Monday, 20 January 2014

Review: Kinco Pro 2051 – Cold Weather Work Gloves




Features:     Neoprene Wrist and Rubber Pull Strap
              Thermal Waterproof Lining
              Knuckle Protection
              Reinforced Shock absorbing palms
                       

Suggested uses:     Any Cold / Wet Weather Tasks
                    Mountain Biking
                    Construction
                    Snowmobiling
                    Delivery
                    Baggage Handling



Before I start this review I’d like to tell you all a little glove related story from my younger years. Before my knees told me enough was enough I was an avid ski racer, ski instructor, snowboard instructor and general mountain man. Not your Grizzly Adams type mountain man (the beard is a relatively recent thing) but someone who loved the environment I was in and would undertake any job to stay near the wilds and snow. I have worked in the stunning High Sierras of California, the freezing wilderness of the Laurentian mountains of Quebec, and the awe-inspiring Fitzsimmons Range of British Columbia. One thing that the people who work in these harsh environments all need are gloves you can rely on and across all of these places the one glove brand that all workers agreed as the best was Kinco.

Kinco are relatively unheard of in the UK but Snowshepherd Off Piste Specialists have recently begun stocking their range of winter gloves.

Review:
I was in need of a pair of gloves that would see me through the winter, keeping my hands warm and dry during the colder wetter months, be it chopping logs, mountain biking, or the various tasks I undertake whilst working at the Hunter Gather Cook School. I opted for the Kinco Pro 2051 Work Glove as they check all the boxes, have the reputation of being super durable and at £25 thought they where a bit of a bargain when you compare them to a pair of Assos Fugu S7 gloves at £91.99!


For mountain biking they are spot on for the colder days, in fact they are the first cycling gloves I have had that had withstood a long grim ride through the rain and still remained completely waterproof. They fit well and are unrestrictive and dextrous providing no problems with braking or gear changes. The shock absorbing palms are also very comfortable.


For log splitting and outdoor work they are a revelation! Previously I had just grinned and bared my freezing white knuckles after giving up wearing gardening style gloves as they lacked the movement and dexterity I needed. Now I can spend hours happily working away splitting logs with the shock absorbing additions to the glove protecting my palms from the vibration off the axe handle and keeping me warm.

In summary Kinco Pro 2051 Gloves are a must for anyone who wishes to grab the winter outdoors by the scruff of the neck and tell it “you don’t bother me anymore!”. They are well made, well padded, unrestrictive, waterproof, durable and would be recommended to you by anyone in the know.


Here are a couple of other short reviews:

 “Work great for any winter activities snow shoveling, firewood cutting and wood splitting. Add sno seal and they are totally awesome.”


 “I haven't found a more durable, warm, or better value work glove than Kinco's for the cold and snow.”


Thursday, 16 January 2014

Wild Canapés: Sussex Crab Blinis



Sussex Crab Blinis with Sorrel, Three Cornered Leek and Hairy Bittercress

This is a great foraged version of a classic canapé using three-cornered leek in place of spring onion and sorrel is used to replicate the tart flavour of lemon. Hairy bittercress isn’t essential, but certainly makes it look fancy, which is I guess one of the main aims of a canapé. If you’d like to learn how to identify the plants required in this recipe, get in contact and I can point you in the direction of some kick ass wild food courses.


Makes 20 canapés

Ingredients:

20 blinis
1 dressed crab
1 tbsp of mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 floret of hairy bittercress
15 three cornered leek leaves
10 sorrel leaves
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper


Recipe:

Wash all your foraged ingredients well with cold water. Finely chop the three-cornered leek and sorrel.  In a bowl, combine the dressed crab, mayo, Dijon, three-cornered leek and sorrel.  Gently stir to combine, trying to keep the crab as chunky as possible.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ready made blinis usually go into the oven for 5 minutes at gas mark 5.  Once cooked, remove from oven and on to a plate.  Add a small dollop of the mixture to each blini and add one frond of hairy bittercress to garnish.

Serve

ENJOY!


Sunday, 12 January 2014

My year in the Hunter Gather Cook Kitchen

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Wilderness Festival 2013 - Adventures in Wild Food

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A Fungal Foray and Feast 2012 (WARNING:Contains photos of non edible mushrooms)

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A Day at the Hunter Gather Cook Office

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OAK MOSS what’s not to Lichen!

OAK MOSS

Oak Moss easy to see against the browns of the forest floor.

Other Names: Évernie, Mousse de Chêne, Ebernia Prunasti, Évernia, Evernia prunastri, Lichen Oak Moss, , Musgo de Roble, Tree Moss.


Archie and the Lichen

Identification:

A species of fruticose a branched, bushy lichen. It grows in forests throughout much of the northern hemisphere usually on old oak trees but can also be found growing on coniferous trees and some older fruit trees. The pale greenish gray thallus or body, 3 to 8 cm long, is branched palmately and slightly resembling mini stag horns, ending in pointed tips. The top is light green and warty with pale gray reproductive bodies called soredia. The undersurface is a whitish colour.



Close up of the Oak Moss thallus


My introduction to Oak Moss:

During my time learning and munching my way through the edible plant kingdom I have come across two different types of wild edible. Those that I would happily eat and those which I would label “starvation foods” meaning -they’re for reindeers and Ray Mears - you can eat them if you’re starving, but they’re not going to be setting your culinary world on fire; in fact if they make it on to that list they’re positively ‘orrible!

Oak Moss in situ.

Until recently I was aware that certain lichens and mosses were edible but had assumed that their place was well and truly on the Starvation Foods list. Still having not tried any I’d be a fool to just write them off like that!

Whilst wandering through my local woods surveying the carnage that had been brought on this winter by a rapid successions of storms and floods, I started noticing that there was a lot more oak moss on the ground, clearly dislodged by the strong winds.  There was certainly enough to bring home and have an experiment with in the kitchen. I gathered as much as I could from underneath some of the older oak trees, picked a few late season Hedgehog Fungus and winter chanterelles, and headed back to the lab.




Plenty has been written about oak moss and it’s uses as a fixative in the perfume industry. On smelling a bag full of it, it’s easy to see why, the lichen has beautiful delicate woody aroma.  Acids contained within oak moss are also extracted for use in drugs to treat infections and external wounds.  I have been told that it is these same acids that can give you a very painful time of things should you try to eat oak moss raw.  There is anecdotal evidence of a death attributed to eating oak moss, as the poor forager committed suicide from the pain in his stomach. BUT not to worry the process in the recipe below will be sure to rid the oak moss of this slightly disconcerting feature.

No Oak Moss here just thought I'd share a nice photo!

The starchy nature of cooked oak moss lends itself well to being a carrier of flavour.  I have tried several different versions of this recipe, adding different oils and dustings of spices but this one is a good starting point.  I’d love to hear in the comments below what you did with yours!

Oak Moss with Truffle and Lemon

Ingredients:

3 or 4 handfuls of Oak Moss
Sunflower Oil
Truffle Oil
1 Lemon
Kitchen Towel

The Raw ingredient. 

Recipe:

Clean the oak moss to ensure there are no bits of bark still attached

Prepare two pans of salted boiling water.

Boil the oak moss for 5 minutes in the first pan then strain and transfer to the second pan for a further 5 minutes.

Strain the water and lay each piece of moss out on the kitchen towel to dry out slightly.

Meanwhile heat your sunflower oil for deep-frying the moss to 160 C.

Drop small amounts of the oak moss into the oil and fry for between 5 and 10 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and place on some more kitchen towel.

Once its all been fried, place in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, drizzle about half a teaspoon of truffle oil, a squeeze of lemon and gently toss to coat the lichen with the flavouring ensuring not to be too rough and break the delicate structure.

Experimenting with flavours 
Spice Dusted Oak Moss, Hedgehog Fungus and Winter Chanterelle Croquets with a Rare Roast Saddle of Venison.