Solicited review of PG Tips Premium Gold Blend Tea

I'll admit it, I do like my tea. Most days at home I do things quick and easy, pulling a tea bag out of a box and brewing up a cup of "builder's tea" sweetened with a bit of Stevia and a good splash of skimmed milk. So, I was very happy to sign up when BzzAgent recently asked me to review a new tea from PG Tips, their Gold blend.

PG Tips are a British icon

I grew up in Kansas drinking instant iced tea either sweetened with sugar or served with lemon. You can imagine the change then when I came to England and was introduced to the idea of drinking hot tea. Year round!

In the first few years I had my tea very weak with a lot of sugar, and no milk.

Water bewitched and tea bedamned!

I didn't brew my tea, I quickly dipped a bag into a cup of boiled water and took it right out again. Over time I began brewing cups a bit longer, and one day decided to try it with milk. Until now when I give my tea a full brewing time of 3 - 5 minutes, depending upon the type. I still have a bit of sugar in my tea because I really dislike bitterness, but I don't use nearly as much as I used to. Most of the time I use stevia as a sweetener in place of sugar and I add a goodly amount of milk - no tiny splash for me. 

PG Tips Gold

The blurb for this tea describes it thusly:

A fine mix of African, Ceylon and Assam teas, PG Gold is one of the most premium cuppa’s you can find, with its bright golden colour, citrusy taste and rich aroma. The perfect balance provides sweet and high flavour notes. Overall a high quality cuppa, great for any time of day. It’s like a hug in a mug.

Notes: Rich, full-bodied & full of flavour! Gold is simply tea as it should be.

The Packaging

Seems a funny place to start a review, but this was a beginning sticking point for me. The tea bags come in a standard thin cardboard box, wrapped around with cellophane to preserve freshness. I found it very difficult to actually get into the box because the cellophane wrapping was sealed in so tightly. Eventually, I resorted to stabbing through cellophane and box with a pair of scissors and cutting it open that way.

The addition of a simple zip line to open the cellophane wrapping would be very handy, and surely not that much more trouble to add to the final packaging.

The cellophane wrapping isn't recyclable, however the box itself is.

My rating: 3/5

The Teabag

In 1996 the pyramid shaped teabag was invented by Brook Bond, then the parent company of PG

Pyramid shaped bag =  efficient brewing

Tips. PG Tips has been using this shaped bag ever since. They claimed the unique shape allowed for a more efficient brewing, a claim upheld in 2014 by the Advertising Standards Agency.

Tea leaves have more room, meaning more water can get in between the leaves in the bag, meaning you get a cup of tea more quickly. According to the PG Tips site, a cup of their standard tea that normally takes a mine to brew can be brewed using this type bag in about 40 seconds.

The directions on the box of PG Tips Gold recommended brewing for 2 - 3 minutes, so for my first cup I waited about 3 minutes before removing the tea bag and adding milk and stevia.

My rating: 5/5

The Cuppa

I tried several cups of PG Tips Gold over a couple of days, brewing each for longer or shorter lengths of time just to check for flavour and strength. Most were brewed between 3- 5 minutes, but one long cup managed to brew for a good 10 - 15 minutes after I forgot it was sitting on the counter!

The first cup, brewed for 3 minutes gave me a cup exactly as they described. It had a rich, full-bodied taste with hints of citrus. Cups brewed for longer gave the same only slightly stronger. None of these cups had even a hint of bitterness.

Most tea if brewed too long become bitter and undrinkable. When I discovered my forgotten mug of over brewed tea, I decided to drink it, but expected it to have become bitter. I was very happy to discover that this was not the case. Even that poor forgotten mug, brewed 10 minutes longer than advised had not even a trace of bitterness to it and gave me an excellent cup of tea.

Drinking it cold

Most teas are made to be drunk hot, or at least warm, but like many I tend to make a cup then forget to drink it as I get involved with doing other things. I found that even when this tea was cold, it continued to have the same rich flavour.

My rating: 5/5

The Price

PG Tips is not the cheapest brand of tea around. But they will probably point out you are paying for the quality of the tea as well as the brand. These new blends Gold, Strong, and Fresh are currently being sold in Asda at £2.99 for a box of 80 bags (£1.29 per 100g).

This compares to the price of £2.29 for a box of 80 of the everyday PG Tips blend
(91.6p per 100g), and a price of £1.38 for a box of 80 of the Asda brand Gold blend tea (55.2p per 100g) I don't know how these compare in terms of flavour or brewing but I suspect the difference in price is reflected in the quality of the tea leaves being used.

I doubt I buy another box of the PG Tips Gold, no matter how much I like the flavour, simply because it is priced rather outside of my food budget these days. I will however, enjoy this box while it lasts.

My rating 3/5

Eco concerns

Animal testing
Unilever, which owns PG Tips, and PG Tips came under fire from animal rights groups a few years back after it was revealed that they were doing animal testing to try to prove health benefits of drinking tea for marketing purposes. Since then, they have stated that testing on animals is no longer being conducted. However, some people have made the decision to stop drinking PG Tips regardless.

I checked online to see if there had been any more recent claims that PG Tips had resumed animal testing, but could find nothing to indicate it had.

 Rainforest Alliance
100% of the tea used by PG Tips is now sourced from farms which pay workers fair wages and provide access to good quality housing, medical care and education for their children.

Rainforest Alliance certified products originate on--or contain ingredients sourced from--Rainforest Alliance Certified farms or forests. These farms and forests are managed according to rigorous environmental, social and economic criteria designed to conserve wildlife; safeguard soils and waterways; protect workers, their families and local communities; and increase livelihoods in order to achieve true, long-term sustainability.

Composting and recycling
Used tea bags are fully compostable and can either be added a compost bin at home, or placed in a council provided food waste bin for composting.

My rating: 5/5, but should I discover they have resumed doing any kind of animal testing for health benefit claims this rating will drop considerably.


Disclaimer: I received a free box of PG Tips Gold blend tea in exchange for an honest review as a BzzAgent.

An Unsolicited Book Review - Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen

I love Mexican foods. So when I came across this book which was being sold through my UK source for Mexican cooking supplies I decided to go ahead and purchase it. I was very much impressed with the range of Mexican foods and dishes that were included.


Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisine contains so much more than just recipes though. Bayless provides a range of handy hints and background information on the recipes and the ingredients. He takes the mystery out of Mexican cooking, and helps readers to believe that creating these dishes is not out of their grasp. He also helps pull people away from the belief that Mexican food is nothing more than beef burritos, chillies, and lots of cheese.


Mexican Kitchen contains over 400 pages of recipes, hints, tips, and personal stories. It is divided into 9 chapters.

• Chapter 1: Essential Flavours of the Mexican Kitchen
• Chapter 2: Salads and Other Starters
• Chapter 3: Light and Hearty Soups
• Chapter 4: Tacos, Enchiladas, and Other Casual Fair
• Chapter 5: Vegetable, Bean, Rice, and Egg Dishes
• Chapter 6: Classic Fiesta Food
• Chapter 7: Main Dishes
• Chapter 8: Desserts
• Chapter 9: Wine and Margaritas 

In addition, this book provides resource list for commonly used Mexican ingredients that you might not be able to find in your local grocery store, and a section on alternative ingredients in case you can't find one particular ingredient and need to substitute.

It is a cookbook that I dip into time and time again. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys cooking and eating Mexican foods.

I featured a recipe from this cookbook in an earlier blog post. Achiote-Roasted Pork Tacos with Pickled Red Onions.

About the Author

Rick Bayless is an award-winning chef from Chicago. He is a past winner of Top Chef Masters and has hosted Mexico-One Plate at a Time on PBS for over 9 series. He has written more than 8 cookbooks. His second book, Mexican Kitchen, won the Julia Child IACP cookbook of the year award in 1996, and his fourth book, Mexico-One Plate at a Time won James Beard Best International Cookbook of the Year award in 2001.

In addition, the Mexican government has awarded Bayless its Order of the Aztec Eagle, for work benefitting Mexico and the Mexican people.


Bayless his staff created Frontera Farmer Foundation in 2003 to support small farms in the American Midwest. Grants totally over $1.2 million have been awared since then to over 71 farms. This has enbled farmers to make capital improvements and increase their productivity and profitability. In addition, they have also created the Frontera Scholarship which sends a Mexican-American Chicago Public School student to Kendall College to study culinary arts.

Frijoles Refritos

(A recipe from Mexican Kitchen)


Every culture has as one of its staples a mashed pulse of some sort. In India you find dhal made from
lentils, around the Middle East and the Mediterranean countries you can find houmous made from chickpeas, and in Mexico you have Frijoles Refritos, or refried beans.

refried beans

Frijoles are traditionally made using pinto beans, but feel free to experiment with any other beans you might like. I think these are especially nice made with black beans.

I must admit for every day eating I am more likely to buy tinned refried beans and heat them up, but for special occasions I like to make my own using this recipe from Mexican Kitchen (page 237 in my edition).  
 
Image credit: Image from Wikimedia Commons and in the public domain. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lard (omit or use a substitute such as a cold-pressed vegetable oil for vegetarian cooking, olive oil will have too strong a flavour however)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
• 900gm undrained cooked beans slightly warm for easy mashing
• salt to taste
• about 55gm crumbled Mexican *queso fresco or other cheese as noted below
• handful of tortilla chips

Instructions  

Frying and mashing the beans

1. In a large frying pan heat the fat over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute or so, then use a slotted spoon to scoop in about 1/4 of the beans, leaving most of the liquid behind. With a masher or the back of a large spoon mash the beans into a coarse puree. Add another portion of beans, mash them in, and continue until all of the beans have been added and coarsely mashed.
2. Add about a cup of bean liquid (or water if you have no liquid) and stir frequently over the heat until the beans are a little soupier than you would like to serve them. They'll stiffen up as they cool. Taste and season with salt if needed. 

To serve
Spoon the beans into a warm serving platter or onto individual plates, sprinkled with crumbled cheese, and serve with tortilla chips.

*Cheese - If you can't find Mexican queso fresco try either a dry feta, or Parmesan cheese.

 

 

Cookbook Review: Cooking for Geeks

I am a cooking geek

When it comes to cooking, yes, I admit it. I am definitely a geek. I like knowing why you need to add salt to bread dough (keeps the yeast from acting too long), what the process of browning foods off is called (it's a Maillard reaction apparently), and at what temperature chocolate starts to melt (37c).

You can image my delight then when I was asked to read Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food by Jeff Potter. A book filled with the science behind cooking, a lot of good tips (hacks), and some rather nice recipes.

Using language any modern technological geek can understand, Jeff Potter sets out to explain the world of

Cooking for Geeks manages to do what is nearly impossible with most cookbooks. It is accessible to anyone, from the complete novice to the fully adept in the kitchen, providing step-by-step instructions which are easy to follow. For those who want further explanations as to why and what and how, notes provide details not only on what you should do, but the reasons behind why you should do it, and what should happen as well.

Maillard reaction

cooking.

Hello Kitchen

Each chapter explores a different aspect of cooking, from the basic kitchen tools and how to use them to chemical reactions of different key ingredients. Feel free to read the book from cover to cover, dip in and out where you like, or just flip to the list of recipes in the index to find something delicious to prepare.

The author has done something in Cooking for Geeks that almost appears to be anathema in most cookery books. He encourages you to explore the recipes for yourself. Explore, make mistakes, and if all else fails, throw the whole lot in the bin and order a pizza. Because what the TV chefs and the food stylists and so called food pornographers who pose those perfect dishes in other cookbooks, magazines, and on the TV neglect to tell you is that all cooks have disasters in the kitchen. Anyone who claims otherwise either hasn't been cooking for very long, or is a liar.

The appeal of Cooking for Geeks becomes clear in the very first chapter. Geeks want to know not just what to do, but why it is done that way.That is what this book does.

Cooking for Geeks

Once you are able to let do of the fear of failing in the kitchen (you will, but you can learn from it) a whole culinary world is opened up to you. This first chapter takes you back to the very beginning. It introduces you to you kitchen and teaches you how to read a whole new language - the recipe. 

A Cooking Recipe = Culinary Code
Always read through the entire code (recipe), top to bottom, before starting to cook.

Cooking for Geeks does a very good job in teaching you the unwritten rules of cooking. Jeff Potter has taken those things the experienced cook does almost instinctively and broken those processes down step-by-step for the novice.

What Type of Cook are You?

Knowing what type cook you are can help in knowing how you approach a recipe. Go ahead and take this brief quiz which was taken from Cooking for Geeks.

When I prepare a meal, I typically:

1. Rely on classic dishes my family has always enjoyed.

   

   Butterflied chicken under the grill

2. Substitute more healthful ingredients
3. Follow a recipe step-by-step
4. Rarely use recipes and like to experiment

Some of my favourite ingredients are:

1. Lots of bread, starches, and red meat
2. Fish and vegetables
3. Beef and chicken
4. Vegetables, spices, and unusual ingredients
5. A trendy ingredient I saw on the Food Network

In my free time I like to:

1. Visit with friends and family
2. Exercise or take a fitness class
3. Organise the house
4. Take part in creative or artistic pursuits
5. Be spontaneous and seek adventure

My favourite things to cook are:

1. Home-baked goodies
2. Foods with fresh ingredients and herbs
3. Casseroles
4. Ethnic foods and wok dishes
5. Anything that lets me fire up the grill

Other people describe me as :

1. Really friendly
2. Health-conscious
3. Diligent and methodical
4. Curious
5. Intense

There may be some overlap in the answers you give, but is there one letter that you picked out most often?

Here's what your answers say about your cooking style:

Mostly A: Giving - Friendly, well-liked, and enthusiastic, giving cooks seldom experiment, they love baking, and like to serve tried-and-true family favourites, although that sometimes means serving less healthful foods.

Mostly B : Healthy - Optimistic, book-loving, nature enthusiasts, healthy cooks experiment with fish, fresh produce, and herbs. Health comes first, even if it means sometimes sacrificing taste.

Mostly C: Methodical - Talented cooks who rely heavily on recipes. The methodical cook has refined tastes and manners. Their creations always look exactly like the picture in the cookbook.

Mostly D: Innovative - Creative and trend-setting, innovative cooks seldom use recipes and like to experiment with ingredients, cuisine styles, and cooking methods.

Mostly E: Competitive - The "Iron Chef" of the neighbourhood, competitive cooks have dominant personalities and are intense perfectionists who love to impress their guests.

Copied from Cooking for Geeks, used by permission of Brian Wansick, author of Mindless Eating.

According to the above quiz, I am an innovative cook. The description certainly holds true for me. I hardly ever follow a recipe exactly, and when I do my mind immediately thinks of ways I could add different flavours.

Tips for Newbie Cooks

1. Have fun. Learning is about curiosity, not work.
2. Know your cooking type.
3. Read the whole recipe.
4. Take the time to taste things.
5. Don't be afraid to burn dinner.

Taken from Cooking for Geeks

 

I think beyond these important tips for new cooks it is very important that you know what different ingredients taste and smell like, both raw and cooked. This will help when determining how to combine flavours. I also suggest when you first begin to experiment with flavours that you don't add more than 3 herbs or spices. Otherwise you lose control of the flavour interactions.

I was asked to review Cooking for Geeks and received a free copy of the book in exchange. 

Let's Talk About Knives

Cook's knife

It isn't just the professionals who need a good set of kitchen knives. If you do any cooking at all, then a decent set of knives are important.

It is better to spend a moderate amount of money on one really good knife that you will use over and over again than to spend the same amount on 10 knives plus a vegetable peeler and 15 steak knives thrown in absolutely free.

If, like me, you are a home cook this doesn't mean spending a fortune on kitchen knives. Nor does it mean having 10 different knives for any possible occasion. Most home cooks can easily deal with the majority of tasks that may arise with just 3 knives.

With proper care, these knives will serve you well for many, many years.

What Knives Does a Home Cook Need?

Most home cooks only need 3 knives.

• A cook's knife


• A paring knife


• A bread knife

Of these three, only the first two are what I would call essential. The bread knife is good to have around, but not absolutely mandatory if you know you're just not going to use it.

I also recommend a good pair of kitchen scissors and a good vegetable peeler.

Don't get any other knives unless you know you will be using them often. They'll only end up gathering dust and you can put that money to better use.

The Cook's Knife

These come in sizes ranging from a 6-inch to a 10-inch blade. Get the one you feel most comfortable using. I have 2 knifes, one with a 10-inch the other with a 6-inch blade. The 10-inch is hardly ever used because it is too large for the majority of chopping I need to do. I keep it around because it is handy for cutting large melons.



Victorinox Swiss Army 8-Inch Fibrox Straight Edge Chef's Knife


You cook's knife will get more use than any other knife in your kitchen, so get the best that you can find. That doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive but do invest in one that is well made. You want a knife that fits comfortably in your hand. The Victorinox knife has a good blade and a comfortable, non-slip handle. Both very important when you are chopping.

The Paring Knife

After a cook's knife, I use a paring knife most often. This works equally well for peeling fruit as it does for chopping a chilli pepper and other small vegetables. This paring knife fits easily in my hand. It is perfect for paring fruits and vegetables, and for doing any small, close cutting.



Victorinox Swiss Army 3-1/4-Inch Fibrox Straight Edge Paring Knife, Black

The Bread Knife

This knife can actually be used for several different jobs. The serrated edge makes it useful for slicing both bread and meats, as well as tomatoes and other thin-skinned produce.


Victorinox Cutlery 8-Inch Wavy Edge Bread Knife, Black Fibrox Handle

For more knives, check out my Amazon Knife Shop linked to at the bottom of this page.

Keeping Knives Sharp

Follow these simple tips and you will keep your knives in good working order for years.

• Sharpen your knives before each use. Nothing is more dangerous in a kitchen than a dull knife. Invest in a good knife sharpener and use it often. 
• Do not let your knives roam free in a drawer. Besides dulling the blades, you have a really good chance of slicing a finger open while digging around for the tin opener.
• Clean the knives immediately after using. Don't drop them into the bottom of the sink either. Again, you run a good risk of slicing your finger open by doing this.

Product Review Tesco Finest Dairy Range

Tesco Finest Dairy

Over the past couple months I have been trying some of the various dairy products available in the Tesco Finest Dairy range as part of a BZZ Campaign. This particular Bzz Campaign is ending soon, so I thought I would give my final opinions here.
 
I tried some of the different cheeses and also tried an assortment of the available ceamy yoghurts.

I do try to minimise the additives and artificial ingredients in the foods I cook for myself and my family so I was very happy to discover that all of the foods in the Tesco Finest Dairy range are made using whole, natural ingredients. 

Parmigiano Reggiano

This cow's milk cheese from Italy has been aged for 30 months.
The flavour of this cheese is the sharp, slightly musty, slightly salty, taste that you would expect from a quality Parmigiano.

The main judge here though is my middle son, Thing 1, who really only likes one kind of cheese, Parmigiano, and can be rather particular about differences in flavour that can be found between brands. I may not be able to tell a difference, but he can. ANd he liked this cheese.

I bought 2 wedges of parmigiano over the past 2 months, and have used most them. We have used this cheese grated over spaghetti bolognese, grated over pizza, and in risotto.

Price: £20.59/kg, or £3.50/170gm wedge

I will definitely buy this again.

Barrel Aged Feta

A classic Macedonian Feta made in Greece. This particular cheese is made using a blend of ewe's and goat's milk then aged in beech wood barrels, then packed in brine.

It has a crumbly texture and salty taste.

I used this cheese in a fairly traditional Greek salad - cucumber and tomato, houmous and feta cheese - drizzled with a bit of olive oil and eaten with a bit of pitta bread. I also used it as a topping on pizza instead of the more traditional cheeses a few times and really liked the added flavours it gave.

I don't buy feta vevry often because I'm the only one who will eat it, but the net time I decide to treat myself I will be getting this brand.

Price: £15/kg, or £2.25/150gm pack

Assorted Yoghurts

I have tried several of the creamy yoghurts available in this range. To save repeating this over and over - the fruit creamy yoghurts each have whole bits of the real fruit in them that you actually get to chew. I was very pleasantly surprised when I discovered this. The

There is a wide selection of different blends, including one of my favourite treats - chocolate and hazelnut in yoghurt - that I would make at home by combining a spoonful of Nutella with a small tub of Greek yoghurt. Unlike what I would make for myself at home, this one is a creamy combination of chocolate and large hazelnut pieces.

I like having these in the house as a nice after dinner treat, or as a quick and simple breakfast option.

I plan on buying these again, and again.

Price: £0.75/150gm pot

So, over all verdict - Tesco have found a winner in their Finest Dairy range.  The prices are slightly higher than their regular brand products, but are in line with comparable branded products. The big selling point for me though is that they have used all natural ingredients in all of the dairy products. This is why I will be going back to buy them again.

Note: I am a BzzAgent and received coupons to purchase various Tesco Finest Dairy products either at a reduced price or free of charge.

Images from Tesco Finest Dairy range are used with permission.