Equipment: from glasses to cookie cutters
Glasses
Ever dreamed of having your own butler to sort out all those little domestic dilemmas?
Well, Agalinks tracked down one of the best in the business and asked for his tips.
Karl Esterhazie is butler to Clare Throckmorton, of Coughton Court in Warwickshire.
Amongst other things, he is involved in the Fine Living courses run at the house. He gives us the lowdown on good glass care. "Never, ever store glasses upside down," says Carl. "They will absorb various smells and this could effect the taste of drinks.
"Before using, polish glasses with a clean cloth. Sometimes fine scratches on glasses will disappear if rubbed with mint toothpaste."
A spoonful of magic
Allowing water to boil over the rim of a saucepan causes plenty of mess and requires unnecessary cleaning up time. But with one simple addition to the cooking process you can help avoid such culinary disasters.
The next time you boil some vegetables or cook rice or pasta in a saucepan, place a wooden spoon inside the pan.
As the water begins to boil the spoon presence lengthens the time it takes for the liquid to boil over, making it more likely you'll spot the bubbling before it's too late.
Another way to stop the water in a pan from boiling over is to place a lid on the top at an angle. With enough space for the air to circulate you should manage to keep things under control.
Metal spoons also have their uses. If you open a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine and want to keep it fizzy before finishing it off, place a teaspoon into the neck of the bottle.
When you want to pour another glass, simply remove the spoon and it will taste as good as it did when it was first opened.
Stay non - stick with Bake - O - Glide
Fed up with spending time cleaning baking trays caked with residue from the food you ate at suppertime?
If so, Bake-O-Glide may well be the solution. Cut out extra time spent scouring baking trays at the kitchen sink by using Aga-Rayburn's Bake-O-Glide instead.
These reusable, non-stick baking sheets are perfect for lining tins and save plenty of time and effort.
Dishwasher and freezer-proof, the sheets are suitable for all types of cooker, including microwaves, and if looked after a single sheet can last for months.
All you need to do is wash the sheet along with the rest of the dishes, or simply throw it into the dishwasher.
Bake-O-Glide is available in a metre roll for you to cut to shape, or in pre-cut shapes designed to fit Aga oven equipment.
Clean cutting
A wooden chopping board is a kitchen essential, but it can retain the smell of strong ingredients. A quick clean is all it takes to banish the odour.
Tip
Scrub a wooden chopping board with lemon juice and salt to get rid of lingering smells.
Clever kebabs
Kebabs are easy, versatile and make a colourful and spicy addition to a barbecue. But the finished look can sometimes be spoiled when the skewers become scorched
Tip
Soak skewers in water for half an hour before using them to prevent them from scorching.
Aga Cookware
Trivets
The enamelled Aga trivets (U0112) were first produced in the late 1980s. They protect the worktops from hot baking tins, saucepans and the hot kettle and are enamelled in the deep gloss Aga colours.
Ceramics
Cooking and serving from ceramic dishes is great. The Aga flan dishes (W2298 - square), have flat bases which provide perfect contact with the floor of the roasting oven, meaning pastry is always nicely cooked underneath and cut portions lift out easily.
Tip
A good recipe for this dish is Broccoli and Goats Cheese Tart made with puff pastry, it looks beautiful contrasted with the white ceramic.
To complement the flan dish there is the square ceramic dish (W2434), super for gratin dishes and the two handles make carrying to the table easy.
Preserving pan
Summer and Autumn bring an abundance of fruits for preserving and the preserving pan (AG249) from Aga, a large capacity of 11 litres (16 pints), is big enough in diameter to give a good rolling boil for setting jam.
Tip
It is also good for cooking large quantities of chilli for informal get-togethers with friends, or cooking for the freezer, it slides into the simmering oven, covered, to cook curries slowly, can be used for simmering large pieces of gammon in cider and for cooking stir fries or industrial amounts of rice, pasta, soup or potatoes.
Baking
Good quality bakeware is a must for even cooking. A great tin for bread is the silver anodised Aga 2lb loaf tin (W1963).
Tip
Brushing with melted butter before placing the dough in the base ensures the finished loaf is easily released when cooked.
Turning out cakes was always a 'fingers-crossed' occasion until the springform tins arrived on the Aga shelves,(AG356 - 24cm round).
For cheesecakes especially, the easy release mechanism means the side lifts away and leaves the cheesecake on the cuttable base and when eaten the base and sides can be put in the dishwasher.
The ring of 8 cookie cutters (W2315) gives a choice of shapes for biscuits and cookies, which would be suitable for most occasions - different shapes for each child at a little-ones birthday party or croutons for the grown-ups canapés and cocktails afternoon.
Divertimenti
From the practical - classic copper sauté pans, SKK non-stick pots and pans and chefs' knives - to the more indulgent - deluxe Gaggia espresso makers, hand-decorated French porcelain and fine crystal stemware - it's all here.
Divertimenti has two stores in London - one on Brompton Road in South Kensington and the other in the perennially fashionable Marylebone High Street. And with a comprehensive mail-order service and online shop it couldn't be easier to pick up brilliant buys for your kitchen.
Divertimenti caters for all cooks, from beginners to experts, and there are products to suit all budgets. There's also a wedding list service for the bride and groom with list registration and purchase in either of the two stores or online.
Both shops are home to the Divertimenti Cookery and Wine School where demonstration and hands-on classes run during the day as well as the evenings and at weekends. You can find a complete guide to classes and availability, and you can book online.
For more information on Aga products visit the Aga Cook Shop online.
For more information on Divertimenti visit Divertimenti online.