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how do you make flavored mayo? will duke's work or should i make it from scratch. what's the best way to make a basil wasabi mayonnaise? drop cut basil and wasabi powder (paste) in to mayo and stir? what about chipotle mayo? i'm asking for a generalized technique for the newbies. thanks

I have tried losts of them and Grey poupon is still my all time favorite... Ive tried Pommery, Food and Wine mustards and French mustards but still cant beat Grey Poupon w white wine in my opinion.... Am I missing something... Help!

JAMIN 's decor was understated elegance...with walls, banquettes and table cloths in shades of rose, cream and spring green. The china, silver and crystal sparkled. The greeting was warm and gracious. Service was superb and unobtrusive. Aperitifs were accompanied by warm toasts w. melting leeks & cheese. We chose the menu degustation which was 80E. Mis en place--a demitasse cup w. tomato confit or thick gazpacho on top, covering layers of avocado mousse and lastly, tomato water. Very good Cappuccino-style frothy cepe soup w. 2 langoustines encased in a sheer noodle wrap---heavenly Tart --thin puff pastry base filled w warm eggplant puree and topped w. roasted green, yellow & red tomatoes..garnished w fried basil leaf and thin eggplant round...superb I'm a little vague on the fish course...but think it was a pan sauteed white fish surrounded by individual spring veggies Quail--while the breats were a bit dry, the leg was crisp and delicious & both were accompanied by a luxurious dark pan sauce w. sauteed girolles. Cheese; prime condition--Epoisse, camembert, reblochon and brin d'amour A chocolate tart & frais de bois plus warm pistachio & hazelnut madeleines RELAIS D'AUTEUIL..Chef Patrick Pignol We had 'discovered' this restaurant 2 years ago and were very excited by it.... for its attention to decor[beautiful, I thought] , service and cuisine. We were enthused when they received a second M* this year and returned eagerly. My beautiful restaurant has been re-decorated along sleek, contemporary lines. "Oh, we change it every 3 years!" ...It seemed more masculine; has madame disappeared from the scene? The service remained excellent. The sommelier is well informed and enthusiastic but we disliked his recommendation [Maranges] as it had very musky tones. The cuisine remained very good......but what surprised me was that it seemed to have changed little. I droned on re; Taillevent...but shouldn't even a good restaurant vary its offerings? All of the dishes are artistically presented, on plates of varying sizes, shapes & colors. Aperitifs of 1 champagne and 1 gin =33euros Menu degustation 98 euros Mis en place; 3 items, a quail leg, a warm carrot coated w sesame seeds and a slightly warm cherry tomato w basil --a fabulous cream-emulsified gazpacho w. 'critters' [? moules] at the bottom --2 large langoustine tails, lightly coated ? in breadcrumbs & lime --oysters wrapped in spinach. slightly warmed in a frothy sauce w. garnish of carmelized shallots & peppercorns. We weren't so enthused about this dish but suspect that it was us, not the dish. -- a superb veal steak, rendered very salty due to the pan sauce w. very good pureed potatoes and petite oignons. --an entensive offering of cheeses, all appearing to be in prime condition --sl warmed frais de bois w. creme chantilly --chocolate beignets The mignardises included a raw hazelnet, half-shelled w. its leaf still attached We would recommend both of these restaurtants. Has anyone else dined there recently? oi

After reading Stellabella's post on figs where she mentions fig preserves I thought I would ask about preserves and canning...I have never tried it as I have always been afraid I would poison myself (or friends) with botulism. How hard is it to do? What are the most important things to remember so I don't make anyone ill? Any tips for making what seems complicated (to me ) easier? And what would be the best thing to try first (the one with the best chance of success). Thanks in advance for the help! Edit to correct spelling

Went to the NEW location of GUSS PICKLE....stocked up on Sauerkraut for my turkey semi Reubens, full sours, green tomaters, and HOT peppers. When I sampled one...I was heard BLISSFULLY gasping HOLY SH*T THATS GOOD! HOLY SH*T THATS GOOD as a heavy smoke condition emitted from my ears and ten years worth of sinus congestion suddenly cleared. I then hauled home the last they had....a heavy quart. Now that I can see again...I need to figure out what to do with the little incendiary bombs. I cant have prosciutto or provolone....what else *IS* there????

I have been reading Between Bites, a memoir by James Villas, for many years the food and wine editor of Town and Country magazine. The title is dangerously close to the immortal Between Meals, and Villas is no Liebling. He is, though, pleasant company in a mannered, old school kind of way. His tastes and his views on dining are definitely old school - one chapter inclues a paean of praise for the Veau D'Or! The first chapter recounts his chance meeting with Alexandre Dumaine while studying in France. Thereafter, he seems to have stumbled almost unwittingly into a succession of encounters with major chefs and food writers. He makes it all seem very casual. There are some funny stories - the rare interview with MJK Fisher he conducted while retching from the after effects of oyster-poisoning - and the portraits of the editors he worked for are entertaining. And he deals with his lively private life - his, er, confirmed batchelorhood - candidly but with a light hand. I particularly wanted to mention some opinions he expresses on topics we've discussed here. He believes that customers do indeed have some obligations to the restaurants they patronize (he is thinking upscale restaurants, of course): 1. Dress decently. 2. Never pour your own wine. 3. Ask the captain's name (anyone do that?). 4. Smile occasionally, and say thank you. 5. Show an intelligent interest in the menu and wine list. He also claims that palming the captain a $10 or $20 bill will certainly get you better service ($10??!!); and that waitstaff particularly appreciate being handed a (cash) tip with an expression of thanks, although he acknowledges that this rarely happens. Another of his themes caught my attention: the ascension of celebrity chefs and concomitant decline of great restaurateurs. He acknowledges Maccioni, the Massets and Tony May in New York, and says nice things about Danny Meyer; but he misses the days of Soule, Baum, and the other great dictators. Finally, in the chapter describing his undercover stint as a captain at Le Perroquet in Chicago, he points out some service rules, two of which I memorably recall seeing broken recently: never turn your back on the customers (Cello) and never, ever, touch the table (La Grenouille). The book is only slightly frustrating in that, having read the genesis of many of his articles, one would then like to read them.

Does anyone have a favorite recipe for this delicious dessert? I find it sad that so many restaurants in NYC never serve good ones. Actually I am yet to eat any that come even remotely close to the great ones we would eat the Bengali Sweet in Barakhamba Road in New Delhi. Does anyone have a good source for these? A recipe that you love?

Homemade mayo does not have a great shelf life...or fridge life. We checked the ingredients on the jar in the fridge (Trader Joe's) and it was oil, eggs, egg yolks, spice, vinegar and lemon juice. They make a point of pride in saying there are no preservatives, sugar, etc. So, why is our homemade mayo not going to be appealing, let alone safe, for a month in the fridge? Do they irradiate this stuff? Please, Sir, I want to know.

I just noticed at the bottom of this page in Crain's that Bruno jamais - the maitre d' described elsewhere on this site as the "villain" of Leslie Brenner's The Fourth Star - has left Daniel to open his own club. From the report, looks like they'll be no misrepresentation that tables are available on any kind of first come basis .

I was likely distracted in pastry class when baking with raspberry jam was discussed. Can anyone explain the difference between "regular" and baking jam and the practical reasons why we make the distinction? I'm working on a raspberry bar and I don't want the critical commentary to include raspberries (if you know what I mean). Thanks. NYC

OK. Here's a recipe I've been noodling around with for pickled onions... it's pretty much the same recipe that you'd use for bread & butter pickles, but without the cucumbers and other stuff ... just onions. I've found that frozen pearl onions work just fine for this recipe, so you can make them pretty much any time of the year. You can use fresh pearl onions, but they require peeling, and the ones I find in the produce aisle tend to be a little too large for my liking, since the syrup doesn't seem to permeate them as well. When I make them, I put them in jars, and can them up. They make pretty good gifts, too, since the syrup ends up a yummy looking golden color. A friend told me they're excellent snack food, but I serve them just like I'd serve a relish or a chutney. 1/4 c. salt 2 c light brown sugar 1/2 t tumeric * 1/4 t cloves * 1 T mustard seed * 1 t celery seed * 1 or 2 hot chili peppers (optional) 2 c white vinegar 2 lbs. fresh pearl onions, peeled, or 4 packages frozen Combine everything in a pot except the onions and slowly bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Strain out the spices, and return the syrup to the pot. (You can leave the spices in for more zing as they age, but I strain them out because they make eating kind of clumsy later on.) Add in the onions, and return the mixture back to just below the boiling point. Spoon into sterilized mason jars, and add a clove or two (and a hot pepper or two, if you want), and leave a 1/4" headspace... process the jars in boiling water for 15 minutes if you want them to keep more than a week or two. If you decide to serve them up fresh, best to let them steep, covered, in the liquid for at least day or so in the fridge (I'm guessing). * note: you can replace all of these items with a prepared pickling spice mixture if you want. Penzey's makes a really good one that I've used with good success. Also, if you want to use fresh pearl onions, just trim off the root end, and cut a shallow x where the root was, and dunk them in boiling water for a a minute or two -- the papery skins will slip right off. I've also tried making this recipe with cider vinegar, but it added an off flavor that I didn't care for.

Want to make my own hot sauce but don't know how...anyone?

Recently this rum had arrived on the shelves (or should I say on a shelf) at the Ontario Licquor Control Board - Vintages Store(the Main retail store in Ontario). It has very little information and before I buy it I would like to find what ever I can about it. The Lable reads as follows. "OLD JAMAICA RUM" - The secret treasures of the Caribbean This rum was originaly distilled at LONG POND DISTILLERY 1986/Bottled 2000 (thats 14 years). 70cl. 40%vol. Cost $69.00 canadian. The bottle is a regular clear bottle, not specialy designed. -- The back lable has a bar code and some advertising lingo in french and in German!. but no disctiption of the rum or its production. What is confusing is it says imported by S.FASSBIND.S.A. Which to me is South Africa?. The LCBO so far has not been able to give me any more information .. Looking for information. John Reekie.

I few weeks ago I bought a bottle of: Saint James vieux rhum milesime 1976 for about $40. I like it, but was this a good deal ?

I made another batch of Apple Chutney at Diwan tonight. Made me wonder if others are making any. How do you make your version? Where is the recipe from?

I'd appreciate some information on the respective roles of light and dark soy sauce in Cantonese cuisine. Are there particular products that are better suited to each type of soy, and how might the intensity and saltiness of soy be affected (if at all) by the cooking method chosen for a product that the soy accompanies?

I received a pound of the beans as a present and have made several pots of coffee with it. It disappoints me. I expected a much more aromatic, winey flavor than I am getting. Could it be the beans are stale? What are the flavor characteristics of well made coffe with these beans?

I find myself wondering what people think of the onion relish you often are served in many Indian restaurants in the US. Do people enjoy this relish? Where does it come from? What version of it does your local Indian restaurant serve? Have you ever asked for a recipe?

Hi , I've got a question for which three facts are usefull: - I graduated last tuesday (so I now can call myself a teacher, although I'm already fulfilling that job for more than a year) - I celebray my birthday (july 12th) in combination with the graduation - two friends are going on a honeymoon to Jamaica and have asked repeatedley what they can buy me for the occasion What rums can you advise me to aks for this occasion that are not so commonly known like Appleton's, Myers or Wray and Nephew's? The friends are leaving on june 6th, so your advise would we wanted before that date... Thanks, John

The James Beard Journalism award nominations for 2003 Steve Shaw (aka Fat Guy) published a piece on the Redneck Riviera and Sandor Zombori here on eGullet. This was nominated in the Internet category, making this eGullet's first Beard Award nomination (Steve won in the category last year). The two competing pieces in that category are: Natalie Maclean's "Lady Sings the Booze" and Michael Steinberger's "Cold Shower."

I had lunch at Jamin about 10 days ago. Here is a report: This 2 star is located on Rue Longchamp not far from the Trocadero. I made my reservation over the internet about 2 weeks in advance with no problem. The Guide Rouge lists email or websites for several of the starred restaurants. I have found that to be a convenient means for reserving. The dining room is beautiful with light green walls, upholstery in rose, lots of polished wood accents and fresh flowers. The service was wonderful, attentive without being overbearing. Two amuse were served, one a small leek and ham tart, another was described as chicken in the style of Thailand which was a small spring roll filled with chicken served with a pepper sauce. For lunch they had an offering called the Menu du Marche, 48 euros. This consisted of 3 plats en demi plus dessert from the chariot. First plat was a poached egg over a bed of lightly cooked spinach. The egg was covered by an elegant sauce that resembled bernaise. There were some asparagus spears on the plate along with a crispily cooked piece of jambon de Bayonne. Sauce Bordelaise was around the perimeter of the plate. I enjoyed this very much. The next plat was a piece of St Pierre over artichokes with a spicy pepper sauce. This was well executed but my least favorite of the three. The third plat was a fricassee of Bresse chicken sauced with its cooking juices along with legumes du printemp. This was outstanding. The chariot de desserts was a cart stocked with a selection of pristine tarts and freshly made ice creams. The waiter offered me a degustation, putting a small piece of each tart on my plate. These tarts were made from simple ingredients, chocolat, citron, etc but far superior to the products you get at even the best pastry shops in Paris. After the degustation, I accepted an offer of more of the chocolat tart with pistacio ice cream. This dessert was simple but fabulous. Very tasty chocolate truffles and orangettes came with coffee. For wine I had a demi of Madiran. Total price, 93 euros. This was a fabulous lunch, well priced, great service. I highly recommend Jamin to those who visit Paris. They also had an 80 euro tasting menu but I did not ask what it included.

Any good tips on popping mustard seeds? It's crucial to strike a balance between not too long (they taste burnt) and not too short (most won't pop). If the heat is too high or too low you get poorly popped seeds. Does anyone have any advice?

These folks were at my local Costco last week offering samples of their coffees. I had never heard of them, even though their facility is two miles from my house. Has anyone else sampled their coffee? I was impressed enough by the flavor and freshness to buy three pounds, and may call and arrange a tour of the roasting facility. Mayorga Coffee Roasters

What sorts of mustards do you like? The type of mustard I like is pungent without a hint of sweetness (fie upon honey mustards), but not too vinegary. Inglehoffer's Stone Ground tends to be rather good, but it's got a little too much vinegar (overpowers the taste of the mustard). What sorts of mustards do you like? Any brands? Or do you make your own?

Please post your questions here. Autumn and Festive Preserves Author: Jack Lang (Jackal10) Jack's first course on preservation can be found here. The introduction to that course contains some scientific background to preservation and should be read in conjunction with this course. Now the end of the growing season is here and Xmas approaches it is time to make the last preserves of the year. Here we will look at Apple Jelly Green Tomato Chutney Damson Gin Mincemeat Xmas pudding Quince comforts (contignac) Pamelas: Candied orange and grapefruit peel Apple Jelly and variations Apples have lots of pectin, so apple jelly is easy, and a basis for many other flavours. It is made much like the Redcurrant jelly in the previous preserves section. It can be made from windfalls, or from crab apples. I make it from the apples that get left on the tops of the trees that we could not reach to pick, and that then fall off in their own good time. I know I should prune out these top branches, but then I would not get the apples for apple jelly Small jars of jelly make nice presents or shop goods. 6lbs/3kgs apples 3pts/2.5l water 3lbs/1.5kg sugar Chop up the apples and discard the bad bits, but keep the pips and cores – they contain the most pectin. For 6 lbs/3kg of apples add 3pts/2.5l water, and simmer for an about an hour Pass though a jelly bag, or a coffee filter, or a double thickness of muslin in a sieve Resist the temptation to squeeze or force it through Measure the juice. Allow 1lb/500g of sugar to each pint/750cl of juice Boil until setting point is reached (221F) Skim and bottle. When cold, label and store in the usual dark cold place. Variations Everything except the spices are added after the sugar has dissolved and show in the final jelly: Spiced apple jelly: Add cloves to the apple when you boil them. You can add them to the juice which gives a brighter flavour, but they then need straining out You can use other spices, such as pumpkin pie spices, or ginger, or lemon peel. Mint Jelly: Add chopped mint to the juice. Some like to add some vinegar as well. Other herbs: Parsley, thyme, rosemary (strain out the bits), tarragon, lavendar etc Rose Petal: Makes a lovely rose petal jam, Use fresh red rose petals from a fragrant variety. Wash well, and add 1 cup of petals after the sugar has been dissolved. You can increase the rose flavour with rose germanium leaves or with rose water. Gold leaf spangles: Add pieces of gold leaf, or a liqueur like Goldwasser that contains them. Flavour with cinnamon or aniseed.. Hot Chilli: Add chopped hot chillis: 12 chillis are about as much as even serious chilli heads can stand. Green Pepper: Add chopped green peppers, and green food colouring Green Tomato Chutney At the end of the tomato growing season there are always green tomatoes left, as well as the odd straggler or misshapen fruit. Those that don’t get fried make magnificent chutneys and pickles. They are pretty tough and make a good sweet pickle: 3lb/1kilo small green tomatoes 1pt/750mls vinegar 2 lb sugar flavouring: 1tsp vanilla or q tsp ground cinnamon If you want to peel them put the tomatoes in boiling salted water for 10 mins, refresh under cold water and peel. I don’t bother. Put the peeled green tomatoes with the sugar, vinegar and flavouring into a non-corrosive saucepan and boil for 5 mins. Pack into jars, and seal with non-metallic lids. You can pickle them just like the cucumber recipe given in the first lesson, except they take at least 3 weeks to mature. A good chutney is mellow from long cooking and maturing. It is quite different from Indian style chutneys, although the origin may have been Anglo-Indian. This style is deep brown. long simmered, ends up like a like a brown sauce with texture. Essential with cold meats, pork pies, or with cheese for a sandwich or ploughman’s lunch. 4lb/2 kilo green tomatoes, chopped up roughly 1lb/500g windfall apples, after peeling and coring 1/2lb/250g small raisins or sultanas 1 lb/300g brown sugar 1lb/500g shallots or onions, chopped 1/2 pt/375ml vinegar 1/2oz/25g fresh ginger, chopped. ½ oz/25g salt Spices and chillis to taste (2 chillis, 2 bay leaves, tsp mustard seed, tsp black pepper) Put the spices in a muslin wrap. Chop up everything small, except the raisins or sultanas. Put it all to simmer on a very low heat for a very long time (6-8 hours), until it is thick, and apart from the raisins, although there are chunks, the origin of each is not really discernable. The bag of spices is on the left. Remove the spices, bottle with a non-metallic lid (because of the vinegar) and seal. Leave to mature for at least a month. Variations: For a lighter chutney use white sugar and vinegar. If you want it sharper, add some of the vinegar towards the end of the cooking period. You can make it with almost any fruits or vegetables such as windfall apples, or marrow, plums or winter squashes that did not quite grow right Damson Gin Fruits in alcohol are a wonderful and easy dual preserve. Not only do you get the delicious liqueur, but also the preserved fruit. This recipe is a more delicate version of sloe gin, made with sloes (wild plums), but also just as traditional. First pick the damsons 1lb/500g damson plums, I bottle (70cl) full strength gin, as the water in the fruit will dilute it 8oz/250g sugar (more or less to taste) Freeze the damsons. This is a short cut and the object is to crack the fruit so that the gin penetrates You can hear the fruit crack when you pour on the gin. Freezing is much easier than the traditional method of pricking each fruit with a silver bodkin. Put into a jar and shake. The sugar will dissolve slowly, and the gin takes on a wonderful pink colour and fruit flavour. After 24 hours Put the jar somewhere (under the bed is traditional) where you see it from time to time and give it a shake occasionally. After a month it is ready. You can leave it, or strain the liqueur, and bottle it back into the original gin bottle, relabelled. It improves in the bottle if allowed to do so without being drunk. If you manage to leave it, it will gradually mature to a rich brown and full flavour. This is from 3 years ago. The fruit can be added in moderation to an adult fruit salad, or pureed and set with a little gelatine into an amazing jelly. Variations: You can add almond essence or lemon peel Many fruits can be preserved in alcohol this way, for example Peaches in Brandy, Cherries in Brandy or Rum. We covered Rumtopf in the last lesson. Mincemeat Ahh mince pies! I don’t know why more people don’t make their own mincemeat, as it is so easy and so much better than shop-bought. Making mince pies with home made micemeat to the sound of the carol service broadcast from King’s College marks the start of the festivities for me Mincemeat originally was a way of preserving meat for the winter, with lots of spices, dried fruit, alcohol and sugar. The meat was used as a pie filling, or part of a porridge or stuffed into a sausage skin for a pudding After a while people noticed it tasted even better if they left out the meat, except for some fat to melt and give richness and unctuousness. A few people still include neck meat or kidney, but mostly out of tradition rather than taste On the other hand if you can get real kidney suet from your butcher and shred your own, your mince meat will be all the better and more authentic Otherwise you will have to make do with the packet stuff. If you don’t eat meat then butter is better than the dubious (and often stale) hydrogenated fats that pass for some vegetable suets. 1lb/500g each of cooking apples, weighed after peeling, coring and chopping Use a firm apple like Granny Smith. currants seedless raisins sultanas brown sugar finely chopped suet 1/2lb/250g chopped mixed candied peel, glace cherries etc grated rind and juice of 2 lemons 2 oz chopped almonds (optional) ½ tsp ground sweet mixed spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves – as for pumpkin pie) 1/2pt+ 1 glass rum or brandy. (Not optional!) Mix it all together. Pack into jars. Seal. Drink the spare glass of rum or brandy. Leave for a month before using as a pie or tart filling. One jar nicely fills an 8 inch pie dish. Also great as a filling for baked apples. Will keep a year, but may dry out a little. Revive by stirring in another glass of spirits, Xmas pudding George I (sometimes called “The Pudding King”) ate this Christmas pudding at 6pm on December 25th 1714. These puddings may originally have been a thick spiced porridge version of the mincemeat above, called frumenty, sometimes cooked as a pudding in a sausage skin. In the sixteenth century people discovered that they were better if they boiled the ingredients in a bag (“bag pudding”), they preferred the texture given by eggs, breadcrumbs and flour, rather than oatmeal. The original would have been the traditional cannonball shape from being boiled in a floured cloth, often in the wash-day copper. Once boiled, they will keep for up to a year in a cool dry place.. 1 1/2lb/750g eggs, weighed in their shells 1lb/500g each of dried plums (prunes) seedless raisins mixed peel currants sultanas flour brown sugar breadcrumbs 1 tsp mixed spice ½ nutmeg, grated ½ tsp salt Juice and grated rind of a lemon Large glass of brandy ½ pint milk. Mix all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre and mix in the wet ingredients. “a stir and a wish” Let stand, covered in a cool place for 12 hours. Put into basins or a floured cloth. Boil for 8 hours. A half lemon in the water helps preserve aluminium pans. When cold recover with clean silicone paper and muslin Store cool and dry. Before serving boil again for 2 hours. Dress with a sprig of holly Take to table flaming: pour over a ladleful of flaming rum or brandy (care). Serve with brandy butter (Hard sauce), cream, or rum custard or all of them. My variation: Omit the flour. This gives a lighter pudding Replace the milk with Guinness. Drink the rest of the bottle. Wartime versions used carrots to add some sweetness and bulk instead of some of the sugar, which was in short supply. Versions which omit the alcohol should be ignored. These make puddings which are mostly fruit, held together with a little pudding stuff. You can increase the breadcrumbs and flour if you want to economise, or like more stodge. Left-over Christmas pudding is great fried with bacon and eggs next morning. Traditions Many traditions and superstitions are associated with Christmas pudding. When mixing you should invite the family for “a stir and a wish” They were the original “Plum-duff” of naval catering, and dried plums are, at least to me, an essential ingredient and link with tradition. Traditionally they were made by “Stir-up Sunday”, the last Sunday before Advent, which is around the end of November, so that they have time to mature before Christmas day. It is called “Stir-up Sunday” because the Collect begins “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people”, reminding the faithful that it is time to make puddings The old game of Snapdragon puts raisins or currants around the flaming pudding, the dare is to snatch one from the flames (take care!). There is a reference from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass where Alice meets the fanciful Looking-Glass insects. One of them is the Snap-dragon-fly, with a body made of plum-pudding, its wings of holly-leaves and its head a raisin burning in brandy. It lives on frumenty and mince pie, and nests in a Christmas box. It is traditional to hide a silver three-penny bit or other silver coin in the pudding. Whoever gets it, according to tradition, will receive wealth and riches in the coming year, or in other traditions are made king or queen for the day. This is part of an older and wider lore, such as the bean in the French Three kings cake, or in the Greek Vasilopita cake for St Basils (New Years Day). Originally the coin was in the Twelfth night cake The coin stood for riches. Other symbols and their objects were A bean for King A pea for Queen A clove for Knave A twig for the Fool A rag for the Maid One theory is that these traditions, together with the yule log, the holly and mistletoe, are the last remnants of the pagan traditions of the winter solstice festival of Saturnalia, taken over in the Christian tradition by Christmas. The king, chosen by the bean or the coin, is the Lord of Misrule and rules over the Revels for the day. There is deep symbolism and ancient magic here. The health police remind us that there is a remote chance of someone choking on the small coin in their food, so warn people to be on the look out for it, and check for the very young or old. Polish and wash or boil the coin well before adding to the pudding. Make sure the coin is real silver – modern nickel coins (like nickels and dimes) leave a nasty taste. Real silver (pre-1920) English three-penny bits are still available, for example on ebay or at coin dealers for modest prices if they are not in mint condition. I just purchased some Victorian 1887 ones for about 50c each . Others replace the coin with a silver charm. You can bribe youngsters to return it by offering a reward. Other places have their own traditional preserved foods or rich matured breads and cakes for Xmas: Speculoos (spiced cookies) in Belgium, Stollen in Germany, Vasilopeta and Chridstopsomo in Greece, panetonni and panforte in Italy, Turron in Spain, Medivnyk Honey Cake in Ukraine, not forgetting all the preserved ginger, gingerbreads, hams, game pies, and turkeys raised for the season. Quince comforts/Quince Cheese/Contignac/ Dulce de Membrillo Quince paste, known by different names in different places Depending how much you reduce and dry it it can be variously Butter, Cheese, Leather or Comfits. Comfits are an old name for a fruit jelly, served after dinner. 2lbs/1 Kg quinces About 1lb/500g sugar Pick the quinces Quinces are as hard as iron when raw. Some recipes suggest stewing them, but I find baking them for an hour or so easiest Let them cool, and remove most of the skin and bones – the pips, stalk and any hard bits. Puree and sieve. This stuff is tough to sieve and sticks to everything. It is easier when the puree is warm. Add an equal weight of sugar, and simmer, stirring frequently. It will get much looser at first, then stiffer as it dries. Take care, as it bubbles like molten lava, and spits. When you can see the bottom of the pan when you draw a line it is stiff enough. Pour into an oiled tin, or a tin lined with silicone paper, and let it set. You can now dry it in the sun, or in a barely warm oven. Turn it over after a day or so so it dries evenly. Traditionally these cheeses were wrapped in Bay leaves and muslin, and served with cheese. To make comfits cut it into ½ inch/ 1cm cubes and roll in sugar. Keep either loosely wrapped in the fridge, or in a closed tin in sugar. Variations: Add spices, such as cinnamon Use other fruit, such as apple or Damson Pamelas: Candied grapefruit peel Making true glace fruit is a long business, and there is little advantage in making it yourself. However here is a quick version, adapted from a recipe originally by the Troisgros Freres. 6 Grapefruits (about 2kg or 4lbs), preferably unwaxed 1lb 6oz/600g sugar Cut off the top and bottom of the grapefruit. Cut into quarters. Cut off 2/3rds of the flesh from each quarter and any seeds. You can eat it for breakfast. Cut each quarter into 4 sticks, (some orange crept in there) Put them in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring it to the boil. Strain off the water. Repeat this four times to remove the bitterness. The fifth time don’t add the water but add the sugar instead. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat very slowly uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until the syrup has evaporated and peel is transparent and tender. If you cook too fast the syrup will evaporate before the slices are cooked. Spread the slices out to dry on a rack, and when cold roll in sugar. Damson comfits and Pamelas Variations: For true indulgence dip into good chocolate. You can do the same with other citrus fruits. Orange peel needs rather longer than grapefruit. Please post your questions here.