Primrose’s Kitchen Raw Superfood Smoothies Recipe

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Frostie

Primrose’s Kitchen is celebrated International Raw Food Day by encouraging customers to ‘think raw’!

After the recent launch of the delicious Raw Nut Butters, a wonderful source of protein and a great alternative to traditional nut butters such as peanut butters, Planet Organic is running a raw food promotion throughout the month of July including not only the nut butters but also Primrose’s Kitchen Superfood Powders in Brain, Cleanse, and Energy.

Primrose’s Kitchen is also encouraging people to try Raw Superfood smoothies and boost their protein:

Ingredients

1 cup raw almond milk

2 frozen organic bananas

1 cup organic baby spinach

¼ cup raw almonds, soaked

¼ cup goji berries (3 to 4 reserved for garnish)

1 tablespoon raw cashew butter

1 teaspoon raw coconut shreds (for garnish)

1 teaspoon organic raw cacao nibs (for garnish)

1 teaspoon raw Brazil nuts, ground fine (for garnish)

Instructions

Place all ingredients (except garnishes) in a high-speed blender.

Blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour into a tall glass and garnish with goji berries, coconut, cacao nibs, and Brazil nuts.

Thinking outside of the box and opening minds to the potential of raw foods is key to naturopathic nutrition. Famous fans of Primrose’s Kitchen included Millie Makintosh of Made In Chelsea fame.

Roberto Cavalli Opens The Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Frostie

Roberto Cavalli is pleased to announce the opening of the Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge. Situated in the most exclusive area of the Mediterranean island, the new Cavalli experience presents his entertainment & nightlife concept in the heart of the promenade that welcomes yachts into the harbour of Ibiza Marina. The Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge will be the go-to destination for celebrities and socialites.

Recreating an astounding tropical garden of 2.000 square metres with a beautiful view, the property symbolises the three main worldwide renowned beacons of ‘made in Italy’ excellence: Fashion, Food, Design.

The new Cavalli Ibiza features an open-air restaurant where luxury and innovation are merged in the décor and in the details to create a unique ambience, allowing the clients to live a ‘total experience’ in pure Cavalli style. In this context the clients will be able to enjoy the same welcoming reception that the designer would reserve for his friends.

The menu offers an incredible selection of traditional Italian recipes infused with Tuscan influences, as well as innovative new style dishes. It will also be possible to taste and appreciate, among others, the Tenuta Degli Dei red wine produced in the Tuscan winery owned by the Cavalli family.

The club & lounge embody the glamorous soul of the designer, hosting exclusive and fashionable parties and events where guests can sip on Roberto Cavalli Vodka-based cocktails. Furthermore, a refined musical selection is ensured by the best artists in the business. The music and lighting culminate in an experience that begins in the magnificent garden with 500 plants perfuming the Ibiza night: think jasmine, honeysuckle and magnolia…

Selected materials have been chosen to convey luxury and creativity: each and every area of the space was completed with precious and exciting shapes, geometries and elements. The chairs are covered in zebra and jaguar animal-print fabrics and the tables are enveloped in tablecloths featuring 8 different floral-themed Cavalli prints. The mise en place, the pillows, the wallpapers and the floors are part of the Roberto Cavalli Home collection.

«The pleasure of listening to enjoyable music, accompanied by great food and good company in an elegant and sophisticated setting … This is the philosophy of the Cavalli Restaurant & Lounge. I wanted to communicate all my passion for beauty and sensuality combining them in a hospitality project in Ibiza», Roberto Cavalli.

Roberto Cavalli already owns Cavalli Caffè in Florence and Saint Tropez, while the others managed through licences are located in Kuwait City, Beirut, Dubai and New Delhi. The next openings will be Riyadh, Bahrain and Doha. Furthermore, the Roberto Cavalli Group has also opened with licences, the Cavalli Club in Milan, Dubai and the Cavalli Miami Restaurant & Lounge.

Cavalli Ibiza Restaurant & Lounge
Paseo Marítimo Juan Carlos I 07800 Ibiza (Spain)

For reservation +34 971 192 197
www.cavallibiza.com

Ziggy’s Restaurant Review St Andrews

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Melissa Volpi

Ziggy’s restaurant is surrounded by B & B’s and is situated just off North Street in St Andrews – a street that’s as famous for its old-fashioned picture house, as it is for the university buildings. Ziggy’s is also an easy establishment to spot – as it has a large guitar hanging above the entrance door.

The inside is a throw back to the American diners of the 1960’s and pays homage to the greats of rock and roll by displaying original records and signed gifts around the dining room, open kitchen and toilet areas.

We are greeted at the door by a pleasant waitress in a Hard Rock Café style tee shirt and are seated by the window on a new range of wooden tables and chairs that this family owned establishment (Ziggy’s has been owned and run by the same family since 1983) have just bought in.

It’s 6 pm on a Tuesday night and the place is just starting to fill up. There are a mixture of diners, from locals to golfing tourists. But we are the only table of two – the rest are in groups of four to ten.

Starters

Ziggy’s starters vary from garlic bread and house mixed salad to loaded skins and a bucket of devilled chicken wings. The prices are very reasonable, starting at £3.15 for a regular portion of garlic bread and rising to £11.95 for ‘The Ziggy’s BIG DISH Sharer’ – a combination of onion rings, breaded mushrooms, ribatisers, potato skins and chicken strips with sour cream, blue cheese and hickory sauce.

After having a quick glance over the main courses and desserts, I opt for something light and order the homemade potato and leek soup served with fresh crusty bread. My father orders the garlic prawns. And after scanning the wine list we decide to order two of the individual, 20cl, bottles of Prosecco as a treat. I think this is a wonderful idea. Unless you are in a wine bar, it is very hard to buy Prosecco or Champagne by the glass.

Homemade Potato & Leek Soup

The presentation is very simple. My white bowl of soup rests on a white plate with a white napkin. Colour is introduced from the soup itself and the two chunks of French baguette on the side.

My father’s dish is livelier looking. The garlic prawns arrive spitting and popping in a black cauldron.

Putting appearances aside, I take a spoonful of soup and am pleasantly surprised by how nice it is. The vegetables are chunky – just the way I like them – and the flavour is strong. This is a proper bowl of hearty soup that could not be anything other than homemade. When the owner/chef walks over to our table to ask if everything is ok, she tells me that her son – who also works in the kitchen – made the soup.

My father, who is not shy when it comes to giving his opinion, says that the prawns are tasty, but that they are submerged in too much oily sauce – the prawns are baked in garlic and red onion butter. He finds it hard to eat them because of this.

Main courses

It’s not only the look and vibe of Ziggy’s that reminds me of The Hard Rock Café, it’s the food too. The main courses are American inspired, with the house specialities being the steaks, ribs and burgers. It’s a menu that would delight the meat lover. The list of 18 handmade burgers are all under £10, with the extra special ones rising to between £10 and £15.00.

Both my father and I choose the gourmet 12oz burger (£12.95 with a choice of three cheesy toppings). I order the cheddar, bacon and pineapple topping and my father the bacon and Stilton.

All Ziggy’s burgers are 100% pure steak burgers and are handmade and supplied by the local award winning butcher, J.B Penman of Crail.

The Gourmet 12oz Burger

Again, the burgers are very simply presented on white plates. The burger is served on a toasted white flour bun. The top of the bun rests at an angle to show off the toppings – I see two rings of pineapple with melted cheddar resting on top of my massive burger. Underneath the burger is a bed of salad leaves, with a slice of beef tomato and some red onion and dill pickle. The house fries that accompany my burger are presented in a white mug next to the homemade coleslaw.

It really is a feast for the senses and we can’t wait to dig in…

Although the burger is tasty – and the combination a good one – I personally find it too greasy for my palate and would choose a different main course on my next visit. My father, on the other hand, enjoyed his burger.

Dessert

The list of desserts is excellent. There really is something for everyone here. You’ve got knickerbocker glory, cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding and a wide selection of Sundae’s. There are even ice cream floats (Pepsi, Irn Bru or Lemonade with a generous scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream); something that I love but have not had since I was a teenager.

We decide to share a dessert and choose the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

We can smell the sticky toffee pudding before we see our waitress walk across the dining room with it. It looks like a traditional, gooey pudding and after taking the first bite, I find that it tastes like it too. It’s yummy.

The one thing that does disappoint me though, is the fact that the ice cream has not been bought from one of the town’s two famous ice cream parlours – Jannetta’s or Luvians. It is cheap, yellow coloured ice cream. From my point of view, it would have been nice to utilise local artisan ice cream makers in much the same way as Ziggy’s have done by buying their burgers in from an award winning local butcher.

None of this would deter us from visiting Ziggy’s in St Andrews again though. The waitresses are friendly and helpful. The individual bottles of Prosecco are a welcome addition to any wine list. The homemade potato and leek soup was one of the best I have ever tasted. And the ambience of this family owned restaurant is unusual – even in a town where every second premises is an eatery. If you’re a meat lover that enjoys American inspired food and is looking for somewhere a little more rock n roll… then head to Ziggy’s.

Our meal:

2 x 20cl bottles of Prosecco at £5.95 each

1 x Soup £3.95

1 x Garlic Prawns £5.95

2 x gourmet 12 oz burger at £12.95 each

1 x sticky toffee pudding at £5.25

Total: £53.65 for two people

http://www.ziggysrestaurant.co.uk/

Westfield’s Launch ‘We Are LDN Summer’ Campaign

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Frostie

To celebrate the launch of Westfield’s ‘We Are LDN Summer’ campaign, running 16 July – 31 August, visitors to Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City will be treated to six weeks of London’s best in class of dance, music, art, food, children and fashion themed activity. Each themed week will showcase the capital’s finest free dance workshops, musical performances, art exhibitions, culinary demonstrations, children’s activities and style sessions along with competitions and offers from Westfield’s dining, entertainment and leisure retailers. Whether you’re out for a spot of shopping, enjoying a delicious meal or soaking up the sun, Westfield has all your summer bases covered.

MUSIC WEEK (21 – 27 JULY)

West & East London Talent, Various Stages, Daily

The very best of London musicians, choirs, writers and performers will be showcasing their talents across a variety of stages at Westfield London and Stratford City. The Mayor of London’s annual busking competition will also be taking place during this week so get front row to see the capital’s next big star!

DANCE WEEK (28 JULY – 3 AUGUST)

English National Ballet, 30 July at Westfield London, 31 July Westfield Stratford City 11-4pm

Children can experience the love of dance firsthand with this exciting workshop hosted led by the English National Ballet, featuring the enchanting tales of Coppélia, Swan Lake and Nutcracker.

Big Dance, Westfield London, Mon 28 July, Fri 1 Aug, Sun 3 Aug, 11-5pm

High energy performances and have-a-go workshops from Big Dance at Westfield including street, Brazilian, Jazz and swing.

IMD Legion, Westfield Stratford City, 3 August, 12pm

Check out East London dance crew, IMD Legion as they show off the talent that made them famous on Got To Dance, Nickelodeon, Ashley Banjo’s Street Crew and CBBC Fridays.

ART WEEK (4 – 10 AUGUST)

East vs. West Art, Westfield London, Daily

Curated in associating with Jack Jones of The London Collection, the exhibition brings together a selection of established and emerging artists to promote the cultural richness and diversity that West London has to offer. This exciting collection will feature a mix of contemporary painting, photography and sculpture.

Kids Arts, 6 August Westfield London, 7 August Westfield Stratford City, 11-4pm

Wednesday 6 August is a dedicated kid’s art’s day. Kids are invited to come down grab a painting easel, a beret and a paint brush and hone their skills.

Live Graffiti, Westfield Stratford City, Throughout the day

Check out the week long interactive live graffiti artwork supplied by Graffiti Life. Become part of the daily mural or get your own graffiti name tag giveaway!

FOOD WEEK (11 – 17 AUGUST)

Cooking Demos, Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City, Daily, See website for details

Enjoy free, daily masterclasses with L’atelier des Chef, the leaders in fun, energetic culinary classes.

Kids Cooking Day, Westfield London 13 August, Westfield Stratford City, 14 August, 11-4pm

Kids are invited to try and be the next Jamie Oliver at Kids Cooking Day. Kids can try their hand at making finger sandwiches and pies.

Foodie Festival, Westfield London, 16 – 17 August

Top off a week of gastronomy at Westfield London with a weekend foodie festival. Located in the al-fresco surroundings of The Southern Terrace, retailers and guest vendors will be sharing their tasty treats to shoppers.

KIDS WEEK (18 – 24 AUGUST)

Dinosaur Train, Westfield London: 19 August, 11am, 12noon, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm,

Westfield Stratford City 20 August, 11am, 12noon, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm

Beloved Nick Jnr programme, Dinosaur Train, is coming exclusively to Westfield! A UK first, Buddy the tyrannosaurus rex and his adopted pteranodon family will be entertaining their fans. Free wristbands collected from 9am.

My London Girl Lessons, Westfield London, Daily, 12 – 5pm

During kids week, retailer My London Girl will be holding free in-store arts and crafts such as dolly hair braiding, friendship bracelet making and decorating trinket boxes.

Kids Arts & Crafts, Westfield Stratford City, Chestnut Plaza, Daily, 11-5pm

East London themed kids workshops and activities organised by Iced Gems Events, including games, making and decorating bags, jewellery, ceramic plates, clothes, giveaways, competitions, and face paint. Fun for all ages every day!

The Kick Off, Westfield Stratford City, Outside Café Football, 21 August

Think you could do better than US goalie, Tim Howard and the 16 goals he saved? Try your penalty shootout skills with Café Football.

FASHION WEEK (25-31AUGUST)

Style Sessions, Daily, Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City (see website for schedule)

For the forward-thinking fashionista or those after some styling advice, Westfield London will be hosting open style sessions from Westfield’s retailers and team of personal stylists.

PLUS, SAVE THE DATE FOR…

ABBEY CLANCY AT SCHOLL EXPRESS PEDI BEACH

Westfield London, The Atrium, 18 July, 11am

As the official ‘feet’ of Scholl, Abbey Clancy will make her exclusive, star appearance to open the glorious indoor beach on the morning of Friday 18 July

SCHOLL EXPRESS PEDI BEACH

Westfield London, The Atrium, 18 – 19 July, 10am – 7pm; 20 July 12pm – 6pm

The Scholl Express Pedi Beach is set to be the perfect pit-stop for your pre-holiday speedy summer pedicure. Let the Scholl pedicure team tend to your tired soles with a free express pedicure using the Scholl Velvet Smooth range to give you soft, beautiful feet in an instant.

ALEXA CHUNG BOOK SIGNING

Westfield London, The Atrium, 12 August, 12.30pm. Signing for 1.5hours

Fashion’s It girl, Alexa Chung, will be make an appearance to sign her aptly entitled book, It. A collect of writing, doodles and photographs, It has been a huge success with Alexa’s army of fashion and style followers.

BIG HOUSE

Big House, Westfield Stratford City Daily, 11-6pm, Sunday 12-6pm

Daredevil visitors to the Big House can hang from the window ledges by their fingertips with not a care in the world. Well, it will look like you can! The Big House is nothing but an optical illusion. Give it a go and share on social media to trick you friends!

Don’t forget to have your picture taken with the great big WEST and EAST letters to pledge your allegiance to #WestLDN or #EastLDN on social media.

Busan BBQ Summer Pop-Up at Old Bengal Bar

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Frostie

This August, AmeriKorean street food van, Busan BBQ, will pop-up at Old Bengal Bar for a series of summer BBQ evenings.

Popping up every Monday and Tuesday evening through August in Old Bengal Bar’s courtyard, Busan BBQ will be serving a selection of dishes from their American-meets-Korean menu. Served from their bright red Busan tent, the menu will include Busan’s staple Busan Burger with 28 day-aged rare breed British beef burger covered in Bulgogi soy marinade and topped with mustard-pickled onions, Sweet and spicy pork belly bun with gochujang sauce and mooli slaw and Korean style oven baked chicken wings with sticky garlic soy marinade. Busan have also teamed up with head chef Barry Macmillan to create a bespoke Old Bengal Prawn Po Boy sub-sandwich; cooked on the Big Green Egg and fusing Busan’s Asian flavours with New Street Grill’s traditional British ingredients, this dish will be available to enjoy Monday through Saturday at Old Bengal Bar in August.

Additionally, Old Bengal Bar’s manager, Milos Popovic, and his team have created a range of Korean-inspired cocktails to go alongside especially for the pop-up, which will be available throughout the month.

Located in the City’s oldest surviving warehouse built by the East India Trading Company, Old Bengal Bar’s heritage nods to Asia. Exploring the East further this August, Old Bengal Bar’s Busan BBQ AmeriKorean pop-up is sure to be a sweet and spicy street-food experience, perfect for post-work barbeque bites and al fresco summer dinners alike.

Busan BBQ will be at Old Bengal Bar on Monday 4^th, Tuesday 5^th, Monday 11^th, Tuesday 12^th, Monday 18^th, Tuesday 19^th and Tuesday 25^th August.

Soho Literary Festival Returns September 2014

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Frostie

Soho Literary Festival 2014

Stephen Fry, Michel Roux and Antonia Fraser headline at the Soho Theatre

Wednesday 24th September – Sunday 28th September

www.soholitfest.com

•An end-of-summer, long weekend of literary delights hosted in the Soho Theatre on Dean Street, in the capital’s liveliest district

•Stephen Fry to star in an exclusive event on PG Wodehouse on Friday 26th September.

•Interactive events such as the literary quiz with teams led by Rachel Johnson and Giles Coren, and a masterclass on matching wine with food led by Tom Parker-Bowles and Rowley Leigh.

•The 2014 line-up also includes Antonia Fraser, Michel Roux, Stephen Frears and Russell Norman

•Presented by The Oldie magazine and supported by Waitrose Cellar and Arts Council England

Soho Literary Festival, sponsored by Waitrose Cellar and supported by Arts Council England, marks its fourth anniversary on the London literary calendar in September 2014. With 36 unique events all taking place under one roof, the iconic Soho Theatre on Dean Street, the festival is set to take the capital by storm.

Visitors are invited to spend the weekend getting up-close and personal with their literary heroes, in the theatre’s three auditoria or mingling in the bar where regular signings will take place. The events and speakers have been carefully curated to inform and excite festival-goers with a programme encompassing art, music, food, comedy and plenty of author shenanigans.

Highlights include headline act Stephen Fry on the profound effects Wodehouse had on his life; panorama journalist Tom Bower delving behind the public facade of Richard Branson; Michel Roux and Russell Normanon the art of good service in restaurants; pre-eminent rock journalist Mark Ellen opening the festival to discuss forty years of life in the ludicrous music business; Britain’s most successful potter Emma Bridgewater in conversation with her illustrator husband Matthew Rice; and historian Peter Snow on the unknown tale of when Britain burned down the White House.

Further headline acts and returning favourites include an informative and humorous lesson on how to spot a psychopath led by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, an in-depth Q&A with the Oscar-winning director Stephen Frears, and the sell-out one-stop literary smorgasbord hosted by Craig Brown & Friends.

Confirmed Soho Literary Festival Speakers:

Stephen Fry, Michel Roux, Antonia Fraser, Brian Sewell, Simon Baron-Cohen, Virginia Ironside, Russell Norman, Tom Parker-Bowles, John Julius Norwich, Christian Wolmar Simon Jenkins, Loyd Grossman, Craig Brown, Peter Snow, Rachel Johnson, Mark Ellen, Giles Coren, Kerry Daynes, Harry Mount, Valerie Grove, Chris Yates, Ferdinand Mount, Marcus Berkmann, Antony Beevor, Stephen Frears, Rowan Pelling, Kate Harrison, Rosie Boycott, Imogen Edwards-Jones, Bill Knott, David Kynaston, Paul Burston, Jeremy Lewis, Lizzie Enfield, Emma Bridgewater, Rowley Leigh, Tom Bower, Tom Ward, Will Hodgkinson, Geordie Greig, Simon Garfield, Dan Cruickshank, Sam Leith, John Sutherland, David Hepworth, Jerry Brotton, Roger Bannister, James Le Fanu, Chris Mullin, Andrew Billen, James Pembroke, Sarah Boseley, Dave Runciman, Tim Bryars, Dr Tom Stuttaford, Jonathan Meades, Mikey Cuddihy, Tom Harper, Owen Jones, Oliver Kamm, Michael White, Dan Kieran, Nigel McCrery,, Matthew Rice, Jerry White, Irma Kurz, Katherine Whitehorn, Shaun Usher, Mark Lawson, Assem Malhotra, Abbie Ross, Mikey Silverman, Dick Traverne, Merryn Somerset-Webb, Martyn Vander Weyer.

Wicked Cupcakes By Luisa Zissman Book Review

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Frostie

Cupcake fans rejoice. On the 17th July 2014 Luisa Zissman’s Wicked Cupcakes! book is released. Thankfully we got an advance copy and have reviewed it for you. Read on.

There are tons of amazing cupcake recipes in Wicked Cupcakes! and even a selection of low-fat cupcakes recipes, tips and tricks on how to make and decorate your creations. The book covers everything about making cupcakes, starting from the mix, flavourings, buttercream, hand made decorations, lining tins and how to deal with disaster.

A few of my favourite recipes are the indulgent chocolate, apple crumble, cookie and cream, pink champagne, jelly shot, pina colada, Pimm’s Layer cake, ice cream cupcakes…actually I need to stop now. The list will get too long. If you love cupcakes, buy the book. It is full of brilliant ideas and great tips. Highly recommended.

Luisa Zissman shot to fame when she became the runner-up in the 2013 series of the BBC’s The Apprentice. A baker by trade, Luisa has been running her hugely successful St Albans cake shop, Dixie’s Cupcakery, since 2011. It is her mission to show the world that you don’t need a lot of time or complicated ingredients to create show-stopping cupcakes like hers.

In true Luisa style, her cupcakes are bold and brassy – a treat for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. Whatever the occasion, she has a cupcake that’s the perfect fit: cocktail cupcakes for a girls’ night in; ooh la la cupcakes for romantic liaisons; Dixie cakes, which are perfect cakes for busy mums to cook with their kids; vintage cakes for a stylish soiree and quirky cupcakes with unusual flavours, such as the genius Love Me Hate Me Marmite and Chocolate cupcake.

Packed with helpful advice on how to make and decorate your cakes, Luisa’s book will put the fun and sparkle back into your kitchen!

Wicked Cupcakes! is available here.

Walker, Austen & Alexander

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Walker, Austen & Alexander is a fantastic new tea shop thats up market, quirky and modern, selling loose leaf teas that you can see brewing naturally… just the way it should be. Using filtered water and the finest bespoke teas, that have been blended by an English Master Tea blender.

This amazing new tea shop serves a lovely selection of sandwiches, cakes and hot food.The delightfully decorated tea boutique is clean and inviting with a very laid back feel and approach. Tea should be savoured and this is just the place to do just that.

We drank Strawberry & Champaign, pear & elderflower and Rooibos creme caramel infused herbal teas. We shared a goats cheese, sun kissed tomatoes and rocket ciabatta, a Mediterranean vegetable and mozzarella ciabatta and a whopping big slice of chocolate cake all served with delightful sides containing vegetable chips and a fresh salad with croutons. All the dishes where presented perfectly and we demolished the entire lot. We left happy, full and content knowing this will be a regular place to visit again and again!! Take a look at the lovely views that day!!