Sluttery by Post: Shaken Cocktail Club

Thanks to a tip off at the weekend from the always brilliant Gin Monkey, I learnt about Shaken Cocktail Club. The newest postal service on the block, Shaken are working with the best mixologists in the UK and they want us all mixing and shaking from the comfort of our homes. There are worse ways to spend a Tuesday evening.

The exact contents of the monthly Shaken parcel are a bit of a mystery. I like that - I want something a little more exciting than mojito ingredients - I can mix one of those without much help. I don't want ingredients that I can buy in Tesco on the way home, if I'm paying £29 a month (ouch) then the contents had better be special.

Each parcel contains a different recipe chosen by a cocktail expert, complete with tasting notes, history, tips and tricks and of course, all the booze and ingredients you need to create your tipple. You get enough for four cocktails (no, that doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm guessing you'll have enough of the base booze to keep creating), and if you need any fresh ingredients they'll let you know in advance.

OK, Shaken. Colour me intrigued.

Can't wait for your delivery and want to get started now? Check out our cocktail recipes from The Boy and His Poison. Rumour has it he's going to be back later this week with a brand new recipe.

Sluttishly Vegan: Thai Jungle Curry

There's been a lot of "how do these people live to 110?" stories in the news, a lot of "they eat a lot of grains, tofu and squid" conclusions, and a lot of furious "there's no WAY I'm eating tofu" comments. Tofu gets a bad press for being bland, joyless and squishy. It honestly doesn't have to be that way. In this recipe, you'll fry it to give it a crispy outside and then let it soak up all the delicious curry flavours. It'll be crunchy on the outside, light on the inside, and packed full of spice.

Thai jungle curry is less creamy than other Thai curries and the spices are fiercer because there's no coconut cream. It originates from a northern part of Thailand where there weren't any coconut trees. Often very spicy - apparently it's traditionally made with 60 chillis - you can add as many chillis as you like. I've gone for a conservative two, because I enjoy tasting other flavours and retaining the use of my tongue. We are not doing a Man Vs Food challenge. We are simply having our tea.

Still not convinced by tofu? Then if you're a meat-eater, replace it with pork, chicken or even wild boar, which were used in the original recipe.

Thai Jungle Curry (serves 2)
You will need:

For the paste:

• 2 birds eye chillis, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 shallots (or half an onion), chopped
• 5cm piece of ginger, grated
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric

For the curry:

• Block of firm tofu, sliced into thin strips
• 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
• 2 handfuls of vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, green beans, bamboo shoots - anything that cooks quickly)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, crushed
• 3-4 lime leaves (don't worry if you can't find any, but they'll make it taste amazing)
• Small handful of coriander leaves, chopped

Make it!

1. Start by making the curry paste, by either blitzing or bashing together the ingredients. If you really can't be bothered then just finely chop them and mix them up, but it's more fun to work out your frustration by bashing them in a pestle and mortar.
2. Heat some oil in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat, and gently fry the tofu for a few minutes until crispy. Remove and set aside.
3. Lower the heat and fry the curry paste for 2-3 minutes until you can smell the aroma. Add a little water to loosen it, then throw in the pepper, vegetables, soy sauce, lemongrass and lime leaves. 
4. Add more water to reach the consistency you want, then simmer until the ingredients are nearly cooked. Add the tofu for the last few minutes.
5. Serve on a bed of rice, scattering the coriander leaves over the top.

More Crafts Than Crufts: Make Your Own Dog

Woah there lady with a slightly crazed look in your eye. I don't want to disappoint but despite what the title of this post might suggest, it doesn't announce the long-awaited canine sequel to Crafting with Cat Hair. Nor does it contain the step-by-step instructions you'd need to construct your very own Fido from a holey old pair of tights - though I'm sure he'd be just delightful.

Instead it's about the work of designers who seem to get that love of our four-legged friends doesn't mean we lose all sense of what looks right or wrong. And they all involve some element of DIY (Dog-it-yourself?).

Starting with the simplest, this one is something of a puzzle: a puzzle sausage dog! Slot the teak pieces together to make its long, long body. Made by Skagerak, it says classy mid-century style collector rather than crazy canine lady. It's available for £49 from Panik Design. 

Requiring marginally more skill, is this felting kit designed by Domenica More Gordon. It contains everything you need to create your own grey dog like the one pictured - he stands at over 10cm high and will cost you £31.50. Take her look at her shop for equivalent white dog and sausage dog kits. 

When the instructions start talking about a steady hand, patience AND a craft knife, you know you're getting into advanced carefulness mode. You'll need all three, and glue, if you want to piece together Gerald. Designed by Liam Hopkins, Gerald measures over 20cm along and across and comes in several different coloured coats. Theo is selling the plain version for £12.95, while the patterned pooch pictured will cost you £4 more. Those paws look pretty fiddly. 

I never knew I wanted a life size Scottie dog made of moss until I saw this life size Moss Scottie. Now I can't think of anything else. The most ridiculously wonderful thing, he comes ready mossed so all you have to do is place him outside, with occasional feeding and watering (I find keeping plants alive is a huge challenge, so this is up there in my personal DIY stakes). With a bit of TLC, he'll be yours for life. He's priced for life too: Abigail Ahern is selling him for £118. Or, to 'economise', you can get your own Moss Schnauzer for £113. Now, go fetch. 

Gluten Free: Soba Noodle Soup

I wasn't expecting to be sharing this recipe with you in mid-summer, but let's face it – the weather hasn't  been recognisably June-like at all. That said, I'll eat soup even when the sun is blazing so I'm probably not the best barometer of soup weather. If you subscribe to the thinking that chilli cools you down on a hot day, then you'll be eating this dish on the hottest day of the year as well as the coldest!

We've already shown you how versatile buckwheat can be in gluten free dishes like salads and gnocchi and here's another use for the grain. Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat (it's also known as kasha in Eastern Europe, just to add to the confusion) and the wonderful Japanese make noodles from the flour.  Before I move on to the recipe, it's worth noting that most soba noodles also contain wheat flour so you have to read the label, but you do that anyway, right? There are a couple of brands of 100% buckwheat noodles out there, King Soba and Clearspring make good ones that you'll find in big supermarkets, health food shops and delicatessens.

Asparagus is still very much in season, (thanks, mental weather!) and I'm still finding bunches of locally grown shoots at my greengrocer's so I couldn't help but add it to my soup. If you can't get asparagus, try replacing it with broccoli, mange tout, sugar snap peas or green beans. Likewise, if you're not a mushroom fan (it's a vegetable with the texture of meat, I get it, it's weird), leave them out or if you have scallions or shallots instead of red onions, then swap them about. If you've got leftover roast chicken of pork you can add some of that, too.

Soba Noodle Soup (serves 1)
You'll need:

• a bunch of soba noodles, about 80g
• 250ml water or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp white miso paste (white miso is sweeter and creamier than other types of miso, it's also usually gluten free)
• 25g asparagus tips
• 10g dried mushrooms, soaked for 20-30 minutes in hot water
• ¼ red onion, sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 5cm square of nori (the kind you wrap sushi in), torn into strips
• chilli oil, as much as you like

Make it!

1. Make the noodles according to the packet instructions then drain and rinse with cold water. You can do this a few hours in advance, just toss the noodles in a little oil to stop them sticking together.
2. Heat the water or stock (plus a little bit of the mushroom soaking water for a stronger flavour) in a saucepan until it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the miso until it dissolves. 
3. Add the asparagus, rehydrated mushrooms and onion to the broth and let simmer for about three minutes, until just tender. Or, if you don't mind the extra washing up, chargrill the veggies on a griddle pan for a few minutes.
4. Stir in the soba noodles just before serving to warm them through.
5. Sprinkle sesame seeds, nori strips and chilli oil over the top, then slurp with abandon!

Top Ten Ice Cream and Sorbet Recipes

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. Right now everyone seems to be screaming for some decent weather but I have absolutely no problem eating ice cream when it's snowing outside (especially not when it's a Twister ice cream cake) so here are our top ten ice cream, sorbet and ice lolly recipes.

You can't have an ice cream list without a baked alaska!

The best thing about making ice cream at home is that you get to choose the flavours. Walls don't do pumpkin ice cream! Pumpkin not your thing? Try our traditional chocolate ice cream, or our emergency raspberry ice cream. You might have to wait a while for plums to be in season, but when they are, this plum ice cream is divine. And if you're feeling festive (in June? Have you been watching Love Actually?), mince pie ice cream is perfect.

If you want to so something a little unusual with your ice cream, try making peanut butter ice cream truffles. No one will know they're ice cream until they take a bite.

Wow, Hazel's fruit ice lollies look gorgeous, don't they?

Semifreddo is an Italian dessert that literally translates is 'half frozen'. It's a sort of frozen mousse parfait thingy, and frankly, much easier to make than ice cream. Try our raspberry and almond semifreddo recipe.

Ice cream bread! It sounds like madness, but it's like a brilliant brioch-y treat.

Obviously, we have to finish off with a palate cleanser. Try our sunshine granita, lemon ice, whip up our simple chocolate sorbet, or try our famous Hendrick's gin sorbet.

Got more ice cream ideas? Tell us in the comments! And if you want more food inspiration, check out the rest of our recipe compilations.

Bee-utiful!

BEES! I am a big fan of the fuzzy, bumbling insects, happily getting on with their jobs collecting pollen - unlike filthy wasps, who enjoy nothing more than getting all up in yo grill. So here are some beautiful bee-inspired things to buy, complete with important bee facts. There will be a quiz at the end.

(There won't be a quiz.)

This Ted Baker busy bee print scarf is perfect for this sprautum weather, or whatever we're naming this ludicrous season. Greet a sudden drop in temperature with a smile and a casual "oh yes, it was in the House of Fraser sale". It's reduced to £45.50 - and considering it's delicate, beautiful and you'll keep it forever, the cost-per-wear is approx. 17p.

BEE FACT: young bees are taught how to make honey by older bees! In bee school! Aww.

There is nothing that will cheer you up more for a fiver than this bee pocket mirror from Joanne Hawker on Etsy. It's gloriously happy, and made of metal so you can fling it in your handbag without fear of it breaking.

BEE FACT: they can be trained to recognise human faces!

We told you about Yvonne Ellen last year, and it's time to marvel at her upcycling handiwork again. This vodka teacup comes with a bee painted on the saucer. It's £17.33 from Yvonne's shop.

BEE FACT: scientists gave alcohol to bees and found they spent less time flying and walking, and more time flat on their backs. This proved... something. Well done, science.

These silver stacking rings are adorned with a gold plated rose and bee, destined never to meet. It's £26.67 from Fifth Heaven on Etsy, who will make it in your size.

BEE FACT: male honey bees do no work and claim their sole job is to mate. We've all known men like that, am I RIGHT, ladies?

These chocolate bees, flavoured with crushed honeycomb, are the only bees it's acceptable to eat *hard look at cat* Buy a pack for £4.50 at John Lewis.

BEE FACT: Bees have compound eyes, so if they were to go to the cinema, they'd be able to differentiate every individual film frame being projected. This is why you don't see bees in the queue at the Odeon.

This Laura Cantrell song is not only beautiful, it has the lines: "I miss the bees, I miss the honey / I miss them humming by the flowered vine"



And we'll ALL miss the bees soon if we don't encourage them to hang around in our gardens. So if you have any outdoor space, go to Crocus to buy some bee-friendly plants. Prices start at just £1.49 for feverfew, fairy wings, and lemon balm (which is excellent in Pimms). As a gardening amateur, I recommend getting anything labelled "fully hardy", which I take to mean "even if you just fling them around and forget to water them, they will grow."

Local Heroes: Designers On The Doorstep

I had a lovely weekend - thanks so much for asking - because despite intermittent torrential rain (actually, I adore rain, so this was a PLUS), I was out and about enjoying all that's good in my local area. I am lucky enough to live on the banks of the River Tay, in (PROBABLE City of Culture 2017) Dundee, which as well as being a tip-top place to live, is also only a short hop over a bridge to Fife, with its beautiful fishing villages (I'll admit I usually drive rather than hop, though).

I spent a good portion of my weekend in aforementioned Fife, spending money at Lovely Pigeon's pop-up shop in the coastal town of Anstruther (the rest of my cash went on a fish supper from the Anstruther Fish Bar, which in case you weren't aware, serves HANDS DOWN the best fish and chips in the world. Nope, don't tell me that you know somewhere better. You're wrong. Mama B and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall both agree with me, and they are two women who know their fish and chips).

Kirsty Thomas of Lovely Pigeon runs her pop-up shop every so often in various buildings along the Anstruther harbourfront. This year's shop is crammed full of gorgeous wares from designers across the UK, but I'm going to focus on three who live and work in my local area - including Kirsty herself.

LOVELY PIGEON

Designer Kirsty lives and works in Cellardyke, a village neighbouring Anstruther - ENVY. Not only did she admire my satchel while I was shopping (and if you read this, Kirsty, I gave you duff info about its whereabouts - it's from Urban Outfitters, and has sold out, unfortch), but she also makes a vast array of lovely things.

I already own a Mr Pigeon brooch, and now I really want the yellow Pigeon Box, which contains all the stuff you see above, for a mere £20. That's one super-saving right there. And how cute is that lion card?

I've also got my eye on this pair of prints, made using vintage Spanish printing plates. They're £14 for both, or can be bought individually for £8 each. That shade of blue is perfection. 

I love the shapes in Lovely Pigeon's jewellery - this hexagon necklace reminds me of beach huts. It's £18. I really like all of the geometry going on in her work - from the sailing boat-esque triangle earrings (down to £6 in the sale) to a beautiful Anstruther print inspired by the seaside. Get the copper foil version for £40, or a coral one for £30. 

NIKKI McWILLIAMS

Nikki's Tunnock's Teacake cushions are pretty well-known - we featured them years ago - but she's done loads more biscuiteering since then. You can buy many more of your favourite Tunnock's treats - both milk and dark chocolate varieties - including these mouthwatering Caramel Wafer cushions, £44.50, as well as a whole host of teatime favourites.

Nikki lives and works in Dundee, and studied at the same art school as me (we were there at different times), so I have long been fangirling about her stuff. As a badge collector, I already own a couple of her Tunnock's badges, but my wishlist is growing by the minute. I saw her Digestive cushions, pictured at the top of this post, at the Pigeon pop-up, and would have bought one if I'd had enough cash on me. They're £29.50 each and ever so nice.

I love these Digestive biscuit coasters. They're £16.50 for a set of four. I'm wondering if I can get away with an entirely biscuit-themed living room? The answer's yes, isn't it? Okay then.

Can't choose your favourite biccy? Then this Biscuit Mix cushion is for you! It's new for 2013, and also comes in a lovely black and white colourway. 

YOKE

YOKE design duo Zoe Brennan and Mark McConnell live and work in Perth, where they create happy, happy things like this Hello Sunshine screenprint, £40. Sara's already a fan of their Hiya! print, and everything else in their small-but-perfectly-formed collection of products is just as smile-inducing.

I'm really drawn to simple illustrations like these, especially when they have cute messages as well. And once you know that each design starts life as cut-out paper before being hand-printed, everything takes on an even greater back-to-basics charm.

I'm calling Michael Fish as the weatherman we should all be blaming. I think we all remember his faux pas during the Great Storm of My Birthday in 1987 (unofficial title), don't we? This reminder is £40. 

Wise advice indeed. This is the sort of motivation I need in my hallway, to set me up for the day. Cheaper than a life coach at £40. 

So, I expect you're all agog to know what I bought on my pop-up shopping trip? I displayed unusually high levels of self-control (I think I'm running a fever), and only came away with this little lot:

I bought: two rolls of Nikki McWilliams' biscuit tape - one in sunshine yellow, the other in mint green. They're £6 each, but I had to buy two because I knew I'd keep it for 'special' if I only had one. It makes sense in my head. I also bought a beautsie pair of Lovely Pigeon earrings for £15, made from copper and formica. I can't find them on the website yet, but maybe that's because they're all on sale in the shop! And finally, a special shout-out to Edinburgh-based Totes Amazed - we're already fans - who were selling this cats tote bag by Glasgow illustrator Jen Collins of hellojenuine. It's £10-worth of pure purr-fection.

Whew - it's a hotbed of creativity round my way, isn't it? I'm feeling pretty puffed up and proud right now. Tell me about the amazing designers in your area - let's spread the local love!

The Lovely Pigeon pop-up shop is open until June 30th, and can be found on Shore Street, Anstruther. Go and say hello - and buy stuff! - if you're in the area!