Celia from Fig Jam And Lime Cordial has grown the in my kitchen contributors from a handful of us to somewhere around the 50 mark. I try and read each post every month as I just love taking a peek into everyone’s kitchens. Hopefully you enjoy the August 2014 peek in to mine!
I was gifted a lot of grapefruit and other that the curd I made, I also made some grapefruit cordial. Before I could make the cordial I had to order a bottle. It was slightly smaller than I anticipated (I didn’t look to see how many mls it took!) but it is perfect for cordial.
In the post where I mentioned my muslin Sherry recommended that I buy some Chux cloths. After entering the term into Google I realized that were the blue kitchen cloths that I use to clean my plates when taking photographs. I went out and bought a roll straight away. So far, I have used one already to make ricotta and what a pleasure! I have cleaned the cloth, but I now know that if it turns out too messy I can just toss it.
When testing a recipe from Lorraine’s cook book I made pork cheeks. The result of that was a lot of lard! I have already made some Yorkshire puddings with the lard – it is amazingly sweet.
I have chosen to make my own bacon following on from my Mastering Meat course. I had to find saltpetre for the recipe so the first step has been done.
My parents came for their annual visit in June and brought with them my birthday present. Lucky me I could open it straight away! It is a lovely tea pot which came with 4 different flowering buds. Each one tasted the same 😉 I just love it and am using it for my herbal infusion teas as I can brew a pot at a time and leave it standing for 3 days, enjoying a cup a day.
The new PR agency for Canderel have sent me a hamper to try out. I usually always have their chocolate at home as they are sugar free. I look forward to trying out the other products as I have only used Canderel Yellow to date.
After the Knorr Function we were sent home with an amazing bag which I will take overseas with me for shopping. In the bag was a huge selection of goodies. I have given the sauces and cook in bags to my step son James and kept the stock pots for myself. The salad dressings are all at work as Dave has salad every day for lunch. James is most enthusiastic to try out all his products and it gives me great pleasure to spread the joy.
I have been sent a selection of Chinese teas from Teavivre. I have yet to try them as I am using up my oldest teas first. Once I have done so I shall let you know how they taste.
After Germany won the world cup Checkers sent me a bottle of German Wine. They have a fantastic selection of international wines and I have been fortunate to taste quite a few.
View the previous posts on August 1:
- one year ago – In My Kitchen
- two years ago – In My Kitchen
- three years ago – Friday’s Food Quiz
- four years ago – Friday’s Food Quiz
Hi Tandy, lots of good things happening at your place! Love the lard!
Thanks Lizzy!
You’ve got a lot happening in your kitchen Tandy! And which recipe were you testing? I’m so curious! Was it the master stock or did you try another one? 😀
It was indeed the master stock! I just love it 🙂
G’day! Fun post today Tandy and it brightened my day!
I don’t know if you know but in the States they used to give the soldiers saltpetre for a much different reason…thanks for the childhood chuckles…I think should stay between me! 🙂
Cheers! Joanne
I shall have to Google that Joanne!
I love your teapot. Beautiful!
Thank you Misky!
Love the peek into your kitchen!
Thanks for taking the time to visit Zirkie 🙂
Hi Tandy, you have a lot of great things in your kitchen this month, love the tea pot your parents brought you.
Thank you Cheri 🙂
Yes, I love looking into other peoples kitchen too, Tandy – yours is always interesting – such a pretty teapot and no doubt as you have found out the chux work really well in place of muslin. Looking forward to joining this when I have a more permanent kitchen, but that is still a few months away!
I look forward to seeing your kitchen Rachel 🙂
Tandy, those floral tea buds are just SO stunning – I’m always in awe of them. What a great gift – they’re really expensive here, so I’ve never bought them. Lovely lard – so much you can do with it – we use ours for everything from confit to Cuban bread (I think you’d love that recipe btw, it uses a bit of sourdough starter and a bit of yeast and a bit of lard! :)). Before I discovered a good supply of muslin, I always used chux as well – they work brilliantly. And your cordial bottle is very handsome indeed! Have a great August! xxx
I wish I could post you some of the tea buds but I know customs would not allow that! I will try the Cuban bread when the weather improves 🙂
Those chux wipes are so useful for straining all sorts of things- making Labne, jellis ( in smaller quantities, straining anything really. Nothing like a good bottle of German Rielsing- nice gift.
I have made labneh already and it was a pleasure having so many cloths 🙂
I’ve always wanted to make my own bacon, but I haven’t worked up the effort to try it yet. I look forward to seeing how yours turns out. Thanks for the tour Tandy.
Thanks for the visit Taryn 🙂
Whoa! That’s a lot of lard! Perfect for baking 🙂
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
I am going to have to get some baking done soon 🙂
wow, that a lot of lard!!!
goood luck with your meat curing project, i’m just finish curing my lamb pancetta….
Lamb pancetta sounds very interesting Dedy 🙂
Your cordial bottle is so cute!! 🙂 We don’t really use many cute bottles for anything, we just reuse old glass bottles :/ I’ve always wanted to render lard since there’s a couple of recipes I’ve always wanted to make which uses it, but have been sort of put off by the fact that it’s pretty unhealthy haha. Love how you label your jars- I bet your kitchen is super neat and tidy!
Von, I am a bit obsessed with ‘neat and tidy’. The lard was so easy to do and I really need to start using more of it 🙂
I love that bottle! Will look great with the cordial in it. I’ve got a few pink grapefruit I’m awaiting to ripen, fingers crossed they will actually be pink!
I usually find my grapefruit ends up a bit more orange than pink 🙂
What a fabulously full IMK post Tandy. I love your teapot from your folks!
Have a lovely week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
Thank you Mandy and the same to you 🙂
Mmm, I do love a good German Riesling, icy cold. 🙂
I am waiting for summer to try it 🙂
Yay for homemade bacon!!!
I am so with you there!
Wow, you have been send lots of lovely things recently, Tandy! I love the teapot, as well, and … Lorraine has a cook book? Got to check that one out!
Hope you buy Lorraine’s book, it is such a great read 🙂
cute cordial bottle tandy. glad you found some Chux! they are so handy for all sorts of things. i use them to strain my limoncello each xmas when i make it.
I need to add limoncello to my list of things to make 🙂
Ha ha! Chux – I use it all the time to make curd cheese and to strain things but of course, the name is obviously ‘local’. I have your recipe for Grapefruit Curd bookmarked as a friend gave us a huge batch which we managed to get through via juicing but now we have another batch! Cheers Tandy and thanks for your regular tweets too!
I hope you enjoy the curd Fiona and look out for more grapefruit recipes 🙂
Lots of goodies for sure!
Thanks!
I love Chinese tea too. Yours looks wonderful. What a great tea pot. Those Knorr products look interesting too. Hope you enjoy my IMK post. Emma.
I am popping over right now Emma 🙂
Tandy, I was admiring your cordial bottle — such a ‘fluid’ shape! (No pun intended.) Your tea infuser is gorgeous, too. Funny there wasn’t any difference in flavors 😉 but it’s stunning to see the blossoms. Happy Birthday!
My mom and I had a good giggle about all the teas tasting the same 🙂
I’m going to have to search for those chux towels. Those sounds really awesome!
Let me know what they are called there please!
I too have just been given a large bucket of grapefruit and was wondering what to do with it. Thank you, I am going to make cordial now. Chux are so useful in the kitchen aren’t they. I love your lard. It is fantastic in pastry and flour tortillas. I await with interest your bacon adventures.
I still need to get the pork to make the bacon! Have fun with all your grapefruit 🙂
I love the tea infuser. Despite the heat here I still enjoy a hot tea now and then. Otherwise it’s sweet tea for me. The Chinese tea sounds wonderful as well and the cordial bottle is great. I have a stash of bottles as well, never know when I may need them!
I need to get some more bottles as I am loving my cordial 🙂
Hi Tandy, what a beautiful teapot and is perfect for a flower tea. Look forward to see your bacon.
cheers
Jason
Thank you Jason 🙂
I feel like I could live in your kitchen 🙂 Cordial (love the bottle) lard… (I use it all the time to make tortillas ) Tea, Wine (say no more) Oh and I have been using Chux (that is what they are called in Australia) for years! it is wonderful, no more washing muslin for you! Thanks for sharing! Liz x
Thank you for the visit Liz, and you can come and live in my kitchen anytime!
Tandy, love the bottle for the grapefruit cordial and the beautiful teapot your parents gave you. Wow making your own bacon… impressive. I have used similar cloths called J- cloths for straining yoghurt. Thanks for the peek into your kitchen. 🙂
Ah, I love learning the names of the same things around the world!
Hi Tandy and Happy Birthday! The flowering teas are always so pretty, I usually have them in the winter because they add a little sunshine to the table. Enjoy in good health! 🙂
Thank you so much for the wishes Emily 🙂
love the bottle for the cordial
Thanks Usha 🙂
Love the teapot, what a wonderful birthday present…and how lucky that you received a collection of teas, perfect for the occasion! 🙂
It was perfect indeed!