Archive for January, 2010

January Sale at Lake District Self Catering Company

Goosemire Cottages, the family owned and run Lake District self catering business, are pleased to launch their January sale.

Everyone is looking for a bargain at this time of year so why should the sales be confined to the high street? Goosemire Cottages are offering discounts on full weeks booked in each of their 46 self catering properties. The discounts range from £30 - £50 depending on the property size.

The number of self catering holidays in the UK has risen quite dramatically in the last 2 years. Various factors have contributed to this for example the poor Euro exchange rate resulting in tourists staying in the UK and the cost savings of self catering compared with a hotel stay. A self catering holiday allows freedom, the ability to cook within the property so saving on restaurant bills and is an excellent type of holiday for families and pet owners.

Goosemire Cottages have available 46 traditional Lake District self catering cottages for discerning visitors (Ranging from 1 to 7 bedrooms, sleeping up to 10). Most are rustic 17th or 18th Century Lakeland cottages or lovely barn conversions, where antiquity and modern comforts have been beautifully combined. The atmosphere and idiosyncrasies of each property are reflected on their website which offers full online booking facilities and information and images on each of their properties.

For more information on the Goosemire Lake District cottages January sale or their last minute booking discounts, visit http://www.goosemirecottages.co.uk/special-offers

Choosing the right Pans and Cookware

The television is flooded with cooking programmes, chefs and tips on how to cook more competently and more creatively.  More and more people are taking an interest in food, where their food comes from, seasonality and the different ways in which food can be cooked. Of course, the quality of produce is such a key factor when cooking. Flavouring and seasoning can only do so much, the quality of the base food whether it be meal, fish or vegetables is highly important.

If you have the best knives, saucepans and oven all the better but not everyone does. After buying the best produce you can afford the next most important purchase should be quality cookware, i.e pans.

Many people will have noticed that when a chef is cooking on television, they state and describe the pan they are using and that is normally one that they would strongly recommend you use. This is because pans are such a large part in how a recipe is cooked and how the finished dish turns out. When searing meat the last thing you would want to do is use a high sided pan as this would effectively steam the meat and you should not boil paste in a small, shallow pan.

Different pans cook food in different ways which is confirmed in a number of famous dishes from around the world. Many famous dishes are named after the pan or dish in which they were cooked in for example Spanish Paella, Moroccan Tagine and Indian Karahi. Each piece of cookware has been used for years and years to specifically achieve different effects.

Moving on from the correct type of pan or piece of cookware and then there are the different finishes including bases and coatings on pans, non-stick, stainless steel and copper pans are the most common. There are then cast iron pans namely for casserole dishes and griddle pans. Leading brands include Stellar pans, Le Creuset and Tefal.
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