2013/02/08

Joan Osborne – Shake Your Hips

American singer-songwriter Joan Osborne sure kicks ass in this excellent rendition of Shake Your HipsThis song was written and originally recorded by blues musician Slim Harpo in 1966. The Rolling Stones also recorded a great version of this song on their 1972 album Exile on Main Street.

Joan Osborne - Bring It On Home
Joan Osborne has been recording albums covering many musical genres, since 1991. Shake Your Hips is taken from Joan's seventh studio album Bring It On Home, an excellent collection of vintage blues, R&B and soul songs. Bring It On Home is nominated for the 2013 Grammy Award - Best Blues Album.

2013/02/07

Neufchâtel

Why not offer cheese to your Valentine this year?

You can't go wrong with a cute heart shaped French cheese, good crusty bread and your favourite bottle of wine.
 
Neufchatel - Coeur De Bray

Neufchâtel - Coeur de Bray is a soft bloomy rind, cow’s milk cheese from the Pays de Bray located in the French region of Normandie. Neufchâtel received its AOC (Appelation d'Origine Controlée) designation in 1969.

Neufchâtel is believed to be one of France's oldest cheeses dating back to the Middle Ages. 

The white edible moldy rind of Neufchâtel is dry and velvety. The lightly pressed, uncooked, cream coloured pâte is firm yet supple and slightly grainy. After an affinage of 8 to 10 weeks, the mold starts flavouring the cheese leaving a pleasant mushroom aroma and a salty sharper flavour.

The popular shape for Neufchâtel cheese is the heart, but the AOC allows it to be made in six different sizes and forms of either briquette, cylindrical or square.

Neufchâtel pairs well with a nice Bordeaux red such as a Pomerol - Château Treytins.

 
Neufchatel - Coeur De Bray

 
Neufchâtel can be found as a farmer, industrial and artisanal cheese. Here is a list of the official AOC Neufchâtel producers in the France's Normandie region.

There are other heart-shaped cheeses that can be served on Valentine’s Day, such as the Coeur du Berry a lovely French goat-milk cheese.

2013/02/01

Parked


Parked - the movie (2010)

Parked is the story of Fred Daly a middle-aged Irishman, who is down on his luck. The role of Fred is superbly played by Irish actor Colm Meaney (Hell on Wheels, The Perfect Stranger). Fred has just returned home to Ireland after living in England and discovers there's no work to be found. With no means to support himself, Fred lives in his car parked by the sea in a car-park.

Life changes for Fred when a young dope-smoking Cathal played by Colin Morgan (The Adventures of Merlin, Island) moves his car in the same car-park and starts living there. The two befriend each other and help each other out.

Cathal introduces Fred to a nearby pool where they can clean up and enjoy a swim. This is where Fred meets Jules, an attractive music teacher played by Finnish actress Milka Ahlorth. The three grow closer to each other and are set on a course that will change their lives forever.

Parked is at times a comedy and at other times dramatic, but it is consistently engaging and quite moving, a good directional film debut for Irishman Darragh Byrne.


2013/01/31

Clandestin

Le Clandestin is an exquisite soft, washed rind cheese made with the pasteurised whole milks of both cow and sheep.

Clandestin
 
Le Clandestin has a lovely soft orange hued washed rind lightly specked with white. The sumptuous rich white coloured paste becomes very creamy after an affinage of five weeks.

Le Clandestin has a rustic farmer’s aroma. The cheese has a somewhat marked lactic flavour slightly acidic yet without being too aggressive.

Le Clandestin is produced by Fromagerie LeDétour located in Notre-Dame-du-Lac in Québec's Lower St-Laurence region in the Lake Témiscouata area near the New-Brunswick and the USA's Maine borders.

Fromagerie Le Detour is run by husband and wife team Ginette Bégin and Mario Quirion. They have been making artisanal cheeses since 1999. They produce a variety of milk products; butter, cream and hard, soft & semi-soft cheeses among them Magie de Madawaska and the lovely chèvre Grey Owl.

Le Clandestin pairs well with a classic Italian Chianti from Toscany. La Fromagerie Détour suggests pairing it with an Irish Malt Whiskey from Islay. Splendid!



2013/01/22

Professor Longhair - Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Professor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist active in the early rhythm and blues and in the returned interest in traditional jazz. Longhair was a key figure in bridging the worlds of boogie-woogie and the new style of rhythm and blues. His style was known as "rumba-boogie".

Piano excerpt from "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" by Professor Longhair


"Mardi Gras in New Orleans" became Longhair's signature song. It was originally recorded in 1949, but has been re-recorded and featured on some of his later albums.

I've chosen Professor Longhair's "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" to honour the occasion of the official beginning of the 2013 Mardi Gras Parades in New Orleans.  

New Orleans Parade

I know you will go on whistling this tune for the next days to come. It is quite infectious.


Piano excerpt above is from "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" (1949) by Professor Longhair. 2-3 clave is written above for rhythmic reference. Source: Wikipedia

Parade photo source: www.bestneworleansattractions.com

2013/01/18

Raclette

Raclette is very appealing during these winter months. The coziness of sitting around the table, together with family and friends, drinking, grilling and cooking our food in a relaxed dining environment; what better way to spend several hours on a cold winter evening.
 
Raclette
 
Raclette is a type of cheese and also the name of the Swiss dish that is based on heating up cheese and then scraping off the melted cheese. The origin of the name raclette comes from the word 'racler' which translates to the act of scraping the melted cheese.
 
Traditionally, when making raclette, half a wheel of cheese is heated and the melted cheese is scraped onto potatoes, layer by layer. The 3 kg (6 lbs) half wheel of raclette cheese is still used today when the dish is served for a larger group (15+ persons).
Raclette cheese is usually accompanied by small potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions and dried meat, such as Prosciutto and viande des Grisons.
Raclette

The raclette machines used today usually have a grill above the heating element and little trays below. This lets you grill meat, fish and vegetables on the top grill while the raclette cheese melts in the trays below. There is a variety of raclette machines available today, that can be purchased and/or rented from your local cheese shop.
Raclette cheese was first made in the Swiss Alps in the southwestern area of Valais. When this cheese is heated it has a very creamy consistency and melts without separating due to the cheese's balanced fat content.
Today, there is a wide selection of raclette cheeses available for every taste from mild to strong. This is the advantage of grilling individual portions as opposed to using half a wheel of only one particular cheese. A variety of raclette cheeses can be pre-sliced to sample such as; a classic raw milk Swiss Bagnes raclette, a French white wine raclette, goat-milk raclette, sheep-milk raclette, wood-smoked raclette, raclette with pepper corns, raclette with mustard seeds, etc.
Vegetables and fresh salads are great accompaniments to raclette dishes. Small new potatoes boiled in their skins are the ideal side dish for your creations in raclette dishes. Potatoes are the perfect complement to cheese and can be combined with just about anything (meat, fish, mixed veggies) and can easily be kept warm on a platter on the table during the meal.
Raclette dish

Raclette

Ingredients

- Cheese
For a raclette diner plan on 200 g (7-8 oz) per person.

- Potatoes
Small new potatoes boiled in their skins are the traditional accompaniment to raclette. Plan on 250 g (1/2 lb.) of potatoes per person, if the potatoes are the only filling side dish.

- Vegetables
Tender raw vegetables cut in small portions to be cooked on the grill. Firmer vegetables should be pre-blanched.

- Meat and/or Fish
Meat prepared on a raclette machine should be cut up very finely so it will be cooked throughout in a short period of time. Dried meats are ideal for raclette such as sliced Prosciutto, viande des Grisons (dried beef also known as Bündnerfleisch) and sliced salamis such as Rosette de Lyon.
Fish is ideal for raclette because it cooks quickly. When grilling, it's better to use fattier types of fish such as mackerel, salmon or filets with the skin on. Scallops and shrimp are also delicious on the grill.

- Side Dishes
Vegetables and fresh salads are great side dishes. Sauces and dips are suggested if you're using the grill to accompany the roasted vegetables, fish or meats.

- Fruit
Fruit that are slightly tart go especially well with cheese. Cut fruit such as; apples, pears, plums, apricots, figs, mango, etc.


Many thanks to Rosanne and Stephen for the raclette grill. We will definitely be making use of it through the coming months.

2013/01/10

Alabama Shakes - Hold On

This song has been growing and growing on me over the past few months.



Alabama Shakes


Alabama Shakes an American rock group from Athens, Alabama have recently been nominated for the 2013 Grammy Award for best new artist and best rock performance for this excellent single "Hold On".

I just can't get enough of this rockin’ number with the powerful raunchy vocals from singer, guitarist Brittany Howard.

You've got to hold on
Yeah you've got to hold on


http://www.alabamashakes.com/

2013/01/08

Saint-Clément

Le Saint-Clément is a welcomed new addition to the Québec artisanal chèvre family. 

Le Saint-Clément

Le Saint-Clément is a small 8 cm (3”) round pasteurised goat-milk cheese weighing approximately 120 g (4.5 oz). It has a lovely wheat coloured thin natural rind with a tender, smooth uncooked, unpressed, white pâte that melts in the mouth.  It has a mild “caprin” aroma with a balanced sweet and sour flavour.
Fromagerie Pampille & Barbichette, Sainte-Perpétue, Quebec

Le Saint-Clément is produced by La Fromagerie Pampille et Barbichette located in Sainte-Perpétue in Québec’s Centre region near Drummondville.  The farm and goat-milk cheese production is operated by François and Maryse Clément and family where they transform the farms goat milk into yogurts and lovely farmhouse cheeses such as; Edelweiss, Le Savoureux de Biquette and Délice de Fiora.
Le Saint-Clément pairs well with a nice South African Chenin blanc.

2012/12/26

Hibiscus

Hibiscus is a beautiful flowering plant belonging to the mallow family, Malvaceae. There are many species of Hibiscus including both annual and perennial herbaceous plants.

Hibiscus
 
Hibiscus is recognizable by its showy trumpet-shaped flowers that can be quite large from 4 to 18 cm wide. The petals of the Hibiscus flower come in various colours from white, pink, orange, purple, yellow and my favourite “coral”,. The individual flowers are short-lived; they live only for one day. However, the numerous flower buds produced on the shrub's new growth, provide an abundance of flowers from July to September and even later if the plant is brought indoors before the cold fall nights kick in.
The sepals of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower are used to make Hibiscus tea, a hot and cold herbal drink consumed by people around the world. Hibiscus tea is also referred to as sorrel and roselle, which is another common name for the hibiscus flower.
 
Hibiscus and hummingbird
 
Hibiscus plants are often used in the garden to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Thanks to my brother-in-law Colin for the great picture of the hibiscus and hummingbird.

Caro Emerald - That Man

Caro Emerald - That Man

Dutch jazz singer Caro Emerald singing "That Man". This single is one of many hits taken from her upbeat chart topping album "Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor". 

Swinging and sassy!


www.caroemerald.com