baglioni hotel regina, rome, italy.

Baglioni Hotel Regina is a 5 star hotel in Rome, nearby the Spanish Stairs and the Trevi Fountain. It's located in a rather swish area of the Italian city, Via Veneto, known for boutique shopping and luxury brands. A short walk away from the Spagna Metro station, you'll find the beautiful stone building with a grand entrance, black wrought iron iron detailing and well kept flower boxes. The perfect mix of grandeur, luxury and a touch of Italy.

jus create with jus rol.

I'll be the first to admit that I've never made my own puff pastry. And if you have, I commend you. Time and time again, the likes of Jus Rol or supermarket alternatives have come to my pastry related rescue. I have no problem getting involved with my old friend shortcrust, especially if I want to add crushed pistachios or chocolate to the mixture, or try my hand at vegan and gluten free pastry. 

But if I'm looking for a quick fix for a weeknight recipe or maybe something special, I'm not ashamed to roll out the ready made and get creative. I went along to Ateliers des Chefs for an evening of pastry tips, tricks and most importantly... tasting. Our hosts for the evening were professional chefs Mark Dodson and Sally Abe who were taking on the philosophy - jus create!

paneer and pilau fritters with veetee rice.

These paneer and pilau rice fritters make for the perfect Indian inspired starter, snack or even as Asian style tapas. I've teamed up with Veetee rice to great creative in the kitchen, featuring their super convenient rice flavours as the star ingredient. Made from pilau rice, scatterings of paneer and peas, they're so simple to make, easy to adjust spice levels and are vegetarian and gluten free too. I've teamed the crunchy fritters with a cool and zesty lemon, mint and yogurt dip - with the fresh flavours bringing out the warm Indian spices.

the roman foodie: rome food tours.

During my recent trip to Rome, I was invited along on one of the foodie tours ran by The Roman Foodie and The Roman Guy. There I was, taking to Twitter to share the excitement about my upcoming break, when the lovely lot asked if I'd like to give their local Roman experience a go. Naturally, I accepted the challenge. Who wouldn't want to go on a restaurant crawl around a beautiful Italian city? I hope you aren't hungry, because this post will make you want to book a flight to Rome. Or at the very least, order a pizza.