Food and drink
Food and drink are associated with our happiest times. Diverse recipes to tempt your taste buds including meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan options from around the world. Something for everyone along with cocktail delights and top tips on pairing food and wine.
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Top restaurants in York this Spring
I love to eat out with family and friends. It is definitely one of my favourite pastimes. I feel more alive as the season changes and we have warmer weather and blue skies. Now that I am back in God’s own county of Yorkshire where I grew up, I am loving revisiting favourite towns and cities. I have decided to arrange to meet 5 people from my younger years now that I am back in the UK. We have a lot to catch up on so I am checking out top restaurants in York this Spring. York is so beautiful with heaps of history to explore and great shopping too.…
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Eating out in Dubai
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is a place that is associated with luxury in a lot of people’s minds. I never expected to visit but was given the opportunity to do so with a friend. I could talk about Dubai delights all day long but let’s focus on eating out in Dubai. You could say Dubai is a delicious destination for all foodies. Eating out in Dubai Your challenge when dining in Dubai is the huge variety of choices you have available. There is something for every budget from street stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants. It is fair to say Dubai finds itself in the middle of the world so…
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What Makes Kona Coffee So Special?
The world runs on coffee. If you adore good coffee, you have probably seen Kona coffee on the shelf of your local shop. Kona is not cheap coffee and totally worth your investment. Real Estate There are a lot of wonderful coffee options grown in Hawaii, but Kona coffee is even more specific. Kona is grown in the Kona belt, which is only thirty square miles. The temperature is constantly near 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants get plenty of sunlight early in the day and are shielded by afternoon clouds. Coffee plants are understory plants, so the additional vegetation in this thirty square mile belt gives the plant plenty…
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Top 6 Fruity Wine Cocktails
Bottoms up wine lovers! Summer has finally arrived and we all know that those late afternoon sunsets by the beach are ideal for a perfect glass of wine. You might say it’s a warm winter drink but let me stop right there! Due to its versatility, wine can be tasty in every season of the year, and you just have to open your imagination and adapt it to every occasion. I’m talking about cocktails! The brilliant idea of mixing wine with other fresh ingredients has stuck all over the years, and let’s face it – a tasty, fresh cocktail with just the right food and beverages, is the best way…
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Keeping It Cool: The 4-Step Process to Selecting the Best Wine Cooler for Your Needs
There are a countless number of great wines to consume. The best wine coolers on the market prioritize top-end features at a consumer-level price. Your wine collection isn’t complete until you have a modern cooler with multiple settings. Even for non-enthusiasts, a wine cooler is much more than a convenience appliance. 1. Size Do you expect that your wine collection will grow larger in the future? If so, then it is a good idea to get a wine cooler that is large enough to meet your demand. Going bigger is always a good idea, even if you don’t properly utilize the space. When you finally decide on the size of…
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Raspberry Cream Pie Recipe
I have always loved raspberries just like my lat mother did. They featured in my wedding breakfast of course. As I return to hosting dinner parties, I can highly recommend this amazingly tasty and colourful recipe for raspberry cream pie. PREP TIME: 25 mins (plus freezing and chilling overnight) SERVES: 8-10 FOR THE CRUST: 200g dates 150g oats 150g maple syrup 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp cocoa powderFOR THE FILLING: 1 pack Violife Creamy Original (available at Asda, Tesco, M&S, Coop, Waitrose, Ocado, RRP £2.50) 1 can full fat coconut cream, chilled overnight 300g raspberry pureeTOPPINGS: Fresh raspberry Fresh strawberry 1 orange Mint leaves Lemon zest DIRECTIONS: For the crust: place all the…
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3 Reasons to Switch to Organic Products Today
To the average person, getting into the organic movement can seem initially intimidating. But now, organic options are now everywhere at the supermarket, and you might even know a few people who choose to buy everything organic. If you’re looking to try these products out for yourself, it might be best to know what the term “organic” means and whether organic products are better than your usual staples. The standards governing the use of the term “organic” as it pertains to food products can vary from country to country. But in general, it means meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products that have not been subjected to artificial growth hormones and…
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Why I decided to take part in Veganuary 2020
Are you intrigued by a vegan lifestyle? Could you consider incorporating at least some vegan meals into your week? Can doing so really help our planet? What might it do for your health? Veganuary acts as a catalyst for many people to give veganism a try.. I am delighted to share a guest post from Jen who has decided to take part in Veganuary 2020. “I never thought I’d take part in Veganuary. I felt sympathetic to the movement, but it didn’t feel like it was part of me or my life. I think many people of my generation feel the same way. This year though, I realised I wanted…
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Lose weight and save time with Dietbon diet meals
After an interesting week of great food, I am delighted to share my DietBon review with you. After a small hiccup regarding my delivery of the diet meals and my phone consultation I was excited to receive a box full of tempting treats knowing they were good for me and might just help me shed some pounds in time for party season. What is Dietbon Dietbon is a diet plan based on home-delivered meals and telephone consultations with a friendly dietician. All your daily meals are delivered to your home : breakfast, lunch, a snack and dinner for 6 days out of 7. The 7th day is a free day…
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Nutribullet food hacks to simplify your life
You have invested in a Nutribullet or had one bought as a gift. Are you making the most of it? Here are some easy Nutribullet food hacks to simplify your life when it comes to food, drink and even being eco-friendly. Nutribullet food hacks with wine Letting wine breathe is nothing new, but not everyone has the resources or patience to bring a decanter to dinner. If you’ve got a high-speed blender, don’t worry about it: you can hyper-decant inexpensive wine varieties in a blender for 30-60 seconds. How cool is that? Smooth And Creamy Almond Milk Once you try this recipe for homemade Almond Milk, you’ll never want the…
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Perfect Gift for Cooks – The Awesome Cook’s Diary
If you are looking for the perfect gift for cooks perhaps for Christmas or a birthday, I have a lovely suggestion for you. The Cook’s Diary is a beautiful and practical present that any foodie would love. It comes from the same company as the Dairy Diary which I remember my mum always had in her kitchen. Since she was a cook by trade and at home that’s enough of a recommendation for me. I have fond memories of flicking through the Dairy Diary as a child and teenager. Perfect Gift for Cooks This unique week-to-view diary contains weekly triple-tested recipes, providing inspiration to get up and cook something from…
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How to use up Christmas leftovers
Christmas leftovers can be a nightmare and nobody likes to think of food waste. After the excess of Christmas Day this is the perfect comfort food. It also manages to use up just about every savoury ingredient from a Christmas Day lunch which is a bonus too! Use whatever you have left over to make your version of this dish, but this recipe will serve as a good guide. Serves 4 About 500g of roast turkey – brown and white meat – roughly chopped 4 or 5 leftover chipolatas (if they’re wrapped in bacon that’s even better) 2 or 3 tablespoons of leftover stuffing 25 left over sprouts Spoonful of leftover carrots…
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Panettone Al Forno recipe for Christmas
Here is a very special Panettone Al Forno recipe particularly good for Christmas. Panettone al forno Ingredients (panettone) 120gr panettone 350ml skimmed milk 80gr caster sugar Plain flour for dusting 20gr butter 1 egg 1 egg yolk Vanilla sauce to serve Panettone Al Forno Ingredients (vanilla sauce) 500 ml milk 5 egg yolks 1 vanilla pod halved lengthways Method (panettone) Preheat oven at 170c Tear the panettone into pieces and place in a bowl Bring the milk to the boil, remove from heat and stir sugar in until dissolved Pour the mix over the panettone Grease individual mould with butter and dust with flour Put the soaked panettone…
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Cranberry Muffins recipe perfect for Christmas
Festive Spiced Cranberry Muffins Recipe These lovely light muffins have a deliciously festive flavour. They even smell of Christmas as you take them from the oven! Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 25 minutes Makes: 8 Suitable for freezing Suitable for vegetarians Ingredients 100g (4oz) Jordans Super 3 Seeds Granola 125g (5oz) butter, melted and cooled slightly 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs, beaten 100g (4oz) self-raising flour 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice 75g (3oz) light muscovado sugar 75g (3oz) dried cranberries 1 banana, mashed Topping: 75g (3oz) dried cranberries Finely grated juice and rind of 1 small orange 200g (7oz) medium-fat soft cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla extract…
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Roast Turkey with Shallot Stuffing with Fresh Sage
Roast turkey is delicious and the addition of shallot stuffing with fresh sage makes it sensational especially at Christmas. You’ll need: 5kg free-range Totally Traditional Turkey 4 tbsp rapeseed oil Sea salt and black pepper For the stuffing: 75g butter 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 8 shallots, peeled and finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped 250g dried figs, chopped into small cubes 2 small eating apples 250g fresh breadcrumbs 3 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped 750g sausage meat 3tbsp of parsley, chopped 1 large egg beaten Sea salt and black pepper What to do: Preheat oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8 Remove turkey…
