Wednesday, 19 June 2013

The electric AGA Dual Control is 100% AGA but with up to 50% of the energy costs and servicing costs

The new electric AGA Dual Control is everything you love about the AGA cooker, but with running costs and servicing costs reduced by up to 50%.

The AGA Dual Control looks much like a traditional AGA cooker and – just like the traditional model, the cast-iron ovens are always available for use, creating that indefinable AGA warmth.
However, with an AGA Dual Control the ovens feature a new low energy setting and can also be switched off completely. What’s more, the two hotplates can be turned on and off independently, meaning you can make a welcome reduction in the overall heat input into the room from the cooker when desired and, in turn, reduce running costs. The boiling plate and simmering plate can be operated at the turn of a switch via the discrete control panel and so are on when you need them and off when you don’t.

Not only does the AGA Dual Control cook using the same principles as a traditional AGA – using indirect radiant heat – but it can also cost up to 50% less to run than 13-amp non-AIMS enabled models.

Available in 12 stunning colours – including the new Aqua – the AGA
Dual Control is perfect for those who love good food, a stylish, cosy kitchen and the benefits of reduced running and servicing costs.

Key features and benefits

·       Independently operated hotplates – both the simmering plate and the boiling plate can be operated singly or together
·       The ovens, which operate together, can be switched off completely when required
·       The low energy setting is a new feature on the ovens – they can be turned down to further reduce energy consumption and running costs*
·       Reduced ambient warmth provided a low energy setting
·       Faster heat-up times from when the ovens have been at their low energy setting
·       3-oven and 5-oven models available

* Low energy setting does not apply to the slow cooking and warming ovens on the 5-oven model.

The AGA Dual Control is available at Country Warmth - retail price: £9,095 (3 oven) and £10,895 (5 oven).









Monday, 17 June 2013

Gift ideas from AGA

Take a look at these fabulous new AGA shaped biscuit tins. Available in cream, claret and blue and each one featuring a delicious recipe. The perfect gift for AGA owners!

Friday, 14 June 2013

Father's Day

It's Father's Day this Sunday and we have some great gift ideas at Country Warmth including these hilarious Tottering-by-Gently tea towels and mugs!




Monday, 10 June 2013

Spectacular Hats at Castle Howard

We were delighted to take part in the St Catherine's Hospice and the five churches of Kirby Misperton benefice fund raising event.

Spectacular Hats held at Castle Howard raised £4,600 for charity and showcased a group of extremely creative Yorkshire milliners.

We donated a lovely pair of AGA oven gloves for the raffle to help encourage ticket sales.


Spectacular Hats at Castle Howard - image courtesy of Jim Varney 2013


Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Mrs Madden Aprons

As show season approaches, Mrs Madden is busy making some of her quirky aprons for us to sell in our lovely show tent.

The aprons can be custom made to order and are also available in our shop priced at £24.99.



Friday, 31 May 2013

Summer Cooking

With the optimistic title of ‘Summer Feast’ our recent cookery demonstration took place in our upstairs cookery school.

Claire started with a delicate cucumber, chili and lemon mousse. Served in individual ramekins this makes a light and fresh starter for a summer dinner party. However it can also be made in one dish and presented with green salad and ciabatta bread as a main course for and outdoor luncheon. 


As the other starter Claire made baked tomatoes stuffed with salmon and capers. Again making use of seasonal fayre this dish had a Mediterranean feel to it. It also had the benefit of been able to be served either hot or at room temperature. Ideal to be so flexible when we never quite know what the British weather is doing! 


For the first main course Alison made lemon chicken escalope’s with pumpkin seed pesto. Using free-range locally reared chicken this dish was flavorsome and filling. The pumpkin was an unusual twist on a pesto sauce. It was a powerful accompaniment and a lovely sauce in its own right. The pesto stored in a kilner jar will keep for a week in the fridge and could be used with other dishes. We served this with a lentil, green bean and parsley salad.


The other main course was paccheri pasta with asparagus. Using local Sand Hutton asparagus Alison made a green vibrant sauce. The pasta tubes were then stuffed with a vegetable filling, stood on their ends and covered with asparagus sauce. This was an unusual and inventive way of using the glut of fresh asparagus around at present. It would satisfy both vegetarians and meat eaters alike for a substantial lunch or supper party main course.


For puddings we had a grape and tarragon pavlova. This dish looked amazing-with an almost psychedelic colour due to the tarragon in the egg whites it was certainly a conversation piece. The AGA cooks pavlova so well and our customers must also have thought the same as the entire dish was polished off! 


The final pudding was a sharp and crisp passion fruit and white chocolate posset. This was served with a freshly made passion fruit curd, which was absolutely delicious. Again this fruit curd made a lovely dish on its own and stored in the fridge will keep for up to a month. 


All in all this was truly a summer feast.

Our next demonstration in the upstairs cookery school will be in September. Please contact us to be put on the mailing list to receive details of all our cookery demonstrations and events.


Thursday, 30 May 2013

Chocolate Pecan Fudge

Sick of the miserable weather? This recipe should cheer you up for sure!

Ingredients
100g pecan halves, roughly chopped and toasted
397g tin condensed milk
100g cubed butter
150g dark brown sugar
200g chopped dark chocolate (70%)

Put all the ingredients in a pan (apart from the pecans). Heat gently until the chocolate has melted and sugar disolved. Add the pecans and stir well.

Pour into 18cm square tin, cool and chill over night.

Cut into small squares to serve.

It's so easy and so tasty.