The London Picnic Club

NEXT ON THE MENU AT THE SKYROOM…

PLATTERFORM PRESENTS THE LONDON PICNIC CLUB

Welcome picnickers, experiential artists Platterform continue their residency at the Skyroom launching straight into their next hotly tipped immersive food and drink adventure - The London Picnic Club, from 25^th July – 11^th August.

Platterform collected the Young British Foodies ‘Best Food Experience’ award earlier this year with their curated events to give diners a memorable, multi-sensory experience; with an aim to surprise and excite audiences, with top quality food and drink at the heart everything they do. Platterform create feasts for all the five senses with performance, space and social interaction.

Running for the duration of the Olympics, the Skyroom will undergo a garden transformation with a difference - a colourful roof top oasis allowing guests to retreat from the London chaos below. Share and enjoy exquisite food and drink presented in the form of charming picnic hampers, take part in garden games, catch a variety of exclusive live musical and theatrical performances or stretch out on blankets and cushions to watch a classic summertime movie at their mini screen on the green.

To celebrate the multi-national appeal of London playing host to the Olympics, Platterform’s new head chef Alejandro Bello (of Ceviche fame) has collected and carefully reinvented select dishes from various corners of the world all assembled beautifully inside an iconic British picnic hamper. Designed as a sharing meal for two or more, expect London Picnic Club hampers to contain innovative tapas style signature hot dishes as well as a fine selection of St. John's Bakery artisanal breads, Neil's Yard Dairy cheeses, Spanish and Italian charcuterie, home-made preserves and dips, fresh fruits and desserts.

Accompanying cocktails take inspiration from the quintessential British Summer garden where Platterform invite creative coffee company Dunne Frankowski to collaborate in developing exclusive serves such as a quirky take on the classic Pimms Cup, aromatic Zacapa rum concoctions to pair with your cheese and refreshing Tanqueray gin and iced tea infusions. Get your friends together and book now for a once in a life time picnic experience.

£35 per person in advance via www.londonpicnicclub.eventbrite.com

Includes guaranteed entry and your complete picnic meal

OR

£5 entry at the door

Hamper snacks and small dishes available for visitors wanting to come up for

drinks and entertainment- subject to availability.

Skyroom opening times:

Wed-Fri 5.30pm-10.30pm

Sat 12pm-10.30pm

Address: 5th Floor Magdalen House, 148 Tooley St, SE1 2TU

Website: www.platterform.com 

Heinz Tomato Ketchup

Heinz Tomato Ketchup - Bursting Full of Tomatoes!

Heinz has its own varieties of plump tomatoes, which it harvests to make its delicious, recognisable and unique Heinz Tomato Ketchup.  These distinctive Heinz tomatoes are lovingly grown and blended into a simple recipe to create one of the UK’s most popular condiments.   Heinz Tomato Ketchup is bursting full of tomatoes – there’s 1/3 of a tomato in every squeeze* - and contains no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or thickeners.

We believe that Heinz’s very own varieties of tomato are just one of the things that make Heinz Tomato Ketchup such a firm family favourite on the dinner table. Tomatoes are the main ingredient in our delicious recipe that makes Heinz Tomato Ketchup the perfect partner for meal times.

A staple on any family dinner table, Heinz Tomato Ketchup has, for many years, been heralded as one of the world’s most recognisable brands. It sells more than 70 million bottles each year across the UK, making it the nation’s favourite ketchup.

So why is it Heinz 57? 

While riding a train in New York City in 1896, Heinz founder Henry J Heinz saw a sign advertising 21 styles of shoes, which he thought was clever. Although Heinz was manufacturing more than 60 products at the time, Henry thought 57 was a lucky number. So, he began using the slogan “57 Varieties” in all his advertising. Today the company has more than 5,700 products around the globe, but still uses the magic number of “57”. 

The slogan ’57 Varieties’ was born and is still featured on Heinz labels to this day. In fact, today Heinz makes and sells around 5,700 varieties. However, 57 is as much a part of the Company as the name itself, and will forever stay so. 

Tremendous Tomato Facts!

Heinz has its very own varieties of tomatoes used in its tomato ketchup

 Heinz Tomato Ketchup has a speed limit. If during manufacturing Heinz Tomato Ketchup pours unaided at more than 0.028mph, it’s rejected

Heinz Tomato Ketchup was originally called Catsup, derived from the Chinese word Koe- chiap

1876 – First secret recipe for Heinz Tomato Ketchup introduced by Heinz seven years after the company’s foundation

Over 10,000 varieties of tomato exist: from tiny “tomberries” about 5mm wide (less than a quarter of an inch) to the Ponderosa variety, which weighs over 1.5kg (over 3lbs)

La Tomatina is an annual festival in Bunol, Spain, where participants throw an estimated 150,000 tomatoes at each other over a week, purely for fun

Tomato seedlings have previously been grown in space.  Heinz Tomato Ketchup has been exclusively approved by NASA for use on the International Space Station!

Tomatoes are actually a fruit and not a vegetable

The largest tomato ever grown covers an area of 56.73 m² according to the Guinness World Records

Heinz Tomato Ketchup contains a third of a tomato in every 15ml squeeze

There are so many varieties of tomato that they can be grown in just about any climate (sandy, dry, moist, or salty) and in almost any soil 

Tomato juice is the official state beverage of Ohio

Heinz BBQ Sauces

New Heinz ‘Classic’ and ‘Sticky’ Barbecue Sauces 

Well its been a bit wet out recently, but I hope that hasn't stopped you from getting together and having a good old British BBQ!

Heinz is ensuring the unreliable British weather doesn’t dampen spirits by introducing new members of the Heinz sauce family which can be enjoyed all year round - Heinz Classic Barbecue Sauce and Heinz Sticky Barbecue Sauce.

We BBQ quite a lot, luckily we have a pull out shelter that keeps us and the food dry ... so I have had a lot of fun reviewing and tasting some new sauces from Heinz.

New Heinz Barbecue Sauces have been made with families in mind, they’re easy to use and can be used in a variety of tasty meals. No longer just for burgers and barbecues, Heinz Barbecue Sauces add a squeeze of excitement and tongue-tingling taste to every meal - particularly chicken dishes, which the sauces complement beautifully.

We tried the Sticky BBQ Sauce on some chicken wings, I followed the recipe and coated the chicken, we left it in the sauce for around 30 minutes (covered and in the fridge) then BBQ'd it till cooked through.  This was the first time I used the sauce so I added all the extra ingredients listed in the recipe below - they were delicious!!!  (I am sorry if the photo is a little blurry as I had to take it using my phone).

Sticky Marinated Chicken Wings

Serves 4

Take:

For the marinade:

10 chicken wings, tips removed and cut in half

A sprinkle of hot chilli powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp runny honey

5 tbsp Heinz Classic Barbecue sauce, and extra to serve

To serve:

400g potato wedges, cooked

75g mixed salad leaves

Parsley or red chilli, chopped

·          Place the chicken wings into a large food bag with the remaining ingredients apart from 2 tablespoons of the Heinz Classic Barbecue sauce and toss together.

·          Seal the bag and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

·          Place on a rack over a baking tray and cook in a preheated 200C, fan 180C, gas 6 oven for 30 minutes, turning half way.

·          Turn the oven up to 240C, fan 220C, gas 9. Brush the wings with the remaining sauce on both sides and bake for a further 10 minutes until sticky.

·          Serve with a pot of Heinz Classic Barbecue sauce to dip the wings into, jacket wedges and leaf salad and garnish the wings with chopped parsley or chopped red chilli for extra spice  

From then on I became lazy and just used the sauce as a brush-on marinade, it was equally as nice and we found that the kids preferred the sauce straight from the bottle rather than with the extra ingredients - us adults preferred the 'posher' version as it had a little more depth to it.

Both the ‘Classic’ and ‘Sticky’ sauces have been created to be thick enough to dip your favourite foods in, yet light enough to be used in mouth watering marinades. Heinz Classic Barbecue Sauce is rich and smokey, perfect for dipping, whereas Heinz Sticky Barbecue Sauce has a gloriously thick texture and Summery flavour, and immediately gives a welcome lift to meals like marinated chicken pieces.

Marinade, dip and cook with Heinz Barbecue Sauce ‘Classic’ or ‘Sticky’ to bring some excitement to tea time. Heinz Barbecue Sauces will sit perfectly in your kitchen cupboard alongside your other Heinz condiments.

For fun and simple, mouth-watering recipe ideas such as Sticky Barbecue Ribs, Ultimate Barbecue Beans  or Marinated Chicken Wings go to www.heinzbarbecue.co.uk   

Heinz Classic Barbecue Sauce RRP £1.79 for a 480g pack
Heinz Sticky Barbecue Sauce RRP £1.79 for a 500g pack

Heinz Barbecue Sauce is available in all major supermarkets.

Get your mitts on!

Get your mitts on!

THE original self tanning mitt has had a make-over, and is relaunching this Spring with a bold and colourful new look, ready to give self tanners a helping hand. Available in a range of bright colours with a fashion pattern detail, tanning mitts now have a fashion edge.

 

The Velvotan™ mitt has revolutionised the fake tan world, leading women nationwide to tanning glory, solving streaking and staining problems and ensuring an even and natural tan every time.

Self-tanners up and down the country have been rescued from DIY bronzing nightmares – from streaky finishes to orange-stained hands – and have found solace in a beauty tool that delivers, without fail, flawless results.

The new Velvotan™ mitt is still made with the same patented lotion-proof barrier we all know and trust, offering women a fool-proof tanning solution that can be used again and again after a quick cycle in the wash.

The new Velvotan™ mitt is available in Tesco and pharmacies nationwide, costing £2.99

Heinz Salad Cream with Onion and Chives update

Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives update 

I held a Pampered Chef party at my house for my friends, the host cooked some dishes using recipes from the Pampered Chef programme - while I quickly whipped up an Italian Pasta Salad using Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives.


It was gorgeous!!  The salad cream lightly coated the pasta and gave a light onion bite of flavour.  Teamed with the ingredients my guests were really impressed - plus it looked colourful and tempting to eat.


Unfortunately I had to take some photos with my phone as my husband was away for the weekend and had taken the camera with him - and I can't find the lead to transfer the photos to my blog :(

Italian Pasta Salad



Serves:
4 or Serves 10 as a side salad


Preparation Time:
10 minutes


Cooking Time:
10 minutes


Tip:
Can serve this salad cold, just add
more Heinz salad cream with
onion & chives to taste.




Ingredients:
• 400g penne pasta
• 125g reduced fat mozzarella, torn into pieces
• 150g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 20g rocket leaves
• 15g basil leaves, torn
• 50g pitted kalamata black olives,
roughly chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives (although I didn't measure, I just gave it a good squeeze!).



Method:
Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions.
Meanwhile in a large bowl mix together the mozzarella,
tomatoes, rocket, basil, olives and red onion with
Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives.
Drain the pasta and toss together with the other
ingredients, season well and serve warm.


The recipe was quick and simple to make ... and everyone loved it !!  My mother-in-law has asked for the recipe and even my daughter ate everything except the olives.


I shall definitely be using Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives this summer, great for perking up a salad or oozing over bbq food.


Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives will be available in all major supermarkets for a limited time only this spring

Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives

Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives

Heinz is delighted to announce a new tasty twist on an iconic British favourite - Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives.

The new flavour takes its place in the much loved Heinz Salad Cream line-up, alongside the huge success of Heinz Salad Cream with Lemon and Black Pepper which already has a well deserved spot as a store cupboard staple.

For the launch of this appetizing new addition to the Heinz family, fans are able to create their very own “Ultimate Sandwich” using Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives via an app on the Heinz official facebook page which will go live on the 23^rd February. 

By entering the “Ultimate Sandwich” competition fans will have an exclusive opportunity to go in the draw to win a bottle of the new variety before it is available in the shops. 

Heinz will then take six of the top creations on the road to popular Heinz Salad Cream fan locations around Britain and give the public a chance to buy an ultimate Heinz Salad Cream sandwich. 

I have made a sandwich using the easy instructions - you select the bread you would like, then a meat ingredient, a cheese, up to 3 salads etc..... really simple to do and it actually makes you think 'will these ingredients actually taste nice?'. Then you can name your new creation and share it with your friends .... will you be a winner?

To get a free Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives sandwich, fans simply download a coupon from Facebook and take it along to the nearest Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives sandwich van, this March (See http://www.facebook.com/#!/HeinzSaladCream for more info).

First introduced way back in 1914, Heinz Salad Cream was the first Heinz product to be developed specifically to cater for British tastes. As British tastes have evolved, so too has Heinz Salad Cream, with Heinz launching its first ever variant - the delicious Heinz Salad Cream with Lemon and Black Pepper with its citrusy freshness in September 2010.

Now, brand new flavour innovation Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives has been created to go especially well with cheese or chicken sandwiches and is the perfect accompaniment to a crisp spring salad. 

For more inspiration visit www.heinz.co.uk from March onwards to discover a wealth of delicious recipe ideas to try which are perfect for spring, including chicken and cheese ciabattas, pasta salads and Mediterranean tarts (- all featuring the distinctive flavour of Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives.

Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives will be available in all major supermarkets for a limited time only this spring, Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives will be stocked in Morrisons and J Sainsbury’s from March and all other major retailers from April 2012 - don’t miss out!

For more details of the ultimate sandwich challenge for the launch of Heinz Salad Cream with Onion & Chives visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/HeinzSaladCream

Fancy a bit of cake?

Yummy things from Lou’s kitchen

Baby Shower Cupcakes

Cakes available to order for all occasions.

Please take a look at Louise's cake baking blog to see the fabulous creations she can do with cakes!

Special Girly Cupcakes

Louise is open to suggestions too, so if you have a design or event in mind, please drop her an email and she will discuss ideas and prices with you.

Scrumptious Coffee Cake

Louise is based in Luton, Bedfordshire.

For more information and contact details please visit: 

http://lou-bakes.blogspot.com/