Asparagus with Smoked Bacon and Choron Sauce

April 23rd is St George’s Day, the patron saint of England, unfortunately it is not celebrated with the same vigor or enthusiasm that St Patrick’s Day is.  Many English people barely remember what date St George’s Day falls on, never the less I have reason to celebrate because April 23rd is the official start of the English Asparagus season. April 23rd is also the anniversary of this blog which I…

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Return To Vienna

I was surprised when my wife told me that it had been seven years since we last visited Vienna, how time flies! On that occasion, however, we barely spent any time in Vienna because the purpose of our trip was to explore Styria, the bread basket of Austria, and visit Zotter Chocolate and other wonderful foodie destinations. We enjoyed our visit to Austria so much that my wife and I returned to…

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Baked Chocolate Tart

Baked Chocolate Tart ©Kevin Ashton2024 I promised my students that I would create something made of chocolate since the lesson today happened to fall on Valentine’s Day 14th February. I wanted to create an intense chocolate flavour but not make the finished dessert too heavy as many chocolate tart recipe can be if they are made from a chocolate ganache. My baked chocolate tart is easy to make and…

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Salmon with Pea and Tarragon Sauce

Sautéed Salmon with Pea and Tarragon Sauce This is just an idea I had to teach the students in my latest cookery class that a few humble ingredients can make a stunning lunch time dish. You can even save money with a little planning. I serve the salmon on crushed baby potatoes and the sauce would you believe is made from chicken stock and frozen peas! In the UK, unfortunately, buying fresh…

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Ultimate Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ultimate Sticky Toffee Pudding Sometimes the idea for a recipe just comes to me and then other times it is a matter of honing and polishing an old recipe of mine to see if I can improve it. Of course practicing a dish again and again has a down side unless you go to the gym 3-4 days a weeks, as we do! My starting point was my old recipe that was published in my newspaper column some years ago. I…

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I worked and lived in and around Washington DC from 1983-1994. I never dreamed when I decided to return to England that 28 years would pass before I returned, but time has a tendency of slipping away. 

Return to Washington DC

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Shoyu Ramen with Pork

Ramen with Pork My current cookery course is focused on cooking from South and East Asia. For lesson one I taught my students two dishes from China. Then for lesson 2 we moved onto Japan. For this lesson I wanted to show students how to make a Ramen at home. One that you can buy all the ingredients from UK supermarkets. Once you have all the ingredients assembled making Ramen is quite easy. Shoyo…

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Chicken Velouté with basil & sundried tomatoes

People who enjoy cooking often have a fear of making sauces, so they buy ready made sauces that are full of chemical additives, so I’m on a mission to teach people that sauce making is easier than you think. If you scroll to the bottom of the page I will explain about the six mother sauces in French cuisine. Today, I’m going to explain what Velouté is, how versetile it is, and how easy it is to…

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How to BBQ Sea Bass

BBQ Sea Bass with Fennel and Clementines©Kevin Ashton 2023 People often ask me how to cook seafood on a barbecue without it sticking or falling to pieces?  So for my recent Barbecue Masterclass a created a video that gives you lots of tips on perfecting your seafood grilling skills.  I show readers how to cook a sea bass in a basket but also how to cook a whole directly on the grill. It is easy…

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Gluten-free Chicken Kiev

*Screenshot from my Youtube Gluten-Free Chicken Kiev video This recipe is very simple and yet a classical and the beauty of my recipe is it tastes as good as if you use regular flour and breadcrumbs, so you can happily serve it to all of your guests. When writing a menu for the different hotels and restaurants I’ve worked in, I have always created a few gluten-free dishes to accommodate guests,…

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