Christmas Whisky Wish List

Men know what they want for Christmas presents, whisky! At this time of year a quality Scotch hits the spot as just the thing to offer favoured guests, or the dram to keep hidden until they’ve all gone home. Amy Laughinghouse is a girl who’s always in good spirits so she went out on some tutored tastings to find which whiskies are top of the tipples for 2010

Bougie Macaron and Tea Shop Covent Garden

The Bougie Macaron & Tea shop in Covent Garden, is recently opened and primed to capitalise on the latest trends of afternoon tea and desserts in whacky hues. Wednesday night’s official launch provided an opportunity to see if macarons are worthy of all the hype and to judge whether the café on Russell Street is likely to become a success

Middle Eastern spiced and stuffed chicken

This chicken is stuffed with an aromatic mixture of fruit, nuts, citrus and spices. The soft fruits melt in the mouth, while pistachios provide texture. The best thing about this recipe though, is that the results far outweigh the effort involved. You end up with something much more exotic than a humble roast chicken.

Odette’s, Primrose Hill

The parade of shops around Odette’s sell ‘nice things’ to people with not a lot else to do during the day, although rather bizarrely there is also a bookies. Presumably they’re all in there betting on the Man Booker prize and not the 3:30 at Chepstow. ‘That Howard Jacobson loves it when the going gets rough, needs a taste of the whip though’.

The Harbour Master, Aberaeron , Wales

Having a cracking restaurant within a short car journey when you’re away from home is handier than a pocket on a shirt. That’s precisely what I have when my path leads me back to Aberystwyth. A short drive along a coastal road and you arrive in the seaside town of Aberaeron, once one of the main trading ports along the Cardigan Bay coast.

Cherizena Coffee unveils its Christmas range

Coffee specialist Cherizena has launched a range of coffee-based gifts for the festive season. Costing between £2.50 and £20, their gift range is very reasonably priced, will suit most budgets and would appeal to coffee lovers anywhere. You might just want to stock up your own store cupboard for the festive season and beyond, as well as finding that perfect gift.