ITS CHOCOLATE COVERED IN ANYTHING DAY AND GLASGOW IS CEELBRATING

WE’VE heard a lot about unusual food days but we absolutely love the idea of Chocolate Covered In Anything  day which takes place this Monday. 
After all, in this season of festive indulgence, what better excuse than to have to dip into some of the sweet stuff as a matter of national duty. 
Indeed Scots admit to eating sweeties at least once a day, compared with just 30 percent of their counterparts in England and Wales - no wonder the average annual per capita consumption of chocolate bars is estimated at 200. Supermarket chain Marks and Spencer also admit its sweeties sell in far greater numbers north of the border.

Here’s some other fascinating chocolate facts to celebrate the big day. 

1. Scotland became a nation of chocolate lovers when sugar cane or white gold as it was known came over from the Caribbean. There was so much sugar coming down the Clyde  that the first town you came to on the river, Greenock, was nicknamed Sugaropolis. 

2.  Dark chocolate (with 70 to 85 percent cocoa content), contains different nutrients. In 100 grams of dark chocolate, you receive almost 100 percent of the daily recommended intake of manganese, nearly 90 percent of necessary copper intake, and about 67 percent of your needed iron intake.

3. Scotland boasts a number of independent chocolatiers with Finlay MacDonald being one of the youngest. Finlay established Chocolates of Glenshiel in 2016 in his Highland kitchen by Loch Duich. His chocolates are flavoured with Talisker whisky, Misty Isle gin and sea salt – all from the nearby Isle of Skye, heather honey and raspberries from Blairgowrie and marmalade from Dundee.

4. The Spanish Conquistador Don Hernán Cortés first realised the  commercial value of cocoa beans which he took to Spain in 1528. Very gradually, the custom of drinking the chocolatespread across Europe, reaching England in the 1650s.

5. Gluten free Indian restaurant Dakhin in Glasgow’s Merchant City is celebrating this Monday’s occasion with its specially created Chocolate Dosa. The South Indian crepe has been specially coated with chocolate with a rich chocolate and coconut filling and will be available for £4.95 on the day. It’s similar to a crepe without the wheat flour.

6. The creation of the first modern chocolate bar is credited to Joseph Fry, who in 1847 discovered that he could make a moldable chocolate paste by adding melted cacao butter back into Dutch cocoa. By 1868, a company called Cadbury was marketing boxes of chocolate candies in England.

7. Studies have shown that eating dark chocolate has the same effect on the brain as falling in love, thanks to a release of the chemical phenylalanine. Maybe that’s why us Scots will do crazy things to get our hands on a chocolate bar. 

8. Some studies suggest that colder, dark climates—during midwinter, in Scotland, the sun might rise for barely seven hours per day—the human body craves more sugary foods to offset Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.

9. Drink it or eat, melt it or freeze it, have it bitter or have it sweet. Chocolate is such an exciting ingredient to include in dishes and can add a sweetness or bitterness to an otherwise acidic or spicy meal. It can even  complement nicely the salty notes of crisps.
There’s plenty of room for creativity on National Chocolate Covered Anything Day.
This is a sponsored post by Dakhin restaurant in Glasgow. 

GLASGOW GLUTEN FREE RESTAURANT DAKHIN OFFERS SIX GF BREADS

A Scots restaurant now boasts six different types of gluten free bread for its customers to celebrate Coeliac Awareness Week.
South Indian restaurant Dakhin in Glasgow’s Candleriggs has been certified by Coeliac U.K. and every single dish in the restaurant from starters to desserts is gluten free.
To celebrate Coeliac Awareness until May 19 the restaurant have created a brand new bread for customers to try.
The special creation is called Vattayappam and it is made of rice and coconut sugar, cardamom, cumin and a bit of salt.
Priced at £3.95 it joins other breads on the menu including Sada Dosa, a crepe from rice and lentils, Chilla, a thin and savoury bread made from gram flower with fenugreek, Siru Uttapam, a soft pancake from ground rice and lentil and a three feet long Paper Dosa.
Owner Navdeep Basi said: “We have served up a full Gluten Free menu at Dakhin since we opened in 2004. Last year we were thrilled to be officially approved by the Coeliac U.K. and we can’t wait to show customers new and old some of the exciting dishes we have on offer. It’s important that people with Coeliac disease can feel safe when they are eating out and we take pride in the fact that we can give them an extensive range of dishes from vegetarians to chicken, lamb and fish that they will enjoy.

DHABBA AND DAKHIN RESTAURANTS PUT CARDS IN GENTS FOR MOTHERS DAY

GLASGOW restaurants The Dhabba and Dakhin have decided to put roses and cards in their male toilets to help relieve the stress of Mothers Day.
Mothering Sunday is on the same day as the Old Firm game this weekend so Glasgow men will no doubt be sinking pints and reaching fever pitch rather than shopping for pressies.
Owner Navdeep Basi at the North and South Indian restaurants in Candleriggs came up with the genius idea to help football loving men with their last minute Mothers Day gift.
Removing the stress and anxiety of searching for a pressie, he and the staff  decided to put roses and cards in the male loos on Sunday.
It means disorganised diners will not only be able to treat their mummies to a slap up dinner, they’ll also be able to look like they’ve actually planned ahead.
Navdeep said: “We know that a lot of men in particular will be a bit preoccupied on Sunday so we’ve decided to help them out in the most discreet way we can. There will be roses and cards and pens available in the loos to help them get their act together on the big day. Mothers are very important in India and Scotland so this is our way of making sure they feel extra special.”
From Scotland with Love Theshowbizlion.com

SCOT SQUAD OFFICER KAREN GETS HER TEETH INTO DAKHIN PANCAKE

SCOTS Squad’s Officer Karen might have tackled a few big cases in her time, but she’s never got her teeth into  something like this! 
Actress Karen Bartke was dining in Glasgow’s Dakhin restaurant when she was presented with the three foot in diameter whopper made from rice, lentil, a bit of sugar and salt. 
The massive gluten free dosas as they are known in South India can be filled with mashed potatoes, chicken, lamb, seafood or even ice cream, or other treats for those who like a bit more sugar.

Karen revealed that her character Officer Karen would be particularly chuffed as she is gluten intolerant. 

Keen said: “It is the biggest pancake I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m quite afraid of it because it is just vast. I’m not sure I have a frying pan big enough to make it. Ironically officer Karen is gluten intolerant so this is the ideal pancake for me as Officer Karen. 
We established that in a really early one because Bobby came in and wanted to give me Whoopsy’s and I said I couldn’t take them because I was gluten intolerant. This is the ideal restaurant for Officer Karen because she can’t have gluten. Looking through it is like looking through the Clyde Tunnel. 

Karen is about to star in There's Something About Mary Queen of Scots tackling one of the country's most well-known and loved figures at the Flying Duck on March 15. 

It’s part of the Comedy festival but she’s open to other roles and looks up to Olivia Coleman as an actor she’d love to enmulate. She said: “I’d kill to do something like Broadchurch.”

Karen says she’s often given roles because of the dark circles under her eyes.

She laughed: “I make a really convincing shift worker because of my dark circles. In the make up and hair at Coronation Street where I was playing a Doctor I said to the lady that under my eyes was the black hole of concealer because it sinks in instantly and she told me ‘That’s good, we like that in our doctors.’ 
I look like I’ve not slept. I need to get a fire service job and an ambulance job and maybe a social worker just to do all your major shift services.” 

In the meantime talented Karen is looking forward to series five of Scots Squad and said: “It is due to go out on the new BBC Scotland channel and then I think BBC 1 Scotland. I’m really proud of the show. It’s got a lovely heart and real empathy for the police’s function.”

GLASGOW FOOD TRENDS - SEAWEED TO CELERY AND SEEDS

Glasgow will be welcoming some new food trends this year including seaweeds, oat milk and seed butters.
While donuts and avocados were all the trend in 2018 we are planning to go back to basics for the next twelve months according to food experts around the globe.

Seaweed
Seaweed is bigger than ever - Rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, edible seaweed also lends a nutritious taste to mealtime. Kelp and dulse flakes, seaweed pestos and crisps are the in snack to have at any respectable dinner party.


Paleo and Vegan food or Pegan as it is known will also be popular. It’s continuation of clean eating with plenty of veg and fruits, high quality fats and food including fish, and meat that hasn’t been treated with pesticides antibiotics or hormones.

Vegan
Vegan dishes are already rearing their head  with eateries like Glasgow’s Dhabba North Indian restaurant launching a bespoke Vegan menus for customers who care.
Diners can enjoy delights including Gol Gappa - crispy puffed bread with sported potato, chickpeas and cumin and Bhendi Do Payazi with okra, red onion, ginger and chillies and Daal Makhani, a rich concoction of black lentils, kidney beans and split chickpeas.
Breads and salads are also on the separate menu.
Latest figures show that 3.5 million people now identify as vegan, 20% of under-35s have tried veganism, and 25% of our evening meals are now meat-free.
Vegan wines are also going to be big sellers.

French patisseries
Doughnuts are being replace by eye catching desserts and cakes as we go for more French fancies: mille feuille, flans patissier, madeleines, religieuses. Desserts are becoming as stylish as the people eating them which could be interesting in Glasgow.

Celery Juice
Celery Juice is also being praised for its ability to help remove toxins from your body and stabilize blood pressure levels. It’s not the only drink that will be hitting the healthmark this year with Oatmilk also being the latest non-dairy alternative to hit the aisles. Dairy-free options, will continue to attract sales but caution should be Fakebake to ensure that additives and artificial flavours aren’t boosting the flavour too much.

Seed Butters.                                             Exotic butters will remain a staple but this time round people are opting for seed butters as an alternative to peanut, almond and cashew. Look out for lots of sunflower seed butter and tahini, a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries in restaurants as well as pumpkin, and watermelon seed butters, which share the same good fat profile of nut butters. They are a good alternative for those with nut allergies.


Vegetable ice creams.                                      In a world which is becoming more aesthetically pleasing we will also contradict ourselves with the veg we buy. Imperfect vegetables are on this years hotlist and misshapen fruit and veg that would otherwise go to waste, will inspire us to create more crisps and sauces made from rescued food. There will even be ice creams made of vegetables coming to a freezer shelf near you.

Rum
And while Gin was the most have drink of 2019, we will see a definite shift to Rum as Millenials choose barrel-aged, small-batch craft rums, fine rums from traditional Caribbean makers and now, British rums. Dark, golden, string or sweet, there is plenty of choice.

GLASGOW’S DAKHIN RESTAURANT HELPS FLOOD VICTIMS IN KERALA

Glasgow’s businessmen and women raised over £9000 for the victims of Kerala floods. 
One hundred people including the Indian Consul General and MPs Anas Anwar and Martyn Day turned up to a special charity dinner at Glasgow’s Dakhin restaurant who donated the venue, food and staff for free on the night. 
Business PG Paper also sponsored the event as well as the new owners of TriBeCa restaurant. 
The funds will be used to help with the infrastructure and rebuilding homes in Kerala for those who were devastated by the damage. 
Indian Consul General Anju Ranjan from Edinburgh said: “I was shattered to see the loss of property and people following the flood in Kerala. More than five hundred people were killed and more than thirty five thousand people rescued and more than two million people were put in camps. It is very sad. Scotland and India have a shared history and the spices from Kerala like cardamom and pepper came over to Scotland after Scots went over there to work on the rubber plantations.”
As well as funds, the Council General is keen to hear from anyone who can help with infrastructure in Kerala.
She explained: “There is no weather forecasting system in place like we have here and the children need help with education too.”
MP for Linlithgow Martyn Day who was in Kerala when the disaster struck also spoke of his experience visiting the worst hit areas.  

SCOTLAND’S BIGGEST GLUTEN FREE PANCAKE IS HERE

Beverley Lyons

Could this be Scotland’s biggest gluten free pancake? 

Dakhin South Indian restaurant in Glasgow’s Candleriggs will be making loads of the special South Indian crepes this pancake day.

 Known as dosas, they are made from rice, lentil, a little bit of sugar and salt so are gluten free.

They can be filled with mashed potatoes, chicken, lamb, seafood or even ice cream, or other treats for those who like a bit more sugar. 

And although staff reckon they’ll be serving up hundreds this pancake day, the special crepes are available all year round. 

At two to three feet in diameter have you ever seen anything this big? 

Rakesh Kandari from Dakhin said: “Dosas are a very popular dish in South India and only take a few minutes to make. They are maybe a bit big for people to make at home but they are ideal for hungry customers who want something more than the average plateful.”