All Entries
From Brussels - A Food Parcel
The excitement in opening a mystery parcel is more exciting than Christmas. Andreea has been heavenly generous. In addition to the 'Happy Gommys' there is a huge block of cooking chocolate, a bar of NewTree Chocolat Noir with Guarana extract and another with Pink Pepper. Andreaa lives in Brussels (and blogs at On Food and Wine) so chocolate features heavily.
A pack of Waffles (that I plan to have for Sunday Brunch tomorrow) and a tub of Sirop-de-Leige. A mix of pears, apples and dates. I am wondering if I could use this as a cheesecake topping, using the pack of biscuits (also included) as the base?
But there is more! Three bottles of beer are nestling at the bottom of the box - Mort Subite Lambic, Trappistes Rochfort and Lindemans Apple. Just wonderful!
Andreea has obviously pinned down my predilection for alcohol and desserts! A great many thanks Andreea, a superb parcel.
EBBP 7 - My Parcel Has Been Received
I neglected to take any pictures of my parcel. Instead enjoy this pic of Torta Caprese - basically a puff pastry tart topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Underneath all that, and you can just see it pocking out the side, is an onion marmalade. The recipe was taken from the April 2007 issue of Delicious.
Euro Blogging By Post #7
The intention to have a Euro parcel exchange in the run up to Easter floundered for many reasons, one of which was that I totally forgot all about it!
Johanna, The Passionate Cook, has taken the reins and launched a Spring exchange. She has selected Childhood Sweets as a theme - not exclusive by any means but a nice addition to the usual mix. There are just a couple of days remaining to send Johanna your details.
I have decided to have a theme for this round: Childhood Sweets. Include at least one piece of what you were hooked on when you were growing up: gobstopper, cola bottles, hubbabubba, dippas, kinderschokolade... The rest is up to you: something artisanal, something regional or local, something home-made... the only thing to bear in mind is that it needs to travel well.
Full instructions are given on her Euro Blogging By Post page.
Just Arrived: EBBP Parcel from Hungary
So, despite discovering the gap in the Hungarian porcelain figurine market, (which if truth be told I am very pleased about really, as knick-knacks and me don’t go), I think I am a very lucky boy this week! A marvellous collection of Hungarian goodies arrived today – a bit worried though that Tüzes Patkó (fiery horseshoe) is actually made of horse (better than sparrow mind) and that the Puszta ize (paprika sauce, from Gizella’s home town of Kiskunfélegyháza) will be too hot for my delicate English palate. (delicate? Yeh, right - I should relate the story of the four mouse-shit peppers in Kanchanaburi, Thailand!)
Then there are the chocolates, and the homemade plum jam (szilva) and TWO bottles of Tokaji (one sweet, the other dry). Plus there are three huge marzipan sweets/cakes(?) made by, Szamos, one of the top confectioners in Hungary. Each is flavoured with hazelnut, orange and pistachio. Delicious. Yes indeed, I do think I have done very well indeed from this round of Euro Blogging By Post.
Sok köszönet Gizella (aubergine.freeblog.hu).
PS Thanks Johanna for hosting.
UPDATE: I actually misread Gizella's letter. The picture below is of 'barack' - cookies made by her own fair hands. Wondered why I couldn't taste marzipan! The marzipan sweets are in the little red box above - labelled, as you would expect, with the name of the producer Szamos. I have just guzzeled the last one.
Rainy Day Biscuits
Also made some mini ones using a wine bottle’s screw-cap as the cutter; which makes more sense when the ‘rolling-pin’ is the wine bottle the cap once topped. A handful of these and several of their bigger brothers are on their way to …. Oh, wait! That would ruin the surprise. Trusting the postal service for a prompt delivery; so they retain some semblance of edibility at the end of their trans-Europe journey.
Euro Blogging By Post #6
Over at Johanna's place (better know as The Passionate Cook) you shall find all the details on Euro Blogging By Post. Now in it's 6th round, EBBP is a parcel exchange open to all active bloggers across Europe. No theme this time but I like to try and stick with local or at least artisan products that are unlikely to be found easily, if at all, outside of the UK. (I made some Sloe Cheese this week from a recipe sent by the The Old Foodie, but used far too many of the fruit in the sloe gin to make more than a small jar's worth... shame, as I could have included a jar.
My parcel last time (sent by Chiara) was superb - I'm now, sadly, reaching the end of the scrumptious fig and almond compote - so the thought of another surprise package is most exciting. I am just hoping that the change in the UK's postage rates (now the size of the package is included in the calculations and not just the weight) will ease the postal charges (over £25 last time!). This is the main reason why those outside of Europe are excluded from the fun.
The deadline for participating in this round is the 29th of September.
From Italy Sun-dried Tomatoes and Salted Capers
The sun-dried tomatoes are home made, the capers come from Pantelleria... there is a tin of anchovy's and a jar of Sardinian honey... then green tea with lemon and ginger... fig and almond compote, also homemade and most interesting, Fregula pasta from Sardinia. I am to try the Fregula with Clams, a traditional recipe Chiara informs me, and helpfully gives the recipe. Many thanks Chiara. Most generous.
Continue reading "From Italy Sun-dried Tomatoes and Salted Capers" »
Last Call for EBBP parcel exchange.
Euro Blogging By Post #5
Jeanne, everyone's favourite Cooksister, is hosting this round with a Summer theme. The joy of receiving a food parcel from an unknown fellow-foodie is hard to describe but its almost as fun as selecting the gifts to send in your parcel. Get the parcels posted out on Monday 31 July - which gives us a couple of weeks to prepare and the weekend of 29/30 July to make and wrap your parcel.
EBBP - Package From France.
I am leaving sticky patches of butter on the keyboard as I type. Riana's Pain d'Epices is delicious toasted and smothered with some decent creamy-stuff. There is sweetness from honey, an exotic touch from cloves and anise mingling with cinnamon, ginger and allspice. Riana recommends this with cream cheese or jam. I settled on butter alone. I am going to have to make more, which I think was Riana's intent as in my EBBP package are the required spices and the recipe. Once baked the bread has to sit for three days before eating, not convinced I have such restraint.
Elsewhere in the parcel were half a dozen lemons, one stolen from her Grandmother's closely guarded tree, the others from a local market complete with basket. Delving deeper a pack of Tomates mi-séchées (semi-dried tomatoes) appears. These I adore. Using the remains of the Pugliese bread from Tuesday they are about to be placed on some bruschetta-type creation for tonight's meal. A pot of Herbes de Provence, a hand written card and a slab of Chocolat Noir Pâtissier completes the surprise. Superb! Many thanks Riana, a delight.
Riana blogs under Garlic Breath.
Euro Blogging By Post #4 - The Round Up
- Spittoon Extra (England) received from France.
- Wanderlustsha (Greece) received from England
- Pampoosh (Netherlands) received from Greece.
- Green Olive Tree (Spain) received from the Netherlands.
- Anne's Food (Sweden) received from Spain.
- Pertelote (England) sent from Sweden. (no perma link on pertelote so you might have to hunt for the post)
- Lucullian Delights (Italy) received from England.
- A Cat in the Kitchen (Sweden) recieved from Italy.
- Passionate Cook (England) received from Sweden.
- Odelices (France) received from England.
- The Golden Shrimp (Scotland) received from France.
- Baking For Britain (England) received from Scotland.
- FoodBeam (France) received from England.
- Chili and Vanilla (Belgium) received from France.
- Thorngrove Table (England) received from Belgium.
- Tschoerda (Austria) parcel received from England.
- David Lebovitz (France) received from Austria after the mice.
- Cliva's Cuisine (Sweden) parcel received from France.
- Chili und Ciabatta (Germany) parcel received from Sweden.
- *******
- La Cuoca Petulante (Italy) received from Belgium.
- Xochitl Cooks (UK) received from Italy.
- *******
- Cooksister (England) parcel received from France.
- Garlic Breath (France) parcel received from England.
For EBBP - Irish Hazelnut and Honey Biscuits
Full recipe on slashfood.
Announcing Euro Blogging By Post 4.
No theme this time around. Just email me before the weekend of the 18/19th March with your details and I will assign a secret partner over the weekend for you to post off a parcel on Monday 20th.
The only rule is that you must reside in Europe to participate and to combat parcel-envy please don't be too generous with the contents of your parcel; four or five items is sufficient especially for those who have to walk to the post office to collect. You might also like to think twice before including anything fresh (cheese, baked goods etc) as some postal services are less efficient at quick delivery than others, even when paying a premium for quicker delivery. Please try and post on the Monday so the package is delivered that week rather than sitting in a room over the following weekend.
Tea and Cookies - My EBBP3 Parcel.
Many thanks to Johanna for organising this round and to Cindy for supplying me with some January comfort.
Annes Sea-Salt Caramels.
A superb surprise, Anne has dispatched a handful of delightfully packaged sea-salt caramels. My own Euro Blogging By Post parcel seems to have been swallowed into the depths of wherever such parcels fall so this will act as its replacement. Soft and chewy, strong toffee and caramel flavours with a salty underpinning. Unusual, but very tasty.
Euro Blogging Parcels.
UPDATE: Looks like I was incorrect. Lucullian Delights was not the first recipient by any means. That accolade went to Clivia's Cuisine in Stockholm. Johanna has all the details.
Cranberry Muffins.
Reminder: Euro Blogging By Post 3.
Announcing Euro-Blogging By Post 3.
Johanna suggests that you send a recipe for comfort food and the ingredients needed for it, if not readily available, and perhaps something heart-warming you like to eat or drink in front of the fireplace. More details on Passionate Cook but you need to confirm your participation by the 24th December.
EBBP Mentioned on eCuaderno.
Flickr Photo Group for EBBP.
Risotto with Grelos.
It doesn't look very appetising does it? This is the drained can of Grelos that Fini sent me from Spain as part of EBBP2. Apparently it is a Galician speciality. I can see why it was sheltering in the back of her cupboard! I think its spinach or rocket or something. It had a 'green' flavour and most ended up in a chicken risotto - with carrots and beans - where its subtle flavour kinda disappeared. Which was lucky ;-) I jest. They added a nice leafy undercurrant to the flavour. The risotto incidentally was delicious with Margrain Pinot Gris from New Zealand.
EBBP2 - The Round-Up.
The list below is of the participants. The name will be filled in as and when they blog about the package they have received. If they receive an ingredient - the theme of this round - they have to make something with it, which will be the second link (if it differs from the first). Each person sent a parcel to the person listed below them; the last on the list sending to the first.
I've Got Mine - You got Yours Yet?
As part of EBBP I now have to make something with the Grelos - if I could work out what Grelos is (looks like rocket?). Even babel fish doesn't help...
Raspberry Muffins.
Recipe and another photo on SlashFood.
Photo taken with my camera phone - the last one hopefully as my new digital SLR arrived yesterday (Canon 350D). Only thing is it doesn't come with a memory card so I can't actually use it. Great.
Addresses Away!
EBBP2 - last few days to enter.
There are still a few days untill I send out the address of each recipiant so please do drop me an email if you would like to take part.
The contents for EBBP's parcels are very open, with no real theme as such. We like to see something 'local' and of course something made by you (baked, boiled, grown, dried, plucked, bottled or shaped). A reasonable amount of seasonality should play a part in your selection too.
One item I would like you to include this time is 'an ingredient'. In the back of many cupboards I expect there are jars or tubs of 'something' either brought on a whim or selected for a specific recipe that never saw the light of day. As long as it isnt yonks out of date how about setting your lucky recipiant the challenge of taking said ingredient and making something with it!
If your cupboards are as bare as Mother Hubbard's just go buy something 'different'. When you receive your parcel you have to go and make something from this ingredient! And of course blog it. We wanna see pictures!
EBBP2 - The Ingredient Edition.
This months 'theme' in the loosest sense of the word is going to be 'cupboard raid' - delve into the back of the cupboard for an unused ingredient (opened or neglected!) and the recipient is to make a dish using it. You should of course include more immediately edible items and here we are looking for 'something fruity something autumnal'.
Last time all the participants were very generous; if you wish to garner some inspiration of what to send read the write-up over on spittoon.
If you wish to take part there are a few criteria -
- You must have a weblog in which to write-up what you send and what you receive (and the dish you make form the 'ingredient')
- You must be resident in Europe (or be an honorary resident bestowed on by me)
- You must commit to making/packaging and posting a parcel to someone else by the end of the month
Wanna join in? Shoot me an email.
Euro Blogging By Post 2 - The Date
(Why do I still keep writing 'Mail' instead of 'Post'?)
I have a list of 15 Euro-Bloggers who have stated a wish to take part These are in addtion to the 14 from the first round. We are to be joined by new bloggers from France, Algeria, Belgium, Ireland and Austria I think, plus Spain. I haven't noted anyone from Portugal or Germany. The Italians I contacted and those from Greece haven't responded. So if you know of any bloggers from these countries please get them to drop me an email. Oh and there is Finland, most of Eastern Europe, Switzerland...
The plan is that I will send out a 'please confirm' email the week before. This email will also include a couple of themes to incorporate into your parcel giving a little time to mull and prepare. You will need to send me your address which I will send on to another participant who gets to send you something! We cook, we package, we wait, we receive and we eat. Oh and we blog about it too!
It all seemed to go rather swimmingly back in July so with an increased number of people joining in it should be fantastic this time around!
I do hope you can join in the fun.