Osteria Francescana in Italy

This restaurant has featured in the top 50 restaurants list. A real insight into what it takes to goes into creating these elite dishes.

http://vimeo.com/album/1739365/video/31595100

http://vimeo.com/album/1739365/video/31596725

Gluten free Cake and Bread Recipes

Spent the day in the office researching Gluten free recipes. Then remembered this one for the Cloud forest cake. It was from the Channel 4 series Willie's wonky chocolate factory, contains no flour and is delicious.

I'll let you know how the bread recipe comes out!

Cloud forest chocolate cake

By Willie Harcourt-Cooze from Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory

Willie's cloud forest chocolate cake made with 100 per cent cacao tastes out of this world.

Makes 1 x 25cm cake

Ingredients

• 180g cacao, finely grated
• 250g unsalted butter
• 125g golden caster sugar
• 50g light muscovado sugar
• 6 eggs
• 100g ground almonds

METHOD

How to make cloud forest chocolate cake

1. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Line a 25cm spring-formed cake tin with baking paper.

2. Melt the cacao and butter by placing them, along with half the caster sugar and all of the muscovado sugar in a large heat-proof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of simmering water.

3. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the remaining caster sugar until they have tripled in size.

4. When the cacao and butter has melted, add the almonds and stir to combine.

5. Gradually fold the cacao mixture into the eggs. Tip the cake mix into the prepared tin.

6. Bake for 25 minutes, then leave to cool in the tin.

7. The cake can be iced by heating 500ml double cream with 150g caster sugar. Stir in 180g grated cacao, leave to cool and spread over the cake.

Gluten free Bread

25g-50g/1oz-1¾oz golden linseeds

475ml/17fl oz warm water

1 sachet fast-action yeast (about 2½ tsp)

100ml/3½fl oz natural yoghurt

450g/1lb cornflour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp caster sugar

50g/1¾oz psyllium husk powder

50ml/1¾oz olive oil

extra olive oil and cornflour, to finish

Preparation method

1.Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4 and bake the linseeds on a tray for 10-12 minutes, or until they darken slightly (toasting will burst the husks slightly and allow the seeds to release a sticky gluten-like gum when wet, making the crumb softer and adding a wheatgerm-like flavour).

2.In a bowl, mix the water and yeast and then stir in the yoghurt and seeds. In a large mixing bowl toss together the cornflour, salt, sugar and psyllium husk powder. Pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil and mix well to make a smooth thin batter.

3.Over the next five minutes this liquid will turn into a sticky dough, as the linseed, cornflour and psyllium husk powder together absorb liquid and become gel-like. Once the mixture is firm enough, knead it for 10 seconds on the worktop to mix everything again, then return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave for 30 minutes.

4.Line a tray with non-stick baking paper. Shape the dough into a fat sausage, the length of the tray, then brush with extra olive oil, cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

5.Heat the oven to 240C/465F/Gas 9, uncover the dough and slash the top with a small sharp knife, sprinkle with a little cornflour to give it a floured look and bake for about 40 minutes, or until rich golden-brown in colour. Leave to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Lunch at L'Atelier

Joel Robuchon was one of the chefs, along with the likes of Marco Pierre White who inspired me to be a chef. I have never been in a situation where I have been able to dine at Michelin Star restaurant. After saving our pennies for several months we was able to sample award winning food. We were not let down.

This past weekend my wife and I travelled to London to visit a restaurant. We had booked a lunch a L'Atelier The meal was phenomenal. We went for the 4 course lunch and a bottle of Graham Beck sparkling wine. 

To start, after my vodka tonic which was served with perfectly crystal clear ice cubes, we were served with our Amuse Bouche. This was a little shot glass of foie gras, port wine reduction and a parmesan foam. Immediately we were both smiling like kids. My wife has never had foie gras before. She was impressed! 

In short the meal went on. Two starters each, Gravlax, oeuf en cocotte, chesnut soup and a Chicory, apple and stilton salad. Then for our main courses Abby went for the super tender Lamb while I indulged myself with the Lobster. The smiles just kept getting bigger and bigger!

The desserts were soooooooo good that we ordered another one. I was totally overwhelmed by the quality of the food I was eating an forgot to take photos until quite late on into the meal. So apologies for the empty souffle pot photo.... it was too darned yum! Anyways enjoy the pictures I did take. 

The yummy souffle

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon is the name of eight French gourmet restaurants, located in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, New York, Paris, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo. Owned by chef Joël Robuchon, the restaurants serve his French haute cuisine in a stylized environment. Many of the seats are arranged to overlook the meal preparation in the kitchen.

Robuchon's signature dishes include a cauliflower cream with caviar and potato puree, "Pommes Puree Truffee" truffled potatoes, and his "La Caille Farcie de Foie Gras et Caramelisee", free-range quail stuffed with foie gras.

In 2009, the Paris location was voted 18th best in the world in Restaurant magazine's Top 50.