Liebster Award

This week, I was lucky enough to be nominated for the Liebster Award by the lovely Naomi of Make-Bake-Travel!

The Liebster Award is a chain award, passed on by bloggers to other bloggers in recognition of great blogging work. 

The Rules

1) Thank and link back to the blogger who so kindly nominated you

2) Answer the 11 questions they have asked you

3) Nominate bloggers who have a following of  less than 200 on Bloglovin’

4) Ask them 11 questions

5) Notify the nominees

So first, here are my answers to Naomi’s questions

1) What's made you really laugh recently?

Seeing someone acting macho and underestimating my hot chilli sauce before he tried it. The look on his face afterwards was priceless!

2) If you had to choose one food to live on what would it be? 

Seafood.

3) What did you want to be when you were little? 

Originally I wanted to be a doctor, but I soon changed my mind... Food was way more fun!

4) If you could have one superpower what would it be?  

The ability to make people happy and peaceful.

5) What is the best thing you've ever done? 

My Daughter.

6) Three things you can't live without? 

My family, My Kitchen and My creativity.

7) Name a destination that's on your list to visit and why? 

I fancy travelling through South Asia to learn more about the culture and the cooking habits.

8) Who or what inspires you the most? 

Occasionally my surroundings, but mostly people. Listening, watching, and interacting with people is my best source of inspiration.

9) What is your favourite recipe? 

Succulent slow-cooked Beef Ribs served with Bulgur Salad and Roasted Pumpkin. Mmmm.

10) What keeps you blogging? 

The urge to share my passion with others.

11) If you could choose anywhere to live, where would it be?

I would split my time between London and the South-West Countryside in France.

And now for my questions!

1) If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?

2) Why did you start writing a blog?

3) Tell us about a memory that’s tied to food for you.

4) What are your top 3 things to do in your spare time?

5) What would your last meal on Earth be?

6) What’s the hardest thing about blogging for you?

7) Name your top 3 dinner party guests, dead or living, real or fictional.

8) Cooking – love it or hate it, and why?

9) The UK or abroad and why?

10) What is your favourite thing about your blog?

11) Top tips you would give someone who wants to start blogging?

And, finally, my nominees!

Yellow Green Watering – (@yellowgreenwate)

Hedge Fund Girl – (@HedgeFund_Girl)

Survival Survival Blog –  (@SweetSurvival)

Eat Wear Wander – (@EatWearWander)

Joy Travel Food - [Formerly London Tastin] (@Londontastin) 

Edible Christmas Gifts - Vanilla Essence

I don’t want to alarm anyone but… there is exactly one month to go until Christmas. 4 short weeks which may not leave you enough time to get the perfect Christmas gifts for the special people in your life. So Carine is here to help! Instead of frantically hitting the shops last minute, plan ahead and make some of your presents this year. And what could be better than a home-made gift? 

A home-made gift you can eat!

This week we are going to show you how to make Vanilla Extract. It is incredibly simple, looks lovely, and will end up being a genuinely useful thing for all your family and friends who like to bake or cook.

Below are some examples of the vanilla extract you can get in the supermarket. Even the cheapest is over a pound and you only get a measly 35ml – we are going to show you how you can make more than 5 times that for a fraction of the price. We suggest you make this for multiple friends and family members to keep the cost down even more.

What you need

1) Glass bottle – You can go for any size. We have chosen to go for 200ml, as it looks a little more expensive and generous- but you can always make multiple little bottles or whatever you feel like. A 200ml bottle can cost you as little as 73p, like the one we found here, or as much as £2.90 and higher, if you go for a decorative or novelty bottle like this adorable Christmas tree one. 

2) Cheap vodka – And we do mean cheap, the cheapest you can find – we’re going for alcohol here rather than flavour, the flavour will all be from the vanilla.

3) Vanilla Beans – These don’t have to be expensive, but they can be when you buy them in the supermarket. Instead, buy them online where you can find deals like this – 20 beans for less than a tenner (that’s around 50p per bean!) And with these you can make 10-20 bottles.

Method

1. Pour your cheap vodka into your bottle until it is three-quarters full.
2. Slice your pod in half and scrape out the seeds.
3. Add the seeds to the bottle.
4. Add the pod itself.
5. Do this with 2 pods, if you’re feeling super-generous.
6. Fill up to the top with the rest of the vodka.
7. Close the bottle and leave for 4-6 weeks – the longer the better really – shaking the bottle gently every day.

Carine's Vanilla Essence after 2 weeks.

And that’s it really! Add a bow and pop it in a cellophane bag or nice box and there you go – a quirky, thoughtful, useful Christmas gift. So put down the cheap perfume/cufflinks and get on with it!

And to watch Carine do it herself, head to our YouTube channel!

Get Festive, French-style.

Although her gastronomic roots are firmly planted in Cameroon, Carine spent much of her life in the culinary capital of the world: France. Renowned for its unparalleled ingredients, and world-famous cooking techniques, we thought it was about time we paid homage to France through a festive supper club, chez Carine.

To celebrate that wonderful country and this most joyous time of year, Carine will be hosting “A Very French Christmas” on the 4^th and 18^th of December, for a limited number of selected guests, in her warm and inviting home in Brixton. This 6-course menu will showcase some of the greatest French dishes and the most delicious French produce and is bound to get you in a Yuletide mood.

The theme will be all things French – so dig out your favourite beret and come in your finest Breton stripes. It is the season of giving, so we are asking you to bring a small gift, costing no more than £5, to do Secret Santa with the other guests at the party. We will also be giving some gifts in return, with every guest receiving a goodie bag, along with their swapped Secret Santa gift.

Christmas tasting menu

Welcome Amuse-Bouche

Butternut Squash Velouté with a Truffle oil emulsion

Crispy Salad

Grilled White Fish with sauce beurre meunière, served with braised baby veg.

Duck à l'orange confit with potato gratin dauphinois

Chocolate Marquise with Pain perdu crumble and Ice Cream.

Coffee & Nibbles

There will be only 10 seats per event, so get booking now to avoid disappointment! Tickets can be bought HERE so get your skates on! We look forward to welcoming you all and à bientôt!

So you think you know BBQ...

Just over a week to go until Matango’s fabulous event Le Grill takes place in Whitechapel on Thursday 19th November!

This is not your average BBQ, ladies and gentlemen, this is a BBQ inspired by Carine’s Cameroonian heritage, and the food she loves to eat. There will be a taste of the tropical, deliciously smoky meat, fish, and vegetables and - most importantly - Carine’s secret marinade, from her line of sauces Marie’s Little Jar.

This week, Carine has been working with the guys at Far Out Food – trialling, testing, and tasting in order to come up with the best menu possible, and you can get an idea of what that looks like on our YouTube channel HERE.

Just in case you missed last week’s post, we’ll remind you that at Le Grill we will be holding a competition to find a name for Carine’s delicious secret marinade “The Green Jar”. Whoever wins will receive a special prize and the pride of seeing their chosen name on hundreds of jars of this unique and wonderful sauce.

We’re still keeping the food a surprise for you all, but just for an idea, you might tuck into –

Sample Menu

Welcome nibbles to dip in a hot sauce.

Flame-Grilled Mackerel or Halloumi with a wintry Fennel and Beetroot salad.

Grilled Chicken or Aubergine, cooked with “The Green Sauce” from Marie’s Little Jar and served with a light, warm Lentil salad.

Barbecued Pineapple tossed in spicy syrup.

So get booking, this is one BBQ not to be missed! If you still haven’t got tickets for the 19^th you can buy them HERE.

Introducing...Le Grill!

In two weeks’ time, Matango will be hosting another exciting supper club, and this time it’s Le Grill. This is a barbecue like you have never experienced before, complete with exciting new ingredients and Carine’s special secret marinade from her own line of sauces Marie’s Little Jar.

We don’t know what it is, but somewhere back in history it was decided that barbecuing was a man’s job. This rule held true in Carine’s household – with her lovingly preparing the meat, marinating it, tenderising it…only to see it be manhandled when it came to the cooking. So she decided to take matters into her own hands, and has become the BBQ Queen!

While honing her grilling skills, she came up with what she believes to be the perfect marinade for barbecued meat, her secret weapon, currently known only as “The Green Jar”. And that is where you come in – by coming to the supper club, not only will you have the opportunity to taste this delicious, unique sauce, but you will also have a shot at giving it a name! The person who comes up with the best name will win a prize, and the lifelong glory of having named this fabulous product.

So what can you expect at Le Grill?

Welcome nibbles to dip in a hot sauce.

Farm hand-picked fresh greens tossed in a fruity vinaigrette.

A whole grilled fish to share.

1/4 of a juicy chicken to work on served with sweet potatoes fries

OR

Shredded slow cooked pork shoulder served on a bun

OR

Burnt sweet pepper and aubergine tossed in a tangy salad.

Warm pineapple tossed in twisted syrup.

Now if that hasn’t got your taste buds tingling, we don’t know what will! Get your tickets for November 19th HERE!