Food News
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TASTE THE DIFFERENCE
Distinctive Christmas presents are increasingly difficult to find, so, for those who enjoy the finer things in life, try Demijohn’s new Apotheker Tasting Set of five unusual spirits, liqueurs, oils or vinegars.
Launched this week, the Demijohn Apotheker Bottle Racks offer the chance of tasting some of their spectacular products in small amounts. Five 40ml glass bottles are tied together in a beautiful handmade red cherry bottle rack and customers can choose the contents or opt for one of Demijohn’s gift packs.
The Vodka Rack is a combination of Demijohn’s most popular vodkas. Raspberry Vodka, from East Lothian, nestles next to Organic Cucumber Vodka, Organic Rhubarb Vodka Liqueur, from Inverness, and the new Lemon Vodka Liqueur and Lime Vodka. Priced at £30, this is the perfect gift for those who like cocktails, as these are excellent cocktail bases or for the adventurous drinkers.
For gin lovers, the Gin Rack is a real taste of Christmas, with Sloe Gin, smooth Damson Gin, from East Lothian, Seville Orange Gin, Cranberry Gin and Gooseberry Gin, from Cheshire. This is priced at £30.
Foodies will love the Oil and Vinegar rack with Demijohn’s most popular oils and vinegars. Kabbadates Extra Virgin Oil from Corfu, fruity El Campico Organic Virgin Olive Oil from Spain, bitter sweet Lemon Vinegar, fresh Apple Vinegar and Raspberry Vinegar sit together to tempt the palate for any food lover. This is priced at £25.75.
For an extra-special gift, Demijohn has created the Connoisseur’s Rack with five of its finest products. It contains Worcestershire Sloe Gin, Organic Cucumber Vodka, rare 15-year-old Linkwood single malt whisky, Kabbadates Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Corfu and the unbeatable 25-year-old Aceto Balsamico di Modena, Extra Vecchio. Priced at £41.75, this is for that special friend or relative.
The Apotheker Bottle Racks can either be purchased from Demijohn’s shops in Edinburgh or Glasgow, or from the online shop – www.demijohn.co.uk
REMY BREAKS THE ICE
Rémy Martin has launched a special limited edition Cœur de Cognac gift pack in time for Christmas.
Cœur de Cognac is their newest creation and is a voluptuous elixir of apricots and pears infused with sunshine.
Its delicate flavours evoke the happiness of simple pleasures. It is derived from a slow and delicate distillation, a process specially fine-tuned to preserve the fruity aromas.
The addition of crushed ice perfectly complements Cœur de Cognac’s sweet aromas and accentuates the lovely surprise of its smooth, velvety aftertaste. The ice enhances the fruity notes, its complex flavours, and its melt-in-the-mouth appeal. The desire to take another sip is irresistible.
The gift pack is the perfect way to create and experience a pleasurable ritual in the comfort of your home – ideal as a treat for yourself or as a gift for others.
In addition to a bottle of Cœur de Cognac, the pack includes an elegant bag in which to place the ice, and a polished metal spoon with which to crush it.
The pack has a recommended retail price from £70 and is available to buy from www.coeurdecognac.com
A TASTY TWIST
With the party season around the corner, that time has come again to impress friends and family with your festive cookery skills.
Why not add a twist to tradition and spice up your Christmas entertaining this year with internationally inspired Quality Standard beef and lamb recipes, found at www.beefyandlamby.co.uk/ recipeclub
The new Quality Standard Recipe Club gives you all the advice you need to help your Christmas entertaining run smoothly this year.
Free to access, the site includes exclusive Quality Standard beef and lamb recipes with easy to use shopping lists, that you can even send to your mobile phone, to ensure you don’t forget anything for the big event.
This year, whether you are preparing a cosy meal for two in front of the fire, a festive dinner party for friends to share Secret Santa gifts, or a Christmas Day alternative to the traditional roast, these delicious and easy to prepare recipes will help you wow guests with your culinary flair.
While out shopping, look out for the Quality Standard Mark to ensure your meat is of succulent and tender eating quality. This patchwork-fields label tells you that the meat you are buying has been produced to very strict, independently monitored guidelines – right from the farm to the shop in which you buy it. In addition, it guarantees its provenance; just check the flag at the bottom of the label.
For more recipe ideas, step-by-step carving guides and stuffing suggestions, check out www.beefyandlamby.co.uk/ recipeclub
VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS
Marks & Spencer has recreated the original Christmas pudding recipe written by Victorian cook Mrs Beeton, almost 150 years after it was first published.
The delicious new pudding will be sold exclusively at M&S this Christmas. It will be the first and only Christmas pudding on the high street to use beef suet, which was an original ingredient in traditional Christmas puddings.
The retailer has launched the pudding to mark half a century of selling Christmas puddings, which started as a trial in 1958 and is now an essential part of the M&S Christmas range.
The M&S Christmas pudding also contains stout which was popular and widely available in the UK in Victorian times and was used in Mrs Beeton's recipes. The fruit is soaked in the stout to add extra moistness and flavour.
In times of scarcity in Victorian Britain, the best ingredients were always reserved for Christmas pudding. Nutmeg was considered a rare luxury and M&S has respected this tradition by adding a little extra.
M&S is also putting the highest amount of raisins in this pudding, more than any other Christmas pudding in the M&S range, to match the original Victorian recipe.
Originally, real beef was used in Christmas puddings, but, in Mrs Beeton's day, beef suet had become popular as the dish evolved to contain mainly sweet ingredients and the suet was used to bring out the flavour of other ingredients and help add texture. Milk, used in Mrs Beeton's time, has been replaced with double cream for extra richness. Jamaican rum has also been added to give warmth to the pudding and it has been fed with French brandy prior to steaming.
The Marks & Spencer Christmas pudding made to a classic recipe using beef suet and Irish stout is available nationwide and priced at £8.99 for 907g.
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