Herbs smell good, taste really great, and heal... too...
Rosemary is a delicious culinary herb that is often used for cooking, baking or decoration. It is a very popular herb to use with turkey or roast, as well as in soups and stews; it is excellent with roasted chicken and potatoes or glazed ham. It is also a wonderfully fragrant plant to add to holiday centerpieces: a small, potted rosemary bush makes a lovely little Christmas tree. It contains many wonderful health benefits such as rejuvenating hair and skin, reducing headaches and acting as a mild diuretic. Lavender is a favorite scent for women: it is famous for its ability to reduce stress and for its soft fragrance. It is symbolic of purity, immortality and cleanliness. It is a lovely addition to gifts of homemade body care. Fragrant lavender flowers in sachets scent your linens, drawers and pillows. Sage, highly prized for thousands of years, is a well-known, fragrant anti-inflammatory. It is helpful in reducing irritations of the stomach and intestines; it helps with sore throats and is also thought to be a great memory booster. It is largely used in baking and cooking. You can also make sage medicinal honey: it can be taken alone or added to a warm cup of tea for a soothing drink.
Ingredients: 6 servings ¼ cup of pure maple syrup 1 cup of Calvados ½ cup of apple cider 1 small bottle (around 300/350 ml of alcoholic sparkling cider) 2 sprigs rosemary, plus more for garnish 2 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish Preparation: Combine maple syrup, rosemary and thyme in a small saucepan: bring to simmering point over medium heat. Remove from heat and leave to cool to room temperature. Remove and discard herbs. Stir cooled syrup, Calvados and apple cider together in a punch or other serving bowl. When ready to serve, stir in sparkling cider. Garnish glasses with rosemary and thyme sprigs and serve. And... to end with... Apple and sage fritters (this is a typical north-Italian recipe)
2 large apples 200 gr. plain flour 1 large egg 125 ml. milk 50 gr. granulated or caster sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 20 sage leaves, finely chopped a bit of salt, ½ tbs cinnamon powder lemon juice oil for your frying pan Preparation: In a large bowl, put the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; whisk the egg and slowly add milk, until all combined. Add the sage and the cinnamon in this base mixture. Peel and slice the apples, not too thin; add a bit of lemon juice to stop apples from browning. Heat your frying pan with oil, enough to cover the bottom and at least 1 cm in height; drop a slice of apple at a time in the mixture, and put them in the hot oil. Turn over after a few seconds, when the bottom is golden, but be careful, they are easily overdone! Then remove from the pan and leave to dry on kitchen towel. Sprinkle each of the sage fritters with granulated sugar or icing sugar. and.... Hot Punch with Cranberry, Sage & Peppercorns
2 teaspoons black peppercorns 2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries 1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry Riesling, divided 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves 1/4 cup honey 1 cup Benedictine liqueur
Preparation: Place black peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Then add cranberries, honey, 1 cup Riesling and simmer over medium heat until thick and syrupy and some of the liquid has evaporated, about 6/7 minutes. Smash cranberries with a fork. Add the remaining Riesling and sage, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain the mixture, smashing the cranberries once more, then discard solids.
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At Christmastime certain herbs just make the holidays real: they add flavours and aromas, a different taste to our food and smell to our air; our childhood Christmas memories are likely full of them. 
You can use herbs as Christmas gifts: make your own steak or fish seasoning, rosemary salt or roast seasoning mixtures. A favorite is a rub made from rosemary and garlic. Create away and wrap with care to present a unique homemade gift to a special someone. So choose your herbs and gingerly create this season. Let your decorating skills shine, and cook your family meals with care, confidence and love. No matter what you make or which dish you cook, your food will taste amazing and your home is going to smell festive. All it takes is a little dash of this, and a pinch of that.
To start with, we propose a Christmas cocktail 
Ingredients: 6 servings .gif)
Ingredients: 6 Servings
