Many thanks to Mark Vogel at www.foodreference.com for his detailed account of how beef Wellington came about. Below is an excerpt written by Mark describing the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo by British Field Marshall Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, and the birth of beef Wellington. Enjoy the narrative. If you are seeking an authentic beef Wellington Christmas dinner delivered, consider GourmetStation….four delicious courses delivered in complimentary gift packaging ready to heat and serve in about 30 minutes.

"It was Sunday June 18th 1815, about a mile south of the small village of Waterloo in what is now modern day Belgium. Approximately 190,000 men fought one of the most epic battles of the modern era. Napoleon Bonaparte had been defeated the year prior. Abdicating his throne he was exiled to the island of Elba. In March of 1815 he returned to Paris and reclaimed his crown for a period known as the “hundred days.” His previous enemies were determined to nip Napoleon redux in the bud. The seventh coalition, an amalgamation of numerous European countries and states amassed their armies. Gebhard von Blucher commanded the Prussian forces while Field Marshall Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, presided over a British army and its Anglo allies. It was not Napoleon’s finest hour. In fact, historians agree that he failed to display the tactical brilliance which highlighted his previous reign. When all was said and done nearly 50,000 men were dead or wounded, the French army was in tatters, and Napoleon was once again forced into exile, this time for the rest of his life.

Wellesley was awarded the title Duke of Wellington in 1814 after Napoleon’s first dethroning. After Waterloo came more accolades and advancement including the Prime Ministership. Even the culinary world sought to immortalize him with the classic dish that would bare his name: Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellington is a beef tenderloin encased in a pastry crust and cooked. Like so many classic recipes, where and when the dish was first created is a quagmire. France, England, Ireland, and even Africa have been sited as possible birthplaces. My vote goes to France. Wrapping meat in pastry was certainly not a novel idea in 1815. The French already had such a dish in their culinary repertoire known as “filet de boeuf en croûte.” Someone, somewhere merely rechristened it “beef Wellington” in honor of Wellesley.
Even the exact ingredients are up for debate. It appears that this recipe started off as nothing more than the beef wrapped in a simple dough, inevitably just flour and water. At some point puff pastry was substituted for the basic dough. Puff pastry is very labor-intensive. It involves distributing cold butter between layers of dough, then folding the dough over and rolling it out. This process is repeated numerous times until a multi-stratified dough of flour and butter is produced. When baked, the melting butter releases steam and “puffs” the pastry by separating the numerous flaky layers. Most home cooks eschew the drudgery of making puffed pastry from scratch and opt for the frozen, pre-made counterpart." By: Mark Vogel

Other Christmas dinners delivered from GourmetStation include a holiday turkey dinner, lamb dinners and fillet mignon steak dinner for two. Bon appétit!

Christmas dinners delivered from GourmetStation.

Tradition is back! It worked at Thanksgiving with record sales of our delicious turkey dinner gifts. By popular demand, Beef Wellington Christmas Dinner Delivered is back on the menu. Our customers enjoy in pastry entrees such as salmon en croute or chicken Wellington, but none is as elegant as our Ole Christmas Dinner - Beef Wellington. Four rich courses feature cream of tomato basil soup (delicious and pretty on the table) along with triple chocolate parfait. For those customers who have a taste for lamb, be sure to review this Christmas Dinnery Delivery. Tender lamb shank in rosemary mint sauce served with four courses including bistro mushroom & sherry wine soup and creme brulee parfait for dessert. Finally for the steak lover, consider our fillet mignon Christmas Dinner Menu. The steaks are Certified Angus and include lobster bisque and raspberry cordial parfait. Delicious! If you would rather let them choose their menu and desired delivery date, consider our Dinner of the Month programs. Food Gifts from GourmetStation are your answers for elegant, unique gift giving. Oh,don't forget our 15% savings. Visit the site for details.

For the Dad who has everything....been everywhere...done everything. What to do for Father's Day? Consider a food experience. Sometimes there is simply nothing more satisfying that a good meal. GourmetStation has been providing Moms and Dads with outstanding food gifts since 2000. This year we are offering 50% off shipping for our Steak Dinner Gifts Delivered which happen to be Certified Angus Beef ®.

What makes Certified Angus Beef ® a cut above the crowd. In May 2011 Meating Place, top industry publication for the meat industry, interviewed John Stika, president of Certified Angus Beef LLC. "Founded in 1978 by the American Angus Association - a group of cattle producers who wanted to increase demand for beef by showcasing the best of their breed - the Certified Angus Beef ® brand only adorns product that meets 10 stringent standards evaluated by USDA to ensure a consistent quality. The brand has been integral in creating in consumers' minds an association between Angus and high-quality beef."

GourmetStation's 3 course steak dinner for two includes garlic bread, 2 Certified Angus Beef ® Steaks (they may choose from 6 cuts), handmade appetizers, roasted baby potatoes with rosemary, gourmet parfaits and a packet for coffee for after dinner conversation. $89.99 - check out the site for the shipping discount code. Happy Father's Day to the Dads around the world!

It's that time again. With this strange economy everyone is seeking a deal and GourmetStation has great savings on their delicious gourmet food gifts. Check the website for the promotional codes - links below. Happy Holidays!

Beef Wellington 4 Course Dinner For Two - Christmas Dinner Delivered
Turkey Dinner Delivered with Soup, Dressing & All the Trimmings
Dinner of the Month - 3 & 4 Courses for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months

Dining Gift Cards - 3 & 4 Course Dinner Gifts - Dining Gift Certificates Never Expire
Soup of the Month - Chef Quality Soups With Cookies & Baguettes

Dessert of the Month - White Cakes, Chocolate Cakes, Pies, Cheesecakes & More
Steak Dinner of the Month - Fillet, Ribeye, T-Bone - All guaranteed Certified Angus

Something things are best left alone. That's the root of tradition and that's why we've offered the same exact Thanksgiving dinner gift for the past 3 years. So what's Thanksgiving all about at GourmetStation? Let's talk about what it is not. We do not sell whole bird dinners with fixings that require hours and hours of preparation. We do sell complete dinners for two including a turkey breast that requires about 1 hour in the oven. While the bird is cooking, your gift recipients will enjoy artisan bread with creamy mushroom and sherry wine soup, perfect for November cold days. While the turkey is cooking, they will also finish off their dressing and creamy spinach in the oven and gravy on the stove top. To add color and accent to the Thanksgiving dinner delivered, we've included cranberry relish. After dinner? Pumpkin pie, of course along with a packet of St. Ives Euro blend coffee.

After ten years in business, we believe we know our customers. It is heart warming to our staff to see that our customes are sending these dinners to friends and family they cannot be with. Or perhaps an aging parent that does not want to spend hours in the kitchen. Or a remote family member that lives alone and otherwise might not get to enjoy a turkey dinner. So I've come to the conclusion that when our customers send one of these Thanksgiving dinners, they're really sending a box of love. Doesn't get much better, does it?

GourmetStation is proudly serving it's customers this holiday season for the 10th year with delicious food gifts.

Most years at around this time, I feel the need for a nice relaxing break in the sunshine. Usually, I head for the Mediterranean - that idyllic little corner of Europe where the sun always shines, the beaches are pure and white, and life moves at a rather more sedate pace than we are used to.

But this year, I decided to do something quite different - I chose instead to holiday at home, here in the UK! My destination of choice was Cornwall…….. a quaint little land tucked away in the far south west of the mainland only four hours from London, yet it feels like a million miles away! Time here definitely moves at a slower pace, and within hours of our arrival, so were we!! No queuing at busy airport terminals followed by lengthy transfers in inadequately air-conditioned coaches for us this time - just an easy road journey and the holiday had begun!

"What about the weather?" I hear you asking. Yes, this is of course a much talked about subject in these fair isles that we call home. And this year, the talk is of not of the wettest on record as we had last year, but instead the warmest and driest for a good many years! Certainly in our week away, it was truly glorious. We enjoyed near perfect conditions with sunshine every day and temperatures in the mid to upper 20's centigrade.

Anyone who reads my posts regularly will know by now that I'm a bit of a "foodie"! And I'm happy to report that our little group ate VERY well indeed that week! Cornwall offers an abundant supply of wonderful, local foods as well as an astonishing selection of very good, modestly priced eateries.  Even snack foods are memorable - believe me when I say that a Cornish Pasty (a hearty lightly seasoned meat & potato pastry), a tub of freshly caught cockles or an indulgent homemade ice cream  are the stuff of what a truly memorable, British seaside holiday are made of!

As the weather was so perfect, we decided to make the most of outdoor living and cooked over a barbecue most evenings. Cornwall is abundant with fresh fish, so on several nights we bought some freshly caught varieties from the quayside and experimented with different recipes. But best of all was our grilled mixed fish with samphire (a fragrant green vegetable freshly picked from the local marshes). The great thing about this recipe is that you can use almost any fish - just use whatever is freshest and plentiful:

INGREDIENTS

4 scallops, cleaned and left attached to the half shell

4 small or 2 large mullet

Another fish such as brill, plaice, mackerel or whatever is available

Vegetable oil for brushing

90g /3oz butter

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

A couple of handfuls of samphire

Freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

METHOD

1. Preheat the barbecue.

2. Brush the fish lightly with the oil and season with salt & freshly milled black pepper.

3. Grill the fish for 2 to 3 minutes on one side and then turn them over and grill for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Grill the scallops for 2 minutes with the flesh side down facing the grill.

5. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a pan and toss the samphire in it for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and season with freshly ground black pepper and the chopped parsley.

6. Arrange the fish on a warm serving platter and spoon the samphire and butter over it.

But alas like all holidays, this one too had to come to an end! However, I am happy to say that I will be holidaying again here in the UK - let's just hope that the weather is just as kind to me next time!

Yep, summer is here, Mother's Day is over so what makes logical sense for a Father's Day gift? Certified Angus Beef Steak Dinner Gifts from GourmetStation. Ready to pan sear or grill these delicious dinner gifts include two steaks, handmade appetizers and creamy parfaits - all for two delivered in elegant gift packaging. Plus save 50% off shipping.

If Dad does not eat beef, there are plenty of other options. Just click on these links and welcome to our world of delicious Food Gifts!

Food of the Month - The Gourmet Food Gift that gives all year long.
Dinner of the Month - Available in 3 course or 4 course menus
Soup Gift and Soup Delivery - Gourmet Soup, baguettes & cookies
Soup of the Month - Our favorite gift for senior citizens
Food Gift Cards Online - Many selections
Dining Gift Certificates - From $49.99
Meals By Mail - Take a look at these "most popular" menus
Meal Delivered - Create Your Own Menu
Dinners Delivered and Dinner Deliveries - To the entire US
Dessert of the Month - For the sweet-tooth in your life
Gourmet Delivered - Use your imagination!

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live in a small country where families usually don’t move thousands of miles away. They remain near their birthplace for a lifetime and closeness extends well beyond proximity. Well, that’s not the case in the US. Families are spread from one end of this continent to the other and the airlines enjoy peak capacity at holiday time. But sometimes it’s not always possible to get everyone together – especially folks that are aging and may not travel well.

That’s where we come in. If you can’t be together on Thanksgiving day, send the turkey to them! We have settled on a traditional Thanksgiving dinner gift (even changing our pumpkin cheesecake to pumpkin pie).

The turkey breast is smoked and guarantees left overs. For starters, we’re including one of our most elegant soups – creamy mushroom with a hint of sherry wine….goes perfect with the baguettes. The dressing is southern style – firm and moist. And we even include cranberry relish. All this is delivered in complimentary gift packaging. Did we mention Free Shipping? That’s a savings of $19.99.

We have limited supplies for our Thanksgiving Dinner Delivered – so get your reservation in soon.

Easter is upon us with rites of spring passage, religious ceremonies and as with all significant holidays, great food. If you’re looking for an Easter food gift to treat yourself or to gift a friend or family member, GourmetStation has the answer; an Easter brunch for two.

This delicious offering features a lean, smoked ham with honey glaze. The ham generously serves two (left-overs guaranteed) Also included are six handmade appetizers, creamy spinach with artichokes and sweet potatoes. For dessert enjoy coconut cream cheesecake and Numi organic tea. Delicious.

The price for this delicious Easter food gift is $79.99 with 50% off shipping. Complimentary gift packaging and lovely MP3 music are part of this and all food gifts at GourmetStation. Oh, almost forgot; somewhere in the package are hidden “Peeps” candy – for the kid in all of us. Happy Easter!

and maybe just a little frugal this year!

1. Shop early, or late for your gifts. Buying your gifts in November (or before) can save you a very significant sum. Many stores will have sales on at this time. Or if you have the nerve, shop on the last day or two before Christmas. You will often find bargains at this time as merchants try to boost their sales and move Christmas stock.
2. If you’re really canny, buy next year’s Christmas decorations and cards immediately after Christmas. You will find some incredible bargains at this time!
3. If you have the flexibility in your choice of menu, buy some of your groceries on Christmas Eve afternoon. You will find perishable foods at huge discounts. 
4. Think about using less expensive cuts of meat and slow roast them for extra tenderness. One of my favorites which often appears on my Christmas menu is slow roasted shoulder of pork. And although I am a great advocate of using fresh food whenever possible, do compare the difference in price between a frozen turkey and a fresh one. This year especially, you will find that frozen is a good deal cheaper. And if you brine the turkey first, no one will ever know the difference!
5. Don’t waste any unused food. Once it is cold, cling wrap and refrigerate. Be inventive with it over the holiday period and use it for making derivative dishes.
6. If you have the skill and time, try making some of your own gifts along with the Christmas cards too. Home made foods are always particularly well received. Not only is this very satisfying, but it can also be great fun for the kids!
7. Rather than buying new, dig out last years Christmas decorations and just freshen them up. Again, making some of them yourself along with the kids can be great fun.
8. Encourage some well chosen guests to prepare certain dishes and bring them along. Not only does this help share the cost, but it also means that you will have less to do!
9. And of course, a Christmas celebration without the odd drink or two is unthinkable! If it’s not a formal occasion, encourage your guests to bring a bottle, or two! And don’t be tempted into buying expensive champagne and fine wines when a good bottle of Cava or mid-range popular wine is just as acceptable. And keep plenty of soft drinks available which always helps a limited stock to go a lot further!
10. Set yourself a budget – and stick to it! Don’t be tempted to be over extravagant and don’t buy huge quantities of food that will never get eaten.

But also don’t forget that Christmas comes but once a year, and it is such a special celebration, that I believe that it’s worth making that little bit of extra effort, and perhaps enjoy a few small extravagances that won’t break the bank!

So wherever you are this festive period, I wish you good health, peace and prosperity……..and above all,  a very Happy Christmas!

If you would like a few more useful tips for making the most of Christmas, do please take a moment or two to check out my Christmas Newsletter.