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Friday 6 December 2013

Autumn Fruits Chutney and Ideal Home Show seasonal cook book review and giveaway.



On Thursday 14th November I attended the VIP press event at Ideal Home Show at Christmas at Earls Court -London.The event was to launch the Ideal Home show seasonal cook book. 



This cook book has over 100 recipes covering all the four seasons spring, summer, autumn and winter. Recipes range from simple weekday suppers and leisurely weekend treats, to food for friends and swanky dishes for big occasions.Together with mouthwatering recipes the book has a section on simple how to section on simple preparation techniques,easy cooking methods,what equipment should be used and finishing touches advice.


There are useful sections on how to choose meat and fish and preparation techniques.There is a section on pulses and grains and how to buy, select and store fresh produce. I particularly found useful the section on preparing basic sauces which can be the base of any dish and a section on food plating and finishing touches. 

The selection of recipes are good and would be perfect for an amateur cook or advanced cook as the recipes are simple and easy to follow with beautiful photography that is mouthwatering and inviting.
Although the majority of recipes are non vegetarian there are some vegetarian recipes in the book and a lot of the non vegetarian recipes can be adapted for a vegetarian or vegan diet.
The book is a perfect keepsake book, it would make an ideal christmas present for a foodie and is available from the ideal home show website at a special price of £ 15.00.




The book launch was wonderful and I really enjoyed the drinks and the canapes and meeting all the persons behind the book launch. It was a very enjoyable evening. I would like to thank Ideal Home show shop for inviting me to the wonderful VIP event where I met the celebrity chef Mark Lloyd who signed my copy of the book. 




 I love my signed copy of the Ideal home show seasonal cookbook which is proudly sitting on my recipe shelf in the kitchen.



I have already tried a few recipes from the Ideal Home show seasonal cook. Some of the recipes I cooked are cherry tomato and onion tartlets, carrot and parsnip rosti, the strawberry cupcakes and the chocolate truffles.I also made the apple, tomato and plum chutney from the book and it has become my favorite recipe out of the book.



I made this amazing Autumn Fruits Chutney from the book:

Ingredients:

500 g cooking apples peeled and diced
500g tomatoes diced
250g plums stoned and diced
250g  red onions finely chopped
100g sultanas
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
350 ml white wine vinegar
250 g demerara sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon chilli flakes(optional)
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander

Method:

1. In a large pan add the chopped tomatoes, apples, onions, plums, sultanas, cinnamon stick and mustard seeds.
2. Cook the mixture on a low/ medium heat for about 30 minutes until all the fruit has softened and turned to pulp. Stir the mixture intermittently to avoid it sticking to the pan.
3.Add the vinegar, sugar, chilli flakes, ground coriander and salt and bring the mixture to a simmer. 
4. Reduce the heat and cook the mixture for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture has thickened and when you draw a spoon through it no access liquid remains.
5. Remove from heat and leave to cool. 
6.Sterilise some glass jars and fill them with the chutney once it reaches room temperature.

NB- I followed the recipe from the cook book but have adapted it by adding chilli flakes, cinnamon and ground coriander.

As a christmas gift for simply.food readers I have a copy of the Ideal Home Show season cook book  to giveaway.

How To Enter


·         Simply complete the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries
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·         Please read the rules they form the terms and conditions of this Giveaway
·         Closing date – 19th December 2013 12.00 am 


  • You have to be over 18 to enter and competition open to UK residents only.

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  • Login to Rafflecopter – click to see what the question is. Make a comment answering the question on the blog.
  •  Go back to Rafflecopter and click the green button to tell me you have made a comment, this will unlock all the other options. All entries are checked to see that the mandatory question is answered, if its not all bonus entries will become void. 
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Submitting to:

Lets cook Christmas party food  event by simply.food


47 comments:

  1. Cranberry and Apple Chutney

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  2. I don't have a favourite Chutney for Christmas. I think I need to do some tasting tests to find out what mine is. That's going to be a hardship!

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  3. Sinple.food do some good competitions.

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  4. Has to be cranberry. Love fresh cranberries when I can get them.

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  5. I love spicy tomato chutney at Christmas with cheese and crackers!

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  6. I like red onion chutney - with the cheese & biscuits course on Boxing Day.

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  7. i don't have a favourite as i like them all

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  8. My mum makes a great chutney with lots of ginger and red onion.

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  9. nice chutney and love to have this book too.

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  10. cranberry is a household favourite over the holiday season :)

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  11. Will definitely try making the chutney!

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  12. Yummy chutney nayana.Would be entering the contest

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  13. I love fig and onion chutney. But yours sounds really good and would make a wonderful Christmas foodie gift! I bet yours would work so well with cheese or even a bit of pork pie. Thanks so much for entering Four Seasons Food x

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  14. You've reminded we don't have any, and it's just the best. Beetroot chutney. Very simple, with apple, and it's my favourite at any time of the year.

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  15. Chutneys are such a great way to capture the flavors of the season and this autumn version sounds delicious. Love the combination of apples with tomatoes and plums...

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  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  17. Onion Chutney is always perfect for christmas

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  18. sage and red onion stuffing and horesradish on the beef.

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  19. This looks awesome! Unfortunately I'm a flop in the kitchen but mmmmm cchutney!

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  20. Caramelised onion chutney is looooovely!

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