The Little Cellar Rat is not a lover of gadgets – kitchen or otherwise – but does a little Happy Dance when she comes across one that is fit for purpose and makes a job quick and easy.
She likes to share her finds with other Foodies and GOTY (Gadget of the year 2019) has to be herb scissors. Want to snip a few chives, Italian parsley or mint over sliced jacket potatoes for an easy-peasy side dish….. Herb Scissors does it!! No chopping board or knife needed and it’s something you can do at the last minute. Around the $18 mark, you can pick them up at the most surprising places eg Post Office. Mine was a holiday buy when staying at Brunswick Heads.
buona cucina!! PS easy clean? Yes, they come with a tiny ‘brush’ to extract every piece and they are not sharp… so no cut fingers.
The prolonged dry conditions have showcased which plant varieties will tolerate the lack of regular watering. One species which has shown its resilience is the IVORY CURL (or BUCKINGHAMIA.)
Have you been intoxicated by its glorious perfume? We’ve been calling it the CARAMEL TOPPING TREE for decades because that’s what the perfume immediately makes you think of. If you are not lucky enough to have one in your streetscape or garden, come on out to HILL OF PROMISE CELLAR DOOR and take in a headful of ours! There’s a table and chairs where you can sit and admire it…. beats a table in Tuscany! Or so we think.
When the Festive Season seems to be all about chocolate, the freshness of citrusy Lemoncello on Ice is a definite thirst quencher.
Choose your favourite glass, add chuncks of ice and pour in a dash or two of LEMONCELLO. Sicilian LIMONCELLO is 40%, whereas our LEMONCELLO is 20%.
Adding a twist of lemon, lime or a sprig of mint makes it a little bit fancy… but there’s noting wrong with basic!
We’re spoilt for choice now with all the great salad ideas coming into your inbox and in every foodie magazine so there is no excuse for boring salads….. but you really can’t go past a ‘Mango Salsa’ as a quick and super-tasty side salad to go with anything barbecued or chargrilled.
Just remember the colours:
ORANGE – diced mango
RED – diced flesh of Roma tomatoes (discard the pulpy seeds)
PURPLE ONION – diced
GREEN -torn mint leaves
Pop them all into a bowl, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and a kiss of chilli flakes. Oh, and the Usual Suspects of S and P.
buon appetito!!
There’s nothing quite like the ambience of a working winery when it comes to a relaxing, fun and informative ‘day out’ for groups of 15 or more.
Tastings of our wines and fortifieds (all preservative-free and made with pride, passion and a respect for tradition), a smattering of wine ‘fun facts’, some food matching suggestions…. See what I mean!
Oh.. did I mention we do 2 types of Cheese Boards? Well, we do!
Give the Little Cellar Rat a call to talk about some suggestions for your group.
0408 875 305 mangohillcottagebb@bigpond.com
I’ve always wanted to know: why the word for Christmas in French is ‘Noël?
The word Noël comes from the French word ‘noël’ meaning ‘the Christmas season’ and is a variation of the Latin word ‘natalis’ which in Western Christian traditions references the birth of Christ.
The word Noël first appeared in English sometime in the late 14th century as ‘nowel’ meaning ‘feast of Christmas’.
Well, know you knowël!!
I don’t know about you, but I tend to enjoy a ‘side dish’ of trivia and background details with my food and drink. If you too are so inclined, join me for the occasional post on the stories behind the names and origins of various foods.
A shepherd, a nymph and an abandoned lunch!
For the Little Cellar Rat, blue vein is a definite favourite from the infinite world of cheeses.
If you are curious to know who came up with the idea of making it, you have to go back to 7th Century France and the village of Roquefort. Legend has it that a young shepherd, taking a lunch break from all that hard work of looking after sheep, caught sight of a stunningly beautiful maiden. He took off in hot pursuit, abandoning his simple, but delicious, lunch of bread and cheese. Detail is a tad light-on regarding what exactly happened between the two but he returned several months later only to find, quel horreur!!, that his cheese had developed this rather off-putting looking mould. But he was hungry and bit into the cheese, Disgust and horror turned to ecstacy!!! Mon dieu…. What flavour, Food of the Angels. His cheese had become infested with penicillin roqueforti, a mould growing in the cave and the rest is history.
Roquefort is the French blue cheese made from sheep’s milk, Stilton is the English blue and Gorgonzola the Italian both made from cow’s milk.
buon appetito!!
A day out with family and friends needn’t cost the equivalent of the GDP of a small country!
Make a zucchini slice or quiche ( or even simpler do some Hunting and Gathering at the Deli of your choice) come on out for a wine tasting and stay for lunch.
Wines are available for consumption on the verandah by the glass or bottle.
Why not finish off with a plunger coffee.
Just give the Little Cellar Rat a quick call 0408 875 305 to ensure we are open on the day you choose.
ci vediamo a presto!
Gifts made by hand, in small batches, from local produce are always appreciated
.
Why not consider ‘shopping’ from our range of gourmet chutneys, pastes, dukkah, local honey and other delicious goodies, most of them made by the Little Cellar Rat.
All GF and NO PRESERVATIVES
The Perfect Stop-Over Point to
Explore South East Queensland
- Located at our winery - Hill Of Promise!
- Situated half-way between Brisbane & Rockhampton
- 40 minutes to Bundaberg
- 50 minutes to Maryborough
- 30 minutes to Woodgate beach
- 60 minutes to Hervey Bay & Departure points for Fraser Island & Lady Elliott Island
- 2.25 hours to 1770 - The departure point for Lady Musgrave Island
