Yes its that time again when all of us taking up the challenge of cooking for our friends and family over Christmas need to make sure we have enough Cutlery!

I am not sure about you but every year I seem to be racing back to the sink to wash up the ones just used!

Here you can buy plenty that cost less than buying plastic ones in the long run and lets face it far nicer to use if you have gone to the effort to entertain!

Order now to ensure you have them in time for Christmas!

Plain and simple - 60 piece £15.95 Knife, Fork, Dessert, Soup, Teaspoon 12 of each

Kings                  - 60 piece £28.50 (as above)

Bead                  - 60 piece £28.50 (as above)

Harley                - 60 piece £28.50 (as above)

At Buycatering we have been doing a little baking of late to get into the swing of things before Christmas and one of the things we have been making is meringues. For all those meringue fans who think there is nothing better than meringues accompanying their favourite dessert or simply by its self with a drip of cream you will know the problems faced when trying to keep your food fresh for longer.

We used the Vacufresh Storage Container to extend the life of our life of our meringues and it did just the trick. The Vacufresh works by sucking the air out of the container and keeping the food inside safe and fresh..

On the 4th January 2011 the VAT rate in the UK will increase to 20% from the current rate of 17.5%. So what are you waiting for, get any orders in to us before the 4th of January to avoid the increase even if your order is to be delivered later.

We are always trying to keep our prices as low as possible and even if you miss this deadline there's always a great deal to be had here at Buycatering.

An Australian chef has cooked up a radical solution to food waste after a favourable newspaper review brought too many of the wrong kinds of diners to her restaurant door.

Yukako Ichikawa and her staff tell customers that if they do not leave clean plates, they will not be welcome back. ''Finishing your meal requires that everything is eaten except lemon slices, sushi ginger and wasabi.'' Even those buying food to takeaway must bring their own containers.

An interesting concept to combat food wastage that we at buycatering.com enjoyed reading about, not sure if it will catch on however.

Pubs in the UK could soon be serving new safer pint glasses after two key manufacturers confirmed they are trialling prototypes inspired by the governments Design Out Crime scheme. 2 revolutionary prototype pint glasses have been designed to reduce the injuries caused by glassing attacks.

Being trialled at different various venues the brief challenged designers to rethink the traditional pub pint glass to overcome the resistance faced by the current plastic-based alternatives.

The designs represent the first major advance in pub glassware since the 1960s and feature new high-tech ways of using glass, so they feel the same as conventional glasses, but crucially do not create loose, dangerous shards if broken.

We are interested to hear your thoughts.

Top tips for selecting and storing coffee beans, either for smaller domestic appliances or commercial machines.

Selecting Your Beans

The darker the roast, the stronger the coffee. Pre-ground coffee will be more convenient – but wont taste as good as freshly ground beans. Experiment until you find your perfect flavour.

The Fresher The Better

The freshness of the coffee comes from when the bean is roasted and not harvested, and once roasted they start to lose flavour. Store your beans in a cool dark environment and preferably in an air tight container.

The Dreaded Coffee Ring

Don’t panic. Removing that coffee ring from the bottom of a cup is easier than you think. A little baking soda and water rubbed over the stain should remove it. If your surface is colour-safe, try a mild bleach product, but do a test patch first.

Invest Now

Like it or not the better the coffee machine the better your chances of making a first class cup of coffee. Research what you need and invest in the right equipment to meet your needs.

The artisan mixer and its counterparts are all serious investments and unless you are serious about baking or just must have the latest kitchen accessory its probably not worth considering. However that said be prepared for this thing to change your life and the way you cook forever! The planetary mixing action and powerful motor move the supplied beater, whisk and dough hook in a circular motion right around the large 4.8 litre bowl making light work out of whatever you can think to throw in including bread dough, cake mix and egg whites.

It’s not just for mixing, folding and whisking ether, behind the protrusion on the front of the mixer lies a versatile attachment hub that will accept any one of a huge range of accessories for bettering just about every aspect of preparing a delicious treat or meal. How about a pasta maker? An ice-cream maker? A mincer, slicer, shredder?.. The list goes on. And when it’s not in use simply leave it standing there in the kitchen, and marvel at its stunning precision engineered aesthetic beauty, until your friends and family begin to wonder about your mental wellbeing.

The KitchenAid artisan is an amazing gift for anyone who enjoys baking, or the many wonderful by-products of baking, and it most certainly will not go unnoticed in any kitchen. For more information on the Artisan mixer and other KitchenAid mixers please visit our food mixers category.

Before you even go out to buy your Christmas turkey remember this! Christmas is a time for over indulgence so get the biggest bird you can afford (or fit in your oven), even if you can’t get through it all on the day there’s the potential for great sandwiches and meals from the leftovers. Also if you’re getting your bird from a local butcher get your order in early so that you will get the bird you want, there’s nothing worse than being stuck with a bird that’s too small or that nobody else wants. Remove the giblets as soon as you get the bird and keep them if you want to use them in your stock.

Defrosting:

If your turkey is of the frozen variety you need to leave plenty of time for it to defrost as a guide you should follow the times below but always check that it is fully defrosted and that there are no ice crystals with a thermometer before cooking the bird. Using a meat thermometer check that the temperature is at least 4°C at the thickest part of the bird and that there are no ice crystals still in the meat. If the turkey is too cold or there are any ice crystals it won’t cook properly and may result in food poisoning.

Stuffing:

Stuffing your turkey will make it harder to gauge when it is cooked and it will also increase the time it will take to cook. We recommend cooking your stuffing separately and adding some of the juices from the cooked bird for flavoring. If you are going to stuff the turkey make sure that you leave space inside the cavity and don’t pack it too tightly. Also make sure that the stuffing is properly cooked before removing it from the oven, it should be at least 75°C.

Cooking:

Cooking times vary depending on your oven and the weight of the bird (don’t forget the weight of any stuffing when calculating the cooking time), pre heat your oven to around 180°C (Gas mark 4) and place the turkey in a large roasting tin and rub with butter before seasoning with salt and pepper. Next take plenty of tin foil and create a loose fitting cover over the turkey (make sure it’s not too tight as you will be removing it regularly during cooking).

Once the oven is up to temperature put the bird in and leave it, after about half of the time has passed its time to baste the turkey for the first time, gently remove the foil covering the bird and using a large spoon baste it in its own juices, re-cover it and set it away cooking again. Do this from now on around once every 20 minutes increasing the frequency to around once every 10 minutes in the last half hour or so. If you want the skin to go nice and brown remove the foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking.

As a guide you should cook your turkey according the times below (Don’t forget to take the stuffing into account):

To check that the turkey is properly cooked use a meat thermometer and take a temperature at the thickest parts of the thigh and breast, also if it is stuffed take the stuffing temperature too. All temperatures should read at least 75-80°C and the juices should run clear and not pink. If the turkey is too cold or the juices are not clear return it to the oven for another half an hour and check again. If you are in any doubt as to whether your turkey is cooked properly return it to the oven for another half an hour and check it again.

Leftovers:

Leftovers from Christmas dinners are perfect for easy sandwiches and meals days after Christmas, just remember to refrigerate your turkey as soon as possible and never leave it out of the fridge for more than 30 minutes while serving. If you are going to reheat it then make sure that is it steaming hot throughout and never reheat more than once. You should also try to eat all leftover within 48 hours.

At Buycatering we have recently been enjoying the new Marks and Spencer advert that has been on our TV screens this autumn, staring Caroline Quinton and featuring the range of Bistro Style food they have on offer. We have to decide to join in and indulge in our own Meza style snacks.

Our range of coloured ramekins, and oven to table gratin dishes, are perfect for enjoying olives, sundried tomatoes, selection of cheeses and much more.