Dining in

Blackberry and Apple Pie

2009-08-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

We have been blackberrying quite a lot in the last few days. In previous years it has taken hours to pick enough blackberries for 3 pies but this year we found it only too a few minutes. We went to a cycle track which runs past the back of our gym. We are early birds at the gym and we are there, on the doorstep at 6.30a.m. When we have finished out we go and start blackberrying. The rain must have made the blackberries so huge! No one else was about. No one else had picked any at all. So they were all ours.
We put them with the windfall apples from the garden and at the weekend I showed my husband how to make pastry. We used an oven thermometer to get the oven temperature just right and the pies were gorgeous. We ate one and froze three!

www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk

Children's lunches

2009-04-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

Ideas for healthy lunch boxes for : buy a few little plastic pots and include fruit pots, boxes of raisins, use cheddar cheese, (not strings etc.),

When you cook the evening meal save couscous, brown rice, pasta or cold boiled new potatoes. Add egg, tuna, hummus, cold chicken for protein plus veg e.g. chopped peppers, sweetcorn, chopped or grated carrot, froxen mixed veg, tomatoes , cucumber etc. plus raisins to make healthy salads. You could add a dressing made of 2 parts olive oil and 1 part vinegar if you want. Add a little knife and fork and a yogurt spoon. Pop a yogurt or a pot of grapes, apple slices, satsuma, cherries, raspberries or a banana in the box and you have a healthy lunch box at a fraction of the price.

For a good selection of children's cutlery visit Cutlery and Catering.

Top secret recipe

2009-04-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

"This" said my husband to my son in law, "is my new secret recipe. Taste it and see what you think...."
"Delicious," said our son-in-law, "how did you make it."
"Ah ha!" said my husband mysteriously, "it wouldn't be a secret if I told you!"

Our son in law was impressed. It isn't every father-in law who can make such a delicious dessert.

Next day he tried the same thing on my son. "Wow!" said number one son, "That is brilliant! I wouldn't have a clue how to make anything like that!"

I will tell you the secret folks. You simply take a tub of good quality vanilla ice cream. Take a few scoops out of it with an ice cream scoop, cover it in Tia Maria and put in the freezer to refreeze!
That is how you impress your son in law.
Next day you take more scoops of ice cream, cover them with "Baily's" and re freeze. That is how you impress your son!

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk

Haddock with lemon and parsley sauce all in a pot

2009-03-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

This dish is really healthy. You cook it all in a pot and use a timer and you can't really go wrong. I use a cast iron pot which you can use on the hob as well as in the oven.
It takes about 35minutes cooking time and should provide your 5 a day fruit and veggies plus protein, fibre etc. It serves 4
Ingredients
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion peeled and chopped small
2 garlic cloves peeled and sliced thinly
225g brown rice
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
1 pint chicken stock
2 courgettes, sliced thinly
3 tomatoes chopped
4 haddock fillets each about 6 oz. or 175g
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
black pepper (ground)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the casserole over a low heat for 1 minutes and add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the rice, lemon rind and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and then stir in the courgettes and tomatoes, put the lid on and simmer for another 4 minutes.
3. Put the haddock fillets on top of the rice. Put the lid on and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes until the fish flakes easily if you test it with a fork and all the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Whisk together the rest of the oil the lemon juice, pepper and the parsley and pour it over the fish.
If you wish you can use fish knives and forks to eat this with. It is delicious.
http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk

Mother's Day - hope it was as special as this

2009-03-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day. for me the day was really special. We didn't go out for a meal but stayed home and my husband and son-in-law cooked a special meal together. It was so relaxing to be waited on.

I thought about Mums all over the country who go out to work and bring up children, about Mums who , for what ever reason, bring up their children on their own. I thought about Mums who must be worried about how they will cope because their husbands have lost their jobs, Mum's who bring up children who have health problems, Mother's who have lost their children, Mother's who stay at home and devote themselves to the welfare of their children.

To all these Mums: I hope your day was special. To have your children bring you tea and toast in bed, to open cards they have made for you at school, to have a meal cooked for you, flowers given to you, to be taken out for a meal......whatever it was I hope that someone made your day special as they did for me!

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

A meal to cook in a cast iron pot

2009-03-17T04:37:00.000-07:00

This is a meal which you cook in one pot on top of the stove. We used a cast iron casserole which is great for use either on the hob or in the oven.
Roast Pork with Apples and Red Cabbage
It takes about 30 minutes to prespare and one and three quarters of an hour to cook.

3 tablespoons sunflower olil
2 level tablespoons soft dark brown sugar
1kg pork tenderloin
a medium onion finely chopped
450g red cabbaged finely shredded
900g baby new potatoes washed
450g cooking apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
285ml (half pint) red wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
black pepper (ground)
watercress and wedges of dessert apple to garnish

Preheat oven to 190C or gas mark 5
Heat oil and sugar in the cast iron casserole until the sugar dissolves into a caramel and then move the pork around in it to coat it for about 10 minutes until it is golden brown.
Remove the pork and keep warm. Replace it with the onion and cook till soft.
Add the cabbage,potatoes,wine, vinegar and pepper and heat till just simmering.
Put the pork back in the casserole. Put the lid on and cook in the middle of the oven for an hour.
Take off the lid, add a little wine if you need more liquid and replace in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Garnish with apple wedges and watercress

www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk

How was your meal? Are you enjoying it?

2009-03-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

We went out for a meal with friends. It was a new restaurant and we knew the owner so we had a little chat with him whilst we had a drink before being shown to our table.
During the course of the meal just about every time a waiter passed us they asked "Are your enjoying it?"
"How is your meal?"
"Is everything all right for you?"
Every time they interrupted our conversation. It began to be irritating. I am sure we were asked about 17 or 18 times during the course of a three course meal!
We were just about at screaming point, when the owner came up to us. "Please let me buy you all a drink. This is on me!"
So the ladies had coffee and the men had brandy and we all calmed down.
......but, even though it is well-meant, waiting staff can be over-zealous can't they?
Cutlery and Catering

Sweetcorn Chowder with Peppers and Prawns

2009-03-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is a rather nice chowder which you can make very easily. These are the ingredients you need
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
2 red peppers thinly sliced
340g peeled potatoes, diced
340g frozen sweetcorn
1 bay leaf
1/2 level teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 pint milk
ground black pepper
450g uncooked prawns, peeled and de-veined
150ml single cream

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onions in it. Add the peppers, potatoes, sweetcorn, bay leaf, marjoram or oregano and the nutmeg. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Add the milk and pepper. Bring back to the boil and stir in the prawns. Let them cook for 3-5 minutes over a moderate heat until they turn pink and acre cooked through. Take out the bay leaf. add the cream, heat through for 2-3 minutes but don't let it boil.
Absolutely delicious.
Best eaten with a soup spoon and some crusty bread.
http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

A Quick Pudding

2009-03-09T00:09:00.000-07:00

Life has been very busy recently so I didn't bother to make a pudding on Sunday much to my husband's dismay. (He loves puddings!) Undaunted, he set to and prepared a jam sponge pudding in 5 minutes flat!!! I thought I would share the recipe as it is so quick and easy. He used a standard imperial measure tablespoon to measure with and judged the amount of margerine by using half a 250g tub. So there was no weighing!

4 level tablespoons of caster sugar (use ordinary sugar if you don't have caster sugar)
4 heaped tablespoons of plain four, sifted
l level teaspoon baking powder (sifted in with the flour)
half a 250g tub of soft margerine
1 tablespoon warm water
3 or 4 tablespoons jam
2 beaten eggs

All he did was cream the marg and sugar together with a mixer, add the eggs and then fold in the flour, baking powder and water.
Put the jam in the bottom of a 1.5 pint pudding basin and heat on HIGH in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the sponge mixture, cover and cook on HIGH for about 6 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes and turn it out to serve.
It was lovely. "I bet when you met me you never thought I would be making jam sponge puddings!!!", said my husband.
Errr, no I didn't!!!!
"Do you want to take a photograph of me dishing it up?" he asked.
"Err! No thanks!" (In the clothes he wears to relax in on Sundays, it would be a bit like the "Would you buy a used car from this man??" adverts!!!)
However, if you want to buy tablespoon which measures an ounce or standard sized teaspoons take a look at the Serving Cutlery items for sale at Cutlery and Catering

12 Ways to save money on your food bills

2009-02-22T15:09:00.000-08:00

Ways to save money on your food bills.

Plan what you will eat for the next three days. If you plan for longer you will not be able to stick to it.

Try to include one meat free day.

Cut down on meat and increase the number of vegetables you eat. Remember that there is protein in peas, beans and lentils.

Eat vegetables in season. At this time of year root vegetables are plentiful and warming.

Plan to eat dessert. Rice pudding, yogurt, stewed fruit, bananas and custard, jam sponge pancakes with lemon etc. are all pretty cheap and filling and pretty nourishing too!

Make your own soups with left over vegetables. Try not to waste anything.

Shop twice or three times a week instead of one big shop. Visit local markets for fruit and vegetables.

Use your leftovers e.g. use left over pieces of ham in omlettes or scrambled egg, use left over pieces of cheese in rarebit.

Fish such as pilchards, sardines, tinned tuna, pink salmon are cheap and useful to keep in stock. They are also good for you.

When you make mashed potato , make extra and use to make fish cakes using tinned tuna or pink salmon. You can also use for corned beef hash.

Use some of the cheaper cuts of meat such as shin of beef , shoulder of lamb and do not forget offal. You can make such things as faggots very cheaply and they are full of goodness. Make dishes such as rissoles with left over cooked meat.

Pasta and rice are excellent in providing the basis of economical meals. They can also form the basis of packed lunchboxes with added ingredients to make salads. Making your own packed lunch is far cheaper than buying one ready made.

Saving money on food will offer huge satisfaction. You will become proud of your achievements and you will find that it is possible to eat really well on a lower budget with careful planning and a little imagination. The result is a better quality of life and more money in your pocket.

Always set the table beautifully so that every meal is special. It is a time for talking about the day you have just had, the things you would like to do, the things that worry you, sharing ideas and information with others.

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

Who said romance is dead?

2009-02-15T00:35:00.000-08:00

Here is what we had for dinner on Valentine's Day:

Camenbert cheese pates with a sauce dip

Duck a l'orange with chunky chipped potatoes and garden peas

fruit tartlets

walnut whips

wine

rose

This is how my husband prepared the meal

Go to Marks and Spencer and taste all four wines included in their offer and choose one

Choose a starter, maincourse, side dish and dessert and take to checkout grabbing walnut whips on the way.

Arrive home and lay the table with best china, glasses, cutlery. Plonk rose in vase.

Put food in oven. Take frozen peas from freezer and cook. Open wine.

Drink wine whilst serving food.

The Starter

The main course

The dessert.

6. Fall asleep in arm chair while wife does the washing up!

Well, I guess it was our 47th Valentine's Day and it did save going out on a cold night. What made it special , though , was that he set the table so beautifully!

>Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Shopping for food in Chesterfield

2009-02-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

We went to visit Chesterfield where there is a really good market. They sell all kinds of things including fruit, vegetables, bread, cakes, cheese and so on. There is also a covered market and here we found a wonderful and really helpful farmer/butcher. We had a really interesting discussion about his Sheffield knife and the whole queue seemed to join in!

Because this has been a market town for generations and the market has thrived, there seems to be an absence of supermarkets in the town centre and so wonderful food shops have grown up around the market place such as this bakery. The cakes and pork pies we bought were delicious. (The nicest pork pie I have ever had!)

and they were selling the most wonderful cakes for Valentine's Day. This is just a sample. You may prefer to make your own and, if you do,we have everything you need for baking.

The market in Chesterfield is well worth a visit if you like good food. If you look closely you can just about see the famoustwisted spire of the church.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

I thought it would never happen!

2009-02-06T22:23:00.000-08:00

Our son is a performance poet and comedian. He is talented and eccentric. He was commissioned to do a series of workshops in primary schools about healthy eating. In the process he seems to have converted imself! For years he has had a diet of takeaways and junk but now this is what I spotted in his kitchen. He regularly cooks stir fries, makes smoothies and soup.

There seems to have been another knock-on effect as well. His house is now so clean and tidy that you have to take your shoes off straight away. Never thought it would happen, but it has! For for all parents who despair about their offsprings housekeeping and cooking - there is light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime buy them this set for people setting up home and be patient.

Can you spot the mistake he made with these vegetables? Our section on catering tips about cooking and storing vegetables is here. This is where you will find the answer.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Shopping for Food - Borough Market

2009-02-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

Visiting food markets is a wonderful way to spend your time. If you love food then you would really enjoy a visit to London's Borough Market. There has been a market in the area since Roman times and a market on the current site since 1671.

This is a real bustling market for foodies but, be warned, it is expensive. That said, it is quite fascinating. There are specialist stalls selling sea salt, butter, spices, mushrooms. There is a stall selling simply juice, there are game dealers, fish mongers, bakers, stalls selling cider, wine, cheese.

A fishmonger's stall

A bread stall

This stall sells all kinds of mushrooms
but can you guess what these are piled high on the stall below???? *

I wonder if anyone who lives in London actually does their weekly shop here. Wonderful the food may be, but so is the price!

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

*Answer is: chocolate brownies!

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Exotic Leicester

2009-01-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

We spent a day in Leicester recently and I found the excuse to go and explore Leicester's famous market which is claimed to be the largest covered market in Europe.
I was not disappointed. There were so many stalls selling fruit and vegetables that it was overwhelming. Not just ordinary fruit and vegetables, either, but all kinds of exotic fruit and vegetables. Leicester is such a cosmopolitan city that its food market and food shops reflect this.
Here you can buy huge bunches of corriander as well as unusual herbs and spices.

I couldn't resist buying these. Do you know what they are?

This is them cut up!

They are dragon fruit. You simply peel them like a banana and they are a bit like a kiwi fruit only slightly more bland.
Traditional markets like this are wonderful places to shop. With so much competition the vegetables and fruit are so fresh and so inexpensive, especially compared with supermarkets.
I wrote a whole section about hints for storing and cooking fruit and catering tips about vegetables
on our website.

Spaghetti bolognese - really healthy version

2009-01-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

Still trying to eat healthily. This is a recipe adapted from traditional spaghetti bolognese using turkey instead of beef. I found a farmer butcher and he minced 500g grams of turkey breast for me. You could use leg meat.
To serve 6 you need:
1 tablespoon cooking oil
500g turkey minced
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
2 chopped carrots
1 red pepper deseeded and diced
2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon mixed herbs (I used sage, thyme, parsley)
Half a vegetable stock cube
2 tablespoons cornflour

1. Heat the oil in a large cast iron casserole or a saucepan and add the turkey. Cook gently for 3 minutes stirring to break up the meat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Add the carrots and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
3. Add the tinned tomatoes to the pan, sprinkle with the herbs and add the crumbled stock cube. Boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir from time to time.
4. Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir it into the pan. Cook for a few seconds until the sauce is thickened.
5. Serve with wholemeal spaghetti and a large fresh salad.

If you want, you can serve this in baked potatoes instead of with spaghetti.
http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk

Healthy pancakes!

2009-01-20T06:29:00.000-08:00

Pancake Tuesday will soon be here and I just love pancakes.

I made these. I used wholemeal flour instead of plain white flour , I used low fat milk and I mixed fresh blueberries in with the batter.

They were easy to make in our non stick pancake pan and when they were ready I served them with sliced banana and maple syrup. (Don't know if the maple syrup was healthy but the rest of it was!)

They tasted gorgeous!

Here's the pancake pan. The recipe for pancakes is on the base.It has a non stick surface and is really shallow so that tossing, flipping and turning pancakes is, well, a piece of cake!!!

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/a Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Borough Market

2009-01-19T06:22:00.001-08:00

A bread stall

This stall sells all kinds of mushrooms
but can you guess what these are piled high on the stall below???? *

I wonder if anyone who lives in London actually does their weekly shop here. Wonderful the food may be, but so is the price!

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

*Answer is: chocolate brownies!

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Still managing to cook the healthy stuff

2009-01-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

Still managing to keep to my resolution to cook healthy food. We had macaroni cheese with a salad. I used wholemeal pasta spirals instead of macaroni and made the cheese sauce with non fat milk and wholemeal plain flour. I chose a strong mature cheddar so that I did not use so much cheese and added a large pinch of mustard powder to the sauce. I stuck a few sliced tomatoes round the edge of the dish before I popped it in the oven for the top to brown.
We ate it with a salad made of fresh spinach leaves , cucumber and sliced oranges and also cold cooked beetroot.
For dessert ,I took four small cox apples, cored them, scored round the middle of the skin and stuffed them with dried fruit. I microwaved them while we were having the first course and then poured plain, fat free yogurt over them and sprinkled with nuts. They were delicious.

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

>Eat, Drink and Be Merry

12 Ways to Save Money when Shopping for Food

2009-01-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

Ways to save money on your food bills.

Plan what you will eat for the next three days. If you plan for longer you will not be able to stick to it.

Try to include one meat free day.

Cut down on meat and increase the number of vegetables you eat. Remember that there is protein in peas, beans and lentils.

Eat vegetables in season. At this time of year root vegetables are plentiful and warming.

Plan to eat dessert. Rice pudding, yogurt, stewed fruit, bananas and custard, jam sponge pancakes with lemon etc. are all pretty cheap and filling and pretty nourishing too!

Make your own soups with left over vegetables. Try not to waste anything.

Shop twice or three times a week instead of one big shop. Visit local markets for fruit and vegetables.

Use your leftovers e.g. use left over pieces of ham in omlettes or scrambled egg, use left over pieces of cheese in rarebit.

Fish such as pilchards, sardines, tinned tuna, pink salmon are cheap and useful to keep in stock. They are also good for you.

When you make mashed potato , make extra and use to make fish cakes using tinned tuna or pink salmon. You can also use for corned beef hash.

Use some of the cheaper cuts of meat such as shin of beef , shoulder of lamb and do not forget offal. You can make such things as faggots very cheaply and they are full of goodness. Make dishes such as rissoles with left over cooked meat.

Pasta and rice are excellent in providing the basis of economical meals. They can also form the basis of packed lunchboxes with added ingredients to make salads. Making your own packed lunch is far cheaper than buying one ready made.

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

Well, I blew it!

2009-01-14T23:24:00.000-08:00

Well I blew it. Yesterday I didn't go to the gym. We were too busy. My husband had to go to Sheffield and I was left holding the fort . In the evening we rushed off to the cinema as soon as he arrived home.

At our little cinema they had these huge slices of home made chocolate cake which went down well with a glass of wine while watching the film. I had such a big slice I didn't want any dinner. So bang went my New Year's Resolution to go to the gym or for a swim every day and to eat healthy meals at all times.

Ah well, it was a good film and rather nice cake, anyway!

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

Fast but healthy

2009-01-09T22:57:00.000-08:00

This is a really fast meal and very healthy. We ate it the other day. I am still keeping my Resolution regarding healthy eating!

Bean Chilli.

You need

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion peeled and chopped

1 large stick of celery sliced

1 clove garlic crushed

half to 1 teaspoon of hot chilli depending on your taste

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 large courgette sliced

1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 vegetable stock cube

1 can kidney beans

Cooked brown rice and plain yogurt to serve

Prepare all the vegetables

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole that you can use on the hob. Cook the onion celery and garlic gently for 5 minutes and add the chilli powder and cook for a further half minute stirring.

Add peppers and courgettes and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes stirring from time to time. Add tomatoes from the pan then half a can of cold water. Add the tomato puree and the stock cube crumbled. Stir.

Boil and then simmer gently for 15 minutes stirring now and again.

Add the beans and cook for 5 more minutes until everything is tender and the sauce has thickened.

We really enjoyed this and I will certainly make it again soon. We have a selection of cast iron casseroles and skillets you can use to make it.

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

I am keeping my resolution about healthy eating

2009-01-09T22:36:00.000-08:00

This is a quick meal that I made which is full of goodness. It doesn't take long and is ideal if you have been at work all day. This is what you need

4 pieces cod or haddock fillet

3 tablespoons olive oil and a little extra for brushing

2 finely chopped garlic cloves

1 red pepper

6 oz couscous

10fl oz vegetable stock

2 tomatoes

4 spring onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder

salt and pepper

finely chop the garlic cloves, seed and finely dice the pepper, dice the tomatoes, chop the corriander. It is vital to do all this before you begin because everything happens quickly.

Pre heat the grill. Cut 4 slices from the lemon and squeeze the juice from what is left. Put it in a bowl. Put the fillets of fish onto the grill pan with the skin side upwards. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 6-8 minutes.

While they are grilling heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan and cook the garlic and pepper for 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in couscous, hot stock, tomatoes, spring onions and coriander. Season to taste, cover and remove from the heat.

Mix the lemon juice with the chilli powder and the 2 tablespoons of oil you have left. Fork up the couscous and spoon onto plates with the fish on top and drizzle the chilli dressing on the top.

The meal should be read in 30 minutes from the time you begin. The skin is blackened , crispy and delicious.

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

Eat, Drink and Be Merry
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The best kind of evening

2009-01-09T06:24:00.000-08:00

We shared a minibus taxi and were greeted warmly on a cold night. We had pre dinner drinks and after lots of chats all ten of us trooped into the dining room.
There before us was a wonderful array of food. You could mix and match; have starters or not. You simply helped yourself.
There was salmon and green salad for those who wanted it and you could either have it as starter or main course. There was a vegetable curry for the vegetarians and a delicious beef casserole (both of the latter cooked in casseroles purchased from us!) a selection of vegetables and rice and new potatoes. Afterwards there were three delicious desserts to choose from. There was plenty of wine and beer.
You could help yourself and go back for seconds.......or thirds......Then we had coffee and a wonderful cheese board. Followed by chocolates.
There we were, a group of old friends, who have known each other forever all enjoying an evening dinner party at home. What better way to spend an evening?
Here is the recipe for one of the puddings which I managed to get from our host. There is lots of port in it so make sure you tell anyone who is driving!
Dried Fruit Compte.
12oz mixed dried fruit - apricots, figs and prunes
2 oranges
4 oz raisins
10 fl oz cold water
12fl oz port
20z toasted almond flakes
Rinse the fruit under the cold tap and put into a large saucepan. Slice one of the oranges and cut each of the slices into quarters. Pour in cold water. Add raisins to the rest of the items in the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the juice from the second orange together with the port. Leave overnight in the fridge and sprinkle with almonds.
Gorgeous. Simple to make.
http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

Eat, Drink and Be Merry
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Service with a Smile Part 2

2009-01-06T22:36:00.001-08:00

In my last blog entry I wrote about a surly bar man and a horrible meal.
The same day as that incident we went out for a meal in the evening , only this time there were five of us.

The experience couldn't have been more different.

We were welcomed by a really friendly waitress
Our coats were taken straight away
We were shown to a comfortable area for pre dinner drinks
When we were ready we were able to order immediately
We were asked exactly how we would like the meat, duck etc cooked
The service was prompt, unobtrusive, friendly and the waitress seemed to know exactly when to reappear
The wine waiter was brilliant and also friendly - and he didn't keep topping up our glasses ( I really hate it when they do that!)
The meal was fine but what really made the evening was the service. Absolutely perfect!

I reckon that the most important assets in this restaurant were a smile and what is basically good manners. The staff here restored my faith in the occasional night out.

It was alsmost as good as dining in with friends!

http://www.cutleryandcatering.co.uk/

Eat, Drink and Be Merry