Christmas Eve late Shopping

Christmas Eve is upon us. It does seem to have got here quicker, this year. Perhaps this is because we had no Summer to speak of in the UK?

If you are missing some vital ingredient, then it is worth knowing that Tesco Express stores are open late this evening. Most appear to be open until 10pm Christmas Eve, but will be closed on Christmas Day.

To find out the nearest Tesco Express and other Tesco branches visit www.tesco.com/storeLocator/ and put in your address. Larger Tesco stores will close at 7pm today.

Ideal Christmas gift for the ladies!

Lush have some ideal Christmas gifts for the ladies!

There's Eyes Right mascara – in Black (£12.00) It's beautiful, simple, and gentle. And should prove of great benefit to those with even the most sensitive of eyes.  

Unlike the average 4 to 6 preservatives, this product only contains one. Which is one reason it is so easy on the eyes.

The key ingredient in Eyes Right, is wheatgrass. Why? It's packed with vitamins and minerals to condition and nourish the lashes with its antioxidant properties.

Japan and Carnauba wax help the mascara set, so it won’t smudge if you’re caught in the rain or at the gym. For those with sensitive eyes who want a kind, natural look – Eyes Right is the natural way to elongate the lashes, and for a more dramatic, emphasised effect, this can be achieved by simply applying further coats.

Fan of wheatgrass? Then the Sacred Truth Fresh facemask (£5.95), is ideal. The wheatgrass will help rid your skin of free radicals. There's also a blend of fresh papaya, full of vitamins A, B and C, and green tea powder to help cleanse the skin – great for a New Year de-tox!

To pick up this and other ethical, cruelty free cosmetics visit your nearest Lush shop.   For shop details and Lush Online please call 01202 668 545, or order at www.lush.co.uk.

Christmas pudding with lower fat and less calories? Time for a Nu Me!

Christmas pudding. It raises memories of tales from long ago, about how people really did used to boil old style silver sixepences in the pudding to bring good luck to the recipient. Or a trip to hospital should someone accidentally swallow one!

Of how brandy would be liberally poured over the pudding which would then be set alight as the blazing, burning pudding would be carried triumphantly to the dining table, the blue flames casting flickering Chrstmassy lights over the table and the guests.

And then... all of those calories!

The clever chefs at Morrisons research kitchens have come up with a tour de force, a Christmas pudding with 40% reduced fat (that's based on the fat in a standard Morrions pudding) and only 293 calories per serving.

It's part of Morrisons healthier NuMe range, and priced at a modest £0.85 for 100g, which is an individual size portion.

NuMe Christmas pudding is packed with all of the sweet and juicy fruit you expect from a Christmas pudding (including real pieces of candied citrus peel). It's lighter on the fat and the calories, but not lighter on the delicious taste.

You can boil it like a traditional pudding, or you can ping it in the microwave for under 40 seconds.

Morrisons. Shop today with prices of yesterday!

People want a good, happy Christmas. The problem is that sometimes to achieve this, we tend to overspend. Sometimes by a great deal.

However, Morrisons (there are still members of the Morrison family involved in running the business) so Morrisons understands that families want to enjoy a genuinely luxury festive spread without spending luxury prices.

So Morrisons has created the perfect collection of Christmas treats to make the season special. From fabulous starters to exciting, tasty mains to glorious deserts, Morrisons has everything you eed to ‘wow’ your dinner guests. But at a price that will delight and not shock!

 

Morrisons reckons that by following these suggestions you could save over £100!

Morrisons The Best Champagne 75cl, £14.99 (offer ends 6th January 2013)

No Christmas is complete without a glass of bubbles and what better way to toast the evening than with a glass of Lanson Black label Champagne?

Shopping trolley alternative – Lanson Black Label NV 75cl, RRP £32.99 (Morrisons saving - £18)

Dressed Lobster £10, 375g

Serving up extravagance at the dinner table has never been so affordable with this delicious dressed lobster from Morrisons. A great starter on the big day or treat for New Year’s Eve entertaining.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – Marks & Spencer, Two Halves of Dressed Fresh Canadian Lobster £20, 500g (Morrisons saving - £10)

 

Free Range Goose, £9/kg

A delicious alternative to the traditional turkey, Morrisons Free Range Goose will tantalise the taste buds with its beautifully dark rich meat.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – The Ginger Pig, Goose £13.50/kg (Morrisons saving - £4.50/kg)

 

Game Pie, made with British pheasant, duck and venison £3.49, 280g

Wonderfully rich, this Game Pie takes the best of a traditional British staple and infuses it with hearty chunks of pheasant, duck and venison.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – Fortnum & Masons Partridge & Pigeon Raised Game Pie £9 (Morrisons saving - £5.51)

 

Christmas Tree Smoked Salmon £2.84 / 2 for £5, 100g each

A delicious treat full of festive flavours - Morrisons Scottish salmon has been smoked over pine and spruce branches to give it the real aroma of Christmas.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – Fortnum & Masons Loch Duart Somerset Cure Smoked Salmon, 200g for £15 (Morrisons saving - £10)

 

Smoked Salmon & Halibut Trio £6.99, 240g

A perfect first course to make your guests feel special, this chic seafood platter is a dinner party show stopper and bound to have them hooked in no time.

Shopping trolley alternative – Marks & Spencer, Orkney Scottish Smoked Salmon, £8.99, 200g (Morrisons saving - £2)

Duck & Truffle Pâté £7, 800g

To really make an impression at the dinner table this Christmas, present this extra special Duck and Truffle pâté as a treat.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – Harrods, Frescobaldi Porcini Muchrooms & Truffle Paté, £16.95 (Morrisons saving - £9.95)

 

Pierre Koffman’s Farmhouse Pâté £2, 170g

Created by Pierre Koffmann, head chef of Koffmann’s at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge, this Belgian made course pâté is traditional and chunky and bursting with flavour.

 

Shopping trolley alternative - Fortnum & Masons Farmhouse Pâté £6.75 (Morrisons saving - £4.75)

 

Stollen, £1.69

Morrisons award winning Stollen is freshly baked in store and will have everyone reaching for seconds this Christmas.

 

Shopping trolley alternative - Fortnum & Masons Demel Stollen in a wooden box £25 (Morrisons saving - £23.31)

 

And when Morrisons says: “Made or prepared in store” that's exactly what they mean!

Make it perfect this Christmas with Whitworth's

Lots of people are making and baking, this Christmas!

And some of us are tempted to attempt some making and baking for the very first time. 

You'll be beset with anxiety issues. How can those TV chefs make it all look so simple? So easy? Well, 20 years of constant practice does tend to make even difficult tasks look simple and easy.

And do not forget, that unless they are doing a live show (very rarely done, these days!) then the chances are you are seeing take 22 of a particular recipe!

But... OK... we have the basics down right, the cake is done, the pies baked, the biscuits are now cooling... how do you get that just right Chirstmassy look to your cooking?

If only someone would invent something! Luckily, someone already has!

Perfect for baking this Christmas, is the Whitworths For Baking Twist and Sprinkle Icing Sugar (200g).  It makes sugar dusting simple.  With a built in sieve and variable sprinkle control, this special pack is perfect for use with a festive stencil and just right for adding the finishing touches to your cakes and desserts, just sprinkle over and voila! Also, ideal sprinkled on fresh fruits!

Expect to pay upwards of £1.89 for this genuine cook's little helper!

Go nuts, bit in a Liberating way, with Tesco, this Christmas

Everyone loves to have some nuts on the table at Christmas! It's a tradition that dates back hundreds of years, perhaps more.

This year Tesco and Liberation Foods have put their thinking caps on and produced a truly delicious product that might cause a bit of a kerfuffle around the nut bowl. Well, it is if our Taste Testers were anything to go by! It was a race to see who could finish off the honey and cinnamon caramelised peanuts, the sugar coated almonds or the Brazil nuts, the cashews and the flame raisins! My own personal flavourite (sorry. Truly dreadful pun, there! was the honey and cinnamon caramelised peanuts.

Not only do these nuts taste jolly good, they are also better from a sustainability point of view, also. Liberation Foods is the Fairtrade nut company owned by farming groups in countries like: Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Incidentally, many of the nuts in the packet come from countries where Christmas is celebrated, but often in a more devoutly religious way than in the UK.

The 225g bags costs £3.00 and is worth every penny!

Castle Maclellan Pates for your Christmas table

Nearly 30 years ago Castle Maclellan began making pates in a modest way. They were sold in a local delicatessen. Eventually, however, more and more people began demanding their fine pates. Their fame spread as well as their pates spread, far and wide.

30 years on and now they are a major force in the speciality foods market not only in their native Scotland, but also throughout the rest of the UK, too.

Their products are available via high end delicatessens, major food retailers and also some farm shops, too.

Available are: Chicken Liver Pâté with Scottish heather honey, Rannoch Smoked Duck Pâté with Bramley apple jelly, Scottish Smoked Salmon Pâté, with lemon juice & horseradish, Oven Roasted Mushroom Pâté with garlic & thyme, Duck Pâté With Port,  Smoked Salmon Terrine, Chicken Pâté With Brandy.

All are delicious and have full-bodied, no nonsense flavours! There is none of the “with a hint of…” about Castle Maclellan products! If it says it contains port or brandy, then you can taste the high quality port or brandy in them. To be honest, I was wowed by the intense combination of the chicken flavour and the brandy flavour in the chicken pate with brandy.

Served on small slices of toast for your guests at a Christmas or New Year party, or served on full slices of toast for a Christmas or Boxing Day breakfast, you will find that the full flavours of the Maclellan products burst forth and will really make the meal what it should be.

But beware, your guests will always expect Castle Maclellan products to be on the table. The worrying question is: “Could you really bear to party with them and let your guests have them?” The answer from our team of taste testers was: “Only if we like our guests very much indeed!”

So, there you have it. Castle Maclellan products. Only to be served to people you know and love! But isn’t that the way? We love to serve special foods to the special people in our lives. And what could be more special than Castle Macellan, the finest of fine foods?

www.castlemaclellan.co.uk

Benedictine DOM for Christmas

My wife has a family recipe for Benedictine DOM. Two measures of Benedictine DOM and two measures of warm water and a cube of ice.

This, her uncle told my wife, will cure just about anything! And I must admit that the usual pre-Christmas bug was quickly helped on its way with several glasses of the family recipe! I am not sure which of the nearly 30 herbs and spices did the trick, but it certainly worked!

You can enjoy the warming, sensuous characteristics of  Benedictine by itself, or with water, or on the rocks.

You might also enjoy a Cafe Benedictine, which is two measures of Benedictine and four measures of coffee, topped off with some whipped cream, or some thick pouring cream, if you'd rather.

Or you can try your hand at the Old Fashioned Benedictine. Take two drops of Angostura Bitters, two measures of Benedictine and two bar spoons of sugar.

You add the sugar the bitters and half a shot of Benedictine into a glass. Stir for one minute until the sugar is dissolved.

Add an ice cube, stir for one minute.

Add a shot of Benedictine and two more ice cubes. Stir for two minutes.

Then add another half shot of Benedictine with two more ice cubes. Stir for two minutes, then serve with extra ice if required. You can garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Do it right this Christmas! Use Thousand Island Dressing!

Thousand Island Dressing Light is fat free and will add more than a little pizazz to your Christmas and New Year party starters!

If you want to make a prawn salad that is perfection on a plate, or produce a potato salad that would grace the table of any of the TC chefs (well, in our dreams!) or if you want to do something really creative with some turkey leftovers, then Kraft Thousand Island Dressing Light will do this and much, much more for you!

And don't forget, there are several other delicious chef's helpers in the Light range: Herb and Garlic, Honey and Mustard, Balsamic, Caesar, French and Italian. Why not buy them all in your last big Christmas shop and really go to town on the starters?

drinks21 Serves Up ‘Must Have’ Drinks Cabinet Essentials with new online shop

www.drinks21.com kicks has launched  an enviable range of premium and super-premium ‘handpicked’ alcholic drinks carefully tried, tested and selected from ‘seasoned’ authentic producers located around the world. Exclusive to drinks21.com include Heavy Water Vodka (one of the purest Scandinavian vodkas available) and the cool refreshing taste of ABK6 Ice Cognac.

From limited edition ‘rare finds’ to more popular quality brands, drinks21.com serves up a ‘menu’ of boutique spirits, Champagnes and wines for those looking to stimulate their palate with a taste of the unexpected.

Winter 2012 drinks cabinet essentials as recommended by Gail Graham

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Porsche Design Chiller– £200

Made from brushed steel and PU leather trim, this bottle of award winning Johnnie Walker Blue Label is showcased within a sophisticated limited edition Porsche design ice chiller and contains a blend of rarest malts and most superior grains, matured to their peak. Very limited availability

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Brut Gold NV - £225

The Brut Gold cuvée is a blend of the grape varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, making use of only Premier Cru and Grand Cru rated grapes.

A host of celebrities have shown their support for Armand de Brignac Gold.

Heavy Water Vodka - £30

Handcrafted in Sweden to an old Norwegian recipe, this exceptional Scandinavian vodka combines the purest water from a subterranean lake formed in the ice age with Scandinavian winter wheat.

Distilled not less than five times to create smoothness with rich crisp flavours on the palate, the award winning Heavy Water Vodka has a distinct in-built aeration rod which infuses oxygen into every pour. Launched in the UK earlier this year by drinks21.

ABK6 Ice Cognac - £40

New to the UK by drinks21, this Cognac should be served in a tumbler over several cubes of ice to maximise flavour explosion. Ice Cognac (40% vol) marries suave and subtle notes of fruits and evolves towards fresh aromas such as zesty lemon sorbet and the coolness of mint.

Showcased in a pearly white 70cl bottle boasting an elegant design with shiny white and golden frieze detail to inject a ‘Marie Antoinette’ sophisticated chic-ness, Ice Cognac will be appreciated by both connoisseurs and amateurs alike.

Penfolds Bin 620, 2008: £1,000

An iconic wine, this is the first release of this particular Penfolds wine since 1966. Coonawarra was blessed with a great vintage when the earlier-ripening Shiraz could be blended with the later-ripening Cabernet to highlight the best of both varieties, and their synergistic union. The brilliantly clear, deep purple-crimson colour is an enticing start, and the seamless fruit and oak integration on the bouquet is perfect. Complex cedar and cigar box aromas are entwined with a basket of perfectly ripened black fruits. The palate is exceptionally intense, yet supremely elegant, with immaculate balance, texture, structure, line and length. Its outstanding tannins give the wine a certain authority.

Penfolds Bin 620 2008 is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz. It was matured 12 months in new oak hogshead, 57% French and 43% American, and bottled in July 2009. Extremely limited availability worldwide

Lourensford Winemakers Selection Chardonnay 2011- £12

Produced from the vineyards of Stellenbosch, South Africa, this gold medal winner at the 2012 International Wine Challenge invites a Brazil nut creaminess on the nose, plenty of buttery, oatmeal lees richness and lots of crunchy apple fruit. In the mouth, a joyous ripeness to the fruit, edging into the pineapple and mango range, but the apple, pear and lemon core of fruit and acidity drives through. A real find!

Pio Cesare Barolo - £45

Awarded 93 points by Decanter magazine, Pio Cesare Barolo boats lovely dark fruits, nice acidity and softening tannins coupled with a nut and leather finish. A real Autumnal wine, warming and full bodied. Will continue to mature.