New Year’s Eve Champagne Cocktails

I have posted two cocktail recipes I found on Cocktail.UK.Com for you to try on New Years. They are champagne cocktails to make sure you get into the full celebratory party mood, but obviously you can use Cava or any alternative you like.

Firstly, I have chosen a cocktail called ‘Absolutely Lush’. This particular cocktail caught my eye, not because I love Chambord in it, but because it reminded me of ‘Gavin and Stacey’. If you watch the TV programme and know of the character Stacey, you will know that she describes things as being ‘Well Lush’. When you make this cocktail think of Stacey saying ‘Absolutely Lush’ and I am sure it will make you giggle.

Absolutely Lush

1 part Vodka
1 part Chambord® raspberry liqueur
Champagne

Pour one part of vodka into a champagne glass.

Add 1-2 parts Chambord depending on your taste.

Top up the mix, to fill with glass, with champagne.

The second cocktail I have chosen to post is a ‘Champagne Mojito’. The Mojito one of the most popular cocktails of the moment; it is requested frequently as the reception drink at events and revamped constantly with various juices on cocktail menus everywhere. It is high time that the Cuban classic, established in the roots of sugar plantations, had a luxurious twist and here it is - and with sparking wine on New Year’s Eve! I’m going to be salsa dancing the night away so I think you should all feel the Cuban influence too and party all night long with a Champagne Mojito.

Champagne Mojito

2 parts White rum
1 part Lime juice
Champagne
Mint sprigs
2 Sugar cube
Crushed Ice

Fold and twist a sprig of mint and pop into a glass with the lime and sugar.

Muddle together (crush and blend with the back of a spoon or the end of a rolling pin).

Add some crushed ice, pour in the rum and top up with champagne.

You can transfer the mix to a champagne glass if you like, but make sure you get all the sugar and yummy bits out.

I hope you have a great New Year’s Eve and remember kids: Enjoy alcohol responsibly!

Sarah

Get that Fruity Feeling

If you are like me, then you might have over indulged a little over Christmas and are feeling like a bit of a lead weight. I personally need a little bit of a vitamin kick – the kind you get from fruit salad in the summer.

The only problem is that it is winter and the fields are not exactly bursting with juicy strawberries and peaches. I have done a bit of research and have found the answer (and you can have it warm as well as cold). What is also handy is that you can make a batch and it will keep for about a week: perfect for breakfast with your porridge. Yum!

Winter Fruit Salad

Ingredients

600g (1Lb 5oz) ready to eat dried fruits (prunes, pears, apricots, cranberries etc)
3 Tablespoons clear honey
1 Vanilla pod, split lengthways
1 Earl Grey tea bag
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Mascarpone or Greek yogurt

Tip the fruits and 700ml (1¼ pints) of cold water into a large saucepan. Add the honey and vanilla, scraping the seeds from the pod into the pan. Bring to the boil stirring well.

Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the tea bag. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

Discard the tea bag and the vanilla pod, tip the fruits and liquid into a non-metallic bowl, then pour in the lemon juice. Stir, then leave to cool. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Sarah

Back to business

The festivities are drawing to an end and everyone is looking to 2009. Whilst the time in between Christmas and New Year may feel a bit stop-start, it doesn’t mean that things can’t be achieved.

Here at ChichesterCookshop.co.uk we are back at work and ready to assist you with your shopping. If the idea of battling your way through the freezing cold high street makes you want to curl-up with a cup of tea, then let us do the work for you. Browse our website and have the products you want delivered to your door; without having to brace the cold weather and bargain-hunters.

If you’re re-designing your kitchen in the New Year; compiling your dream wedding list, or just fancy expanding your cookery repertoire then email us at info@chichestercookshop.co.uk, or call on 01243 827750, and see how we help you with your specific enquiry, and cater a selection of products to suit your needs.

Sarah

The Ultimate Christmas Pudding and Mince Pie Accessory

Every year for as long as I can remember my Mum has made Brandy and Orange Butter to have with Christmas Pudding and Mince Pies at Christmas lunch. Now, this might not sound particularly exciting or unusual but let me tell you… it is.

I am sure that all families have their traditions and then the accompanying comments that go with them. My Grandma is responsible for the butter comment. Every year she says something to the effect of “Oh, you can’t beat homemade. There is nothing as good as this. Shop bought and the stuff in restaurants just aren’t the same”. Now, to paint the picture: my East London Grandma, a little bit tipsy, having the tiniest slither of Christmas Pudding just so she can justify the half a bowl of Brandy Butter.

Anyway, this year the making of the Brandy and Orange Butter was entrusted to me. I was a little but scared when I found this out, but really, it is so easy. I made mine in the food processor and it took no time at all, especially as I could just add the icing sugar as it was beating.

Brandy and Orange Butter

125g Unsalted Butter

125g Icing Sugar (Sifted)

1 tbsp Brandy

1 orange

Find a largish bowl and beat the butter until soft.

Mix in the sifted icing sugar a little at a time until blended and smooth.

Pour in the brandy and finely grated zest of half the orange. Mix together one last time making sure that the bits of orange are spread evenly though the butter.

Spoon into a serving bowl and zest the other half of the orange, sprinkling the long curls on top.

Sarah

Last chance to shop for Christmas

I am pleased to say that we are still able to take internet orders and can process them in time for Christmas.

However, please make sure that you place your order by 4.00pm today (Monday 22nd December) to be sure of it arriving in time.

We are also more then happy to send your gift direct to the receiver on your behalf. Just send me an email at info@chichestercookshop.co.uk if you would like a special message attached - I have a roll of wrapping paper at the ready!

If you have any queries at all, or would like to place your order over the phone, please call 01243 827750.

Sarah

Let washing-up be child's play

There is lots of washing up to be done over the winter, with soups and stews, roasts and what not, and you shouldn’t have to suffer under the strain of it all.

Design house Vigar, responsible for the oh-so popular Sugar range and many cleaning favourites; have recently launched their newest addition to the dish brush range: ‘The Dolls’ collection.

Comprising of dish brushes with faces on the end (not in a scary way I am hasten to add) and hair comprising of bristles, the brushes are a cheerful way to make a mundane job fun. The brushes are not just a girly accessory, oh no. Each brush comes in a stand that will keep the brush upright and allow the bristles to stay clean, and dry out in between uses - no more soap scum and mildew!

You can choose your brush to represent yourself or a friend, as the brush’s bristles come in blonde, dark, or red hair and a variety of skin tones are available. The stands are also livened-up with scenes from around the world, from Sydney to London to New York.

This is one of my favourite products that we have had delivered in December and I think it’s the perfect way to brighten up the New Year.

Sarah

Nigella Lawson’s Lamb and Date Christmas Tagine

Just a quick post to announce that Nigella Lawson’s Flameware Tagine, as seen on her BBC show ‘Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen’ have arrived and are in stock and ready to be sent out! We have had a high level of interest in the tagines, so order yours now before they sell out.

On Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen, she made a lamb tagine, I have posted the recipe below from the BBC Food website, if you would like to have a go at making it yourself.

Sarah

Lamb and Date Tagine by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients
3-4 tbsp goose fat or olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground allspice
1kg/2lb 3oz boneless leg of lamb, chopped into cubes
250g/9oz soft dried dates, stones removed, or Medjool dates, stones removed
250ml/9fl oz pomegranate juice
250ml/9fl oz water
2 tsp Maldon sea salt, or 1 tsp table salt

1. Warm the goose fat (or oil) in a wide heavy-based pan with a lid. Add the onions and cook gently over a low heat for ten minutes, or until softened.

2. Add the ground cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cumin and allspice and mix well.

3. Turn up the heat and add the lamb, stirring often, until browned all over.

4. Add the dates, pomegranate juice, water and salt and bring to the boil. Cover with the lid and turn down the heat to very low to cook for two hours. (You can cook in the oven if you prefer, for two hours at 150C/300F/Gas 2.)

5. Serve in bowls.

If I buy an Italian designer pan, will my Ragu taste more authentic?

Me? Trying to justify buying the Alessi Pots and Pans Set? Never!

If you are looking for a new pan set, and like me, enjoy the aesthetic qualities a product has to offer then I suggest you take a look at Alessi. Their range of saucepans named ‘Pots & Pans’ is so exquisitely designed it deserves its place on any wish list, particularly a wedding list.

Made of highly polished mirrored stainless steel, the pan set in instantly recognisable as a Jasper Morrison, Alessi design classic. The handle on the lid is beautifully unique and can be lifted either by hand, or by hooking a utensil in and lifting. Accompanied by wooden utensils included in the set, the little touches add a certain je ne sais quoi… or should I say ‘non so cosa’.

If you’re stuck as to what to get this Christmas then you cant go wrong with Alessi Pots&Pans.

Sarah

GreenPan = Green Living

Frying may not be the healthiest way of cooking, but who said it had to be bad for the environment too? From materials to manufacturing, from packaging to aftercare, GreenPan by Typhoon have considered the processes and have tried to make each stage as eco-friendly as possible.

The body of the GreenPan is recycled black aluminium, giving second life to previously processed materials. This however does not skimp on the quality and the pan is guaranteed for 5 years.

The aluminium is also fully coated in Thermolon, a natural ceramic, PTFE-free non-stick coating. Unlike traditional non-stick coating, Thermolon is cured at a lower temperature, reducing the percentage of carbon emissions emitted.

The environmental care doesn’t stop after the manufacturing of the pans: the packaging the pans are sold in, and the information leaflets that are sent out, are all printed on recycled paper.

My favourite thing about the GreenPan is that for every pan sold, Typhoon plant a tree in India to help offset carbon emissions and provide farmers with crops to further their trade and improve their family’s livelihood.

Typhoon’s GreenPan is ideal for general household use as the non-stick coating is superior and resistant up to 450C and the professional Bakelite handle is designed to stay cool and has a lovely, comfortable ergonomic grip.

Sarah

Enjoy a beautiful bin!

You may be ashamed of what you throw away but there is now no need to be ashamed of your kitchen bin!

With solitary designs that co-ordinate with any kitchen there’s no need to hide it away anymore. Unique designs ranging from 50’s retro style in electric blue, to contemporary colours creating a modernistic look. With pedal push mechanisms, odour-tight and silent closable lids these kitchen bins will satisfy all.

Why not make a statement with funky designs and enjoy a beautiful bin!

Goodwood Farm Shop...'Organic Goodness'

At the Goodwood farm shop prepare to find some of the finest organic produce from the only completely self-sustaining organic farm not just in Southern England but in the whole of the UK. The farm uses absolutely no fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides ensuring that all the foods are thoroughly natural taken from nature’s finest areas. With the guarantee of everything, being 100% organic, the Goodwood farm shop can ensure maximum satisfactory and exquisite tastes. Many of the animals kept on the farm are handled with care and compassion, looked after by people with only their well-being in mind.

The shop itself is tucked away on the Goodwood estate is only a short distance from the centre of Chichester. It is run by valuable, attentive staff from Sussex who are always willing to offer advice on products and suggest ways or recipes on how to cook the organic produce.
The farm shop sells goods from delectable honey from the estates colony of bees to distinctive, creamy milk produced from the estates Dairy Shorthorns. Here the cows are summer grazed and in winter fed on organically grown fodder.

All products at the Goodwood farm shop are at a realistic price, which everyone can afford. Visit the website or pop along to the shop and indulge in a range or high quality organic nourishment.

Feeling Festive...

I've taken this recipe for Mulled Wine from Nigela Lawson’s Christmas Recipes. Enjoy this perfect beverage for Christmas time with steaming mince pies as a festive treat.

Mulled Wine

Taken from...
How to Be a Domestic Goddess

1 bottle red wine
60ml (4 tablespoons) dark rum
125ml Earl Grey tea
1 tablespoon dark muscovado sugar
1 orange, quartered, each quarter stuck with 1 clove
1 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon honey

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring almost to the boil, but before the aromatic wine actually boils, turn down to the lowest possible heat and keep it warm as you ladle it into any nearby glass.

VARIATION
If you need to make mulled wine that isn't really mulled wine because you have to provide drink that's non-alcoholic (as I had to do for the Christmas fair at my daughter's school last year) then you can substitute a bottle of red grape juice for the wine, half a bottle of rum flavouring (I'm sorry) for the rum.

To make your Mulled Wine try using the new Flameware range by Nigella Lawson herself. For also cooking casseroles or stews, the versatile and elegant shape of this product allows you to take it straight from the oven to the table.

Weights and Measures...

It's always handy when cooking or preparing food, especially when following a recipe, to have weight conversions. So here’s two useful tables converting ounces to grams and pints to millilitres to help you achieve accurate measuring when baking.
But remember; never mix imperial and metric measurements in one recipe!

Ounces	Grams
1oz	25g
2oz	50g
3oz	75g
4oz	100g
5oz	125g
6oz	150g
7oz	175g
8oz	200g
16oz (1lb)	450g

Liquid Measures
¼ pint	150ml
½ pint	300ml
¾ pint	450ml
1 pint	600ml
1 ¾ pints	1000ml (1 litre)
2 pints	¼ litres

'Taste' magazine. Autumn edition...

‘Taste’ magazine, the autumn edition, ‘for people who love local food’. This magazine includes a range of mouth-watering recipes, tips on gardening and organic growing and preparation and cooking advice giving you everything you need to know this season. West Sussex seasonal magazine informs you on the best diners, cafes and markets around your area. In addition, with the ‘dates for your diary section’ you will always be up to date with what’s happening locally in your town or village.

Here are the details to get your subscription to Taste…

Tel: 01243 756842
Fax: 01243 777266
Email: taste@westsussex.gov.uk
Website: www.westsussex.gov.uk/tastewestsussex

Enjoy the wonders of West Sussex captured in Taste magazine.


Phoebe

Dutch Pepernoten

A day at work at the Cookshop is an extremely educational experience. I had a visit from my friend Maarten earlier in the week, who gave me the idea of posting a recipe for Dutch Pepernoten Cookies.

Before I go any further I should explain that he is Dutch and works in the Little Holland pancake house in Bognor Regis (yum! – definitely worth the visit if you’re in the area). Anyway, he was shopping for Sinterklass presents. I didn’t know of this traditional Dutch festival and learnt that Sinterklass is the way they celebrate Saint Nicholas in Holland, and is a bit like Father Christmas but without the stocking and is held in the beginning of December. So, whilst in the UK we don’t get to have our Father Christmas presents until Christmas Day, we can make some Pepernoten and join the Dutch in Sinterklass.

Makes 50 pepernoten

Ingredients

50 g butter (1 3/4 oz)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 cup self raising flour

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground aniseed

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cream the butter and sugar, then add spice mix (or spices).

Add the flour and milk and make very very small marble sized balls.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 160 C (320 F) until golden.

You might like to use a Silverwood Baking Sheet for this recipe.

Sarah

Nigella’s Pea and Pesto Soup

This is a great recipe from Nigella Lawson’s Express book (a great one to have on the shelf for inspiration). It is so quick to make, and I am a soup addict in the winter and love nothing more then taking my flask to work knowing I have a yummy soup it eat... much more inviting then an instant one. I love making soup as well as I find it extremely therapeutic, however I can’t be bothered with straining or any faffing around, which makes this soup perfect. I would however stress that it is rather ‘flavoursome’ and not ideal if you have a meeting planned, or plan on getting close to anyone. But if you love pesto you will LOVE it.

Pea and Pesto Soup – Makes enough for 2 bowls

Ingredients:

750ml water
375g frozen peas
2 spring onions, trimmed but whole
1 teaspoon Maldon salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
4 x 15ml tablespoons fresh pesto

The quickest way to proceed is to fill a kettle first and put it on to boil. When it’s boiled, measure the amount you need into a pan and put on the hob to come back to the boil.

Fill a thermos with the remaining hot water.

Add the frozen peas, spring onions, salt and lime juice to the pan and let everything bubble together for 7 minutes.

Discard the spring onions and blitz the peas and their liquid with the pesto in a blender.

Empty the thermos flask that you’ve left filled with hot water and then pour in the soup, making sure you screw the top on securely.

That recipe is from Nigella.Com, there lots on there to search through – definitely a good resource.

Sarah

The Urban Kitchen

The Urban Kitchen is a great catering company and cookery school based in the Surrey/London area run by Toral Shah, a qualified cell biologist very much interested in the nutritional benefits of foods.

Offering gourmet fusion food experiences the Urban Kitchen services include catering for parties, to cookery courses around Borough market during which you pick and buy food and then cook-up your reward.

I have just browsed the website and I feel extremely hungry after looking through the course guide, and I wish I lived in London so I could become a regular student. Also, I would suggest that any brides-to-be have a look at the Hen Party page…let me just say: ‘Butler in the Buff’…

Sarah

What a Mince up!

If you’re planning on making your own mincemeat this year it is worth investing in a mincer. Great for getting through the fruits quickly and taking the hassle of out chopping, a mincer will ensure a smoother mincemeat and get rid of the annoying lumps in individual pies.

After Christmas, why not use a mincer to make your own mince for pies, chilli con carne and bolognaise. You can mince your own spices in to create individual blends and add depth to much-loved recipes.

Why not make your own burgers in the summer to cook on the barbecue and experiment with different meats. Not only is it healthier to mince your own meat as you can choose your own cut of meat and control the fat content, but it can also be more cost-effective.

The Eddington’s Mincer-Pro that we have started selling on the website can be put in the dishwasher and have a suction base for simple securing to the worktop. They are the most popular mincer we sell in store and the suction base is incredibly strong - definitely a product we are happy to recommend.

Sarah