Coffee and doughnuts, what could be better first thing on a morning. Well, what about coffee in a doughnut?
The latest in culinary fusion masterpieces. Hollow a doughnut out, coat the insides with Nutella and then fill with a small latte.
They were launched in Australia by the folks at Kenilworth Bakery Though no doubt thet will spread around the globe like wildfire.
Waffles are one of our most popular dessert offerings. We started with Belgian waffles, then added waffles on a stick. Perfect as a walk around whilst you eat kinda food. Currently we are starting a roadshow for a major financial company, with visits to some 20 universities around the UK offering waffles on a stick.
But it got me thinking, what do waffles around the world look like. So here is a quick look at some of the weird and wonderful options from around the world.
Probably the best known of the waffles. Introduced at the 1958 Expo in Brussels. They were introduced into America in 1962 by Belgian Walter Cleyman and served with strawberries and cream. Still a popular option today.
They were based on a simplified recipe for the Brussels waffle, legend has it that the name in the States was changed to the Bel-Gem due to the average American being unable to identify Brussels as being in Belgium.
A specialty of the German region of Bergische, these are heart shaped and served with cherries, cream and rice pudding as part of the traditional Sunday’s dinner in the region. Less dense and crispier than their Belgian counterparts.
Or ‘Green Vietnamese Waffles’, a popular street food in Vietnam. The Pandan flavouring and coconut milk in the batter give it the distinctive green appearance. Unlike most waffles elsewhere these are typically eaten plain.
Next up is Italy’s entry. Or to be more precise the Piedmont region. Containing no egg or milk they are lighter and crispier in texture than other variants.
This one is something different, by the Japanese (Who else). a Mochi rice cake cooked in a waffle iron. A crispy exterior with a glutinous mochi insides. Served both as a dessert with condiments, or as a savoury offering with ham, cheese or cod roe.
From one of our favourite countries (The Netherlands) comes the stroopwafel. Originally from the Dutch city of Gouda. Made from flour, butter, brown sugar, yeast, milk, and eggs. Balls of batter are placed on an iron, whilst it is still warm, it is cut in half, and the filling spread over the surfaces gluing them together.
A Japanese entry dating from 1909, this is shaped like a Sea bream fish, and commonly sold as a street food. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened adzuki beans. Though Custard, chocolate and cheese are also offered.
Hailing from Thailand, the name means literally ‘Bee Hive Snack’, and they are made with coconut milk, palm sugar, coconut, and sweet corn. Being sweet they can usually be eaten without additional toppings.
Another entry from that little European country of Belgium. See, they are famous for more than just sprouts. Liege waffles are made using a yeast dough and pearl sugar, giving them mush more of a chewy consistency than most of their competitors.
Made with coconut and rice water, this hails from Cambodia. Another popular Khmer street food.
Italy’s take on our favourite food. The Pizzelle, made from flour, eggs, sugar and butter and typically flavoured with anise, lemon or vanilla. These are flat, crispy, and commonly sprinkled with sugar.
A rather unique shaped snack, called “gai daan jai” in Cantonese these taste a little like a cross between a cookie and a sponge cake. Crispy on the outside and fluffy inside the little bubbles.
They are all waffly good, which one is your favourite?
We celebrate another culinary masterpiece with national mulled wine day. That perfect spiced winter warmer, red wine, heated and fortified with spices such as nutmeg, cloves along with fruit for a touch of sweetness.
Ancient Rome, like many modern things, is where the first records appear of spiced wine. As the Romans rampaged across Europe they spread many of their customs and culinary delights throughout the empire.
The first mention in a cookbook is found in the Forme of Cury. Dated as far back as 1390, this English medieval cookbook list red wine and sugar, combined with cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, cardamom and cloves. Pretty much the same recipe we are still using today.
Attributed to the Chief Master Cooks of King Richard II, the book contains an extensive collection of recipes from medieval times, the books states it is intended to teach cooking for both common dishes as well as banquet dishes.
Most European countries have a similar concoction. The Germans drink Gluhwein, roughly translated as Glow Wine. They also offer a more spectacular example called Fuerzangenbowle, which adds a rum soaked sugarloaf that is set ablaze and then dripped into the drink.
Our Nordic cousins have the quirkily names Glogg. Usually served with ginger biscuits during the colder winter months.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Bottle Red Wine
2 Cinnamon Sticks
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Dessert Spoon Allspice
1 Dessert Spoon Whole Cloves
4 Tablespoons Brandy
Orange & Lemon Rind
Instructions
Over a medium heat combine the wine, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, orange and lemon rind. Heat gently but don’t boil.
Stir in sugar and add brandy. Keep warm on low heat to infuse the flavours into the wine. Serve in mugs or hot glasses
Of course if you don’t fancy the hassle of making it yourself, you could always hire a mulled wine service from us.
It’s National Strawberry Day. Nothing screams British summertime like the clocks going forward, rain, Wimbledon and strawberries and cream.
Those little red fruits, bursting with juice. Perfect with sugar, cream and even chocolate. A strange fact is that despite the name, they are not actual berries. They are part of the Rose family.
Legend has it that if you split a strawberry in half, and share it with someone you are interested in, they will fall in love with you. The juice can also be used to sooth sunburn and whiten your teeth.
One of our most versatile fruits, being used in cakes, ice cream, milkshakes, jams, yoghurts, even alcoholic cocktails.
The garden strawberry, which is what we tend to eat. Was first bred in Brittany France in the 1750s. The fruit was a cross of two species, one from North America, and the other a variety introduced from Chile at the start of the 18th Century.
The fruit was however grown for hundreds of years before this. Ancient Roman literature mention the fruit, as do texts from numerous other European countries. And natives in Chile were cultivating the fruit long before producing the variety used in the garden strawberry.
The famous tennis championship at Wimbledon is known worldwide for its thrilling matches and classic games. It is also known for the 28 tonnes of strawberries covered in 7,000 litres of cream that is munched through every year.
There is no definite answer to why this is a tradition. Historians think that it was started by Thomas Wolsey, a powerful figure in King Henry VIII’s court. He held a banquet in 1509 where strawberries were served. This was unusual at the time, as dairy products were viewed as a food for the peasants. It just so happened that Wolsey’s palace, Hampton Court, had its own tennis court, where strawberries and cream was served to the spectators. So legend has it that the dish became associated with the game.
Of course the more boring explanation is that when the tournament began, strawberries happened to be in season, and were in fashion in Victorian England. So it was a natural treat to partake in.
A fact about Wimbledon is that all of the strawberries are grown in the South of England. Many regard Wimbledon as being almost tennis in an English country garden.
During the pandemic when the tournament was cancelled, part of the crop was turned into jam. I suppose a version of when life gives you lemons make lemonade.
Cream is still our most requested topping, but we can supply strawberries with chocolate (milk, white, dark or coloured), ice cream and custard. A great summertime treat for your guests or clients, especially around Wimbledon time.
So happy National Strawberry Day
People always say that fairground fish don’t have a long life span. That couldn’t be further from the truth, for a couple called Keith and Mary in Worcester and George the goldfish .
When Keith Allies now 75, won two fish for his then 18 year old girlfriend as a romantic gesture at the local fair naming them George and Fred. Neither knew that this fish they named George would then become Britain’s oldest fish dying just before it turned a ripe 45 (yes that’s right George the goldfish made it to a strong 44 years of age!)
The couple married 5 years later and kept the fish as pets in their family home. George surviving for over four decades outlived two family dogs.
George the goldfish passed away after a month of being ill and struggling to swim around his fish tank. He is set to be buried in the family’s back garden next to their other family fish Fred who had passed away a few years ago aged 42. Mary said that she had rang her daughter Emma in tears to tell her that their family fish had passed away as after all these years he had become part of the family and was adored by everyone.
Mary also added that they didn’t expect the fish to last a week. Never mind 40 years, and after out living the two family dogs they began to think that the fish may live on to outlive some family members.
George the goldfish is said to be the oldest in Great Britain and possibly the world. Which means when he passed away he has left a legacy behind. George and Fred have had numerous goldfish tanks in their life span. The largest being three feet wide in order to give them more room for swimming around. They was fed regularly and always made a fuss off by the family.
I reckon the key to a long healthy goldfish life is plenty of exercise swimming around the bowl. A healthy meal of fish food flakes and clean water
It turns out that its quite common for goldfish to have a similar lifespan. An article at Tankarium discusses this further.