If you are like me, you are spreading yourself thin, especially at this time of year.  Aren’t you exhausted from Christmas shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking and cooking..? I know I am! The thought of trying to be creative when entertaining is equally draining.  Right about now I am sure a few suggestions on some saucy dishes to serve up for the holidays would come in handy.

From now until the New Year we would like to provide you with some recipe ideas, quick tips on shopping and preparation for your holiday feast.  So let’s start with the basics…are you thinking turkey, roast…or perhaps seafood?

Let me start you off with one of the best chicken dishes I have ever tasted! This outstanding dish - Chicken with figs - was served to me about 15 years ago at a dinner party in California, and it has remained one of my favourites ever since.

I just think it’s nice to have an alternative to the traditional turkey dinner…why not give this remarkable dish a go!

Chicken with figs:

The flavour and appearance of this dish are equally spectacular.  Marinated overnight, the fruit plumps and the chicken becomes tender and moist.  Madeira, sugar, and pecans finish off this version of an old Silver Palate favourite.

2 chickens (2 and a half to 3 pounds each), cut into 8 pieces each
6 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup best-quality olive oil
4 teaspoons green peppercorns (packed in water), drained
1 cup imported black olives
1 and a half cups dried apricots
1 cup dried small figs or large fig pieces
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Madeira
1 cup large pecan pieces
Grated zest of 2 lemons

1. One day before serving, combine the chicken, garlic, thyme, cumin, ginger, salt, vinegar, oil, peppercorns, olives, apricots, and figs in a large bowl.  Marinate covered in the refrigerator overnight.  Remove the bowl from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

3. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a large shallow baking pan.  Spoon the marinade mixture evenly over the chicken.  Sprinkle with the sugar and pour the Madeira between the pieces.

4. Cover the pan with aluminium foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake, basting frequently with the pan juices, until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a sharp skewer, 40 to 50 minutes.

5. Using a fork and slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, olives, and dried fruit to a large serving platter.  Drizzle with a few large spoonfuls of the pan juices and sprinkle with the pecans.  Sprinkle the lemon zest over all.  Pass the remaining pan juices in a sauce boat.

(6 portions)

We believe in gently stirring the pot to get the ingredients just right!  We launched our soft-opening of the CBC about 3 weeks ago and have enjoyed meeting some of you at our first book launch. For those of you who have attended our recent event evenings, we hope you enjoyed taking part in them as much as we enjoyed hosting them.

We will be operating in full-swing by mid-March 2007, which is timed to coincide with the Grande opening celebration of the InterContinental Park Lane.  In the meantime, we look forward to mixing and mingling with you at our upcoming events.  And don’t forget to post your thoughts and comments as we progress into the new year.

Following are some of the highlights of our upcoming events for the remainder of 2006 and into 2007.  Keep checking into our daily blog for detailed information on these events, and possible changes to the program. Read the rest of this entry

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

James Bond first ordered his trademark drink when he met CIA agent Felix Leiter in an early chapter in Ian Fleming’s debut Novel Casino Royale, first published in 1953. And here is the extract of Fleming’s book if you didnt get time to read it yet:

“‘A dry martini,’ he said. ‘One. In a deep champagne goblet.’
‘Oui, monsieur.’
‘Just a moment. Three measures of gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?’
‘Certainly, monsieur.’ The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
‘Gosh, that’s certainly a drink,’ said Leiter.
Bond laughed. ‘When I’m . . . er . . . concentrating,’ he explained, ‘I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink’s my own invention. I’m going to patent it when I can think of a good name.’

‘Vesper,’ she said. ‘Vesper Lynd.’… She smiled. ‘Some people like it, others don’t. I’m just used to it.’
‘I think it’s a fine name,’ said Bond. An idea struck him. ‘Can I borrow it?’ “

So next time out with your friends, order a Vesper rather then a Watermelon Martini, the Vesper is  in the know , Watermelon out of season anyway. Kina Lillet was created at the end of the 19th century in where wine-based tonics flavoured with quinine were popular. The same tonic which is used in Tonic water, and Gin and Tonic, and the Vesper Martini with Gin and Kina Lillet The ingredient acts as a muscle relaxant and has been used for centuries to treat malaria.

PS: we can arrange a Cocktail Masterclass for you and your friends where everybody gets behind the bar to shake his own drink(s) with our mixologists.

My favourite Christmas movie ever - is Elf! And to quote my favourite little guy, Buddy…

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!”

Well, we intend to do just that at this year’s CBC kids holiday baking event.

When I was a child, every holiday season my Mom and I made homemade fudge and cookies, which my brother and I would elaborately decorate and then deliver to family and friends in tins. I have since carried on this tradition with my own children, and thought you might want to share this annual event with your family.

What better gift can a child give their grandparents and relatives, than something made from their own little hands and heart?

CBC has organised a very special Christmas event for children between the ages of 6-14. Each child will have the opportunity to bake (with a little assistance from our chefs) a brimming tin-full of Christmas cookies or homemade fudge. And what makes this gift even more unique is that each child will be able to decorate their own cookie/candy tin with holiday ornaments which will remain a keepsake for years to come.
The event takes place on Saturday, December 16, 2006 from 3:00 - 5:30pm and costs £25 per child, if you would like to buy additional cookie tins or fudge, it’s £7 per tin. Also in the price included are beverages and light snacks for children,
Champagne and CBC food for attending parents and lots of Christmas cheer and music.The event takes place on Saturday, December 16, 2006 from 3:00 - 5:30pm and costs £25 per child, if you would like to buy additional cookie tins or fudge, it’s £7 per tin. Also in the price included are beverages and light snacks for children,Champagne and CBC food for attending parents and lots of Christmas cheer and music.To join us please contact Sayoko, Clifford or anybody from the CBC team on 0207 318 8563 or by email to hello@cookbookcafe.co.uk

Thanks Stevan Paul for the image.

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.

Next week as of Monday the 27th we will feature the best dishes of our first cookbook featured at the CBC, the new launched Feast, by chef, food writer, and personality Silvena Rowe. Join us on the evening of the 29th of November, for the launch of Silvena Rowe’s newly released book: “Feasts, food for sharing from central and eastern Europe.” Silvena will be present for the featured event, and copies of her book will be available for purchase.