Chef Wise

Now I am not saying that this is what everyone will want to eat but I will say that everyone should try this salad. It has everything that you would want from a salad and I could think of nothing better than nice fresh asparagus, good dry cured bacon , hard boiled eggs and one of those sort of sweet and sour dressing that seem to typify a German salad You will need. 450g/1lb Asparagus 4 slices bacon 75g/2½oz red onion 8 hard-boiled eggs 250g/8oz baby spinach leaves 10 cherry tomatoes 115g onion, diced very fine 115ml/4floz cider vinegar 115ml/4floz water 100g/3½oz sugar Salt and Pepper to taste Firstly cook your asparagus so it is slightly crunchy. Then your boiled eggs so that you still have that nice dark just cooked yellow in the yolk. Half the cherry tomatoes  pick your spinach and sliced the  red onion as thin as you can. Now heat the water and bring that to the boil add the sugar and let that just dissolve in to the water.  Take that off t

Pfeffernüsse or peppernuts get there name because of all the spices that are in them, and I would imagine are not to every ones taste. But you could use half the spices to make it easier to eat. They are shaped in sort of small ball shaped and full of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg and even pepper then topped with a tart lemon glaze. You will need 226g/8oz butter 112g/4oz sugar 2tbsp. treacle   1tbsp pure vanilla extract 275g/11oz flour 150g/5oz Ground  walnuts or almonds 37g/1½oz candied zest The juice and zest of 1 lemon 2tsp cinnamon ⅛tsp. cloves 1tsp ginger 1tsp nutmeg 225g/8oz icing sugar 2tbsp lemon juice ½tsp pure vanilla extract Cream the sugar, butter, vanilla and treacle together and then add the Flour, nuts, spices, zest and lemon. Mix everything until you have good solid firm dough. If the dough seem on the sticky side dust it with some more flour. Now rap it and chill the dough for an hour or more b

30 October 2012 A former general manager of Llangoed Hall has returned with a mission to restore the imposing Brecon Beacons National Park property to the best country house hotel in Wales and a leader in the UK hospitality industry. Calum Milne, 39, who was recruited by Sir Bernard Ashley to run his luxury hotel at Llyswen, near Brecon from April, 2004 to November, 2007, returns as managing director of Llangoed Limited. The new owner, a British businessman, is keen to restore the “at home” experience, which was established by Sir Bernard in 1990. The first phase of a comprehensive development plan will see in excess of £500,000 being invested on refurbishing the hotel’s 23 bedrooms and bathrooms, most of which will have en-suite showers, public areas and soft furnishings. Other exciting plans are in the pipeline for the Llangoed Hall Estate, situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park, which comprises 15 acres of gardens and grounds in the Wye Valley. The wedding venue i

30 October 2012 Shop Seasonally for Great Flavour and Budget Beating Recipes The new British leek season is here (November-April). With rising food prices leaving us all feeling short-changed at the checkout, what better time to rely on fresh, seasonal British produce to keep the flavour on our table and the pennies in our pocket. Delicious dishes don’t have to cost the earth. Try one of our brand new Recipes for Under a Fiver a delicious suite of recipes that cost less than 5 Pounds Sterling (£) to feed a family or four. Developed by Jane Hornby former editor of BBC Good Food magazine and author of ‘Good Food: Budget Dishes’ for affordable and easy to prepare solutions for the whole family. Feast on: - - Spiced leek, potato and lentil soup, - Squash, leek and lemon risotto, - Leek, chorizo and goats cheese tortilla, - Pasta with leeks, chilli and prawns, - Hearty leek and lamb cobbler, - Bacon wrapped chicken with leeks, peas and basil. If you love the idea of shopping

29 October 2012 For many people the mighty Pumpkin is just a popular fun item for Halloween or if you are in North America an essential part of Thanksgiving dinner. However Pumpkin has got significant nutritional benefits. Pumpkin seeds have long been appreciated, particularly in Easter Europe and in India for their healthy benefits and are particularly known for helping to maintain the health of the prostate gland. They are a good source of key nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, manganese and beneficial plant sterols. However, leading healthy oil manufacturers, Omega Nutrition has launched several organic pumpkin products to give consumers concentrated pumpkin nutrition. Pumpkin Seed Oil – Great for Salad Dressings Pumpkin seed oil has been available for several years, Unrefined oil is very nutritious, is a good source of Omega 6 and 9 fatty acids and an excellent oil to use in salad dressings. It is a healthy, oil which is particularly appreciated for its beneficial effects

29 October 2012 It’s the festive time of year again. That calls for celebrations, right? Whether it’s throwing a magnificent annual party, decorating the home and Christmas tree or just spending quality time with your family and kiddies, Christmas is a special time of year for everyone and leading personalised gifts site GoneDigging has got it wrapped up. With the festive season fast approaching, GoneDigging is in the Christmas spirit already. Their site is brimming with everything you need to create a magical Christmas. GoneDigging is so thrilled to showcase its exquisite range of Christmas gifts, guaranteed to make anyone jump up and down on Christmas morning, along with a whole selection of quirky and original gifts to keep the whole family entertained. Their fab range offers even more choice meaning shopping this year will be a breeze and you can enjoy the festivities and atmosphere without the last-minute stress. Here are just a few of GoneDigging’s top gifts for Chri

26 October 2012 The London Restaurant Festival has announced The Gate Islington as winner of the Discovery Award 2012. Adrian and Michael Daniel opened The Gate in Hammersmith 23 years ago. Their Indo-Iraqi-Jewish heritage informed vegetarian food was a far cry from the nut cutlets and leaden pulses that too often define this way of eating. This year, opposite Sadler’s Wells theatre, they opened a sleek, seductive second restaurant. Just five months after launch, The Gate Islington has become an award-winning restaurant, having won the Discovery Award at the London Restaurant Festival. Marina O’Loughlin, one of the judges says, “The Gate manages to avoid all the clichés of vegetarian eating. It doesn’t bother trying to make anything that apes meat, which makes sense if you don’t want to eat it in the first place. The Gate isn’t a good vegetarian restaurant; it’s simply a good restaurant”. The London Restaurant Festival Awards concentrate on the qualities that attract p

Zimtsterne cookies are a traditional Christmas and Advent treat that is offered to guests in Germany. They are a sort of almond short bread, very taste and get there name from their shape,  Zimt means cinnamon and sterne stars. They are rolled and cut into star shapes and are traditionally topped with white sugared icing. You will need 3 egg whites 500g/1ld caster sugar 225g/7½oz Ground Almonds The zest of 1 lemon 2tsp Cinnamon sugar and flour for rolling out sliced almonds 6 marachino cherries Whisk your egg whites until you have stiff peaks then add the sugar a little at a time to make a sort of merengue. Remove about 80g or 3oz to top the cookies when they are finished.  Now add to the rest of the egg whites in the blow the ground almonds, lemon zest, cinnamon and gently mix this in to form a dough. Use a mix of flour and icing sugar on the work surface to roll out the cookies. You need to roll them out to about 1cm to ¼ inch thickness.  Use a star

This is a casserole that is more in keeping with the new varieties of pare cider, or Perry as we used to call them before tea marketing men realised if you call it cider you can charge twice as much. But that is a different story and this is a German stew that is good wholesome and hearty once more.  You will need 1kg/2lb pork loin chops 3 large potatoes 3 large green ripe pears A good pinch of dried  marjoram A good pinch of dried dill A good pinch of  caraway seed 1 chicken stock cube  500ml/1pt water2 cups 2tbsp cornstarch Season well with salt and pepper . Now you can use other cuts of pork but this cooks the best and quickest for a dish like this. Now I use fresh herbs normally but the recipes I have seen all favour dried herbs, at the end of the day it is down to you and what you have at hand. Also the herbs are infused in the stock so I suppose it does not really matter. First, peeled and cut the potatoes into cubes then peeled and peeled,

Now to be honest I have never really thought about it before until I began to look at doing a moth of German recipes how many kinds of dumplings there was in the world. It would be fair to say that tradition German cooking has a lot of dumplings. There are variations of dumplings from region to region, from house to house and from generation to generation. With or without filling , boiled or fried , in soup or in stews, sweet or savoury ,  as a garnish or as the main meal.  But they all have their own place in this section of October recipes so here are just a few dumpling recipes.  Leberknvdel or Liver Dumplings 254g/9oz beef liver 3 stale German bread  rolls 226ml/½pt milk 99g/3½oz butter 1 small onion 1 egg salt, pepper to taste marjoram, parsley 99g/3½oz bread crumbs Take your sate bread and pour the milk over them to let them soak ,chop the onion and sautie it in butter. Now mix rolls, finely chopped liver and together. Season and add the herbs m

As you can tell from the tell that this is a sort of celebration bread baked around Easter time, some time with coloured eggs rapped in it as a decoration. It is a sort of front loaf a bit like a hot cross bun but in loaf form You will need 14g/½oz dry yeast  or packages dry yeast 350ml/1pt lukewarm milk 1.2kg/2ld5oz strong flour 5 egg yolks beaten 225g/8oz sugar 225g/8oz butter 150g/50z currants 1tbsp vanilla A good pinch of salt Now to make this you have to sort of make it in two stages so first dissolve the yeast in  the milk then add almost half of the flour and work that into the milk. Then leave it ove night cover and let it rise to double its size. The next day add the egg yolks, sugar, butter melted, currants, vanilla, salt, enough and the remaining flour and mix into a light dough. Then cover and let this rise once more in a warm place like you would do bread dough. Turn our and knock back on a floured surface and knead for about 10 min

25 October 2012 Whether it’s a luxury Christmas break in the North East, dining with friends and family or party nights and New Year celebrations, Rockliffe Hall’s world class facilities will really get you in the festive mood- a one-stop-shop for extravagance and indulgence. Here are some of the highlights - the twelve treats of Christmas… 1. Kenny Cooks Christmas Let top chefs do the hard work this Christmas! Rockliffe Hall’s celebrated chef, Kenny Atkinson, will be at the helm on Christmas Day where you can celebrate in style whether you’re dining in The Orangery, the Brasserie or The Clubhouse. And in the run up to Christmas, there’s the chance to try an exclusive seven course prestige festive tasting menu, cooked by Kenny himself. 2. Stay the night…or maybe more…. This Christmas, indulge in the delights of 2 or 3 night full-board residential Christmas Breaks, complete with an entertainment programme for all the family and a very special visit on the big day itself…….

25 October 2012 Cambridge. 25 Oct. 2012. - Yet again it’s time for Advent Calendars. Chocolate photo Advent calendars are sold each year only during the run-up to Christmas, which ensures that the chocolate is fresh. Those who want to make a truly unique Advent calendar with own pictures will find help at FotoInsight; starting in October, freshly filled chocolate Advent calendars with custom photo-print will again be available online. Anyone not wanting to serve their loved ones with an off the shelf Advent calendar, preferring to create their one design with their own graphic or picture, perhaps reviving the best moments of the year, will find this easy to do at FotoInsight. The online photo service offers to print a digital photograph onto a chocolate filled Advent calendar. The Advent calendars start on the first of December and its 24 little doors conceal tasty milk chocolate balls in festive wrapping. Those who have a nice picture to print can liven up a loved ones Advent

This bread roll is famous for a sandwich that is called the Buffalo , from  New York . the roll is over loaded with loads of  shaved very thin  rare roast beef, piled on to the base and then the top part of the roll is dipped into cream of horseradish sauce , it is also known as a "Beef on a Weck” .Easier than saying “a rare roast beef on a Kummelweck roll with cream of horseradish”  I suppose. You will need 1 packet of dry yeast or 21g/1oz fresh 160ml/6floz potato water 1tsp sugar 112g/4oz cooked potatoes 80ml/4floz  milk 4tbsp melted  butter, melted 1tsp salt 1tabl caraway seeds 600g/ 1ld4oz strong white flour 1 egg white Coarse sea salt and Caraway seeds to top the rolls Now you might be wondering what potatoes water is , well it is the water that you cooked the potatoes in to make the mash. Save the water and wait until it is about body temperature about 39c/110f when you use it. While that is cooling down add the milk, salt  and the butt

PRESS RELEASE October 2012     Plusfood UK has extended its UK-based team with the creation of several new roles, which will assist the company in its continual business growth and development. Martin Eshelby joins Plusfood in the role of Development Chef UK & Europe, and will work to support new and existing foodservice customers as well as assist the Plusfood Commercial/Product Development team on projects within UK and European retail.  Martin joins Plusfood from Adams Foods Ltd. Janet Peters comes to Plusfood from Kerry Foodservice, as National Account Manager End Users.  With a responsibility for foodservice end users, Janet will be responsible for pubs, restaurants, QSR and hotels. Lawrence Felice completes the line-up of new team members, and joins Plusfood as Marketing/Commercial Assistant UK.  With significant previous experience of marketing, Lawrence will provide support for the Commercial, Retail and Marketing teams within Plusfood. Plusfood

The Inventor of the Bonzer® Can Opener  Tony Cooper, the man who design and produced the first ever Bonzer® Can opener has passed away after a long term illness.  Recognised by many as one of the most important pieces of kit in the kitchen, the Bonzer can opener is estimated to have sold over 25 Million units since it launched over 70 years ago. It was the perfectly designed Bonzer can opener that catapulted his Grandfather’s company, Mitchell & Cooper into the catering limelight and it is the same company that still manufacture the product in the UK today.  Although the Bonzer name is now also associated with many other high quality, innovative products including barware, portioners and dispensers, it is the design of the can opener that many will best remember Tony Cooper for. It is fitting that one of the last projects Tony undertook in the last few weeks was to refurbish an original 60 year old Bonzer can opener which was returned from the west side of the An

Now where ever you go you seem to get a sort of sweet batter doughnut like pastry, the reason for this is , they are really nice to eat. Mutzen are a German version of this kind of thing and are normally made around Mardi Gras time or New Years. Now depending on where you are in Germany you will find variation to how they are made. You will need 150g/5oz plain flour 1 egg 2tsp milk 1tso baking powder 1tsp salt 2tsp sugar 30ml/2floz sour cream Vegetable oil for frying Icing sugar with vanilla to roll them in once cooked. Take your flour, baking powder, salt and sugar put them in a bow and make a well in the centre of it. Crack the egg in that and add the milk and mix until you have a stiff batter. Heat the oil, and deep fry the dough, it takes about 1 to 2 minutes to cook all depending on the size . Drop the batter in from a spoon so it forms a sort of tear drop shape. Once cooked roll them in the vanilla sugar. Now if you want you can try these fo

24 October 2012 New digital platform offers a brand new concept in wine ownership 24th October 2012 For immediate release. a brand new concept in wine ownership & discovery Duras, October 24th: A new digital platform offers the perfect Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys wine – an opportunity to become a part of an independent vineyard producing award winning organic wine. Founded by a British couple, MyOrganicVineyard (MyOrganicVineyard) is an innovative platform which enables people to adopt their own vines, discover and learn about the wine making process from experts, follow the progress of their vines throughout the growing season and ultimately receive and enjoy the bottles of wine their vines produce. Emma Jell, who works with digital agency ideas.org to provide innovative digital solutions to businesses and organisations, says: "Wine is a perfect gift for family and friends, but how much do we all know about the wine we drink? Variations in the soil, o

24 October 2012 Fang-tastic fizz for a £1 If you’re looking to create a devilishly delicious spread this Halloween, you’ll love this limited edition RC Dracola from the American drinks brand Royal Crown (RC) Cola. With its blood-red colour and refreshing bubbles, this fang-tastic fizz will make the perfect drink for any Halloween party. What’s more, its seasonally suited label even glows in the dark making it the perfect twilight tipple. In fact, the only thing that’s not so scary about this product is the price! At just £1 per 2litre bottle, RC Dracola offers fantastic value for money and makes an ideal party treat. Here are a few serving tips to try: Create an ice-scream cola float by popping a scoop of ice cream into a half-filled glass of RC Dracola. Prepare a petrifying punch with RC Dracola as your base and garnish this with eyeball sweets. Pop a pair of plastic vampire fangs over the base of a glass and the fill with Dracola and crushed ice for a fresh and frig

24 October 2012 Easy ideas for Perfect Halloween, Bonfire Night and Thanksgiving parties all available in one eBook from all major online retailers 24th October 2012: Cherry Menlove has announced her new eBook: ‘Unique Party Ideas’ which is an inspirational yet simple-to-use guide for celebrating the best of autumn. With Halloween and Bonfire Night just days away, followed quickly by Thanksgiving, Cherry has put together an abundance of ideas to host autumnal parties with a difference. ‘Unique Party Ideas’, which is available to download now for GBP 1.99, is packed full of ways to create original Halloween and Bonfire Night crafty designs and tempting treats, as well as ways to host a traditional Thanksgiving party – whether it’s to make American friends and family feel at home, or simply a new excuse to celebrate. Full of beautiful and creative photography from Cherry’s own house and garden in West Sussex, her latest eBook is guaranteed to make your parties the talking point o

Now this dish originates for the city of Königsberg  and that is how it gets its name . First you make your meat balls then poach them in a broth and finally finish them in a caper sauce. Now it is the fact that the meat ball are cooked in a stock as opposed to being fried make this dish special .  You will need 50g/2oz German black bread crumbs   225g/½lb minced  lean beef 225g/½lb minced  pork 225g/½lb. minced veal 4 Anchovy Fillets; Diced 2 medium Onion 2 Eggs White pepper to taste 1lt/2pt salted water 1 Bay Leaf 6 peppercorns 1tbsp capers Juice of one lemon 1tsp Dusseldorf Mustard or Dijon 50ml 2floz cup sour cream 28g/1oz flour 28g/1oz butter Salt and pepper to taste First make the meat balls take one of the onions dice it nice and fine and sweat it off in a pan. Then chop the anchovy’s and mix them in to the onions then add all the meat and the bread crumbs. Mix this with your hands so everything is nicely mixed together.  Finall

23 October 2012 Sydneysiders will soon be sipping Welsh beer as the first shipment of award-winning Tomos Watkin ales heads for Australia. Produced by Swansea brewers, The Hurns Brewing Company, the complete Tomos Watkin bottled range has been snapped up by distributors in Sydney keen to bring a taste of Wales to beer lovers ‘Down Under’. For the company - which has just been named Food & Drink Award at the Insider Made in Wales Awards 2012 - it is the latest development in a series of export successes, which sees ‘Tomos Watkin – the Great Ales of Wales’ sold in America, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, France, Spain and Denmark. “We are delighted Tomos Watkin ales are going to be available in Australia, a country which is renowned for its love of good beer,” says Connie Parry, Hurns’ Chief Executive Officer. “Exporting has become an important part of our business, and we are currently handling enquiries from Chile, and next month I will be travelling to Shanghai for one of

23 October 2012 Think of Christmas, and turkey and Christmas pudding spring to mind, but the festive feast is not complete without the final culinary flourish – the cheeseboard. So say Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar who are launching their first limited edition special Christmas pack, to tap into the heightened demand for premium food and drink during Yuletide. Branded “to ensure a festive taste sensation” Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar tastes like no ordinary cheese. The Collier’s name came from Wales’ proud industrial history and Collier’s characteristics reflect those of the coal miner: reliability, power and integrity. As Britons prepare to splash out on more luxurious food and drink for Christmas, the special Collier’s pack will be available from mid November in multiple retailers for five weeks. Last year, sales of delicatessen, meat and cheese items jumped eight per cent in the four weeks leading up to 24 December, according to Nielsen. “The recession has put a

Now the thing is so far there has been a lot of well what you could call very hearty food so far in this month. And that is the thing every one, or is it just me thinks of solid food, filling. Well there are a number of classic German salads as well that you can make. Most of them have a very clean and sharp taste to them, very refreshing. Now I think this is to do with all the picking and types of vegetables around at the time but I like them. Any way here are there simple side salads that you can do. Kohisalat or Gestamphe salat , German Cole Slaw The main thing is you do not use mayonnaise, so with the sweet and sour dressing it really cuts threw and cleanses the plate , great at barbeques. 1 white cabbage or ½ white and half red 1 teaspoon salt 1 onion 1 red pepper 30ml/2floz cider vinegar 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 small bunch Dill weed A good pinch of celery seeds Ground black pepper to taste 1 teaspoon sugar Now to make this you have to sl

Now this is a cake that will test you as it is not lie any normal cake that you might make, you could say that it is three cakes altogether in a ring . that is why it is called tree cake as when you cut threw it looks like a tree stump thin the rings , and king cake because it takes so long to make it is very special . Now as many of these recipes it is hard to define exactly who was first to make it. It is believed that it was invented in the German town of Salzwedel, or it could be a Hungarian wedding cake.  Or it could be as old as to go back to Ancient Greece and then Rome, as so many things can in European food. The only thing you can say that is for 200 years or more German bakers have been making this , originally over an open fire, on a spit. That is why it has a hole in the middle. Onr thing you can say is that Baumkuchen is one of the most popular pastries in Japan, where it is called baumukūhen. Apparently it was introduced to Japan by Karl Joseph Wilhelm Juchheim. He

Now you have a bit of a tow part to this recipe today fist I will do the pork hocks. Could not be easier really just poach them but in beer not water, that is what make them so different. 1 small leek 1 carrot 2 pork hocks 4 peppercorns 1lt/2pt Beer, larger 3 celery sticks 9 onions Salt 2 tablespoons cooking fat 450g/17oz dry German bread 180ml/8floz milk 1 teaspoon Thyme 1 teaspoon Marjoram 1 teaspoon Sage 3 Eggs Now to start with you have to cook the hock, so get a big pan and place in the pan the two hocks. Fist sort out your veg keep 8 of the onions and 2 of the celery sticks back, then prep the leek, celery, carrot and onion of the hocks. Make sure that all you vegetables are nice and clean, especially the leeks chop and dice them up and add them to the pot, along with the peppercorns. Now add the beer and top up with water if you have to so the pork is covered. Then bring to the boil then simmer for about 2 to 3 hours until the pork is

Now there are a lot of Germany soups everything from vegetable soups topped with little dumplings, cabbage soups, creamy soup like asparagus, green bean soup and soups such as Horseradish soupm thickened with potato and garnished. Then you have the truly German soups like Sauerkraut soup and Kartoffelsuppe a potato soup and Beer Cheese soup.  Now this recipe for beet borscht is really good for a winter’s day or even a summer’s day, packed with flavour and its own special stock recipe as well. It is a true celebration of late autumn and winter vegetables root vegetables, cooked in its own spiced beef stock. You will need. 1.5kg/ 3lbs of beef short ribs 3.5lt/8pt water 1tbsp allspice 10 to 12 cloves of garlic 200g/7oz tomato puree 1 large potato 1 large onion 1/2 cup rice 4 carrots, diced 2 beetroot 1turnip 1 parsnip 4 sticks of celery 1 / 2 cabbage, savoy 2 tablespoons caraway seed 450g/1lb chop tomatoes Sour cream Allspice or cinnamon Fr