Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Oxtail Chili with a sting in the tail!

Posted: 30/01/2020 in Africa, cooking videos
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Greetings to the few of you still out there.

I am currently off work with a bad shoulder and feeling rather sorry for myself especially seeing as Mrs Bunny Chow is away on business so I thought I would throw together one of my favourite all time meals which incidentally she isn’t a fan of. This is a loose guide chili is not something that should use a real recipe more something you make your own but it will give a good baseline.

I started out by browning some seasoned chunks of Oxtail in a heavy potjie (dutch oven) with a little oil, until they had some good colour. To these I added three or four diced medium onions.

At this point I added some mixed herbs, a good couple of tablespoons of powdered, cumin, powdered coriander and dried garlic powder. Honestly all chili type dishes are based on this spice mix and if you want no heat just leave it there or work your way through to whatever level of stupidity you’re comfortable with. I am not know for my cleverness so I made myself a little tea with some dried african birdseye chillis and a beef stock cube (picture before I added the stock cube) I was not cautious about how many of these chillis I used, be cleverer than me!

Dried African Birdseye chillis otherwise known as peri-peri

These chillis are commonly known as peri peri under a variety of different spellings depending on which portuguese priest first wrote about them they’re all essentially the same thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peri-peri

This was simply a process of rehydrating the chilli’s in some boiling water and adding the resulting stock and whole re-hydrated chillis to the cooking pot. I also added a little ketchup for sweetness and to cut some of my newly introduced intense heat. I simmered on a medium heat for a few minutes.

Ready for a long slow cook.

This was covered and placed in a low oven for four or five hours, oxtail is a tough old cut, your meat might not need this long but I planned well ahead to allow for this time with just the occasional stir.

At around 5pm (I started at midday) I added a tablespoon or so of tomato paste, a couple of tins of tomatoes, mine we whole but chopped are fine I just broke them up with a spoon and some sweet potato fries that have been languishing forgotten in the freezer and needed using. Use whatever veg you need to use up.

Upon tasting I decided that the chili heat was a little one dimensional so raided my extensive collection of chilli powders and oils and added a little bit of this and that to add sweetness, fruitiness and smokeyness, this is your chilli, add what you like.

I also added about a tablespoon of flour to help thicken the sauce and I know this is in some circles considered controversial (but I like them) kidney beans.

This went back into the low oven for another couple of hours and was served simply over rice with a squeeze of lime, and quite a lot of low fat yoghurt as it is stupid hot even for me the idiot who once did this.

Anyway, that’s a lot of rambling from someone you’ve no heard much from in a long long time.

It was yummy!

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow AKA Rob

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Is there anybody out there?

Posted: 14/01/2020 in being dad, Uncategorized
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Life has somewhat gotten in the way of blogging over the last few years, in fact life has gotten in the way of a lot of my hobbies over the last few years!

I promised myself at the start of the year to try and commit more of my thoughts to metaphorical paper as a record of my journey, and somehow it is already halfway into January.

So where have I been? Well nowhere really, I have remained as the parent who does the vast majority of the school runs, I have a part time job while the Monkey and the Bug are at school, believe it or not the Monkey will begin his sixth year at school this year, how on earth did that happen.

I am still taking photographs, I don’t share them much but I try and keep an eye in, I’ve had a niggling shoulder for the last 18 months or so which the wonderful NHS has committed to repairing with sharp implements at some point in the near future which will hopefully free me up to carry around a big camera more frequently.

Anyway, that’s a little rambling out in the wild, please do check in from time to time, I will do my best to keep the story going.

Stupid Chili Sauce

Posted: 07/10/2018 in Bunny Chow, cooking videos, Mr Bunny Chow
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Is there anybody still out there?

cof

This Chilli Sauce is loosely based on several from t’internet but mostly from my own head, feel free to adapt to your own tastes.

Ingredients:

A bunch of fresh chillis, mine were mostly homegrown Apache a small medium-hot pepper and a few homegrown jalapenos which are generally pretty mild. I didn’t count or weigh them but you know your own tastes, add as few or as many as you like, deseed them if you must, this sauce is going for flavour, not all out heat, although mine is verging on a 7/10 this sauce would be just as delicious using completely deseeded jalapenos and a 3/10 or all habaneros/ghost chilis to hit a 10/10.

Two thumb size pieces of ginger. Not essential but adds a roundness to the flavour profile.

Two heaped teaspoons of chopped garlic.

The juice of half a lime. I happened to have half a lime left over from last night G&T it comes through in the final flavour though.

A small/medium onion.

A good glug of good olive oil. (2-3 Tablespoons would be my guess)

A good glug of balsamic vinegar, apple cider is also a good option and not as sweet but I had balsamic in the cupboard. (see above for definition of good glug) you can add more vinegar if you like Louisiana (Tabasco) style hot sauces use treble the amount of a malt or white vinegar here instead.

A tin of chopped tomatoes. I also chucked in some cherry tomatoes that were nearing the end of their life, waste not, want not.

a pinch of dried mixed herbs, optional but again adds a roundness.

Salt and a bunch of good black peppercorns (I chucked a good teaspoon of Telicherry in the blender whole but use what you have).

cof

Method:

Process the chilis removing all the green stalks and add to a blender along with the onion, garlic, ginger, lime juice, seasoning and olive oil, blitz to a rough paste and fry on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and balsamic and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes, allow to cool.

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Return to the blender (make sure it’s cold if your blender isn’t vented or you’ll be in a world of hurt) and blitz until as smooth or rough as you like it, you can even pass it through a sieve if you want it super silky.

Add to sterilised bottles and it will last up to a year in the fridge, please use your common sense here, if it looks mouldy, it is, but as long as it is left alone you should be good. Once open consume within a few weeks.

Please feel free to share this recipe with friends and family and let me know how you get on if you try it for yourselves.

cof

TTFN

Rob AKA Mr Bunny Chow

 

 

 

I’m coming out of retirement

Posted: 06/01/2017 in Uncategorized
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As many of you will know just a little shy of a month over four years ago I dropped out of the rat race in order to spend time raising my two boys.

At the time they were both still in nappies (diapers) only one of them could walk with any level of stability.

Now they are both at proper school, wearing uniforms and making me so incredibly proud of what I have achieved.

Not many people are privileged enough to spend as much time with their children as I have with mine, don’t get me wrong it has been the toughest four years of my life emotionally. I went through severe depression, I got so lonely I found myself crying in the bathroom whilst small people banged on the door.

I hid behind masks from those that I loved yet the hardest of times passed and Mrs Bunny Chow was there to support me when I eventually opened up.

But now just before I go out on my final school run to hang out with the other school mums for the last time as the token dad (they’ve taken me in as one of their own and I can’t thank them enough) I look back over the last four years again with tears in my eyes and I am just so incredibly proud of what amazing little boys I have raised.

I’ve had a few minimum wage jobs along the way, I’ve had some success with my Photography but this new job will be going back into the automotive trade. I’ll be on a lower rung than where I left but I’ve climbed before and I will climb again.

The short ones are going to find it hard adjusting to pre and after-school clubs for which I am going to have to give a huge chunk of my new salary but they will adapt and overcome. Mrs BC is going to get her deepest desire of the last four years fulfilled as one of my first outgoings will be for a cleaner as I have done the best that a humble man can do for the last four years which quite frankly is pretty badly but, I never burned anything down and there were nearly always clean knickers somewhere in the house if not necessarily in the place she’d want them.

Being a parent is hard but rewarding.

I wouldn’t change it for the world.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

 

 

Mango Chutney

Posted: 19/11/2015 in cooking videos
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First off a few disclaimers and admissions.

I look like a dork in the video at least partly because I am still raising money for The Movember Foundation

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I was responsible for bringing the camera this time and I did bring two batteries but the second one appears to have failed so we swapped to another camera we had never used for video’s before and it did strange things with some of the colour so there are some black and white apples at one point for reasons beyond the comprehension of either of us.

The video is longer than we would have liked, we’re still honing our technique when it comes to filming these things and have learned what we can do next time to still show you all of the recipe without taking so damn long.

The ingredients and alternative options are listed after the video.

Ingredients:

3 large underripe mangos

3 Cooking apples (we used Granny Smiths)

2 Large Onions

Thumb sized piece of fresh Ginger, you could use stem or powdered if you wanted.

Oil, we used mustard oil, but anything you like will be fine, traditionally ghee would be used instead.

1tbs Mustard Seeds

2 Star Anise

1 Stick of Cinnamon

20 Whole Peppercorns

As many chilli flakes as you’d like, I was generous but by all means swap for smoked paprika or leave it out

300 gms caster sugar, any granulated sugar you have is fine

125ml of White wine vinegar (any tart vinegar you have)

Juice of half a lemon

2tsp Salt

A couple of handfuls of chopped dried apricots (you could use raisins, dates, prunes or any other dried fruit if you prefer)

A few dried curry leaves for colour at the end.

Thanks for watching and your feedback

TTFN

Rob and Pete

 

 

Getting over a cold and two free books

Posted: 26/03/2015 in Uncategorized
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Great offers on these two great novels, I urge you to try her stuff, they’re great reading and when they’re free you can hardly complain if they don’t float your boat (which they will)

Please have a look and write lovely reviews for her on Amazon Good Reads etc.

I’m off to my homeland of Zimbabwe for a couple of weeks and will endeavour to share some pictures upon my return.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

Making My Mark

It’s been two weeks since I’ve posted. We spent a week in Edinburgh and had a great time. However, while there, I caught a cold. By the time we got back to London, I was officially sick. It’s been ages since a cold has knocked me on my buttocks. Last Friday, I didn’t even get out of bed. I tried reading, but ended up sleeping the day away. I think I’m finally on the mend, but the better half is now sick. I’m switching gears from being the patient to playing nurse. I’m pretty much exhausted.

During the past couple of weeks, I’ve continued to work, here and there. I’m working with my editor on The Miracle Girl, my sixth novel. Oddly enough, even though I have been under the weather, I’m enjoying editing this novel more than I normally do. Maybe it’s the cold medicine.

In addition to…

View original post 645 more words

Get your FREE copy of Claudia Must Die

Posted: 20/02/2015 in Uncategorized
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Check out this cool book by my friend TBM for free, she’s an awesome author and all she asks in return is that you leave an Amazon review.

Be Swanky

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

Making My Mark

Claudia Must Die is free February 20-23. I have discounted my books before, but this is the first time I am offering one for free. I’m really curious to see how it turns out. Hopefully hundreds of people will download a copy.  And who knows, maybe a few will write a review.

Amazon (US)        Amazon (UK)

Here’s the blurb:

claudia_kindleClaudia doesn’t feel like herself anymore—she feels like prey. Her husband’s hired goons have stalked her all the way to Boston and will only stop their pursuit once she is dead.

Divorce is not an option. Instead, she has stolen a bunch of her man’s money to disappear into another life.

In order for Claudia to live, someone else must die. A lookalike college student becomes the target capable of freeing her from an awful marriage.

The plan goes horribly awry. Instead of murdering Claudia’s double, the assassins shoot…

View original post 223 more words

The Chewore Secret and onwards !

Posted: 21/12/2014 in Uncategorized
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I know it’s the first time you’ve heard from me in ages and all I’m doing is sharing something my father wrote but I at least edited it for him. In the interim please swing by http://www.facebook.com/robtwigwood where I am currently far more sociable.

In the mean time

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

Birding in Zimbabwe

Hi all

I always seem to end up apologising for not keeping these posts either up to date or even very regular so I do so again in the certainty that it is true !  Sorry

We left off last time with us making a long and arduous journey into the Chewore Safari Area on a secret quest.  The reason for the secrecy was that I already had plans to take my buddy AJS to the same place as a surprise and knowing that he is a follower of these ramblings I could barely divulge the destination could I ?

AJS arrived in early October and the very next morning we set out on those crappy bloody roads for Masoka Camp on the Angwa River.  We were accompanied by one of my other mates, DY, who has failed to go African adventuring for some decades and was itching to get…

View original post 945 more words

Marionette

Posted: 23/10/2013 in Uncategorized
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I know I know, I’m a bad blogging buddy, I could make all sorts of excuses but the honest one is that I’ve been horribly busy raising children, cleaning house (badly) and little bits and pieces of photography, including my first wedding. Today though I’m going to talk about one of my good blogging buddies the talented author that is T.B. Markinson, you may recall I wrote about her fantastic first novel here. Anyhoo, she has a new novel coming soon and I’ve got a sneak preview available of its cover art to share with you.

So without further waffle from me, here it is along with a few words from T.B.M herself.

Marionette

Title: Marionette

Author: T. B. Markinson

Cover Designer: Derek Murphy

Publication Date: December 2013

Synopsis:

Paige Alexander is seventeen and has her whole life in front of her. One day her girlfriend comes home to discover that Paige has slit her wrists. Paige isn’t insane, but she acts like she is. Why?

After the incident, Paige agrees to go to therapy to appease her girlfriend, Jess. However, Paige doesn’t believe that therapy will help her. She believes she’s beyond help. Paige doesn’t want to find herself and she doesn’t want to relive her painful past in order to come to terms with it. What Paige wants is control over her life, which she hasn’t had since her birth.

During her childhood, Paige is blamed for a family tragedy, when in fact, her twin sister, Abbie was responsible. Abbie doesn’t come forward and Paige becomes the pariah of the family.

To add to Paige’s woes while attending a college in a small town in Colorado, the residents are in the midst of debating whether or not gays and lesbians should have equal rights. Tension is high and there’s a threat of violence. She isn’t out of the closet and pretends to be straight at school since she fears what will happen if her parents find out she’s a lesbian. Will she end up dead like her best friend, Alex?

About the Author:

T B Markinson

T B Markinson

T. B. Markinson is a 39-year old American writer, living in England, who pledged she would publish before she was 35. Better late than never. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling around the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs in England, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order. Marionette is her second novel.  A Woman Lost was her debut novel.

Sign up to TB’s New Release Mailing List here. Your email will never be shared and you will only be contacted when a new book is out.

Twitter        Facebook        Blog            Goodreads

Well there you have it folks, I promise I’ll try to be back soon with some more original content.

TTFN

MrBunnyChow

this is always embarrasing

Posted: 01/05/2013 in Uncategorized
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this happens to me occasionally and I’m loath to ignore it because the thought behind it seems genuine, I’ve been nominated for another blog award, those of you readers unfamiliar with the blogosphere may think that this is a great honour and in some ways it is a recognition of what I do here, but there always has to be a but.

Blog awards are also much like the chain letters we’ve all received about the little boy in Ohio who’s been dying of something or other since 1984 and how no one has ever broken the chain, you know the ones, well yeah that’s how these blog awards work and I’m not someone who goes along with fulfilling the dream of little boys who’ve been dying for 30 years so I’m going to participate this time but only in part.

I was nominated for this award by wannabephotographer who’s a very kind and sweet lady and it’s for this reason alone that I’m going to play along a little bit.

So without further ado these are the rules

Image

Rules for receiving the Sunshine Award:

  • Include the award’s logo in a post or on your blog.
  • Answer 10 questions about yourself.
  • 10 other fabulous bloggers must be nominated.
  • Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.
  • Share the love and link the person who nominated you.The 10 Questions:
    1. Favourite colour: today I’m going with olive drab
    2. Favourite animal: Kudu cow yummy and pretty all in one
    3. Favourite number: 13
    4. Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Coffee
    5. Prefer Facebook or Twitter? Google+ but am sticking with Facebook because my Mum kinda understands it.
    6. My passion: My kids and photography
    7. Prefer getting or giving presents: prefer giving, receiving always makes me feel guilty and awkward
    8. Favourite pattern: houndstooth
    9. Favourite day of the week: I’m a full time dad, all days are roughly the same but Mrs BC is extra Grumpy on Monday mornings so I can say that’s my least favourite
    10. Favourite flower: Flame lilies otherwise known as gloriosa superba the national flower of Zimbabwe and darn purdy too.

    Ten bloggers who deserve The Sunshine Award!:

  • yeah well I’m not going to pass this one along, I told you I was mean and grumpy and unwilling to pass on the feelings of guilt.

Otherwise, all is quiet on the western front, The Monkey Boy is full of cold and miserable but otherwise not much to report.

Please keep the comments coming on my previous post.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

 

 

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