Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Olay – total effects mask
In Olay’s Total Effects range, really, really try the masks. As much for their anti-ageing effect than for its new look.
No tube here – those who leave your hands all sticky and make your skin itchy as the product dries. Each box contains five masks, all in individual bags. They are soaked in an anti-ageing treatment and you just need to unfold them and place them on your face for 15mn.
Sure, it is not particularly sexy (but the usual method isn’t either and we all hide in our bathroom!). As it is very light, you will quickly forget you are wearing it too. Quicker to use, more efficient, nothing to rince and the effect is amazing. The skin feels completely refreshed, its tone rebalanced (a real + for sensitive ones), deeply rehydrated, soothed. In a nutshell: boosted. You will be tempted to have one every day.
Olay - Total Effects Mask, £16.99 the box of 5
Quarter Bar at London Bridge Hotel
A fantastic tweet-up. Chats bout cameras, pictures, recipes, food, travels. A historical walk along the Thames, a journey through time thanks to Context London who told us fascinating stories and many smiles. We dreamt of the frost fair, which took place on a completely frozen river. We listened, delighted, to passages of classics who brought a brand new vision on familiar buildings. Their range also includes suprising thems such as this one for runners. Or that one on fashion from Tudor splendot to Vivienne Westwood punk approach. If you are a foodie, you are sure to go for the gastronomical one (unless you’d like to throw a little art in it too).
Then, cheeks all pinked up, we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Quarter Bar, nestled in the London bridge Hotel – ideally situated between the Shard and the Borough Market. A beautiful contemporary space, wide palette of colours, warm and welcoming, design touches such as those fabulous decanter lamps by Lee Broom (In love with them? They will be on sale on Dalami on Feb 06!). We sipped on a delicious martini made with organice apple juice (so healthy, right?) and realised winter felt suddenly very far away. The Quarter Bar was extremely generous and had prepares mini versions of some of their dishes: melt-in-the mouth dim-sums, sliders with juicy meat and onion marmelade, tender keftas fragrant with herbs, parmesan tiles shaped as cups holding a salad, addictive fish croquettes, sweet treats that would make a French pâtisserie proud (including perfect tartelettes and exquisite raspberry-pistachio cubes)… A very precious address after a long walk, the perfect place to stop for a bite, share a drink, catch up, wait for the rain to stop especialy as it is away from all the way-too-touristic places along the Thames. Or why not come for an afternoon tea? They serve it with one of my favourite tea brands, Tea Forte always decorated with a leaf…
Huge thanks to Magellan PR, Context London and London Bridge Hotel for organising everything and spoiling us!
London Bridge Hotel and Quarter Bar
8-18 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9SG UK
Last minute secrets
A couple of weeks ago, Last Minute has opened a pop-up in London
What for? To get to meet the fans, have a chat, share a cupcake and the love of the little luxuries in life. And of course let everyone know about their famous secret deals.
You probably have already heard about their secret hotels. Mayve even booked one already. It is all about the surprise. You know it will be a central 4 or 5* but will only discover the name and location when confirming your order. The bonus? You get quite a good deal in the process, of course.
But did you know they also offer secret deals on other themes too? Theatre seats (who knows, you might get that first class view you had always dreamed of trying!), Michelin star restaurants (or how to dine in style for £30), spas and even car rentals?
Look out for those, who knows what this newsletter might bring your way. 2012 sounds very much like la vie en rose!
Cooking with Tim Anderson
Yes. The one. Last year Masterchef’s champion. The youngest one in the series to win it. What seduced the public apart from his elegant way of preparing food and his passion? His world influence, his American and Asian touches which transform any dish into a culinary travel. Remember his Tokyo Slider of Monkfish Liver, Matcha Mayonnaise and The London Slider of Curried Lamb Cheeseburger with Apple and Ale Chutney? He can also give a fabulous twist to British classic – Sticky Toffee Crème Brulee with Blackcurrant Stout Sauce, Cheddar Cheesecake with Whiskey Jelly…
And still, he is the humblest person, sharing his cooking tips, his favourite products, his techniques. You will find yourself discussing Hawaian cuisine or the best way to boil an egg (which is way more technical than you thought!) in the most natural way. You could listen to him all night.
The evening, organised by Oral B and Handpicked, took place at The Cookery School (I have my eyes on their Valrhona masterclass). What is on the menu? Sea bass sashimi with seaweed salad and passion fruit foam. Filet, soak, mix, serve, enjoy: it is ever so easy to prepare, you just cannot get it wrong. Beautiful ocean flavours, very refreshing, very light foam which notes linger on the palate. Just add a little dill – perfection. And so very healthy too!
Still on the world fusion side, the second dish brings Asia and India together – hen’s nest of tea-stained egg, leek bhaji and chana masala purée. Nothing less. The title was a bit daunting and I wondered whether I could manage that. Yet, as long as you have all the ingredient at hand, it is quite easy to prepare.
First boil your eggs ( a very precise 4mn and 45 seconds for the yoll to be slightly runny), let them cool without shelling them. Then infuse them for 24 hours in a mix of soy sauce, chai tea and saffron - hence this dark, a little marbled effect on the picture.
Then prepare your chana masala purée. Fry onions and garlic with a little oil and comin, coriander, chilli powder. Add tomoatoes, saffron, coriander, cumin, chickpeas, tamarin, paprika, garam masala and let it to simmer. An exotic, warm aroma fills the room and will make your mouth water. You sincerely wish you could just stop right there and grab a spoon. But it is not finished yet – put all this in a blender with some butter and whisky until you get an unctuous texture.
The wow effect in that recipe? The twig effect…
Then once rinsed, put them in a mix of flour and garam masala and finally plunge them in hot oil (180 d°C) until slightly brown.
Time to put everything together: a bed of chana masala puree, a next of leeks, cress (or why not edible flowers?), a little lime juice, an egg. A beautiful alliance of crunchiness, tenderness, pepper, aniseed flavours. Very filling (and it does count a good portion of your 5 a day), the spices are so fragrant they satisfy the tastebuds wonderfully too. And what a prettier spring starter? The perfect way to wow your guests, especially as a nmber of steps can be prepared the previous day. This could also work as a luxurious brunch option.
Tim Anderson is teaming up with Oral B to make the public more aware of the effect of food on teeth. The problem with the latter, you see, is that its acidity can attack the enamel (you do not want to know what fruit juice, cola and pickles do to them). Its content stain it (spices, tea, coffee). Not to mention cavities.
I learnt, horrified, that those services offering to whiten your teeth usually do so by taking a slight layer of enamel off. Sounds logical when you think of it but of course, your teeth will be more sensitive than before.
Good news? Well, drinking water after a meal of even juice/fizzy drinks will wash some of this away. Or you can drink with a straw as it will mean less liquid touches the teeth. Adding milk to your tea will limit the staining effect too. But on the whole? You need a good toothpaste.
This is where Oral B comes in – their new pro-expert product combines, for the first time on the market, stannous fluoride and polyphosphate. It iss a little more expensive than the others on the shelf (but easily affordable at £3.49) simply because it costs more to produce. Why you should want it? It promises 58% less enamel erosion than a normal fluoride toothpaste (and if you have sensitive teeth and gums, you will want to try it). And rather than attacking the teeth to whiten them, it uses natural ingredients to remove the stains then protects them with a film. 96% of surface stains disappear within 2 weeks. Oh, and there will also be 56% less tartar than with the usual all in one products. Quite an innovation.
Second serving anyone?
Try those other recipes by Tim Anderson:
- Bloody Mary popcorn
- Cola-braised pork-belly, Miso mustard, various vegetables and dashi
- British cheeses with shiitake oatcakes, lager and onion marmelade, “Asazuke” pickled onions
- Spiced mocha “aero” mousse, plum sorbet, macerated plums and shiso candy
A week-end in London: Feb 03-05, 2012
An Argentinian dream with Midnight Tango. Such a glamourous, seductive dance. Dresses seem to be flying around the dancers. And when the music speeds up, so does your heart, and so do the heels on the stage. Exceptional skills, not only of Strictly Come Dancing’s Vincent and Flavia but of the whole troup. Do go and see it.
That’s art, baby!
* Knitting obsession.
* Step back in David Lynch‘s world.
* Redefine art.
* A poetic page.
Yummy time ahead:
* A special one for meat lovers.
* A suivre, donc! Try Pierre Hermé‘s new macaron: Jardin enchanté (Enchanted garden). Lime cream, a heart of cherries, a touch of Espelette chilli to wake up the tastebuds. There will be a different edition on the garden theme every month – do not miss any!
Love, love, love:
* Add some glitter with Tatty Devine on Thursday.
* 50 romantic ideas in London.
Take the little ones along:
* Get those roller skates out and spend a disco time with the family.
* Re-celebrate the Chinese New year.
* The Somerset House too has craft workshops for kids this week-end
Royal London:
* Discover Queen Elisabeth II’s life through Cecil Beaton’s pictures of her. At the V&A until April 22, 2012.
So British:
* The best pubs in London? Click this way. Cheers.
* This week-end, your pint could also be rock’n'roll.
Out of the ordinary:
* Daniel Radcliffe fan? Meet him Thursday evening.
* Walk through Dickens‘ world (free, no need to book)
* Street art gets colourful with Jimmy C.
* London plays the high tech card (yeah, it seems we have a budget for that)
* Saturday, see the best slices of Bollywood movies.
* Meet the London clowns and tip your hat to Grimaldi.
* Follow the street art. Litterally.
* Tropical extravagance at Kew Gardens.
* After the Chinese New Year, the Russian one. This will be on Sunday and on Trafalgar.
* Snowdrops are already blooming at the Chelsea Physics Garden.
Academy of Flowers
Not just a florist, a real school. Whether you are a professional or just passionate, there is a course for you. Come for a day or an evening and learn to make the cutest bride bouquet, make a blooming rainbow, create flower hats, or arrange autumn leaves and berries.
The Covent Garden Academy of Flowers
St Martin’s Courtyard
9 Slingsby Place
Covent Garden
London, WC2E 9AB
