On a Quest

I am on a quest for a great white wine vinegar – something without that really sharp edge that comes with average ones. Does anyone out there have any recommendations?

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Looking for a great risotto rice?

Look no further than Acquerello, from the Colombara farm run by the Rondolino family in Italy. I learned about them while hubby and I were watching reruns of a Heston Blumenthal tv series. Their rice is grown, aged, whitened and packed in Italy. To quote their webiste “it is the ultimate rice because firstly the unhusked rough rice is aged to perfection for at least one year, then is whitened slowly using an exclusive method, and finally restored with its most precious element the embryo or germ”.

Acquerello rice belongs to the Carnaroli varietyand is from the Japonica subspecies of rice. It is classified as “Extra rice” for its quality, combining the essential nutritional values of brown rice with the cooking characteristics of superior white rice, absorbing cooking liquids very well without being sticky.

During cooking Acquerello loses very little starch, so the grains do not bind together even when the rice becomes cold and dry. It is able to absorb a greater amount of cooking liquids and flavours, so after cooking the grains become bigger, heavier and tastier thus enhancing all the other ingredients.

It cooks almost like any risotto rice although I found it needed a little longer than other rices I’ve used. You’ll need to use a little more liquid (stock, wine, water – whatever you’re using) than you’re used to, but it’s worth the effort.

It comes in several sizes: tins of 250g, 500g or 1kg and a vaccuum sealed pack of 2,5kg. Having tried the rice once before, I’ve gone for the 2.5 kilo option. I know that will be gone before I know it.

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Great boutique speciality food shop

Kings Fine Food (kingsfinefood.co.uk) has a small but interesting selection of goodies. I’ve tried the Acquarello risotto rice (see related post) and the Boyajian pure citrus oils in a mini boxed set which includes lemon, lime and orange.

They also sell what is considered by many to be the best chocolate in the world – Amedei – which finally put to rest my search for the perfect chocolate bar (see related post). They have some tempting looking smoked salmon so I had to order that too :-). Remember, though, that these are speciality, often labour-intensive products to produce so it’s reflected in the price.

Their service is beyond great, specially the chaps who deliver. Today’s delivery man went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure I got my box, and was so nice when I met him. They were very helpful when I called to ask a question. I got a little thank you note in my first order – it’s little touches like these that say you’re dealing with people who care. The order arrived on time and packed well, i.e. not swimming in a mass of annoying styrofoam-like filling material which isn’t compostable despite what the manufacturers claim (we put some in our compost heap over a year ago and it’s barely broken down).

Their website is highly readable and easy to navigate and the search function works well. There’s nothing that gets my goat more than a website which makes it hard for me to find my way around (and it’s not like I don’t know technology having spent 20 years in IT). The recipes, hints-n-tips and news are always fun to read through.

And did I mention that they have some really interesting products on their site? In addition to the above, they have a good range of caviars, olive oils, biscuits, coffees, teas and more . They even have a range of gluten free and organic products.

If they’re good enough for Alain Roux of the Waterside Inn in Bray, they’re good enough for me.

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The chocolate which ended my quest for perfection

I’ve just received my first bar of Amedei’s Porcelana 70% dark chocolate and it is a Joy, yes, with a capital J. It’s a pure-bred criollo chocolate. Amedei grow their own beans and produce only 3,000 kilos a year. They produce only 20,000 bars a year and each bar is numbered on the packaging- mine is number 07661 of 20,000. To quote The Chocolate Revolution “what the fine Arabica bean is to coffee, the even finer and rarer Criollo bean is to chocolate. Criollo chocolate has a distinctly reddish colour, and an equally distinctive complex taste which can include flavours of caramel, nuts, vanilla and tobacco. Criollo bars are fairly rare and should definitely be sampled if encountered”.

Its texture is smooth as silk with none of the crumbliness you get from a lot of commercial chocolates. Tastewise, it has none of the bitterness I sometimes find in other brands of dark chocolate. If you let it sit on your tongue for a few seconds you can taste the hint of vanilla singing in harmony with the chocolate flavour. The colour is a rich, inviting brown (I tried very hard to find a different way to describe it and failed miserably). There is no streaking, no blotchy colour, none of the darkness associated with over-roasted cocoa beans, just an even, pure brown which says “you will really enjoy eating this chocolate”.

Amedei chocolates are made without any of the additives found in many chocolates (like soy lecithin for emulsification); the ingredients are pure cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla. That’s it. Heaven in a little 50g packet.

I bought mine from Kings Fine Foods. It’s not the cheapest thing I’ve ever bought at £8.50 for 50g but worth every penny. I’ve had two squares and that’s enough to satisfy my chocoholic demon and believe me, it’s not a beast that’s easily satisfied! I’m sitting at my desk basking in a little bit of heaven before I get back to the day job.

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