Starters Soup of the dayÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â* Â*Â*£5.50 Braised duck leg & cep pie, chicory and lamb’s lettuce, hazelnut dressingÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* £7.00 Lamb sweetbreads, ham & broad beans, caper sauceÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* £6.50 Poached English asparagus, smoked salmon, truffled egg, quail’s eggÂ* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£8.00 Mains Fresh Pappardelle, cherry tomato sauce, wild garlic, shaved parmesanÂ*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£12.00 Grilled Perthshire beef fillet (180g), [...]

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Starters Soup of the dayÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â* £5.50 Braised duck leg and cep pie, chicory and lamb’s lettuce, hazelnut dressingÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£7.00 Lamb sweetbreads, ham & broad beans, caper sauceÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* £6.50 Poached English asparagus, smoked salmon, truffled egg, quail’s eggÂ* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£8.00 Mains Fresh Pappardelle, cherry tomato sauce, wild garlic, shaved parmesanÂ*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£12.00 Grilled Perthshire beef fillet (180g), [...]

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Simon King, chef/proprietor at restaurant 1861 in Cross Ash near Abergavenny, is a big fan of the sweet and succulent strawberry, here he gives a guide to the multitude of cooking options for this most versatile of fruits.

To get the very best from these luscious fruits, it’s important to make sure they are super fresh.

“I’d suggest pick-your-own, or strawberries in season at farmers’ markets, that way you know they are fresh, and they are less likely to have been grown purely for high cropping rates, rather than flavour,” he says.

“Rain will impact on the flavour of strawberries, so try and do your picking on a fine day, when the fruit has been gently warmed by the morning sun.”

Strawberries, as we all know, are gorgeous with cream, but they are very versatile and have a great flavour when poached.

“Just cook them very gently in a little caster sugar, the juice will slowly seep out and the strawberries will poach in the juice. My family’s current favourite is poached strawberries with rice pudding.”

“Our children love strawberries raw, as a snack. Even baby Thomas can munch his way though one, and he only has four teeth,” says Simon.

Simon loves making preserves, which he sells at restaurant 1861.

“Strawberry jam is fantastic, the only problem is that strawberries are low in pectin, so setting can be a problem, so add a little apple or gooseberry to help with the setting process.”


“You can even add champagne at the last minute, as well, to give a special lift. Another option is to add elderflowers, they are plentiful now, and are free. The tiny flowers add an extra flourish to the jam, and perfume it beautifully.”

Wild strawberries punch above their weight in terms of flavour.

“They may be tiny, but the taste is intense,” says Simon. “I made jam with them last year, and it was amazing.”

“Although strawberries will go perfectly in soufflés, cheesecakes and mousse, my absolute favourite is simply a bowl of them freshly picked with a dash of sugar and cream, washed down with a glass of champagne, or a Paul Cluver South African Late Harvest Riesling pudding wine.”

see - Creamed Rice Pudding, Strawberry Compote

Starters Beef cheeks croquettes, gribiche sauce and watercressÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* £6.00 Soup of the dayÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â* £5.50 Poached English asparagus, smoked salmon, truffled egg, quail’s eggÂ* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£8.00 Mains Fresh Pappardelle, cherry tomato sauce, wild garlic, shaved parmesanÂ*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£12.00 Grilled Perthshire beef fillet (180g), daube cottage pie, watercressÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£25.50 Pan-fried “magret”, dauphinoise potatoes, french beans, cherry jusÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£18.00 [...]

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A talented group of young cooks from around the UK have impressed a panel of judges from the Guild of Food Writers in its annual CookIt! Competition.

The six finalists have been selected to go through to the next round and now face a cook-off in the kitchens of the BBC Good Food magazine on Thursday 9 June in front of a panel of guest judges. The judges include cookery writer and columnist Diana Henry, TV chef Richard Phillips, and a member of the BBC Good Food magazine team.

Generously sponsored by Gold Top milk, this popular cookery competition attracts a large number of entrants every year. This year is slightly different in that not only do the entrants have to create a delicious and imaginative main meal and dessert, but also have to show their technical skills in the kitchen.

Jane Suthering, President of the Guild of Food Writer says that 'It's delightful to see the interest that some young people have in cooking. And the judges are especially pleased to see that two of last year's finalists are once again joining us for the final'.

The finalists include:
Emma De Salis Young (12) from Leicester, will be cooking shepherds pie tartlet with rosemary gravy, followed by lemon mousse with spun sugar.
Freya Blount (14) from Cheshire, will be cooking roast chicken with fig and lemon and onion Vesuvius, followed by hot blueberry soufflé with liquorice ice cream.
Ben Quinney (13) from Hertfordshire, will be cooking pomegranate khoresh with potato-crusted rice, followed by soft chocolate swirl pots.
Elliot Bryant (12) from Surrey, will be cooking pan-fried duck breasts marinated in orange and rosemary, followed by pineapple tarte tatin with coconut cream.
Natalie Miron (13) from Reading, will be cooking chicken roulade with a mushroom duxelle filling, cumin and pine nut rice and a duo of root vegetable purées, followed by a trio of chocolate desserts.
Amelia Curtis-Deer (12) from Ipswich, will be cooking pan-fried fillet of beef with a soufflé of wild mushrooms sitting on a potato galette with scattered baby beetroot and fine asparagus, followed by crêpe with pomegranate and orange coulis.

Teddington Cheese Adds 24 New Cheeses To Its Range
Leading cheese retailer Teddington Cheese has added 24 new cheeses to its extensive online range. The products are the favourites from a broader range of cheeses that have been tried and tested in Teddington Cheese's two retail outlets (in Teddington and Richmond upon Thames). Only those proving the most popular made it to the online shop.

Eight cow's milk, 12 goat, and four ewe's milk cheeses make up the new range, plus one which has a mixture of all three milks. They comprise 13 British, one Dutch, one Swiss and nine French. "I am constantly on the search for new varieties of cheese, and also opportunities to find better varieties of those we already stock." Says Teddington Cheese owner, Tony Chuck,

"The enormous variety of British cheeses - with new ones becoming available on a regular basis nowadays - means that we are in a position to stock a wide range of cheeses sourced from the UK. That said, there are still many other great cheeses from continental Europe, and we pride ourselves on seeking out the very finest producers of these. "

One interesting example is Capria, a brand new soft English goat's cheese from one of Teddington Cheese's regular suppliers, Lightwood Cheese in Worcestershire. "This has already built a loyal fan club in the retail shops." says Chuck .


Another is Saveur du Maquis, from a diary called Pierucci in Corsica. This ewe's milk cheese has a delicate flavour, with a covering of rosemary.
.
Finally, Cabro D'or is a sticky orange rind goat's cheese, from Pays D'Urfe in France, this goats milk cheese It is delicate in flavour when young but becomes quite pungent when mature. 200g.

Starters Beef cheeks croquettes, gribiche sauce and watercressÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* £6.00 Soup of the dayÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â* £5.50 Poached English asparagus, smoked salmon, truffled egg, quail’s eggÂ* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£8.00 Mains Fresh Pappardelle, cherry tomato sauce, wild garlic, shaved parmesanÂ*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£12.00 Grilled Perthshire beef fillet (180g), daube cottage pie, watercressÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£25.50 Pan-fried “magret”, dauphinoise potatoes, french beans, cherry jusÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£18.00 [...]

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Oceania Cruises, who are renowned for offering the finest cuisine at sea, has named former businesswoman and passionate chef, American born Kathryn Kelly as the company's new culinary enrichment director.

In this newly created position Kathryn Kelly is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the "Bon Appétit Culinary Center", the first hands-on cooking school at sea on board Oceania Cruises' newly built luxury cruise ship, Marina, which launched in January 2011. The Bon Appétit Culinary Center will also be featured on her sister ship, Riviera, launching in April 2012.

Chef Kelly was previously the executive chef of the Culinary Center and will now develop the curriculum, recruit instructors and guest chefs, as well as integrate cooking classes with the shore excursion programme, in addition to teaching classes.

"We are pleased to have Chef Kelly accept this new role with Oceania Cruises," said Bruce Himelstein, president of Oceania Cruises. "Her success overseeing the culinary center on Marina will now be realised on Riviera and transcend our entire fleet."

Chef Kelly's love of cooking began in her grandmothers' kitchens. She was awarded a scholarship from Pillsbury as a "promising young chef" and subsequently worked her way through college at Seattle's prestigious Northwest Passage restaurant, where she discovered the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

After a fulfilling career that included founding one of the earliest healthcare software ventures, leading a multi-billion dollar global outsourcing company and being named one of the Top Female Executives by the YWCA, Chef Kelly returned to her passion, cooking.

Back in the kitchen, Kelly joined the famed culinary team of SALT at the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island. She then enrolled and graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) where she continues to serve as an advisor and culinary instructor for their "Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives" project with the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. She is also a Fellow of the CIA.

Kelly has completed her ProChef certification from the American Culinary Foundation and is a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs and Chefs for Sustainable Agriculture. She holds two master's degrees in Public Health and Community Medicine and completed her doctoral studies in epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.

Starters Soup of the dayÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â* £5.50 Poached English asparagus, smoked salmon, truffled egg, quail’s eggÂ* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£8.00 Pan fried scallops, “boudin noir”, piquillos coulis, slow roast tomatoÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* £10.50 Mains Fresh Pappardelle, cherry tomato sauce, wild garlic, shaved parmesanÂ*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£12.00 Grilled Perthshire beef fillet (180g), daube cottage pie, watercressÂ*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*£25.50 Pan-fried “magret”, dauphinoise potatoes, french beans, [...]

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