Wozniacki wins on Grand Slam comeback at US Open
Caroline Wozniacki won her opening match in her first Grand Slam appearance in over three years on Monday, beating Russian qualifier Tatiana Prozorova 6-3...
2023-08-29 11:19
Toyota Wants to Make More Than Just EVs — and Has Plenty of Company
When Japan played host to Group of Seven leaders last week, the country’s top auto executives formed a
2023-05-22 07:49
IAEA team gathers marine samples near Fukushima as treated radioactive water is released into sea
An International Atomic Energy Agency team is in Fukushima for the agency's first marine sampling since treated radioactive wastewater started being released from the area's damaged nuclear plant into the sea
2023-10-19 17:47
How did Lara Parker die? 'Dark Shadows' star passes away at 84
A true Hollywood Hall-of-famer, Lara Parker, breathed her last on Thursday, October 12, leaving her fans teary-eyed
2023-10-17 16:23
Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny fuel engagement rumors after hawk-eyed fans spot ring in 'The Kardashians' trailer
'The Kardashians' Season 4 teases a shocking detail
2023-09-13 14:24
Crystelle Pereira: ‘This is controversial but... French food isn’t that great’
Crystelle Pereira can’t believe how time has flown in the two years since she competed in the Great British Bake Off. “Since I hit send on that application, it’s literally felt like I have just hit, like, times 10 in speed of life!” she tells me, wide-eyed, on a video call from the home in North London she shares with her parents and one of her two sisters. The 28-year-old – who finished runner-up to Giuseppe Dell’Anno in the 2021 season – was working in a fast-paced finance job when she took part. Landing a book deal shortly after the series aired (seven publishers were vying for her signature), she waited seven months before handing in her notice to pursue a cookery career. “I wouldn’t say I’m a pessimist, but I’m a realist,” the London-born cook says. “It’s very easy to quit your job and think, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m famous, this is great’. But I thought, ‘I don’t want to quit my job blindly and chase my dreams’. I need to think, ‘Is this viable? Can I actually get work?'” How did she decide to finally take the plunge? “It got to a point where I was like, I’m just working two full-time jobs – I’ve got no more annual leave, I’m about to burn out. “And also I need to grab this opportunity with both hands and just do it [otherwise] I think I’ll always regret it.” She hasn’t looked back since: “Honestly, it’s the best decision I’ve made. [Cooking] is literally my full-time job, it’s no longer a side hobby that I rush to do after I finish a long day of work. “It means I’ve got more time to really put into my job, I’m free to go on trips to Italy to look at Parmesan,” (an excursion she’s embarking on soon) “and obviously doing my book took up so much time.” Flavour Kitchen, her debut cookbook, is a colourful ode to Pereira’s Portuguese-Goan heritage (her parents met in Mumbai before moving to the UK). Split into two halves, the savoury section features brunch bites, curries, pasta, noodles, salads and more, all bursting with international flavours, such as Goan chilli chicken fry, kimcheese toasty, and honey and chipotle baked camembert. The sweet half is all about cakes, cookies, pies and other treats with a twist. Bake Off fans will remember the pistachio, orange and cardamom carrot cake Pereira created for her final Signature Challenge. “Goa is in the south of India, and it was colonised by the Portuguese,” Pereira says, which is why Goan food is so different to the rest of Indian cuisine. Vindaloo curry, for example, has its roots in Europe: “The Portuguese had this dish called carne de vinha d’alhos, a pork and wine dish. The Goans took that and swapped Portuguese wine with Goan vinegar and that became vindaloo.” Many of the savoury recipes in Flavour Kitchen feature a liberal splash of the tangy liquid. “Our food is very vinegar-based, which sounds a bit off-putting but it just works because it’s all balanced really well,” Pereira says. “If something’s got lots of vinegar, then it’s offset with something sweet like jaggery, which is an unrefined sugar, or coconut, because coconuts are in abundance in Goa.” Given the choice, the adventurous cook would much rather tuck into fiery fish curry, egg fried rice with Korean gochujang chilli paste or noodles with “about 10 cloves of garlic” than a plate of pretentious haute cuisine. “I will be honest, this is really controversial…” she begins, pausing before admitting: “I’m not that big on French food.” Conceding that Parisian pastries are unbeatable, she continues: “I’m just more into pan-Asian and Mediterranean food – I just think the flavours are a bit more vibrant. “Like you think about South Korea, you think about gochujang; in Greece you think about fresh mint, coriander, lemon, halloumi; Mexico, you’ve got chipotle; go to the Middle East, you’ve got harissa, ras el hanout [spice mix], all these flavours.” The cook credits her mum and dad’s cooking for helping her develop a taste for the exotic, and her late grandad – to whom she dedicates the book – with overseeing her success. “He sadly he passed away before any of this took off, but I genuinely believe in life after death – I genuinely believe he’s been a big part in guiding me through all of this. “I think he just knew l was going to end up in food. Funnily enough he used to call me MasterChef – we used to watch a lot of cooking shows together.” Having amassed 190,000 Instagram followers and cooked live on Good Morning America, The Today Show and ITV’s Lorraine, Pereira is well on her way to celebrity chef status. There have been many a pinch-me moment during her first year as a fully-fledged foodie, none more surreal than when she met King Charles (at that point still a Prince) at a Queen’s Jubilee lunch event last summer. “[Charles and Camilla] turned up and I thought, ‘I’m sure they won’t come over to speak to us,” Pereira recalls. “All of a sudden he’s walked over and said, ‘Oh, do you mind if I sit there? Because there was a seat next to me.” What did the pair talk about? “I think I was just word-vomiting! I said ‘Do you like baked goods?’ and ‘Do you bake?’ “The general consensus was he doesn’t bake, but he does like to eat. He likes cakes, he likes Italian cuisine. And then I was just talking to him about my style of baking and stuff. We had a merry old chat!” As well as finding herself starstruck by royals, Pereira has had to get used to being recognised by fans: “It literally happened the day after the first episode, which was wild. “I was going to work, I was on the train platform – I had a mask on my face, which is even funnier. This girl comes up to me and goes, ‘Oh my gosh, are you Crystelle from Bake Off?” Though she was recently “so embarassed” to be spotted at the end of spin class while “red and sweaty”, being asked for selfies is a small price to pay for being able to live out her dream. “I will never complain,” she says. “Like, no one’s there like throwing things at me! If I bump into anyone on the train or on holiday or whatever everyone is genuinely so lovely, so it’s actually just really nice to be honest.” ‘Flavour Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists’ by Crystelle Pereira (Kyle Books, £22).
2023-06-14 13:59
Tristan Tate plans to 'tune in' to Piers Morgan's message to Prince Harry on eve of Queen Elizabeth's death anniversary, trolls say 'who asked you'
Tristan Tate asserted that he looked forward to seeing what Piers Morgan had to say about Prince Harry
2023-09-08 21:47
NASA to unveil new Webb image on telescope's first anniversary
NASA is set Wednesday to unveil a new image from the James Webb Space Telescope a year after it first stunned the world with breathtaking...
2023-07-12 11:46
Iain Hughes: Charity swimmer confirmed dead as body found
The body of Iain Hughes, who went missing in the English Channel, was found in waters near Belgium.
2023-07-28 19:29
EV maker Lordstown Motors begins bankruptcy embroiled in disputes
By Dietrich Knauth NEW YORK U.S. electric truck manufacturer Lordstown Motors began its bankruptcy case embroiled in litigation,
2023-06-29 06:55
Treat Yourself To Affordable Luxury Under $50 From The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
The Nordstrom Anniversary is one of the most hyped-up stand-alone shopping events of the year. But if you aren’t already versed in the annual holiday, you might see a lot of luxe deals priced well over $100 and think, “What sale?!” The reality is there’s a variety of actually affordable goods (under $50, in fact) up for grabs right now at Nordstrom. You can partake in the rush of the sale for as little as the cost of your weekly iced latte budget. Take your pick from a fan-favorite water bottle, a bestseller PJ set, or a limited-edition sunscreen set from a reader-beloved brand, all for only $50 or less. Keep on reading to shop our top picks (out of so many options) from this limited-time sale at Nordstrom — and we’d recommend you hurry and check out because these are sure to sell out before we know it.
2023-07-21 03:16
Manipur: Rahul Gandhi to tour India state rocked by ethnic unrest
Opposition Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is due to meet people displaced by Manipur violence.
2023-06-29 13:50
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