Celebrate Chinese New Year at School of Wok

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Kesh

Chinese New Year is just around the corner and true to Eastern traditions, it is to be celebrated with a feast of delicious cuisine. We’re delighted to announce that our friends at Jeremy Pang’s School of Wok are here to enlighten you on all the culinary delights they have to offer from February 8th when Chinese New Year begins, all the way up until The Lantern Festival on Feb 22nd. Not only will you get the chance to try all the delicious dishes, but you’ll also get a masterclass in how to prepare the dishes yourself. So celebrate The Year of The Monkey and learn some new skills with School of Wok.

Saturday 13th February, join in the school’s popular Flavours of China, for a special Chinese New Year feast. Participants of this class will be whisked around a lantern-lined Chinatown, for delicious samples from some of the longest-standing Chinese bakeries and markets, followed by a celebratory cooking class back at in the School of Wok kitchens. Create warming, mouth-watering and symbolic dishes such as Lionhead Meatballs (signifying strength and power) and classic Chilli & Garlic Clams (signifying good wealth) to feast on along side a glass of wine, once the cooking is complete. This full-day class is sure to get you into the true spirit of Chinese New Year!

Chilli and Garlic Wealthy Clams
Jeremy Pang’s Chinese Unchopped (Quadrille £19.99) Photography by Martin Poole

On the 19th February we have a truly unique experience for you to enjoy. Join head chef and founder Jeremy Pang and Michelin starred chef Alfred Prasad for a journey into the world of Indian Chinese Cuisine; a popular micro-cuisine of India that merges Chinese dishes with Indian spices and ingredients. With very little known about this cuisine outside of India, this one-of-a-kind class is unlikely to be duplicated anywhere in London. And with two passionate chefs combining forces as well as ingredients, you can count on delicious dishes and unique cooking techniques such as Spicy Momos (Tibetan dumplings) with Red Chilli & Garlic Sauce, Indian Chinese Chilli Chicken, and more. For more information on this exciting class, click here.

Celebrity Chef Alfred Prasad

Other classes running during Chinese New Year include;

Authentic Chinese Cooking on 10th February

Understanding the Wok on 13th February

Understanding the Wok; Lantern Festival Special on Saturday 20th February.

Some of the dishes made and eaten during these classes will include ‘Longlife’ Lobster Noodles in Ginger & Spring Onion, Crispy Gold Bucket Wontons (for good wealth), Prawn & Pine Nut Lettuce Wraps (signifying rising fortune), Blanched Greens in Roasted Garlic & Goji Berry Broth for good health, and more!

For more information on how to book your Chinese New Year class click here.

For further information on the variety of classes, supper clubs, guest chef classes or corporate events, visit the School of Wok website at www.schoolofwok.co.uk

Dr Kathleen Thompson shares some excerpts from her enormously helpful book, From Both Ends of the Stethoscope

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Frost asked Dr Kathleen Thompson if she felt like sharing some excerpts from her enormously helpful book, From Both Ends of the Stethoscope.

Here is the first in a series of excerpts, and an invaluable read for everyone. Who knows, after all, when we will need to support someone with cancer, or even face a diagnosis ourselves. I can remember standing outside Ascot races one day last year with Kathleen, rattling collecting tins for three cancer charities. Many people stopped, and gave, because they had relatives with the disease or indeed, were, or had been sufferers themselves.

Since her brush with the disease Kathleen has lived life to the full, and perhaps with even greater gusto before. She has climbed Kilimanjaro, cycled for charity in southern India, and taken up ballroom dancing with a vengeance, (she has recently qualified for Blackpool – be still my beating heart. I intend to try and go to cheer her on). All this as well as continuing in her profession in medical research, writing a regular medical column for Frost, and best of all, writing about her own journey with cancer – From Both Ends of the Stethoscope which is full of sensible advice. The woman is a powerhouse, an inspiration, and the most amazing fun.

However did this happen to me? by Dr Kathleen Thompson

The nurse asked me to lie on the couch by the ultrasound machine.

‘The doctor will be here soon.’

A tall man with white hair walked through the door and smiled. He sat down next to the machine.

Looking straight into my eyes, he spoke. ‘The problem is, we’ve seen a lump on your mammogram. So I need to look at it with this ultrasound.’

Very gently, he pulled down my blue gown and exposed my breasts. I flinched as he squirted a blob of cold gel onto my skin. He pressed the ultrasound probe onto the blob, and moved it slowly over my right breast for a few minutes. He pointed to the fuzzy image on the small screen.

‘This is the lump — it’s about 2cm wide.’ His voice was quiet but firm. ‘Do you see the irregular shape, and these little bright flecks? These are worrying.’

He looked at me as he said this. His blue eyes offered sympathy and strength.

The screen looked like an ancient TV with a lousy reception. I couldn’t make out any lump—but I understood ‘irregular shape’ and ‘worrying’ well enough.

‘I see you’re a doctor. Where do you practice?’ he continued.

‘I was a paediatrician, but now I work in drug research.’

‘Oh? Interesting.’ His smile morphed into a serious expression, ‘I need to take a biopsy of this lump. We have these neat little things now.’ He held a small black box between his finger and thumb.

‘I’m going to press this box over the lump, then push this button, and a needle will shoot out and take the sample. It’ll make a loud click, but it won’t hurt, because I’m going to numb you first.’

I lay on the couch in the semi-darkness, watching him fill a small syringe with local anaesthetic. The cold wall, pressing against my left arm, forced me to concentrate. Everything was unreal — surreal. What was I doing here? I’d only come in for a check. My left hand gripped the coarse material of the hospital gown as if it was a survival rope. My right hand was visible to him and the nurse, so I forced it to relax.

Lifting the small syringe towards me, he injected the anaesthetic into my breast. It stung, but I hid the pain with a smile. ‘No, it doesn’t hurt. It’s fine. It’s a lovely day outside. I don’t expect you’ll have much chance to enjoy it, stuck in here.’

Somehow I controlled my voice — but tears were streaming down my face. I hoped the darkened room would hide them.

Then, a loud click shattered the quiet. He’d taken the biopsy, and he was right, it hadn’t hurt.

‘Well done. All finished. Nurse will pop a dressing on for you. Then she’ll take you to see the breast surgeon. Good luck with your research work.’ And he was gone.

On an otherwise unremarkable spring day, my life had just changed forever.

Excerpt from:

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by Dr Kathleen Thompson

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9935083-0-1

E book ISBN: 978-0-9935083-1-8

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q

Frost Editor Catherine Balavage In Best Of You Magazine Talking About Blogging

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Frostie

Frost founder and editor Catherine Balavage has been interviewed by Best of You magazine about blogging and her new book, The Ultimate Guide To Becoming a Successful Blogger. You can read the interview here or buy the print issue here. It is a great interview with lots of tips on blogging and becoming a successful blogger. Check it out.

Take A Trip To Serendip By Wendy Breckon

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Margaret Graham

If I wasn’t spinning my latest yarn or chasing the words across a page of A4, I’d love to be scurrying behind the counter, in a cosy Indie bookshop. Peeping into the latest best seller or admiring the rows of vibrant coloured children’s books with quirky titles and sometimes cheeky rhymes. Aah… if only!

The wonderful Serendip on Broad Street in Lyme Regis, is in a prime, perfect location down on the right, above the peeping sea. With flapping seagulls overhead and the crashing of the stormy, January waves I amble down to one of my favourite places.

The huge window is bursting with books! All shapes and sizes, from best sellers, to the offerings of local authors, and reflects the different seasons and celebrations. Whether it’s Christmas or Easter, Mother or Father’s Day or the popular Fossil Festival, Serendip offers every reader something and one or two surprises.

One of the biggest sellers of 2015 was the unusual book called ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Lars Mytting.

Another popular buy, were the little Penguin books for adults, with titles such as the ‘The Husband’ ‘The Wife’ and the ‘Hangover’.

Meeting Chris Painton, the owner of Serendip with his wife Bee, and Angela, who enjoys working in their book shop three days a week, was a delight. Our engaging conversation, a welcome eye opener into the fascinating world of books.

Chris enjoys general fiction, although he doesn’t tend to read books by the same author all the time, his preference being mainly for biography and history. On his wish list to meet would be Paddy Ashdown, the writer of ‘Cockleshell Heroes’, an intriguing story of a life before politics, and the fascinating David Starkey the eminent historian.

Bee’s preference is for biographies of interesting people such as Gertrude Bell. Angela is drawn to creative nonfiction rather than novels. She read ‘The A303: Highway To The Sun’ by Tom Fort and subsequently planned her own trip with her husband, to visit some of the places. She enjoys reading about real life journeys and adventures, and how they came about, wanting to experience what the authors have, for herself.

The children’s book section on the right at the back is stunning. Favourites such as the Gruffalo or other stories by Julia Donaldson, Judith Kerr’s the ‘Tiger Who Came To Tea’ and Michael Murpurgo tales fly off the shelves. Here I buy books for my grandson Finn, before I sail over to Ireland.

Chris and Bee are so dedicated and passionate about the world of books, that they only close one day a year… Christmas Day. They offer a brilliant hand sell service… something Indi bookshops do so well. Everyone who works there is bursting with suggestions and ideas if you need any help with choosing a title. As Chris says, ‘good service is always the key’.

Serendip has been in their ownership for over five years. The couple changed the interior in 2010 because they wanted to brighten it up. Before then, the original gold lettering and black signs of the shop facade were created in 1980 for the film ‘The French Lieutenants’ Woman’. The arches above the shop that appeared in the film were kept. The much loved name Serendip was the original name for Sri Lanka and translates as ‘a treasure trove’, which of course it is, from the moment you walk in through the door. As someone who loves to potter inside, that is the perfect description for this delightful bookshop, just up from the sea.

Home Idea Hacks

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Frostie

Schlafzimmer : Modern bedroom by Die HausManufaktur GmbH

Schlafzimmer by Die HausManufaktur GmbH

The beginning of the year is usually met with the best of intentions, even if we don’t always stick to them. But there are a few home ideas that can have a lasting impact. The latest obsession with decluttering is a good one, getting rid of unwanted stuff makes things clearer and lets us know what is really needed. Replacing older items with good quality pieces, that will last, is also a great investment.

In the bedroom it is best to not have too much stimulation. Here are some great bedroom ideas

Keep it neutral.

Keeping the bedroom in a neutral colour makes the bedroom a calm environment. You can add touches of colour and personality with furniture, bedding and cushions. A colourful lamp or bedding will add a pop. Some artwork is great but nothing too angry.

by saudade muebles

Keep your work out.

The bedroom should be a place where you sleep or relax. This may not always be possible. Especially in cities where many people live in house shares and rent a room in a house. I know when I lived in a house share I got irritated by all of the ‘the bedroom is only for sleeping’ advice in magazines. And what about weekends in bed? The bedroom should be a place of relaxing, sure, but also for fun and chilling out in general. Try to think of it as a place for recuperation. I often make the mistake of taking work to bed but it always leaves me stressed out. In my opinion the bedroom should be your safe haven from the world.

If the bedroom is all you have.

If you live in a house share then it is even more important that your bedroom is a place that makes you happy. You won’t really be able to separate work from relaxing time but you can still make sure your bedroom is a calm place. There will be a lack of space so invest in storage. Under bed storage is great and you can also invest in shelves and colourful boxes to put your stuff in.

Invest in good quality furniture.

Buying the best you can afford is a worthwhile investment. We still have some furniture that my husband was bought when he was a boy. The furniture still looks amazing today. Maybe we will even pass it down to our son.

Do you have any home hacks to share?

In collaboration with homify

The Secret of the Cathars by Michael Hillier Review by Frances Colville

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Margaret Graham

This book is an intriguing mix of fact and fiction. Based on the history of the Cathars, a religious heresy of the medieval period in France, and with references to the Knights Templar, there is enough information to whet the appetite of those interested in such things without turning into overkill for those who just want a good story and don’t care too much about the setting. After a rather slow start and a lengthy list of characters to get to grips with, the story moves along at a good pace with some interesting twists and turns on route. A sort of archaeological treasure hunt with competitors ranging from a TV presenter through a religious group to members of the mafia. Some of the characters are stereotypical and didn’t really come to life for me, but others – including the two main – were more convincing. I was initially somewhat disappointed by the ending which didn’t seem to tie up all the loose ends, but then I realised that this book is intended as the first of a trilogy and all became clear. And the over-long list of characters was also explained. All in all a good enough read to make me look out for the next instalment at some stage, but not one which completely wowed me.

The Secret of the Cathars is published by Matador and available in paperback and as an e-book.

Power through the New Year with Whitworths Shots

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Kesh

So January’s finally over and how many of those resolutions have you stuck to thus far? In a study conducted by leading healthy snack brand Whitworths, nearly 10 million Brits wave goodbye to their diet plans as we enter into the month of February due to faltering willpower. So what is the solution and how do we claw back our start of year “New Year, New Me” mindset?

Frost had the pleasure of experiencing a workout of a very different kind hosted by the brains behind Whitworths called The Willpower Workout. The workout is the foundations of what will help us to turn our healthy eating patterns into habits. So why do so many of us struggle to keep and maintain healthy eating patterns? The study showed that the population is set to lose willpower due to things like boredom of healthy food, with 26% of us claiming a lack of low calorie snacks are easily available, 19% feeling down about the bad weather and 9% of us a lack of sleep Karen Cox, Brand Controller at Whitworths comments; “As a brand that promotes healthy snacking, we believe that working on maintaining willpower is the key to succeeding in losing weight. Our ‘Willpower Workout’, which launched this month, is a little different to classes you’ll find in your local gym – featuring experts in the fields of hypnotherapy and sleep therapy as well as fitness and nutrition.”

Want to have a go…? Check out this video to try the very first and exclusive Willpower Workout.

So who are Whitworths? They are the brain-child of the award-winning shots range, not the alcoholic kind ahem, but the kind that will give you a satisfying and healthy snack boost throughout your day. In this day and age where the demand for healthy-snacks is through the roof, Whitworths are committed to providing us with something a lot tastier than your average rice cake or salad. Whitworths Shots have it all covered with eight incredible flavours to choose from;

Berry and White Chocolate Shot: An indulgent mix of cranberries, extra juicy, plump and large Chilean flame raisins and creamy white chocolate pieces (93 calories per pack)

Toffee Pecan Shot: A sweet and satisfying collection of juicy sultanas, dried chopped dates, toffee pieces and crunchy pecan nuts (99 calories per pack)

Fruity Biscuit Shot: A fruity blend of sunshine sultanas, cranberries and rich white chocolate-coated shortcake biscuits (93 calories per pack)

Orange and Chocolate Seed Shot: A classic mix of orange flavour cranberries, golden, succulent raisins, milk chocolate-coated and natural pumpkin seeds (95 calories per pack)

Raisin and Chocolate Shot: Plump golden and crimson raisins paired with rich dark chocolate balls make this the perfect simple-but-satisfying treat (91 calories per pack)

Blueberry and Seed Shot: A delicious juicy jumble of raisins, pumpkin seeds, yogurt-coated sunflower seeds and dried blueberries (98 calories per pack)

Cranberry and Almond Shot: A super-saintly mix of juicy, succulent crimson raisins, little jewel cranberries and toasted, crunchy almond slices with no added refined sugar (97 calories per pack)

Apricot and Seed Shot: A ‘clean eating’ blend of chopped, tender apricots, tangy cranberries, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds with no added refined sugar (88 calories per pack)

All at under 100 Cals per shot. So turn your healthy eating patterns into habits with Whitworths Willpower Workouts and let us know how you get on. Remember, it only takes 21 days to make a habit.

Shots are available now in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug and WHSmith from 49p per pack.

https://www.facebook.com/WhitworthsUK/
www.whitworths.co.uk

Sweet Memories of You by Ellie Dean Reviewed by Jan Speedie

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Ellie Deane has produced another heartwarming story in her Beach View Boarding House Series.

Sweet Memories of You is set in 1943 in Cliffhaven, a small town on the south coast of Britain. Peggy Reilly runs the Beach View Boarding House and is determined to give her lodgers and evacuees a homely, happy place to live.

Peggy’s husband, Jim, is away with the Army in India and she is reliant on his regular airgraphs to know he is safe. Doreen, Peggy’s younger sister, has at last found happiness after her divorce from her adulterous husband but fate changes this.

Doreen returns to Cliffhaven to the love and comfort of her family but her past cannot stay away.

There is however a protector in Ron Reilly and his faithful brindle lurcher, Harvey. Ron watches over everyone at Beach Villa and with his Irish charm, mischievous ways and network of friends, keeps trouble at bay.

Read and enjoy this charming story of ordinary people coping with the hardships of air raids, rationing and the heartaches of a war which feels as though will never end.

Ellie Dean has lived in a village in the heart of the South Downs for many years. She has raised 3 children and this is her tenth novel in a successful writing career.

Published by Arrow in paperback: Price £5.99.

Also available as an ebook.

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