Wine. The final frontier, this is the place where there is still trepidation to tread despite so many books on the subject by so many people. Even my old boss Malcolm Gluck has written one, having first in his smart ad-man way spotted a gap in the market with his Superplonk series. And of course there is Oz and Jilly and all the others who seem to come and go like bottles in the evening. I’m still none the wiser really
The Good Oil – it’s rather great
The Good Oil is made from hemp seeds. Yes the same plant strain whose dried leaves fuelled a thousand counter revolutions, or would have if the people smoking it had managed to get it together to get out the house. Of course hemp is not just a drug it is an ancient plant whose tough fibrous stalks made the ropes that fitted out the British fleet for centuries and the rope that made the noose for the pirates.
Chef turns Christmas on its head with Brussel Sprout ice cream
One of London’s top restaurants has given traditional Christmas lunch a twist by creating the world’s first Brussel Sprout Ice Cream served with a turkey jelly and cranberry foam. Head chef Stuart Ferguson, of restaurant group Vivat Bacchus, has turned every traditional Christmas dish on its head to create the innovative new menu. It is quite frankly rather odd sounding but hey if Heston can do bacon ice cream and snail porridge why not put children’s favourite vegetable into ice cream
It’s going to be a’Chile’ Christmas!
Let it never be said Foodepedia didn’t have fun with puns! With Christmas fast approaching, it is time to wrap up warm and choose some delicious wines to enhance those festive occasions. Chilean wine is perfect for Christmas entertaining with its innovative and diverse wine styles. Popularity of Chilean wines continues to rise with around a third more sold this year to date *. So whether or not it is a white Christmas, why not make it a ‘Chile’ Christmas with some of these stunning Chilean wines.
Christmas Cheer – Christmas Cheese
Down with Dolcelatte, boo to Brie and you can keep your Camembert. A true Brit needs British cheese on the Christmas table along with robins, a stage coach and a bloke that looks like Mr Pickwick. Here’s the good guide to creating that patriotic cheeseboard with perfect drink pairings
Loseley yoghurts – the guilt-free treat
There is a way to have your cake and eat it – no sugar and with only natural, healthy ingredients – Loseley, the Rolls Royce of yoghourts, are made using fresh Channel Island milk and Jersey cream, both of which are rich in calcium to build strong bones and teeth. They also contain real fruit which we all know is good for our health. Best of all, they taste delicious and are a great way to finish off a meal or to have as a healthy snack between meals.
Blooming good grub at Little Chef
You don’t normally hear the sound of critics’ trotters beating a path to a motorway diner but that all changed last week when the nation’s finest, and a few freeloaders, pulled into the car park at the Popham branch of the Little Chef chain. Like many people I’ve always regarded a Little Chef as the first place to go to after leaving the last day of a festival; the lure of a big fry-up after all those bean burgers and, to be completely frank, the prospect of a lavatory in apple pie order, is too strong to resist.
Nordic Christmas At Madsen Restaurant
Danish head chef René Madsen puts his own uninhibited spin on the Christmas menu this year, with a buffet of traditional Scandinavian dishes at the newly opened Madsen restaurant. For £26.50 per person, you can discover an array of Nordic flavours to awake your tastebuds to the largely unknown nuances of Scandinavian food, indulging in 12 mouth-watering dishes, served with freshly baked dark rye bread, sourdough and crispbread.
Terravina Hampers. The ultimate gift for the wine connoisseur
For the man or woman who has everything, a vinous gift from the award-winning Hotel TerraVina is the perfect gift.
Created by Master of Wine, Gerard Basset, the bespoke hamper, presented in a wooden wine box, is filled with treats to delight the recipient
Introducing Cascina San Cassiano: the Italian Delicatessen Range
In Alba – the heart of Italy’s Piedmont region in the mountains near Turin – the foods of Cascina San Cassiano are created using exclusive, deliciously fresh local ingredients with NO preservatives and NO colourings. A number of the products are preserved using grape seed oil – making them not only delicious but light and healthy too!