I would like to thank Chef Carlos for taking time out to answer 5 Questions and wish him all the best in his new role.
Sunday, 22 April 2018
5 Questions - Chef Carlos Ragone, Head Chef at The Four Seasons Hotel, St Fillans, Perthshire
I would like to thank Chef Carlos for taking time out to answer 5 Questions and wish him all the best in his new role.
Thursday, 19 April 2018
Celebrate the Royal Wedding with Jawbox LOVE CLUB cocktail
- 50ml Jawbox Small Batch Gin
- 10ml Lemon juice
- 5ml Grenadine
- 10ml Sweet Vermouth
- 1 Egg white
- Redcurrants to garnish
- Dry shake all the ingredients for about 30 seconds
- Add ice and shake again until cold
- Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with red currants.
Nepali chef serves Midlothian a Scottish curry king double
Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Hotel Review - DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh - Queensferry Crossing, North Queensferry
Towards the end of last year, myself and Nicola were invited to dine at The Shore Grill & Fish House in North Queensferry. The restaurant is housed within the newly refurbished DoubleTree By Hilton Edinburgh - Queensferry Crossing hotel and in order to make the most of our visit, we were offered the chance to stay overnight at the hotel too.
Upon arrival, we were immediately impressed by the huge reception area which looked very modern in style with marble tiling, floor to ceiling windows complete with comfy armchairs which offered prime viewing on to the recently completed Queensferry Crossing. The check-in process was quick and efficient and after a few short minutes we were upstairs and unpacking our overnight case.
Our room was a good size with a queen size bed dominating the floor space while one corner was occupied by a desk area that could be used by business people to catch up on work while the other corner had a wall mounted TV and armchair. There was no shortage of wardrobe space, even taking into consideration the space taken up by the minibar and electronic safe. One of my pet hates when staying at some large hotels is having to call down to reception to request an iron & ironing board, thankfully there were no such concerns here and as Nicola enjoyed her nap, I was able to iron our clothes for dinner.
The room was clean and comfortable however due to the minimalistic décor, we both felt that the room was more suited to traveling business people or those looking to use the hotel as a base for the nearby transport links to Edinburgh or the surrounding coastal area.
The same can’t be said for the bathroom! If I was redecorating at home, this is exactly how I would do my bathroom. Grey slate floor and wall tiles were used to great effect to create a bathroom that would fit in any home. A huge marble sink and massive illuminated mirror screamed for attention whilst a wooden slatted area underneath provided plenty of storage space. The monsoon shower packed a huge pressure punch, which was perfect to blast the cobwebs away the morning after the night before.
After a cracking sleep in a very comfy bed, we woke early to be treated to a beautiful view of the two road bridges over The Forth from our bedroom window.
Feeling suitable fed and watered, we made our way back to the room to finishing packing then it was back downstairs for a speedy checkout. The hotel is just a short drive to the quiet town of North Queensferry so as we had never been in this part of the world before, we drove into the town before parking up for a quick photo opportunity. (I may have photoshopped my original image just a little)
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
The Milk Sommelier X Dear Green
Graham’s the Family Dairy & Dear Green whip up milk and coffee pairings
For UK Coffee Week (16 – 22 April 2018), Graham’s is on a mission to help coffee-lovers get a latte more from their pour - as the UK’s first and only Milk Sommelier paired up with top coffee roaster Dear Green to match their award-winning milk with coffee from various countries around the world.
Last year, Graham’s Milk Sommelier Doug Wood, turned his expert nose to everyone’s favourite House White to identify the notes and flavours present in some of Graham’s creamiest milks, from white chocolate and vanilla to almond and grassy tones.
Like coffee, milk has its own distinct flavour wheel. The flavours of a brewed espresso can be elevated through frothed milk, highlighting the tasting notes of the coffee’s origin and taking your flat white to another level. Accompanied by champion barista Danny Ormonde, the two have bean busy sniffing and slurping their way through Dear Green’s coffees and have carefully chosen milks from the Graham’s range to complement their flavour profiles and maximise those macchiatos.
Doug and Danny’s Tasting Notes and Coffee Pairings:
- Brazilian coffee has a full, rich berry sweetness and praline nuttiness which pairs perfectly with the ‘balanced and fresh’ Organic Semi-Skimmed Milk, which is a full palate with a fragrant offering of buttermilk, vanilla and a touch of almond.
- Guatemalan coffee has excellent cup characteristics with notes of cashew, lime and cacao nibs which has a comparable profile to Semi-Skimmed Milk – a lighter milk that’s full flavoured with grassy notes and a hint of sweetness.
- Colombian coffee beans offer a juicy mouth-watering flavour offering up notes of tropical fruits which pairs well with Gold Top and its fruity undertones and great clarity of flavour.
- Rwandan coffee offers notes of honey, nectarine and chocolate which is elevated through ‘rich and sweet’ Organic Semi-Skimmed Milk with Cream on Top, which is oaty with a touch of almond.
- Kenyan speciality coffee is juicy and complex with flavours of blackberry, honey and citrus blend which is amplified by the bready notes and textured depths of vanilla and toasted nuts of Gold Smooth.
- Ethiopian coffee beans are naturally processed with a slight spritz in texture, releasing nutty flavours with a hint of complex fruit. Perfectly paired with Organic Whole Milk with Cream on Top, which is smooth and creamy with notes of white chocolate, panna cotta and a hint of grass towards the end.
Doug Wood, Graham’s Milk Sommelier added: “Becoming the UK’s first Milk Sommelier has been a whirlwind and working with such a talented barista as Danny has been a great experience. As someone who’s beliefs are rooted in quality and provenance, I am always excited to find like-minded partners who share our passion for discovering new flavours.
“Together, we’ve worked our way through numerous coffee origins, and look forward to hearing from Scotland’s coffee drinkers to see if they enjoy and agree with our pairings.”
Danny Ormonde, Dear Green’s Champion Barista said: “As a barista, milk plays an incredibly important role in serving up the perfect cup for our customers. I always knew fat content played a part in balancing out flavour and acidity in coffee but working with the Milk Sommelier has opened my eyes to complementary tasting notes in milk. We’ve had a great time learning from each other and look forward to collaborating more in the future.”
If you would like to create your own coffee milk pairings, Graham’s milk is available to purchase across all supermarkets and you can pick up a bag of Dear Green coffee fromwww.deargreencoffee.com. Share your pairings with us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagramusing the hashtag #MilkSommelier.