Author Archives: Kesh

The Ultimate Supper Club with Danilo Cortellini

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If you’re going to spend the evening dining at a strangers house, you’re going to want to make sure it’s going to be memorable for the right reasons. When looking for a supper club it can be hard to know which one is going to be to your liking, so make sure you start at the very top. We recently spent the evening with the enigma that is ‘The London Foodie’. Luiz Hara hosted a supper club worthy of anyone’s gastronomy dreams. Luiz himself a former investment banker turned Cordon Bleu trained chef, food, wine and travel writer has managed to taste his way around the World and decided to host supper clubs to share his gastronomical adventures with you. We were in for a treat as Luiz decided to share with us none other than Danilo Cortellini head chef to the Italian Embassy and his 10 delectable Italian courses taken from his first recipe book ‘4 Grosvenor Square: The Menu of The Italian Embassy in London’

The evening blends the warm and welcoming surroundings of Luiz’s home with the most incredibly intricate and note-worthy cooking of Danilo’s made and prepared in the heart of the kitchen where you enjoy your meal amongst a good crowd of appreciative guests. This is really a great place to get social and take in the atmosphere of an Italian dinner party, sharing wine and sharing exchanges on the impressive menu. The evening is made all the more charming when eating the same course on a different plate to your neighbour and watching the Creuset bubbling in front of your eyes. Small touches mean a lot here and it somehow makes you appreciate your dinner even more. There is minimal fuss and a team of warm and inviting hosts and servers.

Each of the courses are taken from Danilo’s new cookbook so not only can you admire the skill and creativity of the dishes, if you’re a dab hand in the kitchen, you can also recreate them yourself. Particularly impressive and instagrammable is the delicious Pasta Multicolore made with four different coloured pastas. Intricate and beautiful, Danilo’s artistic flair is showcased well. The beauty is, Danilo has made it all the more accessible for you to give it a try by including the recipe in his book and just in case you wanted to recreate it yourself, we attached the recipe below…

The menu was well balanced with some classic Italian dishes amongst more traditional offerings such as the Baccalà served with creamed Polenta. A simple dish with maximum flavour served in an ice cream tub.

We are taken from fish to simple vegetarian dishes such as the surprisingly light Lemon Risotto to the sumptuous pièce de la resistance Veal Cheeks Pizzaiola which is made using the best passata from Imperial d’Abruzzo a real salute to Italian cuisine.

Of course no 10 course menu is complete without at least 1 dessert and lucky for us we had 2. Yoghurt mousse with caramelised apricot and pistachio crumble and of course Tiramisu. Both easy on the eye and definitely gone in 60 seconds.

The apricot dish blends textures, colours and different sensations in the mouth as well as offering a great palette cleanse after the heavier Italian flavours.

Yoghurt Mousse

Tiramisu, well what Italian supper would be complete without one. Danilo’s take on this timeless classic has the perfect balance of booze and creaminess with a subtle but welcome side of coffee ice cream to round it off nicely.

Tiramisu

All in all a unique and special evening, from the inviting host to the impeccable cooking and service.

If you want an unforgettable evening make sure you check out The London Foodie for his outstanding hospitality and supper clubs.

http://thelondonfoodie.co.uk

If you fancy dining like the ambassador himself, make sure you check out Danilo’s new book;

4 Grosvenor Square: The Menu of the Italian Embassy in London.

Available from Amazon, Waterstones, Books for Cooks, Books etc. and Wordery priced at £25

Multi-coloured Ravioli with Butter and Sage Recipe Card

graze Protein Bites – The Perfect Afternoon Snack

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graze have been the leaders in healthy and tasty snacking for some time now and their latest offering is possibly my favourite graze snack to date. With a focus on nutritional quality and value, graze are known for making snacks which are quirky and appealing as well as being nutritious and healthy and their new Protein Bites are perfect little oat squares of satiating goodness. Available in packs of four and in three delicious flavours to choose from, these little squares of joy are perfect for lunch boxes and on the go. Coming in at under 150 calories per bite, the brains behind graze have already made sure they are portion controlled, suitable for veggies and vegans and nutritionist approved which makes them completely guilt free. We tried out Cocoa and Vanilla and it’s hard to believe something so delicious can also be part of a healthy, balanced diet. Each bite contains 4.5g of protein and includes the mineral manganese which helps to generate energy from the body’s natural sources. So try this perfect to lift you out of a little afternoon slump or to give you a quick burst of protein post workout.

The range has three flavours to choose from, Cocoa and Vanilla, Honey and Seed and Banana.
graze Protein Bites are available from Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose priced from £2.50

Take a Gastronomic Tour of Italy this week with Danilo Cortellini

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Danilo Cortellini

The London Foodie Supper Club hosts an extraordinary and glorious tour around Italy this week and he wants you all to join him. For four days only, beginning on the 12th July, guests will be able to immerse themselves in 10 exquisite courses prepared by Danilo Cortellini, Head Chef of the Italian Embassy in London. The evening will be hosted by The London Foodie, Luiz Hara who himself is a cordon bleu chef and successful food writer who has a passion for gastronomy and a want to share the very best with the World.

Your evening will start at 6:30pm with Canapés and a welcome cocktail followed by dinner at 7pm. The dishes will be comprised of 10 small signature plates taken from Cortellini’s debut book and will pay homage to the dishes of Abruzzo region which represent Cortellini’s heritage.

To give you an idea of the banquet the menu includes;

A traditional Cocktail made with Pecorino wine from Abruzzo

Canapés of Sicilian red prawn tartare marinated with red sweet chili with fresh burrata mousse.

Marinated mackerel with fresh buffalo mozzarella and asparagus

‘Pallotte cacio e ova’ (rustic cheese and bread balls served with pepper and tomato sauce with grated cheese)

Veal cheeks ‘pizzaiola’

Tortelli Multicolore with tomato and fresh marjoram.

Tickets are priced just £50 and must be purchased directly through Luiz at luizhara@hotmail.com

www.danilocortellini.com

http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk

Bellavita Showcase the Best of Italy in London

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Bellavita are set on bringing the best of Italian food and drink across the globe. Being the ambassadors of Italian Excellence, their expo is designed for traders to try out their best exports and see if they fit into the UK market. We went to their annual expo held in London to see what is traders are dying to supply the UK market and we picked our top brands to look out for;

Cipriani – With their iconic blue packaging and their notorious chain of restaurants including the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, Cipriani are set on bringing out their famous Bellini Bottled and available to buy on the UK market.

Cà Rovere – Italian Sparkling Wine – Currently not no the UK market, Cà Rovere winery explain that despite being made in a Prosecco region they are an Italian Sparkling Wine made in the same way Champagne is produced with Chardonnay grapes. This was probably one of the most satisfying and luxurious products we tried at Bellavita Expo and we hope that it is available very soon. Despite this, you can still visit the winery if you happen to be in the Vicenza region.

La Gioiosa – This brand are already making a mark in all good UK retailers. One of Italy’s leading producers of Prosecco, La Gioiosa are set to introduce their Superior edition without added sulphites. This will join a very small range of Organic Prosecco currently available in the UK.

Bellavita are committed to bringing you the best and if you can’t wait to see the best of Italy, check out the Bellavita shop online bellavitashop.co.uk

Treat yo self with Candice Brown’s Baileys Cocktail Inspiration

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Winner of The Great British Bake Off is winning hearts yet again by teaming up with Baileys and Grind café’s to create a showstopping Baileys Iced Coffee Cocktail. Baileys, famous for their indulgent and downright delicious cocktail serves, remember the Baileys Freakshake, this year have enrolled the help of star baker Candice Brown to come up with ‘Baileys Mint Brownie Iced Latte’. Featuring the bakers Baileys brownie, the cocktail is a cheeky twist on a milkshake. What’s more, the tasty cocktail is exclusively available at Grind’s eight London cafés for only one more week when you whisper the password ‘Don’t Mind if I Bailey’s’. But just in case you can’t make it, we wanted to make sure you get to try this one out at home;

CANDICE’S BAILEYS MINT BROWNIE ICED LATTE
(makes two serves and extra brownie …) 1.5 units per serve

For the salted caramel
120g dark brown sugar
120g unsalted butter
100ml double cream
50g good quality dark chocolate with mint

For the Baileys Cream
300ml double cream
75ml Baileys liquor

For the Milkshake
2 cans of Baileys Iced latte
6 big scoops vanilla ice cream
 
For the Brownie
250g good quality dark chocolate with mint
250g soft unsalted butter
250g dark brown soft sugar
4 medium eggs
60g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
60g Cacao powder
100g roughly Toasted chopped pecans
A drizzle of Baileys Liquor

Method-

For the caramel-
1. Place the sugar and butter in a saucepan over a low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up and allow to froth and bubble. Turn off the heat and add in the chocolate- stir to melt then pour in the cream. Whisk until combined. Set aside to cool

For the Brownie-
2. Preheat oven to 160c fan and grease and line a 25cmx25cm square baking tin
3. In a Heat proof bowl add the chocolate and place over the top of a saucepan of simmering water on a medium heat. Stir occasionally until melted then remove from the heat
4. In a large bowl on an electric mixer place the softened butter and sugar- whisk for 2 minutes until pale and whipped
5. Add in the eggs one at a time whilst still whisking on a high heat- make sure all is combined before adding the next egg. Whisk for another 5 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy- You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl down between each egg
6. Pour the melted chocolate over the whipped egg mix and fold in until combined.
7. Sieve in the flour, cacao, baking powder and salt- add the toasted pecans fold in until combined
8. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-40 minutes until the top has set. Check with a skewer- although the middle will still be quite sticky as we want a gooey brownie.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
10. Drizzle the Baileys to soak in and slice into 3x1inch rectangles or little triangles

For the Baileys cream-
11. Place the double cream and baileys in a large bowl and using an electric whisk whip up until Peaks form and hold their shape- transfer to a piping bag with a star nozzle

For the Milkshake-
12. Place the Baileys latte and ice cream into a blender and blitz for 15 seconds until thick and mixed

To construct-

1. Drip the salted mint caramel down the inside of the glass.
2. Pour the baileys milkshake up to 3/4 full and pipe on a big swirl of the baileys cream
4. Place a piece of the brownie onto the side of the cream then drizzle over more caramel and top with a sprig of mint
6. Place a straw into the glass and serve

Bean & Wheat by Adam Handling Launching Today

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Opening just around the corner from his successful restaurant The Frog E1, Adam Handling is currently making his mark all over The City with his latest venture Bean & Wheat opening just round the corner in Liverpool Street. Bean & Wheat will be a more casual affair serving coffee roasted in London and breakfast and lunch to eat in or take-away made with local artisanal produce. The best thing about Bean & Wheat is that they have a ‘no waste’ philosophy with the selection of sweet and savoury toppings made with the off-cuts and by products from the kitchen at The Frog E1 meaning the fillings will be changed daily. To give you an idea, salads served in the café will be made with cauliflower stalks, which are usually thrown away by kitchens. Cakes will be baked fresh every morning and Adam will be serving his very own cold-pressed juices, Black & White. Again, his range of juices uses only fruits and veg which are slightly misshapen so therefore would have been thrown out by restaurants.

So let’s save the fruit and help to reduce food wastage by supporting Adam Handling and Bean & Wheat

Monday to Friday

7am-5pm

www.beanandwheat.co.uk

Bring some Zest to your Cocktail Cabinet with Pococello

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It’s going to be another glorious weekend and if you’re wondering how to liven up your cocktail cabinet, why not add some Pococello to the mix. This limited edition collaboration has been developed by world-renowned Chase Distillery and Pizza Pilgrims with the lemons grown in Amalfi and then distilled right here in the UK. But fear not, Pococello is almost not even comparable to Limoncello or ‘the finisher’ as I like to call it. The quality and clarity of this beverage comes directly from the carefully picked lemons picked which are used to make Pococello, packed with essential oils, this sets it apart from your average limoncello.

Pococello recommend;

Poco-Tonic

Ingredients:

35ml Pococello
10ml Fever Tree Tonic
Lemon

How to make it?

Serve in a highball glass with lots of ice and a whole slice of lemon.

What’s more, Pococello is available Nationwide and if you wanted to indulge a little more in the sunshine, Pococello have created a Pococello Terrace over at popular Thameside restaurant Cantina del Ponte named Blossom City. Throughout the summer customers can purchase 2 for 1 Pococello cocktails and Poco-Tonics between 6-7pm. To find out more about Pococello and the Pococello Terrace check out;

http://www.cantinadelponte.co.uk/whats-on-london-bridge/events/blossom-city-2017/

http://www.pococello.com

Firefly collaborate with Mr Lyan for new ‘Superfly’ Drink

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Firefly, the all natural juice drink brand, are on a mission to inject a little sunshine into your drinks. Aside from their already fruity offerings which include some of our favourites; Lime and Ginger, Pomegranate and Elderflower and Peach and Green Tea to name a few, they have decided to follow on from the success of their recent Mojito inspired Kiwi, Lime and Mint combo to bring you a swoon worthy collaboration with award winning bartender, Mr Lyan himself.

Having won several awards for his innovation and influence within the drinks industry, Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan, has an impressive repertoire under his belt. Some of his best assets include his book, ‘Good things to Drink with Mr Lyan and Friends’, his impressive and successful retail range of bottled cocktails and of course his award winning bars, Dandelyan at the Mondrian Hotel and White Lyan in Hoxton (now Super Lyan).

Inspired by the lighter, brighter days ahead, Superfly marries the flavours of Cascara, Wormwood, Kola Nut, Green Coffee, Grapefruit and Redcurrant to bring you a unique all natural, energising and fruity new drink to enjoy on its own or, as Mr Lyan recommends, mixed in with Scotch or Gin. Serve in a tall glass with a sprig of mint as garnish. As well as the deliciously botanical taste of Superfly, the bottle is also a delight with a unique and bright design you would be proud to have stacked in your fridge or on a drinks trolley.

Superfly is now available from Mr Lyan’s bars, Selfridges stores and Ocado.