My friend Billy in Las Vegas has a scientist friend who suggested the following remedy to cure the common cold:

Pantothenic Acid - B5/ 200 mg per hour

Vitamin C/ 1,000 mg per hour

Zinc/ 75 mg every other hour

I’ve tried it and it works!

At the first sign of a scratchy throat, runny nose…all over body aches, give this combo a try. And don’t forget to write me and let me know how your feeling. Just trying to keep you healthy for our upcoming events!

x Lola

I find cookbooks fascinating! Yesterday I read a blog about cookbookaholic’s. Do such people actually exist?

I must admit that I occasionally take a cookbook to bed as late night reading material. A great penne arabiatta is not a bad thought to entering REM state.

So, last night I gathered up a few classics, and began reading Simon Hopkinson’s and Lindsay Barens, Roast chicken and other stories. A well-written book with fascinating stories and recipes. All ingredients are sorted alphabetically. Each recipe is described in full, and then analyzed as to whether it worked, or not, and why.

Then I got my hands on Giorgio Locatelli’s book on Italian cooking, with stories of his life - his family, his grandmother, and photos of him as a kid on a bike - reflections on why and how he became a chef.

I love Italian people - their mentality, their ability to be chic and fashionable at all times, and of course…their food! Sure it sounds cliche to say, “I love Italian food and culture!” But what I love most is the tradition - the importance of a meal in bringing friends and family together. The comfort of a warm and familiar minestrone soup with a fresh baked loaf of bread reminds me of when I was a kid. My entire family would gather around the table for lunch - we ate, conversed and connected.

Eating together is like building bridges; emotional liaisons (comparable to an emulsion in culinary terms) where an egg yolk and oil whipped up together become mayonnaise. However, if not carefully combined, they can end up as a strange liquid of oil with flakes of egg.

Oh yes, and then there is…garlic! That wonderful, healthy and powerful substance which can transform any blase’ dish into a masterpiece. Should I ever develop and allergy to it, surely the world would come to an abrupt halt. Garlic adds zest to food, and to life. What would cooking be without it? What would Italy be without it???

I would love to hear about your favourite cookbook, and what flames your passion for cooking?

The CBC will be featuring a selected cookbook each month. Recipes will be tried and tested by our very own Chefs, and their favorite dishes then will be served up at the CBC, along with regional and seasonal selections. CBC has a specialty cookbook shop with an extensive selection of both classic and newly released books. Please stop by for a browse. We would also appreciate hearing about your favorite cookbooks and any exceptional recipes we should be whipping up over the holidays.

In celebration of Thanksgiving, a traditional U.S. holiday, CBC will be offering a cosy feast for those looking to get in the holiday spirit, and gather with friends and family. Join us for for slow roasted Norfolk turkey, apple and chestnut stuffing, sweet potatoes, vegies, gravy and cranberry sauce and finish off with a slice of rich pumpkin pie!

To see the menu click here: Thanksgiving Menu

We are up and running! We’re proud to announce the opening of the Cookbook Cafe, located in the newly designed and renovated InterContinental London Park Lane, across from Apsley House, No. 1 London.

The CBC is a fresh concept in dining, a venue at which the passionate food lover can interact with all levels of the culinary world. Our aim is to provide each dining guest and visitor to our blog with the opportunity to participate by gaining and sharing knowledge and expertise in the world of food and wine.

We intend to fully engage with our guests, whether through our web log or at CBC itself, by sharing recipes and ingredients, shopping and cooking shortcuts, new restaurant finds and travel stories of great restaurants discovered along the way.

The CBC will offer cooking demonstrations with the new generation of British Chefs, book launches with visiting authors, wine and cocktail mixing and mingling evenings, and food rages cooking sessions and trials that explore new and exotic dishes. We’ll also present lectures and venture into the world of British tea and chocolate entrepreneurs.

Let’s explore together the vibrant and dynamic food and wine movement of London. Check in throughout the week for our calendar of upcoming events. We look forward to hearing from you.