Q: At about this time every year I buy poinsettias to give as Christmas presents. Do they come in colours other than red or white and is it worth trying…
THE FIELD
The Christmas Robin: a few surprises hide behind its cheerful red breast
Everybody knows and loves the robin, but despite being our most familiar bird it retains a degree of mystery. Most robins hatched in Britain never move far from their birthplace,…
Pot roast pheasant recipe with fennel
Pot roast pheasant can be delicious. Fennel is not to everyone's taste, but it melts into a buttery stickiness when cooked in this recipe. Try it.
Spiced apple and cider fruit cake
If you would like to use an English brandy instead I highly recommend the Somerset Cider Brandy Company, which also makes super cider under the Burrow Hill label. My other…
Make-ahead pigeon and cranberry terrine for the Christmas table
Recipe for pigeon and cranberry terrine with cointreau and hazelnuts Ingredients 80g dried cranberries 50ml Cointreau 4 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp butter 300g shallots, peeled and finely sliced 8…
The best clothes brush to clean a hunt coat
I am struggling to find a clothes-brush to clean my hunt coat, which is often very muddy (although last winter was much kinder than most). Do you know a company…
Four of the best Christmas wines (and some wine guides)
As the fridge and cupboards fill with yuletide fare ensure your cellar is ready for the Christmas celebrations.
Port: not just for Christmas
Six of the best ports chosen by Jonathan Ray Croft Pink Port (£12.75 per 50cl) The Whisky Exchange No, don’t laugh: pink port is light, fresh, vibrant and gloriously tasty…
Sir Roger Scruton: revealing hunting’s heart
It was at Labour’s annual party conference a quarter of a century ago that the mask slipped. With an election looming, Tony Blair was again pledging to ban foxhunting. The…
How to carve meat well and the history of carving
At a time when the main food source was derived from anything that swam, ran or flew, the art of carving and how to carve meat was elevated to become…