Merry Christmas from Back to the Roots

 

Merry Christmas!

Peace and Love to everyone...

From

Caroline at Back to the Roots

xXx

Christmas Countdown #12: A three bird roast for Christmas Day

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

A very posh Christmas roast dinner [warning: not suitable for vegetarians!]... 

This year my family is trying something a little different for Christmas Day. For a household who has always had a beautiful old fashioned goose as the centre piece on the table, this year we've just bought ourselves a gamey three-bird roast, consisting of wild mallard stuffed with pheasant and partridges (all traced to British Country Estates!) with a pork, apricot and orange stuffing garnished with bacon and fresh rosemary. My mouth is watering already!

Thanks to the Daily Mail (wow, one of the rare times I thank that newspaper for anything apart from scaremongering!), we made an even rarer trip to our local Waitrose. A clever marketing ploy by the tabloid, who described the "beast" as having just "come straight out of the kitchens at Downton Abbey — with the birds shot by Lord Grantham." Being a massive Downton fan, I couldn't resist the idea.

Three-bird roasts - popular in the day of Downton Abbey

But at around £6 per head (£36/kg) it is definitely a Christmas luxury. However, I must say, an initially disappointing luxury. When we went to pick it up, a member of staff who went to fetch it summed up exactly what I was thinking: "Six people? I could put that in a bap and eat it on my own!" I agreed, it was tiny. But as soon as I picked it up I nearly dropped it, it was so dense full of boned meat and (hopefully) beautiful stuffing. I'll have to wait three days to find out if it is worth it.

All ready to be thrown in the oven in
its own roasting bag

But where did the idea for multi-bird roasts come from? Goose, chicken and pheasants all stuffed together were popular a few years ago, giving the common turkey a run for its money. But the original idea can be traced back much further than that.

Variations of Turduckens (turkey-duck-chicken - oh this is definitely not one for the vegetarians!) have been around for centuries, being popular with wealthy Englishmen in the 18th century, such as the Yorkshire Christmas pie (see here and here), an English dish consisting of five different birds either layered or nested, and baked in a standing crust.

Also known in Britain as a Royal Roast, how about this enormous roast turkey, roast grouse, roast pheasant, roast partridge and roe deer tenderloin? Maybe these are a bit OTT - I think we'll stick to our three-bird game theme with our usual feast of roasted and mashed potatoes, carrots, parsnips, peas, cranberry and bread sauce, and.. have I missed anything? Oh gravy!! Amazing. I can't wait!

Psst!! - But just in case this unusual Christmas menu isn't up to scratch, Mum has half a goose in the freezer for New Years Day. Well it is Christmas - if you can't indulge at this time of year when can you? Expect frugal and skinny recipes come January the 2nd, along with a lot of moaning from me about my new strict diet!

But wherever you are and whatever is gracing your plate this Christmas, I hope you truly enjoy your day and remember how fortunate we are to have even one bird (or nut roast!) on our tables at all.

Thanks for following my 12 Days of Chirstmas Countdown and come back soon for more digging into the roots of our food. Merry Christmas everyone!


Lots of love
C  x

Christmas Countdown #11: Herman the German Friendship Cake

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me

A foodie version of a chain letter...

So imagine the scene, home for Christmas, blissfully eating breakfast in my pyjamas, casually wondering what my next blog post should be about, when the doorbell rings... A neighbour is standing on the doorstep delivering a very thoughtful gift - and a blog idea at the same time! My foodie neighbour (who, may I add, makes the best Welsh cakes in the world!) gave my Mum a little tupperware box with a golden bow, full of a gooey pale cake mix, and said, "Merry Christmas, here's Herman!"

One of the most intriguing Christmas gifts

Giving each other a very quizzical look, Mum and I opened the accompanying A4 piece of paper and began to read:

"Hi, my name is Herman. I am a sour dough cake, I'm supposed to be on your worktop for 10 days without a lid on. You CANNOT put me in the fridge or I will die and if I stop bubbling I am dead!"

Goodnight Herman - putting him to bed
on the side of the kitchen, stir everyday

It took us a little while to understand (our bodies hadn't quite adjusted to our morning cup of coffee), but basically the idea is that you receive "Herman" (a yeast mixture), stir him, feed him with flour, milk and sugar and leave at room temperature to expand. After ten days you are ready to turn him into a cake by adding more ingredients, but before you do that, you separate the mixture into four portions, give three away to friends with a copy of the instructions, and keep the fourth to bake!

I thought that this was such a clever idea! I love the idea of sharing food and recipes, and knowing that the previous Herman had come from my neighbour's daughter in Cardiff, but nothing more of its journey, really excited me.

Searching on the internet I see Herman has been around for a while (several decades apparently - but who knows if this batch is that of the original?). Curiously enough, each set of instructions I see on the internet is worded exactly the same, which could suggest the same starting point??? Where and why Herman began is difficult to say, although one blogger said that it is possibly an Amish recipe passed around to the sick and needy.

I will fill you in on how I get on with Herman, his first "feeding" is on Christmas day, so he should be ready to eat at New Year. For now please have a read of the instructions and watch the fantastic video created by Barry from My Virgin Kitchen, which explains Herman really well.

The foodie chain letter

Video created by Barry from My Virgin Kitchen

Christmas Countdown #10: Wild mushroom broth for a hangover

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

A cure for a self inflicted sickness...

So the inspiration for a hangover cure post came to me this morning when my head was feeling rather fuzzy. To be honest I was lucky to get any inspiration the morning after the work Christmas party but with the clear knowledge that my body felt as if it had been run over by a steam roller led me to believe that it needed a little TLC in its hungover state. 

So kindly returning is our guest post regular, Ruth Dawson, sharing a quick and simple recipe for a wild mushroom broth which would help bring me back to life....

Ingredients:
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
1 bulb of fennel (or 3 sticks of celery
1 garlic clove
500g mixed fresh mushrooms - we used a oyster and chestnut with a handful of closed cub
900ml boiling water
1 and a half stock cubes
8 slices of ciabatta bread
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp mint

Easy to make with everyday ingredients

1. After heating two thirds of the oil in a large saucepan, you need to add the onion and fennel (we used celery) and cook for 5 minutes until slightly softened - make sure the onions don't brown, you still want that lovely raw flavour to come through.

2. Roughly chop the mushrooms and garlic and add to the pan. Pour in the water and stir in the stock cubes. Then leave for 10 minutes to simmer - don't cover the pan, you will want the liquid to reduce.

3. While you're waiting for the simmering soup, thinly slice the ciabatta and place under the grill. The recipe calls for the bread to be brushed with the remaining tablespoon of oil, although the recipe will work just as well with dry bread. It took about 90 seconds for our ciabatta slices to crisp.

4. Cut the toast into croutons and mix with the parsley and mint. Although the original recipe calls for 2 tbsp of each herb, we found that just one
sufficed.

5. Ladle the broth into bowls and sprinkle with the home-made croutons and some fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Steaming bowl of soup will make you feel human again

Verdict: Delicious! The only downside was the oily surface left on the soup but this could be easily combated by replacing the extra virgin olive oil with a low calorie spray oil. Otherwise, this was a lovely broth and, at only 95 calories a portion, it was hard to say no to seconds.

This scrumptious recipe is featured in Reader's Digest cookbook Fast healthy food in 30 minutes or less. Perfect on a cold wintery day or if you feel like a little TLC after all the Christmas  partying.
Ruth Dawson is a journalist who writes the acclaimed Chic & Cheerful fashion blog and guest blogs regularly at Back to the Roots, to get in touch with Ruth, please email thechicandcheerful@gmail.com

Christmas Countdown #9: Hairy Bikers' Christmas Party

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

My favourite celebrity chefs and a Christmas Special...

Oh the Beeb is giving us a treat tonight. At 8pm on BBC2, The Hairy Bikers will giving the nation a whole hour of Christmas party recipes, canapes and mini-desserts to feed your loved ones.

Last year I swore by their 12 Days of Christmas recipe book. Full of great ideas and spins on traditional recipes such as Christmas panna cotta... Mmmmm, I may have to make that again this year!

Tonight expect a splash of Thai and Indian cuisine and a Vodka ice luge centre piece... very intrigued and very excited! My expectations are high - expect a blog post about the episode shortly.

Don't forget to set the Sky+ if you're out on the town for a Christmas party - and in that case you may appreciate my post tomorrow which will be tips on how to deal with those post-office party hangovers!

Chirstmas Countdown #8: Back to my Christmas roots

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
An extra special way to count down the days...

Right, so I'm a little bit late for advent but I thought I'd write a post about what my family and I do to countdown to Christmas - a tradition which has been going strong for 23 years, but like many traditions, changes over time.

When I was a baby, my Mum and Dad bought me an advent calendar book. It came with a little stable cut out of card, which was folded twice to stand upright. Each day you would take a perforated card in the shape of an image such as a sheep or Joseph, and slot the card into a gap in the stable. Over advent the stable grows and grows until Baby Jesus arrives on December 24th.

It is now carefully stored away in the attic of the family home and after a few too many loving years is rather dog-eared and torn.

My Mum works for a small company which sells greetings cards and at a meeting  about five years ago she took our advent book with her, giving the company the idea to make something similar - which they did. That Christmas we were so excited to see a new and different version of our little old tradition. Over the next few years, the company brought out other designs such as a Christmas banquet, a Victorian house and Santa's reindeer stables (which I have on my desk in work this year!)

This has bought me and my workmate, Becci, a little piece of
Christmas cheer every morning

The card figures easily slot in to make a
beautifully drawn Christmas scene.

Three years ago while I was away at University, I received a massive parcel through the post on December 1st from my folks. They had sent me a 3D advent stable with little doors and figurines which you place in the stable each day leading up to Christmas - It was as if my little advent calendar had really come to life!

My 3D Christmas stable, reminiscent of my childhood cardboard version

A tradition which will live on year after year

My stable was from Lakeland, but has since been discontinued. But have a look at these advent books to start your own tradition which will last much longer than 24 chocolates! Here, here, here and here

I know this post is a little far from my average musings on local delicacies, but to me, this is Christmas.

Please feel free to share with me what makes your Christmas that little bit extra special...

Christmas Countdown #7: 10 Easy Christmas Gourmet Recipes

One the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A stress free Christmas menu

So I'm sure you're all prepared for the 'big day' in 10 days time? The Christmas shop is done, the Turkey is ordered and all you have to do is pick up the fresh bits and pieces? You've cooked your party canapes and freezed them ready to defrost for the family gathering next week? And you have a constant batch of mince pies for those unexpected visitors who keep interrupting your spare seconds when you're wrapping up the presents?

No? Really? You're actually human? Well Back to the Roots has the perfect treat for you. Introducing new guest blogger, Gina Williams who has compiled 10 stress reducing Christmas recipes to make the next few days easier.
Because even the most organised cook can use some help at Christmas...

Christmas time is an exciting season, but for many it can be a very stressful time. Between engaging in parties and planning dinners, many find themselves running around in every direction. Luckily, others have felt the pressure too and developed simple, yet gourmet recipes to help you through the busy holiday season. All of the below recipes necessitate 20 minutes or less of hands-on preparation time, and are sure to impress. Many of these can be prepared, at least in part, ahead of time to help you cut down on your holiday stress.

Christmas Punch – Paula Deen’s Lime Sorbet Punch
This simple recipe takes a total of 10 minutes to concoct. It tastes delicious and is green, which goes well with Christmas themed parties. It also takes punch a little bit beyond the norm with the lime sorbet, which gives it a thick consistency and creamy taste. If you’d like to make the punch alcoholic, you can add any liquor that you’d add to a fruity punch, like vodka, rum, or everclear; it’s pretty versatile in that way.

Christmas Appetiser -- Cheese Fondue from Real Simple.com
Fondue is a great dish to serve; it’s adaptable in that you can include different meats, veggies, and bread to accommodate everyone’s tastes. But most importantly, it is easy to make. The above recipe only takes 15 minutes to complete.

Christmas Appetiser – Pears with Blue Cheese and Prosciutto from Real Simple.com
This appetiser is pleasing to the eye and looks like it takes a lot of work to make, but the truth is that it only takes 10 minutes total to prepare! Easy, delicious, and gourmet, this dish will be sure to impress your guests and family.

Christmas Appetizer – Barefoot Contessa Parties’ Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwiches
It’s difficult to go wrong with gourmet tea sandwiches at any event. These delicious sandwiches take a total of 15 minutes to prepare and go beyond the usual chicken salad sandwiches; they’re perfect for a Christmas party.

Christmas Entrée – Glazed Ham with Coriander and Fennel from Real Simple.com
Glazed ham is a traditional Christmas favourite. This particular recipe looks like something a professional chef would prepare, but this delicious ham takes a total of 5 minutes hands-on cooking time.

Christmas Entrée -- Roast Turkey with Garlic, Sage, & Lemon from Real Simple.com
Turkey is a great dish for Christmas dinners. This recipe, which only requires 15 minutes of hands-on cooking time, takes turkey a step further with simple ingredients that make all of the difference.

Christmas Entrée – Food Network Magazine’s Leeks with Walnut Vinaigrette
Every Christmas dinner needs good vegetables, but at times that can lead to over-buttered or lame tasting side dishes. This dish is a combination of side dish and salad. It is eye catching, healthy, and simple; it only takes 15 minutes to prepare.

Christmas Entrée – Rachael Ray’s Butternut Squash Risotto
Risotto is a great deviation from traditional Christmas starch side dishes, like mashed potatoes, and takes only 10 minutes of preparation. It’s very tasty and keeps with the Christmas dinner theme through its implementation of butternut squash.

Christmas Desert - Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti from Real Simple.com
Biscotti’s are great when paired with after-dinner coffee and cappuccinos. These delightful biscotti combine pistachios and cranberries for a sweet and tart combination flavor. They also take only 15 minutes of hands-on preparation time.

Christmas Desert – Food Network Magazine’s Fruitcake Parfaits
This dessert is a great way to implement the Christmas classic fruitcake into a new, beautiful Christmas desert. Hands-on preparation time for this desert is 20 minutes, and can be almost fully prepared in advance for your party.

 

All images can be attributed to the recipe’s website (see link in recipe title) except for Christmas punch which can be found here at Celebrations.com

Gina Williams is a guest post and article writer bringing Back to the Roots stress-reducing Christmas recipes. Cooking/entertaining is one of Gina’s hobbies; however, she spends the majority of her professional life writing about motorcycle accidents

Christmas Countdown #6: Christmas foodie gift ideas from Gourmet Origins

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

The perfect website to buy all my presents

In need of a last minute Christmas gift for your favourite foodie? Buy gourmet food directly from artisan producers through this fabulous website - Gourmet Origins.

Gourmet Origins aggregates extremely special and local food from the UK and Spain, allowing us to buy directly from the producers.

Set up by Miquel Ros and Alex Wareing, two London-based entrepreneurs that share a passion for food, travel and all things digital, the two care about the origins of food and how it is prepared - just like Back to the Roots! The site also hopes to teach readers about different foods, the places where they come from and the people that make them, through an informative blog.

The site is very tempting and the images almost lept off my screen and straight into my kitchen I swear! Produce ranges from honey and preserves, to fruit and vegetables, as well as chocolate and tea.

I have my eye (or my sweet tooth!) on this raspberry and almond 'Proof of the Pudding' from a producer in Northumberland.

Add caption

 

And if I was to find this fabulous Gastronomical Gift Box under my Christmas Tree, I would be a very happy lady!
"This is a delicious and original dish containing a selection of the best foods from meadows of Extremadura, in South-Western Spain. Decades ago, people emigrated from Extremadura carrying these little wooden suitcases, now we use them to export the best produce of our land." Contents includes red wine, goat cheese, chorizo, lavender honey, black olive pate, a shot of chocolate and much much more. A pure indulgance at £165, but don't worry, there are plenty of more affordable products on the site - check out these great gifts for under £20. 


Back to the Roots will be keeping a very close eye on this website!

Images are taken from www.gourmetorigins.com/en

Chirstmas Countdown #5: Halen Mon world famous sea salt

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

A storecupborad essential with a twist.


I know I bang on about Anglesey a lot (there's just so much fabulous local produce!), but this Halen Mon sea salt , which comes from Brynsiencyn on the Isle of Anglesey, is widely available across the UK and has even made its way to top chefs and restaurants around the globe.

Smoked Sea Salt Caramel Milk Chocolates made in the US using Halen Mon salt as a key ingredient are even declared as one of Obama's favourite sweets!

Halen Mon claim to have struck culinary gold with a saucepan of sea water ontop of the family Aga. They began supplying the local butcher in Menai Bridge 10 years ago and now supply Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Harvey Nichols, along with over 100 of the nation’s best delicatessens, restaurants and chefs. The salt can also be found in 22 countries and some of the world's top restaurants.

Choose from pure white sea salt, sea salt smoked over Welsh Oak, spiced sea salt, pure salt with Tahitian vanilla and more...

The vanilla salt is beautiful on fish and I like to spice up potato wedges with the smoked or spicy flavours. My salt pig of pure white sea salt is always added to everyday dishes - as Halen Mon say themselves: "serving suggestion... just add food."

Gift sets and hampers are the perfect way to show your foodie friends you love them this Christmas:

Popcorn lover's gift set for £20.00

This gorgeous set includes 100g of Pure Sea Salt Smoked over Welsh Oak, 100g of Pure Sea Salt with Tahitian Vanilla, 340g Halen Mon Salted Caramel Sauce and 100g Corn Kernels ready to pop. Comes in a lovely cotton Halen Môn branded bag with an iconic Halen Môn postcard, and two recipes for delicious popcorn. The first twenty orders we receive will also include a gorgeously cuddly Halen Mon Bear.

The complete range for £30.00 

 

Contains 100g of each of the delicious flavours: Pure Sea Salt Smoked Over Welsh Oak, Pure Sea Salt with Celery Seeds, Pure Sea Salt with Organic Spices, Pure Sea Salt with Tahitian Vanilla, 100g Whole Vietnamese Peppercorns and 250g of our signature Pure Sea Salt. Comes in a lovely cotton Halen Môn branded bag with an iconic Halen Môn postcard.

Limited Edition chilli and garlic mini for £4.95

Now this is on my Christmas list (especially since my kitchen colour scheme is red!)
These cute tiny kilners are filled with 15g of Pure Sea Salt with Chilli & Garlic. This limited edition Halen Môn flavour will bring a kick to sweet potato wedges, chicken drumsticks, and juicy steaks. The jar measures approx 6cm by 5cm and comes with a cute little 5cm wooden spoon.

Christmas Countdown #4: Lysh Liqueurs

6cl bottle of Lysh sloe and almond gin liqueur -
adorable reindeer not included!!

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A bottle of local Welsh liqueur.

Last year I told you about the Condessa Black Cherry Liqueur which went down a treat with a tall cold glass of coke.

However, this year my best friend bought me a bottle of Lysh Sloe and Almond Gin liqueur which I am recommending to anyone with a sweet tooth who wants something a little different in their Christmas liqueur cabinet this year.

The company was established in 2004 and uses the fruit from the orchards and hedgerows on the Montgomeryshire family farm to make delicious Damson Gin and Sloe and Almond Gin liqueurs.

Extremely sweet but balanced by the almond flavouring - which I feel is a very Christmassy flavour - enjoy on the rocks or as a base to a tall flute of champagne.

Interestingly, the family are dead-set on the issue of sustainability with all the fruit picked from the orchard and fields of Berthfawr farm. Any surplus fruits picked are then planted as seedlings to acquire new blackthorn and damson plants, they are then planted on the farm as new bushes and hedges as part of the Tir Gofal agri environment scheme.

Delicious and environmentally friendly - a perfect gift for Back to the Roots readers!

Chirstmas Countdown #3: Hot chocolate with a twist

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me....

A delicious Christmas treat.

Whittard always have fantastic offers and the other week they tempted me with 3-for-2 on a lot of their gifts, so it was two for you and one for me!

I choose this Christmas Hot Chocolate, in an unusal white chocolate flavour. I was worried about it being too sweet, but the Christmas spices were really subtle. And the cute kitsch tin was a bonus too!

Christmas Countdown #2: Easy mulled wine

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

This is a big fat shortcut to making the most perfect mulled wine!

Mulled wine 'teabags' containing all the seasonal aromatic spices you need for the perfect warming tipple. No longer do you have to faff about adding sticks of cinnamon and grating nutmeg, then straining before serving... just add a bottle of your favourite red and a good helping of brown sugar... and relaaaax!

My friend gave me this pack of six mulled wine spices, which she bought from Hootons Home Grown on Anglesey. If you're not lucky enough to visit my homeland before Christmas and can't find anything similar near you, here is a simple and effective recipe from the BBC. Enjoy.

[I have also found a very similar idea for mulled cider, these look great!]

More from the Foodie Christmas Countdown coming soon including gift ideas, activities and yuletide recipes

Christmas Countdown #1: Vanilla snowflake cookies

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Vanilla Snowflake Cookies
There's nothing more likely to get me in the Christmassy spirit than baking festive favourites: mince pies, stollen, panetone, gingerbread men and my new seasonal biscuit of choice - vanilla snowflake cookies.



This was just a traditional biscuit recipe with an added vanilla pod which packed a punch. But I feel it was the biscuit cutters that made all the difference.

These cookie cutters worked like a dream -

I got mine at an RSPB reserve of all places on sale this summer,

but I've found them to buy for £12.50 here -

 a little steep, but worth it! I've also found a plastic set

 for £3.01 here.

Decoration
I refused to pay £2.09 for "Delia's hyped-up" sliver balls in Waitrose, so on my way home I popped into Sainsburys to buy some from there... the massive superstore didn't have any! Nothing remotely silver or blue - I felt like Delia was out to get me! So I settled for some pink glitzy bits for £1.00 and iced the biscuits and sprinkled over the sparkles.

They turned out alright in the end, if only a bit girly. But I felt like they needed some sort of glitter.

Well they went down really well in the office - pretty to look at, and perfect with a coffee on a dark winter's day.

TIP: tie a little ribbon through the snowflake and attach to your Christmas tree -

Don't expect them to last very long though, sneaky guests will be able to help themselves!

Because if you can't treat yourself at Christmas, when can you?

Next installment of the Food Christmas Countdown coming in the next couple of days!