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.

Every cocktail mixer reaches for the Opies at Christmas

It's a tradition. Everyone wants some special drinks at Christmas, some lovely, festive cocktails. Even

real ale drinkers like their special Christmas beers!

But every barkeeper and restaurateur will tell you that the best way to keep your guests at home or your customers in your hotel, your pub, your restaurant, your bar or cocktail lounge happy is to use Opies.

Because this is it! This is the most wonderful and magical time of the year.

The fires are roaring, the Christmas lights are twinkling and you can sit back and enjoy a tipple or two.

Entertaining this year? Or just wanting to enjoy a Christmas drink once the kids are in bed? Then you should look no further as we have a selection of fabulous Christmas cocktails all made with the even more fabulous classic cocktail essentials brand Opies.

Most of us know how to put together a classic snowball or how to make a martini, but to get into the real festive spirit; Opies have created a range of truly Christmassy cocktails, so even if outside it’s raining and not looking like Christmas, inside it will scream of merriment.

Along with expert barman James Coston, who is well known for creating bespoke cocktails, Opies have taken the classics to give them a wonderful festive cheer. From a Mistletoe Kiss, to the Red Nose Rudolph, there is something for everyone enjoy.

Snowbomb
Ingredients:
Brandy
Advocaat

Method:
Like a jager bomb but fill half a shot glass with Advocaat half with Brandy. Place the shot glass in a rock's glass full of lemonade. Add an Opie's cherry to the shot glass and drink it like you would a jager bomb.

Mistletoe Kiss
Ingredients:
60ml Honey Vodka,
40ml Pineapple Juice
30ml Coco Lopez
20ml Maraschino Cherry Liquor from a jar of Opies cocktail cherries

Method:
Shake and serve straight up, garnish with Opies cocktail cherries and Opies cocktail gherkins on a cocktail stick.


Gingerman
Ingredients:
Muddle 3 cubes of Opies Stem Ginger
40ml Golden Rum
20ml Red Wine
40ml Cranberry Juice

Method:
Shake and serve over ice in a rock's glass with a Opies Stem  Ginger and cocktail cherry garnish. Add a Gingerbread man on the side.


Red Nose Rudolph
Ingredients:
Muddle 4 Opies Cocktail Cherries
50ml White Rum
20ml Lemon Juice
15ml Grenadine
40ml Cranberry Juice
20ml Soda

Method:
Shake and serve in a sling glass. Top with a little soda & an Opies lemon slice and Opies cocktail cherries.


Mexican Christmas
Ingredients:
Muddle two cubes of Opies Stem Ginger
20ml Grenadine Syrup
50ml Tequila
10ml Red Wine
25ml Lime Juice

Method:
Shake all ingredients and serve straight up in a wine goblet with Opies Stem Ginger and sunken Pomegranate.


Knock Knock Egg Nog
Ingredients:
240ml Brandy
2 pints of whole milk
30ml Double Cream
100ml Vanilla Syrup
15 Opies Cherries

Method:
Add all ingredient's to a pan, heat without boiling until slightly thick. Leave to sit for 20 minutes at room temperature then serve into small glass's. Dust with cinnamon or coco powder.

And remember, Opies has been a family-run business since 1880, so they know more than a thing or two about cocktails!

KON-TIKI | Official UK Trailer - in cinemas 19th December

Treat your guests to a Denhay gourmet gammon this Christmas!

There is one thing my wife always insists on every Christmas and New year, a nice gammon joint.

It's been a tradition in her family down through the generations and probably dates back to the time when her family were made up of two distinct threads, the farmers who bred the pork and a locally very famous and highly regarded chain of pork butchers who sold it.

This year lovers of gammon such as my wife (and me, I have brought into this tradition with gusto!) will be able to give their guests around the Christmas table a real treat when they will be able to serve them with a Denhay’s dry cured gammon joint.

Perfect as the centre piece of a Boxing Day buffet, late night snacks or even as a rather glamorous alternative to the ubiquitous turkey on Christmas Day, Denhay’s dry cured gammon is a deliciously versatile meat, equally at home as cold cuts with some organic pickles, or served with roasters, veg and homemade gravy. And there's also sandwiches the next day, should the guests have left any, that is!

It's the latest addition to Denhay’s range of high quality, British cured pork produce.

The gammon is specifically prepared for roasting and you do not have to bother with the messy, somewhat irksome process  of pre-boiling like most joints available in the supermarkets.

How so? Apparently this is all down to the  unique Denhay recipe, plus their intelligent use of tradtional preparation and smoking techniques.

So the end result is that the Denhay gammon offers an intense flavour with a succulent tenderness that you'd be hard pressed to beat!

I am certain that my wife's late Great Uncle would have been happy to have produced such a wondrous gammon joint!

Denhay’s 1.25kg gammon joints are available as smoked or unsmoked and are available in selected Waitrose stores priced at £11.50/kg.

If you are looking for inspiration when it comes to cooking your Denhay gammon joint, why not try their Marmalade and Ginger Glaze recipe or their Potted Ham recipe, perfect for leftovers? The details are below.

Gammon Glazed in Marmalade and Shredded Stem Ginger

The kick of ginger cut through the sticky sweet glaze on the gammon.  Delicious served warm with a fluffy jacket potatoes, or cold with crusty bread and chutneys.

Preparation Time:  20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Serves: 4 - 6

1.25kg Denhay Unsmoked gammon Joint
For the glaze
4 tbsp orange marmalade
1 stem ginger, drained and finely chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar

Line a roasting tin with a double sheet of foil.  Place the gammon in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and cook at 180oC for 35mins per 500g.

Once cooked for the appropriate amount of time.  Remove the skin from the gammon, leaving behind a thin layer of fat. Score the fat with the tip of a sharp knife.

Mix together the marmalade, stem ginger and brown sugar and spread evenly over the fat.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the glaze is sticky and golden. Leave to rest before carving.

Potted Ham

This is the perfect dish to use those festive left over gammon.  Serve as a starter or as part of a buffet or just with toast in front of the fire.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8

250g pack unsalted butter
500g cooked leftover smoked gammon
4 tbsp flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves plus a few sprigs to garnish
small pinch ground cloves
small pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp cider vinegar
black pepper

Melt the butter gently in a small pan, once melted leave to settle. Skin off all the froth from the surface. Slowly pour the clear yellow fat from the melted butter into a small bowl or jug, leaving the milky liquid in the pan. Discard the milky liquid.

Shred the gammon, some finely and some in bigger chunks so your finished dish has texture.  Mix the gammon with the parsley, thyme, spices, mustard and vinegar, two-thirds of the butter and a pinch of black pepper. Divide between 8 small ramekins or one large pot.  Press down and flatten the surface with your fingers or a small teaspoon, and top with a sprig of thyme then spoon over the remaining butter, Chill until butter is solid.  Either serve with warm crusty bread or if keeping for later wrap in cling film and refrigerate.

Louis Wain A Cat Compendium

This book is charming and perhaps slightly alarming, too, in a way. Louis Wain's life was filled with poor health of that of his own self as a child (poor health stopped him from going to school until he was 10) and the breast cancer that took the life of his wife at a tragically early age.

To help his wife whilst she was dying over a three year period, Louis bought he a cat, called Peter. and it was Peter who became the inspiration for Louis to paint and draw thousands of cats.

But he didn't merely draw cats in natural settings, though he executed these kinds of drawings. Louis Wain became better known for the fantastical depictions of cats. Cats playing cricket, golfing, boxing, enjoying staging High society parties, hosting dinner parties, playing cards, in fact Louis Wain's cats enjoyed just about every vice and virtue of human society in the Edwardian era in which Louis Wain lived and worked.

Sadly, Louis became mentally ill to the extent that he had to be placed in Bethlehem (aka Bedlam) Mental Hospital for his own good.

Yet the staff encouraged him to continue with his artistic endeavours, which he did. Almost up to his death in 1939.

This book contains many of the illustrations for which Louis Waine was justifiably famed, yet even in some of the earlier drawings of cats we see that their is often a haunted and somewhat manic tint to their visage. Perhaps signs that Louis Wain always had a touch of madness as well as a touch of genius?

But the delightful book is more than a collection of images. It also contains a very useful biographic section on the life of Louis Wain.

It will make an ideal Christmas or Birthday present for the lover of cats, of fans od Louis Wain and also people who are interested in Edwardian history as the book does charmingly parody many of the stratas of Edwardian society that Lous Wain knew so very well.

The book is written/edited by Peter Haining and is published by Peter Owen.

ISBN-10: 0720616379
ISBN-13: 978-0720616378

Catalogue price £11.99 paperback.

http://www.peterowenpublishers.com

It is available through all good local bookshops and via Amazon.

Feel good and do good this Christmas by supporting the Chelsea Pensioners

Bertie the Bulldog; this British Bulldog dressed as a Chelsea Pensioner in scarlet coat and RH initialled black hat is a beautiful soft toy hand-made by Keel toys in Kent.

He is hand-washable and Bertie the Bulldog will make someone that you care about very happy this Christmas.

And this very real feel good factor will also be extended to the giver too!

Why you may ask? Because all profits go to the registered charity, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the Chelsea Pensioners.

Bertie is a remarkably keen £14 or a very reasonable £25 for two.

You can only purchase them through the Royal Hospital Chelsea shop, http://royal-hospital-chelsea.myshopify.com/products or www.chelsea-pensioners.org.uk.

Timeless Scottish Gifts from Glen Tanar Estate

Tweed is timeless and it is not just for Christmas. The elegance and traditional style of Glen Tanar Estate’s new range of handbags and purses ensure that your loved ones will cherish them long after the festive period.

Created exclusively for the estate by young Scottish textiles talent, Araminta Campbell, these quality, limited-edition gifts celebrate the heritage and tradition of Glen Tanar, which is nestled close to the Royal Deeside town of Aboyne.

The tweed was designed by Araminta, who took inspiration from the subtle, natural colours which run through the landscape of the estate.

The handbags some in four different sizes, ranging from a small pocket purse through to a large shoulder bag. They are sophisticated enough for special occasions, yet their design makes them ideal for everyday use.

Placemats made from the Glen Tanar tweed are also available, a perfect way to help transform you dinner table with a traditional Scottish twist.

These limited, bespoke accessories are available to purchase in the Glen Tanar Estate Christmas Shop, which is open to Monday 22nd December, seven days a week from 9am-4pm. They can also be bought online at www.glentanar.co.uk.

Prices are: Rectangular placemat set of 6 - £50; Large circular placemat set of 6 - £54;    Small circular placemat set of 6 - £50; Shoulder Bag - £210;   Handbag - £150; Clutch Bag - £94; Purse pocket - £15.