…my fridge was in need of a major top-off, hence an extensive shopping day was on my list of things-to-do. I love Selfridges food hall as it is a one-stop shop for all your cooking needs! If you are anything like me and love to explore and expand your culinary skills, then Selfridges food hall is the place for you, where you are able to locate all those difficult continental ingredients you will never find in your local Sainsbury’s.

I decided on veal scaloppini for dinner with a lemon sauce. I pounded out the veal until it was paper thin, then pan fried it in a little butter and olive oil to give them a nice golden colour. The sauce for the veal was a lemon sauce prepared with un-waxed lemons and served with a side of fresh taglierini.

The secret lies in the sauce: the freshness, acidity and deep flavour of the lemons are in perfect harmony with the fresh made veal stock and cream sauce - light and balanced. To prepare the lemon sauce cut the lemons into wedges and remove the seeds, then pan-fry them in olive oil with a large piece of fresh new season garlic. Add a few sage leaves, a tiny sprig of rosemary, a pinch of salt, sugar and pepper. The lemons and juice will begin to caramelize forming a thick syrup-like liquid. Add a bit of water and simmer until the lemon rind is completely soft and ready to eat.

After the scaloppini are pan fried, set them aside in a baking dish, then deglaze the pan with some white wine. Reduce the heat and add the lemons, juice, veal stock, and a dash of cream. Finally, season with some chopped flat parsley. Spoon this mixture over the scaloppini and place the pan in the oven for a few minutes to allow the meat to absorb the flavors. Serve with fresh cooked taglierini or pappardelle (I suggest trying Cipriani’s pasta which is as close to home-made, if not better, and can be purchased at Luigi’s on Fulham Road. It costs about GBP4.50 a box but is worth every pence). Eat and enjoy this outstanding dish!

I have made this dish before but never with the slow cooked lemons and concentrated juice which really makes an incredible difference.

I got to know Mark Edwards back in my days at the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St.Moritz, the infamous ski resort located in the Swiss Alps. In 2002 we opened the restaurant Nobu at the Palace. Roland Fasel, was Hotel Director at the time (and is currently the GM at the InterContinental London) and was the initiator and visionary in bringing Nobu to this exquisite mountain resort. Needless-to-say it was a match made in heaven and an immediate success.

In the seasons pre-opening phase we received the first food market list with all products required for Nobu to operate and immediately began sourcing the items desired. We realized quickly that this would be an extraordinary task trying to locate these products domestically. The fact that Switzerland is not part of the EU made matters worse. We were able to obtain a majority of the items from JFC (Japan Food Company, who import all products from Japan) who have depots in the UK and Germany.The main challenge was then to convert the codes for the food items from EU to Swiss codes for import and taxation purposes. We were able to achieve this with through our connections and with the help of many of our suppliers.

The day before Nobu was scheduled to open we had most of the ingredients we needed to operate apart from rice and a few additional specialty items. The remaining missing items had just arrived from the UK and were waiting to be picked up at Geneva Airport on the other side of Switzerland. I organized a DHL courier to drive it to St.Moritz where it was snowing heavily. The courier phoned late in the evening and informed me that he wouldn’t take the risk of driving over the snow loaded mountain roads of the “Julierpass.” So I got in my car and drove in the middle of the night to the other side of the mountains to take over the freight. We made it back to St.Moritz by 3am where Mark and his team were preparing the mise en place for the opening on the next day. The Nobu team were anxiously awaiting the last items to arrive.

In the beginning of this year we met over a vodka tonic in the hotel bar and discussed the opening of the Cookbook Cafe and the launch party. I asked Mark if there was any chance of honoring us as a guest chef for this industry event. (Mark, thanks for your great support on the night of the launch!!). The event was a huge success thanks to Mark’s contribution. Following is our foodie interview with Mark Edwards, the genius Head Chef of Nobu London and partner of Nobu Matsuhisa.

(Above: Image of the South ramp of the Julier Pass road on a sunny day)

(Below: Mark Edwards with Executive Chef Michel Gehrig at the CBC launch)

Here is the interview:

Why are you in London? It’s one of the top gastronomic cities in the world
What is your favorite neighborhood restaurant that you would recommend to a friend? Hot Stuff in 9 Elms
What is the best dish Hot Stuff puts out there? Menu changes every day
What do you always keep in your fridge? Champagne, quality cheese, smoked salmon
What is your favorite cook book? Roman Cookery by Apicius
What is your favorite dish? A dish that someone else has prepared for me with their heart and soul
What do you never eat? Monkey Brains
What is your most important kitchen tool? My hands
What is your all time favorite drink? Vodka tonic (and we had so many of them already!)
What inspires you? Researching the history of regional peasant dishes
What do you cook for someone you like to impress? Something very simple
What would be your last meal? The executioner slowly braised over an open fire

Would you share your favorite recipe with us?

Steamed John Dory with Wild Garlic, recipe for 4

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While sitting down with my family and friends this Palm Sunday we were discussing what we will be serving up next weekend for our Easter Sunday family lunch. The following recipes are what we decided on and I thought why not share them with those of you who are pondering on the same thought. Our menu is as follows:
Cucumber salad with creme fraiche dressing, Roast leg of lamb with pancetta, sage and rosemary, and Fresh strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar. (more…)

This outstanding recipe comes from Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook by Alice Waters and the Cooks of the famous Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley, California. The Chez Panisse Cafe opened in 1980 above the more formal Chez Panisse restaurant.

This pizzetta is perfect for a Sunday brunch where everyone can design their own pizzetta with their desired toppings. The Chefs make a few suggestions: try shaving a white truffle over the top (if available) or simply drizzle with some white truffle oil. Or add a layer of cooked broccoli raab, seasoned with garlic and hot pepper.

Chez Panisse suggests keeping it simple by starting with a mixed leaf salad!

The Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook is available for purchase at our CBC bookshop. If all this seems like too much work, then try out our outstanding Sunday Brunch at the CBC where our chef’s have our own version of this pizzatta served up.

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Homemade Swiss Muesli

I know you’re thinking that the Swiss guys at the CBC called their Mom’s over the weekend for this recipe - And you just might be right! This recipe is perfect for any day of the week. The best part is that it can be prepared and stored in the fridge for a great nutritious breakfast (or lunch) whenever your hunger pangs call.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and add whatever fruit your heart desires. Dried fruit is also nice but high in sugar content. Personally I like to add a teaspoon of vanilla and some mixed berry yoghurt. It is best to buy nuts which are sold in the baking section of your supermarket, as they’re usually not roasted and do not have added salt.

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
1-2 apple, peeled and grated
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted tastes better but is not necessary)
1 cup low-fat yogurt (any flavour you wish)
Preparation:

Combine oats, milk and honey and leave soaking in the refrigerator overnight.
Next morning, add the grated apple, hazelnuts and yogurt.

* Makes approximately 4 servings

Tortilla Soup

This hearty soup, which is perfect for a cold winter’s night like tonight, is also suitable on warm spring days.

Dean Fearing Texan Chef extraordinaire and personal friend, created this soup when he was the Executive Chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas. This soup was a favourite of Caroline Rose Hunt, creator of Rosewood Hotels and The Mansion on Turtle Creek and was a staple on the menu at The Mansion.

This soup may be prepared 1 day in advance and gently reheated before serving.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons corn oil
4 corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh epazote (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro)
1 cup fresh onion puree
2 cups fresh tomato puree
1 tablespoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons chilli powder
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons canned tomato puree
2 quarts chicken stock
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 cooked chicken breast, cut into strips
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried crisp

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Saute tortillas with garlic and epazote over medium heat until tortillas are soft. Add onion and fresh tomato puree and bring to a boil. Add cumin, chilli powder, bay leaves, canned tomato puree, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil again, and then reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Skim fat from surface, if necessary.

Strain and pour into warm soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with an equal portion of chicken breast, avocado, shredded cheese, and crisp tortilla strips. Serve immediately.

Serves 8 - 10

A Sunday brunch suggestion for all you potato lovers…

Tomato, Garlic and Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

6 whole large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan (2 oz), or feta or goat cheese (or a combo of your choice)
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups grape tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes (6 oz)
Note: If you are a meat eater, you can also add crispy bacon or pancetta for additional flavour and texture.
For those vegans who want to try a different variation: try adding some sliced artichoke hearts.

Preparation:

Whisk together whole eggs, whites, 1/4 cup of cheese , basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl.
Preheat broiler.

Cook garlic over moderate heat in a generously coated skillet of olive oil so it doesn’t stick! (Of course a non-stick and ovenproof pan will also work well). Stir until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer garlic with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Add potatoes to skillet and saute over moderately high heat, stirring, until just tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to bowl with garlic.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and tomatoes to skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until tomatoes brown and skins split, about 4 minutes.

Add an additional tablespoon of olive oil and potatoes with garlic to skillet, spreading evenly, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Pour egg over vegetables and cook over moderately high heat, lifting up cooked egg around edges to let uncooked egg flow underneath, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and cook with the cover on for an additional 5 minutes (centre will be moist).

Remove lid and broil frittata 5 to 7 inches from heat until set, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1/4 cup of your preferred cheese, then broil until cheese melts and frittata is golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

Slide onto a platter and cut into wedges. Don’t hold back on garnishing with plenty of fresh basil.
*If you do not have an ovenproof skillet, then simply wrap the handle of your skillet with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil) before broiling.

Makes 4- 6 servings, depending on how thick you slice it.

If you are anything like me, you are in full-swing of the post-holiday blues. Your Christmas tree is sitting road-side and your packing up the last of the tree decorations, and pondering over how you are going to keep your New Year’s resolutions.Time for a break and a little comfort food to get you through this transitional month.

This quiche is very delicate and elusive in flavour, and is perfect to serve for a Sunday brunch or luncheon. Served with a fresh fruit salad of strawberries, papaya and pineapple and a few slices of banana bread would make this menu complete.

This recipe comes from one of my favourite cookbooks called: A Private Collection, written by the Junior League of Palo Alto (northern California). It is a compilation of special recipes, not readily found in other cookbooks, that have been lovingly shared by aunts, mothers, grandmothers and dear friends over the years.

QUICHE with WHITE WINE and SHALLOTS:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups heavy cream
Dash of freshly grated nutmet
12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
1 10×2″ pastry shell, baked*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place shallots and wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over eggs. Beat lightly, then beat in cream, nutmet, and wine-shallot mixture, respectively.

Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over the pastry shell. Pour in custard mixture.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and firm in center. Let rest 5-10 minutes before cutting.

*Note: This recipe will fill 2 8-inch shells, but reduce baking time.

Serves 6 as entree, 12 as a 1st course.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes

This is a quite classic dish which used to be served in every hotel dining room across the continent as Shrimp Cocktail. A few decades ago everybody served the shrimps mixed with the cocktail sauce (Marie Rose) on a fine chiffonade of lettuce leaves, and the whole spectacle was served in ice cream or Coupe Bowl. The coupe bowls are now kind of cool and retro again, you can even buy beautifull colored ones in one of my favorite shops, Scandium on Marylebone High Street. You can also use them for floating candles or coupe Denmark (vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, drizzled with loads of hot chocolate sauce, so yummy) In whichever dish this is served, it is a all time favorite. Check out Simon Hopkinson’s and Lindsey Bareham’s book The Prawn Cocktail Years…)

Anyway, “Our shrimp cocktail” is a version from Chef Michel with kind of a new twist, quite interesting I also find that it reflects some of his travels. i.e. he was in Mexico before = with avocado and some lime juice. It’s a fabulous simple starter dish and so many people asked for the recipe that I thought to post it now.

Click here for the recipe: Shrimp Cocktail

One of my favourite meals that I try to serve every year is Fondue Chinoise! What makes this meal so special is that everyone takes their time eating it, leaving more time for conversation. (Depending on your guests, I guess this could be a good or a bad thing!) Although very popular in Switzerland as a Christmas dinner, this fondue extraordinaire actually originated I am quite certain in the Far East. I have many a memory of sitting along the sea in Kota Kinabalu on the island of Borneo, in one of my favourite local restaurants, perspiring like a madwoman as I consumed the local catch-of-the-day. The perspiration was due partly to the high temperature and humidity, but mostly because the soup stock I chose was Thom yum (one of my all-time favourites). Thom yum is a spicy lemon grass/lime-leaf based soup, which is a staple food consumed in Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand.

Getting back to the Swiss version: the stock should be either chicken or beef. You’ll need one or more fondue pots, depending on the number of guests. I suggest one pot for 4 to 5 people. I prepare platters of thinly sliced chicken, beef, veal, and if you so desire fish (cod works well; you can also use prawns). Just as in an ordinary fondue, skewers are used to cook the meat in the broth.

But the brilliance is actually all in the sauce (and of course, the quality of the produce you purchase). The following are my suggested sauce recipes for dipping your meat into…. (more…)