a slice of cake with the roast plums and warm sticky syrup.

Follow Selsley Foods on Twitter for more information and ideas
You can also find them on Facebook, see Selsley Foods.

Disclosure: I received a bottle of Gourmet Mulling Syrup for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions and recipes are mine.

Selsley syrups giveaway (NOW CLOSED)

Yes, it's official, Christmas is coming. The supermarkets have been selling the mince pies and Christmas puddings since the beginning of October, if not earlier. And it is never too late to start thinking of the menu for the big day and also about the gifts and presents. If you are a foodie like me, you love discovering new food products. Dessert syrups from Selsley Foods is one such great discovery.
I have recently reviewed the Sour Cherry & Vanilla syrup (and keep an eye on more reviews in the near future).
Selsley Foods have kindly offered a prize for one of my blog readers.

One lucky blog reader will win a fabulous selection of syrups from Selsley Foods.
This wonderful prize includes:
Gourmet Vanilla Syrup with Vanilla Pod, Gourmet Ginger Syrup Raspberry & Recurrant Syrup, Sour Cherry & Vanilla Syrup and Blackcurrant & Cinnamon Syrup.
Just imagine how many spectacular desserts you can create with this collection!

If you would like to win this prize, please fill in the Rafflecopter form.
T&Cs:
Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is to answer the question by leaving a comment (there is no right or wrong answer)
(if you login as Anonymous, please leave your Twitter name or FB name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflcopter picks the winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within a week, the prize will be allocated to another person.

If you haven't used the Rafflecopter before, you might want to watch this simple video.
The giveaway will close on 15 November 2013 at midnight (the night from the 14th to the 15th)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Many thanks to all entrants! I enjoyed reading your comments with fantastic ideas and suggestions, what a creative bunch you are! But there could be only one winner, and the Rafflecopter has picked Pam Francis. Big well done, Pam! My email is on the way.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cherry Syrup from Selsley Foods

Mid-autumn, a season of crumbles and baked apples, warming dishes and drinks. Selsley Foods, a producer of dessert syrups among many other things, will give you a helping hand, if you are looking for an inspiration. This week I was tasting (and testing) their glorious Sour Cherry & Vanilla syrup, and it took me back to my childhood in Russia, to the leisurely summer days in the hammock in my grandmother's orchard, under the old cherry trees.

I love cherries, especially the sour variety, which is sadly not favoured by the British supermarkets. You will be lucky to find the sour cherries at the farmers' market. One bite into the sour juiciness, and I'm feeling like a child, with a book in my hammock. I remember climbing the cherry trees to pick a bowlful of cherries for lunch. The juice dripping down my chin and hands.
My grandma also used to make a cherry wine, but we weren't allowed to taste it as kids.
Cherries. Russia. Chekhov. The Cherry Orchard. That's how my mind works. A lot of tastes and smells bring back memories that were deeply buried but resurface with ease and nostalgia.
Isn't it peculiar and wonderful that a very British product might take you on a trip down the memory lane all the way to the south of Russia in a moment.
I was curious to read that Selsley Foods began its life as a herb and goat farm in the 1980s in the small Cotswolds village of Selsley. They were inspired to introduce a range of speciality foods, using the herbs grown on the farm. Later the spices came along.

Selsley are probably best known for their Gourmet Mulling syrup, but they also produce a whole range of dessert syrups including such tantalizing flavours as Gourmet Ginger with lemongrass, Blackcurrant & Cinnamon, Raspberry & Redcurrant and Gourmet Vanilla Syrup with Vanilla pod.

I love the retro look of the bottles. And the taste is very summery. It is like a concentrated essence of summer in a bottle. Uplifting and beautiful. Perfect drizzled over the ice cream or in wicked sundaes. On pancakes.

I made an apple and plum crumble with the sour cherry syrup. It was a great combination of flavours. The tart sour apples benefited from the sweetness of the syrup.

Apple and plum crumble with the cherry syrup
Ingredients:
3 medium apples
7-8 plums
3tbsp Sour cherry & Vanilla syrup
80g butter
100g sugar
150g flour
2tbsp oats

Butter the deep baking dish slightly. Chop the apples in biggish pieces and halve the plums (remove the stones). Lay the apples and plums inside the dish, sprinkle with half of the sugar. Depending on the sweetness/sourness of your apples, you might want less sugar or more. The apples from our garden are crispy and not over sweet. Pour the cherry syrup over the fruit and slowly bake them at 180C for about 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl make the crumble mix by rubbing the softened butter with the flour and oats until you have crumbs. Cover your fruit with the crumbs and put the baking dish back in the oven for another 15-20 miutes, until the crumbs are golden brown and the juice starts seeping through at the edges.
Serve with the custard, vanilla ice cream or cream, whichever rocks your boat.

The cherry syrup made this traditional crumble more exquisite and refined.

Apple and plum crumble with sour cherry syrup

And as my guys are crazy about cupcakes, I baked a batch of blueberry yogurt cupcakes with the sour cherry syrup and sour cherries.

Blueberry yogurt cupcakes with sour cherry syrup and sour cherries
Ingredients:
150ml blueberry yogurt (for example, Yeo Valley)
180g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
2tbsp cherry syrup
1tsp vanilla essence
70g ground almonds
150g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
140g sour cherries (Forest Feast)
pine nuts (for topping)

Beat the eggs with the caster sugar in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt and all the other ingredients and mix well. Pour the cake mixture into the cupcake cases placed in the muffin tray. Scatter the pine nuts on top (as many as you like).
Put the tray in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
They were so good, I am definitely going to bake them again.


If you are looking for unusual gifts for Christmas, I would definitely suggest looking at the selection of Selsley Foods syrups. They will make a perfect present for any foodie.

Disclosure: I received a bottle of Sour Cherry syrup for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions and recipes are mine.