Are you a Christmas Foodie?
Are you a Christmas Foodie?
Here’s your chance to find out. Grab a glass of something, put your feet up and play along. Or perhaps it’s a fun way to fill the time on the journey home.
We’d love to know your score, so please leave a comment. Thanks for playing and enjoy!
1. Why would you cook your Christmas meat in a Sous Vide?
1. For a smokey, charred flavour – it’s an American Indian BBQ
2. For evenly cooked, tender meat – it’s a water bath
3. To reduce cooking time – it’s a super-fast grill
A1: 2. It is a water bath. (food is cooked in sealed pouches for extended periods tenderising meat, retaining flavour, vitamins and ensures consistent results)
2. What is Mace?
1. A herb from the chive family
2. The dried outer casing of a nutmeg
3. A seasoning made from wheat
A2: 2. The dried outer casing of a nutmeg
3. What are Cloves?
1. Seeds from an Indonesian bush
2. The branch tips of the eucalyptus shrub
3. Dried flower buds from an evergreen tree
A3: 3. Dried flower buds from an evergreen tree
4. What is a Marron Glace?
1. A candied chestnut
2. A Casis flavoured ice-pop
3. A Casis flavoured ice-pop
A4: 1. A candied chestnut
5. What is a porchetta?
1. Traditional Italian peasant dish of unused parts of a pig boiled in stock with vegetables
2. Traditional Italian rolled brisket of beef
3. Traditional Italian pork dish, boneless and stuffed and rolled
A:5 3. Traditional Italian pork dish, boneless and stuffed and rolled
6. Which country is famous for its’ festive smorgasbord?
1. Denmark
2. Iceland
3. Sweden
A6: 3. Of course! It’s Sweden
7. What makes the ‘holes’ in honeycomb?
1. Beating air into sugar and golden syrup
2. Boiling the sugar mixture until it forms large bubbles
3. Adding bicarbonate of soda to the sugar and golden syrup mix
A7: 3. Adding bicarbonate of soda to the sugar and golden syrup mix
8. What would turn your meek Christmas turkey into a fiery festive bird?
1. Sriracha
2. Miso
3. Za’atar
A8: 1. Sriracha (chilli peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt) The others are Miso (Japanese, soya bean and salt mix) and Za’atar (thyme, sumac and sesame seeds)
9. Help! The avocado’s not ripe for my Christmas Day starter!
What shall I do?
1. place it near a warm radiator
2. Place it in a bag together with a banana
3. Pop it into the airing cupboard
A9: 2. Place it in a bag together with a banana
10. Which ingredient prevents royal icing from setting too hard?
1. water
2. glycerin
3. egg whites
A10: 2. glycerin
11. What is a traditional bamkuchen?
1. a German cake of many tiny layers
2. something to place on your dining room chair
3. a buttery, traditional Swedish pudding
A11: 1. a German cake of many tiny layers
christmas-stollen-448596_960_720 12. What hides within the soft, fruity bread of a stollen cake?
1. marzipan
2. date paste
3. chestnut puree
A12: 1. marzipan
13. What is Angelica?
1. a character from the Simpsons
2. a cocktail flavouring
3. a candied herb stem
A13: 3. a candied herb stem (from the parsley family used to decorate cakes, jams, puddings etc)
14. How do you stop your home made pickled onions from going soft?
1. par boil them, before rinsing and place into the vinegar
2. soak them in salt water, before rinsing and place into the vinegar
3. eat them quickly
A14: 2. soak them in salt water, before rinsing and place into the vinegar
15. What is cochineal?
1. red food colouring made from insects
2. a dome shaped chocolate pudding
3. a rabbit stew
A15: 1. red food colouring made from insects (the dye carmine is extracted, used in icings etc)
16. If cousin Tarquin is gluten intolerant (a coeliac), how can you thicken your gravy without using flour?
1. substitute flour for cornflour
2. substitute flour for rice flour
3. substitute flour for arrowroot
A16: 1, 2 & 3 – they are all alternative flours which can be used for thickening and GF baking
17. What is a date?
1. the dried fruit of a plum tree
2. the dried fruit of a palm tree
3. a spin round the Christmas ice-rink
A17: 2. the dried fruit of a palm tree
18. Which describes a sultana
1. a dried, “white”, oval seedless grape
2. a dried moscatel grape
3. a dried, dark red, seedless grape
A18: 1. a dried, “white”, oval seedless grape (usually called the sultanina) The others are: 2. a dried moscatel grape (raisin) and 3. a dried, dark red, seedless grape (currant)
19. How do I stop my baked ham from being salty
1. soak in plain water
2. add honey and cloves to disguise it
3. order one from Waitrose
A19: 1. soak in salt water (not water previously used for soaking pickled onions in question 15)
20. What is a Turkey Ballotine
1. Rolled, stuffed turkey breast
2. Minced turkey meatballs
3. Tinned turkey in gravy
A:20 1. Rolled, stuffed turkey breast
Thanks for playing. So far Rolline Frewen is the office winner, with 19 out of 20. Fabulous score (she may have even pretended not to know the incorrect to help us mortals).
Can you beat 19/20? Give it a try.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN 2017.