Journal

Blow the cobwebs off those mysterious bottles hiding at the back of your cupboards and get ready to create something magical that you won't want to share! That's right, it's cocktail o'clock and we're excited to share a sneak preview of our good friend Helen McGinn's new recipe book with you all. You may know her better as author of the Daily Mail Femail drinks column or author of bestselling The Knackered Mother's Wine Club, but now Helen has turned her hand to cocktail making and we can't wait to try some of her mouth watering recipes. So without further ado, let's hear a little from Helen herself before we all become masters of mixology...   Homemade Cocktails by Helen McGinn I love a good cocktail. And I especially love them when sitting in a swanky hotel bar and someone makes them for me. But given that I don’t get out to places like that quite as much as I used to, I decided I needed to up my cocktail game at home. Problem was, I couldn’t find the right book to help me. I wanted simple, classic recipes but with a modern twist, not a stuffy guide to the art of cocktail making with a list of ingredients that were impossible to find. So I spent a year mixing, infusing, shaking and stirring (and drinking at least one cocktail a night, if not two) and the result is my new book, Homemade Cocktails. Written to help reboot at-home cocktail repertoires, there are recipes for homemade infusions, syrups and shrubs along with a selection of the best classic cocktails and plenty of new ones too. And for dry days and non-drinkers there are some booze-free options. Here’s one of my favourite recipes from the book, one to make Turkish Delight vodka at home. I hope you like it! Chin chin x Turkish Delight Vodka Use whatever Turkish delight you prefer (my favourite’s a mix of rose and lemon, but if you love the taste of rose, go full rose). 200g Turkish delight 500ml vodka Rinse the Turkish delight under the tap to wash the sugar off (otherwise the liquid goes very cloudy) and pop it into a clean jar. Pour over the vodka, put the lid on and give it a gentle shake. Leave it for at least a week (this one does need a bit of time to get that delightful flavour infused). When it’s got the right amount of Turkish delight taste for you, strain the liquid into a jug before pouring back into the jar or into a clean bottle. Seal and store in the fridge. Serve Given the fairly delicate flavour of this one, keep it simple. Add it to a glass with crushed ice and top up with soda water and a twist of lemon peel. Or make a killer Martini garnished with a sprinkling of dried rose petals and a twist of lemon peel. Homemade Cocktails by Helen McGinn, £10.99 (Robinson) Pre-order your copy on Amazon here Follow Helen on Instagram @knackeredmother or visit her website for weekly tips (www.knackeredmotherswineclub.com)

Relax and enjoy this easy brunch recipe from Harbour Hotels Chef Director Alex Aitken this bank holiday weekend Here at Stanwells we love our food as much as we love our fashion, so we've teamed up with Harbour Hotels Chef Director Alex Aitken to provide you with our favourite recipes of the moment. Get ready for the ultimate bank holiday brunch recipe that is sure to fill your kitchen with tempting aromas this weekend... Ingredients: 25g Butter 200g wild mushrooms 1 shallot finely diced 1 x clove garlic finely minced Handful of swiss chard – stems blanched and leaves shredded Dash double cream Chopped parsley 4 x slices sour dough toast 1 x whole garlic clove split Drizzle extra virgin olive oil Method: · Drizzle the sour dough toast with olive oil and rub with the split clove of garlic, lightly toast in a non-stick pan · In the same pan add the knob of butter, once hot and foaming lightly, saute the shallot and garlic then add the mushrooms and season · If you need to, add a little more butter to the mushrooms during cooking · Once cooked toss through the chard leaves and stems, add the dash of cream and bring to the simmer · Add the chopped parsley and check the seasoning, serve on top of the toast and top with the poach egg It really is that easy! Why not share your brunch pictures with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to get involved with the bank holiday fun?