Food Review - Lake District Dairy Co. Quark sauces

Monday evening a couple of weeks ago saw me part company with my husband & daughter as they headed out for dinner and the cinema together as I attended the Underground Cookery School to preview the new Quark sauces that the Lake District Dairy Co. will be launching in August & September.  They'll be produced in three varieties; Garlic & Herb, Tikka and Tomato & Basil.

 

The Lake District Dairy Co. brand was first launched in 2008. In April 2013 they introduced the first 100% British produced Quark to the supermarket shelves.  It's a product that's fairly common on the supermarket shelves of Europe, but not so much here, and since it's launch has become one of the fastest growing products in the cheese category.

Quark is a naturally fat free, low carbohydrate, low calorie alternative to dairy ingredients such as crème fraiche, double cream, cream cheese or clotted cream. It's also higher in protein than the dairy products it can substitute, and is therefore a great ingredient replacement for those looking to follow a healthier diet, without having to compromising on taste. Quark is currently available in 3 varieties; original, lemon and vanilla.  Add to this the new range of cook in sauces, and you now have the choice of 6 variations from which to choose.  It can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes, so the only limitation is your imagination!

First on our menu was a starter.  After making our own pasta, we filled it with Garlic & Herb Quark, folded it into ravioli and served it with a Tomato & Basil Quark sauce, sundried tomatoes, fresh herb leaves, Parmesan and drizzled with olive oil.

We then went on to learn how to remove the breasts and legs from a chicken which we transformed into Chicken Tikka Quark skewers served with Garlic & Herb Quark and roasted artichoke filled pancakes, as well as a potato, Garlic & Herb Quark salad, and a roquette and okra dressed salad.

For dessert we made two ice creams using original Quark; a lemon one and a vanilla one, but I ate my dessert before photographing it, sorry! 

These sauces are proving to be very versatile.  For the quick simple meal, you could simply open, heat and serve the sauce with fresh pasta or cooked chicken. If you have little more time, you can use these as the base ingredient and transform your meal into something more delicious indeed!

I was invited to the Underground Cookery School to take part in this event by the PR company of Quark. I was offered samples to being home to try, however I was unable to accept them as I had no refrigeration facilities in the hotel. I did, however, receive a goodie bag of utensils and menu cards with which to create the dishes we made on the night.  I was under no obligation to write a review of this evening or of the products we were introduced to.

Food Review - Nairn's Oatcakes

What a lovely invitation I received - to attend The Ivy Club in London on behalf of Nairn's Oatcakes for a Cocktails & Canapés evening.  Too exciting to turn down and already a fan of Nairn's Oatcakes, I just had to say yes!

Nairn's have been baking oatcakes for over 100 years, so they know a thing or two about producing a fab product! Their oats are sourced in their native Scotland which has the perfect climate for slowly and naturally ripening the grains used to make their products.  Produced in both sweet and savoury variations, rough and smooth in texture, with or without fruit or seeds, they provide the perfect snack or base to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack.  Their products come in perfectly portioned, wrapped packs making them easy to slip into your bag or lunch box for freshness on the go.  The difficult part is which one to choose as your base and what tasty topping you're going to pile it up with!

In addition to their Scottish grown oats for their general market oatcakes, they source certified gluten free oats from Wyoming from a family of coeliacs who know the importance of guaranteeing that the products grown are free from wheat.  This farming family is so passionate about their product that they walk their fields ensuring that no rogue grains contaminate the oats. Nairn's also have a dedicated manufacturing facility in which they produce their gluten free range, thereby reducing the contamination risk even further.  Great news for every coeliac!

Oats contain the highest soluble fibre of all the grains making them excellent to fill you up and release their energy slowly. They're wheat free and contain no added sugars, hydrogenated fats, artificial flavours or preservatives, making them a fabulous and healthy energy source. Great served with peanut butter, jam or fresh fruit for a sweet treat or with cheese, meats, hummus, salads or soups for a savoury feast that's not only tasty, but is good for you too.  Oats are naturally low in GI which help keep the blood sugars and energy levels even, thereby reducing cravings and helping with weight loss.  

A perfect start to the day either at home of in the office is their gluten free porridge oats which old in handy, single portion pouches, or in a tub for extra convenience, they'll ensure you're not hungry until lunchtime.

I do buy Nairn's Oatcakes ordinarily, but I'm even more of a fan of these now that I've had the opportunity to taste the entire range.

I was invited to The Ivy Club on behalf of Nairn's Oatcakes by their PR company. I was given free product samples to bring home after the event.  I was not under any obligation to review these products, positive or otherwise. 

Product Review - Vimto Squeezy

We all know that we should drink between 6 and 8 glasses of water a day, don't we?  Well, what we don't always know is that this doesn't have to be plain water; it actually refers to the amount of fluids that our bodies need to stay hydrated.  These can be obtained from our morning cup of tea or coffee, to the drink we have with our lunch and dinner.  It's not always as easy to keep up your hydration when you're on the go, especially if you fancy something a little more tasty than plain water, a fizzy drink from a can or a coffee shop coffee, or indeed if you're a little fussy like me and don't like purchased still drinks as they're far too sweet for my palate.

What's the solution? Enter Vimto squeezy!

These little, 50ml bottles of highly concentrated squash contain no sugar or calories and transform a bottle of chilled water into something incredibly more tasty.  It's available in 3 flavours; Original, Cherry and Strawberry, with each bottle providing up to 25 servings.  You only need a few drops added to your glass, or about 4ml (just under a teaspoon) for a 500ml bottle.  Add to this the fact thaty they're also small enough to fit into your handbag to take with you.  In fact I have one of these little bottles on my desk at work and the other in my handbag for on the go hydration with the flavour of my childhood (original variety).

I was sent these two bottles as samples from the PR company for Vimto free of charge. I was under no obligation to provide a blog post, positive or otherwise, as a condition to receiving the samples.  

Seize the Flavour with Knorr Flavour Pots

Knorr have a new addition to their range of Stock Pots and Gravy Pots.  They now have Flavour Pots too.  I was lucky enough to have been invited to a Chef's Tasting Table at the Ice Tank in Covent Garden, London where we were introduced to one of the development chefs, Cameron Healy, as well as Professor Barry C Smith, an expert in flavour perception from the Centre for the Study of Senses, who worked alongside Knorr and Cameron to develop the right balance of flavours that these little pots manage to pack inside.

We were informed on how we taste our food; using the smell, taste and touch that our nose and mouth experience to pass on the enjoyment (or dislike) of flavours and textures that we consume.  There are five senses in regard to the flavours that we experience; sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami (or savoury as it is often referred to).

We were give a simple little test to prove that our noses help us to taste the flavours of our food.  Just try pinching your nose and eating.  What do you sense? Creaminess, texture, 'mouth feel'? Can you taste what you're eating? Probably not. Now, release your nose and allow the flavours of your food to come through and understand how both of these senses worth together in perfect harmony to allow us to enjoy what we eat.

Amongst the human population are approximately 25% of people who are deemed to be 'super tasters'.  Those who have more tightly packed receptors on the tongue which allow them to have a more intense experience of the food that they eat.  This can be detected in a couple of ways; visually using a food colouring on the tongue and the number of pink receptors physically counted in a set area, or chemically with an impregnated piece of paper that is placed on the tongue.  To some people, this paper has absolutely no taste. To others it can taste mildly to moderately bitter and to some it can taste absolutely vile.  Unfortunately, to my dislike, I was in the absolutely vile camp within seconds of it being placed on my tongue.  This Professor Smith informs me, places me firmly in the realms of being a 'super taster'; something which I hope to be able to explore further in the future.

So, now we know why and how we taste our food, it was over to Chef Cameron to excite our taste buds with a menu created using the Knorr Flavour Pots. The five Knorr Flavour Pots were used by Cameron to produce a 6 course Chef's Tasting menu that we all enjoyed;

First on the menu was Garlic Prawns, created using a few simple ingredients with the Garlic Flavour Pot.  Each pot is the equivalent of 2 garlic cloves which are transformed into a ready to use, perfectly balanced paste.

Our second course was a warming Curried Parsnip Soup.  Parsnips were combined with the Curry Flavour Pot to produce a warm and richly flavoured soup.  The Curry Flavour Pot is a blend of 13 perfectly balanced spices which didn't overpower the parsnips, but allowed the flavour of them to come through.

Third to be served to us from the menu used the Mixed Herb Flavour Pot and came to us in the form of a Pasta Napolitana; a perfect blend of Mediterranean herbs, such as Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary and Basil which have been expertly blended to produce a paste which complemented the Umami in the tomatoes used in the sauce.

Our next course was a Chilli Chicken Stir Fry using the Mixed Chilli Pot.  Now this was (to me personally) a hot dish, but nevertheless, perfectly balanced in respect of aroma & flavours.

A perfectly cooked fillet Steak was served with a Peppercorn & cream Sauce, made using the 4th pot in the collection; 3 Peppercorn Flavour Pot.  A incredibly simple to produce dish, that packs a huge flavour.  All the hard work really has already been done for you in these little pots.

In our final course of the evening, a Strawberry Shortcake, came the surprise.  The simple & light shortcake was made using the 3 Peppercorn Flavour Pot which was stirred into the mixture prior to piping & baking.  You initially get the sweet and crumbly taste of the biscuit with the added but subtle warmth of the black, green and pink peppercorns following.  Team this with the cream and fresh strawberries & you've got a perfect dessert to round off a perfect evening.

All of the Flavour Pots in the range are Gluten Free are suitable for Vegetarians and they come in a pack of 4 pots.

My thanks go to the Unilever Kitchen, Knorr, Chef Cameron Healy, Professor Barry C Smith, Clarion Communications and Ice Tank for a fantastic, informative and interesting evening.  I certainly look forward to being able to explore and develop my tastes and perception of food further.