Cardhu Gold Reserve. The Spirit of Christmas yet to come

Cardhu Gold Reserve is a premium quality single malt Scotch.

Every-so-often one of the great distilleries of Scotland will bring out a new type of single malt Scotch which makes all the other distillers offer up a round of applause whilst thinking: I wish we'd made that!"

And the advent of Cardhu Gold Reserve is one such moment.

The golden liquid, Cardhu Gold Reserve has been keenly crafted and created by Maureen Robinson, who is a Diageo Master Blender.

In order to give this Scotch the start in life that it deserves, Cardhu is releasing a very special Cardu golden Moments gift set.

And Maureen decided to request that three people who she admires greatly to help her by asking them to design some elements to compliment Cardhu Gold Reserve.

Angela Flanders, a perfumier of some renown included a very special Figue Noire candle. This candle brings with it the heady scents of candied fig.

And Andrea Montague, a bartender who is known as a bartender's bartender, designed two quintessential cocktail recipes under the banner Golden Moments. Honeyed gold and Golden Delicious.

Contained within the presentation set is a special guide and two delightful Cardhu balloon glasses.

The recommended retail price that you can expect to pay is around the £55 mark.

So, what does Cardhu Gold Reserve single malt Scotch taste like?

It has a golden amber appearance and has the classic nose of an excellent single malt.

It has a quiet, unassuming start. But then something magical happens. Is there a hint of spiced Christmas cake?  Yes, I thought there was. But then came a rolling sea of other, complimentary tastes. Hints of summer fruits came through, perhaps a slight tang of the art of the expert maltster? Yes, there was a touch of the smoke, there.

The finish was equally delicious and as my non-Scotch drinking wife (her drink of preference is small batch made gins, in case you are interested) said: "Wow! There's a really good finish to this one! I think this is one of your better finds!"

You can buy the Cardhu Golden Moment Gifting Set at www.alexanderandjames.com.

Boozyrum Truffles. Best buy two boxes at a time, really

When you decide to buy someone you love some Boozyrum Truffles you will be best advised to always double up on your order.

Why? Because when you smell the delicious aroma of the rich, chocolaty boozy, rum treats, you will just have to try one.

And even if you can show a little self-control and stick at only snaffling one of these delicious little treats for yourself, well, the problem is that they are always packed so firmly in the box (there were twelve, I counted them!) that there's no way that you can hide the fact that one is missing, no matter how hard you try to disguise what you did.

(EDITOR: And please stop looking at the box! There's twelve. And no, you can't have a little peak, just in case anything might have happened to them!)

Sorry, I got distracted there. Where was I? Oh, yes. They are remarkable rich and moresome, but even though they are deliciously creamy, they are absolutely fine for vegans to eat as the clever folks at Terre a Terre have used soya cream, not dairy cream! 

They cost £8.20 a box and are also available as a vegetarian, too. There are also some salt caramel truffles, also.

Terra a Terre is one of the finest vegetarian restaurants in Brighton. To learn more please visit them at http://www.terreaterre.co.uk/shop/chocolate.

Make Merry this Christmas with Magno-Z

You might not have heard of Magno-Z, but it's almost certain that your children will have!

What are they? They are the springy, stretchy and hairy toys that are taking the UK by storm!

They are magnetic and are absolutely fantastic stocking fillers.

Magno-Z is one of the year's top selling toys  and the range includes over 50 different Magno-Z to collect.

And each one has their own quirky personality.

Every Magno-Z person features patented magnetic connectors so your kids can attach their Magno-Z characters to any suitable metal surface.

So what's to do with them? Hold them, decorate metal bookshelves, fridges, freezers whatever!

They are brought to you by those clever folks at Brainstorm Ltd.

Magno-Z will cost about £2.99, making it a perfect stocking filler price.

Available from Smyths Toys, Amazon, The Entertainer, Toymaster and all good toy stores. Suitable from ages 3+.

Your cheese wants Nairns. And so should you.

Your cheese wants Nairns Oatcakes and so should you!

You cheese (Stilton, blue or white, Cheddar, Gorgonzola, cream cheese, cottage cheese or a nice bit of Danish Blue) is just crying out for Nairns Oatcakes.

Why would this be the case? Because Nairns know oatcakes.

Nairns know that the oats that they use must be fine milled, that they must only use genuine wholegrain oats and not add other ingredients such as wheat flour in the recipe.

Nairns are now well into their second century of baking finely crafted oatcakes, having started in business way way in 1896.

They carefully select the oats that they will use, selecting them only from oat farmers within the Scottish Borders region.

Why? Because nearly 120 years of baking experience tells them that the region's climates helps to produce the best oats for baking into oatcakes.

And the word of how good they are is spreading. Cooked meats are already adding their voices to the clamour!

So to find out why your cheese and cooked  meats are so keen on Nairns Oatcakes, put them on your Christmas Party shopping list.

And check out the rest of their range at http://www.nairns-oatcakes.com.

Learn how to breed dragons this Christmas

Aqua Dragons became a firm hit in the UK over last Christmas.

And this Christmas sees the launch of some spectacular and brand new Aqua Dragons products to make your children’s Christmas even more fun.

The new Aqua Dragons Jurassic Time Travel set will prove itself to be a great gift for children who like learning about the world around them.

Aqua Dragons are prehistoric creatures who have been on Earth for millions of years and were even around at the same time as the dinosaurs! So what better place to grow them than in their very own Jurassic themed habitat?

Each kit contains eggs that will hatch out into real live aquatic creatures.Just add water and wait for tow to three days and they'll hatch out and grow to up to 2cm long.

The Jurassic themed habitat will take pride of place in your child’s bedroom (or even the living room?) and includes a cracked-egg tank with a cute baby dinosaur sleeping in the base.

 Push the button on the base and watch the dinosaur blow air through the tank via a bubble pump. The set also features LED lighting which illuminates the tank at night. Also includes cool Aqua Dragon stickers, a colour poster, ownership certificate and instruction booklet. Batteries included. RRP £24.99.

The innovative Aqua Dragons Jurassic Time Travel EGGspress Set makes a unique stocking filler (RRP £9.99). The cool egg-shaped tank is home to your child’s very first Aqua Dragons. The smaller set is a great starter kit and includes a cracked-egg tank, eggs to hatch your dragons, food, feeding spoon and instructions. Kids will love watching the Aqua Dragons come to life and it’s a great way to introduce children to looking after their first pet.

So for a gift that keeps on giving this Christmas, treat kids to items from Brainstorm’s Aqua Dragons range. To see the full range visit Amazon. Selected lines from the Aqua Dragons range are also available at Smyths, Toys R Us, Argos, Toymaster stores and all good toy retailers.

Have yourself a yummy little Christmas

2014 has most definitely been about crafting and Maps Toys are really getting into it with their wonderful Yummy Dough.

You and your children can really get into the festive spirit like never before by starting to crafty things that you can eat!

The mouldable edible dough (the only one in the world) lets young children (and their parents!) get creative for Christmas.

They can get making festive shapes or whatever their imagination encourages them to produce.

It's simple. You just add water to the powder mix and you'll get a pliable Yummy Dough mix in a range of striking primary colours.

Then you just manipulate the work the dough into whatever different shapes that you want to.

Then comes the really brilliant part, you bake your creations then eat them! Obviously this part will be done under adult supervision or assistance.

You and your children will love seeing their handiwork made into edible creations they can share or even give out as presents?

Not only is Yummy Dough innovative, it's also perfectly safe, too and only costs around 7.99.

It is available from Amazon, Prezzybox and selected toy retailers throughout the country.

Harveys Bristol Cream sherry is a part of Christmas

Yes, Harveys Bristol Cream sherry is a part of Christmas.

Mince pies and a glass of Harveys Bristol Cream sherry.

A glass of something to warm the cockles of your heart after you come back from walking the dogs? A glass of Harveys Bristol Cream sherry!

Unexpected but well-loved visitors? Get out the Harveys Bristol Cream sherry!

Had a hard day Christmassing? Well, settle down with some mince pies and some Harveys Bristol Cream sherry!

A Christmas party or an informal gathering at Christmas? Then you really do need to break out the Harveys Bristol Cream sherry.

In fact, there's an argument that Harvey's Bristol Cream sherry is the fuel that helps keep Christmas running so smoothly.

As for my wife and I? Harveys Bristol Cream sherry and watching the 1951 version of a Christmas Carol.

We think you should Buy a bottle. Hang on! Better make that a case! Check with you nearest wine merchant for details or put a few bottles in the trolley next time you visit your supermarket. And if your supermarket doesn't stock it, then may we suggest that it's time you change your supermarket? Just a thought...

Some Seasonal Specials from Kettle Chips

Fans of proper crisps, in particular aficionados of the Kettle Chips range will be pleased to know that the clever folks at Kettle Chips have taken the very wise decision to introduce some corkingly  good special limited edition seasonal varieties for this Christmas and New Year.

Yes, 'tis the season to be merry and there are three new very good reasons to be even more merry this Christmas, with these three Winter warmers from Kettle Chips.

There's Cheshire Cheese  with Red Wine and Cranberry, Salsa and Mesquite flavour (re-introduced as a result of popular demand) and my own person favourite, Stilton and Port flavoured Kettle Chips.

But as one would expect with the fine folks at Kettle, there's none of that "nature identical" nonsense you get with some people!

When Kettle do something, they do it right. They use real Stilton produced by one of only five dairies in England legally allowed to make and sell real English Stilton blue veined cheese and real port careful chosen from wineries deep within the Douro Valley of Portugal. 

They say they chose a rich ruby port, and this they certainly did! 

Apparently these crisps are all designed for sharing at Christmas or New Year's Eve parties with friends and family members during a cosy night in.

Why not try the Stilton and port with some real Stilton and port?  

The crisps made for a real treat whilst my wife and I were watching the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol and that's a tradition of ours dating back 20 years. Along with some Harvey's Bristol Cream, too!

Happy Christmas, everyone!

That's Food and Drink: English Quince Preserve

That's Food and Drink: English Quince Preserve: Several years ago and elderly lady was bemoaning the sad fact that Quince jams were no longer available. It transpires that he melanchol...

Try some Wasabi this Christmas

Even if you think you have tried Wasabi, it is likely that you might not have done. Because a good deal of what is passed off as Wasabi in the UK is either largely or entirely Horseradish.

And whilst there is nothing wrong with a good Horseradish, it is still not Wasabi.

However, if you source your Wasabi through the Wasabi Company, England, then you can be fully satisfied that it really is guaranteed 100% Wasbi.

first of all, they supply the Wasabi as a whole rhizome so you have the full pleasure of creating your own Wasabi paste from scratch.

You have to be properly equipped.  But do not concern yourself, as the Wasabi Compy of England supply you with every tool that you will need.

Using a sharp knife you slice the Wasabi rhizome.

You will then employ a very special Wasabi grater (in a circular motion) to grate the Wasabi, and then use a special bamboo brush to remove the grated Wasabi from the grater. This must be done quickly or the steel of the grater could help increase the oxidation of the Wasabi.

We do not propose to go through the full procedures for preparing the Wasabi, you can find those rather exacting instructions at their website http://www.thewasabicompany.co.uk/wasabi-preparation.

But once you have prepared the Wasabi paste, what can you use it for?

You can add it to mashed potatoes, use it in a salad dressing, with fresh meat like steak or sliced roast beef, in just about any way you care to think of, really, it does depend upon you.

What does Wasabi taste like?

We had it with some beef and although some people claim that Wasabi tastes "just like Horseradish" that's actually a slightly misleading description.

Whilst it is true that it tastes somewhat like Horseradish, the truth is that it tastes like Horseradish but with wings.

It has a cleaner, 'crisper' taste than Horseradish and is much, much hotter than horseradish and has a taste kick that makes you go "Whoa!"

It tastes far better than other Wasabi products that we have tried, but this might in part be due to the fact that it was freshly grown in the UK.

For a range of delicious, inventive recipes please visit http://www.thewasabicompany.co.uk/recipes.