• questions

    From JIM WELLER@1:135/392 to SHAUN BUZZA on Monday, April 11, 2022 22:51:00
    Quoting Shaun Buzza to Jim Weller <=-

    You appear to be in Ottawa.

    I would appear to be, because it is the nearest major city. I
    actually live in a town of about 10k population.

    So I'm guessing either Arnprior or Hawkesbury? If Arnprior we were
    once nearly neighbours as I grew up near Cobden.

    Another nosy question based on your surname.... do you have
    Cornish ancestry? I had one Cornish grandparent.

    I did not come with a recipe prepared with which to return to topic.

    We're not about just recipes. Product reviews are always welcome
    too. And general chat of course.

    Speaking of product reviews, I just encountered a new to me small
    jam & preserve maker: Dalmatia Spreads,

    Dalmatia is the coastal portion of Croatia where quinces are widely
    cultivated.

    It's also the name of a small fruit spread maker in New England. The
    owner just might be from Croatia originally. The company website was
    vague in that regard. In any event she makes quince and fig spreads
    among other fruity things.

    It is imported into Canada and distributed by Finica Food Specialties
    Limited who also handle Dutch Beemster and a number of other
    cheeses. Some Loblaws stores carry it including mine.

    I bought the quince spread.

    Quinces are related to apples and pears, are bright yellow when ripe
    (they are sometimes called golden apples). They have the aroma and
    taste of a combination of apple, pear, spice and citrus. When cooked
    they become soft and dense, develop a sweet, piquant flavor and
    an even richer perfume. The paste becomes a reddish or deep orange
    brown colour. It is said to pair nicely with cheeses like Manchego,
    Stilton and Parmigiano-Reggiano as well as cured meats like
    Prosciutto and Serrano ham.

    They are rich in astringent tannins and pectin so they have to be
    cooked to be edible. The fruit is often bletted (softened by frost
    and subsequent decay) before harvesting as well.

    The Dalmatia brand spread is a thick paste, deep orangy-brown, quite
    sweet with a very heady perfume and a spicy kick to it that reminded
    me of British chutneys. We had our first taste of it spread on
    pancakes with sausages along side this past weekend. In fact it was
    our first time tasting quince at all. I know that I'm going to serve
    it with ham and cheeses in future as suggested, probably with a not
    too dry white or rose wine. Or maybe sherry and smoked almonds.

    More to follow as I experiment.


    Cheers

    Jim

    ... Jam in winter takes away the blue devils. It's like tasting summer.

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  • From Shaun Buzza@1:229/110 to JIM WELLER on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 16:18:19
    I would appear to be, because it is the nearest major city. I actually live in a town of about 10k population.

    So I'm guessing either Arnprior or Hawkesbury? If Arnprior we were
    once nearly neighbours as I grew up near Cobden.

    Considering there aren't many towns in the area with 10k-ish population, it's hardly 'guessing'. (o_-)

    Hawkesbury. AKA "hell on earth", since I didn't speak a word of french when I moved here. Language-ism, and to a lesser degree separatism, is still very much a thing, here. Shoulda known there'd be a problem when the Greyhound agent asked me if I was going to Hawkesbury, Quebec.

    Doesn't help that whenever someone got all separatist with me, I'd say "Fine! Separate! But this is *Ontario*, so get the hell out of Canada!"

    Another nosy question based on your surname.... do you have
    Cornish ancestry? I had one Cornish grandparent.

    I have absolutely no idea. Genealogy really isn't something I care much about.

    It's my mother's surname, and I know literally nothing about her or her side of the family. As best I could find out, though, the name is Germanic in origin. Ironically, on my father's side, three or four generations back, we're at least English; Welsh, I believe. My father and grandfather were both born in Canada, so I'm a 'born and bred' Canuck. (^_^)

    McDoob
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