Cook or bake the colours of your flag

44 Days Left | 8 joined | 5 completed

Time for a good cooking and baking session. Can you make a dish in the colours of your national flag? Our favourite entries will be shared on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Join the challenge now!

Baking with the kids - show us what they can do!

67 Days Left | 7 joined | 2 completed

If you’ve got young children, the chances are you’ll be looking for fun things to keep them busy over the next few weeks. Why not get them into the kitchen and see what tasty treats they can bake? Cookies, cupcakes, pastries, tarts, we want to see them all!

Can you cook like a Michelin-starred chef?

58 Days Left | 5 joined | 0 completed

A Michelin star is the pinnacle of dining excellence. Michelin-starred chefs cook with passion and precision to create dishes that look like true works of art. Do you have the skills to rival these culinary masters?

Show us your best home-cooked meal!

38 Days Left | 23 joined | 8 completed

Many of us have suddenly found we’re spending much more time at home, so let’s make the most of it by cooking and sharing all the delicious food we’re making. Come and join the challenge now!

Come mangiare all’Italiana, quando a casa.

20 Days Left | 30 joined | 5 completed

ITALIANO:..... [English follows below]
Queste settimane sono state un pugno allo stomaco per il nostro paese, l’Italia. Durante questi periodi, con l’Italia unita, ma in sofferenza, ci ricordiamo di sentimenti come fratellanza, amore verso l’altro, e gioia nel fare le piccole cose, a cui spesso non diamo importanza.

Io sono il Prof Armando Cristofori, Presidente di Italian Dining Summit, associazione nata per unire la cultura culinaria italiana nel mondo e sotto un unico tetto.

Voglio incitarvi a mostrare al mondo, che noi Italiani non ci arrendiamo mai, quindi, vi invito calorosamente a preparare un piatto tradizionale della vostra zona e condividerlo qui con noi. Per le vostre ricette, potete prendere ispirazione dalla molteplicità di prodotti regionali e locali, catalogati sul sito del Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, oppure consultare il catalogo semplificato, sul sito di Top Food Italy.

Mostrate il tuo piatto e vedrete che andrà tutto bene!

ENGLISH:
These last few weeks have given Italy a punch in the stomach. During these weeks, when we see Italy united, but suffering, we remember feelings like brotherhood, love for others, and joy in doing small things, which we often do not give importance to.

I am Prof Armando Cristofori, President of Italian Dining Summit, an association created to unite Italian culinary culture around the world and do so, under one roof.

I want to encourage you to to join us and show the world that we Italians never give up. I warmly invite you to prepare a traditional Italian dish from where you live in Italy or from an area you visited during your holidays and share it here with us. You can take inspiration from the multiplicity of regional and local products, cataloged on the website of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, or consult a simplified catalog, on the Top Food Italy website.

Share your plate with us and you will see that the Dolce Vita will, very soon be back in full swing.

Show the world how to cook Spanish food!

37 Days Left | 15 joined | 1 completed

We are all experiencing very challenging times at the moment, most people are having to change their daily routine, the way they work and the way they socialise. Spain in particular is having a difficult time with the country in total lock-down. Not only can it be very lonely right now, it can also get pretty boring stuck inside all the time.

Some of our Spanish members have approached the World Gourmet Society with the idea of setting up a challenge so you can share the fabulous meals you are making and also show how creative you can be with the ingredients you have at home.

It would be great to form a supportive group of like-minded food-lovers in the Spanish Food Tribe. Not only can you share recipes and photos of your food you can also comment on each other’s posts and give each other the support and encouragement we all need right now.

Share your wonderful Spanish dishes and inspire others now.

ESPAÑOL:
¡Muestre al mundo cómo cocinar comida española!

Todos estamos viviendo momentos muy desafiantes en este momento, la mayoría de las personas tienen que cambiar su rutina diaria, su forma de trabajar y su forma de socializar. España en particular está teniendo un momento difícil con el país en total bloqueo. No solo puede estar muy solo en este momento, sino que también puede volverse bastante aburrido atrapado todo el tiempo.

Algunos de nuestros miembros españoles se han acercado a la World Gourmet Society con la idea de establecer un desafío para que pueda compartir las fabulosas comidas que está haciendo y también mostrar cuán creativo puede ser con los ingredientes que tiene en casa.

Sería genial formar un grupo de apoyo de amantes de la comida con ideas afines en la Tribu Española de la Alimentación. No solo pueden compartir recetas y fotos de sus alimentos, también pueden comentar las publicaciones de cada uno y brindarse el apoyo y el aliento que todos necesitamos en este momento.

Comparta sus maravillosos platos españoles e inspire a otros ahora.

Eat paella

380 Days Left | 22 joined | 3 completed

Find a paella in a restaurant, or cook it yourself.

Can you cook like Michelin-starred chef, Tom Aiken? Top the challenge to win his book!

37 Days Left | 7 joined | 0 completed

Awarded two Michelin stars by the age of 26, Tom Aikens is one of the UK’s most talented chefs. We are delighted that he has shared his delicious recipe for Roast Scallops with Ham and Leek with us and would like to challenge you to see if you can cook it too. The person who tops the challenge will win a copy of Tom’s cookbook, Easy.

Ingredients to serve 4
8 large leeks
100g toasted hazelnuts
Toasted hazelnut oil
1 bunch chervil
caster sugar
1 lemon
9 1/2 leaves gelatine
Parmesan shavings
8 extra large scallops
4 slices jabugo ham
Mixed salad leaves

Strip the first two layers from the leeks and chop finely, then wash well along with the whole leeks. Place the whole leeks in boiling salted water and cook for six to ten minutes until tender. Plunge in to iced water to stop the cooking cool and drain.

Remove and discard a couple more layers and dry. place six leeks on a tray grate over 20g of the nuts using a microplane and add a drizzle of hazelnut oil and a tbsp of chopped chervil. Place the chopped leek layers into a pan with 600ml of water and a few sprigs of chervil. Bring to the boil, turn off the heat and leave to stand for a couple of minutes then strain, discarding the chopped leek and reserving the liquid.

Add a little sugar and lemon juice to taste. Put 400ml of this warm liquid in a bowl with eight leaves of gelatine to dissolve, cool and chill. When it is nearly set pour over the six leeks.

Put these leeks with their jelly on to a sheet of clingfilm and roll tightly into a neat bundle. Seal with string each end then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Take the rest of the leek liquid add a tsp of chopped chervil and the remaining gelatine and place in the fridge to set. Cut the two remaining leeks in half lengthways and scatter each half with a little parmesan shavings, a little hazelnut oil and some grated hazelnut oil then season lightly. Grill until golden.

Cut the scallops in 1/2 horizontally and season. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan when it is hot then add the scallops. Turn them when you see a golden colour around the edges then cook for a further 30 seconds add a little lemon juice and take out of the pan. Slice the leek boudin in1/2 cm thick slices and place on to the plate with the ham scallops and grilled leeks. Spoon around the set jelly and add the leaves dressed with hazelnut oil lemon juice and grated hazelnuts.

Show us your Michelin-starred starter

54 Days Left | 8 joined | 4 completed

Can you cook a fabulous starter worthy of a Michelin star? Impress and inspire us with your fine dining creations.

Can you cook vegan cuisine?

125 Days Left | 142 joined | 9 completed

Vegan cuisine is a hot trend in dining right now. There are thousands of vegan recipes out there from every corner of the globe to delight our tastebuds with new foods and flavours. Inspire us with your favourite plant-based creations.

Show me your best bake.

102 Days Left | 95 joined | 12 completed

Show me your best baking creations.

Can you bake a world-class Sachertorte?

61 Days Left | 27 joined | 2 completed

Sachertorte is a delicious Austrian chocolate cake, invented in Vienna by the chef Franz Sacher in 1832. Impress us with your best Sachertorte.

Ingredients

Sachertorte
130g dark chocolate (min. 55% cocoa content)
1 vanilla pod
150g softened butter
100g icing sugar
6 eggs
100g castor sugar
140g plain flour

Topping and icing
200g apricot jam
200g castor sugar
150g dark chocolate (min. 55% cocoa content)

Preheat oven to 170°C. Line the base of a springform tin with baking paper, grease the sides, and dust with a little flour.

Melt the chocolate over boiling water. Let cool slightly.

Slit vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Using a hand mixer with whisks, beat the softened butter with the icing sugar and vanilla seeds until bubbles appear.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg yolks into the butter mixture one by one. Now gradually add melted couverture chocolate. Beat the egg whites with the castor sugar until stiff, then place on top of the butter and chocolate mixture. Sift the flour over the mixture, then fold in the flour and beaten egg whites.

Transfer the mixture to the springform tin, smooth the top, and bake in the oven (middle rack) for 10–15 minutes, leaving the oven door a finger's width ajar. Then close the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes. (The cake is done when it yields slightly to the touch.)

Remove the cake from the oven and loosen the sides of the springform tin. Carefully tip the cake onto a cake rack lined with baking paper and let cool for approximately 20 minutes. Then pull off the baking paper, turn the cake over, and leave on rack to cool completely.

Cut the cake in half horizontally. Warm the jam and stir until smooth. Brush the top of both cake halves with the jam and place one on top of the other. Brush the sides with the jam as well.

To make the glaze, put the castor sugar into a saucepan with 125ml water and boil over high heat for approximately 5 minutes. Take the sugar syrup off the stove and leave to cool a little. Coarsely chop the chocolate, gradually adding it to the syrup, and stir until it forms a thick liquid.

Pour all the lukewarm glaze liquid at once over the top of the cake and quickly spread using a palette knife. Leave the glaze to set for a few hours.

Can you cook Austrian Cuisine like Andreas Döllerer? Top the challenge to win his book.

61 Days Left | 16 joined | 0 completed

Andreas Döllerer is a multi–award winning Austrian chef renowned for creating ‘Cuisine Alpine,’ a unique culinary style, inspired by ingredients sourced from the Salzburg Alps region. We would like you to show us your version of his Tauern Lamb, Broad Beans and Jerusalem Artichokes recipe. The member who wins the challenge will receive a copy of Andreas Döllerer's book, Alpine Cuisine.

Ingredients to Serve 4

Saddle of Lamb:
500g saddle of lamb (bones removed)
1 sprig of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
butter
salt
pepper

Lamb Sauce:
500g lamb bones
1 large onion
l/2 celeriac
1 carrot
l/2 leek
40ml vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tomato pulp
600ml white wine
300g sieved tomatoes
3 litres light lamb stock
2 bay leaves
3 juniper berries
10 peppercorns
2 sprigs of rosemary
3 sprigs of thyme
4 garlic cloves
sugar
80ml apple-balsamic vinegar
90ml brown butter
cornflour
salt
pepper
nutmeg

Lamb Sausage:
2.5kg lamb nape (the back of the neck)
77.5g pickling salt
1kg white pork belly bacon
1.5kg red pork sausage meat
5g thyme
5g rosemary
2 pressed garlic cloves
10 ml essence of paprika
2.5g ground caraway seeds
5g smoked paprika
3g sweet paprika
1g cayenne pepper
black pepper
natural casings (15 mm in diameter)

Garlic Cream:
1 head of garlic
200ml vegetable oil
1 sprig of rosemary
2 tablespoons beef broth
salt
pepper

Glazed Broad Beans:
16 broad beans
80ml beef broth
butter
salt
nutmeg

Jerusalem Artichoke Wedges:
8 Jerusalem artichoke wedges
sunflower oil
sea salt
rosemary
Dried tomatoes
BBQ sauce

Preparation

Saddle of Lamb: Score the fatty with a sharp knife. Put the saddle of lamb with the herbs into a vacuum bag and cook for 20 minutes in water heated to 54 degrees Celsius. Just before serving, remove from the bag, and season with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a frying pan, and fry the lamb on the fatty side until crisp. Allow to rest briefly, and cut into slices.

Lamb sauce: Roast the lamb bones in the oven for 45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Cut the root vegetables into chunks, and brown in vegetable oil in another pot. Add the tomato pulp and continue to cook briefly. Deglaze with the white wine and reduce the liquid. Add the strained tomatoes, seasonings and lamb stock to cover. Simmer slowly for 2 hours, repeatedly skimming off the fat. Add the herbs, garlic and sugar, and reduce to a third. Season to taste with the apple-balsamic vinegar, brown butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Thicken slightly with a bit of cornflour.

Lamb Sausage: Cut the lamb into pieces, sprinkle with 62.5g pickling salt and set aside overnight. Coarsely grind the salted meat with the belly bacon, sausage meat, 15g pickling salt and all the remaining spices to make sausage stuffing. Season to taste. Put the mixture into the casings, and twist them shut. Briefly smoke the sausages, and brown them on both sides.

Garlic Cream: Separate the head of garlic into individual cloves. Peel and half them, removing the germ. Blanch the cloves in lightly salted water for 10 seconds, and drain them in a sieve. Repeat the process another 5 times. Heat the vegetable oil in a small sauté pan. Slowly cook the garlic with the rosemary until tender. Pour off the oil. Use a hand-held blender to turn the garlic and beef broth into a fine cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Glazed Broad Beans: Briefly blanch the broad beans and refresh in ice water. Shell them, and glaze with the beef broth and a bit of butter. Season with salt and nutmeg.

Jerusalem Artichoke Wedges: Slowly fry the Jerusalem artichoke wedges in sunflower oil until they are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Drain well, and season with sea salt and finely chopped rosemary.

Can you cook French cuisine?

278 Days Left | 82 joined | 4 completed

French cuisine is the pinnacle of fine dining. Even the word "gourmet" originates from the French language. Are you skilled in the refined and elegant craft of French cuisine? Show us your regional specialities and take us on a virtual culinary tour of this beautiful country.