Some interesting things I learned about tequila recently, after reading a great interview with Ruben Aceves (from premium producer Casa Herradura) in the November 2008 issue of Metro magazine:

"Tequilas may not be aged as long as cognac or single-malt whiskey, but they are every bit as complex.

Herradura (the name means horseshoe in Spanish) is a 100% agave tequila, meaning that the base brew or pulque is fermented entirely from the natural sugars of blue agave, which grows near the city of Guadalajara in central Mexico.

However, many major tequila brands, and a good number of those you will see in bars around town, are blends (mixtos) distilled from pulque that may have been fermented with up to 50 percent grain sugar.

At the start of production, the plant is cut off at the base, the leaves removed and the short stump or stem then roasted. The fruit is fermented into pulque at around 5% alcohol, and the pulque is then double distilled to around 40%, creating tequila.

There are notable taste differences between agaves from different sub-regions: highland agave tequila is perfumed, with plenty of high notes, while lowland agave is more earthy and spicy.

The purest agave expression can be found in young, fresh silver (or white) tequilas.

Next comes reposado (or rested) tequila, which must be aged for a minimum of 2 months in oak barrels.

Some companies produce what they call gold (oro) tequila by adding caramel, sometimes even oak extract, to colour up a silver tequila and give it the appearance of age.

Aged (anejo) tequila must be matured in barrels for at least one year.

At the top of the price range comes extra anejo, which by law must be at least three years old."

The final word on some tequila myths:

"Agave is not a cactus, ok?"

"And mezcal is the spirit with the worm in it. It is not the same as tequila."

"Really, a silver tequila is fine for mixing and in fact will provide a better result. If your barman is using anejo, then that is a waste."

All right then.

Time for a shot...

First out of the starting blocks for me is a simple dessert, which I got the recipe for from Eating For Life, which is the companion recipe book for the Body For Life fitness programme.

Disclosure: My wife and I are intermittent semi-followers of this regime (ie, whenever we have one of our infrequent bursts of motivation, or more frequent pangs of regret about our sedentary lifestyles!)

Anyway, this one was pretty straightforward for me and the results actually reasonably tasty.

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Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients

1 egg (the recipe actually calls for 1/4 cup egg substitute, but seems to be a tricky thing to find in NZ supermarkets)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/3 cup wholewheat flour
1/2 tsp sugar substitute
6 oz (or 170g) low fat raspberry yoghurt.
3 Tbsp vanilla protein powder (whey or soy).  (I had to use chocolate as that was I had, but hey, seemed ok)
1 cup fresh berries (I had to go for frozen berries here, due to season)

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg (substitute), milk, flour, and sugar substitute until well-blended.
2. Lightly coat a non-stick fry pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat.
3. Pour half of the crepe batter into the fry pan, then quickly lift and tilt the fry pan to spread the batter. Return to heat. When the edges of the crepe are dry, carefully flip it over and cook until lightly browned, about 2 mins.
4. Place crepe on a small plate and repeat with remaining batter.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine yoghurt and protein powder; mix well. Divide filling into two portions and spoon into crepes. Top each with half of the berries. Fold the crepe over the filling, serve and enjoy!

Welcome to my new food blog.

This is where I will be recording my efforts to develop actual culinary skills and tastes, as opposed to the merely hypothetical, in order to move myself beyond the meat and three vege combos that have been the staple of my cooking experience for all of my adult life.

My master plan is to post recipes that I have attempted, along with photographic evidence of the outcomes, and any other things of food-related interest that tickle my fancy.

Disclaimer:

I may or may not adhere to my master plan regarding photography, dependent on how big a disaster things turn out in the kitchen.  Remember folks: I am starting from scratch here.

However, be forewarned, I am likely to gloat extensively over any successful kitchen forays, no matter how minor.

So, with the formalities out of the way, let the gastronomical adventures begin...