Phil Vickery shows just how easy it is to create an impressive dessert for Easter entertaining

Each month, Carnation brand ambassador and Celebrity Chef, Phil Vickery steps into the Carnation kitchen to create a new dessert. However, for this month Phil has gone one step further, and invited a budding baker to cook along with him – competition winner Kirsty Edwards. So now there’s no excuse not to get baking – especially with Easter coming soon.

Last December, Nestlé Carnation ran a nationwide cooking competition, searching for The Ultimate Pudstar. This month’s recipe, Rhubarb & Custard Pots with Lavender Biscuits, is a delicious finale for any Easter feast.

Phil’s Tip: Forced rhubarb is available usually from late December to late March – produced using specially cultivated plants which are grown by candlelight, the resulting fruit is tender and bright pink in colour. Look out for it in supermarkets during these months.

Log on to www.carnation.co.uk where you can find a whole host of Phil’s tasty recipes to inspire any budding baker!

*Carnation Condensed Milk Light has all natural ingredients, no preservatives and no added flavours, and is perfect for making a soft, creamy frosting on cupcakes.

Tortilla
6 Market Place
W1W 9ah

This affordable chain of mexican ‘casual restaurants’ (think fast food for the more discerning palate), now boasts four locations across the centre of London: Islington, Southwark, Canary Wharf and Oxford Circus. Established to tap into an obvious gap in the market ,Tortilla aims to provide fresh, authentic and delicious Californian-Mexican food minus the shots of tequila. This is food designed to attract the lunch hour crowd rather than a post-pub/club one the set-up being remincent of Subway, with burritos, fajitas and tacos made to order while you wait, from the selection of ingredients on show at the counter. One would be wise to look past this though, as the quality of what is on offer here soars above that of the ubiquitous ‘way.

Ignore the fast food trappings and you really will be pleasantly surprised when you sink your teeth into, say, the soft innards of a carnitas (braised pork) burrito (Medium £4.70, add on 50p for each extra), packed with tender well-seasoned meat, lime-cilantro rice, zingy guacamole, soured cream and pinto beans, and all topped off with one of Tortilla’s amazing salsas. The portions here are more than generous (for the ravenous or sharers a larger size can be had for £5.70), and the soft drinks are bottomless (Nando’s had the right idea about that at least). it is telling that one of my only other experiences of Mexican food in London has been a visit or two to Chiquetos, and quite frankly, Tortilla kicks it to the kerb in terms of flavour and value for money. Whilst you are unlikely to come here to wile away an evening, it is the perfect alternative to some of the pizza or hamburger joints that crowd the city.

There are also options for vegetarians (beans or guacamole) and for those who wish to avoid red meat or carbs you have the choice of Pollo Asado (grilled chicken) or the Naked Burrito (everything but the tortilla in a bowl).

Staff are the usual friendly sort, but again their uniforms remind one of Nando’s employees, including t-shirts with pithy slogans on the back. Sadly, the way the food is presented just adds to this deja vu; it may help to keep the tortillas hot but wrapping them up and putting them in a wire basket doesn’t make for a great dining experience. Yes, for takeaway it would be fine, but for sitting down with a beer a plate would be nice.
It’s a shame that these few points of comparision could put some potential customers off. It’s unlikely that I would walk into a branch of Tortilla unless I already knew how good it was. It just looks a little too chainy. Of course, this is part of the reason why Tortilla is so much cheaper than Chiquetos and it certainly achieves it aims; as soon as word of mouth kicks in the formula works and the queues pile up of a lunchtime.

So give your tastebuds a treat and pop into Tortilla’s newest branch at Oxford Circus to try the Salsa Verde, splash out on the Carne Asada (grilled steak) or sample the crisp fresh- -as- a- daisy tortilla chips. Buen provecho!

Watch this video with TV host Anton Du Beke to learn all about bacon from cuts to cooking and get some delicious recipes.

It’s hard to imagine the great British breakfast without bacon; whether it’s part of a full English, or piled between two slices of bread for a butty, it is undeniably delicious. However bacon is much more versatile than you may think. With a range of different cuts and cures available, it can liven up an assortment of meals.

This year’s Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week, launching Monday 22nd March 2010, featured the search to find the best bacon cure of 2010 as part of the national ‘Bring Home the Bacon’ competition.

In this video

Anton Du Beke takes us to Smithfields, Europe’s largest meat market, to learn from the experts about curing, and explains why we should look for packs with the Red Tractor Mark. Home economist Clare Greenstreet also demonstrates some delicious recipes, including a tasty Chilli and lemon Kedgeree, an Upside Down Bacon Hotpot and even some savoury brunch or teatime Muffins, which are sure to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Linda Barker answers your questions on matching the theme with the menu in this live webTV show

Chat date: Tuesday 16th March
Chat time: 3:00pm

In the wake of the successful Come Dine With Me television show, thousands of Brits are hosting their own dinner parties, complete with three course meals and fantastic guests.

But what would you cook for your dinner party? Choosing the right main course can be a bit of a nightmare, especially if we are not particularly confident in our culinary skills. When it comes to red meat for the main course, we will all favour the traditional dishes like lasagne or spaghetti bolognaise, fearing that something like a steak or a roast will be too costly or complicated. Yet there a lot of different cuts and types of meats out there which can make a delicious dinner party menu, from lamb chops to strips of beef for a tasty stroganoff.

It’s not just about the food though; a successful host not only serves a delicious meal but spends equal time planning entertainment, table plans, decor and drinks. If you really want to go all out, you might even want a theme to match your menu.

Fortunately, help is on hand from ‘hostess with the mostest’, TV presenter and interior designer Linda Barker. Having herself appeared on the popular show to come joint first, it was not only her cracking menu that delighted her guests but the extra touches that set her apart from the rest. In this live webTV show, she’ll answer your questions on how to coordinate your food with your theme, make your guests feel special and how to get the ambiance just right. She’ll also highlight some common dinner party faux-pas and offer her fail-safe tips for success.

So whether you’re cooking Steak Diane and want a demure candle-lit dinner party or are serving up a feisty Mexican theme with fajitas and burritos, Linda’s tips will ensure it all runs smoothly.

Also on the show is Keith Fisher to help pick the perfect meat to wow your guests as much as any decorative place settings. So log on to this live webTV show or submit your questions before the chat here:

Click here to submit questions before the chat

Linda Barker and Keith Fisher joins us live online at www.webchats.tv on chat date at 3:00pm to chat time to discuss chat subject

Master Butcher Keith Fisher is a fourth generation butcher and for the past 43 years has been involved in all sectors of the industry from the buying of live pigs from auction markets and farms to the cutting and processing of carcasses for fresh cuts and products. Keith’s family have been in the butchery trade for over a century, his Great Grandfather being awarded his ‘slaughtering license for the military’ by Queen Victoria herself! Keith was trained at the temple of the trade, London’s Smithfield College and Market, where meat has been sold since the 10th century. Since 1982 he has been responsible for developing many of the modern cuts of pork we are familiar with today. Keith has showcased his skills at industry events around the world and has recently worked with a television company on a ‘chop secret’ project. He is currently Butchery Development Manager for BPEX and a Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Butchers.

For more information visit www.meatmatters.com

DO YOU KNOW BRITAIN’S BEST RESTAURANT?

Gordon Ramsay is looking for Britain’s best restaurant and he wants to know where you love to eat.

Tell us about a hidden gem or a local culinary landmark. Who do you think deserves to be crowned Ramsay’s Best Restaurant?

Following on from the success of 2009’s search, nominations are now open for ‘Ramsay’s Best Restaurant’ 2010

Visit www.bestnominate.com to nominate your favourite restaurant now.

And please spread the word – we want the whole country to get involved.

Or how a wine from the south of France ends up with first place at a grand crus classés tasting event.

A study on luxury, a blind tasting, a selection of grands crus classés and a highly esteemed Master of Wine: the story could have ended here, if Philip Schwander, the said Master of Wine and reputable wine merchant in Switzerland, had not sneaked in an uninvited guest. A “small” wine from the south of France, subjectively picked out, entered the big league in a blind tasting contest whose sole objective was to taste French-style luxury.

The Bilanz Tasting

Last October, the Swiss Alemmanic magazine Bilanz undertook an extensive investigation into luxury. Prestigious French wines have a pride of place in the temple of taste; they have passion and style. Did Philipp Schwander, mandated by the Bilanz to organize a great wine tasting, want to shake these beliefs? Certainly not… When he mixed up a Pétrus 1999, Château Margaux 2004, a La Tour Figeac 2001, a Cheval Blanc 2001, two Austrian wines and a wine from the south of France, hiding the labels, he could not have guessed that the tasters (non professional but passionate wine connoisseurs) would prefer the modest challenger.

Among the most reputable wines, Mas Gabinèle Rarissime red 2006 from the Appellation Controlée Faugères, wins first place.

Every professional wine taster knows that a tasting is always a combination of random factors, the result of encounters between different sensory faculties at a particular moment; of external sensory conditions that are never completely neutral… For these reasons, the Bilanz tasting cannot be considered as THE truth but as an EXPERIENCE. An experience that warrants taking a special interest in a “small wine” from the south of France. A “small wine” which has the makings of a great one. Is luxury not simply… pleasure?

Mas Gabinèle Rarissime red 2006

This wine is made from Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes varieties, on sandstone schist soil, with low yields that never exceed 15hl/ha. Thierry Rodriguez, the wine-maker, vinifies the wine in the same manner as other grands crus : slow and soft macerations under high temperatures, and ageing exclusively in new barrels from 16 to 18 months.

Information on the Estate and Thierry Rodriguez wines:

Mas Gabinèle
1 hameau de Veyran
34490 Causses et Veyran – FRANCE
Tel : + 33 (0) 4 67 89 71 72
Fax : +33 (0)4 67 89 70 69

www.masgabinele.com

Brunello Restaurant at The Baglioni Hotel Welcomes Two Michelin Stared Chef Pino Lavarra from the Acclaimed Palazzo Sasso into its kitchen from the 10th to 14th of March 2010

Brunello Restaurant,
The Baglioni Hotel,
60 Hyde Park Gate,
SW7 5BB,
Tel: 020 7368 5900

To welcome in the first hints of Spring the Brunello Restaurant at the Baglioni Hotel London will be hosting a guest chef event with a week long visit from Chef Pino Lavarra, holder of 2 Michelin stars and Executive Chef of the acclaimed Rossellini’s at Palazzo Sasso, in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast.

Since opening in Kensington, Brunello has gained a reputation for serving great Italian food and is constantly looking to expand on that by offering diners great culinary experiences. To that end, throughout this year Brunello is planning a series of special, fine dining events to delight even the most demanding gourmets. During 2010 Brunello will host a superb line up of visiting Michelin starred chefs from some of Italy’s greatest restaurants allowing diners the opportunity to enjoy their fabulous menus and culinary expertise right here in the heart of London.

During this, the first in the series of seasonal guest chef events which will run throughout the year, Chef Pino Lavarra will present dishes from his stunning menu on 5 evenings, March 10th, 11th, 12th 13th and 14th

Diners at Brunello in Kensington will be able to enjoy dishes from a menu created with passion such as, “Tuna steak served with white aubergine puree, souffléd potatoes and a caper scented sauce” followed by, “Amalfi lemon soufflé” with a raspberry and beer sorbet”.

Since 2001, Pino Lavarra has been creating gastronomical wonders for hotel guests and other visitors to Ravello who are keen to sample the finest cooking available in this region of Italy. His special menu marries innovation with traditional ingredients and dishes.

Pino’s passion for cooking began in his mother’s kitchen in Puglia and from there he progressed through a formal training at catering college to cook in some of the great kitchens of the world. Spells in Germany and London were followed by time in Malaysia where he broadened his knowledge of exotic spices and oriental techniques, which enrich his creations today. In 1997, an old friend and well known Italian chef Anthony Genovese, asked Pino to join him in the opening of a new 5-star deluxe hotel in Ravello, on the charming Amalfi Coast — none other than Palazzo Sasso. Working here, Pino fell in love with the Mediterranean aromas and bountiful natural produce that surrounded him.

The following year, Pino was fortunate to have an opportunity to spend some time at one of the world’s best-known fine dining restaurants, Raymond Blanc’s Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. Here, as Sous Chef, he sharpened his now worldwide experience.

In 2001 he returned to Palazzo Sasso as Executive Chef of the hotel’s Rossellini’s restaurant and since then he has been providing the hotel guests with the finest cooking available in the Campania region, his dishes marrying innovation with traditional ingredients.

In recent years culinary awards have been flowing in for Chef Lavarra. The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences recognized him as “One of the Best Chefs in the World”. Conde Nast Traveler has awarded him a perfect score on several occasions in the category for “Best of Food” for a European Hotel and in 2009, Virtuoso named Rossellini’s as “Best Culinary Experience.” In 2004 Chef Lavarra’s passion and skills were rewarded when a second Michelin star, one of the world’s most highly coveted awards was bestowed upon him. Today Chef Lavarra still travels the world in a desire to learn and grow, taking inspiration from places as far afield as Japan and helping him to constantly fine tune his craft and expand his creativity.

We look forward to welcoming you to this week of very special dining in Brunello.

To book your table please call reservations at Brunello on 0207 368 5900

Appetizer

Beetroot carpaccio served with warm salad of burrata cheese, roasted squid, sea bass gnocchi and crispy chicken skin.

Starter

Buffalo mozzarella: cooked, raw, liquid and iced

Pasta

Spaghetti “alla chitarra” flavoured with basil chlorophyll and wrapped in swordfish paper with baby squid stew, and squid ink sauce

Pasta 2

Baby cannelloni filled with robiola cheese, Neapolitan “Genovese” stew and summer truffle sauce.

Fish

Rossellinis Tuna steak served with white aubergine puré, souffled potatoes and caper scented sauce

Meat

Filet of lamb wrapped in a Podolico cheese crust, vegetable sticks’ and “mirror” potatoes.

Pre dessert

Sicilian Blood oranges with earl grey tea iced cream and chocolate Parfait.

Dessert

Amalfi Lemon soufflé with raspberry & beer sherbet.

£95.00+Service per Person

Le Bouchon Breton,
1 Horner Square,
Old Spitalfields Market,
London E1 6EW,
Tel: 08000 191 704

Le Bouchon Breton is proud to announce a very special program of inspired food and wine pairing master classes. These will follow a seasonal calendar from March through to October and celebrates the marriage of fine ingredients, cleverly paired alongside some exceptional wines.

Let Le Bouchon Breton’s sommelier Donald Edwards take you on a monthly voyage of seasonally inspired gastronomy, stripping down the bare elements and flavours of particular ingredients and pairing each chosen dish with a wine handpicked with elan by our dynamic young master. Each master class will feature six different courses washed down with six different wines.

“I wanted to combine a class with a fine dinner, so that each month you get a relaxed take on the class room effect, learn a great deal, and yet at the same time have a fantastically luxurious dinner whilst enjoying seriously good wine” said Donald Edwards

Donald’s passion and deep respect for his subject combined with his original approach and natural enthusiasm towards food and wine pairing makes for a fascinating and memorable evening. Each of Donald’s pupils will spend the dinner contemplating the ingredient in question, cooked in six very different ways with the maestro explaining fully the wine pairings and what makes each one of them work.

Calendar of Events

The Bull Market – Tuesday 23rd of March 2010 from 7pm

The Lambing Season – Tuesday 20th of April 2010 from 7pm

The Kitchen Garden – Tuesday 18th of May 2010 from 7pm

Les Fruits De Mer – Tuesday 22nd of June 2010 from 7pm

Gone Fishing – Tuesday 20th of July 2010 from 7pm

The Humble Pig – Tuesday 17th of August 2010 from 7pm

A Day on the Estate – Tuesday 21st of September 2010 from 7pm

A walk in the Woods – Tuesday 16th of October 2010 from 7pm

From Spring through to Autumn, Donald is set to guide each group through the best of what the seasons have to offer. Starting this March with “The Bull Market” a mid-winter evening dedicated to beef and some of the exquisitely versatile dishes that feature it, all paired with Donald’s inspired selection of sometimes controversial wines. April moves on with “The Lambing Season” featuring spring lamb and wines to match with May celebrating the often over looked world of vegetables and herbs with “The Kitchen Garden.” The delightful month of June features “Les Fruits De Mer.” For July its ‘Gone Fishing” with August’s class dedicated to “The Humble Pig” and the joy of charcuterie. September and the first hint of Autumn brings “A Day on the Estate” which celebrates the start of the game bird season with October finishing off this epic culinary journey with “A Walk in the Woods” a paen to venison and wild mushrooms.

Each class will be held on the second last Tuesday of every month, starting from 7pm in a private corner of the restaurant and costs £80 per person.

To book in for a place on any of these classes please call Reservations at Le Bouchon Breton on 08000 191 704

Katie Chu is impressed with iBar in Whetstone

iBar
1277 High Road
Whetstone
London
Tel: 020 8445 2165

Review date: Wednesday 17 Feb 2010

I popped into this bar/restaurant the other day during my lunch break (I
work on Whetstone High Road) and was pleasantly surprised.

The first thing I noticed was that the staff were pleasantly attentive and
the service was very smooth, and we were soon seated at a table far enough
away from the other customers.

Looking at the menu, among the standard pub fare there were interesting
concepts like, ‘devilled chicken livers’ and ‘chestnut bake’ – not your
standard Whetherspoons grub!

I settled on a Chicken Pie while my colleague went for the fish-cakes.
The crust was light and flaky, and the chicken tender. My appreciation was
matched by my friend who was impressed by the ‘fluffiness’ of her
fish-cakes.

All in all a delicious meal and excellent service. A hidden gem I’d
heartily recommend

P.S. The best chips I’ve ever tasted (Sorry Mum…)!

Lunch for two about £10/15, service not included.

iBar
1277 High Road
Whetstone
London
Tel: 020 8445 2165
www.ibar.uk.com

Live Music – Night Club – Bar – Restaurant – Private Parties – Corporate functions

Watch this video to bring a bit of French flair to your meals

When we think about cooking with cheese we tend to think of using parmesan in our pasta, stirring in soft cheese into sauces or some mature cheddar topped on toast, but there is a wealth of ways to incorporate delicious cheese in our diets and similarly, there is a vast number of different cheeses for us to try.

In fact in France alone, there are around 1,000 different kinds of cheeses made, that range from age old favourites such as Brie and Camembert to lesser known delights such as Beaufort, Epoisses or Reblochon. With such a wide variety, there’s never been a better opportunity to broaden our taste buds and add a certain “je ne sais quoi” to our repertoire?

In this video Garth Delikan, lifestyle coach and Vive le Cheese Ambassador for the French Dairy Interprofession (CNIEL) , and chef Sophie Wright tell us how to add French Flair to mealtimes and discover the very best of French cheeses.

For more information and recipe ideas visit www.vivelecheese.co.uk or join our fan page on Facebook