TastesSightsSounds

S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF 2018: WATCH THE LIVE STREAM Following months of rigorous selection rounds, competition and training, the Grand Finale of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 is almost here! Knives are being sharpened, whites ironed and final mentor advice absorbed as the 21 young chef finalists prepare for their journey to Milan for the Grand Finale. On 12 and 13 May 2018 two intense days of competitive cooking will unfold and the young chefs have their culinary skills and determination tested like never before. Each of the international hand-picked chefs will have just 5 hours cooking time to prove their culinary capabilities to the international chef jury known the Seven Sages . The young chef's signature dish which wows the judges the most will take gold, walking in the footsteps of previous winners, Mark Moriarty and Mitch Lienhard , embarking on an incredible professional journey ahead. Who's your favourite to win? Let us know by voting for them online here . LIVE-STR

MEXICAN HORCHATA is You'll love this chilled Mexican beverage made from rice, cinnamon, sugar and water. It's easy to make and refreshingly delicious! INGREDIENTS Rice - 226g Cinnamon stick - 1 Sugar - to taste Water - 2 liters INFO BOX Recipe category - Drink Recipe yield - 1 PREPARATION HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN HORCHATA 1. Place rice, cinnamon stick and 1 liter (1 quart) of water in a blender. Puree. 2. Pour the rice mixture into a bowl. Add 1 more liter of water. Cover and let sit overnight. 3. Working in small batches, puree the rice mixture in the blender. 4. Strain the horchata, add sugar to taste, and refrigerate. Serve chilled over ice. Garnish with ground cinnamon. http://bit.ly/2Fsqd38

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, CANADA: A TASTING TOUR Need a getaway to relax? This island on Lake Ontario features an amazing range of dining options: discover culinary delights and gourmet places to try. On Lake Ontario’s northern shores is one of Canada’ s best-kept secrets. Prince Edward County may be an unassuming little island, but it’s steadily winning a reputation as something of a gastronomic capital. Drive two hours east of Toronto (or two-hours west of Ottawa) and the rolling hills and farmlands reveal a surprising variety of restaurants, wineries, craft breweries, cheese makers and farmers’ markets. There’s no set route – you can drive Prince Edward County end-to-end in about an hour or so - but as you pass through the charming towns and villages, from Picton to Wellington, you’ll find all kinds of diversions to pique your culinary curiosity. Here are some of the highlights. EATS Prince Edward County newbies are frequently blown away at how such a small region can pack such a bi

THE WEEK IN BITES 29 APRIL 2018 This week at FDL we interviewed superstar Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez, discovered Croatian haute cuisine, shared details of Noma's move to Japan, and more. EATING WITH EMMANUEL This week at Fine Dining Lovers we kicked things off with an exclusive interview with Parisian chef Emmanuel Renaut. Renaut, whose restaurant Flocons de Sel is located at a French ski resort in the Alps, describes himself as someone who is in love with the mountains and its natural culinary landscape. He filled us in on his love for nature, his unique style of cooking and advice for young chefs. Read all about it here . CROATIAN CUISINE Next up we dove headfirst into the cuisine of Croatia. This beautiful Mediterranean country is chock-full of haute cuisine. We give you the scoop on the finest places to dine in the capital city of Zagreb and other towns that are slowly becoming food destinations for gourmands. Click here for the full story. VIRGILIO'S VIEW Las

WILL GOLDFARB'S INSPIRATIONAL DESSERTS Have a look at some delicious desserts prepared by chef Will Goldfarb of Bali's Room4Dessert. Will Goldfarb hasn’t had the chance to feel the Chef’s Table ‘effect’ yet. His episode from the hugely popular Netflix show’s fourth season , which focuses on four of the world’s best pastry chefs (Jordi Roca, Christina Tosi, Corrado Assenza and Goldfarb), tells the story of the New York-born chef’s ascent from the Cordon Bleu in Paris, through some of the world’s best kitchens, including elBulli , to the opening of the revolutionary dessert-only restaurant and cocktail bar Room4Dessert in Manhattan and its heartbreaking demise, which led to Goldfarb’s eventual relocation to Bali , where, in the town of Ubud, Room4Dessert 2.0 is bringing him international attention once again. But Goldfarb lives in a bubble. “The only thing I’m worried about right now is getting the ice cream ready for an event on Monday,” he tells me in his laid back, friendly

VEGAN RHUBARB CRUMBLE Try this rhubarb crumble recipe, a great classic of British cuisine: this version is vegan, so no milk and eggs in the recipe. INGREDIENTS For the filling Rhubarb  - 500 g (cut into 3 cm pieces) Cranberries  - 200 g Sugar  - 4 tbsp Orange juice  - 1/2 For the crumble Sugar  - 125 g Rolled oats  - 150 g Flour  - 70 g Margarine  - 110 g, vegan, melted INFO BOX Preparation time - 25 m Cooking time - 25 m Recipe category - Dessert Recipe yield - 4 PREPARATION Heat the oven to 180°C (160° fan) gas 4. Butter a baking dish. For the filling Mix together the rhubarb, cranberries, sugar and orange juice. Put into the baking dish. For the crumble Mix all the ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle over the fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the rhubarb is tender and the crumble is golden. http://bit.ly/2r5I62k

DAVID THOMPSON BIDS FAREWELL TO NAHM News has just been released that Aussie chef David Thompson will be parting ways with Nahm after nearly two decades. The multi award winning chef, who originally created Nahm in London 18 years ago, has revealed that he will take his leave of the highly successful Thai restaurant in Bankok in order "to continue his work exploring and protecting the history and legacy of Thai food and flavours and to pursue new opportunities through Aylmer Aaharn, the Thai food group he co-founded in 2014." See some of Nahm's historical dishes It will mark the end of an era for the succesful chef that put Nahm's royal Thai cuisine firmly on the fine dining circuit in Asia - Nahm in Bangkok has been a fixture of the World's 50 Best Restaurants for seven consecutive years and was also awarded a star in Michelin's inaugural Bangkok. Thompson's services to Thai cuisine were also recognised in 2016 when he was given the Lifetime Achievement

DRINK RECIPE: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST MINT JULEP Have you been longing to indulge in a mint julep? The signature drink of the Kentucky Derby is a simple recipe consisting of four ingredients. You'll love the ease of preparation and its refreshing taste. WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE MINT JULEP? These are the ingredients you'll need to make a mint julep: 1 tbsp powdered sugar 5 fresh mint leaves 2 oz. (6 cl) bourbon whiskey ice HOW TO MIX A MINT JULEP: DRINK RECIPE 1. Place the powdered sugar and mint leaves into a rocks glass or julep cup. 2. Lightly muddle the mint leaves and the sugar (you don't want to crush the leaves, the idea is to allow them to release their flavor). 3. Add the whiskey and fill the glass with ice. Serve with a short straw. VIDEO: MINT JULEP DRINK RECIPE Need to see the mint julep drink recipe in action? Check out the tips from cocktail expert Tom Macy: http://bit.ly/2I2IsPv

CROATIAN CUISINE IS GETTING ITS IDENTITY BACK A number of chefs are pinning their hopes on the rediscovery of Croatian gastronomic traditions, making the country a new food tourism destination. “New Europe” is not quite so new anymore but culinary geopolitics move slowly and, instead of signatures on international treaties, they depend on those of food critics and guides. These days, the realpolitik of a country also comprises its culinary offering, and Croatia knows it, as it prepares to enter the élite of European haute cuisine. La Liste, which includes the world’s 1000 best restaurants, added two new Croatian addresses to its 2017 selection, those of Damir&Ornella in Novigrad and Stancija Meneghetti in Bale. The same year, Michelin published the first digital edition of its famous red guide, focused exclusively on the capital city Zagreb, on Istria and the city of Dubrovnik - awarding only one star to the Monte restaurant of Rovigno. In 2018, the mapped area has been extended

NOMA IS COMING TO JAPAN Disciples of Rene Redzepi 's world-renowned Noma restaurant will be excited to hear news of a brand new opening in Japan, helmed by Noma protegee, chef Thomas Frebel. Slated to open on 29 June ( reservations open today ) Inua will be the new 60 seater restaurant located in the Iidabashi area of Tokyo and run by the 34-year-old German-born chef in partnership with Noma chef René Redzepi. And, most importantly the menu is promised to be "innovative, accessible and ultimately, delicious." Frebel spent almost a decade at Noma as the head of research and development but only decided to make the move after falling in love with Japan during Noma's residency at the Mandarin Oriental . "When we left, I felt a sense of not being finished with my time in Japan. Fulfilling my dream, I’m excited to be back in Tokyo, one of the world’s greatest food cities, to open and share INUA,” Frebel explains. Frebel and team are now hard at work creating an &quo

BOCUSE D'OR ASIA PACIFIC SELECTION: 11 TEAMS ARE READY TO COMPETE Asia-Pacific will be the next region to compete in the gripping continental selection round of the prestigious gastronomy contest, Bocuse d'Or sponsored by S.Pellegrino. On both 8 and 9 May, the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center in China will come alive as 11 teams of highly talented chefs, representing 11 countries, pit their culinary talent against each other in front of an audience of fans. Just 5 places are up for grabs in this heat, in which the chefs have only 5 hours and 35 minutes to prove themselves. During the intense culinary showdown, there will be nowhere to hide with two jurys assessing their every move both in both the kitchen and at the final plating and tasting stage. This selection forms the second of three continental selections of the Bocuse d’Or, which is widely considered as the “culinary Olympics.” The Americas have already competed with the US coming first. (read what hap

NEW DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS TRAILBLAZING FEMALE CHEFS A new feature-length documentary highlights the work of the female chefs running some of the world's best kitchens. The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution, directed by Maya Gallus focuses on seven female chefs – Anne-Sophie Pic , Amanda Cohen , Anita Lo , Angela Hartnett , Charlotte Langley, Suzanne Barr and Victoria Blamey – who are trailblazing and who have all had to push extra hard to rise to the top in what is still a very macho, male-dominated industry. "The familiar macho posturing of celebrity chefs has reached a tipping point," says the blurb on the Red Queen Productions website . "Now with an influx of women at the helm of restaurants, and a younger generation unwilling to submit to the brutal conditions once considered the norm, the rules of 'kitchen culture' as we know it are being rewritten." The film will premiere at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival tonight (26 April) and

ITALIAN CHEFS SLAM JAMIE OLIVER'S CARBONARA We all know how fiercely protective Italians are of the traditional Roman carbonara recipe, just ask Nigella Lawson , who faced a huge backlash when she started adding all sorts of new ingredients to the conventional recipe of eggs, cheese, pork and pasta. In the video below from Italia Squisita , three Rome-based Italian chefs are asked to watch and react to some of the most popular Carbonara recipe videos on the Web, from the likes of Jamie Oliver and Binging with Babish. If you’ve ever endured a cream and garlic-heavy ‘carbonara’ at a bad ‘Italian’ restaurant you’ll sympathise with the chefs here. They make the point that Italian cooking is all about minimal ingredients and really what more do you need than guanciale (pig jowl), Pecorino, egg yolks, pasta and a good crack of black pepper? Certainly not onions or parsley. Oliver, who appears last, actually starts off pretty well, but soon draws the ire of the three chefs with his use

HOT CROSS BUNS: 3 RECIPES TO HELP YOU MAKE THIS DIVINE TREAT PHOTO LILIANA FUCHS/FLICKR Hot cross buns may be popular around Easter but this delectable treat can be enjoyed throughout the year whenever you feel like indulging in a fragrant sweet treat. These delectable buns studded with raisins weren't always available year round. In fact, the Smithsonian magazine reports that back in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I "decreed that hot cross buns could no longer be sold on any day except for Good Friday, Christmas or for burials." This is a testament to how special these pastries were considered. HOW TO MAKE HOT CROSS BUNS: RECIPES AND TIPS So how do you make this legendary treat at home? It all begins with soaking dried fruit in juice or water until they plump up before blending with a rich egg-based dough that yields soft, melt-in-your-mouth buns laced with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. The trademark cross may be added before or after baking and may be prepared wi

VIRGILIO MARTINEZ: 'TEAMWORK IS TECHNIQUE' The Peruvian chef shares his advice for rising young chefs, some of his own career mistakes and news from his latest restaurant. Virgilio Martinez is a powerhouse of Peruvian gastronomy. His Central restaurant sits at number five on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, number two on Latin America’s list, he just opened a new restaurant/research centre in the Andes of Peru, and plans to open a similar set up in the Amazon. Working with his Mater Iniciativa research arm, the chef and his team are discovering, connecting, cataloging and cooking up delicious ingredients from across Peru. Martinez will offer his unique talents as one of the Seven Sages at this year’s S.Pellegrino Young Chef Grand Finale in Milan in May. We caught up with the chef to find out more about his own time training as a young chef, his newest restaurant and when exactly he will be opening the new location for Central. What advice would you offer to young chef

CLARE SMYTH NAMED WORLD'S BEST FEMALE CHEF 2018 Clare Smyth , the chef who ran Gordon Ramsay's three-Michelin-star flagship in London for close to a decade before opening her own restaurant, Core , in the UK capital last year, has been named as the recipient of the elit Vodka World's Best Female Chef Award 2018 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants . Smyth was the first and only female chef to run a three star restaurant in the UK. At Core, she has turned to organic and sustainable suppliers to create a menu firmly focused on UK produce, inspired by her childhood growing up on on a farm in County Antrim. Dishes include a whole carrot braised in lamb stock, a charlotte potato topped with trout and herring roe, and juicy scallops served on the half shell – see more dishes here . Core has been lavished with praise since opening in Notting Hill last August, but was ineligible for the most recent Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland released a couple of months later. S

FERRAN ADRIÀ TO OPEN NEW RESTAURANT A new restaurant concept designed by elBulli’s Ferran Adrià is to open in the Italian city of Turin this summer. Housed in the new Lavazza headquarters in the Aurora neighbourhood, Condividere, meaning ‘sharing’, will offer Italian haute cuisine, served in a sharing style – no tasting menus – with a menu that takes the Italian family Sunday lunch as its inspiration. Chef Federico Zanasi, previously of the Principe delle Nevi Hotel in Cervinia, will oversee day to day kitchen operations. He has also worked under Moreno Cedroni and at Relae in Copenhagen. "We wanted to bring something new to Italian gastronomy – a gastronomy that has already offered thousands of ideas. It was going to be difficult. Opening a restaurant is the most difficult thing to do in the world,” Adrià told Food and Wine at a special event to launch the project. The Spanish chef has a number of ambitious projects underway currently, including Bullipedia , a 35-volume food e

5 SPICY CHICKEN RECIPES FOR A FABULOUS DINNER If you graviate towards food with a fiery kick will love these spicy chicken recipes. They are wonderful options for dinner, especially if you are entertaining friends or family, and make great leftovers everyone in the office will envy once they catch a whiff of your reheated lunch. Indian and Thai spices are what give these chicken recipes their unique flavor. Some are stewed while others are grilled but all are delicious. Suitable accompaniments include basmati or jasmine rice, fluffy quinoa and your favorite flatbread . Ready to try some spicy chicken recipes? Let get started! 5 SPICY CHICKEN RECIPES FOR DINNER YELLOW CHICKEN CURRY WITH THAI BASIL This coconut-laced chicken curry is silky and irresistible. Lemongrass and Thai basil add a wonderful aroma to this delicious spicy chicken recipe that is great paired with rice. Learn how to make it . CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA This famous Indian dish is thick, rich and creamy. It makes a gr

JAPAN’S POISON PUFFER FISH, A DEADLY DELICACY A look at Fugu, a Japanese puffer fish, one of the most dangerous products in the world. Discover where to eat this sought-after and expensive delicacy. Back in January this year, a Japanese city was put on red alert because a deadly foodstuff had accidentally entered the food chain through a local supermarket. Loudspeakers across Gamagori in Central Japan played warnings to citizens, while media coverage also tried to ensure that everyone became aware of the danger. The food in question is one of the most lethal natural products, a puffer fish known in Japanese as fugu. It is also, however, a much sought-after and expensive delicacy, beloved by diners for its unique attributes, as well as the thrill of eating such a potentially fatal dish. The thrill, however, is no laughing matter. In the 1980’s, on average almost one diner per week died in Japan from eating fugu . In recent years, however, the figures have fallen considerably and Japa