Heads up for any bakers in our midst, I'm running a competition on Kavey Eats to win some rather top quality vanilla from Neilsen-Massey.

It's what I already use - very good stuff.

http://www.kaveyeats.com/2010/10/competition-for-national-baking-week.html

There will be two winners and I'm looking for great baking recipes using vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Go for it!

Kavey

I'm only really any good at baking bread.... however a vague spark somewhere at the back of my head is suggesting a chili and vanilla based product as Lapis has pointed out they are both detected by the same receptors... ??

Steve

that's right Steve, the VR1 receptor, but like all receptors, there are only a finite number of them, and these can quickly become used up (blocked) therefore diminishing the overall effect (that's why sugar works so well to displace the capsaicin in the receptors that are suggesting to our brain that our mouth is on fire.

{That would also suggest vanilla and sugar don't work together! Back to the drawing board!!!}

How abut using vanilla in a savoury dish, where turmeric is usually used. The yellow colour in turmeric is very similar to vanillin, the major flavour chemical in vanilla.

Hey, don't just talk about it here, get your thinking caps on and submit an entry!