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.....

Ad Hoc Chilli Mill

Two of our best selling products and our personal favourites are the Ad Hoc Chilli Mill

and it's little sister the Voyage Mini Chilli Mill.

We came across the large mill earlier this year and instantly fell in love with it's eye-catching design and innovative technology.

The cutting mechanism has been specifically designed for dried chillies and consists of a series of discs that cuts the chillies, including their seeds, essentially shaving them into rough powder.  Those of you that have ever tried to grind chillies in a traditional pepper or salt mill will know that this is a frustrating task as the oil in the chillies is released when they are crushed, clogging up the mill and creating a soggy mess.  The Ad Hoc Chilli Mill quickly and easily creates a dry powder from any type of dried chilli that can then be used in cooking or sprinkled directly onto food.

The German stainless steel design is beautiful and features an elegant clear chilli-shaped acrylic chamber which provides an aesthetically pleasing view of the chillies inside making the large mill a sophisticated object that will add a touch of class to any kitchen or dining table.  The mill also features a small detachable catching tray beneath the cutting mechanism that captures the shavings should you not want to sprinkle them directly onto food.

Robust, easy to use, easy to clean and easy to fill and refill, the mills come with a 5 year warranty.

If you or someone you know loves your chilli and needs a ready supply of freshly ground chilli powder then this is the ideal product for you.  Any variety of dried chilli can be used in the mill.  You will find a range of dried chillies for sale on our web-site as well as a range of gift sets featuring both the large and small mills and various selections of dried chillies.  Any of these products would make the ideal gift  for the true chilli-lover.

The Voyage Mini Chilli Mill is a smaller version of the Chilli Mill that features the same design technology as the large mill without the chill-shaped acrylic chamber.  This mill is the perfect gift for the chilli-lover that likes to carry their chillies with them for adding to their food wherever they are.  Do you or someone you know always carry their own bottle of hot sauce or pot of crushed chilli with them?  If so, this is the ideal solution.

Do you grow your own chillies and have more than you can use?  Try drying them and using a Chilli Mill to create a steady supply of ground chilli from your own produce

Mansion House Chilli Fiesta

So, yesterday was the Mansion House Chilli Fiesta.  What a great day!  At last the sun was shining.  The setting was perfect and the way the stalls were laid out had the feel of a country fair or village market.  We were right next to the central speaker and spent the whole day working to the sounds of our favourite tunes from the 80's.  We shared our little spot with Tim from the The Cambridge Chilli Farm selling his range of wonderful home-made sauces and preserves including his Trinidad Scorpion Hot Sauce which had a few people gasping, sweating and even crying by the time they reached us!

On stage. as well as the live rock band, were chilli eating contests and what sounded like air guitar sessions!  Attendance was great.  We were busy all day and the whole atmosphere and feel of the day was fun!  We'd definitely do this one again and will be there next year for sure!

A key lesson learned from our last festival (and first) was to take our own food and drink as there was no time to leave the stall through the day.  We took a little picnic which kept us sustained and when things quietened down a bit later in the afternoon Mike managed to sneak off to do a bit of networking and also to get us a well-deserved pint of cider.

Sales-wise we had a really good day.  We sold more than we did at Eastnor and sold a little of most things.  Our best sellers this time were our Hot Chilli Collection of "Prep and Protect" Kitchen Ware including the Hob Cover , Work Top Protector , Chef's Gauntlet , Oven Gloves and Apron.

Again we got great feedback on our products and our concept and we can't wait till the next one in Northumberland on the 7th and 8th of July, North East Chilli Festival

Mole Poblano

One of our products that sold surprisingly well at the Eastnor Castle Festival was our Chilli Chocolate Sauce.  Many people bought it without really knowing what to do with it but could see immediately on tasting it that it would add a richness and intensity to any stew or casserole.  It is actually a Mole Poblano sauce and is a classic version of the Mexican sauce that forms the basis of the famous dark mole stews from Oxaco in southern Mexico.

Mole is is a generic term that describes both the numerous versions of this sauce and the dishes it is used to create.  Moles come in a variety of flavours and are made with many different ingredients but all contain at least one variety of chilli pepper.  Mole Poblano is a dark brown sauce served over meat, usually chicken or turkey.

There are many legends as to the origins of the Mole the most popular of which tells the story of a group of poor nuns combining all the ingredients they had in their kitchen to prepare a meal for a visiting archbishop and accidentally coming up with a winner.  Another theory is that it was originally developed by the Aztecs.  Mole actually represents the mixed heritage of Mexico combining ingredients from North America, Europe and Africa and has probably simply evolved over time.

Whatever the ingredients the process is similar.  They are generally all roasted and ground to a fine paste or powder using a method that is very labour intensive and can take at least a day to complete.
This paste or powder is then mixed with water and simmered in a heavy cauldron, stirring constantly until it is thick and pungent.  In Mexico it is traditionally served as a sauce for turkey but is also eaten over chicken or even eggs at breakfast.

Mole Poblano is the best known of all the Moles outside Mexico and has even been seen as the National Dish of Mexico.  A Mole Poblano will typically contain up to 20 ingredients including the  "Holy Trinity" of Chillies, the Ancho, Mulato and Pasilla.  The Mulato is a dark chocolate brown pepper with a mild smoky flavour with hints of liquorice and cherries, the Ancho is a very dark red, mild and sweet fruity flavoured chilli and the Passilla similar to the Ancho but brown with a more herby flavour.

Our Mole Poblano combines the Holy Trinity with other spices, onions, tomatoes and dark Belgian chocolate to create a delicious Chilli Chocolate Sauce.  Try it in the traditional way melted and served over turkey or chicken or add a tablespoon to your next Chilli Con Carne.  For a special occasion we recommend adding it to a venison casserole.

Please let us know if you have used it in other ways or have other ideas about how to and feel free to share your recipes with us.