tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18789473301209100142024-02-19T17:03:43.218+00:00Portsmouth Food Lovers - Giving 'Food for Thought'celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-61798446754608976582015-06-08T07:36:00.000+01:002015-06-08T07:36:36.955+01:00Cafe Rouge Rejuvenated <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Café Rouge at Gunwharf Quays has recently had a make-over
and a new seasonal menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you believe
it’s been 10 years already for them at this site!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week I had the opportunity to go and sample this brand
new menu, which boasts their most authentic and exquisite dishes to date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The décor is cleaner and brighter than
before, but still stays true to its identifying colours and bistro feel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was really pleased to see Escargots (AKA snails) on this
new menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the tasting evening held a
few weeks prior these were handed out as canapés to sample.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at people’s faces there was a mixed
reaction to trying them out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me it’s
a dish I love, and having travelled to other countries including Malta, this is
a dish that is popular in many places, and truly delicious. I was looking
forward to seeing how they would materialise into a restaurant dish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whilst we perused the menu, we nibbled on a selection of
olives and a plate of mixed breads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The caraway
bread lacked in flavour for me, so perhaps this could be improved.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I encouraged my party to choose dishes off this new menu,
and most obliged!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between us we tried
out the salmon ceviche, ragout d’escargots and crevettes for starters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone really happy with their choices, but
especially pleased that the escargot was excellent! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High praise indeed, as I had my doubts as to
whether they would be rubbery, in fact they were succulent and flavoursome
especially with the added truffle oil. Served almost as a pie with a puff
pastry top - a ‘must try’ dish!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I ordered the bouef bourguignon for my main course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We agreed it was the best dish. Nice to have
fresh chopped herbs folded through the mash potato too, and presented
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other mains ordered included the
slow cooked duck leg, which didn’t seem to have been given much of a makeover, sea
bass fillet which was a good size portion, and a sirloin steak.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We found a small space for sampling the puddings!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was nice regarding the dessert menu was
the addition of quirky flavour sorbets and ice creams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crème brulees were served with a delicious
strawberry and black pepper sorbet, and the creamy chocolate ganache was topped
with chocolate lime & chilli sorbet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps not classically French, but what restaurant doesn’t have to
tweak and adapt a little to remain fresh to keep our interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had somewhat fallen out of love with Café Rouge, but this
timely all-round makeover has certainly whetted my enthusiasm to return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbbYEkinxOqhmC9OCwWGoumDQsPZmqIIV6GUJS0fHFYifbPssnwuANi_rCp_3ihmkDniDKVlMonsPXjK_MKZPs3HW_OzFgiX3srNPW3SovlLa6Ct6OWEkjI0auA5ilhyphenhyphencaqyPcbL7qFCv/s1600/photo+1%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbbYEkinxOqhmC9OCwWGoumDQsPZmqIIV6GUJS0fHFYifbPssnwuANi_rCp_3ihmkDniDKVlMonsPXjK_MKZPs3HW_OzFgiX3srNPW3SovlLa6Ct6OWEkjI0auA5ilhyphenhyphencaqyPcbL7qFCv/s200/photo+1%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaL35WD5mfHHXYefVtVyWlWcOG-05I-SWkKRPiy99ka8cRB0YGlaWHIJ1yU1iadcK5dP40AO8dsg6RV-rKU6i_xsWC_uyft6reaae_VMcxgdxu-N1JC3EmqfvN6aqzg1Hr1kGlWTaoyyY/s1600/photo+2%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaL35WD5mfHHXYefVtVyWlWcOG-05I-SWkKRPiy99ka8cRB0YGlaWHIJ1yU1iadcK5dP40AO8dsg6RV-rKU6i_xsWC_uyft6reaae_VMcxgdxu-N1JC3EmqfvN6aqzg1Hr1kGlWTaoyyY/s200/photo+2%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr85zbZK7NPTuO4RLTF-fAsXOCgzKXPO53k2ql1GbpwR7VS9hRrXVjyWXBhrpzygLpBvuM55jUd_y0oySZAUIiKwZ5V5DnUnTFX_xYEJlnbzTw319ocHEQV4pPCD5XOxz17171QqQpnUY/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr85zbZK7NPTuO4RLTF-fAsXOCgzKXPO53k2ql1GbpwR7VS9hRrXVjyWXBhrpzygLpBvuM55jUd_y0oySZAUIiKwZ5V5DnUnTFX_xYEJlnbzTw319ocHEQV4pPCD5XOxz17171QqQpnUY/s200/photo+3.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wine is now supplied by Bibendum </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-53502871535705705322014-04-07T11:05:00.000+01:002014-04-07T11:05:42.154+01:00Local Evening Cookery Classes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I decided to pop into Chimes Restaurant (for those who do not know, it is Highbury college's Hospitality and Catering restaurant located on Winston Churchill Ave). As I was walking past, I was pleased to discover that they are now running some cookery courses for the likes of you and I. I was told this was a fairly new venture for them. Having attended many cookery schools over the years, I'm glad to see the local college is running some evening classes, and I think it is a great idea for the people of Portsmouth. <br />
<br />
I did manage to pick up a couple of leaflets as to what they have coming up, but for further information on these and as to what events are scheduled for future dates, you need to visit <a href="http://www.highbury.ac.uk/client/content.asp?Contentid=322">http://www.highbury.ac.uk/client/content.asp?Contentid=322</a><br />
<br />
I think the level of classes is aimed at beginners to intermediate, and classes are being ran by the college's lecturers. Here are the details:<br />
<br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-69048766294422505142014-03-24T21:34:00.000+00:002014-03-24T21:34:20.745+00:00Seasonal Asparagus <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This seasons recipe includes the use of Asparagus. It is well known that British Asparagus is among the best in the world, and I usually have it simply with pan fried fish and boiled new potatoes. <br />
<br />
To still enjoy this wonderful ingredient alongside my other favourites I decided to make a one pot dish that I can pop in my Rangemaster and enjoy on a weeknight with the family - quick, easy and healthy.<br />
<br />
This dish is being entered into the Rix Petroleum's Food Blogger Competition where every month you can win Waitrose food vouchers too. Our Local Southsea Waitrose branch has recently undergone a make-over so I couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon browsing the new shiny isles and fresh food counters!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Roasted Salmon and Asparagus </div>
<br />
You will need:<br />
2 fillets of salmon<br />
Handful of asparagus <br />
350g new potatoes<br />
Punnet of vine cherry tomatoes<br />
2 tablespoons of olive oil<br />
2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar <br />
<br />
Pre-heat the oven to 200C<br />
Add the potatoes drizzled with half the oil into an ovenproof dish and cook for 10 minutes. <br />
Add the salmon, tomatoes, remaining oil and vinegar and season everything with salt and pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes.<br />
Finally and the asparagus and cook for a final 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
So simple, and yet so tasty too! I hope you enjoy this week night dish as much as I do.<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GRAs-e690ff_1C74A6JAwZby06xW1T4heWKehb2xAMGFIPPmEUsX8VmZQW4-zLegXblfWFCCg4bOOdvg_5oyUb3Rfz53yXnRnpklyBL_gD5sv3crcL0qHP_S25eR8A-HC4EmxndNTc5E/s1600/Salmon+dish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GRAs-e690ff_1C74A6JAwZby06xW1T4heWKehb2xAMGFIPPmEUsX8VmZQW4-zLegXblfWFCCg4bOOdvg_5oyUb3Rfz53yXnRnpklyBL_gD5sv3crcL0qHP_S25eR8A-HC4EmxndNTc5E/s1600/Salmon+dish.JPG" height="296" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">This is a dish for Rix Aga Inspired Recipes: </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"> </span><a href="http://www.rix.co.uk/aga-cooker-recipes/">http://www.rix.co.uk/aga-cooker-recipes/</a><br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-49390876065953278612014-03-10T21:01:00.000+00:002014-03-10T21:03:35.370+00:00Re-opening of Zizzi Port Solent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Port Solent branch of Zizzi has had a refurbishment this March and I was invited along to take a look at the new restaurant. It was one of the very last Zizzi's to have it's makeover, so all the staff were eager to show it off.<br />
<br />
There was a lovely buzz in a very full restaurant, and all staff eager to please. It's light and airy feel is a welcome change, as I do recall the restaurant before feeling very dark and gloomy. It is on par with what you would expect a restaurant in 2014 to be. Each branch has a vibrant unique murual as a feature wall which makes a great point of interest.<br />
<br />
To start with a sharing plate of antipasti was offered. Nice to see calamari rings appear, as well as the usual cured meats, breads and olives.<br />
<br />
I selected the fish stew for my main course, so often this is a terribly disappointing option for me in many chain restaurants, but there was plenty of smoked fish to give it depth of flavour and there was plenty of fish too. My only complaint was that it appeared to have been left a little too long under the pass, and the muscles were a little dried out. However I would still order it again.<br />
<br />
A mini sharing plate of chocolate torte, lemon tart and tiramisu gave us an idea of desserts on offer.<br />
<br />
All proceeds for the evening went to the RNLI and Cystic Fibrosis charities.<br />
<br />
I think it will be one of the better choices for a meal out at Port Solent, especially during the summer months when the sliding doors will open thus giving it a real Mediterranean feel!<br />
<br />
Like many other restaurants, Zizzi too offers a take away service and menu. <br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-84087837039772916962014-03-04T14:25:00.000+00:002014-03-04T14:25:05.286+00:00......Its a girl!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yep, December 2013 saw me give birth to my daughter Cinnamon (of course it had to be food related- lol), and my little spice girl is a cutie!<br />
<br />
I had the worse pregnancy, and a very busy first three months, hence the lack of posts for some time.<br />
<br />
Now hopefully back on track, there is lots going on and coming up in our area, so....watch this space! <br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-89185249906409869072013-06-28T11:45:00.000+01:002013-06-28T11:46:28.729+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Taylor Wimpey - My Dream Dinner Party Menu</b></span></div>
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I love dinner parties!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a chance to show off my creative flair, and to utilise all those tens
of plates and table knickknacks that I keep purchasing everywhere I go (that
frustrates my husband no end), but does make my dinner parties feel special, and go with a bang.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2icEkFiG1LFH1Fz0EbhsfhqsixKcFIuOyysjnWCCtk5J49RCpX_nImxpKCZKzD70PmbD9O8v_iO3A_08BNAQQF53F-5mJKedDuGrGUKkhOOTNoBGgQPaVhePjLlGewz0JV8-cdL4Qy5Z/s1600/DSCF1437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2icEkFiG1LFH1Fz0EbhsfhqsixKcFIuOyysjnWCCtk5J49RCpX_nImxpKCZKzD70PmbD9O8v_iO3A_08BNAQQF53F-5mJKedDuGrGUKkhOOTNoBGgQPaVhePjLlGewz0JV8-cdL4Qy5Z/s200/DSCF1437.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romantic dinner party for 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have had some good ones over the last few years, and I
know I spend far too much time prepping for them, but it always is worth the
effort.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-gyvNLi0N57EhR160pr7HPbHkf2QlBOeKeCuA4DAShWgHhrMznKmU_Ue0JOVM4K2wud8HGywJVFbR0tYwwrZ9CjeUA59XtH-ESC84GPSNWRSJo5mVejHK-avtTeF4G0BLkocdt6-ts26/s1600/IMG_2852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-gyvNLi0N57EhR160pr7HPbHkf2QlBOeKeCuA4DAShWgHhrMznKmU_Ue0JOVM4K2wud8HGywJVFbR0tYwwrZ9CjeUA59XtH-ESC84GPSNWRSJo5mVejHK-avtTeF4G0BLkocdt6-ts26/s200/IMG_2852.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raclette dinner party for 4</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The good people over at Taylor Wimpy Homes have set a
challenge to devise a dream dinner party menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I don’t actually have to cook it and photograph each dish, or need a
brigade of chefs to help me (as my menu would take an age to cook all by
myself), I felt I could really let my imagination go into overdrive!</div>
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<br /></div>
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So what would my menu comprise of and why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well first off as we live on the Hampshire
coast and have fresh catch daily, it would be a travesty to not include some
wonderful fresh fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly I would
love to boast about the dish containing fresh herbs from my own garden (and you
can’t get more locally sourced than that).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And thirdly, a consideration for seasonal ingredients is a must to any
serious cook as it’s bringing the best taste OTM straight to the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>So without further adieu, here is my dream
dinner party menu entitled </b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>'The Best of British'</b></div>
</div>
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<i>Welcome drink:</i></div>
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<b>Frozen Elderflower Liqueur and Sparkling Wine Cocktails with
Popping Candy.</b></div>
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Since discovering this liqueur I’m hooked, and I couldn’t
think of a better way than drinking this on the terrace with your guests on a
hot summers evening, with the addition of popping candy running through the mixture to create excitement
and help imitate that sparkling element on the tongue. Elderflower is in season this month too,
so some fresh flowers to decorate would make a nice touch.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Starter</i>:</div>
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<b>Mackerel Tartar, Beetroot Gazpacho, Horseradish Ice Cream,
Watercress Oil.</b></div>
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Johnson’s fish market two miles from my doorstep provides me
with <span class="feature-desc">fresh fish that has been sourced locally, and
Mackerel when cured to make a Tartar is one of the best dishes I have
tasted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As beetroot is bang in season,
piling this fish tartar in the centre of a plate with a gazpachio and adding a small
scoop of creamy horseradish ice cream on top would make such a flavourful and visually captivating starter. Not
forgetting our famous Hampshire watercress made into watercress oil and
drizzled over the dish!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="feature-desc"><i>Main</i>:</span></div>
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<span class="feature-desc"><b>Loin of Hampshire Buffalo,
Cauliflower Puree, Parsnip Crisp textures, sautéed Cabbage and Bacon, Port and
Jasmine Tea jus</b>.</span></div>
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<span class="feature-desc">OK, this may at first glance sound
a bit wintry, but trust me as the British summer sun disappears around 8:30pm,
we all know how quickly it cools down, so I couldn’t think of a better full
bodied dish to have after a light starter. Buffalo is not a meat we have that often
in the UK, but I’m always seeing it at my local Southsea Farmers Market, and
it’s just as versatile as beef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
lashings of port and jasmine tea jus made from the base of a good quality meat
stock, it's sure to be truly mouth-watering! Brownie points with my guests too for finding
a different flavoursome chic alternative to beef!</span></div>
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<i><span class="feature-desc">Dessert:</span></i></div>
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<b><span class="feature-desc">Lavender Crème Brulees with
Rosemary Tuille Biscuits.</span></b></div>
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<span class="feature-desc">Quite simple, it needs little
explanation, but how about showing off my <u>homegrown</u> lavender and
rosemary in this stunning little dessert to end the evening!</span></div>
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<span class="feature-desc"><i>Wine</i>:</span></div>
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<b><span class="feature-desc">Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Shiraz.</span></b></div>
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<span class="feature-desc">Hard task this, but if I could only
chose one wine then it would have to be this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A red wine that would go with the main course, yet it’s sparkling, so
would be light enough on the pallet to pair with the beetroot notes in the
starter.</span></div>
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<span class="feature-desc">Well although I may not be able to manage cooking all these dishes for one dinner party, after devising this menu, I feel sure that I should include some of the dishes in my future dinner parties, so people watch this blog for updates! </span></div>
</div>
celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-80192765085765105642013-06-07T09:14:00.003+01:002013-06-07T09:15:50.995+01:00Florette One Minute Wonder Salad Recipe Competition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Vote t</i><i><b></b></i><i>o win prizes<b></b></i> @ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/floretteuk/app_146723925501756" target="_blank"><b>https://www.facebook.com/floretteuk/app_146723925501756 </b></a></div>
<br />
This is the kind of challenge I love! Can you create a salad that can be made in under 60 seconds?<br />
<br />
Florette Salad challenged it's customers to do just this. So I got my little grey cells into action.<br />
<br />
It's very easy to just think of a few of your favourite ingredients and chuck them in a bowl together, but I didn't want to be guilty of devising a bland, dry salad that looks good on paper, but would leave you gasping for a jug of water at the end of it. So a dressing is essential. This was my starting point. I'm always making honey and mustard dressings at home, as it only needs 4 store cupboard ingredients to make.<br />
<br />
From this as my base idea, I then decided how well pork marries with the honey and mustard elements of the dressing, and so too does apple, and a few moments later my salad was born....<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Ham, apple and Brie Salad, with a Honey and Mustard dressing!</b></div>
<br />
Remember there's only a minute to make this so, I didn't want to over complicate things. This I feel is a well balanced salad, with sweet, and savoury elements, fruit to add texture and interest, and Brie for that added indulgence, all brought together with a tasty dressing. It also has an all year round appeal, great for all family members, and the ingredients are easy to come about in their raw state - so no cooking needed!!<br />
<br />
I was invited to London to showcase my salad making skills in front of the camera, and explain a bit about it.<br />
<br />
5 of us regional finalists now go head to head on Facebook for the public to vote which salad they prefer. The winning dish will appear on a national TV advert this summer.<br />
<br />
So why not log on to the link below and support the South of England by voting! <b> </b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<b>Every vote is eligible to win a spot prize, so it really is worth a few seconds of your time.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/floretteuk/app_146723925501756">https://www.facebook.com/floretteuk/app_146723925501756</a> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> <b> </b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><b>Ham, apple and Brie Salad, with a Honey and Mustard dressing </b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Recipe:</b> </div>
<div class="note-content">
<ul>
<li>1 Bag of Florette Sweet Crispy Salad Leaves</li>
<li>1 Apple</li>
<li>100g Brie</li>
<li>100g Wiltshire Cured Ham</li>
<li>1tbsp Wholegrain Mustard</li>
<li>1 tbsp runny Honey</li>
<li>3tbsp Olive Oil</li>
<li>2tbsp Red Wine Vinegar</li>
</ul>
Slice 4 sides off the apple discarding the core.<br />
Lay the sliced apple next to the wedge of brie and ham slices, and using a large knife quickly finely slice all three together. <br />
Shake or whisk the dressing ingredients together and dress the salad leaves, tossing through the sliced ham, brie and apple </div>
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<img alt="" class="spotlight" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/970682_663214927029202_1316669812_n.jpg" style="height: 558px; width: 458px;" /><br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-4584251311592908602013-05-24T17:50:00.000+01:002013-05-24T17:58:00.849+01:00My recipe rolled out in Jamie's Italian Restaurants for Food Revolution Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Jamie's Italian chain were looking for a Spring inspired pasta dish created by one of it's customers to be sold for a week in May in all it's branches nationwide, with £1 of proceeds going to Jamie's Better Food Foundation. <br />
<br />
Food Revolution Day was on on 17 May! If you don't already know about it, it was a
chance for people who love food to come together and share knowledge,
cooking skills and resources to get people to improve their eating
habits and get them cooking from scratch.<br />
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I love a recipe challenge, so decided to enter my dish of Smoked Trout & Spring Leaf Pasta with a Rocket Pesto Crostini. The pasta dish is a staple in our house especially after a workout, it's a great low fat but tasty bowl of goodness as the sauce is made with creme fraiche and horseradish. It was a worthy winner and I was proud to see it on the menu and to go down to my local restaurant at Gunwharf Quays to try it out. There were recipe cards too issued to anyone ordering the dish. So here it is:<br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-4920417508220525902013-03-20T12:12:00.002+00:002013-03-20T12:12:18.853+00:00Koh Thai Tapas - Southsea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The old 8 Kings Road building has certainly changed hands a few times in recent years, with each restaurant venture proving unsuccessful, so when I saw a new Thai restaurant emerging, it's hard not to assume a similar fate.<br />
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But this may not be the case this time. It would appear that Koh Southsea is not the only one. Both <span class="st"> Bournemouth Boscombe and I believe Bath all have a Koh, so this </span><span class="st"><span class="">
evidently </span>is a small </span><span class="st"><span class="">independently </span> owned chain emerging in a time of little growth.</span><br />
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<span class="st">The interior is quite dark and sultry, and would appeal to the younger crowd for sure. The interior a far cry from it's predecessors, with it's dark woods and predictable feel.</span><br />
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<span class="st">Friends gave me mixed reviews, so I went with an average expectation.</span><br />
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<span class="st">Service was swift, and the waitress pleasant. We ordered 7 tapas dishes including Squid, Satay Chicken, Spring Rolls, and a couple of tapas size Thai curry's. Satay Chicken and Spring Rolls are not my usual choice, but if a restaurant does this well, you can get a good idea of what to expect from the rest of the menu.</span><br />
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<span class="st">I was not impressed by the first three - they seemed very average to me (so not much to say that you wouldn't already guess), but I did however think the Thai curry dishes were tasty and I would order these again. We had the classic Green curry and the other was a Duck curry made with a red curry paste base with pineapple and grapes in with the sauce. I thought it sounded wacky, but a few cocktails in, I was curious and glad to say I really enjoyed it uniqueness.</span><br />
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<span class="st">I have no images to share as it was so dark in there they never came out on my iPhone! </span><br />
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<span class="st">I was not blown away by the food, but I'm sure Koh Southsea will be a success as it will cater for the masses. However, on a positive note they do a takeaway/delivery service and I would be happy to try that out and just order from the Thai curry dishes on offer, as there were several inventive sounding dishes that caught my eye.</span><br />
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<span class="st">Top tip: The couple sat next to me had ordered 9 tapas dishes and they all arrived at the same time! Perhaps they requested this, but if this was the case - bad idea. Cold food is never excusable or pleasant!</span><br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-45200490998140628192013-02-05T14:43:00.001+00:002013-02-05T14:45:44.093+00:00Coast to Coast Gunwharf Quays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main courses were the best dishes on the menu by far.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I was invited to the launch night at Coast to Coast a few
weeks after it’s opening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coast to
Coast is Gunwharf Quays new American Restaurant and Bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is always the best time to try a new
restaurant; once they have settled in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Coast to Coast is a small chain with Gunwharf being the fourth to open,
and others to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole
restaurant was filled with other invited guests and members of the public who
had won the chance to dine for free, so there were absolutely no paying
customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The atmosphere was energetic
due to the live band and Radio DJ Steve Power hosting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had a neat P.R stunt upon arrival;
snapping everyone on a red carpet before they entered the building, and during
the evening issuing us all with the OK! Magazine Style photograph covers.</div>
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So what about the reason I was there for – the food!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m usually not a fan of American
Restaurant’s in this country, as they offer little resemblance to the
authenticity of true American food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
Coast to Coast claims to be different than the rest, and created out of a
desire to put this right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> I'm only three months back from an epic food fuelled trip to Orlando, Florida, so was this the case?</div>
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I purposefully chose dishes that you find in most American
restaurants to see how they were better here, and I also chose dishes that I
feel to be more authentically American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However the outcome was mixed.</div>
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I couldn’t praise the cocktail menu enough – the Red Berry
Cheesecake and French Martini (£5.95 each) were drinks most of us girlies take
one sip out of and immediately fall in love with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is well worth just nipping in here on a night out to the bar area
only with cocktails this good, and cocktails certainly not found anywhere else
in Gunwharf like this.</div>
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The bread and olives board (£4.95) was average. With fresh
vibrant green olives such as Castelvetrano now available in supermarkets and
other chain restaurants, it was disappointing to see jarred, pitted and
marinated dull green olives arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The appetiser menu hosted the usual suspects, so we opted to
test out the Calamari (£6.55) which is often a poor show in many restaurants,
and blue cheese mushrooms (£4.95), which too can be a let down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sad to say these did not hit the right
notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ‘lightly fried calamari’ was
heavy in batter, chewy and over greasy, and the mushrooms with blue cheese had
far too much blue cheese. It was sickly even for a blue cheese lover
like me.</div>
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I was looking forward to the main courses ordered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burgers, steaks, hot wraps and sandwiches,
fajitas, pizzas, pasta’s and salads can all be found on the menu at Coast to
Coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uber trendy pulled pork featured
on the menu a few times, so this was a must, and we also ordered a classic
steak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly the meal was redeemed!
The pulled pork dish I ordered was in the form of a burger, and sat on top of a
6oz beef patty – a pure meat feast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
delicious (although very sweet), and I have not had that combination together
in a burger before, as you usually find one or the other inside the bun.
(£11.95).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The steak was an 8oz, 28 day
matured fillet steak (£21.95).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad
we ordered it as it was beautifully executed to medium rare, and the sides of
‘homemade slaw’ and sweet potato chips were every bit contemporary American and
elevated the dish. We opted for the 5 grilled prawns as an extra with the
steak, but they were flavourless and a little superfluous.</div>
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Desserts were lacking in creativity and the choice was as you
would expect to find in American restaurants. The cherry crumble came with a scoop of
ice cream and custard on the side in miniature bowls, but the ice cream was
unpleasant and very manufactured in taste, as was the crumble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not actually sure what flavour the ice
cream was supposed to be, and the cheesecake too was just ok.</div>
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The service was sharp and the staff very pleasant, always
willing to engage in conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were more than happy to change the dishes I was not overly keen on – and although
I stuck with what I had ordered, this was refreshing and nice to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Coast to Coast is definitely one of the better
American chains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as my meal
was hit and miss, when I return it will be for cocktails and main courses only! </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> I would recommend a visit though.</span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEgHW4pH-T5V_0NzfN3LkHOgESRcpfeLkz3cS_-KhiFRA-vuuBjjW7eW9_4YrY04J8ytqeS1i1lJuqEoG3P1_9uU-ITZ9LN2U0DbDUVtZ-yHQUbmKfaYhpH4yfuuJywq01eEZNt_kuh_2/s1600/photo+3+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEgHW4pH-T5V_0NzfN3LkHOgESRcpfeLkz3cS_-KhiFRA-vuuBjjW7eW9_4YrY04J8ytqeS1i1lJuqEoG3P1_9uU-ITZ9LN2U0DbDUVtZ-yHQUbmKfaYhpH4yfuuJywq01eEZNt_kuh_2/s320/photo+3+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calamari</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hHszYjHLIYDnim0j9Mo7WYzzXoi7LFu3cBncokUy-l2omJqhFyTBxHFlwH4GkAhWsvVR6n8zHPXv1toUZPJoo6pC8DFFzwJfjabYgJNlxCJk4ZpswncN_EsEs_0TZ2fFaGtStA52Gy6p/s1600/photo+2+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hHszYjHLIYDnim0j9Mo7WYzzXoi7LFu3cBncokUy-l2omJqhFyTBxHFlwH4GkAhWsvVR6n8zHPXv1toUZPJoo6pC8DFFzwJfjabYgJNlxCJk4ZpswncN_EsEs_0TZ2fFaGtStA52Gy6p/s320/photo+2+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Cheese Mushrooms</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn36Vu-na6g25y3Qiwuh2pwoRt7cqxR9A6s5l2Nwbos3fSzcsTnAElEteOvtzLM89Z-id8H7S57nPz7gUNpXsHRtSrcNkpGTbSpLtLvb9RO-XqiEXGTDpgpfbDlLBMGfeL7SfNcYVWzR-/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn36Vu-na6g25y3Qiwuh2pwoRt7cqxR9A6s5l2Nwbos3fSzcsTnAElEteOvtzLM89Z-id8H7S57nPz7gUNpXsHRtSrcNkpGTbSpLtLvb9RO-XqiEXGTDpgpfbDlLBMGfeL7SfNcYVWzR-/s320/photo+2+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheesecake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsxeTj8dyEfBB3RBcocedIuDkLxddcaW7bWPxVJZY4DmCO3QHatbvQZ27bnBODLPfIy5PFsie4b6Dn80iWCiIq9T_7JOgg6_d9kD_Jj5YcBE1Y_efTfX8m0AJnNkyAmaffNmrzquoBOHD/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsxeTj8dyEfBB3RBcocedIuDkLxddcaW7bWPxVJZY4DmCO3QHatbvQZ27bnBODLPfIy5PFsie4b6Dn80iWCiIq9T_7JOgg6_d9kD_Jj5YcBE1Y_efTfX8m0AJnNkyAmaffNmrzquoBOHD/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry Crumble</td></tr>
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-81324613331017907542012-12-03T17:45:00.003+00:002012-12-03T18:05:50.231+00:00The Chambers, Landport Terrace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Finding somewhere stylish around town to lounge over a relaxed breakfast/brunch is quite a challenge. Well not any more. Please may I welcome you to 'The Chambers'. It's urbane environment makes it a perfect choice for a weekend treat with friends.<br />
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Located at 27 Landport Terrace The Chambers has only been open a few weeks, and seems to be making waves in the right ways.<br />
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Rather than plump for the obvious choice of a Saturday night booking, I thought I'd pop in for a spot of breakfast last Saturday morning as I'd seen them advertise breakfast between 8am-midday.<br />
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The choice is good. Full English, eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, grilled Kippers to name a few. I'm a sucker for eggs Benedict, so I ordered that, but requested to have it with smoked salmon rather than ham. This was not a problem and the helpful confident waiter made the amendment. It was great to kick back in a wing back chair and read the papers on offer whilst sipping Earl Grey and waiting for the food to arrive.<br />
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It is much bigger inside than you think. They can seat over 70, and it has a section upstairs too. It's elaborate layout will certainly appeal to the well heeled crowd of Portsmouth. <br />
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But is it style over substance? Not at all! This seductive newcomer totally wowed me with the best Hollandaise sauce I have ever had anywhere locally - it was a delight! The dish was rich in colour and taste (from the good quality egg yolks), creamy and well thought out, I was impressed the chef added hints of chopped fresh tarragon to elevate this smoked salmon version. Now that's what I call care and attention to detail. My muffin was slightly over toasted, but nothing worth complaining over, and as for the price my dish came in at a very reasonable £4.75, (when compared to a Gunwharf chain that charges £5.75 for their ordinary version).<br />
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So all in all I'm loving what I see and eat. The main menu has some nice additional finds for people who just want to go along and soak up the atmosphere in the lounge area (such as a bottle of house wine and a choice of Moules-Frites or Nachos with Guacamole and toppings for £20). They also offer
a 'Champagne and Oyster Friday' consisting of a bottle of house Champagne served with oysters for
£39 for 6 Oysters, £45 for 12 Oysters.<br />
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Have you been for a main meal here - what did you think? With this establishment and The Garage Lounge in Albert Road I hear myself saying.....<br />
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<b> "Finally - restaurants with a bit of decadent style in Southsea!"....watch out Brighton!!!!</b></div>
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<section class="ourMenu">
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<section class="ourMenu">
</section></div>
celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-73625243623778090282012-11-11T15:04:00.002+00:002012-11-11T15:30:15.607+00:00Fire & Stone Portsmouth new menu Autumn 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The good people at Fire & Stone have rolled out a new menu this autumn and kindly asked myself and a guest to sample it and feedback.<br />
<br />
I have always loved this place since it opened. Combining it's quirky pizzas, funky restaurant, and great offers, is what makes Fire & Stone a perfect place to eat pizza with friends. In my opinion it is the best chain pizza restaurant out there, because what it offers is different from the norm. <br />
<br />
So what did I make of the new menu? 'Whilst you wait' nibbles, starters, pasta, salads and sides all feature fairly equally in quantity to the pizzas on offer, thus showing that Fire and Stone is not just about Pizzas. One thing that I have noticed since it first opened two and a half years ago, is that the 26 pizza's that were on offer on the original menu has now been reduced down to 17. So with that in mind we ordered a pizza (obviously), and a pasta dish. The new Alexandria pizza (£10.95) is based on a chicken tagine with chicken, green olives, preserved lemons, coriander and yogurt. This was delicious with the sharp and salty preserved lemon really making every bite extremely flavoursome, and a pizza I would highly recommend trying. I went off piste and thought it would be good to review a non-pizza dish, and opted to have their beef ragu (£9.65) as my first choice of the tiger prawn and lemongrass pasta was off the menu as they had run out of prawns. This dish follows the ever current trend of slow cooked pulled beef in a rich sauce, served with tagliatelle with F&S sauce. Enjoy it, I did - however the sauce needs to be way punchier for it to stand apart from other beef ragu dishes if I am to order it again. I think it could be improved with the addition of more acidity perhaps in the form of more tomato in the base. Still a very pleasant dish by most standards.<br />
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Gooey home-made chocolate brownie (£4.95) for dessert was an excellent pudding and very well made, but the vanilla and lemon cheesecake was rather dull in comparison, missing it's billed 'strawberry slices'. I would love to see the vanilla panna cotta with fresh berries back on the menu.<br />
<br />
19th of November sees the festive menu begin, and there is one pizza on the menu I can't wait to try: The Berkshire - crispy roast pork belly with apricot and almond stuffing, caramelised shallots, chopped sage and apple sauce. I'll be back!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Top tip:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Check out the offers Fire and Stone have via <a href="http://www.fireandstone.com/pizza/specialoffers/portsmouth.asp">http://www.fireandstone.com/pizza/specialoffers/portsmouth.asp</a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is currently a fantastic deal to e<span style="color: #2e3030; line-height: 18px;">njoy
50% off your total food bill every Friday until November 23rd! <span style="color: #2e3030; line-height: 14px;">(Valid when dining off the A la Carte menu only and cannot
be used in conjunction with any other offer. Valid for group bookings of
up to 6 people)</span></span></span></span></b></div>
celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-24730672217543226082012-11-11T13:55:00.000+00:002012-11-11T13:55:16.288+00:00A night to remember; Electrolux present a multiple-Michelin starred charity dinner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ok, so anybody fancy spending a night with several of the countries most talented chefs? Silly question! Well take a look at this link then, as this may well be something for you: FIVE MICHELIN STARRED CHEFS FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://newsroom.electrolux.com/uk/2012/11/02/the-bobby-moore-fund-for-cancer-research-uk-in-partnership-with-electrolux-present-a-multiple-michelin-starred-charity-dinner/">http://newsroom.electrolux.com/uk/2012/11/02/the-bobby-moore-fund-for-cancer-research-uk-in-partnership-with-electrolux-present-a-multiple-michelin-starred-charity-dinner/</a><br />
<br />
The Bobby Moore Fund in partnership with Electrolux will present a
gastronomic extravaganza which will be a must attend event for serious
foodies. The event is a one off charity dinner comprising of five
exquisite courses each cooked by a Michelin starred chef. Top chefs,
led by two-Michelin-starred Daniel Clifford of Midsummer House
Restaurant in Cambridge, will produce a culinary feast for 250 guests in
aid of the Bobby Moore Fund. Confirmed so far are: Daniel Clifford,
Atul Kochar, Simon Rogan and Jonray & Peter Sanchez. <br />
<br />
When: Thursday 24th January 2013<br />
Where: Gibson Hall, Bishopsgate, London<br />
Tickets:
Prices start from £395 per ticket, with VIP tickets and Chef’s table
tickets also available. To book tickets please email: <a href="mailto:davina.yanful@cancer.org.uk" target="_blank">davina.yanful@cancer.org.uk</a><br />
<br />
I know this will be an incredible night to remember, I have first hand experience of Electrolux putting on a great show.You will not be disappointed.<br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-12944773463039957442012-11-06T22:15:00.000+00:002012-11-06T22:27:24.593+00:00Festive Seasonal Menu 2012 @ All Bar One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OqxDPWEsSfevHq7wVR-jRdBsR-ipDwWfulHEbtkAH2EVZnezn6afFg4qkHZg43P5swDrUPL37FuFK4W-LdKzkisbkhX7Zj_SUKkTqTljqmCo0AeAhcxguHPtWkWamMH8R2dlYtMZtZVF/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OqxDPWEsSfevHq7wVR-jRdBsR-ipDwWfulHEbtkAH2EVZnezn6afFg4qkHZg43P5swDrUPL37FuFK4W-LdKzkisbkhX7Zj_SUKkTqTljqmCo0AeAhcxguHPtWkWamMH8R2dlYtMZtZVF/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="239" /></a>Tonight I was invited to go and sample this years festive menu at All Bar One. I must say that All Bar One Portsmouth must be praised for holding these events, as not many other restaurants at Gunwharf do. So what did we sample? Well the complementary Prosecco and the welcome by Jonny and the team were both warm and friendly. We were handed the festive menu to peruse whilst the kitchen were busy preparing the dishes. The festive menu starters are:<br />
<br />
French onion soup with cheese crouton<br />
Roasted Portobello mushroom topped with baby spinach and goats cheese<br />
Chicken liver, pork and mushroom parfait<br />
Prawn cocktail.<br />
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All dishes (excluding parfait which was not available to sample) were tasty and to the standard you would expect from All Bar One.<br />
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Main courses are:<br />
Roast turkey wrapped with bacon<br />
Salmon wellington<br />
Rib-eye steak (£3 supplement)<br />
Shallot, parsnip and sweet potato tarte tatin<br />
<br />
Here is where I tell you that I was very impressed with the salmon wellington and the vegetable tarte tatin, which I would love to go back and eat again. Vegetarians would be super-happy with this dish oozing taste, texture and......, and the salmon wellington was made with a buttery shortcrust pastry which I did not expect (please do not change this for the usual bland, and potentially soggy puff pastry synonymous with Wellingtons), accompanied with a delicious...... cider and tarragon cream. These were the stand out dishes of the night!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fz_HXeCC3ngQGBEA2cm2hsVxYz1n2QMtvj3elNi6jg8OFywMsQEDF7wsViIUYOP8GJA_RtckEw5kugGRAvs65QMCtdMsol2O0a1r72-sv_5v540NQDIpvb92bS6fCPUVZU0jbxhyphenhyphena7Iv/s1600/photo+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fz_HXeCC3ngQGBEA2cm2hsVxYz1n2QMtvj3elNi6jg8OFywMsQEDF7wsViIUYOP8GJA_RtckEw5kugGRAvs65QMCtdMsol2O0a1r72-sv_5v540NQDIpvb92bS6fCPUVZU0jbxhyphenhyphena7Iv/s320/photo+6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shallot, Parsnip, & Sweet Potato Tarte Tatin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuobDLnedp30iPBkdp0X7aFh_EdrFkx8JekiX9tomS280dVW24Rrawx5ACgl6nfZI60ZmILWzmxJhszNiHaCJMj660ajcrlxFu_CXpO7srd9NPtUWfwJ9Xa5DxhGWMzl_aCOh2eG6olC4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuobDLnedp30iPBkdp0X7aFh_EdrFkx8JekiX9tomS280dVW24Rrawx5ACgl6nfZI60ZmILWzmxJhszNiHaCJMj660ajcrlxFu_CXpO7srd9NPtUWfwJ9Xa5DxhGWMzl_aCOh2eG6olC4/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon Wellington</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Desserts are:<br />
Sticky fruit pudding<br />
Lime & lemon tart<br />
coconut and chocolate tart <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iBsj_QtFnQiaVGxSUgT5bHllIonUqoLYkBewnC7LNwQTA6Dgh43_5dWgxdbDdJ9n3diAS2-MwOFJd64WwX5z6LuL5YxFAOulrWaMYJ4p5scP9PeSl9sQgcxxPrlwV_CMMIsY9L2t-JP_/s1600/photo+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iBsj_QtFnQiaVGxSUgT5bHllIonUqoLYkBewnC7LNwQTA6Dgh43_5dWgxdbDdJ9n3diAS2-MwOFJd64WwX5z6LuL5YxFAOulrWaMYJ4p5scP9PeSl9sQgcxxPrlwV_CMMIsY9L2t-JP_/s320/photo+7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sticky Fruit Pudding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unfortunately of the desserts listed only the sticky pudding was available, and it's very much like a sticky date pudding. A cheese selection and coffee and mince pies are also available at an additional cost.<br />
<br />
So all in all it's a thumbs up for the slight variation and welcomed refreshing change to the traditional and predictable festive menu's we see throughout November and December in all restaurants. I had almost forgotten that it was a festive menu which personally pleased me no end! 3 courses will set you back £22 each and must be booked in advance. There is also a buffet menu available at £15 per person but this is for a minimum of 10 people and must be booked too.<br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-71367677776681387152012-10-09T06:27:00.002+01:002012-10-09T06:27:31.346+01:00Sharps Brewery Connoisseur/Walkers Sunbites Ambassador<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
September saw me developing recipes for the above two companies, and
thus becoming a chosen connoisseur and ambassador of the brands<br />
<br />
I'm really look forward to being on board with these two companies, and
although each have very different businesses, both are really passionate
about driving their brands forward through like mixed customers, and
the use of social media.<br />
<br />
Spending a day in London at The Cookery school with Sunbites, saw me
blind taste testing the key ingredients that go into this product, and
exploring the various ways that Sunbites can be consumed, through
incorporating them into our food dishes. Expanding people's minds into
Sunbites being more than just a crisp. Here is a simple canapé dish I created
for them:<br />
<br />
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<br />
Rock in Cornwall is where Sharps Brewery is based, and they invited
myself and two other avid food bloggers down to Rick Steins cookery
school in Padstow, to spend the day developing our dishes to match their
connoisseur beers, whilst being paired and mentored by three great British chefs- the two Michelin starred Nathan Outlaw, the newly crowned
Michelin stared London based Alyn Williams, and Head chef/food
developer Jack Stein. Alyn was my mentor and a joy to work with, and during the evening saw us three bloggers go head to head in a cook off with an
audience of around 20! ( no pressure then). Three judges deliberated,
and decided to crown yours truly the Sharps Connoisseur 2012. Lots of
exciting things ahead with this title and responsibility!!!<br />
<br />
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celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-3593002339143948742012-10-05T14:17:00.000+01:002012-10-09T06:03:57.979+01:00 Local eateries now and to come 2012/13...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Just a short post to highlight what's happening around town:</i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>
We welcome the opening of 3 new foodie ventures:</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<b>The Boat Deck </b>- a no nonsense approach to tackling sustainable fish on the pier (although pick an off peak time to go) http://theboatdeck.net/<br />
<br />
<b>Carters Texas Smoke Pit</b> - Old Portsmouth opposite Johnsons Fish Enterprises, American style meaty,smokey, BBQ menu of joyfulness, (the pulled pork sandwich was my favourite) http://carters-texas-smokepit.com/<br />
<br />
<b>The Hotwalls Cafe</b> - Old Portsmouth, a small outdoor tea shop set up in walls arches (open summer months 9.30 - 5.30pm but October - March is weekends only 10- 3pm)<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>
And we also look forward to seeing in the near future 2 new openings</b>:</span></span><br />
<br />
<b>Coast2Coast at Gunwharf Quays</b> - Small chain American restaurant and bar, promising big things! due end of December 2012 http://www.c2crestaurants.com/<br />
<br />
<b>Chambers (27 the Terrace)</b> Round by the corner where In-toto kitchens used to be/where Tenant Network is now located, owner of monks and former 8 kings road, is rumoured to be opening a restaurant here. There is signs of a re-fit happening, so.....watch this space!</div>
celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-29808141107428884032012-09-12T09:25:00.002+01:002012-10-24T14:04:04.773+01:00Cookery Schools Rule!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So how many of us are avid viewers of cookery
programmes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ratings are high, and it
seems people can’t get enough of them – but in reality not many people are
turning their hand to trying any of the dishes they watch being prepared! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I adore cookery programmes, so for me
deciding to spend a day at a cookery school was a natural progression, and once
I tried it – I was smitten!
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<br /></div>
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Now I hardly know any of my friends who have been to a
cookery school, it seems to be something people would like to do, but like
cookery programmes, just never get round to doing it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I really urge you to think again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cookery schools are really wonderful places for you to step up
your game and learn some fantastic things that the TV just can’t teach you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, but it gives you a platform
of confidence to experiment in your own kitchen, and become a better cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a huge choice of schools in
England, which vary in duration, skill level, and cost – so there is something
to suite everyone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recently invited a
friend of mine along with me and she loved it too, now she would love to go
again someday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps like I did the
first time – you could drop a hint to a dear friend or a loved one about
purchasing a gift voucher for you, but I can honestly say if you love food like
I do – it will be a decision that you will be pleased you have made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forget Red Letter Day’s etc, get out to a
cookery school!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been to several different schools over recent years
(and they really do vary) – so here is a run down of my experiences and what
you can expect:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Ashburton Cookery School – Ashburton, Devon</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVroKpXaxLEt_5SDQsi9YzoJFWjJw6DK3xpzjdtudbtF0W62Q7EAnQcYyMVa9RYz_NXw64krwuX1iRKVvAAJ4pwZmm7-OSH5E0vodye_hnsw7WhPznWYhyphenhyphenOeydqXFHtkbAKnnuo3lCGJAf/s1600/20101214_29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVroKpXaxLEt_5SDQsi9YzoJFWjJw6DK3xpzjdtudbtF0W62Q7EAnQcYyMVa9RYz_NXw64krwuX1iRKVvAAJ4pwZmm7-OSH5E0vodye_hnsw7WhPznWYhyphenhyphenOeydqXFHtkbAKnnuo3lCGJAf/s200/20101214_29.JPG" width="200" /></a>This was the first school I ever attended, so I have a
fondness for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An extremely
professional well oiled machine, for me Ashburton offers the best courses
because everything has been well thought out to make you day truly wonderful,
and the produce you cook with is of top quality and locally sourced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kitchens have all the best equipment too,
and you leave with a high sense of achievement</div>
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<b>Pros</b>: </div>
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Over 40 courses to choose from. </div>
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The dishes you prepare are of a high-end restaurant standard
</div>
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The advanced courses are really that – a challenge to any
budding chef!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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They have a shop too so you can purchase ingredients and
equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The school is very modern with induction hobs and the layout
of the cookery kitchen is practical and fun too!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Binder with all the recipes to take home too</div>
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<b>Cons</b>:</div>
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Devon may be a little far for many, which will probably mean
the cost of accommodation which will bump up the overall cost of attending the
course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apart from that no other
negatives to mention!</div>
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<a href="http://www.ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk/">http://www.ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk/</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Waitrose Cookery School – London</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.cocoandme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/cocoandme_waitrose_school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" id="il_fi" src="http://www.cocoandme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/cocoandme_waitrose_school.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></a>A new kid on the block, which means they too have great up
to date equipment, the teaching here is excellent and very enthuiastic, this
cookery school is a good option for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have a large cookery theatre in which you can also watch the chefs
giving demo’s whilst you sit, listen in, and eat the fruits of you labour.</div>
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<b>Pros:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Great central location – 3 minute walk from tube station</div>
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Great atmosphere here – very conducive to learning</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shop too, for purchasing equipment</div>
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They give you a well laid out binder to go home with all the
recipes</div>
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<b>Cons:</b></div>
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A big space but a small cookery school as it only has one
big classroom, which can fit a lot of people!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If it was full then I’m not sure the experience would be so intimate and
pleasurable!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The work benches are very close together, thus it can become
a dangerous trip hazard when you pull open your oven to the people working
behind you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was not thought out
very well</div>
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<a href="http://www.waitrose.com/home/inspiration/waitrose_cookery_school.html">http://www.waitrose.com/home/inspiration/waitrose_cookery_school.html</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Daylesford Organic Cookery School – Daylesford,
Gloucestershire</b><br />
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<a href="http://daylesfordorganic.com/file/UnfZWTX/d8c1b381-706b-45d3-815e-20148cda13ab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://daylesfordorganic.com/file/UnfZWTX/d8c1b381-706b-45d3-815e-20148cda13ab.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="132" /></a>One word – wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is a very stylish ‘destination’ cookery school that oozes character and
flair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although it also only has one
large room, it is intimate and a great place to learn from <span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">head chef Vladimir Niza who is extremely
knowledgeable and charming (watch out ladies!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dishes you cook are suitably impressive, and will want you
going back for more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The school is
located on the farm; so all the produce you cook couldn’t be any fresher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I adored my day here, felt charmed and
totally chilled.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Pros</b>: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Great layout, very
well thought out, and the food you cook is exceptional as it is organic and
straight from the land!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truly their
biggest USP </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a restaurant, various shops to browse around to buy
the most amazing foods, clothes, garden accessories, so you get more than just
a day out cooking – this in mind take extra bags and a credit card as you wont
be able to resist their incredible produce!</div>
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<b>Cons</b>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hmm, only to say like Ashburton - perhaps just it’s
location for some may prove arduous, but still worth the drive!</div>
<a href="http://daylesfordorganic.com/engine/shop/page/cookery+school">http://daylesfordorganic.com/engine/shop/page/cookery+school</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Tante Marie – Woking</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://thekitchendirectory.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/tmcs-fagor-classroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" id="il_fi" src="http://thekitchendirectory.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/tmcs-fagor-classroom.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></a>This is oldest independent of the cookery schools, and it
knows its stuff!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You walk in here and
instantly feel why they are so well established. Located In a big old converted
house, it has several well-equipped cookery classrooms, as well as a demo
theatre area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What more could you ask
for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The professional long-term courses
are offered here, and it would be my choice for one of these longer courses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part owned by Gordon Ramsay holdings too.</div>
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<b>Pros</b>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Very professional, the staff really care for you here</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The teaching too is of an excellent standard</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They have well known chef demo days (this is what I
attended) where although you mainly watch, the cost is greatly less than a
whole day’s hands on cookery, making it an affordable option, plus you get
lunch provided, and a great opportunity to chat to the guest chef and taste his
dishes, ask tons of question.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Cons</b>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not as modern looking as some of the other schools, but
look beyond that, it still has all the equipment including induction and a
Range oven to learn on</div>
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Most of the schools have a dedicated washing up team, so
that you can get on with the cooking, but this is not offered here, so some may
find that off putting if you have had the luxury of it all being done for you.</div>
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<a href="http://www.tantemarie.co.uk/index.php">http://www.tantemarie.co.uk/index.php</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Leith’s – London</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://default.secure.media.ipcdigital.co.uk/3%7C0008e6dcb%7C345e_Leiths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" id="il_fi" src="https://default.secure.media.ipcdigital.co.uk/3%7C0008e6dcb%7C345e_Leiths.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></a>Probably Tante Marie’s biggest competitor as they too offer
very professional courses. I came to Leith’s to do a day’s butchery course with
an external tutor from the Ginger Pig, so I can’t hugely comment on the school
as I feel I never really got to the heart of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The school felt a little impersonal to me, and my greeting from
reception was sadly far from helpful/sincere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However the course I attended was insightful thanks to the tutors, and I
came home with a huge cooler bag of lamb dishes that I had prepped to cook
myself– nice touch!</div>
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<b>Pros</b>: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Location</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Extensive choice of courses too</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They in addition have a wine school </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Cons</b>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A little impersonal, felt like I was a small cog in a big
wheel</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just a little something missing, that I could not quite put
my finger on!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.leiths.com/">http://www.leiths.com/</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The Bertinet Kitchen & Cookery School - Bath</b></div>
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<a href="http://constructlondon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" id="il_fi" src="http://constructlondon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Ladies.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></a> This is the latest cookery school in which I have just
attended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was enticed in by a days
cookery with 3 Michelin starred Clare Smyth from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having seen her on TV many times, I admire
her greatly!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This cookery school is in
the heart of Bath and makes a great day out too (if you can fit in some
shopping round town afterwards).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Richard Bertinet was there himself, and a charming man to chat to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Pros</b>: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Guest chef days are a plenty here, drawing big names such as
Angela Harnet, Clare Smyth</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bakery and shop with cookery equipment is attached to the
school too, but be quick as the bakery closes around 2pm</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Cons</b>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Sadly for me there were too many things not quite right
here)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My class was sold as ‘Advanced’, but it was clear that the
level of other attendees and the dishes we cooked were not advanced in my
experience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This course was more prepping of vegetables and watching
than a ‘hands on’ cookery day, and for that I think the course was overpriced</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are 2 classrooms, and the largest of the two (the one
I was in), you work in groups of 4 (most other schools I have worked in pairs),
which limits the amount of cooking you actually get to do when there is so many
of you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No correspondence sent out prior to the course, so the
emphasis is on you to make sure you don’t forget to attend!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.thebertinetkitchen.com/">http://www.thebertinetkitchen.com/</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope you found this post informative and insightful, and
if you have attended any cookery schools, I would love to hear of your
experiences, and what you thought of them!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Giveaway! </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=df31fb5a26&view=att&th=139b96d0d30f9c37&attid=0.1&disp=thd&zw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="photo.JPG" border="0" class="hv" height="200" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=df31fb5a26&view=att&th=139b96d0d30f9c37&attid=0.1&disp=thd&zw" width="151" /></a></div>
To heighten your cooking to more than just the basic everyday
meals, I have two books to giveaway from this summers Taste of
London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These books have
recipes from the countries top chefs, and will put your skills to the test, helping you to create restaurant style dishes (like you would at a cookery
school).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps they will whet you
appetite for cookery schools!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.tastefestivals.com/uploads/media/39/8593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="160" src="http://www.tastefestivals.com/uploads/media/39/8593.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All you
have to do is:<br />
<br />
1) Follow this blog and<br />
2) Answer this simple question:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Q) Name the 3 Michelin starred chef I cooked with at the
Richard Bertinet cookery school</span></i><br />
<br />
Please leave your answers in the comments box below. Winner will be notified by e-mail. Competition closes midnight 21st October 2012.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">**Congratulations PompeySuz & Laura Pugh - you are the book giveaway winners.**</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-25691258155870113772012-08-21T19:27:00.001+01:002012-08-21T19:48:19.153+01:00The Richmond Arms - West Ashling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been spoilt with some fantastic food of late (The Electrolux Cube and the 'Menu' at Taste of London to name a few), so to find a little country pub serving food with confidence was an extremely happy event for me!<br />
<br />
I love country pubs/restaurants, especially when they are cosy and serve good food! I found both of these to be the case during two recent visits to the Richmond Arms. Yes two visits! I enjoyed the food here immensely that I had to return to share the experience with others.<br />
<br />
The place was smaller than I had imagined, and also booking is essential, but both would not put me off returning again!<br />
<br />
Our first visit was for Sunday lunch. The only negative comments I will make start and stop here; and is with regards to the somewhat greasy starters. Both the chorizo scotch egg and the delicate stuffed courgette flower tasted as if they had been cooked in oil that had been hanging around - used for several purposes, which overpowered the courgette flower as you can imagine. Even the robust chorizo tasted of an amalgamation I couldn't quite put my finger on. Maybe this needs looking at?!<br />
<br />
However, not put off, we ordered the crispy skinned soy sauce duck and a sunday roast belly of pork. It is quite apparent that the kitchen is very free thinking, as it made what would seem like two ordinary dishes on paper, into refined comfort food with the aid of wonderfully pickled plums to accompany the duck, and an apple and gooseberry sauce for the pork! These accompaniments were the perfect balance of flavours, with intelligent use of acidity to cut through these usually rich meats! I can't praise these dishes enough.<br />
<br />
Desserts were sublime. A peanut butter brulee with a scoop of salted caramel and cherry ice cream. Here lies a thing of wonder! (I was also quite impressed with the inventiveness in presentation - thanks to a little help from Ikea!) The homemade ice-creams were phenomenally good too: salted caramel, banana, chocolate amaretto, honeycomb, praline, rose pistachio - I struggled to choose only 3 scoops.<br />
<br />
If your a gastro-nut wanting to find pleasure for your senses, then The Richmond Arms is the place for you! The service is informed, charming and efficient. Expect great things!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mYnUVt69Zod7zI9IcvwPG6ntKtSkYB4EvQN-jwTML4o7vpj1rbrTHyTHHhCkLXkZbkkmIBefLyhs4Rbm-fn_ESep3GoahyxfSFNyMy9BU1mVkHg3GEnT9d-J4TFif7veORjhNNB7JSwW/s1600/photoa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mYnUVt69Zod7zI9IcvwPG6ntKtSkYB4EvQN-jwTML4o7vpj1rbrTHyTHHhCkLXkZbkkmIBefLyhs4Rbm-fn_ESep3GoahyxfSFNyMy9BU1mVkHg3GEnT9d-J4TFif7veORjhNNB7JSwW/s320/photoa.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Runny chorizo scotch egg, saffron aioli</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUWOo28ilEOCa6fcfFJpzPR9l-1F6ba6lQ5N3Et3Ftw0aDsKNmPEv73fWVaRv2HQ-Q2guQd_4tYOJ9ut3u-DuBsMxMza81BXyzgHOSTYW-ikKu21Xuh-rahqF87QDMxYHXWeOYxg9McCk/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUWOo28ilEOCa6fcfFJpzPR9l-1F6ba6lQ5N3Et3Ftw0aDsKNmPEv73fWVaRv2HQ-Q2guQd_4tYOJ9ut3u-DuBsMxMza81BXyzgHOSTYW-ikKu21Xuh-rahqF87QDMxYHXWeOYxg9McCk/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local goats cheese, raisins, and pine nut stuffed courgette flower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBX49ctaJngSRufeEDWa2-wuXm2tAR2qsye4G7DL1PGAbu1INWofyNjd9oZkIwX8Kdj2LGKFu4m2OgnjuJ9uqHSWQicJ_N1ev4q3qfqCISBwTgB8H1N8T3vherlgLqBjiDpUld-QIRopSE/s1600/photod.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBX49ctaJngSRufeEDWa2-wuXm2tAR2qsye4G7DL1PGAbu1INWofyNjd9oZkIwX8Kdj2LGKFu4m2OgnjuJ9uqHSWQicJ_N1ev4q3qfqCISBwTgB8H1N8T3vherlgLqBjiDpUld-QIRopSE/s320/photod.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crispy skin soy braised roast duck, pickled plumbs and aromatic herbs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKcEZFAVL2V9mM2nb4AzEujQXnUQtFlQtfvebLwPrcjbxqpNZ5TYKrTn8T5WakzfW9Cy1twMv4qACQc3NgM6q7sUWUd3rJsCRTrJZ0Uyqk538eCpzMIoNI6-mIGaN7i34hY7R2PbF7nOh/s1600/photoe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKcEZFAVL2V9mM2nb4AzEujQXnUQtFlQtfvebLwPrcjbxqpNZ5TYKrTn8T5WakzfW9Cy1twMv4qACQc3NgM6q7sUWUd3rJsCRTrJZ0Uyqk538eCpzMIoNI6-mIGaN7i34hY7R2PbF7nOh/s320/photoe.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sous vide pork belly & trimmings, with a delicious gooseberry & apple sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnzdg0DVf64IzoPQ7U4viwEUmdzy7pRMfQXL7SUYrQySiZzBpLhG_eoP8C2AhD-KAR6trp9WUk-8rBpymbgI5zMdFp66Mw_TvCd0Sg6s9mUfQgSZGic7Mg56DnyiLn73g2ej-aoZrka-U/s1600/photoc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnzdg0DVf64IzoPQ7U4viwEUmdzy7pRMfQXL7SUYrQySiZzBpLhG_eoP8C2AhD-KAR6trp9WUk-8rBpymbgI5zMdFp66Mw_TvCd0Sg6s9mUfQgSZGic7Mg56DnyiLn73g2ej-aoZrka-U/s320/photoc.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate amaretto, rose & pistachio, praline ice creams</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtSP3yRNe-3zvX_nVGGLut3q_A3ZoWP9SmKLupM0VvqJsDCMMIeUO_VlS4HC12eL7zKU9Miq1WtAWy1pet1_ZSS77pxZyz30X85_KG4Djl38I-985bqg36wsb4Xv4EevUYnv79viDHjz0/s320/photob.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peanut butter brulee, salted caramel & sour cherry ice cream</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pickled plumbs recipe:</b> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Inspired by the duck dish, I decided to pickle my own plumbs. It's an experimental recipe, but these are some of my most favourite ingredients of all time to cook with, so I'm sure you won't go far wrong. Personally, I'm planning on also using it with duck, but other ideas would be with a stirfry, great with pate, or ice cream and yogurt for example. It will be so versatile, so why not give it a go? I'm sure if you served this alongside duck breasts for a dinner party (instead of the usual dull and obvious sauces), your guests would be more than impressed!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
You will need:<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
800g of plumbs</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8nxt6tq2852UjF9rwrHleRPezSpcJRjVl-eC5YOF4YjP6DtiaS65LD41ia0JKKQM41eUpwu-2H4S4SSiTXp_SZMgW6GPjyXztAWoab6STbl_BDGBWta699al1687MHosUB_BDQ7H28PgC/s1600/photof.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8nxt6tq2852UjF9rwrHleRPezSpcJRjVl-eC5YOF4YjP6DtiaS65LD41ia0JKKQM41eUpwu-2H4S4SSiTXp_SZMgW6GPjyXztAWoab6STbl_BDGBWta699al1687MHosUB_BDQ7H28PgC/s320/photof.JPG" width="184" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My home-made pickled plumbs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
200ml cider vinegar</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
200g caster sugar</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 cardamom pods</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 star anise</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1tbsp grated fresh ginger</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1tsp allspice</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
pinch of chili flakes</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*sterilised jar*</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Wash the plumbs well. Put all the ingredients (except the sugar) in a large pan and gently bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve. Add the plumbs to the pan for about 4 minutes. Remove the plumbs and place into the sterile jar. Bring the liquid to the boil for a further minute, then carefully pour the liquid into the jar. Close the lid and store in a cool, dark place for two months, (shaking the jar up from time to time). </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These will keep for 6 months to a year stored this way.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://therichmondarms.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Richmond Arms</a></div>
celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-48726323007599709322012-07-21T10:51:00.000+01:002012-08-21T17:49:26.344+01:00Vivitar DVR 892HD Digital Camcorder Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am giving away to one lucky
follower a Black Vivitar DVR 892HD Digital Camcorder. <br />
<div class="clearboth">
</div>
Extra compact, High Definition camcorder with
colour display and built-in "flick" USB arm.
The DVR 892HD also has 4x digital zoom and image stabilisation to
creatre a lightweight HD recorder that is so portable you'll forget that
it's always packed and ready to shoot.
<br />
<br />
To be in with a chance of winning, read my previous post entitled 'Tuscan Inspired Recipe' and...<br />
<br />
1) Follow this blog, <br />
2) Answer the simple question below based on the Tuscan post I have written:<br />
<i>3)</i><i> And if you love the look
of this dish, PLEASE scroll down & vote for it here:</i><b><i><a href="http://www.to-tuscany.com/to-tuscany-extras/foodie-blogger-competition-2012/" title="to tuscany">To Tuscany</a> </i></b><u><b><br /></b></u><br />
<br />
<b>Question</b>: <br />
How many tomato halves are used in the final picture of this dish? <br />
<br />
Please leave your answers in the comments box below. Winner will be notified by e-mail. Competition closes Midnight 28th July.<br />
<br />
_______________________________<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Congratulations to <cite class="user">Chevaune Stanley! </cite></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<cite class="user"><b>Thanks for sending in your picture</b>.</cite></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<cite class="user"><br /></cite></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcYj9hBon0X7IeY732dj5QboIOhnwpMuUq_2fb2wt1yGDcNYBg50U-iMH-MX_EAfhjEOEFnfMUzMXigG9aw6A_Sqkc99c6afuqzySN-HpSZDQY9gZwzEqH-LqtihPc-RdrNYl4hPpcaPj/s1600/Camcorder+winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcYj9hBon0X7IeY732dj5QboIOhnwpMuUq_2fb2wt1yGDcNYBg50U-iMH-MX_EAfhjEOEFnfMUzMXigG9aw6A_Sqkc99c6afuqzySN-HpSZDQY9gZwzEqH-LqtihPc-RdrNYl4hPpcaPj/s320/Camcorder+winner.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com131tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-30282930440872353542012-07-20T20:19:00.002+01:002012-07-21T10:38:40.273+01:00Tuscan Inspired Recipe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
"I want to win a week in one of your <a href="http://www.to-tuscany.com/">Tuscany villas</a>!"<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This 'feel good' Tuscan inspired starter I have invented
myself, is both super-stylish and sophisticated, and will leave your guests reminiscing
of the sun-drenched climbs of Italy. It’s a dish you will be proud to serve.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Put together using 3 staple Tuscan ingredients; (olive oil,
tomatoes and parmesan) - and a few others, I wanted this trinity to speak for
itself, because although I have never had the privilege of visiting this Foodie
hotspot, one thing I do know is that good quality ingredients don’t need
fussing with – they simply speak for themselves! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Try not to scrimp on ingredients, buy the best tomatoes,
olive oil and Parmesan you budget will allow.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.to-tuscany.com/">http://www.to-tuscany.com</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tomato Consommé with Parmesan Croutons – serves 4</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Consomme:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 1/4 kg of overripe cherry tomatoes, halved </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 clove of garlic peeled and chopped finely</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ tsp salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Croutons:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
50g finely grated Parmesan</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ ciabatta cut into cubes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Drizzle of olive oil</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pinch of salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Garnish with:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ cucumber sliced, and slices cut in half</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12 halved cherry tomatoes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A handful of Parmesan shavings</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Additional equipment:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Muslin cloth</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Pre-heat
the oven to 180oc</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Put
the cherry tomatoes, garlic and salt into a food processor and pulse them
until the juices release.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Place
a sieve over a large bowl and line the sieve with a piece of muslin
cloth. Pour the tomato mixture into
the muslin and allow the juices to drain through. This should take 30 minutes or so. After this time gently squeeze the
muslin to get a bit more out (not too tight as it’s nice to keep the soup
clear). Set the juices aside</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Next,
in a bowl toss the ciabatta cubes with a generous drizzle of olive oil,
then sprinkle over the Parmesan, a pinch of salt and toss again. Scatter onto a baking tray for about 5
minutes until golden.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">To
assemble – divide your cucumber and halved tomatoes into 4 bowls in an elegant
fashion followed by your Parmesan croutons and shavings of Parmesan. At this stage I think you have 2
options: Either pour the consommé
into 4 individual bowls drizzled with olive oil, allowing each guests to
pour the consommé into their soup bowl at the table (this is visually the
best option, and adds an element of fun), or carefully pour yourself into
each soup bowl and drizzle with olive oil!</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st">Buon Appetito!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>If you love the look of this dish, PLEASE vote for it…just
scroll to the bottom of this link:</b><br />
<div style="color: red;">
<b><a href="http://www.to-tuscany.com/to-tuscany-extras/foodie-blogger-competition-2012/" title="to tuscany">To Tuscany</a> </b></div>
<br />
I’d love to blog some more
about my first ever trip to Italy and the gastronomic finds!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Bg-draqFZljiPSV6Cfs0KYZ11wIoYCiLrlK5cWQWYL6OQlNhsKGoWS01L7i5qVor1G-FU8_rxpvXPscOJv7RHYr_xn-9OF1qKy2K6TLjkS6LpiwBH6akoHUDTxRhyphenhyphenbJTPRmlEir8YE6q/s1600/tuscany1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Bg-draqFZljiPSV6Cfs0KYZ11wIoYCiLrlK5cWQWYL6OQlNhsKGoWS01L7i5qVor1G-FU8_rxpvXPscOJv7RHYr_xn-9OF1qKy2K6TLjkS6LpiwBH6akoHUDTxRhyphenhyphenbJTPRmlEir8YE6q/s200/tuscany1.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tuscan Trinity</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGck_-ndw-AqEy4UNks0uMwHaCgFs0tUu_pvXu_F9hgIGeuGNlQ6R7adY10_xN0EyZoAs-idPHvPAlPE9CW29GzyM0RfWWytw7dkZcxftdSaglwxpbdt2-tIk8SUvWHfExPw1IFzSaclfv/s1600/tuscany2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGck_-ndw-AqEy4UNks0uMwHaCgFs0tUu_pvXu_F9hgIGeuGNlQ6R7adY10_xN0EyZoAs-idPHvPAlPE9CW29GzyM0RfWWytw7dkZcxftdSaglwxpbdt2-tIk8SUvWHfExPw1IFzSaclfv/s320/tuscany2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4UYjVZSNp_UHhCwTM4-ko_7g9Mw234qKL7bKq03mnxwts-GuHYazXUUhjAOqi-oVV4AnAHJWTWdpqrJ_8K5qYtItKnZsD2S8CVYIGZWsF-Ek1nqA55EF2-MDL53-tG8uIhmjEQ6qU4lN/s1600/tuscany3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4UYjVZSNp_UHhCwTM4-ko_7g9Mw234qKL7bKq03mnxwts-GuHYazXUUhjAOqi-oVV4AnAHJWTWdpqrJ_8K5qYtItKnZsD2S8CVYIGZWsF-Ek1nqA55EF2-MDL53-tG8uIhmjEQ6qU4lN/s640/tuscany3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>**Top tip – Make this dish the day before, so it’s one less
dish to do on the day. Store the soup in the fridge the croutons in an airtight
container.</i></div>celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-78823404092547242022012-07-04T09:42:00.000+01:002012-07-04T09:42:14.099+01:00'Local Catch' The South Coast's first Seafood Mobile App Launches<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: small;">Calling all seafood lovers....</span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">I have just caught wind of a new mobile phone app that has launched for the south coast, and could have the ability to revolutionise the way we think, buy and eat fish! </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">Developed by <span style="line-height: 115%;"></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;">South East Seafood with the aid of </span>Portsmouth University students, t<span style="line-height: 115%;">he app,
called Local Catch, lets fishermen along the south coast send out alerts
on what they've caught that day to anyone who downloads the app and
registers, meaning local people can meet their local
fisherman/fishmonger and purchase same-day caught fish. Restaurants can
join in too. It's one of the only ways to be sure you're getting
same-day caught fish that's 100% local. </span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">This FREE app can be found via </span></i><a href="http://www.localcatch.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.localcatch.co.uk</a><i><span style="font-size: small;"> and is available on Android. Unfortunately you will have to wait a little longer for the iPhone version (which is due out before September), so I was unable to trial it and review it for you, so until then any feedback on your experiences of the app would be more than welcome!</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"> For me this is very exciting news, as it is bringing an age old industry forward by using cutting edge technology to make sure the consumer can plan ahead, become more aware of seasonal seafood, inspire you to be more adventurous, and much much more.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">Read on to find out more....</span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If you like the sound of
fresh locally caught fish and seafood, but aren’t quite sure how or
where to get it, then brace yourself for a change thanks to South East
Seafood. Working in partnership with the south coast’s fishing
community, the group is excited to be launching Local Catch, a
revolutionary new smart phone app and website designed to connect you
direct to your local fisherman’s catch of the day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The
launch of Local Catch means anyone on the south coast can register to
receive alerts about their local catch of the day direct to their smart
phone, tablet or computer. Whether it’s crab, lobster, bream or bass,
the south coast’s fishermen and the fishmongers, restaurants and cafes
they supply will all be uploading details of their freshest catches,
along with their exact location every day. All you have to do is pop
along to your local fishmonger, or meet your local fishermen directly
and you’ll be guaranteed fresh local fish and seafood, the day it’s
caught.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To
ensure you really make the most of your fish, Local Catch gives you
access to a whole range of recipes, inspiration and ideas, as well as
cooking tips and videos on the preparation of various fish and seafood
dishes. So whether you’re making bouillabaisse, bisque, crab cakes or
chowder you can be sure your fish supper will be the freshest around. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In
addition to guaranteeing you fresh fish that’s 100% local, the launch
of Local Catch also means a fairer price for the fishermen of the south
coast. Henriette Reinders, Director of South East Seafood, explains:
“The launch of Local Catch means a lot for the local fishing community.
It will put them in contact with a much wider range of buyers than ever
before, creating a better deal for everyone involved.” Henriette
is keen to encourage local residents from across Hampshire to download
the app: “Local Catch is all about supporting the local fishing
community and getting the freshest possible local fish. This is a truly
unique opportunity and one of the only ways to really be sure you’re
getting fresh local fish on the day it’s caught. Residents along on the
south coast are the first to trial this exciting scheme. If everyone in
the community gets behind Local Catch it could be a real local success
story, revolutionising the way we get our fish.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Local
fisherman Roger Ramsden, who fishes off the coast of Hayling Island, is
equally excited about the launch of Local Catch: “I think it’s
fantastic news and a really great opportunity for the local fishing
community and lovers of fish. There are lots of people who may not
previously have known how to get their hands on fresh fish and seafood,
so I am really looking forward to letting local people know about what I
catch. It’s great to have a way to reach out and tell local people what
I’ve caught. I’m really hoping lots of local people download the app.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And
it’s not just consumers who can benefit from the app, as Henriette
explains that local chefs and restaurants can get involved too: “We are
really keen for chefs, restaurants, pubs, cafes, delis and fishmongers
to use Local Catch too – they simply need to register in the same way as
members of the public would. Once they’ve purchased from their local
fishermen they are then able to send out an alert that lets people in
the local area know they’ve got fresh, locally caught seafood on the
menu.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Local
Catch is simple to use and free to download now from the Android
Market. It’s also just as easy to use Local Catch on your computer,
simply log on to <a href="http://www.localcatch.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.localcatch.co.uk</a> to sign up and find out the catch of the day.</div>
</div>celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-55340754709568808912012-06-26T13:35:00.003+01:002012-06-26T13:56:04.910+01:00Taste of London 2012 - Regents Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">I have had a busy week in London being asked to write reviews for the Electrolux Cube and with Taste of London for AEG. I blogged about Taste last year too, and the Festival is still as great as it has been in all previous years Ive attended. You arrive with gastronomic energy and leave with a full belly and a fond farewell, safe in the knowledge you have indulged in what the Capitals finest eateries have to offer. </span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Taste of London appears to be growing stronger each
year. For those who know little about
it, it is a 4-day food festival, where around 40 of London’s top hitting
restaurants come together in Regents Park to let you sample their dishes. Each restaurant has 3-4 mini dishes you can
try, in which you pay for the dishes in a currency of crowns. There is also a plethora of exhibitors
gunning for your attention, with samples of their food and drink for you to try
and buy, as well as music, entertainment, and dedicated world cuisine areas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, ‘Taste’ offers much more than just a walk in the
park. It’s main sponsors British
Airways and AEG (plus several others) also have put on within the festival
various, exciting features to make the day more interactive. For example BA are keen to show you how food
35,000 feet up has an impact on your taste senses, thus giving you the
opportunity to learn about ‘Height Cuisine’, and even sample their new first
class summer 2012 menu. AEG are the
premium appliance sponsor, and feature the Taste Theatre, where you get to see
some of the countries biggest names demonstrate how to cook. Situated next to that is the AEG mobile
academy where you can see in action and ask questions about AEG’s Neue
Kollektion, (you must see the steam ovens and a cleverly shaped wok induction),
and my personal favourite is the AEG Perfekt Cooking Classes with Angela
Malik. Here you get to use the AEG
appliances and cook dishes within 30 minutes.
Angela is the queen of Asian cuisine, and is always on hand to chat
with, and show you how to create a great little dish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Each year’s features are worthy of a visit, and this year my
favourites include the Nespresso coffee experience (learn to match coffee with
food), The Weber BBQ experience, The Secret Garden (full of all sorts of hidden
indulgent extra’s), and the Laurent-Perrier champagne Masterclasses. Sadly it is not possible to fit all of the
activities into your 4-hour visit, so booking these sessions is a must, and you
really must do it as soon as you enter, as availability is limited. My top tip is to check out
tastefestivals.com to see what the line-up is in advance, and work out a
strategy of what you really don’t want to miss out on and book it immediately
as you enter the park. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for the Secret Garden (which is in it’s second year), it
is worthy of an additional mention as I was privileged to attend ‘The Menu’ in
the secret garden which is a unique meal cooked by <i><span style="font-style: normal;">five world-famous chefs who each cook a course. </span></i>Angela Harnet, Bruno Loubet,
Nuno Mendes, Wolfgang Puck and Jason Atherton<i><span style="font-style: normal;">
wowed us with their skills, in an elegant enclosure found within the secret
garden. Dishes that got everyone
talking were Angela’s first course of</span></i><span style="color: black;"> <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">San Marzano
tomatoes, burrata, basil purée, and black olive powder. Although a very simple starter, burrata is
relatively new on our food menus. It’s basically mozzarella cheese as we know
it (but with a mozzarella and cream filling). The thought of being able to
re-create this dish at home appealed.
However a simple starter like that is needed when followed by cod and
tripe with a stew of onions. This was
everyone’s most apprehensive dish, but turned out to be delicate and
flavoursome, with the confit cod bringing an unusual texture to the taste
buds. Wolfgang Puck followed this up
with a duo of beef - </span></b>grilled New York sirloin, roasted baby
carrots, cipollini onions, armagnac sauce and an Indian spiced short rib with
curried sweet corn purée and garam masala spicing. This was murderously good, and I can see why this chef has a
global empire of restaurants.</span><b><span style="color: black;"> </span></b><i><span style="font-style: normal;">This meal takes place on the 1<sup>st</sup> two
nights of the festival. Each chef comes
out to introduce his or her dish, which is a nice touch. This event is available at an additional
cost, but if you’re a real gastro-pilgrim like me, you may just find that the
‘Menu’ is right up your street. When
would you normally get 5 world-class chefs cooking you a meal together in one
evening! Highly recommended!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-style: normal;">Taste of London is a
super-hot ticket, and I can’t wait until next years show. This stylish festival of gastronomy never
fails to win my heart!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you can’t wait until Taste of London 2013, then check out
Taste of Edinburgh - 6<sup>th</sup> to 8<sup>th</sup> of July, and Taste of
Christmas in London’s ExCeL - December 7<sup>th</sup>-9<sup>th</sup>.
Tickets options vary from standard entry to VIP packages. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://tastefestivals.com/london/</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://www.tasteofedinburgh.co.uk/</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.tasteofchristmas.com/</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUHVhWJ5XEFwGS-adjpsmJzBRPQsBPGSiYtXNUjHVGpVxPGD2GCnbIgSVheOGgQZtulfwevchr250VIJHnQR8yf92-1AwRF6ejbJKVZN3OBR9b6CauxVS9D4KsK8Rb5AaRWjS4uodCK_j/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUHVhWJ5XEFwGS-adjpsmJzBRPQsBPGSiYtXNUjHVGpVxPGD2GCnbIgSVheOGgQZtulfwevchr250VIJHnQR8yf92-1AwRF6ejbJKVZN3OBR9b6CauxVS9D4KsK8Rb5AaRWjS4uodCK_j/s320/photo.JPG" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Best In Taste 1st prize award winner Pascal Aussignac of Club Gascon's Marmite Royale</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSESWvHis4qXKjSvFerTkRUtaVjRiTe7LZo2r2M_lh-zeOslnfIm3rusOLOQd3OFhZMeUQnWM-H5SCDnVb9CZRJwgXath0wMAEt2O7_-m0KnIeT6314qIZsq5qlb7iNf-oGj4TzJt8R222/s1600/AEG+cooking+classes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSESWvHis4qXKjSvFerTkRUtaVjRiTe7LZo2r2M_lh-zeOslnfIm3rusOLOQd3OFhZMeUQnWM-H5SCDnVb9CZRJwgXath0wMAEt2O7_-m0KnIeT6314qIZsq5qlb7iNf-oGj4TzJt8R222/s320/AEG+cooking+classes.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Angela Malik Cooking class with guest chef/restaurateur/Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEN3ppIZUz9o43b_RvWtMT1kPVAL5TSxbPiJxiOzzQlr2lNEH3gGt16USBEv-A2de5vOHS45rzCop9c8eo3kwvJRUsVcYsoDGF7pqjggnsSdm3-DbnJ0oiktzU8xxz9150mA3PVVtQTv8r/s1600/IMG_2955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEN3ppIZUz9o43b_RvWtMT1kPVAL5TSxbPiJxiOzzQlr2lNEH3gGt16USBEv-A2de5vOHS45rzCop9c8eo3kwvJRUsVcYsoDGF7pqjggnsSdm3-DbnJ0oiktzU8xxz9150mA3PVVtQTv8r/s320/IMG_2955.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The 'Menu' at Taste</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnyonZILqndoNwRGPwet7e9fM5CY9HUTjEpemUUZehUFmq6atHzfSBdwQxH2fVEkrVO-aPKaW1_T9f5SuYjE8Gyxn91_uyvnOQVvRoYby3y3DCHjsJA8BUyWXnMYXtUhYQYDToSco5984/s1600/IMG_2973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnyonZILqndoNwRGPwet7e9fM5CY9HUTjEpemUUZehUFmq6atHzfSBdwQxH2fVEkrVO-aPKaW1_T9f5SuYjE8Gyxn91_uyvnOQVvRoYby3y3DCHjsJA8BUyWXnMYXtUhYQYDToSco5984/s320/IMG_2973.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wolfgang Pucks duo of beef dish at the 'Menu'</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimipvdTpcgM9Q3BY-DV02TempagDQCQcCR1xQxt6h-lacEl5vPtuzGuZRs19uA2oXuG3fsSk-RDtTWe5Bc88YZZNl4JOZzi9x4QkhIpzuJU660AtDi_zG8cdvhLFjZ9twHmvlTezvqKrVa/s1600/DSCF2176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimipvdTpcgM9Q3BY-DV02TempagDQCQcCR1xQxt6h-lacEl5vPtuzGuZRs19uA2oXuG3fsSk-RDtTWe5Bc88YZZNl4JOZzi9x4QkhIpzuJU660AtDi_zG8cdvhLFjZ9twHmvlTezvqKrVa/s320/DSCF2176.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The pop up restaurants at Taste</b></td></tr>
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</div>celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-76655443298570235452012-06-22T08:11:00.000+01:002012-06-22T08:09:29.613+01:00The Cube - Electrolux<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>People attend the Olympics and such like events when they are hosted by our own nation, because it's nice to feel like you have had a part in the making of history. Well for food lovers all over the UK, here is an experience that will rival that sensation. Allow me to introduce you to The Cube - by Electrolux. I was asked this week to review this unique dining experience. Read on to see why you really should make the effort before the end of September to dine like you have never dined before!</i><br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">2012 is a fine year for
London with both the Queens Jubilee and the Olympics to celebrate, and sitting
tall overlooking these prestigious events right in the heart of the city, is
the Electrolux Cube. This 4-month restaurant
is open between the 1st of June and 30<sup>th</sup> of September and is
situated above London’s Royal Festival Hall.
It is a stunning piece of modern art, mixing a modern structure atop of
a classic building, with glass sides offering unrivalled views of iconic sites
such as the </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">River Thames, Big Ben,
the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye.</span><br />
<br />
<h6>
<span class="messagebody"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The line-up of chefs
(purposely located from various regions of the UK, and holders collectively of
8 Michelin stars) are </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Tom Kitchin from The
Kitchin – Edinburgh, Sat Bains from Restaurant Sat Bains – Nottingham, Claude
Bosi from Hibiscus - Mayfair (with all three appearing regularly on Saturday
Kitchen), Daniel Clifford from Midsummer House - Cambridge (who we saw reach the finals in this years
GBM), and brothers Jonray and Peter Sanchez, (who shot to fame in Gordon
Ramsay’s TV series Best Restaurant in 2010).
</span></h6>
<h6>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Upon arriving on the rooftop of the Royal Festival Hall, a
champagne reception with canapés on the constructed terrace awaits you, before
you enter the Cube to sit down at a single long table which seats 18
people. Should the British weather not
be in your favour, I discovered that the dining table has been constructed to
allow it to be electronically lifted to the ceiling, thus allowing guests to
sip champagne in the comfort of the cube!
Its interior feel is very simple and clean, which reflects Electrolux’s
Scandinavian heritage.</span></h6>
<h6>
<span class="messagebody"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Upon being seated, </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">everyone's excitement was clear to see. The kitchen is not so much open but is part
of the dining room space, which allows you the opportunity to get up and
interact with the kitchen team, and view the dishes as they are being plated up
on the open ‘pass’</span></h6>
<h6>
<span class="messagebody"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The cuisine from each
chef promises to be exclusive to the Cube, and is a highly guarded secret until
the actual day, which all adds to the excitement, so for people like me who
love to look up menu’s beforehand, had to show a measured degree of patience!</span></span></h6>
<h6>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">2 Michelin starred French born Claude Bosi was our host
chef. He describes the Cube as <span class="messagebody">a unique experience, innovative and experimental, so did his
food reflect this?</span></span></h6>
<h6>
<span class="messagebody"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Without giving too much
away (as this would spoil the secret nature of the Cubes menu), our lunch
comprised of a seven-course menu, which in my opinion comprised of very classic
French style food, but with some experimental Michelin inspired elements! Shrimp paired with strawberry, chicken with
hints of sharp fruits, a dessert with pepper infused cream and white chocolate
infused with a spring vegetable, were some of the culinary highlights! All eaten whilst listening to a play list,
personally selected by each chef. </span></span></h6>
<h6>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">What the Cube offers is the ability to enjoy <span class="messagebody">a fine dining experience, without the anxiety of wondering
what everyone around you is thinking, wearing, and talking about, because your
so busy interacting with the chef, the food and the company you keep</span>
throughout the meal. <span class="messagebody"> For anyone seeking new
gastronomic heights, then the Cube by Electrolux will deliver physically as
well as metaphorically!</span></span></h6>
<h6>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The Cube showcases the link between the new range of Electrolux
home kitchen appliances and how they can be used in the professional
environment. Surely an inspiration for
any aspiring home cook!<span class="messagebody"></span></span></h6>
<h6>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The Cube is in its final leg of touring Europe, having
visited Milan and Brussels and is currently in Stockholm and London.</span></h6>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The Cube by Electrolux in London is open daily.
Weekdays Lunch: 12:00. Dinner: 19:00. Reservations required at all times. Set
lunch: £175. Set Dinner: £215 (including paired wines). For further updates and
the latest news visit Electrolux Facebook Page or visit: <a href="http://www.electrolux.co.uk/Cube/London">http://www.electrolux.co.uk/Cube/London</a></span></b></div>celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-47750248948177329002012-06-22T08:02:00.000+01:002012-08-09T10:27:20.407+01:00Kitchen Gadgets Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To celebrate the make-over of my blog, I am giving away to one lucky follower a Baumatic rechargeable wine bottle opener, Oxo Goodgrips hand held mixer, and a Kitchen Craft oil drizzler.<br />
<br />
To win this prize, you need to:<br />
<br />
1) Follow this blog and<br />
2) Answer this simple question:<br />
<br />
How many courses were featured in the review of the Electrolux Cube?<br />
<br />
Please leave your answers in the comments box below. Winner will be notified by e-mail. Competition closes 21st July.<br />
<br />
___________________________<br />
<br />
Congratulations to <b>Michelle Kirkwood</b>!<br />
Please contact me with you details<br />
<span style="color: #bb0000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #2e6cdc;"> </span></span><span class="medtext" style="color: #bb0000; font-size: x-small;"><span class="medtext"><span class="smalltext"> </span></span></span> </div>celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com165tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1878947330120910014.post-38990769322087989722012-04-30T22:56:00.001+01:002012-04-30T23:00:56.550+01:00Cookery Book Review - 'Eat Your Veg'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Arthur Potts Dawson – Eat Your Veg</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having been given this cookbook to peruse and review by
Octopus publishing, I initially could not recall the chef to mind, until I
opened the book and instantly remembered him from his series televised on
Channel 4 – The Peoples Supermarket.
During the series he was very big on eating fresh and locally sourced
fruit and vegetables, and this really comes through in the publication. The book is not a rant on how we should eat
more vegetables, but gives practical and exciting ways to cook with vegetables
as a main course. Personally I am only
happy to eat with vegetables as a main dish if such recipes have been
intelligently thought through.... By
intelligent I mean that they are packed with flavour by combining ingredients with
herbs/spices or use of seasonal ingredients simply that bring out their amazing
flavour when they are at their best such as Jersey Royals/British
Asparagus. Flicking through the
ingredients list for many of the recipes in this book, it is clear to see that
Arthur has done this. His time working
at River Café really comes through in this book, with its vast array of
seasonal, fresh produce. I was excited
to cook with vegetables. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The book is practically divided into different
sections of food types, and I had a fridge full of tomatoes, so I opened up the
‘fruits’ section, and decided to make baked tomato, garlic and red pepper
crostini. As you can see from my
picture it came out just as in the book, which tells you the recipes are
explained well, and that the images have not been photoshopped just to please
the eye! This was a simple dish but
there are recipes and ingredients to please the more experienced cook too, so
something for everyone. Would I
recommend this book? Yes! I would give it an 8 out of 10. In one sentence I would describe it as a
punchy vegetable based cookbook designed to challenge the British way of
everyday eating!</span><br />
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<br /></div>celina Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779085259320385291noreply@blogger.com0