Celebrity chefs and Parliament caterers have been urged to cook grey squirrels – to save reds from extinction. This would help stop the red species being wiped out by a virus carried by greys, said former national heritage minister Lord Inglewood. “I have never eaten grey squirrel but I am prepared to give it a go”, he added in a Lords debate. There are 2million grey squirrels in Britain against about 160,000 reds.

Below are a few pointers on how to prep your furry dinner from a Rhodesian cookbook published in 1955. Bon apetit!

Cut the tail through from beneath, but take care not to cut through the skin of the tail. Hold the tail as shown on the left and then cut the skin width of the back as shown in the dotted lines. Turn the squirrel over on its back and step on the base of the tail. Hold the hind legs in one hand and pull steadily and slowly as shown in the centre above, until the skin has worked itself over the front legs and head. Cut the head and the feet and remove internal organs, plus two small glands found in the small of the back and under each foreleg between ribs and the shoulders.

GREY SQUIRREL WITH WALNUT CATSUP & JERSEY ROYALS WITH ROSEMARY BUTTER

Jersey royals and rosemary butter

Whisk butter, 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, and pinch of salt in small bowl to blend. Leave in the fridge to chill for 2 hours. Boil the required amount of Jersey Royals in good amount of water with salt.

Squirrel
Take two young squirrels, skinned and cleaned. Seal them both on all sides until golden brown in colour in a roasting pan, transfer to oven belly side down for 10 – 12 minutes and roast at 190 degrees Celcius.

Ingredients for walnut catsup

Hand chop and bind together with walnut oil the following ingredients:
• pickled walnuts
• 4oz. finely chopped anchovies
• 12 finely chopped shallots or 1 clove chopped
garlic
• 1/2 cup grated horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon each mace, nutmeg, ginger, whole
cloves and peppercorns.
Serve the squirrel with potatoes and walnut catsup
on the side.

Barrels of Whisky

At Johnnie Walker, they have been perfecting their blending technique since 1890 to create highly prized signature Scotch such as Johnnie Walker Blue Label. The ultimate success for these master distillers came when they broke with the conventional wisdom that states you can only use well-aged single malts for blending. Instead, they boldly incorporate younger whiskies with classic aged Scotch to deliver distinctive results that consistently win gold medals at international competitions.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label

At Whisky Blenders, you can tap the blending knowledge of experts such as John Lamond, Master of the Malts, so even if you are a novice to whisky blending you can confidently customize a personal brand from their selection of seven premium single malts, each with a distinctive taste.  So let’s say you have a proclivity for whisky with a smoky taste but appreciate a touch of peat in the mix, you can simply use your intuition to determine what ratio of each would make the perfect blend to suit your palate. Once you have filled out the required information, their team will get to work crafting your customized bottle of blended Scotch which takes a minimum of five days to concoct. You even get to choose a name for your whisky and select the type of labeling you prefer. Once the label is applied, it will be dated and shipped to your address where you are required to sign for it to accept delivery.

Personal Label Whisky Blends

As a member of Whisky Blenders, you can share the fun by sending your favourite Scotch connoisseur a Whisky Blenders Vouchers so they can enjoy the pleasure of crafting and serving their own personal label blends.

Blended Whisky Formulas

1. Flickr: Foxypar4
2. Flickr: Davoud D.
3. Eatdrink.com
4. Whiskyblender.com

Mclean Scotland Whiskey Tours

Escape the glare of London’s 2012 spotlight by joining the highly acclaimed food and whisky tours offered by Mclean Scotland, an award-winning travel agency that has introduced the fine art of Scottish food pairing with legendary whiskies to visitors from all over the world. Getaway for a long 4-day weekend or indulge in an  8-day tour of epicurean delights. Take plenty of time to relish each stop at the leisurely pace set by friendly guides who take great pleasure in introducing you to the marvelous restaurants and distilleries they’ve discovered.

The Castle Tavern, Inverness

Mcclean Scotland custom designs every tour to meet your culinary taste, schedule and budget. You can choose to leave either from Edinburgh or Glasgow, either way your trip will be tailored to include not only high-end restaurants like The Witchery  but trips to local farmers markets , neighborhood Oyster Bars, and even an establishment run by the Mcleans, the Castle Tavern in Inverness.  Along the way you’ll stay in grand castles, cozy cottages and charming bed and breakfast establishments where you are treated like one of the family.

As the tour moves closer to the Scottish coastline, themes like “a Speyside whiskey day out” become the norm as you approach the region that award winning distilleries like Glenlivet, Mcallan and Glenlivet call home.

Glenlivet Distillery

Admire the subtle art that enables these master distillers to capture the essence of the wild Scottish coastlines in a process passed down through generations. Naturally, each brewery tour finishes with a chance to sample the products and properly round out the experience.

Mud Morganfield the eldest son of the legendary Muddy Waters (pictured) performed live at Boisdale of Canary Wharf in 28 January 2012.

1. Most blues begin: “Woke up this morning.”
2. “I got a good woman” is a bad way to begin the blues, unless you stick to something nasty in the next line:
I got a good woman with the meanest dog in town.
3. Blues are simple. After you have the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes (sort of):
I got a good woman with the meanest dog in town.
He got teeth like Margaret Thatcher, and he weighs about 500 pounds.
4. Blues cars are Chevies and Cadillacs. Other acceptable blues transportation is Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Walkin’ plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin’ to die.
5. Teenagers can’t sing the blues. Adults sing the blues. Blues adulthood means being old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.
6. You can have the blues in New York City, but not in Brooklyn or Queens. There are no suitable blues locations in the UK.
7. The following colours do not belong to blues: Violet, Beige, Mauve
8. Good places for the blues:
≈ The highway
≈ The jailhouse
≈ The empty bed

Bad places:

≈ Harrods
≈ Art gallery openings
≈ Weekend breaks at Trusthouse Forte Hotels
9. No one will believe it’s blues if you wear a suit, unless you happen to be a very old black man with a big hat.
10. Do you have the right to sing the blues?
Yes, if:
≈ Your first name is a southern state like Georgia
≈ You’re blind
≈ You shot a man in Memphis
≈ You can’t be satisfied

No, if:

≈ You were once blind but now can see
≈ You’re deaf
≈ You have a trust fund
11. Neither Julio Iglesias nor Barbra Streisand can sing the blues.
12. If you ask for water and your baby gives you gasoline, it’s the blues.
Other blues beverages are:
≈ Wine
≈ Irish whisky
≈ Muddy water

Blues beverages are NOT

≈ Any mixed drink
≈ Any wine kosher for Passover
≈ Fanta
13. If it occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it’s a blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is a blues way to die. So is the electric chair, substance abuse, or being denied treatment in an emergency room. It is not a blues death, if you die during a liposuction treatment.
14. Some blues names for women:
≈ Sadie
≈ Big Mama
≈ Bessie

Some blues names for men:

≈ Joe
≈ Willie
≈ Little Willie
≈ Lightning
Persons with names like Justin or Nigel will not be permitted to sing the blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.
15. Other blues names (starter kit):
≈ Name of physical infirmity (blind, cripple, asthmatic)
≈ First name (see above) or name of fruit (lemon, lime, kiwi)
≈ Last name of president (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.)
Mix and match the above to create your own blues identity. Buy (or better still, steal) a guitar, learn three chords and off you go, man.

London Jazz Festival 2012

Considered by many to be the real finale of the Cultural Olympiad scheduled to sweep through the British countryside next year,  the 2012 London Jazz Festival promoters are gearing up to surpass all expectations with their 2012 line up of veteran musicians and fresh new talent. Scheduled to run for ten days, from November 9 – 18, the 2012 Festival is going to continue to broaden its reach by offering not only the concerts at the main stage but setting up venues across London. Jazz lovers were delighted with this arrangement last year so it is expanding, creating plenty of chances to see the 250 artists coming from all over the world to play for the crowds and network with other jazz musicians.

The hub of the London Jazz Festival 2012 will once again be at the Southbank Centre London which will host shows every evening. Located next to the Waterloo Tube Station, the nearest hotel for guests wanting to be close to the action is the Quality Crown Hotel, London Hyde Park.

Jazz artists from around the world jam at the Festival

Other venues that have been announced so far are the old favorites, Royal Albert Hall and Barbican Centre along with the traditional jazz venues like the 606 Club and Ronnie Scott’s as well as newcomers like Artsdepot and The Forge. There are still yet to be disclosed restaurants and jazz clubs in London that will also be hosting Festival events.

For those who would like to see the London Jazz Festival from the inside out, the organizers offer an excellent volunteer program that invites you to be part of the action. Judging from the glowing comments left by last year’s volunteers on the their blog, it’s clear that they thoroughly enjoyed their experience and were quite impressed at how well the producers, known as Serious, handled the event and made it a pleasure for all involved. You can sign up for the newsletter for the 2012 London Jazz event to be the first to know when the tickets go on sale and about volunteer opportunities.

In addition to the stage performances, the London Jazz Festival also promotes educational programs and invites teachers and music enthusiast to contribute to their series of lectures and seminars designed to encourage participation from all members of the community, even those often marginalized or excluded from the arts. To find out more about volunteering or contributing to the 2012 London Jazz Festival, contact Nadine Wood at education@serious.org.uk.

Picture Credit

1. Allaboutjazz.com

2. Londontown.com

Sorting tobacco in the Dominican Republic

The art of making a fine hand rolled cigar is often lost on the casual consumer who judges the quality by the taste by the wrapper on their lips. Although this is an important final step in the production, it is only one of many that goes into creating the kind of cigars that become legendary for their smooth smoke and delicious undertones.

Three stages of hand rolling a cigar

Fine cigars are built from the inside out, with each stage relying on a different section of the tobacco plant to produce a perfect combination so the final product burns smoothly and delivers a savory blend of the subtle spices it picks up from the landscape where it was grown.

Long Filler Leaves

Cuban Cigar Factory

Only the tender leaves from the top of the tobacco plant, known as the Ligero, are used to form the core of a cigar. For fine cigars, the core is always uncut long leaves rolled in a smooth motion to assure an even burn. Picked by hand at the peak of perfection and cured to a state of velvety smoothness, this filler tobacco forms the heart of the cigar and determines the strength of the flavor and the level of nicotine.

Air-Curing Tobacco

The Body

Once the filler is rolled, it is wrapped in Seco leaves that come from the middle of the tobacco plant. These binder leaves are a bit oily and burn easier than the denser Ligero leaves. The provide the rich undertones and allow the cigar to have the necessary elasticity to remain bound while smoking.

Rolling the Wrapper in Honduras

The Wrapper

From the bottom of the tobacco plant comes the Volando leaf with a silky smooth texture that allows it to burn evenly when properly cured. Containing the highest concentration of resins and oils in the whole plant, these leaves are what determines the taste of a cigar on your lips. A premium quality wrapper will have a pleasant aroma and a dry yet pliable texture.

The Cap

To prevent the cigar from unravelling, the final step is the application of the cap to the top of the cigar with a touch of glue. This is the bit that is snipped off before smoking.

Nipping off the cigar cap

Picture Credit:
1. Slice of MIT

2. Cuban cigar making

3. Tobacconist University

4. Tobacconist University

5. Outlaw Cigar

Jools Holland and Ruby Turner in concert at Boisdale of Canary Wharf 21 June 2011

So today you can’t dine in any of our restaurants without hearing music. And it’s not piped in the background. It’s there, loud and live and as much a part of the fabric of our brand as the red walls.
People often debate what the most important thing about a restaurant is and far too often I hear that it’s the food. Wrong. For me ambiance is the king of kings. And while your mood can be altered by a combination of colour, artwork, design and lighting, what creates the magic is great music – and live if possible. What could be more wonderful for an evening out than to be with friends in a warm conducive environment, eating and drinking well and then having the excitement of live music performed that will be good but could be transforming. At least once a week half of our customers just spontaneously get up and dance. We don’t have a dance floor. The atmosphere is electric. This would not happen with music piped through speakers.
Switch off the music and you turn off the opportunity for a great and memorable time. Today background music in restaurants and bars seems ubiquitous, which must mean that it is what the vast majority of the public wants. Live music though is relatively scarce due to the red tape that has evolved around it; and believe me I know about it.

But piped music is better than no music, so I say switch it on, turn it up and enjoy life!

The WWI Effect

Scottish Recruits Leaving for the Front

For instance, have you heard that the Scottish race was once considered the tallest race of humans on earth? This turns out to be a provable theory since it held true until WWI. In fact, Scotland’s ferocious highland regiments lost the greatest number of soldiers in WWI per capita of any nation in the conflict. The average height of Scotsmen has diminished ever since.

The upside of that story is found in a recent report by the General Register Office for Scotland discovered a huge upsurge in the birth rate at the end of WWI and as a result, the number of Scottish centenarians has exploded in the past few years. Even more interesting, at least 8 out of 10 of them are women. Statistics show that of the 820 citizen over 100 years old in 2010,  only 130 Scottish men make it past the 99 year mark while 690 ladies from the same generation have now celebrated their 100th birthday.

The Deep Fried Mars Bar

Deep Fried Mars Bar Dessert

Another rumor that sounds too wild to be true is that the Scottish proclivity for frying (causing one reviewer to remark “if they could figure out how to fry whisky all the other establishments could be closed”) was that the Haven Chip Bar in Glasgow is responsible for serving the first deep fried Mars Bar. Quite true, it seems, they were the very first place to offer this decadently disgusting dessert. Although it was supposedly concocted as a novelty item, the idea caught on as a “quirky” news story that created an unexpected worldwide demand. You can now purchase a deep fried Mars bar in London, Dubai and Bangkok.

The Inside Out Museum

Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow

One of the favorite stories the Scottish love to tell tourists visiting the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow built for the 1888 International Exhibition is that it was actually built inside out, causing the architect to fling himself from one of the towers in a fit of frustration. This tale is indeed a total fabrication, concocted to deflect the idle comments from modern visitors about how the entrance was not convenient to the street but instead faced the grounds in front of the building. When it was built, the idea of pedestrian travel was much more acceptable and a stroll through the grounds before and after the show was considered the height of civility, not an inconvenience.

Picture Credits:

1. The Royal Star & Garter

2. Special Love Birthdays

3. Wikipedia

4. Hotels.com

Stonehaven Fire Balls

Stonehaven Balls of Fire Parade

In the Scottish town of Stonehaven, at the stroke of midnight a parade of mighty gents — many in traditional kilts and tartans — come marching down through streets lined with cheering people wielding homemade fireballs that they spin over their heads to the delight the crowd — who don’t seem to mind the sparks raining down on them one bit. In fact, the Stonehaven Fireballs Association recommends attendees not to wear their good clothes to the celebration; the chance of walking out without a few burn holes is not only considered likely, it’s badge of honor!

Torchlight Procession in Edinburgh

Edinburg River of Fire

Even if you can’t make it to the party, tech-savvy 2012 offer internet watchers a chance to plug into the live streaming feed of Edinburgh’s Torchlight Procession as it makes the “River of Fire” that culminates at Calton Hill. There a Viking Ship (not a real one, of course, an effigy) is burned by the paraders who add their torches to the bonfire.

The Burning of the Claive in Burghead in Moray

Burning of the Claive in Burghead

This ancient tradition has ushered in many a new year in Burghead, although for a while in the 18th century it was banned by the church as an “abominable heathenish practice.” The tradition requires filling a barrel (once a mackerel barrel but now a whisky barrel is considered more appropriate) with long burning materials then mounting it on a pole, lighting the contents and hoisting it onto a man’s shoulders to carry about town. It is passed off to different carriers as it makes is way through the town and up to ancient Doorie Hill where it is set on a bonfire that eventually turns the whole hilltop into a beacon. Good luck is bestowed for the rest of the year on those who receive a faggot or coal from the fire of the claive.

Glasgow Canceled?

Apparently Glasgow is bowing out of the coming 2012 New Years Celebrations, the official Hogamanay website says that the traditional festivities have been cancelled due to stiff competition…

Glasgow Hogmanay 2010

“Glasgow City council have cancelled the 2011 – 2012 Hogmanay and have said that instead of the usual New Year party in George Square it will instead host a “family day” in the square, with music, ceilidh dancing and the Glasgow Bonspiel curling tournament.

It may have seemed inevitable with the event only attracting 5,000 visitors last year compared to 70,000 attending Edinburgh.”

Picture Credits:

1. Wikimedia

2. Edinburghguide.com

3. Burgamany.net

Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Speyside Single Malt Whisky

For those as impressed by a good deal as they are by a fine Scotch, a bottle of Speyside Single Malt Whisky will show the receiver you have a nose for both. Ever ambitious, the German discount supermarket Aldis has announced it will be selling its 40-year-old private label single malt worth at least £300 a bottle for a jaw-dropping price of £49.99. Since only 3,000 bottles are being sold on the release day of December 8, 2011, the predictions are that scotch aficionados will be queuing up to assure they don’t miss this chance to scoop up the bargain of the year. Matured in oak sherry casks, the intense rich flavour of this high quality luxury scotch is undisputable, especially for the price — and it even comes in a stylish gift box.

Chevis Regal

Limited Edition Chivas Regal

Keeping with their longstanding tradition of presenting scotch in containers that become keepsakes, Chivas Regal has packaged their 2011Christmas scotch in an elegant gift tin designed by artist Dan Funderburgh known for intricate baroque art. The Chivas promotional campaign will expound on the phrase “Live with Chivalry” in a bid to promote this 12-year-old scotch to the 25-34 year old market now that both are mature enough to enjoy each other.

Johnnie Walker Double Black Blended Scotch Whisky

Double Smoky Johnnie Walker Blend

In a daring move, Johnnie Walker is delivering a double punch to the Christmas race for first place in Scotch lovers’ hearts by offering a blend of their intense Black Label flavor designed to deliver an “edgy, masculine twist.”  The Double Black is a limited edition sold only until the end of 2011. Packaged in a classic shaped bottle with a smoky tinge to the glass that accentuates the achievement, Johnnie Walker Black claims to embody what their customers love most, the natural smoky flavour that only comes from aging in charred wood barrels.

Lagavulin 16-Year-Old

Lagavulin 16-Year-Old

Described as being the color of maple syrup or dark honey and with a finish that “melts into you like the hands of a great masseuse,” this much sought-after single malt is considered by many to be the only brand to pick for the true Scotch aficionado this Christmas. The seductively shaped bottle is the first hint that this is the bottle that earns the coveted spot on the shelf for the good stuff saved for special occasions.