What naff Christmas jumper?

Do you remember the time when Christmas jumpers were naff?  So naff that you wouldn't be seen dead in one?  I've been thinking about this recently - with Christmas Jumper Day at work and even National Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 12th December - when did Christmas jumpers become acceptable?  In Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) our queen bee laments Darcy's choice of jumper (green with a large, gaudy reindeer on the front) whereas now, in my humble opinion, gaudier really is better when it comes to winter wear.  Be it polar bears, pompom snow, penguins with stripy scarves or full on Santa-style stuffed red belly jumpers, there is a jumper for everyone and it is now deemed almost unacceptable not to wear one in the Christmas season!  Do you have a favourite Christmas jumper?  In case you were wondering, mine is bright red with white ski chalets and sequinned stars on the top.  Classy, I'd say.

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

My brother and sister-in-law very kindly gave me a load of their home grown rhubarb from their allotment and, because it wasn't totally ripe, so not useful for crumbles, I decided to make some jam with it.  I had a look online, and it did seem that ginger was a good match for the acidity and stringy texture of the rhubarb.  I photographed each stage of the process, as I thought it would be cool to do a pictorial method.  I'm not sure about measurements, but, with many things in cookery, it does depend on your tastes, so, do just that, taste as you go along, and add more sugar, less ginger, more lemon etc. depending on whether you want it sweeter, hotter, sourer.

Ingredients & equipment:

• Rhubarb
• Lemon
• Fresh ginger
• Sugar
• Water
• Pan
• Sterilised jar(s)

Method:

 
Ingredients ready to go...              Grate, chop, sprinkle, mix, meld.


  
Add a small amount of water,        Pour into sterilised jars, leave to
low heat, mix.                                    cool.  Yum yum yum.


Depending on the amount of sugar you put in, this jam is perfect for both sweet and savoury dishes, so use it for Victoria sponges, as a chutney for cheese, on bread / croissants, or, why not just eat it straight out of the jar Nigella-style?  It is that good!

Celebrity families

I have just found something out.  Something that will, I can imagine, change my life forever for the better.  So, I sat down for a TV binge on The Twelve Drinks Of Christmas with Giles Coren and Alexander (Xander) Armstrong.  Now, as I already knew, Giles' sister, Victoria Coren, is married to David Mitchell (love love), but I now realise that Xander is also Giles' brother-in-law, as he is married to Giles' wife's sister.  Fabulous.  Just imagine the BBQs!  The Christmas parties!  Ah, what I would do to be a fly on the wall of, well, pretty much anything with these people. 

Do you know of any other interlinked families to blow my mind?  Do comment below.

Homemade chilli oil

And relax   It is that time of year again, where I am off work and I can finally feel festive.  Last year I marked this occasion by making peanut butter fudge (sublime), so this year I decided to make chilli oil.  I came across this idea through lack of time (a cruel mistress).  I firstly considered making sloe gin / flavoured vodka, but after checking it out online, I realised I needed to have had six months prior, rotating the stuff and nurturing it like a tiny infant.  So - an easier and quicker option was this - but one which, I hope, will be just as appreciated by my family and loved ones this yule tide.

My recipe:

• Oil - ideally olive oil, but can be a mix of olive and vegetable, e.g. Olivio
• Whole dried chillies (as big and pretty as possible - remember, they will be looked at!)
• Dried flaked chillies
• Bottles (I would suggest the Italian swing lidded type)
• Small saucepan with a lip
• Measuring jug with a lip or funnel
• Cooker

The method is very simple.   Heat the oil in batches (safety first!) over a gentle heat for roughly 3-4 minutes.  The oil should absolutely not smoke or bubble.  In the oil, you should put 3-4 whole, and a good pinch of flaked, chillies.  Whilst you wait for the oil to heat, sterilise your bottles by pouring boiling water into them and draining them out.  Carefully pour the oil (use your initiative for the heat - i.e. don't start pouring boiling hot oil, as it will burn if it touches your skin, leave it to cool slightly) into your measuring jug to make it easier to pour into the bottles (or use a funnel if you have one).  You will find the chillies won't easily pour into your bottles, so carefully, using a knife, tweezers or tongs, take the chillies out of the pan and put them into the bottles of oil.  The chillies will, irritatingly, stay at the top of the oil rather than sink down but with some shaking they do sink slightly.  Shut the bottle securely and give it a shake.  If the bottle feels hot, then leave it to cool before handling it (again, use your initiative with this).  Leave your lovely chilli oil to infuse over the next week or two, giving it a shake up now and again to help the flavour and colour disperse through the oil.  Happy drizzling!

 Ideal for use on pizzas, salads, stews, curries, frying... the list of uses is endless!