Tag Archives: Organic

Chocolate genius creates a new breed of chocolate

Posted on 12 March, 2012 by | Leave a comment

If you haven’t heard about Zotter chocolate yet you will soon.

The zany Austrian chocolatier is taking the chocolate world by storm with his imaginative flavours. Thankfully they are organic, fairtrade and gluten free; and some of them are vegan, though some of them are definitely not!

Josef Zotter designs unusual chocolate bars with mind altering flavour combinations such as balsamic caramel or lime and honey, or pumpkin caramel or sheep’s milk with honey nuts. Chocolate devotees are calling him a genius, and the wrapper designs are as funky as the confectionery within.

© Zotter Schokoladen Manufaktur GmbH

A new breed of chocolate is born
© Zotter Schokoladen Manufaktur GmbH

His chocolates have certainly developed a cult-like following, with 30 new chocolate new ideas each year. In fact his bestselling hand scooped chocolate formula is offering a totally new experience of chocolate. The chocolate is made up of specific layers with varied types of chocolate and fillings so that each layer can melt in your mouth at different stages.

Zotter is also unique in that he personally looks after the creation of his chocolate from “bean to bar”. He knows that different cocoa beans bring different flavours and uses this to his advantage, and it also helps him maintain his emphasis on fairtrade and environmental responsibility.

To make a start and become a Zotter-phile yourself, select from one of these amazing hand scooped flavours.

■ Birds Eye Chilli Chocolate
■ Black Cherry & Vanilla Chocolate
■ Butter Caramel Chocolate
■ Candied Ginger Chocolate
■ Cheese, Walnut & Grapes Chocolate
■ Cherry Brandy Marzipan Chocolate
■ Fruit Fiesta Chocolate
■ Scotch Whisky Chocolate
■ Bacon Bits Chocolate

Zotter has produced over 200 chocolate flavours in total. The few listed below are from his Mitzi Blue range, a wheel within a wheel made of two discs of chocolate.

■ Dark Secrets Mitzi Blue Chocolate – A mix of Latin American cocoa where the dark chocolate outer surrounds a groovy 80% cocoa coin.
■ Hot Stuff Mitzi Blue Chocolate – A dark chocolate disc with chilli and a spicy peppered strawberry Mini Mitzi in the middle.
■ Indian Chai Mitzi Blue Chocolate – Genuine Indian dark chocolate from Kerala. At the centre the caramel chocolate gets together with ginger and chilli.
■ Jazz & Blues Mitzi Blue Chocolate – Dark chocolate caramelised with chilli cocoa nibs gets darker with a 90% cocoa Mini Mitzi.
■ Marrakesh Mitzi Blue Chocolate – A wheel of milk chocolate, spiced with cardamom and a colourfully decorated almond nougat, with orange blossom oil and roses at its heart.

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Posted in Chocolate, Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Fairtrade, Organic, Uncategorized

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Booja Booja – for Easter Eggs with a difference

Posted on 7 March, 2012 by | 1 Comment

If you’re looking for an Easter egg with a difference you’ll be impressed by Booja Booja.

Made by a small Norfolk company, the eggs are exquisitely painted wooden shells. But it’s what’s inside that really causes a stir…

Cushioned in velvet within you’ll find handmade chocolate truffles, prepared without dairy or gluten, and tasting like a dream, whatever your palate.

Booja Booja offer a choice of small and large eggs and the truffles come in six wondrous flavours.

An Easter Egg to treasure

■ Around Midnight Espresso
■ Banoffee Toffee
■ Hazelnut Crunch
■ Champagne Truffle
■ Rum Sozzled Sultana
■ Stem Ginger Truffle
(See the whole Booja Booja range at GoodnessDirect)

If you’re thinking ethically about Easter (which you should be*) then it’s good to know that Booja Booja import their cocoa from a family run firm in Ecuador, all the ingredients are organic and suitable for vegans. The eggshells themselves are also sustainably made by a community of artists from the troubled Kashmir region – and you can reuse the shell as a keepsafe for your trinkets and your memories.

* There is a great deal of concern over the use of child labour in much of the cocoa imported from West Africa. To learn more visit 10 campaign  and consider buying ethically sourced chocolate such as Fairtrade.

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Posted in Chocolate, Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Dairy-Free, Diet, Fairtrade, Organic, Vegan

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Love the fresh taste of Mediterranean fruit in these organic preserves

Posted on 2 March, 2012 by | Leave a comment

It’s not surprising that this is Italy’s favourite pure fruit spread.

Fiordifrutta is a delicious taste of fresh organic Mediterranean fruit with no added sugar.

Each jar is filled with one-and-a-half kilos of sun ripened fruit, which is cooked at a low temperature to preserve the fruit’s nutrients and taste. Plus no extra sugar means lower calories and a lower GI rating.

And now an Italian chocolate spread too
What is more, the company behind the brand, Rigoni di Asiago, have produced an organic chocolate hazelnut spread called Nocciolata. It’s creamier and more flowing than your average chocolate spread with a richer hazelnut flavour. Warm it up and drizzle it over your evening dessert.

For Fiordifrutta flavours to try see below:

Enjoy the sweet taste of Mediterranean fruit

Enjoy the sweet taste of Mediterranean fruit

■ Organic Mediterranean Pink Grapefruit Fruit Spread
■ Organic Sicilian Citrus Fruits & Bergamot Fruit Spread
■ Organic Sicilian Lemon Fruit Spread
■ Organic Adriatic Peaches Fruit Spread
■ Organic Wild Highland Blueberries Fruit Spread
■ Organic Wild Summer Berries Fruit Spread
■ Organic Wild Summer Raspberries Fruit Spread
■ Organic Sunkissed & Wild Strawberries Fruit Spread
■ Organic Mediterranean Figs Fruit Spread
■ Organic Italian Riviera Apricots Fruit Spread

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Posted in Chocolate, Fruit, General Food, Low GL (Glycaemic Load), Nuts, Organic

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Japanese food, simple, healthy and creative

Posted on 23 February, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Japanese food is growing in popularity. It’s beauty is in its simplicity.

Many recognise the cuisine as healthy too. Not much salt or oil is used and vegetables make up a large part of the Japanese diet.

But cooking Japanese isn’t difficult. Many ingredients are well known: rice, noodles, tofu, soy sauce, sake, wasabi, miso.

Sanchi make high quality traditional Japanese foods, including many of  the foods you’ve heard of and some you won’t. There’s no artificial colouring, flavouring, additives, sweeteners or refined sugar. Simply the best in Japanese Cuisine.

Japanese food is so beautiful in its simplicity

Japanese food is so beautiful in its simplicity

The BBC offers a good introduction to making your own Japanese food with over 60 recipes, and when you’ve got that mastered, you can move onto the Japanese  Food Report.

So all you need are some good Sanchi ingredients, a bit of zen, add a pair of chopsticks and you’re on your way!

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Posted in Lifestyle, Organic, Uncategorized

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Honey love and the recipe for Jus d’Amour

Posted on 14 February, 2012 by | Leave a comment

They say that you can be a connoisseur of honey in the same way that you be a collector of wines because there are so many types and flavours of the Aphrodisian nectar.

In fact, the rarest, most valued honeys are difficult to find because not simply as a result of their taste but also their energizing, aphrodisiac properties.

Referenced in both the Kama Sutra and The Perfumed Garden, honey does indeed bless the body. It releases enzymes and vitamins which are absorbed quickly into the body.

In fact there is a recipe called Jus ‘Amour or love juice which I’ll copy out for you in a moment…

Ogilvy's Honey - Food to be passionate about

Ogilvy's Honey - Food to be passionate about

Ogilvy’s Honey
But first to tell you about Ogilvy’s because they really are honey-collectors who are making finds from all over the world available to the British populus.

Ogilvy’s are the first to provide fine, single source and rare honeys on a national scale in the UK. Not only that but, because they want you to be passionate about honeys too, tasting notes are included on every jar of honey they produce.

Himalayan Highlands (Organic)
A very light, intensely sweet flavour.  Mild to medium in strength.
New Zealand Rainforest
Fresh, mild taste.  Mild to medium in strength.
New Zealand Tawari
Hints of orange blossom and a buttery taste.  Medium in strength.
New Zealand Rewarewa
An intense toffee flavour. Delicious to eat and wonderful for cooking. Medium in strength.
Zambezi Plains (Organic)
Slighty spicy with a distinctive red currant flavour.  Strong in strength.
Balkan Black Locust
A lovely pale shiny honey with a delicate light flavour. Mild in strength.
Balkan Linden
An intense aromatic sweet honey that is particularly delicious in tea. Medium to light in strength.
Argentine Delta
(Awaiting good weather for harvest.)

Jus d’Amour recipe
A traditional drink made simply of honey, ginger, lemon and water. Sharp and fresh, it will enliven your senses.

1. Peel and juice 100g of ginger and mix with water to make one litre. Leave in a jug to stand for a few hours.
2. Squeeze 5 lemons and add the juice to the jug. Pour in a quality fluid honey, enough to sweeten the drink.
3. Serve very cold (and if you drink too much at once I won’t be held responsible for your actions…)

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Posted in General Food, Organic, recipe, Vegetarian

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Did you know that some people still have to press and freeze tofu and then slice it to create a tofu fillet? They obviously haven’t heard of Taifun who take all the fuss out of creating a hunk of tofu … Continue reading →

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Posted on 31 January, 2012 by

Seed & Bean chocolate bars are packed with flavour

Posted on 27 January, 2012 by | 3 Comments

The Organic Seed & Bean company have brought out some of the most unique bars of chocolate I have ever come across. They are crammed with flavour & creativity and are the latest bars to hit the organic and Fairtrade ethical market! (In fact, they’re the best in ethical chocolate.) Take a closer look….

The best in ethical chocolate

The best in ethical chocolate...

Extra Dark Chocolate

In the “extra dark” range you will come across some taste-bud tingling chilli & lime, some tongue twisting mandarin & ginger and some sensual raspberry & coconut. Not to forget the lavender, pumpkin & hemp and smoked Cornish sea salt. I bet your mouth is watering already!

The “extra dark” bars range from 66% to 72% cocoa, they come in 85g bars and are all suitable for vegans. Just think, how many of your friends would love to try one of these?

Fine Dark Chocolate

For all those who just want pure, unadulterated dark chocolate then this is the one for you… it’s Seed & Bean’s original fine dark chocolate known as Extra Dark for its high cocoa content – that’s it – nothing added.

But for those that like a little twist then why not try these? Fine dark chocolate with lemon & cardamom or coffee espresso. Certainly something to sink one’s teeth into!

Ranging from 58% to 72% in cocoa, from unadulterated to flavour sensations, these 85g bars are a great gift for anyone, and all are suitable for vegans.

Rich Milk Chocolate

How will you choose choose?? I can’t. I am a real sucker for milk chocolate and when someone presents me with the choice between milk chocolate with raspberry or milk chocolate with tangerine I just can’t pick. They are quite possibly my 2 most favourite flavours. (I do also have a severe weak spot for lemon.)

These 3 bars are a lot lower on the cocoa scale, all being at 37%, so they are very creamy. Completely delicious if you ask me!

Creamy White Chocolate

My other weak spot. Lemon & poppy seed. Ahhhh… just thinking about it is making me melt. I love lemon. I love white chocolate. I LOVE this combination!

Chocolate Slabs

But you know… Sometimes a bar just isn’t big enough, so Seed & Bean have brought out the slab! These are great for if your having one of those “I need chocolate” days, and they are also great for sharing (yes, you can share chocolate). There are 4 fantastic flavours all of which are not available in the small bars so yes… there are 4 MORE flavours to taste! Fine dark chocolate with double ginger, fine dark chocolate with double chilli, fine dark chocolate with cherry and creamy white with blueberry & vanilla. Oh how do you pick?

Check out the whole Seed & Bean Range many of which have gained  Vegan accreditation too. (I’d get shopping quick if I were you.)

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Posted in Chocolate, Fairtrade, General Food, Organic, Vegan

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What’s the best tasting ketchup? Mr Organic’s of course

Posted on 11 January, 2012 by | Leave a comment

One of my favourite organic brands is Mr Organic – I guess it’s because I’m quickly able to associated that happy face on their label with unqualified good taste.

Basically, Mr Organic is a delicious range of Italian goodies aimed at the whole family.

Mr Organic ketchup tastes particularly fantastic

Mr Organic ketchup tastes particularly fantastic

Consider, for example, their Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It’s hand picked and immediately cold pressed which means that you get superior quality oil which they say you can even use for cooking with (which isn’t always easy with olive oil). And olive oil can make or break a dressing I think you’ll agree.

Then there’s Mr Organic’s Tomato Ketchup – it’s an award winner, and it’s not surprising; it’s definitely the best ketchup I’ve ever tasted. Mr Organic pack 600g of tomatoes into 100g of ketchup (that’s 5 times more than a certain well known other brand!)  It also has half the sugar so it’s better for you.  Not to mention that organic tomatoes have more lycopene content than non-organic ones (lycopene is a powerful antioxidant).

Once you become a fan, you’ll know nothing else compares to it.

(Incidentally, when it comes to tomatoes and recent reports of badly treated farm labourers in Italy, Mr Organic has been rated as very ethical because of their good practice by the Ethical Consumer guide.)

While we’re on the subject of tomatoes, I recommend you sample the Mr Organic Basilico sauce – a beautifully simple Italian classic.  Flavoured with fresh basil for maximum authentic flavour, Basilico sauce is perfect just brilliant with pasta.

Mr Organic also make other sauces such as Bolognese and Puttanesca, passatas, purees, peeled tomatoes and tins and tins of beans – just the kind of basic ingredients you need to make great organic family meals. It’s worth checking them out.

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Breakthrough gluten-free, egg-free pasta

Posted on 6 January, 2012 by | Leave a comment

One of the big recent winners of the FreeFrom Food Awards was Rizopia Organic pasta made simply from wholegrain brown rice and water.

The judges commented that, “This pasta has great texture and a really nice bite. It’s indistinguishable from ordinary wheat pasta – a triumph of manufacture.”

Nutritious healthy pasta

Nutritious healthy pasta

The advantage of this pasta is that its ingredients make it gluten-free and vegan without any compromise on the quality of their food. It cooks just like normal pasta (ie. it doesn’t dissolve if you overcook it) and the brown rice gives it an excellent texture flavour and high nutritional value – it’s enjoyed by coeliacs and non-coealics alike.

There’s a big range of styles of pasta too: Penne, Spaghetti, Lasagne, Fusilli Fettuccine, Fantasia (fun shapes) and Elbow macaroni – which is fantastic news if you’re a pasta fan. Check out Rizopia and complete your cooking experience today.

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Posted in Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Vegan

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Frankenstein’s pets

Posted on 16 December, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Super moth - the GM insectGenetically Modified insects? Does that sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and too far fetched for reality?

Don’t be so sure. I’ve just heard about a proposal the Government are considering at the moment – the  release of millions of genetically modified insects into the countryside of the UK.

Why ever would they do such a thing? Well the theory is that these GM supermoths would destroy the insects that are well known food crop pests.

GM insects flying around a neighbourhood near you

The proposal is for the ‘open release’ of a Genetically Modified strain of the Diamondback moth, developed by a UK company. Diamondback moths attack broccoli & similar crops. With the GM strain a lethal gene is inserted into the male so that when they mate with wild females their offspring die almost immediately, causing the population to crash. The company, Oxitec, based in Oxford, wants to begin trials next year. Some are objecting saying that the untested technology could threaten wildlife & human health.

What if it all goes wrong? Where is the control? How do you wind back GM?

Dr. Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK, said “Mass releases of GM insects into the British countryside would be impossible to recall if anything went wrong. Changing one part of an ecosystem can have knock-on effects on others in ways that are poorly understood. This could include an increase in different types of pests. Wildlife that feeds on insects could be harmed if there are changes to their food supply. GM insects that bite animals or humans could cause allergies or transmit diseases & new diseases might evolve.”
Well said Dr Wallace!

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Posted in Organic, Uncategorized

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