Basic Bread rolls: Y= 4 large rolls/ 1 medium loaf 375g Strong white bread flour 10g Castor sugar 15g Maldon salt 20g Chopped basil 30ml Olive oil 25g Wet yeast (or 1x7g dried yeast) 210ml Warm water Method: Add the yeast to the water and allow reaction (approximately 10minutes). Sieve flour and sugar into an... Read More

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Tea-scented loin of venison, butternut pearls, baby spinach, port sauce Roasted loin of venison, garnished with pearls of pumpkin, wilted spinach and port reduction The spiciness of the pepper is offset by the subtle perfuming of the bush tea. The flavours of the port along with the berry compote complement the mouth feel of the... Read More

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A number of years ago a very good friend was heavily involved with Medical Rescue in Cape Town. His observations of the ‘loony people over full moon’ were to have a profound, if not informal and very unscientific study that I decided to undertake. When I was training under my Chef Mentor, he turned to... Read More

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Over 300,000 votes cast in Spice Times Restaurant Competition

Two Kent Indian Restaurants, the Prince of India in Faversham and Alishan in Tonbridge picked up prestigious Spice Times Restaurant Awards 2010, at a glittering celebrity-studded ceremony and gala dinner, on Sunday 12th December. Held in Romford's City Pavilion, the evening was co hosted by Syed Ahmed, former star of BBC's TV's The Apprentice and ITV new presenter and Tasmin Lucia Khan. His Excellency Dr Mohammad Sayeedur Rahman Khan, the Bangladeshi High Commissioner to the UK, presented the awards.

The two Kent restaurants shared the accolade for "Best Local Restaurant - South East England".

Winners were decided by pubic online voting, in which 300,000 votes were cast around the country, for Britain's best Indian restaurants, whose number now exceed 18,000, making curry the nation's favourite dish.
The Prince of India recently won two Customer Excellence 2010 Awards for Manager of the Year and for Customer Relations. The 60-seater Preston Street restaurant is also the current holder of Kent Restaurant Awards' Best Takeaway.

Also feted at the dinner was Alishan, a favourite among Tonbridge residents since 1998 and renowned for its signature dish - Railway Lamb -an Anglo-Indian creation with cooked with baby potatoes, coconut milk, curry leaves and fresh herbs, which dates back to the nineteenth century when the British were laying railways in the sub-continent.

"I'm extremely proud to received such an award where the public decides the winners, said The Prince of India owner, Raj Abdin, "We have a large number of loyal, regular customers who were anxious to show their support.

Spice Times editor Moinul Hussain said, "The awards are a chance to showcase the very best of south Asian restaurants throughout the country."

:plate: :chef: :wine:

The Spice Times Restaurant Awards, a national public voting campaign ran by B2B magazine Spice Times, made their 12th December 2010 debut to universal praise.

The star packed event at the City Pavilion, Romford, was a complete success, and over 1000 guests and dignitaries attended the evening, including His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Sayeedur Rahman Khan; Bangladeshi high commissioner to the UK, Rt. Hon Rushanara Ali, Shadow Education Minister Sharon Hodgson and Deputy Mayor of Havering Cllr Melvin Wallace.

The highest accolade of the evening, the National Award, went to The Last Days of the Raj in Tyne and Wear.

The show featured breathtaking performances from the energetic and hilarious Signature, of Britain's Got Talent fame, and the award winning Flex FX dance troupe. Superb singing was on offer from Ameen Raja, while the guests enjoyed the meal prepared by Pride of Asia catering. The hosts, Daybreak's Tasmin Lucia Khan and Syed Ahmed of The Apprentice, bounced off of each other expertly, their banter maintaining a warm atmosphere throughout the evening.

Spice Times Chairman Moinul Hussain said: "It was a fantastic event and a great evening, the feedback that we've received from the public is superb. I've spoken to numerous restaurant owners and they are now referring to the Spice Times Restaurant Awards as the number one South Asian catering awards in the UK."

Pepsi's Senior UK Sales Director Matt Greenslade praised Mr Hussain for "delivering a great event," and pledged Pepsi's continuing support for the annual awards. Kingfisher CEO Damon Swarbrick called the event "a great success," and was "amazed" by the turnout of dignitaries and restaurateurs. "I think we can all agree that it was a success," stated Shelim Rashid of online restaurant directory Curries Online, "they will only get bigger and better from now on."

The event was sponsored by Pepsi, J20, Kingfisher Beer, Allied Foods, Curries Online, FHS Global, Blue Keld, Veetee Rice and Rent Reform. Media partners included NDTV Imagine, B4U, NTV and Channel i.

Winners:

National Winner: The Last Days Of The Raj (Gateshead, Tyne and Wear)

Regional Winners

East England: Mumtaz Mahal (Benfleet, Essex)

South East: Curry Inn (Cranleigh, Surrey)

London: Kasturi (London)

South West: Signature Viceroy (Yeovil, Somerset)

East Midlands: Saffron (Northampton, Northamptonshire)

West Midlands: Cafe Saffron (Shrewsbury, Shropshire)

Yorkshire and the Humber: Shimla Spice (Shipley/Bradford, West Yorkshire)

North West: The Viceroy (Carlisle, Cumbria)

North East: The Last Days Of The Raj (Gateshead, Tyne and Wear)

Scotland: Itihaas Banglaseshi & Indian Restaurant (Edinburgh, Midlothian)

Wales: TÃ…- Asha Balti House (Conwy, North Wales)

Best Takeaway in the South East: Balti Night (Braintree)

<img src="/images/Healthy-Eating.300.jpg" hspace="5" vspace="2" align="right">As we approach the New Year and the annual barrage of fad-diets, publisher Haynes is taking a characteristically practical and matter of fact approach with the launch of Healthy Eating: The practical guide to a balanced, nutritional diet.

Written by nutritionist Carina Norris of Channel 4's Turn Back Your Body Clock, the guide explains the principles of good nutrition and how to achieve them in the 21st century - even when time and money are short.

The book takes a positive approach to healthy eating, encouraging readers to look at the benefits of a balanced diet and offering simple, practical steps to improve nutrition for the whole family.

The Healthy Eating guide, now published in paperback, includes:
*Body fuel - the nutrients we need and why
*The nuts and bolts of a healthy diet - the food we should eat
*Key nutritional 'must haves' for different life stages
*Food and health
*Practical ways to eat a healthy diet including meal ideas and healthy eating when you're out and about

Norris also discloses why we put on weight and how to lose it as well as explaining cravings and how to snack healthily.

With information on all types of food intolerances, allergies, weight issues, age-related food consideration, the book provides an easy to follow guide for all ages, from children to the elderly.

The Author
Carina Norris is a registered nutritionist, author and journalist and is regularly called on for TV and radio interviews when nutrition is in the news. She is also involved nutritional research and has just completed her PhD on children's nutrition.

Grant’s marinated and seared Tuna on Samphire The recipe encapsulates the Japanese term of Umame. The sweetness of the plum wine, the piquant flavours of the pickled ginger and the richness of the tuna loin, combine to create a tuna dish that can be simply eaten raw or flash grilled for added flavours. Y= 25... Read More

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This was written several years ago, and is a reflection of my time spent under the wonderful guidance of Master Pastry Chef Claire Clark: As careers go, certain elements tend to get neglected if you don’t pay enough attention to them and one day you realise that there is a ‘certain something missing’. For the... Read More

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Whilst talk show queen Oprah Winfrey was in Sydney enjoying a relaxing Sunday lunch, her full contingent of 300 guests were having fun enjoying lunch at the iconic Waterfront restaurant at The Rocks.

The excited fans arrived at Dockside Group's Waterfront Restaurant after completing their private Harbour Bridge Climb, as part of their itinerary to see the "real" Australia.

The lunch at Waterfront Restaurant was shrouded in secrecy, with the guests unaware they were about to experience the charm and character of one of Sydney's most historic colonial landmark restaurants.

Located on historic Campbells Cove within The Rocks precinct offering Sydney Harbour and Opera House views, the converted stone warehouse of Waterfront Restaurant offered the excited audience members a relaxed Sunday lunch.

It was one of the few occasions that the full complement of lucky audience members were able to catch up, having been spread over various locations during the past few days.

Dockside Group's Marketing Manager Tracy Knight said "Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure" is a wonderful marketing campaign for Australia and we are overjoyed that Waterfront Restaurant was hand selected to showcase The Rocks and historic Sydney town to the Oprah entourage.

The Mira Hong Kong is celebrating a landmark Michelin-starred victory for its restaurants Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira and WHISK in the latest Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2011. Netting a coveted two Michelin stars, Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira's distinctive modern Cantonese fare drew the attention of the Guide's team of inspectors. A full page in the 2011 Guide was also devoted to modern French eatery WHISK, which garnered critical acclaim under Chef de Cuisine William Girard.

Applauding the city's best dining experiences in this, the hotly anticipated third Hong Kong Macau edition of the Michelin Guide, Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira was one of only nine restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau to be recognised with two coveted Michelin stars that equate to "excellent cooking, worth a detour." Five criteria adhered to when awarding Michelin stars are product quality, preparation and flavours, the cuisine's personality, value for money, and consistency over time and across the menu.

A restaurant that receives one or more stars is, according to the Michelin Guide, "not only one of the best in its country but also one of the best in the world."

"To have won not just one, but two Michelin stars in our first year of operation at Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira is testament to the standards that we have set for The Mira Hong Kong's restaurants. Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira's reputation was built on the legacy of our sister restaurant at ifc," said Martin Chung, General Manager of The Mira Hong Kong. "We commend the efforts of Chef Ken Yu who spearheads the kitchen at Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira, as he continues to rework the classics of the Cantonese culinary lexicon with a surprising new twist."

The Michelin Guide's inspectors also singled out WHISK as one of the 2011 Guide's newly selected restaurants. The Mira Hong Kong's contemporary French restaurant was chosen as a prime example of gastronomic excellence among the city's plethora of dining establishments.