Malaysia Night in Trafalgar Square

When I woke up the other morning I knew very little about Malaysian food except my perception that it would blow your socks off!! I knew that it used a lot of lime, ginger, chilli and coconut milk but not much more

I love flavour and warmth in a dish but not too happy when my mouth is on fire!

I was invited to attend a master class cooking with Malaysian chef Norman Musa at the recent Malaysian Night festival in Trafalgar Square.

Norman Musa has a seccessful restaurant in Manchester and teaches people all over the world how to cook Malaysian food at home.  His book Malaysian Food is a collection of Norman's favourite recipes with easy to follow recipes.  Norman is a global ambassador for Malaysan cooking.



During our masterclass with him we cooked a recipe from his book

which was a Gulay Ayam - Malay Chicken Curry.  We began with all the ingredients laid out neatly in front of our cooking station as we watched Norman make the curry.

Then we began to make our own Gulay Ayam. Frying in vegetable oil the onion, garlic and ginger along with the cinnamon bark, star anise and a folded pandan leaf.

We added Norman's own spice blend mixed with tamarind water

Once we made the curry we proceeded to make a traditional bread called a Roti Canai, a delicious golden piece of bread to soak up the curry. To make this takes time and dedication and we made one in a couple of minutes! Perhaps not ready to open a Roti Canai restaurant just yet!

When we were finished we ate our creations.  I really enjoyed my lunch, not too hot and spicy but with a lovely warmth and depth.

After the masterclass I enjoyed the rest of the Malaysia Night festivities. Whilst I waited for Mr R to join me, I was able to meet Dhruv Baker, previous Masterchef 2011 winner and watch him make a couple of Malaysian dishes, and met Ping Coombes winner of Masterchef 2014.

 

We were treated to lovely Malaysian entertainment and a selection of food and drinks. 

  

It was a lovely London day starting in a quiet Trafalgar Squre but ending in a busy, bustling Trafalgar square - in the heart of this great city.

 

It was a lovely chance to have a date night with Mr R. He had an early finish at work and met me at Trafalgar Square.

 

We had our pictures taken,

 

and walked around the square tasting some of the different restaurants' offerings.  Mr R had a spicy beef wrap with salad and I tried a plate of Char Kuey Teow - a Malaysian spectacular of flat rice noodles stir fried with garlic, juicy prawns and beansprouts.

 

The evening was put on by Malaysian Kitchen who promote Malaysian food and drink in the UK and this was the 5th annual event when they take over Trafalgar Square in London. Malaysian Kitchen is on a mission to tell the UK all about the tastes of Malaysian food - it is your first step to discovering the wonders and variety of Malaysian food.

Thanks to Malaysian Kitchen for inviting me to experience this evening of Malaysian culture.

I was not paid to attend and as usual all opinions and photos are my own.

 

 

 

 

Asda has a surprise cake!

I was sent one of Asda's new range of cakes for children and their parties. The one I received is called a Pinata Surprise Cake! 

A pinata is a mexican party piece that is filled with sweets and you hang it up in a tree of off a hook.  Children are blindfolded and with a long stick try to hit the pinata and break it up so all the sweets fall out.

A pinata cake from Asda is brightly coloured with icing on the outside and when you cut into it a stream of mini smarties fall out!

I had one for the grandchildren and they loved the surprise and the little smarties.

The cake was quite big and there was a lot left over so I made a trifle on Sunday!  Mr R loves a nice trifle and was thrilled to find little smarties in it!!

Thanks to Asda for the Pinata Cake, as usual all opinions and photos are my own.

 

 

 

 

Competition - Win a Dairy Diary for 2015

Getting prepared for 2015 and I have already been sent a lovely diary from Dairy Diary. It has sections on recipes, kitchen hints and tips, gardening ideas and lots more.

 

 

If you would like to win a copy of this book you can enter by following the Rafflecopter instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This offer is open to residents of the UK only.

 

 

PAUL & Meeting Up With Fellow Food Bloggers

Not long ago I was invited to discover the menu at the newly opened restaurant of PAUL at their Covent Garden patisserie. It was a great discovery for somewhere to get a great coffee, fresh pastry and bread or a truly delicious regional French meal.  To read my account click here.

A couple of weeks ago a group of food blogger friends met up there for supper.  I didn’t think you wanted me to reiterate the menu or what I had to eat (I was going to have a different main course but enjoyed the Confit de Canard so much I had it again).

We had a lovely evening chatting and giving each other blogging help and hints. Sitting in this restaurant you could look around and feel like you were really in France in a lovely local bistro! The mirrors, the chairs and tables and the overloaded French dresser all added to the ambiance.

The staff make sure you feel at home and offer you a friendly but not pushy service, making sure you want to return again, with friends or even on your own (you would be most welcome!).

Next time you are in between Leicester Square and Covent Garden and you don’t have helilcopter access to transport you to France for a traditional regional meal or a fresh baguette, pop down to Bedford Street (or look on their web site to find your other branches)and visit PAUL!

They have a great loyalty scheme entitling you to free coffee, sandwiches and more if you sign up on line.  I also was attracted to their pic-nic bag offer.  Perfect for a picnic for 2-4 people lunching in a London park but even now the weather has turned it is perfect for a pic-nic in a sheltered place, feet up and dry while you ponder what to do next in London.

Their house red wine is really lovely and purse friendly! It is a smooth red with no sharp 'wine' edges!  Cheers!!

For more PAUL fun, food and frolics have a look at some of the reviews from that day from some of my blogger friends that went too.

1. Karen Burns Booth - Lavender and Lovage

2. Manjiri Chitnis - A Slice of Me

3. Nayna Kanabar - Citrus Spice UK

4. Tina Chawla - The Spicy Pear

5. Sylvia Filozof - Happiness is Homemade

6. Mabintu Mustapha - Recipes From A Pantry

 

I was a guest of PAUL Covent Garden but as usual all opinions and photos are my own.

Get Your Bakeface On with Billington's

Billington's presents My #Bakeface. Their new campaign to share the effect that eating a cake or cookie made with Billington's unrefined sugars has on your face as you taste the first bite!

You can share your #Bakeface with a selfie posted on their website and you may win one of many great prises including a Kenwood kMix food mixer, a trip to London or a meeting with one of Billington's famous friends.

Not all sugars are the same, some brown sugars are even white sugar coloured brown.  Billington's range of unrefined sugars lock in the amazing natural taste of the molasses from real cane sugar. You get a richness and depth of flavour to any cake or cookie you bake.

Below is one of Billington's recipes for my favourite cake - the Victoria Sponge:-

CLASSIC VICTORIA SPONGE

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 25 minutes

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

• 175g Billington’s Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar

• Billington’s Unrefined Golden Icing Sugar, for decoration

• 175g unsalted butter

• 3 medium free-range eggs

• 175g self-raising flour

• Strawberry jam

• 200ml double cream

• Fresh strawberries or blueberries (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4).

2. Cream the butter and Golden Caster Sugar.

3. Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well.

4. Sift in the flour and fold in lightly. Divide the mixture into two greased and base-lined sandwich tins (18cm/7inch). Bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.

5. Once baked, leave to stand in the tins for a minute, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

6. Sandwich the cakes together with the jam and cream (and sliced strawberries/blueberries, if required).

7. Sift the Golden Icing Sugar all over the top, and decorate with 2 or 3 strawberries or blueberries.

So bake this traditional sponge cake, cut your self a slice and snap a selfie to show your #bake face.

 

 

Thanks Billington's for a fun evening. My #bakeface above shows how delish your brownies are!

As usual all opinions and photos are my own.