The St James’s Market Advent Calender Starts Today – Your Chance to Win a Fabulous Xmas Prezzie Every Day to 24th December 2017!

I don't know about you, but I get childishly excited about Advent Calendars - and St James’s is most likely the ultimate of its kind this festive season, with a fabulous gift giveaway each day in the run-up to Christmas! Forget milky chocolates, we are talking men's fashion, wine tastings and other super-luxe prezzies!

To welcome in the festive season, the St James’s Market Pavilion has been turned into a giant advent calendar. When each new advent window is opened, one lucky person will win and the surprise revealed each day via @StJamesLondon Instagram Stories.

St James's is widely recognised as the original home of menswear in London and the stomping ground of the well-dressed, so it was a natural choice to ask London Fashion Week Men to curate a selection of the twenty-four gifts.

Each beautiful present has been gifted by a different one of St James’s unique and exceptional retailers, restaurants, art galleries or hotels. For a full list of participating St James's retailers and a flavour of gifts on offer, take a peek below.

HOW TO WIN:

For a chance to win one or more of these fabulous gifts, visit the St James's site at https://stjamesslondon.typeform.com/to/rD5749 and enter your details in the entry form.

From today, the 1st December, each daily gift will be revealed on @StJamesLondon Instagram stories. Follow @StJamesLondon to stay up to date and take part. Participants can enter daily for a chance to win each prize. 

From Champagne afternoon tea for two, to a fitted Barbour jacket, will you be lucky enough to win one of the bespoke gifts from St James's esteemed retailers? Brands include: 

Lou Dalton
Berry Bros. & Rudd
Fortnum & Mason 
Aspinal of London
Arc'teryx
D R Harris
Emma Willis 
Cubitts
Smeg 
Barbour Int
The Ritz 
Harvie and Hudson
Trickers
Budd
N.Peal
Tiger of Sweden
Mint Leaf
Jigsaw 
New & Lingwood
Sims Reed
Lock & Co
Grenson 
John Smedley 
Floris
Maille 
Sunspel
Villandry 
Haymarket Hotel

For more information about St James, the Advent Calendar and what is going on in this exciting neighbourhood of the West End of London, visit their website here - http://www.stjameslondon.co.uk/.

This review feature was commissioned and sponsored by St James Crown Estate. The London Foodie maintains full editorial control over all content published on this site as always.

Hestan’s NanoBond™ Technology – The Crème de la Crème in Cookware or Just Another Marketing Ploy?

For the Shokunin in Japan, craftsmen who specialize to an extraordinary degree to be masters of their profession, the search for excellence and even for perfection is a never-ending journey. 

Ninety-one year old Jiro Ono is Japan’s highest expression of Shokunin; he has worked tirelessly from the age of 7 to become the greatest sushi craftsman alive today. Ono is still to be found at his sushi counter at Ginza station, serving up perfect morsels of vinegared rice, yet his drive for perfection is far from finished.

Reading about Hestan’s founder Stanley K Cheng in Napa Valley USA, I found a lot of resonance with the work of Jiro Ono and hundreds of other Shokunin I have encountered in Japan and across the world.

Cheng’s lifelong quest has been to innovate and excel in the cookware industry. Since the 1970s, he has been at the cutting edge of his field, including the introduction of non-stick surfaces to hard anodized aluminium, the breakthrough which led to non-stick cookware. Today, his company (Hestan and Meyer Corporation) is the largest cookware distributor in the USA and the second largest in the world. 

Cheng has created a culture of excellence around the Hestan name that goes far beyond its cookware. There is the Hestan Vineyards in Napa Valley, as well as Hestan Commercial and Hestan Outdoor cooking appliances. Hestan Commercial reinvented the restaurant kitchen with a lineup of well-designed commercial cooking equipment, one of their most notable advocates is Head Chef and Shokunin Thomas Keller of the 3 Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry.

Most intriguing for me though is the Hestan Barn, a culinary “think tank” and laboratory that brings together a team of outstanding chefs, engineers, designers and winemakers to revolutionise cookware and think of different ways to cook.  It was here in the Hestan Barn that the USA team trained for the most prestigious international cookery competition, the Bocuse d’Or, winning the gold medal in 2017. 



It was also here at The Barn that Stanley Cheng and his team developed a new cookware range with Hestan’s NanoBond™ technology.

With 14 global patents, NanoBond technology uses a triple-bonded construction: thousands of titanium-based nano layers bonded directly to stainless steel, itself wrapped around a central core of pure aluminium.

The resulting super-dense cooking surface is said to be stain and scratch-resistant, and the titanium coating to last a lifetime. It does not use any chemicals or coatings that might wear off over time like what happens with standard non-stick pans.

Pans with NanoBond™ technology are also said to have 35% better heat conductivity and to be 400% (four times) harder than stainless steel pans. They certainly have a gorgeous design, with elegant ergonomic handles and flush rivets.

Besides this, Hestan states that their NanoBond™ technology results in pans that:
- are ‘stick resistant’ rather than non-stick 
- maintain their titanium lustre and beauty for a lifetime
- have no limit to the heat they can withstand
- do not affect or react with foods
- are easy to clean
- are highly resistant to oxidation at high heat
- have five times the lifespan of a normal stainless steel or aluminium-clad cookware. 

Launched in the USA in January 2017, the NanoBond™ range is sold exclusively there by Sonoma-Williams, and in the UK, you will only find it at Harrods, where it was launched in September 2017. 

I was approached by Hestan to put some of their claims to the test with four of the range of pans, and have been doing just that over the last five months. The Hestan pans I used for this review included:

28cm frying pan - £269 - https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/hestan/frying-pan-28cm-p000000000005730165?bcid=1504779447433

20cm saucepan with lid - £299 - https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/hestan/covered-soup-pot-20cm-p000000000005730181?bcid=1504779447433

26cm stockpot with lid - £449 - https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/hestan/stockpot-and-lid-26cm-p000000000005730180?bcid=1504779447433

36cm wok - £499 - https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/hestan/frying-pan-28cm-p000000000005730165?bcid=1504779447433

First Impressions Count

The pans feel really sturdy and solid, substantial without being too heavy. On closer inspection, the design is beautiful with a pewter-grey tinge to the surface. The surfaces are silky smooth, and even the rivets binding the handles to the pan are recessed to avoid food getting stuck and making them very easy to clean.

The handles are ergonomically designed from case stainless steel, being wide and flat to enable a good grip without risking them over-turning. 

The Hestan logo is beautiful, written in full at the base of the handle, and with an embossed H at the tip.  Frying pans and saucepans have an oval slot in case you want to suspend them from a hook, or alternatively they stack efficiently.

Performance under Pressure

During my time at Le Cordon Bleu, I got to use and was impressed by top quality cookware from the American firm All Clad, and by de Buyer from France. Top professional kitchens around the world will be familiar with these, as they have been considered to be the best of their type and to deliver consistent cooking results.  Hestan's is, however, aiming to raise the bar by introducing its NanoBond™ technology to their pots and pans.

Today at my supper club events and cookery classes, my Hestan pans get heavy use and are bashed around a lot. Even though I do not have Le Cordon Bleu’s budget, I have always looked out for cookware that is well made, and of as good quality as I can afford.

Beautiful as new after 5 months use!

The Hestan pans I have used over the last five months still look nearly as perfect as they did when I first came out of their boxes. Though they have not been scratched or dented, I noted some colour tarnish at the bottom of the pans.

Light colour tarnish

Stick Resistance

From my years of cooking experience, I know that fried food does not stick if the pan has either a non-stick coating or if it has been proofed with a built up layer of oil and salt over time.

Although not completely non-stick, I found that Hestan’s 28 cm frying pan’s surface was indeed ‘stick resistant’, and this did not wear off over time, as non-stick coatings do sooner or later in my experience.

The Dreaded Non-Stick Egg Frying Test

Though there were some desirable signs of food caramelization visible on the surface of the pan, food did not stick. There was rapid heat conduction on either my Aga hot plate or a conventional gas flame, and even fried eggs cooked uniformly and came away smoothly from the pan.

Image courtesy of Hestan

Heat Conductivity and Evenness 

But for me, the major advantage of the Hestan pans was the evenness of heat distribution and the rapid conductivity of heat. Don’t you hate it when you are cooking something and parts get burned while other areas are still not cooked?

Image courtesy of Hestan

This was definitely not the case with Hestan’s 36cm wok – with no limit to high heat and improved conductivity compared with other standard pans, Hestan’s wok quickly achieved searingly high heat, just ideal for imparting that desirable ‘wok-breath’ (a wonderful charred flavour) into my stir-fried food.

Versatility – From Hob to Oven and Table

Hestan’s range of pans are all metal, with no plastic, rubber or other materials, making them ideal for use in the oven as well as on stove. In many professional kitchens, steaks and other meats are usually caramelized in the pan over a high flame (pan-fried), and then finished in the oven to complete their cooking under an even heat.  Hestan’s range are well designed for this purpose, while looking great on the table too.

Image courtesy of Hestan

The Verdict

Over the five months I have used Hestan’s pots and pans at home and at my supper club events, I have been reassured that the company’s claims really do stack up. With great heat conductivity and evenness, the pans are also durable and will probably last many years. They are sturdy, well-designed and gorgeous too.

A decent, well-designed pan can make or break your meal. Choosing the correct vessel (for both its quality and size) to cook a dish is an important decision that will help you make the most of your cooking. With busy working lives and less time now spent in the kitchen, pans like Hestan’s will make this time count giving you consistently good cooking results.

Image courtesy of Hestan

Hestan pans are not cheap, but good quality equipment never is. If you want the best pans you can afford in your home and business that will last a lifetime and take up that up that precious kitchen cabinet space, consider buying Hestan’s.

Image courtesy of Hestan

You do not need to be a Shokunin or 3-star Michelin chef to cook a great meal at home. But in your pursuit for kitchen excellence, Hestan is here to help along the way.

To discover more about Hestan and their range of cookware, visit their website here - https://hestan.uk.com/. 

To purchase Hestan cookware, visit the Harrods store or website here - https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/designers/hestan.

WIN A WEEKEND TRIP TO PARIS WITH HESTAN

To celebrate the launch of the luxury cookware brand in the UK, Hestan is running a competition for a chance to win a gastronomic weekend in Paris!

The prize includes flights for two from any UK airport, a 2-night stay at the prestigious hotel in the centre of Paris, La Maison Champs Élysées and a gourmet culinary experience at Le Jules Verne, Michelin star restaurant owned by the most renowned chef of his generation, Alain Ducasse.

For more details and to enter the competition, visit their website here - https://hestan.uk.com/2017/10/16/weekendinparis/

This review feature was commissioned and sponsored by Hestan. The London Foodie maintains full editorial control over all content published on this site as always.

Nikkei Cookbook Giveaway + Nikkei Recipe for Prawn Moqueca

This week I am sharing my Nikkei recipe for Prawn Moqueca & Coriander Rice Donburi. This is a super easy and quick recipe to put together, and ideal for any special occasions or as a weekend treat. 

Jacqui Small Publishers are offering 1 copy of my cookbook Nikkei Cuisine: Japanese Food the South American Way to 2 readers of The London Foodie, so 2 copies in total. The prize includes free delivery within the UK. See further details of #NikkeiCookbookCompetition below.

Good luck!

Prawn Moqueca 
& Coriander Rice Donburi

Moqueca is a quintessentially Brazilian dish, with nearly every seaside town having its own variation on the theme. In Bahia, they add an African element to the dish in the form of dendê oil. Derived from the palm tree, this bright orange oil has a very special flavour for which there is no substitute. Moqueca is very easy to prepare, and you can substitute prawns with small fillets of fish or other types of seafood. I love serving this moqueca over Japanese rice flavoured with coriander and lemon rice, as in this donburi recipe.

Ingredients:

Serves 6 

750g large fresh prawns, peeled and deveined (reserve 2 whole prawns for presentation)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, juice

400g tinned Italian tomatoes including juice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
400ml coconut milk
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp dendê oil (palm oil – available from Brazilian or African food shops)
2 tbsp coriander cress
Maldon sea salt

For the coriander rice:
450g short-grain white rice
600ml water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Maldon sea salt
8 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
½ lemon, juice and zest
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Method:

First, prepare the Japanese steamed rice. Wash the rice in a bowl with plenty of fresh water using a circular motion with your hand. Drain the water and repeat three or four times until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a sieve and let it drain for 15 minutes. Next, transfer the rice to a bowl and soak it in the water for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours (the longer the soaking, the wetter and stickier the rice will be).

Rice cooker method: when the soaking time is up, add the rice and soaking water to the rice cooker bowl, close the lid and turn it on. It should take approximately 15–20 minutes to cook. Once the rice cooker’s alarm beeps, let the rice rest in the unopened rice cooker for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Pan and stove method: choose a pan with a tightly fitting lid (preferably of glass) and with a small ventilation hole for some of the steam to escape. When the soaking time is up, add the rice and soaking water to the pan, place the lid on and bring to the boil (a glass lid will allow to see when the water comes to a boil). As soon as it boils, turn the heat to its lowest setting and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid at any stage during cooking or resting. Take off the heat and let the rice rest for a further 15 minutes before serving.

Once the rice is cooked and before fluffing it, make a green coriander salsa by mixing in a bowl the extra virgin olive oil, salt, juice and fine zest of a lemon, crushed garlic cloves and finely chopped coriander. Fold the coriander salsa well into the cooked rice.

In a bowl, add the prawns, the light soy sauce, the lemon juice and garlic, mix well, cover and marinade for 15 minutes.

Blend the tinned tomatoes with their juices in a food processor, pass through a sieve discarding any seeds or skin.

In a medium-sized cast iron pan, fry the chopped onion on a low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, 2 teaspoons of Maldon sea salt and the tomato purée and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry the reserved whole prawns in a little olive oil until pink, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the prawns warm.

Now stir in the coconut milk and finely chopped red chilli to the thickened tomato sauce, bring to the boil, then add the prepared prawns and its marinade, and cook until the prawns have gone lightly pink, about 1 minute. Stir in the dendê oil, turn off the heat and check for seasoning.

A classic Japanese donburi is a bowl of steamed rice with a topping of meat, fish or vegetables. For this dish, however, I like serving the moqueca de camarão placed around the rice rather than over it. Lightly grease a rice bowl with a little oil, fill it with rice and press it down so that the rice is lightly compressed. Turn the rice bowl onto the middle of a serving plate and remove the bowl. Spoon the moqueca de camarão around the mound of coriander rice adding plenty of sauce, place the whole prawns on the plate finishing with a scattering of coriander cress. Serve immediately.

HOW TO ENTER - NIKKEI COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY

You can enter the giveaway in three different ways and to increase your chances of winning:

Method 1 – Blog Comment
Leave a comment in this blog post.

Method 2 – Twitter
If you do not follow @thelondonfoodie on Twitter, you must do so before entering this competition. Then tweet the exact sentence (shown in italics) below:

I’d love to win a copy of Nikkei Cuisine: Japanese Food the South American Way from @TheLondonFoodie - #NikkeiCookbookCompetition

Method 3 - Instagram
If you do not follow @thelondonfoodie on Instagram, you must do so before entering this competition. Then post a picture of a Nikkei dish attempted by yourself at home using the hashtag #NikkeiCookbookCompetition. 

You can attempt the Prawn Moqueca recipe in this blog post, or perhaps the Salmon Tiradito with Passion Fruit Leche de Tigre, or if you prefer cooking something else, just google 'Luiz Hara Nikkei Recipes', there are a few other options available by other online publications. 

TERMS & CONDITIONS

The deadline for entries is midnight GMT Saturday 12th December 2015.

The winner will be selected from all valid entries using a random.org.

Each (of two) prizes is a copy of Nikkei Cuisine: Japanese Food the South American Way published by Jacqui Small. The prize includes delivery within in the UK. We cannot guarantee a pre-Christmas delivery date.

The prize cannot be redeemed for a cash value.

The prize is offered and provided by Jacqui Small.

One blog, Twitter and Instagram entry per person only i.e. a maximum of 3 entries per person. You can triple your chances of winning if you enter on all 3 platforms.

For Twitter and Instagram entries, winners must be following @thelondonfoodie at the time of notification. 

Blog comment entries must provide a valid email address for contact.

The winners will be notified by email, Twitter or Instagram so please make sure you check your accounts for the notification message. If no response is received from a winner within 3 days of notification, a new winner will be picked and contacted.

Where prizes are to be provided by a third party, The London Foodie accepts no responsibility for the acts or defaults of that third party.

THE WINNERS OF THIS GIVEAWAY, RANDOMLY SELECTED VIA RANDOM.ORG WERE: @VI_WOO (VIA TWITTER) AND MARTINE CARTER.

Thanks everyone for entering the competition!

**Win 1 of 2 Sponsored Seats at My Japanese Cookery Class with spogo**

I have teamed up with the good people of spogo to offer readers of The London Foodie the chance to win 1 of 2 sponsored seats (1 seat per winner, and a total of 2 seats/winners) to my Japanese cookery class on Sunday, the 6th July 2014.

We’re constantly hearing about growing obesity and diabetes levels, so we know we should be making an effort to get healthier and do more exercise. But it’s not always been easy finding the right activity and where to go.

spogo, the smart new way to find local sport and fitness activities, is a Sport England lottery funded online platform designed to bring together over 121,000 sports venues, facilities and clubs, leisure centres, personal trainers and events, in the same place for the first time, all at the touch of a button.

We all know that Japanese cuisine is one of the healthiest there is with an excellent balance of fish or meat, vegetables and rice with very little oil or fat. So I was chuffed to have been approached by spogo to promote healthy Japanese cooking by offering two seats to my Japanese cookery class on Sunday, the 6th July 2014.

During the class, I will be demonstrating a Japanese set-menu of 6 favourite dishes from my Supper Club. I will provide detailed written recipes for the menu as well as a thorough explanation of all Japanese ingredients used and where to purchase them. Participation will be highly encouraged and after completing the class, you should feel confident to replicate the entire menu for a Japanese dinner party for family or friends.

Classes are normally priced at £75 per person and this cost will be sponsored by spogo.

HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION

To enter, all you have to do is register with spogo in the widget below (this is mandatory for entry and takes less than a minute). You MUST complete the full registration for your entry to be complete.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To get an extra entry, you can follow @thelondonfoodie on Twitter or Instagram and tweet about the giveaway using hashtag #spogogoesjapanese. Why not leave a comment below as well to tell us what new sport you would love to try.

The two winners will be announced in The London Foodie on Tuesday, 23rd June at midday.

Good luck!

London Restaurant Festival Giveaway - **Win a 3-Course Dinner for Two at Axis at One Aldwych**

As part of the 2012 London Restaurant Festival, The London Foodie has teamed up with the 5-star luxury hotel One Aldwych to offer you the chance to win a fantastic three-course dinner specially devised by their new Executive Chef Dominic Teague for LRF2012.

One Aldwych is one of my favourite London Hotels, and I had the pleasure of reviewing Axis at One Aldwych for last year's LRF, see review here.

Judging by Chef Dominic Teauge's impressive career to date, you will be well looked after!

As a young chef in the 1990s, Dominic apprenticed at the Lanesborough Hotel, London and Bishopstrow House, Wiltshire. Following a period at the Regal Hotel, Hong Kong, he returned to the Lanesborough Hotel, then joined Marco Pierre White first at the Oak Room then at L’Escargot. Here he progressed from Sous Chef to Head Chef to Executive Chef and maintained one Michelin star for six consecutive years. From 2006 to 2010 he was Head Chef at Aurora restaurant at Andaz Hotel, London. From 2010 to May 2012 Dominic was Executive Sous Chef at the acclaimed luxury resort Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados where he oversaw seven food outlets.

HOW TO ENTER THIS COMPETITION

To enter the competition to win a 3-course dinner for two plus a bottle of wine at Axis at One Aldwych on Friday, the 12th October 2012, simply leave a comment in this post stating your NAME and E-MAIL address as MrBloggs(at)gmail(dot)com by midday on Wednesday, the 10th October 2012. 

The lucky winner will be randomly selected using random.org and his/her name will be announced via Twitter (follow @thelondonfoodie) at 1pm on that same day.

To increase your chances of winning (every tweet/retweet will count as an additional entry - up to 1 tweet per follower), follow and tweet me on @thelondonfoodie for @OneAldwych competition by midday on Wednesday, the 10th October.

If you do not use Twitter, I will also be publishing the winner's name here on Friday, the 12th October 2012.

GOOD LUCK!

THE LUCKY WINNER OF THIS COMPETITION, RANDOMLY SELECTED BY RANDOM.ORG, WAS ENTRANT 51 JESSICA BENSON-EGGLENTON, CONGRATULATIONS JESS!

London Restaurant Festival Giveaway - **WIN a lunch for 4 at Bistrot Bruno Loubet Worth £450**

It is that time of the year again when London celebrates the best in restaurant dining from across the UK. London Restaurant Festival 2012 in partnership with American Express (1 – 15 October), now in its fourth year, is a two-week celebration of the capital’s restaurants and food.

Kitchen Influentials, an exclusive event for American Express Cardmembers, will bring together some of the country’s most renowned chefs with their protégés, family or friends for a one off lunch. The twenty chefs include Michel Roux, Bruno Loubet, Rowley Leigh and Mark Hix. 

The London Foodie is again delighted to be able to offer a fantastic opportunity to win 4 tickets to the American Express ‘Kitchen Influentials’ event at Bistrot Bruno Loubet (reviewed here) on 7th October at 12.30pm. 

Bruno Loubet will be reunited with his good friend Alastair Little to cook a one-off Sunday Lunch at the restaurant on 7th October. The chefs will prepare and serve a special collaborative menu for Sunday lunch. The prize is for 4 tickets to this lunch + £100 worth of drinks at the event = an overall prize value of around £450!

HOW TO ENTER THIS COMPETITION

To enter the competition to win a lunch for 4 people at Bistrot Bruno Loubet on 7th October 2012, simply leave a comment in this post stating your NAME and E-MAIL address as MrBloggs(at)gmail(dot)com by midday on Thursday, the 4th October 2012. 

The lucky winner will be randomly selected using random.org and his/her name will be announced via Twitter (follow @thelondonfoodie) at 1pm on that same day.

To increase your chances of winning (every tweet/retweet will count as an additional entry - up to 1 tweet per follower), follow and tweet me on @thelondonfoodie for competition by midday on Thursday, the 4th October.

If you do not use Twitter, I will also be publishing the winner's name here on Friday, the 5th October 2012.

GOOD LUCK!

THE LUCKY WINNER OF THIS FANTASTIC COMPETITION IS ENTRANT 52 (NICKIE) WHO WAS RANDOMLY SELECTED BY RANDOM.ORG. CONGRATULATIONS NICKIE, THANK YOU FOR ENTERING THE COMPETITION, ENJOY YOUR PRIZE!

Terms and Conditions:

• The prize includes < a lunch for four at Bistro Bruno Loubet as part of the American Express Kitchen Influentials event on Sunday 7th October 2012.>
• Lunch will be served between 12.30 – 3.30
• £100 worth of drinks will be pre-paid in advance for the table of four. Please bring ID for purchasing alcoholic drinks
• Accommodation and travel are NOT included 
• The prize is non refundable and non-transferable. There is no cash alternative
• Standard publication Terms and Conditions apply

As part of the service delivered to Cardmembers, American Express handpicks the very best in dining, arts and entertainment. From giving you a sneak peek behind the scenes to offering money can't buy experiences, American Express goes that extra mile to deliver inspiring and memorable events. For more information visit amex.co.uk/potential, or follow @AmexUK on Twitter.

American Express is also running a foursquare offer throughout London Restaurant Festival, offering Cardmembers a £10 statement credit when they spend £10 using their synced Card at one of the participating restaurants. Cardmembers will have the choice of redeeming the offer at any of the 500 participating venues that are featured on the London Restaurant Festival website. The offer is valid on the first qualifying transaction made with a synced Card. To take advantage of such fantastic opportunities, sync your card at: http://www.londonrestaurantfestival.com/americanexpress/foursquare/ 

**Win Film4 Summer Screen tickets from Bordeaux Wines**

Film4 Summer Screen is returning to Somerset House from 16th to 27th August, and The London Foodie has teamed up with the official wine sponsor of this year’s events, Bordeaux Wines, to offer a pair of tickets to one of the sold out performances – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (PG) on Sunday 26th August.

Each evening a film will be shown on the giant screen with full surround sound under the stars. The series will offer visitors an exciting and eclectic line-up of classic, cult and contemporary films, enjoyed with Bordeaux wine by the glass or bottle. 

Alongside the films will be an accompanying programme of insider talks and special events as part of Behind the Screen, and ticket holders are invited to arrive early and listen to a line-up of London DJs.

Our lucky winner will be able to enjoy Steven Spielberg's wild, whip-cracking sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The man in the hat is back when Harrison Ford returns as Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom.

The official wine sponsor of this year’s events, Bordeaux Wine, from the South West of France has produced red, white and rosé wines for centuries.  Bordeaux wines will be on sale at the Courtyard Bar.

HOW TO ENTER THIS COMPETITION

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets for the performance, all you need to do is leave a comment in this post stating your NAME and E-MAIL address as MrBloggs(at)gmail(dot)com by midnight on Friday, the 17th August 2012. 

The lucky winner will be randomly selected using random.org and his/her name will be announced via Twitter (follow @thelondonfoodie) at 1pm on the following day (18th August). 

To increase your chances of winning (every tweet/retweet will count as an additional entry - up to 3 tweets per follower), tweet me "@thelondonfoodie for @BordeauxWinesUK & #film4summerscreen" by midnight on Friday.

If you do not use Twitter, I will also be publishing the winner's name here on Monday, the 20th August 2012.

The winner, randomly selected by random.org, is Jacob Ketcher. Congratulations Jacob, the lovely people from Bordeaux Wines will be in touch to arrange delivery of your tickets. Enjoy the screening!

Terms & Conditions

There is one prize in total: one pair of prize tickets (retailing at £14.50 per ticket plus booking fee) for one winner.   

Tickets for Behind the Screen events are not included in the prize but are an additional £10 (which includes a complimentary drink). 

Travel to and from the venue is not included in the prize.

The event is on Sunday 26th August 2012.  Timing: Doors open 18.30, DJs from 19.00, Film starts 21.00.

There is no fixed seating in the courtyard – guests are invited to bring their own rugs, blankets and cushions.  Sorry, no chairs or portable furniture, including inflatable chairs! Cushions and blankets are also available to buy on-site for £10 / £15.

The screenings are open air and go ahead come rain or shine and the audience area is not covered.

Winners must be 18 or over and photographic ID may be required.

Taste of London 2012 - A Sneaky Preview of Some of this Year's Best Dishes & a Competition to **WIN** a Pair of Tickets to the Show

This year, Taste of London is celebrating what is arguably its best restaurant line-up to date, totalling an impressive eleven Michelin stars.  Chefs from over 40 restaurants will be serving special menus of starter sized tasting plates, including signature dishes specially created for the festival to reflect their philosophy and use of seasonal and premium ingredients.

Over 50,000 visitors are expected in London’s Regent’s Park between the 21st and 24th June 2012  attending what is known today as one of the most respected international food and drinks event spanning 12 cities around the world. In London for the first time, the festival will also feature some renowned international chefs including David Chang of Momofuku fame. So if you ever fancied trying David's legendary noodles but never quite made it to New York City, this is your chance, right here in London!

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a Taste of London food safari to try some of the dishes that will be on offer at the festival. We kicked off at The River Restaurant in the sumptuous Savoy Hotel, where we had a starter of "Slow Cooked Pork Belly, Prawn Carpaccio with Citrus" which was delicious, and beautifully presented. I enjoyed the different layers of textures and colours in this dish. The pork belly was meltingly tender and contrasted well with the seared, crunchy cucumber.

All wines for this food safari were expertly selected by Neil Phillips, The Wine Tipster. Neil is the Wine Ambassador for Taste of London and Taste of Christmas shows, where he will also be organising the Best in Taste Wine Awards for the Regents Park event. In 2012, Neil is once again Master of Ceremonies at the VIP Party, presenting at Taste of London and, for the first time, presenting at Taste of Edinburgh. I have known Neil for a few years now, and have learnt a great deal about wine from his tutored tastings and wine writing, see the link to his website in my "Wine & Drink Sites I Love".

To match The River Restaurant's pork belly dish, Neil chose a 2010 Alsatian Pinot Gris by Henri Martischang (£13  from www.griiffinwell.com). This gold medal winning wine from the often ignored Alsace region had good richness, balance and crisp acidity to match with slow cooked pork belly. Definitely a style of wine for food matching.

We were then taken to our next stop - Maze - for our main course. Maze is Gordon Ramsay’s stylish and relaxed small-plate take on fine dining, allowing diners to sample a wide variety of dishes. I have been to Maze on a couple of occasions and enjoyed immensely my meals there. This time we were seated by the restaurant's enormous kitchen and could marvel at the army of chefs in action which was fun.

The " Braised Beef Featherblade, Smoked Onion Puree, Shimeji Mushrooms and Togarashi" served to us at Maze was excellent with a melt-in-the-mouth and well seasoned beef accompanied by some familiar Asian ingredients such as meaty shimeji mushrooms and togarashi pepper. A stunning dish, I just wished I could have had seconds!

To partner the braised beef, Neil picked an Uruguayan Tannat - a grape varietal originally from the South West of France but which has become Uruguay's most prominent grape. The Tannat Libero 2010, De Lucca, (£12 from www.winesofuruguay.co.uk) was a well structured wine packed with spice (liquorice), dark fruits (plums) and soft tannins and a hint of chocolate.  A great match with well seasoned, braised beef.

Dessert, a lovely " Soft Chocolate Cake with Crema di Mascarpone" was presented to us at Theo Randall at The Intercontinental. I enjoyed this cake, it was indeed soft with an intense and bitterly sweet flavour from good quality chocolate. The presentation in my opinion was a tad lacking - a dusting of icing sugar and/or a couple of berries would have done wonders to the look of this dish.

The dessert wine, a  2009  Muffato della Sala from Umbria, Italy was beautifully balanced with intense flavours of barley sugar and honey and with delicate acidity. Made from Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer and Riesling, it was an excellent match to Theo's rich chocolate cake.

If my experience at this food safari is anything to go by, I would thoroughly recommend visiting Taste of London this year, and trying all the dishes I have experienced. You can learn more about Taste of London as well buy tickets for this event by visiting the website here. 

Alternatively, for a chance to WIN a pair of tickets to Taste of London and a bottle of premium Kentucky Bourbon, kindly sponsored by the good people of Maker's Mark, please try your luck by entering the competition below.

HOW TO ENTER THIS COMPETITION

To enter the Maker's Mark Competition for a pair of tickets for Friday, 22nd June 2012, for Taste of London and a bottle of Maker's Mark, simply leave a comment in this post stating your NAME and E-MAIL address as MrBloggs(at)gmail(dot)com by midday on Wednesday, the 20th June 2012. The lucky winner will be randomly selected using random.org and his/her name will be announced via Twitter (follow @thelondonfoodie) at 1pm on that same day. 

To increase your chances of winning (every tweet/retweet will count as an additional entry - up to 3 tweets per follower), follow and tweet me on @thelondonfoodie for @makersmark and @tasteoflondon competition by midday on Wednesday.

If you do not use Twitter, I will also be publishing the winner's name here on Thursday, the 21st June 2012.


The winner of this competition, randomly selected by random.org, was Kirsty W (@wooki481) - Kirsty won via her 2nd Twitter entry (doubled her chances of winning). Thank you Kirsty for your tweet and for entering this competition. Makers Mark will be contacting you to arrange delivery of your tickets and your bottle of Maker's Mark.

PLEASE NOTE - you must be over 18 years old to enter this competition.