I wish that I could have had more time with this book, but is still a reasonably new volume and someone else in Fairfax County wanted to read it! So, I had to rush thru the last 80-ish pages on Tuesday morning before taking it back (can’t really complain because I use holds to get most of the books that I want to read from the library … it is a habit developed in Oxford working with the strange stack request system).

So, a book about a life with cheese … well, not exactly.  This is an autobiography about a cheesemonger, Gordon Edgar, that never set out to become a food professional.  Instead, he was a punk and fixture in the 80′s San Francisco counter-culture that, on a fluke, got a job at the Rainbow Co-op.  From this slightly random move from a job cleaning buses used by hippies to working at the Rainbow’s cheese section, Gordon explains how his life as a punk and his extracurriculars at university helped to shape his career as the Cheese Man. Read more »

While many of the Christmas treats in England are very similar to those available in the USA, mince pies are very British.  Additionally, they are one of the few holiday foods that I know we will miss after we have settled back in America.  So, today, when I opened the BBC homepage, I was excited to see this homemade mincemeat recipe by Delia Smith and her family recipe for mince pies.  Now, when next year rolls around, we can make our own mince pies … instead of relying on Marks & Spencer to supply them!

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Recently, the Hairy Bikers visited Oxfordshire on their Food Tour of Britain.  The show featured many of the food hotspots of Oxford and the surrounding area, including the Covered Market and, most interestingly, Foxbury Farm.  As many people know, we regular order food from Foxbury and have enjoyed many doorstep conversations with Colin – the farmer behind Foxbury’s farm shop and great produce!  From Foxbury, the Hairy Bikers got the ingredients to make a traditional skinless Oxford sausage … here is a PDF of the Oxford Sausage Breakfast (from the BBC) … something that we definitely want to try!

Additionally, they learned about quinces … another very traditional British food and quince cheese is my favorite part of any quality cheese plate.  Quinces are a strange looking fruit but they make some wonderful products.  The local producers that they visited make a whole range of things from quinces … unfortunately, they do not have a stockist in central Oxford, so it may be harder for me to find some to try.

Yesterday, while at Bicester Village, we picked up some of Bodum’s Caramel Creme Rooitea.  It is a blend of rooibos and caramel pieces.  Rooibos is an herbal tea from southern Africa and is known by a variety of names around the world, including Red Tea, Bush Tea, and Redbush Tea.  We purchased it because rooibos is caffeine-free and Jill has been looking for alternatives to regular black tea for awhile.

We made our first cups of the tea last night and it was quite good!  Rooibos is naturally slightly sweet and nutty flavored … a taste that is enhanced by the little pieces of caramel included in the blend.  The blend, while slightly expensive at £4 for 100g (normally £6, but it was cheaper at the outlet), is perfect for a late-night cup of tea and for Jill to take to work as something to drink instead of regular tea and coffee.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to find the Bodum product online … it is not only any of their websites.  The closest thing that I found was this blend from Culinary Teas.  So, I guess that we may have to go to Bicester Village when this bag runs out.

Lock yourself away in the prison that became a luxury hotel for just one pound when you book dinner for two a la carte at Malmaison Oxford. Spend at least £75 on dinner from our mouth-watering menu on a Sunday evening and stay the night for just £1.

So, are you coming to Oxford and looking for a nice place to stay, then Malmaison Oxford’s Prison for a Pound deal is not too bad.  With rooms normally costing upwards of £160.00, this is a pretty good deal, but it is not their only promotion.

Check all of them out here.

I know that they both don’t look that pink in the images, but trust me … they are both very pink books!

and

This pair of books will tell you everything that you need to know about pigs, from gestation to gourmandism. The Whole Hog is all about pigs … everything from their wild habitats to the details of the popular domesticated breeds. It covers the range of pig-related academia but for the most part is not a history book. It focuses on the science and behavior of pigs and their close relatives. Considering the similarities of pigs and people, the book is a very interesting and enjoyable read. Pork & Sons is one of those fancy cookbooks published by the Phaidon Press but don’t hold that against it. It is packed with great anecdotes and recipes that appeal to the pork lover in everyone.

I recommend that you pick up both of these and give them a good look. Read one of them and you will never look at a pig the same way again … read both of them and come to admire what is probably the most intelligent and versatile animal that we share the planet with!

(But that won’t keep me from having bacon for breakfast … or lunch … or dinner!)

It is almost the end of British Sausage Week (it ends tomorrow, 9 Nov) and if you have not had a chance to celebrate real british sausages, then go out and it now!

We had some great sausages from our wonderful local farm, Foxbury, last night. They bred and raise a whole selection of livestock, including some wonderful pork, which they turn into amazing sausages – I would recommend that you try the Old Spot Sausages. If you are in Oxford and cannot get them from Foxbury (they do free home delivery on Thursday), then you can always get quality sausages from David John in the Covered Market or from the Big Bang, the 3rd best place to eat in Britian under £50 (actually most of the dishes are well under £20).

Also, for those who may be slightly cash-strapped, the Big Bang is currently doing a “Credit Crunch Lunch” of sausage & mash for £4.50! If you stop by the Big Bang, make sure and support our local breweries by buying a pint of Hook Norton or Cotswold Lager!

The South Devon Chilli Farm staff are the UK’s leading experts on chillies and chilli growing. They started in 2003 and today, they grow over 10,000 plants. Not only do they have a great variety of chilli seeds, but they also have an extensive selection of chilli-based products … including chilli chocolates, dried chillies, and chilli growing equipment. I have had their products before and all of them are of top-quality! If you see them at a store near you, I would recommend that you pick up at least one to try.

In addition, if you are looking for an easy plant to grow, my experience with chilli plants shows that they are easy to grow and, unlike many other plants, they last longer than a single season. We are currently surrounded by potted chili plants in our flat because nearly every plant survived from a seedling (and most of them have fruited multiple times). On a slightly different note, they do make quite nice house plants.

Chilies are a wonderful winter food … they add a ray of sun to otherwise bland dishes!

Even with our small patio and limited sun, I have been able to grow some food … needless to say it was only some tomatoes, blueberries, and some peppers. Once I have a somewhat larger garden, then I will want to expand the variety of food grown. As I have posted before, there are a lot heirloom tomoto varieties available, but what else is available for your backyard?

TreeHugger regularly posts stories about gardening and recently, they posted an article about a nursery that specializes in edible perennials called Edible Landscaping, based in Afton, VA (about 1.5 hours west of Richmond along I-64). They have a whole range of plants – from Asparagus to Wyeberries (a type of blackberry). If you live in their general area (VA, MD, or NC), they even sale large fruit trees in up to 45 gallon buckets.

For those who want something now, they are having a Fall Sale, with up to 50% off!

We bought some Tracklements Red Pepper & Chilli Jelly and it is great! So far we have used it for two completely different things …

First, we had it as an accompaniment to some sausages & mash that we made for dinner. It matched perfectly the Cajun Smokey sausages that we got at David John’s in the Oxford Covered Market. So, it is great as a condiment, but it is also useful as a cooking ingredient …

Second, we used it to glaze some chicken. It was quite a simple idea – just fry off some chicken pieces in a pan and when they are basically done, add a little water and a couple of spoons of the red pepper & chilli jelly … quite a tasty & quick meal! Just wish that we had made more, so that I could have had some leftovers for lunch this week.