Charlie Bigham's meals. Once tried, never forgotten

My wife and I had a plan for Valentine's Day, just gone.

We would have a meal at home with a bottle of wine and something tasty served with vegetables and mashed potatoes.

We chose two Charlie Bigham's Steak and Ale Pies. And we both promptly fell ill with a rather nasty flu bug that really knocked us for six. Even though we had both had the flu shot!

So the two Charlie Bigham's Steak and Ale Pies languished in the freezer until such time as we actually felt like eating a substantial meal.

The first thing that we noticed was that the pies come in nice individual ceramic ramekins. (Which Charlie wants you to donate to a charity shop as they can easily get a couple of Pounds for them.)

The second thing that we noticed is that they actually looked like real, proper pies. (Those of you who have seen some pies on sale in the local supermarket will understand that some pies on sale do not look like proper pies. At all.)

We cooked the pies in our convection oven and soon were overcome by the absolutely delicious aroma that began to waft from the oven.

When it came time to serve the pies we found the to be utterly delicious. The vegetables were just right and the meat was absolutely perfect. Melt in the mouth is the nearest description to the perfection of each piece of carefully selected beef.

And the ale gravy? This was the best ale gravy that I had tasted in, well, ever, really.

The vast majority of steak and ale pies it is not possible to notice any ale in the gravy at all.

But with Charlie Bigham's Steak and Ale Pies you can enjoy a delicious flavouring of the good, high quality ale that is used in the recipe.

And as for the pastry? My wife is an expert pastry cook and she described it as faultless and utterly delicious.

You should be able to find them in Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Ocado, Booths and Budgens.

They should cost £7.00 for two pies.

Introducing Cauli Rice

Cauli Rice is not rice, but, made from cauliflowers, it is a pretty good replacement for rice.

Why would you need to replace rice in your diet? Rice is a carb rich food and Cauli Rice contains an amazing 75% less calories than ordinary rice, so using Cauli Rice in place ordinary rice can certainly help reduce the overall calorie count in our diets.

And a high carb diet is certainly something that diabetics need to guard against. So low carb Cauli Rice is something that every diabetic should look at introducing into their diet to replace normal rice.

There are no potentially harmful additives in Caulie rice and the clever folks who developed Cauli Rice and who prepare and cook it for you have, quite rightly, eschewed the use of preservatives, so Cauli Rice is a wholesome and entirely natural product.

There are four delicious flavours for you to choose from: Original, Lemongrass and Chilli, Indian Pilau (EDITOR: My favourite!) and Mediterranean, so whether you are, for example, preparing an Indian meal from scratch, grilling some sausages or putting together a tasty salad, Cauli Rice will serve as the ideal accompaniment for your meal.

And preparing the Cauli Rice is simplicity itself. All you do is place it in the microwave for two and a half minutes and it is ready to serve.

And it doesn't need to be stored in a refrigerator, so can simply wait in your pantry until you need to cook it.

For those of you who need to know these things (EDITOR: Like fellow diabetics, for example!) 100g of Original flavour Cauli Rice contains 34 Kcals and 3g of carbohydrates again -for example- 10g of white rice which contains 138Kcal and 31g of carbohydrates.

Obviously, whilst it is not a 100% replacement for rice, it is still well worth buying Cauli Rice as it is a tasty and healthy alternative to rice and at a recommended retail price of £1.99 (it serves two)  it's certainly well worth purchasing for the pantry.

To learn more or to buy online visit www.caulirice.com.

A touch of Italian luxury for Mothering Sunday with Capricci

All of the best elements of the Italian dining experience can be found under one roof with healthy, hearty homemade meals at Capricci.

After indulging in the classic kitchen menu which changes daily you can pick up the finest ingredients and try turning your hand to Italian cooking in the comfort of your own home.

Capricci has also teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Davide Palluda to present an outstanding line of ready to serve recipes that will wow your senses whilst saving you time.

There will also be opportunities to meet all of Capricci’s Italian suppliers and sample their food the way it should be!

It’s the easiest and most rewarding way to get a true taste of Italy without actually being there!

And now Capricci have launched a very exclusive range of hampers that your mother is just certain to love!

Described as "Some of the most amazing hampers and products carefully selected from across Italy" They include:-

“Inclusioni” Chocolate Bars (£42) which includes some really unique and exclusive flavours! Dark Chocolate with Goji Berries and Macha Tea, Milk Chocolate with exotic fruits and Grue, Milk chocolate with raspberry and cardamom and Gianduja Chocolate with salted caramel

Chocolate Temptation (£67) -  a selection of beautifully crunchy chocolate and biscuit, a really indulgent treat

The Milk Chocolate Crus (£43) – some delicious variations of milk chocolate with a carefully selected Grappa to compliment.

To learn more please visit http://www.capricciforlondon.co.uk.

The Prakti Stove. The practical way to cook outdoors!

It's a strange thing to think about, but the summer months of cooking outside will soon be upon us, again!

And The Charcoal Burner Company is on a mission to introduce us to the Indian Prakti Stove in time for the barbecue season.

Many Indian readers will already be familiar with this wonderful Indian design classic and outside cooking staple.

Founder of The Charcoal Burner Company, Alastair, was trying to work out the best way to roast chestnuts outside during the winter months, and after having decided that charcoal stoves beat their gas equivalents hands down in terms of being authentic, easy to use and keeping in the flavour, he then moved on to the wonderful Prakti Stove.

However, soon he was thinking about much more than using them to roast nuts with!

Having ordered a Prakti Stove from India, Alastair was immediately impressed by the cleverness of its design, the speed at which it lit and how clean and efficient it was.

He was also very impressed by the high levels of heat it generated.

Soon he was addicted to cooking all kinds of things on his Prakti Stove.

The Charcoal Burner Company is now the official UK distributor for the Prakti Stove, so you can now easily own one of these classical Indian cooking marvels.

There are a wide range of different stoves available, including:
- Charcoal Stove (Rocket Stove) - which comes in red, blue or yellow
- Single Wood Burning Stove
- Double Wood Burning Stove
- Double Wood Burning Stove With Chimney Bracket
- The Orca Extra-Large Wood Burning Stove

There is also a range of essential accessories available from The Charcoal Burner Company, from the highest quality charcoal to grills, aprons and tote bags to transport all that tasty food you’re about to cook with your Prakti Stove.

For details please visit: www.thecharcoalburnercompany.co.uk.

 

Prestat chocolates. For Mothering Sunday. Always

We believe that Prestat Rose and Violet Crèmes are the perfect present for Mothering Sunday, Sunday 6th March, 2016.

Prestat, chocolatier to Her Majesty The Queen, has launched n utterly new and divine large box of Rose & Violet Crèmes – the ultimate in traditional treats and the perfect way to say thank you on Mothering Sunday.

Rose & Violet Crèmes (245g) £16.50

Prestat, chocolatier to Her Majesty The Queen, has launched a NEW large box of Rose & Violet Crèmes – the ultimate in traditional treats and the perfect way to say thank you on Mother’s Day.

Prestat’s legendary Rose and Violet Crèmes have been one of the company’s bestsellers ever since the 1930s…when it was rumoured that Her Majesty The Queen Mother first started buying the handmade chocolates as a treat for herself as well as for her two young daughters – Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

Created using the very finest rose and violet water, Prestat’s Rose and Violet Crèmes are dipped into luxurious dark chocolate before being adorned with a real, crystallised rose or violet petal and carefully packed inside a fabulous Prestat box.

Did you know?
In 1902, 114 years ago, a chocolate shop called Prestat was opened in London by descendants of Louis Dufour, the man who created the world’s first recorded chocolate truffle in Chambery, France in 1896.

Prestat’s reputation for making exquisite handmade chocolates quickly spread and before too long, maharajas, sultans, presidents and stars of the stage and screen had all experienced the delight that only the finest chocolate can bring.

Prestat’s quintessential Mints and their Rose and Violet Crèmes were Her Majesty The Queen Mother’s favourite chocolates.

Both The Queen Mother and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II granted Prestat a Royal Warrant and Prestat chocolates continue to be served at every major state banquet.

Ever since Bill Keeling and his half-brother, Nick Crean, bought the business in 1998, Prestat has enjoyed one of the most exciting chapters in its history.  In 2011, Prestat began selling chocolates in the USA, launching in all Bloomingdales Flagship Stores and throughout Dean & Deluca USA.

Prestat is one of the few British artisan chocolatiers to make all its own chocolates – giving it complete control of recipes and the sourcing of ingredients as well as the opportunity to nurture the traditional skills needed to create its handcrafted chocolates.

Loyal customers have included Roald Dahl, author of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. The writer even referred to Prestat in his autobiographical recipe book, ‘Memories of Gypsy Corner’, “I also adore so-called truffles…as Prestat makes them.”

Prestat was the official chocolate sponsor to Walking With The Wounded’s expedition race to the South Pole, whose Patron is Prince Harry.

Prestat's kitchens have won 16 Gold Great Taste Awards in the last three years - Prestat have now collected golds for every truffle entered: the Sea Salt Caramel, the Black Forest Gateau, The Red Velvet and now the Yuzu Sake.

The Rose & Violet Cremes are designed by artist Kitty Arden. She has designed packaging for Prestat for the past 15 years.

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