Hand Cast Chilli Resin Glassware

It's fair to say that we are really excited about our latest product line.  We first saw this range of resin glassware embedded with real chillies back in February at a Trade Show and it has taken until a couple of weeks ago to get our hands on them and until today to get them into the on-line shop.

The products are handmade in Thailand.  Using designs by a New York based artist to create the moulds, the resin is poured in in layers and the chillies embedded by hand.  Each layer has to partially set before the next is added to ensure the chillies remain in position.  For the larger items this process is painstakingly slow.  When the acrylic resin is completely set the product is smoothed and polished.

We have a range of items in stock at the moment consisting of the large decorative bowl, the rectangular vase, the coaster, the storage jar, the glow light and the soap dish, with a view to extending the range to include items such as large decorative plates, tissue box covers, clocks, photo frames, paperweights, and a variety of candle holders and bathroom accessories.

The products have the appearance of glass (or ice as one customer commented at the Birmingham Chilli Festival) but the resilience of the acrylic resin.  They are easy to care for and can be washed in warm soapy water or even put in the dishwasher on a delicate setting.  If in time they lose their shine they can be polished with a light oil which will quickly restore them to their original state.

We are very proud of this range which is truly striking and elegant and any of the items would make a very special gift for a special chilli lover.

Birmingham Chilli Festival Report.

Well, the Birmingham Chilli Festival has come and gone.  Thanks to all of you who turned up to say hello and thanks again to everyone who bought some of our products.
The Friday was quiet due in part to the weather which was, now typically for the summer of 2012, wet and windy, but Saturday was dry and much busier.
It was a very different experience to the other three festivals we have been to, as it was situated in a public place and the customers were a mix of chilli fan's who had made a special trip and people who had just stumbled upon it on their Saturday out in Birmingham.
For us it was a great networking opportunity.  We met Sharon who makes her own delicious West Indian Sauces and Jerk Marinades from totally fresh ingredients and we plan to to stock these soon so keep a look out for them on the web-site.  We also met a young man who is in the process of establishing the Midlands first Chilli Farm.  More on that in a future blog.......
We also met a great semi-retired couple who are going to help us optimise our on-line business for a very reasonable fee.
I have recently been approached by a local pub to help them organise a Chilli Eating Competition so paid special attention to this event at the Birmingham Chilli Festival and took away a few ideas and safety tips.  What great entertainment it is watching insane macho people consuming raw chillies one after the other gradually moving up the Scoville Scale.  If you ever get the chance to see one don't miss it!
Best Sellers from this weekend were our range of Chilli Chocolate and interestingly some of our specialised Dried Chillies.  On the Thursday before the event we picked up some delicious Mr Singh's Hot Sauce at our local East End Cash and Carry and sold out by lunch-time on the Friday!  We'll definitely be stocking that in the future.
We also took the opportunity to promote our range of Hampers and Gift Boxes which are in still development and the full range will be available in time for Christmas, as will our new Chilli Glassware range which again is not yet on the web-site.

Birmingham Chilli Festival.

It's almost here!  It's fair to say we are really excited about doing our very first Chilli Festival on home soil.

The Birmingham Chilli Festival

We have re-stocked with all of our best sellers; Chilli Cufflinks, Naga Chillies, Hot Chilli Hob Covers, Chilli Peanut Butter and Chilli Chocolate.

It should be a great couple of days so do try and get along!  We hope to see you there.

NE Chilli Festival

What a great weekend had by one and all at the NE Chilli Festival in the fantastic surroundings of Seaton Delaval Hall.

The journey up was tough with the horrendous weather, roadworks and Friday traffic.  7 hours to get from Solihull to Tyneside.  It is fair to say we were a little nonplussed by a wet Friday night in Whitley Bay and our accommodation was a little disappointing.

All of that was soon forgotten by a wonderful weekend.  The weather held out miraculously, the attendance was phenomenal and the people were great - enthusiastic and interested.  The setting was beautiful and the National Trust played a huge role throughout the event.  The entertainment was varied with some real highlights in the form of a wonderful ladies Gospel Choir and a Brass Band on the Sunday.  Chilli eating sounded hilarious...then it all went quiet....... as the victims (oops sorry contestants) made it to the the Trinidad Scorpion..... I think paramedics were required....

The visitors were lovely, good fun, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, brave and really positive about Capsaicinoia which was great!

We were next door to a delightful little business called A Bit Chilli and have made some great new friends in Sallie and Phil!  Their chilli chutneys are to die for and they made the weekend even more fun for us!

We rested up, ate and drank on Saturday and Sunday and watched the end of the Andy Murray match in a great little pub in Seaton Sluice Melton Constable - we would highly recommend it for the ambience, beer selection and homemade food!

We sold lots of everything so hard to identify a best seller.  Sold out completely of Chilli Peanut Butterr and the Hot Chilli Hob Cover and stocks are very very low of everything else.  All good stuff but we need to get some serious stock re-ordering done in case we get any on-line orders and so that we have something to sell at the Birmingham Chilli Festival next weekend!

Off to get ready for that now.......

Zhug

Zhug is a long-time favourite chill recipe of mine.  I first came across it when I shared a flat in London in the 1970's with a Palestinian girl, although Zhug is actually a Yemeni recipe.  It is essentially a hot and spicy relish traditionally served as a dip for warm, fresh bread.  It is also used as a sauce for falafel, kebabs and grilled meats and added to soups, pasta sauces and stews.  You can even mix it with yoghurt for a dip for crudités. Traditionally it is made with fresh chillies but you could just as easily use re-constituted dried chillies.

There are many different versions of the recipe and you can easily alter the balance of ingredients to suit you own palette.  The heat will depend on the variety of chilli you use.  I have always used this one...

Serves 4

3 or 4 Fresh Green Chillies
1 Head of Garlic (peeled)
1 Large bunch of fresh Coriander
3 or 4 Cardamom Pods (you can remove the the outer green shell and just use the black seeds within)
1 Tablespoon of Caraway Seeds
Salt and Pepper

Either grind all ingredients in a mortar and pestle or blitz in a food processor then store in a covered jar.
Use sparingly as this is hot!

Other ingredients that you could throw in for a different flavour include; cumin seeds, cloves, parsley, and a little lemon juice.

Another milder relish called Hilbeh is often made by grinding or blitzing  a teaspoon or so of Zhug with a large fresh tomato and a couple of tablespoons of Fenugreek seeds.

Yummy!

If you wish to use any of our dried chillies in this recipe you could re-constitute them by simply covering them with boiling water, soaking for 15 minutes and draining.  Then simply use as you would fresh chillies.  Alternatively grind them to a powder using a Chilli Mill.

Aleppo Pepper

One of the products in our dried chilli range is Aleppo Pepper.  We love this but have realised that not everyone is familiar with this delicious spicy seasoning from the Middle East and Mediterranean.
The name Aleppo comes from the ancient Syrian city, one of the oldest cities in the history of the world and a gourmet capital of the Middle East.  Aleppo Pepper is a table condiment in Turkey, Armenia and Syria, which is as common as salt and pepper is in the UK.  If you have ever had a trip to Turkey you will probably recall seeing the shakers of bright red chilli flakes on the dining table.
Aleppo is also known as the Halaby and grows as round, fat red pods which when they ripen to a deep burgundy colour are partly dried, de-seeded and coarsely ground or rubbed, often with the inclusion of salt and oil.
The flavour of Aleppo is moderately hot, sweet and fruity with tart undertones of sun-dried tomato and aromatic cumin.  As well as being liberally sprinkled over food at the table, when it will add a kick and a taste of the Eastern Mediterranean to any meal, it can be used to flavour sauces, dressings and marinades.  It is great on pizzas, salads, raw meats and makes an ideal condiment for the BBQ season.
Once you start adding Aleppo Pepper to your food, like us, you'll soon become hooked on the spicy, smoky flavour..........try it on your Cheese on Toast.....