Chefs for Foodies Exciting Collaboration in Perfect Time for Chinese New Year

The truly innovative and revolutionary recipe box company Chefs for Foodies has created PantryMe, a brand new platform to bring Freshasia products to the market just in time for Chinese New Year (Saturday 10th of February). 

The new food recipes are paired with a dedicated and engaging how-to video featuring culinary genius and MasterChef finalist Omar Foster cooking genuine ingredients for mouthwatering Asian inspired dishes. 

PantryMe, an online platform is bringing the rich traditions of Chinese dumplings and dim sum to the UK food market. 

PantryMe enhances your home dining experience, indulging in a selection of your favourite dumplings, expertly curated recipe kits, and authentic Chinese sauces. 

The Chicken Gyoza Tantanmen Ramen Bowl is an umami-rich dish featuring FreshAsia's chicken gyoza. It comes with all the flavourful ingredients to create a Tantanmen ramen bowl, including a chicken-based stock and oat milk for a silky finish, ramen noodles, radishes, spring onions and carrots. Follow along with the video masterclass for step-by-step guidance. 

The other option is the Dim Sum Feast. This includes a selection of succulent gyozas and char sui bao buns, accompanied by absolutely delectable sides: coconut rice, spring onion pancakes, and a deliciously tangy salad. This box is perfect for sharing with friends and family for a unique night in.

Omar Foster, food box creator and Masterchef finalist said, “It's really very easy to create restaurant quality food at home if you follow this fun and creative recipe. With this box there's now no need to go out to celebrate the Chinese new year.”

Perfect for those wanting to dive into traditional Chinese cuisine, PantryMe captures cultural authenticity with their diverse product range. Complete your dining experience by adding chopsticks and steamers to your order. 

Celebrate Chinese New Year in style and with a homage to Chinese culture. For more information visit Chefs for Foodies here https://chefsforfoodies.com.

Tesco reveals hot new trend for cooking adventurous global meals at home

Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, has revealed sales of ingredients and meal kits for a range of global cuisines have been consistently rising over the last year, as customers look for alternatives to takeaways and learn to cook their own versions at home.

Ingredients to make familiar favourites like Indian curry are top of the charts, increasing by 33%, with items to cook a Chinese meal second, up by 32%. However it should also be noted that pan-Asian products to help make Korean, Japanese or Thai meals are also up by 15%. And Caribbean meal kits and ingredients are also high up in the charts, up 14% over the last year.

The demand for global ingredients as part of the cooking-at-home trend has been so strong Tesco has has taken the decision to extend its range of World Foods in by 35% to satisfy customer demand. The grocer has also introduced World Foods displays in 8% more stores.

To help customers looking to cook at home find great value, Tesco has launched its largest ever promotion for the category, with nearly 2,000 products offered at a 20% discount for customers with a Clubcard until August 8.

Shoppers have been stocking up on basmati rice for Indian cooking, plus record sales of Tesco chapatti flour, as customers make their own versions of the flatbread that's popular with curry.

The trend for pan-Asian cooking at home has been fuelled by increasing sales of spice pastes used to make authentic Thai cuisine, like Thai green curries, pad thai noodles and massaman curries.

Tesco customers have been experimenting more with meal kits to make themselves delicious treats like Donburi rice bowls or Yakisoba noodles from Japan, and Bibimbap, which is a delicious Korean rice dish.

Tesco has been offering inspiration to encourage its customers to continue experimenting with new global dishes, with in-aisle displays in recent months featuring Middle Eastern, Latin American, Japanese & Korean foods. The current theme highlights Caribbean food and features products from celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott.

Abigail Wilkinson, who is the Tesco Category Buying Manager for cooking ingredients and global cuisine, said: “We've seen a significant trend for customers looking to save money by cooking for themselves, rather than eating out as much as before. And they are being more adventurous in the kind of meals they are cooking at home.

“Shoppers are buying more ingredients or kits to make popular classics such as curry or Chinese stir fry, but we’ve also seen them branching out into cuisines such as Japanese, Thai or Korean. We are trying to expand our offering to meet this demand and to inspire home cooks with new ingredients and kits to help them to feel confident in making something new and delicious.”

www.tesco.com

Nose to tail dining

When it comes to eating meat, most of us opt for a steak, breast or chop but the trend for nose to tail eating encourages us all to be a little more adventurous with our choices.

The Chinese embraced the concept of nose to tail eating long before it was given its identity by Fergus Henderson with the launch of his world-renowned recipe book, The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating.

It is not just about a fashionable way of cooking, the origins stem back to the belief that animals are sacred and so killing them to eat should be a respectful process, involving no wastage.

Offal, marrow and tripe were all much more commonplace in the UK many years ago but with a switch to convenience eating in the home, these are now considered unusual and restricted to upmarket restaurant menus.

The Chinese way of cooking still advocates the principles of nose to tail cooking and Wing Yip, the UK’s leading Oriental grocer says it doesn’t all have to be left to the experts.

Nose to tail is not all as extreme as cooking a pig’s head - the preferred recipe challenge on many television cooking programmes - there are more accessible recipes that can be attempted at home.

Mr Wing Yip, founder and chairman of the Oriental grocery empire, said: “This way of cooking should be embraced as it can introduce the tastebuds to new flavours and textures. Our supermarkets stock a vast array of the more unusual ingredients needed to conjure up wonderful new dishes to impress your friends and family in your own kitchen.”

Wing Yip superstores are located in Birmingham, Manchester, Cricklewood and Croydon and each stocks over 3,000 items from noodles, teas, chop sticks and even chicken feet.

For more information visit www.wingyipstore.co.uk

Guoman Hotels joins London Restaurant Festival celebrations

Guoman Hotels, has announced the Grand Imperial London will be celebrating the London Restaurant Festival for the first time by hosting Oriental Tea & Jazz afternoons in its bar lounge from 3-17 October 2011, bringing authentic Hong Kong Cantonese food at its finest.

Guests will be able to indulge in an Eastern take on Afternoon Tea with a selection of savoury and sweet dim sum.  Surrounded by the splendid Feng Shui setting of the restaurant's bar lounge, accompanied by jazz on the piano. The Oriental Tea & Jazz afternoons are a chance for guests to take their palate on a sumptuous journey to the East.

The Oriental Afternoon tea includes classics such as 'Char Sui Bao', 'Concubine Chicken Wrap' and Grand Imperial's signature 'Chocolate Dim Sum' or a velvety 'Green tea brulee'. To accompany these treats, guests can select their favourite soothing Oriental tea or opt for a glass of Balfour Brut English Rosé and, exclusively for the festival; they can pick any cocktail including the latest popping Boba drink. Throughout the festival guests will also have the opportunity to sample the restaurant's Oriental bar menu offering an extended choice of delicious Cantonese treats.

London Restaurant Festival returns to the capital in 2011 from the 3rd to the 17th of October and is a two-week celebration of London's extraordinarily diverse range of restaurants. Grand Imperial London will also celebrate with a bespoke 2 course menu, available by reservation only and which includes specialities such as 'Crispy duck salad' and 'Black cod with honey pepper sauce'.

Oriental Afternoon Tea & Jazz will be served up every day between 3-6pm and priced per set with the option of an extra glass of champagne or a cocktail.

Located in landmark heritage hotel The Grosvenor, Victoria, Grand Imperial London is headed up by Chef Rand Cheung and is one of Malaysia's leading restaurant groups with a premium reputation in fine dining. Featuring original pieces of artwork and calligraphy excerpts, Grand Imperial London has been designed around the ancient practice of Feng-shui, along with traditional artefacts and a private dining room to entertain up to 24 guests.

Create your own Dim Sum feast at home

Usually found in China Town restaurants as authentic Oriental sharing dishes served with tea, Dim Sum cuisine is undergoing a transformation.

The popular social Chinese way of eating is being turned on its head with modern, celebrity-packed restaurants opening, – led by the Michelin-starred Hakkasan and sister restaurant Yauatcha in London.

But! Why pay inflated Michelin prices to indulge with family and friends? Beat the high prices by creating some tasty home-cooked Dim Sum dishes with a little help from Wing Yip.

The UK’s top Oriental grocer offers a huge range of vital ingredients for popular dim sum dishes such as wontons, dumplings and hom bao (Chinese buns).

Wing Yip also has a full selection of prepared Dim Sum dishes available to buy in store for quick and tasty treats for a night in.

Mr Wing Yip, founder and chairman of the Oriental grocery empire, said: “Dim sum is the perfect way to enjoy lots of different types of Oriental food with others. Our Hoi Sin, Oyster, Mushroom or Sweet Chilli sauces are the perfect accompaniment to add spice and flavour to a wide range of Dim sum dishes.”

Next time you’re in a Chinese restaurants look for the following tasty Dim Sum varieties on the menu and try to sample a mix of steamed, baked and fried dishes:

Rice noodle rolls
Thin rolls made from a wide strip of rice noodle filled with prawn, pork, beef or vegetables and served with soy sauce.

Dumplings
Prawn dumplings are a popular dish you must try. Made with a translucent skin, these little parcels make a divine mouthful. Also try vegetable, pork, scallop and other variations.

Fried dim sum
Deep fried squid, spring rolls and shredded turnip puff pastries all make a tasty selection of fried dim sum dishes.

Steamed sponge cake
For those with a sweet tooth, this sponge cake is steamed making it deliciously moist.

And for the more adventurous look out for chicken feet, pig stomach and ox tripe.

Wing Yip is the UK’s leading Chinese grocer, with stores in Birmingham, Manchester, Cricklewood and Croydon.

Each store is situated close to the city centre with easy access to the motorway and plenty of free car parking for customers.

A visit to one of their stores is like taking a trip around the world with over 2,500 products from the Far East.

www.wingyipstore.com