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.
As you may, or may not know, today is Thanksgiving in USA. Held on the forth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving is a harvest festival that celebrates the expression of gratitude. Much like Christmas in the UK, Thanksgiving has a high focus on food and usually ends in everyone eating a little too much.
Anyone that has eaten a Thanksgiving dinner, or knows an American that has, will know what a joyful day it is and the amazing wonder of the Pumpkin Pie. My friend Natalie (born in Arizona) introduced me to Pumpkin Pie a few years ago, and I still remember the experience vividly. Natalie throws the most amazing dinner parties: from cocktail reception to table arrangement to dessert, everything is charismatic and memorable (not to mention the topics of conversation), and it was during one of these fabulous evenings that I picked the pecans off the top of a pumpkin pie and indulged in a truly gooey, scrumptious moment.
I cannot stress how much I encourage you all to make a Pumpkin Pie. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, or whether you think you like pumpkin or not, give it a go. I urge you! Please! The spices and combination of ingredients create something truly unique that I just can’t describe. Here is a traditional recipe for Pumpkin Pie by Claire Ptak. I have taken the recipe from the food section on Guardian.co.uk, which is worth a look if you get a chance.
Claire's pumpkin pie:
Add a little butternut or other sweet squash puree to the pumpkin if you think it isn't going to have enough flavour on its own. Just split the squash in half and roast cut-side down until tender. When it has cooled, scoop out the flesh and process until smooth in a food processor or push through a fine sieve or moulin.
The pie will be silkier if the pumpkin is as smooth as possible, so pour the filling through a fine strainer (even if you have pushed your puree through one initially).
Then taste the filling. At this point you can add a little finely grated fresh ginger along with a good grinding of black pepper. If the pumpkins were not as sweet as you’d hoped, add some freshly pureed butternut squash or if you don't happen to have that, a little extra sugar will do.
Pour the filling into a pie dish lined with an uncooked buttery pastry and bake at 180°C for about 35 minutes or until the custardy filling is just set while retaining a slight wobble.
As I am feeling particularly cold today, I have decided to write about hot trays to try to warm me up.
We have a range of cordless hot trays by Hostess that are ideal for buffets or long family lunches. Staying hot for an hour after just an 8-minute charge, the trays can be lined up or placed in the centre of a table for any event, be it a takeaway or a roast.
The hot trays are not just for Christmas, they are for summer too. As they are cordless, the trays can be taken outside and used for garden parties and barbecues.
Get yours for Christmas and you can use it for your vegetables and gravy, charge it when everyone lets the main course go down, and use it again for Christmas pudding, mince pies and custard.
Christmas is certainly getting underway for our customers and everyone seems extra keen to be prepared this year and avoid the last minute rushes. A good way to get prepared is shopping online – none of the stress of the high street and a great way to browse.
On the browsing note… I am one of those people that spends 20 mins in the wine aisle just looking to buy one bottle: imagine what I am like when I have to buy a selection! If you can empathise with that scenario, then you appreciate the website WineBeerExpress.com.
Recommended to me by our website designer, this fellow Chichester-based business is great as they take out the hassle of buying heavy bottles and stress of choosing your drinks in a busy supermarket. Each drink has a clear product description, so even if you don’t have the first idea you can’t go wrong, and if you do know what you want it is easy to find.
Have a look and stock up for Christmas and New Year,
I am pleased to say the I have spent the day updating the Cake Decorating section on our website and I have put up lots of Christmas Cake Decorations for you to browse. There is even a little bit confetti to bring a general festive feel to your table.
From sugar flower sprays to clay ornaments, there is a decoration to suit every style of cake – even decorations for those of you that don’t enjoy a traditional fruit cake.
I’m planning on topping my chocolate butter-iced cake with a poinsettia spray.
Theo Randall (of River Café fame) has been working in association with Pizza Express to create the most delicious range of pizzas. If you’re like me and are a Pizza Express addict then you will adore Randall’s new range.
Let me set the scene… I took my lovely Mum out for dinner at Pizza Express in Chichester and was a little bit excited to see that the restaurant as expanded their menu… again. Being the indecisive people we are, we decided to share two Theo pizzas to maximise our foodage. Rather then our Tonnara and Gamberettini pizzas arriving on the usual white plate, they arrived on two black boards with pizza wheels for cutting. Imagine my delight: food that you can play with… in public!
Anyway, long story short. The pizzas were DELICIOUS and I hope PE never take them off the menu, and more importantly the black boards they were served on were none other then Epicurean boards.
Epicurean boards are wonderful hygienic, ingenious chopping boards that your knife won’t carve, but at the same time won’t hurt your knife. Made from the stuff they make roller-rinks and skateboard ramps out of these boards really are a clever invention.
What more proof do you need that these boards are indestructible then the example of their use in Pizza Express? If Epicurean boards can withstand being chucked around the restaurant everyday, and repeatedly thrown in a commercial dishwasher… then survive enthusiasts like myself playing with their pizza wheels for the entire dinner then they can certainly live through a bit of chopping and dishwasher use at home.
Just in time for cosy autumn stews, Nigella Lawson has launched her new Flameware ceramics range. From Tagines to Marmintouts the gorgeous range of black ceramics are great for cooking and serving. The clever ceramic blend is designed to retain heat making them ideal for buffets.
Unlike other terracotta casseroles, the Flameware range is designed to be used on direct heat from the hob and under the grill, as well the usual places such as the oven. Oh, and should you have any leftovers, the pots can go in the freezer and microwave too.
Describing itself as a Cookery Journal, the 101 Cookbooks blog is a database of recipes designed to encourage the reader to cook a variety of dishes, rather then the same old familiars.
Focusing on healthy vegetarian recipes and whole, natural ingredients the website really is a culinary inspiration.Why not sign up and get the recipes straight to your email inbox.
Those men at Top Gear have been at it again. Jeremy Clarkson has devised the ultimate kitchen appliance: the V8 powered kitchen blender. Should you wish to make your own V8 blender then you too can enjoy the wonderful manly smoothie that is raw beef with a hint of brick.
However, if you would prefer a more stylish and practical blender then why not take a look at our Kitchen Aid and Waring Pro ranges.
Following Phoebe’s recent post about Christmas pudding moulds, I thought I would put up a recipe for Christmas Pudding in preparation for Stir-Up Sunday on 23rd November.
This is a Nigel Slater recipe from Nation’s Favourite Food on the BBC Food site that is worth a look. Just don’t forget that the fruit needs soaking overnight, and don’t put it off to another weekend as you will need time for the pud to mature and once it is done, it is one less thing for you to worry about nearer the time.
Ingredients – Serves 8
350g/12¼oz sultanas
350g/12¼oz raisins or currants
150g/5¼oz dried figs, chopped
125g/4½oz candied peel
100g/3½oz dried apricots
75g/2½oz dark glace cherries, halved
150ml/5fl oz brandy
100g/3½oz ginger in syrup, chopped, plus 2 tbsp of the syrup
2 apples or quinces, grated
2 oranges, juice and zest
6 eggs, beaten
250g/8¾oz shredded suet
350g/12¼oz soft muscovado sugar
250g/8¾oz fresh breadcrumbs
175g/6¼oz self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
2 old sixpences or coins (optional)
1. For this recipe you will need two 1.5 litre(2½ pint) plastic pudding basins with lids.
2. Soak the sultanas, raisins, currants, figs, peel, apricots and cherries in the brandy overnight, giving it a good stir now and again.
3. The following day, in a large bowl mix the ginger, syrup, apples or quinces, orange juice and zest with the eggs, suet, sugar, crumbs and flour.
4. Stir in the soaked fruit and spice.
5. Butter the two pudding basins and divide themix between them. Add coins now if using.
6. Cut two circles of greaseproof paper to cover the top of the pudding and fold a pleat down the centre to allow pudding to expand.
7. Put lids on the basins and steam puddings for 3½ hours.
8. Let puddings cool before removing greaseproof paper and covering tightly with cling film and lid. The puddings can now be stored in a cool, dry place until Christmas.
9. To reheat, steam pudding for a further 3½ hours, turn out and flame with brandy.
Sue has been hard at work updating the knife section on our website, and we are proud to announce that Victorinox knives are now available to buy online.You maybe familiar with the Victorinox brand, as the Swiss brand has been making knives since 1884 and are famous for the Swiss Army Knife.
Whilst we don’t stock those, you will find a rather nice selection from the Fibrox range.Fibrox is a lovely light material that is great for knife handles. The unique anti-slip grip is extremely safe and practical in both the domestic and commercial kitchen as it offers a secure hold even when you have wet or greasy hands.
Moving onto the oh-so sharp blade. The Molybdenum Stainless Steel blade is ice-hardened, laser tested, and then if that wasn’t enough, sharpened twice to give you top quality over the 25 years the knife is guaranteed for.
On a more personal note, I would like to say that the Victorinox range of small knives are our best selling knives in store. Our customers love them so much that they buy two, so they still have a knife left when one is thrown away accidentally with the peelings!
This recipe was given to me at a meeting I attended in preparation for Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning and I have been meaning to share it ever since. I think gingerbread is best enjoyed in the autumn, when the warming spice makes a comforting indulgent snack.
Ingredients
50g (2oz) Black Treacle
50g (2oz) Golden Syrup
100g (4oz) Butter or Margarine
100g (4oz) Brown Sugar
175g (6oz) Plain Flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 Egg
150ml (1/4 pint) Milk
3 Pieces of Stem Ginger (Sliced)
Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4 and grease a 2lb loaf tin.
Heat the treacle, syrup, butter and sugar in a small saucepan until melted. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat.
Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and gradually stir in the syrup mixture, egg and milk, stirring well to form a batter.
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, arranging the sliced ginger on top. Bake for 60 minutes or until cooked through; allow to cool before then removing from the tin.
I would recommend the Silverwood 2lb Loaf Pan for this recipe as the tin will help the loaf to cook evenly and the sticky loaf should come out of the tin like a breeze.
Need a bit of fun and colour to brighten up your kitchen? Vigar’s Sugar products are the way forward to giving a new atmosphere and original touch to your kitchen.
Transform your kitchen accessories adding bold, floral designs on everyday products from washing-up gloves to dusters, making anyone enjoy household chores. The illuminating pink contrasts with the eccentric designs adding a modernistic aspect to the products. So out with the dull as you add quirkiness and variety to your home.
Whatever the occasion Marilyn's Cakes can provide the cake to go with it! Be it a Wedding, Birthday, Anniversary or Christening, have a browse and discuss Marilyn’s unique designs with us at The Bognor Cookshop ready to order as soon as you wish.
Discover just what you are looking for to put a smile on some-ones face this Christmas, as we are currently supplying a wide range of tasteful sugarcraft items for the visionary out there to create your own work of art. Mix and match and create your own to fulfil your specific design wishes. With a catalogue of hand-crafted cakes from rich fruit cake laced with brandy to lemon sponge with buttercream, you will be spoilt for choice.
Oh yes, the consumer now has their very own social networking site called Kaboodle. Just like any other site of it’s type users can sign up and create a profile, what makes Kaboodle so special is that you can create lists of products you have bought, hope to buy, and dreaming of buying. Now this might not sound very exciting at first, but when you consider that you can upload any product onto your page, and then discuss whether you like it or hate it, Kaboodle suddenly sounds a lot more fun.
Handy for writing your Christmas, Birthday or Wedding list, you can share your lists and equally see other peoples. Having played on Kaboodle for a bit I have found that it is great for finding products you would not normally think of and more importantly, new shops.
Whilst Kaboodle is mainly focused on USA at the moment, a few UK suppliers have started listing their products and ChichesterCookshop.co.uk has registered as a brand. Visit our page and see what its about, you can become a fan and be updated regularly on products, or add our things to your Wish List for Christmas. We have also put a Kaboodle button in the ‘Share’ feature on our website so it’s easy to upload new things to you’re profile.
I am very excited about this shopping revolution, especially as I can now visit and show my love for my favourite independent retailers from my desk.
The lovely people at Typhoon have realised that just because people want to be a bit green and not use plastic bags, it doesn’t mean they want a bad back and unfortunate style. Armed with this gem of information Typhoon have redesigned the shopping trolley and made it not only practical for supermarket shopping, but also STYLISH!
The lightweight trolley is extremely spacious inside (a bit like the tardis) and has two inner pockets as well as a fully insulated cool bag. The top fastens with a drawstring, which is perfect for squishing in those last minute Christmas purchases, and the Velcro flap will keep everything safe and dry. Scouts Promise.
If your Nan isn’t impressed by the trolley already, then she will be when she finds out that it folds away for easy storage.
So whether your are a Yummy Mummy, a Glamorous Granny or an Eco-Style-Conscious Shopper this lightweight easy to manoeuvre trolley is your Christmas vehicle of choice. Oh, and did I mention it comes in polka-dots as well?
To celebrate a week of continuous blogging I am going to share my infamous recipe for cupcakes. The cakes are very well known amongst my friends and colleagues as I tend to make them for every occasion be it a barbecue or birthday... I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact I call them ‘Nipple Cakes’!
Ingredients for about 12 cakes
Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before starting
Cake
100g (4oz) Unsalted Butter
100g (4oz) Caster Sugar
100g (4oz) Self-Raising Flour
2 Eggs
1 Level Tsp Baking Powder
Icing
75g (3oz) Unsalted Butter
175g (6oz) Icing Sugar
¼ Tsp Vanilla Extract/Essence
Fresh Raspberries
To make the Cake
Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6 and line 12-hole bun tin with paper cases. The number of cakes made will differ depending on the size of the case you use, and how much you fill them.
Put all the ingredients together in a bowl and beat well until thoroughly mixed and smooth. The mixture should become lighter the more you mix.
Spoon the mixture into prepared cases, making sure you leave room for the cake to rise a little.
Pop the trays in the oven and bake for about 15 mins until golden brown, and a knife or cake tester comes out clean when stuck in the top. Lift the cakes out of the tin and cool on a wire rack.
To make the icing
Beat the butter until soft and easily mixed. Sift the icing sugar into the butter and mix thoroughly – it will be a little thick but don’t worry too much.
Add the vanilla and continue to beat until you have a lovely pale mixture. If the mixture really is too stiff then add a touch of milk. Only add the milk if you really have to, as the icing needs to be quite firm.
Spoon the icing onto the top of each cake and smooth into a swirl pattern with the back of a spoon. Ice the cakes thick enough so you can’t see any of the sponge base through it, but not so thick that it’s a mountain high.
Once you have iced the cakes, just before you are about to serve, pop a fresh raspberry on the top, in the centre, of each cake. The effect is a feast for the eyes and really makes the cake what it is, but don’t be afraid to experiment with whatever decoration you like.
I use a food mixer to make my cakes as allows me to multi-task (I always seem to in a rush when I make these for some reason). Why not try the KitchenAid Artisan Mixer – the range of colours is as beautiful as my cakes.
As Christmas is approaching, it is time to get cooking. Stir-up Sunday is almost here so it’s the time to make a tasty homemade Christmas pud as the perfect way to end the year.
Silverwood Quality Bakeware have made a spherical mould, ideal to produce your own traditional Christmas puddings each year round; each purchase comes with a mouth-watering recipe as you discover more ways to use your mould. If not for Christmas puddings how about, ice-cream bombes, summer puddings or sponge puddings.
Birthday approaching soon and wanting to bake the perfect cake for a son, brother or father? Why not use your spherical mould to bake a football. You will never run out of ideas with all the inventive goodies you can bake. Use your mould to create bodies for a person or animal to put on top of a cake, or slice in half and experiment with icing to make ladybirds.
That’s right, we are now stocking an electric peeler… Electric and battery operated tin openers have been around for years and since the success of the One Touch Can Opener lots more hand-held electric products have appeared on our shelves.
Here at ChichesterCookshop.co.uk we have a lovely new electric Multipeeler from the people at Zyliss. We stock it in fun colours (so you’re not tempted to throw it away with the peelings) and it even comes with batteries.
The Multi-Peeler has a fast moving serrated blade that is designed to speed through even the most fiddle-some fruits and vegetables, be it a squash or a tomato. The blade cuts easily through the peel so the skin won’t snag or bruise and as less pressure is placed on the wrist it is perfect for those with arthritis and limited wrist movement.
Not just for fruit and veg, we have been using our buzzy friend to shave parmesan onto salads and chocolate onto desserts.
250g/10oz good, dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
250g/10oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for greasing
250g/10oz caster sugar
3 free-range eggs
150g self-raising flour (we used wholemeal self-raising)
250g beetroot, boiled until tender, peeled and grated
1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a baking tin of approximately 20 x 30 x 3cm and line the bottom with baking parchment.
2. Break up the chocolate into pieces, cut the butter into cubes then mix them up a bit in a heatproof bowl. As the oven begins to warm up, put the bowl onto one of the shelves for a few minutes until the chocolate and butter starts to melt. Stir, and put back into the oven for a few more minutes to melt completely.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until combined, then beat in the melted chocolate and butter until smooth. Gently fold in the flour then the beetroot – be careful not to over mix or it will make the brownies tough.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth over the top with a spatula. Bake for about 20 minutes. A knife or skewer pushed into the middle should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Don't be tempted to overcook them! Remove the tin from the oven and leave on wire rack to cool before cutting into squares.
If you’re like me and like your brownies gooey, or if you find tray-bakes hard to get out of the tin, then why not try our Silverwood Eye-Catcher Brownie Pans. They come in a variety of sizes and the side of the tin slides out for easy cake removal (but they lock together so the sticky mixture doesn’t ooze).
Finally, don’t forget to bake with a light heart. The more care you put into a cake, the yummier it will be.
Have a look at our newly updated Butchers’ Block section on ChichesterCookshop.co.uk. We have categorized it nicely by manufacturer, so you can choose the building style that suits you. Whether you prefer the all American maple table of John Boos; self-assemble kitchen islands from Catskills Craftsmen, or the super-storage kitchen trolleys of the Hungerford Collection delivered fully assembled by Eddingtons, there will be something for you.
It is also worth keeping an eye on the Indu+ pages as we will soon be adding a larger trolley to the range – perfect for cooking and preparing on the same trolley. The induction hobs are built into the trolley to order, so you can choose the trolley and hob to suit your needs. If you can’t wait for the larger two drawer trolley to appear on the website and would like some details now, please phone us on 01243 827750 – we can also take orders on that number too, if you would like a friendly voice rather then a form.
The Chichester Cookshop and Bognor Cookshop comprise of two shops and a website locally and independently owned. Located on the South Coast of England in Chichester and Bognor, our staff offer great service to personal and business queries, no matter how big or small, no matter where you are in the world.
The Bognor Cookshop offers everything from chef's knives to cake decorating. We stock fabulous accessories and gifts for your kitchen that make cooking fun!
The Chichester Cookshop houses a vast collection of kitchen must-haves ranging from designer barware to paella pans; we are sure to hold an answer to your query.
Offering high-quality service securely online, the website is allowing anyone anywhere to browse and buy at anytime from the Chichester and Bognor Cookshop. - Order online at www.chichestercookshop.co.uk.
Email: info@chichestercookshop.co.uk
Visit The Bognor Cookshop at No.1 The Arcade, High Street, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 1LH
Telephone: 01243 827750
Visit The Chichester Cookshop at 24 Sadlers Walk, 44 East Street, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1HQ
Telephone: 01243 527767
