Festas Juninas – Brazilian cultural celebrations held throughout the month of June – are considered to be the biggest national event after Carnaval and date back to the seventeenth century Burning of Brazil’s traditional festive fire in the month of June, “Festa Junina”. Despite having origins linked to pagan worship, the festas juninas have been strongly influenced by the Catholic Church over time, and today are celebrated in the honour of St. Anthony, St. John and St. Peter. The largest festivals take place in the Northeast of the country and culminate in an intriguing mix of local food, d ..read more

London’s markets have it all. Shop for that little something you didn’t even know you were looking for!    London markets are perfect shopping destinations for everything from food to flowers, modern art to antiques, and vintage clothes to curios—there is something for everyone!  We begin our tour in the northernmost region of London, highlighting one of the best and most trendy hangouts, Camden Lock. Here, you will find the best of everything: from punk fashion to designer clothes, from bars and restaurants to works of art, all spread across over 100 stores.  Let’s co ..read more

Summer is a time for being outdoors in the sun, seeing friends, and organising a picnic…  Summer is here! It is time to enjoy the blue skies and explore the capital by foot and enjoy the city’s green spaces.    Few things are more appropriate in summer than a London picnic! So, dig out the basket, give the checked blanket a good shake, and call up family and friends to enjoy some of the city’s most picturesque locations. Always remember to follow the correct guidelines and act responsibly.    In North London, Alexandra Palace Park offers spectacular views from Ca ..read more

Brazilian Gastronomy: What about a “tasty” regional tour of Brazil? Let us be your guide! With over 500 years of history, Brazilian cuisine is highly diverse, the result of a great mix of ingredients, foods and traditions that date back to the indigenous native population and the migratory influences over the centuries. Even the “discovery” of Brazil relates to cooking, given that the Portuguese caravels that landed in the country in 1500 were, in fact, in search of India and its spices. Today, every region of the country has its own gastronomic identity, and each local cuisine has adapted to ..read more

This recipe is super-fast and comes exclusively from my Cordon Bleu school. There’s one type of dish that’s always guaranteed to keep you warm during the cold winter months: Soup! Everyone here in London, often on their way home from work, at some point stops and wonders what they’re going to cook for dinner? This is when laziness can get the better of us, and we end up buying some ready meal from the supermarket. Well, don’t! This recipe is delicious and super practical! Better still, it only takes 10 minutes to prepare! Whenever I do cooking demonstrations at live events, I notice just how m ..read more

Every country has its own famous distilled drink. In Brazil, it’s cachaça, or pinga, and it’s used do make one of the most famous cocktails in the world, the Caipirinha There is no Brazilian who doesn’t know cachaça and there is no visitor to Brazil who doesn’t get to know it. Cachaça, along with Brazil’s intoxicating happiness, is the country’s trademark. Every Brazilian has affection for its strong aroma and potency. Cachaça, however, is not to be drunk without respect. Its alcoholic content can vary from 38% to 48%, which is considerable when you think that a regular beer will rarely exceed ..read more

Typically Brazilian, pudim de leite (milk pudding) is a fairly easily made dessert Originated in colonial Brazil, thanks to a Portuguese abbot, who based his recipe on ‘Priscos pudding’, a Portuguese dessert made from pork lard, egg yolks, sugar and water. In the Brazilian version, the only ingredient that survived was the egg yolks. So let’s see the recipe! For the pudding, you’ll need 3 eggs, 1 tin of condensed milk and twice the quantity of normal milk. To make the syrup, use 1 teacup of sugar and ½ a teacup of water. MethodYou’ll need a specific mould for the pudding, which should be round ..read more

Made with Seabass, one of the tastiest fishes in Brazil, Moqueca is a delicious dish and very popular in the North East of Brazil Brazilian cuisine is defined by its distinct flavours and aromas. From north to south, each region of Brazil has its local preferences, some with more emphasis on meat, others on chicken and fish. In the case of tropical Bahia, the main dishes are Moqueca, vatapá and the famous acarajé (see glossary). Now, we will start with the recipe for a moqueca made with a typically common fish and coconut milk, with the option of using dendê oil, and served with pirão and whit ..read more

Feijão Tropeiro, one of the most popular dishes in Brazil! Eggs, bacon, sausage and beans might seem like the perfect set of ingredients for a traditional English fry-up, but add a sprinkling of farofa (a Brazilian stuffing made with cassava flour) and some kale, and this recipe will instantly bring a little taste of Minas Gerais to your home, without you having to leave the kitchen. It’s a simple recipe and can be served with roast beef, chicken, fish, or indeed on its own. The secret is to have either a decent smoked sausage or chorizo. And given how easy it is to find pre-cooked beans in th ..read more

It took a little while for Brazilians to work out why their foreign guests always kept their hands wrapped around their glasses. And then, finally, the penny dropped: most foreigners prefer their drinks served at room temperature. Here in Brazil, by contrast, beer is served in accordance with Brazilian law, in other words cold, very cold, almost frozen solid   In terms of consumption, Brazil ranks in the Top 5 when it comes to necking the golden nectar. In Brazil you’ll find no shortage of bars, sometimes quite literally built on top of each other in the busy cities, all selling bottled ..read more