Book an event and get fit

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The overindulgence that comes with the Christmas party season may not have reached its peak yet, but Coin Streetis thinking ahead. Book an event at the South Bank venue between 2 and 11 January and receive a free three-day pass for its gym in the Columbo Centre in Southwark. 

Formula 50 is scheduled for release in January 2013

Great for the New Year

Ingredients

• 4 medium cubes pineapple fresh or canned
• 2 piece fresh ginger, peeled.
• 2 tsp pineapple juice
• 1 tbsp spiced syrup 
• 35ml Jamaican rum
• 2 tsp lime juice

Preparation method

1. Place the pineapple into a cocktail shaker and mash with the end of a rolling pin.
2. Add the ginger and mash well again.
3. Add the pineapple juice, spiced syrup, rum, lime juice and a handful of ice. Shake well and strain into a glass. 

James Martin Best recipe for beef & dumpling stew

For the coldest wintry evenings, tuck into a rich beef stew with fluffy dumplings to warm you right down to your toes.

Ingredients

For the beef stew

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 25g/1oz butter
• 750g/1lb 10oz beef stewing steak, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 175g/6oz baby onions, peeled
• 150g/5oz celery, cut into large chunks
• 150g/5oz carrots, cut into large chunks
• 2 leeks, roughly chopped
• 200g/7oz swede, cut into large chunks
• 150ml/5fl oz red wine
• 500ml/18fl oz beef stock
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dumplings

• 125g/4½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 60g/2½oz suet
• water, to make a dough

To serve

• mashed potato
• 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the beef stew, heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof casserole and fry the beef until browned on all sides.
3. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and all the vegetables and fry for 1-2 minutes.
5. Stir in the wine, stock and herbs, then add the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar, to taste. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for about two hours, or until the meat is tender.
7. For the dumplings, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
8. Add the suet and enough water to form a thick dough.
9. With floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the dough into small balls.
10. After two hours, remove the lid from the stew and place the balls on top of the stew. Cover, return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the dumplings have swollen and are tender. (If you prefer your dumplings with a golden top, leave the lid off when returning to the oven.)
11. To serve, place a spoonful of mashed potato onto each of four serving plates and top with the stew and dumplings. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Joe pastry. best doughnut recipe

How to Make Raised Doughnuts

And if they happen to be filled with jam, so much the better! Homemade yeast doughnuts are so light they practically float on air, which makes it possible for me to inhale about half a dozen on a good day. Don’t try that at home, kids. I’m a professional.

Good yeast doughnuts start with a sponge, made the day before and rested overnight for flavor development. On doughnut-making day, this is what your sponge should look like:

Combine that with all other ingredients save for the butter and mix for 10 minutes, scraping every three minutes or so, until a very sticky dough forms, about like so:

Now add the butter about a tablespoon at a time as the mixer runs. Scrape every so often to make sure all the butter is incorporated.

Nice thumb, moron! Put the dough into a greased bowl…

…and let rise about an hour, until doubled. About like so:

Transfer the dough to a board that’s been lightly dusted with flour…

…then roll your dough out into a 1/4″ sheet.

Using a 3 1/2″ cutter, cut the dough into rounds, wadding up the scraps and re-rolling until all the dough is used. You should have 12-14 rounds. If you’re making regular ring-shaped doughnuts, use a smaller cutter to punch out the holes.

Lay the rounds back onto the towel-lined sheet pan…

…and cover with greased plastic wrap.

Proof for about an hour until the rounds are puffy, but not overly so, about like this:

Fry them in 375-degree oil for about 45 seconds on a side. While they’re still warm, roll them in extra fine sugar to coat.

And fill them with the jam of your choice by squirting about two teaspoons into them with a pastry bag fitted with a Bismarck (#230) tip. Don’t get carried away with this step. A little jam goes a good long way. Squeeze until you can feel the doughnut get slightly heavier, then stop.

These are amazing eaten warm, but will keep just fine in a box at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

Filed under:  Doughnuts, Pastry, Yeast Doughnuts | 12 Comments

09/01/09

Raised Doughnut Recipe

I do love a good yeast-raised doughnut, and in fact in most ways, they’re easier to make than their cake-style counterparts. True, they require some advance planning, but they’re aren’t as fussy in the oil, or as sensitive to ambient temperatures. The best part is, they’re amazingly light, much more so than a store-bought version. Try them once and you’ll be making them every weekend.

The Ingredients

For the sponge:

4 ounces (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
3.5 ounces (half cup minus one tablespoon) lukewarm water
1 large egg

For the doughnuts:

5.75 ounces (1 slightly generous cup) all-purpose flour
1.5 teaspoons instant yeast
0.6 ounces (1/4 cup) milk powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
0.5 ounces (2 1/4 teaspoons) sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) butter at room temperature

Canola oil for frying
Extra fine sugar for rolling (for jelly doughnuts)
Raspberry or other fruit jam for filling (for jelly doughnuts)

The Procedure

Combine the sponge ingredients in a small bowl and stir them with a fork until smooth. Let the sponge ferment for half an hour at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

The next day, put the sponge in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add all the remaining ingredients except the butter. Knead it for 10 minutes on medium speed, scraping down as needed. After 10 minutes, start adding the butter a tablespoon at a time, kneading until each is well incorporated.

Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of 3/8 inches. Using a 3 1/2-inch circular cookie cutter, cut out the doughnuts, re-rolling the scraps until the dough is completely used. If making jelly doughnuts, leave the dough circles intact. Otherwise, use a small 3/4″ circular cutter to punch out holes in the center. Return the doughnuts to the towel-lined baking sheet, covered with a sheet of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let them rise until puffy, about an hour.

Fry in 370-degree oil for roughly 30 seconds per side. Drain on a wire rack. Ice and decorate as desired.

For jelly doughnuts, roll the fried rounds in superfine sugar while the doughnuts are still warm. Attach a pastry tip (ideally a #230 Bismark tip, but just about any good-size tip will do) to the corner of quart-sized zip-lock bag and fill with about a cup of jam. Using a cake tester, gently poke a hole in the side (or bottom) of each doughnut. Fill with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of jam. Eat!

Makes 12-14 doughnuts.

check out willow bird baking

Brown Butter Gooey Butter Spice Cake with Sparkling Cranberries and Cream

http://willowbirdbaking.com/2012/12/17/brown-butter-gooey-butter-spice-cake-with-sparkling-cranberries-and-cream/

chasingdelicious Volume Conversions

Season Calendar click the link for page view

http://eatseasonably.co.uk/pdfs/Calendar_A4.pdf

Turkey Wild Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

2 tbsn olive oil 
Turkey breast joint 250g
Risotto rice 200g
1 medium shallot / quarter of a white onion
1 litre vegetable stock, using 2 stock cubes
2 tablespoons white wine
200g wild mushroom selection, sliced
Knob of butter
30g Parmesan
Seasoning to taste

Method

1. The Turkey:
2. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Put half the oil in an oven proof pan and heat.
3. Once hot, put the turkey joint skin side down to seal. Transfer to a pre-heated oven at 180C and roast for 15 – 20 minutes until cooked.
4. Remove from the oven and rest for five minutes. Carve into slices.
5. The Risotto:
6. Put the remainder of the oil in a pan on a medium heat along with the shallots, rice and white wine.
7. Reduce the white wine.
8. Slowly add the vegetable stock 1 ladle at a time, once the previous ladle has been absorbed.
9. Put the sliced mushrooms onto a baking tray and sprinkle with a little olive oil to coat. Put under the grill on a medium temperature for 2 minutes.
10. Once the rice is cooked, add parmesan, salt and butter to taste and sprinkle through half of the grilled mushrooms.
11. Serve with the carved roasted turkey and remaining mushrooms on top.

leftover turkey

Ingredients
25g plain flour
25g butter plus a knob
1/2 pint vegetable stock
100g mix vegetable
100g sprouts, sliced
50g chestnut chopped 325g cooked turkey, in bite-sized chunks
375g puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Put the flour, butter and stock in a pan. Heat gently, stirring, until the, until the mixture thickens.
In another saucepan, melt the knob of butter. Sauté the sprouts and chestnuts for 10 minutes. Add to the sauce and stir in the turkey.
Add the mix vegetable, stir well and place into a pie dish
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and lay over your mixture.
Brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and place in a hot oven 200°C/Fan
180°C/Gas mark 6 for 40 minutes.

Catering Hospitality Network

CATERING HOSPITALITY NETWORK 2013

 follow @cateringHN for updates. new social site 

smoked salmon parcel

INGREDIENTS

• Approx. 400g sliced smoked salmon
• 450g light cream cheese
• 2 large tbsp crème fraiche
• 2 tbsp horseradish sauce
• 1 lemon, zest (leave some for garnish)
• ½ bunch chives (15g), roughly chopped

For the salad

• 2 large fennel bulbs or 3 medium sized
• 2 large apples, e.g Braeburn, washed
• 1-2 tbsp non pareille (small) capers, rinsed
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish (optional)
• Juice from the lemon
• Approx. 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. To make the parcels, line small espresso cups or ramekins (approx. 80ml capacity) with strips of salmon. Allow a little of the salmon to drape over the edge of the cups – these pieces will then fold over the mixture to close the parcel.
2. Finely chop the excess salmon trimmings and place in a mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese, crème fraiche, horseradish, lemon zest and chives. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Spoon into a piping bag and carefully pipe into the middle of each espresso cup. Fold the salmon edges back over the mixture to close the parcel.
4. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
5. Finely slice the fennel and place in a large mixing bowl. Grate in the apple (with the skin), being careful to avoid the core. Add the capers and 3 tbsp chopped parsley. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil, and the juice of ½ the lemon. Season with salt and pepper.
6. To serve, place the palm of one hand over the top of an espresso cup, turn upside down and shake the parcel out (it may be easier to release if first you use the tips of your fingers to very carefully pull the salmon away from the inside of the cup). Lay the smoked salmon parcel on your serving plate and arrange some fennel salad to the side. Add a final sprinkling of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice to the salmon. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.

Gordon Ramsay Cookalong Live

http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/tv-show-recipes/gordons-christmas-cookalong-live-recipes

click the link for the best xmas party venue

http://www.hospitalityline.co.uk/new-years-eve-london-parties

Shake Shack Covent Garden Piazza, London WC2E 8H. check it out

Flat Iron. New restaurant launching 2013 check it out

Top five London restaurants for Christmas Day lunch

http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/londons-best/top-five-london-restaurants-for-christmas-day-lunch/1257.article

Xmas tree cup cake

INGREDIENTS

1 quantity buttermilk sponge mixture

For the decoration

• 1 quantity meringue buttercream
• Green food colouring paste
• Edible green glitter
• Coloured sugar balls
• Gold and silver sugar stars

Equipment

• 1–2 muffin tins, lined with 12 brown paper cupcake cases
• Large piping bag, fitted with a medium star-shaped nozzle

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Divide the sponge mixture between the cupcake cases, filling them two-thirds full.
2. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden, well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Put three-quarters of the buttercream in a bowl and tint it green using the food colouring paste. Leave the rest untinted and spread some of this over the top of each cold cupcake.
4. Fill the piping bag with the green frosting and, working from the centre, pipe pointed branch shapes towards the edges of the cupcake. Keep doing this, turning the cupcake as you go, until you have the bottom of a tree. Repeat with the next layer up, making the branches shorter. Carry on with more layers, making the branches ever shorter as you get to the top of the tree.
5. Dust with green glitter and decorate with coloured sugar balls. Top with a gold or silver star.

Catering Hospitality Network Xmas Turkey

Catering Hospitality Network Xmas Turkey

1 whole turkey
1 half of a garlic
1 lemon
250ml ovlive oil
1 tsb paprika
1tsb mix herbs
1 tsb salt
1 tsb pepper
300ml of cold water
150g butter

Method
Trim the turkey and discard the fat and save the knuckle and wings for the stock
Once done, combined the olive oil with paprika, mix herbs, salt, pepper
Place the lemon and garlic inside the turkey, this will give the turkey an aromatic smell
Rub the marinate all over the turkey completely, place in to a tray
Cut the butter to four piece and place it in 4 space and pour cold water
Cooking temperature 180 and cook for 40 min best way to know when it is done is to place a temperature probe and wait until it hits 75
Every 15min use a spoon and pour the juice in the tray over the turkey

Gordon Ramsay Xmas cook along live on Xmas day

Watch on Xmas day Gordon Ramsay cook up a heat in the kitchen

Nigella's recipes

Egg Nog

Serves: 26

Ingredients

• 12 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
• 1 quart whole milk
• 1 1/2 quarts heavy cream
• 3 cups bourbon
• 1/2 cup dark rum
•  2 cups cognac
• freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. In a very large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Gradually add sugar to yolks. With a wire whisk, beat in milk and 1 quart cream. Add bourbon, rum, and cognac, stirring constantly
2. Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture. Whip remaining 1/2 quart heavy cream until stiff, and fold in. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Try and keep all the ingredients cold. If you have any left over, stick the bowl in the freezer and each it the next day for dessert!
3. Note: Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised.

from thekitchn.com

Our Best Guides To Setting Up a KitchenTHE KITCHN'S BEST OF 2012

The Kitchn's Guide to Essential Prep Tools and Utensils

This past year we really took to heart the plight of the newbie cook: how do I set up my kitchen? What are the essential tools, appliances, and cookware to have at the ready? To help with this, we put together our own guides to cookware, bakeware, tools, and all the essential non-food products one needs to start off successfully in the kitchen, which we've included here. Rounding out this list is a post on great chef's knives, the best multi-tasking tool every kitchen should have (but especially small ones), and why it's worth it to splurge on one particular cooking thermometer.

TOP ROW
• The Kitchn's Guide to Essential Prep Tools and Utensils
• The Kitchn's Guide to Essential Cooking Tools and Utensils
• The Kitchn's Guide to Essential Cookware
• The Kitchn's Guide to Essential Baking Pans
• The Kitchn's Guide to Essential Small Electric Appliances

BOTTOM ROW
• 6 The Kitchn's Guide to Essential Cleaning Tools and Products
• 7 A Guide to the Best Material for Pots and Pans: A Pros and Cons List
• 8 The #1 Multi-Tasking Gadget You Should Have In Your Small Kitchen
• 9 Buying the Basics: 5 Terrific Chef's Knives
• 10 On the Importance of Using Cooking Thermometers: And Our #1 Pick

* * *

Welcome to The Kitchn's Best of 2012 roundup!
From December 17 through January 1 we are rounding up some of our favorite (and your favorite) posts from the past year.