Tuesday 5 April 2011

Recipe for Pollo alla Crema (Chicken in Cream)

Ingredients: 
Chicken breasts
butter
salt
garlic
1 cup of dry white wine
500ml of chicken stock
250ml of cream
1 onion (finely chopped)
400 gr of mushrooms
20 gr of flour
70 gr of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil 
600 gr of chicken breast 
2 teaspoons of mustard


Method:


Cut the chicken into cubes, then in a heated pan add 30 gr of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then put the onion in. Let it gently cook for about 10-15 minutes.
Add the chicken cubes to the pan with the onions and cook for a further 10 minutes. In the meantime clean and cut the mushrooms to then add them to the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the cup of white wine to the chicken and mushrooms whilst cooking at a low heat.


In another pan put 40gr of butter and once its melted add 20gr of flour. Mix it until the paste gets a beige tone and then pour the 500 ml of chicken stock and cook at a low heat.


Add the chicken and mushrooms to the butter/flour paste and mix all the ingredients together . Finally put the mustard and cream in and cook for a few minutes (until the sauce thickens).  


Can be served with tagliatelle or rice... Entirely your choice! :) Buon appetito! 

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Pierre Hardy now available on netaporter.com

The french shoe designer's creations are now available online on netaporter!
His statement shoes are pieces of art, so if you want to check them out you can go on:

www.pierrehardy.com

or : www.netaporter.com (where you can buy a selection of spring/summer designs)

Monday 14 March 2011

The Reader (2008 Film)

I had been meaning to see this film ever since it came out, and have had it on DVD, in my house for quite a bit. So the other day after a friend told me how much she enjoyed it I decided it was time to watch it.


The story takes place in post World War II Germany, where Michael Berg, a German lawyer who as a teenager in the late 50s had an affair with an older woman, Hanna Schmitz. Their summer fling ended when she suddenly disappeared. Years later as a law student Michael is an observant at a war crimes trial where he encounters Hanna, who is one of the defendants in the trial due to her actions as a guard at a concentration camp. 
During the trial, Michael realises that Hanna is keeping a secret that in her opinion is more daunting than her actions as an SS guard. 
The heart of the story is the deep love, and how far a person could go to keep a secret. 

Even though the film is great, I must admit that I find it hard to empathise with a guard who participated in mass murder. 

I can however praise the acting, as Kate Winslet is sensational and I believe her Academy Award was well deserved. 


If you haven't seen it, I recommend you to as it is a grasping film. 




La Boheme at the King's Head Theatre London

Last night I went to see a modern production of Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme at the King's Head Theatre in Islington, produced by Operaupclose.
I absolutely loved it! And recommend it to everyone, even people that are not great fans of opera. The setting of this opera was different to Puccini's in the sense that it was a more contemporary take. The essence of the opera remained as the plot was the same, but it was adapted to today's world. 
The cast, although young was very talented, and managed to make the experience very enjoyable and accessible. It is also emotionally engaging as La Boheme is meant to be, with love as the basis. 
The director Robin Norton-Hale managed to give this classic opera a modern twist, which worked wonderfully. 


The reviews have been very positive, and they have even won an Olivier Awar for "Best New Opera Production." 


The theatre in the King's head is quite small but cosy, so I advise to reserve your tickets in advance. 


Check it out: 




THE KING'S HEAD THEATRE
115 UPPER STREET
ISLINGTON, N1 1QN


BOX OFFICE: 0207 478 0160
ADMIN: 0203 286 8788

If you prefer  you could even go online and find out more :  http://www.kingsheadtheatre.com