The Little Kitch loves Teapigs

I can't deny it anymore, Winter is officially here and the Little Kitchens' window is firmly shut.

One good thing however, is the fact you can treat yourself and indulge in a lovely warming mug of a hot tea.  The Little Kitchen are big fans of Teapigs.  There's just something in the way the tea leaves are delicately surrounded by a pyramid mesh, in its cool but subtle packaging...and now it even has its own Teapig channel with pretty funky 'how-to' videos. Go check them out - there's even some iced tea guides perfect for when the sun eventually comes back round again.  http://www.youtube.com/teapigstv

The piggies at Teapigs have generously offered Little Kitch readers a discount!  Lovely jubbly.

TPTVBLOGS

15% teas and tea ware

(Excludes, gifts, cheeky deals and matcha kits. Can only be used once)

Ginger and bread make biscuits?!

All you need to make 15-20 biscuits:

• 350g plain flour
• half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger (or if like me you love a bit of the ginger flavour, add some ginger extract too)
• 125g butter
• 175g light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoon of golden syrup
• cutters - I went for butterfly and teddy bear ones...just to be different

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger into a bowl (or if you have one, into the food processor bowl).  Add the butter until mixed, than add in the sugar.

Lightly beat the egg and syrup together, then add to the rest of the mixture until it makes a dough.  Leave to chill in the fridge for around 20 minutes.

Lightly flour the surface (and the rolling pin) and roll out the dough to half a cm thick, cut out.

Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes.

Leave to cool.  

I must admit they tasted good but I made the mistake of not setting a timer...I was a bit too cocky and thought I could handle it...turns out I was wrong and ended over-doing the second batch which were the butterfly shapes, and probably only needed 12minutes really...Schoolboy. 

Review: Beach Blanket Babylon Shoreditch

A last minute Friday decision saw us go for dinner at Beach Blanket Babylon in Shoreditch.  I was quite relieved that there was a table for 2 on Friday at a reasonable time (9pm).

When we arrived we were seated at a table next to the bar, but the waitress offered us another table up in the dining area which we accepted.  As soon as we stepped in, there was such a good atmosphere, the lighting inside was dim enough to create an air of excitement for the night ahead, but light enough to see in front of you.

Menu:
8 Oz fillet of beef (my veggie days are officially over...especially during the weekends), with blue cheese polenta, honeyed turnips, watercress and red wine sauce.
Pan fried fillet of cod, puy lentils, crisp salsify and sun blushed tomato vinaigrette
With side orders of french fries and green beans.
And a lovely bottle of red.

I have to say, I was willing to like this place, I already had high expectations - BBB didn't exactly disappoint but food wise - it wasn't all that.  For that price I was expecting something to 'wow' me.  It was good but didn't make me go 'wow'.  My beef was cooked medium - and I had no complaints, it was good.  My friend's cod however came uncooked in the middle first time round which was a bit of a surprise, but to their credit they did actually re-cook the whole dish (and not just re-heated it as some restaurants do).  When the cod was served second time round, it was good.

The dish did the trick for a late dinner, but of course I couldn't resist the dessert menu.  I had the Rich chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream, and it was rich indeed - but divine.

Service was ok - the waiters were friendly and helpful enough, but not too attentive really.

However, the bar downstairs is where BBB is at its best.  Lively atmosphere, modern and a variety of music courtesy of the DJ, who moves from the dining area to the basement.  Reasonable priced drinks.  All in all a pretty good evening.  The only thing I wished was that it stayed open later than 1am!

All in all, BBB is excellent if you want a night of dancing, or having a party.  Food wise didn't quite match I'm sad to say.

Are you the Ideal Christmas Cake Decorator of the Year?

Start Moulding the Marzipan for the ‘Ideal Christmas Cake Decorator of the Year’ competition!

Entry deadline 2pm Thursday 15^th November 2012

Judging at 3.00pm

Prize Giving Ceremony at 3.45pm on the Christmas Craft Theatre

After the success of ‘The Ideal Cake Decorator of the Year’, The Ideal Home Show at Christmas is introducing the competition with a Christmas twist.  
This year’s competition will see aspiring cake decorators from around the country decorating stunning Christmas cakes for the chance to be crowned this year’s ‘Ideal Christmas Cake Decorator of the Year’.
The highly anticipated cake decorating competition will ask entrants to create a cake that reflects their ‘Ideal Christmas’.
Whether its big or small, cupcakes or multi-tiered masterpieces, we’re looking for the most novel, exciting and fun Christmas cakes of 2012.
Entrants to the competition are asked to bring their creations to the show’s Christmas Craft Theatre by 2pm on Thursday 16^th November.
The cakes will be entered into the competition to be in with the chance of winning a fantastic range of prizes, and the accolade of the ‘Ideal Christmas Cake Decorator of the Year.’
The cakes will then be judged by our esteemed judging panel, including Tarek Malouf from the Hummingbird Bakery.
The cakes will remain on display for the remainder of the day and prizes will be awarded in a dedicated prize-giving ceremony hosted on the Christmas Craft Theatre at 3.45pm. Contestants are welcome to take their cakes home with them after the award ceremony
The winning entry in the competition will win a £500 M&S Gift Card, a cupcake making master class at Hummingbird Bakery, a 3 course tasting lunch at Gregg Wallace’s Winter Restaurant with two glasses of champagne, a selection of signed cook books and a pair of tickets to the Ideal Home Show 2013!
All entrants will receive free entry on the door for themselves and a guest*  to the Ideal Home Show at Christmas, as well as gaining automatic entry into the competition once their cakes have been delivered to the judging area. 
If that doesn't get you preheating the oven, I don't know what will!


* No refund will be applied to pre-paid tickets. Up to two free tickets per home-decorated cake presented upon entry. Media 10 reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any time without notice.

TICKET AND BOOKING INFORMATION:
Tickets can be booked either online or by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0844 209 7330, or for further information visit the website http://www.idealhomeshowchristmas.co.uk/
Follow the Ideal Home Show on Twitter http://twitter.com/ideal_home_show

Christmas Party - veggie style.

For those full time Veggies out there - here's your chance to impress your non meat-eating friends this Christmas...

New Recipes from Fry’s Vegetarian and Leading Author and Chef Tony Bishop-Weston.

“It seems that everyone I talk to has to cater for a non meat eater at Christmas.”

Says Karin Ridgers founder of VeggieVision TV and the author of VeggieChristmas.com a free online book helping people cater for vegetarians and vegans at Christmas.

Leading Vegetarian Chef Tony Bishop-Weston and author of several vegetarian cookery books including "The Ultimate Book of Vegan Cooking"  says, 

“These higher protein "fool yer granny" meat-free festive recipes are made with family owned Fry’s Vegetarian products. People love the meaty texture and taste of Fry's products and non vegetarians won't even notice these are all meat free dishes.”

Main Course: "Turk-ish" Christmas Strudel with Herby Beanie Balls

"Turk-ish" Satay Party Sticks, Polony Pizzettes and

 Port 'n' Mince Pies

For more info, go to www.frysvegetarian.co.uk