COOKING THE BOOKS - PART ONE

Okay so this does not relate to Stockbrokers,Bankers or Bernie Maddof, this is a food blog for Christ sake not a hedge fund conspiracy. We are talking greed in a way, but forces that are darker and far worse are at play- Obsession, lust, betrayal and porn! What the hell am i talking about the latest blockbuster thriller or the darkest of Evil,or is it just one mans obsession with cookbooks!
It's a bad pre-occupation you know-just got have it the latest release,sometimes even before they are published- thank god for the net! Haven't tried therapy yet, and the other half is worried, no not about me, but space for Christ sake, where are we gonna store them!
OK an average month will see at least a couple of new editions but the last 2 1/2 months have seen a mini bookstore sprout up like a bean stalk, new shelves have been built and they are now full. During October my pre-orders arrived The Big Fat Duck Cookbook,Alinea and Under Pressure by Thomas Keller, along with November/December releases- A Day At el Bulli, Rick steins latest creation Coast to Coast and Indian made easy by Anjum Anand. You see i have no loyalty, this is the betrayal part I buy what i like, ok there is some writers i don't buy, maybe they are too girly and i'm too alpha, but truth be known i like restaurant cookbooks, expensive one's that are hard to purchase, that is the porn part in case you were worrying!
Just last week on a pre Christmas visit to my sister and family i managed to buy no less than 6 books, 5 of them on cooking, the 6th on photography(this will be used to hopefully take better food pictures).
But why, most of these books i will not use, for reasons other than skill levels, i do not possess the time or the equipment. Take under pressure(Keller) all the recipes use a sous vide water bath and require a vacuum packer. I do not have this equipment, and i knew what the book was about,before i bought it. Hestons latest book, his life in print, will it go to the kitchen -fuck no, it will stay on the shelf, and only come out for reference or too marvel at the culinary genius of this man.
I can't honestly remember the last time i cooked from a recipe, but i do use the books for inspiration, so we now come to the lust part. Yes there are books i lust after a couple more el Bulli books would be welcome, oud sluis from the restaurant, i want along with many others, but this will take time and money, luckily we still have the obsession part. Books old and new grace my shelves to be plucked from obscurity to find that somewhat lacking inspiration that creeps in from time to time. This coming year i have decided to collect old cookbooks, not antique but as old as i can afford, i will stalk the charity and thrift shops looking for the unwanted, and build shelves all over the house, ok the last part about the shelves is fiction, but i'm sure my collection will grow. I have read somewhere that Gordon Ramsay has over 3,500 cook books that's a serious amount of paper and serious cash. I'm not going for that amount but.......................

MOOR & MORE BEER SHOP

At long last a shop for the serious consumers of that wonderful drink from the gods, you know the one i mean - no not champagne or wine, you still guessing, well it's the one and only BEER.

As luck would have it, right on my doorstep as well, a shop devoted to the beers of the world 300 different kinds, plus local brews that are unique to the west country, they even carry stock for people with dietary conditions. Now i will warn you, if you want quality you have to pay, this shop will not appeal to the weekend abusers of this great treat, who universally give Beer a bad name through lack of tolerance and the need to consume far more than they could possibly handle. This is a shop to frequent when you want something quality, maybe for an evening with friends or too reminisce about distant shores you have travelled or even a great beer after a hard day at work. A good selection of beers are carried from the continent with the better known names taking pride of place between the smaller brewers. Approximately 38 different country's are represented and a selection of ciders and Perries. Gift sets can be purchased for that special person in your life, with a selection of your choice! There is a beer for all pockets and all occasions at this delightful little shop.

• www.moorandmorebeer.co.uk

Moor&More Beer

11 Frankfort gate

Plymouth city centre

01752 2222oo

Check out the website from the shop for more information and useful links to all things Beer!

BEER LAO - THE NATIONAL BREW

When a country does not produce much apart from rice,opium and graceful women, it yearns for some sort of identity. Having Earned the accolade of the most heavily bombed place on the face of the earth courtesy of uncle Sam, the country and population have always needed something more stable , a product that identifies the plight of the people and reaches further than the eye will ever see, straight to the heart of the nation . A product that can play with the big boys of the brewing world and rightly so. Without a doubt the boys at beer Lao who first initiated the idea of a national drink probably did not envision the success that this brew would achieve or the pride of place that the nation would hold there national brew. Established in 1971 with production starting in1973.Brasseries et glaci e res du Laos(BGL) was formed as a joint venture between a French investor and locals, following political change in 1975 the Laos government bought back all foreign shares and established a state enterprise which has grown considerably over the ensuing years. Joint ventures were undertaken at later stages of the companies growth, but 1993 saw two investors pull the plug, and a return to Laos government ownership in 2002, immediately Carlsberg Asia and a Thai company TCC a business partner of Carlsberg Asia bought 25% each leaving the Laos government with the remaining 50%.
Beer Laos is made with local jasmine rice that has been polished, with malt being imported from France
and Belgium which are used along side quality German hops and yeast. Luckily Beer Laos take quality control seriously and it shows in the final product, with regular tests from the HACCP(Hazard critical control point), and CILAS(Carlsberg inter laboratory analsysis). Thank god for those tests the finished product is far superior to the competition over the border, with a sensible strength beer coming home at 5%. The drink itself is clean tasting and does not feel syrupy and thick on the palate, a great beer.
Beer Lao original can be bought in 330ml bottles/cans and super size 640ml bottles which are unique to south east Asia these cost $1/70p for a small bottle and $1-40/92p for a large 640ml size, these prices are pretty standard for bars as well. Beer Lao also market a lite version at 2.9% alcohol, plus a Beer Lao dark at 6.5% both these come in a standard 330ml bottle. Draught beer called Bia Sot(fresh beer) can also be purchased in bars, plus there own brand of drinking water tiger head. If in Lao you could always try the local rice wines ,but believe me Beer Lao is easier on the head. If your not in South East Asia beer Lao can be purchased globally -You have no excuse to not try this excellent smooth brew. Beer Lao is available in Plymouth, England from Moor&More Beer down at Frankfort gate- no 11. http://www.moorandmorebeer.co.uk/, retailing around £1.70 a bottle(330ml).

Beer Lao websites;

• http://www.beer-lao.com/
• http://www.beerlao.co.uk/
• http://www.beerlao-usa.com/
• http://www.beerlao.nl/
• http://www.beerlao.co.th/
• http://www.beerlao.com.hk/
• http://www.beerlao.ch/

ENJOY ALCOHOL SENSIBLY - TRY NOT TO SPILL ANY!

PICKLED ONIONS

Yuletide is upon us, approaching faster than a Hurricane. Too many, the festive period is a time for eating,drinking and much merriment, and what better way to enjoy those cold cuts and abundant cheeses than with homemade pickled onions!Pickling is a way of preserving foods that is used worldwide, and varies between different cultures and country's, and certainly in the use of ingredients that are pickled. Pickled onions are a good old British favourite that put an appearance in around the festive season, but are also sold as snacks in pubs, over the counter in Fish and chip shops or in jars ready made in supermarkets. There are many recipes, for pickling here is ours!

The peel;

First the tedious task of peeling the onions. It is important to try not too bruise the onions whilst peeling, a simple top and tail with a sharp knife should be sufficient to enable peeling.

The brine;

Allow 500g of salt to 1.5lts of water. Dissolve the salt in the required amount of cold water. Quantity's will depend on the amount of onions/shallots you wish to pickle. This is an easy ratio to half or double as required. Place the peeled onions into the brine solution, with enough solution to cover and leave to soak for at minimum of 24 hours up to a maximum of 72 hours.The spice mix;

8 cloves

8 allspice

8 coriander seeds

16 peppercorns

3 bay leaf

5 dried chilli's

2 cinnamon sticks

3 tablespoons of sugar

The vinegar;

NOTE; This recipe calls for unspiced vinegar, if buying ready spiced, omit the spice mix and follow the rest of the recipe.

You will need to measure the amount of water you used for the brine as this will be the amount of vinegar required to pickle the onions. You have a choice of vinegars to use, the vinegar of choice is normally malt, but clear vinegar, white wine vinegar or a 50/50 mix of white wine vinegar and malt is used depending on the recipe. Here we have used a mix of white wine and malt vinegar.

To make;

You will need adequate jars for storing the pickles, kilner jars are probably the best but not necessary, as old coffee jars and sweet jars make an excellent alternative, any jar of sufficient size can be employed for the task as long as it has a lid. Place a small sheet of cling film/wrap between the onions and the lid, before bottling as vinegar is corrosive to certain materials.

First the jars will have to be sterilised this can be done by placing them through a full cycle in a dishwasher or alternatively place the jars into boiling water and boil for ten minutes.

In a non aluminum pan Bring the required amount of vinegar and spices to a simmer and leave simmering for 30 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for a further 30 minutes. Whilst the vinegar is standing the onions will need to be rinsed. The onions will need to be rinsed completely, too rid them of the brine. When the 30 minutes is up, strain the vinegar and dispose of the used spice. Bottle once the vinegar is cold.



Leave for a minium of 1 week in a cool place before opening, but the onions are better left for a month before eating.

SPICE MIX FOR PICKLES

Basic pickling spice mix for onions,eggs,beetroot and so on............................
The Mix;
8 cloves
8 allspice
16 peppercorns
3 bay leaf
8 coriander seeds
5 dried chillies
2 complete cinnamon sticks
Place all the spices into the desired vinegar that you are using, add 3 tbsp of sugar then bring to a simmer for 30 minutes. Take off the heat and leave the vinegar to steep for 30 minutes before straining. Spices can now be thrown away. The vinegar is now ready for bottling with the desired
ingredients.