Drinks

Rosehip Vodka

October 30, 2019 by Ania 7 Comments

One of my favourite ingredients to forage are the rosehips of the wild dog-rose bush. They grow in abundance all around where we are and they have an excellent flavour.

As with sloes, they say that rosehips should traditionally be harvested after the first frost but you never know when frost is going to hit, it’s either too early or too late. The best way to mimic frost is to pick your rosehips when they are nice, red and fat, even if they appear hard, then take them home and put them in your freezer for 24 hours. Then defrost and use in your rosehip recipes. This will allow for maximum flavour.

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Crab apple whisky

October 19, 2017 by Ania Leave a Comment

I was never a whisky drinker until I discovered the art of infusion. It’s a great way to experiment with your own personal tastes and there’s no one right way to do it. You use a neutral base spirit such as gin, vodka or rum and infuse it with fruit, herbs or spices. Sadly, a lot of the infused alcohols produced commercially are laden with artificial ingredients and they lack the taste of real fruit. That’s why it’s worth trying to make your own flavoured alcohol. Don’t fret, it’s not an exact science or a mysterious process of alchemy. It just requires creativity, a jar, a bottle of booze and a handful of something to infuse it with. Apples, clementines, rhubarb, blackberries, cherries, limes, or perhaps herbs. Mint, rosemary, basil? A little bit of vanilla? See what works for you. My quinces are beginning to ripen – so I know what my next brew will be infused with. …

My take on Lebanese coffee with cardamom

October 10, 2017 by Ania Leave a Comment

I’ve been drinking coffee since I was too young to drink it (thank you grandma). I treasure my morning cup. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than the smell of freshly made coffee in the morning and the anticipation of that first sip. Oh, did I mention that my husband gets up every morning before I do and makes us coffee? The hissing of the espresso steam wand and sound of milk frothing means the coffee is almost ready and we have a few minutes for a quiet chat before we wake the children. He may say “Your coffee’s ready” but what I really hear is “I love you.” It’s a ritual of ours I adore and I wouldn’t change it for anything else. …

Drinks

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