I found the recipe for these here and had to give them a try for Christmas morning, since they sounded so easy. They are as easy as they sound, and I thought they were delicious, in part because they're slightly savoury - if you're expecting ultra-sweet American style soft muffins, you'll be disappointed. But they are spicy and comforting and I love the crunchy sugar topping! They'd be great with some chunks of white chocolate added, if you want that extra sugar kick.
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People are always asking me what I eat for Christmas dinner - well, maybe not always, but fairly often around Christmas time! So here's the answer for this year - roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, honey & mustard parsnips, stuffing and veggie gravy. OK, so it's not the most sophisticated-looking plate of food, but it's reeeaaalllly good. And (ssh!) surprisingly healthy.
I'm especially proud of the vegetarian gravy, which has a really intense flavour and is very easy to make. You will need:
boiling water
marigold vegetable stock
Marmite
Tabasco
red wine or sherry
Worcestershire sauce
soy sauce
porcini (optional)
Method
Very easy - simply mix a dollop of everything together in a saucepan and gently reduce down for about ten minutes. I haven't put amounts down since I just chuck everything in and then see how it tastes. If using the porcini, soak them in a mug of warm water for ten minutes before you start, and then add both the mushrooms and the water to the saucepan. Sieve the mushrooms out before serving. If you want thicker gravy rather than a jus, add a little flour or cornflour to the mixture and whisk to get rid of lumps.
This is so good my sister even prefers it to normal gravy...
So apparently Interflora now do hampers as well as flowers, which is quite exciting. And you don't even have to worry about postal strikes because they use couriers... Oh, to be the sort of person who can afford to send hampers to all and sundry at Christmas. Still, they're offering the chance to win one - just tell them what Christmas food you're most like! Actually, don't - I'm much less likely to win if you lot start entering as well...
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The future of Marmite is in your hands! Which jar design do you prefer? Votes in by Monday - speak now or forever hold your peace...
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Country pubs can be a bit hit and miss when it comes to food, so when you find one as good as The Potting Shed, it’s worth remembering! The pub itself is worth a visit even if you don’t want to eat; they have a great range of beer and cider on tap, and I found myself wanting to take home most of the furniture, which is definitely not an urge I get in many places! Stylish decor aside, the service was excellent and the food even better – I had a chestnut risotto with truffle oil and roasted celeriac, which was nicely comforting on a grey day. Their menu should give you an idea of some of the other treats on offer – sadly, I was too full to attempt the cheese plate, but will definitely give it a try next time I’m passing through.
The Potting Shed, The Street, Crudwell, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9EW. Tel: 01666 577833
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Those who know me will know how crazy I am about Marmite – to me, it’s the nectar of the Gods and I 
eat it in everything from jacket potatoes to veggie gravy. I was thrilled, therefore, to receive a mysterious invitation from the ‘Marmarati’ a couple of weeks ago, inviting me to a secret Marmite event. It transpires that Marmite are bringing out the strongest blend ever (Codename: MXO) and had gathered together a party of Britain’s most fervent Marmite-lovers to help them by tasting some of their trial blends.
Along with this, we were served canapés with Marmite dip and Marmite cocktails, which were less disgusting than they sound and tasted mainly of coffee (look out for my own, superior Marmite cocktail recipe coming soon!).
We also swore the Marmarati oath, making us fully-fledged members of the Marmarati, the inner circle sworn to protect the mighty spread:
I hereby and hereon solemnly swear on celery, yeast extract, riboflavin and vitamin B12 to keep the following oath and agreement.
I promise to do my duty to Queen, Country and Marmite.
I swear to be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Marmarati.
I will defend the ebony elixir against all conspiracies, protect it's distinctive flavour and honour its orb-like jar.
I will reject any second-rate pretenders
I promise to spread my dark and sticky mistress throughout the land, as well as on toast.
And finally I swear never, ever to consort with members of the Marmaladi.
The Marmarati are now recruiting for the outer circle – if you, too, would like to get your hands on a jar of the famed MXO, go to www.marmarati.org and submit an entry!
Photos courtesy of the Marmarati
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Secret restaurants seem to be everywhere in the news at the moment, so when Foodrambler started up her very own Rambling Restaurant, I had to go and check it out. The evening started well - I followed the treasure hunt-style clues to a mystery location in Bethnal Green to be faced with a roof terrace straight out of the Arabian nights. The three tables filled up quickly, and it was great to chat with some other London foodies and savour a glass of champagne with rosewater.
The first course, a selection of three dips, was served with soft, freshly-made flatbreads and harissa lamb, for the meat-eaters among us. My favourite dip was a sweet, nubbly carrot dip served with tangy crumbled feta - a great combination. The main course was a flaky chicken bastilla for the others, and a big, hearty pepper and orange salad for me, dressed with a superb garlic yoghurt.
The pudding, though, was the piece de resistance - a divinely squidgy, dark, chocolate torte, served with two distinctive and unusual ice-creams - a pomegranite sorbet and an orange-blossom ice-cream. They were so nice I've decided to buy an ice-cream maker for myself so that I can have them again!
All this, for only £15? Brilliant. For bookings and news of future events, see the Rambling Restaurant Facebook page.
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The food is equally traditional, with liver, snails, fois gras and other such delicacies on the menu. I realised, a trifle too late, that I might have difficulty finding anything I could actually eat. In the end, I went for a green salad and some eggs with mayonnaise. Abi, on the other hand, plunged straight in and ordered steak tartare. It duly arrived in a giant mound, garnished with chips (which I stole). Abi tucked in, but sadly found herself unequal to the task of finishing such a large amount of raw meat.
To finish, I ordered a baba aux rhum, purely down to the fact that it was Poirot's favourite pudding. Well, either he has terrible taste or what the Polidor served me was a travesty of the real thing. It arrived - a cold, solitary little dumpling - speared through the middle with a fork as if it might try and run away. I tried to eat it, but it was so rum-soaked (not with nice rum, either) that the only way I might have finished it is if it was liquidised and diluted with lemonade. The cold custard wasn't that appealing, either.
On the way home, we stopped off at the crepe stand.
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After the boulangerie, there was just time for a little snackage before heading out for dinner - some Brittany cider fit the bill, with a bagette and some truffle-studded camembert that Abi bought from the fromagerie on Rue Cler. The cheese was good, but very pungent, with the sort of smell that seeps into every corner of the room despite being muffled by several layers of plastic. I actually think that the cheese might have tasted better if it hadn't been quite so ripe, as the truffles were rather too subtle to make themselves felt over the taste of the camembert, but nevertheless it made a very nice snack.]]>