Author Archives: Kesh

Festive Foodies

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Whether it’s foodie gifts you’re after, or just some fabulously indulgent additions to your kitchen cupboard this Winter, we’ve narrowed down our favourite yummy treats that we are pulling out this December.

Christmas Whiskey Bomb RRP £40

Konditor and Cook;

As well as producing some of the most delicious hampers and mince pies, (voted the best in the UK), why not purchase a show-stopping cake as a centrepiece for your Festive celebrations. Konditor and Cook have gone all out this year and have many tasty creations for you to try but we reckon the Whiskey Bomb is bound to wow your guests. Based on their original Whiskey Bomb the Christmas Whiskey Bomb is a festive blend of chocolate, orange and whiskey cake adorned with sugar paste stars and white chocolate balls. Because quite frankly, what says Christmas more than Whiskey and Chocolate Orange. This award winning cake. 

Festive Scone Bake Kit RRP £25

The English Cream Tea Company;

If you fancy trying your hand at a little baking for your guests or want the perfect gift for a star baker, we simply loved the Festive Scone Bake Kit provided by The English Cream Tea Company. Supplying you with all the components you need to produce your own festive tea-time treat, the set is complete with decorations for your plump scones all in a handy tin to keep. As well as this, The English Cream Tea Company also have a Giant Xmas Tree Brownie for you to order online, because we all need a tree which is edible as well as beautiful.

englishcreamtea.com

Fine Food Specialist-White Truffle Oil. Prices from £8.55

Fine Food Specialist;

The foodie online shop of dreams, the Fine Food Specialist offer luxury food goods designed for a gastronomical feast of dreams. Specialising in luxury products such as Caviar, Wagyu beef and other specialist food items, they have you covered. If it’s gifts you’re after, they have a variety of goods including hampers both large and small. We love their own brand White Truffle Oil as a perfect stocking filler this year. This extra virgin olive oil is infused with the rich aroma of premium white truffles. Available in a variety of sizes, this special gift has a five star rating which will guarantee to make the recipient of this very pleased indeed. Check out their website for a host of other treats including their handy canapé guide which will be firmly saved into our favourites tab.

finefoodspecialist.co.uk

Christmas Roast Dinner Box RRP £21

Ross & Ross Food;

Focused on British flavours and fresh local produce, Ross & Ross have won multiple awards for their high quality and unique artisan products. Best known for their BBQ and curing kits, they have a passion for big and delicious food. Their Christmas shop this year features a host of meaty hampers including the I Heart Bacon Gift set which includes a bacon curing kit and I Heart Bacon apron. We also love their Christmas Roast Dinner Box. Winner of the 2018 Christmas Gift of the Year food award, the box contains a Roast Potato Oil, a Pigs In Blankets Dust, a Brussel Sprout Dust and a Roast Turkey Rub. This box is perfect for self-gifting if you want to impress your dinner guests! The box is also an amazing present to give to someone who loves Christmas dinner, and who doesn’t love Christmas dinner?! 

rossandrossfood.co.uk

 

Christmas Cocktails ft. Cranes Liqueur 

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We’re back and this week we are featuring our Christmas Cocktail idea which was kindly provided by Cranes Cranberry and Blood Orange Liqueur. This one is guaranteed to warm your cockles throughout December and all the way through to the big day. So turn those Carols up high, crank up the fireplace and lay back with something mulled.

Cranes Mulled Cocktail Recipe 

Warm up this season, with Cranes mulled Cocktail. 

Ingredients; 

  • 5 parts cranberry juice 
  • 2 parts Cranes Liqueur 
  • 2 parts orange juice 
  • 2 parts ginger wine 
  • 1 part Cointreau 

Method; 

  1. Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan.
  2. Heat over a medium-low temperature for approximately 3-4 minutes or until a desired temperature. 
  3. Pour into a mug and enjoy. 

Feeling fancy? Add a cinnamon stick and slice of orange to garnish!

Cranes Liqueur have won multiple awards as well as being recently awarded with the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition 2018, for exceptional quality and taste. At only 17% we think this smooth delicious liqueur is well balanced and just the perfect volume to mix with a  multitude of ingredients to create yourself a tantalisingly tasty concoction this Christmas. 

Cranes Liqueur is available at a host of farm shops, garden centres, bars and pubs across the UK, as well as online at: https://www.drinkcranes.co.uk/cranes-stockists/shop-online/ 

Josē Pizarro Showcases Olives from Spain

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Last week we were invited to a Spanish lunch dreams are made of; made with love by Josē Pizarro himself, the chef behind introducing tapas to the UK.

The occasion? the launch of Olives from Spain UK Partnership with Josē Pizarro with an exclusive taster of some of the newly developed dishes highlighting the delicious Olives. 

So who are Olives from Spain? A professional organisation created to promote Spanish Olives and celebrate them Worldwide. The collaboration between Olives from Spain and Josē began about three years ago as who would be a better advocate for taking one of Spain’s top exports and promoting them, than Josē. With a string of successful restaurants behind him and an ethos to create simple, top quality dishes, the olives are excellently showcased with recipes you can recreate at home. 

Why the Olive? As well as being one of Spain’s top exports, Olives have been at the heart of the culture and cuisine in Spain for more than 2000 years. Olives are a versatile ingredient and are one of the few foods in the world that naturally contain four basic flavours; bite, sweet, salty and acidic. They are easy to digest and lets not forget their amazing anti-oxidant properties. The mediterranean diet is proven to help you live longer! 

So we wanted to share one of our favourite recipes Josē created using Olives from Spain;

Hake with Tomato and Olive Salad;

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

200g mixed Manzanilla and black Hojiblanca olives

500g ripe mixed colour vine tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Handful oregano, leaves picked

Handful flat leaf parsley

2 tbsp white wine

1tsp sherry vinegar

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

4 x 200g hake fillets

Method:

The Salad;

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a platter with the olives.

Scatter with garlic, herbs and lots of sea salt and black pepper, 

Whisk the white wine and vinegar with a little seasoning then whisk in olive oil and pour over tomatoes.

Leave to stand 

The Fish:

Heat a little oil in a non stick frying pan, season the hake and fry skin side down, for 3-4 minutes until skin is crisp. 

Flip over and cook for a minute on the other side 

Serve with the tomato and olive salad. 

Olives from Spain will be showcasing their products at The Spanish Olive Festival at the Foodies Festival in London from 25-27th May 2019 and Brighton 4th-6th May 2019 where Josē will also be making an appearance. 

For more info on Pizarro and for reservations, visit here;

https://josepizarro.com/pizarro-restaurant/

Wilko; Best Advent Calendar’s

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If it’s great value for money you’re after this Christmas, look no further than Wiko and with December just a couple of days away, we wanted to make a list of their best value advent calendars all under £10. What’s more, there are currently huge savings to be had in-store and online making this a bargain you won’t want to miss out on. 

For the traditional chocolate lover;

Quality Street Advent Calendar; RRP £5

With a variety of their iconic individually wrapped sweets, there is something different behind every door. 

We love their signature purple packaging with an extra festive feel as we open the doors of a large Christmas estate we think this will be a hit with everyone. 

For the sweet tooth;

Swizzels Advent Calendar; RRP £5 reduced to £4

Don’t like chocolate? Fear not, we have something for the sweet tooth in you. A selection of your favourite childhood classics. Peel back the doors to Santa’s Workshop to reveal Love Hearts, Refreshers, Drumsticks and more all for £4 not bad. 

For a fragrance fanatic;

Wilko Candle Advent Calendar RRP £6

Because advent calendar’s don’t have to be all about confectionary. We have something that will keep your home fresh, festive and relaxing every day until Christmas.  This unique calendar contains 23 tea lights and one scented candle which will release the warming scents of Christmas including, Spiced Plum, Winter Berries and Cinnamon. 

For those who love to be pampered;

Glow Beauty Advent Calendar; RRP £10 reduced to £8

Containing 24 beauty treats and accessories, this one will make sure you’re glowing from top to toe this December. With treats such as scented candles, bath bombs, hand creams, lip balm and more, you will be fully stocked just in time for Christmas and if there’s something you don’t quite fancy, save it and use it as a stocking filler for someone else! 

For your fur baby;

Wiko Christmas Cat and Dog Treat Calendar’s RRP £2 reduced to £1.50 each.

Because why would we leave out our furry friends. Your cat will enjoy 24 delicious cat-nip festive treats and for dogs there are 24 special dog friendly chocolate treats. We think your pets will go Christmas crazy over them. 

For more information visit wilko.com

Christmas Cocktails  ft. The London Essence Company

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One month to go, ho ho ho… so to open our first installation of our Christmas Cocktail guide we are featuring two Low-Cal cocktails kindly provided by The London Essence Company. 

Kicking off with a relatively healthy start, *wink, The London Essence Company have created some easy and elegant cocktails all under 100 calories. Winning.  Not only do they look and sound impressive, they are bloomin’ delicious and we think you’ll be impressed with the fab selection of mixers and tonics The London Essence Company have to deliver. 

Tangerine Mule – 94 KCAL

A lighter festive twist on the Moscow Mule

ingredients;

25ml Vodka

20ml Tangerine Juice

5ml Sugar Syrup

2 drops Chocolate Bitters

London Essence Ginger Beer

Method

Highball Glass ● Tangerine Wedge Garnish ● Build & Stir

Cinnamon Highball 94KCAL

For a warmer, spicier affair

ingredients;

25ml Aged Rum

15ml Lime Juice

5ml Cinnamon Syrup

30ml Cloudy Apple Juice

London Essence Classic Tonic Water

Method

Highball Glass ● Cinnamon Stick Garnish ● Build & Stir

London Essence are a collection of mixers made with distilled essences and are all under 20KCAL per 100ml and naturally sourced sweetness. The London Essence Company range includes, Tonics, Soda Waters and Ginger Beer  and are available to buy at selected Tesco and Waitrose stores as well as Amazon and Ocado RRP from £1.69

For more info visit;

www.thelondonessenceco.com

Dedication for Meditation with Inhere Meditation Pods

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“Meditation is bringing the mind home” – Sagyal Rinpoche The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

City life is not only fast and furious but also taxing on our mind and body’s. It seems like everyday is a rise and grind affair and time we dedicate to ourselves is ever dwindling. Yes, we often give ourselves a break and take time away from work to rest and recuperate and relax away from our homes, but what about those moments in life when we are unable to escape the norm. There has to be some kind of respite that we can achieve in our natural habitat. Major tech companies are starting to focus some attention on how to ensure their staff are functioning at their best by introducing sleep pods, break out rooms etc, but what about everyone else. What do you have at your workplace which allows you to align your thoughts and get back to you? 

Inhere founded by Adiba Osmani and Ghazal Abrishamchi  provides Londoners with meditation studios in Central London. Inhere meaning ‘to exist from within’ became the companies ethos and they wanted to bring a sacred meditation space to utilise within the workplace so they developed their revolutionary Meditation Pod. To debut their pod in an adequate location, they teamed up with luxury co-working space Uncommon and unveiled their creation for customers to use at their leisure. The collaboration was born, as both Inhere and Uncommon are based on the same values. Uncommon’s workplaces are based around health and wellbeing paired with design and technology. The spaces are designed to create an environment which are open and natural using plenty of outdoor light, plants and woods.

The Uncommon spaces showcase the new meditation pod which is a little ‘haven away from London Life’. With a selection of 10, 15, 20 and 30 minute guided meditations, customers can choose from an array of soothing sounds to accompany their relaxation time. The pod is a safe enclosure created from wood and allowing plenty of natural light to flood in to create a bright and airy space. Customers can lounge, sit or lie horizontally on the comfiest meditation chair complete with foot rest and place the headset on to drift into your own relaxation time. Alongside this, Inhere are set to open the most advanced drop-in meditation studio in Central London targeting City workers helping to bust any work related stress. 

To find out more about Inhere visit https://www.inherestudio.com

To book spaces at Uncommon and try out the new meditation pods visit https://www.inherestudio.com 

Wine for Winter Nights 

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It’s officially Winter and almost the countdown to Christmas (eeeek) so here at Frost we decided to toast away what has been a glorious Summer and a mild Autumn with some beaut wine offerings.

For our White Wine lovers we have gone for;

Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc Private Bin

Villa Maria has long been a hit with consumers and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has continued to dazzle customers for a number of years now. As the most widely planted grape variety in NZ, Villa Maria have a few distinct Sauvignon Blanc styles dependent on regions of the country owing to the maritime climate. Here we try the Malborough Private Bin which features grapes picked from a combination of vineyards across two different valleys in Malborough. The result is an intense and herbaceous flavour noticeably distinguishable from Villa Maria Reserve Malborough wine which has grapes specifically from Wairau valley. Private Bin has a strong and fresh flavour alive with citrus and tropical fruits owing to the long sunny days and cooler nights. 

This is a flavoursome wine and can be enjoyed without food but with owing to its strong flavour, a glass with dinner will go down well. We paired it with Chicken and Mushroom risotto. 

Available from most good grocery stores. A full list can be found on their website:

www.villamaria.co.nz 

RRP: £9.69 (Waitrose price)

For a hearty RED recommendation we chose; 

Errazuriz Estate Series Carmenere 2017

This Chilean number is robust and pleasing owing to it being 90% Carmenere. The aromas are evocative of a classic wintery red with hints of black pepper, oak and nutmeg. A perfect fireplace wine. The balance of smoke and spice is the stand out essence which distinguishes this Carmenere variety, and ever so subtly sets it apart from the Merlot. The dash of Petit Syrah which makes up the other 10% adds to the aromatics of the wine.

Smooth tannins make this highly desirable on the palette with and without food and I would certainly recommend with rich dishes sweet and savoury due to the chocolatey nature of this wine. 

RRP: £10.50 

www.majestic.co.uk

Celebrate National Curry Week with The Spice Tailor 

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This week is officially National Curry Week and with the colder nights drawing in, we think there’s no better way to warm yourself up then with  Britain’s favourite spicy dish. Of course there are many fantastic Indian restaurants to try around the UK but why not try your hand at making something yourself. But fear not readers, The Spice Tailor have come up with a super range of ‘cheat’ sauces which are packed full of all the authentic spices and flavours to recreate your own authentic curry at home. Perfect for the most discerning cook, modern lifestyles and if you’re wanting to whip up a quick family meal which will impress your diners in less than 15 minutes. 

Developed by Anjum Anand in 2011 she set herself a mission to re-create the authentic flavours of India in a simpler, healthier and more accessible way. There are over 8 sauces to try in the range with something for each taste from Delicate Korma to Fiery Goan Curry. We tried our hand out at the Keralan Coconut Curry and not only were the directions incredibly easy to navigate, the flavours were out of this world and miles apart from any pre-made sauce we’ve tried before. The main difference is that the packet comes with not only a sauce but you are also provided with a sachet of the all important spices for toasting, the thing that really provides the depth of Indian flavour.

You might even fool yourself into thinking for a minute that you are a top chef with the flavours and aromas which emanate from this while you are cooking and the refined and complex flavours. The Spice Tailor sauce kits are priced from RRP £2.90 and available from most large retailers. Whats more, if you wanted to create an Indian feast, The Spice Tailor also has a range of Chutni’s, Naans, Daal and Street Food Kits. 

We paired our Keralan Coconut Curry with the Villa Maria Private Bin Gewürztraminer which was simply a marriage made in heaven. If you’re a fan of the Gewürztraminer you already know that the subtle hints of lychee and rose flavours are perfect with spice and the combo of the sweetness of the wine is just the antidote to the heat kick of the curry. This particular offering from New Zealand Winery Villa Maria was excellently balanced with a unique and rounded flavour due to the fact that the grapes are crushed and soaked for a time with the skins on to extract every bit of flavour. The only trouble I had with this wine was that it was over a little too quickly. Priced at only RRP £11.75 per bottle and available from Majestic wine we’re just off to buy ourselves some more. 

For more information on The Spice Tailor visit thespicetailor.com 

Villa Maria visit villamaria.co.nz