Merchant Gourmet threw down the gauntlet again: use their chestnut products in a really festive way. I’m a fan of chestnuts at any time, not just Christmas, whether it’s fried with bacon and sprouts, stuffed into a chicken, giving body to a soup, or dressing a hearty pasta dish. But how to give them a real Christmassy twist? I racked […]
Read moreSometimes I really can’t believe what writing about last night’s tea does for you. Imagine my delight at receiving a clutch of Jamie Oliver’s new Kitchen Kit. It’s a stunning set of utensils developed by DKB Household. It’s no slap-a-name-on-it-and-collect-the-royalty-cheque, there’s real craft in them. First up is the 3-in-1 Peeler. I’ve used a vertical swivel peeler for years, and […]
Read moreWhen you have a batch of leftover caramel and a few apples knocking about, it’s time to have some crunchy super-sweet caramel apples! Just the thing for Wintry nights. Baked caramel apples: 2 apples (I like something firm and crunchy to stand up to the baking, Empire do the trick for me here) ½ pint caramel sauce A handful of […]
Read moreApologies for the dishevelled appearance in the photo, sadly the decent ones went immediately! I have attempted macarons before; often problem-laden and unpredictable. The worst part was trying to let them set to achieve the mythical ‘foot’; the gluey bit on the bottom that forms that crusty ring. So when I was invited to a pre-launch macaron class at the […]
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