Fernandez & Leluu

Ski series - Recipe: Crispy Chicken Skins, garnished w/ Nasturtiums and Cress Shoots

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:06:00 +0000

This tasty little number is something that one of the chefs I was living with in Verbier rattled off at me while we were sat on the balcony of our digs. In fairness I changed it a little to make it look nicer : )

amuse bouche - crispy chicken skins with cress shoots

Sounded nice so I gave it a try. Works for cured meats and sausages, pancetta, Parma ham, bacon, chorizo, pave etc. A honey coating works well with the bacons, and depending on what you're serving, they make a really tasty garnish or amuse bouche. Adjust the cooking time and temperature if you have thicker slice - longer and lower!

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab a Supper Club in London - Aldgate East at Toynbee hall, follow his new blog and the rest of this recipe here . . .

Check out what people are saying about it HERE!

Check out the new menu here : )

balcony view from our digs in Verbier

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab a Supper Club in London - Aldgate East at Toynbee hall, follow his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk check out what people are saying about it HERE!

Basic Vietnamese Herbs In My Kitchen (& Chilli)

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:28:00 +0000

By Leluu

I am no longer updating this blog. Please follow me here: www.leluu.com

The Vietnamese use herbs in abundance. They don't just sprinkle a little on here and there, they use it like salad leaves and they love their herbs. The general term for herbs is "rau thơm" meaning, fragrant leaves. Full of perfume, flavour and health benefits herbs are used in almost every savoury dish I can think of. Coriander, sweet basil and mint are the most common herbs you can buy, so if in doubt or you can't find the required herbs use those. READ MORE HERE

Recipe: Never Mind the Bollocks

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:28:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Photography Fredrik Solstad (unless otherwise stated)

cuisine is an act of love . . .

Well, the last three weeks have been a bit of a nightmare, thus the lack of posts. The first of the three saw me resurrecting a software project I had been working on when I started Fernandez and Leluu, I didn't want to see a project I'd put so much work into die so I thought I'd put together "a guide", basically, architecture documents for the software I'd written, for the guys who said they'd take it over. I sat down to "rehydrate" the software process, i.e. read my notes, get my head around where I was with the design and update the docs for folk to run with. It would only take a day or so. (honest) Crap! I'd forgotten how much code there was, larger crap, crap no.2 my notebook decided to die, hard disc and DVD drive failure, . . . . . arse biscuits! I'll post a recipe on those later, a recipe that matures in the mail! I won't bore you with the details but needless to say it wasted a lot of my time that week. Got it all together just in time to make sure the supper club went without a hitch, in fact, the comments and feedback were really very good. It was held at Toynbee Hall: Here's what folks said.

I didn't really have time to breathe after that since I'd offered to help with another event. Anyway the following 8 days turned out to be rather more gruelling than I imagined. I'm not a complainer I get on and get things done! (I have to admit I can get a bit distracted by blue sky thinking) but when you have 40-50 people waiting for dinner in the banqueting hall there' isn't a lot of opportunity for that. (It's already been done!)

I have to be frank though - this week's events have left me feeling more than a little "I told you so" than I'm comfortable with, and the result is I've slept very little this bank holiday weekend. Partly because I had so much to do and partly because I've been so mindful about the future.

It was only last night I realised I had an extra day this weekend to get things done. I think this morning some part of me just thought "fuck it, I think it's time to re-assess, have a look over the last 9 months (squeeeeze - puff puff - hooo hooo - sweat puff hoo - screeee . . . pop . . . . whuar whuar whuar - it's a boy! ) Where did that come from???"

So I thought I'd look through this year's not yet finished posts (all in various stages of disarray - and morcilla is coming next I promise @donalde @finandflounder @brunofrenchbake) and I came across the photos taken by Fredrik Solstad who'd come along to one of the banquets that I'd been meaning to write up . . . much better than I could take - obviously - and I think captured the mood quite well!

Reflecting . . .

cracking evening - it's always the guests who complete the atmosphere - electric

ingredients (serves: as many socially-minded, tolerant people as will fit in the room!)

for the kitchen (maybe FoH too)
1 KP / solicitor (with a sense of humour - Bernard CAB)
1 writer & graduate chef (Jen's great blog here: Hungry Tiger Thirsty Dragon)
1 writer (Iranian "humour saucier" - Sabrina Ghayour)
1 writer / pastry chef (Susan's buzzing blog here: Susan Eats London)
1 superb photographer (Fredrik Solstad)
1 cracking journalist (Nilas Johnsen)
1 well planned menu (ahem err, me)
1 ferdie (to prop up the front door, yip that was me too!)

for the banqueting hall
2 FoH / trainee chef
40 guests (all in - as it a happens - a great mood)
Some tunes (chosen by the guests - always uber varied!)

Nice table decor, place settings etc.

there's 40 people right behind me waiting for the 1st course! it's all totally under control! honest! : )

seconds later getting that steak out for the 1st course

assembly: sabrina, jen, me and bernard keeping the whole place spotless - trooper

a light fillet of beef and roast baby pepper starter with rosemary infused crusty bread

champagne vanilla and pear married w/ serrano and a little punch of water cress

cut here, here & here. be gentle accurate and fast susan! puff of deep sea essence emanates from the crab pot

steamed using white wine, succulent, sweet, style and substance served w/ jus of blended oysters king crab & samphire

i'm going in for the crab, it doesn't look so bad you know! ; )

patience and time - hours later

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk

Check out what people are saying about it HERE!
Check out the new menu here : )


this is the perfect roast potato - we never let them leave the lab - for our guests only! - there's a potato detector on the exit

passion fruit sorbet, white choclit & whiskey sauce w/ banana tatin

for the garnish
A jolly good mood from everyone,
1 chef wandering the banquet hall to find out what peoples favourites were.

what could go wrong?
Now there's a question!! There's always a snag list on the whiteboard!
Bit by bit it's been getting smaller, and the balance between snags and missing stock has been getting smaller!

Needless to say, if I let lots of small set backs get on top of me - a couple of weeks back some idiot drops a stone onto my windscreen as I drive under an underpass at 70(ahem)mph - the car's got a problem with the electrics so when it rains the windows and the sunroof open and it won't start! - just read a post on another web site that's a rehash of one of my own [I guess copying is the greatest form of flattery] - mindless trolling etc etc etc . . . .

Ah well . . . . Never Mind the Bollocks!!!

I'll leave you with a question, I was wandering around a historic castle recently and I noticed a piece of chewing gum stuck to one of the pieces of artwork. I couldn't believe my eyes! Some people are simply without any moral fibre whatsoever! Nothing really surprises me anymore and I wonder if I'm just getting a little jaded!? As I ambled about the magnificent building I wondered how someone could possibly justify such an act. "That man offered me £50, mum" said this 8 year old behind me. Now I don't think the two incidents were associated, but imagine they were:

Is being offered £50 justification enough to stick chewing gum to a piece of 200 year old art, or someone's skirt or anything at all?

? ? ?

~
~~~~~~~~~~=======~~~~~~~~~~
~

He was a bit too big for my domestic oven so I did him in two halves . . . This one's one of my menu development snaps I'll post more later . . .


COMING SOON - roast suckling pig - i think I'll put it on for new year with the alaskan king crab!

Verdens Gang Article

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk check out what people are saying about it HERE!

Recipe By Leluu "Bò Kho"- Vietnamese Beef Stew

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:54:00 +0000

By Leluu
Fernandez & Leluu no longer work together, I have moved to www.leluu.com - please follow my blog posts there.

The ultimate comfort food, usually served for breakfast in Vietnam as it is spicy and sensual with star anise, cumin, cloves and chilli to wake any senses. Bò Kho is usually eaten with a fresh baguette, the sauce is perfect for dipping and scooping or it can also be served over cold flat rice noodles (hủ tiếu) or vermicelli (bún) with beansprouts, plenty of fresh herbs and the essential squeeze of lime for a perfect fresh zingy balance.

Vietnamese food is brilliant at being light and fresh. Despite the richness of the stew, it is contrasted and balanced with fresh, crunchy ingredients - making every morsel tasty and diverse!

This beef stew must have been inspired by the French boeuf bourguignon! as it is slowly cooked with all its ingredients humming away. Water or coconut juice is usually used but I decided to add cider which seemed to work perfectly. If you were going to use coconut juice, then add less sugar as the juice is usually sweet already. READ MORE HERE

Basics - Recipe: Liquorice Powder (Baked Liquorice Root)

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:59:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

This is an interesting ingredient I started experimenting with for a Jamie Oliver fundraiser last March, I think it pairs fabulously with uncooked tomato, so I dust steak with it and serve it with a white tomato emulsion giving a fantastic mouthful of flavours. I’ll add links to the Jamie thing and the emulsion as I put them up, if you’d like to know about one of them in particular just pop a comment on the end of this post! Anyhoo, a number of people have been asking about where I get the liquorice powder. Short answer is, I make it! Here’s how . . .

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk

Check out what people are saying about it HERE!
Check out the new menu here : )

Liquorice in raw format - liquorice roots!

ferdiesfoodlab liquorice dusted forerib of beef - rib in! Beautiful feast cut!

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk check out what people are saying about it HERE!

Recipe: How To Make A Bánh Mì

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:05:00 +0000

By Leluu - I have moved to www.leluu.com please follow my blog posts there

'Bánh mì' is a Vietnamese baguette, it was inspired by the French and has become a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. A typical banh mi contains some of the most flavoursome combination of ingredients. The perfect equilibrium of sweet and sour crunchy carrot and daikon, a salty smooth velvety smear of pate with umani BBQ pork cuts and cooling fresh coriander and cucumber among a spicy chilli sauce makes this a quintessential bite.

The Vietnamese baguette has a light crunchy exterior and is delicately fluffy inside. Some describe it as biting into crispy air! As with most of Vietnamese cuisine, the lightness of ingredients is vital to one's enjoyment as no one relishes in being weighed down. The dough in the centre of the baguette is usually removed so that all that you bite into is the lovely light crisp crust to reach the sensational filling.

READ MORE HERE

SURPRISE!! : ) Birthday Party @ferdiesfoodlab

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:42:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Well, what can I say what a great party!! On Thursday last just before the Easter weekend, in cahoots with Preet (birthday boy's lovely wife) I endeavoured to put together a fabulous TOP SECRET banquet. I've organised a few surprise parties in my time. I remember one in particular for an old girlfriend. I was getting a few too many calls, generating some awkward questions from my in danger of not being surprised girlfriend!! All sorts of things can go wrong, it's like herding cats, getting everyone in the right place for the right time without arousing suspicion ain't always easy!!!

I'm glad to say Preet managed a very tight campaign!! ; ) All the specials, allergy info and seating plan was done well ahead of time. All the guest arrived at the main entrance hall well on time for pre-surprise drinks and mingling . . .

HE'S COMING!!
(MOUNTING THE SURPRISE)

As the time approached the lights were turned off and and folks retreated into the shadows of the large hall assuming their surprise pounce positions . . . whuar har har!!

Check out the full post and the new menu www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk

Check out what people are saying about it HERE!

Uh oh I've been papped! Busted!! Are you sure it was that big?

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk check out what people are saying about it HERE!

Leluu At The Food Revolution Day

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:06:00 +0000

By Leluu
Join me for a special Vietnamese cooking class on Sunday 20th May at Fifteen for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day where I will be passing on some of my Vietnamese food knowledge so that we can all make it and enjoy it at home. Book online and donate here

Ski Series Recipe: Chorizo Crisps w/ Balsamic & Pomegranate Dressing served w/ Oyster Mushroom Noisette

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 19:18:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

I threw this one together one evening when I realised I'd missed the starter section on my shopping list that afternoon, luckily we were in week 3 and by now I had built up a bit of a larder, had a few stock items, and some backup courses!

Second Attempt - A touch less on the chorizo and next time perfect!

Check out the full post and recipe at www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk

Check out what people are saying about it HERE!

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk check out what people are saying about it HERE!

Recipe: Bun Bo Hue By Leluu

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:50:00 +0000

By Leluu
I have moved to www.leluu.com please follow my blog posts there

Oxtail and pig’s trotter noodle soup with fragrant lemongrass, beef, banana blossom and hot mint.

Originates from Hue, The Central Highlands - where my grandmother comes from. Some would favourite this noodle soup over Pho.

This is what my grandmother used to make in Saigon, in the front entrance of our house. It was a time after the war in the late seventies. The communists took away everything anyone had. My uncle had been captured when he tried to escape by boat and was sent to a prison/ concentration camp. My grandparents had to earn enough money to make the visits to bring him food (they only served a spoonful of rice with salt in the camps). The journey was so far and difficult.

My grandmother cooked and sold bowls of Bun Bo Hue for breakfast. My uncle promised himself that if he would ever leave the camp, he would re pay my grandparents for visiting him every month. After 2 years imprisonment in a tiny cell with 200 others, he was released. Arriving at the house, no one recognised him. He says it was his gift to be able to perform as a musician and artist what kept him alive in the camp. He then let my grandmother sleep and prepared Bun Bo Hue every morning at 3am in time for breakfast for years to come and she would only serve it to the people who stopped by and ate their breakfast.

You can read more about my uncles' travels and escape here:

The Monsoon, Bun Bo Hue, Elephant Man & My Uncle Thu
Stories from Uncle Thu, His Escape From Vietnam
Blood Cakes & Banana Blossom

This is my mum's recipe, which is just as good, will post my grandmother's another time. (This is without blood-cakes and pigs trotter meat in bowls). READ MORE AT LELUU'S SITE

Recipe: Chicken Fajita By Hello Fresh

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:31:00 +0000

By Leluu

I have moved to www.leluu.com please follow my blog posts there

I was delighted to be sent a box of ingredients to test out some recipes by Hello Fresh - an online company that makes recipes and sends the exact ingredients for you to use. Even the spices are measured out in the exact quantity so if you're not too good at cooking or sometimes over worked and lazy and just want a quick, delicious and healthy meal - this is perfect!

The first recipe I have tried out so far is the Chicken Fajita with Homemade Guacamole. As I have never made this before, (I am not a big fan of Mexican food because I don't like the restaurants I have eaten at in London) I followed the easy to follow recipe card. It took me about 15 minutes to do and I was so surprised how good it tasted. My mum loved it!

This recipe below is from Hello Fresh, instead of using a dash of water to cook the chicken, I used a good quality white wine and also a pinch of sugar in the onion/ peppers and chicken. READ MORE

Roux At The Landau

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:15:00 +0000

By Leluu
I have moved to www.leluu.com - please follow my blog posts there

It had been three years and a bit since The Guitarist and I had met for lunch. Since then he got married and I changed my career from fashion maker to a writing photographing cook. And so the time was due and he asked me out for lunch. Where shall we go? (Always a question on the lips of friends).

I suggested, The Roux At The Landau - at the Langham Hotel - Albert Roux & Michel Roux Jnr's first collaboration in 19 years. Michel Roux's protégé, Chris King, Head Chef would be cooking our lunch.

The young, handsome and charming Chris King is only 28 years old and has achieved a world of experience that any budding chef could only dream about! After writing to Michel Roux via his website to ask how one could get into cooking, Roux replied within days, offering him a few days work experience at Le Gavroche.

READ MORE HERE

Recipe: Cambodian Seared Beef Salad with Lime, Coriander & Peanuts served with Chips (AKA Steak, Chips & Peas)

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:07:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

This recipe is inspired by my travels in Cambodia. I can't claim to be able to get hold of any prahoc, but I can claim to have been exposed to a serene culture, with an amazing and, frankly, dark past. I have mixed memories of land mine museums, electric bicycles, and the most friendly population I've ever encountered on my travels. Recovering from a pretty grim past I found the Cambodian people really welcoming. What to see? Jungle, elephants, amazing stonework sculpture and temples.

We'll take you to the floating village - come with us!! - Little monkeys! (in lids look!)

Angkor Wat popping out of the jungle - although I didn't know it at the time, this was to be one of the happiest holidays of my life!

Now that's and explosion of flavours, sharp and light!

Personally, I don't mind a few chilli seeds in my salad. If you're not of that persuasion, cut the stalk end of the chilli off at it's widest point, roll it between your index finger and thumb to release the seeds, then slice it into rings.

Coarsely chop the peanuts with a knife or with a couple of pulses of your blender. Do not powder them! They contribute a great texture and flavour, if there are quarter peanut-sized lumps in there that's great!!
The coriander is fine torn by hand, stalks and all!!

I have to be honest - the food in Cambodia was a pretty hit and miss thing! This one sticks in my memory, I tried to get the recipe from the chef, a little old Cambodian woman, but it was a hopeless task since we had no common language (except food) whatsoever. I had to do a little research to get it right, but it's pretty faithful! It's mostly about the sauce, great depth!

Check out the full post and recipe at www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk

Check out what people are saying about it HERE!


That's an elephant's arse!! How did that get in there?

Simon Fernandez now runs ferdiesfoodlab in Aldgate East at Toynbee hall follow the his new blog here www.ferdiesfoodlab.co.uk check out what people are saying about it HERE!

The Corner Room At The Town Hall Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:17:00 +0000

By Leluu
I have moved to www.leluu.com please follow my posts there

Octopus w potato & hazelnut milk

If one day, my pocket allows me to eat regularly at Viajante - I would be a frequent flyer. I love the challenges you get there and dinning becomes more of an experience as well as a gift to the mouth. However, presently it doesn't allow so I have The Corner Room - a beautiful and quirky breakfast room at The Town Hall Hotel in the local of my area - Bethnal Green. See here for my tour with Nuno Mendes. READ MORE HERE at Leluu's site

seabass ceviche

Do Snails Have Teeth? . . . Interview with Tony Vaughan from L'Escargot Anglaise

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

. . . and a recipe by Tony Vaughan

Do snails have teeth?

This is Simon Fernandez, asking the tough questions for ferdiesfoodlab! ; ) I've been looking around for different ingredients recently, and I thought I might look into snails. Anyone that does any poking around, will quickly find out that a lot of restaurants in the UK, are supplied from a company based in Hereford, in the nearby village at Credenhill called L'Escargot Anglaise, run by a guy called Tony Vaughan, so I thought I'd go and check it out, pick his brains and maybe a snail or 2 out of their shells!

The main varieties that are farmed and eaten are the African snail - Achatina achatina, and the garden snail - Helix Aspera.

To give you a sense of scale this snail is centre frame next image (left side)

I'd not really thought about how snails start off life, very small, that they fire darts at each other, or how big they could get, or if they have teeth! For the low down on what I found out on my visit to Credenhil in Herefordshire . . . . . follow me to ferdiesfoodlab!

Did you know for example there are snails on the planet whos shells can grow up to 1ft in length?

Recipe: Vietnamese (Frozen) Yoghurt

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:21:00 +0000

By Leluu
I have moved to www.leluu.com. Please follow my blog posts there

'Da Ua' [Pronounce: like the french yaourt]

There is something incredibly addictive and delicious about Vietnamese yoghurt, it deceivingly looks like plain old natural yoghurt in a jar but its far from what we get in the West - that sour, heavy and boring flavour, tart as a knife on your tongue! making your face crunch in dispute.

Vietnamese yoghurt has a light texture and consistency, tasting every bit perfect in balance of sweet and sour, tanging your appetite with the most hankering desire to have more. READ MORE

Recipe: Pancakes with Snowburst Nectarines and Basil and Grapefruit Syrup

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:09:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Pancakes! King of comfort foods. My mum recalls, when the family were living in the worst house they'd lived in, with a tiny little kitchen, how this was one thing that everyone liked! How they'd all be gathered in the living room waiting for my gran to come through to them with a stack of lovely pancakes ready to be rolled by all the eager beavers, including granddad!! We didn't have lemon in those days!!! Bit too sophisticated!! (this was the late fifties!)

Pancakes, I'm sure, are ingrained in all our childhood memories. Comforting times for the lucky!

I have similar, warm memories of wide-eyed expectation, sitting at the kitchen table waiting for my moist pancake, made juicy with a little sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Wow!! This was one of the first things I learn't how to make - batter!!!

Pancakes with Snowburst Nectarine and Basil and Grapefruit Syrup

For me a good pancake has a little thickness to it, at least 3mm. With a light, moist texture so that it rolls up into a proper pancake. A pancake that oozes tasty juices onto your tongue as you bite into it!! It should have a lovely golden colour and not look all pasty and anaemic, and it should definitely not be rubbery!

What is it with pancakes? The first one always seems to go a bit wrong? Maybe something to do with judging the amount required for whatever mad batter mix has been concocted on the fly this time round!!

For a tip of how to keep your basil healthy, and how to make classic and Snowburst pancakes . . . . . follow me to ferdiesfoodlab!

Basics - Recipe: Fermented Garlic Butter Stack - Black Garlic

noreply@blogger.com (Fernandez & Leluu) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:36:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

I came across fermented garlic, also know as black garlic in the kitchen at the Chancery when helping out Sabrina Ghayour doing the charity event: The French Laundrette Supper Club the proceeds of which went to Action Against Hunger. Post about that coming soon!

It's garlic, but not as we know it!! Find out more at ferdiesfoodlab . . .

A Day In The Life Of An Apprentice At Fifteen

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:26:00 +0000

By Leluu
I have moved to www.leluu.com please follow my posts there

"I used to watch Jamie's 30 Minute Meals when I was inside," says Kevin McBarron, 22, "I was put on the hot plate duty where I would make lunches for the other prisoners and that was what inspired me to change my life."

From the age of 15, when he first got arrested, Kevin had been in and out of prison. "When I first went in, for about four months, I was involved in fights and had trouble and I hadn't learnt anything. I was just 18 years old, so I kept getting put back into prison and after the forth time, the last time, I knew I had to change my life."

READ MORE

Vietnamese Beef Ragu With Vermicelli Salad

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:10:00 +0000

Leluu has moved to www.leluu.com
Please follow there

Vietnamese Beef Ragu With Vermicelli, Mint, Onions and Coriander

Recipe: Black Garlic King Prawn Kebab w/ Cucumber & Lime

noreply@blogger.com (ferdiesfoodlab) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:28:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Due to some bad planning and a rather rushed weekend I managed to end up with a rather large handful of uncooked shell-on king prawns I had to cook. That, or they would have gone to waste! Now I don't believe in wasting anything, and I try and find good ways of preserving if possible: freezing, curing, whatever makes most sense. In this case I had some stunning ingredients left over from the supper club so I thought I'd treat my flatmates to some special kebabs!!

Here's what I made for them . . . . .

Lemon oil, black garlic and prawns are a fabulous combination of flavours!!

New York, I Love You

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:57:00 +0000

By Leluu
I have moved to www.leluu.com - please follow there as I no longer post here

View from The New Yorker Hotel

I wanted to leave the room quietly and close the door behind me so I flew away, to New York. Although it was just for one week, it was enough to rejuvenate and reflect on things behind the door and things in the new room. Manhattan seemed to be the perfect place for it, "concrete jungle where dreams are made of." READ MORE

Recipe / Leftovers: Celeriac and Potato Rösti

noreply@blogger.com (ferdiesfoodlab) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:14:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Still learning from me mum! Perfect rostis!!

Cooking is a lot to do with confidence, and, usually, that comes with experience. A random accident, phone call or some sort of improvisation that takes your fancy - basically experimentation - although often a recipe wrecker can some yield a cracking result!!

But there are some recipes that no matter how many times you try them the result is still a turkey where no turkey was initially involved!! Sooner or later, crestfallen from the lack of progress, you give up on something maybe never to return to it again!! Filed as an Achilles heal : /

Röstis are that thing for me, they never come out, tried loads of recipes and they always come out like nasty, dry pancakes, boo! So you can imagine my flabergastedlyness when my mum turned out some stunners to go along with the leftover turkey pie I made over the Christmas break.

There was turkey left over from Christmas day, and pastry from the sausage rolls, it was a no brainer, turkey pie! Angels singing in the background, hallelujah . . hallelujah, hallelujah : ) big smiles!

A quick bit of industrial espionage - in the shape of me getting me mum to show me how to make them - and here's the low down. . .

Recipe: Canh Chua

noreply@blogger.com (LELUU) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:39:00 +0000

By Leluu - I have moved from this site to www.leluu.com - please follow my posts there

Canh Chua is one of my favourite Vietnamese soups. Always best when my mother makes it and we share it together over some steamed rice. The whole fish then goes into a separate plate with good fish sauce and crushed birsdeye chillis. Its a sweet, sour and hot fish soup. Sometimes, I even use chicken stock instead of water to give it more depth. It is very quick to prepare and it always reminds me of my mum's happy face, the sunshine and being in Vietnam - standing at the edge of water, on sand and flying my kite.

Continue Reading Recipe Here

Experiment: Lemon Biscotti (Angel Eyes & Hell Boy pt II)

noreply@blogger.com (ferdiesfoodlab) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:20:00 +0000

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab (check here for Angel Eyes, and Hell Boy pt I)

This recipe is a great way to introduce kids to cooking and what a result! A fantastic biscuit that looks hard to make but is simplicity itself!

At this point in my culinary career I'd not really made biscotti before, so it was basically a test run. Now I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm doing test runs I like to have tight control over ingredients, quantities, temperatures, times, shelves, pan types, etc. In other words, I want the result, be it a cricket bat, or the lightest crumbliest sublime biscuit, to be reproducible if nothing else!

So off I went to my friends in the country. What better fun than to make some biscotti with the kids? Or so I thought!

I prepped up the ingredients and got in my master sous chefs for a baking bonanza!

I'd forgotten how excitable youngsters can be - before I knew what was going on there were all sorts of things flying into the mixing bowl at completely inappropriate times, mixing spoons, nuts, what this? baking powder? let's have some! bosh!

Once I gave in to the concept that making biscotti with 2 youngsters, was NO place for the ordered kitchen mind of the ferdie, and just went with it, I had a great time and so did they!

And I found out that this recipe will always give you something resembling a biscotti no matter what you do! It might also resemble a cricket bat, but hey, it'll be an edible cricket bat . . he . . he!

What's all this mess? - err, uh, oh. . .

Uh ooh!! "Has he seen us?"

Meanwhile . . . back at the lab, a few test runs later . . . the COMPLETE recipe