Lemon Ginger Honey

The first time I tried a glass of hot lemon, ginger and honey was in a cafe in Dharamshala, India. I can't get enough of it and drink it like water. In addition to tasting fabulous, it's also a great remedy for colds - I'm starting to look forward to the winter now...

If you love lemon, ginger and honey, you really must give this a try - or even if you have a cold, I would highly recommend it. All you need is boiled water, lemon juice, ginger and honey - all affordable and obtainable from your local supermarket.

Here is how I make it:

Ingredients:

1/2 lemon
25g honey
20g fresh (peeled and finely chopped) ginger - unfortunately I only had pickled ginger but fresh is best

Cooking Accessories:

A small drinking glass/ mug
A spoon for mixing

Add the honey to the glass
Squeeze in the lemon juice (remove all seeds)
Add the ginger
Add the boiling water
Stir and leave to stew for 5 minutes before drinking

Philadelphia Freedom

Apparently chocolate Philadelphia isn't new to Americans. Having looked on the US website, they appear to  have every type of chocolate covered. One of the downsides of being a Brit is that you have to wait a bit longer for the news to arrive. I currently have an obsession with the US TV show, Once Upon a Time and found out that series 2 doesn't hit the UK until next year - it airs in the US next month! This is clearly what happened with chocolate Philadelphia...

About a week before this hit the shops, I made a chocolate cheesecake (inventing it as I went along) - I made the topping from Philadelphia and cheap dark chocolate. There I was thinking I was being innovative... a week later Philadelphia with Cadbury hit the supermarkets. Shamefully, I have to admit that it tastes better than my chocolate cream cheese but then it is Cadbury! The best way to describe it - smooth and chocolatey with a heavenly tang. It also tastes great dolloped on digestive biscuits - a cheesecake short-cut.

You can buy Philadelphia with Cadbury for £1.62 from most British supermarkets including; Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, ASDA and Waitrose.

Philadelphia with Cadbury... I love you, yes I do

A Bit Of Wensleydale, Gromit?

I love cheese. I love cheese so much, I once tried to throw a cheese party at university.

It's a very British obsession - I'm sure Wallace and Gromit would agree.

Lunchtime today consisted of crackers and cheese. What I love most about it is the fact that you can have it for a meal or desert. Many British gastropubs (posh pubs that sell posh food) and restaurants serve it as a desert... aka - the 'cheese platter'. I've never tried it as a desert (more of a fan of chocolate-based puddings) but I do love a few crackers at lunch.

What's more, you can have it with every cheese imaginable. My favourites are:

Wensleydale
Stilton
Edam
Brie
Le Roule
Cheddar

Today I opted for:

Ilchester Mexicana Cheddar - £1.19 (140kg) Tesco
Norwegian Jarlsberg - £1.44 (160kg) Tesco
Wensleydale with Mango and Ginger - £2.30 (230kg) Tesco
A slather of avocado (a great combination with the Mexican cheese)

It's quite obvious that the food shopping is done at Tesco but Morrisons (another leading British supermarket) stock a huge range of cheeses, in a variety of flavours. My favourite amongst the three has to be the Wensleydale. It has such a creamy texture - it melts and explodes in your mouth at once. The mango and ginger also give it a fruity/ spicy flavour. I just can't get enough of it and it doesn't surprise me that cartoon characters can't either!

I Heart Momos

If you've ever been to India or Nepal (or if you're lucky, Tibet), you'll know what these are.

They're quite simply heaven in a dumpling and come in a variety of flavours. Having been to India and Nepal, I have tried a large proportion of these! Chicken, pork, vegetable, cheese... even mars bar flavoured. The best way to describe them... they're a bit like spring roles filled with flavour!

My favourite to date has to be cheese and vegetable fried momos. I had these in a backpackers hotel in McLeod Ganj, Northern India (home of the exiled Dalai Lama). They cost no more than 100 rupees for a large plate (about £1.15) and I had them for dinner every night we stayed there (which was 4 nights... in a row). I don't think I have ever tasted a bad momo - this goes to show how amazing they are!

I have even managed to find momos back in the UK - I really am obsessed. About a year ago my dad informed me of a Gurkha food store in the military town of Tidworth, Wiltshire. He travelled to Nepal not long after my trip in 2010 and he fell in love with them too. In here we found... FROZEN MOMOS.

If you are ever in India, Nepal or even Wiltshire, I would recommend jumping on the momo bandwagon. They are to die for.

(Vegetable momos at the Pyramid Cafe - Rishikesh, India)

I also recommend:

Om Hotel (as mentioned above) - McLeod Ganj, India

Peace Cafe - McLeod Ganj, India

Gurkha Variety Store, Tidworth, UK

Do it. Do it. Do it!

Pineapple Avec Cinnamon

It really is that simple. 

I wanted some pudding and simply drizzled some cinnamon over a handful of pineapple chunks - it tastes delicious.

To make it more exciting, you can even sprinkle some brown sugar over it and grill it until it browns. This tastes more delicious!

A simple 5 minute tropical twist for desert!

The Cheap Man's Cocktail

Cava is the cheap man's Champagne... but it's great for cheap giggles.

The first time I tried it was on a girls trip to Spain in 2008 and it really did give us the giggles. It's since made guest appearances during my freshers week at university, numerous birthday parties and every single new years eve. I've always had to mix it with orange juice (aka - bucks fizz) but recently I learnt of a tastier way to my cheap giggles...

Back in my old office we had 'Friday beers'. Every Friday at 5 O'clock (this slowly crept to an earlier time of 4 O'clock) the beers were opened. On a couple of occasions there would be 'Friday Pimms', at Christmas there was 'Friday mulled wine' and on one occasion there was 'Friday elderflower cava' - inspired by one of my colleagues.

It's such a simple addition but it tastes wonderful and all you need is cava and elderflower cordial.

You can get a cheap bottle of cava from Tesco (or most supermarkets) for about £4.50 and elderflower cordial costs about £3 (I prefer the bottle green brand). The ratio of cordial to cava is 1:5 - simply pour the cordial into the glass (as if you were making a glass of squash), pour in the cava and stir it up. You will get about 8 glasses out of the cava and it really is a bargain.

Enjoy with friends and try not to fall over after your first glass.

Bring Me Home a Hot Irishman

A couple of weeks ago, my Aussie housemate from back in London went on a long weekend break to Ireland. I've never been to Ireland but when I imagine it, it's like a scene from PS I Love You. I imagine Gerard Butler drinking a Guinness in a cosy rural pub. I know this is just a stereotype and Gerard Butler is in fact Scottish but dare to dream...

Just before she left, I asked her to "bring me back a hot Irishman". Little did I know, she would go through with the bargain. Last week I went down to London to see "Jumpy" at the theatre with her, after the show (and a few gin and tonics in the pub) we went back to her place and she presented me with a gift. There under the wrapping paper was my hot Irishman. I kid you not.

Not only did I get my hot Irishman, he also makes "the perfect Irish coffee" - what better way to lose my inhibitions?