I use to also but the baking dish does transfer the heat through the whole cheese so that its more evenly cooked.

My foodies gifts where some oil and balsamic vinegars from Australia - very intense flavours, the guava and caramlised balsamic vinegars are lovely. Also got some peri peri oil from Portugal - planning to use this pan frying some prawns - yummy.

Wow, exact snap for the first four except the toast rack! Instead I got a crab snapper opener nutcracker thing.


Happy hols everyone.

I got the kitchen diaries 2, Paul Hollywood's book, a pestle and mortar, a mini mandolin and some Lakeland vouchers with which I'm going to buy a loaf tin and some piping nozzles amongst other things.

Ooooh...I would like one of those..gives me an idea for next years wish list!

Tried it out today and the crab cracker thingy isn't actually all that great after all. The arms kind of splay over each other, if that isn't tmi.

I guess I'll use it to hold postcards or something.

I got a swivelling spice jar rack, a mandolin, allegedly the most non-stick rolling pin ever, a big wooden rolling pin, a little panda pancake pan and hubby got the Hairy Dieters cookbook.

This re heating camembert... It depends. If you are going to add wine or other liquids then you can't. And I intend to be experimental.

I agree! My unfavourite presents are glittery seasonal 'luxurious' party elegant clothes and bath sets and my best are cookery porn (lavishly illustrated) and/or iconic equipment.

Yes I am a fashion victim but some have fallen by the wayside and some have become kitchen best friends.

Hey this year I just got a dolsot bibimbap hot stone bowl creation as a late one and I couldn't be more thrilled .

And I will actually use it. How often I don't know , but I love the thought and thoughtfulness.

Although I did once get a dustbuster which I wasn't quite so excited about.

On the other hand, another year I got a Dyson standy up vacuum which I loved, so there are clearly many shades of not quite black and white in food and household presents.

Ah, shame about that. Sometimes gadgets can be more gimmicky than anything else. The other half insisted we get a pizza cutter and its useless for proper stone baked bases, I just use the big sabatier knife instead which is far more effective.

Interesting; won't be getting one of those then. And agreed; my sturdy Global knife is my most loved Christmas present ever.

We have a long Sabatier but it has a thin blade and goes bendy when employed, slightly unsettling me.

I'm amazed they haven't yet marketed a pizza cutter like a gigantic version of those press down metal segment apple slicers/corers.

Everyone would want the little middle circle bit (well, I would!)

I've seen MASSIVE mezzalunas used in US pizzerias.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...ticleLarge.jpg

Wow!
I have to say I'm almost weeping looking at that, and that's just the pizza.

But that, er, implement wouldn't create the tiny pizza in the middle that my oversized apple corer would.

I'm still prevaricating over whether or not to invest in a thermomix. Had I received one for Christmas I wouldn't now be in a state of indecision but perhaps Santa found himself flat out of thermomixes - perhaps my letter got lost in transit - perhaps he thought I was being greedy: whatever - he didn't bring a thermomix but he did bring a gift voucher for fresh truffles, a variety of oils and vinegars, vanilla pods and saffron.

I had a very Happy Christmas.