October 2009 Archives

"Born sinner, the opposite of a winner; remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner." So rapped Notorious B.I.G on Juicy.

Product Junkie wonders if he'd cottoned on to the fact that sardines are an oily fish rich in Omega-3 and packed with Vitamin D and as such would qualify as one of his recommended two portions of fish a week? No, maybe not.

But that, together with the value for money they represent, could well be the reason for a 7% increase to £34 million (Source: Nielsen) in UK consumer spend on fresh sardines in the past 12 months according to Seafish, the authority on seafood.

Karen Galloway, Seafish market insight manager, said: "The popularity of fresh sardines is growing as the quality is high and their sustainability record is impeccable."

In the UK, the majority of sardines are caught by small boats that head out at dusk from an ancient fishery off the Cornish coast accredited as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Previously known as pilchards, the fish were re-branded as Cornish sardines in 1997 although technically the difference is in the size - a sardine is smaller than six inches.

Sounds much better on a menu too.

The Mypressi Twist has to be the smallest, and strangest, espresso machine Product Junkie has ever seen.

Measuring just 27cms long, 9cm wide and 9cm high, it's manufactured in America and earlier this year won the Best New Product award for 2009/2010 from the Speciality Coffee Association of America.

The handheld espresso maker is a pneumatically-enhanced system that delivers a minimum 135 psi (pounds per square inch) or nine bars of pressure throughout the duration of the 20- to 30-second extraction to produce one double or two single espressos.

It is powered by an N20 pressurised air cartridge (typically used for whipped cream and soda water) within its handle, each sufficient for eight single espresso shots.

Available in the UK from Cream Supplies, the Twist requires no external power source and can be used virtually anywhere including hotel rooms, in kitchens, behind the bar or even outdoors. All that's needed is some ground coffee or standard ESE coffee pods and hot water.

It's an espresso machine, but not as we know it.

If you found the object pictured left in a hotel mini bar would you a) try to unscrew the top so you can use it to fill in your breakfast menu door hanger; b) try to unscrew the top to apply to your eyelashes; or c) put it between your lips and inhale deeply for a nicotine hit?

If you answered 'c', well done. It is in fact one of a breed of electronic cigarettes which neatly dodge the smoking ban and are rumoured to have found favour with numerous celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Rhys Ifans and Sarah Harding. They've been cropping up in US hotel mini bars and are now being marketed at the UK's hotel industry.

This particular model is the SmokeStik Royale, designed by former It Girl Lady Victoria Hervey and featuring her family crest. It is battery operated and uses replaceable cartridges to give smokers a nicotine hit without the smoke or tar.

SmokeStik's mini-bar programme supplies a hotel with one unit for every room which they make available for use free of charge with the guest just paying for the cartridges.

If the guest wishes to keep the cigarette when they check out, it is charged to their bill. Alternatively, they may smuggle it out in their case along with a bathrobe and hairdryer.

London's South Bank may fall something short of La Croisette when it comes to style, glamour and sunshine but we shouldn't let that spoil our enjoyment of the BFI 53rd London Film Festival which runs from 14 to 29 October 2009.

Determined to make it a glitzy affair are Park Plaza Hotels where homage will be paid to the stars of the silver screen by way of a themed cocktail menu.

First up, there's the Soderbergh Sour in honour of the renowned Ocean's Eleven director, Steven Soderbergh. It's a smooth blend of pisco, lime juice, sugar and a dash of Angostura, gently shaken and served on ice.

Next, named after the Groundhog Day actor Bill Murray, the Bloody Murray is a variation of a popular classic with tequila, tomato juice and Tabasco blended with a dash of Angostura and topped with port wine. Park Plaza Hotels are expecting a high level of repeat orders for this particular concoction.

Does money grow on trees?

In this case, yes it does. Well at least on camellia sinensis, the plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea.

That's because Unilever, owners of Lipton and PG tips tea brands, is celebrating the fact that eight independent tea estates in the southern India Peninsula are the first in the country to be certified as sustainable by the Rainforest Alliance by giving away £1,000 to one Caterersearch user.

All you need to do to be in with a chance of carrying off the prize money is watch a video and answer a question before the closing date of 20 October 2009.

Good luck!

If descriptions such as Triple Chocolate Soufflé; White Chocolate & Strawberry Pudding; Hazelnut Chocolate Sponge; and Chocolate & Raspberry Truffle Bites get you salivating, chances are that, just like Product Junkie, you're beside yourself with excitement at the thought of the coming week.

Never has there been a better excuse to gorge ourselves stupid on that precious gift from the Aztecs than Chocolate Week (12th-18th October)

Not that we need a reason to indulge as, apparently, Brits are second only to the Swiss when it comes to chocolate consumption with average Brit eating 8.6kg of chocolate per year.

The delectable dishes mentioned are among several recipes coaxed from well-known chefs including Michael Caines, Jean Christophe Novelli, and Jun Tanaka by chocolate maker and Chocolate Week sponsor Divine and are available on the company's website.

Now, Product Junkie is just off to whip up a Chocolate Tart with Coffee Anglaise and Crème Chantilly.

An Anglo-French collaboration has seen British designer Paul Smith design a limited edition bottle for Evian for the Christmas season.

And while it's a bright and vibrant design, Product Junkie is pleased to note there's nothing twee like a snowman or reindeer in sight.

Instead the neck of the clear glass bottle is simply swirled with Smith's trademark colourful stripes. Somewhat reminiscent of a maypole we think.

The design aims to underline the purity of the natural mineral water which starts off as rain or snow high on the peaks of the French Alps and makes a 15-year journey through a vast mineral aquifer deep within the mountains which acts as a natural purifying filter before emerging at the spring in Evian-Les-Bains.

So if you want your restaurant tables to ooze some Paul Smith style for the season, contact Danone Waters.