An Orange a Day Keeps the Doctor at Bay???

Did you know that an Orange a day can keep the Doctor away? Well, not technically an Orange ... a Mandarin actually. (No, not the Mandarin of Chinese fame but the small round fruit). The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/) ran an article on 11.09.06 that stated that 2 Japanese studies are lauding the qualities of this fruit as it may be able to stop cancer.

The National Institute of Fruit Tree Science (it can only be in Japan!) found that the compound that gives Mandarins their colour may dramatically reduce the chance of getting liver cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

A second study found that drinking Mandarin juice appeared to cut the chance of developing liver cancer in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Citrus fruit juices for breakfast do not really appeal to me. The thought of a stomach curdling mouthful of Orange or Grapefruit makes my tongue curl up involuntarily. There are much nicer ways to partake of Oranges, but I doubt whether they have any medicinal benefits – maybe just emotional ones. Grand Marnier for instance.

Grand Marnier's origins date back to 19th century France. The chap who invented it was Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. He used the Citrus Bigaradia oranges from the West Indies. Citrus Bigaradia is an exotic, wild and bitter variety which is famed for its unique aroma. Orange Blossom and Neroli aromatherapy oils are made from it. They are hand picked while still green in the Caribbean, cut into quarters, the pulp is removed and the peels are sun dried for weeks and then shipped to the Grand Marnier distillery. Grand Marnier boasts of being the first liqueur to be exported from France.

I know that Grand Marnier is often used in making chocolates but Sue reliably tells me that it is used quite a lot in cooking. (I’d rather drink it!)

From Sue ...

We used to get Mandarin oranges in with the goodies in our Christmas stockings when I was little – and Grand Marnier always reminds me of Christmas. Nick and I like to have liqueurs at midnight on Christmas Eve as a special treat after the mayhem of shopping and all the preparation. Santa gets a glass of Port and Rudolph gets a carrot but his Helpers get a small glass of something special and collapse in a big heap.

Chicken Grand Marnier

3/4 cup Grand Marnier
1-1/4 cup Apricot Jam
3/4 cup distilled White Vinegar
4 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp dried Red Pepper flakes (you can make these by slicing up a pepper and drying it in the airing cupboard if you can’t buy them).
6 boneless Chicken Breasts, skin removed
Olive oil

Combine the Grand Marnier, jam, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, honey, and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat (or put in microwave for 1 minute until the honey and jam are melted). Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a shallow glass baking dish. Pour on the marinade and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Pour off all but 3/4 c marinade. Brush additional apricot jam onto to chicken. Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting with marinade every 15 minutes.

What Wine to go with it?

Nick suggested a soft fruity red that will enhance the flavours rather than masking them. Maybe Marquis de Pressiac, Chadeuil or Prince de Prieur.

As for white wine, a nice dry white like St. Thibeaud, Brissonet or the Prince de Prieur.

Images courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net and www.pdphoto.org

The Saintly Sommelier

The title “Pope Made Sommelier” made me do a double-take! http://www.decanter.com newsletter came up with the headline. Was it a joke? No. Pope Benedict XVI has been bestowed with this title by the AIS (Sommelier Association of Rome). Wine News Italy (http://www.winenews.it/) leaked the story, although neither the Vatican nor the AIS have released official news of the event. (I wonder why?) Given the fact that the Church uses wine in its sacraments I would think it should be something for our Holy Father to be proud of. It is an excellent way of bringing him closer to the people.

Mind you, the Pope has already been associated with enjoying the odd pint. A Stuttgart brewery had been struggling to sell its wheat beer, until pictures showed the then Cardinal Ratzinger enjoying the brew every once in a while. So when the new Pope was elected, white smoke not only emerged from the Sistine Chapel, but from the brewery’s chimney as well. The brewery sent a celebratory beer truck to Rome delivering 185 gallons of beer to the Pope.

Of course Popes in the far distant past have been infamous for their love of the good things in life. Pope Paolo III (1534 – 1559) had his own sommelier, who left detailed lists that described the 53 wines “judged by Pope Paolo III and his bottler Sante Lancerio”. Paolo III even ennobled his favourite wine... Vino Nobile di Montepulciano in 1549 when his Sommelier named it "a most perfect wine, a wine for lords.”







Benedict XVI has not made his personal tastes known on which wines he prefers. Could be anyone’s guess. I wonder if he will come out and “ennoble” a few of his favourites? I suppose it’s a bit like goods being given the right to bear the title ”By Royal Appointment” here in the UK“.

It will be very interesting to follow developments on this – will the Pope be creating an Index for good and bad wines as he does with books? I am sure we could compile a list of wines to help him out!

From Sue...










Montepulciano’s Coat of Arms

Montepulciano is in the heart of Tuscany and is renowned, not only for its Noble Wine, but for its Honey, Mugello Chestnuts, Borgotaro Mushrooms, Tuscan Ham and Veal and "pici" pasta (a thick, rough, chewy variant on spaghetti). Tuscan Pecarino Cheese was particularly loved and appreciated by Pope Pio II and Lorenzo The Magnificent. They had good taste those ancient Popes and Statesmen!

I have got a Tuscan recipe which uses some of its local ingredients. If you are not happy using Veal then Chicken or Pork fillet will do...

Veal alla Toscana with Mushrooms

For the veal:

2 Veal Chops, 8 ounces each

2 Eggs

2 tablespoons finely chopped Parsley

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecarino Cheese

Olive oil for frying

Flour for dredging

For the sauce:








1/4 cup Olive Oil

11/2 cups Borgotaro Mushrooms (oyster mushrooms will do)

juice of 2 Lemons

1 cup dry White Wine

11/2 cups Veal Stock

1 tablespoon finely chopped Parsley

Salt and freshly ground Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°. Using the flat side of a mallet, pound the Veal chops to a 1/4-inch thickness. In a bowl, combine the Eggs, Parsley and Pecorino, whisk to form a thick batter, and set aside. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, warm 2 inches of Olive Oil. Dredge the Veal chops in flour, dip them in the egg mixture, and lower into the hot oil. Cook for 1 minute, and using a pair of tongs, flip the chops and cook on the other side for 1 minute. Transfer the skillet to the oven, and roast for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a skillet over medium heat, warm the Olive Oil. Add the Mushrooms, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the Lemon juice and Wine, and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the stock and the Parsley, season with Salt and Pepper, and cook until the sauce thickens. To serve, place 1 veal chop on each plate, and distribute the Mushrooms and sauce around.

Images: courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net and www.en.wikipedia.org

Drought and Deluge

Is it a typically British trait to constantly moan about the weather? Or do other nationalities do it too? We have endured a drought this summer, with record temperatures and hose pipe bans. My garden had cracks in it that you could put your hand into and Sue was busy saving washing up water to splosh on the tomatoes.

At least our droughts do not last for ever. Spare a little thought though for our Aussie cousins. Australia has suffered a major drought in the past 5 to 10 years and for the first time it has begun to affect the city folk. Desalination plants have been set up in Sydney and the Gold Coast.

Frank Smith recently reported in (http://www.decanter.com/) that a 9 Million Dollar environmental program has been set up to try to find ways to reduce the threat of climate change to Australian vineyards. Professor Gibberd of Curtin University, Western Australia is conducting a trial to investigate how vines recover from drought. (I would have thought the vine’s recovery depended on how serious the drought was...)

The trial has already shown that the ability of a vine to recover from water stress depends on vigour. The less vigorous the vine, the faster it recovers. I am surprised that they need a 9 Million Dollar trial to tell them that. It is obvious that the bigger, broader and more abundant the leaves are, the more moisture loss from the plant. They can pay me 9 Million Dollars and I will be more than happy to help out.

I have already compiled some valuable information from our Weather Lore. I have analysed the wise words of our ancestors and put them to the test. The results are as follows:

If animals have an especially thick coat of fur, expect a cold winter.

(Checked the Dogs – much to their annoyance – no sign of extra hairiness but must remind Sue to get some flea powder).

When squirrels bury their nuts early, it will be a hard winter

(Our squirrels are ravenous scavengers and seem to have eaten every nut in ight rather than buried them).

Hornets' nest built in the top of trees indicate a mild winter is ahead; nests built close to the ground indicate that a harsh winter is coming.

(Am not brave enough to check this one out).

If you hear an owl hoot in the daytime, a storm is approaching.

(This one is true – we do have a demented Owl who hooted all afternoon in July, and we did have a lot of thunder!)

When clouds look like rocks and towers, the earth will be refreshed by showers.

(Not where I live, they all blow off to rain on someone else)

Roosting birds indicate a storm, because thinning air is harder to fly in.

(Now that is ridiculous! It is quite obvious that they sit in the branches because they do not want to be electrocuted!)

A warm November is the sign of a bad winter.

(Not any more! A warm November is the sign of a warm December, a warm January etc etc etc...)

When pigs carry straw to their sties, bad weather may be expected.

(They are not daft are they?)

Cats and dogs eat grass before a rain.

(No, they don’t. Ours eat grass usually after raiding the rubbish bin)

Worth 9 Million Dollars, don’t you think?

Images courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

The Oldest Appellation d’Origine

Where do you think the oldest Appellation d’Origine is? I suppose we would all naturally look to la belle France. Wrong! It’s in Cyprus.

Cyprus wines are among the world’s oldest, their production dating back to 2000 BC. Many renowned wines of the world are made from vines brought to Europe from Cyprus after the Crusades - Champagne, for example, may have originated from a choice cutting taken from Mount Olympos, in Cyprus. Whether the Gods enjoyed it I don’t know but there are so many deities in the ancient world dedicated to wine I presume they must have done!

The sweet, amber coloured, dessert wine Commandaria holds the title of the oldest "appellation d'origine" wine. It was called “Nama” in antiquity. It so reminded Marc Antony of Cleopatra’s kisses that he gave the whole island to his legendary lover because of it.

All I can say is it must have been good!

Nama was a popular drink during festivals celebrating the goddess Aphrodite. She was the goddess of love, beauty and sexual rapture....Well they do say “wine is the food of love”...

During the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart is said to have enjoyed Nama so much during his wedding in Cyprus that he pronounced it “the wine of kings and the king of wines”. (The stuff must be some form of aphrodisiac the amount of romance it seems to kindle!) The Lionheart sold Cyprus to the Knights Templar (remember the Da Vinci Code?). When the Knights began producing large quantities of the wine at their estate, The Commandarie, to export to Europe’s Royal Courts, the wine became known by the same name. Thus it has the distinction of being the world’s oldest named wine still in production.

Cyprus itself has no licensing hours and the highlight of the wine year is the annual wine festival in Limassol, usually held in September, when free wine flows and local food is on offer. (Make mental note – put Cyprus on holiday list...)

Whoever said that civilization started on the table and that variety was the spice of life surely had Cyprus in mind. In ancient times it was said that Cyprus invented the art of good living, and the island’s name became synonymous for luxury to both the Gods and us mere mortals. If you want to know more then have a look at http://www.cyprusexplorer.com/ which is a veritable fount of information.

One of the memories of a trip to Cyprus will no doubt include the famous cocktail the ‘Brandy Sour’. As the name implies, a ‘Brandy Sour’ is the successful ‘union’ of two local specialties:

Brandy Sour

Cyprus Brandy
Lemon juice (made from Cyprus lemons – if you are in Cyprus)
Add some drops of angostura bitters
Top up with soda water and ice cubes

...and enjoy a pleasant summer cocktail! Cheers!

(From Sue)

Cyprus sounds such a romantic place – and Nick is an old romantic if ever there was one. I have found a Cypriot recipe which I am going to wine and dine him with...

Arnaki me Spanahi kai Krasi - Lamb and Spinach with Wine

200ml olive oil
1k lamb, cut in large pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato puree

300ml red wine
1kg spinach, washed
1 lemon, juice of
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

In a large saucepan heat the oil over moderate to high heat. Sauté lamb in the olive oil until browned all over. Add in the onion and garlic and fry until soft, stirring occasionally.

Dilute the tomato puree with the wine and pour it onto the meat, adding the cinnamon. Mix very well adding hot water or vegetable stock to just cover the meat. Cover the pan and simmer for one hour.

Add the spinach and season well with salt and pepper. Add the juice of one lemon and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add parsley and serve with rice.

Image: http://www.freeimages.co.uk/, http://www.en.wikipedia.org/, http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/

Sunblock for Grapes

OK. I have heard everything now. A biodynamic Californian winemaker is spraying his crop with a sun block concoction to relieve his over-tanned grapes.

The Californian winemaker in question is Quintessa Vineyard in the Napa Valley. Biodynamic is a word that is being bandied around a lot lately – no it does not have anything to do with bionic (that was The Six Million Dollar Man – not the Six Million Dollar Grape). It is basically a farming practice based on the principle that the growth of plants is subject to the energy of the earth and the gravitational influences of the sun, moon and stars. It has been used in gardening for a while now – centuries in fact, and is making a big come back. You plant, prune and harvest due to the phases of the moon and cosmological cycles. It is supposed to give greater yields and happier crops.

Apparently plants that bear above the ground should be planted during the waxing moon and root crops should be planted during the waning moon. Now, this could be onto something. In a test in Germany full moon plantings were said to yield 50 – 60% more than new moon sowings.

There are a lot of folk beliefs that mimic this, for example if you plant peas and sweet peas on the night of Saint Patrick’s Day they will grow abundantly and heavily. Not that I have tried it.

Quintessa (http://www.quintessa.com/) takes this quite seriously and prepare homeopathic remedies made with tiny amounts of silica, chamomile, oak bark, stinging nettle, valerian and other herbs which are sprayed on the foliage of the vines. http://www.decanter.com/ have reported that they are now spraying their vines with an organic 'tea' which includes Aloe Vera, known for its skin-soothing properties, and Yucca. Marine Algae is added to the mix because of its apparent UV-absorbing qualities, effectively making the spray part-sunscreen, part-after-sun lotion.

This ‘compost tea', as it is known, is supposed to work in a similar manner to that of homeopathy by transferring the drought-resistant properties of Aloe Vera onto the vines and grapes. This is the first time it has ever been used on grapes. I am not so sure about the “transferring of properties” from one plant to another but I do know that Aloe Vera forms a screen against burns.

The question is why are they doing it? I can understand the winegrowers wish to follow the natural flow and ebb of the seasons but is there a problem with sun burnt grapes? Surely the sun’s rays are part of a natural process of ripening. Is the sun in California too strong? Are the grapes turning old and wrinkly before their time? May be a good night cream would help, perhaps a moisturiser? I, for one, will not be squirting my sun scorched raspberries with “compost tea sun block”. Have you tasted Aloe Vera? Yuck! I think Quintessa should be careful lest it taints the wine?

Images courtesy NASA & NSSDC http/nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov and www.freeimages.co.uk