Singapore Fling

French Dining School have been invited to the Asian Food Channel in Singapore on 23 March 2012. We can't wait to revisit this wonderful country with its exotic fusion of Eastern and Western cuisine. We are also visiting the Coriander School to enhance our Asian cooking skills (particularly that fabulous black peppered crab dish) and of course the beautiful world famous orchid garden! Following Singapore we are heading down to Melbourne to check out some amazing wines and dishes in the Mornington Peninsula and to attend the wedding of our friends (Sarsha & Chris) who are getting married at the Red Hill Estate vinyard.

Roast sweet peppers with pine nuts and oregano

Roast peppers are not just delicious. They are full of essential antioxidants. One reason why people living in southern France live longer and healthier than elsewhere is simply down to diet and to products such as the colourful capsicum! They should be on the diet of everyone over the age of 18! Here is a wonderful recipe to get you started.

You will need:
Ingredients
8 red peppers
200ml olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, cut in half and bashed
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
4-5 rosemary sprigs
½ tsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
200ml balsamic vinegar
150g very fresh goat’s cheese, such as Bouton d’Oc, crumbled
12 basil leaves, torn
80g pine nuts, toasted

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Cut the peppers in half lengthways and remove the seeds and stalks. Heat a roasting tin on top of the stove and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cut peppers, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary sprigs and coarse sea salt. Cook this for 2-3 minutes on top of the stove, then add the sugar and oregano and place in the preheated oven.
2 Roast the peppers for 8-10 minutes, until they are just beginning to soften, then remove from the oven and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Put the tin back on the heat on top of the stove until the vinegar is reduced by half. Tip the peppers into a bowl and cover with cling film. This makes the peppers steam and finishes the cooking process. Also, if you prefer the peppers without the skin, the steaming makes them easier to peel.
3 Remove the peppers from the bowl, then strain the juice and flavourings through a fine sieve. Add a little more oil to make a dressing. Season the peppers, add the dressing, goat’s cheese, basil leaves and toasted pine nuts, then serve with a nice glass of Cotes du Rhone which is also excellent for your health and well-being!

Scallop Carpaccio

Scallop carpaccio with celery leaves makes an exciting lunch and does not even require cooking!

Enjoy a very light first course of simple, fresh flavours. The scallops are uncooked, so if ever there’s a time for sparkling freshness, this is it.

For each person
2-3 large scallops, white part only

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
A squeeze of lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
A small handful of celery leaves (from the centre of a head of celery)
½ small spring onion, finely sliced

Method
Cut off and discard the raised white rectangle of muscular flesh on the side of each scallop — it will make them tough. Quickly rinse the scallops and pat dry with kitchen paper, then slice them wafer thin — a properly sharp knife is useful here. Arrange either in a circle or randomly on a small plate. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt flakes, then squeeze some lemon juice over the top and add a few splashes of olive oil. Scatter with a few celery leaves and spring onion, then add a few grinds of black pepper and serve with a nice glass of cool white Comté Tolosan.

Current and oatmeal cookies

We are in the heart of winter and in need of additional snack supports! It is all too easy to purchase those additive laden products from the supermarkets. Why not make your own healthy and nutritious cookies instead with this easy to use recipe!

You will need:

275g soft butter
3g salt
275g fine cane sugar
210g flour
9g baking powder
80g oatmeal
2 eggs
140g currents


Method

Work butter and salt together, add sugar and sift in flour with baking powder first then the oatmeal. Mix in eggs and then the currents. If the dough becomes very soft place it in a cool place for a while. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Using a teaspoon place the cookies well apart and flatten a little. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes at 200 degrees. Should be golden but still soft in the middle.

Anti-Ageing Lunch

Sprouted alfalfa is the patron saint of youth and it requires absolutely no cooking to eat. My mother sprouted them for years in her own kitchen long before any one else heard of their restorative health value. These baby shoots are densely packed with nutrition, working out cheaper and tastier than popping a daily multivitamin pill. Alfalfa is flush with more vitamin C than a smug bowl of oranges. This is the vitamin that keeps skin luminous and supple, and feeds barrel-chested immune systems. There's also calcium to help strengthen bones and teeth, and immodest amounts of antioxidants to chase toxins away. Simply add to salads and sandwiches and remember they are easy to sprout yourself on a sunny window sill at home.

Anti-Ageing Lunch

The sulphur content of garlic and red onion may help to keep joints supple by aiding the production of synovial fluid. This is the balm that bathes bones and squeaky joints. Included is some chilli to boost circulation, and unpasteurised cider vinegar for its deluge of alkalising minerals and probiotics.

Pomegranates and red grapes are famed for their anti-inflammatory anthocyanins and cholesterol-lowering resveratrol, both of which you should court if you're on the other side of 40. And finally, avocado is useful for its vitamin E and beta-sitosterol, making it an age-old remedy to ageing skin and arteries.


You will need:

1/2 tablespoon unpasteurised cider vinegar

1 small garlic clove, crushed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1/4 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

Large handful of alfalfa

Handful of pomegranate seeds or red grapes

1/2 tin chickpeas, drained

3 fresh figs, halved (depending on season)

1 avocado, peeled and diced

In a tall glass, whisk the unpasteurised cider vinegar, the crushed garlic, the extra-virgin olive oil, the finely chopped red chilli and red onion together with a fork. This is your supersonic anti-ageing dressing. Pour over the alfalfa sprouts and let the flavours socialise while you prep the remaining bits and pieces. It's important the sprouts are left for a while to soak up the dressing.

Split the pomegranate in half carefully with a knife. Tear into random segments, and gently pick the juicy baubles out of their pith. If you're using red grapes, cut them in half and de-seed them before sprinkling on top of the salad. Tumble in the chickpeas, the halved fresh figs, and great big chunks of avocado. Toss gently, and serve alongside some iced green tea and lemon unless with all that healthy stuff you might prefer a nice cool glass of sauvignon blanc.

The French Show London 2012

Well we survived the French Show and London too. It was a hectic few days but very rewarding on so many different levels. We met hundreds of lovely people all doing just what we are doing - following their dreams and making their business in France work. There were numerous estate agents selling French property and these were surprisingly very busy (what recession?) with lots of interest from well heeled visitors. The English still love France according to Owen Coke (A Place in Brittany) who was exhibiting at the show. This was reiterated by Frederick Bonneau (Manoir de la Vigniere) who was kept very busy dealing with a constant queue of enthusiastic visitors. It was also nice to see three other cooking schools (including Isabelle Mellinger - Spoontrip) exhibit their programmes. We were impressed by the number of people who expressed interest in our courses. Things are definitely busier than ever this year and we are already taking bookings for summer 2013! We had the pleasure of meeting the acclaimed musician, Frederick La Verde, who enthralled everyone with his performances playing his extraordinary mobile piano! We were also delighted to meet Rudolf Junginger of Art de Brique who has some wonderful architectural designs for your new home in France!

We were also introduced to French Radio London. This is London’s first terrestrial French language radio station, broadcasting 24/7 on DAB, on the Internet and on their iPhone App. Created to serve London’s 400,000 French residents, they not only air internationally renowned French titles, but believe that their mission is to discover new talent in French music and bring new French sounds to the UK.VIVE LA FRANCE!

French Dining School (London)


We also checked out our winter cooking school, French Dining School (London) located right in the heart of central London. Just a few minutes walk from Berkeley Square in Mayfair, this school will soon provide additional courses in French cuisine for all our cooking students from December to March each year.

Another enjoyable aspect of London life is car spotting and we simply could not resist falling in love with this little beauty!

Gastronomy of the Basques - Leche Frita

"Bar Asador"



One of the advantages of running a summer cooking school is the opportunity it allows to explore other gastronomic cultures and cuisines when the school is closed for the winter. This November we took off in the car heading south towards the Basque country. From Brittany that is only 8 hours drive or 776k. As usual we took the country roads as we were in no hurry and we enjoy exploring the route just as much as arriving at our destination!

This route took us through some exciting areas including the Loire, Bordeaux, Cognac, La Rochelle, Biarritz and Bayonne. There are lots of wonderful places to explore in all these areas and we could easily have spent a week in any one of them but it was November and we cruised south towards the sun along with our coffee flask and Poul's delicious home smoked ham sandwiches which were prepared earlier in the morning as part of our empty the fridge routine before leaving!

We arrived at St. Sebastian, or Donostia as the city is called by the locals, at 7pm and found no trouble checking into our hotel (Hotel Europa, 52 Calle De San Martin www.hotelhusaeuropa.com) where a charming receptionist called Helen was on hand to look after our every need. Our car was quickly parked up in the car park by the hotel staff and once our bags were safely deposited in our rooms, we were advised of the best places to go for a drink and a meal all within 5 minutes walk from our hotel!


We headed direct to the beach and within minutes found ourselves marveling at a beautiful bay with a grand promenade all lit up by exquisite old street lamps.
In northern cities it is rare to see people out simply walking in the evening! Fear of crime, cold, noise or just lack of walking space are all to blame. However in Donostia, it seemed everyone, babies, young couples,singles, groups, older couples , grandparents and great grandparents were all out walking and talking along the seaside and enjoying their evening stroll. The sound of the waves could be heard crashing in on the shore which added to the magical scene. It was hard to believe we were in a city of almost 200,000 people given the sheer splendor and size of the bay. It was not until daybreak however that the extraordinary beauty of the natural cove really became apparent.I was minded of Sydney Harbour.



In fact Donostia far surpasses Sydney with its natural beauty and historical and architectural heritage. Just climb up the old castle fortress which overlooks the city and bay to see without doubt one of the best views in the world! It's no surprise the Basques have always called this place their spiritual home! They were here well before the Spanish and Catalans came to Spain and well before the French came to France!They have no intention of leaving! The place is a bustling economic and cultural success with enormous civic pride. The city is clean and without graffiti which adorns the walls of most European cities. The success is apparent in the streets where ordinary citizens appear well heeled, the shops and restaurants are busy and most of all in the sophistication and confidence of its renowned gastronomic culture. Walk into any bar like "Bar Asador" as we did and see for yourself. Prepare to be very impressed.








The Basque word for tapas is pintxos and it is generally accepted that the Basques have the upper hand when it comes to Spanish culinary matters. The sheer variety of dishes is amazing and we spent most days and evenings trying out various mouth watering samples of delightful combinations ranging from simple open sandwiches of serrano hams, wild mushrooms, numerous pepper dishes, manchego cheeses, hot seafood and fish dishes prepared on request. We tried eels with red peppers, green peppers with anchovies and an unusual dish of fried milk called Leche Frita which is so delicious and unknown generally we just had to photograph it and research the recipe which is given below:



To make Leche Frita you will need for 4-6 people:

6 eggs
60 gr. cornstarch
60 gr. flour
120 gr. sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 / 2 l. milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100 gr. icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 knob of butter

Method:

Put milk in a saucepan to boil.In another saucepan, put the beaten eggs, sugar and vanilla. Then add the flour and cornstarch in saucepan second and stir until well blended. Then add the milk bring slowly to boil, stirring constantly, cook for five minutes. The cream should be very thick, if not, add more cornstarch, diluted in milk and added gradually until it reaches the proper thickness.

Pass the cream through a strainer to keep large lumps from forming.

Put a frying pan on heat with enough oil.

The portions are passed in flour and egg, are coated well on both sides and fry in the pan.

When browned, served in a source sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

For effect why not add a good liquor and serve as flambé.