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More artisan products, new launches and must-buy foods from Delia Online editor Jo Hill, including restaurant quality meat at an everyday price, a wonderful rhubarb chutney and a drink inspired by a very tropical flower...
Enjoy a free bottle of wine worth £8.95!
Spend £150 on Harrods Christmas Hampers by 30 November 2007 and you’ll receive a bottle of Harrods Cotes du Rhone worth £8.95 (subject to availability). This well-balanced wine offers the fruit, spice and black pepper tones of wines from this region – perfect with wintry casseroles and roasts. To receive your bottle, quote CHSKDO if ordering by phone or add it to your shopping basket online, typing in product code 996627 before the checkout. Conditions apply; see Harrods website for details.
Spread the word!
It’s easy to see why Patchwork Pate has won so many awards: made by a family-run artisan company in Wales, every batch is hand-made – even the orange juice is freshly squeezed for the best possible end result. Its slightly coarse texture and toothsome depth of flavour puts it in another league from the bland pinkness of many commercial pates: my favourite was Chicken Liver, Cointreau and Orange – perfect on toast, crackers, or for party nibbles.
Hib, hib, hooray
Visitors to Africa will be familiar with the showy hibiscus plant, but now you can buy Simply Hibi – a 100% natural soft drink made from hibiscus flowers, brought to this country by ship in dried form and benefiting the 350 Ugandan farmers who grow the crops. It's not just ethical though: it also tastes good, a rich, berry flavour with a dryness similar to cranberry or pomegranate, but unusual enough, served chilled, to be an enjoyable alternative to other soft drinks.
Marvellous meat
Sourcing top-quality meat without paying a king’s ransom has been a tall order… until now. Broad Stripe Butchers, based in Derby, has introduced its restaurant-standard meat – popular with many top chefs - to the general public by mail order. All cuts are expertly trimmed and hung. I was blown away by the quality of the meat: the sausages and bacon were a joy to eat, while the beef and lamb were equally faultless. The good news is that you won’t pay a fortune for such fab stuff: £4.35 for 500g bacon as it used to taste, for example.
Tapas tonight?
A great idea - a selection of hand-made frozen tapas delivered overnight to your door, ready to go into the oven. Perfect for informal gatherings, drinks parties, TV dinners or girlie get-togethers, these tapas are every bit as good as the ones you'll find in your nearest tapas bar. Favourites include gambas al ajillo (prawns with garlic), croquetas de pollo (chicken croquettes), pisto manchego (a vegetable stew); £48 for a medium box serving 4-6 or you can tailor your own.
Rhubarb, rhubarb
Earlier this year, in association with Country Living magazine, Tracklements ran a competition to find a new chutney – and Rosie’s Rhubarb was the winner. Packed with gorgeous ripe rhubarb, offset with sultanas, honey and brown sugar, it’s a real treat with cold cuts, ham or cheese.
Fishing for compliments
Most children love fish fingers but as they grow older they tend to grow out of them. No Catch has addressed this with the country’s first organic cod fish finger – a juicy, breaded piece of cod that will appeal to adults and children alike.
Brilliant balsamic
Castle Leslie Balsamic Reduction with Sherry and Fig is a great storecupboard standby and has, understandably, won over 20 Great Taste Awards: use it to add depth to sauces and marinades, serve it with rich meats such as duck or venison, sprinkle over a goat's cheese salad or combine it with olive oil for a superb bread dip.
