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!

Romance is not dead with Abra-ca-Debora pancakes

Never thought of Dutch pancakes as being romantic?

Picture the scene. You and your honey, with a 200g bag of Abra-ca-Debora "diddy sweet Dutch pancakes" and a jar of honey to dip them in as you watch a romantic film together on Valentine's Day, along with a suitable bottle of wine?

What could be more romantic than that?

Or what about a pack of six Sweet Dutch Pancakes from Abra-ca-Debora to make the basis of a romantic Valentine's Day breakfast? Or a romantic lunch or tea, instead?

Apparently you have to consume the mini dipping pancakes within three days of opening. Although after eating these deliciously little morish treats, we are of the opinion that they are more likely to last you three minutes rather than three days!

The mini dipping pancakes don't have to be warmed (though there's nothing to stop you doing this) but you can cook the larger size pancakes. They are a very flexible friend as you can oven cook them, pan fry or even microwave.

We served ours with honey and chocolate hazelnut spread and they were absolutely delicious. In fact they are the only commercially cooked pancakes that I have tried that really could be taken as home cooked, but in the best possible sense of that term.

They are suitable for vegetarians, but not vegans

To learn more visit their website www.Abra-ca-Debora.co.uk and see a whole host of fantasitc recipe ideas.

Not only are these pancakes great for a Valentine's Day treat, they'll be perfect for Shrove Tuesday, too!

They should be available at your local supermarket. If in doubt, ask at your supermarket's customer service desk.

And don't forget about Easter, too!

INGREDIENTS
2 Sweet Abra-ca-Debora Dutch Pancakes
25g butter
50g milk or dark chocolate, broken into chunks
1.5 tbsp golden syrup
50g cornflakes
Bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs
METHOD
Place pancakes in a bowl. Melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a saucepan over a low heat, or briefly in the microwave. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and then pour over the cornflakes. Mix with a wooden spoon.
Spoon the mix over one half of each pancake, fold over, allowing some of the mix to peep out.
Nestle the little eggs into the opening amongst the flakes

Choc nibbles. What you should buy for the chocolate lover in your life

I don't think anyone would mind me saying that Choc Nibbles might not be the most sexy or the best best looking chocolates you have ever seen, but they will be amongst some of the best and most sexy chocolates that you or your beloved have ever tasted.

Sweetdreams have been making Choc Nibble products in the North East of England for three decades.

The are small pellets of chocolate that are all created to a unique and secret recipe dreamed up by the family who own the business way back in 1985.

Whilst they may look unusual (quirky is one term used to describe them) they will transport your beloved directly to chocolate Heaven as they are not so much moorish as utterly, irresistibly addictive! So be warned!

They make Original Choc Nibbles, Toffee Crumble, Orange Choc Nibbles, Mint Choc Nibbles and Choc Lick.

They are all velvety smooth, yet also with an understated yet perfect bit of extra bite, too. Except for Chock Lick, which is just velvety smooth and is ideal for just eating by the spoonful or for using to add oomph to your otherwise ordinary drinking chocolate or for adding to coffee to make a mocha that is so Heavenly you just will not believe how good it is until you try it for yourself.

The flavours of each of the products are nothing short of perfection in chocolate form and if you have to buy a Valentine's Day gift for a chocolate lover, if you really want to make them happy buy them several pounds in weight of a mixed batch of Choc Nibble products, but them in a big fancy heart-shaped box with a big ribbon on it and watch them enter chocolate Heaven. If you are lucky they'll perhaps share some with you, but perhaps they won't!

They are great value for money, a 200g grab bag costs a remarkably modest £1!

You can even buy them in giant 3kg jars!

So to ensure Valentine's Day goes smoother than ever, check out http://www.chocnibbles.co.uk.

If you can't find a local retailer they are available on line at www.amazon.co.uk and other on line retailers.

If you run a sweet shop, Sweetdreams are looking for new retailers, so please get in touch with them soon.

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Good Indian cooking is Our Little Secret!

As a friend of ours said: "You know, the only real, surefire way to get a real Indian meal, cooked by a real Indian chef is to go to India and dine at a restaurant there!"

Everyone thought that he had a point but with the cost of a return airfare costing in excess of £1,000, the idea was rapidly abandoned as a non-starter. Or a "non-viable option!" as someone put it.

But what if there was a way to get a real Indian chef in India to cook your meals more you in his own kitchen? Would you like to indulge in such an idea?

With the assistance of Our Little Secret! you can enjoy genuine effortless and utterly authentic Indian cuisine in the comfort of your own home.

One of the dishes that is available is an "effortless and enticing" Peshawari Makhani, which is a rich a gorgeous north Indian dish lovingly created with fresh farm tomatoes, fresh cream and authentic herbs and spices,

All you have to do is add the meat, the fish or the paneer to the mixture and simmer for 20 minutes and you have a truly authentic meal which you can serve with Kohinoor Basmati rice. It will serve two to three people.

Want to try something a little different? In under twelve minutes you can, with the assistance of Our Little secret! make a very delectable and utterly awesome Tikka Masala, Dine-in-Kit. with either meat, paneer or vegetables, it's your choice!

To learn more about this producer of award-winning meals, please visit www.ols.co.uk.

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