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*This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you. GO TO: SPINACH AND FETA BITES TOMATO SOUP BITESIZE SHORT STACK CANAPE ONE: SPINACH AND FETA BITES   Your guests might turn their noses up if you serve them some pureed spinach smeared all over the counter… So, we’ve taken some creative license with this first canapé and are presenting Matilda’s blitzed spinach as the main character, not the whole show. These canapés can be made a day ahead, refrigerated and then reheated before serving. Alternatively, make on the day and serve cooled at room temp. But please, don’t eat them straight from the fridge as all they will be good for is smearing all over the counter and writing your name in them. INGREDIENTS  (makes 12) 3 sheets of Filo Pastry (½ a standard pack) 200g Spinach 100g Feta cheese ½ onion, roughly chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 egg   1 tbsp olive oil (extra for greasing) Pinch of nutmeg  ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp chilli flakes  Black pepper (to taste) METHOD Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan.   Wilt the spinach  in a large saucepan on a low heat, then drain. Squeeze out all the water- it’s a tough job, Popeye earned his stripes. Add the spinach  to a food processor , with the onion,  minced garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil  and blitz until finely chopped. Add the feta and the egg  to the food processor along with the seasonings: chilli flakes, salt, nutmeg and pepper  and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag. Grease the baking tray. For perfect bite size morsels use a Canape Tray . Stack the three filo  sheets on top of each other and cut into 12 pieces (four cuts along the longest edge and 3 along the shortest). The pieces should be approx 10 cm squares. Take one square of filo and brush  with oil, then layer over another sheet at an angle to create jagged edges. Brush again with oil and lay over a third and final sheet. Place the layered filo onto the greased tray and push down to create a cup, like a little muffin case. Repeat until you have 12 little filo cups. Pipe  the spinach mixture into the filo cups. The mixture will expand slightly so don’t over fill. Use approx a tablespoon of mixture per cup.   Cover with foil and bake covered at 160 ° C fan for 20-25 mins. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 5 mins. Check they’re ready by lifting out   a canapé to ensure the bottoms are lightly browned before removing from the oven. The tops will brown before the bottoms are cooked and we don’t want no soggy bottoms here… Remove from the tray and cool fully on a wire rack  before serving. BACK TO TOP CANAPE TWO: TOMATO SOUP This is a great one for prepping ahead as all the components can be made a couple of days before the big night and just be heated and plated right before serving. I recommend serving the soup in shot glasses as it makes for a perfect canapé size, and the soup can be drunk straight from the glass. We’ve included some topping suggestions to fancy things up but you could serve the soup straight up, or with a simple drizzle of cream on top. INGREDIENTS 500g tomatoes  1 small onion  1 carrot 1 stick of celery  A whole bulb of garlic  (no smooching at this party) 500 ml vegetable stock  1.5 tbsp tomato puree  1 tsp sugar METHOD Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan.   First, prep the veggies. Cut the onion , celery  and carrot  into small chunks, all roughly the same size. Halve and core the tomatoes . Place all the veg on a baking tray . Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil  , season generously with salt  and pepper  and toss to coat. Slice the top of the garlic bulb  to expose the cloves. Drizzle with oil, wrap securely in silver foil, and add to the baking tray. nb: It sounds like a dramatic quantity of garlic but the flavour will mellow during roasting. Don’t panic. Place your veggies in the oven for 45- 50 mins  until the vegetables are softened, cooked through and slightly caramelised.   Take the tray out of the the oven and remove the garlic in foil using tongs . Return the garlic to the oven for a further 15 mins. Allow the vegetables to cool whilst the garlic continues cooking. After 15 minutes, remove the garlic from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before handling. Then, squeeze the softened garlic cloves out of the skins and add in with the other veg, discarding the garlic peel.  Prepare your stock  and add a tablespoon  and a half of tomato puree  to the hot stock, stirring to combine. Place your vegetables in a large pot with half the stock and blend with an immersion blender . nb: If you are using a stand blender  with a lid instead, avoid an explosion by making sure the vegetables and stock are fully cooled before blending or your kitchen will look like a scene from Dexter. Add the sugar  and the remaining stock  and blitz until smooth. Taste and season accordingly. You may need to add additional sugar if your tomatoes are quite acidic. Pass the soup through a sieve  to ensure it’s silky smooth. TO SERVE Reheat the soup and pour into shot glasses .  Drizzle with basil oil and a sprinkle with croutons (recipes below). BACK TO TOP SOUP TOPPINGS : BASIL OIL AND CROUTONS   If you wanna jazz up the presentation of your soup, a drizzle of basil oil and a sprinkle of croutons provide a wonderful pop of colour and crunch. You can make both of these toppings a few days ahead to lighten the load on the big day. BASIL OIL INGREDIENTS   Small bunch of basil 100ml olive oil Salt, to taste  BASIL OIL METHOD Pick the basil  leaves and discard the stems  Add the olive oil,  a pinch of salt  and blend  until smooth. It is best to use a light olive oil that isn’t super deep and peppery! Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve  or ideally a cheesecloth  if you have one. Can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days. BACK TO TOP CROUTONS INGREDIENTS Slice of bread  Drizzle of oil Salt, to taste  CROUTONS METHOD Pre-heat the oven to 210°C / 190°C fan.   Dice a slice of bread  into small cubes a few millimetres in diameter, and toss in olive oil , Season with salt  and spread onto a baking tray.  Bake for 5-8 mins  until golden brown. Keep a watchful eye on them as they are so small they will catch very quickly.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool. nb: Can be stored in an airtight container for up to a few days. Make sure the croutons are fully cooled before you imprison them or they will sweat and go soggy. No. Soggy. Bottoms. TO SERVE Serve the soup in shot glasses with a drizzle of basil oil and a sprinkling of croutons. Plate right before serving to avoid the croutons going soggy. BACK TO TOP CANAPE THREE: BITESIZE SHORT STACK We all know and love the sensational breakfast scene when Matilda knocks up a syrupy pile of pancakes at the beginning of the film. The music, the vibes, the fluffy stack that makes you want to reach through the screen and take a bite. Iconic. I am quite sure therefore that many of you will be disappointed with the lack of accuracy you are about to experience but… I’m sorry… sweet brekkie pancakes are not the way to start a dinner party in my book. Or any book. With that in mind, take a breath and sing saybibbilium (you can’t convince me those aren’t the lyrics) because here, we’re throwing authenticity to the wind. In this bitesize canapé version, we are paying homage to the pancakes of syrup past and celebrating the short stack in a savoury way. Completing our trio of canapés with these cute blinis piled with smoked salmon and horseradish creme fraiche. This recipe makes far more pancakes than you need but unless you want to start dividing an egg into thirds, make the lot and freeze the unused blinis for a later date. Who says you can’t have Pancake Day multiple times a year (except the Vatican, obvs). INGREDIENTS 100 g self raising flour 1 medium egg 30 g melted butter  150 ml milk Tbsp of chives (chopped) Tbsp of dill (chopped) Additional butter for cooking  TOPPINGS 100g Creme fraiche  1 tsp Horseradish cream ⅛ tsp kosher salt Squeeze of lemon 50g Smoked salmon  Sprinkle of chopped chives and dill  METHOD   To make the batter, add the flour  to a mixing bowl. Separate the egg  and beat together the egg   yolk, milk  and melted butter . Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the flour whilst mixing. Adding the wet ingredients this way will prevent lumps from forming. Mix until combined.  Whisk the egg white  until almost at stiff peaks and fold the whites into the batter.  Fold in the chopped chives and dill . Place a frying pan on a medium heat with a knob of butter .   Once melted, spoon the batter into the pan, leaving space between each pancake as they will spread a little. About a teaspoon of batter per blini should do it. Cook for 1-2 mins  until small bubbles appear. Flip and cook for 30-60 secs  on the other side. If like me, you’re anal and need them to be perfect, use a small cookie cutter  to shape a flawless circle. NOTES ON BLINI METHOD Keep an eye on the colour of the blinis as you may have to reduce the heat to prevent them from browning too much. It’s a good idea to wipe down the pan with kitchen roll between batches to remove any burnt butter or batter. This will prevent over browning or flecks of burnt residue getting stuck to your pretty little pancakes.  Ensure you allow the blinis to cool at room temperature before assembling as they will melt the creme fraiche if they are warm.  You can make the blinis earlier in the day and assemble just before serving, or at a push, make them the day before. Avoid storing the blinis in the fridge as the cold temperature affects the texture and they then just taste like store bought (bit of a waste of time then…)  TO SERVE Add the horseradish and salt  to the creme fraiche  and mix to combine- you can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge until assembly  Chop the chives  finely and remove the thicker steams from the dill . Slice the smoked salmon  into thin strips (about 5mm thick and 3 cm long). Place a small dollop of creme fraiche onto a blini, then top with another pancake and repeat. Three blinis makes the perfect little short stack. Top the triple decker stack with a final dollop of horseradish creme fraiche and a slice of the smoked salmon.  Sprinkle with chives and top with a sprig of dill . BACK TO TOP MENU OVERVIEW

Munch the movies: hosting a dinner party movie screening Ever watched a movie and thought, damn that looks tasty... ...I'll have what she's having? Well now, you can *This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you. Welcome to the first edition of our new series DINNER AND A MOVIE. In this series, we will show you recipes to eat along with your favourite characters, as you host epic dinner party movie screenings. With timecodes to remind you when to serve each dish, and table dressing ideas to set the scene, you can create an immersive cinematic experience at home. You are cordially invited to munch the movies. In this episode, we are chewing on Danny DeVito’s classic 90’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s MATILDA . We picked Matilda as our first movie of the series because it encapsulates everything we are passionate about: great film and great food.  You can find the written recipes here, but if you haven’t watched the episode yet, make sure to head over to our YouTube channel and check it out. There, we show you the recipes step by step so they’re easy to digest (wink wink, nudge nudge).  It’s time for the ultimate family friendly foodie film. Now say that three times fast.  THE TABLE: To create a truly immersive experience for your guests, the production design should spill off the screen and onto your dining table. We don’t advocate for selling a kidney to buy enough props to open an Ikea but one or two little nods to the movie beautifully set the scene and create a memorable experience. We went for… Red ribbons  to tie the napkins, like those Matilda wears in her hair Toy newts  in the water glasses are a great talking point and memorable but inexpensive party favour. But be clear, it's not a salamander, it's a newt. Bud vases  of wildflowers to evoke memories of Miss Honey’s cottage. Using bud vases is a brilliant way of making a bunch of flowers stretch, instead of having an ordinary bunch in one vase, you can split it over half a dozen mini vases spread across the table, it looks more impressive and costs the same! Books  piled on the table as decoration couldn't be more on brand, and you get bonus points if you can include Moby Dick . THE MENU     Starter:Canapes Matilda gets off to a flying start with three food moments in the first couple of minutes. To tantalise the taste buds from the off, we’ve created a spread of canapés for the starter course, with a nod to each of these references: spinach, tomato soup and pancakes.  SPINACH AND FETA BITES TOMATO SOUP BITE SIZE SHORT STACK Served as the film begins CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPES Main: TV Dinner “Right now we are eating dinner and watching TV”. So meta. You can’t really tell what the Wormwoods are eating in this scene but it’s on a TV tray and it’s got pineapple rings. So we’re taking that and running with it… BAKED HAM AND PINEAPPLE SLICES Served at 18 mins 30 secs CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE Dessert We round off this watch along feast with the most iconic munching moment from Matilda… Miss Trunchball’s Bruce’s epic chocolate cake.  BRUCE’S CHOCOLATE CAKE    Served at 37 mins CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPES

Cinema snacks: recreating recipes from the silver screen  This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you Welcome to the first episode of our series ‘Snack to the Future’, where we show you how to recreate snack-sized recipes from the screen, so you can munch your way through the movies along with your favourite characters. In this episode, we're bringing you a snack attack from Yorgos Lanthimos' feminist powerhouse, the provocative and unparalleled POOR THINGS. This beautifully layered and down right bonkers film follows Bella Baxter as she rejects the limitations put on her by 'man' and goes on a quest to uncover life's pleasures; most notably for us... food. Culinary motifs are used to explore key themes throughout the film, making this movie a Bite Club favourite. The most iconic Poor Things food moment is found in a colourfully depicted Lisbon with the glorious Pastel de Nata. But what is a Pastel de Nata, I hear you say? This Portuguese delicacy is an egg custard filling encased in a flaky, buttery and crisp pastry tart. Yum. As her life pops into Technicolor, Bella's relationship with the tart beautifully encapsulates the themes of pushing boundaries, and learning our limits as we grow and evolve. The masterful Emma Stone says she ate 60 of these bad boys during filming... that would certainly push most people's limits! Unfortunately, this recipe will only make you 16, but you could always scale it up. Get ready to inhale them with gusto, like life itself. GO TO: BACK TO TOP PASTEL DE NATA Features at 42 mins & 21 seconds of Poor Things EQUIPMENT Before we begin, a quick note on baking tins! You can bake the tarts in a small muffin tin but they are easier to shape, a better size and, come out crisper if you use proper Pastel de Nata tins. These  are the ones I am using and these  are a more affordable version which I also have. The less expensive tins are a little smaller, so note that you will end up with 18-20 slighter smaller tarts which require a few minutes less baking. INGREDIENTS   (makes 16) PASTRY GO TO: METHOD 150g plain flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  100ml cold water  120g unsalted butter - room temp  CUSTARD GO TO: METHOD 100 ml water 100g caster sugar 1 cinnamon stick  1 lemon -  peel only  2 tbsp plain flour 125ml milk (to be divided)  1 vanilla pod or 1tsp of vanilla bean paste  3 large egg yolks  ¼ tsp kosher salt  TO SERVE   dusting of icing sugar - optional METHOD PASTRY GO TO: INGREDIENTS In a large bowl , mix together the flour and salt , then slowly pour in the water , mixing to form dough. Roll into a ball, return to the bowl, cover and leave to rest for 30 mins .  Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured worktop and roll to a large rectangle, as thin as you can manage. Then take one third of the softened butter , and spread it in a thin, even layer over the dough, leaving about a centimetre around the outer edge butter free. Fold the bottom third of the dough into the middle. Then do the same with the top, folding the top third of the dough into the middle. Pinch together the edges to seal. Rotate the dough 90 degrees. Then repeat . Roll out the dough into a large thin rectangle, and then spread one third of the butter over the dough in a thin, even layer. Repeat the folding process, taking the bottom third of the dough into the middle, then the top. Pinch the edges to seal. Rotate the dough 90 degrees. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, as thin as you can. Spread the remaining butter over the dough, leaving an inch at the top edge. Roll tightly into a sausage, and trim the edges. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 1-2 hours, preferably overnight.  Notes: Re sting the dough for half an hour at the start will make it easier to handle Using a dough scraper or palette knife makes spreading the butter easier. If the dough is resisting during shaping, rest it for a few mins and then continue. It will make it easier to work with. CUSTARD GO TO: INGREDIENTS Mix together the water and sugar in a small saucepan . Add in the cinnamon stick and lemon peel . Bring to a boil . Remove once all the sugar has dissolved. If you have a thermometer , heat to 100 °C. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and 2 tbsps of the milk until smooth. Heat the remaining milk in a small saucepan until it reaches a simmer. Pour the hot milk over the flour/cold milk paste, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the seeds from the vanilla pod or the vanilla paste to the mixture. Strain the sugar syrup to remove the cinnamon and lemon peel. And add the strained syrup to the milk mixture and leave to cool for around 5 mins. If you have a thermometer , the mixture should be less than 55 °C when you add the egg yolks.  Once the mixture has cooled a little (It should be warm but not hot when you add the eggs- you dont want them to cook and scramble!) add the egg yolks. Season with the salt and whisk until smooth. Pass the custard through a sieve to remove any lumps, cover and refrigerate until fully cooled. Notes: The custard must be cold before baking or it will curdle. The custard should be thin at this stage as it will thicken as it bakes. It is helpful to strain the custard into measuring jug so it's ready to pour into the pastry when you come to bake. You could make the custard and the pastry the day before and keep it in the fridge before baking.  ASSEMBLY & BAKING Preheat the oven to 270°C / 250°C fan. Slice the cold dough into 16 even pieces - you should see a spiral running from the middle of the pastry outwards, like tree rings. These are your amazing layers! Lay one slice of pastry into your muffin tray or tart mould . Using your fingers, press down from the middle outwards to stretch the dough. Work the pastry until it is even and fills the mould. Pour the chilled custard until the pastry cases are about ¾ full. The custard will expand when baking so don't be tempted to overfill. Bake for 15-20 mins until the pastry is golden brown and the custard has blackened on top. Carefully remove from the moulds and cool on a wire rack . Cool for at least 10 mins, before serving dusted with icing sugar . BACK TO TOP

From the telly to your belly, recreating recipes from television This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you Happy New Year folks, and welcome to our series ‘Gobblebox’, where we show you how to recreate recipes from the small screen, so you can bring the telly to your belly and eat along with your fave characters. This week, we're ringing in the New Year with a little story time... this is the story of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. We're taking inspo from the New Year's Eve special of this infamous sitcom, which sees our gang of misfits riding round NYC in the back of a limo, going from party to party in search of adventure. Unsurprisingly, many mishaps result in a chaotic night, with a mouthwatering highlight coming in the shape of the good old fashioned New York HOT DOG 🌭 This New Year's Eve, we're bringing the Big Apple to the Big Smoke and serving up gourmet dogs to kick off 2025. Don't worry, we're gonna make this luxurious, but we ain't about to start trying to make frankfurters, we aren't lunatics. We love to use The Brooklyn Big Dogs from Dino's Famous (not an ad!) because they're deliciously smoky, and they're super long which makes them feel appropriately luxe for NYE. These dogs will have you screaming from the rooftop Ich bin ein Frankfurter! To elevate these (not so) humble store bought sausages, we're rustling up some sensational home made buns. These fluffy, glossy buns are made using an enriched dough, so they're decadently rich and as soft as pillowy, buttery clouds. We're using gigantic dogs, so we're making 6 large buns but, if you're using smaller frankfurters, instead divide the dough into 8, to make regular sized buns. Look at that shine 🌟 Top your sausissons with whatever toppings tickle your fancy, here at Bite Club, our favourites include... Our home made hot pickle relish Ketchup Mustard Crispy onions Chives- chopped These babies are best served hot, wrapped in foil, and eaten in the back of a limo. Alternatively, serve on a chintzy plate in Auntie Irene's living room. Start the year as you mean to go on... Here is to a happy, healthy and successfully year for one and all, you'll find us munching on grapes at the stroke of midnight. Happy New Year team 💜 GO TO: BUNS RECIPE RELISH RECIPE BACK TO TOP HOT DOG BUNS Features in How I Met Your Mother, Series 1, Episode 11 "The Limo" at 8 mins & 15 seconds INGREDIENTS   (makes 6-8 buns) 400 g strong white bread flour ½ tsp kosher salt 7g fast action dried yeast  1 tbsp sugar  150 ml warm milk 80ml luke warm water  2 medium eggs  50g butter  (melted) METHOD THE DOUGH Mix together the water and milk . Add the yeast and sugar and leave to aside to bloom for around 10 mins until frothy. Meanwhile, mix together the flour and salt . Make a well in the middle, crack in one   egg and pour in the melted butter.   Slowly pour the yeast mixture, into the well, mixing as you go until it starts to come together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface or, place in a stand mixer and knead for around 8-10 mins until it is smooth and elastic. nb: this is a very wet dough, so it's best to use a stand mixer if you can. If the dough is too sticky to handle, let it rest for 15 mins and then continue to knead. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl , cover and leave to prove in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in size. nb: Alternatively, for a more developed flavour, and a less sticky dough, slow proof in the fridge overnight and the next day bring back to room temp for around half an hour before shaping.  SHAPING Punch down the proofed dough, turn it onto a lightly floured worktop and divide into 6 or 8 even balls. This recipe makes 6 large buns or, 8 normal sized buns. Roll the dough balls into logs about 15 cm long , making sure you pinch together any seams. Place on a lined baking tray 1-2 inches apart, with any seams facing down. nb: the dough will split when baking along any exposed seams! Cover loosely, and leave to prove for 30 mins until almost doubled in size. BAKING Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Make an egg wash: whisk the second egg with 1 tsp of cold water . Brush the egg wash over the rolls using a pastry brush . Bake the buns for around 15 mins until they are golden on top and sound hollow when you tap the bottom.  Cool on a wire rack to prevent dreaded soggy bottoms. Slice through the top of the bun down the middle, so they stand up to attention, and are easier to serve. RELISH RECIPE BACK TO TOP HOT PICKLE RELISH INGREDIENTS 1 standard size cucumber (about 350 - 400g) 1 green pepper  ½ brown onion  100ml cider vinegar  2 tablespoons granulated sugar  1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (divided) ½ tsp celery seeds  1 tsp mustard seeds METHOD Cut the cucumber lengthways and remove + discard the seeds. Then, roughly chop the cucumber and add to a food processor . Roughly chop the pepper and 1/2 onion , and add to the food processor. Pulse until minced but some texture remains. Place the veg in a large bowl , sprinkle with 1 tsp of the kosher salt , cover and refrigerate for a minimum of an hour , ideally overnight, to draw out the moisture.  Drain the liquid from the vegetables, and add to a saucepan along with the mustard seeds , celery seeds, vinegar, sugar, and the remaining ½ tsp salt . Bring to a boil , then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Cool, and serve chilled atop your dawgs 🌭 Store any leftovers in an airtight container, and consume within 2 weeks. BUNS RECIPE BACK TO TOP

Munch the movies: hosting a dinner party movie screening *This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you. SKIP TO TABLE DECS SKIP TO MENU Welcome, lovers of food and film! This is our series DINNER AND A MOVIE, where we show you an array of cinema inspired recipes, so you can host epic dinner party movie screenings. With table dressing ideas to set the scene, and timecodes for when to serve each dish, you can create an immersive cinematic experience at home. Get ready to gird your loins, because in this episode, in celebration of the release of the new West End musical, we're fashioning a feast in honour of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. There is no denying that this contemporary classic is still fashionable 20 years later, and for a movie with a problematic relationship with food, there sure is a lot of it... Food is used symbolically throughout the movie. At the start, it's used to show the contrast between Andy's world, and the image obsessed fashion world that she's entering. Then, as the movie progresses, Andy's relationships with food, and with her appearance, change as she is consumed (pun intended) by the high-pressure of high-fashion. We've picked our fave food moments from The Devil Wears Prada and brought them together for this celebratory cinematic spread. You can find all the recipes linked below, but if you haven't watched the episode on our YouTube channel yet, show it some love here . It's full of tips and terrible jokes, so throw on your cerulean, grab a cube of cheese, and enjoy. Shall we begin? Why is noone reeeady... THE TABLE: SKIP TO MENU You don't need the table dressing equivalent of the Runway closet to throw your own dinner, just utilise what you have (vintage is in after all) and if you can, adding a few little additional touches as an ode to the film creates a devilish scene. We mocked up a mini version of "The Book" to display our menu, using AI to generate an image, then printing and gluing it to this scrapbook . Miranda would never approve of carrots printed on a skirt, but you can't say our artificially intelligent friend didn't listen to the "food plus fashion" prompt... We picked up some shoe shaped charms , painted them red , and strung them with gold thread to make our own The Devil Wears Prada themed wine glass charms. A blue table runner is obviously non negotiable... It's not just blue though, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean. We stuck to cerulean as our primary colour as an ode to one of the movies most iconic moments ( maybe you noticed the themed nails in the video too 💅 ) Bagels, shoe confetti , thats all . Like Miranda, we must have a fresh bottle of chilled San Pellegrino on the table at all times. We also laid out bowls of almonds, and bagel chips in honour of the opening scene of the movie, when Andy's onion bagel breakfast is juxtaposed with the fashion girlies 'almond only' brekkie. And finally, throughout the house we scattered flowers on every table, just like Ms Priestly. That's all.  THE MENU     STARTER We've combined two of the movie's the most iconic food moments in miniature. Thankfully, cellulite is not one of the main ingredients in our corn chowder but, you are gonna need the full $8 worth of Jarlsberg... CORN CHOWDER + MINI GRILLED CHEESE Served at 24 mins & 30 secs CLICK HERE  FOR THE RECIPE MAIN COURSE An ode to Miranda's favoured lunch of Smith and Wollensky's finest cuts STEAK, MASHED POTATO + CHIMICHURRI Served at 50 mins & 30 secs CLICK HERE  FOR THE RECIPE DESSERT We've opted for a more elegant version of Emily's hospital snack. Good luck finding this in Paris... CHOCOLATE PUDDING Served at 1 hour, 11 mins & 40 secs CLICK HERE  FOR THE RECIPE BACK TO TOP

Slurp up cinema: recreating drinks from the silver screen This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you Welcome to the first edition of our new series ‘Gulp Fiction’ where we   show you how to recreate drinks from cinema so you can slurp along with your favourite characters. We encourage you to rewatch the classics with a drink in hand and join us as we sip on cinema.  CASINO ROYALE  was the clear choice for the first iteration of this series as it celebrates the most famous drink featured in film. A drink that is without question, always shaken, not stirred…. 007’s infamous ‘Vesper Martini’. Named after Bond’s love interest Vesper Lynd, it’s certainly fair to say she stirs  something in him and leaves him shaken  up… (sorry). Shaking, rather than stirring, genuinely does impact the final result and is simply a matter of personal preference. Shaking aerates the liquid, resulting in a cloudy finish, and it breaks down the ice, encouraging faster melting that dilutes the drink. But, don’t be fooled, it will still strip the hairs off your chest... You can find the written recipe below, but if you haven’t watched the episode yet, make sure to head over to our YouTube channel and check it out. Let’s raise a glass to Bond, James Bond. GO TO: BACK TO TOP VESPER MARTINI Features at 1 hour, 9 mins & 30 seconds of Casino Royale INGREDIENTS 3 parts gin 1 part vodka ½ part Lillet ** “Then add a thin slice of lemon”  **nb: In the film, Bond calls for Kina Lillet but this was discontinued many years ago…If you're not reading this in 1962, then Lillet Blanc  is a good substitute, others suggest Cocchi Americano as their sub of choice.  METHOD Fill a martini glass  with ice  to chill the glass, and put aside.  Load up a cocktail shaker  with ice and add in the gin . If you are reckless with your personal safety, you can use whatever gin you like but personally, out of fear of reproach from MI5, I will stick to Gordans only.  Then add the vodka  (any vodka, seemingly no 007 brand deals on this one). Next up, add the Lillet . Stick the lid on and shake, don’t stir.  Empty the ice from the now chilled martini glass and discard.  Strain the pungent contents of the shaker into the glass. With a vegetable peeler , remove a section of peel from an unwaxed lemon , avoiding the bitter white pith. If desired, trim the edges of the peel to neaten it.  Twist the lemon peel over the glass to release the oils and throw it in. Serve, and enjoy. BACK TO TOP

From the telly to your belly, recreating recipes from television This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you Hello Bite Clubbers! Welcome to our brand new series ‘Gobblebox’, where we show you how to recreate recipes from the small screen, so you can bring the telly to your belly, and indulge along with your favourite TV characters. Often cited as the best TV series of all time, THE SOPRANOS is the food diary of gluttonous Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano, patriarch of the Soprano Family (that’s family with a big F). The Sopranos is the  show which revolutionised television and paved the way for high budget, cinematic programming, and the trope of the antihero protagonist on the small screen. Without Tony Soprano, there would be no Walter White, nor anyone with the surname Roy. Fuggedaboudid. Food is a character in its own right in the HBO classic, with cuisine centric dialogue in almost every scene and wiseguys constantly shown chowing down. The continual food references provide colour to the world of The Sopranos but the food focused symbolism pushes beyond window dressing. It’s escapism from the horrors of the waste management business. It’s gender and social politics through the depiction of those who cook and those who are served. It’s indulgence without fear of consequence, a philosophy the made man lives by. Hey, even wiseguys need therapy. After gabagool, probably the most referenced food stuff in the show is ziti . Hard to come by in the UK, ziti is similar to our beloved penne, though it has flat rather than angled ends. Ziti is also usually 'lisce' meaning it is smooth. In this iteration however, I'm using penne and going with the 'rigate' version, meaning it has ridges. I prefer to use rigate pasta as the ridges allow the pasta to cling onto sauce better than their smooth cousins. pictured: penne rigate, penne ziti lisce and a ziti lunghi Baked ziti features in the first episode of The Sopranos, so it felt like the perfect dish for our first episode. You can find the written recipe below, but if you haven’t watched the episode yet, be sure to check it out. Mangiamo. GO TO: BACK TO TOP BAKED ZITI Features in The Sopranos, Series 1, Episode 1 “The Sopranos” at 17 mins 34 seconds. INGREDIENTS   RAGU 1 carrot 2 celery stalks  1 medium onion  2 garlic cloves - minced 2 tbsps tomato puree 250g pork sausages 250g beef mince   1 bay leaf  1tsp fennel seeds ½ tsp dried basil  A glass of red wine (about 150 ml)  400g passata  500 ml beef stock  THE BAKE 500g ziti (can be substituted with penne or rigatoni) 100 g ricotta 250 g smoked scamorza  - cubed  METHOD Prepare a sofritto. Dice the carrot , celery  and onion  into small pieces of roughly equal size. Add a good glug of olive oil to a large pot on medium heat,  and add in the vegetables. Cook for around 20 mins  until softened and lightly caramelised. Add a splash of water to the pan if it starts to catch. Remove the sofritto and place aside. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and return to the heat, cranking up to a medium high heat.  Remove the sausage  meat from the skins and add to the pot, along with the beef mince . nb: the combination of pork and beef will ensure a moist and rich ragu. Once browned, add the minced garlic , along with the tomato puree , bay leaf, fennel seeds and dried basil.  Cook for a couple of minutes until the garlic is softened. Add the cooked vegetables  back into the pot, along with the wine.  Bring to a simmer and reduce the wine by about half. Once the wine has reduced, add the passata and the beef stock. Season generously with salt and pepper, cover the pot and reduce to a medium-low heat. Simmer  the ragu covered for 1.5 hrs - 2 hours  checking and stirring regularly to avoid it catching. Uncover for the final 15 mins  to reduce the sauce.   Season  and cool the ragu before assembling the pasta bake. ASSEMBLING THE BAKE Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil  and add the pasta . Cook the pasta for half  the time indicated on the package instructions.  nb: You want the pasta to be super al dente here as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain the half-cooked pasta, reserving some pasta water for later. Return the pasta to the pot and add the cooled ragu , mixing together. You want the sauce to get inside the tubes and coat and fill the pasta nicely. Add a little reserved pasta water  to loosen the sauce. The pasta will absorb a lot of liquid as it continues to cook in the oven so, the sauce should be loose at this stage. Place a third of the pasta/ragu mix into the baking dish. Add a third of the ricotta  in small dollops across the top, and scatter over a third of the cubed scamorza .   Repeat until you create three layers. Bake uncovered for 30 mins  until the cheese is crisp and golden on top.   Cool for 10 - 15 mins  before serving. BACK TO TOP

Lights, camera, breakfast: recreating morning morsels from the screen This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you Welcome to the first edition of our series ‘The Breakfast Club’, where we show you how to recreate breakfast dishes from the screen, so you can munch morning morsels along with your favourite characters. We’re getting our teeth into  EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE , the brilliant and bonkers film that cleaned up at awards season in 2023. The word 'unique' is thrown about all too often but this really is; for a movie about doing your taxes, it surprisingly has a bit of.... well…everything. It’s a nihilistic, genre-bending, existential crisis that spans the multiverse, and all at once it explores everything from cultural identity to generational trauma. But with all these big ideas, at its core, the film is a family drama about the complexity of our most important relationships, and it teaches us that ultimately, life is about Joy. All of these complex and conflicting ideas are symbolised by the Everything Bagel; an object which has literally, everything(!) Bagels are full of history, originating from the Jewish communities of Poland, with recorded accounts going as far back as the 15th century. Everything seasoning, on the other hand, is believed to have been invented as recently as the 1980s in New York City. There are a couple of crucial details that set the bagel apart from a standard bread roll. One is the shape, and the other is the process of boiling before baking. Boiling the bagels first stops the proofing process, ensuring they keep their shape, and it gives them the close texture and shiny, chewy crust that makes for the perfect bagel. You can find our written recipe below, but if you haven’t watched the episode yet, be sure to go check it out. Please enJOY these Everythings, anywhere, but not all at once. GO TO: BACK TO TOP EVERYTHING BAGELS Features at 60 mins, 14 seconds of Everything Everywhere All At Once INGREDIENTS   500G strong white bread flour, plus extra for kneading   7g instant dry yeast 300ml tepid water  1 tbsp maple syrup or malt syrup 1 tsp kosher salt  BOILING LIQUID  1 tbsp maple syrup or malt syrup  2 tsp bicarbonate of soda TOPPINGS Eggwash (1 egg + 1 tbsp water, beaten)  Everything bagel seasoning  METHOD Mix together the yeast  and 1 tbsp of maple syrup  into the water . The water should be tepid (around 30°C, if it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast). Leave aside for 8-10 mins  until its bubbly with a foam on top, the sugar in the syrup will feed the yeast, and the bubbles indicate that it is alive. In a large bowl , mix together the flour  and salt  until combined, then create a well in the centre. Slowly pour the yeast mixture into the well, stirring to combine. Bring together to form a dough, before tipping out onto a lightly floured worktop or into a stand mixer . nb: If kneading by hand, try not to add too much additional flour, the dough may be a little sticky at first, but it will quickly come together and become easier to handle - push through the sticky stage! Knead the dough for 8-10 mins  until it is smooth, elastic, and bounces back quickly when pressed. Place the dough in a bowl, greased with a neutral oil . Cover and leave in a warm place to rise for around an hour or until doubled in size. Once your dough has doubled in size, knock it back and turn it out onto your bench. Divide the dough into 8   evenly sized pieces  and form into balls.  To shape, take one of your dough balls and put your finger straight through the centre. Spin the dough gently, to stretch out the hole and form a bagel shape. The bagels will expand, so at the stage the hole should be a little bigger than desired. Place the bagels on a lined baking tray , cover and leave to rest for 15 mins . In the meantime, prepare your boiling liquid and preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan. Bring a large pot of water  to the boil and add in 1 tbspn of maple or malt syrup  and the bicarbonate of soda . The bicarb will fizz and bubble up when you add it to the water. Slowly lower in the bagels one at a time using a slotted spoon . They require space in the pot, so don’t overcrowd it! Boil for 45 seconds , then flip using a wooden spoon and boil for another 45 seconds  on the other side. Remove the bagels from the boiling liquid using a slotted spoon , draining off the excess water before transferring to a lined baking tray. Brush the bagels liberally with an egg wash  before generously sprinkling over the everything bagel seasoning. Bake for 20-25 mins  until a dark golden brown and cool on a wire rack before serving. BACK TO TOP

Cinema snacks: recreating recipes from the silver screen  This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you Welcome to our series ‘Snack to the Future’, where we show you how to recreate snack-sized recipes from the screen, so you can munch your way through the movies along with your favourite characters. In celebration of the release of the hotly anticipated threequel, in this episode we're recreating the favourite sweet treat of Britain's most beloved talking bear PADDINGTON (Winnie the Pooh fanboys don't come at me). Inspired by seeing a lonely bear on a department store shelf, Paddington was created in the 1950s by BBC cameraman and Blue Peter stalwart Michael Bond, who drew on experiences of seeing child refugees and evacuees during the Second World War. Since then, the Peruvian bear has gone on to feature in dozens of books, four TV series, three movies, and in the nineties, a Paddington toy was even chosen as the first item to be passed over to French workers when the two sides of the Channel Tunnel were linked. The universal fish out of water story has made Paddington a global success that has been translated into over 30 languages and sold 30+ million copies. Despite being born in deepest darkest Peru, the sweet little bear is quintessentially British; he loves tea and sandwiches, is sickeningly polite, and never says when he is displeased, just does a cold hard stare. That'll teach 'em. Paddington is rarely seen without his duffel coat, wellington boots, and a marmalade sandwich stored under his hat. Paddington's love of marmalade is insatiable, and once you make this, yours will be too! Making marmalade is a long process but it is so worth it. Store your marmalade in sterilised jars, it will last for months and it makes for a wonderful gift. Grab yourself a very large pot and let's get to making! This jam making kit is brilliant if you are all idea and none of the gear. If you haven't watched the video yet, it's packed with tips so be sure to check it out. Please look after this recipe. Thank you. GO TO: BACK TO TOP PADDINGTON Features at 2 mins & 36 seconds of Paddington (to name but one moment!) INGREDIENTS   (makes about 8 jars) 1kg of oranges (Seville oranges preferred) 2 lemons * 2 kg granulated or preserving sugar ** 2.5 litres of water  TO SERVE   According to our furry friend, take a warm slice of fresh bread, a layer of marmalade, and another warm slice of fresh bread with the crusts cut off. Yum. METHOD Wash and dry the fruit. Halve the oranges and the lemon (s)*. Squeeze out the juice from the oranges and the lemon(s) and strain into a large pot , removing any pips for later. Cut the lemon peel into quarters and keep aside. Scoop out the flesh from the oranges, leaving the peel and white pith intact. Place the flesh in a muslin cloth along the lemon peel, and any pips removed from the juice. Tie closed closed with string, leaving about 30 cm lengths of string on the ends. Shred the peel into slithers however thick or thin you like your marmalade! Add the shredded peel to the pot with the juice. Add the water to the pot, cover with cling film or a lid and leave overnight *** The next day, tie the string from the bag to a wooden spoon, and lay across the top of the pot. The marmalade will bubble up a lot during cooking so be sure to use a very large pot . Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer gentle for 1-1.5 hours until the peel is soft and breaks apart easily. The thicker the peel, the longer this will take. Remove the muslin pouch, squeezing it against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Put aside to cool slightly. When cooled a little, wearing thick rubber gloves, squeeze the pouch to remove as much pectin as possible. Place a couple of saucers or small plates in the freezer (these will be used later to test if the marmalade is set). Add the sugar to the pot, and stir until dissolved.  Once the sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 mins until it reaches a setting point. To test if it's set, do the ‘wrinkle test’. Place a teaspoon of marmalade on one of the frozen saucers and leave for a 1 minute. Gently push the mixture with your finger, if it wrinkles, it’s ready.  Remove the pot from the heat and leave the marmalade to settle for 15 mins, removing and scum from the surface.  Pot into sterilised jam jars , seal and leave to cool completely   (see notes below on how to sterilise). Notes: * Seville oranges are more tart than Navel or Valencia and so are the ultimate choice for marmalade. As Seville oranges are more acidic, you will only need one lemon, use two lemons if you are using sweeter oranges. ** Make sure you use granulated or preserving sugar for this. Preserving sugar will produce less scum and a clearer finished result. Jam sugar contains pectin so avoid it, there is already tonnes of pectin in the peel. *** If you're pushed for time, you don't need to soak the peels overnight, this just helps to soften the peel and macerate the fruit. Take the pot of the heat when you're doing the wrinkle test to see if it's ready- I didn't and I regret it! It went slightly over in that short time. If you do boil off too much water and the marmalade becomes too thick, before you jar it you can stir in a little boiling water to loosen it. STERILISING : Preheat the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan. Wash the jars and lids in warm soapy water, and rinse throughly. Place the jars and lids on a baking tray and pop in the oven for 10-15 mins until completely dry. Be careful when handling the jars as they will be really hot! If you have rubber seals, boil these in hot water to sterilise, don't stick them in the oven. BACK TO TOP

Slurp up cinema: recreating drinks from the silver screen This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you Welcome to this fantabulous festive edition of our series ‘Gulp Fiction’  where we show you how to recreate drinks from cinema so you can slurp along with your favourite characters. It’s time for festive fun as we drink up THE POLAR EXPRESS and   indulge in a luscious holiday… hot…hot…(we got it)…Hot Chocolate! In my opinion, there is no better hot choccy than Italian hot choccy. It’s thick, luscious, decadent and oh so delicious. So today, we’re taking the Polar Express off his tracks and heading down to The Boot to enjoy this rich, pudding-like hot choc that’s more dessert than drink. In this recipe, we use a 70% dark chocolate. Even if you’re a milk chocolate girly, trust the process. The high cocoa content will give us a rich, deep flavour and we can reduce the bitterness with the addition of sugar. Using a dark chocolate and adding our own sugar means we can control how sweet we want it. For me, this recipe is the perfect amount of sweetness, but you can always add a little more sugar if you’re already on the naughty list. There’s one more sneaky little ingredient that you might question, and that’s salt. We can all agree that seasoned food is tasty food, and sweet treats are no exception. Salt makes everything  taste better, and that includes chocolate. This small addition will enhance the flavour of the chocolate, and highlight the sweetness, whilst taking the edge off the bitterness. A Christmas miracle. This hot chocolate is very rich and decadent so the portion sizes should be smaller than for regular hot chocolate. I didn’t read the description properly when I ordered my cups so I will be serving up in tiny espresso cups... As I hoped, they look the same as those in the movie. Just unfortunately really (reeeeaaally) small. With these disclaimers in place, jump aboard the Polar Express and let’s get crack(er)ing- nb: remove , dreadful.    You can find the written recipe below, but if you haven’t watched the episode yet, check it out on our YouTube channel as we visually guide you through the recipe step by step. GO TO: BACK TO TOP HOT CHOCOLATE Features at 14 mins & 40 seconds of The Polar Express INGREDIENTS  (serves 4) 100g Dark chocolate (70% cocoa) 2 tbsps Cocoa powder 3 tbsps Caster sugar 1/2 tsp Kosher salt 500ml Milk (+ 2 tbsps) 2tsp Corn flour   TO SERVE:   200ml Double cream (whipped) 1 tsp Vanilla extract METHOD Before we melt our chocolate, we want to steal a little for garnishing at the end. Scrape your knife  across the back of the chocolate  bar to produce shavings. Hold the knife at a 45 degree angle, apply a little pressure and pull the blade towards you scraping the back of the bar. We don’t need a lot, just eye ball 2-3 tbsps of shavings. Put the shavings aside and chop the remaining chocolate  into small pieces and mix together with the cocoa powder , sugar  and salt . Place the milk  in a small saucepan, reserving   2 tbsps  for later. Warm the milk on a medium-low heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Keep a close eye on the milk and stir regularly to prevent it catching. Once the milk reaches a gentle simmer, add in the add the chocolate/cocoa mix into the milk and stir regularly until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.  Make a slurry by mixing the cornflour  and the reserved 2 tbsps milk . Give it a good mix and make sure it’s lump free, before adding to the pan.  Continue gently simmering, stirring frequently for 1-2 mins  until thickened. Italian hot chocolate should coat the back of a spoon. Serve in small mugs (bigger than mine) and top with whipped cream , a dusting of cocoa powder  and a scattering of the chocolate shavings . BACK TO TOP