​Now that the season of festivities, gluttony and exhaustive family-time has now passed, we thought we’d let you in on a little trip we took to Berlin right in the middle of the December to see what makes the Christmas markets so special in one of the architecturally youngest cities in Europe…

​In celebration of @UKSustain's Sourdough September, we thought we'd share a few tips we've been taught and learnt through babysitting our own sourdough cultures over the past couple of years. Sourdough bread is the epitome of Slow Food and the older, more cultured (excuse the pun) version of our modern Kingsmill's and Hovis' i.e. Chorleywood bread.

​In celebration of @UKSustain's Sourdough September, we thought we'd share a few tips we've been taught and learnt through babysitting our own sourdough cultures over the past couple of years. Sourdough bread is the epitome of Slow Food and the older, more cultured (excuse the pun) version of our modern Kingsmill's and Hovis' i.e. Chorleywood bread. Here is the 

​Calabria is one of the oldest inhabited regions of Italy, and indeed many suppose it to be the first part of Italy that was inhabited by humans. It was originally known as Oenotria (modern day - Enotria) as it was first inhabited by a tribe of Oenotrians or 'vine-growers', and it therefore has some of the oldest wine producing history in Europe. Luckily for us chefs - it also has one of the greatest cured meat customs in Italy, Calabrians are responsible for Sobressada, Coppa, 'Nduja and Calabrese Salami - the precursor to modern day Pepperoni.

​On Saturday 27th August, last Saturday - to be precise, Camp Smoke & Salt was all ready to receive a very important guest. Kitchen was scrubbed down and R. scrubbed up, London was about to gain a pro pastry Queen on the scene.

Giselle Miller is a celebrated Pastry Chef hailing from the shores of Boston, Massachusetts; a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and highly experienced in the artform of fine patisserie. She has worked and staged her way through some of the most highly-regarded kitchens on the East Cost of the U.S. including Deuxave in Boston, Grace in Chicago and Corton in NYC. She is an old colleague  and close friend of R.'s, and when we heard she was looking to expand her culinary horizons with a trip to London - her first trip outside of the US I may add, we jumped at the chance to combine forces and have her as a guest pastry chef for one night only.

Tickets have almost sold out as I write this - and that is both heart-wrenching and annoying at the same time.

Giselle Miller got deported from the UK the morning after she arrived in the country.  
​
We can only apologise to Giselle and to everyone who has bought tickets to taste her wonderful desserts. And we are working hard to find a replacement as wonderfully talented in the arts of sugar as Giselle quite clearly is. Circumstances out of our control meant that Immigration deemed that Giselle was trying to enter the country to partake in work, and there is little scope for persuasion when you try and explain that a Chefs' idea of a great holiday is to pack some equipment and hang out in other kitchens to learn and help out.

Above are some of Giselle's wonderful creations.

I don't want to hate on UK Immigration too much - they have a job to do the same as all of us - I just can't help but feel a little bit guilty, as a member of the UK, holding an innocent girl - whom has never travelled outside of her native country, in a cell overnight AND on her birthday no less.

Oh yeah did I forget to mention Giselle turned 28 the day she flew into the UK? She got to spend it, not among friends but alone in an airport holding cell before being promptly put on the next flight back to Boston in the morning.

While we are devastated this has happened, we also have to make the best of the situation. We now have to find a way to make this event go ahead next Thursday, 8th September and give people the experience they are expecting. 

R and I always believe in bringing you, the guest, as close to the kitchen as possible (without having to do any of the cooking of course!). Our Modern Dining ethos is built on breaking down the barriers between cooking, serving and eating; thus you will often find one of us in the dining room serving food or talking to you lovely guests. Anyway we can connect with those that support us, with what we do, is one of the most rewarding parts of running Smoke & Salt. With that in mind we have a little teaser video for you to enjoy.

It's without a doubt pie season so why  not get out your summer fruits and bake a pie. Only a few more weeks left in summer to do so!

Make sure you check out our previous post with all the full recipes.