Tag Archives: Dinner

Dish up dreamy desserts this Xmas with @BaileysOriginal Christmas Creams #baileyschristmascreams #food #drink #christmas

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Ever heard of the phrase “cant cook, won’t cook?” Yes, well it very much applies to us, the idea of a takeaway as the far easier option always comes to mind at around the 7pm timeslot, and the thought of hosting a group for dinner fills us with fear…until now.

With a little help from the latest Baileys Christmas Cream collection, this week we were taken on a culinary cuisine cruise around Les Atelier Des Chefs in London, to get ready for the Christmas season in style, and iron out any doubts we may have had about our cooking (or at least baking) abilities.Screen Shot 2013-12-05 at 18.09.18

Luckily for us, in just a couple of hours, what we found, is that actually cooking is not only hugely fun and rewarding, but it also can be incredibly simple and yet produce results that even Mary Berry would be proud of. Oh and the fact that all the food we made had Bailey’s in it REALLY helps!

So where did this culinary cruise start?

Well as any good Christmas party host knows, it started with a nice glass of Prosecco… just to ease us into it of course! Now we would also recommend a quick pit stop before you get started, alongside a bowl of Baileys Original Sauce (£2.35 300ml) which you dip some yummy strawberry’s and marshmallows into as a pre dessert nibble!

Then with our advice, you skip the main meal and head straight for dessert!!!

Dessert you say…already?

Screen Shot 2013-12-05 at 18.12.45Well isn’t this splendid, who said Christmas isn’t about indulging yourself entirely. With the help of a fantastic Food Innovator called Janey Greene, (who taught us everything we needed to know on the day) Baileys has mustered up some fabulous dessert treats that have convinced us that we could pose as master chefs in no time at all!

All you literally need is a little bit of Baileys very own Christmas Cream selection and you will have a unique recipe or two to impress your friends with in no time

Here’s what we made on the day – oh and a little look at us in action….

Baileys Creamy Custard Fruit Brulee – by Janey Green

Apples and Dates infused with Tangerine and Basil, topped with Baileys Cream Vanilla Custard and finished with a Brulee toppingScreen Shot 2013-12-05 at 18.17.03

Baileys Cream with Chilli Chocolate and Sour Cherry

Warm dipping sauce served with Filo Pastry ‘cinnamon sticks’Screen Shot 2013-12-05 at 22.24.26

For these recipes, make sure you visit Janey’s wonderful blog A Slice of Slim.

 It really is that simple!

We cant express enough how easy these recipes were to make, and just how unique they all taste with a yummy Bailey’s twist. Even if its not your immediate top tipple, the addition of this to any dessert at Christmas is really worth it.

It’s guaranteed to make you fall in love with puddings all over again! Here’s some ideas for you…

Try classic Baileys Original Irish Cream with gooey chocolate cakes and tortes, while Baileys with a hint of Crème Caramel is the perfect accompaniment to warm sticky toffee puddings or fresh fruit crumbles and tarts. You can even use it to add a little extra luxury to recipes that traditionally use chilled cream, such as trifles or tiramisu.

The list is endless, and the taste is priceless! So what are you waiting for, its time to get in the kitchen, pretend you’re Nigella (in better times) and become the hostest with the mostest this Christmas! Screen Shot 2013-12-05 at 22.30.06

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#competition Celebrate Grosvenor House Apartments 1st Birthday & win a wish a week! @GHA_JumeirahLiv

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Ever wondered what it would be like to live the high life? Would your ultimate indulgence be a swanky dinner at a top restaurant? A shopping spree at a shop on Bond Street or maybe one of the ultimate spa treatments – the key to relaxation… Everyone’s perception of luxury is different, so its time to get your thinking caps on and think up your wish list as you may be in with a chance of winning one of these stunning prizes.

Its time to wish our friends at Grosvenor House Apartments on Park Lane a very Happy 1st Birthday. And to celebrate they want to share some of the excitement with you!

As part of the celebrations this month, Grosvenor House Apartments is going to bring the amazing knowledge of its expert concierge team to the lovely people of London! This team will be granting ‘one wish’ a week for members of the public where the lucky weekly winner will have a chance to win one of these ultimate luxury prizes!

–          Dinner at…(the restaurant of your choice)

–          Shopping spree at… (the shop of your choice)

–          A relaxing Spa Illuminata treatment

–          Your suggestion

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So how do you win…its totally simple! All you have to do is tweet @GHA_JumeirahLiv , post your wish on their Facebook wall or visit the lobby to fill out a ‘wish card’, and fingers crossed you might be the Londoner that wins the wish you’ve always been after! 

So who are these lovely people giving away this amazing prize? 

Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living is centrally located in one of the most exclusive areas of London on Park Lane in the heart of Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living - Penthouse Study1Mayfair, opposite Hyde Park and close to Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel and Knightsbridge.

The property’s 131 apartments range from studios through to a five-bedroom penthouse (over 450 square metres), providing the largest serviced luxury accommodation in London in a prime and exclusive area. Apartments may be reserved for either short or long stays and are priced accordingly.

Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living - Penthouse study

If you decide to stay at one of these AMAZING apartments this month, you’ll have an extra chance to win a fabulous prize! Each arriving guest will have the chance to unwrap one layer of a giant ‘pass the parcel’. With the opportunity to win luxurious spa treatments, bottles of champagne, exclusive dinners or a fabulous holiday, this is one party game not to miss out on!

So there you have it – its so easy to enter, its just not worth missing out on, so make sure you get your wish over to them today!

Happy hoteling everyone!

A celebration of food review at the @realfoodfestival #Food #Freshfood #market

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Deep in the heart of London’s Southbank, you’ll find a gem of a food festival which takes place on a weekly basis and on special occasions (like Easter weekend) extends to the banks of the Thames itself. Its called the Real Food Festival and is one of the best ongoing food festivals in London at the moment.

Bringing together a fusion of food from around the world, the Real Food Festival is starting to establish itself as the affordable, fresh, go-to food market for foodies and those who just fancy something different for lunch.  What we really liked about it is that there is so much variety available. This is probably our third trip and every time we go there is something new. On this occasion we went for the full three course meal, starter, main and desert, and were not disappointed!

Unconventionally our starter was a cup of yummy Jasmine Tea from Bunta which is a Vietnamese inspired street food stall which is as colourful in colour as it is in flavour…From prawn skewers to sweet potato crisps and noodle salads, this was the perfect starting place to get an education in worldwide food.

Vietnamese Street Food stall Bunta

Vietnamese Street Food stall Bunta

Next up was a pit-stop via the Community Kitchen Project which uses fresh food produce to create North African inspired food… this stall was always busy and very helpful to explain where the food comes from, definitely worth checking out… We absolutely loved its philosophy being based on the old idea of having a central kitchen space where everyone from the village comes to cook, chat and share recipes and resources – its a commercial business with a social purpose – so really does have people at the heart of what it does.

Cheese and freshly baked cakes all on show at the Real Food Festival

Cheese and freshly baked cakes all on show at the Real Food Festival

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We also wondered around the stalls and settled on a tasty Paella cooked in a stall aptly named Paella! As the stall holder said, whilst battling the gigantic paella pans “its worth the wait” and it really was, a generous portion of healthy seafood paella cooked to perfection, absolutely divine… its just a shame that they haven’t developed their online marketing strategy just yet otherwise we’d be more than happy to point all you lovely people straight in its direction!

Finally, continuing the Spanish theme, (we just couldn’t resist) it was Churros! Churros! Churros! and if you didn’t have a chance to sample any there, here’s a fantastic video showing you how to make it at home!

Remember its not just these few stalls that are on show at the Real Food Festival. Some of our other recommendations are:

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 Craft Beer Rising which is traditionally a festival at its brewery in Brick Lane but hosted a number of yummy beers at this festival too…well worth a sample or seven!

Battersea Pie  which is great British pies using traditional pastry and free range meat – British street food dining at its finest with food sourced from our fair Isles.

Grays and Feather a delightful taster of some fantastic world wines sold in quirky bottles and fantastic additions to any dinner table… all you winos out there will relish in this treat!

So there you have it an action packed food festival full of tasters from worldwide cuisine ready to get your mouth watering!

The Real Food Festival runs every Friday – Sunday right next to the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank, so make sure you check it out!