On The Hob

Non-stick washable liner for the floor of the oven. PTFE coated & heat-resistant up to 260°C. Can be cut to size.

Hate cleaning the oven floor? Then don’t! Line it with this remarkable PTFE coated heavy-duty non-stick fabric.  It’s heat resistant up to an amazing 260°C, is easy to remove for cleaning and will withstand 5 years or more of constant use and can be cut to size.  Even the most stubborn, burnt-on spills will glide off. Can be cut to size. (Suitable for use in all ovens, except where the heating element is in the base.)

Find out more and buy from Lakeland Ltd

Eggs from a pod – whatever next? Create perfectly poached eggs time after time with this 21st century solution to the problem of wandering whites. Coat the silicone lightly with oil, crack your egg into the pod, and float in boiling water. Once cooked, flip the pod inside out to release the domed egg.Can also be used for baking or as a jelly mould.

Oven safe.

Find out more and shop at Lakeland Ltd

Marmite you either love it or you hate it, and if you love it what better way to enjoy it than with a Marmite special edition Dualit Toaster.  Dualit’s classic toasters have been the first choice of toast connoisseurs for over 60 years.

The result of this partnership between Marmite and Dualit is the stunning new Dualit Marmite toaster, which combines Dualit’s distinctive styling with the colours of a Marmite jar to create a new kitchen must-have for all true fans of the black stuff.

Capacity 1 or 2 Slices.

Dimensions: 26 x 21 x 22 (cm)

The key advantage of a Dualit as well as it’s superior hand built quality is that the heating elements are replaceable.

Find out more and buy at the Official Marmite Store

The New Home Larder – The Essential Store cupboard Makeover is the book by Judith Wills.  She has previously written the bestseller The Food Bible and is a regular contributor to several newspapers.

The New Home Larder is about traditional foods and the “return” of the larder, since a well stocked larder should be the cornerstone of a traditional kitchen.  The book is split into three main parts.

Part One – Your Larder

The first part of The New Home Larder covers the larder itself, this 96 page section is a detailed look at all you need to know to set up and maintain a larder.  Judith Wills starts with the reasons for having a larder, which can include

• Saving time
• Saving Money
• Allows Health eating

It goes on to look at all the ingredients you should have in a larder, these are clearly separated into food groups, eg Grains, Pastas, Sugars, Nuts, and many more, for each item she briefly discusses what it is and it’s charactheristics / benefits.  This provides a clear guide to setting up a larder and stocking it.

Judith then goes on to write about the practicalities of a larder, cleaning, re-stocking and the nutrients that a larder can provide.

Part Two – The Recipes

The next 120 pages are devoted to recipes, each recipe gives a clear list of ingredients a serving number and clear and concise instructions.  Additionally the recipes each have tips of how you can vary them, substitute ingredients and more, this is great for more adventurous chef’s who want to experiment on a recipe.

The reciepes are split into the following sub chapters.

• Quick Snacks and Starters
• Easy Suppers
• More Leisurely Meals
• Salads and Side Dishes
• Preserves, Chutneys, Sauces and Pastes
• Bottling, Drying and Pickling
• Puddings, Cakes, Breads and Biscuits
• Festive Occasions and Gifts

Part Three – The A-Z of Ingredients

Don’t you hate it when you find a recipe you desperately want to try but you can’t find the ingredients, well fear not as the last part of The New Home Larder gathers together internet resources on brands, where to buy, and other store cupboard tips.

Summary

The New Home Larder is much more than a regular recipe book.  It is a guide to a traditional way of living, living with a larder.  Readers will discover new exciting foods to stock their larders with and common sense instructions on how to maintain and stock the larder.  The recipes are wide and varied and will cover all tastes.  If you want to cook yourself more, The New Home Larder is an essential book to help you stock your Store cupboard so that you can never be short of cookery ideas or healthy home cooked ingredients again.

If you’ve bought The New Home Larder leave a comment and let us know your favourite recipe or your must have larder ingredient!

Click here to find out more and buy The New Home Larder by Judith Wills

Come Dine with Me, How to throw the Perfect Dinner Party

The Channel 4 TV show Come Dine with Me and it’s Celebrity spin off have released a book for all of us aspiring for the perfect Dinner party.  Subtitled “How to throw the Perfect Dinner Party” this is much more than just a recipe book.

Planning the Party

The first 60 pages of the book focus on the planning of a dinner party, it may sound easy but the book makes you sit back and think what recipes complement each other, difficulty, timings and little hints such as keeping track of what you’ve cooked for who in case they come around again!

But planning a party isn’t just about food, this section of the book reminds you to think of drinks, how clean your house is, setting the table, and common cookery mistakes to avoid.  Even a few tips for being the perfect host or guest.

The Recipes

The final 130 pages show winning recipes from the series, split into starters, mains and desserts.  Plus the top ten winning recipes.  The recipes contain a clear list of ingredients and simple numbered instructions.  The only negative is that not all recipes have accompanying images of the dish and while they have clear cooking times there isn’t an overall preparation time, but I suppose everyone cooks at different speeds.

My favourite recipes

Some of my favourite recipes from the book are

Starters

• Latkes & grilled vegetables with goats cheese and a basil oil
• Chilled Melon with parma ham parmesan cheese and rocket
• Slow cooked chilli with nachos

Mains

• Vegetable Mossaka
• Jamaican Chicken
• Filet of Beef in wild mushroom sauce with potatoes dauphinoise & spinach

Desserts

• Spiced orange chocolate cheesecake
• Warm banana tarts served with ice cream & rum
• Hot chocolate fondant with a lemon pot & raspberry coulis.

To be honest I had trouble getting them down to just three favourites (especially the desserts).  If you’re planning a dinner party this is a great book to have to hand for fantastic recipes from the TV series and good tips to ensure your party is a success.
Now I just need to find more excuses for dinner parties!

Welcome to our weekly look at new cookery programs on British TV.  For the week of 23rd March – 29th March 2009.  Here we look at new Cookery programs on Terrestrial and Freeview TV (No repeats are listed).

Monday 23rd March 2009

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock hosts the cookery show that pits county against county in a nationwide cook-off amongst amateurs coached by celebrity chefs. Today, Perthshire takes on Leicestershire and Rutland in an incredibly close competition. The judges must decide which of the mouth-watering offerings, including roast loin of Perthshire lamb, prosciutto wrapped saddle of rabbit, and plum bread and butter pudding with spiced pink champagne sorbet, is the worthy winner.

Click here to go to ITV’s Taste the Nation website, catch up on the program with the ITV player, find out more about the chef’s and judges and download the recipes.

Tuesday 24th March 2009

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock hosts the county vs county cookery competition, in which amateurs are mentored by celebrity chefs. Today Cheshire competes with Wiltshire, and the menus include an exciting mix of traditional fare like Cheshire cheese and apple cake and ham hock cakes, alongside more contemporary dishes such as venison carpaccio and burnt custard with poached pears. Will everything go to plan for our amateurs?

Click here to go to ITV’s Taste the Nation website, catch up on the program with the ITV player, find out more about the chef’s and judges and download the recipes.

Heston’s Roman Feast Channel 4 21:00 to 22:00 (1 hour long)

Heston Blumenthal is on a mission to use myth, science and history to create the greatest feasts ever known. Ancient Roman cuisine meant theatrical, devious and orgasmic food. The Romans had few boundaries and unusual appetites, eating everything from flamingos to parrot tongues and jellyfish.

Click here to go to Channel 4’s All about Heston’s Feasts website, read his blog, get the reciepes and more

Wednesday 25th March 2009

Gastronuts BBC 1 16:05 to 16:35 (30 minutes long)

Can We Eat The Same Food As Animals?.
Food fanatic Stefan Gates and his intrepid Gastronuts go on wild culinary adventures to discover the truth about how we eat, what we eat and where it comes from. Stefan and the Gastronuts find out what animals from dogs to lions, and penguins to pythons eat in their diet. They try their hands at eating the same things, sampling the fare of dogs, penguins and the king of the jungle.

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

County takes on county in the cookery competition where amateur chefs are tutored by celebrity captains. Today, it is Surrey v Suffolk, and regional ingredients feature strongly in dishes like Tillingbourne trout and Suffolk cure bacon. But judges Henrietta Greene, Richard Johnson and William Sitwell are divided. Nick Hancock hosts.

Click here to go to ITV’s Taste the Nation website, catch up on the program with the ITV player, find out more about the chef’s and judges and download the recipes.

Thursday 26th March 2009

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock presents the cookery competition which pits county against county, each captained by a celebrity chef. Today is the last chance this week to reach Friday’s cook off, and Graham Tinsley leads Carmarthenshire against Rosemary Shrager’s Northumberland team. Tempting the judge’s taste buds will be a cheese souffle, Northumberland lamb, and a cream liqueur chocolate tart.

Click here to go to ITV’s Taste the Nation website, catch up on the program with the ITV player, find out more about the chef’s and judges and download the recipes.

Friday 27th March 2009

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock presents the cookery competition that pits county against county, each captained by a celebrity chef. We reach another Friday gourmet feast as the week’s eight teams are whittled down to four. Today the amateur chefs must come up with their own recipes, and the judges are replaced by a team of inspectors. The menus feature hare, loin of pork, wild duck and venison. Only two counties will go through to the next round.

Click here to go to ITV’s Taste the Nation website, catch up on the program with the ITV player, find out more about the chef’s and judges and download the recipes.

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA Channel 4 21:00 to 22:00 (1 hour long)

Black Pearl.
Gordon Ramsay visits a struggling seafood restaurant in Manhattan. The Black Pearl is hampered by debts, and the problems in the kitchen are multiplied by three different owners: Brian, David and Gregg, all of whom are trying to run things. The result is chaos and confusion, above all for the staff trying their best to make sense of it all.

Click here to go to Channel 4’s Kitchen Nightmares website, find the recipes and learn with Gordon’s training videos

Saturday 28th March 2009

Saturday Kitchen BBC 1 10:00 to 11:35 (1 hour and 35 minutes long)

James Martin presents another menu of mouth-watering recipes, great chefs and celebrity guests, including top chef Bryn Williams and West End musical star Lee Mead, who faces his food heaven and hell. Plus helpings of the Hairy Bikers, Rick Stein and Keith Floyd, another dramatic omelette challenge and more top wine choices from Olly Smith.

Click here for the Saturday Kitchen Website and fin out what’s cooking

Rachel Allen: Bake! BBC 1 11:35 to 12:00 (25 minutes long)

Recipes and cooking tips with Rachel Allen. Rachel makes a wonderfully rich baked cheesecake with blueberries, and visits virtuoso pastry chef Gerhard Jenne who shows her the spellbinding secrets behind his magic cakes. The cookery school students get to grips with choux pastry to make the ultimate teatime treat: eclairs.

Click here for the BBC’s Rachel Allen Bake Website, see whats coming up or rewatch episodes on the Iplayer

Sunday 29th March 2009

Come Dine with Me Channel 4 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)

Four competitive cooks from Huddersfield take it in turns to host their idea of the perfect dinner party over four nights. When kitchen designer Neil Hemingway invites his prized pooch to sit at the table it puts hair salon owner Christine Wright, who hates dogs, off her food.

Click here for Channel 4’s Come Dine with me website.

Shop at the BBC Shop for all your favourite chef’s cookery books, dvds and more, or subscribe there to BBC Good Food and never be lost for Kitchen ideas.  Click here for the BBC Shop

Founded in 1874, The Wine Society is the world’s oldest wine club and was voted Decanter Wine Merchant of the Year in 2008. The Society is unique in the wine trade because it is owned by and sells only to its members. Consequently, the buyers are not tasked with meeting specific selling prices and profit margins set by commercial priorities, but with finding high quality, interesting and value for money wines from around the world at all price levels.

Member satisfaction is paramount; maximising profit is not. Holding a share in The Wine Society gives you lifetime membership with no annual fee and no pressure to buy. The cost of a share is £40.

From fine wine at more than £250 per bottle to everyday red wine and white wine at £4.75, The Wine Society stocks over 1,500 wines and includes something for every pocket and palate. The Society also sells wine en primeur, offers wine storage, wine cellar plans and runs nationwide wine tastings

This Easter tempt yourself and your family with Thornton’s luxury chocolate eggs.  Buying online couldn’t be easier and you can even have you’re loved one’s name iced onto the egg for just 50p.

Here are our favourite eggs.

Large Continental Egg (755g)

3 for 2 on a great range of Easter Chocolates

If you’re looking for delicious Easter treats then feast your eyes a great range of gifts all available to buy on 3 for 2. From eggs and models to chocolate collections, mix and match your gifts and you’ll get the cheapest free.  Click here to see the full range

Having friends and family round for dinner but hate the stress of being host?  Why not let Waitrose Entertaining make things easy for you.  They have many mouthwatering dishes to make your Easter extra special.  Our favourites are…

Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington: Fillet of beef topped with chicken liver and brandy pâté, mushroom duxelle and wrapped in puff pastry.

Salmon en Crôute

Salmon en Crôute:  Salmon fillet with béchamel sauce, creamed spinach and couscous in puff pastry.

Bagatelle Apple Tarte

Bagatelle Apple Tarte:  A handmade tarte with apple compote and lightly glazed fresh apple slices in an all-butter puff pastry case.

Bagatelle Chocolate Etoile Gâteau

Bagatelle Chocolate Etoile Gâteau:  A handmade rich chocolate gâteau, with layers of light chocolate mousse and dark chocolate sponge, delicately flavoured with rum and topped with a dusting of cocoa.

A little about Waitrose Entertaining :-

WaitroseEntertaining is an online grocery shopping service that allows you to do your weekly shopping from the comfort of your own home via the internet.  All you have to do is choose the products on screen and select a delivery or collection date. Your order will then be hand-picked by our expertly trained personal shoppers, carefully packed and then delivered to your door or selected for you to collect.  Aswell as all your standard groceries WaitroseEntertaining offers several specially prepared party dishes.  Collection from your local Waitrose is free.

Click here to view the full range and shop.

Welcome to our weekly look at new cookery programs on British TV.  For the week of 16th March – 22nd March 2009.

Monday 16th March 2009

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock presents a competitive cookery show, which pits amateur cooks from different counties against each other in culinary battle. The contestants are mentored by well-known chefs – Antony Worrall Thompson representing the Midlands, John Burton Race the South West teams, Ed Baines the South East, Rosemary Shrager helping those from the North East, Martin Blunos aiding the East of England cooks, Merrilees Parker guiding the teams from the North West, Nick Nairn coaching Scotland’s teams and Graham Tinsley tutoring the Welsh. Judging the dishes are Henrietta Green, William Sitwell and Richard Johnson. This first cook-off pits Cornwall against Nottinghamshire, and dishes include Cornish lobster and trout fishcake, with summery strawberry shortcake and Bakewell tart to follow.

Tuesday 17th March 2009

Taste The Nation ITV1  17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock hosts the competitive cookery show that pits amateur cooks from different counties against each other in a culinary battle. Today, Middlesex takes on Aberdeenshire, and judges Henrietta Green, William Sitwell and Richard Johnson must decide between the mouth-watering dishes prepared – Arbroath smokie, Aberdeen Angus steak, and Islington baked cheesecake made with home-grown ricotta.

Heston’s Tudor Feast Channel 4 21:00 to 22:00

Heston Blumenthal is on a mission to use myth, science and history to create the greatest feasts ever known. The royal court of Henry VIII revelled in the most spectacular and sumptuous feasting British shores had ever known. Heston creates an extravagant, flamboyant and spectacular Tudor feast for a group of celebrity diners – singer Sophie Ellis Bextor, food critic Jay Rayner, TV presenter Alex Zane, hotelier Ruth Watson and Cilla Black – including frog blancmange, a mythical beast and bone marrow rice pudding.

Wednesday 18th March 2009

Gastronuts BBC 1 16:05 to 16:35 (30 minutes long)

What Would Happen If We Didn’t Fart?.
Food fanatic Stefan Gates and his intrepid Gastronuts go on wild culinary adventures to discover the truth about how we eat, what we eat and where it comes from. The Gastronuts cook up the world’s fartiest foods to find out what would happen if we tried to stop ourselves from parping. Stefan and the team also catch their trumps in a swimming pool and see what a whole week’s worth of stored up wind would do to the human body.

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock hosts the competitive cookery show that pits amateur cooks from different counties – each mentored by well-known chefs – against each other. Today, Lancashire takes on North Yorkshire, and judges Henrietta Green, William Sitwell and Richard Johnson have a tough time deciding which of the dishes, including rib-eye of beef, Yorkshire lemon curd tart and Everton toffee ice cream, have the winning edge.

Thursday 19th March 2009

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock hosts a competitive cookery show that pits amateur cooks from different counties – each mentored by well-known chefs – against each other. Glamorgan and Lincolnshire compete for the final spot in Friday’s second round, and the judges’ tastebuds are tested by dishes including prawn cocktail, sea bass with a Burry Estuary cockle dressing, Gower salt marsh lamb and Glamorgan honey ice cream.

Friday 20th March 2009

Taste The Nation ITV1 17:00 to 18:00 (1 hour long)

Nick Hancock presents the cookery competition pitting county against county each captained by a celebrity chef. All this week the teams have been battling to reach today’s Friday gourmet feast, and today the amateur chefs will not have the added advantage of preparing their chef captain’s recipes, but will have to come up with their own culinary ideas. To make things more interesting the judges take the day off, and a team of inspectors arrive – including a former director of the Michelin guides. Only two teams can go through to the next round.

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA Channel 4 21:00 to 22:00 (1 hour long)

Handlebar.
Gordon takes on a time-warp at the Handlebar restaurant and lounge in Mount Sinai, New York. Co-owners Bill and Carolyn LeRoy have their heads stuck in the clouds, and their fond memories of the 1980s, and are completely in denial over the restaurant’s crumbling decor and their head chef’s lack of enthusiasm. Can Gordon force them to see sense, or will they close for good?

Saturday 21st March 2009

Saturday Kitchen BBC 1 10:00 to 11:35 (1 hour and 35 minutes long)

James Martin presents another menu of mouth-watering recipes, great chefs and celebrity guests. He is joined by top chefs Michael Caines and Lawrence Keogh, while pop legend Chris de Burgh faces his food heaven or hell. There are helpings of Celebrity MasterChef, Rick Stein and Keith Floyd, plus another dramatic omelette challenge and more top wine choices from Susie Atkins.

Rachel Allen: Bake! BBC 1 11:35 to 12:00 (25 minutes long)

Recipes and cooking tips. Rachel shows how to make a rich poppy seed cake, smothered with a vanilla buttercream icing. She meets Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, renowned for his masterful use of spices, and he takes her on a culinary trip back to his childhood, baking some sweet treats his mum will be proud of. And Rachel teaches the cookery school students a great recipe for bagels, revealing the surprising fact that they get their dense chewiness from being poached first, then baked.

Sunday 22nd march 2009 – Just repeats