Chinese 5 Spice

This spice blend is really lovely, in the jam I just made but, I imagine, on many other things as well. In case you want to make some of your own to add to your spice rack, here's the recipe I used. Szechwan pepper isn't real easy to find, but I located and bought some yesterday at Williams-Sonoma. Chinese 5 Spice: Blend all of the following together and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

• 1 tsp. ground Szechwan pepper
• 1 tsp. ground star anise
• 1-1/4 tsp. ground fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

Apple Chutney is scrumptious

Ooh, man. This chutney is soooo good. Wow! I will definitely be making much more of this. And as the author noted, the chutney-cheddar pairing is just fabulous. I'll post this recipe for sure! Just made some Spiced Plum and Port jam too. Now we're off for a family walk with the canine, as J has taken to calling Percy.

Apple Chile Chutney making has begun, Spiced Plum Jam and Peach-Plum-Lime-Ginger to follow

This apple chutney sounds very interesting: apples, lemon, brown sugar, cider vinegar, mustard seed, cumin, ginger and chile flakes. Sounds like it will be very tasty with roast pork or chicken, and the author of the recipe suggested serving it with cheddar. Yum. I'm rolling in plums so am going to deal with this today too! Fun!