This is the time of the year when we are all looking for shortcuts in the kitchen. Even though you have prepared and shopped and gifted and baked, no amount of organization will see you through to the end of the holidays without a hiccup here and there.
While doing a quick shop at Denner supermarket the other day, I reached into the promotional bin near to see what great deal they were offering that week. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the cutest little cabin-shaped ice cream log of just the right size, and boasting the cutest price of only Fr. 4.95!
This is just the kind of thing that is great to have on hand for an emergency dessert that will have all the guests raving about it. They won’t be offended that you didn’t make it yourself!
Before I recommended it though, my handy team of samplers put it through its paces, and sliced off the first slice to see if “what you see is what you get”. This is the result of our test:
- The size is generous: 1000 ml (to you and me that is 1 liter) and you can slice about 8-10 slabs of cabin — 10/10
- The taste is a rich and gorgeous chocolate ice cream and a roof made of soft whipped cream with flakes of white chocolate that give a nice texture — 10/10
- The contrast between window/door and rest of cabin is not as contrasted as the photo on the box — a disappointing 5/10
- One of the testers is convinced that he was able to taste the difference between door and wall. The other testers could not. — 8/10
Enter our competition to win a free chopping board, or claim your exclusive 10% discount on all products ordered before 31 March, 2014!
As Christmas approaches, many of you will be racking your brains for original present ideas. If you are looking for something with a Swiss influence, then the PanoramaKnife is surely the perfect gift!
Created by a small family company based in Ermatingen, Switzerland, the PanoramaKnife is a high quality kitchen knife that portrays the major peaks of Switzerland along its blade, and is available in several different versions, representing the most popular mountain ranges in the country. The Lake Geneva knife is an obvious choice for residents of Geneva, Vaud and neighboring France, but others such as Valais will be equally appealing to those who like to travel around Switzerland, especially skiing enthusiasts!
Asked what inspired him to create this novel idea for a kitchen knife, Andy Hostettler told knowitall.ch. “It was on a romantic road trip one misty morning, near Ermatingen, that I looked over at the Säntis and its neighboring mountains and was simply overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of it all. The idea of creating a product that could enable others to literally “grasp in their hands” some of the most beautiful natural creations in this world was incredible – and also very practical! Our family company runs a small boutique hotel in Ermatingen, so we need to use kitchen knives every day to slice the bread for our customers and serve them cheese!”
Jim’s British Market has just launched a new website, www.jims.ch, that will now enable customers in Switzerland to order a large selection of their British-sourced goods online!
Coming just a couple of years after they launched their second retail outlet in Gland, Switzerland, the new website will enable Jim’s British Market to serve an ever wider customer base than before. No longer will clients have to drive hundreds of miles to stock up on their British groceries – instead they can order them online from the ease of their own home, and get free, next-day delivery on orders above Fr.100.-!
Jim Anderson, joint owner of the family business, which he opened with his wife, Margaret, in St.Genis-Pouilly, France in 1996, told knowitall.ch, “At Jim’s British Market we have always prided ourselves on our personal and friendly service, so we didn’t want to launch our online business until we were absolutely sure that we could maintain the same level of service that our clients have come to expect over the last 17 years.”
Beni Meier and his 2013 champion pumpkin weighing 1,053 kg © Keystone
OK, we don't expect you to find one this big! A new 2013 Swiss record was broken this year with a pumpkin weighing in at 1,053kg! The farmer responsible for this beast is again Beni Meier, from Zurich, who has beaten his own record for 3 consectutive years now.
If you love the colors and selections of pumpkins that are avaiable today, then wait no longer! You can buy a great assortment and even make it to a festival as well. Most restaurants will be serving pumpkin soup around this time of year but see bottom of page for Lisa's recipe.
A new company has just just been set up in Switzerland importing high quality, classic shoes for children from England and Spain.
Set up by Nyon-based mompreneur, Oriane de Castellane, Boni Classic will stock the popular Start Rite brand of shoes, well known in England for its long-lasting, durable footwear for kids, as well as its own brand of shoes made in Spain. In the future, the store will add a new Italian supplier of traditional children’s shoes, as well as a Spanish company specializing in riding boots.
Asked why she decided to set up her company in Switzerland, Oriane told knowitall.ch, “I had been trying for months to find good quality shoes for my own two boys. I even went to Paris, where I come from, in order to buy them. I was really disappointed, though, when I finally went online and ordered a famous brand of shoes that I used to wear when I was a child, and discovered that they were made in China and lasted only 3 months, in spite of their elevated price tag!”
