The best thing since sliced bread

In the following video food writer Gizzi Erskine shows you how you can liven up your daily lunch.

With everyone working harder than ever at the moment, the long leisurely lunch break appears to be a thing of the past. You may find yourselves lucky if you are able to grab 15 minutes halfway through the day, and even then, how many times do you stay at your desk catching up on household bills or emails from friends? This summer Gizzi Erskine and recruitment specialist Monster are on a mission to ‘Bring Back Britain’s Lunch Hour’!

If you are one of these desk junkies then it is often difficult to make sure you have a nutritious lunch. If you are getting fed up of the daily cheese sandwich then Gizzi has the answer.

You can easily bring new live to your lunches with simple changes. Perhaps alter the bread you use, try having a nutritious soup or delicious, healthy salad.

The key is to prepare the night before, remember any left over’s you have can be turned into a delicious meal for the following day. And for those with really hectic lifestyles, make a large quantity at the weekend and then you can take portions throughout the week.

You will be amazed at the difference a healthy tasty lunch can make on your productivity and general well-being come the end of the day. Monster believes the lunch hour is time to enhance work/life balance by spending time away from the desk. Eating good food, learning something new, reading, exercising or just relaxing, will enable smarter working in the afternoon.

In order to help liven up your lunch hour, food writer and presenter Gizzi Erskine has teamed up with Monster.co.uk to provide you with some nutritious and delicious recipes.

In the following video she talks you through a week’s worth of recipes

Land of the Riesling Sun

Watch this live webTV show to learn all about French wines from Alsace and Asian food, with wine expert Joanna Simon and famous Asian cuisine chef Ching He Huang

Show date: 18th June 2010
Show time:13.00

From sushi to spring rolls, thai curry to tandoori, Asian cuisine has fully established itself as a favourite in the UK. But while the chefs are carefully blending spices to create unique mouthwatering dishes, rarely do we pay them the compliment of choosing a wine that best matches our favourite flavours.

As Alsace wines are appetisingly fresh and aromatic, with a notable clarity of fruit and good acidity they are spot on to go with spicy, salty, sweet and sour flavours found in Asian dishes. Most people tend to think of a beer with their Asian food, or if they do think of buying a wine to drink with it, the idea that a wine can compliment a spice seems rather odd, but far from it. In fact the right grape variety can add to a home delivered (or home cooked!) Asian meal.

TV chef Ching He Huang and leading wine journalist and food and wine matching expert Joanna Simon will be joining us for a live webchat, where they’ll be offering guidance on which wines bring out the best in each Asian dish; from the fruity, floral tastes of the more elegant Alsace wines such as Riesling through to luscious or spicy whites like Pinot Gris or Gewurztraminer.

Ching He Huang and Joanna Simon join us live online at http://www.studiotalk.tv/chat/land_of_the_riesling_sun
on Friday 18th June at 13.00 to demonstrate how Alsace wines can compliment Asian food.

Brasserie Joël Now Open

Chef Joël Antunes Launches London Brasserie

Returning to the UK after more than a decade abroad, Chef Joël Antunes today opened the doors to his new London restaurant, Brasserie Joël.

Open for dinner nightly, the contemporary brasserie is located in the heart of London’s South Bank at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London hotel.

Antunes’ menu is based on a selection of classic bistro dishes that pair the very best-available seasonal ingredients with the expertise he has gained from more than 30 years of cooking in some of the world’s leading kitchens.

The menu changes daily to provide the freshest fish, meats and produce, and includes a wide range of bistro favourites such as Traditional Steak Tartar, freshly made Fish Soup, homemade Pork Terrine, hand-dived Scallops, Sea Bass in Papillote, and Tournedos Rossini in Truffle Sauce. Entrees range in price from approximately £12 to £28.

Complementing the French-inspired menu is a wide variety of Old World and New World wines, a dozen of which will be offered by the glass.

In a career spanning more than 30 years, Antunes has worked in some of the world’s leading kitchens including Paul Bocuse and Troisgros, Meneau and Maximin in his native France; The Connaught and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison in the UK; as well as spending time in Asia’s best restaurants including Kiyomi Mikuni Restaurant, Tokyo, and restaurant Normandie at the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.

By the early 1990’s, Antunes’ reputation for excellence was well established and he burst onto London’s rapidly growing dining scene as Chef and Partner of Les Saveurs, earning the restaurant a host of awards, including a Michelin star. Since then, he launched a multi-award winning eponymous venture, Joël restaurant in America, as well as holding executive chef positions with the Ritz Carlton Dining Room in Atlanta and consulting chef on the opening at the Oak Room at The Plaza in New York. He counts a James Beard Award among his many American accolades.

Brasserie Joël is open from 5:30 to 10:30 pm nightly. Reservations: +44 (0) 20 7620 7272

Information: www.brasseriejoel.co.uk

Located on the vibrant South Bank opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London is only steps from the city’s most iconic attractions including the London Eye, London Aquarium and Royal Festival Hall. Spacious guest rooms, which include 54 suites and penthouses, provide a host of boutique touches alongside thoughtful amenities. Distinctive dining options include Brasserie Joël, Ichi Sushi and Sashimi Bar, espressamente illy coffee bar and for cocktails, the stylish Primo Bar.

Mid Summer Sunday Brunch Launches on the Stunning Terrace at Brunello at The Baglioni Hotel

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

The sun is out and summer is in full swing, what better way to welcome in the long hazy days than with a stunning new Sunday brunch menu at Brunello Restaurant in The Baglioni Hotel. This delectable new offering is also launching alongside the lovely Brunello Terrace over looking the heavenly parkland of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.

Relax and unwind in the luxury and comfort that makes up the Brunello experience, making Sunday a day to remember. Head Chef Andrea Vercelli has devised the ultimate all day brunch menu with a good list of tempting favourites perfect for a laid back weekend feast with family and friends and even better alongside a glass of chilled champagne or prosseco or even a lovingly made cocktail from the extensive Brunello list.

Choose from the classics which include Poached eggs, Florentine, Royal and Benedict, Fried eggs with Italian sausage and sautéed mushrooms and Leek and potato frittata. There is also a good selection of paninis and sandwiches, these include old favourites like The Baglioni club, a delectable Hamburger or cheeseburger or The Milanese, breaded veal escalope served on ciabatta bread.

For those looking for something on the lighter side there is also a good selection of salads and light bites including Mixed grilled vegetables with buffalo mozzarella and rocket pesto, Smoked salmon blini with soured cream and Seared veal loin with tuna sauce.

Pasta is also the order of the day and a few examples include Crab linguine with sweet chilli and spring onions, Spinach and ricotta Ravioli with butter and sage and a mouth-watering Lasagne. Mains feature Grilled ribeye, Chicken paillard and Deep-fried prawns and squid with rocket and tartare sauce. For pudding Chocolate soufflé is a must as is the Flambé of mixed wild berries and Grand Marnier with lemon sorbet and the Brunello Tiramisu is not to be left with out a mention.

With its views over the park, exceptional offering and sumptuous setting be it in the restaurant or out on the sunny terrace, Sunday brunch at Brunello is a must this summer.

To reserve a table for Sunday brunch pleased contact reservations at Brunello on 020 7368 5900.

The Boaters Inn in Kingston – Restaurant Review

The Boaters Inn
Canbury Park
Lower Ham Road
Kingston Upon Thames
Surrey KT2 5AU
Tel: 020 8541 4672

Louise Elgin reviews….

When the sun is shining in a cloudless blue sky, what can be more pleasant than a stroll by the river? Recently I did just that when I dined at The Boaters Inn in Kingston. Ideally situated right by the water in Canbury Park, it has stunning views over the Thames stretching down to Teddington Lock and beyond. The Boaters Inn is both a pub and a restaurant. There are plenty of tables outside for al fresco drinking and inside there is a large and spacious dining room with a dark wood interior with plenty of windows and views over the river. Every Sunday in June jazz is played live, which I can imagine only adds to the relaxed atmosphere.

Recently The Boaters Inn has had something of a makeover in culinary terms. Head Chef Amy Martin, previously of The Four Seasons in Dublin and The North London Tavern has brought a wealth of modern European influences that have created a very interesting and eclectic menu. To begin there were some wonderful sharing platters. These include a magnificent sounding vegetarian Mezze, whilst for carnivores there was a meat platter packed with terrines, hams and salamis. We settled on an assorted fish variety, feasting on a generous plate of smoked salmon, juicy langoustines, crispy whitebait, salt and pepper squid, and some rather too buttery potted crab. With this came accompanying dipping sauces – guacamole, mayonnaise and chilli jam and some lightly toasted bread. A perfect start. To drink we selected a bottle of nicely chilled French Cotes De Provence, a very full-bodied and rounded rose, perfect with the fish. The wine list was well thought out and fairly priced, the most expensive bottle being a modest £27.00.

To follow, we ordered some succulent and well-flavoured lamb chops complete with minted tzatziki, Greek salad and new potatoes. A plate of crisp and flaky ale battered fish and chips came with plenty of mushy peas and piquant tartare sauce. Other menu alternatives included a seafood and chorizo stew served with a tomato sauce and garlic bread, and an asparagus and roasted plum tomato and spinach mille feuille with a watercress pesto. For pudding there were a collection of old favourites including sticky toffee pudding, apple & cinnamon crumble and custard and Banoffee pie.

The Boaters Inn has a menu with something for every appetite. Whether you are in the mood for a salad or a sandwich or a three course meal the cooking is appetising and appealing at prices that are affordable and a view that’s hard to beat.

Louise Elgin. June 2010.

A two course meal with a bottle of wine is around £55.00 for two.

World-renowned Enoteca Pinchiorri comes to The Baglioni Hotel this June

This year, Brunello at The Baglioni Hotel celebrates the finest Italian cooking in a very special collaboration with some of Italy’s best chefs and restaurants. The second in this year long series of guest chef appearances takes place at Brunello from 17th to 19th June with the chefs from the world-renowned Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence taking over the kitchens at Brunello and bring their unique dining experience to London.

With a long standing reputation as one of Italy’s best restaurants, the three Michelin starred Enoteca Pinchiorri has wowed diners and critics for over thirty years. Now Annie FÈolde, the chef and co-owner of the restaurant will present some of her signature dishes at Brunello in two very specia menus: the three course menu priced at £65 per person (choose three courses from the 5 course menu) and the five course tasting menu priced at £95 per person. Annie and her team of chefs use French cooking techniques to interpret the traditional Tuscan gastronomy and her special menu at Brunello will feature:

Scallops with tomato cream, watercress leaves and hazelnut oil from Piedmont

Sea bass with a black olive crust; potato purÈe with extra virgin olive oil and shallots

Chinese ravioli filled with slowly braised guinea fowl and burrata; parmesan fondue, veal sauce and thyme

Roasted pigeon with spices and chestnut honey; chickpea flour tart and courgettes with fresh mint

Mango spiral with yoghurt and lime ice cream

The menu will be paired with some exquisite wine recommendations from Enoteca’s award-winning wine cellar.

This special year long series of Italian guest chef events at Brunello has already seen the two Michelin starred Rosellini’s restaurant from Palazo Sasso on the Amalfi coast in March. Future events will include Michelin starred Antonio Colonna from Rome in September and Don Alfonso restaurant in Sorento in November.

To book a table for this very special event, please contact reservations at Brunello on 020 7368 5900.

Brunello,
The Baglioni Hotel,
60 Hyde Park Gate,
London SW7 5BB
Enoteca Pinchiorri – www.enotecapinchiorri.it