One for the carb lovers out there!

It has been a while since I've run a competition on the blog but this one is a little more special. I have five T-Shirts to give away, that have been designed by moi of my favourite food quote of all time. In these times of orthorexic Instagram feeds, carb bashing and general noise about healthy eating, I think Sophia Loren's famous quote "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti" is a refreshing memory of simpler times where food was concerned. I'd love to see Deliciously Ella wearing one of these :)



And I really hope it's true as who wouldn't like to look like the ageless Italian beauty that is Sophia Loren!

There are 1 Small, 2 x Mediums and 2 x Large T-shirts available, entry via Rafflecopter below and you can specify your size in the comments below. UK entry only, winners chosen at random and closes at noon on 27th March 2017. You can also enter over at instagram.com/thegraphicfoodie

Thank you to Printsome for sponsoring the production of the T-Shirts in Brighton.

But one dish I do like, which is rarely on the menus, is Papas Arrugadas with Mojo sauces. This is regional to the Canary Islands and something I discovered with Mr Graphic Foodie back in the day when we were young, carefree and wrecking our cheap 1ltr white Nissan Micra by driving it off road to Playa de Papagayo. And when we weren't breaching our car hire lease conditions, we were propped up somewhere, ordering these wrinkly potatoes with a salted crust, dipping them in fiery mojo sauces. They really are one of best holiday food memories I have.

And as Alhambra were nice enough to send over a case of their Alhambra Reserva 1925 beer, I thought I'd remember what summer was like (is it EVER going to stop raining?) and recreate that holiday vibe. There are so many variations of mojo sauces but I've stuck to the two classics of spicy red and smoother parsley mojo sauce but you can try avocado or orange based ones too.

Here you'll learn how to make your own craft beer with a master brewer, who will walk you through the home brewing process end to end, and pass on all the tricks of the trade. Expect lots of vital *cough* sampling throughout the lesson too!

They have been very generous to offer one Graphic Foodie reader a place for two people on one of their classes plus lunch. All you have to do is follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms
Over 18s only.

This prize has no cash value.

The prize can be taken on any Saturday, at the discretion of Bison Beer Crafthouse and the Home Brew Depot.

Bison Beer Crafthouse and the Home Brew Depot reserve the right to decline the preferred date, due to overbooking or cancellation. In this instance you will be offered another date.

Bison Beer Crafthouse and the Home Brew Depot reserve the right to cancel the date. Another date will be rescheduled.

A minimum cancellation period of one week is required if you wish to reschedule.

The prize includes the afternoon at the brew school for two people, lunch to the value of £10, beer tasting and the beer that you brew. Travel, parking and extra food and drinks are not included.

As you may have seen, I've been putting these pans to the test over the last five months and boy, have they been tested. You can read my original review here and my updated review here. In a nutshell though, I'm a huge fan of them.

But there's nothing better than trying them out yourselves! Tefal have been super kind and offered a full 13-piece set of Ingenio Induction pans (that can be used on all types of hob) for me to giveaway.



To enter, simply follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. Good luck! (UK entries only.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you know that Brighton was the chocolate capital of the UK? The average Brightonian spends a staggering £672 a YEAR on the stuff as opposed to the £348 UK average. The dentists down here are probably getting fabulous Christmas bonuses this year!



So in the spirit of festive gorging giving, and to save you some of your chocolate fund, I'm giving away a jar of Gourmet Chocolate by Yumbles maker, Ellie's Chocolates for two lucky winners!

Ellie's Chocolate is made using only the best ingredients and hand-dried fruits and flower petals with no additives or preservatives. And looks a real treat in that jar I think.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The chocolate research was conducted by Yumbles.com. They are a place to discover deliciously different indie food and gifts this Christmas. The online marketplace showcases hand-picked food and drink, made by the UK's most talented food makers. With everything from show-stopping cheeses to an exquisite range of innovative chocolates, you'll find the perfect gift for your favourite foodie.



Personally, and if my secret Santa is reading, I'm loving the Laura Oil and Vinegar set in their almost perfume bottle packaging. Also the Cocoa Garden's hand painted chocolates are a nice touch or if like me you have a weakness for posh tea, then a jar of flowering tea bulbs, handmade with white needle green tea leaves which are interwoven with chrysanthemum flowers and topped with a rose bud, is as posh as it gets!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I met Discover the Origin at the last Brighton and Hove Food Festival over a gorgeous supper at Hotel Du Vin, with all courses made from their fabulous products. And really, pretty much all the produce they promote are my favourites; Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma Ham, Bourgogne Wines, Douro Wines and Port. (Although I must say the white port did have me skipping home a bit too merrily!)

Anyway, the work that DTO do is vital for consumers to know where and how these products are made by making information available about their provenance and unique characters.

These products are so steeped in tradition that their status as heritage products is protected, guaranteeing that they’re made using age-old methods that in turn give an assurance of quality each and every time. You can learn how to spot real Parma Ham at the supermarket and find out which wines pair best with your favourite meals by visiting the Discover the Origin website which is full of tips and recipes for enjoying these natural, nutritious and affordable luxuries at home.

And I'm so pleased to offer one lucky Graphic Foodie reader a chance to win the most incredible hamper filled with £70 worth of these luxury authentic European products. The hamper contains Parma Ham, a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano, Douro Wine, Bourgogne Wine and port. Don't say I don't treat you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Discover the Origin is a campaign financed with aid from the EU, France, Italy and Portugal that celebrates and protects the fine heritage of products with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. For more information visit discovertheorigin.co.uk

T&Cs: The competition closes on 09/04/2014. A winner will be chosen at random. Winners must be over 18 years old. UK entries only.

Even though I've now reviewed over thirty cookbooks on this blog, it just hasn't crossed my mind to post up any food fiction reviews. A bit daft really, as I'm guessing if you're reading this, you must have some interest in food and erm, reading. I've adored most of the ifood fiction I've read over the years as food really does translate well to stories you can immerse yourself in.

Based in Barcelona, Vanilla Salt is essentially the story of a stormy Catalan chef who's personality and attitude is killing his formerly popular restaurant. He desperately needs help, even if he resist it at every opportunity by forcing staff to leave or refusing advice from everyone around him. Then a mysterious Canadian cook starts work in his ill-fated restaurant who changes everything about his life.

I was grabbed pretty quickly, with food bloggers, food critics, social media and mention of one of my favourite films of all time, Big Night all featuring in the first few chapters. Also, the real draw of this book is that it has actually been written by a chef, admittedly not one I've heard of before, but her description of cooking and food is so detailed and vivid, you can sometimes taste it. Something that anyone short of being a professional chef probably wouldn't have managed so well. You can also extract quite a few tips in there like thickening sauces with fried bread and ground almonds. Bonus.

I did like chef Alex and thought his character was well created. Passionate, disillusioned, stubborn, arrogant and blinded by his own talent yet incredibly vulnerable underneath the tattoos and aggression. I think we all know one of those chefs! His resistance to use any ingredients who have their culinary origins in America - barbarian food as he calls it - made me laugh out loud although the real reason for his hatred turns out to be far deeper than just being a difficult chef.

Annette, the Canadian, was portrayed to swing wildly from being savvy and well-informed to naive and a tad foolish which made it difficult to gel with her and she did irritate me in places, but this could have been her poor grasp of Catalan which made her come across as a little simple.

As for the plot, it made for an easy read and heart-warming in places although I found the story's pace was a little jumpy toward the end and some of what happened just a little too farcical and thin skinned. It was interesting to read a book that has not only traditional food critics, but social media and blogging strongly dictate the success or failure of restaurants as quite a strong theme

All in all I enjoyed it. Vanilla Salt is light-hearted and definitely something to throw in the beach bag this summer.

COMPETITION TIME (UK only)!



Alma Books have very kindly offered me a set of four food fiction books to give away including:
The Hundred Foot Journey
The Restaurant of Love Regained
White Truffles in Winter
Vanilla Salt 

So if you've still got your summer holidays to go on, that will be your pool side reading sorted. The prize is one set of four books. Entries via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


I was sent a copy of the book for review

The Foodies Festival is coming to Brighton again on the 3-5th May 2014. When the sun shines, Hove Lawns is a glorious place to be for a drink and a nibble on something delicious.

[Competition has now closed - thanks for all the entries, amazing response! See the winners at the festival.]

A cookbook with just chapters on countries, each with a handful of recipes is rather a new on me. Great if you don't want to commit to a whole book on Vietnamese or Syrian cooking. To have a taster or an overview to a cuisine is ideal, allowing you to explore further when you discover those that particularly appeal to you.

World Food Cafe is a cookbook whose focus is easy vegetarian recipes from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Chile, Cuba, Japan, Laos, Helsinki, Namibia, Syria and Vietnam. They are a collection of recipes procured by authors Chris and Carloyn Caldicott from home kitchens, ships' galleys, roadside cafes and stalls. This will be their third book in the series and for those particularly interested in travel as well as food, will find the introduction sections to each country fascinating. The photography really does take you on a food journey thought the countries as well as showcasing people and produce. I spent hours trawling through it, wishing I had taken that gap year after all.

The other thing that appeals to me with this book is despite being exotic, most dishes totally achievable as a mid-week supper with most ingredients readily available, only a few items requiring specialist food stores. It's useful, as all cookbooks should be yet so few are!



Design-wise, despite a particularly eye-catching cover, it is all pretty conservative and standard in layout. The positive from this is that the simplicity of the design allows the juicy travel photography to shine.

There are a few functional issues with the book however; it does suffer with inconsistent page numbering (numbers not on each page) which is one of my pet niggles as is a useless index. I remember seeing a pancake recipe but was only listed under "T" for Toasted Coconut and Honey Pancake recipe to find the page number. As well as recipe titles I think all cookbooks should include the recipe type (soups, salads...) and key ingredient in the back too as standard. This sort of stuff makes my head explode and gives me the design twitches (proper medical condition, like).



If you are a person who insists that each recipe is photographed then you will be disappointed in World Food Cafe. I don't mind as much but with unfamiliar food like this I think it would have been helpful to have arranged a shoot to do this as it will encourage people to try the dishes. A picture does speak a thousand words and that is truer in food than anywhere.

Having tried two recipes tonight from the book and they were so good (and yes, so quick and easy too) that I can't wait to try more of them.



The first was the Spicy Peanut and Chickpea soup. Anything got a kick and peanuty is right up my street. Throw in my favourite pulse (chickpeas), leaf (kale) as well as my love of squash and pumpkin and it's a recipe I need in my life. Aside from the inevitable struggle preparing squash this is as easy as it gets yet with rich, warming flavours and really interesting to eat. If you like soup but fancy something a little different then this would be it.



The Toasted Coconut and Honey Pancakes I tried were excellent and despite having to buy two types of rice flour will be something I will make again and again. As with the other recipe, really easy and the rice flours made the pancakes particularly light. I griddled some fresh pineapple to serve them with which was a good match. Baby Foodie would eat like, a hundred of them given half the chance.

T&Cs

I suppose what I quite like about these sorts of food festivals is that they are targeted at everyone, not just die-hard food geeks. And it's a good way of showing off talented local food businesses, chefs or restaurants to people that may not have come across them before.

Anyway, at the Brighton event there is quite a lot on. It's a decent sized site which will have;

• Bake and Cake Theatre (G&T Steampunk hands-on baking demos - I have no idea what this is but I like it)
• Chocolate Theatre (demos from Divine Chocolate and Sciolti Chocolates)
• Homeware Village
• Pop up restaurant from Fishy Fishy & Jamie's Italain
• Local and national award-winning Producers' Market 
• Street Food Avenue

I've already had a cuddle with one of the Two Greedy Italians and hope to get a squeeze of the other one, Gennaro Contaldo (love him!) at some point, although I'll probably be picturing him with that octopus down his Speedos which is etched on my mind from the TV series *shudder*. As well as Gennaro, a few local chefs (including Stephen Crane of Ockenden Manor, Jake Northcote Green from Yum Yum Ninja and Matt Gillan from The Pass) will be doing a spot of live cooking too.

Booze seems to feature heavily with a Wine Village (lots of villages featuring here. It's Brighton. Wot you sayin'?), hay bale bar area with British cider and ale and a double-decker bar bus. Ding ding.

There will be plenty for the kids too with a Children's Cookery Theatre, where they will be creating panda cupcakes and bee muffins (obviously not with real pandas and bees, that will really rile the Brighton veggie massive).

Me? Well, I'll be heading over to the City Beach for ice-cream and sand castle building with the bambino. Happy days.

Competition (now closed)
I'm giving away a pair of passes for the full 3 days worth £36. All you have to do is subscribe to this blog (if you don't already) AND do ONE of the following;

If you are not lucky enough to live in Brighton it is a fun place to visit for the weekend and one of the reasons I started this blog was to help visitors (and residents alike) find good food in the city. It is easy to get lured by the tourist fodder, but with so many local cafes, restaurants and bars doing incredible things, I hope yours truly can point you in the right direction on your visit.

To make your stay even more fabulous, how about a stay in the Thistle's penthouse suite? Don't say I don't give you anything! I have a wonderful one nights stay for two people worth £650 as well as some extra goodies. Unfortunately the only image I have is this slightly cheesy shot but I've been along to the suite personally to see if it is worthy of my attractive and stylish readers!! The best bit is the hot tub on the outside decked balcony, overlooking over the seafront and the suite itself is nicely decorated and very glam.







In addition to the suite, you will also receive a free pass to the recently refurbished Otium Health & Leisure Club or you could use your pass to indulge yourself with a massage or treatment in the beauty rooms (one per person). A complimentary Dinner for two will also be offered in the Promenade Restaurant, overlooking Brighton Pier and the sea.



Nice huh! Shame I can't enter but y'know - I'll be ok in my 2 up 2 down round the corner in the cheap seats while you live the high life!



Entry: To stand a chance of winning all you need to do is visit the competition page here and answer the following question: Why should you win a night in a luxury Thistle hotel suite? The most deserving entry judged by Thistle Hotel will win.
The closing date for this competition is 31st March 2011 at 5pm. Entrants must be 18yrs or over to enter this competition. Other T&Cs are also available on the page.

The Graphic Foodie's Off The Beaten Path Tour of Brighton!
If you do win, here is my suggested itinerary for a top day in Brighton. If you haven't been to the Pavillion or the Pier, you have to go - I've lived here all my life and still need my annual fix of both. Assuming you have visited before, I suggest The Graphic Foodie's Off The Beaten Path Tour of Brighton! After your morning chill and massage, take a walk and grab a coffee and mid-morning pastries at Cocoa, my favourite patisserie in town. You will then have summoned the energy for some shopping round the Laines where I like to pick up fab vintage cookware and china, design focused homeware or some boutique jewelry.

I would then suggest an Indian street food style lunch at The Chilli Pickle. It ain’t no visit to Brighton without an ice cream so squeeze in a visit to Boho - my go to for gelato. Gelato in hand, have a mooch down to the seafront for a walk and a nose around Castor and Pollux design/art gallery and shop and then maybe play on some vintage slot machines at the charming Old Penny Arcade before heading back to The Thistle. After dining, grab some post dinner drinks at Hotel Du Vin, or if warm enough, grab a space on the beach and order some drinks from one of the seafront bars.

Good luck! x

High expectations, stomach butterflies and squeals of joy or crushed hopes, disappointed tears and slammed doors. And I'm just talking about the reactions to Valentines Day gifts, so you had better get it right, oui? Here are my top gift picks for the food lover in your life, some ideas specifically for Brightonians as well as your chance to win an Amore Hamper worth £55 for that special someone. All bases covered here at Graphic Foodie! Onward...



Top of my list this Valentines would be these lush set of Love Cups from the red Cornishware range £30.00 available from www.tggreen.co.uk



Cuter than a bucketful of kittens is this cherub wing cookie cutter, £5.50 from www.bobbypost.com



I featured Chocri a littlewhile back, where you can personalise and name chocolate bars. Perfect for creating the ultimate Yummy Love Honey Bunny Munchy Munch Munch bar for your little snooky wooky woo woo.



For the serious cookware junky, how about something from Le Creuset Heart shaped range? Cast iron casserole (RRP £95) or stoneware dish (RRP £ £35) as well as some sweet little ramekins are available from www.hartsofstur.com.



If you do opt for the ramekins, you could go one step further and make these easy Chocolate and Amaretti desserts to go inside.

Brighton based



Nothing gets you in the good books more than breakfast in bed and I j'adore the pastries from my favourite patisserie in Brighton, Cocoa. Bonjour Breakfast is a breakfast delivery service in the Brighton area where you can create your own box of goodies or choose from their ready made packages with extras like Champagne and beauty treatments. Allow 48 hours notice. Visit www.bonjourbreakfast.com.



Also, for a kooky idea, ice cream parlour Cloud 9 are offering a free Valentines quick-date dessert menu. A Champagne sorbet plus a selection of mini desserts for 2 will be offered between 5:30pm - 9:00pm on February 14th only. You must book a 15 minute slot table before the 14th. Contact info@cloud9brighton.co.uk or phone 01273 72 30 20.

This competition has now closed. Thank you for all your entries - who knew there were so many cava monsters out there! Will collate all entries and contact the winners shortly.



I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away for Freixenet’s retro themed VIP event at Hotel du Vin & Bistro in Ship Street, Brighton on Thursday, 20th January 6.30pm - 10.30pm.

The Brighton Freixenet VIP is an exclusive party in the impressive Dome room at the Hotel du Vin. Brightonians on the guest list at the stylish venue will be able to soak up the glamour of the occasion while enjoying fabulous entertainment.

Following welcome drinks of Freixenet Strawberry Bellinis there will be a glamorous, cabaret-style dance class with feather boas. Then guests can get glammed up with professionally applied retro style make-up. Classical mime artists will add a vaudeville touch, while dainty afternoon-tea style sandwiches and indulgent cupcakes from Brighton Cupcakes will round off the perfect evening.

And, of course, cute little black bottles of chilled Freixenet Cordon Negro will be the accessory of choice!

See you there x

How to Enter:

If this sounds like your cup of tea/glass of cava then just leave your name with an email or Twitter address in the comments below or send your details to me at thegraphicfoodie@hotmail.com with "I'm a cava monster" in the title.

Details:

• Competition closes at GMT midday Tuesday 18th January
• A winner will be selected from all valid entries using a random number generator.
  
• The winner will be notified by email or twitter after the competition closes on Tuesday 18th January. If no response is received by GMT midday Wednesday 19th January, the prize will be forfeit and a new winner will be picked and contacted.

Winners were selected using textmechanic