Tefal Jamie Oliver Cast Aluminium Range Grill Pan measures 29cm x 25cm
I've just had an induction hob fitted in my kitchen and this grill pan is perfect, although the pan can be used on all other heat sources too. My old pan can't be used on induction and I've been looking round for some time now to get a replacement. The options are either cast iron which are very heavy, or a few others which were lighter to handle but I wasn't convinced they would last or cook very evenly. This pan is more lightweight than cast iron and very strong and sturdy. Tefal is a trusted name and a brand I have used before and I knew I was going to be in for a treat when I was offered the pan to review.
Grilled salmon, crushed peas with mint and potatoes boulangere
Grill pans encourage me to cook healthier food, I came back from my annual holiday a couple of weeks ago and now thinking ahead to all the Christmas food I'm about to consume, I'm going to try and plan my meals carefully.
The pan is very roomy and you can easily cook four to six salmon steaks or chicken breast fillets at the same time. Salmon takes about 3 or 4 minutes each side to cook. I always oil the food and not the pan and this pan only requires a minimum of oil because it is non-stick. The underside of the handle is silicone for a non-slip grip and it stays cool too.
The pan has the patented Thermospot which is a great feature, simply put the pan on the heat and wait until the red pattern on the spot in the middle of the pan disappears and becomes a solid red spot. The pan will be at the optimum heat to sear and cook.
Parmesan chicken with griddled sweetcorn
Delicious grilled pineapple - simply baste the pineapple with honey
Chicken marinated in soy sauce, Worcester sauce and brown sugar
The pan is really easy to clean. I cooked the pineapple in the pan first, let the pan cool a little and then gave it a quick wash in soapy water. Afterwards I cooked the chicken - any debris in the pan comes off easily with soapy water.
The base of the pan
Oven safe to 260ºC - meat can be seared on the pan and then finished cooking in the oven. Pro-metal hard non-stick interior. Metal utensils can be safely used, excluding whisks and knives. Heats quickly. Even heat distribution. Food stays beautifully moist. Hand washing recommended - not a chore though because debris comes off easily.
Must watch video - Jamie Oliver with renowned food photographer David Loftus, giving an amazing insight into how he photographs Jamie's creations.
Food photography
Jamie Oliver and photographer David Loftus reveal the secrets of food photography
Photographing food is a trend that has swept across social media sites over the past year, and the topic is a firm favourite with bloggers all over Europe, so how can you get the most out of your DSLR to make your food photos look good enough to eat, and impress your food-loving friends?
To explore the food photography trend and find out exactly how the professionals make their culinary creations look so tasty, Nikon has teamed up with celebrity chef, Nikon ambassador and DSLR photography enthusiast Jamie Oliver, and his collaborator – professional food photographer David Loftus – to discover the tricks of the food photography trade.
Speed is of the essence
When it comes to capturing tasty-looking images of food, the key message from David is “shoot lots and shoot fast”. Using a DSLR camera like the Nikon D3200, you can keep your finger on the shutter to make sure you capture all the theatre of the creation of the dish, tell a story with your food, and most of all, make all your dishes look appetising.
According to David, speed is a critical element in food photography, where the freshly prepared ingredients in a steaming hot dish have a ‘photo life’ of a matter of minutes. In Jamie’s words “the best shot in the world is 45 seconds of time… the boss in the room is the food”, and if a dish of piping hot Spaghetti Vongole will lose its vitality in 45 seconds then you have precisely that amount of time to capture its true beauty – moist pasta, tender clams and simmering tomatoes.
Everything is beautiful
Using a DSLR camera like the Nikon D3200, taking pictures of food can become much more than simple point-and-shoot photography. By using a versatile, all-round camera with a wide focal range and numerous shot settings, getting up close with a clam and then zooming out to capture the coiled spaghetti beneath it needn’t require a change of lens. And what’s more, over-complicating things can jeopardise how fresh the food looks on camera.
Embracing the way that food falls into position on a serving plate is something that Jamie reinforces on every shoot with David. Cooking is all about “the reality of mess” says Jamie, including the mess that you create when cutting, chopping, grating and slicing ingredients for a photograph or video. By slowing down shutter speeds, for example, you can capture the moment you crush a clove of garlic with the side of a knife, or crack an egg into a pan.
Set up creatively to spark a trend
David and Jamie both agree that in order to stay ahead of the trend, you have to be creative with your kit. With modern lenses you can get your camera into some really imaginative places in the kitchen.
The rise of trends like ‘dude food’, that encourage people to stay at home and put their own spin on indulgent classics like mini burgers, mixed kebabs and doorstep sandwiches mean people are getting more and more creative in the kitchen. Every ingredient has a personality, and this needs to come through in a photo: tomatoes ooze juice; chips are both fluffy yet crispy; meat will ‘breathe’ as it absorbs the flavours it is cooked in. A meal is an assortment of ingredients, each jostling for position on the plate, and for prime position in your photography.
Jamie, more than anyone, advocates the creative use of today’s modern, lightweight DSLR cameras to push the boundaries of traditional food photography. As David attests, when cooking at home you’re equipped to capture high quality food photos at any time of day; “with a D3200 you don’t have to use a flash, turn up the ISO settings and you can shoot in low light”.
Background story
David and Jamie have worked together for the past 15 years preparing and shooting food for countless cookbooks and websites. Over the years they’ve worked in environments ranging from lavish country kitchens to self-constructed work surfaces teetering half-way up a mountain. So how does David capture rich, vibrant imagery of the food that Jamie cooks irrespective of the location?
The right coloured background can really enhance a one-dimensional food photo. Jamie and David recommend using neutral colours like natural woods and brushed steels to bring out the texture of the foods. David carries a selection of stained wooden boards and rich cotton cloths to shoot lots of dishes in different colour combinations at any one time. According to Jamie, the average food photographer will shoot between 5-8 dishes per day – he and David aim for over 20!
Top tips for capturing great food image
Use neutral backgrounds to bring out textures in the food.
Embrace natural, ambient light to show off fresh ingredients.
Shoot quickly, especially when dealing with heat.
Shoot often, and capture the mess. Cooking is messy!
Take action shots using slow shutter speeds to portray energy.
Set the scene to tell a story and don’t be afraid to get your hands involved.
Use macro settings to capture stunning close ups.
Use colourful ingredients and off-white plates to serve up.
Get creative. Find an interesting angle, even if it means shooting from a height or leaning inside a cooking pot.
Adopt the point of view of the creator. The same applies before eating! For more information about the Nikon D3200, please visitwww.nikon.co.uk
A few weeks ago I went on holiday to Madeira, and as usual when I am away from home, I like to experience local cakes and pastries, especially sitting outside a cafe on a fabulous sunny day. Cinnamon is a popular ingredient used in cakes and pastries - apple and cinnamon cake, banana and cinnamon cake and Portuguese Tarts, to name a few. There were quite a few happy cake and pastry tastings, together with far too many cups of amazing coffee.
Whilst Jamie's Quick Portuguese Tarts aren't the same as we were served in Madeira, the filling is light, the orange caramel topping is superb and I could quite happily have eaten the lot!
I didn't cook these against the clock, I can't do it, won't do it - otherwise we end up with car crash food.
There are plenty of great recipes in the book, although if you wish to cook only one of the suggested meal plans the method layout can be frustrating.
I hope you have a go at making these delicious tarts.
I challenged myself to make Chilli Con Carne Meatballs from Jamie's 15 Minute Meals, after seeing him on TV effortlessly produce this recipe.
Jamie has a team who do all the prep - I have just me and distractions. Everything started off well and I thought it would be a doddle, but then the washer finished, more washing to put in, next the tumble dryer to fill. Couldn't find the blender, found the blender, struggled to assemble the blender. Where is the bulgur wheat hiding? I forgot to buy the preserved lemons. Why are there only a few cumin seeds left in the jar? It was all going wrong.......
I wasn't sure about cooking the meatballs for such a short time and cooked these for longer, I thought the quantity of bulgur wheat might not be enough and then cooked too much - I should have trusted Jamie:)
Would you like to know how long all this took me? - I lost the will, and have absolutely no idea. The photograph tells the story........
Hubby thought the meal was very tasty and he particularly enjoyed the meatballs. He would have liked less bulgur wheat and more meatballs, not the huge plate of bulgur wheat I gave to him, and as for me, I will always prefer traditional chilli con carne.
I plan to cook a few more recipes from the book, perhaps this time I might manage to cook something without so many distractions.
The book - bursting at the seams with tasty healthy recipes, great food styling and photographs, and each recipe gives calorie, fat, sugar and saturated fat details.
Please Note: This blog post isn't to be taken seriously - ok!
Jamie Oliver has a regular food column in the Daily Mail Weekend Magazine, and last weekend he featured a few fabulous plum recipes. His plum sorbet caught my eye purely because the colour looks so beautiful. The sorbet is a mixture of sweet and tart and is the perfect end to a meal. I love plums and it doesn't matter how they are prepared I am still a huge fan.
The recipe is easy to make, you only need a few ingredients and it tastes sublime. He gives instructions to make the sorbet either with an ice cream maker or by hand, but it is far easier to make if you have an ice cream machine.
I am entering the plum sorbet as part of the Simple and in Season September Challenge hosted by Ren Behan of Fabulicious Food, this month the guest host is Katie from Feeding Boys and a Firefighter.
It was Dance City, Canary Wharf at the end of June and Jamie's Italian was to be the starting point for our afternoon. We were very fortunate and the sun shone all day.
Hubby and I liked this branch of Jamie's Italian, our local Birmingham branch is huge, Canary Wharf is smaller, which means not so many customers!
View finder for the children's menu and a selection of breads.
Shake Me Salad for the children
There were four adults and two small children in our party, our waiter was a natural with the little ones. He gave them both a view finder to look through - this was basically the children's menu with photographs. We ordered our bread, and the waiter took the children to look at the bread selection, he even gave them a bread stick to keep them going until our main meals arrived.
Scottish Salmon Salad
JI Warm Brownie and Almond Tart
Latte art:)
We all enjoyed our meals, our waiter had great customer service skills - it was agreed by all he must be the best Jamie's Italian waiter ever.
Antipasti meat planks sitting on cans of tomatoes!
After a couple of enjoyable meals at the Brighton branch, we decided it was time to try our local (well nearly) Birmingham branch of Jamie's Italian.
Thankfully we had booked our table, because on a wet Saturday afternoon, everyone seemed to have the same idea and headed to Jamie's Italian. When you book in advance, a note on the email informs you there is 2hrs 15 minutes allocation for your table, but this is ample time to relax, sit back and enjoy.
There is a bar area immediately as you walk in and the eating areas are to either side of the bar. The restaurant is huge and there wasn't an empty stool at the bar and all the tables appeared to be full with couples, families and groups of people, all enjoying themselves. We felt the restaurant had been styled to look like a converted warehouse, the table tops are aluminium and the chairs are bright yellow, the high ceilings absorbed the noise and you could have a conversation without shouting - bliss.
Prawn Linguine
Chocolate & Vin Santo Pot
This dessert not only looked great but the lucky person who ordered this, said it tasted great too. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the Tiramisu, which you can see in the background. The group on the table next to us were keen to know which dessert had been served in the cup, but agreed with us the Tiramisu had the thumbs down. The coffee was good, no latte art, but the coffee beans were excellent quality.
The ham, veg and salad counter.
Artisan breads freshly sliced to order.
The staff are friendly, the waiters are knowledgeable and keen to explain the menu, the meal is cooked and presented well and I can recommend a visit.
Hopefully I am going to the Canary Wharf branch this coming Saturday, there will be two energetic small children in our party.........I'll do another blog posting and let you know how we get on.......!
Jme Luscious Marmalade served on a doorstep of home made bread
Jme Luscious Marmalade is part of Jamie Oliver's artisan food range. This new marmalade is made with the freshest Spanish lemons and limes, is gluten free, and free from all artificial flavourings, colourings and sweeteners.
Apparently, recent news claims that marmalade no longer floats the nation's breakfast boat and only 7% of Brits still enjoy marmalade on toast in the morning.
I'm not surprised so few people eat marmalade on toast because many of us don't particularly like all the bits of peel and then there is the bitterness factor or they can be over sweet, and in the end we just don't bother. Marmalade on toast is something we eat when we stay in a B&B or a hotel, or if you make your own. I have eaten some great marmalade and some best forgotten marmalade in the past.
Yes, Jamie's marmalade has got bits in, but marmalade needs them for taste and character, the bits aren't chewy or objectionable. Tangy with a good kick of citrus and you definitely don't need all the marmalade I slathered on my toast, but that was purely for the photograph, although I have to say it did taste really, really good. There is enough tang to kick start your morning and there is nothing like citrus to wake you up, and because the marmalade is bursting with flavour you don't need very much on your toast. It will taste good on any bread, better still if it's some of the good stuff, but lets be honest most of us have got some ready sliced and ready to go bread in the house. I nearly forgot to say, the marmalade isn't the usual jelly consistency either. I'll definitely have more marmalade on toast days now.
This is the second cauliflower cheese soup recipe on my blog. To be truthful I only made the soup so that I could eat the Parmesan wafers and they are so easy to make, you will never look back. My other recipe was by Jamie Oliver and if you look at my previous posting you will see why his soup is so delicious.
The recipe comes from Woman&Home Dinner Tonight and is a really good quarterly magazine for recipe ideas, unfortunately I haven't seen it on the magazine racks in the shops recently.
The weather seems to be a little crazy, sun, wind, rain and hailstones, so perhaps I can be forgiven for posting yet another cauliflower cheese soup recipe.
Serves: 4
You will need: 25g butter, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped leek (reserve some of the green part to garnish), 1 chopped cauliflower, 700ml vegetable stock, 600ml milk, 75g grated Cheddar cheese
1. Add the butter to a pan and melt, add the chopped leek and onion. Cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes until soft. 2. Add the cauliflower, stock and milk. Bring to the boil and simmer for 35 minutes, covered until the cauliflower is tender. Season. 3. Cool the soup and pour into a food processor or liquidizer and blitz until smooth. 4. Add the Cheddar cheese, reheat, pour into bowls and garnish with chopped green leek.
Parmesan Wafers
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Sprinkle heaped tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan in little piles on top and bake for 5 minutes at 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 until melted. Lift off the paper and cool.
Love cauliflower cheese? Hopefully cauliflower cheese soup which is made with a few extra added veg, a good quality cheddar cheese and a dollop of English mustard will become one of your favourites.
It has been so cold where I live, the snowman the children next door made last Saturday, has only just started to melt. I didn't make a snowman but made this fabulous soup instead in the warmth of my house. The soup is easy to make, extremely tasty and can't be found in a carton in your local supermarket! All you need is some good bread, preferably not the plastic stuff, and you've got yourself a lovely lunch.
I made some crispy bacon to garnish the soup but the majority of it sank to the bottom of the bowl whilst I was trying to set up the camera, it was no bad thing though because the crispy bacon went with the soup beautifully and added some texture.
The recipe comes from Jamie Oliver's Cookery Book Ministry of Food.
2 carrots, 2 sticks of celery, 2 medium onions, 2 cloves of garlic, 800g cauliflower, olive oil, 200g Cheddar cheese, 2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes, salt and black pepper, 1 teaspoon English mustard.
1. Dice the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Cut the cauliflower into florets. 2. Into a large pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and put over a medium heat, add the diced vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes with a lid partially placed over the pan or until the carrots have softened and the onion is lightly golden. 3. Grate the cheese. Put the stock cubes into a jug and pour in 1.8 litres of boiling water from a kettle. Add to the vegetables in the pan. Stir and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or so until the vegetables are cooked. 4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese and mustard, season with salt and pepper. Use a hand blender and pulse until silky smooth - if using a liquidiser let the soup cool down, never put hot liquid into a liquidiser. 5. Top with more grated cheese and some crispy bacon.
Great food at good prices, great ambience and a funky interior - happy:) We arrived at 12 noon before any customers arrived to take a few photographs, hence no customers! Shortly afterwards the place was full to overflowing!
Does the special person in your life like brownies? If so, you could make this Love Cake, a recipe from Jamie Oliver, especially for them. It has a squidgy brownie consistency, is dotted with cherries and has a boozy chocolate sauce poured over. The original recipe has crushed hazelnuts added but I like this dessert without.
Men often leave present buying until the last minute, and find it really difficult choosing presents. Why not be kind to him this Christmas and leave a list of ideas, this way at least you should get something you like. If you have a dish like mine, you can attach a craft label onto the handle with a list of your Christmas wishes! A Christmas Gift Ideas list I have put together can be found in my previous posting.
You are possibly wondering if I have done this - the answer is no, I'm just trying to help!
The dessert is quite rich and very similar to a brownie in taste and texture. I served mine with some of the reserved chocolate sauce, and a dollop of creme fraiche, which cuts through the richness.
You will need: 9 or 10 inches ovenproof dish greased.
For the cake: 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 100g softened butter, 100g caster sugar, 1 egg, 100g self-raising flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tin black cherries drained.
For the chocolate sauce: 25g butter, 142ml double cream, 75g dark chocolate broken into pieces, a splash of either brandy, rum, Amaretto or Baileys.
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. 2. Mix the cocoa powder with a few tablespoons of boiling water and stir until the mixture is smooth. 3. In another bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add the cooled cocoa mixture, egg, flour and baking flour. Mix all together and pour into the ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the cherries and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. 4. To check if the cake is ready, make sure it doesn't wobble too much then it's done, if not give it some more time in the oven. 5. To make the chocolate sauce: Place the butter in a small pan with the cream and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate pieces to the pan. Give it all a good stir and leave for 5 minutes so the hot cream can melt the chocolate. Add a splash of either brandy, rum, Amaretto or Baileys and stir until thoroughly combined. 6. Once the cake is ready, pour over the warm chocolate sauce. Any sauce that is left will reheat in the microwave.
Jamie has given an old favourite a makeover and for me, this is the best and easiest recipe ever. No messing about making a cheese sauce anymore, the sauce is made from a pot of creme fraiche into which a good amount of cheddar cheese is added.
The topping is simply breadcrumbs mixed with some olive oil, smoked streaky bacon and rosemary leaves. The cauliflower cheese in the photograph is topped only with breadcrumbs and olive oil.
It might not be the most photogenic dish on here, but oh my goodness, does it taste good!
Taken from Ministry of Food
Serves: 4-6
You will need: 1 large cauliflower, leaves picked from 2 sprigs rosemary, 4 anchovy fillets (not in this house though!), 400ml creme fraiche, 200g grated Cheddar cheese, 4 slices of bread, 1 rasher smoked streaky bacon, extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. 2. Break the cauliflower into small pieces and add to a pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt and boil for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander. 3. Chop up the anchovy fillets and put them into a bowl with the creme fraiche. Stir in 100g Cheddar cheese and season with salt and pepper. 4. Pour a lug of extra virgin olive oil into a food processor and add the 4 slices of bread with the crusts left on, the rasher of smoked bacon and the rosemary leaves. Whiz until you have breadcrumbs. 5. Place the cauliflower into a medium size baking dish, spoon over the sauce, sprinkle over the remaining 100g Cheddar cheese and top with the breadcrumb mixture. 6. Cook for 45 minutes until golden, crisp and bubbling.
Jamie's recipe for pork belly is my favourite and one I have cooked since his book, Cook With Jamie, was released in 2006.
This is an easy, no fail recipe, and only requires the best pork you can afford. The pork in Jamie's recipe is cooked on a bed of fennel but if you don't want to use the fresh fennel then the pork will still taste fabulous.
This is the tastiest belly pork ever, it is coated in a mixture of bashed up fennel seeds and salt and after an hour or so a bottle of white wine is added to the roasting tin. Long slow cooking is also the secret to perfect belly pork and not one to be rushed, as with all good things!
I always score the pork myself because invariably the meat has never been scored very well, even though I always buy it from the butcher. We have a huge meat knife hidden away in the cupboard, which is a bit scary, but it makes easy work of scoring meat.
You will fall in love with this recipe, just as I have, and your kitchen will be full of the most beautiful aroma's. I know once tried there will be no turning back.....
Here is the original recipe, for the two of us I mostly buy a 1.5kg joint because I like to have some leftovers.
Serves: 6-8
2kg pork belly on the bone, 2 tablespoons fennel seeds, sea salt and black pepper. 4 fennel bulbs, each cut into sixths, herby tops removed and reserved, small bunch fresh thyme leaves picked, 5 unpeeled cloves of garlic, olive oil, bottle of white wine
1. Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature. Score the skin of the pork. 2. In a pestle and mortar bash up the fennel seeds with a tablespoon of salt until you have a powder, then massage into the scores of the skin. 3. In a roasting tin toss the fresh fennel with the thyme, garlic, a good splash of oil and some salt and pepper. Place the pork belly into the preheated oven. After 10 minutes turn the oven down to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3 and roast the pork for a further hour. 4. When the hour is up, take the tray out of the oven, pour away any excess fat, add the white wine and pop back in the oven for another hour. 5. Remove the fennel and keep warm whilst you put the pork back in for a final hour until the skin is golden and crisp and the meat is melt in the mouth tender. If the wine evaporates during the cooking time, add a splash more wine or water to loosen and make a light gravy. 6. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes. Carve into large chunks and serve with gravy and the fennel.
Following the success of the Jamie Oliver for Tefal Electrics Range, I recently received a Tefal by Jamie Oliver Stainless Steel Hand Blender which has been added to the range. This black and stainless hand blender has a removable stainless steel foot which can be cleaned in the dishwasher, it comes with a 500ml mini chopper, whisk, 800ml beaker and wall mount. The product is sturdy and well built and none of the accessories are flimsy, they are all very easy to assemble. The hand blender has a powerful 700w motor and a soft touch grip, making it comfortable to use.
I thought I would put the hand blender through it's paces with a couple of Jamie's recipes.
Jamie Oliver's King of Puddings
Whisk - this fits onto the top part of the hand blender. It takes a little time to get used to, mainly because the hand blender is quite heavy. I managed to splatter egg white but that said once I was in control again, it made a very good meringue mix. Breadcrumbs Mini Chopper - comes with a removable non-slip base, bowl, a chopping blade and a lid which is a breeze to assemble and makes light work of chopping breadcrumbs. The bowl can be filled to three quarters full and has a calibrated measurement on the bowl.
Jamie Oliver's Tomato and Basil Soup
Hand Blender - The hand blender comes in two parts and is quickly assembled by pushing the two components together. There is a start button and a variable speed control, or a start fast speed button. It coped easily with the task of blending vegetables to produce a smooth soup. I found the hand blender a little heavy to use and I managed to create some splattering, which was unfortunate, especially as it was tomato soup. I think I was possibly over ambitious and should have used the hand blender at slow speed to reduce splattering. Mango and Orange Smoothie
Beaker - useful measurements on the side, non slip base which can then be used for a lid. The jug is 21cm high with a maximum capacity of 800ml. I found using the hand blender much easier when it was used alongside the beaker. It produced a great smoothie.
Overall Summary: Will suit budding chefs and all Jamie Oliver fans. Looks both stylish and professional, the hand blender motor body weighs (approx 720g), is powerful, will look good in any kitchen, easy to assemble, performs well but be careful not to splatter and read the instruction book more closely. The mini chopper made easy, efficient work of chopping herbs, the stick blender made light work of pureeing vegetables and tomatoes for my silky tomato soup, the height of the beaker has been well thought out to use with the stick blender and a non-slip base that can also be used as a lid is very useful. The instruction book is fairly basic and does not come supplied with any recipes.
On a very, very cold day a couple of weeks ago I went to Recipease, Jamie's food and kitchen shop for a Delicious Cocktail and Perfect Pud class.
Recipease not only looks fabulous from the outside but is a cook and foodies paradise inside. You can have an eat-in or take-out breakfast, buy a delicious latte, freshly prepared meals, books, chocolates and products from the Jamie at Home range.
We were a friendly group mainly made up of females, with a couple of men, (one of whom was my son who treated me to this class) the age range was from thirty, to quite a few people who were around my age! It was a good mix of ages and worked very well.
We were soon put through our paces by Lee, our friendly class tutor, who helped us get a vanilla cheesecake with a raspberry coulis topping and a vanilla cranberry base for our Bellini's, made in just under an hour.
After we had finished our class, we all sat around a table and had a slice of the tutors cheesecake and a glass of Bellini, into which Lee came round and sprinkled over some orange sugar. A few people in the class were celebrating birthdays or other special occasions, which all added to the experience. Whilst we were all indulging, Lee the tutor, packed our tinned cheesecake, raspberry coulis, vanilla cranberry base and a bottle of Prosecco into a rectangle carry away box.
I can recommend a class at Jamie's, no matter what your skill level is, it's just a great way to have some fun!
Maybe next time I will go to the Pasta Master Class - I have a pasta machine that has only come out of the box once - oh well...............!
My husband kindly bought me Jamie's book, although true to say, he didn't find that out until now! Cookery books are the equivalent of clothes that you bought ages ago and say you have had them for ages. Perhaps though, you can ask Santa to buy a copy and put it in your Christmas stocking.
There has been negativity in the press, even the BBC Watchdog television programme devoted air time(albeit with humour) to the question - can his dinners really be cooked in 30 minutes?
To be fair, I can't give the answer to this, because as usual, I was multitasking whilst cooking ie. emptying the washing machine, putting clothes into the tumble dryer, drying pots, loading the dishwasher and so on.
I didn't give consideration to making his dessert of Berries, Shortbread & Chantilly Cream because we were still ploughing our way through a dessert from a couple of days previous.
You want me to be honest don't you - I am not sure if I could prepare and cook all of this in 30 minutes, even if I had wanted to take up the challenge.I really like Jamie's new book and know I am going to cook a lot of recipes from it. Also, I have enjoyed his series of programmes to go with the book. He is a great guy and has enough passion and fire in his belly to encourage us all to get cooking.
Feedback on the book from young professionals I have spoken to, is they think he has possibly missed a trick by using so many ingredients. Unless you are a keen cook or have plenty of time, it's not always an easy call, and then there is the expense. Maybe, he should write a book using less ingredients, now there's an idea.
The chicken pie, french-style peas, sweet carrot smash is an incredibly tasty meal and I hope you are encouraged to have a go at this one. After all, it's great comfort food and who doesn't like a pie?
I can eat a bowl of risotto at any time of the year. It's quick, easy, filling and doesn't cost a lot of money. If I can't think what to cook or am pushed for time, these days it seems risotto is top of the list.
We seem to be having some summer weather this year and I am trying not to have the oven on for any longer than possible, because of all the heat it throws out into my kitchen. This year the majority of my cooking has been done either on the hob or outdoors on the barbecue.
Once you have mastered the base recipe for risotto, the possibilities for adding ingredients are endless, almost anything goes. As long as you keep your stock simmering on the hob whilst you are making the risotto and stir, stir, stir, to achieve a creamy rice - you can't go far wrong! Making this recipe was a good excuse to give my new pan a test run and it made the risotto perfectly.
Here is a useful link to the BBC GoodFood website showing how to make risotto.
The adapted recipe is from Jamie Oliver - The Return of the Naked Chef.
Serves: 2
You will need:
25g butter, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 crushed clove garlic, 150g risotto rice, glass white wine, 750ml simmering vegetable stock. A handful of lemon thyme leaves plus some extra for decoration, 50g grated pecorino cheese, 75g crumbled soft goat's cheese, a few slices of prosciutto
1. Heat the butter in a wide shallow pan and cook the onion and garlic until softened. add the risotto rice and stir until coated. 2. Pour in the wine and bubble until it's all absorbed. Add the lemon thyme leaves. Gradually add the hot vegetable stock, stirring until the rice is tender but still has a little bite. Add the grated pecorino cheese. 3. Lay the prosciutto over the risotto, crumble over the goat's cheese and scatter over lemon thyme leaves.
This is another of Jamie Oliver's Easter hot cross bun recipes and without any doubt his best to date.
I love Easter puddings where you make use of hot cross buns. This pudding is simply another variation of bread and butter pudding but with a Jamie twist. There are a couple of plus points about this recipe, both brandy and grated orange zest are added to the custard!
My ultimate bread and butter pudding is one with an eggy sauce layer in the bottom and so I removed the pudding from the oven after 30 minutes, checked that there wasn't too much sauce and then I put the pudding under a very hot grill to tinge the buns a slight golden brown. If you don't want the sauce layer then cook for about 45 minutes.
Slightly adapted recipe.
Serves: 6 people
600ml semi-skimmed milk, 600ml double cream, 1 vanilla pod, 4 medium eggs, 100g caster sugar, 6 hot cross buns, 3 tablespoons brandy, zest of 1 orange, icing sugar.
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3. 2. In a pan put the milk and cream and bring just to a boil. 3. Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds, add to the saucepan. 4. Whisk the sugar and eggs together until light, now whisk in the milk and cream, remove the vanilla pod. 5. Halve the buns and spread with butter. Dip the buns in the mixture and place in an ovenproof dish. Pour over the cognac and the grated zest of the orange. 6. Pour the custard into a sieve held over the buns and now leave them to soak for approximately 15 minutes. 7. Put the dish into a roasting tin and half fill with hot water. Bake for approximately 40 - 45 minutes. When it is cooked the top will be slightly tinged and if you part some of the buns with a knife there should be a thick custard underneath. Check the pudding after 30 minutes cooking to ensure it doesn't overcook. 8. Dust with icing sugar.
The food at Jamie's Italian was generous and delicious. My choices were Prosciutto, Pear and Pecorina Salad followed by Italian Bakewell Tart.
A couple of negatives - sorry Jamie - the bottled water, on an extremely hot day, was served to us at room temperature! We asked for a glass of ice cubes which promptly appeared but then disappeared off the table just as quickly!! Also, if you decide to go to a Jamie's Italian make sure you eat downstairs because the Brighton restaurant is on two floors. Downstairs is a must for ambiance and where you will see the cutting of hams and bread etc. Wait for a downstairs table rather than go upstairs to eat.
Coffee in Brighton has to be at The Red Roaster Cafe. Freshly roasted beans and delicious coffee topped with latte art - it doesn't get much better than this. The second photograph shows a collection of coffee brewing machines the owner has obviously collected over time.
Brighton Pavilion - no trip to Brighton is complete without a visit here.
The Victoria, Richmond - a gastro pub where Paul Merrett is a chef and joint owner. We went on a Wednesday when they have an outdoor grill menu. The food, as was my latte art topped coffee fabulous, and I couldn't find one single negative. Perfect.
RHSWisley, Surrey. Lots of beautiful, trees, plants, fruit trees bursting with apples, pears and damsons and wonderful walks. Didn't go here for food though.
Fish! Restaurant is situated in a huge glass building at Borough Market. Another sunny day where we sat outside and ate wonderful food. Forgot to take a photograph of this - sorry. Everything was perfect here too. Fish! also have a stall at Borough Market serving up fish and chips which was extremely popular with visitors.
The Total Organics Juice Bar situated inside Borough Market - no I didn't drink any of this, I just wasn't feeling brave enough! They serve shots of juiced wheat grass here.
Lots of wonderful tomatoes, again at Borough Market, a real feast for the eyes.
Whitstable, Kent. Yet another sunny day and lots of oyster and seafood stalls to whet the appetite.
We also ate at Ask and had a reasonably good meal, but the best place in Beckenham where we ate was Friends of Mine - the food was not only delicious but presented extremely well. The restaurant interior is definitely 'cool' and we enjoyed relaxing here after long hot days out!
My daughter lives in Kent and we stayed at her house for a week which was really useful and gave us the opportunity to explore the area and beyond. As you can see we had a wonderful time - just perfect.
I have been to some other great places this year and hope to post about these in the future.
