Ladies With Bottle

Christmas Desserts – Mincemeat Tart

2009-12-24T10:56:00.007Z

Did you know that eating mince pies was made illegal in 1657 and according to the Law Society the law has never been repealed? They were outlawed towards the end of Oliver Cromwell’s rule as Lord Protector, when his puritan council abolished Christmas.

Lawful or not, mince pies have been around since medieval times and have been associated with Christmas since the 16th century or earlier. The original mince pie was a large oblong or oval pastry containing chopped meats and spices such as ginger. Dried fruit and other sweet ingredients were added to the filling for variety and also because they helped to preserve the meat without having to salt or smoke it. The initial mince pies were large rather than bite size. It is sometimes said that the large pies were cooked in an oblong dish and that the top often used to cave in. As a result the mince pie looked a little like a crib, in keeping with the Christian nativity story.

Over time the amount of meat in mincemeat was gradually reduced until it became the fruit only substance we know today. In addition, the pies became smaller. Apparently they were sometimes called "wayfarers' pies" because they were given to visitors over the Christmas period.

Mincemeat Tart

175 g/6 oz Shortcrust Pastry
1 medium cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated
175 g/6 oz mincemeat
150 ml double cream
25 g/1 oz almonds, chopped and toasted

Roll out the pastry and use to line an 18 cm/7 in flan ring. Prick all over with a fork. Stir the apple into the mincemeat and spread over the base. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 and bake for a further 10 minutes. Leave to cool. Whip the cream until stiff, then spread over the top of the flan, sprinkle with the almonds and serve at once.

Enjoy!

Christmas Desserts – Sherry Trifle

2009-12-24T10:51:00.006Z

The earliest trifle recorded was in a book called “The Good Huswife's Jewell” in 1596 but it didn't resemble the trifles we know today. It consisted of thick cream flavoured with sugar, ginger and rosewater and it wasn't until sixty years later that milk was added and custard was poured over alcohol soaked bread.

By the middle of the 18th century, trifles included ratafia (almond-flavoured biscuits) or macaroons soaked in sweet wine, covered with custard and topped with whipped cream. The Victorians doted on trifle and Mrs Beeton, in her classic 1861 book ''Household Management'' gave 4 recipes for trifle and figured the total cost of a trifle at 5 shillings 6 pence.

Sherry Trifle

For the base
4 trifle sponge cakes
4 almond macaroon biscuits
20 ratafia biscuits
4 tbsp sweet sherry
4 tbsp brandy
8oz (225g) fresh or frozen raspberries (defrosted)

For the custard
3 egg yolks
½ pint (275 ml) double cream
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
1 oz (25g) caster sugar
1 level tsp cornflour

For the topping
¾ pint (350ml) whipping cream
2oz (50g) flaked almonds, lightly toasted
sprinkling of raspberries

Cut the sponge cakes in half and break the macaroon biscuits into rough pieces and arrange with the sponge pieces and ratafias in a glass serving bowl. Mix together the sherry and brandy and drizzle over the sponge and biscuit base. Pile the raspberries over the top of the sponge base.

To prepare the custard, scrape the vanilla seeds out of the pod into the double cream, and add the vanilla pod too. Heat the cream in a saucepan over a low heat. Do not let it boil. Remove the vanilla pod. Meanwhile in a basin, cream together the egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour. Now gradually whisk in the hot cream. Return the custard to the saucepan and over a very low heat, continue to stir until the sauce thickens sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and pour the custard over the sponge and fruit base. Shake the bowl a little to settle the ingredients. Cover with cling wrap and allow to cool. Whisk the whipping cream and top the trifle with it, decorate with almonds and raspberries.

Nuts About Christmas – Almonds and Soup Recipe

2009-12-23T12:25:00.008Z

Almonds are part of the plum family and are native to North Africa, West Asia and the Mediterranean. Botanically-speaking, almonds are a fruit and there are two forms of the plant, one (often with white flowers) producing sweet almonds, and the other (often with pink flowers) producing bitter almonds. The English word almond is derived from the French amande, which in turn is a derivative of the old Latin word for almond, amygdalus, literally meaning "tonsil plum." Ancient Romans also referred to almonds as "Greek nuts," since they were first cultivated in Greece.

Greek mythology tells of the beautiful princess Phyllis, who was left waiting at the altar on her wedding day by her intended, Demophon. Phyllis waited for years for him to return, but finally died of a broken heart. In sympathy, the gods transformed Phyllis into an almond tree, which became a symbol of hope. When the errant, remorseful Demonphon returned to find Phyllis as a leafless, flowerless tree, he embraced the tree. The tree suddenly burst into bloom, a demonstration of love not conquered by death.
Domesticated almonds appear in the Early Bronze Age (3000–2000 BC) of the Near East, or possibly a little earlier. A well-known archaeological example of the almond is the fruit found in Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt (c. 1325 BC).

Sweet almonds are used in marzipan, nougat, many pastries (including French macarons), noghl and other sweets and desserts. During Medieval times frumentry (a pudding made from whole wheat and almond milk) was commonly served with meals of venison. One of the early European uses of almond milk was in the preparation of the French dessert blancmange, a delicate, all white, chilled custard whose British version of the 14th and 15th century, blancmanger, included shredded chicken breast, sugar, rice, and almond milk or ground almonds.

A traditional Christmas soup in Spain is Sopa de Almendras (Almond Soup) and it is delicious!

Sopa de Almendras (Almond Soup)

200g almonds, skinned and blanched
50ml olive oil
garlic
2 slices day old bread, crusts removed and diced
10 peppercorns, crushed
1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
saffron
ground cumin or cinnamon

Fry the almonds, bread, saffron and garlic in the oil, then put them in a blender with the peppercorns and cumin. Blend with the vinegar and a little of the stock to a purée. Mix this paste with the remaining stock in a suitable pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve garnished with a few slivers of toasted almonds, croutons or some chopped parsley or mint.

Nuts About Christmas – Pecans and Pecan Pie Recipe

2009-12-22T10:37:00.005Z

The Pecan is a species of Hickory and is native to the USA. "Pecan" is from an American Indian word, meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack. The nut was a staple food for American Indians who pounded the nut into a thin meal and then added water to create a nutritious Pecan milk. Although wild Pecans were well-known among the colonial Americans as a delicacy, the commercial growing of pecans in the United States did not begin until the 1880s.

Pecans first became known to Europeans in the 16th century; the Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca is credited with writing about this plant. The Spaniards brought the Pecan into Europe, Asia, and Africa beginning in the 16th century. Thomas Jefferson planted Pecan trees, "Carya illinoinensis,' (Illinois nuts) in his nut orchard at his home in Virginia and George Washington reported in his journal that Thomas Jefferson gave him "Illinois nuts" which grew at Mount Vernon, George Washington's home.

Tradition holds that the French invented Pecan Pie soon after settling in New Orleans, after being introduced to the nut by Native Americans. It is sometimes referred to as "New Orleans Pecan Pie," and is often cooked for Thanksgiving.

Pecan Pie

1 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
¼ cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 9-inch (23-cm) purchased or home made pie shell, unbaked

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). In a mixing bowl, beat together maple syrup, sugar, eggs, melted butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until slightly thickened, about 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in chopped pecans and pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife poked into the centre of the filling comes out clean. Let cool completely or serve slightly warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Nuts About Christmas – Walnuts and Rumkugeln (Rum and Walnut Balls) Recipe

2009-12-17T19:01:00.007Z

The Walnut's Latin name Juglans, translates as "Jupiter's acorn" and means a nut fit for a god. Our word Walnut comes from from the Anglo-Saxon word wealh meaning foreign or alien and hnutu meaning nut. It's thought that the Romans introduced the Walnut to Britain from Gaul. In the Périgord, France, excavations have brought to light petrified shells of nuts that were roasted during the Neolithic period, more than 8000 years ago. Around 2,000 B.C. in Mesopotamia, the Chaldeans left inscriptions on clay tablets revealing the existence of walnut groves within the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

The walnut appears in Greek mythology in the story of Carya, with whom the god Dionysus (the god of wine) fell in love. When she died, Dionysus transformed her into a walnut tree. The goddess Artemis carried the news to Carya's father and commanded that a temple be built in her memory. Its columns, sculpted in wood in the form of young women, were called caryatids, or nymphs of the walnut tree.

Pickled walnuts are a traditional English pickle although there is doubt as to which country first pickled walnuts. The Pickled Walnut was certainly a common delicacy in early 1800s England. Charles Dickens mentions them in his book Pickwick Papers published in 1836. Today they are a delicacy found on tables mainly at Christmas time but many recipes can be found using them, more commonly cooked in with beef dishes or served with an English blue cheese such as Stilton.

One of the oldest recipes for Pickled Walnuts comes from Iran where walnuts are picked green in mid-summer, soaked for a lunar cycle in brine from the Caspian, rinsed thoroughly, then cooked to perfect tenderness in an open vat of honey, with fresh ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg added for flavour. This mid-summer treat was eaten "hot from the pot" as a village festival finger food, and enjoyed by young and old alike.

In Armenian cuisine, walnuts are preserved in sugar syrup and eaten whole. In Italy, liqueurs called Nocino and Nocello are flavoured with walnuts, while Salsa di Noci ("Walnut Sauce") is a pasta sauce originating from Liguria.

I have found an Austrian Christmas recipe using Walnuts which is marvellous wit a glass of Sauternes:

Rumkugeln - Rum and Walnut Balls Recipe

180 g (6 oz.) ground walnuts
150 g (5 oz.) icing sugar
80 g (3 oz.) grated dark chocolate
1 egg white
1 tbsp rum
For decorating: chocolate sprinkles

Combine all the ingredients, except the chocolate sprinkles, to form a workable dough. Let rest in the refrigerator one hour. Lightly moisten your hands; form the dough into small balls and roll in the chocolate sprinkles.

Nuts About Christmas – Hazelnuts and Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles Recipe

2009-12-16T14:37:00.007Z

Hazelnuts have been harvested for thousands of years and there is evidence of large-scale Mesolithic nut processing, some 9,000 years old, on the island of Colonsay in Scotland. The evidence consists of a large, shallow pit full of the remains of hundreds of thousands of burned hazelnut shells. Similar sites in Britain are known only at Farnham in Surrey and Cass ny Hawin on the Isle of Man.

The Celts also believed that the Hazelnut tree was the tree of knowledge and the phrase "in a nutshell" probably derives from this legend because all wisdom is within the nut. Hazel is a favourite wood for magicians staffs, wands, walking sticks, self-defence and shepherds' crooks. It is even said that Moses wielded a hazelnut rod when he smote the rocks to make water come forth.

Hazelnuts are also known as Cob nuts or Filbert nuts, depending on the species of tree and Turkey is the largest producer of Hazelnuts in the world. Cob nuts were introduced to the UK in the 17th century and Kent still grows them. Unlike many other nuts, which are sold dried, Cob nuts are sold fresh. In the past Cob nuts were popular with mariners, as they kept fresh for months, and the Victorians were devoted to them and bred many new kinds. In 1913, plantations extended to over 7,000 acres, most of the orchards or “plats” being in Kent. Stored nuts were available from London wholesalers for most of the year, and fetched high prices. However, today, 200 - 250 acres of old plats survive, but new orchards are once again being planted, of Kentish Cob as well as other hazelnut varieties.

The modern name for Filberts has evolved from European folklore. The original name was connected with Saint Philbert's Day (Saint Filbert), the day that harvesting the nuts began, August 22nd, the day of observing the Saint's day of celebration. The famous Roman historian, Pliny, recorded that ‘hazels' (filberts) were frequently gathered by the Romans as food. Pliny believed that filberts had originated in Damascus, Syria, where they grew naturally in forests; however, archaeological records have shown some fossilized remains of filberts that were 5000 years old in prehistoric excavations from China.

Filberts are alleged to conjure up mystical powers and have been thought since ancient times to be used as ‘divining rods' to locate underground spring heads of water, buried treasure, minerals, ores, and as various remedies for illness and ailments of many kinds.

Hazelnuts are extensively used in confectionery to make praline and also used in combination with chocolate for chocolate truffles and hazelnut paste products (such as Nutella). In Austria and especially in Vienna hazelnut paste is an important ingredient in the world famous tortes (such as Viennese hazelnut torte) which are made there. Hazelnuts are also the main ingredient of the classic Dacquoise and in vodka-based Hazelnut liqueurs, such as Frangelico.

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

¾ cup icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
4 milk chocolate bars (1.55 ounces each)
6 tbsp butter
¼ cup whipping cream
24 whole hazelnuts
1 cup ground hazelnuts, toasted

In a large bowl, sift together icing sugar and cocoa; set aside. In a saucepan, melt chocolate bars and butter. Add the cream and reserved cocoa mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened and smooth. Pour into an 8-in. square dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Using a melon baller or spoon, shape the truffles into 1-in. balls; press a hazelnut into each. Reshape balls and roll in ground hazelnuts. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Christmas Sweets and Treats – Figs

2009-12-15T13:56:00.006Z

Did you know that the fig is one of the first plants to be cultivated by humans. Nine subfossil figs of a parthenocarpic type dating to about 9400–9200 BC were found in the early Neolithic village in the Jordan Valley, north of Jericho. The find pre-dates the domestication of wheat, barley, and legumes, and may be the first known instance of agriculture.
The fig was such a staple food that Egyptian armies are recorded as having cut down the figs and vines of their enemies, and whole baskets of figs have been discovered among the tomb offerings of dynastic Pharaohs. Cleopatra ended her life with an asp brought to her in a basket of figs.

Figs were also a common food source for the Romans. Cato the Elder, in his De Agri Cultura, lists several strains of figs grown at the time. The fruits were used, among other things, to fatten geese for the production of a precursor of foie gras.

The Fig is found throughout the Mediterranean, Iran and northern India, and also in other areas of the world with a similar climate, including the USA, north eastern Mexico, as well as Australia, Chile, and South Africa. Figs can also be found in continental climate with hot summers, as far north as Hungary, and can be picked twice or thrice per year.

In the first half of the 16th century, the fig was brought to England by Cardinal Pole, a few years before Cortez introduced the tree to Mexico. Figgy Pudding – the precursor to what we know know as Christmas pudding – the famous 16th century carol We Wish You A Merry Christmas was written at this time:

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Figgy Pudding

½ pint milk
8oz flour
6oz dried figs
¼ pint brandy
4oz suet
4oz prunes
3oz raisins or sultanas
2oz dried apricots
2oz dates
1oz dried apples
1 tbsp honey
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon

On the day before making the pudding, place the dried apricots, prunes and apples to soak in water and place the raisins or sultanas to soak in the brandy. Remove the stones from of the dates and prunes. Butter a large pudding basin. Sift flour into a bowl. Stir in suet and mix to a fairly soft dough with cold water. Turn out on to a floured surface. Lightly knead until smooth.

Roll out two-thirds of pastry into a round and use to line a well-greased 2-pint pudding basin. Melt the honey and stir in the ginger and cinnamon. Add to the soaked fruits and brandy mixture. Mix well and place into the pastry lined bowl. Moisten edges of pastry with water. Cover with lid, rolled from remainder of the pastry. Press edges well together to seal. Cover securely with greased greaseproof paper or aluminium foil. Steam steadily for 2 hours. Ensure that the water does not evaporate, topping it up from time to time with boiling water. Turn out onto a plate and serve

Christmas Sweets and Treats - Dates

2009-12-14T21:00:00.004Z

Dates are the fruit of the date palm and have been a staple food of the Middle East for thousands of years and are believed to have originated around the Persian Gulf. There is archaeological evidence of date cultivation in eastern Arabia in 6000 BC.

In fact in 2008 researchers brought an extinct date palm back to life by resurrecting the oldest seed ever. They call it Methuselah, and the ancient seed was found at the cliff-side fortress of Masada. For centuries, the fruit seeds remained buried beneath the fallen citadel, once the luxurious palace of King Herod. The big question is whether Methuselah is a "boy," or a "girl" - in which case, researchers may be sampling its fruit by 2010.

In the Middle East dry or soft dates are eaten out-of-hand, or may be pitted and stuffed with fillings such as almonds, walnuts, candied orange and lemon peel, tahini, marzipan or cream cheese. Dates can also be chopped and used in a range of sweet and savoury dishes, from tajines (tagines) in Morocco to puddings, ka'ak (types of Arab cookies) and other dessert items.

Dates are also processed into cubes, paste called "'ajwa", spread, date syrup or "honey" called "dibs" or "rub" in Libya, powder (date sugar), vinegar or alcohol. Dates are also made into a sparkling date juice, used in some Islamic countries as a non-alcoholic version of champagne, for special occasions and religious times such as Ramadan!

Nuts about Christmas

2009-12-10T21:36:00.005Z

It's traditional in our house to have a nut bowl at Christmas and one of my favourites are the Brazil nuts. They are known as Noix du Bresil in France and their genus (Bertholletia Excelsa) is named after the French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet, born in the Duchy of Savoy in 1749. Berthollet was one of several scientists who went with Napoleon to Egypt, and was a member of the physics and natural history section of the Institut d'Égypte.

Brazil nut trees are enormous, frequently attaining the height of 40 to 50 metres or more, and can reach ages of 500-800 years old. The tree is found throughout the Amazon rainforest in Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. As well as its food use, Brazil nut oil is also used as a lubricant in clocks, for making artists' paints, and in the cosmetics industry.

Brazil Nut and Fig Torte

Base
4 cups brazil nuts
3 cups raisins
1 cup fig, dried

Frosting
1 cup pitted dates
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 passion fruit, pulp of

To make the base: Blend base ingredients until there is a solid mass in the food processor (it should be very fine with the occasional chunk). Place on a plate and form into a cake shape.

To make the frosting: Blend frosting ingredients well. If the dates are very firm and resist blending, just blend partially and let soak about 15 minutes to soften. Blend until smooth and creamy, then frost the cake. Decorate with lemon zest or passion fruit pulp.

Christmas Appetizers and Snacks – More Vol-au-vent Recipes

2009-12-08T11:35:00.002Z

Salmon, Dill and Caper Vol-au-vent

2 salmon portions
250g cream cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp crushed capers
¼ cup dill sprigs, chopped
¼ cup chopped chives
4 large vol-au-vent cases

Place salmon fillets into a deep frying pan. Cover with cold water and place over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins or until fish is cooked through. Drain, cool and flake. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine cream cheese, eggs, capers, dill, chives, flaked salmon, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Place vol-au-vents onto prepared tray. Spoon salmon mixture into vol-au-vents. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden and heated through.

Christmas Appetizers and Snacks – More Vol-au-vent Recipes

2009-12-07T12:46:00.004Z

Mushroom and Bacon Vol-au-vent

8 vol-au-vent cases
2 tsp butter
2 slices bacon, diced
1 tbsp minced shallot
6 oz mushrooms, chopped
pinch crushed garlic
pinch of chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup good beef stock
2 cups double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
fresh parsley

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the bacon and shallots and sauté until the shallots are soft. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Add the thyme, stock, and cream, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly before spooning equal amounts of the filling into each vol-au-vent case. Garnish with parsley.

Christmas Appetizers and Snacks – Vol-au-vent

2009-12-04T09:39:00.004Z

Vols-au-vent are puff pastry shells that resemble a pot with a lid. They can be small (individual-size) or large (6 to 8 inches in diameter). The pastry is classically filled with a cream sauce-based mixture, usually of chicken, fish, meat or vegetables. The puff-pastry lid is set on top of the filling. The term vol-au-vent is the French for "flying in the wind," refers to the pastry's incredible lightness.

Vols-au-vent are said to have been created by the famous French chef Antonin Carême who made his fame in the early 19th century, cooking for royalty and the very rich. Carême baked Napoleon's wedding cake, and dazzled Britain's future King George IV at Brighton's Royal Pavilion. He created masterpieces for the Romanovs in St. Petersburg and soufflés flecked with real gold for the Rothschilds in Paris. He is credited with inventing the chefs hat, the vol-au-vent, the soufflé, and the service a la Russe (serving one dish after another in proper order) rather than the service a la Francaise (all at once).

You can buy preprepared vol-au-vent cases or you can make your own from puff pastry sheets using shaped cutters.

Chicken and Asparagus Vol-au-vent

60g butter
1 large onion, finely diced
425g mushrooms, sliced
50g plain flour
600 ml chicken stock
1 tin (420g) cream of Asparagus soup
½ glass dry sherry
500g chicken breast, diced
36 small vol-au-vent cases

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. In a large pan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in onions and mushrooms, and sauté until onions are soft. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in stock gradually, and continue to stir over a medium heat until thickened. Stir in asparagus soup, sherry, and chicken. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is done and the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange pastry shells in a large baking tray. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before spooning equal amounts of the chicken filling into each shell.

Christmas Appetizers and Snacks – More Canapé Recipes

2009-12-03T11:31:00.004Z

Stilton and Wine Jelly Canapés on Savoury Shortbread

¾ cups flour
pinch baking powder
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch salt
¼ cup finely chopped pistachios or pecans
2 tbsp grated cheddar
1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
¼ lb butter
150g stilton cheese, cut into 20 thin slices
¼ cup red wine jelly
20 seedless red grapes, sliced

Place the flour, baking powder, cayenne and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Mix the pistachios or pecans and cheeses. Place the butter in another bowl and beat until light. Add the dry ingredients and mix well until a loose dough forms. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Shape the dough in a ball and then form and press into a roll about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper. Cut the roll into ¼ -inch thick slices. Place on the baking tray, spacing them about an inch apart. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Set on baking rack and cool to room temperature.

Top each savoury shortbread with a thin slice of the cheese, a small spoon of the jelly and a slice of grape.

Christmas Appetizers and Snacks – Canapés

2009-12-02T12:33:00.003Z

Canapés are finger food and are little crackers, small slices of bread, toast or puff pastry, cut into various shapes topped with a "canopy" of such savoury foods as meat, cheese, fish, caviar, foie gras, purées or relish. Canapés can be traced back in time to the 3rd century B.C. when the Athenians introduced the first hors d’oeuvre buffet, complete with garlic, sea urchins, cockles and small pieces of sturgeon placed in front of the diners on small plates.

The word Canapé is French and means “couch”. Canapés are normally eaten in one bite and are often served during cocktail hours as they can be either salty or spicy, in order to encourage guests to drink more. A canapé may also be referred to as finger food, although not all finger foods are canapés. Crackers or small slices of bread or toast or puff pastry, cut into various shapes, serve as the base for savoury butters or pastes, often topped with a "canopy" of meat, cheese, fish, caviar, foie gras, purées or relish.

Smoked Salmon Canapés with Egg and Caviar

These canapés can be made with inexpensive lumpfish caviar or with the very expensive caviar if you prefer. To get perfect egg slices you can use an egg slicer sold at most kitchenware shops.

4 thin square slices of rye bread
½ cup spreadable cream cheese
8 to 12 slices smoked salmon
16 thin egg slices
3 to 4 tbsp caviar
chopped chives or dill to garnish

Spread the bread slices with the cream cheese. Arrange the salmon slices on top in a clean, single layer. Trim the very outer edges of each bread slice to get clean edges. Cut each bread slice into 4 squares. Top each square with a slice of egg. Top the egg with a small spoon of the caviar and garnish with chopped chives or dill.

Kirsch

2009-12-01T20:56:00.002Z

Kirsch is a clear, colourless fruit brandy traditionally made from double distillation of morellos, a dark-coloured cultivar of the sour cherry. The German word Kirsch comes from the word karshu, the name given to the first cultivated cherries in Mesopotamia in 8 BC and the liqueur is known as Kirschenwasser (from Kirsche 'cherry' and Wasser 'water'). As morellos were originally grown in the Black Forest region of southern Germany, Kirschwasser is believed to have originated there.

Unlike cherry liqueurs and so-called “cherry brandies,” Kirschwasser is not sweet. The best Kirschwassers have a highly refined taste with subtle flavours of cherry and a slight bitter-almond taste that is derived from the stones. Kirschwasser is colourless because it is either not aged in wood or is aged in barrels made of ash.

Emmental Cheese

2009-11-30T11:15:00.001Z

Emmental is one of the largest cheeses in physical size in the world. More than 264 gallons of milk is required for one cheese. During the whole of the ripening process the cheeses have to be turned regularly. In the past this had to be done by hand and the strong muscles of the cheese makers were much feared in the wrestling ring. The flexible paste is a lovely deep yellow colour with holes the size of cherries, walnuts, or even golf balls. The trademark holes, produced by release of carbon dioxide during fermentation, also provide problems for the cheese makers – the holes are growing so big that wheels of Emmental cheese in many Swiss dairies are expanding, and some even burst.

The cheese originally comes from the Emme valley in the canton of Bern in Switzerland but France also makes Emmental de Savoie, from Savoy and Emmental Français est-Central from Franche-Comté, France and also has PGI status.

Gruyère Cheese

2009-11-27T10:06:00.008Z

Before Gruyère cheese gained its own Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status in 2001 there was heated debate as to whether it was of French or Swiss origin. Gruyère is named after the town of Gruyères in Switzerland but the style of cheese was made on both sides of the border between Switzerland and France which cuts straight across the top of the Jura mountain range. On the French side is the province of Franche-Comté and for centuries they have called the cheese that they make there Gruyère.

The Swiss claim that the French usurped the name from the region of Gruyère. Not so, say the French. In the Middle Ages, an officer of the French government called a “gruyer” presided over forest lands and collected taxes — in the form of cheese. It is this gruyer that their cheese is named after, claim the French, and they can show tax records that date back to the 1100s to prove it.

However in Roman times the Jura region was the homeland of an ethnic group called the Sequanes and Roman texts dated from 40 B.C. describe the cheese process used in Sequany — which is the same as that used in the making of Gruyère. So if you want to be pedantic Gruyère was acttually invented by the Romans.

After decades of fighting over the name, cheese makers in the Franche-Comté region decided that protecting the name “Gruyère” was hopeless and applied for an appellation under the name “Comté.” Savoy, too, renamed their cheese “Beaufort”. If you have a Gruyère style cheese and do not know its origins then there is one general rule of thumb - French Gruyère-style cheeses must have holes according to French agricultural law, whereas holes are usually not present in Swiss Gruyère.

Winter Warmers – Fondue

2009-11-25T14:13:00.008Z

Fondues are in fashion once more and given that they are a winter dish I thought they would make a great comfort food for this time of year. In the past food became scarce in the winter and the cheeses that had been made in the summer were hard and dry so melting them in a Fondue was a way of stretching out the winter rations. The cheese was melted in a earthenware pot called the caquelon. Local wines and seasonings were added and even the stale bread tasted delicious after it was swirled in the creamy cheese sauce.

The word fondue is a derivative of the French word, fondre, which means "to melt" – and there is some debate as to whether fondue originated as a Swiss or a French dish. Most people credit the Swiss for inventing the fondue but in the medieval vineyards of Burgundy meat fondues were cooked when workers had to harvest grapes quickly with no time for a noon meal. They heated oil right there in the countryside and dunked pieces of meat into it for a quick bite.

In Switzerland, fondue emerged as a cooking method in the early 1800s and the French gastronome Brillat-Savarin mentioned fondue in his 19th century writings. Savarin is credited with introducing the dish to America when he left France just ahead of the French Revolution. He wrote three cookbooks that included fondue au fromage, which was slightly different from the Swiss peasant food because it included butter and cream.

Traditional fondue is made with a mixture of Emmenthal and/or Gruyére cheese and wine, melted in a communal pot. Cherry brandy is sometimes added to the melted mixture, which becomes a dip for pieces of stale bread and crusts. Today's Meat fondues have extended to encompass beef, boneless skinless breast of chicken, prawns, scallops, and even salmon. The diner sits at a pot of either oil or broth as the meats are brought out raw, with an assortment of sauces for dipping. Dessert fondues emerged in the 1960s and 70s and involve dipping pieces of cake and fruit into warmed chocolate or caramel sauces.

Fondue Savoyarde

12 oz shredded Emmental cheese
12 oz shredded Gruyére
12 oz Tomme or Beaufort cheese, shredded
6 glasses dry white wine
½ glass of Kirsch liqueur
1 clove garlic peeled and crushed
White pepper
One egg
3 baguettes

Cube the bread the day before you wish to make the fondue and leave to dry.

Rub the sides of a heavy saucepan with the clove of garlic, pour in the wine and bring to the boil. Add the cheese and stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Before the cheese is all melted, remove the pan from the stove and place on a lighted fondue burner. Season with pepper and add the kirsch whilst stirring. Once the cheese has entirely melted, serve with bread and fondue forks. If the cheese bubbles reduce the heat immediately. When the cheese is almost gone (less than a cupful left), break the raw egg into the pot and stir rapidly with cheese. After one minute add the remaining bread into the pot and stir together. Turn off the burner and enjoy what is left!

Fondue Bourguignonne

2 lb beef steak
4 cups of cooking oil
salt and pepper
sauces of your choice

Cut the beef into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper and arrange in individual serving dishes. Heat oil in the fondue pot, then spear beef cubes using your fondue fork, and cook until done.

Serve with different kinds of dipping sauces on the side. For the sauces, you can use curry, bearnaise, tartar, or cocktail sauces. To make curry sauce, simply mix together some mayonnaise and curry powder. To make Sauce Andalouse, mix together a cup of mayonnaise with a teaspoon of paprika and a tablespoon of tomato paste.

Advent Calendars

2009-11-20T09:50:00.004Z

We know that Advent Calendars filled with Chocolate was already available in 1958 but their origins go back much further than that and stem from Germany.
In the 1800s German Lutherans would mark the 24 days of Advent by drawing a chalk line on the door each day, beginning on December 1st Some families had more elaborate means of marking the days, such as lighting a new candle or hanging a little religious picture on the wall each day. The 24 candles might also be placed on a structure, which was known as an "Advent clock".

The first known Advent calendar was handmade in 1851 but Gerhard Lang, was responsible for what we know as an Advent Calendar today. When he was a child his mother made him an Advent Calendar with 24 little sweets which were stuck onto cardboard. He used this idea to create an Advent calendar when he was a printer in the firm Reichhold & Lang of Munich in 1908 and created 24 little coloured pictures that could be affixed to a piece of cardboard. Several years later, he introduced a calendar with 24 little doors.

Christmas Crackers

2009-11-19T12:35:00.002Z

Did you know that Christmas Crackers were inspired by the French bon-bon sweets? Crackers were invented by Thomas J. Smith of London in 1847 after he had discovered the French bon-bon (a sugared almond wrapped in a twist of waxed paper) whilst on holiday in Paris, where Bonbonniers were all the rage. British sweets were still being sold loose on trays at the time and Smith saw that the French sweets would be popular at home.

Smith marketed the bon-bons in time for Christmas, and they were an instant success but he noticed that sales slumped after the festive season. His first tactic to increase sales was to insert mottos into the wrappers of the sweets (like those in fortune cookies), but this had only limited success.

However the story goes that he was inspired to add the "crackle" element when he heard the crackle of a log he had just put on the fire. A small strip of saltpetre, still familiar in today's crackers, was pasted to two strips of thin card. As each side was pulled, the friction created a crack and a spark. With too much, they burst into flames, too little and the crack was inaudible. So in 1860 Tom Smith's 'Bangs of Expectation' were launched containing a sweet which was later dropped in favour of a small gift.

In those early days, the crackers were still quite small, about 6 inches long, and fairly plain. They were known as 'Cosaques' because the noise they made reminded people of the cracking of the Cossack's whips as they rode through Paris during the Franco-Prussian wars.

If you want to make your own crackers visit www.oldenglishcrackers.com and you can use the recipes for Christmas Sweets and Treats in the Wine and Christmas category of my blog (you will find a recipe for sugared almonds there too).

Christmas Sweets and Treats - Peppermint Creams

2009-11-18T20:05:00.004Z

Peppermint is sometimes regarded as 'the world's oldest medicine', with archaeological evidence placing its use at least as far back as ten thousand years ago. Its the oldest and most popular flavour of mint-flavoured contectionery and the English were the first country to manufacture peppermint creams as a product – the French still call Peppermint Menthe Anglaise.

Peppermint is actually a cross between the Watermint and Spearmint and grows throughout Europe. The Greeks believed mints could clear the voice and cure hiccups. In fact, mint is part of Greek mythology and according to legend - "Minthe" was originally a nymph, and beloved by Pluto. Persephone, Pluto's wife, in a fit of rage turned Minthe into a lowly plant, to be trod upon. Pluto, unable to undo the spell, was able to soften it by giving Minthe a sweet scent which would perfume the air when her leaves were stepped on - the aromatic herb Mint.

Peppermint Creams

White from one large egg
8 oz icing sugar
Peppermint essence or peppermint oil

Beat the egg white in a bowl with a fork and sieve in 6 oz of icing sugar. Mix well with a wooden spoon and slowly sieve in more icing sugar, half a tablespoon at a time until you have made a stiff paste. Shake a little icing sugar on the work surface and empty the paste onto this. Add 3-4 drops of peppermint essence or oil and gently knead it together with your fingers until you have a smooth paste. Have a taste of a small piece and if the flavour is not strong enough, add a few more drops of the peppermint.

Rub icing sugar on a rolling pin and roll the paste to quarter of an inch (0.5cm) thick. Cut out individual peppermint creams with a cutter - a round one or any other shape you have handy. Cover a plate with greaseproof paper and place the peppermint shapes on the paper. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight in a cool place (but not the fridge). Store in small paper cases in an airtight tin.

Christmas Sweets and Treats - Marzipan Fruits

2009-11-11T15:54:00.005Z

In Victorian times Marzipan or Marchpane as it was called then was made into a variety of sweets for festive occasions such as Christmas. In high society Marzipan was used to construct ornate sweetmeats sometimes piled high on 3 or 4-tiered stands. Marzipan gets its charcteristic flavour from bitter almonds and there are several trains of thought as to where it originated. One is that it originated in Persia (present day Iran) and that the Crusaders carried it back to their homeland during the Dark Ages where it was made by nuns in France. It became well known as march pane in Europe by the 13th century. During the Renaissance, the kings of France cherished Marzipan and had it baked into small biscuits called masepains.

Marzipan is mentioned in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights and became a specialty of the Baltic Sea region of Germany. In particular, the city of Lübeck has a proud tradition of Marzipan manufacture.

Marzipan fruits are easy to make and you can use the leftover trimmings from the Christmas cake. I thought that making Marzipan Grapes would be rather suitable this year and this is how you go about it:

Marzipan Grapes

Roll the Marzipan into small balls for each cluster. Brush the balls with food colouring and let them dry. Make vine leaves from rolled out Marzipan (use a wooden toothpick to mark out the leaf indentations. Coat the balls with beaten egg white – this helps them stick together - and shape balls into clusters. For each cluster, brush egg white on the end of 2 leaves; attach to back of each cluster, pressing gently to make grapes and leaves adhere to each other. Allow to dry. You can brush your finished grapes with glaze made from a sugar syrup if you want a shiney effect.

Christmas Sweets and Treats – Marrons Glacés and Crémant d'Alsace

2009-11-06T11:53:00.005Z

Marrons Glacés are chestnuts candied in sugar syrup and glazed. Candied chestnuts appeared in the chestnut growing areas North of Italy and South of France shortly after the crusaders brought sugar back with them from the Middle East. The earliest recorded recipes for them were written by the French and Marrons Glacés were a favourite of Louis XIV's Versailles court. The oldest recipe was written in 1667, by Le Sieur François Pierre La Varenne, Chef de cuisine to Nicolas Chalon du Blé, Marquis of Uxelles (not very far from Lyon and a chestnut producing area) in his book Le Parfaict Confiturier.

The difference between a chestnut and a marron has been a subject of discussion - especially at commercial level. Often marron is used to define very large chestnuts or, as in the case of the French, used to classify chestnuts which do not have signs of the pellicle (membrane) which covers the seed in the kernel or which have a low division percentage. After thousands of years of breeding many varieties are also sweeter. These are the material for Marrons Glacés which are three or four times more expensive than the chestnut (châtaigne in French) because they also have a lower yield. In Italy marron means a particular Castanea sativa cultivar of excellent quality. Of oblong shape, with a reddish coloured epicarp (skin) that is shiny with dense, often with raised stripes.

Marrons Glacés

2 lbs chestnuts, shells removed
2 lbs sugar
2 ½ cups water
1 vanilla bean

In a large saucepan, cover chestnuts with water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes. Discard liquid. Drain. Using a kitchen towel, rub off the brown inner skins. In a large saucepan, cook sugar, water and vanilla bean over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Add chestnuts. Increase heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove vanilla bean. Pour syrup and nuts into a large bowl. Let stand 12 hours. Return to pan. Boil for 1 minute. Return to bowl. Let stand 24 hours. Repeat process 3 times until syrup has been absorbed.Preheat oven to 150ºF. Place chestnuts on wire rack. Bake in preheated oven with oven door open 2 hours or until firm. Remove from oven. Cool. Store in a container lined with waxed paper. Will keep for up to 2 weeks.

The sparkling wines of Alsace are a great choice when looking for something special to pair with sweetmeats. The Adam Crémant d'Alsace Chardonnay Extra Brut (£12.49) is a dazzling wine with a fine mousse of creamy bubbles. It has notes of melon, lemon, ripe pear and toast and is crisp and effervescent. It is a medium weighted sparkling wine with a dry, robust finish and although excellent as an aperitif it can accompany rich and sweet dishes. This Crémant d'Alsace comes from the House of Jean-Baptiste Adam, founded in 1614, in the Alsace village of Ammerschwihr. There are few families that can take advantage of 4 centuries of passion for wine and this has been carried through to recent times with bio dynamic policies being practised in the vineyards since 2003.

Enjoy!

Christmas Sweets and Treats – Turkish Delight and Champagne

2009-11-04T18:24:00.006Z

Christmas is approaching and I thought it would be useful to unearth some recipes for traditional sweets and treats. Turkish Delight is made from starch and sugar and is often flavoured with rosewater, mastic (an evergreen shrub of the Pistacio family which is cultivated for its aromatic resin, mainly on the Greek island of Chios), cinnamon, mint or lemon; rosewater gives it a characteristic pale pink colour. Some types contain small nut pieces, usually pistachio, hazelnut or walnuts.

The story behind the origins of Turkish Delight claims that it was invented in the late 1700s, when Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir, confectioner to the imperial court in Istanbul, was commanded to create a soft sweet by the Sultan. It was named Rahat Lokum which means "comfortable morsel" and is nowadays called simply Lokum. You can still buy Lokum at Ali Muhiddin's shop in Eminönü today, almost 250 years since the intrepid confectioner created his masterpiece for the Sultan.

Lokum originally had honey and molasses as sweeteners, with water and flour as binding agents. The recipe as we know it today, using the new ingredients of sugar and starch, was invented and popularized by the Haci Bekir company during the 19th century.

Turkish Delight

9 cups icing sugar
3 pints water
6 tbsp corn flour

¾ pint cold waterrose water (you can find this in the Health food shop)lemon juicealmond oil
Make a syrup of the icing sugar and 3 pints of water by boiling together in a heavy pan. Mix the corn flour with the ¾ pint of cold water, making sure that the corn flour is completely dissolved. Add the corn flour mix very carefully to the boiling syrup and continue boiling until reduced by about two thirds. The mixture will become very thick and stringy.

Remove from heat. Pour half into another saucepan. Flavour one half with lemon and the other with rose water. Pour into two dishes greased with almond oil. When set turn both onto a board dredged with icing sugar. Use kitchen paper to absorb any excess almond oil which was used to grease the two dishes. Cut Turkish Delight into cubes and roll in icing sugar. Store in a dry place.

Champagne is a great pairing with sweet dishes (think how well it goes down with a slice of wedding cake for example). However it pays to choose what type of Champagne to drink with a sweet as sugary as Turkish Delight. I'd recommend Seconde Collard Blanc de Noirs (£16.13) which is made purely from red grapes as opposed to Blanc de Blanc which is made from white grapes. It is a fruity Champagne with the scents of spices, wheat, fresh flowers, plums, peaches and pears.

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Kirsch

Emmental Cheese

Gruyère Cheese

Winter Warmers – Fondue

Advent Calendars

Christmas Crackers

Christmas Sweets and Treats - Peppermint Creams

Christmas Sweets and Treats - Marzipan Fruits

Christmas Sweets and Treats – Marrons Glacés and Crémant d'Alsace

Christmas Sweets and Treats – Turkish Delight and Champagne