Pssst!........I've found a great supplier for sushi ingredients........its a shop called 'Garlok' 111 Brentwood High Street. Tel: 01277 410655

sushi ingredients

To all sushi lovers....you can now make your own.  I made some today for lunch and I got my rolling mat, nori seaweed, wasabi paste, mirin, sushi ginger and sushi rice from the brilliant shop 'GARLOK' at 111 The High Street, Brentwood, Essex.  Tel: 01277 410655 Its a little haven for Oriental food lovers.

sliced veg for filling

rolling the sushi

I used various filling of;  prawn, avocado and yellow pepper,
                                   egg omelette and asparagus
                                   smoked salmon and cucumber

   

                                  

I need to perfect my rolling and cutting technique but it tasted great all the same.

sushi in the sunshine

It was great having sushi in the garden today, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  

'sherry trifle extra jam'

On a recent trip to my wonderful local farm shop, Calcott Hall in Brentwood, Essex.  I spied this little gem on a very inviting display at the check out counter ..... Sherry Trifle Extra Jam!  

Like a kid who had to bag the sweeties I couldn't resist popping it into my trolley.  

It's by a company called Cottage Delight Speciality Foods and is from 'The Great British Pantry' range.  It was £3 for a 340 gram jar, containing 45 per cent fruit per 100 g (raspberries and strawberries) plus sherry and vanilla.  Gluten free and suitable for vegetarians.

One of my top five favourite desserts is 'sherry trifle' so I couldn't wait to give it a taste test.  I took a spoonful and my mouth was tantalised with bursts of sweet, juicy, fruity vanilla and caramel flavours.  Not quite the sherry hit I thought it would have but delicious all the same.  I decided that I'd simply have to bake some scones to give it a proper taste test (any excuse).  

So today I baked my all time favourite scone recipe, 'Delia Smith's buttermilk scone recipe'

scones, basted in buttermilk just before baking

They are so quick and easy to make and the buttermilk gives the scones a very light texture.
 

...... the aching wait for scones to cool

 

I put a teaspoonful of  'Sherry Trifle Extra Jam' on each scone and then a heaped teaspoon of clotted cream - well it would have been rude not to ;)

My mouth was watering ...............  

I hastily added some fresh raspberries and strawberries to give kind of trifle effect - scone being the cake element etc - see where I'm going with this.   I nearly scoffed one before I took photo as I'm a sucker for scones.  

It was worth the wait as the combination really worked.   I had some taste testers and their comments regarding the jam were:

'the jam was yummy'

'very tasty'

'I got a hint of sherry'

'slight sherry taste'

'sweet caramel fruit flavour'  

Everyone loved the jam and although some of the taste testers thought it didn't have the full on sherry trifle flavour they expected, it was absolutely delicious.   

I personally will be buying some more on my next visit to Calcott Hall Farm shop.  That's if it hasn't sold out as Calcott Hall has said it was proving to be  popular indeed.

a copious amount of cake was consumed during the making of this blog

At last!  I've bitten the bullet! Two weeks ago today I started my first ever blog.  

I'll be blogging about one of the many things I love in life............ cooking! Whilst sharing my recipes, top tips and food gossip.

I've already blogged about my Jane Asher Home Baker of the Year award winning recipe for tipsy blackberry & apple cupcakes   (I even got a little mention in 'Country Life') see piccie of Jane holding my winning cupcake here. 

Also, my Emma Bridgewater  prize winning recipe for spineta pepper pie.

Last Friday, the highly recommended Claire Mackaness (a lady of many work talents) came to my house and gave me one on one blog training.

I'm a complete technophobe and get into a total tizz when dealing with computer stuff.   Claire's patience with my flapping about was never ending. Though I think plying her with clotted cream scones eased the way.  I've come to the conclusion that computer work requires .............. copious consumption of cake!