We all love cupcakes, and if you also love making your own cupcakes, you’ll probably know that making sure they turn out perfect is easier said than done. So if you want to take your cupcakes to the next level, there are lots of things you might want to try. Each of the tips and ideas we’re about to discuss will help you massively improve the quality of the cupcakes you bake.

Always Let Them Cool Before Decorating

It’s a good idea to always let the cupcakes cool down before you do anything else with them. If you’ve been trying to decorate the cupcakes as soon as they come out of the oven, that’s probably why they’re not turning out the way you want them to. You don’t want the buttercream and other toppings to be warmed up or melted by the heat coming through the cupcakes.

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Now, you’re probably thinking something along the lines of “it’s nearly winter, isn’t smoking food the kind of thing you’d do in summer?” Well, not necessarily. The flavours of smoked food stay fantastic all year round and as long as it’s not raining, nothing is stopping you from smoking on colder days. You don’t have to stand outside with the smoker all day, after all.

Regardless of what part of the year it is, you can still master smoking and make restaurant-quality food from the comfort of your home. So next time you have a craving for some pulled pork sandwiches, a smoked tomato soup, or some delicious hot smoked salmon with pasta, you don’t need to spend a load of money eating out. Instead, you can impress your friends (and yourself) with your own home-smoked food.

Z Grills

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NEW YEAR
SAME WONDERFUL YOU!

Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

At the start of the year, you’ll likely be a part of several conversations about New Year’s resolutions. In fact, you may have already set out some for yourself – whether you want to move into a new home or find a new hobby. However, too often, these resolutions can breed toxicity, especially if they are focused on weight loss. While setting yourself a goal to be more healthy is perfectly fine, you must be careful that you don’t become too absorbed in ‘diet’ culture.

All too often, ‘diet’ resolutions set us up to fail, especially if you decide to follow an unrealistic fad diet – such as those endorsed by many celebrities on their social media channels. Remember, the photographs they use to promote their services are edited. They work closely with a personal trainer and a nutritionist – and have access to services, many of us cannot afford. Though you may notice initial weight loss, it can be hard to maintain, and can also lead to severe health complications further down the line.

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Pixabay – CC0 License

If you adore cooking up a storm in the kitchen but you are less than impressed with your current cabinetry, oven, or kitchen configuration, it might be time to give your space a facelift. Renovating a kitchen can be costly, but it needn’t be. By following this simple guide, you can create a kitchen that is honed to creative cooking perfection. You can enjoy rustling up a feast on your hob, utilizing your ovens for one-pot meals, and having all the gadgets and gizmos you need at your fingertips. Take a look at how you can make your kitchen fit for gastronomic purpose.

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A Pho-to

If you’re looking for a new adventure with food, that extends beyond the traditional Mexican tapas you find in your out of town shopping village, it’s time to get Eastern with your flavours! Vietnam is a country that isn’t just beautiful to look at, it’s food is delicious and fragrant. But if you are unsure where to begin, let’s have a look at some of the most traditional Vietnamese delicacies.

Pho
The most famous noodle dish in Vietnam, comprised of noodles and vegetables with your meat of choice (but usually beef or chicken), it’s the best place to start. But, you can easily make your own pho at home, just follow this recipe:

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-quick-Vietnamese-beef-pho-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn/.

But for the traditional sit down experience, with the herbs native to Vietnam, such as Vietnamese coriander and sawtooth herb, you’ve got to go there yourself.

Banh Cuon
Directly translated as “rice cakes”, these are similar to spring rolls in texture and style. As rice is such a constant in Vietnam, you could combine your journey with an up close experience of where the most important ingredient in Vietnamese food comes from,

https://www.gadventures.com//destinations/asia/Vietnam/

gives you the opportunity to explore the rice paddies of Vietnam up close and personal so you can witness the work that goes into creating this essential component. This is particularly popular throughout Saigon, but when you’re looking for a dish that contains the staple ingredient, this is one of the best. Mix it up with some minced pork, as well as mushrooms and shrimp, and you’ve got a beautiful item of food.

Bun Mam
This is one for the nasally strong, as it’s got quite a whiffy smell, but it’s a fantastic Vietnamese noodle dish that has to be experienced. This dark colored soup is prepared with fermented fish sauce, as well as rice vermicelli noodles, and meats like prawns, pork, and squid are all piled on top. If you’re looking for a dish that is partially sweet as well as savory, this dish, usually sweetened with sugar and tamarind juice, ticks all the boxes.

Cao Lau
This is quite a mixture of cultures. While with thick noodles are similar in texture to the Japanese udon noodle, the pork brings an element of China to the dish, but the broth is distinctly Vietnamese. You can only find this dish in the town of Hoi An, where the authentic dish is made with water from the well in Ba Le.

Banh Khot
It’s not all about broth and noodles, this Vietnamese pancake is a quaint little addition to any menu. Crunchy in texture, the spring onions, mung beans, and shrimp filling contrasts well with the coconut milk exterior. You won’t have maple syrup on your pancakes ever again after you’ve tried these little delicacies!

Ca Phe Trung
And yes, there are sweet dishes to consume! This egg coffee is classed as a drink, but it’s so soft and meringue-like, this beautiful drink satisfies any sweet treats, but is a wonderful alternative to the typical cup of coffee, especially for those that don’t drink the caffeinated beverage.

Note: This is a collaborative post.

Jenius Social is a dynamic events space situated at a walking distance from Holloway Road and Highbury & Islington. The founder, Jennifer Yong, came up with the concept by fusing two of her favourite things: food and socialising. Reading this, we knew this would be our kind of place.

Jenius Social

Andrew Clements, head chef at Jenius Social, lead the class. An original graduate of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant, he was charismatic and knowledgeable. The conversation flowed easily throughout the evening, from learning about his career to date, to picking up a few knife skills in between recipes.

Jenius Social – Andrew & knife skills

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KONDITOR AND COOK

Konditor and Cook, the boutique bakery, is best known for its brownies and its Curly Whirly cake, a decadent chocolate cake with a vanilla mascarpone icing. The Konditor & Cook chocolate cake has always been one of the biggest sellers for the bakery, and the story goes, when Mrs Simon of Sloane Square requested a vanilla filling instead of the customary ganache one Thanksgiving, the Curly Whirly was born.

In addition to the delectable delights that you can buy from the six Konditor & Cook stores throughout London, Konditor & Cook also run a cake school and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try the Curly Whirly Experience one Saturday afternoon, a baking class where we learned to make the Curly Whirly Cake with a Vanilla mascarpone frosting and some Curly Whirly Brownies with Cream Cheese Swirl.

Konditor and Cook – Brownies & cupcakes

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Konditor & Cook have long been tantalising London taste buds with their delectable range of chocolate brownies and their ‘to-die-for cakes’ including their famous Curly Whirly cake, a dark chocolate cake decorated with a cream cheese frosting. And ahead of Halloween, Konditor & Cook have launched their ‘oh-so-scary’ Spooktacular range of delicious treats including a Haunted Gingerbread House, a selection of Magic cakes and a Trick or Treat Box with a range of mini bakes.

Konditor & Cook -Goodge Street Branch

Konditor & Cook sent me three of their cakes and pies to try, and I must confess to being totally blown away by the pumpkin pie (£22). The filling had a gentle flavour of pumpkin, was nicely spiced and was not too sweet. It also had an excellent texture, one that was smooth and creamy. The sweet pastry base was a little soft, but the filling was so spectacular that it more than made up for pastry.

Konditor & Cook – Pumpkin pie

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