Trish and Friends...I have forwarded the chef's signature dish at the Milestone Hotel in London which we enjoyed for lunch last Friday. It was delicious and our stay there in a gorgeous studio suite was such a treat...Right in Kensington, close enough to walk to Harrods, if you are fit and want a nice brisk wintry walk (we did), past the Palace Gardens. For those of you who didn't get to go with me and Trish, we had lunch hosted for us by Terry Holmes, Executive Director of Red Carnation Hotels and Jonathan Raggett, Managing Director last Friday upon our arrival into London. http://www.milestonehotel.com/ The Milestone has apartments and suites and is perfect for family travel or for romantic escapes to London.
We stayed 3 nights in London, relaxed, enjoyed the small, warm resistance pool in the spa, appetizers and snacks by the fire in the dark-paneled drawing room and Trish had a pilates trainer to die for! Everything about this short stay was perfect, the service, the accommodations, the food and the little tea we hosted for two families (clients and friends) and their children was delightfully planned and presented in the Atrium for Saturday afternoon at 4:30.
Then, we left London (with lovely complimentary fresh baked cookies from the Milestone in our little bag) with driver/car to go to Le Manoir Aux Chat Seasons http://www.manoir.com/web/olem/olem_a2a_home.jspowned by celebrity, 2 star Michelin Chef, Ramon Blanc, who is responsible for the Cookery School at Le Manoir along with Orient Express. He has written many best seller cook books from the School including Christmas at Le Manoir which is a gorgeous little treasure I brought home along with our chef's jackets and burgundy aprons and Cookery School Diploma given to us by the school and our gracious host, Joanna Heathcote, who represents a collection of luxury hotels in the UK and around the world. Some of the agents on this trip were meeting Joanna in Africa and going to Mauritius after leaving London.https://www.jhhotels.com/index2.htm There were only 7 agents with companions for this intimate experience, so it was a great bonding experience for all of us! New friends and new colleagues with whom to share the world of travel and fond memories!
Our room was lovely at Le Manoir, and was part of the latest addition to LaManoir which was made to blend in with the 12th century buildings on the estate where Monsieur Blanc has developed gardens and greenhouses and orchards from which they harvest the freshest, more appropriate and healthy ingredients for exquisite dining in the all glass atrium addition to the original manor home. Onlly 10% of their clients are Americans, the others from all over Europe. The ambiance reflects this "proper" European influence.
Sidenote: We asked the young man who brought our coffee with our wake-up call each morning if he had a thermos or insulated pot for our coffee so we could better keep it warm. (The service was a silver pot with china service on a lovely lined tray with sugar, cream, lemon and napkins) He said, "Oh, no madam, only for take-away picnics, but I'll just bring you the second pot 10 minutes after the first pot." What a lovely, clever solution.
We cooked desserts, tarts, souffles, lamb shoulder, many flavoured mayonnaises, duck, pig, lobster, steak and gorgeous vegetables and stocks for all the dishes you could ever imagine....I must dust off my pots and pans and whisk for Christmas fare....Our instructor was Nurdin Topham, a delightful young man with sparkling eyes, such enthusiasm I have never experienced, tossled black hair and a very polite and attentive manner which endeared him to all of us. Ramond Blanc had a couple of "live" appearances, tasted what we were cooking, commented and proceeded to make the dish again to give us a "comparison". He is quite a showman and master of his trade blessed with great proteges...It was fun to have him join us, although it crowded our well planned and very well organized cooking schedule a bit (fine!) We got great pix of all of us busy at work cooking.
Only an hour from Heathrow and one and a half hours from Gatwick makes the distance very manageable for this exquisite experience from London. I'll be planning a trip to Le Manoir and the Chelsea Flower Show in 2009...Stay tuned.
I just wanted you to know that we have returned for this glorious experience so I'm very happy helping others plan for holiday and spring break travel now....Don't wait too long for arrangements, as it seems everyone is traveling. Nothing seems to dampen the desire for determined travelers to experience the best on the planet of God's provisions for us. I am very grateful for my life and blessed to enjoy and help others enjoy inspired travel.
My best, Patty
Recipes
Pan-fried terrine of Belgian endive, Parma ham and Gruyere cheese x 10 portions
2kg Belgian endive
5 lemons
100g Sugar
750g Parma ham
500g Gruyere cheese
3 Pint milk
75ml Balsamic vinegar – 8 years
500ml Olive oil
500g mixed leaves
Salt and pepper
Method.
• Slice the Gruyere cheese to 2cm thickness and place into milk soak overnight,
• Place the Belgian endive into a large vac Pac bag with the juice of 5 lemons, sugar, salt and pepper with 100ml olive oil, vacuum and put into boiling water for approx 35 minutes or until soft, cool and squeeze all water from each head of endive
• Line a terrine mould with cling film, slice the Parma ham and line the terrine mould with ½ of the Parma ham.
• Cut endives into ¼’s and lay in the bottom of terrine, lay sliced Parma ham on top then place a single layer of soaked gruyere cheese on top of the ham, place another layer of Parma ham on top of the cheese and another layer of endive, repeat this procedure until the terrine is slightly higher than the mould.
• Press with a heavy weight for 12 hours
• When pressed, turn out the terrine and slice into 10 portions, or individual if required, lightly flour each slice and pan fry on both sides until golden in colour in a hot non stick pan with olive oil
• Place on a plate with some salad leaves dressed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil around
Saturday, November 17, 2007
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