Refreshing Cocktails from Tom’s Kitchen

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Frostie

Frost Magazine has teamed up with Tom’s Kitchen to give you some excellent, refreshing cocktail recipes. They are all delicious and we just can’t work out which one is our favourite. Enjoy!

SUMMER BREEZE

SERVES1

INGREDIENTS

50ml Vodka

25ml Frais de Bois

Fresh Strawberries

Topped with Soda

METHOD – Put all the ingredients into a glass and top with soda

CLEMENTINE BUBBLES

SERVES1

INGREDIENTS

15ml Orange and Lemon mix (made from orange zest, lemon zest, sugar and juice)

Topped with Prosecco

METHOD – Put all the ingredients into a glass and top with Prosecco

JAX COCO COCKTAILS

Inspired by the latest health trend, Tom’s Kitchen has partnered with Jax Coco, the 100% pure coconut water, to develop a selection of vibrant non-alcohol and alcoholic cocktails perfect for the warmer months.

The cocktail menu is the refreshing addition to brunch and includes:

· Coco Fizz – a light mix of lemon juice, jasmine syrup, egg white and Jax Coco

· Jax Diamond – a fruity combination of strawberries, lemongrass, agave syrup and Jax Coco

· Jax Caipirinha – a playful twist on the Brazilian classic featuring high quality Cachaca, Jax Coco, caster sugar, lime and cherry bitters

Chef/Patron Tom Aikens adds: “I am a huge fan of coconut water and Jax Coco ticks all the boxes – aside from fantastic quality, all the coconut water comes from their own fully sustainable coconut plantation. Try the Coco Fizz and Jax Diamond for a quick pick-me-up or linger longer with the Jax Caipirinha.”

ABOUT TOM’S KITCHEN:

Tom’s Kitchen has 3 locations across London including, Canary Wharf, Chelsea and Somerset House which features a stunning terrace facing the Thames. A fourth location in St Katherine Docks will also be opening on 18th August.

TURKISH INSPIRED COCKTAILS FROM KITCHENETTE

This Summer Kitchenette, a recently opened Mediterranean cafe, restaurant and bar in Putney, are bringing cocktails home with a selection of inspirational recipes perfect for quenching your thirst in the summer sun. Drawing inspiration from Kitchenette’s Turkish heritage the cocktails include an array of traditional ingredients such as Pomegranate seeds, Turkish delight vodka and the sweet essence of rose water.

POMEGRANATE LEMONADE

INGREDIENTS

100ml Absolute Citron

50ml Lemon Juice

50ml Gomme

175ml Pomegranate Juice

100ml Sparkling water

2 x Orange, Apple, Lemon and Lime Slices

METHOD

Add all ingredients into a 500ml Glass Jug and stir until well mixed

Decanter cocktail mix into 2 inverness glasses and garnish with pomegranate seeds

OTTOMAN DELIGHT

INGREDIENTS

25ml Turkish Delight infused Vodka

25ml Vanilla Vodka

2 drops rose water

5ml honey

METHOD

Stir the honey & Vodka until the honey is completely dissolved.

Add all the remaining ingredients and shake well until ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Divide into 2 chilled martini glasses and serve with a sprinkle of chocolate for an extra sweet version

Which one will you make?

Bottled Water Causes Fire & Other Useful Things Campers Should Know

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Frostie

As the heatwave continues and Pitchup.com reports record levels of daily bookings (averaging around 1,000 per day), the outdoor holiday specialist has revealed six top tips for anyone taking a camping, caravanning or glamping holiday this summer.

Pick a campsite with shade, such as a forest location. US research shows forests can be up to five degrees Celsius cooler due to the shade and evaporation.

If buying a new tent, pick one with a separate groundsheet. This allows air to circulate inside the tent, even when closed, which has a cooling effect.

Take extra freezer blocks: rotate them to keep food and drinks cool. Choose a site with ice pack freezing available.

Pack a fan. A battery-powered fan will provide a great cooling effect, especially if a bowl of ice is placed in front of it – instant air conditioning!

Put a tent over your tent – if pitched in direct sunlight, provide shade or reflectors that will keep the sun’s rays off and the tent cooler.

Be careful with innocent objects that could start a fire if left in direct sunlight. Bottles of water can concentrate the sun’s rays and ignite groundsheets.

Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com, commented: “These are just a few of our top tips for keeping cool – and staying safe – while camping in warm weather. Camping air conditioning units are available but these can prove expensive and require an electric hook-up, so are not ideal for all campers on non-electric pitches.”

“Visitors to our site can search to find the perfect site for hot weather, from forest locations to those near water or sites that offer outdoor swimming pools. This is our busiest time of year and with the mercury still high, we’re getting more visitors to our website every day: daily visits average 60,000 with bookings at around 1,000 per day. Most site owners are well versed in staying safe while camping in summer, so if in doubt always ask for advice on arrival and request a cool and shady spot that gets the least sunshine and perhaps cut back a bit on the booze.”

For more information visit www.pitchup.com. All prices correct at time of writing.

Top 10 Books Most Commonly Left On Flights | Holiday Reads

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Frostie

A good read is one of the essential ingredients for a relaxing holiday, according to 80 per cent* of holidaymakers who always pack one for their travels. Despite this, around 600 books and 1,400 kindles are left on board British Airways flights every year.

The most common is The Holy Bible, accounting for six per cent of books left on board. Some of the more unusual books which have been found include notebooks, personal diaries, wedding sketchbooks and even a cheque book!

The British Airways survey found that books were still the most popular form of reading with three in five taking a book, compared to one in five taking an e-reader. Women are also more likely to own an e-reader (20 per cent) compared to men (15 per cent).

British Airways has compiled a list of the top 10 books most commonly left on flights over the past three months, as inspiration for good holidays reads this summer:

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn (Fiction, Thriller)
King and Maxwell Series, David Baldacci (Thriller)
The Fault in our Stars, John Green (Novel)
Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty (Business/Economics)
Alex Cross, Run – James Patterson (Thriller)
The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton (Novel)
Michael Lewis, Flash Boys (Non-fiction)
Fifty Shades of Grey (Freed), EL James (Romance)
Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Novel)
The Racketeer, John Grisham (Thriller)

Novels are the most common type of book found on flights (22 per cent), followed by crime thrillers, study and learning books, travel books, non-fiction and business and economics. The least likely genre to be left behind are ‘chick flicks’.

Some of the most popular biographies found on board were by John Bishop, Muhammad Ali and, no surprise during the Wimbledon Championships – tennis player Rafa Nadal.

The survey also found that Scottish travellers were the most likely to own an e-reader (28 per cent) – the least likely were East Anglia (nine per cent). Nine out of ten people from the East Midlands were likely to take a book on holiday, compared to just a quarter from the North East. Those from the South East are the biggest readers, taking at least two or three books on holiday.

For those prone to losing books, British Airways has a selection of audio titles in its extensive library collection. It includes Jennifer Saunders biography ‘Bonkers; My life in laughs’, Virginia Woolf ‘The mark on the wall’, Roald Dahl ‘The Great Automatic Grammatizator’, Anton Chekhov ‘The Chorus Girl’ and Charles Dickens ‘Great Expectations’ among many others available on selected long-haul flights in July.

*1,000 people surveyed by OnePoll

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.

E’Lifexir Flat Tummy Plus Review | Summer Essentials

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Frostie

We get sent a lot of stuff to review at Frost but these were a particular favourite because they really work. Take four a day and, hello!, flat tummy. They also leave you feeling healthier and less bloated. You can take two a day but we prefer to take four. They taste great, like mints and are incredibly convenient. Good stuff, highly recommended.

So, you’ve got your bikini, beach bag and towel, and can’t wait for a day in the sun, but bloating is stopping you from feeling bikini ready, so here’s a solution…

E’lifexir Flat Tummy plus® is a revolutionary food supplement that reduces bloating and aids digestion, making it the perfect healthy dietary addition to achieve the ultimate bikini body.

This handy prebiotic contains fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) which help to multiply the good bacteria in the gut, helping to ease bloatedness. Added peppermint oil gives the supplement its delicious minty flavour, making it a pleasant refreshment when taken twice a day after meals.

E’lifexir Flat Tummy plus® can be used to ease everyday bloating and discomfort, in addition to a dietary aid to achieve personal body and fitness goals. Whether you want to look your best at the beach or just want to feel on top form, pop a pack in your handbag and be ready to face the day.

E’lifexir Flat Tummy plus® costs £9.99 for 30 tablets, and is available in the UK and Ireland from Holland & Barrett nationwide and www.hollandandbarrett.com.or here.

Whiskey Cocktail Recipes | Cocktail Ideas

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Frostie

With cocktail season fast-approaching, thirsty folk on the search for the perfect summer sundowner need look no further than The Wild Geese whiskey cocktails.

The super premium Irish whiskey makers have teamed up with renowned bartender Marian Beke of critically acclaimed, Nightjar, voted one of the world’s best cocktail bars, to create a range of exclusive cocktails perfect for those long sunny days. Multi award winning The Wild Geese, enlisted the expertise of Marian, to hand-craft an array of bespoke and soulful cocktails bursting with intense flavour and dressed with delicate garnishes.

The first in the line-up, The Irish Apple, will invigorate and refresh at the end of a hot, balmy summer’s evening. The Wild Geese Classic Blend is fused with dry apple cider and tart rhubarb juice to create a cocktail to enjoy whilst soaking up the last of the rays. Sweet caramel is drizzled over the top of the long drink to add a touch of sweetness to this artisanal cocktail.

The Sarsfield Swizzle is a twist on the classic swizzle cocktail with a hint of spice. The Wild Geese Classic Blend is firstly mixed with crisp, botanical gin syrup and a dash of green tea bitters. Tangy lemon balm is added to the drink to bring out the citrus notes in The Wild Geese Classic Blend, and finally topped up with lemongrass and chilli beer for a zingy finish. Named after Patrick Sarsfield, the Irish hero who led the original Wild Geese in 1691, this cocktail mixes innovation and tradition perfectly.

For the third recipe, Beke marries The Wild Geese Rare Irish with the exotic juices of the Ugly Fruit, to achieve the ultimate bittersweet serve. The Freedom Sour is an innovative take on the ever-popular Whiskey Sour, freshened up with maple syrup and a layer of Matcha tea foam.

The three times voted ‘Best Irish Whiskey’ collection is made with superb quality aged Irish Whiskey stock and uses a special Extended Double Distillation process, creating a unique smoothness and richness unlike any other whiskey. The subtle and complex flavours are created using a pioneering distillation process, providing an unusual balance between robust and spicy malt, and light smooth grain.

Irish Apple

2 parts The Wild Geese Classic Blend Irish Whiskey

1 part apple and rhubarb juice

3 parts dry cider

1/2 part Kamms & Sons

Mix the Classic Blend, dry cider and apple & rhubarb juice by ‘rolling’ them in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a highball glass and float a large ice ball on top. Add the Kamms & Sons to create a bittersweet taste and garnish with a crab apple and apple blossom. Drizzle fresh caramel over the garnish for the final touch.

Sarsfield Swizzle

2 part The Wild Geese Classic Blend Irish Whiskey

1 part gin botanical syrup or 1/2 part gin & 1/2 sugar syrup

Dash of green tea bitters

Lemon balm

Top up with homemade lemongrass and chili beer

Pour a full measure of The Wild Geese Classic Blend directly into the serving glass. Add gin syrup as a sweetener and a dash of green tea bitter. Add lemon balm leaves to compliment the citrus notes in the Classic Blend. Top up with lemongrass & chilli beer and ‘swizzle’ the ingredients to mix them. Serve with pinewood and sweet spice.

Freedom Sour

2 part The Wild Geese Rare Irish Whiskey

1/2 part maple/ honey syrup

2 parts fresh squeezed ugly fruit juice

Few dashes of bitter

Matcha tea foam

Shake and serve in martini glass, top it off with matcha tea foam.

One last one for the World Cup.

Gold Cup

Ingredients
2 parts The Wild Geese Classic Blend Whiskey
1/2 part of lime juice
1/2 part coconut cream
1/2 part sugar syrup

Garnish
1/2 part of blue curaçao
lemon
passion fruit shell

Method
Blend a small handful of basil leaves, coconut cream and lime juice together until you have a liquid form. Pour into a cocktail shaker with sugar syrup and The Wild Geese Classic Blend Irish whiskey then shake hard with ice.

Serve in a rocks glass over crushed ice and add a passion fruit shell. Fill the shell with blue curaçao and garnish with the zest of a lemon. Add your nation’s flag to celebrate your team for the final, champion touch.

The combination of the triple citrus notes (orange, lime and lemon) with the coolness of the basil leaves make this a super refreshing cocktail with a mild and creamy, sweet finish.

Which one will you make?

Boys – Summer of Love | Music News

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Frostie

Their New Single

SUMMER OF LOVE

Release Date: 21st July 2014

Format: Digital Download

BOYS are a lo-fi dream pop band from West London who formed in 2013 to pass some time on a rainy day, but something happened when Ross Pearce (vocals/synth), Mike Stothard (guitar/production) and Daniel Heffernon (bass) began to play together. Despite being without a drummer, or anywhere to write and practice other than one of their bedrooms, the music the trio were making was of a quality none of them had been prepared for… and the surf pop gems have kept on coming, with each of their recordings attracting an increasing number of downloads and plenty of attention from bloggers in the UK and America.

BOYS, who have invested in a drum machine and now relish every opportunity to celebrate their bedroom band status, release ‘Summer of Love’ in July, a record that sounds, smells and tastes of long sunny days at the beach.

BOYS play Camden Barfly on July 11th.

Bottle Green Elderflower Cordial Review & Cocktail Recipes

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Frostie

We love Bottle Green’s Elderflower Cordial at Frost. It is a delicious, refreshing and versatile drink. We got sent some to review this week and have been trying it in different ways. It is great with cold water, either still or sparkling, and preferably with ice. It also tastes great in hot water, champagne and various cocktails. We have some great cocktail ideas below.

The light, delicate taste of hand-picked elderflowers perfectly captures the essence of warm summer days and relaxing evenings on the veranda. Simply dilute with iced water or try adding to Champagne for a refreshing twist.

Grey Goose Le Fizz

An elegant and refreshing combination of Grey Goose vodka, fresh lime juice and elderflower, served in a flute topped with chilled soda.

Glass: Flute

Ingredients

35ml Grey Goose vodka

15ml elderflower cordial

15ml freshly squeezed lime juice

75ml chilled soda

Method

Add the GREY GOOSE vodka, fresh lime juice and elderflower cordial into a cocktail shaker and shake hard. Double strain into a flute glass and top with chilled soda water.

The Elderflower G&T

Gordon’s & tonic and elderflower cordial – two British classics, one classic drink.

Step 1 Fill a chilled glass with cubes of ice

Step 2 Add 50ml* of Gordon’s gin and 5ml of bottlegreen Elderflower cordial

Step 3 Squeeze a wedge of lime into the glass and add a choice of fresh cucumber, mint or strawberry

Step 4 Top up with fresh tonic and stir to release the refreshing taste

Elderflower Cooler

Utterly refreshing and elegantly simple, this cooler really hits the spot with the elderflower and vodka complimenting each other perfectly. Enjoy.

Ingredients

25ml bottlegreen Elderflower cordial

apple wedges

Fill with ginger ale

50ml Vodka

Glass

Highball

Decoration

apple wedges

Method

Stir ingredients into glass and add apple wedges to decorate

Elderflower Delight

A wonderfully light and refreshing cocktail, blending the freshest ingredients to finish with a perfect cocktail for a Summers evening.
Ingredients

6 mint leaves

50ml Gin

15ml bottlegreen elderflower cordial

15ml Orange Juice

5ml Syrup

Glass

Martini

Decoration

Mint leaf

Method

Muddle Mint with Lemon Juice and Sugar Syrup.

Add remaining ingredients and shake with ice, fine strain into chilled 5oz martini glass.

Garnish with mint leaf on surface of drink.

Available from Amazon and Ocado.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Tag Archives: Summer

Refreshing Cocktails from Tom’s Kitchen

Bottled Water Causes Fire & Other Useful Things Campers Should Know

Top 10 Books Most Commonly Left On Flights | Holiday Reads

E’Lifexir Flat Tummy Plus Review | Summer Essentials

Whiskey Cocktail Recipes | Cocktail Ideas

Boys – Summer of Love | Music News

Bottle Green Elderflower Cordial Review & Cocktail Recipes