Good Karma, Now On-The-Go: Karma Cola Launch New Cans

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

Fact of the day: 1.9 billion colas are drank every day. Yes, BILLION. That is over a million a minute. Now Karma Cola are putting the Karma into cola.

Ethical, organic craft cola eyes food-to-go and take home market with its #DrinkNoEvil mantra
and striking new 250ml cans and multipacks.

Karma Cola have launched new 250ml cans and multipacks. We tried the range and loved it. I loved their Karma Cola while our writer James loved their Lemony Lemonade. Their Gingerella is not only delicious, but the design if so fun and retro. Try them out for yourself.

The folks at Karma Cola are at it again, giving UK consumers more reasons to indulge in tasty, organic soft drinks in an ethically cool way.

Alongside their original, sleek glass bottle counterparts, Karma Cola and Friends – Gingerella ginger ale and Lemony lemonade – will soon be available in squat new 250ml aluminium cans. The snack size format, which is smaller than a standard canned soft drink (330ml), is set to take on the growing ‘food-to-go’ market encouraging retailers to offer an ethically sourced fizzy drink made with real organic and Fairtrade ingredients.

As well as food-to-go outlets, the cans were created to appeal to the on-trade, where mixologists have been looking for natural mixers to accentuate the flavours of premium and craft spirits.

Unlike other soft drinks, Karma Cola & Friends are made with natural organic and Fairtrade ingredients, including organic cane sugar, real cola nut, vanilla, lemon and ginger, no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.

There’s a lot of good karma in these small cans of premium pop. Named ‘The World’s Fairest Trader’ in 2014 by Fairtrade International, Karma Cola is making a big difference for cola nut farmers in a small village in Sierra Leone, sending part of the proceeds from the sale of every product back to invest in community projects.

By sourcing Fairtrade cane sugar, they help small-scale sugar farmers in India to be paid fairly for their crops, feed their families and create better lives for their communities.
They say at Karma Cola, when you’re thirsting for cold drink, don’t be tempted… drink no evil.

Karma Cola, Gingerella ginger ale and Lemony lemonade cans will be available in Waitrose stores, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Ocado.com and Waitrose.com from April, RRP £1.25.
Four packs of Karma Cola, Gingerella and Lemony cans will also be available at RRP £3.95 – perfect for the take home market.

@KarmaColaUK #DrinkNoEvil

National BBQ Week

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Christian Gott

Barbecue Diplomacy and the Most Important BBQ That Never Was – A Recipe for Walter Jetton’s BBQ Sauce

The culinary aware reader will know we are in the middle of National BBQ Week, you knew that didn’t you? I learnt that there is a National Hotdog Council over in America yesterday, so it really is never too late to learn and with that in mind I thought I would write a little about Lyndon B. Johnson. By nineteen sixty-three Lyndon B. Johnson had risen above the hurly-burly politics of the Lone star state to be vice president of the United States in the administration of the meteoric John F Kennedy. In a government of outstanding personalities including the president’s charismatic brother the attorney general, secretary of defense Robert McNamara and secretary of state Dean Rusk many saw Johnson’s role as mere window dressing. Yet this homely former school teacher established himself with quiet determination and pioneered what became known as barbecue diplomacy. As people relaxed due to the informal atmosphere of a barbecue around a pit or grill it was often easier for LBJ to talk business than in the rigid formal settings of a state banquette. My apologies as this is definitely an apolitical blog we need to talk more about the barbecue and not the man.

LBJ Photo.jpg

At his home on the banks of the Perdernale river, LBJ hosted an array of important barbecues for VIP dignitaries and most of these were catered for by Walter Jettson. He ran a local, well for Texas, catering company in Fort Worth and prepared the food at the LBJ ranch. On November 23, 1963 the staff of the ranch and Jettson were preparing for the biggest event of their lives the president was to visit and eat smoked ribs and brisket. As we all know he was never to make it. LBJ was sworn in as the thirty-sixth president of the United States on board Air force One carrying the body of President Kennedy back to Washington. Jettson was to become the President’s Pitmaster * and LBJ even flew him around the country to cater at political rallies. On the back of his celebrity, Jetton published a barbecue cookbook, which is unfortunately out of print but available on Amazon and other retailers.

Jetton catered for the first barbecue at the White House and continued to do so during LBJ’s term in office. When he decided not to stand for re-election LBJ hosted one last farewell barbecue on the White House lawns for over two hundred friends and supporters. The Texas style ribs must have been quite special as the Swiss-born, formally trained, White House head chef Henry Haller, wrote in his The White House Family Cookbook, ” He did a terrific job and I was most impressed with the results. His barbecue sauce avoided all of the common flaws (over sweetening, overcooking, excessive thinning) and by serving the sauce separately, he also avoided drying out the meat. ”

*Pit Master : An experienced barbecue cook, a skilled craftsman, who watches over the pit and can tell by sight, sound, smell, and touch, if it is running too hot or too cold, when it needs fuel, when to add wood, when to add sauce, and when the meat is ready.

For more information on Barbecuing visit www.joyofgrilling.com/glossary/

Here is my only slightly amended version of Walter Jetton’s recipe. As the full recipe is of authentic American origin it is measured in cups. A cup is between 200 and 250ml, providing one standard cup is used the proportions will work.

Walter Jettons’s BBQ Sauce

1 1/2 cups Water

1 cup Ketchup

1/2 cup Cider Vinegar

3 Stalks Celery, washed and chopped

1/4 cup Butter

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 cup Onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 Bay Leaves

1 Large Clove Garlic, peeled and minced

½ tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt

pinch of freshly ground Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Place in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil and simmer for ½ an hour. Remove from heat and strain.

Walter Jetton’s LBJ Barbecue Cookbook– By the Caterer to the LBJ Ranch, Written with Arthur Whitman, 1965, Pocket Books.

Pizzicotto my New Favourite Italian

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Kesh

Pizzicotto, sister restaurant to the Kensington gem ‘il portico’ has been causing a stir on the London Restaurant scene. Famous for their Charcoal Based Pizza this is not the only showstopper they serve here but they also serve up an unbeatable authentic and traditional Italian fayre. As a food writer, Italian cuisine can be hard to come by and get right. We live in a city which celebrates Pizza and Pasta and in a takeaway generation, there are many much-loved chains that consumer tend to stick to. However, when looking for Italian food at it’s finest we want to have it all and Pizzicotto delivers not only a menu which is true to Italy but an ambience and atmosphere worthy of a true Mediterranean experience.

Nestled at the quieter end of High St. Ken lies this hidden gem set behind a beautiful green frontage, this is not the stereotypical Italian trattoria but something light and airy and instantly welcoming. The restaurant is adorned with huge trees inside the building itself and an open wood fired Pizza oven and I genuinely feel like I’m a thousand miles from London. My guest is late but i’m pleased because this is somewhere I would gladly eat alone and soak up the atmosphere… and the huge Aperol Spritz my server brings over. The aperitif selection is typically Italian and it would be rude not to start my dinner with a glass of Aperol and have some Garlic Focaccia while i’m waiting. Normally i’m not one to fill up on bread but there is something light and more-ish about it.

The menu is ample and true to Italian style, everything you could want is on there. They serve up a wide range of Antipasti and Starters; Bruschetta, Speciality Cheeses and Meats and Primi Pastas, which can also be served as mains, our server helps our decision. She explains to us Culatello Di Zibello is a very fine cured ham like Prosciutto and extremely rare so we jump at the chance to try this out, and we also opt for the classic Pork Belly Tagliatelle. She’s right, the Culatello tastes as precious as it is and I can only describe it as a melt in the mouth, cured meat heaven and very much worth the journey to Pizzicotto just to try the Culatello. Always having tried Tagliatelle with Beef, the difference in flavour when made me with Pork Belly is remarkable. The texture is much more tender, the flavour richer and meatier and the portion size is perfect as a starter plate.

The Charcoal Based Pizza is what we really came here for but with a mammoth selection of toppings we spend a while deciding on this too. As well as this we decide to order one of their grilled dishes and opt for the Tartare Grade Tuna Steak served with Fennel Salad. We share both, but to be perfectly honest, the Pizza was so light that I could have polished off the Pizza as well as the Tuna they were that delicious. Don’t be put off by the burnt look of the Pizza, it’s all charcoal and if that doesn’t turn you on, the taste is no different and the benefits of activated charcoal speak for themselves. Having cut down on Pizza’s recently due to the effects of wheat in my body, activated charcoal base is a real blessing and we can talk about it as much as we like but the proof is in the pudding, or in this case the Pizza, there really is no bloat and the fact I could have easily have eaten the whole thing without undoing my jeans is evidence enough. The Tuna was grilled to absolute perfection and the Fennel Salad accompanied well. I had never thought to try Tuna with Fennel as it’s quite a heavy, meaty fish but the two combined to create the flavour of the sea harmoniously. We paired both dishes with a delicious Sauvignon Bianco which was crispy and fresh and served in a huge glass. Perfecto!

Finally we were treated to the specials on the Dessert menu which included Nutella Pizza!! I bet you can guess what we ordered, and thankfully it wasn’t a full-sized Pizza but one slice which we paired with a raspberry Ice Cream. Both were indulgent, heavenly but still light! How Pizzicotto have managed to balance the huge Italian Flavours with the light as air Pizzas and Pastas is nothing short of remarkable and this is certainly the type of Italian where you can appreciate the quality of the produce and not feel uncomfortably stuffed. The highlight was The Activated Charcoal Pizza so it’s definitely worth the trip here to grab yourself a slice of that but overall the entire menu was divine from start to finish. This is certainly an Italian I will be recommending. Cin Cin.

Poached Lobster

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Christian Gott

One of the joys of living on an island like Jersey is the seafood, I mean we have the Jersey Royal potato, fantastic vegetables but really it is all about the seafood and how. Faced with the choice of briny Royal Bay of Grouville oysters, plump sweet mussels fresh from the sea, fat diver caught scallops, where do I start? The undoubted stars of the seafood show are freshly caught crab and lobster. I waiver between them both sometimes favouring a big slice of rich crab tart or a hand-picked crab salad and at others a regal lobster supper. I’m kind of the side of lobster at the moment so I thought I would share how to prepare a delicious lobster.

In America, the Lobster is very often simply broiled ( grilled ) with oodles and oodles of butter on the side, to dip the succulent cooked lobster meat in, and it comes with a warning about Cardiac arrests. Equally popular is the fabulously addictive lobster roll with creamy mayonnaise and fresh dill. Around the world, the lobster, when treated with care, stir-fried, grilled and baked in amazing recipes is a seafood sensation. There are, however, still a certain class of restaurant where only a small number of ways to serve lobster are contemplated, in the classic sauces Newburg, American and Thermidor. Each of these blockbuster, in-your-face recipes in the right hands can be an amazing dining experience but they can be much maligned. I am at heart a big fan of enjoying the delicate flavour of lobster as unadorned as possible and simply poached.

This, however, is not a simple matter, the purist would have you boil the lobster in sea water, this is not always easy or even safe. The alternative is fresh water with added sea salt (add 25 gr of natural sea salt per litre of water). My own choice is in a court bullion which is an ideal cooking medium for poaching fish, seafood and chicken. I have adapted my recipe from Richard Onley’s, ‘The French Menu Cookbook’, a recently reprinted classic and thoroughly good read. If you cannot get your hands on a Jersey lobster I thoroughly recommend Cornish as a great alternative.

For 1 or 2 750 gr / 1 kg Lobsters

4 Litres of cold Water

1 Large glass White Wine

3 Large Shallots, peeled and chopped

1 Medium Stick of Celery, chopped

1 Medium Carrot, peeled and chopped

White of 1 Leek, thoroughly washed and sliced

½ Bulb of Fennel, washed and sliced

1 Bay Leaf

1 Sprig fresh Thyme

1 Sprig Tarragon

8-10 fresh Parsley Stems

½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns, crushed

1 Lemon, halved

Place all the ingredients in a very, very large pan, cover and bring to the boil. Add the lobsters and bring back to the boil and simmer for eight to ten minutes. Using a spider remove the lobsters and plunge in lots of iced water to arrest any further cooking.

Today’s top tip is when poaching lobsters place them in your freezer ten minutes prior to cooking, this will sedate the lobsters sufficiently to allow you easily drop them in your boiling pan without the lobsters thrashing about and splashing you with scolding hot liquid.

Remove the lobsters and set aside to drain. Place a chopping board on a damp kitchen cloth to prevent it from slipping. Place the lobster on the board and hold firmly by the tail. Find the cross on top of the lobsters back and using a large cooks knife cut through the shell towards the head. Turn the lobster around to then cut through the tail.

The slushy material in the head cavity can be washed out and the shells thoroughly washed. Along the tail meat is a small dark tube, through which the lobster removes waste. Carefully pick out the tube. Reverse the tails by taking them out and placing in the opposite shell. Then using a cleaned board, you can break out the claw meat. Using a fine crochet hook or lobster pick remove the two smaller pieces of lobster. Holding the tip of the claw tightly between finger and thumb crack open the claw using the flat back edge of a large cook’s knife.

Remove the rubber band and pull down on the smaller claw, it will come off pulling with a small transparent membrane. This allows you to remove the lobster claw meat. Fill the empty head cavity with the picked lobster meat. You can serve the lobster with the claw in the cracked shell if you wish, or simply halved with a lobster claw and pick.

Celebrate 325 years of Ketel One Vodka

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Kesh

The World’s much loved Vodka brand, Ketel One, celebrate 325 years of their family’s distilling expertise and to celebrate they are hosting some very unique and impressive Supper Clubs in South London. Boasting an impressive 325 years in the business, it’s no wonder why they are one of the most recognised and trusted Vodka brands ever and The Nolet Family, who founded the distillery, have continued to carry out their dedication by personally approving each final production before bottling.

To mark the milestone and love of their successful family business, The Nolet Family are hoping that their much loved customers will help celebrate with them and are inviting you to attend one of their family-style suppers at the historic and dramatic Brunswick House. Your evening will be hosted and curated by Ketel One and renowned chef Jackson Boxer and set in the Parlour and Library Rooms of the prestigious eighteenth-century mansion.

The menu created by Boxer has been inspired by family dishes and served with specially paired Ketel One Vodka cocktails;

Sample Menu

Squid, Vodka with Caviar

Dry-Aged Brisket with Horseradish and Redcurrant

Alphonso Mango, Almond Milk, Rice, Black Sesame

The ticketed Supper Clubs will take place on

*Wednesday 25th May, 6.30pm – 10pm*

*Friday 27th May, 6.30pm – 10pm*

*Brunswick House, 30 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2LG*

Tickets will be £45 per person, and include a cocktail
and canapé reception, followed by a five-course meal with paired
cocktails

We think that is seriously good value to enjoy and celebrate the legacy that is Ketel One in a stunning setting with superb food.

Tickets are available now through Design My Night

Alongside these celebrations, for those who are unable to attend the event but still want to be raise a toast to Ketel One’s triumphant milestone, a limited “325 anniversary” edition copper coloured bottle is available to buy now from Harvey Nichols, both in store and online (*priced at £45*).

For recipes and to learn more about Ketel One visit;

http://www.ketelone.com

London Wine Week – May 23-29

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Jack Shamash

Over the next few days London will become a paradise for wine lovers. London Wine Week (LWW), which lasts from 23 to 29 May, will be based in around 125 venues – mainly bars and pubs – around London.

Wine lovers have to buy an LWW wristband for £10. Equipped with this, they can go into a large number of bars and buy a ‘flight of wines’ – ie an exciting selection – for a mere £5. Many of the bars will be offering free snacks to show how the wines pair with different types of food.

In addition Aldi will be setting up a display in Shoreditch, at which they will offer masterclasses and taster sessions, to help people understand the wide variety of wines now available. This is completely free. As Aldi is building up quite a name for itself as a supplier of high quality but reasonably priced wines, this should be worth a look.

Heliot Steakhouse present Weekend Brunch

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Kesh

Voted London’s best Steakhouse we jumped at the chance to try out the Weekend Brunch on offer at Heliot. Located inside London’s prestigious Hippodrome Casino, Heliot Steakhouse offers an array of popular and traditional Brunch items served with some refreshing and boozy cocktails so we were keen to see how the Steakhouse did Brunch.

As a venue, we were bowled over when we experienced a late dinner here a few weeks ago, the ambience is very reminiscent of a metropolitan New York bar so having been invited to Brunch I was intrigued to see how it would fare. What is striking is that there is something very exclusive about the place and intimate despite the fact it’s set in the midst of a casino and this is most welcome especially if you are wishing to escape the hustle and bustle, noisy teenagers and highly strung side of the Capital. Expect velvet red ropes, unique low lighting and of course a very laid back atmosphere, you almost forget you’re in the heart of busy London.

We’re presented with a very classic Brunch menu alongside their famous USDA Steak options and we must admit it’s very tempting to opt for one of their tasty steaks, but we stick to Brunch and decide from a varied menu comprising of items such as Pancakes, Croque Madame, Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, Eggs Royale etc. as well as Seared Scallops and the impressive Jack Stack which is a pancake, waffle and french toast covered in Maple Syrup. All items are priced fairly from £5-9 and with American style portions this is an absolute steal.

We start with a Passionfruit Bellini to help make our minds up and we are informed that there is a Bloody Mary bar as well as a selection of Bellini’s on offer as part of their Brunch cocktails. Heliot delivers an impressive drinks service offering up unique and inspired cocktails to an impressive list of wines to accompany their menus. You will be spoilt for choice on that front with the bartenders also making your favourite classic cocktails off menu.

We go for the Country Fried Steak which is served with Sausage Gravy, Eggs and Fries and the Croque Madame. Both are generous and hearty and if you’re looking for a real satisfying meal, this is definitely the place to be. Flavoursome, appetising and indulgent this is highly recommended if you’re looking refuel the morning after with just the perfect balance of a good traditional brunch in a swanky, chic and private location.

The staff are a delight from start to finish and with a backdrop of the Pokerstars Live Tournament this is the perfect place to people watch.

The Weekend Brunch menu is available from 11:30am – 4pm
with a lunch service commencing at 12pm

…and for a limited time only (every Saturday until Jun 4th)

The Hippodrome Casino present

The Quick And Easy Way To Make The Perfect Hot Chocolate

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

When it comes to cooking I can be pretty lazy. I am always looking for shortcuts in the kitchen. So I was pretty pleased when I came up with a method for making the perfect hot chocolate without using a saucepan and going through the bother of warming up milk. Ready? Here it is: just boil the kettle, take a mug, add 2-3 heaped spoonfuls of hot chocolate. Add milk to the mug and stir. Then when the kettle boils, add water. If you fill the mug up half milk and half boiled water then you have the perfect hot chocolate without the faff. The key to perfection here is the ratio of boiled water to milk. It may be different for you so experiment. Too little milk ruins the taste, too little water means it is too cold. But when you get it right it is divine. Extra points for adding marshmallows. Yum.

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