Make washing and preparing your vegetables part of your everyday routine with OXO

As we in the UK become more vigilant about washing and preparing vegetables in light of the recent tragic E.Coli outbreak, many of us are turning towards our favourite kitchen gadgets to make light work of everyday cooking tasks.

OXO’s universally-designed salad spinner will wash and dry leaves in next to no time. Whether a full head of romaine lettuce, pre-prepared bag or a juicy tomato, we cannot be too careful.

Simply wash your leaves in the removable plastic basket, which doubles as a nifty colander, and add to the salad spinner to dry. OXO’s innovative pop-up handle allows you to spin with just one hand, while the non-slip base ensures that the spinner stays put on your work surface. A push button break mechanism brings the spinning to a quick halt. (So you can chat to friends and family as you wash the salad! Fantastic!)

For those who enjoy snacking on cucumbers or create a refreshing salad but feel somewhat wary given the recent health scares, OXO’s Y peeler is ideal for removing a wafer thin layer of skin. With its trademark, soft-grip handle, OXO’s Y peeler quickly and efficiently peels all manner of vegetables, removing just enough skin to leave behind all the vital healthy vitamins and nutrients. Also available in the range is a serrated peeler for tackling soft fruits like peaches and this is also ideal for tomatoes, too.

OXO’s UK Marketing Manager, Tracy Carroll, points out: “We have all become much aware of our everyday food preparation practices given the recent health scare. With many of us busy juggling work and family lives, everyday tasks such as washing or peeling vegetables often fall by the way side, but now we are all becoming stricter in our regimes.

“Our salad spinner can wash and dry lettuce, tomatoes, even fruit and has been universally-designed so that it is easy to use for the largest spectrum of people, even those who have limited manual dexterities.“

Prices:
Salad spinner: £25.53
Little salad & herb spinner: £18.38
Y peeler: £5.62
Serrated peeler: £5.62

FACTFILE:
Designed to make everyday living that little bit easier, the OXO Good Grips range offers over 200 stylish, yet practical tools for the home including kitchenware, organisational tools, bathroom and cleaning products. The company has also now extended into the nursery with the launch of OXO Tot, an exciting new design-led collection of baby equipment including essential feeding and weaning tools in three bright colours, handy cleaning tools and a super stylish, ultra functional highchair.

Available from Lakeland, Selfridges and Amazon. For stockist details visit www.oxo-uk.com or call 0114 290 1455.

Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel announces Aiden Byrne to open third restaurant within their hotel

Macdonald Craxton Wood has announced that Aiden Byrne will be launching his third restaurant on July 29th 2011. Working in collaboration with Macdonald Hotels, Byrne is to take over the operation of the 120 seater restaurant at the 72 bedroom Craxton Wood Hotel on the Wirral, Merseyside, where he will showcase his cooking in a new 'British Grill' concept that will carry his name.

Byrne who currently operates the 3 AA Rosette Church Green Pub in Lymm, and The Collingwood in West Kirkby, confirmed his pleasure with the collaboration with Macdonald Hotels and the hotel in Chester.

Byrne also pointed out he will be looking to introduce the style of dishes already established in his other two establishments. “The 'Aiden Byrne British Grill' concept is going to pick up the breezy comfortable style of cooking that has thrived at The Church Green and The Collingwood,” said a spokesman.

Byrne explained: "It's a venue for everyone. We're looking to enrich the dining experience by blending traditional British cooking with a relaxing venue in tune with what the public want."

The 'Aiden Byrne British Grill' will begin trading as new refurbished restaurant on the site of the Craxton Wood hotels former dining room; The Garden Room. David Guile, CEO of Macdonald Hotels, is keen to confirm another headline chef to work alongside the Macdonald brand.

Byrne continued: "The food and beverage culture within the collection has been particularly strong in recent years. Bringing Aiden onboard allows us to diversify with unique skills we know our hotel guests will find memorable and ultimately enjoy."

Aiden Byrne, is very experienced and was previously head chef at the famed Dorchester has enjoyed a stellar career having enjoyed spells working alongside Tom Aikens, Paul Rankin and David Adlard.

His numerous TV appearances have enabled audiences to explore his dynamic cooking on shows like Master Chef, Saturday Kitchen plus the highly popular Great British Menu.

Macdonald Hotels won AA Hotel Group of the Year in 2007 and over the last 5 years has become a self-styled industry leader in the hotel dining market. In 2010 it boasted 40 AA Rosettes across its collection, nationwide.

Food and beverage director Alan Swinson said: "There are locations around the UK which lend themselves very well to joint ventures with top chefs. Delivering added value to our hotel guests is key to what we do."

The art of Japanese Whisky revealed

The meticulous attention to detail and the blending of art with nature were revealed at an Omotenashi – ritual tasting – of Suntory Japanese whisky at the Saatchi Gallery on June 13.

Showcased were the Yamazaki 12 year old and Hakushu single malts and Hibiki 17 year old blended whisky during a tasting led by Mike Miyamoto, Suntory Global Brand Ambassador.

Suntory whiskies have earned over 60 awards in the last eight years alone. Recently Yamazaki 1984 year old single malt was named Best Malt Whisky in the World, while Hibiki 21 year old was named Best Blended Whisky in the World.

In 2010, Suntory was named Distiller of the Year, the first time such an honour was awarded to a Japanese distiller.

Suntory has been working to perfect the art of whisky making since the first whisky distillery in Japan was built by founder Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The whiskies were originally created to match the delicate Japanese palate and to complement the cuisines of Japan.

Often Japanese whiskies are drunk at mealtime straight, on the rocks, as a Highball or blended with water as a mizuwari.

While Yamazaki, Hakushu or Hibiki and a delightful partner to sushi or nigiri, it was shown that the whiskies marry well with British and Western style cooking, also. They were matched with fish and chips, burgers and shepherd’s pie.

Another side to the versatility of Suntory whiskies was revealed in a menu of cocktails celebrating the 24 Japanese Seasons. Mixologist Zoran Peric has created a unique collection of Suntory cocktails.

“A Japanese cocktail is about philosophy, nuance and refinement in which the final product inspires the imagination and triggers the palate”, he explained.

The art of the east and the art of the west meet literally at the Saatchi Gallery where Suntory is a corporate sponsor. Suntory has a long history of association with the arts, said Makiko Ono, President of Suntory London. “Our founder, Shinjiro Torii firmly believed a third of Suntory’s profit from all our business operations should be returned to society to enhance the Arts and Culture”.

Ms Ono added: “ I cannot emphasise enough how important the UK market is for Suntory. The Japanese have the highest respect for the United Kingdom and since 1971 London has been the hub of all Suntory operations in Europe”.

Sweet Alternative to Sugar- The Groovy Food Company's Agave Nectar

The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar is 100% natural, organic, plus cholesterol and fat-free too. And if that wasn’t enough here’s some more sweet news. Agave Nectar is lower in calories yet 25% sweeter than sugar, so you can replace every spoon of sugar with a quarter less of Agave. Because you can use less, you’ll cut calories too. The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar comes in two equally tasty types:

• Agave Nectar Light & Mild (RSP: £3.09, 250mls) Filtered for longer and runnier than honey, this light and mild version is perfect for adding to hot or cold food, stirring into drinks and for use in baking.
• Agave Nectar Rich & Dark (RSP: £3.09, 250mls) requires less filtering than the golden, Mild Agave. Its smooth maple syrup-like flavour is perfect for drizzling over food or adding to cooking.

Agave nectar contains 76% fructose (fruit sugar). Fructose is a slow-release carbohydrate which the body absorbs more slowly so it doesn’t need lots of insulin to break it down. Because agave nectar is low GI (Glycaemic Index) it helps keep your blood sugar levels balanced, too.

Nutritionist Fiona Hunter says: “Choosing a healthy diet doesn’t have to mean denying yourself the foods you enjoy. Making small changes like replacing sugar and honey with Agave Nectar can make a real difference and will help to make sweet foods better for you - so you really can have your cake and eat it without feeling too guilty.

“The main advantage of Agave Nectar,” Fiona continues “is that it is low GI. A growing body of research suggests that choosing foods with a low GI can help improve insulin sensitivity and bring a number of genuine health benefits. The fact that agave nectar is sweeter than sugar which means you need to use less is another real advantage.”

The sweet nectar comes all the way from Mexico where it lives in a spiky plant called the Blue Weber Agave. The milky white juice is collected from the plant and then filtered where the juice turns to Agave Nectar concentrate. There’s no unnatural meddling, it tastes great and your body will thank you for it!

Agave Nectar can be added to almost anything and you can be sure it will only make it tastier! It’s ideal for all your hot and cold favourites such as; cereal, toast, salad dressings, sauces, ice cream, teas, coffees, smoothies and is great for baking.

It's available at Sainsbury, Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Holland & Barrett and independent health food stores. For more information visit www.groovyfood.co.uk or call 0333 240 2947.

“It's What We Do” says Domino's Pizza

Domino’s Pizza is launching a branding campaign to point up the passion behind each and every pizza that it delivers.

The campaign focuses on what it describes as its “key areas” like only ever using high quality ingredients, the fact that all pizzas are freshly made for each order and that it delivers to a vast range of locations no matter what the weather.

As mentioned in the title of this article this new campaign features the newly created end line ‘It’s what we do’ which was developed by Domino’s long-standing creative agency, Big Communications, with with Arena Media.

Domino’s new brand campaign launched on last weekend with 30 and 40 second TV ads appearing at half-time during the England v Switzerland Euro 2012 qualifier and the Britain’s Got Talent final.

The ad was been directed by Stuart Rideout of Ridley Scott Associates, with the voice of famous modern performance poet John Cooper Clarke and featuring the music track ‘Hunger’ by upcoming Sunderland band, Frankie and the Heartstrings.

Said Simon Wallis, who has the enviable task of sales and marketing director for Domino’s Pizza: “Domino’s has been in the UK for over 25 years and while our marketing activity in the past has helped raise awareness and promote specific pizzas and offers, we wanted to use this campaign to remind consumers what we stand for.

“Domino’s has an extraordinary commitment to quality, service and hospitality and our aim is to deliver the ultimately convenient, feel good food. We wanted to highlight some of Domino’s core values that make us different from other pizza companies and to show we’ll always go the extra mile to deliver more for our customers – it’s what we do.”

The first TV ads will air on Saturday on ITV1, followed by further digital activity and press ads. For more information on Domino’s, visit www.dominos.co.uk.

Cheeses for your barbecue

Due to the dreadful weather, That's Food and Drink has decided to extend its barbecue feature. We continue with a look at cheeses for your barbecue.

As well as serving cooked foods for the barbecue, a lot of thought has to go in to providing special accompaniments to the cooked foods.

Fresh salad leaves are great (make sure they are thoroughly washed, or better yet, grow your own) but one of the best foods you can serve as part of a perfect barbecue feast are some nice cheeses. In fact so long as you do not over cook them, you can even barbecue cheeses. Generally a short time on a flat griddle  will be sufficient.

Classical cheeses that are perfect for serving with a barbecue (not necessarily  barbecued) are Galbani Dolcetta Classico, President Rondele goat's cheese and President Brie. Now, your editor is not, it must be admitted, generally a fan of goat's cheese. But President Rondele goat's cheese tastes so perfect that even he has to express delight in its lively yet clean taste. And of you think you are a fan or an admirer of brie, just wait until you have tasted President Brie. It's soft yet not runny with a distinctly creamy taste that makes you realise that no matter how much you buy you are always left thinking: "Perhaps I should have bought some more?"

And then we go on to Seriously Strong Cheddar, which is one of the Kings of this type of cheese. Strong in flavour yet lacking in the harshness of  some types of allegedly strong Cheddar cheese, this has got to be a top favourite for being a very important part of the cheeseboard for your next barbecue party. And all your subsequent barbecue parties, for that matter.

Eat out for less this month with DiscountVouchers.co.uk

DiscountVouchers.co.uk, the online provider home to money-saving deals for over 800 ltop restaurants and retailers, has introduced new deals to help UK diners enjoy eating out on a budget in June. The website is giving people money-saving deals at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Prezzo and Cafe Rouge.

DiscountVouchers.co.uk often gives deals to UK consumers to help them save at top restaurants, at the moment of the top names is famed Italian diner Prezzo. The latest choice of DiscountVouchers.co.uk offers available online includes a Prezzo voucher for getting 2 main meals for just £12 - ideal for enjoying some value for money pasta and pizza.

Gourmet standard beefburgers can be had without having to spend a fortune this month! That's thanks to the new choice of offers. One of the most popular places to eat out on the UK high street, the Gourmet Burger Kitchen is offering savings due to a new Gourmet Burger Kitchen voucher which allows diners to eat any burger for £5.95.

But it's not just burgers and pasta. Fantastic French dining can be yours on a budget too in the ever-popular Cafe Rouge. Deals available via DiscountVouchers.co.uk includes Café Rouge vouchers where you'll be able to munch through 2 main meals for the price of 1. And that sounds like a great deal!

Claire Hayes, spokeswoman for DiscountVouchers.co.uk, says: “Our mission is to help you save money at as many retailers and restaurants as possible. We're pleased to be able to help people save!"

And as well as the ability to much lunch at a discount, they also offer consumers money saving deals with top high street brands and specialist retailers, and holiday firms and hotels.

For details on how you can start cutting down on your spending without imapcting your lifestyle, visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk