Echo Falls introduces a sparkling tisane

When I heard about the new Echo Falls drink their alcohol free sparkling tisane, I was intrigued.

It is not just a tisane or a sparkling infusion. It is sold in a Champagne style bottle and even has a real cork to seal it as it is a carbonated drink.

It must be served chilled.

When I poured my wife a glass or two we both remarked that it did look an awful lot like Champagne in the glass.

It was bubbly and my wife said that it had a soft, mellow taste. My wife thought it tasted similar to an elderflower sparkling wine, though of course there is no alcohol.

Whilst there was none of the "bite" (for want of a better word) that one associates with the presence of alcohol within the drink, it did have an incredibly good mouthfeel and had a pleasing aftertaste.

If you can't or just won't drink alcohol, or have a guest who doesn't indulge, then Echo Falls Sparkling Tisane will be a fine addition to your chiller.

And although there's probably no scientific reason for this, I must say that the drink did give me a little bit of a boost. And with no hangover the next day, you might just be pleased you decided to buy a bottle (or two!) of Echo Falls Sparkling Tisane.

The perfect romantic curry with the spice Kitchen

Although it is true that curried dishes are more of a British invention than anything other than a passing nod to the wonderful foods of the Indian sub-continent, the name curry is seen as shorthand for the culinary traditions of India.

Which is a pity because the thousands of years of Indian culinary traditions are so much more than that.

However, if you would like to dine like an Indian family would dine, then Spice Kitchen (they're based in Birmingham) will have all the spices and seasonings that you will require to cook like an Indian masterchef.  (Somewhat like my wife, though that's a different story!)

Just visit their website at www.spicekitchenuk.com to learn all about their fantasitc range of goodies.

Don't take your spouse out for a romantic Indian meal this Valentine's Day! Instead, order a Spice Tin from Spice kitchen and create your own masterpiece.

Their Spice Tins start at £19.95 and they come complete with bowls, spoons and all the spices that you could ever need to create a culinary masterpiece for the man or woman of your life.

Sanjay and Sashi are the people behind Spice Kitchen and you will be able to follow Sashi's (AKA Mrs A)  recipes with great ease as the list of ingredients is not long andthe instructions very clear and precise.

After trying a chicken curry to the recipe we have decided that we will prepare a nice Valentine's Day romantic meal using the same recipe.

Will we have chicken, again? Perhaps. Though we are seriously considering using fish, lamb or perhaps even Quorn to make a vegetarian dish.

Whatever we deciode to cook, we are fully aware that with the excellent fresh herbs and spices that Spice kitchen sells, that our romantic dinner will be a most excellent repast for the two of us.

And my wife has promised to cook some roti to go with it!

Apparently it is up to me to select the wine!