My new favourite things (part 1)

Marmite
If Kikkoman (Japanese soy sauce brewer) and Guinness (Irish beer brewer) got together to develop a fusion product, I'm convinced they would come up with Marmite. Some people hate it and some love it. The only other food I know of that inspires a similar type of polarization amongst food lovers is durian. I tried marmite for first time a few years ago and found it salty and disgusting. I have tried it again recently and was surprised to find that I like it a lot. I think the difference this time is that I used it 'correctly', that is I only used a little tiny bit scraped very thinly over some hot butter toast. The first time I tried Marmite I ate about half a spoon full directly out of the jar. If you have ever had marmite, you will understand the severity of this faux pas. Marmite has a strong salty, yeasty taste. If you believe in the seven basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, astringent, chili called pungent, sour and umami) then Marmite definitely belongs to the umami/salty group.

Highland Oatcakes
Oatcakes are essentially Scottish crackers. They are made of oats (surprise) and are available in either Highland, rough or flavored varieties. The Highland variety are my current favorite, they are slightly sweeter and have a finer texture than rough oatcakes, which contain little bits of steel cut oats. Highland oatcakes taste like less sugary digestive biscuits. Cheese, dried fruit and herbs are mixed in with the oatcake batter to make flavoured oatcakes. Oatcakes are a traditionally served along with haggis, neeps and tatties. I like them on their own or with peanut butter (no very popular here) or cheese.

Malty Loaf
This is a yummtastic, sweet and extremely chewy bread. It very dark, presumably because of the malt, and has raisins in it. Normally, I’m blah on raisins but it is yummy here. I will eat slices of malty loaf toasted or untoasted, plain or with margarine either for breakfast or as a little snack. The Soreen website also offers recipes such as “spicy lamb kabobs with couscous” that feature malty loaf. I have not tried this yet.

Bailey’s and Hot Chocolate
As you probably know, I do not drink alcohol because I don't like the acrid taste of ethanol and the unpleasant, nauseous feeling it causes. Recently, I’ve found that a tiny amount will not have an adverse effect and the acrid taste is indiscernible when it is diluted or mixed with fruit juice (more on sangrias in a future blog and perhaps beers in a distant future blog). This brings to me Bailey’s and hot chocolate; I don’t know what this is actually called in the bartending world but it is yummy. Often drinks like this in restaurants/bars are made with too much alcohol for my taste but now that I make them at home to my taste, they are gooood. I’ve always been interested in alcoholic beverages because they offer a variety of unusual flavours and because they come in cool bottles. Maybe dilution will be the key to my enjoyment.

Dog Mug
I got this mug this week for half price at Whittard of Chelsea in the city center. It makes me happy. I love this mug and drink tea from it daily. There is a dog bone on the other side.