I never liked beetroot growing up, as the only way I ever encountered it was pickled in vinegar which I found very unappealing and for some reason I found the colour deeply disturbing.It was only in my twenties that I ate beetrootÂ*for the first time. Roasted,Â*it was love at first bite.It’s the vegetable that reminds [...]

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I stumbled across a recipe for a savoury crumble on one of my favourite food bloggers site: Matt Bites and thought it was such an innovative concept.Â* Why does a crumble have to be sweet?He wrote that he had seen and eaten such a dish in France.Apple crumble is one of my favourite desserts, and [...]

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The heat is well and truly on as The Milestone gastro pub, based in Kelham Island, Sheffield, famous for its relaxed contemporary atmosphere and homemade locally sourced food, is set to battle it out for a place in the final of 'Ramsay's Best Restaurant', Gordon Ramsay's latest Channel 4 show, to be aired on Tuesday 9th November.

The award-winning restaurant, already crowned the winning restaurant under Ramsay's British category, will be put under the national spotlight once again as they go head to head with Bradford based Indian Restaurant, Prashad. The Milestone beat off fierce competition from the Michelin-starred restaurant, The West House in Kent, to earn them the place in the semi-final round.

The Milestone, which opened only three years ago, has made it past over 12,000 other restaurants to the reach the semi-finals. The owners, Matt Bigland and Marc Sheldon, have already seen a large increase in the volume of bookings and interest.

Marc comments: "Business has been booming since appearing on Ramsay's show and we've had lots of new faces through the door. It is very flattering to have people come and visit from all over the UK. Despite the added attention we have received, we've stayed true to our business and menu philosophy. We've continued to offer a highly personal dining experience, combined with a menu mixed with heritage and modernity, which is reflected our innovative use of fresh, locally sourced food."

On the back of their recent success and the increasing interest about the venue's ethos and philosophy behind the food and recipes, The Milestone has announced that it will be launching a cookbook.

Owner Matt Bigland comments: "After much grit and determination, we are very proud to be launching our first ever cookbook at the end of November. Out just in time for Christmas,
First, Catch Your Pig shares our gastronomic knowledge, the chefs' recipes and some stunning imagery of our culinary creations, farms and our own herd of pigs."

First, Catch Your Pig (£16.95) is out at the end of November and can be pre-ordered online at: the-milestone.co.uk/order.php

The Milestone which has also been featured in the Good Food Guide 2011 and The Michelin Guide to Eating Out in Pubs 2011 recently scooped the title of Best Pub in Yorkshire at the White Rose Awards, and two Eat Sheffield Awards: Restaurant of the Year 2010 and Best Gastro Pub.

The recipe for this delicious burger can be found here.

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Inspired by Laurence, this is such a tasty way to cook a variety of seasonal vegetables.Â* Aubergine, courgette, asapargus and carrots work really well.Thinly slice the vegetables and very lightly brush on one side with a bit of olive oil.Â* The asparagusÂ*getÂ* cooked whole.Heat a griddle pan to smoking hot and cook the vegetables, oiled [...]

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One of Singapore's most prestigious restaurants, Iggy's, has reclaimed its crown as the top dining spot in Asia in the third annual edition of the regional Miele Guide. Iggy's, run by famous restaurateur and Singaporean food ambassador Ignatius Chan, topped the list of Asia's best restaurants in the 2010/2011 Miele Guide.

This latest award win has further enhanced Singapore's global status as the culinary capital of Asia and follows a year of unprecedented visitor arrival figures. It also comes on the back of an extraordinary year of new launches which has catapulted Singapore's culinary offering to new heights. In particular, the recent openings of ten celebrity chef restaurants in Singapore's new spectacular Integrated Resorts, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, has brought the "Who's Who" of epicurean excellence to the shores of Singapore and created a gastro revolution that cannot be found elsewhere.

This year's Miele Guide saw competition from 450 restaurants in 17 countries and marks the third consecutive year that Iggy's has been recognised in these esteemed awards. In October 2008/2009, the inaugural edition of the guide voted Iggy's the best restaurant in Asia. It ranked number two in the 2009/2010 edition.

The Miele Guide, which was created in 2008 to better recognise Asia's best chefs and restaurants, is selected after several rounds of public voting and judging by an expert panel of chefs, restaurateurs and food writers. The top 10 list of restaurants recognised in the 2010/2011 Miele Guide is as follows:

1. Iggy's, Singapore
2. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Hong Kong, China
3. Robuchon a Galera, Macau, China
4. Jaan par Andre, Singapore
5. Antonio's, Cavite, Philippines
6. Mozaic, Bali, Indonesia
7. Zuma, Hong Kong, China
8. Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
9. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Tokyo, Japan
10. Caprice, Hong Kong, China

Since its inception in 2004, Iggy's has received international recognition around the world and made history when it became the first restaurant in South East Asia to be included in the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants, remaining in the top 20 today. The world-renowned Singaporean restaurant serves modern European cuisine and is the result of Ignatius Chan's lifelong desire to open a fine dining establishment where diners can savour the unexpected delights to be found in food fused with elements from the East and West.

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All credit for this magnificent recipe goes to my business partner Laurence Woodburn. He is an inspired, self taught and natural cooking maestro.Â*We have a lot of fun messing around in the kitchen talking smack about food and throwing a few ingredients into pots and pans.ConjuringÂ*up delicous meals using our very special ingredients from The [...]

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British Sausage Week 1-7 November

The British banger comes under the spotlight during British Sausage Week, from 1-7 November.

At 1 Lombard Street we'll be serving the very best from 1-5 November - including sausage tapas at the bar and premium sausages sourced from Huntsman Farm in Hertfordshire. Already a firm favourite with regulars in our Brasserie, the meaty Middle White pork sausages are perfectly paired with creamy mashed potatoes, succulent onions and lashings of rich gravy. Classic and comforting - just like our stunning Grade II-listed interior -it's the ideal dish to enjoy as the winter evenings draw in.

SAUSAGE FACTS

* The nickname 'banger' was coined during the Second World War as the high water content in sausages caused them to explode in the pan.

* From June 2009-June 2010 we consumed 186,210 tonnes of sausages, worth £653.3 million.

* Each day, 5 million Brits will eat a banger.

* The majority of pork sausages are eaten in the evening (46%), compared to 16% for breakfast, 18% at lunch and 2% as a snack.

* Despite an ever-growing selection of fancy combinations, pork sausages are still the most popular variety, accounting for 88% of total sales.

* Celebrity sausage fans include Prince Charles, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine and Roger Moore. John Terry, Kate Winslett and Katie Price all served sausages at their weddings.

My paternal grandmother Betty Linsell was well known for her cooking and baking skills. Regrettably she died when I was quiteÂ*young, so I have few memories of these skills at work, but one recipe that conjurs up childhood memories of being in my grandparents Johannesburg home, isÂ*crunchies. This particular recipe which was Betty’sÂ*has been feeding four [...]

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