Cooking Dim Sums In London

A week ago I was about to go into a meeting when my phone rang. It was a gentleman by the name of Jochen Busch.

Having some free time on his hands he asked if I would show him how to make dim sums. He did warn me that he never really cooks at home, and was not the greatest chef in the land.

Of course having cooked dim sums many times before I said no problem and  Mr Busch hired me for a half day cooking course. Teaching someone how to make dim sums from scratch can take some time, and I had to make sure that he got through the entire course in that time.

I arrived  just after 9:30am so that we could start at 10am. I had put together 5 recipes which where :

• Chicken & Mushroom Dumpling
•  Steamed Roast Pork Buns
•  Steamed Dumplings
• Steamed Shrimp & Pork Dumplings
• Steamed Pearl Balls

Things got off to slow start due to us talking extensively about the art of making dim sums, but once that was done we got straight into making the delicious Chinese dishes.  The rest of the day just flew by.

The first type of dough was prepared and allowed to rest. During this time we carried on with the other dumplings until we were ready to make the other type of dough.

The day was a great success and all the dumplings came out very well. Mr Busch had a great day whilst having fun learning  something new.

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Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008

I was on my way to a large wine shop in South West London looking for a particular wine, and on my way there I passed the Wine Rack.

So I thought I would just have a look to see what they had.

I picked up a bottle of Villa Maria Reserve, Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008, but I was really looking for the Villa Maria Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc that a friend of mine, Steve Kempen had mentioned.

This is a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand’s Wairau Valley.

On the nose expect notes of passion fruit and melon which both follow through onto the tongue. It also has a distinctive New Zealand gooseberry flavour.

This wine is crisp and very clear – perfect for shellfish or smoked salmon, and perfect for hot summer days. I paid about £12 for this lovely bottle from the Wine Rack, and I do suggest you try a bottle…or two.

Enjoy

Radcliffe’s Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc 2007

I got this wine from the Wine Rack; this was a little more expensive than the rest at £14.99 but if you buy three you only pay £30. Again I do think you all should go and try this one.

This Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Famous vineyards of Sancerre, overlooking the mighty Loire River.

The wine shows pungent, aromatic gooseberry, apple and grassy flavours followed by a crisp mineral finish. This rich, yet dry wine makes an ideal accompaniment to all fish dishes, or lightly spiced Asian food.

So far, out of all the wines that I have tried this is one of my favourites and I’m going back to buy some more. Hopefully summer will be a great one.

Enjoy