Wednesday, 16 August 2023
That's Food and Drink: Celebrate National Mai Tai Day With a Don Papa Rum...
That's Food and Drink: Celebrate National Mai Tai Day With a Don Papa Rum...: I must admit I was totally unaware that it is National Mai Tai Day on August 30th.And Don Papa Rum invites us to celebrate National Mai Tai ...
That's Food and Drink: Rum, but Hattiers style
That's Food and Drink: Rum, but Hattiers style: Hattiers is the UK's first B Corp certified rum and it has taken a fresh, exciting look at the traditional art of rum blending with an u...
Tuesday, 15 August 2023
Unwrap the Magic of Christmas With Don Papa Rum's Eternal Spring in Sugarlandia Eco-Canister
With the Eternal Spring in Sugarlandia Eco-Canister, their aim is to create an extraordinary experience for both rum enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.
Not only will this eco-canister make a stunning looking Christmas gift, it will you will also be gifting back to those less fortunate.
Because £50,000 worth of the proceeds from the sales of the eco-canister will be distributed amongst a number of Don Papa supported educational and environmental charities in the Philippines.
Available for £37. The bottle will also be available in all Sainsburys outlets from November.
For details please visit https://www.donpaparum.com.
Monday, 14 August 2023
Guide to Christmas BBQ - Flame-Kissed Festive Feasts with Kamado Joe
The 'Great British BBQ' survey of 2,000 people revealed a stunning 71% of their audience have cooked a Christmas turkey on a barbecue and over 80% would consider barbecuing their dinner on Christmas day.
Barbecued turkeys tend to be much more succulent and flavoursome compared with their roasted counterparts. Also, cooking outside frees up valuable oven space for other items.
Here's Kamado Joe's tips and tricks for grilling the perfect dinner.
TV BBQ chef, and Kamado Joe global marketing manager, Ben Forte reveals his top tips to BBQing the turkey this Christmas. Passionate about BBQs, Ben is no stranger to cooking over charcoal flames whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
“My passion for BBQ started from a young age,” he admits “I use my Kamado Joe for cooking pretty much anything and have done so for years. The thick ceramic walls retain so much heat and actually they seal in moisture, so your food is juicier and more tender. They're designed to last a lifetime of year round cooking, and in my household winter barbecues are definitely a major thing.”
What better way to please the crowd this Christmas then with a showstopping barbecued turkey taking centre stage? Ben Forte shares his quick-fire tips:
CHRISTMAS TURKEY
Cook to temperature, not time. 75C is perfect.
Add a bacon weave. This helps the turkey breast meat to stay moist and you get a bonus bit of crispy bacon, too!
Get your turkey out of the fridge half an hour before you start the cooking process. This helps prevent shrinkage.
Cook your veg below the turkey on the BBQ so it catches all those juices as it cooks.
If you like a bit of smoke, then you should consider adding a chunk of fruit wood like apple or cherry.
CHRISTMAS BEEF
For a very special celebratory Christmas lunch, nothing wows everyone more than a large cut of beef like a rib. To make it even more succulent and to enhance the delicious beefy flavours, coat the beef in a layer of salt and marmite or miso and leave overnight in the fridge. This gives the most savoury, umami taste to impress your guests.
Smoked gravy tastes incredible, so ensure you catch all the flavours and juices from the meat as it slowly renders down.
Plan ahead – remember, you're cooking to temperature, not time. Ensure you've got at least an hour to rest a large joint of beef.
FOR THE TRIMMINGS
Veg can be par-boiled the day prior, this helps speed things up a little. Nothing tastes better than root veg once it has been licked by flame to transform their natural sugars. (EDITOR: True!)
To serve your chargrilled veg, take a large platter and cover in aioli. Lay the vegetables on top, perhaps with dollops of harissa to make the flavours sing?
When it comes to sauces and sides, don't think Sunday roast, think celebration. So go for a punchy chimichurri, tahini and yoghurt, salsa verde, a vivid romesco sauce – all these things transform it from a carvery to a truly memorable Festive Feast.
Gifts for BBQ Lovers
Kamado Joe BBQ Range
Kamado Joes - These world-renowned ceramic grills pack the latest technology and meticulous craftsmanship inside each iconic red barbecue. The thick-walled, heat-resistant shell locks in smoke and moisture at any temperature. There's nothing you can't cook in them, from low-and-slow dishes to grilling and searing at scorching temperatures. Prices start at £499 for Joe Jr.
NEW The Konnected Joe - A global first, this digitally connected ceramic grill combines all the benefits of traditional ceramic cooking with modern technology, offering a solution for easy fire-lighting and effortless temperature control. £1,999.
Must have accessories every grill-master needs
Karbon Steel surfaces - Paella pan, griddle, half moon pan set and wok. Karbon steel combines the best qualities from stainless steel and cast iron. The lightweight yet strong material heats up quickly with exceptional heat retention. The new range is naturally non-stick, easy to clean and offers long-lasting endurance. From £109
The JoeTisserie fits inside your firebox and slowly rotates your skewered meat, veg or fish above the charcoal. It's been cleverly designed so the kamado lid will still close, keeping all the heat right where you want it. If you're going for a low and slow spit-roast, Kamado Joe's thick ceramic walls helps retain moisture, so you get a juicy, tender result. Best of all, you can bung the whole lot in the dishwasher when you've finished. RRP: £279
Kamado DoJoe The durable cast-aluminium transforms your Kamado Joe into a best-in-class pizza oven. You're guaranteed a crispy crust on the bottom, while the altered airflow traps heat in the dome above the pizza for perfect toppings. This combination of convection airflow above and conduction heat below creates a uniform, even cooking environment surrounding the pizza as it bakes for masterful results.
Here are some special recipes:-
Orange, Whisky and Cranberry Glazed Joetisserie Gammon
Ingredients
2kg Gammon, fat scored
2tbsp Whole cloves
200g Cranberry Sauce
1 Orange, zest
3 tbsp whisky
1 tbsp honey
Method
Set your JoeTisserie up on the Kamado Joe and set the grill to approx 170c.
Score the gammon fat in a diamond pattern and stud with whole cloves. In a small bowl mix together the cranberry sauce, orange zest, whisky and honey.
Secure the prepared gammon on your JoeTisserie and cook until it reaches approx 50c. At this point, brush your ham periodically using two thirds of the glaze mixture, reserving the remaining glaze.
Once gammon reaches a core temperature of 70 degrees, remove from the heat. Brush on the remaining glaze and set aside to rest.
Complete with Turkey & Smokey Bacon Burger, Brussel Sprout Slaw, Oak Smoked Cheddar, Pancetta Weave, Cranberry Sauce and topped with a pickle and pigs in blankets this is one burger that has to be tried this festive season.
Burger Ingredients
500g Turkey Thigh Mince
4 rashers of Smoked Bacon (finely diced)
1 Egg
Bacon flavour crisps (I used popcorn crisps as they are gluten free) (crushed)
Brussel Slaw
250g Brussel Sprouts
2 Carrots
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
4 tbsp South Carolina BBQ Sauce
Other Bits
Oak Smoked Cheddar
16 rashers of pancetta/streaky bacon
Cranberry Sauce
Pigs in blankets
Pickles
Seeded Brioche Buns
4 Wooden Skewers
Method
Make your burgers by combining all the burger ingredients together then shape them into burgers using your hands or a burger press.
Finely grate the sprouts and carrots then combine in a bowl and add the vinegar and South Carolina BBQ Sauce.
Now you need to create some bacon weaves. For mine I use 4 rashers of pancetta cut in half and stretched out for each weave. This makes them the perfect size for the burger.
Now smoke your burgers in your BBQ at around 225F until they reach an internal temp of 165F.
Put your bacon weaves onto some foil and put them in the BBQ until they are nice and crispy and cook your pigs in blankets.
Then bring off the burgers and put them onto a hot skillet and cook for a few minutes each side, then add your cheese to the top and cover with a closh for about 1 minute to melt the cheese.
Time to build the burger.
Layout the base of the bun.
Put on the Sprout Slaw
Next add the Burger
Then the bacon weave
Now the cranberry sauce.
Finally push a wooden skewer through the pig in blanket and through a pickle and then straight through the burger.
Sunday, 13 August 2023
That's Food and Drink: Why not plant fruit trees in your garden?
That's Food and Drink: Why not plant fruit trees in your garden?: King's Seeds have a wide range of fruit trees available for sale. These include Peach Peregrine Fruit Tree - 4.5Ltr Pot. Apricot Flavorc...
Saturday, 12 August 2023
Plan ahead for Christmas and save money!
It's often difficult buying what you need for Christmas, the food and drink, presents, decorations, etc.
However, with the current economic situation, things might be a bit tighter than usual, this Christmas.
But it doesn't have to be like that at all! Here is the simple That's Christmas Plan Ahead for Christmas Programme!
1) If your shop or supermarket has a savings club, sign up for it and save a small amount of money for Christmas.
2) If you see an item that would make an ideal Christmas present for a family member, buy it when you see it (so long as the price is keen) and put it away for Christmas.
3) Rather than buying a large amount of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) at Christmas and risking buying more than you'll need, add a bottle or two to your weekly shops between now and Christmas. If you find you need more you can always pop out to the shops when you need to.
4) Bearing in mind use by and best before dates, stock up on foods for Christmas well before the Christmas season. And avoid any potential pre-Christmas price rises that might occur!
5) Get crafting! You might be surprised at how good you can be with making special bespoke Christmas gifts for friends and family members. Also, why not try your hand at making unique Christmas decorations? Hobby Craft, Home Bargains, Poundland, Rymans and The Works all stock craft items and art items.
6) Shop around! You'll be pleasantly surprised to find the item you wanted to buy at a much lower price in a discount shop.
7) Check out local/regional Christmas Markets to see of there are any you'll be able to get to. However, if you are looking out for genuine Continental Christmas products/produce then the German discount stores Aldi and Lidl are both well worth checking out.
(Image courtesy of Jan Vašek from Pixabay)
That's Food and Drink: Violife the cheese alternative and more, besides
That's Food and Drink: Violife the cheese alternative and more, besides: I'm neither a vegan or even a vegetarian, but I cannot eat dairy cheese for health reasons. Whilst we were discussing what to give up f...
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