There's only a week to go until Christmas, so we'd like to wish all our Cracking Cooks readers and everyone who has taken part in a Cracking Good Food event this year...
Happy Holidays!
And if you're behind on the Christmas shopping, don't panic - you can still buy our vouchers! Available in various values and redeemable against any of the fab classes we have lined up for 2011, Cracking Good Food vouchers make Cracking great gifts for your foody friends and family! Don't forget that in the New Year, we'll be putting on loads of new and old sessions, including revisiting Mexican tapas, baking bread for beginners and advanced, trying out tofu, and kneading (and needing!) our own pizza dough, so there's something for everyone.
To order a Cracking Good Food voucher, just email Fiona via fiona@crackinggoodfood.org or call Adele on 0845 652 2572.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
18 December 2010
15 December 2010
Soup kitchen
On Thursday 9 December, the second Christmas Farmers' Market was held on Chorlton Green, outside the Horse & Jockey. Cracking Good Food was there to warm up the chilly shoppers with a smashing seasonal soup. We dished up an unusual but ultra-tasty apple and parsnip broth, which went down a treat on the dark, damp evening.
This video clip sees Cracking Good Food's Kath and Adele interviewed by local resident Bernard Leach at the Christmas Farmers' Market about the seasonal soup and the next round of Cracking Good classes, running in the New Year. There's plenty to choose from, so why not get yourself, your friends or your family vouchers to put towards one of the three-hour sessions? Just email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org or call 0845 652 2572.
We also have photos from the Christmas Market on our Facebook page. All you need to do is click here to go straight to the relevant album. Remember to tag yourself if you're in any of the pictures and click "like" if you saw us manning our stall!
9 December 2010
Cracking Christmas
Make sure your friends and family have a Cracking Christmas - get them a voucher for one of our fab Cracking Good Food classes we have lined up for 2011!
Cracking Good Food vouchers are the perfect Christmas gift for the food lover in your life. Our vouchers are available in various values, are valid for one year from date of purchase and are redeemable as full or part payment against any of the Cracking Good Food cooking sessions. To get your mitts on a Cracking Good Food voucher, just email Fiona via fiona@crackinggoodfood.org or call Adele on 0845 652 2572.
Once the festivities are over, we'll be re-running some of our most popular classes, so if you missed out before, here's your chance!
Fernanda will be showing how to make a feast of Mexican tapas and Rob will teach you how to bake your own bread (beginners) and perfect your loaf-making skills (advanced). We'll be preparing and cooking sustainably sourced fish and ethically sourced meat again, taking another trip into the wonderful world of tofu and tempeh, and revisiting gluten-free baking and Cracking cakes.
We'll also have some new themes, including homemade pizzas and calzones, Thai and Indian curries, baking pies and tarts, soups, pasta, Chinese dishes and much, much, more...
All our classes will be in the brilliant Chorlton High School Domestic Science rooms, using locally sourced organic and free range produce and costing only £15 (or £10 concessions) for three hours preparation and cooking and a sit-down meal. Cracking good food isn’t expensive, as we prove!
To book classes and get more info...
* email Fiona via fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call Adele on 0845 652 2572
* visit our website www.crackinggoodfood.org (please bear with us while we give it a makeover for the New Year!)
* pop into the Hickson & Black’s deli on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
Cracking Good Food vouchers are the perfect Christmas gift for the food lover in your life. Our vouchers are available in various values, are valid for one year from date of purchase and are redeemable as full or part payment against any of the Cracking Good Food cooking sessions. To get your mitts on a Cracking Good Food voucher, just email Fiona via fiona@crackinggoodfood.org or call Adele on 0845 652 2572.
Once the festivities are over, we'll be re-running some of our most popular classes, so if you missed out before, here's your chance!
Fernanda will be showing how to make a feast of Mexican tapas and Rob will teach you how to bake your own bread (beginners) and perfect your loaf-making skills (advanced). We'll be preparing and cooking sustainably sourced fish and ethically sourced meat again, taking another trip into the wonderful world of tofu and tempeh, and revisiting gluten-free baking and Cracking cakes.
We'll also have some new themes, including homemade pizzas and calzones, Thai and Indian curries, baking pies and tarts, soups, pasta, Chinese dishes and much, much, more...
All our classes will be in the brilliant Chorlton High School Domestic Science rooms, using locally sourced organic and free range produce and costing only £15 (or £10 concessions) for three hours preparation and cooking and a sit-down meal. Cracking good food isn’t expensive, as we prove!
To book classes and get more info...
* email Fiona via fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call Adele on 0845 652 2572
* visit our website www.crackinggoodfood.org (please bear with us while we give it a makeover for the New Year!)
* pop into the Hickson & Black’s deli on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
7 December 2010
Soup kitchen special
This Thursday sees the second Christmas Market on Chorlton Green, organised by the folk at the Horse & Jockey and featuring local farmers and independent producers (more details here).
Cracking Good Food's Adele and Kath will be braving the cold snap at the Farmers Market from 4pm until 9pm to set up a special Cooks On The Hop soup kitchen, dishing up piping hot broth to warm the cockles. This week, they're offering seasonal parsnip and apple soup, and as well as being able to give this unusual but delicious flavour a try, you'll be able to pick up a recipe sheet to recreate it at home.
Also available on the stall will be Cracking Good Food vouchers - the perfect Christmas gift for the food lover in your life! Our vouchers are available at various values and are redeemable as full or part payment against any of the cooking sessions in 2011 (vouchers are valid for one year from date of purchase).
If you can't make it down on Thursday, you can still buy vouchers by...
* emailing fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* calling 0845 652 2572
* logging onto www.crackinggoodfood.org
* popping into Hickson & Black’s on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
Cracking Good Food's Adele and Kath will be braving the cold snap at the Farmers Market from 4pm until 9pm to set up a special Cooks On The Hop soup kitchen, dishing up piping hot broth to warm the cockles. This week, they're offering seasonal parsnip and apple soup, and as well as being able to give this unusual but delicious flavour a try, you'll be able to pick up a recipe sheet to recreate it at home.
Also available on the stall will be Cracking Good Food vouchers - the perfect Christmas gift for the food lover in your life! Our vouchers are available at various values and are redeemable as full or part payment against any of the cooking sessions in 2011 (vouchers are valid for one year from date of purchase).
If you can't make it down on Thursday, you can still buy vouchers by...
* emailing fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* calling 0845 652 2572
* logging onto www.crackinggoodfood.org
* popping into Hickson & Black’s on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
8 November 2010
GUEST BLOG: A proper roasting
Guest blog by SARAH-CLARE CONLON
I'd barely put my bag down and washed my hands, and I was straight in to untrussing a whole chicken and stuffing its cavity with shallots, garlic and fresh sage leaves and thyme. Next, I rubbed rock salt into the skin, drizzled over some olive oil and gave the whole thing a good turn of freshly ground black pepper. A second bird was also prepared, along with a shoulder of lamb - whole cloves of garlic were jammed in next to the muscle along with sprigs of fresh aromatic rosemary. These were put into hot ovens; one lamb was already in, having been given a bit of a head start by Cracking Cook Rob before we got there.
Once the meat had started roasting, we could throttle back slightly, and had chance to pick Rob's brains about cooking times and techniques (start with a high oven, then reduce the temperature after 20 minutes, then reduce a third time; yes to basting; either way to covering with tinfoil; buy with or without giblets but cook these separately) and also about the provenance of the meat. The lamb came from W.H. Frost the butchers in Chorlton Precinct, and, while it wasn't organic, it was local, hailing from the fields around Macclesfield. The two chickens were bought from Wild At Heart on Railway Terrace and reared organically on the Rhug Estate in North Wales. Both weighing about 1.2kg and costing in the region of £13, they were more expensive than the standard supermarket offering, but they were so tasty, didn't shrink during cooking and fed all nine adults and one very well-behaved two-year-old in the class plus Cooking Leader Rob, Cooking Assistant Vic and volunteer helper Caroline, with leftovers for next week's Lovely Leftovers class.
Next we prepared all the lovely fresh veg Rob had sourced from Unicorn Grocery on Manchester Road, including celeriac, pears, shallots and garlic to add to the meat roasting trays; squash to soften in the oven wrapped in foil; plus two varieties of spud, which we scrubbed half of and peeled the rest, then parboiled and roasted; dirty carrots which we washed, peeled and cut into matchstick-thin Julienne then sweated over a low heat in a pan with the lid on; and finally two types of cabbage, which were chopped finely and cooked on the hob with the tiniest amount of water and olive oil and some sliced garlic for extra flavour. We also made some spicy creamy butter beans by adding red chillies, cumin, creme fraiche and the flesh from the squashes, and really beautiful three rice mix (organic basmati, wild and red rices) by frying the dry rice in a little olive oil for extra nuttiness and colour, then adding hot water once it had cooled slightly and allowing this to be absorbed before throwing in the special secret ingredient of chopped dried apricots. Normally I'm not a fan of dried fruit, but this gave the whole thing a lovely sweetness and depth.
Last but not least, the gravy was made - taking the meats out to rest under a blanket of foil, the roasting tins were put on the hobs and water added to deglaze the caramelised juices, then a thickening paste was made using cornflower, and bouillon powder and yeast extract were added to the chicken stock and honey and tahini (sesame seed paste) added to the lamb stock. Yum! The table was set and everyone brought over the various components of the meal they were in charge of. We went round filling our plates, then sat down and silence descended as we all tucked in! This was definitely a good sign as the "mmmms" started and everyone agreed how tasty it all was and how useful the tips we'd picked up would be over the upcoming festive season.
This coming Saturday, Steve of Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards nominated Chorlton deli Hickson & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money’s worth from a roast and make use of all those Lovely Leftovers, with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak, and more (Saturday 13 November, 11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions). Places are booking up fast, so be quick! To book...
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call 0845 652 2572
* visit www.crackinggoodfood.org
* pop into Hickson & Black’s in Chorlton
*There are now more photos from this session on our Facebook page.
I'd barely put my bag down and washed my hands, and I was straight in to untrussing a whole chicken and stuffing its cavity with shallots, garlic and fresh sage leaves and thyme. Next, I rubbed rock salt into the skin, drizzled over some olive oil and gave the whole thing a good turn of freshly ground black pepper. A second bird was also prepared, along with a shoulder of lamb - whole cloves of garlic were jammed in next to the muscle along with sprigs of fresh aromatic rosemary. These were put into hot ovens; one lamb was already in, having been given a bit of a head start by Cracking Cook Rob before we got there.
Once the meat had started roasting, we could throttle back slightly, and had chance to pick Rob's brains about cooking times and techniques (start with a high oven, then reduce the temperature after 20 minutes, then reduce a third time; yes to basting; either way to covering with tinfoil; buy with or without giblets but cook these separately) and also about the provenance of the meat. The lamb came from W.H. Frost the butchers in Chorlton Precinct, and, while it wasn't organic, it was local, hailing from the fields around Macclesfield. The two chickens were bought from Wild At Heart on Railway Terrace and reared organically on the Rhug Estate in North Wales. Both weighing about 1.2kg and costing in the region of £13, they were more expensive than the standard supermarket offering, but they were so tasty, didn't shrink during cooking and fed all nine adults and one very well-behaved two-year-old in the class plus Cooking Leader Rob, Cooking Assistant Vic and volunteer helper Caroline, with leftovers for next week's Lovely Leftovers class.
Next we prepared all the lovely fresh veg Rob had sourced from Unicorn Grocery on Manchester Road, including celeriac, pears, shallots and garlic to add to the meat roasting trays; squash to soften in the oven wrapped in foil; plus two varieties of spud, which we scrubbed half of and peeled the rest, then parboiled and roasted; dirty carrots which we washed, peeled and cut into matchstick-thin Julienne then sweated over a low heat in a pan with the lid on; and finally two types of cabbage, which were chopped finely and cooked on the hob with the tiniest amount of water and olive oil and some sliced garlic for extra flavour. We also made some spicy creamy butter beans by adding red chillies, cumin, creme fraiche and the flesh from the squashes, and really beautiful three rice mix (organic basmati, wild and red rices) by frying the dry rice in a little olive oil for extra nuttiness and colour, then adding hot water once it had cooled slightly and allowing this to be absorbed before throwing in the special secret ingredient of chopped dried apricots. Normally I'm not a fan of dried fruit, but this gave the whole thing a lovely sweetness and depth.
Last but not least, the gravy was made - taking the meats out to rest under a blanket of foil, the roasting tins were put on the hobs and water added to deglaze the caramelised juices, then a thickening paste was made using cornflower, and bouillon powder and yeast extract were added to the chicken stock and honey and tahini (sesame seed paste) added to the lamb stock. Yum! The table was set and everyone brought over the various components of the meal they were in charge of. We went round filling our plates, then sat down and silence descended as we all tucked in! This was definitely a good sign as the "mmmms" started and everyone agreed how tasty it all was and how useful the tips we'd picked up would be over the upcoming festive season.
This coming Saturday, Steve of Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards nominated Chorlton deli Hickson & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money’s worth from a roast and make use of all those Lovely Leftovers, with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak, and more (Saturday 13 November, 11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions). Places are booking up fast, so be quick! To book...
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call 0845 652 2572
* visit www.crackinggoodfood.org
* pop into Hickson & Black’s in Chorlton
*There are now more photos from this session on our Facebook page.
1 November 2010
Feeling festive!
Christmas is coming, so why not let Cracking Good Food help you brush up on your culinary skills in time for the festive season? We have a number of fab classes aiming to do just that...
Saturday 6 November: Roaring Roasts – this is your chance to let Rob help you brush up on those roasting skills before the 25th! On the menu is organic roast chicken with all the trimmings (including the best gravy in the universe) plus a slightly less traditional alternative: North African-style roast lamb with butterbeans and butternut squash. Once the meal is prepared, everyone sits down for a feast at the end! (11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions.)
Saturday 13 November: Lovely Leftovers – Steve of Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards nominated Chorlton deli Hickson & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money’s worth from a roast, with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, and bubble and squeak. An ideal session for helping you live through the age of austerity! (11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions.)
Tuesday 16 November: Cracking Christmas – due to popular demand, we’ve added a second date of Anna’s session. The edible treats we’ll be making include rum truffles, chilli jam and cookies in a jar, which you get to take home at the end of the class: instant pressies! (6pm-9pm; Chorlton High School; £18; £13 concessions – the slightly higher price includes the cost of the fancy jar!)
And if you’re stuck for gift ideas this Christmas, we have vouchers available redeemable against 2011’s cookery classes – the perfect present for food lovers and budding chefs! Vouchers are available in any denomination, and can be used as full or part-payment on any cooking sessions; valid for one year from date of purchase.
To book classes or buy vouchers...
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call 0845 652 2572
* visit www.crackinggoodfood.org
* pop into Hickson & Black’s in Chorlton
(Photograph from the amazing Seventyseventyone blog, designers of fab fashion accessories available to buy at the Royal Exchange Craft Shop.)
Saturday 6 November: Roaring Roasts – this is your chance to let Rob help you brush up on those roasting skills before the 25th! On the menu is organic roast chicken with all the trimmings (including the best gravy in the universe) plus a slightly less traditional alternative: North African-style roast lamb with butterbeans and butternut squash. Once the meal is prepared, everyone sits down for a feast at the end! (11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions.)
Saturday 13 November: Lovely Leftovers – Steve of Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards nominated Chorlton deli Hickson & Black’s will be showing you how to get your money’s worth from a roast, with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, and bubble and squeak. An ideal session for helping you live through the age of austerity! (11am-1pm; Chorlton High School; £15; £10 concessions.)
Tuesday 16 November: Cracking Christmas – due to popular demand, we’ve added a second date of Anna’s session. The edible treats we’ll be making include rum truffles, chilli jam and cookies in a jar, which you get to take home at the end of the class: instant pressies! (6pm-9pm; Chorlton High School; £18; £13 concessions – the slightly higher price includes the cost of the fancy jar!)
And if you’re stuck for gift ideas this Christmas, we have vouchers available redeemable against 2011’s cookery classes – the perfect present for food lovers and budding chefs! Vouchers are available in any denomination, and can be used as full or part-payment on any cooking sessions; valid for one year from date of purchase.
To book classes or buy vouchers...
* email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
* call 0845 652 2572
* visit www.crackinggoodfood.org
* pop into Hickson & Black’s in Chorlton
(Photograph from the amazing Seventyseventyone blog, designers of fab fashion accessories available to buy at the Royal Exchange Craft Shop.)
25 October 2010
Rob's roasts and Steve's stocks!
Our Veggie Roasts class on Saturday 30 October is now fully booked, but you still have chance to join Rob's Roasts session on Saturday 6 November from 11am. As well as dishing up a traditional roast chicken with all the trimmings, just in time for Christmas, Cracking Cook Rob will be offering up a slightly less traditional alternative: roast North African-style lamb with spiced butternut squash and butterbeans - perfect for warming you up on an autumnal afternoon.
All the meat will be organic and sourced from Chorlton's own Wild At Heart, with vegetables and pulses from Unicorn Grocery.
The following week (Saturday 13 November), why not learn how to make use of those Lovely leftovers with Steve from Hickson & Black’s deli? Roasts are great in the age of austerity and Cracking Cook Steve will be showing you how to get your money's worth with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak...
Each three-hour session costs just £15 (£10 concessions) at Chorlton High School on Nell Lane.
To book...
• visit our website http://crackinggoodfood.org/when-and-where
• pop in to Hickson & Black’s Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
• call 0845 652 2572
• email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
All the meat will be organic and sourced from Chorlton's own Wild At Heart, with vegetables and pulses from Unicorn Grocery.
The following week (Saturday 13 November), why not learn how to make use of those Lovely leftovers with Steve from Hickson & Black’s deli? Roasts are great in the age of austerity and Cracking Cook Steve will be showing you how to get your money's worth with homemade chicken stock, soup, stir-fry, bubble and squeak...
Each three-hour session costs just £15 (£10 concessions) at Chorlton High School on Nell Lane.
To book...
• visit our website http://crackinggoodfood.org/when-and-where
• pop in to Hickson & Black’s Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
• call 0845 652 2572
• email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
Don't miss out on a Cracking Christmas
The Cracking Christmas class on Saturday 20 November is now fully booked, but we've added an extra date so you don't miss out! The new three-hour session costs just £18 (£13 concessions - unemployed, students or over 65s) and takes place at Chorlton High School on Nell Lane on Tuesday 16 November at 6pm. Places are limited to 12 so book early to avoid disappointment!
Anna, pictured here running one of our community group sessions, will be helping you make edible treats either to give as gifts or to hang on your tree, add to the table or just keep on hand for first-footers. You'll be making rum truffles, chilli jam and cookies in a jar (the slightly higher price of this class includes the cost of the fancy jar!).
To book...
• visit our website http://crackinggoodfood.org/when-and-where
• pop in to Hickson & Black’s Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
• call 0845 652 2572
• email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
Anna, pictured here running one of our community group sessions, will be helping you make edible treats either to give as gifts or to hang on your tree, add to the table or just keep on hand for first-footers. You'll be making rum truffles, chilli jam and cookies in a jar (the slightly higher price of this class includes the cost of the fancy jar!).
To book...
• visit our website http://crackinggoodfood.org/when-and-where
• pop in to Hickson & Black’s Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton
• call 0845 652 2572
• email fiona@crackinggoodfood.org
8 October 2010
Christmas is coming...
...and to get you in the festive spirit (and show you some great recipes for the upcoming holidays), Cracking Good Food are running four special nights of caking and baking.
Pastry chef and expert cake-maker Kate (examples of her work are pictured below) will be showing you how to make and bake perfect Christmas pies and cakes Tuesday evenings from 9 November to 7 December.
These special cake-baking classes take place at Chorlton High School between 6pm and 9pm, and cost £25 each (no concessions). To book, simply download and complete a booking form from our website, then post or email it with your payment or drop it off at Hickson & Black's Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton.
Tuesday 9 November: Kate will show you how to make the perfect Christmas cake mix (for you to bake at home), mincemeat and some Christmas chutney. Please bring your own 8” round/square tin plus brandy or whiskey (your preference!).
Tuesday 23 November: We'll be baking and decorating delicious decorations for hanging on your Christmas tree plus a gorgeous gingerbread house!
Tuesday 30 November: After learning the basics of perfect pastry, Kate will help you bake some mince pies. We'll also be making marzipan and designing cakes, and rustling up some brandy sauce and brandy butter.
Tuesday 7 December: We'll be making marzipan and sugarpaste cakes, then decorating them ready for Christmas!
And if you're stuck for gift ideas, we can help with that too! Why not buy someone a Cracking Good Food Cooking Voucher for Christmas? More details at crackinggoodfood.org.
Pastry chef and expert cake-maker Kate (examples of her work are pictured below) will be showing you how to make and bake perfect Christmas pies and cakes Tuesday evenings from 9 November to 7 December.
These special cake-baking classes take place at Chorlton High School between 6pm and 9pm, and cost £25 each (no concessions). To book, simply download and complete a booking form from our website, then post or email it with your payment or drop it off at Hickson & Black's Deli at 559a Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton.
Tuesday 9 November: Kate will show you how to make the perfect Christmas cake mix (for you to bake at home), mincemeat and some Christmas chutney. Please bring your own 8” round/square tin plus brandy or whiskey (your preference!).
Tuesday 23 November: We'll be baking and decorating delicious decorations for hanging on your Christmas tree plus a gorgeous gingerbread house!
Tuesday 30 November: After learning the basics of perfect pastry, Kate will help you bake some mince pies. We'll also be making marzipan and designing cakes, and rustling up some brandy sauce and brandy butter.
Tuesday 7 December: We'll be making marzipan and sugarpaste cakes, then decorating them ready for Christmas!
And if you're stuck for gift ideas, we can help with that too! Why not buy someone a Cracking Good Food Cooking Voucher for Christmas? More details at crackinggoodfood.org.
19 December 2009
Cracking Christmas, December 2009
Hats off to all those who braved the cold to take part in our Christmas dinner cooking workshop at Chorlton High School on Thursday 17 December. Cracking Good Food had heard that the supermarket ingredients that go into an average Christmas dinner travel a combined distance of over 49,000 miles before they even get to our plates, so we challenged Nina to find an alternative that wouldn't cost the earth. Nina's 5-8pm session (co-hosted by Action for Sustainable Living as part of their I'm Dreaming Of A Green Christmas campaign) aimed to show how easy it is to create a delicious festive feast on a budget, avoiding unnecessary airmiles by using locally sourced ingredients and cutting back on excess waste with top tips on using up leftovers.
After first shedding their own layers, the group was straight into peeling parsnips, stripping sprouts off their stalks and rinsing the soil from the "dirty" carrots (here's one of the participants, Bernard, looking on eagerly!), and it wasn't long before the kitchen began to fill with some lovely roasting smells. The apple gluhwein soon warmed everyone up and there was a great atmosphere as we all sat around the big table together, chatting and tucking into the tasty dishes that never seemed to stop coming from the oven. It might not have been Christmas Day, but the party spirit was definitely in abundance and everyone was sorry when it was time to leave – although when they did, they had plenty of new ideas and a good bundle of recipe sheets to try out at home!
After first shedding their own layers, the group was straight into peeling parsnips, stripping sprouts off their stalks and rinsing the soil from the "dirty" carrots (here's one of the participants, Bernard, looking on eagerly!), and it wasn't long before the kitchen began to fill with some lovely roasting smells. The apple gluhwein soon warmed everyone up and there was a great atmosphere as we all sat around the big table together, chatting and tucking into the tasty dishes that never seemed to stop coming from the oven. It might not have been Christmas Day, but the party spirit was definitely in abundance and everyone was sorry when it was time to leave – although when they did, they had plenty of new ideas and a good bundle of recipe sheets to try out at home!
Clare