Author Archives: Qin Xie

NuBeginnings: The luxury of a bootcamp retreat

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on BespokeRSVP on 12th June 2012:

As the Food and Drink editor of The Bespoke Black Book and a freelance journalist writing on the subjects, I’m lucky enough to eat out at a lot of nice restaurants. Even when I’m not working, I am always indulging in food of some sort whether or not I cooked it myself.

I would never restrict myself when it comes to food and consequently my diet is a meat, carb and dessert heavy one. But I think my relationship with food is a healthy one. I have never dieted and am instead a firm believer of exercise.

For the last ten years or so, my weight has fluctuated up and down centering around the 54kg mark, which, for someone who is five foot two, is a pretty good weight to be at. At a UK dress size of 8/10, I’m not without my “wobbly bits” at times but I’m quite happy with that. Occasionally even proud.

Why do those facts matter? Well I’ve been dispatched to a bootcamp in Devon, albeit a boutique one by the sea, and for the first time in my life, I will be put on a diet. Here are my thoughts for the short stay at NuBeginnings.

Friday

It’s shortly after midnight and I’ve finally arrived at NuBeginnings – two hours or so from Paddington and then another in the taxi. I am so glad that my room is spacious and the bed literally pillow soft and comfy.

Feeling strangely full after judging at the International Chocolate Awards this afternoon. That’s probably the most surreal juxtaposition – chocolates and bootcamp. Or as some would say, rather handy.

Anyway, time to head for bed. There’s a seriously early start (7.30am) tomorrow which for a Saturday morning is not something to look forwards to. Still, I’ve been told that there are massages and Alexandra Burke has trained here so it can’t be all bad. Right?

Saturday

NuBeginnings, Devon

I am feeling slightly duped – I was made to exercise before breakfast! As you can imagine, every lazy bone in my body resisted. Especially when I realised breakfast was a paltry serving of muesli with fresh fruit. It looked good but compared to my usual muesli, had so much less sweetness and therefore, in my mind, flavour. This probably didn’t put me in good stead for the mindful eating lecture where we were told, amongst other things, to always leave something on the plate.

The morning snack was just three slices of fridge-cold orange and a few nuts. Refreshing stuff but I could really have done with a bit more after a leg-wobbling amount of circuit training up and down a hill. And all before lunch!

That said, lunch was a pretty impressive nut burger with seeds and side salad. Yes I know what you’re thinking and I was thinking it too – how could a nut burger taste good? But it was really good – flavoursome and filling, but by no means trying to be meaty.

One short hiking practice later, where I learnt that people come for fitness as well as weightloss, it was time for our afternoon snacks. The smoked salmon and cannellini really helped to tick things along through my hypnotherapy session, which I managed to sleep through. All that exercise was seriously tiring.

Dinner was when I really got to grips with one of the key aspects of the diet I’ve been put on – there’s no added salt. Steamed red pepper, baby corn and bean sprouts would have made for very dull eating if it wasn’t for the aromatic Thai chicken curry that they accompanied. I guess I will find out more in the nutrition lecture tomorrow.

Post dinner I finally got the opportunity to meet the man preparing all the food. The chef, Gary, has travelled extensively in South East Asia, where a lot of his influences came from, and had previously run his own restaurant before cooking at NuBeginnings. He created an amazing pistachio and cashew pesto for the sea bass dish which he was demonstrating. It was so good, in fact, we all requested it for dinner tomorrow.

Sunday

NuBeginnings, Devon

With five hours of hiking ahead, a cooked breakfast was definitely much needed. I must admit, I had secretly hoped for a greasy fry up but the gluten free pancakes we got weren’t bad either. Layered with fruit and soya cream, it was really rather delicious but also seriously nutritious.

The hike was pretty miserable though; it was windy and raining. My legs were so stiff from yesterday that I could barely move. Instead, I spent much of the time tripping up. When did I get so unfit?

A snack of apple and nuts felt a bit like a band-aid on a gaping wound so I changed over to the less intense hike half way through.I actually had the opportunity to admire the beautiful views then. And I even enjoyed the warming tomato soup at lunch. But where was the bread?

I was definitely grateful for the afternoon snack of prawns with a spicy salsa and salad back at base after the hike. With free time to relax and a sport massage with Andy before dinner, I was beginning to feel pretty happy. Especially when dinner was the fantastic fish dish that Gary demonstrated last night.

After dinner, NuBeginnings nutritionist Hazel was on hand to explain our diet. Apparently we are on the GL diet – based on the GI diet but with much more guidance on portion control. That’s where our structured regime of breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner comes from. It makes sense to maintain blood sugar levels within a range for weightloss and control though I am still a bit dubious about this business of no salt, especially given how much exercise we’re doing.

Monday

NuBeginnings, Devon

It’s my last day at NuBeginnings and I woke up feeling energetic and positively jubilant. Most of the stiffness and soreness have gone and I was actually excited about exercising on the beach, even if only fueled by half a banana! The post-work out muffin and morning snack of melon, strawberries and nuts were just the cherry on the metaphorical cake really.

I think it also helped that after a really good salmon fishcake for lunch, all we had was a brisk walk in the Devonshire countryside. That said, I did learn that Nordic walking, with hiking poles, uses up some 30% more calories – a substantial amount considering how little effort is put in. It was also interesting to find a very intense start to the bootcamp before settling into a more relaxed schedule. Though it must work if the average weightloss is 10lbs. I guess it helps to allow our bodies time to recover but also conditions us for change.

My final snack was red peppers and cucumber crudités with hummous before a Tui Na session with Vanessa to relieve the last of the muscle sore. The therapists, I hear from the other well-travelled guests, are some of the best they have experienced anywhere. That was certainly my experience anyway having recovered from muscle pain remarkably quickly.

Funnily enough, the last supper – chicken korma, vegetable curry and onion bhaji – was actually a portion substantial enough for me to leave something. I guess I did take something from that mindful eating lecture – knowing when to stop!

Fish & chips at Kerbisher & Malt: But what to drink?

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on The Prodigal Guide on 2nd May 2012:

Fish and chips, so simple, British and… Actually surprisingly complex when it comes to drink pairings. Think about it, what do you have to drink when you go to your local chippy? Larger? Stout? Coke? Tea?

Actually I don’t know the answer to that question but the offer of a gastro-oeno experiment from Tom Harrow of Winechap enticed me. The posher than average chip shop Kerbisher & Malt was the location and the crowd was wine types, tea types and me, falling somewhere in between, arguably not particularly excelling at either except in quantities consumed.

Kerbisher & Malt, named after an old fishing boat and of course malt vinegar, opened in May 2011 by owners Saul Reuben and Nick Crossley. From the off, they promised “no to preservatives, no to food from a packet, no to dirty oil, no to neon lights and no to soggy chips”. And now they’re getting serious about their drinks menu, too.

Working through the Kerbisher menu, we had a selection that went from Chardonnay up to Champagne, and Oolong down to breakfast tea supplied by the Rare Tea Company (just for the purpose of the experiment). It was really a Marmite collection of matches that served well to divide the opinion of the table.

Starting with whitebait and calamari for light bites and the Cuvée des Croix Blanches Muscadet 2010 for refreshment, the discussion was already bubbling. For me, the muscadet worked with the whitebait but the light spice of the calamari fought its corner against the wine and won.

The De Telmont Grande Reserve Champagne that came next worked in harmony with the chips and copious amounts of ketchup but, it seems, possibly little else. Perhaps that was always a drink meant for supping on its own or with grander comestibles.

Next up was the La Gitana Manzanilla which, though refreshing alone, for me, was a terrible match for everything. While I blamed a particularly bad sherry cocktail for that conclusion, the rest of the table welcomed its acidity.

Haddock arrived at the table along with pours of Pilsner and Riverlands Sauvignon Blanc 2001, both proved to be poorly matched to the fish but worked well with the sides – the Pilsner overpowered while the sauvignon blanc was overpowered. Clearly this was a match with more than a few struggles.

More chips arrived and the riesling came in the form of Dr Loosen 2010 which I particularly enjoyed. It was a serious contender for matching with everything, especially the ketchup. But on second evaluation, not so good with vinegar soaked chips.

Wheat beer was the last alcoholic drink and was a relatively neutral finish – it didn’t add anything or take anything away and if you liked beer well then it must be a no-brainer.

Then came the soft drinks. The bitterness of the Fentiman’s Traditional Lemonade was much improved by the vinegar soaked chips which brought out more of its floral qualities, while its pink counter part faired a little better on its own. The Coca Cola did little to impress either way. But the winner must surely have been the Oolong which, on the first brewing at least, did well to work harmoniously with everything. On the second brewing, though, the tea became too bitter for the chips and needed a douse of milk.

At the end of the evening the table was divided on the favourites. It came down to wheat beer or manzanilla, which the beer narrowly won. The Oolong followed closely behind and came up crème in the soft drinks.

What surprised me, and perhaps everyone else, was the fact that ketchup smothered food seemed to work with everything. Is ketchup the wunderkind that will facilitate all wine matches? Guy Goodward, editor of Decanter, poses that we need to further test the drink matching capabilities of fish and chips with fine vintages. I’m inclined to agree. But then I am always hungry for a good feed, especially if well watered too.

Simon Hulstone

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published in Food and Travel Magazine May 2012 Issue number 146:

Simon Hulstone in Food and Travel

From a Roux Scholarship to captaincy of the English and British Culinary teams, there are few accolades that the head chef of Torquay’s Michelin-starred The Elephant hasn’t picked up. He talks to Qin Xie

My father was executive chef at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay and I started working in his kitchens when I was just 14. I always liked being among chefs – I loved the camaraderie. When he was at Forte, I would join him when he took chefs to Ecole Lenotre to train. I guess if I didn’t become a chef then I would probably have gone into the army.

When I was a kid, I was a very fussy eater so we didn’t really go anywhere on holiday except maybe Pontins and Bournemouth. Nowadays, we go to St Mawes in Cornwall for holidays as it’s too expensive to fly anywhere with the kids. My girls, Tansy and Cicely (and hopefully our new arrival Betony) love the adventure, the sea and the rocks down there.

I’m addicted to looking for morels growing on the woodchips in car parks – they are the best places to find them. I also take the kids up to Haldon Woods, near Dartmoor, and Berry Pomeroy to forage for ceps. When it rains, I’m always excited about the mushrooms that will grow afterwards. Phil supplies our mushrooms and taught us all about picking them in the wild.

Ode in Shaldon is one of my favourite restaurants. It’s focused on organic and biodynamic food (odetruefood.co.uk). Ode is the restaurant’s postcode but it’s also a tribute to true food. The Hare & Hounds, in Kingskerswell, (thehareandhounds.co.uk) do an award-winning carvery and great ales. I like visiting Nathan Outlaw (nathan-outlaw.com) and Paul Ainsworth (number6inpadstow.co.uk) too.

The best ever fish and chip place will be my own. I am very picky about my fish and chips; I hate it when the fish comes with skin on. We almost bought a fish and chip shop a while ago so that’s definitely still on the cards. In the meantime, I go to Chandler’s Chippy in Torquay as it’s the least pretentious. I just have fish and chips; no fancy stuff – it is a chippie.

All the boys in the kitchen save up their tips and every four months we do a little tour of restaurants. Our last trip was to Copenhagen and the beef tartare with wood sorrel at Noma (noma.dk) was amazing. I really enjoyed Geranium (geranium.dk), Nimb (nimb.dk) and Geist (restaurantgeist.dk).

We’ve dined at Le Meurice in Paris on a few occasions (lemeurice.com) as well as Pierre Gagnaire (pierre-gagnaire. com). Le Meurice is about doing modern takes on classics, whereas Gagnaire is about pushing boundaries; he’s not afraid to experiment with unusual flavour combinations. Tasting menus give good insights into what restaurants are doing.

Scooters are what you’d call my hobby. I got into that because I liked mod music. I am a member of the South Devon Showmen scooter club; it’s where I never talk about food. I own six scooters – I even have a Michelin one.

Sake sommeliery at Harrods

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on BespokeRSVP on 30th April 2012:

sake sommelier at Harrods wine shop

Sake, that illusive Japanese drink which, despite its increasing popularity in restaurants and elsewhere, remains a bit of a mystery to the public.

For one, there is often misconceptions about what it is. Despite the fact that basic versions are now widely available in supermarkets, it is still often mistakenly called Japanese rice wine. In reality, the process of making sake is more like that of beer – the starch in rice must be converted to sugars before it can be fermented using yeast. And in Japan, the establishments which make sake are called breweries.

Then there is the matter of how to drink sake. Should you have it warm or cold? And how does this then affect that food you might have with it? After all, sake is reported to have completely different characteristics on the palate compared to the nose.

Luckily these, and other intricate matters, are covered in the first and only sake sommelier course in the UK. Held in the private room of Harrod’s wine shop, the course is run by the Sake Sommelier Association and offers an introduction to the history of sake, its making and its characteristics. Although the course is only intended as an introduction, you do get a serious overview of everything. Particularly useful, perhaps, is the classification of sake – a very confusing matter when you realise there are names for every variation!

sake sommelier at Harrods wine shop

Theory aside, you will also get to sample a few sakes from different categories and at different temperatures – everything from super polished to slightly aged. The tasting is tutored and with specially designed glasses by Riedel as well as more traditional glassware so you leave with a great set of tasting notes and ideas on how to match particular sakes with food. And as you leave, you will receive a sake sommelier certificate too. Just think, a newly qualified sake sommelier in just one session.

The Perfect G&T

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on the Taste of London blog on 18th May 2012:

As we inch into summer, the weather begins to perk up and the countdown to Taste of London begins, there’s only one thing that we can think of other than summer food: summer drink.

Here journalist, trainee chef and stagiaire at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal enthuses over a drink first enjoyed at one of Heston’s other venues, The Hinds Head.

There’s nothing more refreshing than a cool glass of G&T at the height of summer, but the simple drink is not always treated with the respect it deserves. A G&T is not just a G&T. Each gin has different characteristics, as does each tonic. Then there’s the garnishes to contend with. Preferences will vary from person to person, but finding a harmonious blend is like striking gold.

To my taste, The Hinds Head has one of the best combinations sorted. They do a fabulous G&T with my favourite gin – Gin Mare (pronounced mar-ray) – and perk it up with a floral tonic and some unusual garnishes.

Even on gloomy rain-filled Sundays, a taste of its heady blend of citrus and herbal aromatics takes me back to the roasting summers day when I first discovered it at the Hinds Head bar.

Here’s a guide to that ‘perfect’ G&T. It’s just a guide because, as with everything, it should be done to taste…

Key parts:
a tall glass
ice cubes
wedge of orange
sprig of rosemary
25ml Gin Mare
Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic to top up

Method:
Fill your tall glass with lots of ice, bigger cubes will melt more slowly. Throw in your wedge of orange and sprig of rosemary. Pour over Gin Mare and top up with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic as desired. Enjoy.