London for Cooks

07/10/2020

I am in Frankfurt now, but I still cook and you can cook with me whereever you are. Check out my new online cooking classes schedule! PM me to book.

24/08/2017

Cheese!
Britain is an up and coming cheese nation - do not smile, it is true! From the Government Cheddar during the Second World War - a cheese that all the cheesemakers were forced too produce - to almost 750 cheeses nowadays the country has made an epic and revolutionary cheese journey.

There are five varieties in general of cheeses: fresh, hard, semi-soft, soft and blue and here is a little of what Britain produces.

A traditional British cheese, if there is one, is a hard one. Think cheddar. These are stronger flavoured cheese, which can be matured well. These cheeses have been cooked: the curd gets heated to make it more concentrated and pressed. The more mature the cheese the more savoury and crunchy it will be, the younger, the fresher and more lemony.
Cheeses in this category include: Wensleydale, Cheshire, cheddar, Lincolnshire Poacher, red Leicester.

Fresh cheeses are not aged at all and can be eaten as soon as they’ve been made. These cheeses are made without addition of rennet and are just a result of the action of lactic acid fermentation in the milk. They are whiter, softer and fresher. In the UK you can often meet goat’s or ewe’s milk cheeses.
Example of fresh cheeses are Colwick, cottage cheese, but there is also British mozzarella: check out the Laverstoke park farm producing their own buffalo mozarella.

Soft cheeses like french Camambert or Brie have a high moisture content, but are allowed to mature and ripen before being drained and folded. They are more complex in flavour. As the rind has been sprayed by a mould over the surface, it develops a characteristic bloom- These have soft and runny centre. My favourite one in this category is Flower Marie, inspired by a Corsican sheep cheese Flour de Marquis, in Sussex, by Kevin and Alison Blunt of the Golden Cross Cheese at their Greenacres Farm. It is extremely delicate and with a mushroomy aroma and sweet, lemony flavour.
Other examples include Somerste brie, Kidderton Ash.

Semi-soft
Slightly more rubbery cheeses with soft centre, which however is not runny. These cheeses are uncooked pressed and are more dense and yellowish. These cheeses often have washed-rind and thus a stronger pungent smell.
Examples include Stinking Bishop and another particular favourite of mine: Wigmore. Wigmore is made by Ann-Marie Dyas of the Fine Cheese Company in Bath and is rich and unctuous.

Blue
These do not need an extra introduction: These cheeses have been injected with penicillium Roqueforti and are neither cooked, nor pressed - the mould does its job all on its own. They are more sharp and peppery. The most famous British example of this type of cheese is Stilton.

23/08/2017

Slow Food: celebrating the taste on the plate - our blog #6!
Food is something all of us need everyday - according to some estimates we each spend around 38,000 hrs eating, which is nearly 4.4 years. So I think it is only right to spend this time properly and with pleasure.
Read more https://www.toursforcooks.com/blog/

23/08/2017

Wow, we have got 800 likes! Thank you

Culinary classes and tours

17/08/2017

Here & now: eat seasonal food!
August is about peas and beans. These are best enjoyed by a quick blanch in salty water. Also other early cropping veggies are getting ready. it is the time to for aubergines. The plumper and darker the better. Nowadays aubergines are breeded to contain little amount of seeds and to be less bitter. If you manage to get an more tradition breed, don't forget to sprinkle it with salt and let it sit for some time to get rid of the bitterness.

Apples are great in August. My favourites are Bramley apples. Summer berries like currants and raspberries are ready to be picked. Wonderful floury Estima and Wilja potatoes and waxy Charlottes are waiting to be collected. Enjoy!

15/08/2017

Why raw food is good for you
Summer is the seson for fruit and veg. Do you have a garden or an alotment where you can grow your own or a good farm nearby to get them straight from the field? Here are some pros for eating some raw and some for eating others cooked.
A bite of a raw vegetable from time to time is good: the vitamins minerals, essential oils, phytonutrients are preserved and the vitamin C stays untouched. As vegetables contain low amounts of fats and calories, they are a good source of dietary fiber. So after a portion of raw veggies, you would not need a carbohydrate fix for longer. Raw vegetables are high in antioxidants like vitamins C and E, folic acid, alpha and beta carotenes.
My favouties for eating raw are kohlrabi, radishes and cucumbers. Kohlrabi are great thinly sliced on the mandolin with a spinkle of lime and a pinch of salt. And radishes and cucumbers mixed together with some dill and a spoon of sour creme are just heavenly. I also love tomatos raw, especially the green ones, when they are in season- these are best on their own just with a drizzle of olive oil. Beets, onions and broccoli are best enjoyed raw.
However, not all veg are best uncooked- some develop their nutritional value only when cooked. It seems that even tomatos as lycopenes they contain get better if heated. Spinach, mushrooms and aspargus are also best cooked as the minerals the contain can be better absorbd by our bodies.

What are your favourite "raws and freshies"?

11/08/2017

Guess, what cut, the butcher is preparing?

Yep, this is onglet - or hanger steak, a cut prized for its flavour. Is is cut from the lower belly of a heifer and is not big (about 500-700g). It is called hanger steak, because it hangs from the diaphragm of the animal. It is located close to the kidney and has a unique flavour.
Your butcher if he is a good one would probably rather keep it for his family for a treat. Sometimes it is even referred to as “butcher’s steak). Its texture is slightly more chewy than fillet steak, but it is nevertheless a very tender cut and if prepared properly (very quickly over very high heat) it is utterly delicious.
I prefer to flatten it a bit at home, season it and then quickly fry it in a hot pan with some garlic and olive oil.

What is your favourite cut? Write in comments!

08/08/2017

For meat lovers only: how to choose meat

Look for colour: choose meat has to has dark red colour and looks less wet (thus hung longer)
Pieces should be evenly, carefully cut

Feel the meat: cold fat is hard, so if you squeeze the meat it should feel firm
Meat of older animals can be less tender, but have more flavour

Depending of what you are buying your meat for, here is what to look out for.

Situation 1:
you are looking for tender cuts
you are planning a dish in which the meat will undergo little heat treatment (thus there will be no time for connective tissue to break down and become tender)

Look for
a piece with only one muscle or as few muscles as possible (the more muscles the more connective tissue)
a medium or lean marbling (amount of fat) - the more marbling the more intense the flavour and avoid extreme marbling unless you are aiming for no heat treatment and the dish will require almost no chewing (carpaccio or tartar)
fine meat grain
the meat should feel soft to touch

Situation 2:
you are looking for tough cuts
you are planning a dish, in which the meat will undergo prolonged heat treatment and there will be plenty of time for connective tissue to turn into gelatine

Look for
coarse meat grain - a hard working muscle organised like that would have been hard-working and will benefit from long and slow cooking, e.g. braising
do not be afraid of connective tissue - if cooked for long enough it will turn into tender gelatine
marbling is fine, but trim away any excessive outer fat

General remarks:
Find your butcher - the butcher you can trust - this is probably the most important advise.
Speak to your butcher, and show him/ her, that you care about the quality and take interest in the produce
Ask questions: you want meat from happy grass grazing cows, which were treated well - as their meat will simply taste better

07/08/2017

How the geography of the UK affects its food - blog #5 online! https://www.toursforcooks.com/blog/2017/8/6/geography-of-the-uk-and-its-food

04/08/2017

How? 👩‍🍳

03/08/2017

This book made me wonder: which glorious recipes is it hiding? Next on my "to buy" list 👍

Which cook books would you recommend?