school of wok: flavours of china and dim sum delicacies.

last weekend i went along to school of wok in london for a dim sum delicacies course that tested my tastebuds, sharpened up my knife skills and expanded my knowledge of chinese cuisine. 

this cookery course was everything you could ask for; including a tour around china town, learning how to shop for and select the best ingredients, where to find kitchen tools and how to use them, knife and preparation skills and of course the best lesson ... on how to devour a chinese feast with a glug of specially paired wine.

wasabi and watercress pesto salmon.

a japanese inspired alternative to classic pesto which works well with fish, this recipe can also be adapted for a vegan, vegetarian or dairy free diet. my favourite way to use this pesto is to mix with panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle on salmon. for a vegetarian version you could try out with tofu or aubergine and for a vegan version you could omit the parmesan cheese in the recipe. 

amalfi white, melbourne, derbyshire.

with an italian brasseire restaurant, prosecco and cocktail bar, an opulent ballroom and even a cookery school, the newly opened amalfi white in melbourne has something to allure your tastebuds for all occasions. over the festive period, i happened to visit twice and found this out for sure. my dad, who often spends christmas abroad, booked a weekend lunch sitting to enjoy a family meal before he went off to sunny madeira. coincidentally, myself and school friends arranged an evening catch up over cocktails just days after. 

happy new year!

happy new year! wow it's 2014 - how did that happen? to mark the start of a new year on the blog, i thought i'd do a month by month round up of my 2013 recipe posts. hope you enjoy :)

january
for christmas i was lucky enough to receive perhaps one of my favourite presents to date - a pasta machine! so january, and the rest of the year really, was full of many attempts at homemade pasta.