Uncategorized | with knife and fork

Pyracantha berries

Wonderful bright autumn berries in the garden

Nice Croissant

I sometimes forget to share the great food things that are on my doorstep/in my manor.

This is one.

When I first lived in Wanstead I thought it was nice as in the adjective, rather than Nice as in the place in France

Either way their croissants are flippin nice.

The one above is a cheese and ham…done properly with bechamel mmmm.

Find them here:

Nice Croissant, 119A High Street, Wanstead, E11 2RL

Don’t be put off by its lack of shiny newness its the real deal.

Tomato harvest

I’ve finally harvested the tomatoes as the plants were looking rather sad.

Collected a real mix of green and red.

So what to do with them…not sure there is enough for chutney.

Suggestions welcome.

Two colours of sedum

I love the tiny flower detail on sedum heads.

Almost like lace in some ways.

I also love the different hues they come in from near white.

To deep pink.

They’ll be finished soon for this year though

Chocolate Week: Day 7 and beyond

So on day 7 of chocolate week (having rather bungled days 4,5 and 6) I tootled off to Vinopolis to take a look around the Chocolate Unwrapped show.

Despite arriving fairly early (only half an hour after opening) it was getting quite busy with chocolate fans and some stands were already rather mobbed.

I stuck to going to see regular favourites plus a few names I’d not heard of before. I was mostly checking out the different packaging as ongoing inspiration for a couple of client projects (totally unrelated to chocolate) and I was also interested in single bean/origin bars and some of the flavoured bars rather than filled chocolates.

But I did spot these at the Paul A Young stand and as they were pushing the bounds of chocolate flavours bought some for me and my husband to taste. I made him taste blind and guess the flavours…..he easily got the Worcestershire sauce flavour but struggled with the identifying malt loaf one.

And did we like them?

Well the Worcestershire sauce scored highly with both of us the sharpness of the condiment cutting through the dark chocolate in a good way….the malt loaf I liked for its gentle fruity subtlety but the verdict was less favourable from the other side of the table *okay but not stunning*

I think it depends whether you are looking for something quite full on or something more mellow…both delivered a clever twist of flavours that were surprising but effective.

Note: malt loaf on left (round) Worcestershire sauce on right (with orange dot)

Chocolate Week: Days 4, 5 and 6

It was going so well…each day a different chocolate with my coffee, plenty of choices in the stash then

BAM (imaginary comic book graphics round this word if you will)

its all went a bit wrong….

I woke up on day 6 and realised I FORGOTTEN to have any chocolate on days 4 and 5, totally forgotten.

I had none, zilch, nada.

So I set to rectifying the situation by trying out this

The orange gives it a marmalade-y sweet yet sharp edge while the fig adds earthiness and richness.

Was good and felt rather festive.

You’ll be please to know that back on track on day seven I do much better indeed…..

Chocolate Week: Day 3

Day 3 an chocolate supplies were running perilously low…so I placed and Ocado order

Not just for chocolate you understand there were lots of other store cupboard staples I needed too….imagine though a whole van full of chocolate turning up would be pretty fab

Anyway today I went for Green & Blacks Cherry chocolate

I just love those sour cherries in it nice and tart and tangy.