Events - Travels for Taste

Norwegian Fjord Trout hits U.K shelves in shoals

October 10, 2016 by manjirichitnis 3 Comments

Norway – home to clear, pure, ice-cold, sparkling waters surrounded by majestic mountains with waterfalls and glaciers – also home to the Norwegian fjord trout fish. The only saltwater trout in the world that has the benefit of a unique environment, a mix of seawater and pure glacial water melting into the fjord.

Norway has a great environment for aquaculture and fish-farming, thanks to their long and vast coastline, deep fjords, and of course clear and pure water. Responsibly farmed, the fjord trout are fed a nutritious diet to help them develop slowly.

Norwegian fjord trout – Purity on a plate

The vibrant orange coloured flesh has a firm texture and delicate flavour. Perfect for raw dishes like sushi and sashimi. Since all of the fat is stored in the belly this oily fish is very lean the perfect choice for the health-conscious. Naturally high in omega 3 and essential vitamins, it is a great source of healthy protein.

Norwegian fjord trout - bright orange colour

At an event in London, unveiling this beautiful fish to the U.K audience Brand Ambassador Chef Daniel Galmiche. explained exactly why it is that he is so passionate about the fresh taste of fjord trout. He demonstrated simple recipes that allow for the fresh taste of the fjord taste to shine through. He also shared some expert tips on how best to pan fry this fish and add in ingredients that enhance the inherent great taste of this oily fish.

I sampled some delicious recipe combinations while Chef Galmiche explained the fjord trout is farmed sustainably thanks to centuries of learning and adherence to the world’s best aquaculture practices.

Norwegain fjord trout tasters at the U.K launch

To sample the very best of seafood from Norway, one doesn’t need to venture too far, as Tesco will now be stocking this healthy fish at their counters. The beautiful marbled red flesh is suited well for marinating, curing, smoking, and pan-frying.

To keep the party going, there was a beautiful bar area set up at the launch event, a refreshing elderflower presse’ made for a great accompaniment to the freshly prepared starters.

Norwegian fjord trout U.K lunch event, silent pool gin

Norwegian Fjords Trout lets you get a Taste of the glaciers straight from the Cold, Clear and spring Norwegian Fjords onto your plate. Ready in minutes, enjoy the fjord trout grilled to enhance it’s flavours or bake with fragrant herbs and finish with citrus notes or simply serve marinated as a ceviche. Whichever way you choose to enjoy it, celebrate the arrival of this new and healthy oily fish to the U.K by creating some magic in your kitchen.

Where to buy: At select Tesco fish counters at an estimated price of £12.50 per kilo.

*Sponsored Post. All images taken by me unless they appear without the ‘travels for taste’ mark.

Norwegian fjord trout - seafood from Norway — Norwegian fjord trout – Seafood from Norway

Lamb Tasting Press event, London

August 20, 2016 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

September first week will ring in the second year for British Lamb Week. A campaign that has been launched to popularise the versatile and tasty meat, especially to make it appealing to a younger audience.

Last year I was invited to the launch of this campaign which was hosted at Chef Cyrus Todiwala’s restaurant Cafe’ Spice Namaste’. As the new Lambassador for ‘ Tasty Easy Lamb’ Cyrus very passionately demonstrated some quick and delicious ways to cook lamb. Lamb is perfect for the summer season as it can be barbecued or grilled and enjoyed al-fresco. Amongst other dishes, we tried a fabulously juicy Blue cheese stuffed lamb burger. The recipe for this by Chef Cyrus is too good not to share with all of you.

As expected the incredible spice man has incorporated the use of many wonderful spices in this recipe.

Blue cheese stuffed lamb burger recipe by Chef Cyrus Todiwala

Print Recipe

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

675 gms lamb mince
1 finely chopped medium onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 x 2inch piece minced fresh ginger
1 slender minced green chilli seeds included
1 tbsp ground cumin powder
1.5 tbsp ground coriander powder
2 tbsp tomato purée
3 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed black pepper

Forthe Stuffing

150 gms Blue cheese, crumbled
2 Finely chopped green chillies
1 tbsp Finely chopped fresh coriander
2 Finely chopped cloves of Garlic
Rolls or bread, to serve

Method

In a large bowl gently mix all the burger ingredients together. Divide into 6 evenly sized burgers
In a small bowl blend the stuffing ingredients together and shape into equal-sized balls to stuff the burgers
Make an indentation in the centre of each burger with your thumb and fill with a ball of the cheese. Make sure the cheese is completely encased when you form the burger
Cook on a prepared grill or barbecue for 6-8 minutes on each side or until any meat juices run clear
Serve with your favourite bread or rolls with some sliced tomatoes, onion and lettuce and some relish

We must appreciate that the demand for meat consumption is ever increasing in spite of the many pressures on limited resources of our planet. But as a meat lover myself, I must say, that it is great to know that it is possible to love your planet while continuing to consume meat. One of the ways to do that is to choose to add locally produced lamb to your diet. It is not only easy to cook but also, lamb raised in the English countryside is among the most sustainable in the world.

Sheep and lambs graze on naturally occurring grass which is good for the environment. It helps permanent grasslands to pull in carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. In addition, it preserves water quality and overall helps farms reduce their energy consumption. Along with being sustainable, sheep farming aids employment thereby building communities and supporting the economy.

Here is an easy kitchen cheat sheet to get you started with which cuts of lamb are best for what you want to cook, with handy tips on freezer storage and cooking techniques.

So won’t you be doing to your bit to help protect the lambscape? The results of your kitchen experiments are bound to be lambtastic! Excuse the puns, I couldn’t resist 😉

Disclaimer: With thanks to AHDB Beef & Lamb and Cyrus Todiwala for having me as a guest. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post. Kitchen cheat sheet chart and images provided by AHDB Beef & Lamb.

Behind the scenes at a free range Happy Eggs Co farm

August 19, 2016 by manjirichitnis 15 Comments

Happy Eggs – Behind the scenes at a free-range farm in rural England

Scrambled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, in an omelette, in a frittata – whichever way you like your eggs, they are an unbeatable source of protein and unsurprisingly, a much-loved way to kick start the day with a power-packed breakfast. I have always loved eggs especially runny scrambled ones like the ones my Baba makes for breakfast. It was hard for me then, to say no to a tempting invitation by Happy Eggs to come visit their farm up in Tring.

Travelling to Happy Eggs farm from London

Having read so much, about how Happy Eggs Co like to have their girls roam around freely, this was a chance for me to experience things firsthand. So on a perfectly fine summer afternoon, I set out from London to the Hertfordshire. Arriving from London on the day would have been a nightmare, so I decided to stay one night in the village nearby the farm.

After a rather nightmarish re-routing of my otherwise straightforward journey to Luton, I finally managed to get there only about two hours late, thanks to cancelled and delayed trains. Thankfully, after that bit, it was a just quick drive from Luton station into the picturesque countryside.

No better way to recharge my batteries than a quick getaway out of London city limits. After I checked into the Five Bells Vintage Inn, I met lovely Jane who writes at The Hedgecombers for a quick drink and dinner. It was absolutely fabulous catching up with her after months. Jane is just one of the many amazing bloggers I have met at FBC and over the years we all have become really good friends. While Jane went back to her cute camper van for the night, I settled in early to ensure I got to the farm on time.

120 acres of space at the Bulborne Happy Eggs Co. Farm

Feeling Egg-tastic at the Happy Eggs farm at Bulborne

Breakfast at the B&B with Jane was a quick affair and I even got to ride with her to the farm in that camper van – Woohoo!!! – quite a treat for a city like me! We lost our way a bit and after driving around in circles for a bit we finally made our way to Bulborne farm. We were greeted by a big bunch of bloggers and the Happy Egg co team.

It was a good that we had an early breakfast then, as we missed the morning treats laid out for us. After a quick introduction we all donned fresh blue overalls and sipped into wellies – I have NEVER walked for so many hours in wellies before but it was not as bad as I thought it would be.

Happy Eggs Farm at Bulborne is an Organic farm spread across 120 acres of open,lush green space

Farmer JP of Bulborne farm is one of the many farmers who work with Noble Foods, the company that owns the Happy Egg brand. Bulborne Farm houses 14,000 girls as the hens are known or VIBS – very important birds in a space spread across 120 acres. This farm is a fully organic farm which means it is audited by bodies such as Organic Food Federation or Organic Farmers & Growers. This is in addition, to being certified and audited by the BEIC Lion Code.

All the Free Range, Barn and Organic farms that Noble Foods works with are also certified and audited by the RSPCA Freedom Food Scheme – a scheme to ensure hen welfare giving them not just wide open spaces to roam around freely but also to ensuring that they have access to dust-baths and specially designed activity kits, exactly like the one you see in my photo below.

Activity Kits for hens at Happy Eggs farm

Specially designed activity kit at Bulforne farm for Hen welfare

The focus on hen welfare and production of free-range eggs is given so much importance that they even sponsor research into work that how to create and maintain a stress free environment for the girls and keep them happy. After all Happy Hens produce Happy eggs!

Happy hens at Bulborne Farm - Happy Eggs

At the hen-house, ( no pun intended!) we saw the hens run outside to enjoy the sunshine, all the while, clucking away very happily. As we stood and took in what Farmer JP told us about a typical day in the life of an egg farmer, the hens roamed around freely around our group, not in the least perturbed by our presence.

While one part of our group went inside the hen house to look at how it is designed and what facilities are provided to ensure the hens are healthy and happy and feel safe while laying eggs, we took turns holding these handsome birds. The naughty hen I held tried to peck at my hand and escaped from my hands before I could pose for a decent picture – naughty girl!

Happy Hens posing for our cameras - Happy Egg farm at Bulborne

Did you know that a hen lays an egg every 26 hours? Or that hens need dust to keep themselves clean and well-groomed? Hens are very intelligent beings and quite inquisitive by nature. To ensure that they get to satisfy their natural curiosity, each farm ensures that at least 20% of every open area must have trees planted on it.

Space aplenty and lots of trees and foliage at Happy Egg farm in Bulborne

Farmer JP explained that he understands the difference between a happy clucking and would know of his girls were unhappy instantly. One of the indicators as I already mentioned is that the hens are fearless around humans, also the hens at his farm have a very healthy and shiny set of feathers.

Now that we have established that these eggs truly are free-range, how do we differentiate between the taste of eggs laid by happy hens versus caged hens? Farmer JP told us that the happy state of mind and healthy living conditions of his Happy hens results in tastier eggs. Also, fewer eggs with defects are found. These defects include a thin shell or wrinkled eggshell, which are indicators that the hens are under stress.

Jp explains why Happy Eggs are tastier because they are free range

Ergonomically designed housing for hens at Happy Eggs farm

As I walked into the e hen house, I steeled myself for an assault on my olfactory senses – what with all the pee and poo of hens, but honestly I was quite pleasantly surprised. There was dust flying around, thanks a bunch of excited hens who were jumping around in their dust-bath and cackling loudly as if exchanging some juicy gossip.

JP explained that the feeders, waste management system and egg collection areas are designed to ensure that hens are well-fed, their living space is kept clean, all this also designed to provide privacy for the hens when they want to lay eggs.

On being quizzed about an article in the Daily Mail about hens being caged, we were informed that those hens were being treated for an illness and the article was factually incorrect. A claim that was backed by RSPCA. Sadly, as the article was not fact-based, it was followed by an apology later. Unfortunately, bad news spreads like a virus and this affects all the farmers who strive to maintain high standards. I speak from my personal experience of my visit to Bulborne farm which I can assure you, was very clean. To maintain the level of hygiene we witnessed on the day, I am positive that there is a lot of work hard involved backed by careful consideration towards hen welfare. Happy Egg farms at Bulborne contribute to research and have performed better than expected during all their audits, yes, even the ones that happen unannounced and when least expected.

Picking eggs at the Happy Eggs farm

We then picked some of the freshly laid eggs and had a look at the area where the eggs are stored before being shipped out. The stamping of the eggs is a manual process and the unique codes help identify exactly which farm they originate from. The eggs are graded by size and packed into the trademark cheery yellow cartons that are so easily recognisable on supermarket shelves.

Famished after all that hard work we headed back to the base where a freshly prepared four course meal awaited. Chefs from Jackson & Rye restaurants in London cooked us a feast of smoked devilled eggs as canapes’ sprinkled with chives and a taste of delicious mayo, creamy avocados and spinach in Eggs Florentine.

This was followed by a massive portion of the classic Mexican treat – Huevos Rancheros – loved the perfectly poached eggs on top oozing golden yolk and the fresh tomatoes and guacamole. Dessert was a Pecan tart which I wolfed down at lightening speed.

To truly understand the meaning of free range and how gold standards are achieved and maintained one must experience at close quarters how a Happy Egg farm is managed. By no means, an easy task, the passion that the whole team here has towards hen welfare is evident from the love they have for these birds.

Recipe inspiration from my kitchen

While I have you here, can I interest in you in some of my egg-tastic recipes? Have a gander and leave me a comment (or two) if you rustle up any of these dishes :

Indian Masala Egg Omlette
Egg curry – Anda curry – easy recipe for Uni students
Turkish Poached Eggs – Cilbir
Eggs baked in pots with smoky chorizo and chives
Soft boiled eggs and asparagus soldiers – one of my Dad’s fav recipes
Vintage Frittata recipe

I was so egg-cited to meet some of my fellow food bloggers who came along for this farm visit. They were egg-cellent company! Alex Ryder writes at The Gingey Bites Heidi Roberts blogs at Kitchen Talk and travels

Visiting Tring? Have a look at my review of the beautiful Five Bells Vintage Inn here.

Disclaimer: With thanks to the Happy Eggs co for having me as a guest at Tring and Bulborne Free Range Happy Egg Co Farm. Many Thanks to Farmer JP and his team for a fabulous day out. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post.

River Cottage – memories of Blog Camp 2015

August 2, 2016 by manjirichitnis 8 Comments

Farm visits are a great way to spend a sunny day outdoors exploring, learning and eating al fresco. In preparation for my press trip to Happy Eggs farm at Tring, which I leave for today, I decided it was time to re-live some happy memories of last year’s blog camp at River Cottage HQ. It was by far the best day out and short break of 2015 – A mini staycation in Axminster with some friends and a packed day full of great sessions at blog camp on a farm in the picturesque countryside.

Summer this year has been good so far with the weather really holding up. I do hope the weather is just as glorious for the next two days at least as it was last year when I went and spent a whole day at River Cottage. I am ignoring the fact that we have had a really gloomy start today with big scary grey clouds looking over London and a rather wet and chilly evening last night – Gaaaahhh!

Visiting River Cottage HQ for a day out, is an excellent idea, especially for fans of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s famous TV cookery show. My blogger friends Heidi, Nayna, and Tina decided to make the most of this opportunity Blog Camp by Foodies 100 and booked ourselves into B&B called Millwater House in Axminster. (Sylvia who blogs at Happiness is homemade was busy and couldn’t join in the fun but we missed her dearly!) With plans to not just experience a day out in the gorgeous River Cottage, we also made plans to visit the Lyme Regis and drink in the sights and sounds of Devon.

To kickstart our day packed with a kitchen tour, cooking workshop and photography and blogging workshops all of us made our way to the farm in a large tractor. Yes, the said tractor ferried us in groups from the massive car park area which has sweeping views of the countryside, up the hill to the beautiful grounds. They house a charming 17th-century farmhouse, cookery school and a massive kitchen garden, a yurt and a sprawling few acres of grounds housing all manner of farm animals.

Tractor ride to River Cottage views from car park

Inside the yurt a log – fire welcomed us while we were divided into groups. Settling onto bales of hay we got a chance to mingle while the day’s plan was explained. But before all the ‘hard work began we were treated to some freshly made canapes, pastries and piping hot cups of tea and coffee- after all, what use is a hungry soldier?

Breakfast tent outside the yurt at River Cottage

Group Cookery Demo at River Cottage

My group started with the cookery demonstration and demo with Chef, Gill Mellor. We made butter and used fresh herbs to flavour and garnish. I used the butter at home for many weeks and it was always great fun because it brought back memories of my mum making ghee at home and sneakily using the by-product into various dishes later.

The process of making butter from cream was fairly simple and I choose not to use any fancy equipment. It does take some effort but its well worth it. The buttermilk which is produced during this process went into the soda bread dough. I went a bit mad with the soda bread and added all sorts of delicious things like honey and berries and herbs into the dough. We left the butter to set in the fridge and the soda bread to cool by the huge windows.

Making butter with fresh cream at River Cottage

What went into my soda bread at River Cottage

Doesn’t that vase look lovely? The pretty flowers used in vases come from the grounds and are arranged in vases of all shapes and sizes, spread all over the farm this rustic styling adds a very homely and welcoming touch.

Photography session with Lucy

After the cooking session, it was off to practise our food photography skills with Lucy. Lucy’s blog Capture by Lucy is a visual treat and she shared a wealth of knowledge with us all the while patiently answering our many queries. We practised styling fresh produce with flowers and cutlery and various light settings.

Photography session by Lucy at Foodies 100 BlogCamp 2015 at River Cottage

By then we were famished and I was relieved that as we trooped into the large dining hall, we all needed a rest and those gorgeous aromas wafting around had us salivating. So when the mains were served everything went quiet for a while as we hungrily wolfed down our food. It was a great opportunity to catch up with other bloggers between courses and I was glad to see so many familiar faces. It was nice to be finally able to put faces to the names of all the bloggers I ‘meet’ almost daily in cyberspace.

Foodies 100 BlogCamp 2015 at River Cottage

Lunch at River Cottage

The beef ravioli was melt-in-your-mouth delicious and was served with summer vegetables. I think we first ate with our eyes – what a pretty plate and the aromas floating around were thanks to the 36-hour slow cooking treatment given to the beef. Naturally, all the produce used came from the farm. Without a doubt, this is the best ever ravioli I have ever eaten – can’t get a better farm-to-fork plateful, I guess! For sides, we devoured slices of freshly baked bread and generous portions of chilli-garlic corn on the cob slathered with swirls of golden butter dripping off the sides, as it melted over the warm corn. Ummm utterly delightful.

Beef raviloi at Foodies 100 BlogCamp 2015 at River Cottage

Freshly baked bread for lunch at River Cottage

If that didn’t send me into a food induced coma of absolute happiness then maybe it was the gorgeous dessert that followed. Again brilliant plating, for the coffee flavoured ice cream (my absolute fav flavour – yay!) with crunchy salted caramel, served with meringue infused with delicate fennel, topped with juicy and moreish roasted damsons, crumble and finally slathered with runny honey. Passport to food heaven I say!

River Cottage Kitchen Garden Tour

Tummies full, soul satisfied, we walked out, our batteries recharged, ready to take on the kitchen garden and grounds tour.

Head Gardener, Will Livingstone explained how the farm is a self-sustaining ecosystem in itself. A living model of sustainability and growing and consuming local produce the variety of vegetables and fruits produced here is mind-boggling. During this guided tour he gave great tips on growing organic. The best tip he gave which is ingrained into my brain is to plant other plants next to the vegetables so that the bugs can munch on them for example – garlic.

Fruits ripe to pick at the River Cottage farm

The produce from the farm feeds a mind-boggling number of people every year at the various events and cookery classes that are held regularly. Whatever the farm cannot provide is sourced from neighbouring Trill farm and other local producers. No wonder then that they are organic certified as accredited by the Soil Association and are managed under Countryside and Environmental Stewardship; schemes run by Natural England. And this 1.5-acre farmland and the team managing it are also proud to be ambassadors of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Guided tour of kitchen gardens at River Cottage HQ

After the kitchen garden tour, we met the pigs and the hens who became overnight Instagram celebrities thanks to our group of camera trigger-happy bloggers.

It was then time to say our goodbyes and head back to our quaint B&B but not before a bumpy but fun ride in the massive tractor – an unforgettable experience.

The team at Foodies 100 and the one at River Cottage cannot be faulted for their organisation skills, their generosity, and of course their wealth of knowledge. To find out what’s happening now at the River Cottage check out their events calendar. I cannot think of a better day out, especially as a corporate team-building exercise than going to River Cottage H Q.

Looking for Travel Inspiration around London or other parts of the U.K, then have a browse through my travel posts below:

*With thanks to Foodies100 for organising such a fabulous blog camp event and the talented team at River Cottage for an unforgettable experience. As always all opinions expressed are as always my own. No incentive was provided for a positive review.

eINDIE Launch of Handmade Chutneys by budding Momtrepreneur Sonal Sher

March 22, 2016 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

I have always endeavoured to get the word about for foodie entrepreneurs via my blog. I am passionate about food and love talking to people who share my passion. That’s why I was really happy to be at the launch of eINDIE -Chutneys & Relish and am so glad I can share with all you the story behind the big day and some glimpses from the launch party.

eINDIE range of handmade Chutneys and Relishes

eINDIE was launched at a grand opening last month at Tante Marie located on Woking high street. The launch was attended by some very high profile guests like Lord Dolar Popat (Conservative Peer), a leading businessman and former Minister for Small Businesses & Transport who was the Chief Guest. The other special guest invitees were Mayor of Woking Borough Council and Cllr Derek McCrum while Local MP Jonathan Lord was not able to attend he sent his good wishes in support of eINDIE.

**Lord Dolar Popat at the launch of eINDIE**

**Special guest of honour at the launch of eINDIE**

Sonal’s close friend and ardent supporter Lakshmi Kaul, was at hand to introduce the guests of honour and introduce us to the delicious range of chutneys. Lakshmi Kaul, for the uninitiated, is the Founder and executive member of the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society. She recently has also elected as Deputy Chairman (Fundraising) for the Hounslow, Chiswick, Brentford & Isleworth Conservative Association.

***Lakshmi Kaul at the launch of eINDIE***

These dignitaries were there alongside Sonal’s loyal friends and family to encourage her and share in the joy of her new start up.

Sonal's friends at the launch of eINDIE — ***Sonal’s friends at the launch of eINDIE***

I honestly think that conceptualising a new brand and launching is nothing short of giving birth to a baby. The labour pains being no different to all the hard work, blood and sweat that am sure have gone into getting eINDIE to a larger audience and out in the market.

So how was this product line born? eINDIE is the brainchild of gorgeous ‘Momtrepreneur’ Sonal Sher.

Sonal Sher - creator of eINDIE range of handmade Chutneys and Relishes — *Sonal Sher – creator of eINDIE range of handmade Chutneys and Relishes*

To hear it in her own words ‘ The idea for eINDIE came about when my chutneys were appreciated by those who tasted them and this prompted me to think of upscaling the production. I am pleased to say that my chutneys and relish are enjoyed by many households in Surrey. Having informally become the provider of a ‘magic ingredient’, I am now launching this ‘magic ingredient’ to reach out to a wider discerning market.’

What is even more fascinating to me is Sonal’s story of how Woking became her second home after Kashmir, India where she was born. Sonal has lived in the UK for 17 years (in Woking for nearly a decade), which is now home. Originating from a region that celebrates food and boasts of unique flavours, she has experimented with world foods and varying culinary techniques over the last decade.

***Delicious nibbles at the launch of eINDIE***

Sonal Sher is a trained and qualified chef and believes that her creation eINDIE Chutneys and Relish reflect the variety of food she likes, where different flavours work together in harmony. Designed to make everyday meals exciting by providing a boost of flavours into pretty much all cuisines, eINDIE are guaranteed to be a great accompaniment to any party food. A true reflection of the best of British and Indian flavours brought together.

***eINDIE is a great accompaniment with cheese***

On the menu at the launch and food tasting were many delightful tasty tidbits prepared by the enthusiastic team at Tante Marie which also has a teaching academy.

***eINDIE Hot chilli relish with chicken skewers***

***eINDIE Hot chilli relish with sauteed paneer and sweet cherry tomatoes***

Currently, eINDIE Chutneys and Relish are available to try at a local wine bar at Woking high street called Cellar Magneval and they will soon be sold online. To place orders get in touch with creator Sonal at orders@eindie.co.uk

Why not follow eINDIE Chutneys and Relish on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

*With thanks to Sonal Sher for the invite and samples. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Have you ‘herd’ of the #CAUnival?

August 10, 2015 by manjirichitnis 1 Comment

I find it find hard to resist a hands-on masterclass invite and it is the promise of making empanada’s and learning about Argentinian street food that lured me to CAU restaurant at Blackheath last week. A Buenos Aires inspired restaurant group CAU is located a short walking from the overground station facing the beautiful All Saints Church. The group is raising funds for the charity Action Against Hunger with the launch of #CAUnival a month-long celebration of ‘Friend’s Day’ or Dia do Amigo. A celebration of friendship this festival is celebrated in many South American countries. What better way to celebrate friendship that over a delicious feast which supports a good cause?!

Argentinian street food masterclass focusing on beef

As I walked up the hill to the restaurant, I walked past the pretty French Wine Bar – Le Bouchon, which I had visited for their opening a year ago, here is my review. One has the unmistakable feeling of being in a smaller village with huge green spaces and village shops while walking along the high street. It’s rare to get such a feeling but I get that each time I alight at Blackheath station and walk into the area – must be a great feeling to come back home to from work in the busy crowded city.

I found my way in and sat down with two very friendly young ladies – Cherry and Brucine. It was a very warm summer evening and the chilled glass of sprite loaded with ice and wedge of lime was just the thing I needed.

The big cut of beef on each of our tables seemed managed to do its job of whetting our appetite so while Dom the master griller took center stage for the master class, we were treated to various samples.

Master griller Dom explains the various cuts of beef

We then all got busy making empanadas with different types of stuffing, which we then took home to enjoy over tea. I baked my batch in the oven and enjoyed then with pipping hot cups of chai.

#CAUnival making empanada's and sampling various cuts of beef — #CAUnival making empanada’s and sampling various cuts of beef

After our master class we were treated to a fabulous meal, here’s a quick look at what we sampled – started off with a swordfish carpaccio (£6.50) which I highly recommend – it is a great way to start a meal. Thinly sliced swordfish topped with capers, crushed chilli flakes and dressed with parsley and lemon oil – pairs well with a chilled classic mojito.

Inspired by the master class and eager to try a classic Argentinian steak, I was recommended the Lomito – a fillet of rump which is considered the finest cut in Argentina, it combines the flavour of rump and the tenderness of fillet. I choose to have my steak with a delicious spicy sauce – chimichurri instead of the blue cheese that is offered with Lomito. Chimichurri is definitely the best partner for an Argentinian steak – nothing compares!

I was seated with a bunch of foodies and we ordered sides to share – here’s a look a what we shared – in keeping with the spirit of ‘Friend’s Day’. Loved the baked sweet potato (£ 2.95), Onion rings (£ 2.75) and the grilled corn with chipotle butter, chilli and herbs (£ 3.95)

Well don’t just sit there and ‘stew’ get cracking and book yourself a table at one of the 12 CAU branches, after all you wouldn’t want to miss out on this ‘rare’ CAUnival now would you?

To book your #CAUnival feasting experience check Eventbrite. You can visit any of their 12 UK sites. For every meal ordered from the #CAUnival set menu, £1 from which will go to the charity Action Against Hunger.

*With thanks to CAU for an invite to a truly memorable evening. All opinions expressed are as always my own. No monetary compensation was provided for a positive review.

Taste ‘real’ this summer with the Häagen-Dazs Master Ice Cream Academy

August 10, 2015 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Häagen-Dazs unveiled their Master Ice Cream Academy last week at Bloomsbury Square with a multi-sensory Haagen Dazs experience. I am always drawn to their luxurious ice cream because the ingredients are the very best and so ‘real’ – meaning no preservatives, no artificial additives, and definitely nothing nasty!

Experience #realornothing

To host the academy Häagen-Dazs brought together a panel of expert ambassadors ‘The Masters of Real’ – who helped create a unique experience for some select bloggers and members of the press. The academy is founded on the principle that ice cream should be made with high quality, carefully selected ingredients. That’s why Häagen-Dazswill always starts with a base of four ingredients – real cream, real milk, sugar, and eggs – no vegetable fat, no preservatives, and minimal air. The Masters of Real ambassadors all share Haagen-Dazs’ belief that Nothing is Better than Real. That is the carefully crafted Vanilla recipe by Häagen-Dazs hasn’t changed since they the company first started making it in 1961 – which is exactly what was the vision of their founder Reuben Mattus.

Häagen-Dazs strawberries and cream ice cream

Hosted in a specially created dome we participated in a few simple yet interesting experiments that revealed how our senses react to various stimuli. ‘The Masters of Real’ – acclaimed Head Chef at Duck & Waffle, Dan Doherty, leading lifestyle blogger Rosie of ‘The Londoner’ and sensory expert Professor Barry Smith, helped bring to life the qualities of premium ice cream, encouraging us to explore our senses: aroma, sound, colour, and texture, to discover how much they influence our indulgent moments.

Chef Dan explains the multi sensory experience

Here is a video about a conversation between Professor Barry Smith and Rose Thomas discussing the science of taste.

Chef Dan Doherty created a simple yet delicious treat for us using strawberries and cream Häagen-Dasz ice cream, topped with toasted almonds it was just the thing we needed on a warm summer afternoon.

Why not recreate Chef Dan’s peach melba float recipe at home this summer? Experience and share the indulgent and luxurious taste of Häagen-Dasz with friends and family!

Chef Dan Doherty making a Häagen-Dazs peach melba float

Häagen-Dazs’ Peach Melba Float

By Dan Doherty, Executive Chef at Duck and Waffle

Ingredients

Ripe peaches
Fresh strawberries
1 x tub of Häagen-Dazs Strawberries & Cream
Rose Champagne
Toasted almonds

Method

Step 1: Slice the peaches and strawberries and place a couple of each in the bottom of a tall glass

Step 2: Add a scoop of Häagen-Dazs Strawberries & Cream ice cream

Step 3: Repeat both layers

Step 4: Sprinkle with toasted almonds

Step 5: Top up with Rose Champagne

I for one couldn’t stop scooping out the peach melba from the tall fruit-laden glass but then we were given more ice cream to eat . This time it was to experience how the sense of touch alters our taste – comparing the feel of a soft silky piece of cloth to that of another that wasn’t as smooth – made all the difference on my taste buds! But as I began to peel off the lid of my ice-cream tub in greedy haste, salivating at the thought of another chilled treat, we were asked to wait just for a few minutes longer – to ensure we didn’t end up a broken spoon! Haven’t we all had that experience where we dug our spoons into a really tempting tub of ice cream only have the handle bend backward or worse still end up with a broken spoon? To prevent that from happening always allow your Häagen-Dasz ice cream tubs to rest for about ten minutes so the ice cream can be scooped out easily.

I was most curious to learn about how music alters our experience of eating the very same food by affecting our mood and Professor Barry Smith played two very different types of tracks while we sampled the peach melba float. I was very keen to gain some more insight into the work done by Professor Barry Smith into his research into the science of taste. Watch this space for an interesting peek into the science of understanding our senses and taste with Professor Barry.

If you are craving some ice cream then make yourself a very British dessert – Häagen-Dazs Frosty Eton Mess by lifestyle blogger Rosie on her blog The Londoner. A delicious recipe with a modern take on the classic recipe.

Here’s hoping you have enjoyed reading about the exciting journey my taste buds took with Häagen-Dasz and the ‘The Masters of Real’. Go get yourself a ‘real’ treat this summer – you know you want to.

The Masters of Real

*With thanks to Häagen-Dazs and Great British Chefs for the invite. All images are the property of Häagen-Dazs unless they carry the ‘travelsfortaste’ trademark.

Great British Chefs Masterclass with Chef Russell Brown

July 29, 2015 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting and cooking along with a chef I greatly admire – Russell Brown.

Chef Russell Brown

Self-taught Master chef Russell Brown owned and ran a successful little restaurant called Sienna in Dorchester, Dorset. It was awarded 3 AA rosettes and a Michelin star in 2010. Only very recently has he closed shop to pursue a new venture – Creative about Cuisine.

We started out by preparing the ricotta in a process very similar to how I make paneer at home. Reminded me of all the times growing up when Aai would show us how to expertly get the paneer out from the vessel and hang it to set in a soft muslin cloth – which usually was engineered from her and aji’s ( nan’s) old cotton sarees’s. Chef Russell strongly suggests using distilled vinegar to split the milk to ensure that the end product is not affected by residual odours which may lurk around when anything else is used – lime for example.

How to make ricotta cheese – easy and quick method

While Russell recounted his adventures from his recent travels to Italy he showed us how to make the pasta dough. Then as our dough was resting Russell showed us how to make a delicious vegetable sauce which really was the highlight of the evening. It was so good with the pasta – almost like an edible silk scarf.

Making the vegetable sauce for the agnolotti

I was making Angolotti for the first time and it was great to really get hands-on with using the massive rolling pin to flatten the rested dough before passing it through the dough attachment on a KitchenAid. Pipping the ready ricotta mixture was great fun and gives more precise results than filling ravioli parcels with any kind of stuffing. Why? Well, the pipping ensures an almost even filling provided the fluted cutter is wielded almost symmetrically across the stuffed pasta sheet.

How to make agnolotti stuffed with ricotta cheese filling

The dessert was Raspberry and Mascarpone mille feuille and we had a team working furiously in the background to make it for us while Chef Russell showed us how to make the raspberry gel. I can never forget the taste of the gel on my palate – it sets almost instantly as it lands on the tongue – weird and fabulous at the same time.

Raspberry and Mascarpone mille feuille

In 3 hours flat we had made fresh ricotta and fresh pasta learnt how to make a delicious sauce to accompany our pasta and filled and cooked the agnolotti too.

At GBC cook school I have had the opportunity to meet and cook with some acclaimed chefs who have shared tips from their vast experience working across the best kitchens across the world. As a home cook and a writer, it is always a great pleasure to meet accomplished chefs and learn invaluable tricks and sample the brilliant food they cook. Working alongside some of my close blogger friends and getting an opportunity to meet more like-minded journalists and food enthusiasts is definitely a plus.

I have to also mention the lovely Rosalind Rathouse and her efficient team at the Cookery School. A spotless, well-maintained kitchen is the least one can expect from Rosalind who is a stickler for perfection and hygiene.

I am now quite determined to explore the joys of home made pasta by recreating Chef Russell’s delicious agnolotti and vegetable sauce sometime soon.

*With thanks to Great British Chefs and Chef Russell Brown for an invite to a truly memorable evening. Many Thanks to Rosalind and the team at the Cookery School. All opinions expressed are as always my own. No monetary compensation was provided for a positive review.

Pack a healthy protien punch into your meals with Quorn

June 15, 2015 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

One of the main challenges I have been facing off late as I am trying hard to throw off weight is maintaining a high protien diet and keeping my meals low on fat. Believe me it’s tricky trying to go low on sugar, saturated fats and ensuring blood sugar and cholesterol are at acceptable levels too- almost like a tight rope walk!

But even if you do not need to actively lower your cholesterol or sugar levels and are just looking for a healthier alternate to protein from meat sources I would consider including Quorn in your diet. I first tried Quorn simply out of curiosity. Both my husband and me love lamb mince but eating it more that 2 times on a week made me really feel very guilty. But swapping Quorn mince for lamb, once a week was something we are happy to do.

I always marinate Quorn mince with spices overnight and leave it to soak in all the flavours overnight. So when I was invited to an event to cook with Quorn at the Underground Cookery School, I was quite keen to see what recipes they had in mind.

Starters for the evening

We started by making dessert – always a great way to start the evening! Chocolate Torte was on the menu and we really enjoyed working with chocolate and working to an easy recipe created by the Underground Cookery School .

Chocolate Torte

Next it was the BBQ pulled Quorn and pink coleslaw followed by Quorn Thai Curry – which I enjoyed making the most. I really loved the recipe created by Denise.

Denise in conversation with bloggers at the #quorncooks event

And for you, my readers here its is for you:

Quorn Thai Curry

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

Marinade

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp korma paste
2 tbsp vegetarian Thai green curry paste
500gm Quorn pieces

Sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil
400gm onions, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
60gm fresh coriander
1 tbsp fresh, frozen or dried lime leaves (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 vegetable stock cube crumbled
2 x 400 gm tin coconut milk
3 tbsp sweet mango chutney
30 gm fresh basil
350 gm red peppers, thinly sliced
200 gm mangetout or sugar snaps, halved

Quorn Chicken Pieces

Method

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl until the Quorn is coated. Transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
To prepare the sauce heat the oil in a pan then gently fry the chopped onion, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured.
Add half of the coriander, the lime leaves, turmeric, stock cube, coconut milk and mango chutney. Gently bring to the boil then simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add the basil and remaining coriander to the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking time then remove the pan from the heat and blend until smooth with a hand blender.
Meanwhile transfer the marinated Quorn pieces to a baking tray and cook in a moderate oven 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.
Add the Quorn pieces, red pepper and mangetout to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked.

Quorn Thai Curry

While our curry was bubbling away we sat through a presentation over wine and a Q-A session. The question many of the bloggers had – as am sure many of you do was – what exactly is Quorn made up of?

Quorn’s core ingredient is a plant protein that is exceptional at replicating the texture and taste of meat. This is a naturally occurring fungus, which is harvested through a fermentation process. Other key features that make it a great choice are:

Quorn has no cholestrol and is high on fibre
From the sustainability perspective consider this Quorn mince uses 90% less greenhouse gasses than lean beef mince,

It was lovely to meet so many bloggers that evening and also bump into familiar faces like Leyla Preston and Becky. And for me it’s always a good feeling to come back to Underground cookery school where Chef and Patron Matt Kemp and his able team of chefs ensures that every blogger feels welcome, wine glasses never run dry and cooking is fun all the way.

The BBQ pulled Quorn was delicious and I really liked the texture of quorn and how easily it had taken up the flavours of the seasoning used. Paired with pink coleslaw it makes for a really great snack and a lovely idea for a summer BBQ.

BBQ pulled Quorn and pink coleslaw

Served with steamed basmati rice, perfectly done – each grain cooked to satisfying perfection was the creamy Thai Green curry – this was the most satisfying dish that evening and one that I am happy to make at home over and over again.

Both hubby and me love our meat and seafood but we are consciously trying to eat healthier, include more vegetables and fruits in our diet and look for healthier protein choices. That’s where Quorn comes in. Quorn certainly is a healthy protein alternative with a wide range of options – a solution to both vegetarians and the rapidly expanding group of people wanting to reduce their meat consumption.

Infographic-Quorn

Today is World Meat Free Day, why not create your very own easy vegetarian delight for an easy dinner at home tonight? And for those feeling less adventurous there’s many options Quorn has like my favourite Quorn steaks – served with a peppery salad of rocket leaves and fresh summery cherry tomatoes they go down a treat.

World Meat Free Day

*With thanks to Quorn for the invite and for the team at Underground Cookery for another great experience. All photographs used in this post are courtesy Preston Perfect Photography. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Scandinavian Cookery Class with Västerbottensost Cheese

June 1, 2015 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

The mention of Scandinavian foods brings to mind fresh, light dishes and minimal use of ingredients, or at least that was my perception, and oh yes lots of fish. So an invitation to attend a Scandinavian Cookery Class, last fortnight was quite welcome. Courtesy of **Västerbottensost cheese – a premium hard cheese with a strong, aromatic flavour the dishes we were going to cook were all created using this cheese.

Scandi blogger Bronte @Scandiwitchen – was on hand to introduce us to some of the most loved dishes of the region all made using – Västerbottensost, made to a 100-year-old secret Swedish recipe. This cheese has a unique taste and is favourite with the Swedish Royals, no wonder then that is considered the king of Swedish cheeses.

Interestingly this cheese can only be produced at the dairy in Burträsk in Västerbotten County, Sweden. Why? Well, they have many theories including a rather bizarre one. It is believed that the unique taste of this fabulous cheese could be in calcareous soil in Burträsk which is thought to be the result of an ancient meteor strike.

But the most famous theory is the legend of a maid who many think is the secret behind Västerbottensost. In 1872 a young dairymaid Ulrika Eleonora Lindström was distracted from cheese making by a romantic interlude. When she returned fearing that the cheese she left unattended would have been ruined only to find out that a new unique new taste had developed a year later. The recipe she documented is the well preserved and closely guarded secret behind Västerbottensost.

Västerbottensost carries the distinguished title, “By appointment to his Majesty the King of Sweden”. This versatile cheese is not just perfect for the cheeseboard, or as a garnish but equally great when used as an ingredient in a variety of recipes and cuisines.

Bronte shared some useful insights into how the cheese is to be sliced using a special cheese slicer. Remember the Swedish know their cheese really well and it is common knowledge that the slicing of cheese and using the right kind of slicer for your cheese – is something that MUST be done right! Now if that made you nervous reading imagine what it did to us while we worked with the cheese 😉 Thankfully there was plenty of wine kept handy to avoid any possibility of us not enjoying the session.

We worked our way through preparing a Swedish Västerbotten cheese pie, laden with copious amounts of cheese – of course, a raw courgette and rocket salad and the star dish Swedish meatballs and mash.

Raw Courgette Salad with Västerbottensost

When the table was all set there was so much food and many beautiful and interesting sides. I was mostly in love with the cloudberries really while the rest of the bloggers relished the pickles and Lingonberry jam.

Swedish Västerbottensost Cheesy cheese pie and salad

After that fabulous meal, I left with lots of recipe ideas popping into my head. After all with cheese this versatile it is not difficult to think beyond the typical wine and cheese pairing. Of course, there is always the danger that one may end up devouring most of the cheese before it ends up in your pan – just keep a good bottle of Red handy while you cook – either you will end up too tipsy to cook or you won’t have any cheese left to cook with 😉

The King of Swedish Cheese - Västerbottensost — The King of Swedish Cheese – Västerbottensost

REAL Swedish Meatballs made well are quite different from the Danish and Norwegian ones and of course way, way…. wayyyy better than the ones you would eat in say Ikea.

REAL Swedish Meatballs recipe:

Serves: 4: makes around 30 small meatballs

Preparation time: 1 hour, including resting

Ingredients:

150ml meat stock (chicken works well)
30g porridge oats or breadcrumbs
350g minced beef
250g minced pork (min 10% fat)
1 egg
1 tbsp. plain flour (or cornflour)
½ medium onion, grated
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground all-spice
½ tsp ground black pepper,
½ tsp ground white pepper
A dash of Worcestershire sauce or soya
2 tbsp. cream

Preparation:

Soak the oats/breadcrumbs in the chicken stock for a few minutes.
Blend the ground meat together in a mixer with a good pinch of salt for a couple of minutes to ensure it’s thoroughly combined.
Add the egg, flour, and spices to another bowl and mix with the soaked oats and grated onion, then add this to the meat mixture. You’ll have a sticky, but mouldable, mixture. Leave the mixture to rest for 20-25 minutes before using for best result.
Heat up a pan with a small knob of butter and a drop of oil and shape one small meatball. Fry it until done and then taste it. The quality of meat you use will alter the seasoning required and this is a great way to ensure your meatballs have good flavour. Adjust the seasoning according to taste and fry another meatball to test it until you get it just right.

Shape the individual meatballs in your hands – it helps if your hands are damp, even wet. Each meatball should be around 2½ cm in diameter.

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan with a dash of oil and carefully add some of the meatballs – make sure there is plenty of room for you to swivel the pan round and help turn them so they get a uniform round shape and ensure they do not stick. Cooking time is usually around five minutes. Keep in a warm oven until needed.
Serve with mashed potato, cream gravy, and a spoonful of ‘stirred Lingonberry’ (or store-bought Lingonberry jam).

Inspired to create some recipes with cheese? Browse through some of my recipes below for inspiration:)

Tip: You can get Lingonberry jam in most specialty stores and also some supermarkets.

**Västerbottensost can be found at Waitrose, Ocado, and Selfridges, approx at £19.90/ kg.

All this mention of Lingonberries reminds me of our fabulous adventurous holiday in Finland, why not have a browse through my posts here:

Make the most of your stay in Finnish Lapland with this list of exciting adventure activities to do. Akaslompolo has so much to offer other than skiing!

Fantastic Finland – Top 10 – To-Do list while Akaslompolo, Lapland

While in Helsinki for our first night in Finland we booked an amazing apartment for our one night stay. It was a massive apartment conveniently located for transport links and we had the whole apartment to ourselves:

Helsinki Plus Apartment Kallio in Finland – Overnight stay review

Tempted to fly to Helsinki? Dreaming of an escape from your routine to exciting Finnish Lapland? Check out my review post about our amazing stay at the Eco-friendly backpacker’s hostel in Lapland called 7 Fells. We stayed in a private log cabin which was like a huge private studio apartment fully equipped with its own kitchenette, a lovely breakfast table and a spacious shower-room and toilet:

Stay in a private log cabin in Finnish Lapland at an Eco-friendly backpacker’s hostel called the 7 Fells

*I was invited to be a part of this Scandinavian Cooking Class courtesy of Västerbottensost cheese. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.