Welcome to In My Kitchen Three. Enjoy a quick peek at some of the items that have passed through the Tin and Thyme kitchen during February and beyond.
In My Kitchen Three
It’s been a long time since I participated in Celia’s wonderful In My Kitchen series over at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Since then I’ve had many comings and goings into my kitchen and store cupboards, the majority of course I haven’t documented. Here are a few of my favourite things … which are currently sitting in my kitchen.
Willie’s Cacao
A newly purchased block of Willie’s Cacao Indonesian Black – 180g of solid 100% chocolate. This is a bit of a luxury, but it’s useful and I use it sparingly.
Cornish Narcissi – In My Kitchen Three
A vase of scented Cornish narcissi, a gift from yesterday’s visitors.
Quail Eggs – In My Kitchen Three
A few quails eggs remaining from this basket, given to me by fellow Cornish food blogger Jane Sarchet over at The Hedge Combers when I visited her earlier this week.
Blood Orange Curd
Some jars of blood orange curd I made a few days ago. Bloody marvellous, though I say it myself.
Afternoon Tea Chocolates
When I first saw these Afternoon Tea chocolates from Sent With a Loving Kiss, I was smitten and got very excited. This may not be a closely guarded secret, but I do have a weakness for afternoon tea. I ‘mm far more likely to give a tea party than I am a dinner party and if ever anyone wants to take me out (which doesnβt happen nearly enough) afternoon tea is what I would choose for preference. Luckily, I didnβt need to drop heavy hints to my nearest and dearest as I was sent a box to review.
Inside the box sat a cute little tin decorated with colourful teapots. When I opened the tin, the enticing smell of sweet chocolate leapt out at me and I was hard put not to take a bite immediately. The tin consists of twelve chocolate discs playfully decorated with dainty cupcakes, teapots and milk jugs: two dark, four white and six milk β something there to suit most tastes. Much as I wanted to dig into these straight away, I am being very restrained and saving them for a future afternoon tea party, or even for decorating an extra special cake.
Apart from the afternoon tea theme, I particularly liked being able to personalise the tins with my own messages. For my tin, I asked for the inscription βeverything stops for teaβ. I should have added βand if it doesnβt it ought toβ but foolishly omitted that bit. This makes for a nice keepsake for the recipient once the chocolates have been demolished. Iβm looking forward to using mine as a fun container for homemade biscuits or even chocolates.
Cornish Sparkling Perry
An empty bottle of Cornish sparkling perry – drunk yesterday with friends. Or should I say, we drank it yesterday with friends. It was our first bottle of Polgoon Peren, but was so good, I hope it won’t be our last.
Callebaut Chocolate
In 2014, Callebaut held a competition for those working in the food industry. The prize was a trip to Ghana to see the very start of the Barry Callebaut chocolate journey. The task was to create a twist on one of the nationβs top five favourite chocolate puddings.
To help spread the word, Callebaut sent me a lovely golden box packed with chocolate goodies. The box contained milk, dark and caramel Cacao Barry cooking chocolate together with a milk chocolate bar with my name on it.
This, I felt gave me exclusive rights to demolish it, so I did.
I used the Cacao Barry milk chocolate, made with caramelised sugar, to good effect in my rich chocolate tart.
Spelt Rye Bread
A half eaten loaf of a no-knead spelt & rye bread made with my new silicone bread maker.
Cornish Red – In My Kitchen Three
My favourite Cornish Red side plates sitting in the drying rack, having been used for tea yesterday.
Seville Marmalade – In My Kitchen Three
A jar of my mother’s just made Seville orange marmalade.
Red Teapot
When I was asked if I’d like to review one of the pieces from the site, I became quite feverish and spent an inordinate amount of time imagining my home bedecked in all things red as I hopped from one item to another. The pieces are interesting and often quirky; trying to choose only one item was very very hard. I loved the clocks and would have been happy to relieve Red Candy of several of these, but sense asserted itself. How many clocks can my kitchen take? Much as I wanted one, I realised they didn’t really fit in with my blog so I had a rethink.
A Nice Cup of Tea
Tea, however does. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a nice slice of chocolate cake or chocolate biscuit and it regularly features on my blog. Tea is my drink of choice. Not builder’s tea, very rarely any sort of black tea, but light and refreshing teas such as green and white, honeybush or my favourite, rooibos.
I also drink matcha and herbal teas some of which I gather from the garden. For preference I drink loose leaf tea. I find it is generally of a higher quality than that found in tea bags and thus has a better flavour. Also I can use the tea leaves a second and sometimes even a third time. But, I do not like the bitterness of over brewed tea, so a way is needed of getting those tea leaves out before this happens. I’ve seen any number of infusers over the years and none have ever worked so well as a removable infuser that sits in a teapot.
So, when I came across a bright red six cup teapot with inbuilt infuser by Price & Kensington, I didn’t have to think again. Not only do I not have a large teapot, I don’t have a red one at all. Well not one that is completely red anyway. The teapots on the site were many and varied, but all were red. Mine was one of the more conventional ones, but whilst I was tempted by some of the QDO designs, this, I thought, was the most practical.
Teapot with Infuser
Once I’d chosen, I awaited its arrival with trepidation. Would it live up to my expectations, or would the infuser fall apart at first use (which has happened before) or worse still, be a hopeless pourer, spilling more tea on the table than into the cup?
The pot duly arrived and I dashed off to make a pot of tea with it. I thought I’d try the last of my chocolate tea, a mixture of chocolate beans, rooibos and spices from Chash which I’ve been drinking on special occasions and this was a special occasion. The pot is big, red and shiny. This in itself makes me feel cheerful and puts a smile on my face. The infuser, I was relieved to find was quite sturdy. Its construction is stainless steel and it fits nicely into the teapot whilst still allowing the lid to go on and the tea to be poured. It has its own handle for easy removal at any stage of the process.
I was able to tap out the used leaves into the compost bin or out on the garden quite easily. This oh so wonderful teapot is not only a great pourer, but not a single drip has it left anywhere it shouldn’t. The spout is a slightly different shape to others I’ve seen. The tip is a bit flattened, which I guess accounts for its amazing non-drip proclivity. It now sits happily in my kitchen where I shall happily use it again and again.
Chocolate Shelf
Perhaps not surprisingly, I have a chocolate shelf. With chocolate being this blog’s raison d’Γͺtre, it is an ingredient that I just cannot be without. Whilst Green & Blacks, is my go to chocolate for most things, I have an eclectic mix of different types and brands.
Glass Storage Jars
Because I’m a hoarder and also like to be as economical as possible, I tend to buy my staples in bulk and store them in large glass jars – preferably with red lids. In an ideal world, I would have a nice walk in larder and everything would be tidy and easy to access. In actuality, space is an issue and ingredients can be somewhat inaccessible.
Flour Basket
In an attempt to get organised one day, I decided I would keep all of my various flours (I have a lot) in a basket. As you can see from the picture, that basket has now become a repository for anything I can’t find a place for somewhere else – oops!
Smoothie Recipes
A Passion 4 Juice – a wipe clean booklet of juice and smoothie recipes that I won from Vanesther’s Family Foodies blogging event over at Bangers & Mash. It arrived in the post a couple of days ago.
Chocolate Themed Wooden Jigsaw
You may not think of jigsaws as kitchen items, but in my ideal kitchen I’d have a table that would be large enough to accommodate the odd jigsaw.
As regular readers will know, chocolate on this blog comes in many forms. This time it comes in the form of a jigsaw. A wooden Wentworth jigsaw, entitled Decadence, to be precise. The chocolates depicted on the front of the box look decadent indeed. I canβt help but wish that on completion, those tempting looking chocolates would turn into the real thing. Maybe it will, who knows?
I havenβt completed the jigsaw yet. In fact, I havenβt even started it. My table is just too cluttered with Christmas stuff at the moment and with the best will in the world, there’s no room for a jigsaw. However, it will be clear by Christmas and I am really looking forward to getting stuck in. I love doing jigsaws. My mother loves them too, so once Iβve tackled it successfully, I shall pass it over to her.
Wooden Jigsaw Pieces
It’s not a large jigsaw, as it only has 250 pieces, but it looks as though it’s a tough one. It has similar colours and a repeating pattern of the chocolates. Thatβs lucky, as I donβt like my jigsaws to be too easy. Itβs also rather a tactile one as the pieces are made of wood and are actually quite chunky but with a pleasingly smooth finish. No splinters to spoil the enjoyment here.
The pieces are also wonderfully quirky, or at least some of them are. On sifting through them I found several shapes suitable for a food loving person: a spoon, a fork, cakes and pieces of chocolate to name but a few. I understand there is even a chocolate fountain dripping with chocolate, but I didnβt come across that one.
When I first opened the box, I was delighted to see a drawstring cloth bag containing the pieces rather than the inevitable utilitarian and rather annoying plastic. The box itself is sturdy and is not likely to fall apart with a bit of rough handling, not I hasten to add that I would handle my boxes or anything else roughly. There’s no doubt about it, this jigsaw is not only a thing of beauty but also of exceptional quality.
Other In My Kitchen Posts You Might Like
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. Here ends the peek as to whatβs been happening in my kitchen over the last few months. Whatβs been happening in your kitchen? Iβd love to hear about it in the comments below. Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Sally - My Custard Pie says
All sorts of goodies but specially like the narcissi π
Anne says
Ooooh your blood orange curd looks good. Think I shall have to copy you and make some too.
Joanne T Ferguson says
G’day! LOVE seeing flowers and never tried that chocolate too!
I have some quail eggs, but don’t know what to do with …will look and see what you create as a recipe!
Cheers! Joanne
Choclette says
Real Seville oranges probably make the difference.
Joanna @ Zeb Bakes says
I love those blood oranges, made a boiled fruit cake recently and used that as the soaker instead of the regular orange juice and you can really taste it in the cake. I am now thinking like everyone else that I should have a go too, Wonderful!
Choclette says
That’s really interesting that you could tell the difference in a fruit cake Jo. Blood oranges are quite flavoursome and you can certainly taste them in this curd.
Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas says
I have seen a few posts for blood orange curd recently. It is something I have never thought to do but I am definitely going to give it a try when citrus comes back into season. Love your chocolate, and adore your narcissi.
Choclette says
Thank you Tania. Do try making the curd, it has a lovely zingy flavour and the colour makes it special all by itself. The narcissi are still blooming and smelling sweet.
Lavender and Lime (http://tandysinclair.com) says
I used some perry to make baguettes yesterday and then drank the rest! I love Willies cacao and I have to try making curd with blood oranges π
Choclette says
Perry in baguettes? Now that sounds interesting Tandy.
Don't boil the sauce says
Hi Choclette, you are right that curd looks bloody marvellous! I made lots of blood orange recipes last year but no curd, It’s straight to the top of the list for this years season.
cheers
Jason
Choclette says
It’s so worth making Jason, gorgeous colour and tastes marvellous . What did you do with your blood oranges?
heidiannie says
Loving your IMK post- mainly because it looks like your pictures were taken outside. And your outside looks decidedly Springlike! The dishes from your tea are really great. I love red rims. And blood orange curd? Mmm!
Choclette says
Oh, it’s not feeling much like spring yet, still cold and very very wet, but spring flowers are starting to emerge, so it can’t be far away!
celia says
Choc, look at all your treasures! I’m still sitting on a couple of blocks of Willie’s cacao, trying to figure out what to do with it. Your orange curd is glowing and jewel-like! And I love the look of your speckled quails’ eggs, but I’m never buying them again – they’re an absolute bugger to peel! π
Choclette says
Haha Celia, you are so right about those quail’s eggs. I had a tea party and let people peel their own! It’s been really nice to link up to you’re In My Kitchen event again. Willie’s cacao is wonderful for just grating over things, but also makes a demon chocolate cake all in it’s own right.
Lou, Eat Your Veg says
Oh lovely, I’d like to be in your kitchen with that gorgeous little lot! Your curd sounds AMAZING.
Choclette says
Thanks Lou. The curd is rather amazing. Expect you’ve got lots of interesting goodies in your kitchen too.
Jane Sarchet says
Love the red & white Cornishware, and glad you liked the quails eggs π
Janie x
Choclette says
Ah, I’m rather in love with my Cornishware Janie, but I want more … Loved the quails eggs, thank you.
Tina Anand says
So many lovely items in your kitchen, I especially like the sound of your blood orange curd and those quail eggs from Janie.
Choclette says
Thanks Tina, they were both fantastic.
Helen at Casa Costello says
Ooh I have forgotten all about “In my kitchen” I love linking up with it – it makes me tidy up!
Choclette says
Now there’s another good reason for joining in Helen – nice one π
Deena Kakaya says
Fig jam and lime cordial, Indonesian choc, all sounds utterly glorious x
Choclette says
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial absolutely is glorious Deena π
Morgan @ Peaches, Please! says
The curd and marmalade look divine! And I love the empty bottle – a remnant of good times.
Choclette says
Thank you Morgan. Glad you feel the same about empty bottles π
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I feel the same about Willies chocolate. Mine has sat waiting for a long time. I’m not sure what to do with it to make the best of it. I do have his cookbook, so maybe something from that.
Choclette says
I tend to use it for grating over things or for a little bit of chocolate luxury in savoury dishes. I did make Willie’s Cloud Cake once which used the whole bar – very extravagant, but my goodness it was good.
bangermashchat says
You have so many lovely things in your kitchen! I love those quail eggs from Janie – tempted to pay her a visit too now, although it is a rather long way just for eggs π And the orange curd looks gorgeous too.
Choclette says
Thanks Vanesther. I can highly recommend paying Janie a visit. We really must get this SW bloggers meet-up thing sorted out. The blood orange curd tastes gorgeous π
london unattached lifestyle says
there ARE things without chocolate there! something is WRONG!!!
Choclette says
Haha Fiona, were you hoping I had a kitchen entirely made of chocolate?
Sylvia F. says
Lovely items Choclette! I have to buy flowers myself, will be nice to bring some spring to the house π
Choclette says
Thanks Sylvia, yellow daffodils are so cheery at this time of year – Spring can’t be far away now!
Karen S Booth says
All lovely items and home-made products and I need to live nearer you, clearly! Karen
Choclette says
Haha, oh I wish Karen π
Alexandra Bellavista says
Gnammy!
http://duecuoriinpadella.blogspot.it/
Choclette says
Thanks Alexandra
The Ordinary Cook says
Drunk yesterday eh? Well I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.
Choclette says
Shhhhh π