I've got this ongoing love affair with smoked salmon - I just can't get enough of the stuff!  Unfortunately my family does not share this passion with me, and this pains me to no end. I thought I may have had an ally in little Miss Hoover but she has proven to be the loudest protester insisting on calling it 'stinky pink fish'. Needless to say my covert campaign over the years with smoked salmon has proven futile as my efforts have been systematically met with a consistent and unified 'yuck'. Alas, smoked salmon is now the thing I eat when I'm alone and I think I have come to terms with this.

I remember returning from my first obstetrician's appointment when I was pregnant with my son, with a hand full of literature detailing all the things I could and could not eat. High on the list of taboo foods was smoked salmon and closely ranked after that was soft cheese (but that's a whole other story in itself)! I can't begin to express my utter indignation and disbelief. I mean how absurd  - women in France, Italy and Spain are not treated this way whilst pregnant so why was I to be deprived in such a ludicrous manner? It was as if someone had pulled the rug out from under me and in this case it was Dr Ras (my 6.4ft, red headed, burly looking obstetrician)!

Would you think ill of me if I admitted to waking in the morning having blissfully dreamt about Glick's boiled bagels smothered with cream cheese, piled high with smoked salmon and a sprinkling of capers and salad greens? Well I did on countless occasions and worked myself into such a state that on one particular morning I had the most terrible altercation with Dr Ras accusing him of negligence because of the senseless smoked salmon moratorium. I insisted that both myself and my unborn child were missing out on a whole host of vital nutrients that could only be found in smoked salmon.



Well when it came time for pregnancy number two I decided that 'mama knows best'. And so, with great defiance (and behind both my husband's and Dr Ras' back) I indulged in smoked salmon whenever the urge took me! I remember not being able to stomach the smell of freshly brewed coffee whilst pregnant, but I craved smoked salmon the entire 40 weeks! It still makes me laugh when people remark about how articulate and bright little Miss Hoover is and inquire whether or not I give her Omega 3 supplements (which have been linked to healthy brain development). Nope, I'm afraid no supplements here just loads of bagels stuffed with smoked salmon while little Miss Hoover was in utero!

Why all this reminiscing about smoked salmon you ask? Well yesterday I stumbled across The Organic Smokehouse who happen to be 'the only company chimney smoking commercially and also the only dedicated organic production smokehouse in the UK'. I was awestruck by their beautiful range of organic smoked goods which include: smoked salmon pate, smoked butter, cheddar, brie, parmesan, olive oil sea salt and chicken breast.  The Organic Smokehouse believes that 'the smokiness should be an addition to, rather than a substitute for, the flavour of the main ingredient'. Doesn't that just read like poetry?



Anyway I can't begin to tell you how excited I was about this find until I got to their stock list and realised that their products are not available in Australia! The sheer frustration of it all, it's like being pregnant all over again!

Just by way of interest are there any smoked salmon freaks out there that are willing to petition with me to The Organic Smokehouse so to try and get their mouth watering goods here? No harm in trying I say...