Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Elderflower Champagne Recipe

Please note we've amended the amount of sugar in this recipe from the original plus we've talked to Hugh about the various results it produces – he says this is down to the differences in elderflower crop and suggests using glass bottles with swing tops plus keep an eye on the brew.

Makes about 6 litres

Ingredients

• 4 litres hot water
• 700g sugar
• Juice and zest of four lemons
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• About 15 elderflower heads, in full bloom
• A pinch of dried yeast (you may not need this)

Method: How to make elderflower champagne

1. Put the hot water and sugar into a large container (a spotlessly clean bucket is good) and stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water so you have 6 litres of liquid in total.

2. Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the flower heads and stir gently.

3. Cover with clean muslin and leave to ferment in a cool, airy place for a couple of days. Take a look at the brew at this point, and if it’s not becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to ferment, add a pinch of yeast.

4. Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with muslin, for a further four days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into sterilised strong glass bottles with champagne stoppers (available from home-brewing suppliers) or Grolsch-style stoppers, or sterilized screw-top plastic bottles (a good deal of pressure can build up inside as the fermenting brew produces carbon dioxide, so strong bottles and seals are essential).

5. Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for at least a week before serving, chilled. The champagne should keep in the bottles for several months. Store in a cool, dry place.

**TOP TIP: Use plastic bottles - 750ml water bottles and let out a tiny bit of air every morning and night. Just a tiny amount to take the edge off but not to lose any fizz. Hopefully, this way, you'll avoid any explosions!!

Now off to find out what an elderflower is & then to try to figure out where I can get my hands on some in the middle of Pittsburgh...

Let's Run Jamie Oliver Right out of America!

Jamie Oliver’s been filming a trailer to promote his new book, ‘Jamie’s America’ and six-part Channel 4 TV series, ‘Jamie’s American Roadtrip’, both coming this autumn. See above link for more info.

I'm sorry but what idiot invited Oliver to America in the first place? This is the man who took Cookie Monster's cookies away. And Naked Chef? I'm sorry Chef's should not be naked. I don't want to think about Chef's pieces dangling near my food. Thank you but no. And certainly if any were to do so it would certainly not be his! His resume shows exactly what he is a Puffpiece PR Celebrity Chef & Don't get me started about his party planner business. !! Go away Oliver!! Go back to England & send us a real chef to do an American Road Trip - Give us Marco Pierre White! God that he is. We'll take one of him PLEASE.

Oliver get out of my country with your stupid PR stunts ... And take that fraud Gordon Ramsey with you!

And for those of you who agree with me. Here's a lovely little game...Punch the f**K out of Jamie game.

Now back to the subject of chef's who could and should be naked often...Anthony Bourdain for instance. Ahh, he's just lovely and dispells all thoughts of that poncy what's his name...

How to send back food

Lifehacker has an interesting post on sending back food. I'd like to preface this by saying (as a former chef) before sending back food ask yourself one thing : "Really?" Then stop and ask yourself that same thing again... Because that is what the chef is going to be saying along with a few choice words as they look at the food you sent back. If it's a matter of "I think there's too much cilantro." or "The sauce is too red." - Slap yourself & save the chef the temptation of coming out to do it. However if you ordered Md-Rare and what you get is Well Done this video's for you.

Honestly, a head Chef needs to know when the grill is loosing focus or doesn't have a freaking clue. Occasionally, a faux pas may get by us. (I know you are gasping in disbelief) It is in fact helpful - at times - to be able to slap around the peon at the bottom of the totem pole who has yet again rendered inedible food.

I just wouldn't do it (sending back) unless it's a matter of serious offense. What I won't allow to leave my kitchen as a chef - is very different from what I will accept as a paying customer. Nothing left my kitchen, with a fingerprint on a plate, a smear in sauce, any imperfection that I can see -- but as a customer I'll pretty much eat any thing ~ occasionally even food that doesn't taste great. This is why I was a total bitch to work for.

I have actually had a hair served to me in a soup recently in a verrry good restaurant- quietly discarded the hair and kept the soup. It's a freaking hair. I'm not going to make some one's night go to hell because a hair fell out and landed on my bowl as long as it's a good place. Just start thinking of all the cellular skin fluff that's flaking off while the cooks make your food and pretty soon a thin little innocent hair doesn't seem so evil...especially if you give any consideration to all the possible skin conditions they could have. Or other conditions, and what they might do to your food if you sent it back?? Things that make you go hmmm?

On second thought...maybe you should learn to cook for yourself or not send things back...