It can be tricky finding the perfect gift for foodie family members and friends. Well, have no

fear this year as Wing Yip, the UK’s leading Oriental supermarket, has the perfect solution to

your Christmas gifting woes.

As someone who loves cooking, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so anything that can produce great results and is inexpensive, is a winner in my eyes, which is why I couldn’t have been more thrilled to try out the Kitchen Craft 1.5 Litre Microwave Rice Cooker – £8.59 and the Hancock 10″ Bamboo Steamer and Lid – £2.46.

It’s not that I can’t cook rice and other grains, although I should confess that the results can be somewhat variable. The joy of the Microwave Steamer is that all I had to do was follow the simple instructions, pop it into the microwave and voila, perfect Jasmine Rice.

Wing Yip’s Hancock Bamboo Steamer is another kitchen staple used in Oriental cuisine and cooks perfectly steamed dumplings or a range of vegetables every time. Gently steaming vegetables preserves much of the vitamins that can be lost when boiling. Not only practical, the Bamboo Streamer has the kitchen aesthetic beloved of all Jamie Oliver wannabes.

In addition to us Kitchen addicts, I can think of another group of people who might welcome these as a Christmas gifts, not least because it is a lazy stereotype that all students live on a diet of Pot Noodles. Obviously, students have time constraints, their kitchens may not be well stocked and they certainly don’t need expensive kitchen equipment, all of which makes the Rice Cooker and Bamboo Steamer the perfect gift to pack them off back to University.

Both of these Oriental kitchen essentials are available to buy in the Wing Yip superstores and

online. Visit the online store at: www.wingyip.com

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‘Men are so difficult to buy for,’ is a common theme at this time of year, mostly opined by my wife somewhat accusingly, as though I have somehow been born a man, with the sole purpose of making her Christmas shopping trips more difficult.

Well, not this year, because Graham’s have produced a range of Ports that are just the right size to slip into a Christmas stocking and at a very reasonable price.

In fact, if your Secret Santa sets a suitable limit you can buy one of these from between £10.00 and £20.00.

The size is also perfect from another point of view, chiefly mine: smaller than a full size bottle It is big enough to afford several glasses, but not so big that one feels that it is necessary to share.

This 10 -Year Old Tawny is rich with the taste of Christmas nuts and figs. Its mature flavours match perfectly with sweet desserts, especially dark chocolate with ginger or orange notes.

Actually, just in case my wife is reading this, if the Port were to be accompanied by a box of salted caramels, I would think she could put her feet up and consider Christmas sorted, at least as far as this man is concerned.

I even promise to act surprised.

Happy Christmas.

Stockist Information:

Available from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Ocado

Graham’s 10 – Year Old Tawny Port (75cl) RRP £20.00

Children can be expensive at the best of times and their specialist furniture is a good example. First a cot, then a child’s bed with safety rail, then, as they grow older, a desk to do their homework. Oh, and possibly the patter of more little feet …

So thank goodness for Wooothy and their modular furniture, which is all produced from high quality beech trees from Slovenia. It’s all designed with adaptability in mind, so you can use it for a long time.

The key is the modular design so that items can be reassembled to fit different rooms, lifestyles and needs as time goes on.

A simple single bed is the basic module. However additional modules can turn this into a canopy bed (useful for princesses), safety rails can be added for toddlers – and later removed when no longer needed.  A mid high leg construction raises the single bed, so your youngster can store toys underneath and play – useful in a small bedroom.  When the young master starts school, the mid high legs can be replaced with higher legs, and the under bed area becomes a useful workspace with desk.

Then when the stork visits again – two single beds can be converted into bunk beds.

Oh, and for teenagers there’s a couch option. Worth looking into if you’re thinking of buying a bed.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.