Lemon Ice Ice Baby

Sicily, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast in particular, boast some of the best (if not the very best) citrus fruit in the world. Lemons and oranges can be found practically everywhere and are used locally in a whole range of ways - perfumes, soaps, liquors, sweets, and of course the local cuisine.

The differences between what grows over there and what we have in the UK are noticeable immediately. They're much bigger, more perfumed and far far sweeter with none of the sharp bitterness usually associated with lemons. These badboys are so special that the 'Sorrento Lemon' was even granted it's own IGP recognition (Protected Geographical Indication) in November 2000, something more usually associated with the production of wine.

Other than squeezed over fish, my two favourite uses of these prized assets are in the production of 'limoncello' (a local liquor that I'm sure everyone has drunk at some point, usually excessively) and 'granita di limone' (a semi-frozen treat now available in all sorts of flavours).

One will get you pissed, the other will cleanse your palate. You can always mix them both together like I drunkenly did with some friends on Saturday night, I think I remember it working...

Anyway, if you want 'limoncello' get yourself to Sorrento. But if you want granita, here's a really easy recipe to make the original lemon version, and damn refreshing it is too.

Serves 4-6:

600ml of water
300g of sugar
500ml of lemon juice (approx 8-16 lemons)
zest of 1 lemon

Bring the water and sugar to a light simmer and reduce until you have a slightly syrupy consistency, this shouldn't take much more than 10 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Strain the lemon juice through a sieve straight into the cooled syrup, mix well and leave to rest for 30 mins. Add the grated zest (and ribbons of very finely shredded mint if you fancy) and pour into a plastic container with a lid.

Pop this into the freezer for 4-5 hours stirring (and eventually scraping) the mixture well every 30 mins with a fork. That's pretty much it.

Get stuck in or just keep in the freezer until you're ready. If it solidifies a little too much over time just fluff it up again with a fork before serving in a glass. Enjoy!

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Look Mum, No Hands!

As much as it pains me to say this, smartphone apps and the internet in general are unquestionably eating into (excuse the pun) the cookbook market. I still get a lot of enjoyment flicking through the Silver Spoon for inspiration but books like this are bloody heavy, take up a lot of space and make it comparatively harder to bookmark, refer back to and ultimately find what you're looking for.

With that in mind it's not surprising that one of the most popular categories in app development is indeed 'cookery'. The only problem with recipe and food related apps is the fact that you don't always want Moroccan Chicken Rub fingers swiping across your shiny touchscreen.

To combat this terrifying dilemma the geeks over at Random House Group and Ebury Publishing have come up with a nifty solution – the 'My Kitchen Table' app.

Using what it calls ‘pioneering Touch Free technology’ you can swipe through a recipe - you guessed it - without touching your screen.

It's free to download but only works on fourth-generation devices. Stop hating and upgrade...

See the app in action below (warning, the video is mildly annoying but Antonio Carluccio features so that's ok):

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How to piss off the French

This is brilliant. A hidden camera, an English actor and a fake product hit a local market in Castelnaudary (capital of the infamous 'cassoulet') to sell a British take (mint, sweet & sour, curry) on the quintessential French dish.

To put this into context 'cassoulet' is the French's 4th favourite meal and a source of immense national and gastronomic pride. It is also utterly delicious.

Needless to say the concept does not go down very well with the locals. One even tries to sabotage the stand. Watch the full video below, genius...

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A Glass of Sicily

Here's a tidy clip that makes me want to run as fast as I can to Sicily. Curiously the video is as much about the island as it about the brand being advertised, winemaker Tasca d'Almerita.

Created by Italian "viral media company" Mosaicoon, the 80-second video, called "A Glass of Sicily" is a nice display of visuals and sound design.

The campaign also includes a photo gallery and an interactive map on Flickr, with a range of content and images from across Sicily.

Time for me to get over there me thinks...

via AdWeek

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Forking Hell

Do you regularly struggle to eat pasta? Are you utterly incapable of feeding yourself?

If you answered yes to those questions then fear not, 'Inventor' Bob Balow demonstrates how to use his 'Original Pasta Fork' so that you needn't eat your Spaghetti Bolognese with your hands any more.

Gold plated forks also available, no seriously, see here.

Genuinely don't know whether to laugh or cry...

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Filthy bitch

I love it, you love it, she unquestionably loves it.

Wishing you all a very happy Friday and a dippolicious weekend.

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Green is the colour, Sauce is the game

The Argentinians call it Chimichurri, the French Sauce Vierge (Virgin Sauce), the Italians and Mexicans Salsa Verde (Green Sauce).

Regardless of where you believe it to have originated from (unquestionably Italy :P) there is no denying that this dressing is one of the most simple yet versatile ones around.

Its beauty lies in its simplicity and whilst there are indeed many variations you'll be hard pushed to find one that doesn't taste great. Usual accompaniments are fish, shellfish, white meat, red meat and grilled or raw vegetables (so everything except cheese and fruit).

Furthermore, not only is it excellent in its own right, it's also a perfect base for many other flavourings from citrus to chilli, herbs to spices and so on. Having said that, try to keep aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano down to a min - they're a bit too strong.

In Italy Salsa Verde is seen as a cold rustic sauce usually made with some combination of parsley, basil, vinegar, capers, garlic, onion and olive oil. Ocasionally, anchovy paste is added when used over veg like broccoli or with pasta. A well-known version in fact is gremolata; the usual accompaniment to the ridiculously tasty ossobuco alla milanese.

Although parsley is most commonly used you can really go to town with any tender herb available: coriander, basil, fennel, tarragon or dill for example are perfect with fish and seafood. Celery leaves, while technically not a herb, are also a tasty addition to the sauce. Often discarded these are more than just a garnish for bloody marys, they add a lighter colour to the sauce and are mild enough to go unnoticed by celery-haters.

Beyond the Mediterranean, green sauces are of course also very common in Central and South-American cuisine. In these instances you'll usually find puréed tomatoes (cooked or raw), with chillies, white onion, cilantro, and lime. So whilst in Mexican-American cuisine they're frequently associated with dips for tortillas, tacos, grilled meats and fish - in Argentina they're mainly used for roasted meats, steak and sausages.

Christ, I'm starving now. Anyway, my version is a bit of blend of styles but tastes great and works with pretty much anything.

Enough for 2-3 dishes:

1 large tomato, deseeded and finely chopped

1 shallot, very finely chopped (1/2 a red onion will do)

1/2 lime, squeezed

1 large handful of flat leaf parsley

1 smaller handful of basil leaves

5 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar


To prepare simply fry the shallot in a pan with some oil for a minute or until slightly translucent, then mix well with all over ingredients and add a pinch of salt and pepper. If it needs a loosening just a glug more oil.

Pretty damn easy for something so tasty, get involved.

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