Le Cordon Bleu London April Newsletter

London

April 2011

London Open House - 12th April 2011 London Book Fair - 11th – 13th April, Earls Court Exhibition Centre A Royal Icing Affair - 22-25th April 201 Chef Nicolas Houchet Recipe of the Month: Quinoa Paella

	London Open House - 12th April 2011 Our campuses If you have an interest in studying Cuisine, we would like to invite you to join us for an Open House evening at Le Cordon Bleu London. This will be your opportunity to visit the school, meet some of our Master Chefs and ask any questions you may have about the course. A representative will then discuss your application in greater detail. - Click here to find out more

	London Book Fair - 11th – 13th April, Earls Court Exhibition Centre Fairs & Events Taking place every spring The London Book Fair is one of the largest trade fairs of its kind with over 2000 exhibitors from all over the world. This year Le Cordon Bleu London’s Chef John Bakker will be flying the culinary flag, hosting a live demonstration in the Gourmand Cookbook Corner. Visitors can watch and learn from his wealth of international culinary experience; originally from Canada, his love for gastronomy and travel has taken him to 14 countries over the past 16 years to destinations such as Stockholm, Amsterdam, Vienna, Bordeaux, London, Edinburgh and Berlin. Chef John’s demonstration will take place from 12.00 – 12.45 on Monday 11th April. - The London Book Fair 2011 - Click here to find out more about the London Book Fair and locate Chef John’s demonstration at the Gourmand Cookbook Corner (stand Z305)

	A Royal Icing Affair - 22-25th April 201 Fairs & Events Let Them Eat Cake! An Edible History of Royal Wedding Cakes. With royal wedding fever sweeping the nation our Head Pâtisserie Chef Julie Walsh couldn’t help but get involved in the excitement by joining a team of top cake designers to produce a masterpiece for Tate and Lyle’s Royal Wedding Cake Exhibition. Her creation will be displayed at English Heritage site the Wellington Arch alongside several others as part of a series telling the history of royal weddings through the medium of cake. Not only can you admire the work of the professionals but you can get involved too. Until 11th April you can submit your royal wedding cake design to We Love Baking (www.facebook.com/welovebaking) to be in with a chance of seeing your cake displayed alongside Chef Julie’s and her fellow cake connoisseurs. - Click here to read more about Chef Julie on our press page... - ... and view her latest masterpiece, a recreations of a Philip Tracy hat in sugar!

	Chef Nicolas Houchet Meet our Chefs This month we have the pleasure of introducing Chef Nicolas Houchet; one of our newest Pâtisserie Teaching Chefs. He joined the London team in November 2010. Starting out as an apprentice in patisseries and boulangeries in his home town of Nancy, Chef Nicolas has gone on to work in 5 star hotels, compete in national and international competitions and open an award winning patisserie in London. Read on to learn more about Chef Nicolas and discover his top tips. What is your favourite ingredient? A great ingredient is vanilla. Most people don’t realise how many varieties there are with different scents and flavours – being able to identify vanilla types through scent is a whole art in itself! A particularly nice variety is an organic pod from the Pollachi district in India – it has a distinctive smoky, cigar flavour. What inspired you to train as a patisserie chef? I knew from age 14 that I wanted to do something creative and out of the classroom. When we had to complete a work experience placement at school I grabbed the chance to work at a patisserie and ended up spending my whole Easter holiday working there – it was hard work but I loved it! It was from this point that I decided that this was the path for me. If you could create a cake or dessert for anyone, who would it be and what would you make? Whenever anyone has told me who I am making something for, for example royalty or a public figure, I’ve always said the same thing; no matter who I make something for I’ll always put in the same amount of effort and attention to detail. One of my favourite things to make is croquembouche (...) and I love making macaroons. What are your top tips for aspiring patisserie chefs? Persevere. The first few months in a working environment are very hard work and it’s important to keep on going at this stage. Also, never forget the basic techniques – it’s nice to want to make complicated sugar work or fancy desserts but the basics are the most important skills to have. Remember the fewer ingredients in a recipe the harder it is to get right.

	Recipe of the Month: Quinoa Paella Recipe of the Month In recognition of Le Cordon Bleu Madrid, the newest addition to the Le Cordon Bleu family, the March recipe features a type of Paella. Quinoa is an excellent substitution for rice in this Peruvian version of “paella” as it is light, tasty and the grains do not stick together. - Click here for the recipe