Chocolate

For some reason today I just need some chocolate! I really wanted to make something chocolatey but can't quite put my finger on what.... certainly not chocolate cake or a mound of chocolate cupcakes..... not even chocolate cookies..... hmmmm......

A bit a web browsing whilst munching on a dime bar (I was going to use it for Nigella's dime bar ice-cream so will have to replace it next time I am shopping) I came across cocoa moi, a blogger devoted to chocolate and there is a link to an even more devote chocolatier, chocolate alchemy, who clearly has too much time on his hands to be roasting his own cocoa beans!

Now, as I munch on the caramel chocolate digestives just discovered in the biscuit tin, I am contemplating my own chocolate thoughts, no that doesn't involve roasting my own beans, but perhaps roasted venison with chocolate vinaigrette or maybe hot chocolate wine both of which I just discovered on the bbc food website, in the meantime, pass the biscuits.......

Gluten free quinoa

A number of my friends have to stick to a gluten free diet so I have been exploring a few recipes. I found what looked to me like a fantastic recipe - quinoa curry - on the bbc good food website and immediately went out and bought the ingredients! Then I read all the comments and started to panic about the quinoa with someone liking it to "wallpaper paste"!! This put me off a little (to put it mildly) but having bought the quinoa I had to at least give it a go. Not wanting to spoil a whole batch of curry I simply read the instructions on the packet and cooked up a portion of the tiny grain. Before my eyes it changed colour and seemed to "uncurl" - facinating! I was really worried about the reaction to it so gingerly offered it to sample. It went down really well, not much taste, rather like cous cous in that respect, certainly no bad taste to it and I can't imagine where the likeness with wallpaper paste came from. I wonder if, like cous cous, it would take on the flavours of what it is cooked in? Well, next step is the quinoa curry so we will soon find out.......