Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

Miki Yamashita On Acting | Frost Interviews

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What made you go into acting?

I think I was interested in the arts and performing even before I was aware
of it. My mother says that as a child, I danced and sang around the house so
much that she put me in lessons as soon as I was old enough, because she
wanted me to learn how to do it right. My parents are both teachers, so their
solution for everything is education. It’s actually a pretty good philosophy.
As I grew conscious of my passions in life, I consistently made life
decisions that propelled me towards a life as a performing artist. Let’s just
say I never gravitated towards coal-mining.

Could you ever do anything else?

I guess the right answer is that I actually do many other things. Having
spent my life around many other actors, I have observed that I may be a
slightly different breed than most. I have a group of actor friends that I
started out with performing improv and sketch comedy with at Walt Disney
World, who are still doing only that; I have another group who I did a lot of
musical theatre with, who are still focusing only on Broadway; same with
opera people and comedy writers and commercial actors and episodic
television actors. I am really lucky in that I am actively able to book work in
all of these areas, and I consider that huge spectrum of interests to be my
pursuit as a whole, so if my universe is that huge, understandably there
really isn’t an “anything else” for me.

You famously said: ‘If this business kills me, it will be after everyone in it has my
headshot.’ That’s a go-getting attitude that can be missing in a lot of
performers. Do you agree?

My dear friend Bonnie Gillespie was kind enough to include that in her
brilliant book, “Self-Management for Actors.” When a newer edition came
out, she asked if she could include it again, and I said of course, except that
I didn’t want to imply that manically blanketing an acting market with
headshots was the technique I was espousing. I believe in being fiercely
motivated, but in a very focused and strategic manner. There’s a young actor
in LA, I haven’t seen him in a while, but this crazy kid literally plastered the
exterior of his car with his headshots. I swear! He drives around in this car
all day long hoping for, I don’t know, to get pulled over by a casting
director and get asked to do a monologue by the side of the road?? I don’t
know! But it’s pretty delusional and highly misguided. I guess what I meant
to say is that “If this business kills me, it will be after everyone in it whom I
have researched and targeted as potential buyers for my product has my headshot.”

Over the years, I have met so many actors; some have almost zero
motivation and ambition to do the basic work that is necessary to even have
a chance at success; others are rabidly foaming at the mouth and doing
everything they can desperately and inefficiently so that they can get ahead.
What I’ve learned from these actors is that there is a better way, there is a
sweet spot, where you have a calm, cool, focused energy that propels you
forward slowly, steadily, and intelligently. Wow, I think this is officially the
most Asian thing I have ever said!

I find you incredibly funny, has your sense of humour helped you survive in
showbusiness? Is it possible to do this without one?

Thank you! I think it’s literally impossible not to develop a sense of humor
as a professional actor. I was once asked to sing opera while running full
speed on a treadmill in a sequined gown. I was once told to continue
reciting my monologue while the casting director got on her cell phone and
ordered a chicken salad. I was once physically threatened by a male chorus
dancer. I mean, as actors, this is daily life, okay? And I think if you don’t
find it hilarious, you become seriously mentally damaged in a way that
prevents you from functioning in society as a normal adult. And then it
becomes this wonderful tool to help you consistently cope with the vast
array of indignities that actors face all the time.

What’s the hardest thing about being an actor?

The hardest thing about being an actor is when Chanel sends you so much
free couture from their latest collection that you run out of assistants to re-
gift them to. JUST KIDDING!!! That’s what most people think actors’
problems are. The general public is fed nothing but lies about our
profession, and they are only provided with the success narrative. It’s part
of the machine that allows the industry to maintain its operations, so you
have to accept that civilians are not ever going to get what most of us go
through. The most difficult thing is really how seldom we are actually able
to do our work, and that we must spend an inordinate amount of time doing
work that has nothing to do with performing in order to bankroll the pursuit
of our REAL work.

And the best?

The best thing about being an actor is getting to crash your car into an 18-
wheeler, blaming it all on your assistant, and showing up 4 hours late to set
where they will still tell you you’re the perfect choice to play Liz Taylor. HA
HA HAAA. Seriously, the best thing about this profession is that we are
constantly challenged to imagine what is possible. Every time I get an audition,
whatever it is, a commercial where I’m a pretty Asian mom, or an
opera where I’m a flying ghost bird-spirit, or a daytime drama where I’m the
secretary to the family patriarch, I get to make decisions about these
characters based on my imagination, my life experience, and what is on the
page. And no one else is going to make the same set of choices that I will.
Even if I don’t get the part, for a brief moment, for the duration of that
audition, my humanity was merged with that character, and I find great
fulfillment in my ability to execute that with consistency and quality.

What is your favourite thing that you have worked on?

My favorite thing that I have worked on is an original new work in which I
sang a principal role, with Los Angeles Opera. The piece was called “The
White Bird of Poston,” and it was newly commissioned specifically for the
purposes of educational and community outreach in the city of Los Angeles.
The opera is about the Japanese American Internment during World War II, a
very dark part of American history. The music and the story are so
beautifully written, I felt so honored to be a part of it, and I felt like it used
so many of my skills simultaneously—my classically trained voice, my
acting training, my dance training, and even a little bit of my abilities as a
comedienne. And on top of that, it had such profound cultural significance
to me as a Japanese American.

You have a great niche as an actress: you studied opera, has this greatly helped
your acting career or is it separate thing?

As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of people that I started out with,
training and performing professionally as serious classical or musical
theatre singers, who are still completely focused on only that sector of
performance. For me, singing eventually became something glamorous and
glorious that I could just keep hidden in my back pocket, and whip it out
suddenly and just stun people with it as needed. This evolution mostly took
place because I moved from the New York acting market which is very
heavily theatre-based, to Los Angeles, which of course focuses much more
on, well, speaking and not singing. But even without the move, I think I was
really adamant about transcending musical theatre; I felt that I had more to
accomplish in other areas, and my interests had a much wider span than just
singing in musicals until I was dead.

Advice for actors?

My advice for actors is pretty depressing, but realistic. If at all possible, get
a degree in a subject that has nothing to do with drama or music. I’ve made
a lot of hideous mistakes in life, but the one thing I did right was to earn a
college degree in English literature instead of acting or vocal performance.
Even though many would say a degree in English is almost as useless, I
would have to argue otherwise. The acting business becomes more and
more competitive every day, and what sets me apart from many others is my
relentless desire to articulate my own experience. As a writer, I have a
heightened sense of power because for the most part, words on a page
cannot be refused or rejected because the writer isn’t blond or skinny. I am
shut out of thousands of performing job opportunities a day simply because
of my physical appearance, something that cannot be transformed by
“working hard.” Trust me, I’ve tried. Exercising cannot change your race!

So my advice is to find tangible skills that will enable you to support your
pursuit of acting for a very very long time.

But ultimately, have faith that you are answering a divine calling by being an
artist. And know that you are in control of what you choose to sacrifice for
this calling.

What’s next for you?

I’m about to make big changes to my online presence; a fellow LA actress,
Sarah Sido, taught me a lot about building websites, so I’m going to use
those skills to rebrand my personal page, as well as start a blog about
acting. Wow, now I’ve said it so I better do it!

FAVORITE ACTORS/ACTRESSES – I think my favorite male actor is Jim
Carrey. A lot of my earlier sketch comedy and improvisational work I did at
Walt Disney World was heavily influenced by him, and I have deep respect
for his significant capabilities as a dramatic actor. He is so interesting to
watch doing anything! Let’s say if, starting tomorrow, he stopped making
studio feature films and decided to just host a vegan cooking show on
HGTV, I would watch that.

For female actresses, I would rather be executed than name just one. Meryl
Streep seems to literally becomes other human beings, to the point where it
actually scares me. Meryl is a frightening example of sheer mastery of the
craft. I would like to see her play some kind of deep sea creature or
something, because that lady would seriously prepare for the role by eating
paramecium and withstanding 500 bars of atmospheric pressure. And that’s
entertainment, my friends.

I love Julianne Moore’s work, because I find that no matter who she plays,
her characterization is so detailed and complete that I feel like I actually
live out the movie in real time as her role. The performance is so intimate
and honest and infused with inner life that I feel like I AM her character.
Believe me, it takes skill to convince a short Asian girl that she is a white
1950’s housewife.

Photo credit: David Muller

Professionally Resting Interview: Lifting the Lid on Acting.

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The talented actor behind the blog Professionally Resting first caught my eye on Twitter. She is brave, witty and accurate about the downside of the acting industry. As an actor myself I just read her tweets/blog posts and nod. I just had to interview her for Frost, so here it is! I also have a guest post coming from her soon, so look out for that too.

What made you start your blog?

I’d been reading a few other acting blogs online and I soon realised that none really covered what it’s like to be an actual working actor. Many are written by actors who are constantly in work and that was something that I just couldn’t really identify with. Most actors I know spend a great deal of their time resting and I wanted to create something fun and supportive for those of us that regularly find ourselves within the unemployed majority. I also wanted to use it as an excuse to keep busy. There are days when there’s very little work coming in and having a blog to think about really keeps me feeling like I’m at least doing something creative.

Tell us a bit about yourself (without giving too much away)!

It’s always tough answering these questions without sounding like you’re on Blind Date! I’m in my late twenties and have been acting (on and off) since graduating from drama school in 2006. I had a break for a couple of years after getting a bit trapped in a temping job that became permanent. It was a horrible job but it meant I could have a couple of years actually earning money and being able to buy things that had previously been a luxury like food that isn’t on the reduced shelf. However, there’s nothing quite like a miserable job to remind you exactly what it is that you really want to be doing and that was the catalyst to making me find acting work again so that I could finally escape.


What do you think of the acting industry?

It’s very much a love/hate relationship. I regularly complain about it on Twitter and on my blog because it honestly drives me insane. It can feel that it often has more to do with luck than talent and you are completely at the mercy of those in control of the work that is out there. It often feels like many companies and channels operate a closed shop policy and I think many of them are guilty of working with the same very tiny gang of actors time and time again. I read an article recently that said there was a very small pool of talent out there which simply isn’t true. There’s an absolute ocean of clever and gifted people out there but they often get ignored as there are other names and faces that are deemed more popular. Unfortunately viewing figures and ticket sales are placed about creating quality work and while I accept that many of those performers that are used time and time again are very good at what they do, a bit of variety really wouldn’t go amiss!
However, having said that, there are very industries that would pay you a month’s rent to mess around as a time-travelling police officer for the day and that’s why I’m still slogging away at it!

What is the worst casting you have ever seen?

There are so many to choose from! The reason I started tweeting about castings was because people were so shocked at just how insulting and offensive and downright baffling they often were. Ones such as ‘No pay unfortunately but you will get to ride in a white stretch limo with a midget and the band’ and ‘She looks a bit like a trollop but tries to dress a bit classy’ have been incredible finds. However, I think the worst has to be one that I saw recently asking for actors to play characters in a sweatshop and the company (a very well-known TV channel) were only offering expenses. I thought I was past being shocked by castings but this one was offensive on so many levels that I genuinely had to keep re-reading it just to make sure that I was seeing it properly. Sadly I was.

What was the catalyst behind you starting your blog?

As I said, it was because I felt like I couldn’t relate to the other acting blogs out there and I felt that there needed to be a voice that represented normal working actors who often find themselves out of work. However, although I knew that it was something I wanted to do, it took me a while to actually get it started. It only happened when I was coming back on the train after a month performing at the Edinburgh Festival. I’d stupidly forgotten to bring a book and my boyfriend and I were unable to sit together so to keep myself occupied, I just started writing. After nearly 4 hours of solid writing, I realised I had a lot to say on the subject of acting and after a bit of encouragement from my boyfriend who’s also a blogger, the blog was born.

What can be done to improve the kind of roles women get?

It has to start with the writing. There is not a day goes by that I don’t see at least one casting where a woman isn’t required to either be a stripper or a prostitute and although I often make a joke of it on Twitter, it is very worrying too. There is such great writing out there for men but female roles are so often overlooked. So many times I read castings where all the male characters are given weird and wonderful characteristics while the women are just written to look nice. There are some incredible writers out there who are really trying to make sure that there are strong, interesting roles for women but they need support from the major producers for their work to get made and seen. I do think that it’s changing and television and film is starting to listen but it feels like a very slow process that needs to speed up a little!

What is your favourite, and least favourite, thing about the industry?

Let’s start with my least favourite and get the negative stuff out the way. It has to be the lack of good, paid work out there for actors. So many companies expect actors to work for free and although I completely understand how difficult it must be working on a tight budget, it’s tough when you’re faced with it day after day. Acting is something that I stupidly want to do for the rest of my life but it’s hard when people seem to think that by offering you a limp cheese sandwich and £5 to cover your travel expenses, they’re doing you a favour. I’ve done jobs in the past where I’ve essentially been paying to be part of them and that’s when you know that something has gone wrong.

And my favourite thing about the industry? It’s that you just don’t know what’s coming up next. A few months ago I was whinging on Twitter about how there didn’t seem to be any work out there and literally minutes later, my agent was on the phone with an audition for an incredible part in a feature film. I didn’t get the role but I do love how your luck changes from one minute to the next. Although it can be pretty unnerving at times, especially when you’re going through a particularly quiet spell, it’s incredibly exhilarating too. I think it’s a little bit addictive which is why actors put themselves through such torment.

You blog and tweet under a pseudonym, do you believe it would harm your acting career if you didn’t? Can you be critical?

The decision to write under a pseudonym was made so that I could be openly critical about the industry. As an actor you have to be so careful because you never know who you’re going to be working with next and I think that means a lot of actors are worried about speaking out about how infuriating this industry can be. Writing anonymously gives me the freedom to be brutally honest about the problems I face without jeopardising my acting career. Although there are days when I wish I could just tweet under my real name, I’m sure I’d have been in a fair bit of trouble for some of my comments, especially about casting calls and auditions.

What was your favourite ever job?

Despite going on about getting paid, my favourite job was one when I didn’t receive a penny. It was one of the first jobs I did after graduating from drama school and was a devised piece. It was pretty shambolic most of the time and we didn’t even get expenses but it was incredible experience seeing a project from the first meeting where we had some terrible ideas to the final night of performance. We barely sold any tickets (mainly because it was listed incorrectly meaning that most audience members turned up about 5 minutes before it was about to end) but it was great fun and real learning curve for me as a new actor.

and your least?

A summer-long Shakespeare festival. It was fun for about a fortnight but after three months away from home on only £25 a week, I was a state. The plays were performed outdoors and it was a particularly bad summer which meant that we spent a lot of time performing in soaking wet velvet dresses. British audiences are incredibly resilient and would determinedly sit there huddled up in anoraks and shelter under umbrellas while we battled with wind, rain, thunder and lightning. Because I was earning so little money, I was mainly living off value bran flakes and tomato soup so I ended the three months malnourished, exhausted, utterly sick of the sight and sound of Shakespeare and with about £4 in my bank account. That was something they really didn’t warn me about in drama school!

You can read the Professionally Resting Blog here and follow her on Twitter.

The Amazing Spiderman Premiere

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Last Night the beautiful Donna Air walk the red carpet at The Amazing Spiderman Premiere in Leicester Square, donned in the W Hamond, presented by CW Sellors & Henshall dress and jewel collaboration. At Frost magazine we loved her dress.

Scott Henshall & W Hamond, presented by CW Sellors wow the crowds at

‘The Amazing Spiderman’ London premiere

British brands W Hamond, presented by CW Sellors & Henshall last night unveiled Donna Air sheathed in a British made Whitby Jet & Diamond Spider Web dress at ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ premiere at London’s Leicester Square. The intricate Spider and cobweb design by Scott Henshall and created by W Hamond is crafted from Whitby Jet combined with diamonds spinning its magical web around a daring little black dress. Presenter of Fashion TV, Hofit Golan, was also seen in W Hamond Whitby Jet & Diamond jewellery.

CW Sellors are no strangers to the silver screen and were involved with the movie possession where Gwyneth Paltrow can be seen wearing their Whitby Jet jewellery.

Scott Henshall “King of the Red Carpet” originally stole the headlines at the first Spiderman world premiere in 2002 when Jodie Kidd strutted down the red carpet in a web of lace. Henshall then eclipsed that dress at the ‘Spider Man 2’ world premiere in 2004 when Samantha Mumba wore a £5million diamond encrusted dress, which to this day is still the ‘world’s most expensive dress’.

Photo credit: Ewan Mathers. Photo 2: Donna Air and Scott Henshall.

Curried Chicken Kiev With Squash Sag Aloo Recipe

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I was invited to take part in a Ocado Masterclass with a Michelin star chef; Simon Hulstone from The Elephant, Torquay. I have been getting better at cooking, but was thinking, upon seeing the recipe, that there was not a hope in hell of me managing to make the Curried chicken Kiev with squash sag aloo. Thankfully, with the help of Great British Chefs Elliot Collins and Ollie Lloyd I managed to make the dish. It looked amazing and it tasted sublime. Simon has made a killer recipe. Do try this at home.

Some tips that I picked up are: when cooking something try to cut the food in the same shape and size, if not, they will not all cook at the same time. Obvious but brilliant. If you want to become a good cook: practice, and when bashing the chicken (read below) but cling film over it. It will stop you having to wash more things because it is contaminated with raw meat.

Ocado have lots of brilliant recipes and are also doing live streaming masterclasses. These live stream masterclasses are the first of their kind. What makes them unique is that you can interact with the chef. Be sure to check them out. I am going to try their Pimm’s Jelly next.


Curried chicken kiev with squash sag aloo

by Simon Hulstone

chicken kiev
• 4 chicken breasts, skinless
• 400g of panko breadcrumbs
• 4 eggs
• 100ml of milk
• 200g of flour
• salt

curry sauce
• 25g of butter
• 1 shallot, sliced thinly
• 1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
• 20g of flour
• 100ml of chicken stock
• 75ml of coconut milk
• 1.5 tbsp of curry powder
• salt
• 100g of butter, softened

squash sag aloo
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 0.25 tsp of coriander seeds
• 0.25 tsp of cumin seeds
• 0.25 tsp of chilli powder
• 0.25 tsp of ground coriander
• 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds
• 350g of baby spinach, washed
• 300g of potato,
peeled and diced into 5mm cubes
• 300g of butternut squash,
peeled and diced into 5mm cubes
• salt

to plate
1 handful of coriander

method (serves 4)

1. Start by removing the butter from fridge to soften. Next, thinly slice the shallots and garlic and
prepare your 100ml of chicken stock
2. In a saucepan over a medium heat, melt the 25g butter and add the shallots and garlic. Cook
until soft and slightly golden. Add the 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder & cook for 30 seconds, then
add the 20g flour and cook for 30 seconds more. At this stage, add the chicken stock, making sure
to stir constantly. Cook while stirring for 1 minute and this will thicken very quickly
3. Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Once the mixture thickens again, remove from the
heat and transfer to a blender. Slowly take the blender up to full speed and blend until smooth.
Add salt to taste
4. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and set aside to cool
5. Now prepare your mixture for the sag aloo – slice the onions and garlic. Peel your potatoes and
butternut squash and dice them into 5mm cubes – place them in separate bowls, covering the
potatoes in water. Set aside while you prepare the chicken Kiev
6. By now your curry mixture will have cooled sufficiently – combine with the softened 100g of
butter and whisk until fully mixed – it should turn slightly more pale in colour
7. On a large piece of cling film, put the butter mixture down the middle creating a thin sausage
with gaps at both ends of the cling film. Fold the cling film over the mix and roll to form a neat 2cm
diameter cylinder of butter. Tie off the ends of the cling film and set in the freezer until required
8. Now return to your sag aloo. Boil a kettle and place 2 small pans of boiling water over a high
heat. As soon as the water is boiling, add a large pinch of salt to each. Strain the water off the po-
tatoes and add to one pot, add the butternut squash to the other. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until
the squash and potatoes are just tender. Strain and place on a tray to cool
9. Meanwhile, as the squash and potatoes are cooking, place a large frying pan over a medium
heat. Once hot, add the oil, onions and garlic (you sliced earlier). Cook until tender or slightly
coloured

Ollie Lloyd and Catherine Balavage

10. Grind the fenugreek in a mortar and pestle and mix with the other spices. Add the spices (co-
riander – seeds and ground, fenugreek, chilli powder, cumin seeds) to the pan and cook for at least
a minute. Remove from the heat and set aside
11. Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. Blanch the washed spinach in the boiling water for
no more than 10 seconds, strain and then plunge into your ice water. Discard the boiling water.
Once the spinach has chilled, drain the spinach and squeeze any excess water out with a cloth
12. Place the pan containing the onions and spices back onto the stove over a medium heat. Once
the onions begin to fry again, add the potato, squash and spinach
13. Mix all the ingredients; you want the edges of the potato and squash to break up a little bit, but
not so they are mashed. Add salt to taste and place on the side until required
14. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4, and set your deep fryer or get your pan with oil to
180°C (using a sugar thermometer to check the temperature)
15. Lay a chicken breast down on a chopping board. Use the palm of your hand to hold the breast
in place and slide a knife through the side of the breast; so it opens like a book but doesn’t create
2 separate pieces. Place each chicken breast in between two sheets of cling film and tenderize
gently with a rolling pin
16. Remove the curry butter from the freezer and peel away from cling film. Slice the curry butter
cylinder into 2cm thick discs. Remove the top layer of cling film from the chicken breast placing a
each disk of sauce in the middle of each chicken breast. Then, fold the outer edges of the chicken
breast over, so that the curry sauce is enclosed. Repeat this process for each breast
17. Set up your dipping station with three bowls big enough to coat your Kievs in. In one bowl, add
a pinch of salt to the flour. In another, beat the eggs with the milk and a pinch of salt. Place the
breadcrumbs in the third bowl
18. Roll each chicken breast, one by one, in the flour, trying to maintain the ball-like shape. Roll into
the egg mix, making sure they’re covered. Shake any excess egg off and then roll in the bread-
crumbs. Dip again in the egg mix and then back into the breadcrumbs for a second coat
19. Shape the Kievs in your hands so that they are still round. Gently place into the deep fat fryer
until golden all over
20. Once golden, remove from the fryer and place on a greaseproof paper lined baking tray and
put in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Using a temperature probe, heat to 63°C, then turn
off the oven leaving the Kievs in to keep warm
21. Reheat your sag loo on the stove. Once hot, arrange the sag aloo in the middle of each plate
22. Sit the cooked Kiev on top and arrange the coriander neatly around the plate. Serve immediately

Prince William Turns 30: Let’s have a cocktail.

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A BIRTHDAY BEVERAGE FIT FOR A KING
– Supermarket creates Royals’ favourite cocktail for a less-than-princely sum –

Prince William inherited £10 million from his mother on his 30th birthday today, and the Queen also got a 16% pay rise. For those with less money you can enjoy Prince William’s favourite tipple but without the £135 price tag – thanks to supermarket Aldi who has recreated the royals’ favourite cocktail, the famous Mahiki Treasure Chest, for less than a fifth of the price.

Coined the “Aldiki”, the cocktail is recommended to be served in a treasure chest, just like the original, which is enjoyed by royals, actors and musicians alike at trendy London bar, Mahiki.

Costing just £25.80 and serving 16 people, the Aldiki is an exotic mix of rum, brandy, peach schnapps and fruit juice from the supermarket’s award-winning drinks range – topped off with a celebratory bottle of sparkling wine.

Expert mixologist and cocktail guru Michael Stringer, who created the Aldiki especially for Aldi, has created a video demonstrating how to recreate the drink at home in time for the Prince’s 30th.

Michael said: “Mahiki’s Treasure Chest is deservedly a world-famous drink, but for anyone on a tighter budget, the Aldiki is a great alternative. The top quality range of spirits available at Aldi means that Brits who like to be creative with their cocktails can afford to experiment at home without breaking the bank.

“The Aldiki is a refreshing and theatrical cocktail perfect for a right royal celebration – and it proves that you don’t need a regal budget to party like a prince.”

The supermarket is sending the Aldiki ingredients to Kensington Palace today, to congratulate the Prince on reaching his milestone and encourage him to try out the tasty tipple at the party the Duchess of Cambridge is reportedly throwing for her husband.

An Aldi spokesperson added: “We wanted to help our customers celebrate this special date in a fun but affordable way. And what could be more fitting than raising a glass to the Prince in the style that he enjoys most – but at just a fraction of the price.

“We’re hoping the Aldiki might even receive the royal seal of approval from Kensington Palace.”

To create your own Aldiki cocktail at home, simply view the how-to video at www.aldi.co.uk, or follow the recipe below:

THE ALDIKI (Serves 16)
1. Pour several handfuls of ice cubes into your treasure chest or punch bowl
2. Add 800ml apple juice, 800ml pineapple juice, 250ml orange juice, and stir
3. Squeeze in the juice of 4 fresh limes
4. Make up your sugar syrup by dissolving 6 tablespoons of caster sugar in 200ml boiling water. Leave to cool before adding to the cocktail mix
5. Add the following award-winning Aldi spirits to the blend:
a. 400ml Old Hopking White Rum
b. 600ml Old Hopking Dark Rum
c. 200ml Cocobay White Rum & Coconut
d. 200ml Oscar’s Peach Schnapps
e. 250ml Napoleon Brandy
6. Top with a bottle of chilled Veuve Olivier Sparkling Brut sparkling wine
7. Stir to blend and add more ice cubes if desired
8. Finally, add a selection of chopped fresh fruit (eg. pineapple, lemon, orange and passion fruit) to garnish

Jimmy Carr Apologies For Tax Avoidance.

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Jimmy Carr paid £8.5 million in cash for his home. He has pulled out of the ‘tax avoidance scheme’ and has apologised. The comedian admitted he had ‘made a terrible error of judgment’

He also said his accountant told him the scheme was legal. Carr was one of thousands to use an off-shore scheme to pay as little as 1 per cent income tax. His credibility has been severely affected.

Prime Minister David Cameron branded his partaking in the scheme as ‘morally wrong’.

In a statement, the comedian insisted that he was told the scheme was ‘totally legal’. After intense public pressure he admitted he has withdrawn from the scheme.

A Downing Street spokesman said:

‘I think it is obviously welcome,’ a No 10 spokeswoman said.

‘HMRC are working hard to investigate the sort of scheme that Jimmy Carr had been reported to be involved in to ensure that they are not aggressively avoiding tax, and, if they are, they are closed down.’

The spokeswoman defended Mr Cameron’s to speak out against Mr Carr.

‘The Prime Minister was expressing what probably lots of people felt after reading the coverage,’ she said.

The revelations are worse as Carr has publicly mocked tax avoidance schemes.

Apparently Carr puts away £3.3million a year via the K2 tax scheme, which is used by more than 1,000 tax avoiders.

Win a DVD Boxset of CIA Thriller Covert Affairs.

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From the producer of The Bourne Trilogy…

Piper Perabo stars in COVERT AFFAIRS. SERIES 1

Out on DVD from 18 June

Also available for legal download and via video-on-demand on 18 June

Frost Magazine have one boxset of CIA thriller Covert Affairs to giveaway. For how to win, see below. The sexiest, action packed spy series to hit the UK, COVERT AFFAIRS: SERIES 1, comes to DVD on 18 June from Universal Playback. TV channel Really’s most watched drama ever stars Golden Globe (R) nominee, Piper Perabo (Cheaper By The Dozen, Coyote Ugly), Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty, Love Bites) Peter Gallagher (The O.C., Burlesque) and is from the producer of The Bourne Trilogy, Doug Liman.

Series 2 is currently showing on Really, with Series 3 expected to air later in 2012 as the show continues to grow in popularity.

Being a federal agent isn’t easy as Annie Walker (Perabo) experiences at her first interview at the CIA. Wired up to a polygraph machine Annie has to answer probing questions from a future co-worker who clearly doesn’t think she’s up for the challenge. Using her wit and intelligence Annie manages to avoid all stages of embarrassment and impresses her new colleague with some tactful answers, all the while beaming with confidence.

Annie is thrust into the inner sanctum of the agency when she is unexpectedly promoted to field operative and is propelled into a shadowy world full of cons, killers and international crime rings when she begins working on a case lead by Arthur Campbell (Gallagher), who heads up the agencies most secretive department.

While it appears that she has been plucked from obscurity for her exceptional linguistic skills, there may be something, or someone, from her past that her CIA bosses are really after.

Covert Affairs: Series 1 is available on DVD from 18 June, courtesy of Universal Playback.

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DVD DETAILS

Title: Covert Affairs – Series 1

Certificate: 12

Run Time: xx

Genre: TV Drama

RRP (DVD): xx

Special Features:

 Deleted scenes

 Gag reel

 Cast and crew commentaries

 Behind the scenes featurettes including:

o Welcome to the farm

o Blind insight

o Set tour