Indian for Everyone – Hari Ghotra Launches Her New Book
Fresh, flavourful, and full of spices, veggies, and healthy proteins, Indian for Everyone presents over 100 curries, daals, and other classic Indian dishes to make and enjoy.
A former chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Tamarind, as well as a youtube cooking sensation and creator of a popular line of curry kits and sauces, Hari Ghotra’s mission is to demystify Indian cooking so everyone can enjoy its benefits.
In this strikingly beautiful family cookbook, she explores the many perks of traditional Indian spices – including reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and easing pain—and shows how to stock your pantry with the most versatile ingredients. She covers basics like naan and rogan josh, as well as street food, snacks, drinks, and holiday specialties.
These accessible recipes can be enjoyed by even the most casual of cooks (and their little helpers), with simple step-by-step instructions, affordable ingredients and beautiful photographs of the delicious finished dishes to help inspire and guide you in the kitchen.
Many of the recipes are naturally vegan or vegetarian, but can easily be made with meat as well, as detailed in the substitutions section. And she even includes some flavourful Indian twists on beloved classics like mac and cheese and chicken wings.
Break out of your food rut with recipes including:
- Shhmokin’ Tandoori Wings Curried
- Jackfruit Tacos
- Crispy Chicken Bomb with Fenugreek and Garlic Butter
- Movie Night Pepperoni Naanza
- Ricotta Stuffed Shells in Saag Masala
- Chili Chocolate Pots
- Blue Moon Milk
Get ready for a lifetime of adventurous eating with Indian for Everyone!
Purchase your copy now HERE!
Mitchell & Cooper Celebrate the Return of Dynamic
Everyone’s favourite blender is back where it belongs. Chefs can now purchase the Dynamic range of stick blenders through Mitchell & Cooper where it joins other chef favourite brands like Bonzer, KitchenAid and Matfer Bourgeat.
Philippe Mandin-Diraison, Commercial Director at Dynamic is delighted to have rekindled his relationship with Mitchell & Cooper that has spanned almost three decades, he said
“In re-joining the fantastic brand portfolio of light catering equipment offered by Mitchell & Cooper, I really feel like we have come home. When we analysed our UK market share over the past forty years, it was plain to see that Mitchell & Cooper had consistently delivered results for the Hoover of the stick blender market sector. I’m really looking forward to showcasing our range at The Restaurant Show next week.”
The French-made Dynamic is an industry standard stick blender beloved of many chefs and restaurants for its unique abilities and easy-to-use feel – When chefs think stick blender, they think Dynamic.
“We’re delighted that Dynamic has come back to join the family again,” said Guy Cooper, Managing Director of Mitchell & Cooper. “As a small family-run business we take great pride in our collection of world-renowned brands that we supply to chefs and restaurants. Dynamic is one of those brands that we’ve had a long association with and to have them back with us completes our line-up. We take the brand selection very seriously. At Mitchell & Cooper we look for quality products that fulfil a gap in the market. We look for product portfolios that we can grow within the UK distributor structure and when possible, to export to our global customers.”
The stick blender is a must-have tool in almost every kitchen, where it has pride of place for making sauces and soups. One fan of Dynamic is Masterchef Winner, Simon Wood, he said
“We use the Dynamix DMX 160 Combi a lot, it’s just an industry standard. They just keep going and going but the results are always perfect, especially with the connectable whisk and shaft. We’re getting into soup season once more, so It’s good to know we can purchase them again from Mitchell & Cooper.”
Chefs’ Forum Chefs Hit Gold at The Welsh Game Fair
Guests, fellow chefs and suppliers were bowled over by the demonstrations put on by The Chefs’ Forum at The Welsh Game Fair last weekend.
Cindy Challoner, Gareth Johns, Nerys Howell and Hywel Griffith all performed multiple times at The British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC) demo stage which was supported by The Chefs’ Forum in compering demos and promoting responsible sourcing of venison and game.
Also on display and being given out was The Welsh Game Guide, produced for Game Meat Wales by The Chefs’ Forum, featuring the top 50 hotels, pubs and restaurants that feature game on the their menu throughout Wales.
“I really enjoyed being at The Welsh Game Fair,” said chef Cindy Challoner. “My pheasant dish went down well and it was great to see my interview in The Welsh Game Guide! I was impressed with how many people were at the Fair and how many really enjoy game.”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “We pulled out all the stops for The Welsh Game Fair and all the chefs who appeared on the demo stage were brilliant and it was amazing to see The Welsh Game Guide flying out. It was so popular that it had to go into a reprint so there would be enough copies to go out during the fair.
“That shows how popular Welsh game is and on the stage the chefs created some amazing dishes that shows how versatile and fun game can be on the menu.”
Hywel Griffith, head chef at The Beach House restaurant said: “I was really honoured to be asked to write the foreword to The Welsh Game Guide and it was equally as much fun to be on stage. Game is a fantastic part of the Welsh larder and we are lucky to have so many great suppliers.”
“Working with BASC for the majority of this year has really shown how much The Chefs’ Forum has developed,” Catherine Farinha continued. “After the success of The Great Game Guide we were delighted to be asked to produce a version for Wales.
“As we move more and more into producing content like this we are able to take advantage of our unique networks of chefs, college and suppliers. And with our editorial team we are becoming one of the leading providers of unique chef content which gives the businesses we work with an opportunity to work with chefs in a new way.”
View The Welsh Game Guide online HERE
Photo credit: Dani Paiva
Welsh Chefs Line-up to Celebrate a Gamey Autumn at The Welsh Game Fair
The BASC Food Theatre at The Welsh Game Fair has been the centre of game cookery today and this is set to continue over the weekend!
Supported by the The Chefs’ Forum, the line-up of chefs includes Nerys Howell, Gareth Johns, Simon Wood (pictured), Cindy Challoner and Hywel Griffith.
Visitors will also be able to pick-up the newly-launched Welsh Game Guide produced and written by The Chefs’ Forum for BASC and Game Meat Wales, which includes a guide to everything game in Wales and 50 great restaurants, hotels and pubs to visit that serve game on their menu.
Guests can also enjoy a fantastic menu served in the VIP on-site restaurant being showcased by Bryn Williams (Odette’s) and Game & Flames’ Cai Ap Bryn, Alex Posami and team!
Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “We’re really excited to be at The Welsh Game Fair and to be bringing a stellar line-up of chefs with us.
“Gareth Johns from the Wynnstay in Machynlleth will be cooking pheasant with curry and apples. A tagliatelle of rabbit with tomato, herbs and olives. A warm salad of pigeon with brambles and venison with red wine and chocolate.
“Today Simon Wood, from Wood Restaurant, did a wood pigeon with sweet & sour baby blackberries, beetroot glazed in Marsala and aged mirin.
“Cindy Challoner is doing roast pheasant with parsnip purée and abbage parcels and Hywel Griffith from Beach House Restaurant is doing Roast Loin of Roe Deer with Perl Las Cheese, Bacon, Pear & Jerusalem Artichoke.
“Come and see us!”
Waterford Crystal Glasses Shine at Casa Brasil
A beautifully-made glass can really enhance whatever is in it and this couldn’t have been truer than at the sensory wine and cachaça tasting at Apex Brasil’s Casa Brasil. Waterford Crystal rocks glasses were chosen to showcase the two cachaças while the white glass and the hybrid glasses were used for white and rosé wines.
Waterford Crystal boasts an elegant range of handcrafted crystal wine glasses. The crisp rims and detailed bowls capture the dense notes and gives the beautiful flavours room to breath – Perfect for this blind tasting event, where taste and smell are heightened and the feel of the glass in the hand, so very important.
Hospitality guests at the special “sensory wine and cachaça tasting experience” led by world-renowned Dr Hoby Wedler, were blindfolded before tasting from the various glasses. All to enhance the senses and fully experience the true flavours of the drinks.
The samples were small and the glasses comparatively large, but this was an absolutely perfect way to maximise on having enough space to inhale the delicious flavour notes dancing around the beautiful bowls of the glassware.
Dr. Hoby Wedler is an insightful, disarming, and passionate thinker who loves to bring people together to help them see new possibilities. The experience was given a touch of subtle elegance that only Waterford Crystal can add to any place-setting
With the heart of a teacher, Hoby helps turn dreams into realities. Hoby has been completely blind since birth. He is a chemist, an entrepreneur, a sensory expert, and is driven by his passion for innovative, creative, and insightful thinking.
Hoby wowed wine sector experts at the event when he correctly identified the year, alcohol content and acidity of three different wines that he had never tasted or heard of before – This was the moment when the guests realised that they were in the company of a genius.
Hoby is remarkably tuned into his surroundings and has frequently chosen to walk the unbeaten paths in life over known territories – This time it was an immersive Brazilian event in London to showcase a fantastic range of Brazilian wines to hospitality industry professionals and everyone was delighted to meet him.
In 2016, Hoby earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UC Davis. His fearlessness is infectious, and he has actively paved the way for others to join him in his quest to follow passions regardless of the challenges that lie ahead.
Aroma samples were also used to really set the scene with three pots containing fresh passion fruit and lime zest; star anise and a third with light muscavado sugar
All twenty participants were blindfolded at the start as Hoby led a meditation session to get participants into the zone – purely focusing on using the ears to set the scene and then talking about everything that they would associate with Brazil.
“We then moved on to the tasting and the aromatic samples,” said Catherine Farinha of The Chefs’ Forum. “It was a mind-blowing and emotional experience for all of us as we felt what it was like to walk a mile in Hoby’s shoes in an hour- long journey of touch, taste, smell and hearing the way he does when exploring food and wine- It was really quite extraordinary.”
“The Waterford Crystal stemware greatly added to the whole experience as the guests were encouraged to cover the top of the glasses and taste the wines and cachaças again for yet another flavour perception of tropical smells that filled the bowl.”
The wines being tasted in the Waterford Crystal Hybrid and white wine glasses were:
- Miolo Milesimme Brut 2015
- Familia Geisse Amadeu Brut
- Pizzato Fausto Chardonnay 2022
- Guaspari Vale da Pedra Syrah 2020
The two Cachaças tasted in the Waterford Crystal rocks glasses were:
- Weber Haus aged cachaca 3 years old
- 1922 aged cachaca (Sao Paulo state)
Dr Hoby would love to work with members of The Chefs’ Forum and has already expressed his interest in working with our Chefs’ Forum Academy colleges.
Anyone interested in finding out more about Waterford Crystal, Brazilian wine or masterclasses with Hoby should email catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Photo credit: Daniela Luquini
Foie Royale Entier Range – Winner of the ‘Innovative Product of the Year’ at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards 2022
Foie Royale Entier was awarded Innovative Product of the Year at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards 2022 on 5 September. A brand new product that demonstrated creativity and innovation at the heart of its concept.
Foie Royale Entier
Many chefs have applauded the similarity in taste of the Classic range of Foie Royale to foie gras. The versatility of the product across such a broad range of dishes has inspired many delightful recipes.
With the aim of encouraging more people to switch to this ethical alternative to foie gras, with no force-feeding, the company continued innovating and researching. Four years after the launch of the Classic range, the new Foie Royale Entier range has been produced that not only gives that great Foie Royale taste but also replicates the texture of foie gras. After many rounds of taste testing, it became clear that it was the one that everyone was looking for. This is the Foie Royale Entier range.
Foie Royale Entier is produced by merging different batches of the Classic range which delivers the textural variation and density that you get from foie gras. Not only does it taste great and feel like a natural product in the mouth, but there is also the visual difference where the different layers’ colour and density are visible, creating a much more natural looking product.
The Entier range will undoubtedly satisfy many foie gras consumers out there; especially those who worry about how their food was made, as Foie Royale is both sustainable and produced to the highest ethical standards in Europe.
Mike Logut, Managing Director of Sapphire Foods Ltd – Foie Royale commented, “It is fantastic to receive this award. After 7 years of research to create Foie Royale, the development of the Entier range was born out of consumers loving the flavour and asking for a more natural textural taste. We are very proud to have a created this product, that does indeed beg the question why any animal now needs to be gavaged or indeed even having its liver enlarged at all.”
The Awards
The Awards are a key element of the Speciality & Fine Food Fair – the UK’s leading showcase of artisanal food and drink. Recognising and celebrating the individuals and businesses driving excellence and product innovation in the fine food & drink community, the Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards champion all that makes the industry such a remarkable and inspiring place.
The awards ceremony was hosted by Speciality & Fine Food Fair Event Manager Nicky Woods, who commented: “We had a fantastic number of entries into the awards this year. Just a few weeks ago, the judges sat around a table in Speciality & Fine Food Fair HQ and tasted a huge amount of wonderful and innovative products and it was a really tough decision to select the finalists for the public vote. Huge congratulations to all today’s winners!”
Awards judge Stephen Minall, Owner of Moving Food and Co-Founder of FDReviews, added: “I was delighted to be one of the judges for the Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards 2022. There were some fantastic entries across all the categories and some truly delicious and innovative products as well as a group of very knowledgeable judges.”
The judges for this year’s awards were Scott Winston, Buying Manager, Mindful Chef; Adrian Boswell, Food Buyer, Selfridges; Bruce Langlands, Management Consultant; Stephen Minall, Owner, Moving Food and Vhari Russell, Managing Director, The Food Marketing Expert.
Casa Brasil – The Line-up Continues – Do Come and Visit Us!
With Casa Brasil in full flow London is getting a taste of South America and there’s still plenty to come if you haven’t been to the show in Covent Garden.
The Chefs’ Forum were invited to partner with Casa Brasil to showcase Brazilian food, restaurants and ingredients and our chefs have been an integral part of the occasion.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum said: “Every day has been brilliant. There’s so much to learn about Brazil. It’s such a massive country with so many cultures and subcultures that until you go there, or come to a show like Casa Brasil, you literally have no idea.
“It’s been a great honour for us to partner with the Brazilian Government to help them showcase Brazil. Our chef and student network have all enjoyed what they’ve learnt so far and there’s plenty more to come!”
Exose Grant, Executive Chef at BLVD Manchester, said: “Casa Brazil was amazing. I did a dish called Escondidinho-style Brazilian cottage pie. We swapped the potato for casava and the result was so delicious. I had no idea of the range of ingredients that come from Brazil.”
Catherine Farinha commented: “The Escondidinho-style cottage pie was a great example of marrying a classic Brazilian dish with something familiar in the UK. The casava topping worked so well. And then we filled the room with spiced rum and did bananas three ways. And all that followed a coffee session with Notes Coffee.”
Are you interested to find out more:
Here’s what’s still upcoming over the next week and a half:
- 30/08 – 5pm – CHEF HAYDEN GROVES (HERTFORD- ENGLAND)
- 01/09 – 1pm – CHEF EDUARDO BARSOTTI (SAO PAULO / LONDON)
- 03/09 – 4pm – BATTLE OF THE CHEFS ANGLO-BRAZILIAN COOKING SHOW: CHEF JESSE DUNFORD WOOD (MINAS GERAIS / LONDON) + CHEF MARCÍLIO DA SILVA (PERNAMBUCO / LONDON)
- 04/09 – 12h30pm – CHEF MARCÍLIO DA SILVA (PERNAMBUCO / LONDON)
- 05/09 – 3pm & 5pm – CHEF JUNIOR MENEZES (CEARÁ / LONDON)
- 07/09 – 12h30pm – CHEF JUNIOR MENEZES (CEARÁ / LONDON)
Please email catherine@redcherry.uk.com if you would like to attend any of the above demos free of charge.
Casa Brasil – The Stables, 40 Earlham Street, Covent Garden.
London Gets a Taste of Brazil
Ahead of Carnival weekend in London a major exhibition will celebrate the best gastronomy, furniture, interior design, fashion and culture that Brazil has to offer. The event, which runs from the 25th August to 7th September, will end on the bicentenary of Brazil’s independence and give visitors a glimpse into 200 years of culture.
Casa Brazil, located at The Stables, Earlham Street in London’s Covent Garden, is open to all and free to all and will transport visitors directly into a traditional Brazilian home, complete with furniture, utensils and décor that evoke a spirit of Brasilidade (Brazilian-ness).
Visitors exploring the interactive experience will discover traditional food and drink such as coffee, açaí, tropical fruit and cachaça, some of which may already be familiar from London’s diverse cafes and cocktail bars.
Wine, cocktail and drink tastings, bartender and barista experiences, a garden market with Brazilian products, cooking shows and demonstrations will feature some of Brazil’s finest produce from across the country’s five regions, while fashion shows and musical performances will complete the sensory experience.
Lucas Fiuza, Business Director, Apex Brasil said: “Brazil is a melting pot of cultures, heritages and flavours, and this celebration will champion the country’s unique fashion and gastronomical creations, mixing the best of indigenous, African, Asian, and European heritages with the country’s rich cornucopia of abundant produce. Casa Brasil will open London foodies’ taste buds to a whole new perspective, with flavours and combinations not often found outside Brazil.”
There will be 16 Brazilian companies present, more than 50 pieces in exhibition, in partnership with 26 sectorial associations. In total, 77 activities are expected – all of which will give London a true Brazilian experience.
In addition to delicious food and drink and eye-opening cultural moments, Casa Brasil will highlight to guests that Brazil is open for business and investment. Networking, foreign export and trade events will all be hosted on the site, where guests can enjoy keynote speeches from sector specialists in food and drink, agriculture, fashion and ornamental stones.
The festival takes place as London’s Notting Hill Carnival kicks off – a celebration of Caribbean culture sharing a common cultural heritage with Brazil’s world-famous Carnaval – and will be the perfect opportunity for visitors who want to experience the vibrancy that the country has to offer.
Lucas Fiuza of ApexBrasil continued: “Casa Brasil will provide visitors a unique opportunity to try our gastronomy, learn about Brazil, its current business environment, and relevance in food and energy security. I can’t wait to raise the curtain on this exciting London experience, introducing our country’s wonderful culture and competitive business environment to global audiences. On the momentous occasion of our bicentenary, this is a celebration of what Brazil truly is: an innovative country that looks to the future built on a rich heritage and culture.”
Food and Drink
The Brazilian superstar chef, Luciana Berry, has curated the event, expertly shaping the vision, tastes and textures of London’s Casa Brasil. As curator, Luciana has created the gastronomical journey that visitors will go on when they drop-in to the festival with the help of headline names in food and drink.
A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Luciana was crowned the 2020 winner of Top Chef Brasil and was a semi-finalist on Masterchef Professionals UK. Luciana Berry said: “Casa Brasil is a multisensory journey that begins in this geographical vision, a vibrant Brazil to be discovered and experienced in a unique way.”
Live cooking demonstrations will be directed by MasterChef The Professionals 2020 winner, Alex Webb, and Head Chef of Claridge’s Hotel in Mayfair and Jorge Baumhauer da Silva amongst others. Coffee aficionados, wine specialists and spirits experts will also support Luciana’s creative concept with various tastings and masterclasses.
Casa Brasil will run from Thursday 25 August until Wednesday 7 September at The Stables on Earlham Street, Covent Garden. For more information on the festival’s schedule, please visit https://apexbrasil.com.br/casabrasillondon.
It’s Time to Talk Turkey!
It may be the last thing on your mind, but Christmas is not that far away. On Beechridge Farm on the Somerset/Devon border, the turkey poults – the young chicks that are destined for our tables – are arriving today!
Beechridge Farm don’t just rear turkeys, though. They do duck, geese and chickens as well. It’s a third generation farm that has evolved from rearing a few chickens for a local farm shop into a considerable enterprise.
When it comes to poultry there are a number of choices that chefs can make. It’s easy to turn a blind eye and buy on price. However, an increasing number of chefs are buying on provenance and principle these days and defying price hikes and inflation to continue to support the artisan farmers that are struggling to produce top class, high welfare products.
Goosemoor Foodservice does just this and only supply chefs with this mindset.
Yes, you can source cheaper alternatives, but they don’t taste the same and haven’t been nurtured and grown in a free range, high-welfare environment.
Customers are asking where there food comes from, this traceability story justifies why you may charge more for the dish, the taste is incomparible.
Top chef and Masterchef the Professionals judge Marcus Wareing visited Beechridge recently as part of his Tales from a Kitchen Garden series. He was impressed with the ducks he found at Beechridge and said so on the show: “That has to be the tenderest duck breast I think I have ever eaten straight from the pan,” he said.
So, spare a thought for the farmers who are working in the heat to get the best birds ready for Christmas and shouldering the cost increases at the same time.
The drought conditions are meaning that the farmers need to give the birds extra food, as pastures and meadows are scorched.
We believe that all chefs should take pride in the ingredients they serve and choosing the right turkey, duck, goose or chicken is all part of that.
Why are these birds so different? It’s a good question. The reason is that they are grown for longer which means more feed and more energy for keeping them warm and healthy. Secondly, they are often different breeds that grow more slowly. Modern chickens, the cheap ones, have been bred to put on breast weight quickly and live shorter lives. They are also injected with water to boost weight after slaughter. The flavour profile of a slow grown chicken is very different. It’s no different to sourdough bread that’s made slowly. It tastes better than a cheap sliced loaf.
To order some delicious Beechridge poultry or find out more about Christmas Geese or Turkey availability, call the Goosemoor team today on 01392 873036.
A Level up From a Blind Tasting Set for Casa Brasil – Calling All Wine Buyers & Sommeliers!
The Chefs’ Forum is working on a very exciting project with Luciana Berry and Apex Brasil to assist in staging the biggest ever exhibition of Brazilian ingredients, drinks and culture, ever to take place in London from the 25th August-7th September 2022.
September 2nd will see a special Wine and Cachaça day take place at The Stables, Covent Garden and forty sommeliers, wine buyers and F&B Managers are invited to take part in a fantastic walk around the various producers and a ground-breaking blind tasting and pairing of the wonderful Brazilian wines on offer.
The wine world is used to blind tastings. They’ve become routine since the famous Judgement of Napa in 1976 when American wines beat their French counterparts in a tasting that shocked the wine world.
However, at Casa Brasil, a fantastic Brazilian produce exhibition, taking place the wine world will go one further and indulge wine experts in a completely blind tasting – by using blindfolds. This is being done to examine the unique properties of Brazilian wine and Cachaça – a fiery spirit made from sugarcane.
The Chefs’ Forum is working with UVIBRA Wines of Brazil to ensure that the cream of the wine world attend this exceptional event.
Master of ceremonies will be Dr Hoby Welder a blind chemist from the USA who was named a 40 under 40 Tastemaker by The Wine Enthusiast.
Welder specialises in Tasting in the Dark sessions and as he says: “Nobody can see atoms. Challenge yourself to exceed your own expectations. Everyday.”
The purpose of this session is to see how much we can focus solely on the Brazilian wines when we’re not distracted by our sight.
There is an open invitation to all wine buyers, sommeliers and interested chefs to join a special event at Casa Brasil to taste wine and Cachaça in a new way.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum and ‘Tasting in the Dark’ organiser at Casa Brasil said:
“It’s a unique chance to take part in something really unique. The best of Brazil’s wine led by a world-renowned chemist who Barack Obama named a Champion of Change.
“Not only will you learn from the experience of working with Dr Welder but there will be items to take home, too. And Brazilian wine is also excellent! Get in touch to find out more and book your place.”
Any wine buyers, sommeliers, F&B managers or restaurant managers wishing to attend Casa Brasil in Covent Garden for the blind tasting session should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com
