Halloween - the real deal

Party Food 
for Hungry Spooks

It is the end of the harvest and transition from light into the dark months of winter, when bonfires were lit to ward off the evil spirits of All Hallows Eve before the eighth century papal edict of All Saints Day.

Now, trick-or-treat,
cruel lanterns glare, 
with ghoulish grub 
for spooks to share.

Guacamole-ick

Rude food is fun food. For this chunky dip, chop then smash a ripe tomato and 3 or 4 ripe avocados - the riper the better.

Now mix in 1 finely diced red onion, 2 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam, 4 tbsp of our Garlic Mayonnaise, the juice of 1 lime and plenty of chopped coriander.

Eye to Eye

Devilled Eggs with a Halloween twist to keep a close eye on proceedings.

Hard boil and halve your eggs before scooping the yolks into a bowl. Mash the yolk with a fork adding Stokes Real Mayonnaise until you have a smooth, creamy consistency.

Spoon the yolk back into the whites, drizzle with Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce (creating bloodshot eyes) and top with dilated olive pupils.

These are bound to see you through the evening (sorry).

Jolly Dips

You can see where we're going here, with jolly pepper heads carrying all manner of dippable vegetables.

For the dips: Put a few spoonfuls of Stokes Real Mayonnaise in a bowl and - just add:

• Add our Cranberry Sauce to enhance the sweetness of red peppers.
• Add Tomato Ketchup and Chilli Jam to bite back at a crunchy carrot.
• Add Creamed Horseradish bringing velvety warmth to your crudités dips.
• Add Coronation Sauce, crème fraîche and chopped tarragon for pure 'wow'.
• Add Cider & Horseradish Mustard to drive your courgette wild.
• Add finely diced crisp cooked smoked bacon and chives for delicious 'baconaise'.

Finger Dogs 

& Sausage Mummies

The shrill cries from the kitchen are not for the severance of fingers but the horror of hot dog sausages in buns spread with Stokes Classic English Mustard, flaked almond finger nails and a good squirt of our Squeezable Tomato Ketchup for their blood red finish.

Or the magical mummies rolled in one of our Marvellous Mustards, wrapped in pastry bandages with peppercorn or mustard seed eyes, painted with a beaten egg and baked until golden brown.

Great Taste - not just for Halloween

Order your 'Ghoulish Pleasures' - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Perfect Pumpkins - 
Pumpkins are not just for Halloween but a wonderful part of our wholesome winter cuisine as these recipes show - here.








Toms, Toms, Toms - 
Tomatoes are a core ingredient to many Stokes products as this heart-felt article reveals - here.








On Parade - 
The peacock's cry hails all visitors to Stokes and his colourful display is as natural as ours. Enjoy this - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Pumpkin Pleasures

Not just for Halloween

Pumpkins are part of the hugely diverse family of squash, their orange balloon-like bodies growing on hillsides as a beacon of our culinary winter.

Try mashing cooked pumpkin flesh with carrots and sweet potatoes to top a veggie cottage pie. Caramelise moon-shaped slices with chilli, cardamom and cinnamon for a vegetable side to pork loin or chops. Roast with a stuffing of rice, peppers and chilli for a simple winter supper.

Baked Cod &
Pumpkin Coulis

The cubed flesh of half a medium pumpkin should do for this - sliced, peeled, with pith and seeds removed. Boil these in vegetable stock for 25 minutes (this protects its natural flavour), drain (keeping a little of the stock to thin the coulis if necessary) and blitz it in a blender or with a hand blender.

Add 4 tbsp of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup, a pinch of cinnamon, 100ml of double cream, season and blitz again. If it is too thick, add a little stock and blitz to your taste. Simply bake, steam or grill a lovely piece of cod loin to serve on this simple, oh-so-tasty coulis of pumpkin.

 Pumpkin Tagine

Fry 2 roughly chopped onions in oil with 1 inch of grated ginger then add 500g of cubed pumpkin flesh (peeled, sliced, pith and seeds removed).

Add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, 400ml of vegetable stock, 5 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup, 2 tbsp of our Chipottle Ketchup, 3 tbsp of Stokes Spiced Apricot Chutney (actually, make that 4), 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tbsp of Harissa seasoning powder and 1 tbsp of honey. Bring this all up to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes then add a handful of pitted olives and 100g of lentils.

Simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked with a little crunch, the pumpkin is tender and the sauce is just delicious. Serve with a fluffy couscous and enjoy.

Pumpkin Frittata

Cube the flesh of half a medium pumpkin then spread the cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and a twist or two of dried Italian seasoning / herbs and bake in an oven, pre-heated to 200°C/Gas mark 7, for 20 minutes or until the pieces are tender right through.  

Beat 5 eggs in a large bowl with a handful of grated Cheddar cheese, season and add a splash of dry white wine.

Melt a good knob of butter in a pan frying pan. Cut 5 or 6 spring onion pieces into 6 cm strips and fry them with the pumpkin cubes for 3 minutes.

Add 3 tbsp of Stokes Chipottle Ketchup then pour the beaten cheese-eggs into the pan. Gently tip the pan front to back and side to side to mix the ingredients, covering the pumpkin and greens. Very gently, on a low heat, let the eggs cook through and begin to firm up.

After 8 minutes or so, pop the pan under a medium grill until the eggs set and the top begins to brown. Let it cool a little and serve with Stokes Garlic Mayonnaise.

Classic Pumpkin Soup

Finely chop 2 shallots and soften them gently in butter for 6 or 7 minutes before adding 800g of peeled, pith removed, cubed pumpkin flesh. Add a little more butter and caramelise it gently for 10 minutes, then add 650ml of vegetable stock and simmer, lid on, for 12 to 15  minutes until the flesh of the pumpkin is soft.

Blitz with a hand blender adding 150ml of double cream, 1 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce (for its heady spice) and 3 tbsp of our Tomato or Bloody Mary Ketchup. Blitz again and season.

I personally like to serve it at this stage for its beautiful flavour and rustic texture. For a softer finish (and if you've the patience) you can pass the soup through a sieve then serve.

Great Taste - not just for Halloween

Order your 'Pumpkin Pleasures' - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Ghoulish Grub - 
Trick-or-treat, cruel lanterns glare, with ghoulish grub for spooks to share - here.








Toms, Toms, Toms - 
Tomatoes are a core ingredient to many Stokes products as this heart-felt article reveals - here.








On Parade - 
The peacock's cry hails all visitors to Stokes and his colourful display is as natural as ours. Enjoy this - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

More Tomatoes - Better Tomatoes

The Secret to Stokes Tomato Ketchup:
More Tomatoes,
Better Tomatoes.

In his own words, Rick (Stokes' founder, MD and Ketchup aficionado) tells us the story of Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup.

"I liked Ketchup so much that, similar to a smoker (but I'm not) who would not go out with only two cigarettes left, I would panic unless I had at least two bottles of Ketchup in my house. 

I didn’t have it on my cereal but most other things. I like Ketchup - a lot!  

In my late forties, bachelorhood was taken from me by my dear Annie and in due course, we had a little girl. Like many little ones, she would not eat her greens! 

This was a problem. How would I get her to eat her ‘Greens’? That Eureka moment - Tomato Ketchup, but there was a problem - she didn’t like that either. But I was not going to accept that.

I had been vaguely thinking about trying to make a ketchup - with more tomato and cleaner, more delicious ingredients - the Stokes Ketchup version of our first product - Mayonnaise.

Whilst still toying with this idea, I was asked out to lunch and taken to a very posh restaurant in London. I ordered salad with chicken - oh, and some chips and further more had the audacity to ask for some Ketchup. 

It was not unusual to witness the waiter's eyes roll with a polite look of scorn - but this time - not so. To the contrary - he arrived with a salver, upon which sat a mini ladle and a bowl full to the brim with the most delicious Tomato Ketchup I had ever tasted. It knocked the spots off the brand I had in my cupboard (and for so many others).

My mind was made up. Stokes would make a Tomato Ketchup just like this one. With my friend and colleague - Peter, a master of so many talents (not least food product development), we set about our massive task. 

Tomatoes originally came from Paraguay - so that seemed a good place to start - we tried tomatoes from everywhere, all over the world. But we found the best tasting tomatoes came from Italy - a bit more expensive for sure - but our mantra is always to be “Best in Class”. 

So, Italian it was. 

Experimenting over and over,  we developed our own unique spice mix. We tried all of our competitors products and kept going until we finally got it - the taste, the colour, the smell, the texture - and oh, did I mention that taste. 

We knew we were on to a winner. 

But there is only one Stokes Ketchup - still made to exactly the same recipe, using those same Italian tomatoes grown and ripened in the richly warm Mediterranean sunshine. 

And we use more than anyone else, simmering 200g reduced into every 100g of ketchup. There are now six variants to discover. 

Our original Ketchup now out-sells all our other products and demand is still growing, as more people try it and convert to 'quality'.

And all this because a little girl wouldn’t eat her greens."

Thank you Rick.

Shake it, squeeze it, love it

 Order your 'Great Ketchup' hit - here

More foodie thoughts for the week:



Ghoulish Grub - 
Trick-or-treat, cruel lanterns glare, with ghoulish grub for spooks to share - here.








Perfect Pumpkins - 
Pumpkins are not just for Halloween but a wonderful part of our wholesome winter cuisine as these recipes show - here.







On Parade - 
The peacock's cry hails all visitors to Stokes and his colourful display is as natural as ours. Enjoy this - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Peacocks on Parade

Don't miss the fun
on Facebook & Twitter & Instagram

I spy visitors...

The peacock's cry hails all visitors to Stokes. From lofty perches their alert makes absolutely sure that the secrets of our prized recipes remain, well, shhhh - say no more.

On this occasion his announcement ushered a welcome visit from the team at Fred Olsen Cruises. Guests on board all Fred Olsen Line vessels now enjoy the taste and quality of Stokes Sauces with their wonderful meals and delightful facilities.

Their visit was to see how our sensational sauces are made and to share the caring atmosphere, unique to Stokes here at Rendlesham. The growing menagerie of rescue animals wanted in on the act too and Rick introduced the youngest member of the Bennetts Wallaby troupe.

... oh well, On Parade

Present ... colours - two, three.

And this is why - taste and quality. Adding our award-winning Tomato Ketchup to a delicious pasta sauce is like returning the 200g of sweet Italian tomatoes we simmer and reduce into each 100g of beautiful thick ketchup, back to their Italian roots.

If you missed last week's article on pasta sauces - Saucy Italiano - CLICK HERE and enjoy.

More foodie thoughts for the week:




Ghoulish Grub - 
Trick-or-treat, cruel lanterns glare, with ghoulish grub for spooks to share - here.









Perfect Pumpkins - 
Pumpkins are not just for Halloween but a wonderful part of our wholesome winter cuisine as these recipes show - here.








Toms, Toms, Toms - 
Tomatoes are a core ingredient to many Stokes products as this heart-felt article reveals - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Pasta - it's all about the sauce

Saucy Italiano

Pasta and its various sauces date back to Roman times, but it's not until the 1800's that they became tomato based. We tend now to associate the tomato-based pasta sauces as typically Italian – bolognese, pomodoro, puttanesca, arrabbiata – which are more recent developments still.

Spaghetti Puttanesca

This has the most colourful history !

It's a spicy spaghetti dish of tomatoes, capers, anchovies and garlic, the name literally translates to 'whore’s spaghetti', supposedly cooked by such working ladies whilst awaiting their next 'guests'.

Very saucy indeed. To really enrich its saucy flavours, we like to give is a good few spoonfuls of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup. The Italian tomatoes feel so at home (a casa), with the shot of vodka and special Bloody Mary spices boosting its 'wow' factor further still.

 
Creamy Mushroom Pasta

This is a cross between a carbonara and a creamy mushroom sauce, the eggs from the carbonara adding rich depth to this delicious combination.

Soften 2 finely diced shallots in a foaming combination of oil and butter for 5 minutes, then add 2 grated cloves of garlic. Stir 2 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard into the onions with 200g of assorted mushrooms (roughly chopped or torn).

[TIP: Personally, because I adore it and it goes so well with mushrooms, I add a wee dollop of our Brown Sauce for a spicy after taste.]

While this is happening, cook 350g to 400g of spaghetti to the pack's instructions, save 2 or 3 ladles of the pasta water, drain the rest and run a drizzle of oil through it to stop it sticking.

To the mushrooms, stir in 3 very full tbsp of rich cream cheese and rest. Tip the pasta into a large pan on a gentle heat, with 3 beaten eggs and 4 tbsp of grated Cheddar cheese, combining thoroughly to coat the pasta. Tip the creamy mushrooms into the pasta and stir in the reserved cooking water until you have beautifully creamy mushroom pasta to plate with a scattering of fresh chopped parsley and copious gratings of Parmesan-style cheese.

 Arrabiatta Meatballs

Originating from the Lazio region around Rome, 'arrabiatta' literally means angry, reflecting the spicy chilli heat - yummy.

For the meatballs (you can buy them ready to cook or make your own): Mix half and half 250g of minced pork and 250g of minced beef in a bowl with 2 very finely diced shallots, 2 tbsp of Stokes Spiced Apricot Chutney and 2 tsp of our Chilli Jam (giving your meatballs instant aromas and flavours of Tunisia).

Season and divide the mixture into 16 golfball-sized balls. Fry them in oil for 5 minutes of so, to brown them all over and set them aside.

For the sauce: tip 2 cans of chopped tomatoes into a pan with 1 tsp of caster sugar, 1 tsp of dried Italian herbs, 3 grated garlic cloves, 3 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup and our Chilli Ketchup or Chilli Jam to taste - the more you add, the 'angrier' it gets.

As it bubbles, add a glass of red wine, simmering constantly to reduce, thicken and intensify the flavours further. After 10 minutes, add the meatballs and simmer very gently for 15 minutes, turn off the heat, cover and rest while your pasta finished to the packet instructions.

Now, either do it the Italian way, adding the meatballs to the pasta, stirring together then serving; or plate separately with shavings of Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley to finish.

'Oh so Cheesy' Lasagne

'Oh so cheesy' and 'oh so simple' - enjoy. We need a bechamel sauce, loads of cheese, lovely slices of ham and dried or fresh lasagne sheets.

For the bechamel: make a roux stirring 85g of flour into 85g of melted butter with 2 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard. Pour a glass of white wine into the roux followed by the gradual addition of 'up to' 1L of milk, stirring continually until you have a smooth sauce. Add a pinch of salt and teeny pinch of nutmeg.

To make it cheesy, add 150g of grated Cheddar cheese and to make it creamier, stir in 2 or 3 tbsp of rich cream cheese.

To prepare the pasta: boil a pan of water with a drop of oil in it and dunk each of 12 sheets of fresh lasagne sheets (or to the pack's instructions) for 1 minute, then running them under cold water to stop them cooking and rest on a tea towel.

To assemble: butter a large 30 x 20cm baking dish. Lay sheets of pasta to form one covering with slices of ham on top, 5 or 6 torn pieces of mozzarella cheese, a quarter of the bechamel, then another layer of pasta etc. Finish with the rest of the sauce and a good grating of Parmesan cheese over the top. Put the dish into the oven pre-heated to 200°C/gas mark 6 for 30 to 40 minutes until it bubbles with a deliciously browning layer of cheese on top. Rest for 10 minutes and serve.

 Great Sauces make Great Sauces

Order your 'Great Sauces' - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Cut - 
gets to the heart of mustard, its origins and its irreplaceable importance in the kitchen - here.







Must - 
we push the boundaries of 'tasty' this week with rich mustard sauces, gravies and dressings - here.








Red - 
'Do you want red, white or brown with that love'. Learn more about burgers in a world without Stokes - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Taste has no Boundaries

'Burning Must'
a wonderful, delicious ingredient

Here's a 'Pointless' fact - the word 'mustard' comes from the Latin mustum ardens literally meaning 'burning must', burning referring to the heat with 'must' being the unfermented grape juice used in ancient times to form the paste.

From the Romans to Gauloise Monestries of medieval France and the 2020 visionaries of Stokes in Rendlesham, our Mustard Range are best sellers for all sorts of reasons.

Read more about our Mustards - HERE and read on, for some delicious recipes using mustard as an ingredient.

From simply whisking Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon (or orange) juice to dress this salad of sweet pears, smooth Camembert-style Tunworth Cheese and bitter chicory

Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Fry 2 finely diced shallots for 5 minutes to soften, then add 2 grated cloves of garlic and a chicken breast each, cooking and turning until browned all over.

Pour in 100ml of white wine, the juice of 1 lemon and 500ml of chicken stock. Bring this to the boil then turn the heat down to simmer for 10 minutes or so (until the chicken is cooked through).

Remove the meat, setting it aside to keep warm. Stir 3 or 4 (to taste) tsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard into the simmering liquid then whisk in 250ml of double cream, reducing until the sauce thickens. Slice the moist chicken onto plates with a good coating of mustardy gravy - it's truly tasty.

Pork Rib & Mustard

Wrap about 2k of individual pork ribs, each with a rasher of smoked streaky bacon, then brown them in a hot pan. Cook for 5 minutes then add about 500g of waxy potatoes, halved or quartered according to size and brown them in the pan with the ribs for about 5 minutes more.

Finely chop 1 onion adding it to the bacon-wrapped ribs and potatoes with 2 grated cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp (or more) of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard, the same amount of honey and 250ml of dry cider. Put the lid on and cook on a medium heat for 30 minutes until the ribs are cooked and the potatoes are tender.

Remove these from the pan (keep warm) stirring 250ml of double cream into the remaining sauce, simmer, reduce, season to taste, return the ribs and potatoes and serve with tender green beans.

Salmon Pot

Prepare 2 carrots, cook them for 20 minutes to soften and set them aside. Cut 6 pieces of salmon into cubes. Finely dice a shallot or two.

Now, soften the shallot in foaming butter for 5 minutes then add the chopped carrots, salmon cubes and a handful of mushrooms. 5 minutes of gentle stirring will do.

In another pan, make a roux with 80g of butter and the same of flour. Stir in 2 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard then gently add a squeeze of lemon juice, 60 ml of white wine, 250ml of chicken stock and 300ml of double cream. Stir continuously on a gentle heat until the sauce begins to thicken.

Pour the sauce over the salmon combination, simmering for 5 minutes before serving in bowls with a good chunk of buttered bread.

The 'Burning Must' we Love & Trust

Order your 'Love & Trust' - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Cut - 
gets to the heart of mustard, its origins and its irreplaceable importance in the kitchen - here.







Sauce - 
'Saucy Italiano' is a whirlwind tour of some classic tomato and seriously cheesy sauces for spaghetti and lasagne - here.







Red - 
'Do you want red, white or brown with that love'. Learn more about burgers in a world without Stokes - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150