The Cat in The Hat

Much to the surprise of many Americans, Dr. Seuss stories are not read by children from other countries, such as England, where I grew up. Instead, I read all of the famous Enid Blyton books, from Brer Rabbit adventures, right through to the Famous Five books and the Secret Seven.

What has this got so do with the Gourmet Fusion store you are probably wondering? Well, we have many unusual items in our store, and the addition of Dr. Seuss's The Cat In The Hat Cookie Jar this week, is one such item. This authentic Dr. Seuss cookie jar is hand painted in bright colors in amazing detail, and seeing it prompted me to find out more about both Dr. Seuss and The Cat in the Hat. It is sure to bring back many happy childhood memories, and not only is it great for storing cookies, but it will make an ideal container for Trick or Treat candies, too!

Mojito Time

As dusk falls in many cities around the world, bartenders are busy replenishing their bars with fresh fruit, herbs and ice, and they are ready for cocktail hour to begin. Among the favorites, the Mojito, with its great Cuban flavors, has become so popular that it now even rivals the martini in many bars.

So next time you invite friends round for drinks, turn up the Buena Vista Social Club CD, light a cigar, and sit back with with a refreshing Mojito, and create your own little Havana.

Ingredients for the Perfect Mojito

• 1 1/2 ounces Havana Club Anejo Blanco Rum
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• Juice of 1/2 a Lime
• 2 Sprigs of Mint
• Soda Water

Method

1. Pour the lime juice into a tall glass and dissolve the sugar in it.
   
2. Add a little soda water and then gently crush the mint in the glass.
   
3. Pour in the rum, two or three cubes of ice, and fill with soda water.
   
4. Stir and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Pie Birds at Gourmet Fusion

If you are wondering what a pie bird is, it is a steam vent which is placed in the center of fruit and meat pies while they are cooking to let the steam out. These were used in England and were introduced in Victorian times, and supported the pastry in the middle of the pie so that it didn't sag in the center while cooking, as well as letting the steam out.

I grew up in England and learned to bake there, and do not recall any modern cook using a pie bird. However, these items (often in the shape of a bird) are now something of a collector's item, and as well as having a practical use, are mostly used for decorative purposes.

On researching pie birds, it appears that many celebrities, including Princess Diana, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and George Bush, have all collected pie birds. They come in many shapes and sizes, often a bird, but not always, as you can see from this cute little snowman pie vent shown here.

How to Use a Pie Bird
To releases steam during baking through the hole in the top using a pie vent, simply place the pie bird in the middle of the pie shell before filling. After filling around the pie bird, place the crust over the top of the beak, pushing down slightly, and the pie bird will release steam during baking.

Several pie birds are now available in the Gourmet Fusion and would make a great gift for the baker in the family, or the someone starting a pie bird collection.

Clam Chowder

Go into any seafood restaurant or any steak house, and you are sure to see clam chowder offered on the menu. Clam chowder is typical of most regional specialties in that there is no one recipe - instead there are many varieties all containing the same base ingredients. The basic ingredients of a clam chowder are clams, onions and potatoes, and bacon or ham, giving the soup its distinctive smoky flavor. For a rich New England clam chowder, milk is often replaced with cream. In Manhattan clam chowder, however, there is neither milk nor cream, but plenty of fresh vegetables.

My favorite restaurant for clam chowder is San Francisco's Hog Island Oyster Company, which serves a whole array of oysters prepared in various ways, and clams either steamed or in a chowder, and the freshest salads you could ever taste. All of the vegetables are grown locally, and the menu changes according to whatever is in season.

Their clam chowder is different to many in that they leave the clams in the shells and serve them in a creamy broth, rather than chopping the clams and cooking them in a thick sauce. If you want to make chowder yourself, here is my version of this style of clam chowder.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 6 lb manila clams, soaked and scrubbed clean
• 6 rashers bacon
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
  
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 medium celery stalks, diced
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 cups clam broth
• 4 cups cream or half and half
• 1 cup dry white wine
  
• 4 sprigs of thyme
  
• salt
  
• freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Scrub the clams thoroughly under running water, and leave to soak for several hours to remove any sand.
2. Heat a 6-quart pot over a medium heat. Fry the bacon for about 5 minutes and then add the garlic and diced vegetables to the pan. Stir gently for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the clams and the thyme to the vegetable mixture, then add 3 cups of the clam broth and 1 cup of wine, season with salt and pepper.
   
4. Cook gently until the clams open, discarding any that do not.
5. Add the cream to the mixture and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring frequently.
6. All the ingredients should be cooked through, but the potatoes should be in tact and the chowder should be neither too runny nor too dry.

Serve with a crispy sourdough roll, a fresh salad, and a glass of white wine or a chilled wheat beer, and it's truly heaven!

Salt and Pepper Garlic Spread

Everyone knows that the addition of garlic to any recipe adds a wonderful, subtle flavor, but roasted garlic is also delicious when baked and used as a spread on crusty bread, pita bread and bruchetta. The addition of salt and pepper in this recipe makes it extra special. The flavor of roasted garlic spread is not as overwhelming as fresh garlic, and can often replace mayonnaise in many instances. The recipe below is from the excellent book Salt & Pepper by Sandra Cook, Sara Slavin and Deborah Jones.

Ingredients

4 whole heads garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 575 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel away the loose, outer, papery layers from the garlic heads. Trim off the pointy end of each head to expose the tops of the cloves (cutting off about 1/2-inch will generally be enough).
   
2. Place the garlic heads, cut sides up, in a small baking dish or garlic roaster.
   
3. Drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle with the coarse salt and black pepper.
4. Roast the garlic heads until the cloves are golden brown and begin to push out of the bulb, about 45 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven, let cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of heads into a small bowl.
   
6. Mash with a fork, pour the oil from the baking dish into the mashed garlic, and stir together to make a paste.

Garlic spread will keep for up to one week in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. The garlic roaster shown here is available at the Gourmet Fusion store, together with other terra cotta products.

Pistachio Margarita

If you got tired of drinking the same old margarita mix this holiday weekend, why not try a new spin on your favorite cocktail? The Pistachio Margarita is exactly what it sounds like and is one of the signature cocktails at Vancouver's chic Bar None.

Bar None, housed in a converted warehouse, is contemporary, intimate, and offers something for every taste. Whether it's live music, international DJ's, a cigar lounge or Martini bar you're looking for, you'll find it here. If you are in Vancouver it's definitely worth a visit - but in the meantime, here's the recipe for Pistachio Margarita. You can find more signature cocktails in the in the fabulous book of the same name by Bill Tikos, founder of The Cool Hunter website.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces 1800 Cuervo Gold Tequila
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lime
• Finely ground, salted pistachio nuts

Method

1. Rim a rocks glass with the pistachio nuts.
   
2. Place the tequila, Cointreau, sugar and lime juice in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
   
3. Pour and serve.

Deglingos at Gourmet Fusion

What are Deglingos and why are they at the Gourmet Fusion store? Deglingos are a group of animals that each have their own quirky character and, they are fun and everyone loves them - kids, teens and adults. The Deglingos shown here is NoNos the Dog.

We have included them in the store firstly, because they are an international bunch - the brain child of French designers, and we love anything international. Secondly, the Gourmet Fusion store is about food, cooking, and decorating your home to make life generally more enjoyable, so when we saw these cool characters, we knew we had to have them.

Forget the kids - you will want to keep these characters for yourself! They are made from soft, plush fabric, in funky colorful designs and they would make a great addition to any room. Leave them sitting casually on an ottoman, or leaning back on a cushion on the sofa - they are sure to become the talking point of any gathering. Choose your favorite character from BigBos the Wolf, Pikos the Hedgehog, Ratos the Rat, PoiloDos the Sheep, RonRonos the Cat or NoNos the Dog - of if you feel like making a scene in the living room, why not buy one of each?