Festive Brioche

I travelled to London on a chilly sunny day this week to attend a Brioche Masterclass in association with Brioche Pasquier.  There were blogging friends old and new to natter with as we baked, and of course delicious morsels to keep us going.

After getting slightly lost on the way to the venue, involving a hike up and back down a very big hill, we got to the event and after a welcome cuppa got started on the brioche baking process.  Note to self: Never trust instructions on the website of a venue, always use your own map, and if Wharf is mentioned in the venue address it is unlikely to be uphill. Yes Helen, you were right!

I had a fab time and adapted the recipe from the event to bake some Festive Brioche which went down very well in our household.  These would be fab for afternoon tea, brunch or a breakfast on the go.

Festive Brioche

500g strong bread flour

100g water

3 free range eggs

125g butter

60g caster sugar

40g instant yeast

8g salt

60g caster sugar

1 tsp mixed spice or cinnamon

100g dried cranberries

100g chocolate chips, I used dark chocolate

Glaze:

1 free range egg

2 Tblsp milk

Put the flour into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Add the salt and first measure of sugar to one side of the bowl and then add the yeast to the other side of the bowl.  Add the water, eggs and butter than mix on a low speed for 3 minutes then 5 minutes on medium speed.  Add the rest of the sugar and mixed spice before kneading for another 5 - 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic.

Knead through the chocolate and cranberries.  Divide the dough into portions of 50g and shape each into a ball.  Put on lined baking trays and brush with water to stop the dough from drying out.  Leave to prove until doubled in size, this took about an hour and a half. Brush the brioche with the glaze and sprinkle over crushed sugar if you like.

Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan and bake the brioche for 10 - 12 minutes.  Leave the brioche to cool before serving.

I iced these Brioche with orange flavoured icing and topped them with festive sprinkles

I topped these Brioche with crunchy Demerara sugar before baking.

Many thanks to Brioche Pasquier for the goodie bag and for paying my travel expenses to attend the event.

2 comments Basics, Bread, Breakfast, Christmas, Gift Ideas, PR Event, Vegetarian

Sandwich Filling Ideas with Warburtons

I recently had a brilliant time with Warburtons at the fab Food at 52 Cookery School playing around with sandwich fillings.  It was so much fun to be presented with a huge range of ingredients and be able to just create flavour combinations using a wide variety of Warburtons products under the watchful eye of James Ramsden who offered ideas and encouragement throughout the event.

The four 'sandwiches' I created during the morning were:

Beef, Beetroot and Garlic Mayonnaise 

Fresh Figs, Dark Chocolate and Cream Cheese

Marmite, Strong Cheddar and Apple

Grilled Spam, Fried Egg, Lime Pickle and Fresh Coriander

I had a brilliant time at the event, experimenting and chatting with blogger friends old and new.  It was so refreshing to be given freedom to create flavours instead of being led through a recipe as often happens with Masterclasses and events.  

I do try to bake all of our bread, however should I be unable to due to time pressures, I would be happy for my family to use products such as those I sampled at the event instead.  My daughters especially liked the sandwich thins and square wraps which we were sent to review.

** Disclosure:  I was paid to attend the event and had my travel expenses reimbursed.  I also received some Warburtons products to try before attending the event.   I was not required to blog about the event and all opinions are my own.  **

Leave a Comment Bread, Lunches, PR Event, Review, Snacks

Lactofree Event - aka take your Mum to work evening

My Mum will freely admit that she isn't the best cook in the world and enjoys both eating my delicious meals, and learning a few dishes from me, whenever she spends the summer with us.  One aspect of being a food blogger that I really enjoy is attending Masterclasses and cookery events.  I always learn loads from each one whether it be different techniques, different ways to use ingredients or just tips and tricks to help make cooking easier.  When I was invited along to an event for Lactofree over the summer my Mum asked if she could come along.  I was delighted when the PR confirmed that I could indeed bring along a guest.

My Mum now thinks that being a blogger is the best job in the world, despite having to battle London public transport in rush hour and drag heavy goodie bags home like super fit sherpas.  I must admit blogging is a fun and relatively stressfree antidote to my usual enjoyable yet stressful job and it was fab that my Mum could enjoy a cookery event with me.

We headed along to L’atelier Des Chefs  St Pauls Branch for a Lactofree Cooking Class.  I have been to L'atelier Des Chefs many times before and both the Oxford Circus and St Pauls branches are great venues with staff who are both knowledgeable and lovely.  Lactofree is launching a series of lactose-free cooking classes in partnership with L’atelier Des Chefs which will run from 6th September to 9th November, book online here.

Lactofree is a range of products for anyone who caters for those who are lactose intolerant but don’t want to miss out on eating dairy. Unlike soy milk, almond or rice milk, Lactofree products are still dairy they have just had the lactose removed.  This means Lactofree products still have the same taste as regular dairy products, unlike soy or rice milks which taste vastly different to cows milk.

My Mum expertly preparing scallops, with help from a lovely Chef

Throughout the cookery class we were under the expert guidance of the Chefs from L'atelier Des Chefs and had the chance to cook Pan-fried Scallops with Beurre Blanc, Traditional Pasties, Smoked Salmon Blinis, Chicken Passanda and some delicious cupcakes for a sweet treat.

We had a brilliant time, learned lots and ate lots before heading back home via the Tube and train. It was fab that I was able to let my Mum experience some of what I get up to doing this blogging lark. Mum may now want her own personal Chef! LOL

My Mum and the lovely Randal who taught Mum how to make blinis

Many thanks to Lactofree and L'atelier Des Chefs for their hospitality. I was not compensated for this post (other than an enjoyable evening and a goodie bag) as usual all views are my own.

Leave a Comment Dairy free, PR Event, Review

Grana Padano Week at L'Anima

I was delighted to attend a Masterclass followed by a delicious dinner at L'Anima in London to celebrate Grana Padano Week.  My daughters and I have attended previous Grana Padano events, such as this one in associated with Slow Food UK.

However, this event was strictly for grownups.  We were welcomed to the restaurant on a scorching hot July afternoon and squeezed into the kitchen for a Masterclass with Davide Oldani of Michelin starred Restaurant D’O in Milan and Francesco Mazzei of L’Anima in London.  

We donned our aprons and squeezed into the restaurant kitchen to watch the chefs demonstrate a couple of dishes that would be appearing on our special menu to celebrate Grana Padano Week.  We were joined by Italian TV who were filming the chefs and us.

I was asked by Davide to plate up his heavenly dish after watching him.  No pressure! I nervously plated up the dish copying what I had seen him do moments earlier and it didn't look too bad compared to his one.

Davide's plated up gnocchi on the left and mine is on the right. 

Francesco demonstrated a scallop dish with N’duja, Grana Padano Riserva & crispy peppers and sage leaves.

We were then lead back out to the main restaurant to have some appetisers before our delicious dinner.  The appetisers were divine and it took all my considerable willpower not to eat too many.

These deliciously light cheese balls were AMAZING! Very moreish and packed with flavour

Delicate Choux Buns filled with Grana Padano mousse and caramelised red onions, heaven in a mouthful.

Light, crispy pastry filled with Grana Padano and spinach, delicious!

Soon it was time for our dinner and I had a fab time eating excellent food and chatting with bloggers who I hadn't met before.  I was seated next to Amy from She Cooks, She Eats who was lovely.  

I had the best dinner I've had for a long time and it was great seeing Francesco and meeting Davide.  Both chefs are incredibly passionate about Italian regional cuisine, brilliant at what they do, and showed off the versatility of Grana Padano very well with the delicious dishes we were served.

Many thanks to L'Anima and Grana Padano for a fabulous time!

1 comment Masterclass, PR Event, Review

British Summer Berries

After the gloom and freezing temperatures in winter followed by the almost endless rain and record breaking cold this spring I'm rejoicing in the sun and warmth of the British summer.  Yes there is still rain and some chilly days but the summer, and the delicious produce it brings, is well and truly here.

My favourite produce in summer, apart from fresh salad greens, is berries.  My family and I cannot get enough of them.  We grow strawberries and raspberries in our back garden and forage for blackberries.  Our plants cannot keep up with our demand for berries so we inevitably traipse off to buy some.

I was delighted to be invited along to a Summer Berry Food Experience evening at Tesco in Hatfield to learn more about where their berries come from and the production process.

We were offered champagne or smoothies on arrival and treated to more berries than we could possibly eat.  In between devouring delicious British berries we were told where the berries were grown, how the berries are picked, graded, packed and transported.

Tesco employ a Berry Technologist, a job I would love to do, to research berry varieties and ensure quality is maintained.  They also have have long-term trading relationships with all of their growers.  All berries are in shops a maximum of 24 hours after being picked.

Did you know:

Strawberries and raspberries do not ripen after being picked.

There are about 200 seeds on a strawberry.

You should store your berries in the fridge but take them out about an hour before serving so that the berries can come to room temperature.  This allows the flavours to fully develop.

Strawberries come in all different shapes and sizes:

Tesco will be stocking new berries to delight out tastebuds this year.  

Mac Black Raspberries – a darker colour, larger in size and sweeter in taste than traditional raspberries.  In season during June and July.

Aronia Berries – look similar to a cranberry and best used in smoothies and cooked in summer puddings.  In season late August to September

Kiwi Berries – these are the size of a grape and can be eaten whole with the skin on.  In season during September.

If you would like some delicious ideas and recipes using British Berries check out Tesco Real Food.

I used some of the contents of my goodie bag to make a Summer Berry Tart.  Spread the inside of an all butter pastry case with a little lemon curd, fill with whipped cream then pile on the berries.  Perfect for a quick but impressive dessert, especially if unexpected company calls around for dinner.

I was the guest of Tesco Real Food, who paid my travel costs to the event.  I was given a goodie bag including store vouchers.  All opinions are my own and I was not required to blog the event as a condition of attendance.  

Leave a Comment Basics, PR Event, Puddings, Review

Behind the scenes at KFC

I recently spent a day behind the scenes at KFC, both at their Head Office in Woking, and a local store near Heathrow.

Prior to my day with KFC I hadn't set foot in one of their stores or tasted their wares in over 8 years.  We don't eat takeaways often as a family, my children have a fast food burger meal perhaps 2 or 3 times a year at most.

To be honest I was expecting a day of PR spin and unanswered questions, I could not have been more wrong.  Not only were probing questions encouraged they were answered in full and nothing was off limits.  Hurrah!

We met with the Head of Research and Development Mark Baxter and Chris Fells the Product Excellence Director.  Both used to work for a large supermarket brand before moving to KFC.  We also met with members of the PR team.  

Let's talk about chooks

All the on the bone chicken sold at KFC in Britain is British and is supplied by 4 companies which supply the major supermarkets.  As well as adhering to the very basic Red Tractor welfare standards KFC are committed to a natural enrichment programme.  This basically means barns/sheds with more natural light and providing objects for chickens to perch on and peck at.  They are altering their tender process to ensure that by 2014 100% of UK suppliers will provide enriched environments for their chickens, at present about 75% of their suppliers do.

You can see a clip of a visit to one of the UK chicken farms which supplies KFC here. 

Chicken used in other products comes from farms in the EU, Thailand and Brazil which are regularly inspected by independent inspectors to ensure welfare standards for the chickens are upheld.  KFC also ensures that farmers and their workers are paid good and fair prices for their produce.  

The bottom line is, if you want to eat only organic and/or free range chicken you probably aren't going to be a KFC customer.  Make up your own mind about their chicken, the choice is yours.

A nutritionists nightmare? Not necessarily!

KFC are keen to reduce salt content of their products and provide healthier options for their customers.  They do not salt their fries and have reduced salt content in some products by 16% in the last 6 months.  There has been extensive research and taste tests carried out in order to continue the salt reduction programme without compromising the traditional KFC taste.  Full details of the nutrition breakdown are on tke KFC website here, so parents can mix and match which options are lowest in salt, calories, etc.  

We tasted numerous KFC products throughout the day and the large BBQ Grilled Rancher Salad was delicious and under 200 calories so you could even indulge whilst on a 5:2 diet fast day.  The children's meal that we sampled was also delicious, however I would recommend the on the bone chicken as this is British and the only processing is breading which takes place in store.

Behind the scenes instore

We were issued with special shoes, coats and caps before heading behind the tills to the food preparation area of a local KFC restaurant.  We all took turns preparing some on the bone chicken, breading it and getting it ready for cooking.  The on the bone chicken is never frozen and is prepared fresh instore.  We were shown the forecast system stores use to show staff which products need to be cooked and how long it has been since the products were prepared.  The system uses data from customer transactions over a set time period to predict the volume of products that need to be cooked.  The system ensures quality is maintained, wastage is minimised and of course profits are maximised.

It was an interesting insight into the workings of a fast food restaurant.  We were also told that all the waste oil used in KFC restaurants is collected and taken away to be turned into biodiesel.

The Verdict

I was surprised and impressed with the honesty and openness of the team and the fact that no questions were off limits.  Their transparency and willingness to offer healthier product options and improving the welfare of the chickens used in their products was admirable.  I am open to taking my family to KFC for a very occasional treat should the opportunity arise whereas it was not an option I would've considered before.  It was an informative and enlightening day, footage of which will be on the KFC website later this month.

Many thanks to the team at KFC for inviting myself and two other bloggers along to their Head Office in Woking and behind the scenes at a local store.  The cost of my travel was paid by KFC and we were treated to many KFC products throughout the day.  I was not paid to write this post which contains my opinions and impressions from information obtained both on the day and from the KFC website.

5 comments Chicken, PR Event, Review

Marinated Pork Ribs

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a Chinese Cooking Masterclass hosted by Hannah Hayes from China Feast to celebrate the launch of Amoy Premium Soy Sauce.  The Masterclass was held in a brilliant venue, the Central Street Cookery School which is a facility that enables the whole community to cook together, to learn about health through food and cooking and to gain essential skills for life - something I am very passionate about.  It was a great space to work in, very light and airy with plenty of room and excellent facilities.

During the Masterclass we were instructed how to cook Egg Fried Rice, Soy, Honey and Mustard Chicken Skewers and Hannah’s Mouth-watering Chicken along with Hot and Sour Soup.  It was a rather busy and action packed day!

I normally prefer Japanese Soy Sauce which is brewed for longer and doesn't contain any preservatives or sugar.  The Amoy Special Selection Soy Sauce is made with “the finest extracts of soya beans and blended with sea salt”, you can really taste the salt so I wouldn't use too much of it when cooking for my children.  It does have a richer flavour than their regular version, however I still prefer Japanese Soy Sauce.

That said, I decided to make some Marinated Pork Ribs so my family could form their own opinions on the Amoy Special Selection Soy Sauce.

Marinated Pork Ribs

1kg pork ribs

2 Tblsp Amoy Special Selection Soy Sauce

1 Tblsp honey

1 tsp tomato paste

1 Tblsp oil

1 Tblsp wholegrain mustard

Mix together all the marinade ingredients, pour over the ribs and make sure they are thoroughly coated.  Leave to marinate for half an hour at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.  I marinated mine in the morning then left the ribs covered in the fridge all day before cooking them for dinner in the evening.

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan.  Put the ribs into a foil lined roasting dish and bake for 35 - 45 minutes until cooked through, or alternatively BBQ the ribs until cooked through.  I usually serve mine with cooked rice and steamed vegetables in chillier weather or with a variety of salads in the summer.

The Verdict:

My family thought the ribs had a richer flavour, youngest said that they were almost too salty for her.  I would use the soy sauce when cooking for adults or teenagers as the salt content for younger children does worry me.  Dinner was devoured enthusiastically however and other than what I mentioned above there were no other complaints.

3 comments BBQ, Dinners, Pork, PR Event, Review

Asda Stir It Up Sunday Recipes

I was delighted to be able to attend the Asda Stir It Up Sunday Event at Leiths School of Food and Wine last week.  It was a brilliant night and we all had a fabulous time sampling the treats Asda will have instore for customers this Christmas as well as making our own Mince Pies, Christmas Pudding and Christmas Biscuits.  I sampled quite a few *cough* items from the Extra Special Christmas Entertaining Range and every single one was scrumptious.

I love events at Leiths, they are always well organised and the fascilities are what you would expect from a world class Cookery School.  As always the staff from Leiths, Asda Product Managers and PR ladies were lovely and it is always great to catch up with them and loads of other bloggers as we all like a good natter and glass of wine (or two).



Penny and I having a good natter and giggle, as usual

 Christmas Pudding

This is the recipe that Asda use to make their Extra Special Christmas Puddings, we tasted some at the event and they are delicious.  We were able to sample puddings that had been matured for 6, 12 and 24 months.  It was an interesting experiment as we were asked to do a blind tasting and guess which was which.  I am pleased to say that we all guessed correctly and all 3 puddings tasted delicious.

This mixture makes one pudding for a two pint pudding basin:

85g raisins

55g currants

100g sultanas

40g chopped mixed peel 

110g mixed dried apricots and figs, chopped

145ml brown ale

1 tablespoon rum

Grated zest & juice of half an orange

Grated zest & juice of half a lemon

55g prunes - soaked overnight in cold tea, then drained and chopped

1/2 dessert apple - grated

Soak all the fruit (except the prunes) overnight in the beer, rum, orange juice and lemon juice. In the morning add the drained, chopped prunes

Grate the apple into this mixture:

110g softened butter

170g soft, dark brown sugar

1 tblsp treacle 

1.5 eggs

55g self raising flour, sifted

1/2 tsp ground mixed spice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch ground ginger

Pinch salt

110g breadcrumbs

30g toasted hazelnuts, toasted (again, I would usually substitute more glace cherries for this)

Beat together the butter and sugar, when light add the orange and lemon zest and the treacle.

Whisk the eggs together and gradually add them to the mixture, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the flour, spices, salt and breadcrumbs.

Stir in the nuts and dried fruit mixture, plus any of the soaking liquor.

Spoon the mixture into a greased 2 pint pudding basin.

Cover with two layers of pleated greaseproof paper, and one piece of pleated kitchen foil.

Tie up with string.  When ready to cook, steam for 10-12 hours. Put a large saucepan on to boil and put an upside down saucer on the bottom. Using the string handle, lower the pudding into the boiling water. The water needs to come at least half the way up the basin.

Cover the pan, and leave to cook, topping up the water as necessary (use boiling water from the kettle to top it up).

Leave the pudding to cool, and re-cover it. You can now store it for up to 2 years, in a cool dark place.  When you're ready to serve the pudding on Christmas Day, steam for 2-3 hours before serving.

Asda and Leiths' Christmas Mince pies

These are so simple to make, my daughters and I shall be making several batches.  The batch of a dozen that I made at the event lasted 1 day, my husband had 6 of them and my daughters devoured the rest after school.

Rich sweet shortcrust pastry:

170g plain flour

pinch of salt

100g unsalted butter, diced

2 tbsps caster sugar

1 egg yolk

2 Tblsp iced cold water

Filling:

1 jar of Asda Extra Special mincemeat (whisky and orange or brandy and port).  Sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl.

Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add the caster sugar and mix.  Mix the egg yolk with two tbsps of water and add to the flour mixture.

Mix to a firm dough, first using a cutlery knife then using one hand to bring the mixture together. It might be necessary to add a little more water to bring the mixture together but it should not be too damp.  Although crumbly pastry dough is more difficult to handle, it produces a shorter and lighter result.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C (using a hot oven means that the pastry cooks before the butter melts).

Divide the pastry into two, about two thirds and one third.  Roll out the larger piece to about 3mm thick. Cut out 12 circles a little wider than the indentations on the tray. Press the pastry circles gently into the indentations in the tray.

Roll out the smaller piece of pastry to about 3mm thick. Cut out 12 larger stars or 24 smaller stars and place on a baking tray.

Chill both pastry trays in the fridge for 20 to 30 hours (this relaxes the gluten in the pastry, ensuring the pastry doesn't shrink when cooking).

Place a tsp of mincemeat in the centre of each pastry circle (don't overfill the circles as the mixture will bubble as it reheats and might spill over the edges).

Place the stars lightly on top of the mixture.  Bake the pies in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

Remove the pies from the tin and place them on a wire rack to cool. Before serving, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

 

Thanks so much to Asda for a brilliant evening and for paying my travel expenses so I could attend the event.

Leave a Comment Christmas, PR Event, Puddings, Snacks

Asda Pie Event at their superb new development kitchens

I was invited to Leeds by Asda to make some delicious pies and discover their new Product Development Kitchens which had recently been remodelled.



Asda Development Chef in action making Steak and Ale Pie



The Product Development Kitchens are extensive and there are many separate areas for tastings, focus groups and creating new recipes and products to undergo the rigorous testing process before they appear in Asda stores.

It was a fab event, all the guests invited were asked to make pies and there was a chance for us all to taste the pies we had created at the conclusion of the event.



Helen and I made a Roast Vegetable, White Wine and Four Cheese Sauce Pie



I found the compredensive product creation process that Asda use fascinating and they try to mimic handmade methods as much as they can, even when machines are used in the production of their freshly made food products.

We were able to ask loads of questions and get tips and hints from the pie masterchefs at Asda, my favourite being that you can mix the pastry and fat as much as you like without making the pastry tough, it is when you add the liquid that you must handle it lightly or it will become tough.

I had a brilliant time travelling to Leeds and back, a welcome bonus was the chance to stay in a posh hotel for the night.  More about that later.

Asda have a large range of Chosen By You and Extra Special Pies, the Steak and Ale is delicious.  The Extra Special range of pies are currently on offer instore so what better time to try some out?

Thank you to Asda for paying all my travel costs to attend the event.

Leave a Comment Dinners, Lunches, PR Event

Taylors of Harrogate Coffee Visit

How far would you go for a decent cup of coffee?

I have a confession to make, I am a coffee snob.  I don't drink instant coffee and much prefer a cup brewed from freshly ground beans.  Coffee keeps me going, I cannot and will not function without a decent brew.

When I was invited by Taylors of Harrogate to a coffee event I was very excited to go along, even when they told me it would be a 4hr train journey each way.  I am that fond of decent coffee.  And besides I hadn't been that far up North in the UK so I thought why not go on a bit of a journey.  It was all I expected and much more!

The visit to Taylors was fab!  We had a gorgeous lunch followed by a coffee tasting session led by the extremely knowledgeable and friendly Emily who wasn't in the least but phased by some tricky questions posed by us bloggers.

Typical bloggers, despite being ravenous we have to take pics of lunch before we eat it! LOL

Taylors ensure they pay fair prices for their coffee from suppliers with many varieties certified as Fair Trade and we were shown a presentation detailing the production of coffee and how it is grown, processed, transported and prepared.  It is a very labour intensive and time critical process.



Emily talking us through the coffee growing, processing and transportation process



We were all instructed on the art of the slurp in order to properly taste the coffees on offer.  I found the citrussy flavoured coffees to be too weak and not to my liking at all.  I loved the Rich Italian (don't we all!) and Hot Lava Java varieties, both were strong and full bodied coffees.



Tasting the many and varied coffees on offer

We even got a tour of the factory, it was fascinating and well worth having to wear paper hair nets and coats.  We watched the coffee being roasted, ground and packaged.  It was like a live "How It's Made" programme, great fun!

Taylors have produced a handy Selection Pack of four coffees in exactly the right measures to use in an 8 cup cafetiere.  This means you can try a few different coffees without having to buy a whole bag of each one.  Genius!

The Selection Pack would be a great gift, along with an 8 cup cafetiere, for a coffee lover in your life.  Give it a go, the coffee is fab!

Many thanks to Taylors for their hospitality and for a brilliant and informative visit.  Everyone we met at the company was lovely, we were fed really well and I had a great time.

** Taylors of Harrogate paid my travel expenses to enable me to attend this event. **

1 comment Drink, Gift Ideas, Masterclass, PR Event