Tummyrumble

Smoky pepper sauce with a wee bite - Tabasco Chipotle

Tabasco Chipotle, smoked red jalapenos
Originally uploaded by Manne.

I am not really a big fan of Tabasco. Sure, I like it, but it has never been a big addiction of mine as I know it is to some people. My friend I swears by it with scrambled eggs, and T will simply not eat pizza without. Actually, in his case, it is more like he has tabasco with a sprinkling of pizza rather than the other way around...

After having tried this particular variety though, Tabasco Chipotle, I might have to reconsider my lack of infatuation.

This stuff is great. Not too hot, a bit of sweetness and a lovely smoky flavour really coming through. The moment you open the bottle you clearly notice the smoke scents spreading in the room.

We simply had it as condiment on our special spicy lamb bolognese that we eat scooped straight out of the frying pan with gem and chicory lettuce leaves for "cutlery", but I really want to try this in marinades, sauces and even soups to add that smoky twist.

Chipotle pepper sauce and my sticky pork ribs... Makes me hungry just thinking about it!

On their web site Tabasco tells a story about old Aztecs and centuries old methods for slow-smoking vine-ripened red jalapenos to produce the base for this rich and thick sauce... Yeah. One of those things where I really would like to know more about the production process. Or would I?

Found it at Waitrose. Get some.

Bonus-URL: www.tabascofanclub.co.uk

Nice site with lots of recipes, photos and all things Tabasco. How about a Bloody Mary Sorbet? Sounds awesome!

Another tasty Greensmiths picnic lunch

Look at that Gouda cheese...
Originally uploaded by Manne.

Strolled down Lower Marsh in the lovely sunshine and decided to get my entire lunch from Greensmiths today. I can't emphasize enough how great that store is and if you work nearby, do go check it out.

Had a word with what I assume is the store manager, and he did say that it was a challenge for them to make people realize just how big they are and what a wide range this store has. From the outside all you see is the butcher's, but once inside you realise there is a two floor basement with so much more on offer!

Got some Italian salami from Milano for protein, coleslaw for fat, hoummus for the lovely taste and a small piece of aged Gouda cheese for luxury. Another fantastic LCHF lunch.

About the cheese, I did feel a bit silly asking for a 50 gram piece but the girl in the store cut it for me with a smile (after asking me if I really wanted 50 grams, since she did think I obviously was asking for too little...). So glad I got it though since it is absolutely amazing. Beautiful colour, creamy texture yet full with little crackling crystals and the richest Gouda taste ever.

The store manager told me something really cool, apparently Scooterworks has started showing movies in their basement. Now, if you have been to Scooterworks you know that it is really small, they can barely fit their ancient espresso machine in there! So how they have managed to squeeze a cinema into the basement is beyond me... Sounds rather... Intimate.

Stopped by on my way back to the office and the barista girl confirmed that they indeed have movie nights on Mondays. Eight o'clock, they screen what they feel like screening that day, but it is usually Italian and rather arty. Figures, what else. They have an image to uphold.

Think I will have to check that out after French class on Monday evening!

LCHF gold mine at Lower Marsh

LCHF picnic lunch from Lower Marsh
Originally uploaded by Manne.

Quite frequently I don't have time to bring a home cooked meal to the office, so I end up going to M&S in Waterloo station to buy a salad or something along those lines. Getting something filling which isn't full of carbs at a reasonable lunch price is a bit tricky. Also, I end up getting the same things all the time...

Today I decided to check out Lower Marsh and go foraging for lunch, picnic style. Found out that it is a veritable gold mine for LCHF diet practitioners!

Not only do you have Cooper's Natural Foods which provides great salads that can act as a base for any meal. You also have Greensmiths supermarket which sells vegetables, cheeses, sausages, pates, guacamole, hoummus and other lovely stuff.

To top that off, there is a (rather special and quirky, but brilliant) sandwich place called Casse Croute whcih gladly sells you the fillings of their sandwiches separately! Different types of ham, pastrami, spiced chicken, hard boiled eggs, more cheese...

From here on I predict a lot of Lower Marsh picnic lunches.

The plate pictured above was today's find. Red onion; eggs and pastrami from Casse Croute for protein; brie and guacamole from Greensmiths for fat; red pepper and lovely fresh crispy spinach also from Greensmiths for filler.

Awesome.

Quick LCHF snack when on the go

Found this on a Swedish blog about LCHF, and sounds like a great tip for a snack when on the go.

• Yoghurt (make sure to get the Greek full fat unsweetened kind)
• Cottage cheese
• Fruit drink with low sugar

Mix it all together to taste, enjoy. Low carb, high in fat and protein. Great snack!

I guess you could replace the fruit drink with a few raspberries or squashed blueberries and come out alright as well.

What is low carb, high fat and why is it important?

Plastic fantastic: tea in nylon bags makes taste better

Tea in nylons? Must be the hottest tea in town! (badoom-tish)

Jokes aside, the morning Metro today had a one page special on tea in tea bags, focusing on the latest innovation in the field: replacing the traditional paper filter bag with a nylon variety. According to a sales spokeperson quoted in the article the nylon has several advantages over the paper. It doesn't break the leaves, which means that there is less "dust" and leaf debris in the bag (which means that a better taste is produced with less tannin I believe); the nylon material allows for better circulation of the hot water which means more taste can be released; since ultrasound is used to seal the bags less energy is used in production.

Sounds amazing! There is of course the slight downside that the nylon might not be biodegradable. And, oh, the small potential health risk hinted at by the fact that there aren't any long term studies made on use of nylon in this way.