Get the meat temperature right with Thermapen and a Giveaway

I have wanted a Thermapen thermometer to check if the meat is cooked for ages.  I am very pleased to say they sent me one to try and in good time for the Christmas turkey which is always tricky to check if it is cooked.

The Thermapen is the UK's number one selling food thermometer and used in most professional kitchens. It is really easy to use, can be held in either hand and has an easy to read display which puts itself to sleep if not used for a while but turns itself on again when picked up thus saving the battery life.

The range of measurement is from -49.9 to 299.9 oC.  You can set it to show Centigrade or Fahrenheit and comes with full instructions to set it up.

You don't need to wait as long as I did to get one a Thermapen. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions and one lucky person will win one.  Good luck.

I was sent a Thermapen for review and was not expected to write a positive review.  All photos and opinions are my own.

One winner will be selected at random and must reside in the UK.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Devon-Dorset - Axminster and a visit to River Cottage

Last year I had the pleasure to visit River Cottage in Axminster, Devon for an autumn blogger trip.  It was a great chance to put names to the faces of bloggers in our various social media groups.  It was such a success that thanks to River Cottage and Foodies100 we were invited again this month.

River Cottage is situated in a valley just outside Lyme Regis, Dorset and Axminster, Devon, a really beautiful part of the UK of majestic hills and undulating valleys.  I traveled to Axminster with two of my blogging buddies, Nayna and Manjiri the day before where we stayed in a lovely B&B (more about that later).

We were able to spend some time in the morning walking around Axminster visiting shops for blog props and having coffee and cakes in an off the beaten track cafe.

Once we arrived at River Cottage we were taken down the steep track by tractor and greeted with large smiles by the staff and a warming glass of apple cider brandy, the chill just disppeared!

River Cottage HQ is a really warm and friendly place, a place of obvious activity and yet calm and peaceful.  Everywhere you look there is a moment that catches your breath and makes you stop.  I find this sort of location makes me reflect, even if only for a second, on what I like and what I would like to see in my future.

 

River Cottage HQ is really quite complex place, a cooking school, private event hire, meeting place and more.

The main workshop was a talk given to us by one of the River Cottage Chefs on brining meats and poultry ready for Christmas.

This wasn't something I had considered doing even though I had heard about it.  I thought it would be messy.  All the prep was ready and we were enthralled to hear exactly how to make a turkey, chicken, piece of beef, shoulder of pork (which we would eventually have for our meal) or even a loin of venison be preserved in such a simple and historic way.

There is a difference in a hot 20% brining solution used to 'cure' the shoulder of pork similar to the one we would soon be eating and a 10% cold brine perfect for turkey or chicken.

After the workshop and before the celebration Christmas meal we gathered in the yurt to warm by the fire and play a little guessing game.

We had to put our hands into a hole in a cardboard box and after feeling the various items inside write down a list of what we thought was inside.  There were shrieks of laughter and I thought this image of Manjiri was too good to miss!

 

When the fun was done for the evening we assembled for a very impressive and special Christmassy meal. Each course elicited groans of excitement and oohh's and aahh's from those seated along the two long refectory style table, filled with around 70 food and lifestyle bloggers.

We truly had a feast with dishes such as a ravioli on a bed of celeriac puree, a slow cooked ragu of rabbit, the slow cooked pork shoulder that had previously been brined and served with a char-grilled wedge of cabbage and a vegetable mash. There was a delicious side dish of home cooked haricot beans cooked with onions, tomatoes and fennel.  The pudding was an homage to the simple apple, a cup of  honeycomb crème brûlée served with apple crisp, apple puree and a rye & treacle crumble on the top - apple heaven!

Coffee and little delicacies were served but just like Cinderella we had to run to catch our lift back to the B&B with a warm and satisfied feeling inside and a longing to return again next year!

To read Nayna's account of the event click here.

I was a guest of River Cottage and was not required to write a positive review. As usual all photos and opinions are my own.  Thanks to Foodies100 for making all the arrangements.

October Bites (and Sips) and Pieces

Over the weeks I get sent products to taste, read and review OXO have added a new 'wet' stock cube to its range - LAMB! Yes now you can add real lamb flavour to your hot pots, moussaka, shepherd pies and more!

If you want to know about the other flavours in the range, ready my last post by clicking here .

Have you ever made a cake in a loose bottom cake pan and the mixture leaked out around the bottom.  I have and then you have to pick the bits off around the cake pan.  Good news, the world's first leak-proof, loose based pan is here - 100% liquid tight with a patented silicone seal base from PushPan.  There are a variety of sizes along with non-stick range and aluminium range.

I was sent an 8cm round cake pan which is perfect for my fruit cake recipe that I have been making for years.

This fruit cake takes 340gm of dried fruit which can be made up of any mixture - a great way to use up the last few glace cherries, prunes, dates or what have you in the cupboard.

I always like to soak my dried fruit, sometimes in brandy for a more formal fruit cake or as in this case in strong tea.  In place of a little bit of milk to get the consistency right I use the brandy or tea that the fruit was soaked in, yummmm!

After the original Qcumber water there is now Qcumber tonic with ginger.  I was sent a Press Release which had a recipe for a Gin cocktail with rhubarb and Qcumber tonic with Ginger.  I just happened to have some Rhubarb Gin that I had started in the early summer when the allotment rhubarb was young and ready to be picked.

I wanted to try a cocktail using my gin and Qcumber tonic with ginger. My cocktail recipe:-

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.  Pour over the ice 25ml of homemade rhubarb gin

then 25ml vodka. Fill the glass with Qcumber, stir and pop a few pieces of the rhubarb on top.  Ad a straw and sip a really refreshing drink!. Qcumber is also perfect on its own as it is as a mixer with gin and vodka.

If you love clean, refreshing drinks you might be interested in Aspire's new range of refreshing drinks each containing green tea which is full of anti-oxidants however the whole range is free from sugar and full of multivitamins as well and comes in a range of flavours: Cranberry, Apple & Acai and Mango Lemonade.

Green tea extracts have been shown to help reduce body fat by stimulating the metabolism and giving you extra energy (when combined with a low calorie diet plan). There are key essential vitamins inside each can but most importantly there are no calories, no sugars and no carbs!

I love the refreshing taste of green tea with ice and when it is combined with flavours like mango what could there be to not like!!

These are just a few of the things I have been sent for review lately.  There are more coming next month as well as my Christmas Wish List!!

I was not paid to review any of the above items. All opinions and photographs are my own.

The King of Cheese - Parmigiano Reggiano - Fun Cooking Event

Cheese is one of my 'can't live without' foods and the king of these is Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano),   I was recently invited to discover some new recipes using Parmigiano Reggiano 24 months aged Parmesan which was being held at Food at 52 a cooking school I have attended many times and I really look forward to going to.  If you are interested in finding a great cooking school in London check them out - you won't look back!

Anyway, back to the cheese!  A few Parmesan facts for you ......

1. The minimum age of the cheese is 12 months but the average is aged for 24 months.
2. It takes 14 litres of milk to make 1 kilo of the cheese.
3. 40 kilos is the weight of a wheel of Parmesan.
4. It takes 550 litres of milk to make a whole wheel of Parmesan.

All of the food we ate had Parmesan cheese as an ingredient.  To start as we assembled ourselves we were offered a glass of Prosecco and some tantalizing nibbles. These were made for our arrival to be enjoyed with a glass of Prosecco while we waited for everyone to arrive.  Parmigiano Reggiano & Wild Mushroom Risotto Balls, Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Straws Wrapped in Parma Ham and Parmigiano Reggiano and Rosemary Shortbread - all delicious!

Then we had to work for our supper! We made Walnut and Parmigiano Reggiano Pesto - by making it in the mortar and pestle you can control the texture as well as the seasoning more easily.

The pesto was made to go with the home made Parmigiano Reggiano and Sage Gnocchi we made as well. It was really easy to make fresh gnocchi and very quick to cook.

They tasted lovely and fresh and we simple put the pesto we had made drizzled over the top and topped with some freshly shaved Parmesan and some rocket leaves.

For our pudding we made an Apple and Almond Cake with Parmigiano Reggiano, Pine Nut Streusel and served with Vanilla Cream. Fortunately there was loads left over so we could take some home for morning coffee the following day!

The King of Cheese is really versatile working well in savoury dishes as well as sweet ones. We had a really good time discovering new recipes to use Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in.  All of the recipes were developed by Bridget Colvin, Home Economist and Chef.

I was not required to write a positive account of our time. As usual all photos and opinions are my own.

My Top 7 Travel Tips

This is a list of my favourite travel tips - little things that help make the journey or time away from home a little more bearable!

1. Clear Glasses Cases

http://heidirobertskitchentalk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/travel-tip-clear-glasses-cases.html

2. Condiments

http://heidirobertskitchentalk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/travel-tip-2-take-your-condiments.html

3. Cosmetics

http://heidirobertskitchentalk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/travel-tip-3-travel-light-cosmetics.html

4. Be Prepared

http://heidirobertskitchentalk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/travel-tip-4-be-prepared-bubble-wrap.html

5. Coconut Oil - A travellers best friend

http://heidirobertskitchentalk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/travel-tip-5-coconut-oil.html

6. Pack-A-Snack

http://heidirobertskitchentalk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/travel-tip-6-pack-snack.html  

7. Travel Essentials - travelling in comfort

http://heidirobertskitchentalk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/travel-tip-7-travel-essentials-to.html  

A few travel tips from friends, fellow bloggers and family here for you too ......

Neil says " wear cargo shorts or cargo trousers - plenty of pockets to put your things in ready to hand" and "chill out - delays etc are out of your control so don't waste time worrying"!

Mr R never travels without his 'Puzzler' magazine.  He loves the range of puzzles and finds it great to do when you are not allowed electronic devices or smart phones or when there is little to no wifi or internet connections.

Choclette Ammar Travel as light as you can for easy manoeuvrability - take layered tops that are interchangeable and go with everything and suitable for every occasion.

Kavey always splits the money between her and her husband so if one gets theirs lost of stolen you still have some to tide you over.

Caroline makes a 'Busy Bag' for the children - a new bag with colouring books, crayons, reading book, small packets of sweets or snacks and a little toy along with a fruit drink to keep them busy on the journey. They really look forward to it at the start of a holiday.

Nayna says "I always take my fave shawl on the airplane to keep warm".

Becca Pusey Take some spare underwear in your hand luggage, just in case your suitcase gets lost!

Penelope Reader - If you have food allergies or healthcare needs, do a quick google translate of key words phrases and save them on your phone in advance. Saves stress & panic if you need them in an emergency

Do you have any favourite travel tips? Please feel free to leave yours in a comment below.

It is National Seafood Week with Birds Eye

I sometimes buy frozen fish, especially if I am making a fish pie but very rarely would I buy a fish in a ready made sauce.

We all know we should eat more fish, at least two portions per week and that fish is rich in omega-3 a compound that helps to boost our brain power and is really good for our hearts.

Well, Birds Eye asked me to try their new Haddock in a white wine, mustard & spring onion sauce and to show how you can make a quick, simple but delicious mid-week meal and would I use their recipe as well.

The recipe takes only as long to make as it takes for the pasta to cook.

Ingredients:
2 Haddock Fillets White Wine, Mustard & Spring Onion Sauce
180 gm brown cap mushrooms
180 gm dried tagliatelle
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 190oC, gas mark 5
2. Cook the Bake to Perfection Haddock for 30 minutes
3. Wash and slice the mushrooms and fry in the oil until soft (I also added some finely chopped onion at this point)
4. Cook the tagliatelle as per pack instructions and drain
5. Stir the mushrooms and the sauce from the haddock into the tagliatelle and stir through the flaked haddock.

This recipe serves two and with a side salad or portion of vegetables it makes a quick and tasty supper without any fuss.  I grated fresh parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) on top.  It was tasty and we will certainly be having this again.

If you want more recipes from Birds Eye click HERE.

Birds Eye have a whole range of frozen foods, new ones and of course our favourites like fish fingers and frozen peas!  Personally I feel like a fish finger sandwich for lunch!

I was not required to write a positive post although I was asked to try Birds Eye's own recipe.  As usual all opinions and photos are my own.

Halloween Caribbean Voodoo Cake

I love walking through my local TKMaxx  and it is always worth stopping at my nearest Homesense (which is in Watford) when I am passing through. Both of these stores have an ever changing, limited edition range. If you see it, you like it then buy it. It may not be there tomorrow!

I am always on the look out for things that will enhance my blog photos which could be tea towels, little dishes, cookie cutters etc or the Holy Grail of bakeware - NordicWare!  Some of my recent purchases -

Every now and then they will have a NordicWare bundt tin or other interesting baking tin. I was so excited recently to find the standing skull baking pan - this would be perfect for Halloween a few weeks away! 

I made my every day sponge cake mixture but added some Caribbean influence i.e. freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger along with a few tablespoons of dark island rum!

Here is my recipe for a Halloween Caribbean Voodoo Cake

Ingredients: 
Cake:-
185 gm unsalted butter, room temperature
185 gm sugar
185 gm Self Raising flour
3 medium size eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 1/2 Tbsp dark rum
25 gm little crystalised ginger pieces

Icing:-
500 gm icing sugar
250 gm unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp dark rum
2 Tbsp nutmeg jam (or apricot jam)

Method:-
* Mix the flour and spices together in a bowl and set aside
* Cream butter and sugar until very light and creamy ( do this for between 2 1/2 - 5 minutes)
* Add the eggs one at a time, if they start to curdle add a little flour after each one.
* Add the flour and mix well then add the maple syrup, dark rum and ginger pieces.
* Pour into the well prepared (greased and floured) skull baking pan.
* Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean
* Cool for about 5 minutes on a wire rack then remove from baking pan and continue to cool completely

* Cream the butter and icing sugar together until smooth and creamy.
* Slowly add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
* Put a small amount of icing on a plate to act as a glue
* Spread a thick layer of icing on the back of the head then press the two pieces together and stand on the icing on the plate.
* Completely cover the entire skull head with the icing paying attention to the join and smooth all around it.
* Put the skull in the fridge for a couple of hours to set the icing before decorating.

* With the back of a spoon clear the indents for the eyes and nose and teeth.
* Decorate with edible colours or chocolate writing icing.

I wanted the finished cake to look a bit scary and a bit voodoo but I think it was a bit more like a clown!  At least it tasted fantastic, try it yourself and let me know with a comment below!

At least it tasted fantastic, try it yourself and let me know in a comment below how you get on.

If you are near a TKMaxx or Homesense pop in whenever you can - you never know what you will find!

This is a sponsored post but all opinions, photographs and decorating skills are my own!