I have only ever used star anise in curry type dishes and I don't even know if I like the taste of it, I'll have top get one out and give it a sniff and a chew - with glass of water by my side, otherwise I guess clove or cinnamon might work.

I will have a play.

MICHELLE: Thanks for info on Cranberry salad, forgive my limey ignorance but is that then an accompaniment to the main course or does it sit as a salad in it's own right i.e. variation on a fruit salad ?

I think that I will go for the recipe on the CSHG blog suggested by TA anyway for the Christmas Dinner, but your's Michelle sounds good for a supper one night when friends are round, if I can just know when you serve it please !!!

TA: I have made Cranberry Sauce as per the CSH Blog, maybe I am wrong (almost certainly!!). I substituted orange for the Clementines, one large one and used the orange zest, but there did not seem to be enough fluid in the saucepan so I added a little water to prevent the cranberries baking on to the bottom of the saucepan, however as it developed there was much more juice, I assume from the cranberries bursting and this has meant that in the end it was sort of swimming " I thought about adding some more sugar and taking it closer to setting point (an obvious one for a jam and marmalade maker) but resisted that temptation as I didn't want it to be too sweet, also I didn't have any port " dunno where it went, probably drank it " so substituted Marsala and the result taste wise is excellent, not too sweet with a slight sharpness " but I was lumbered with too much juice. So what I have done is put the whole thing through a mesh and have potted the cranberry and orange solids and just topped up the preserving jar with a little juice. I think it is OK and I also have about a glass of the juice which I will probably have tomorrow morning instead of orange but 2 things follow: If I had left it without any additional water would it all have been OK and secondly will the sauce keep in the fridge OK till Christmas or shall I have another go at it in a couple of weeks time ?

Barbara many thanks for this, I'll give your suggestion a try, however I want this particular sauce to have the cranberries still as cranberries albeit popped during the boiling. I guess your statement about being acidic equally applies to what I have made also, so it should keep OK in the fridge in which case I am quite happy with the result.

But you now have me wondering about whether to freeze it !!

Kate, thanks, dunnit !! I substituted Sambuca for the Casis and redcurrant juice for the for the apple juice, result yes and it is slightly set as well which is brilliant.

Banana Chutney ? Don't get me on to something else, I have been looking at the Marrow Rum blog and so far resisting but Banana Chutney might just be irresistible