The UK's First Independent Online Cookery School Directory: lookingtocook.co.uk

The website currently lists in excess of 150 cookery schools that are easily searchable by region, course type and cost. For example, learn how to make artisan bread in a clay oven in a Birmingham back garden or Michelin-starred dishes at the home of celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli.

New reviews and more in-depth profiles of schools are added daily and are also searchable by use of an interactive map. There is a news section featuring the latest openings and cookery events, useful seasonal round-ups and a blog with expert cookery tips, competitions, discounts and videos.

Looking to Cook has been developed by Nick Wyke, who works as a freelance food writer and digital food and drink editor at The Times. "The nation's love for all things culinary continues to grow and people are keen to get hands-on experience and learn new techniques," says Nick.

"There are hundreds of exciting courses out there and Looking to Cook is the quickest way to find what you're looking for." He adds: "Our team of experts has been visiting cookery schools for many years, and knows the right ingredients for a great experience."

Looking to Cook also offers a range of social media and web content services for cookery schools and food businesses.

For more information: Email: info@lookingtocook.co.uk ; Tel: 0207 228 7991 or 0794 111 5857 ; Twitter: @lookingtocook or follow them on Facebook

Pan-Fried Wild Alaska Pollock With Crunchy Lemon And Parsley Breadcrumbs, Chorizo And Buttered Baby Leeks

Start the New Year in a sustainable way with our new recipes from Alaska Seafood! This tasty wild Alaska pollock dish with spicy Spanish chorizo and sweet, buttered baby leeks is both delicious and wonderfully simple to make. First, fry pollock fillets and leeks in butter and chorizo in hot oil, then serve with lemon and parsely breadcrumbs and a drizzle of chorizo oil. Delicious, natural and sustainable!

Sustainable Alaska pollock is a great eco-conscious seafood choice and available frozen all year round. Alaska’s long-term dedication to sustainability began over 50 years ago in the State constitution and has ensured continuous, wild and healthy harvests, and guaranteed that stocks of superior seafood are preserved for future generations.

Alaska’s most abundant seafood species, genuine Alaska pollock is a lean, mild and tender member of the cod family. Swimming freely in the icy waters of the North Pacific Ocean, they feed on natural marine life. Wild Alaska pollock is low in fat and a natural source of protein, vitamins, calcium and Omega-3 oils, and can be eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Alaska pollock is easy to prepare and the most versatile of all whitefish varieties, and great value for money too! You can also find ready-prepared wild Alaska pollock fish fingers in the ranges of your favourite fish finger brands.

That's Food and Drink would like to thank the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and: Steve Lee for the information and the photograph and Jocelyn Barker for the following  recipe:-

Pan-fried wild Alaska pollock with crunchy lemon and parsley breadcrumbs, chorizo and buttered baby leeks

Serves 4

25g butter

4 x 150-200g Alaska pollock fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper

8 baby leeks, trimmed

1 tbsp olive oil

100g chorizo, sliced

1 lemon

Salt and black pepper

Breadcrumbs:

4 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

60g dry white breadcrumbs

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

1 tbsp chopped parsley

· To make the breadcrumbs, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the garlic. Cook until the garlic just starts to colour and then add in the breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Remove from the heat

· Melt the butter and add the pollock fillets. Cook for 2 minutes a side. Add the leeks half way through

· At the same time, fry the chorizo slices in 1 tbsp hot oil for 1-2 minutes, reserve the oil

· Reheat the breadcrumbs if they have cooled and then stir in the chopped parsley

· Serve the pollock fillets with a spoonful of breadcrumbs, baby leeks, chorizo, a drizzle of chorizo oil and a squeeze of lemon juice

From Recipe To Retail - Unique New Club Helps Food Business Start Ups Build Brands Without Busting The Budget

Launching in March 2012, the Relish food & drink marketing club has a unique approach to helping producers to take their ideas to the next level.

Having spent many years working in brands, product development and sales throughout the food industry, Relish founders Jo Densley & Claire Hooper decided there must be a way to share that expertise with smaller foodies.

"The hefty price tag involved with hiring a consultant is simply out of reach for most start ups, particularly in these economic times," says Claire.

She went on to say: "We wanted to find a way to make the marketing & business advice needed to get a new food business off the ground - or indeed to take a fledgling brand to the next level - as accessible as possible for smaller business owners."

And so the Relish recipe was created.

Jo explains how the club works: "The Relish club will be dishing up all the tricks of the trade - from how to come up with new recipes that sell, to what makes a brand stand out, to insider info on what really makes retailers want to stock new brands. With short video guides, bite size tasks that can be done in minutes, templates to be tailored to each fledgling food brand and interviews with some amazing foodie folk who are already winning at this, we will be helping our foodie members drive their own businesses forwards, at their pace and to their own budget."

To find out more about Relish, email hello@relish-marketing.co.uk or go to www.relish-marketing.co.uk, where you can download the FREE Relish Recipe to Retail Tips Guide.

Parma Ham And Caramelised Red Onion Valentine's Tart

Treat your special someone this Valentine’s Day with this recipe from Parma Ham. These adorable heart-shaped pastry cases filled with Parma Ham are fantastically easy to make and deliciously romantic. Simply cut two heart shapes out of puff pastry and bake in the oven until beginning to brown.

Add caramelised red onions, chunks of feta cheese and fresh rosemary, and serve with balsamic figs and delicious, sweet Parma Ham. The perfect way to show your love on February 14th!

Parma Ham is a completely natural food with nothing added except salt. Making a Parma Ham is a long and painstaking process. The curing is controlled carefully so that the ham absorbs only enough salt to preserve it to retain its distinctive sweet flavour.

Prosciutto di Parma is produced in the hills surrounding the Italian town of Parma. The air is unique, dry and sweet-smelling with breezes from the Apennine Mountains, creating perfect environmental conditions for a natural “drying” of the hams.

The unique taste of Parma Ham is dependent on the traditional production process passed down from Roman times, carefully controlled by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma. Only hams that have passed stringent curing regulations approved by the EU can be awarded the stamp of the Ducal crown – a five pointed coronet logo with PARMA in the centre which is branded onto the ham’s skin. The Ducal Crown is now a certification trademark.

New season Wild Garlic Yarg cheese now available

Cornish hedges and woodlands are brimming with the vibrant green and pungent aroma of wild garlic at this time of year.

It is also the time of year that a dedicated team of pickers from Lynher Dairies spring into action at Pengreep Farm, West Cornwall to produce Wild Garlic Yarg. The result is a seasonal, handmade cheese that makes the most of the changing seasons and flavours of the Cornish countryside. This is a fabulous cheese for al fresco eating: mild, creamy and just a little crumbly, perfectly paired with fresh bread and fruity chutneys.

After gathering the wild garlic by hand, the team then 'paint' the leaves in concentric circles onto soft white rounds of Yarg cheese. This encourages the maturing process, whilst infusing the cheese with a hint of garlic.

The subtlety of the garlic in the cheese makes it a versatile cooking ingredient, adding extra, but not overpowering, interest to dishes. Try replacing gruyère with Wild Garlic Yarg in an Alsace style onion tart or for a real summery dish, try a twice-baked soufflé with a wild garlic salsa verde.

Wild Garlic Yarg is made by hand in the same way as Lynher Dairies' famous nettle covered Yarg, using milk both from the dairy's own herd of Ayrshire, Jersey and Friesian cross cows and from nearby farms. As one of the UK's most successful artisan cheese makers, Lynher Dairies processes two million litres of milk a year and makes nearly 200 tonnes of cheese, which is distributed nationally.

A 900g truckle of Wild Garlic Yarg costs £16.95 (including p&p) from Lynher Dairies Cheese By Post and is also available from selected cheese counters nationwide.

For further information, visit www.lynherdairies.co.uk.

Dine out at a discount with DiscountVouchers.co.uk

DiscountVouchers.co.uk, the website which helps consumers save at more than 800 stores and suppliers, has sourced new deals to get people great value dining out throughout January and February. The website has sourced new offers to help diners enjoy eating out at top restaurants Harvester, La Tasca and Prezzo.

Italian restaurant chain Prezzo is among the most popular diners around for couples and groups alike, serving up great quality pasta and pizza throughout the country. This January and February consumers can log on to DiscountVouchers.co.uk and get new Prezzo vouchers offering the Special £10 Menu - Only at Prezzo Kingston - One Starter Or One Dessert, One Main Course & A Drink. The site has also sourced a printable voucher for two mains for £12.95 at all Prezzo branches.

La Tasca is another of the country's favourite eateries to feature in the new winter dining deals on show on DiscountVouchers.co.uk right now, with new La Tasca vouchers offering buy one, get one free on tapas to share. La Tasca has branches throughout the UK and offers great quality tapas, paella and other classic Spanish dishes.

Fans of big meals and great value can also save this winter thanks to other money-saving deals available on the DiscountVouchers.co.uk website this week. Consumers can log on and access the latest Harvester vouchers to get themselves savings in the shape of the Early Bird only £4.99 and 2 takeaway meals from £10.

Doug Scott, managing director of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, says, “We keep our eyes peeled for the very latest and best ways to help our users save, and this January and February we can help people eat out for less. Great value meal deals at Prezzo, Harvester and La Tasca are ideal for helping people enjoy great value for money dining this winter."

DiscountVouchers.co.uk offers consumers money saving deals at major high street brands and specialist retailers, including stores like Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Travelodge, First Choice, lastminute.com and Boden.

For more information visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk

UK's Only Coconut Milk Ice-Cream Bessant & Drury Gains Momentum

The UK's only coconut milk ice-cream Bessant & Drury aims high for 2012.

Following a successful launch in 2011, Bessant & Drury's Fine Ice-Cream Company is gaining impetus in the market, with more than 80 listings in the UK, committing also to a number of trade and consumer shows. Recent listings include WholeFoods in London and Glasgow, Planet Organic, As Nature Intended, Partridge's in London and the renown Sunny Foods in Brighton.

With the taste, texture and appearance of a premium ice-cream the product is proving popular amongst both dairy and dairy-free audiences, keen not to compromise on taste.

Since its launch in June 2011 the product, which comes in four flavours (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and lemon) has been taken on by retailers in London, the South East, South West, East Anglia, Yorkshire, Humberside, Wales and Scotland. An extensive sampling programme is significantly supporting sales whilst a broad exhibition calendar for 2012 includes presence at Hotelympia, Vitality, BBC Good Food Show, Speciality Fine Food Fair, Lunch! and more.

Targeting both the premium market and the increasing demands for dairy free products, it is the only coconut milk based ice-cream in the UK, enjoying all of the health benefits of the super-food coconut, with no additives, colourings or preservatives and using real fruit. Different from other dairy free desserts, Bessant & Drury enjoys a creaminess only associated with traditional ice-cream.

Poised to announce a nationwide retailer, 2012 will also see an extension of the four flavours.

The brand was developed just 18 months ago when Steve Bessant starting experimenting in his kitchen at home with a borrowed ice-cream maker, because as one of Britain's leading health experts Steve is regularly advising clients who have food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities.

With the number of people affected with dairy intolerances on the rise, Steve advises on healthy foods to consume, of which coconut plays a major part. Along with friend Ian he started to experiment with recipes and ingredients which led to their ultimate vision.

"Our vision is to become a preferred choice for ice-cream lovers regardless of its dairy-free status. The product is aimed at the mainstream, premium market, with its superior taste and positioning all setting the scene for a luxury dessert."

www.bessantanddrury.com

Make Easter Special With Thorntons

2012 is set to be the year of Rule Britannia and to celebrate, Britain's favourite chocolatier Thorntons is this Easter launching its delicious Great British Puds Eggs.

Combining Britain's best loved chocolate eggs with some of the nation's favourite desserts, the collection includes Eton Mess, Banoffee Pie and Lemon Meringue Pie, all available in Thorntons' store and online for RRP £14.99. The striking shell design, made up of real fruit pieces bursting with authentic flavour, makes these eggs the ideal Easter gift for any dessert lover.

The Lemon Meringue Egg is a white chocolate shell infused with natural lemon oil, decorated on the front with real lemon and meringue pieces, creating a crunchy texture and sweet zesty flavour.

The Eton Mess Egg is made from Thorntons tasty chocolate, with bursts of berry flavour making it truly reminiscent of the classic dessert. The pink shell is strawberry flavoured and the raspberry and meringue pieces in the front give that special finishing touch.

The Banoffee Pie Egg is a chunky milk chocolate egg with banana slices in the front, coupled with Thorntons very own Special Toffee, together with Special Toffee inclusions in the shell for that extra indulgence. Did you know that Banoffee Pie was created in East Sussex in 1972?

For those looking for the ultimate bespoke Easter gift, there is the new Thorntons Perfect Egg RSP £7.99. Featuring a half milk chocolate egg shell, chocolate lovers can choose to fill it with their 12 favourite Thorntons' chocolates and it will then be beautifully gift wrapped in store, giving that extra special personal touch this Easter.

Thorntons first ever chocolatier created the Thorntons Continental range in 1954 and it is still the chocolatier's most popular box of chocolates sixty years on. For the second year running it is available as the Continental Egg - an elegantly decorated milk chocolate egg packaged with a box of Continental chocolates. New for 2012, those looking for the ultimate indulgence can choose the stunning Continental Statement Egg (RRP £24.99), which features a triple layer of chocolates and is presented in a glamorous display case box.

There are many more fantastic products in the Easter range, with an array of ice-able eggs and little gifts to ensure Thorntons customers young and old enjoy a special Easter together this year.

Thorntons celebrated its 100th birthday in 2011.
Thorntons is the number one 'Chocolate and Confectionery' brand and the number 20 overall brand in the UK according to Superbrands' latest research.
Established by Joseph William Thornton in 1911, Thorntons is one of the UK's oldest chocolate retailers, headquartered in Derbyshire with more than 4,000 employees.
Thorntons has nearly 600 stores, including franchises across the country, as well as a strong direct (www.thorntons.co.uk) and commercial business, supplying all major supermarkets.
Products range from gift selections, chocolate blocks to toffee and ice cream.
Keith Hurdman is Thorntons' award winning Master Chocolatier. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Keith is an unusual phenomenon for the British chocolate industry as a homegrown talent with extensive training with some of Europe's finest confectioners and chocolatiers in Belgium, Switzerland and France. He is now widely recognised as one of the UK's most talented chocolatiers and in 2011 was crowned Joint Chocolatier of the Year by the Academy of Chocolate.
In 2011, Thorntons won four Academy of Chocolate Gold Awards for its Tonka bar and Centenary filled chocolates Raspberry & Rose, Vanilla Caramel and Crunchy Praline.

Dine Al Fresco With Unearthed®'s New Dips And Platters

This summer impress your guests by serving up a selection of Middle Eastern treats, one of the hottest cuisines in the UK right now. For inspiration look to foodie explorers unearthed®, they've discovered an exciting new range of Dips, which include exotic flavours such as pomegranate mollases and green harissa.
 
Pomegranate Houmous with Green Harissa Dip - an Eastern Mediterranean taste with sweet pomegranate molasses and fresh coriander. Serve with a variety of vegetable batons. (RRP £1.49, 170g)

Yoghurt & Green Harissa Dip - coriander, parsley and chilli flavours are gently stirred through a light refreshing yoghurt to give a taste of North Africa. Serve with pitta bread for an incredibly moorish snack. (RRP £1.49, 170g)

Broad Bean Houmous Dip - a nutty flavoured twist on humous made from broad beans and given a subtle kick from spicy paprika. Simply grab a bag of tortillas and dive right in. (RRP £1.49, 170g)

With charcuterie more popular than ever, why not share unearthed®'s new timesaving continental Meat Platters with your friends and family. Perfect served as part of your picnic or as a starter before a barbecue.

Umbrian Cured Meat Platter - includes Italian Prosciutto Crudo and Perugian Salami. Enjoy with crusty bread. (RRP £2.99, 65g)

Tuscan Cured Meat Platter - contains dry cured ham and Finocchiona Salami with fennel. Try serving with cubes of melon, plus a handful of figs and dates. (RRP £2.99, 65g)

unearthed® is a national brand partner of Action Against Hunger and have committed to donate 1p per pack sold to support their campaign. By choosing any of the unearthed® range, you can rest assured you're contributing to a worthy cause.

To view the full product range and for summer recipe ideas, visit www.discoverunearthed.com. Become a fan on Facebook search for unearthed. Join them on Twitter: www.twitter.com/foodsunearthed

The unearthed range is available from Waitrose supermarkets, Ocado and Abel & Cole.

In Summer 2010, unearthed® became the first national brand to partner with Action Against Hunger.

Donating one penny per pack sold, half of the unearthed donations will go forward to the Zambia project supporting grandparent-headed households where older generators are left to care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. It will provide households with nutritional support for families and longer-term sustainable income-generation activities. The additional money will go to other Action Against Hunger's projects and emergency response.

Based on Action Against Hunger's successful 'Eat Out' campaign, Love Food Give Food is an Action Against Hunger appeal to save the lives of malnourished children. Love Food Give Food encourages food lovers to host dinner parties at home and invite their friends to make a donation in return for the delicious meal.

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