Chef Wise

When I think of something like this I wonder just what it was that whoever first made it was actually thinking of. After all brioche is a cross between cake and bread, was it a mistake or did they plan to make it. Was it a splash of inspiration or did they think why not try to mix things up. I remember I think I was Billy Clonally asking   just was the person thinking   when he saw a chicken lay an egg. I know I will boil it and dip some bread in it. Truth be told that they probably saw other animals eat them and that was that but with this bread was it inspired or a glorious accident.   I know that if it was me and it all was a mistake then I would have said that is why I did it. I guess we will never know. You will need 15g/ ½oz   fresh yeast 2tbsp warm milk 375g/13oz strong flour 2tbsp sugar 2 good pinches of salt 175g/6oz unsalted butter 5 eggs Crumble the yeast in to a bowl with the warm milk, not to hot just body temperature. ...

Now normally I find my self writing a recipes and saying that it is easy to do but I will admit the first, actually it was more than the first time it was several times, I made this bread it did not work out. Then one day I made it and it worked, I did not know why but it did had that is the way that I have made it ever since. It is a bit of a pain and I am sure that there is a probably a better way to make this but this works so that is what I am going to do. You will need. 225g/8oz of biga 15g/½oz fresh yeast 200g/7floz warm water 300g/10oz strong white flour A good pinch of salt 2tsp dry milk powder 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Now the first thing you will all ask is what is biga, well I will tell you as you will have to make it you will need 225g/8oz white strong flour 7g/¼oz fresh yeast 90ml/3floz tepid water Basically you make it in to a dough like any normal bread but just let it stand for about 12 hours or overnight at about warm roo...

Ballpark Bites Plate in Honor of Opening Day, Peeps for Our Peeps in Celebration of Easter, and More… Chicago, IL (March, 2012) -- 4-Star Restaurant Group, the company that’s brought Chicago some of its most popular neighborhood restaurants, including The Smoke Daddy, Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Dunlays, D.O.C. Wine Bar and soon-to-be, Crosby's Kitchen (June 2012), has some exciting events coming up over the next month, including: Meet the Artist You may have noticed the beautiful artwork featured on the walls of Dunlays on the Square, well now is your chance to meet the artist behind the work! Dunlay’s rotating art exhibit features a new local artist every several months, and for the first time ever they are offering the public a chance to “Meet the Artist”. On March 29th at 7p.m, Dunlays will host an event to meet the currently featured artist, Shawn Stucky. So stop in and meet the man behind the artwork, while enjoying $4 draft beers and brand new summer cockt...

30 March 2012 Want to immerse yourself in chocolate over the Easter hols? Why not choc into chocopreneur Gerry Wilton’s chic and unique Chocolate Boutique Hotel in Bournemouth for a night or two of heavenly indulgence - you’ll even get a chocolate Easter bunny in your room*. As you step into the world’s first chocolate themed hotel you can scoop up handfuls of milk, dark and white chocolate buttons before being shown to a cosy room decorated in chocolatey hues where you can dip fresh strawberries into a cascading chocolate fountain**.    If you want to lift your spirits still further, head to the Chocolate Bar where you can down a decadent chocolate martini or perhaps a chockywockyminty ‘chocktail’ or two before nestling into one of the hotel’s 13 chic chocolate themed bedrooms, such as the Aztec, Maya or Montezuma. And as each room comes with its own complimentary selection of heavenly handmade chocolates, you can indulge yourself while watching chocolate the...

Now this recipe is one that I know works really well and produces a really tasty bread at the end of it. You can substitute in to this any number of things apart from just walnuts, apple and cheese, garlic and herbs, onions and species and dried fruit and mixed spices. In fact if you think it will work in a bread this is a good recipes for experimenting with. I remember my stilton and bacon being a favourite of mine but not popular with every one, and once I did go over the top with the cardamoms in it , but you get the idea. You will need 450g/1lb strong whole meal or white flour A good pinch of salt A pinch of sugar 30g/1oz fresh yeast 225ml/8floz milk or water 120g/4oz chopped walnuts 60g/2oz sultanas Start by sifting your flour in to a large bowl. Then add a little of the milk or water to the yeast with a pinch of the sugar. Sugar helps the yeast to get to work really quickly. Now you need you liquid warm but not hot, no hotter than 43c or 110f to h...

March 2012   Café products specialists, Mitchell and Cooper will be bringing three brand new, innovative products to Caffe Culture this year. (Stand G7). All have been designed and manufactured in the U.K and provide innovative storage solutions for both lids and cups alike. The Bonzer® Hexdome is a unique, stylish and flexible solution to cup dispensing that stabilises cups and lids whilst increasing hygiene and brand presence in any catering outlet.   Tidy and compact, the Bonzer® Hexdome makes efficient use of surface space whilst increasing brand awareness and thanks to its unique modular design and completely customisable branding possibilities on almost every surface, it is a must have for any café outlet service. The Bonzer® Hexdome will suit any surface size, with each individual unit designed to interlink and lock together to create a bespoke cup dispensing facility.   The unique silicone dome, which is available in a range of colours will p...

Press Release Creation of Young Chef Bursary Awards Announced A fund-raising tribute dinner for Jonny Dunhill, owner of Ramsgate’s Eddie Gilbert’s restaurant and wet fish shop, who died in February, aged 49, is to host Janet Street-Porter as guest of honour.   Janet is a big fan of Eddie Gilbert’s fish and chips and a regular visitor to the restaurant. The special 6-course dinner featuring Jonny’s favourite dishes will be served at Thanet College’s Bay View Restaurant in Broadstairs – which is sponsoring the event – on Monday 28 th May.   The tasting menu which includes Jonny’s all-time favourite ‘Brown shrimp croquette, pickled cucumber, crispy parsley and a sherry vinegar emulsion’, has been designed by the award-winning Craig Mather, Eddie Gilbert’s original head chef, who now works as a Chef Lecturer at the College, between shifts at the King Street seafood restaurant.   Tickets cost £30. The dinner will raise funds for Pilgrims Hospice in Ma...

29 March 2012 Multi award winning ethical food firm The Redwood Wholefood Company is aiming to make a splash this weekend by putting out nine new lines, including fabulous fish-free ‘fish’ cakes and ‘fish’ steaks, both made from 100% natural plant-based ingredients. Also making their debut at the Natural and Organic Products Europe Show at Olympia on 1st and 2nd April 2012 are Redwood’s delicious new vegan pizzas, meat-free sausage rolls and pasties, dairy-free ‘Parmesan’ and a strawberry dessert made from highly nutritious pea protein. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, by the year 2030 an additional 37 million tonnes of fish each year will be needed to maintain current levels of fish consumption and to cope with an increased world population of 2 billion more people. With the number of fish left in the ocean declining rapidly, Redwood’s new Making Waves Gourmet Fish Style Cakes and Fish Style Steaks offer a more ethical, sustainable and cruelty-free ...

29 March 2012 One in three women admit snacking in secret, a study has revealed. Embarrassment about the type of food they eat, as well as the amount of snacks they consume means 33 per cent enjoy a quiet pick-me-up when no-one else is watching. And two thirds of those even keep their snacks a secret from their own partner and half admit they feel guilty after enjoying a treat.  Almost half also admitted they were embarrassed about how often they snack on something, while 55 per cent hating people thinking they eat too much. Another 19 per cent simply don't want people to think they are unhealthy in their food choices, according to the poll by the American Pistachio Growers.  Dr. Cathy Kapica, Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at Tufts University, and a science advisor to the   American Pistachio Growers said:   "The odd snack here and there isn't a bad thing. In fact snacks can be an important part of a healthy eating style. Choosing snack foods that ar...

I was talking yesterday about making some bread and when I was looking threw my recipes I came across this and remember that actually this is rather fun and goes well with things on a barbeque .So with the good weather of the past few day I thought I would post this so you can have a go at making it. Now if you like you can add a little cheese to them or pepper, whatever you like but the basic recipe is as follows You will need 375g/13oz plain flour 225g/8oz cornmeal 1 tsp salt 4tsp baking powder 110g/4oz sugar 480ml/17floz milk 2 eggs 110g/4oz butter A small tin sweet corn kernels, or use fresh Now you can make them on a baking try but I like to make them in a muffin try as it gives them some shape. Preheat your oven to 200c/400f and grease your tin that you are going to bake them in. then get a big bowl and add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and sugar. Combine them together, then make a well in the centre. Now melt the butter and ...

28 March 2012 Guoman Hotels' five-star The Royal Horseguards has launched a range of new luxury lifestyle packages to suit everyone visiting London in 2012; the certified shopaholics, loved up couples and enthusiastic explorers. The Royal Horseguards, in the heart of London, epitomises British refinement. The hotel is steeped in history and heritage and has presided over the Thames with grandeur for over 100 years. It is conveniently located in close proximity to Covent Garden, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square and The Strand making it the ideal base to spend a day exploring the best in shopping and cultural attractions that London has to offer. The new range of lifestyle packages which are available to book now includes: Sophisticated Shopper - Shopaholics staying at the Royal Horseguards can head to the centre of the capital for an indulgent shopping stay. Guests can use a dedicated shopping map and get started with a £50 voucher for Liberty,one of London...

28 March 2012   A new British drink is guaranteed to fire up barbecues, picnics and street parties across the UK this summer – no matter what the weather has in store. Gran Stead’s Light & Fiery Ginger Wine is big, bold and hot. It is the fourth alcohol-free drink from award-winning Gran Stead’s, the family business that has made its name creating traditional favourites, always with a signature touch.   Another top-seller, Still Lemonade with a Zing of Ginger – an invigorating lemonade laced with spice - is known as “lemonade with attitude”. Gran Stead’s great British drinks are delicious on their own, and at their most fabulously refreshing sipped through crushed ice on a hot day. They also make zesty bases for Diamond Jubilee cocktails and celebratory concoctions to raise a cheer for the Olympics. Find jubilee summer drinks recipes on Gran Stead’s website (www.GranSteadsGinger.co.uk) and unleash your imagination creating thirst-quenching con...

March 2012   Hot on the heels of the UK launch of their Charcoal Ovens which deliver the distinctive smell and taste of Barbecue cooking in a safe indoor environment, Inka has introduced a new range of barbecues which are perfect for alfresco dining.   And, with summer just around the corner, the new range will give you the perfect time to discover the magic of Inka, but this time in the open air. The new Inka IK-800 Barbecue is set to be the big thing for this season. Capable of cooking up to 80kg of meat or fish per hour, this top of the range Barbecue is aimed at chefs who are serious about providing a substantial grilled menu. Aside from the benefit of large-scale production, the IK-800 will help provide that extra special theatre to your cooking, which will help to wow your customers. Franco Sotgiu, Managing Director for INKA Charcoal Ovens UK explains: “The new IK-800 outdoor Barbecue will enhance alfresco dining at any venue. Furthermore, with customer...

from this to this and now this. Well I have been working on this new look blog , I do not know if I like it or not , but it does have lots of bells whistles   with it and it does have a sort of dynamic quality that I like.   As for what recipes I will be doing next I do not know. I know that I am going to London soon for Easter and I suppose a lot of Easter recipes should be filling my head but with one thing and another I just have lost my way a little with this blog. But now I am fully back and looking at what I will being doing next. And I do not know why but I have a mind to get down and do some baking. More than that make some bread. Now I know that most of you will think that bread making is very hard but it is not , all you need, or should I say knead , is strong flour, water and yeast and that is about it. The rest is just time and heat. Or should I make some cakes, Easter cakes , I do not know, any way I hope you enjoy my new look t...