Hélène Darroze Cuts the Mustard

Two Michelin-starred cooking for free at Maille pop-up at Spitalfields Market

Words and Photography by Simeen Kadi

Two Michelin starred chef Hélène Darroze has found time in her busy schedule of running her restaurant at the Connaught to team up with venerable mustard brand Maille.

Darroze has picked up on the growing Parisian trend of Le Drunch, a laid back late afternoon or early evening meal enjoyed with friends and family either at home or at one of the many restaurants now offering Le Drunch as a weekend dining option. While Le Drunch might sound somewhat more palatable then plain old Drunch, the concept of blending lunch and dinner is not uncommon over here either and Darroze has worked with Maille to develop some easy recipes to get us drunching in style.

From March 15th to the 24th March Maille has set up a pop-up salon and restaurant where you can sample Hélène Darroze’s fabulous cooking for free. Dishes such as Gazpacho made with tomatoes and piquillo peppers come topped with a quenelle of Maille mustard Chantilly, taking this delicious cold soup to an even higher level. A toothsome lamb Parmentiere is light yet satisfying with a hint of mustard cutting through the rich, slow cooked lamb.

We also enjoyed Hélène’s Le Drunch Eggs Benedict featuring a tangy, mustardy hollandaise.

The Maille pop-up boutique also features a Mustard pump where you absolutely must try the limited edition Chablis and Black Truffle mustard on tap. This is so delicious I could happily eat it on its own.

Info: The pop-up Le Drunch event is on from March 15th to 24th. To book your free sitting hurry to the site here.

For Hélène Darroze’s Le Drunch recipes click here .

Now can we please change the name to Lunner, Drunch is putting me off my food!

Top Female Chefs Taking Centre Stage

We have all grown up on the cooking of our mothers and grandmothers, aunties, wives and all those other important women in our lives, but when it comes to fine-dining, Michelin starred cuisine, I have always wondered why so few female chefs have taken centre stage...

If you would like to continue reading this piece which I wrote for the Como Hotels, please visit their website here.

The Fantastic Teacup Chandeliers by Madeleine Boulesteix

I first came across Madeleine's work in 2002, while leafing through a copy of Living Etc. She makes spectacular, quirky, culinary-inspired chandeliers out of recycled metal cooking utensils and glasses.

I tracked her down to her studio in Brixton, and we spent a happy hour or two discussing the kitchen we were designing and the colour schemes.

At the time, we were constructing a Denby-inspired 1930s cream and green colour scheme for our units, and Madeleine suggested a similar theme for our chandelier. We loved it so much, we took it with us when we moved to Islington.

Now some years later, we have just installed a new kitchen with a very different look, and once again turned to Madeleine for a centre-piece chandelier over the central island.

This time, we spotted a spectacular multicoloured glass chandelier replete with jelly moulds, pastry cutters and flan tins. It sounds barmy but looked fantastic, and had just been exhibited at the Courtauld Institute.

I don't use this site for commercial promotion, have no financial interest in Madeleine's sales and have paid the full asking prices for the two pieces I purchased from her.

But in Madeleine's case I love her work so much, I thought I had to let people know what a fantastic artist she is.

Madeleine is currently holding a brief exhibition, 'A Light Shower' at The Corner Shop, Craft Central, 21 Clerkenwell Green, London CE1R 0DX from 1-6th November. The exhibition is open Tuesday to Saturday 12-7pm with wine & snacks between 6-7pm, and on Sunday from 12-4pm. Nearest station is Farringdon.

I would thoroughly recommend a visit to her exhibition - every item on show is for sale. You can see more at www.madeleineboulesteix.co.uk, and at www.craftcentral.org.uk.

Summer Music Season at Courtyard 51

During the months of July and August, Courtyard 51 will be hosting 12 nights of al fresco live musical entertainment and a 3-course dinner at its magnificent courtyard on 51 Buckingham Gate Hotel. Part of the luxury Indian Taj Hotel Group, the hotel also hosts the splendid Michelin starred Quilon Restaurant (reviewed here).

Dr G and I were invited for the press preview evening last week, but thanks to our unpredictable English weather, as it was pouring with rain, we were relocated to an indoor dining room!

I hope though that by the 1st July when the "Summer" Music Season kicks off, you will be able to enjoy the food and live performances outdoors as planned. The menu we tried was simple but well executed and included a starter of "Greek Salad", followed by "Gin Braised Lamb Shank in an Olive Passatta" for main course and an "Iced Honeycomb Parfait" as dessert.

Three different performances will feature over the 12 nights, ranging from opera arias to classic and contemporary West End musical theatre hits. I am hardly a fan of musicals but I enjoyed the performances by "Cantabile - The London Quartet", an A Cappella style group (unaccompanied singers) that has played for some impressive audiences including New York's Carnegie Hall and the House of Commons.

Tickets for the 3-course dinner and music start from £75, but a limited number of standing-only tickets, for the covered terrace bar, are available from £10. For more information or to make a reservation, contact courtyard@51-buckinghamgate.com or visit the link here.

Perrier Nights - The History of Cocktails

At a magnificent Georgian townhouse in Fitzroy Square, we were invited to the launch of Perrier Nights - a series of exclusive mixology events that will take place at undisclosed locations across London throughout the year to celebrate the history of cocktails.

The events are also designed to demonstrate the versatility of Perrier mineral water as mixer in cocktail making. I admit that fizzy water was never my first choice as a mixer, but the experience showed that the combination of carbonated water and spirits can work pretty well together - no more sickly sweet mixers for me after this!

On arrival, we were ushered into the Perrier Lounge where a couple of cocktails were on offer. I started with a glass of "Spiced Apple", a delicious mix of Perrier water, vodka, Cox apple juice, sugar syrup and finely grated ginger. This was both refreshing and tangy, and an excellent start to the proceedings.

Next I had "The Whis-Per",  a simple combination of Scotch Whisky on the rocks served with Perrier water. I like taking my whisky neat, but I had learnt from tastings at the WSET that still mineral water releases oils, enhancing the appreciation of the whisky flavours and aromas. I was surprised by the pleasant effect of carbonated Perrier water on the whisky, and thought they took this classic combination a step further. To accompany our drinks, we were served a range of delicious canapés including goats cheese tart, marinated salmon, seared tuna with wasabi dressing, and beef with horseradish sauce.

We were then introduced to our host "Doctor Perrier" who ushered us through to the next room - a splendid Edwardian drawing room turned into a piano bar! It was 1905, the year when Perrier was given the seal of approval by Edward VII. We got dressed up in Edwardian garb and helped the pianist compose a catchy jingle while sipping another Perrier cocktail.

Our next stop was at a London disco in 1973. The cocktail we tried there was a strange and rather sickly sweet mixture of framboise, crème de menthe, vodka and Perrier water. Despite the feather boas and cheesy music, I was pleased to leave 1973 to our next destination - the modern day!

Courtesy of award-winning mixologist, Laurent Greco, we were ushered into his green hued bar-laboratory and shown today's hottest cocktail trends.

The most interesting cocktail in this room in my opinion was also the simplest - a generous fluff of candy floss was placed in a martini glass and then doused with fizzy Perrier water. The candy floss quickly disappeared in contact with the liquid giving out a sweet but unmistakable flavour. This was a non-alcoholic number but a dash of vodka or gin could work miracles if added.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Perrier Nights experience, and the introduction of Perrier as a cocktail ingredient which I hope to replicate at home. I now just need to source the candy floss! For cocktail inspirations, check out  www.societeperrier.com for some cracking cocktails to try at home or on the town.

I would highly recommend attending the next event – to find out about future Perrier Nights, visit Facebook.com/SocietePerrierLDN or follow @societe_LDN on Twitter.

"Fancy Reviewing a London Restaurant with The London Foodie?"

What:

I would like to take one reader of The London Foodie every month for a joint review as my guest.

Why:

1. I have been thinking hard about how to keep the restaurant reviews up-to-date on my site.

2. Being invited to review some of the restaurants I write about makes me question sometimes whether readers are getting as good a service or food as I do.

3. A great opportunity to meet some of my readers and give something back for your support.

How:

1. If you decide to visit a restaurant previously reviewed by me, let the restaurant know that you heard about them from The London Foodie when you make your booking.

2. E-mail me some feedback on your experience (a paragraph or two) and I will, with your permission, update my restaurant review with your thoughts.

3. Every month I will randomly pick one reader who has e-mailed me some feedback to accompany me for a FREE meal at one of my restaurant reviews.

Look forward to reading your thoughts!

Luiz @ The London Foodie

BBC Food Quiz Show

 ARE YOU A KEEN FOODIE?

DO YOU KNOW YOUR SAGE FROM YOUR SAFFRON?

QUIZ SHOW CONTESTANTS NEEDED

FOR A BBC OFFICE PILOT

THE PILOT IS AN OFFICE RUN THROUGH OF A FOOD BASED QUIZSHOW

TAKING PLACE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 13:30 AND 17:00

ON THE 17^TH FEBRUARY AT THE BBC IN WHITE CITY.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN TAKING PART PLEASE CONTACT JAMIE INGLEY.

TEL: 0207 907 3419 OR EMAIL: JAMIE.INGLEY@SILVERRIVER.TV

"There's No Taste Like Home" - ITV's New Cookery Show

Are you a talented home cook with a historic family recipe?

If so, ITV’s Celebrity Chef Gino D’Acampo

wants to hear from YOU!

Gino D’Acampo is on a mission to prove that “There’s No Taste Like Home”.  He’s on the hunt for home cooks with undiscovered family recipes, good, honest family food. If you’ve got a fantastic recipe that’s been passed down through your family for generations, family favourites that have been enjoyed for decades, then Gino wants to hear from you.

"There’s No Taste Like Home", ITV’s new cookery show will give talented home cooks the chance to show their own family recipes in a local restaurant.

If you think your dish has what it takes, please email ITV Studios at:

notastelikehome@itv.com or call 090 11 11 33 77