Posts Tagged ‘celtic’

The Land Of Song – Wales

Monday, November 28th, 2011

Wales has a long history of music and has been known as the ‘land of song’ since at least the Nineteenth Century. This reference to Wales as the land of song, probably comes from the passionate singing in Welsh churches and at Welsh sports meetings, particularly at rugby matches. However, Wales’ links with music go much further back than that.

Wales has a tradition of folk music which is closely linked with Scottish and Irish folk music. There are several forms of musical gathering that are comparable to those in other Celtic countries in the United Kingdom. For instance there is the twmpath (folk dance session), g?yl werin (folk festival) and noson lawen (a traditional party comparable to the Gaelic “C?ilidh”).

Contemporary Welsh folk musicians have often resurrected traditions which had been suppressed or forgotten, and have competed with imported and native rock and pop trends. This has been particularly the case since the 1990′s.

Despite contemporary Welsh trends in music, Wales will always be connected with Male Voice Choirs such as the Morriston Orpheus Choir and Treorchy Male Voice Choir which benefit from world wide fame.

These choirs were frequently made up of workers from one village or one coal mine and so it was quite natural for men to sing when one town played against another, especially if that game was Wales’ national sport of rugby. The first time the Welsh National Anthem, ‘Yr Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (‘The Old Country of my Fathers’, normally translated as ‘Land of My Fathers’), was sung at an International sporting event was in 1905

Along side the choirs, brass bands developed in villages, working men’s associations, churches and at work especially in South Wales where brass bands are still very popular. In fact, the Cory Band is one of the most best brass bands in the world.

There were quite a few world renowned Welsh singers in the Twentieth Century and some of them are still singing to jam-packed audiences worldwide. Ivor Novello was one of the first who became well-known during the First World War as a singer songwriter. Then there was Geraint Evans and Delme Bryn-Jones in the Second World War.

After that, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey began their singing careers in the 1950′s but are still singing fifty years later. There were also popular bands in the Seventies and Eighties such as Man and Budgie and solo artists such as Shakin’ Stevens, nnie Tyler and John Cale (Velvet Underground).

In more recent times, we have seen the Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Super Furry Animals and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci; the latter two bands being famous for lots of their songs’ lyrics being in Welsh.

There have always been operatic singers as well such as Rebecca Evans, Aled Jones, Bryn Tervel and Charlotte Church. Cardiff hosts the ‘Singer of the World’ competition and the Wales also has its very own Eisteddfod, where Pavarotti sang for years. It was because of Wales tradition as a nation of singers that Paul Robeson sang in Wales in the Fifties

If you are interested in a Welsh gold wedding ring, or Wales in general, go to our web site at Welsh Products Online

How To Use Dairy Products Correctly: Part Three – Eggs

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Basic Preparation Of Foods: Dairy Produce.

EGGS: Part 1

Eggs can be fresh or dried, dried eggs being only chickens’ eggs without the shell and water. Dried egg should be stored in a cool, dry place – it may not be stored in the refrigerator! Store eggs for several days – even a week – in a cool place not close to strong-smelling foods. An egg stand is an ideal gadget for this. If the eggs are dirty, wipe them clean with a damp cloth- washing will only remove the natural oils which help to preserve the eggs.

Pickled Eggs: eggs laid in the Spring keep longer than those laid in other seasons. Eggs that can not be cleaned-up, must be refused. Waterglass or the proprietary preparations should be used. if an egg floats to the surface, use it immediately. Try to maintain the ambient temperature between 2 and 8 degrees C and they should keep for 6 to 9 months.

Preparing Eggs for Cooking: break each egg into a cup on its own, before adding it to the other ingredients to ensure that it is still fresh. If you wish to separate the white from the yolk, tip the contents of the egg back and forth between the two egg shell halves and the albumen (white) will separate from the yolk. Beat the eggs with a whisk or a fork in an appropriate bowl. Egg whites should be whipped with a knife on a plate – a tiny amount of of salt will help.

Raw eggs used to be prescribed for invalids as they are easily digestible, however, this not to be recommended these days due to the ubiquity of salmonella. One method, presented here for the curious was to strain a beaten egg into a mug and slowly add a cup of hot milk (or tea, coffee or lemon water; add sugar to taste. Sherry was often added too.

Cooking Eggs: eggs must be cooked slowly because the albumen solidifies at a temperature lower than that of boiling water and becomes ‘tough’ at higher temperatures. By the same token, if raw egg is used to thicken a sauce and the liquid is subsequently allowed to boil, the sauce will ‘curdle’, i.e. the egg will solidify into small specks, spoiling its texture.

Coddling: produces easily digested egg-whites, making it an ideal meal for invalids and children. Lower the eggs into 3″of boiling water; replace the lid and remove from heat. Let it stand for: 7 mins for medium-, 5 mins for soft- and 20 mins for hard-boiled eggs .

Boiling: lower fresh eggs gently into 3″ (75mm) boiling water with a large spoon. Replace the lid and boil gently for 3-4″ mins for soft-, 4-5 mins for medium- and 10 mins for hard-boiled eggs.

Place the eggs in eggcups: tap the shell to crack it, pemitting the steam to escape and so preventing further cooking. For sandwiches, salads etc: boil egg for 12 mins and plunge into cold water. This enables the shell to be easily removed and discourages a black ring around the yolk.

If you want to read more about Welsh food, food in general or cooking eggs in particular, just go over to Traditional Welsh Recipes

The Best Dieting Secrets Of The Top Stars

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

The stars always look so fabulous, do they not? Both sorts of stars do. Celebrities too. OK, we do not see them when they arise in the morning or with a bad hangover, but if we do see them, they always seem at the peek of physical fitness and dressed in perfectly tailored clothes. It is their job not only to act and remember their lines but to look good too.

most if not all of them have personal fitness coaches, dietitians and even chefs in order to help them fight the flab, so it is not really so difficult for them as it is for us, but the penalty for gaining weight is more ruthless, they might not get offered much more work, which would mean falling out of the limelight and that would be a significant thing for any star.

Therefore, it is not surprising that most stars have their own favourite tips for staying on top of the weight problem that faces most individuals every day of their lives. Here are seven celebrities’ pointers on how they accomplish it.

Jennifer Aniston: follows the 40:30:30 course of action of counting types of foods. That is:

40% of what she eats has to be slow-burning, low glycaemic foodstuffs like beans, root vegetables (like swede and potatoes), dark-green leaves (such as cabbage) and fruit (like bananas).

30% of what she eats has to be lean-to-fatless protein such as skinless chicken, tofu, turkey, ostrich, veal, fish and low fat dairy products.

30% of what she consumes should contain essential fatty acids such as oily fish, nuts, seeds and olive oil.

Kate Hudson; placed on 60 pounds during her pregnancy but was determined to lose it particularly after the media was so nasty to her about her size. She did it in four months by concentrating on eating only high protein, but small meals frequently and training rigorously. This sounds a lot like the Atkins diet, but it worked for her and now she looks better than ever.

Oprah Winfrey: uses a similar plan to Kate Hudson’s. She works out at least five days a week and tries to consume mostly fish, nuts, fruit, beans, seeds, chicken and vegetables. She is particularly careful to avoid, but not totally cut out, white sugar and white flour and last but not least, she does not eat after 19:00 hours.

Gwyneth Paltrow: has a routine that is similar again. She as well avoids white sugar and flour, but follows a macrobiotic diet of vegetables, brown rice and very lean meat and fish. She does not eat any dairy produce at all and does yoga every day.

Madonna: also does yoga every day and follows a macrobiotic diet of organic vegetables, brown rice and fatless protein. She has given up junk food entirely.

Claudia Schiffer: will eat just fruit before noon and after noon she adds salad and steamed vegetables to her diet, She drinks lots of tomato juice and herbal tea and is especially fond of black grapes.

Christie Brinkley: is a strict vegetarian, who has also eradicated all types of junk food from her diet. She snacks on sweet potatoes and if she puts on a few pounds, she goes on a crash diet of fruit juices.

Do not forget that these celebrities have paid and almost certainly still are paying thousands of dollars for their advice, so if one of these outline diets appeals to you, do some more research and test it out free of charge. It works for them as you can plainly see.

If you would like to know more about Welsh food, food in general or the essentials for a healthy diet in particular, just visit Traditional Welsh Recipes

Welsh Music Styles Of Past And Present

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Wales has a long history of music and has been called the ‘land of song’ since at least the Nineteenth Century. This reference to Wales as the land of song, probably comes from the enthusiastic singing in Welsh churches and at Welsh sports meetings, particularly at rugby matches. However, Wales’ links with music go much further back than that.

Wales has a tradition of folk music which is closely linked with Scottish and Irish folk music. There are several forms of musical gathering that are comparable to those in other Celtic countries in the United Kingdom. For instance there is the twmpath (folk dance session), g?yl werin (folk festival) and noson lawen (a traditional party comparable to the Gaelic “C?ilidh”).

Modern Welsh folk musicians have often resurrected traditions which had been suppressed or forgotten, but have competed with imported and native rock and pop trends. This has been especially true since the 1990′s.

Despite contemporary Welsh trends in music, Wales will always be linked with Male Voice Choirs such as the Morriston Orpheus Choir and Treorchy Male Voice Choir which enjoy world wide fame.

These choirs were frequently made up of workers from one village or one coal mine and so it was quite natural for men to sing when one town played against another, especially if that game was Wales’ national sport of rugby. The first time the Welsh National Anthem, ‘Yr Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (‘The Old Country of my Fathers’, normally translated as ‘Land of My Fathers’), was sung at an International sporting event was in 1905

Along side the choirs, brass bands developed in villages, working men’s associations, churches and at work particularly in South Wales where brass bands are still very popular. In fact, the Cory Band is one of the most successful brass bands in the world.

There were more than a few world famous Welsh singers in the Twentieth Century and some of them are still singing to packed audiences worldwide. Ivor Novello was one of the first who became well-known during the First World War as a singer songwriter. Then there was Geraint Evans and Delme Bryn-Jones during the Second World War.

After that, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey began their singing careers in the 1950′s and are still singing fifty years later. There were also popular bands during the Seventies and Eighties such as Man and Budgie and solo singers such as Shakin’ Stevens, nnie Tyler and John Cale (Velvet Underground).

In more recent times, we have seen the Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Super Furry Animals and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci; the latter two bands being famous for lots of their songs’ lyrics being in Welsh.

There have always been operatic singers as well such as Rebecca Evans, Aled Jones, Bryn Tervel and Charlotte Church. Cardiff hosts the ‘Singer of the World’ competition but the Wales also has its very own Eisteddfod, where Pavarotti sang for years. It was because of Wales tradition as a nation of singers that Paul Robeson visited Wales in the Fifties

If you are interested in dogs or Welsh corgi puppies, or even Wales in general, please go to our website at Welsh Products Online

Crystal Corporate Gifts

Friday, October 1st, 2010

It can be very difficult to find beautiful and memorable corporate gifts. Many corporate gifts are just junk, especially the less expensive ones. However, there is a class of gift that is always appreciated and can be thought of as useful too.

Have you always given a calendar or a letter opener? Or a key ring, just like every other business does? Or a bottle of wine that is forgotten the day after it was opened? Well, there is hope yet. What about glass crystal? Everybody loves lead crystal, do they not?

Lead crystal items really are the bees’ knees of gifts, corporate gifts or not. People always need ashtrays, paper weights, and pen holders and made in lead crystal they look expensive and stylish adding to the image of your company.

Lead crystal goods come in many kinds. They make fruit bowls, vases, glasses, paper weights, pen trays, ashtrays, picture frames and carriage clocks along with a dozen other items. When selecting a lead crystal corporate gift, you might like to bear the following points in mind:

If you are presenting these corporate gifts to your staff, you may like to distinguish between your employees or give everyone the same gift. You can on grounds of sex, length of service, marital status or input to the company’s profits. There again, you may know the longest serving personnel very well and want to get them something that will suit them personally. You can do this in terms of price or style or both.

For instance, office staff might appreciate a lead crystal paperweight, pen-holder or picture frame. Blue collar workers may prefer a lead crystal vase or bowl. Single people might play golf or sail and like an item engraved with a golfing or sailing motif. Married people might love a picture frame or a vase. Long-serving personnel or high-earners might want a carriage clock.

Cost is obviously an important issue, but usually corporate gifts are tax-deducible and glass crystal items vary greatly in price depending on the manufacturer. For example, you can get a nice lead crystal goblet set for $15, but if you want to give Waterford lead crystal, you can expect to pay three times as much.

Are you presenting these corporate gifts to clients or / and prospective clients? In this case, you will have to have them inscribed with your business’s contact information. You will also require the corporate gift to stay in the client’s office, so it should be office orientated, not home orientated. Something like a heavy paperweight fashioned like a rock or a desk tidy fashioned like a boat.

This is the best mode of advertising after word-of-mouth and sign-written vehicles and should be taken seriously by any business that needs clients. Giving a well-thought of gift like lead crystal is a way of enhancing your reputation and that of the beneficiary.

The only other thing to bear in mind is that corporate gifts in lead crystal are precious and need to be handled with care, so if you are having them inscribed, which you must do, then you will need to know how long it will take to get your consignment done and delivered.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Waterford crystal vases. If you have an interest in Irish crystal or wedding rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

How To Run A Wedding Car Business

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Have you ever thought about running a wedding car business? Although it can be demanding, because you do not want to let anybody down on their big day, it is also fascinating and exciting.

Some of the advantages are that you get to own good-looking cars – maybe a Rolls Royce or a Bentley and they are tax-deductible; you meet new people under happy circumstances and you are in the position to help them have a wonderful wedding day.

It is a very demanding industry, because you always have to bear in mind the requirements of your clients and think about how you can fulfill and extend their’ wishes. That is difficult enough, but you also have to remain competitive. I hope that the following tips will be useful.

1] Take care of the conditions under which you keep your vehicles. If you can afford to garage them, they will not collect dust and bird droppings so the paintwork will look better for longer. Do not have a gravel drive, because of possible scratching to the coachwork of the cars.

2] Get one or two really lovely cars. You will need to do a bit of research to find out what couples in your area like, but as a rule of thumb a Rolls Royce or a Bentley are sure bets. Or maybe a stretch limousine. Old vehicles go down well too. Build up your fleet of cars step by step but increasingly. Offer your clients as much choice as you can realistically afford to do.

Many wedding couples will not only need the wedding car, but also vehicles for the guests. Many of them want limousines or old vehicles for their wedding day. But a lot of other cars are required for the guests. Be adaptable and agree to decorate the vehicles according to the couple’s wishes with flowers and ribbons.

2] Employ good, sympathetic personnel. A fully trained chauffeur is a necessity, but a military style chauffeur can add to your firm’s image.

3] It is a good idea to offer different packages or elements that a couple can use to build a package. So, you could offer transportation from the bride’s house to the church as one element. From the church to the restaurant as another element and from there to the chosen hotel, the airport or the railway station, as another element.

4] Make certain that your clients know exactly how long they have exclusive use of the vehicles for. This is useful for them, so that they know exactly how long they have to take photos, eat or chat.

Transportation plays a huge and fundamental part in any wedding day celebrations. In fact, poorly timed or scruffy transportation can ruin a wedding day. If you let that happen, your firm’s standing will suffer badly, particularly in a town or village. You will need a high sense of responsibility; reliable, well-trained, sensitive staff and high quality vehicles that look the part. White wedding cars are popular, but other colours are acceptable, especially for the guests.

If you are interested in a Welsh gold wedding ring, or Wales in general, go to our website at Welsh Products Online

Wedding Cakes

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Nearly every family or social occasion includes the consumption of food and the imbibing or liquids in the celebration. Consider Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. In this article, I would like to talk about that centre piece of the wedding reception: the wedding cake.

The guests come to eat, drink and be merry and the bride’s parents always put a great deal of effort into the organization of the wedding party. The wedding cake is the central point of the top table and the whole reception in general. The wedding cake has traditional importance and it is often thought bad luck not to have a piece of the wedding cake.

There are precise rules for the timing of the cutting of the wedding cake that have become part of tradition. For instance, if the wedding reception takes place at lunch or dinner, it is traditional to cut the wedding cake just before the sweet is presented.

However, if the reception is to take place in the late afternoon or early evening, the cake is served as soon as the guests arrive. In some traditions the bride and groom cut and eat the first slice together as a symbol of their vows to love, honour and obey each other. The remainder of the cake is generally cut by one of the assistants, like the maid of honour or a family relative.

It can be quite hard to choose the wedding cake. Traditionally, people opt for a white cake with white icing for weddings, however nowadays, people are becoming more adventurous and are picking more exotic flavours and colours.

Some couples prefer to have a wedding cake which has different flavours on each layer. While white icing is still the overwhelming favourite, people do order other colours like pink and yellow. Chocolate and mocha are also prevalent. These days you can have what you like. It is your day, after all.

Everybody likes the wedding reception. It is the most well-liked part of the wedding day and everyone looks forward to seeing the cake cut and sharing it with the bride and groom.

If you are thinking about becoming a cake decorator, you have a couple of options to go about it. You could buy a book or a course or get a video in order to teach yourself how to decorate cakes from the simple to the elaborate. You could also go to a night school class to learn the art or cake decoration.

Without a doubt, the very best way to learn cake decorating is to take a class. DVD’s, videos, and books are all well and good, but you cannot converse with them or ask questions. If you take a class for three months or more you will learn more and get a deeper understanding of the art of cake decoration. You will learn how to put real emotion into the decoration of the cake and you will be able to translate the wedding couple’s desires into a cake that you and they can be proud of.

If you are interested in a Welsh gold wedding ring, or Wales in general, go to our web site at Welsh Products Online

The Ancient Roots Of Barry, South Wales: Part 3.

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

In the Twelfth Century, William de Barri owned Barry Castle, but it was attacked and destroyed by Llewellyn Bren in 1316. It is said that the Cavaliers rebuilt it, but that it was subsequently destroyed again by the Roundheads, never to be rebuilt.

The Norman invaders were thoroughly detested by the local people and they had to build large mansions to defend themselves from frequent assaults on them by the people of the valleys and the mountains. During the reign of Henry III, there were 12 castles within six miles of Barry. In Glamorgan, there were 30 castles and in South Wales as a whole there were 150 !

Porthkerry and the church to its west is said to have taken its name from Ceri, who, it is said, founded a port ‘Port Ceri’. It is believed that Ceri ap Caid, the King of Essyllwg, lived in Porthkerry before the Christian era. His bard, Corvinor, is stated to have been the first to have built a ship with sails and a rudder for the race of Cymru. Some believe that Ceri was a nephew or grandson of Caractacus (Caradog) and that he assumed the head of government in south Wales when Caractacus was sent to Rome.

John Wesley later preached from the Porthkerry Church pulpit, and sometimes outside, in 1741, 1742 and 1743. There are two very old churches still in use today St. Cadocs Church in Cadoxton and Merthyr Dyfan Church in Merthyr Dyfan. 150 years ago, Cadoxton was the largest village in the area: eg in 1844 the Parliamentary register contained 25 names: 20 from Cadoxton and five from Barry. The church was dedicated to St. Cadoc, who used to spend Lent on Flat Holm and Barry Island. The village took its name from the church, which was founded in 800 AD.

Merthyr Dyfan Church, which is situated in the north of Barry, was founded in 600 AD and the name means Dyfan The Martyr. There were two saints of this name. The one travelled to Barry to convert the local people to Christianity and the other lived in the sixth century. He was the son of a Welsh chieftain. His sister was also martyred and the town of Merthyr Tydfil is named in her memory.

The Christian faith grew very quickly in the Vale of Glamorgan and in the middle of the second century, the Prince of Siluria, Llewrwg, became the first king, of any country in the world in all history, to be baptized into the Christian faith. He sent to Rome for more Chritian teachers and was sent two monks named Dyfan and Fagan. Dyfan was martyred near the church and the Fagan was canonized. St. Fagan’s situated between Barry and Cardiff was named after him.

If you are interested in Welsh corgi puppies, or Wales in general, visit our website at Welsh Products Online

Will These Wine Glasses Do?

Friday, April 30th, 2010

The growing trend of popularity of wine has led to a boom in things to go with wine like corkscrews, stoppers, coolers, napkins, pouring baskets, decanters, candles, thermometers, bottle jackets, hydrometers and dozens of variations of each accessory from electric versions to manual ones. Needless to say, a lot of these accessories will be used until the novelty wears off and then left at the back of the cupboard.

However, there is one category of wine drinking accessory that no wine drinker should be without and that is wine glasses. They are indispensable, I am sure that everyone would agree. But the good thing about wine glasses is that they are decorative when they are not in use too. A set of six lead crystal wine glasses is a beautiful display. And a fine set of glasses correctly shaped for the wine you are drinking will greatly enhance your enjoyment of that wine.

This is because the shape of the glass is very influential on the drinker’s ability to savour the taste and the aroma of wine. Therefore, it is essential to use the correct glasses for the type of wine being served.

Red wines gain a lot from contact with air, so, aside from opening the bottle an hour before drinking it, you could decant it. The older and heavier the wine, the more air it must have. The next step is to serve the red wine in large glasses. This is not so as to be able to get as much wine in there as possible! A full, normal size bottle contains six servings no matter what glass you use, but a large glass allows you to swirl the wine around the glass, thereby increasing its contact with air.

A large tulip shaped glass is a good example of this kind of wine glass and any dark red wine would benefit from being drunk out of such a vessel. Try a Rioja or Bordeaux, for instance.

White wines, on the other hand, do not need to breathe for as long as red wines and are best served slightly chilled. Therefore, the wine glasses tend to have a smaller bowl and a longer stem. The bowl is smaller, because swirling is not essential and the stem is longer, so that the warmth from your hand does not warm the wine up prematurely. Try a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon or a German wine in these glasses.

Champagne glasses are called champagne flutes because the bowl is long and narrow, which allows the bubbles to float through more of the wine than if the bowl were short. This is beneficial for the wine, the taste and its appearance. The stem is also long as with other white wines to diminish heat transfer.

The last main kind of glass is the sherry schooner, which is also used for port. Sherry and port are both heavy reds and so need to breathe, which is one of the reasons why they should be decanted. However, a schooner has hardly any stem, because the warmth from your hand is required to keep the wine at the correct temperature.

Besides the shape of the bowl and the length of the stem, the next most significant factor is the quality of the glass and its design. Some people like hand-blown glass and it can be very beautiful, but it also tends to be light and fragile. I prefer to use lead crystal glasses, which are a lot heavier and can take a deeper pattern.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Waterford crystal vases. If you have an interest in Irish crystal or wedding rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

How To Use Dairy Products Correctly: Part Four – Eggs (cont.)

Saturday, April 24th, 2010

Preparation Of Basic Foods: Dairy Produce.

Eggs: Part Two

Poaching: boil 40mm water in a frying pan; add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of vinegar. Crack egg into cup, inspect and tip into water. Turn down the heat. Gather the white around the unbroken yolk with a spoon and simmer for 3-4 mins. Lift out with a fish slice, drain and serve on hot buttered toast.

Scrambling: beat the eggs well; add salt, pepper to taste and a dash of milk. Melt enough butter to cover the bottom of a small pan. Cook the eggs slowly, stirring continuously. Cook in a basin floating in boiling water, if preferred. Serve when almost completely set, after about 5 mins.

Fried Eggs: Melt enough fat to easily cover the bottom of a frying pan. Tip the egg(s) in gently and gather the whites around the yolks. When the white has solidified, baste the yolk to taste and remove whole with a draining spoon.

Baked: lightly grease an oven-proof dish and pour the eggs gently into it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and butter to taste. Bake in a medium oven and serve in the same bowl after the whites have set.

Omelette: buy a pan and keep it solely for omelettes! The base should be smooth and clean. Allow two eggs per serving; beat lightly and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat enough butter to cover the base of the frying pan. When the butter is hot, pour in the eggs; as it sets, lift up the handle and draw the set mixture up towards the handle, allowing the liquid egg to run down onto the hot pan. When all the liquid is set, tilt the pan back and roll the omelette over. Serve straight away on a hot plate. It can be filled with almost anything, before being rolled up.

Pouring Custard: beat 2-3 eggs for every one pint of milk lightly. Heat the milk and pour gradually over the eggs; add sugar and flavouring to taste; cook in a double pan or jug and hot water until the required consistency has been achieved. If it is not to be served immediately, pour a thin layer of water onto it to stop a skin forming.

Baked Custard: begin as above but then pour the custard into a lightly greased shallow dish; sprinkle sparsely with nutmeg and place the dish in water to halfway up its sides. Bake at 350 F for 35-45 minutes; you can test its solidity by inserting a knife, which should be clean on removal.

Steamed Custard: as above, but cook in a steamer or pan of boiling water. Cooking time about the same.

Custard Tarts: pour pouring custard into unbaked pastry cases and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes. A little jam can be placed at the bottom of the pastry case first, if desired.

For deliciousgourmet Traditional Welsh Recipes, go along to our website at http://welsh-recipes.the-real-way.com/