Schwartz Celery Salt

Late last week we escaped to the City for a few days in London. Extraordinarily beautiful at most times of the year but at Christmastime London is awash with street lights – Regent Street’s were particularly stunning – the slight hint of wine flavoured with cinnamon and a warm uplifting spirit.

Whilst family time was precious and the opportunity for a little lazing about minimal, as major retail therapy was required, the best start to any day – a good breakfast – was essential. The kitchen was particularly well stocked but a visit to the wonderful Paul’s bakery in South Kensington for fresh croissants was vital.

A brief dip into Aestheticons and we will guide you in the ways of carefully combining and judiciously using a number of iconic items to make the perfect Holiday Breakfast.

Pretty much any bread, however “day-old”, can be improved by toasting. A Dualit toaster – please see our earlier posts here Dualit Toaster is brilliantly controllable, sturdy and iconic design. Mine over twenty years old but is still fully functioning.

Why not get your own Dualit by clicking this AMAZON link for a 2 plus Combi toaster Dualit Combi 2+2 Toaster 42174 – Polished

A Four Slice Toaster DUALIT 4 Slice Vario AWS Toaster Polished Stainless Steel 40378

Or a Six slice toaster Dualit 6 Slice Toaster 60144 – Polished

Of course you can boil water in all manner of ways but none is more stylish than an Alessi kettle – Please see our earlier post here Alessi Bollitore kettle An Alessi Bollitore Kettle is an icon of design and practicality as vibrant today as when first designed in 1983 Officina Alessi Hob Kettle with Steel Bottom, Silver

Mornings are for Coffee and Afternoon’s are for tea….

One of the very best quick coffees comes courtesy of Nescafe Original Decaffeinated – Nescafe Decaffeinated Instant Coffee 100g If time is not pressing, then freshly brewed coffee cannot be beaten. If coffee is not your thing then I cannot more highly recommend an amazing tea Fortnum & Mason’s Assam Superb – please see our earlier post here Fortnum & Mason’s Assam Superb

Using a Bialetti Moka coffee pot – please see our post here Bialetti Moka Coffee Pot make perfect coffee when combining with Lavazza’s Decaffeinato Coffee – please see our post here Lavazza Caffè Decaffeinato By clicking here you could add a Bialetti Moka Express Espresso Maker, 6 Cup to your kitchen. Please try this beautiful coffee – Isn’t “Lavazza” Italian for coffee? Lavazza Caffe Decaffeinato Ground Coffee 250g

Serving coffee or tea in a perfect cup is very important. A Falcon enamel mug is both beautiful and practical – please see our earlier post here Falcon Enamelware Get your own Falcon enamel mug – or two – by clicking this link 1 x Falcon Enamelware Mug, Heavy Gauge (White with blue rim). 9cm

Aside from salt free butter, the perfect spread for your toast has to be Bonne Maman Blackcurrent preserve – please see our earlier post here Bonne Maman Jam Bonne Maman Blackcurrant Conserve Jam, 370g

For those of you who prefer salty to sweet then on top of cool butter Marmite is simply perfect – please see our earlier post here Marmite A big jar of Marmite should always be in your kitchen cupboard – get one here Marmite Yeast Extract Paste in a Glass Jar , 500g

Do you know what, if its a weekend and you are feeling a little indulgent why not order and make a perfect Bloody Mary – please see our post Lea & Perrins – the vital ingredient in a Bloody Mary which contains both the recipe for the best Bloody Mary ever it also gives you all the links to enable you to gift a Bloody Mary pack to a deserving friend, colleague or other half!

Go on, enjoy …. and make the most of those chilly holiday mornings….

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Images courtesy of Dualit, Alessi, Fortnum & Masons, Bialetti, Lavazza, Falcon Enamelwear, Bonne Maman and Marmite.

It’s getting to that time of year when only a Bloody Mary becomes the perfect accompaniment to a festive brunch. There are several vital ingredients to a Bloody Mary (and equally essential in the vodka-less Virgin Mary) – with my definitive recipe below – but one of the must haves is Lea & Perrin’s classically flavoured “Worcestershire Sauce”.

Lea & Perrins’ “Worcestershire Sauce” was first sold in 1837 by Messrs. John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins, who were chemists with a shop in 68, Broad Street Worcester. Other chemists in the immediate vicinity also sold similar products which have suggested some confusion of its precise provenance. Naturally the precise recipe is a secret but it is known that the ingredients comprise in part vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions and garlic.

Lea & Perrins is a subsidiary of the mighty Kraft Heinz but unlike others who have been assumed into mega-food groups, Lea and Perrins continues to operate from its Midland Road, Worcester head quarters from where it produces the version sold in Europe – which differs slightly from the US version as the UK version contains malt vinegar whereas the US version uses distilled white vinegar.

The UK version of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is instantly recognisable by its bottle and its orange and black label.

Ok so here goes, Mark’s definitive recipe for a Bloody Mary:

Into a large jug mix Vodka – the best you have – a few decent glugs! I am a big fan of Stolichnaya Vodka and my Russian friends tell me it is one of Russia’s favourite too.

Add a small handful of ice, V8 Juice (see our previous post here – V8 Vegetable Juice ), if available, or Tomato Juice about eight to ten times the volume of vodka used, the juice of one lemon – no pips, two tea spoons of Lea & Perrins (see our previous post here Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, one tea spoon of Tabasco Chipotle sauce (see our previous post here Tabasco Chipotle Sauce), one tea spoon of horse radish sauce, two table spoons of Spanish fino sherry, celery salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir together well and garnish with sticks of very crisp celery. Serve in a tall Duralex Picardie glass (see here Duralex Glass – Picardie).

Equally delicious for the designated driver is a Virgin Mary – a separate jug with all the above ingredients except the Vodka and Fino.

Get your ingredients for the perfect Bloody Mary by clicking the following AMAZON shopping links. …..And why not ask for your purchases to be gift wrapped to make the perfect gift?

Stolichnaya Vodka Stolichnaya Russian Premium Vodka 1 Litre

Lea & Perrins Lea And Perrins Worcestershire Sauce 150Ml

Tabasco Chipotle Tabasco – Chipotle smoky BBQ pepper sauce 60ML

V8 Juice V8 Original Vegetable Juice, 1l

Coleman’s Horse radish sauce Colman’s Horseradish Sauce ( 250ml x 6 x 1 )

Schwartz Celery Salt Schwartz Celery Salt, 72g

Gonzalez Byass’ Tio Pepe Fino Sherry GONZALEZ BYASS Tio Pepe Fino Sherry 75cl Bottle

Duralex Picardie glasses Duralex Picardie 1029AC04 Box of 4 High Ball Glass Tumblers Transparent 36 cl

Images Lea & Perrins, Stolichnaya, Tabasco and V8