Discovered anything new lately? - food and drink wise

Kambucha.

Good for your gut and refreshing.

I still need to give that a go, a friend of mine loves Kambucha. I have tried Kimchi also good for the gut.

Here's one for the bin - Matcha yuk!

Terribull My husband asked the waitress in a café what a matcha brownie would taste like. She replied, " they are horrible, taste like grass." She laughed when we said she needed to work on her sales technique but admitted she just couldn't lie and tell anyone who asked that they were nice.

Yes this is true Bukkie, it was like drinking liquidised hay! I know this because my grandson asked for a summer drink containing it in M&S cafe. I warned him you may not like it, "I will he replied" a few gulps later, "I don't like it". Don't you hate being right sometimes Anyway, I tried it and it was pretty horrible. So that's Matcha done and dusted.

not a new idea but I put strawberries in the coldest part of the fridge and then they are lovely to eat, cool and delicious, with a cold fizzy water. Dont go for alcohol in this hot weather.

I was introduced to Aperol Spritz a few years ago and have to say I was decidedly underwhelmed. The person dishing it out said, ‘It’s very fashionable!’ which to her, TBH, was probably the most important thing.

Each to her own, however.
Personally, in summer, I much prefer a weakish G&T.

I didn't take to Aperol immediately, then I discovered the alcohol content was quite low, and it can be kept low by just adding tonic and leaving out Prosecco, so it's become my go to summer drink, I've acquired a taste for it. I do like a G&T in the summer, it has to be just one, even one more is headache inducing. I hadn't considered making it weaker, I should have thought of that!

I discovered ginger and lime last year and it’s my go to cold drink.

Aperol Spritz is my lunchtime drink of choice when I’m on holiday abroad. I first noticed people having this orange drink on holiday on an Italian island a few years ago. Tried it and loved it. Quite a few places now do a Limoncello spritz (very refreshing) and I also had a Sarti spritz a few weeks ago. Not sure what the alcohol in it was but tasted good.

I like the sound of the chia puddings Terribull we put the seeds on our cereal anyway. I wonder what it was soaked in? Off to ask Google.

Not exactly discovered, since I’ve had it in Cyprus, but today I’m having a go at making kleftiko (stolen lamb) which they traditionally cook in bread ovens until it falls apart.

Having found several varying recipes, I’ve got a half shoulder of lamb in the oven - on low for several hours. It was marinated for 24 hours in mint, parsley, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice and salt, then wrapped tightly in baking paper and foil.

Some recipes included e.g. cinnamon, which I’m not keen on anyway, and some included potatoes, but I’m cooking those separately.
I don’t usually much like lamb shoulder (too fatty) so I’m hoping that this way the fat will have disappeared. Will report back!
We’ll be having it with mashed potatoes and fresh U.K. grown green beans.

Ooh, I made kleftiko during the week, Witzend, and it was lovely!

That sounds wonderful, it will melt in the mouth and be full of flavour. In drooling at the thought!

I recently discovered samphire and I rediscover freshly dug up new potatoes every year.

I have also developed a taste for mocktails - lovely in the hot weather.

Beetroot and chocolate cake, chosen by DH for me in a tea room. Yuk! Tasted like soil. To be avoided.

Burrata…..a lovely soft cheese, great with tomatoes and all salad vegetables really

Pentire Coastal Spritz it’s a non alcoholic drink and reminds me of Aperol, I can no longer have alcohol ( I miss my old G & T) .

The replacement non alcoholic gins, I have yet to find a good one but the Pentire drink is so refreshing and lovely with a tonic water.

It’s a real treat.

The kleftiko worked very well - my parcel of baking paper and foil stayed intact, with all the juices inside - the meat just fell apart and the fat had disappeared. 🙂

Another time I’ll use more mint in the marinade, though.

Our daughter makes chia pudding but I can't even taste it because yes, it does look like frog spawn, reminiscent of horrible school puddings.
She has made some interesting drinks, smoothies and food for us 🤔

I have discovered that pork belly slices cooked in the slow cooker just melt in the mouth. They can be seared afterwards to crisp the skin, but I preferred them soft.

I would love to make lamb kleftiko Witzend , where did you find your recipe please?

Courgette lasagne .My daughter has an abundance of courgettes this year .

I had a jackfruit smoothie in a Vietnamese restaurant this week. Prefer the mango ones, though.

J52- I know it's popular but I feel the same about carrot cake, it's like eating soil.

Niochorio

I would love to make lamb kleftiko Witzend , where did you find your recipe please?

There are a lot of recipes online, if you google.
They varied a lot! Some added sundry spices, e.g cinnamon, which I didn’t fancy at all.

But the methods were all much the same.
FWIW I marinated mine, in the fridge for 24 hours, in olive oil, chopped parsley and mint (I’d use more mint another time) dried oregano, lemon juice and a little salt. The recipe said to stab little holes in the meat and rub the marinade in.

You then wrap it in a secure parcel using first 2 pieces of baking paper, one lengthways, one crossways, repeat with 2 pieces of foil, make sure it’s well sealed.
Put in an ovenproof dish.

Mine (a half boned shoulder) went in the oven for at least 4 hours at around 140 fan, after which I dropped it to IIRC 130 for a couple more. Parcel stayed intact with all the juices - the meat just fell apart.
I cooked potatoes separately, but some recipes include them.