Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 i Delicious UK

The five-minute festive tipple: almond milk eggnog  SERVES 2 Mix 200ml unsweetened almond milk with 100ml single cream, ½ split vanilla pod and its scraped seeds, 1 small cinnamon stick and a few gratings of nutmeg in a small saucepan, then warm on a low heat until steaming. Whisk 1 medium free-range egg yolk with 50g caster sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy, then pour in the warm almond milk mixture gradually, whisking all the time. Return the mixture to the small saucepan with 60ml good brandy and 60ml dark rum and warm on a gentle heat, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Strain through a sieve, then leave to cool. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Serve warm or chilled with extra gratings of…

It’s a home cook’s dream: a beautiful, powerful stand mixer to make baking a doddle. Put the ingredients in the large stainless steel bowl of the Smeg SMF01 and let it do all the hard work in minutes. It comes with a whisk, flat beater, dough hook and bowl cover, too. To show off the classic Fifties styling, the winner can choose from seven retro colours: see smeguk.com/stand-mixers. For a chance to win: make one – or all! – of our cover recipe cakes (p108), take a pic and share it with us; see right.…

ITAMAR SRULOVICH and SARIT PACKER of London’s acclaimed Middle Eastern restaurant Honey & Co share their favourite food haunts FAVOURITE GREENGROCER We usually head into Brixton market, near where we live in south London, and buy what looks good. Natoora (natoora.co.uk) is also a great online source for top quality produce. FOODIE TREAT UNDER £10 You can’t beat a salt beef bagel with English mustard in London’s Brick Lane. Go to Beigel Bake – it’s the place with the longest queue. One year when we were broke, we went there for Itamar’s birthday lunch and had a celebratory salt beef picnic. NEXT RESTAURANT TO VISIT We love Japanese food and can’t wait to try out a small sushi place called Sushi Tetsu in Clerkenwell (sushitetsu.co.uk) in east London. It’s difficult…

FOR THE BAKER How Baking Works (And What To Do When It Doesn’t) by James Morton (£20; Ebury) In his second book, the shaggy-haired, science-loving GBBO series 3 runner-up demystifies baking and pastry-making. Keen to know why sugar caramelises? Why eggs should be at room temperature for baking? It’s all here… The ideal tome for inquisitive bakers stepping out on the path to sweet perfection. FOR THE EVERYDAY COOK A Bird In The Hand: Chicken Recipes For Every Day And Every Mood by Diana Henry (£20; Mitchell Beazley) Inspiration is the ingredient most lacking for he or she who’s charged with conjuring up supper, day in, day out – and inspiration is what Diana serves in abundance in this book. It’s packed with recipes and ideas for how to kindle…

FRESH PRINTS These hand-stencilled bowls are a bargain (mug, plate and pasta dish are also under £5). Amora dip bowl in navy, £2.50, sainsburys.co.uk GET A RISE OUT OF IT A sleek dough scraper for a baking pro – or one in the making. Mason Cash stainless steel bench scraper, £5, johnlewis.com SPREAD FOR ONE Buying for a dyed-in-the-toast Marmite addict? This is the one. Personalised Marmite jar, £4.99 for 250g, facebook.com/Marmite SUGARY CUBES Fudge with a festive twist – a great stocking filler. £3.99 for 160g, Dobbie’s garden centres NO NEED TO WRAP ...Just tie a stack of these prettily packaged praline-filled chocolate bars with ribbon. Gianduja bars, £3.95 for 100g bar, carluccios.com…

1 SMEG FAB28 FRIDGE The kitchen appliance everyone lusts after… A retro 1950s-style Smeg fridge. It’s big, it’s beautiful AND you get to choose the colour! 2 SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL THE KITCHEN WIZZ PRO Chops, blends and mixes with ease. It’s a must-have for kitchen boffins. 3 TWO HARRODS HAMPERS It’s not called a Knightsbridge hamper for nothing – it contains quality wines, tea and coffee, cakes, biscuits and sweets. Each worth £250. 4 FIVE TAYLOR’S PORT AND GREEN & BLACK’S CHOCOLATE HAMPERS Because who doesn’t want to settle down with something smooth and sweet after a wonderful dinner? Worth £100. 5 TWO GREEN SAFFRON SPICE KITS Every curry fan needs a culinary toolbox. This kit has 24 spices and blends, plus an electric grinder. Worth £175. 6 DE’LONGHI…

If you don’t have piping bags, make your own by twisting a tight cone out of baking paper, or use a small plastic food bag and cut off one corner. If you don’t have piping nozzles you can just cut off the end of the piping bag. Note that a nozzle will give you better results as it’s more precise. Only half-fill the piping bag with icing so it doesn’t ooze out of the top when you squeeze. To make chocolate icing, use 60g sifted cocoa powder in place of an equal amount of icing sugar. TO MAKE SOFT PEAK ICING Stir water into royal icing, a drop at a time, until you have icing that holds a soft peak and doesn’t spread out on its own. Use for piping…

“Every year, I wonder how much people stray from their family traditions for the big Christmas meal. A straw poll of friends and colleagues revealed most rely on tried-and-trusted favourites, cooking only one or two new things each year, so I decided to create a menu to help with that. These recipes all have something extra to dress them up for Christmas, but we’ve also included instructions to cook each one simply. You can make the whole lot as a beautifully balanced menu or choose one, two or three jazzed-up dishes and strip the rest back… You’re in charge! Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy the cooking and the eating – and I wish you a very merry Christmas.” REBECCA SMITH, FOOD EDITOR Christmas lunch menu for 8 Herbed…

SERVES: 8 TIME: 50 MINUTES DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM INGREDIENTS: • 320g pack of ready rolled puff pastry.• 1 egg, beaten.• 200g Wyke Farms Extra Mature Cheddar .• 1 small courgette, thinly sliced.• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved.• Few sprigs of thyme, leaves removed.• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. METHOD: • Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 8.• Cut the pastry into 8 rectangles and place on baking sheets lined with non-stick baking parchment.• Score a rectangle about 1/2cm inside the edge of each piece and decorate by cutting diagonal lines around the edge with a small knife. Brush the edge with the beaten egg.• Divide most of the cheese between the pastry pieces, saving some for the topping. Arrange the courgette slices and tomato halves over the cheese. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves, salt and pepper and then the rest of the…

THE HIT-THE-SPOT DINNER FOR ONE Movie, sofa, duvet, you and this guaranteed-to-please, readyin-15-minutes snack. Perfect. Rarebit with fried egg SERVES 1. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN FOOD TEAM’S TIPS This recipe will make more onion than you need. Keep in the pickling liquid for 3-4 days and add to salads or sprinkle over spicy food. It’s an easy recipe to double up on if there are two of you on the sofa. • 80ml cider vinegar• 2 tsp caster sugar• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced• 50g extra-mature cheddar, grated• 20ml dark ale or stout• ¼ tsp mustard powder• Pinch paprika• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce• 1 slice good quality bread• Splash flavourless oil for frying• 1 large free-range egg• Small handful watercress• ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 Put the vinegar, sugar and a large pinch of salt in a bowl with the onion,…

SCANDINAVIAN CHRISTMAS Former Country Homes & Interiors lifestyle editor Sarah Wilson has styled many a Christmas food shoot. She favours a Scandinavian theme for her table. “When I think of a magical Christmas I imagine myself preparing the table in a cabin in the forest, deep in a snowdrift,” she says. “I like the style and simplicity of Nordic design, and the look I’ve gone for is informal with lots of light wood, classic white tableware and neutral homespun linens. Take a basket into the woods to gather interesting bark and moss-covered twigs, then make a decoration for the centre of the table – bare winter twigs are ideal. Keep it minimalist – less is more with Scandi style.” THE TWIG CENTREPIECE The twig tree is a classic Scandi decoration.…

TEAM FAVOURITE Susan Low, deputy editor “I’ve often found that romanesco’s funky, fractal-like appearance outperforms its taste but this recipe, with its clever sweet-sour flavours and crunchy texture, had me going back for several more helpings.” New Year menu for 6 Beetroot crisps with blue cheese and pear jam Scallops with crispy bacon, spinach and béarnaise sauce Pan-fried wild mushrooms with celeriac purée and crispy sage leaves Juniper-roasted crown of venison with cumberland sauce Garlic and lemon potatoes with smoked salt and paprika Romanesco, toasted hazelnut, golden raisin and parsley salad Warm Christmas tart Richard, Oliver and Gregory Gladwin grew up foraging, hunting and exploring the countryside of West Sussex. With a family background in catering and restaurants, they realised they had all the skills needed to set up their…

Cardamom cake with orange blossom buttercream Crush the seeds from 15 green cardamom pods to a powder and fold in with the flour (step 1). Stir 1-2 tsp orange blossom water through the buttercream (add it to taste – some are stronger than others), once you’ve added the icing sugar (step 2). Citrus and rosemary cake with clementine buttercream Add the zest of 2 lemons and 2 clementines to the butter and sugar (step 1), then fold in the leaves from 3 rosemary sprigs, chopped very finely, when you mix the flour with the ground almonds. Add the juice of 1-2 clementines (depending on size) to the buttercream once you’ve added all the icing sugar (step 2). Chill for 40 minutes until firm. Chocolate and ginger cake with sweet sherry…

TEAM FAVOURITE Rebecca Smith, food editor “The sugared, crusty outside of the damson puddings was irresistible, only topped by being broken into to reveal fluffy centres hiding pools of molten jam. We were licking our lips in glee.” Damson roly-poly doughnut puddings with boozy custard SERVES 6. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 25 MIN, PLUS FREEZING KNOWHOW We’ve used a jam roly-poly pastry recipe here, but made it into a pudding. The theatre comes from the discovery of an oozing jam centre. Jam won’t ever fully freeze, due to its high sugar content (step 1), but it must be very cold. MAKE AHEAD Prepare the puddings up to most of the way through step 3 – ie, make them but don’t bake. Chill for up to 24 hours, covered…

JOHN Make soda bread for Christmas Day morning. It’s easy and quick to do, and you can have hot homemade bread first thing in the morning. It’s also brilliant for breadcrumbs. Visit delicious magazine.co.uk  for a recipe REBECCA Have a bit of leeway in your time plan for things to be late or delayed. It will happen no matter how carefully you plan. This way you don’t need to rush things. LYNDY There are always children and others who don’t like Christmas pud so other pudding options – especially a chocolate roulade – are essential. Visit delicious magazine.co.uk  for a recipe JOHN Pay the kids to do the washing-up. HENRY There’s no need to reinvent the Christmas dinner. Just do it properly using the best ingredients…

• Long, slender champagne flutes show off (and retain) the bubbles best, though wide-bowled coupe glasses are back in vogue. • Make sure you rinse and dry your glasses well after washing. Any soap residue on the inside of the glass will affect the bubbles in fizz. • Open the (well chilled) bottle carefully, twisting the bottle, not the cork and holding the cork firmly with a cloth. Ease it out gradually, but still point it well away from people in case it does burst forth. • Pour the wine slowly down the side of a tilted glass to avoid the fizz frothing over, then top up once the froth has subsided.…

“ I’ve plucked inspiration from the Christmas tree to create this sparkling, bauble-inspired design for your Christmas cake decoration. Although striking to look at, it’s simple to make – and once you’ve mastered the technique of cutting out the shapes in the icing, you can use it for other occasions using different-shaped cookie cutters. I love the eye-catching look of the silver and gold sugar-ball stars against the white icing, but feel free to experiment by changing the cutters or swapping the colours of the balls. ” MEET THE CHEF Frances, winner of The Great British Bake Off 2013 , wowed the judges with her innovative designs. She now runs a company called Quinntessential Baking and her first book – of the same name – was published this year (£25;…

WHY IT’S GREAT NOW The pub nestles at the foot of a hill in some of the prettiest countryside England has to offer… Think soft, folded and rolling – the type that looks even better tinged with frost. The views are stunning, while inside a fire roars, dogs loll around, a dazzling array of gins and whiskies beckons, and a tottering pile of homemade pork pies on the bar winks at you as you order a drink. And yes, this is still a proper drinking pub as well as having first-rate food. Hurrah! THE FOODIE BIT It’s all local, it’s all seasonal, it’s tempting and it’s great. As well as pub classics like fish ‘n’ chips and burgers, there are more adventurous dishes too – perhaps braised ox cheek with…

WHY IT’S GREAT NOW In a tiny hidden valley just outside Halifax, Shibden Mill Inn is a handsome, sprawling set of buildings within striking distance of the Yorkshire Dales. Its bar serves local ales and good wines by the glass – it’s the kind of place that makes you feel instantly at home. I’m not surprised it won Yorkshire Pub of the Year 2015 – the young staff are excellent. THE FOODIE BIT Head chef Darren Parkinson serves up British fare in Yorkshire-size portions – by that I mean big. Upstairs is the Grill Room where you get huge steaks, smoky from the charcoal oven. There are fish, chicken or veg options, but grass-fed beef with dripping chips is the way to go. In the restaurant downstairs the cooking is…

The big event is almost here, and it brings with it mixed emotions: if you love the festivities that dominate the month, there’s anticipation and excitement. But, whether or not you revel in those celebrations, there’s a huge amount to get done and stress levels can run high. As well as putting ridiculous pressure on ourselves to create – and live – the festive dream, the reality is we still have to get a wholesome dinner on the table at the end of the working day to feed hungry mouths – even if only our own – in the run-up to the 25th. So you’ll find a raft of down-to-earth recipes alongside a 94-page cookbook of special festive ideas to guide you through December with wisdom and verve.…

SUBJECT: A heartfelt reminder FROM: Hazel Eccleston I don’t think I’ve ever written a letter to a magazine before but I felt I had to respond to Ravinder Bhogal’s piece [‘A day to cherish, for all of us’, p154, November]. I ended up in tears because it expressed many of the feelings I’m going through. I lost my dad to leukaemia in June and this will be our first Christmas without him. My dad loved life and loved to try new food, and he’s left a hole in our lives that can never be filled. But Ravinder reminded me that there’s still happiness in my life and my dad would have wanted me to smile, not cry, at Christmas. Thank you for having the courage to print such an inspiring…

1135 On 1 December Henry I died from eating too many eels. Chronicler Henry of Huntingdon attributed the king’s death to ‘a surfeit of lampreys’. 1822 On 27 December, the wife of a French tanner called Jeanne-Etiennette Pasteur gave birth to a son, Louis, who went on to do brilliant things with milk. 1967 The Beach Boys released their 13th album, Wild Honey, on 16 December. The title is from the opening track, whose lyrics go: “Sweet sweet wild honey bee/Eat up eat up eat up honey.” Groovy, man. 1995 Linda McCartney paid £3,000 at a Christmas auction to save a 28lb turkey. “Everyone should think about doing something like this at Christmas,” she said. What did she do with it, though…?…

FIONA CAIRNS LUXURY CAKE MAKER “When I was young I thought I was hard done by because my mother would never buy cakes, she’d always make them. I remember going to a friend’s house and having frozen éclairs for tea and thinking it was a luxury. My mother was good at baking; for birthdays she’d make us crinoline-lady cakes and for special occasions, huge meringues filled with cream. Years later I did a cookery course with Lyn Hall at La Petite Cuisine, which doesn’t exist any more. It was highly thought of – Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux and Jane Grigson came to teach us. That’s where I learned that, creatively, you should always strive to do better – and there’s always something new and exciting to learn.” FIONA’S CAKES ARE…

Classic Wine Selection 1. Burdizzo Chianti Riserva £6 2. Founders 78 Sauvignon Blanc £11 3. Châteauneuf du Pape Grande Réserve £9 4. Chablis £8 5. Sancerre Rosé £9 6. Amarone Della Valpolicella £13 drinkaware.co.uk for the facts If you look under 25 and want to buy alcohol you will need to prove your age. Challenge 25. No I.D. No sale. You must be 18 or over to purchase alcohol. Selected stores. Available while stocks last. Châteauneuf du Pape offer ends 28th December 2015. All other offers end 31st December 2015. All bottles shown 75cl.…

Turn the page – and let the feasting begin…

The big meatball lasagne SERVES 8. HANDS-ON TIME 50 MIN, OVEN TIME 40 MIN, PLUS STANDING “Traditionally, this rich Neapolitan lasagne is made on special occasions. When I was growing up in Italy, the family would gather at my grandfather’s house and we’d eat it for lunch on Christmas Eve. It was made the day before, usually as a joint effort among the women in our household: my mother made the fresh pasta sheets, my Aunt Maria the tomato sauce and my sisters the meatballs. Other ingredients were also often added: mushrooms, grilled vegetables and whatever else was around and in season. This is my simplified version, which I still make today, especially when I’m expecting guests at Christmastime.” MAKE AHEAD Make up to the end of step 3 and…

• Our turkeys were kindly supplied by Copas. These and KellyBronze are our favourite birds (see our Christmas mail-order guide at deliciousmagazine.co.uk/mailorderlist). Both are slow-grown free-range birds that have more fat than intensively reared ones. They’re more flavourful, more succulent and cook in less time. • Because of their superior fat deposits, slow-grown turkeys don’t need to be basted or covered with bacon to keep them moist. • A 5-6kg slow-grown bird should cook in 2-2½ hours. Use a digital thermometer and take the bird out when it reads 65-70°C degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh. More intensively reared birds will take longer but should still be taken out at 65-70°C. • You may think 65-70°C isn’t cooked enough, but the turkey’s temperature will rise another…

Pumpkin, paneer and vine leaf pie SERVES 6-8. HANDS-ON TIME 55 MIN, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR 10 MIN, PLUS RESTING • Around 35 vine leaves in brine, drained and patted dry (available from amazon.co.uk, souschef.co.uk or specialist shops)• 500g freshly cooked long grain rice (you’ll need around 350g uncooked long grain rice)• 700g pumpkin or squash such as crown prince, peeled and thinly sliced• 300g butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced• 200g cavolo nero, finely chopped• 3 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced• 200g mature cheddar, grated• 225g paneer cheese, grated• A few fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked• 390g jar pickled walnuts, drained, or 100g walnut pieces, toasted• Vegetable oil for greasing FOR THE BÉCHAMEL • 700ml whole milk• 3 bay leaves• 1 tsp salt• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg• 50g plain flour• 50g unsalted butter 1 For the béchamel, warm the milk in a sacepan to just…

Sticky chilli jam glazed ham with crunchy slaw SERVES 10-12 WITH LEFTOVERS. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 3 HOURS, OVEN TIME 40 MIN KNOWHOW A gammon is an uncooked, cured cut of pork from the back leg. If it’s unsmoked, it’s called green gammon. Once it’s cooked, it becomes ham. Ask your butcher for the lower leg of the gammon if you want the traditional Christmas shape, but any cut will be fine for this recipe. MAKE AHEAD You can prepare the glazed ham to the end of step 2 up to 1 week in advance. Keep it covered in the fridge. Warm in the oven to serve or eat cold. Or, after boiling the ham, drain and cool, then cover and keep chilled for up to 48 hours…

The family-viewing one THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL While there are weak spots in the Muppets’ CV, when they’re good, they’re very good – and their 1992 take on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is their finest moment. It stays faithful to the novel but there’s plenty of novelty too, most notably the framing device of Gonzo as Dickens – plus, of course, Michael Caine as a brilliant Scrooge. And the scene with the cute bunny will never not be funny. The schmaltzy one MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET That’s the 1947 original rather than the Richard Attenborough remake for, as good as Dickie may be, he’s no Edmund Gwenn – and the end of the original is so much better. It’s the tale of an old man…

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? A mince spy What’s the most popular wine at Christmas? “Aww, I don’t like sprouts” Why was the cheesemonger lopsided? Because they only had one stilton Who beats his chest and swings from Christmas cake to Christmas cake? Tarzipan How do you handle dangerous cheese? Caerphilly How do you drain the Christmas vegetables? With an Advent colander What did one snowman say to the other? “Hey, can you smell carrot?” What happens when you eat Christmas decorations? You get tinselitis Why did the vicar throw his lunch into the garden? He wanted peas on earth How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizzas? Deep pan, crisp and even…

Hugh’s turkey curry SERVES 6-8. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 30-40 MIN “ To my mind, the lull between Christmas and New Year loses some of its savour if it isn’t fuelled at least in part by bowls of fragrant curry made from meaty leftovers. If turkey isn’t your thing, you can, of course, make this recipe using chicken, lamb or beef.” MAKE AHEAD The curry paste will keep chilled, in a sealed container, for up to 2 weeks. Freeze for up to 3 months. FOOD TEAM’S TIP This curry is great with a tablespoon of yogurt stirred in just before serving. • 2 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil• 2 onions, finely chopped• 3 garlic cloves, halved and sliced• 2 tbsp homemade curry paste (see recipe, above right) or a good shop-bought curry…

COUNTRYWIDE THE FRY-UP Let’s begin with the classic, available everywhere. On my plate there’d be sausage, bacon, eggs (fried, naturally) and toast (fried bread is a once-a-year indulgence, usually after my birthday). I’d also go for black pudding and mushrooms. I’m not bothered about tomatoes or sugary baked beans, and regard hash browns as an abomination. For me, the sauce must be brown, though ketchup is permissible for children and the infirm. Perhaps my preference is down to me being English. There are regional differences, after all. The Full Welsh contains laverbread (fried seaweed) and cockles, while the Full Scottish includes fried haggis or white pudding (oats and suet in a sausage). The Ulster Fry of Northern Ireland contains a farl (a kind of flatbread that can be made with…

delicious. is a magazine created to inspire your cooking every day, from midweek meals to show-stopping food for friends. It’s also about teaching new skills and knowledge to make you a better cook. We’d love you to join our growing band of subscribers. Sign up this month and we’ll send you a copy of Nigel Slater’s new cookbook, A Year of Good Eating , worth £30. It’s the third instalment in Nigel’s celebrated Kitchen Diaries series, and his seductive writing – not to mention his achievable, seasonal recipes – continue to make good eating a joy.…

Whatever your feelings for the mini cabbages, it wouldn’t be Christmas without them. Leftovers are worth preserving too, says XANTHE CLAY, our preserving expert FREEZE Raw sprouts need to be blanched before freezing: trim them, then plunge into a large pan of boiling water for 1 minute. Cool in a bowl of iced water. Drain very well and give them a squeeze in a tea towel to dry before freezing for up to 3 months in sealed plastic bags. LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS Leftover cooked sprouts mean Christmas hash. Here’s how to make it… Heat some olive oil (or better still, beef dripping) in a pan and fry a chopped onion until soft. Add 500ml jug full of boiled potatoes (or even leftover roasties), plus ½ jug of cooked sprouts, both…

“ It’s hard to beat a classic mince pie, but by adding sharp clementine marmalade to the mix, I’ve taken the taste to another level. The pies are topped with frangipane – a pastry filling usually made with butter, sugar, eggs and ground almonds, but here made with vibrant green pistachios too. Make a few batches to freeze so you have some to hand when visitors call. I love these pies warmed and served with custard. They’re good at room temperature with a cup of tea, too. ” MEET THE CHEF French baker Richard was born and brought up in Brittany, but England has been his home since the late 1980s. He’s taken British baking to heart, too. Richard now owns and runs The Bertinet Bakery in Bath, and he’s…

WHY IT’S GREAT NOW The magnificent fireplaces of England’s oldest inn will restore a tingle to your toes after a Cotswolds walk. Add in ancient beams, flagstone floors, a £1 million rustic-chic renovation and unfussily on-trend menu and you have England’s deserved 2015 AA Pub of The Year. THE FOODIE BIT After a Brakspear ale in the bar, head into the candlelit dining room. Satisfying starters may include twice-baked cheddar soufflé or treacle-cured salmon, while local lamb, beef and venison star in the mains. Puddings are of the comforting variety: brownie, cheesecake, crumble… Breakfast, served in the airy conservatory, is a delight, with goodies such as crumpets and trendy speculoos spread, or eggs Hemingway (with smoked salmon). THE ROOMS There are 13 of them, all with large comfy beds, sisal…

HOW TO PLAY Appoint a question-master, get into teams and let the competition commence. The losers do the washing-up… THE QUESTIONS 1 Henry VIII was the first monarch to enjoy turkey, but it was Edward VII who made it a Christmas tradition. What bird did it replace (in the royal court at least…)? 2 The round gold one in a box of Quality Street chocolates is the Toffee Penny. The blue oblong is the Coconut Éclair. What’s the official name of the green triangle? 3 Christmas is one time of the year that you’re unlikely to suffer from borborygmus. What is it? 4 Paul Simon’s song ‘Mother and Child Reunion’ was inspired by a dish in a New York Chinese restaurant. What were the chief two ingredients? 5 In terms…

THE MEAL OF THE YEAR My mother took Christmas dinner very seriously, but every year there would be tears. I vowed that when I grew up, I’d enjoy the day without overstretching myself. It still has to be turkey; the brussels sprouts must be buttery and full of chestnuts, and the bread sauce must be chunky. I learned that as long as the gravy and roast potatoes are piping hot, it doesn’t matter if everything else isn’t. THE BEST CONVERSATIONS I didn’t like eating at all as a child – if you didn’t eat everything on the plate, it was given to you cold at the next meal. But I did love helping in the kitchen. I learned early on that all the best conversations happen around a kitchen table.…

This month JAMES RAMSDEN hangs around places in the capital that are slicing up saucisson with a distinctly British accent Charcuterie is a foreign word, literally and figuratively. Sure, we Brits know how to do a ham, but when it comes to the good stuff – the salumi and saucisson, the jamón and chorizo – we have, until recently, left it to our European cousins. Across the UK in recent years, though, rural producers have been having a crack. And now it’s gone urban. We’ve got Cobble Lane Cured in north London (cobblelanecured.co.uk), whose terrific charcuterie is made from the most assiduously selected animals and can be found at top restaurants such as Andrew Edmunds in Soho and Smokehouse in Islington. Further east in Hackney there’s Blackhand Food (the name’s…

13 NOV TO 20 DEC Leeds Christkindlmarkt, Millennium Square At the city’s annual German Christmas market, more than 40 chalet stalls around the square will be selling gifts, decorations and food. Get into the swing of things with a mug of glühwein and slice of stollen, or try schnitzel or goulash. Free entry; leeds.gov.uk/events 20 NOV TO 4 JAN Edinburgh’s Christmas, various locations Tick off your Christmas shopping with edible gifts and crafts from the local area as well as treats from further afield. Carry a glass of mulled wine as you browse and the world will seem a better place. Free entry; edinburghschristmas.com 26 NOV TO 13 DEC Bath Christmas Market The streets of the picturesque city will be lined with more than 170 stalls selling local handmade gifts…

Food (& drink) for thought... FOR CHOCOLATE PURISTS Roast cocoa nibs coated in dark Colombian chocolate. Tin-tastic. £5.95 for 95g, chococo.co.uk M’HENCHA HEARD OF IT? From Morocco via the Cotswolds comes this pastry filled with pistachio and frangipane. Served warm it’s “OMG!” good… From £15.95 for 440g, at our NEW online shop: shop. deliciousmagazine.co.uk STIR CRAZY An American recipe book from 1887 to shake up wannabe mixologists. £8.99, Amberley Publishing FRUIT SHOT Top tipple for a gin fiend: this sloe-infused booze still has the berries in the bottle. It’s excellent served on ice. Tesco Finest sloe gin, £15, tesco.com Not what it seems... A FILLING CUP With instructions for a healthy brekkie. Perfect Porridge mug, £9.99, lakeland.co.uk SQUARES DEAL We…

1 THE EAST INDIA COMPANY So many products… We’re loving the lapsang souchong mustard and the cherry, chocolate chip & chilli biscuits (both sound odd; both taste amazing). eicfinefoods.com/products/bespoke-gift-hamper-service 2 SEED & BEAN For chocolate to satiate any addiction level. seedandbean.co.uk/hampers.php 3 CRAVED For a selection of hipsterish, quality British foods, from Market Blend coffee to artisan charcuterie and chocolate, and London-brewed beers. cravedlondon.com…

“My love affair with sweet things, inspired by my mum’s baking, has grown up with me. It’s moulded me, it’s comforted me, and that feeling of comfort has happily spread to others. That’s the joy of baking. With these recipes you can create perfect treats to serve up to friends at tea, give as gifts or use to create a festive centrepiece.” MIMA SINCLAIR Gingerbread dough MAKES 1KG. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, PLUS CHILLING “This light dough is sweet and mild, making it very versatile. For a stronger-tasting, darker dough, replace 80g of the light molasses or golden syrup with 80g dark molasses or black treacle.” MAKE AHEAD Prep the dough up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill until ready to roll, shape and bake. • 140g light molasses, golden…

Warm marzipan buns MAKES 15. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 10 MIN, PLUS PROVING “Christmas morning: I pull the blinds, timidly, hoping for snowfall. I have coffee, then make dough. The dough, a simple yeast bread base enriched with sugar and egg, sits near the Aga for a good hour while I potter around. The dough is to form a crust for small, round buns, to be eaten warm, filled with a paste of marzipan and clementine zest. I suddenly realise that dusted with icing sugar they look like little snowballs, which is of course what I was secretly hoping for when I pulled the blinds this morning.” MAKE AHEAD Prepare the marzipan filling up to 24 hours in advance, keep covered in the fridge and bring to room…

• 7.30am Remove the turkey from the fridge, rub with the spice mix and leave to come to room temperature. • 10am Heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4/. Stuff the turkey with the lemon and herbs and put in its roasting tin. • 10.30am Put the turkey in the oven. • 12.30pm Check the turkey temperature – if it’s not 65-70°C, put it back in for a little while. • 12.50pm When the turkey is done, rest it somewhere warm and out of the way. • 1pm Turn the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and take the stuffing out of the fridge. Put the fizz on ice and ask someone to lay the table. • 1.10pm Make the gravy, then set aside. Heat a large pan of water for the…

ABOUT LIZZIE She’s a food writer, stylist and former food editor of delicious. magazine – and she has a special interest in Alpine food. This recipe comes from Lizzie’s latest book, Winter Cabin Cooking (£19.99; Ryland Peters and Small), which was inspired by memories of her best-loved ski holidays. “I don’t understand cheesecake as a dessert. Not that I dislike it – it just doesn’t fill me with joy. But savoury cheesecake? That’s something I can really get behind. This dish would make an exciting and different end to a meal.” Parmesan and ricotta cheesecake SERVES 8-10. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN, OVEN TIME 50 MIN, PLUS CHILLING • 100g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease• 125g oatcakes• 75g digestive biscuits• 25g shelled walnuts• 300g full-fat cream cheese• 300g ricotta• 150g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated• 4 medium…

ABOUT JIMMY The energetic young caterer is all about the moveable feast. His current pop-up is the alpine-themed The Lodge in London SW9 “I’m no Willy Wonka, but I find beef cheek with a touch of chocolate to be a delight. Many a chilli con carne recipe contains chocolate too, for the depth and complexity it adds.” Beef cheek and ale pie with chocolate SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 55 MIN, OVEN TIME 4 HOURS KNOWHOW Beef cheek is a great cut that you can get from good butchers, although you may have to ask in advance. If it’s not available, use beef shin. MAKE AHEAD Make the beef stew up to 3 days in advance, then heat to boiling in a saucepan before continuing with step 6. Freeze the stew…

“By early December I can’t wait to pop a cork on some bubbly. No other drink captures the celebratory mood like a frosty, frothy wine. But with so many sparklers available these days, how do you choose? Multi-buy deals can be enticing, but my advice is to pick the sparkling wines that suit you: your parties, your food, your budget – and here’s my guide to help you do just that.” SUSY ATKINS, WINE EDITOR PROSECCO The world’s most popular fizz is made in the hills of Italy’s northeast, close to Venice, from the glera grape, which brings a jasmine note and peachy lemon sherbet flavours. Prosecco is often off-dry and relatively low in alcohol. It’s made quickly in large tanks, and it’s not aged on the yeast sediment (lees)…

BLOCKBUSTER COCKTAILS Flaming rum punch It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) MAKES JUST OVER 1 LITRE. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN The bumbling Clarence the Angel, who is tasked with helping George Bailey (James Stewart, above), asks for a flaming rum punch in this classic Christmas tale of love and redemption. He then changes his mind and orders a mulled wine “heavy on the cinnamon, light on the cloves”, but we thought a flaming rum punch was a more intriguing concept, so we knocked one up. It’s good chilled or warmed through, and it’s about medium on the cinnamon and cloves. We hope Clarence doesn’t mind – and we promise it will ring your bell… In a large jug, mix together 200ml dark rum, 100ml brandy, the freshly squeezed juice of 3…

“ I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve told me they don’t like traditional fruit cake at Christmas, but I hardly know anyone who doesn’t love a sponge made with ground almonds. If you’re one of those people, I’m going to tempt you with some flavours: how does citrus and rosemary with clementine buttercream strike you? Or cardamom cake with orange blossom buttercream? Or chocolate and ginger with sweet sherry buttercream? With this cake, you choose the flavour (and size) you like best. I defy anyone not to find a combination they love. The light covering of icing creates a wintry silver birch effect and the elegant decorations top it off in style.” Master recipe: four layers, unflavoured SERVES 24. HANDS-ON TIME 50 MIN, OVEN TIME 50 MIN,…

Pickled chilli ham and cheese toastie with parmesan crisp MAKES 1. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN “ This is my super-deluxe version of cheese on toast. I use pickled green chillies – they give a lovely, sharp acidity to the sandwich – but gherkins, capers or even pickled onions would work too. The parmesan crisp is an added bonus, but it’s not essential – simply omit it for a quick toastie. ” FOOD TEAM’S TIP Good quality bread makes this sandwich. Go for something with a bit of structure, such as a country loaf. • 20g butter, softened• 2 slices bread (see tip)• 80g cheese (ideally comté, gruyère or emmental, but a strong cheddar is good too), sliced• 1 thick slice good smoked ham• 1 tbsp chopped pickled green chillies (the food team used jalapeños, but…

LUCAS HOLLWEG POTATO OF CHOICE Something floury like a king edward THE METHOD parboil the peeled, halved or quartered spuds in plenty of salted boiling water until the outsides are beginning to soften – around 8-10 minutes. Drain in a colander and shake vigorously so the outsides go fluffy. Leave to steam dry. The drier the better. You can let them go totally cold if you want. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Pour enough fat (melted duck or goose, or sunflower oil) into a large roasting tin to cover the bottom, then put in the oven for 10 minutes until it’s thoroughly hot. Add the potatoes in a single layer, leaving a bit of space around them (if they’re too crowded they will steam rather than roast). Turn…

ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL AROMATIC ICING FROM ELDERFLOWER MULLED WHITE WINE P80 Add a couple of teaspoons of elderflower cordial to icing sugar with enough water to make a thick, spreadable icing. Use to decorate biscuits, or thin down with a little more water to ice fairy cakes. TWIST ON A CLASSIC Add a couple of tablespoons of elderflower cordial to a simple victoria sponge cake mix (see deliciousmagazine.co.uk for a recipe). ELDERFLOWER SPRITZ Mix a glug of cordial, a measure of vodka, some chopped fresh mint and a good squeeze of fresh lime in a glass, then top up with prosecco and soda water. MACE BLADES BETTER BECHAMEL FROM BAKED PORK, ALMOND AND MARSALA STUFFING P48 For added flavour, put in a mace blade along with the bay leaf when making…