Tuesday 28 February 2012

Bendigedig! Recipes to celebrate St David’s Day

March 1st is St David’s Day so why not celebrate by cooking up some new recipes with a Welsh twist using Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar?

Collier’s was inspired by Wales’ proud industrial heritage. Its characteristics reflect those of the coal miner - reliability, power and integrity - while its distinctive black packaging shows a miner’s face.

Collier’s is a cheddar with a unique long, powerful, creamy and slightly sweet taste. And unusually it contains tantalising “crunchy bits” which are actually tiny salt crystals, evidence of the cheese’s high quality.

It is the perfect ingredient in a range of recipes, more of which can be seen at www.collierscheese.com

These recipes all have a Welsh flavour and are bendigedig – wonderful!

Collier’s Cheese Welsh Cakes
Welsh cakes are a traditional Welsh favourite and it was customary to cook them over a heavy, flat, iron pan called a bakestone. Traditionally they are sweet, but for a savoury taste sensation, swap the sugar and sultanas for Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar. These are great fun to make with children and cook in a few minutes on a hot frying pan.

For 20 Collier’s Welsh Cakes:
225g self-raising flour
110g butter
75g Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar, grated
10g Parmesan, grated
4g fresh chives, chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten

Sift the flour, and then rub in the butter until crumbly.
Add the both the cheeses, chives, cayenne and salt and gently mix.
Add the egg and mix to dough. If the mixture is a little dry add a spot of milk, until dough is formed.
Transfer the dough on to a floured working surface and roll out to 5 mm (¼ inch) thick.

Using a 6.5 mm (2½ inch) plain cutter cut the dough into rounds. Re-roll the trimmings until all the dough is used.

Heat a heavy flat frying pan on a medium heat (traditionally a heavy flat iron pan called a ‘griddle’ pan or bakestone was used). Now grease with a little vegetable oil, using a piece of kitchen roll.

Cook the Collier’s Cheese Welsh Cakes in batches of 4 to 6 for about 3 minutes each side until golden brown. If they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down so they cook in the middle.

They should be fairly brown and crisp on the outside.
Serve immediately while still warm, with butter if you like.

Collier’s Welsh Rarebit

3 egg yolks
50ml brown ale
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
200g Collier’s cheddar
4 shallots – finely diced
3 x traditional muffins, cut in half

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Toast the muffins on both sides. Spread a layer of the cheese mix on top, quite thickly, and grill until brown and bubbling.


Collier’s Cheese, Leek and Chilli Muffins

The leek, like the daffodil, is the national emblem of Wales. Shakespeare refers to the custom of wearing a leek as an “ancient tradition” in Henry V. The leek is seen on the cap of the Welsh Guards and boys will be wearing them to school on March 1st, while girls will wear a daffodil.

These muffins are really easy to whip up and make a nice change in lunchboxes.

For 10 muffins:

200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of English mustard powder
1 medium leek, finely chopped
1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
100g Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar, grated
80ml milk
100ml vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 180° C / 160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4.
Line muffin tins with 10 cases.
Mix all first 6 ingredients gently together.
Now add the milk, oil and egg and fold together to form mixture.
Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cases (top with a little extra grated cheese if desired)
Bake for 25 minutes, then check to see if they are done.
Enjoy warm or cold
 
"Bwyd da ar gyfer Sant Davi Dydd!"

Free Cookies To Celebrate The Free Day - Leap Day Deal From Domino's. Today only!

Free Cookies To Celebrate Leap Day!To celebrate Leap Day on Wednesday (February 29, 2012), Domino’s Pizza is offering a portion of cookies absolutely FREE from any of its UK stores.

To claim your free cookies, just spend £10 online at www.dominos.co.uk on February 29, 2012. They collect your order from your local store or arrange for it to be delivered to your door and the free cookies will be yours to enjoy!

Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director of Domino’s Pizza, said: “Leap Day only comes once every four years so what better way to celebrate this free day with some free cookies. In every box, there’s a cookie for each year since the last Leap Day!”

To claim your free cookies, log onto www.dominos.co.uk.

Monday 27 February 2012

Making Pizza A British Dish With The Stone Bake Oven Company

With the recession hitting UK manufacturing hard, it’s more important than ever to buy British and support UK manufacturing.

The Stone Bake Oven Company, who have held their own amongst the recession, tell how wood fired pizza ovens made in the UK, are proving to be an investment during the current economic climate.

With hard times making everyone, regardless of income, reassess the way they spend their pennies, more attention than ever, is being paid to the origins and the quality of products on the UK market.

The Stone Bake Oven Company, who hand cast a range of wood burning pizza ovens in England, use a modern aggregate, sourced within the UK which utilises reclaimed materials. The result is a technically efficient wood fired oven, which heats up quickly and retains its heat for hours. A wood fired oven can be used to cook authentic Italian Pizza, specialty roasts, desserts, breads and just about anything else.

“It’s often a misconception buying quality means spending more money “, says Tom Gozney the company founder, “our ovens are some of the most competitively priced on the market, and we are proud to support UK manufacturing and labour.”

The benefits of opting for British doesn’t stop there either, ever heard the phrase ‘buy cheap, buy twice?’ With a wood fired pizza oven by the Stone Bake Oven Company one can enjoy cooking in their oven either indoors or outdoors for years to come, with a selection of ovens to suit a range of budgets and space restraints.

The environmental benefits of choosing English products are vast. Manufacturing in the UK, means a lower carbon footprint due to reduced miles traveled by the product, and with the Stone Bake Oven Company the costs saved are passed onto the customer.The Stone Bake Oven Company are also proud to present a range of pizza ovens which promote the use of an environmentally sustainable fuel source, wood.

Available for many applications the Stone Bake Oven Company have a range wood fired ovens which are divided between the ‘at home range’ and a the ‘commercial wood fired ovens range’ too. The Stone Bake Oven Company are fast becoming a house hold name, gracing many kitchens and gardens with the affordable Primo Oven, to your local restaurant with their range of Gio commercial pizza ovens.

So this year, choose products and services from the UK. Look for quality and longevity and play a part in keeping UK manufacturing buoyant, whilst taking the time to enjoy mouth-watering, thin, crispy authentic pizza, from a Stone Bake Oven.

To view the Stone Bake Oven Company’s a range of pizza ovens, visit www.thestonebakeovencompany.co.uk.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Holywell Water Company Brings Malvern Water Back to Life

The original Malvern water will be quenching thirsts once again as The Holywell Water Company Ltd gains the right to use the famous township in its branding.

The Holywell Water Company is now delighted to announce the subtle yet highly significant rebranding of its bottled still and sparkling spring water to Holywell Malvern Spring Water!

The Holywell Water Company has produced Holywell Spring Water, which is sold in some of the top hotels, restaurants and castles(!) in the country, since 2009 from the original spring in the heart of the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, but has been unable to use the word ‘Malvern’ in any branding until now.

Water from the original Holywell spring in Malvern was first commercially bottled by Schweppes in 1843 and continued there for 54 years until the company moved production to a different site in 1897. Coca-Cola took over Schweppes and continued to produce Malvern Water from this site until the brand was dropped in 2010.

The Holywell Water Company took ownership of the original Malvern spring and 19th century buildings used by Schweppes in 2009, but despite bottling fresh spring water from this source the company was unable to use the iconic town in its branding.

Rhys Humm, Director of The Holywell Water Company, said: “I’m hugely excited about our subtle name change. The Holywell spring is indisputably the original source of Malvern water so it is fantastic that we can now include the prestigious Malvern name in our branding.”

He added: “It’s important that water from Malvern is still bottled and that the name and association is not lost forever. Our solicitors have done some fabulous work in registering this trademark and I hope the public will be as happy as we are that we can use the term Malvern in relation to our pedigree water.”

The Holywell Water Company will be showcasing its newly branded bottles for the first time at the Hotelympia trade show at ExCeL, London, from the 26 February - 1 March.

The company has also taken this opportunity to include a QR code on its labelling which will take users on a video tour of the Holywell spring.

For more information visit www.holywellspringwater.co.uk

Sunday 19 February 2012

Welcome To Squires Kitchen Bake School, a new publication!

SKMP, publishers of Cakes & Sugarcraft, Wedding Cakes - A Design Source, and Inspired by Food, are launching a new title for budding bakers and cake decorators: Squires Kitchen Bake School.

This title is a unique new concept which presents a whole host of baking inspiration from expert tutors at the esteemed International School, based in Farnham, Surrey as well as other top names in the industry.

With home baking and crafting both enjoying a phenomenal resurgence, this brand new title will help satisfy even the most avid bakers and cake decorators. And with cupcakes still leading the way in the fashion stakes, they take centre stage in the first issue. Features include:

• Classic, contemporary and allergen-free recipes for cupcakes and frostings

• Trade secrets and top tips from some of the best-known tutors, writers and bakers in the industry, including Mark Tilling, Fiona Cairns, Ann Skipp, Peggy Porschen, Eddie Spence MBE, Paddi Clark, Susan Griffiths and Jan Clement-May

• Creative and original ideas for dressing up your cupcakes, including quick and easy solutions for the busy baker

• Year-round ideas for every occasion, including Easter, weddings, summer holidays and Christmas.

If this tantalising peek at what's on offer at Squires Kitchen's International school is tempting you to learn more, information about what's on offer is detailed in the magazine. Whether you're making your first wedding cake or you're looking to discover the secret of making perfect sponges or pastry at home, there is a wide range of courses covering all baking and decorating topics for every skill level.

Out 8th March 2012 onwards!

160 pages, RRP £5.99, ISSN 2049-6001

Available from WHSmith, Sainsbury's, selected newsagents or direct from the publishers at www.squires-shop.com.

SKMP and Squires Kitchen's International Cookery School are part of Squires Kitchen, The Grange, Hones Yard, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8BB Tel: 0845 61 71 810 Email: customer@squires-shop.com Online shop: www.squires-shop.com.

Saturday 18 February 2012

Nose to tail dining

When it comes to eating meat, most of us opt for a steak, breast or chop but the trend for nose to tail eating encourages us all to be a little more adventurous with our choices.

The Chinese embraced the concept of nose to tail eating long before it was given its identity by Fergus Henderson with the launch of his world-renowned recipe book, The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating.

It is not just about a fashionable way of cooking, the origins stem back to the belief that animals are sacred and so killing them to eat should be a respectful process, involving no wastage.

Offal, marrow and tripe were all much more commonplace in the UK many years ago but with a switch to convenience eating in the home, these are now considered unusual and restricted to upmarket restaurant menus.

The Chinese way of cooking still advocates the principles of nose to tail cooking and Wing Yip, the UK’s leading Oriental grocer says it doesn’t all have to be left to the experts.

Nose to tail is not all as extreme as cooking a pig’s head - the preferred recipe challenge on many television cooking programmes - there are more accessible recipes that can be attempted at home.

Mr Wing Yip, founder and chairman of the Oriental grocery empire, said: “This way of cooking should be embraced as it can introduce the tastebuds to new flavours and textures. Our supermarkets stock a vast array of the more unusual ingredients needed to conjure up wonderful new dishes to impress your friends and family in your own kitchen.”

Wing Yip superstores are located in Birmingham, Manchester, Cricklewood and Croydon and each stocks over 3,000 items from noodles, teas, chop sticks and even chicken feet.

For more information visit www.wingyipstore.co.uk

That's Travel: Give your mum a sweeter Mothering Sunday With A Ch...

That's Travel: Give your mum a sweeter Mothering Sunday With A Ch...: Treat your mum this Mothering Sunday by treating her to a delicious chocolate making experience with a master chocolatier. Or go one step ...