We love making these little cheesy Parmesan Sables for canape parties or as a pre-dinner snack.

These Gujarati rolls are made of Yoghurt, Besan spread out thin and rolled up. Gujarat is a region on the West coast of India around the city of Ahmedabad. It's a major area for the production of pharmaceuticals, with a number of the major producers having production units & offices in the area. They have a unique & distinctive food style, with a sweet & salty palate and some unique dishes. These Khandvi rolls are made by making a mix from Yoghurt & Besan, then spreading it out thin and rolling it up. Its then coated in curry leaves, sesame & mustard seeds which are fried in hot oil. It’s then coated in Grated fresh coconut, curry leaves & tempered mustard seeds. They’re an absolute treat, but definitely not an easy thing to find! You can find a recipie for Khandvi here.

Becoming a private chef is a highly varied and rewarding career choice, which can offer good pay & better working conditions than working in a restaurant or hotel environment. If you're looking for private chef jobs, then this is the post for you. In this post, we'll go over how some of the ways in which you can become a private chef, some of the background & experience you'll need and who to contact. A restaurant or 5* Hotel background Most private chefs will have had an extensive career in restaurants & hotels before moving into private chef jobs. A solid training in Michelin star restaurants and a good all round knowledge of all sections of the kitchen will mean you can deal with any requests that you receive competently & calmly. A superyacht or chalet chef background Some private chefs come from a superyachting & ski chalet background, where you would have similar experience of small teams or cooking single handedly for smaller size families & parties, which can provide a solid foundation for working as a private chef. What skills do you need to be a personal chef? Flexibility is a key skill you will need to become a private chef. Your job is to cook what your client wants or feels like, and being able to quickly respond to requests will make your life both easier and mean they are happier with your work. Time management is also a fundamental part of being a private chef. Without the safety net of an extensive team behind you, running late will be very clear, so it's fundamental that you are able to manage your time effectively and make sure you are running on schedule. Communication skills are vital as you will need to be able to communicate menu & dish ideas in different formats, as well as making sure your clients know what to expect when they book you for an event or private dinner. Marketing & Social Media skills will also be important as you will need to build up a profile in order to take bookings & enquiries from clients. If nobody knows you exist, you won't make much money! Cooking skills are also fairly fundamental! Obviously, having all of the skills above will be helpful, but if you can't put out a good standard of food, then your clients won't be too happy and might be unlikely to rebook you! How much does a private chef make? There can be a huge range of earning potential as a private chef, but it would be possible to earn over £100,000 in 2024 for a chef with a good background working in a UHNW household in London or the surrounding areas. For freelancing and day rate work, you could expect to earn between £300 & £800 per day, depending on the client, job requirements and the chef's background & experience. This could easily be higher for a chef working in Abu Dhabi, Dubai etc. or as a travelling chef who would move around with a family. While starting out or as a freelancer without any permanent contract, this could be significantly lower, although there would be some more freedom with that kind of role that might suit some people better. A private Chef Agency Many private chefs work through a specialist recruitment & freelancing agency who can pool contacts & resources to find jobs & client to work for. They can vary in size from a small independent agency with a few close freelancers working together like Yuzu Private Dining, to a larger specialist recruitment agency who only match people with bookings and take a commission. Booking Platforms There's been an increase in the number of AirBNB style booking platforms. Some of these allow you to pick your own menu & prices, although they often charge a high commission, between 18 - 20% of your total revenue, before deducting any costs. They have a good amount of web traffic so might be able to bring in a regular source of income, however you'll need to make sure you price in their commission & don't get undercut by other local chefs. Some examples are Take a Chef & Yhangry. Private Chef Job Groups Facebook is becoming an increasingly popular way for private chefs to find jobs, including freelancers & private chefs. There's a huge number of groups out there, so monitoring all of them can become difficult to make sure you don't miss the best opportunities out there. They might be themed based on location, so you might find a private chef London group or a freelance job group based in Edinburgh. Conclusion If you're interested in joining our network of freelance private chefs, pop your details into the contact from on our contact page & we'll contact you to discuss and register your details on our website.

Dumplings are one of the best foods you can eat. They're light, healthy & come in different varieties so knowing where to start can be overwhelming for people new to eating Dim Sum. In this post, we'll try to shed some light on some of the most common & popular varieties to help you choose well while you want to order. What are some of the Best Types of Asian Dumplings? Xiao Long Bao What are Xiao Long Bao (Soup DumplingS)? Xiao Long Bao or soup dumplings are one of my all time favourite foods. They're made by mixing the meat mixture (usually pork) with some pork soup jelly and assembling the dumplings while they're still cold. When the dumplings are steamed and hot, this jelly melts back into a soup and gives them a liquid centre. They're typically eaten with chopsticks and a soup spoon. You'll be given some dark, black vinegar with some pickled ginger to go with it. Where can I Try Them? You can get some excellent Xiao Long Bao from Din Tai Fung in Central London (although you should be prepared to pay a bit more than in your average dim sum restaurant), or they're readily available in any good dim sum restaurant. Momos What are momos? Momos are a Tibetan & Nepali dumpling that has grown in popularity across India. They're an interesting fusion of Indochinese influences which make them interesting to try for anyone looking to try something different. Where can I Try Them? In London, you can get Momos from House of Momo. In Edinburgh you could try Momo Nepalese kitchen. Gyoza or Jiaozi What are gyoza? Gyoza or Japanese potstickers are one of the best dumplings. They're typically fried and steamed in the same pan, giving a crispy base and a soft dumplings. The filling can vary, with pork & prawn, pork & chive being some of the more popular flavours. Where can I get them? You can get high quality frozen gyozas in any good Oriental supermarket in any major Chinatown. They'll also be able to sell you some gyoza wrappers if you only want to make the filling and save some time. Wonton Wontons are Cantonese dumplings made from a Wheat Flour dough. The name roughly translates as "swallowing a cloud" and they're most commonly served in a warm bowl of wonton soup with some warm broth. Siu Mai Siu Mai are a unique looking dumpling style, with an open top exposing the pork mixture in the bright yellow wrapper. The filling is normally fatty cuts of pork, meaning they are moist & flavourful. Har GaU Har gau or crystal shrimp dumplings are made with Tapioca & wheat starch dough, giving a characteristic translucent wrapper surrounding the prawn & pork mixture inside. They're a standard item in any dim sum restaurant, and are often considered a test of a dim sum chef's skill. Conclusion Dim Sum and dumplings are fantastic food and one you can find good examples of in almost any city. Hopefully this guide will give you the confidence to know some of the different types of dumplings & order when you feel overwhelmed by a menu and don't know where to start or what to expect from the different types of dumpling.

This Goat's Cheese Tart recipe is cheap, easy & delicious You'll love making these easy Goat's Cheese tarts. Ingredients 4 Shallots, Sliced Thinly 50g Caster Sugar 75g Red Wine Vinegar Aged Balsamic vinegar or Ruby Port. 1 Roll of Shop-Bought Puff Pastry 1 Goat's Cheese log, sliced or crumbled Method Firstly, add the caster sugar to a medium sized pan (with enough room to add the shallots) and put onto a medium heat. Allow the sugar to make a medium coloured caramel before adding the shallots. Allow the water to cook out from the shallots before adding the red wine vinegar & port or balsamic and continue to reduce until sticky, syrupy and making a nice glaze on the shallots. Assembly Lay out the puff pastry sheet flat and cut out shapes using a ring cutter. Fill the centre of the disc shape with the glazed shallots and egg wash the edges. Bake on a Silpat on a metal tray until golden brown. Allow to cool and cover with the goat's cheese disc or crumbles and eat while warm.

Having the best BBQ is fundamental to cooking good food While tools alone won't mean your food comes out to Michelin chef standards, having the right tools will get you moving in the right direction. Here's 5 of our favourites for your next summer party or weekend. Konro Grill The most popular grill in Michelin star restaurants in 2024 due to it's light weight low heat and small footprint. It's often used just to quickly impart a smoky flavour to cooked meats and vegetables rather that to cook them from raw. Big Green Egg The Big Green Egg is a kamado-style grill known for its versatility and ability to grill, smoke, and bake. It's made of high-quality ceramic material, providing excellent heat retention and distribution. It can be fitted with a number of accessories, such as a pizza stone, allowing you to use it as a small pizza oven as well. There's also some high quality tables & custom made benches available, meaning it can look quite classy and elegant in your property as an outdoor entertaining area. Kamado Joe Classic III The Kamado Joe Classic III is a ceramic kamado-style grill known for its durability and innovative features. Popular with food bloggers, YouTubers and Instagram chefs for it's cheaper price point than the Big Green Egg . It includes the SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber for improved smoke and heat distribution. Weber Kettle style Barbecue Weber is a renowned brand in the BBQ world, and they are often praised for their build quality and performance. It features a spacious cooking and airflow controls on the top and the bottom like a firebox, allowing you to control the cooking temperature and do some slow and indirect cooking techniques to give a nice smoked flavour to your meat. Weber Go-Anywhere A portable grill, the Go-Anywhere by Weber is popular for its compact size and versatility. It's ideal for those who want a portable option for camping or tailgating or that packs up nicely in a campervan if heading out on a road trip. Remember that the best BBQ for you depends on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. Consider factors such as size, fuel type, temperature control, and additional features when making your decision. Always check for the latest reviews and customer feedback to ensure that you're getting the most up-to-date information.

Sri Lankan food is having a bit of a moment in London at the moment. With many similarities to Indian food, but it's own individual style, it can tend to be pretty spicy. I was given a tip off by my sister to check it out after she had a great meal, and it did not disappoint and was one of my favourite meals of 2022. Restaurant Paradise, soho Paradise restaurant's website lists it as "Ingredient Focused Cooking with a Fiery Island Accent". There's certainly some excellent produce and cooking on display. We started with some nice cocktails, with some Indian flavours like curry leaf & guava imaginatively used and some homemade tonics in small glass flasks. Most of the dishes were small dishes made for sharing. Some of the highlights were the sea bream & citrus ceviche with orange and grapefruit segments & some umami chilli powder. The grilled prawns were great quality & we loved the scallops with the curry sauce & curry leaf oil. But the dish of the evening was probably the grilled marinated pineapple, served with some fermented red chilli relish & crispy curry leaves in a delightful sauce. Definitely a restaurant worth visiting and one I would happily go back to. The price was extremely reasonable considering the quality of the cooking on offer and I loved the minimal design of the restaurant interior. It is relatively small inside, so you would definitely need to book a table.

Pakora are a great little snack. Made from salted onions, potatoes, spices which is fried twice. We love them served with a nice date & tamarind chutney and sprinkled with some chaat masala.

Fish restaurants in Timeout Market Portugal is a seafood loving country. Some absolutely unbelievable produce is available for sale here and some of the best is shipped to the timeout market for sale in some of the little fish restaurants. I can definitely recommend the razor clams and some of the prawns and the red carabineiro prawns. Absolutely phenomenal, but you can't go wrong with anything. You can wash it down with some of the cheap lightly sparkling Vinho Verde and eat very well for about €50 per head. Pudim de Queijada We found these at a small stall inside the timeout market and couldn't resist trying them. We definitely weren't disappointed! They were sweet and a little bit savoury. Bacalao a Bras I initally assumed this was Salt Cod grilled over some kind of grill but turns out I was pretty far off the mark. It's a rich mix of Salt Cod, onions, parsley & scrambled eggs, so it's pretty filling and you wouldn't want too much, but it's absolutely delicious. Probably best with some cold beer or Vinho Verde to cut through all that richness. Pasteis de Nata These little tarts are found all over Portugal, but the quality of them varies a lot. A good one is extremely fresh and crunchy, with a sweet burnt custard filling. They're made from a special kind of dough and a custard infused with spices, sugar, cinnamon, orange zest. My favourite are from Manteigaria, where they are baked continually throughout the day so you get them fresh out & warm from the oven. They also pack them nicely into a box so you take them on the plane without them getting damaged. Ginja Ginja is a sweet cherry liqueur. It's often served in a little chocolate espresso cup. It's super cheap and easily available (even in the airport), easy to drink and can be made into some cocktails and long drinks. Rissoles Rissoles are little fried snacks found everywhere in Portugal & Lisbon. They are typically filled with Prawn, chicken or salt cod. I personally adore the prawn ones (that's the half moon shape above), closely followed by the bacalao (the quenelle shape). We had these in a nice cafe, but you can find them in the little counters in all kinds of small shops all over Lisbon (and the rest of Portugal).

Heading on holiday for us means getting to eat some of the best foods in beautiful locations - here's our top 5 destinations for 2024 Madeira Island, Portgual An unexpected delight, Madeira's multiple climates and tropical location just off the coast of Africa mean it can produce an incredible array of Tropical fruits, while it's Portuguese heritage adds some delicious flavours. Best things to try in Madeira are of course Espetadas, which are Bay leaf marinated beef skewers cooked over charcoal, and for dessert Passionfruit mousse (Mousse de Maracuja). Rome, Italy A world class city break destination, and while it's not perfect, it's definitely still worth visiting in our eyes. You can spend most of your time walking around the city's sights on foot, taking breaks to have an occasional snack! Top things to try - Pistachio Tiramisu from Pompi, multiple locations. Venice, Italy A beautiful city, which can get a bit crowded at times but definitely rewards the hungry traveller. Definitely worth visiting the Rialto market, while you're there, or if you're lucky you might pass a floating market stall on one of the small side streets. Cicchetti - Similar to San Sebastian's pinxtos, every bar in Venice serves these small bites, often with local seafood or charcuterie. London, England While we can admit our local British cuisine isn't one of the world's greatest, London is home to an unmatched selection of restaurants from all different cultures. Some of favourites are Hoppers in Soho and Paradise (also in Soho) who both serve Sri Lankan cuisine. Paris, France One of the world's most visited for many reasons, and the food scene being one of them. While definitely home to some astronomically expensive, 3 Michelin Star temples of gastronomy, there's also plenty to do for those on realistic budgets. We'd recommend a guided walking tour around Le Marais, where you can try some of the unique bakeries and pastry shops.

Becoming a private chef has some crossover with being a restaurant chef but also its differences. Here I'll tell you my top 5 things I wish I'd known sooner Introduction Making a transition from working in restaurants & hotels to working as a private chef has some benefits. Without the drudgery of spending endless hours doing the same monotonous preparations, picking foraged herbs and flower petals & sending out the 700th identical dish of the week, it leaves some more room to be creative & develop new dishes and ideas without all the excessive faffing & fermentation of modern fine dining restaurants. After lockdowns, and returning to the restaurant grind, I eventually became disillusioned and wanted to move away from the fine dining & Michelin bubble so decided to move into working as private chef both on a permanent basis & as a freelancer as my first business venture & side hustle. These are the things I wish I'd known before I'd started which would have made it faster & easier. Brush up on your financial literacy & skills Working as a freelancer or through a limited company, or even in a permanent role in the private sector will often mean processing expenses or managing some invoices or receipts for petty cash. Errors will typically result in you losing out on missed expense reclaims or undercharging billable expenses to a client, and unlike in a restaurant where invoices will typically be paid by the company finance department, you might have to manage some or all of these yourself. As a freelancer or limited company director, you will also need to submit a self assessment tax return or corporation tax return & company accounts to HMRC. Learn how to photograph food Food photography is increasingly important in 2024 as everything moves more online. Increasingly, job applications require you to submit a portfolio of your previous work & food photographers are expensive. Almost everybody has an iPhone or smartphone in 2024 and learning how to manipulate lighting, your smartphone camera and some photo editing software will pay dividends in building your portfolio. Build up a portfolio of your previous work before making a career transition Increasing number of job applications have asked me to present a portfolio of work upfront recently. Having a portfolio website ready will mean you can quickly direct their attention to this quickly once the perfect role comes up and you're ready to make a career transition. I personally use Wix.com as I find it fast and easy to use, while the majority of websites are built using WordPress, which is also good but I found it less intuitive. Learn about SEO and building up your website traffic Being found online is increasingly important to picking up the right clients who will bring in good recurring revenue. Learning about digitial marketing, SEO (search engine optimisation) & paid digital advertising is a highly transferrable skill that is relevant to any industry which will help build your online presence. It's a process which takes a significant amount of time to build up, so this is one to start as soon as possible, probably while you are still employed. Work on your Social Media profiles One thing I was late to the party with was Social Media from a professional context. I undervalued it's importance until only recently, but have increasingly started to understand it's importance. It's not an area I massively enjoy and it's easy to spend a lot of time achieving nothing down a rabbit hole, but do value it's importance. Conclusion In summary, making a move from a restaurant chef has a number of transferable skills, but there's a number of blind spots you might have that you should become aware of if you want to keep growing your business and generate enough sales to do it full-time. Being self-aware is important so you can address your weaker areas or decide on what you want to delegate out or hire an external agency for. For me, I love working with money & finances and came into being a private chef while studying accounting after getting disillusioned with working in hotels & restaurants. For this reason, I've enjoy developing & applying those skills and manage these areas myself. I've also always been very creative, so working on my food photography, blog & website satisfies that need for me to create & build new things. Digital marketing & Social Media are areas I'm not strong in and don't enjoy as much, so these are the areas I hire specialist assistance in & would eventually like to delegate. If you've enjoyed this post or found this helpful, please like, subscribe and follow me on social media with the links from the site.

India's food culture is definitely one of the world's best, especially when it comes to vegetarian cooking. There are a huge variety of dishes, especially for breakfast that you should try if you ever get the chance. Dosa Dosas are made from a fermented lentil batter, which is spread super thin in a pan and fried until crispy. Masala dosas are then stuffed with a filling made from cooked potatoes, curry leaves and mustard seeds. They were one of the highlights of the month I spent in India, and I would normally have 2-3 every morning before heading out to work. Chilla Chilla are similar to dosas, but they're made with an unfermented lentil batter, flavoured with garlic, ginger & spices. For a little fusion twist, they can be stuffed with tomatoes, red onions and a little bit of cheddar and served with plenty of ketchup. Idli Idli are made from the same lentil batter as dosa, but it's made when the batter has broken down less and is steamed in a special tray instead of fried. Poha Poha is made from flattened rice flakes, which is cooked with turmeric, peanuts and curry leaves to give it's signature bright yellow colour. Pudla A specialty of Gujarat, Pudla is made from Besan and puréed banana. Gujarati food is particularly sweet and salty, so the banana works really well to give this balance of flavours.