Today is the start of the Chinese year of the Dragon. In Eastern philosophy, this mythical creature is the deliverer of good fortune, fertility, master of authority and a symbol of immense power.  A dragon year is a year of big projects, innovative ideas and great outcomes – it promises success, particularly in business. Although the year may have it’s ups and downs, it is seen as a year where those who have worked hard or have a good idea see them come to fruition.  Read more... (489 words, 2 images, estimated 1:57 mins reading time)

The pressure of producing the perfect Christmas meal can seem overwhelming. Luckily Tristan Welch, head chef at Launceston Place in London, with the help of Jun Tanaka, executive chef at Pearl Restaurant and Bar, gives Belle About Town readers his tricks and tips to ensure that the meal not only looks and tastes great but that you are not too frazzled getting it to the table.  Read more... (1052 words, 5 images, estimated 4:12 mins reading time)

Christmas and New Year are a time for entertaining and mingling with a plethora of parties and dinners to go to and hold. In fact, for social butterfly Belles, throwing a fabulous dinner party in January is just the way to get through the cold, depressing month. But in a digital age that has sometimes forgotten good etiquette, what do we need to do to make sure our guests feel at ease, or indeed how do we respect our hosts if we are the guest?  Read more... (412 words, 3 images, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

Jun Tanaka’s King prawns with mango and chilli salsa

(Serves 4)

8 raw king prawns, head on
1 mango
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 red chilli
½ red onion finely chopped
1 lime juice
1 tbsp chopped coriander  Read more... (578 words, 5 images, estimated 2:19 mins reading time)

[Above: Happy Halloween light string light, £5; glow in the dark bats 8pk, £1; smoking cauldron, £15; silver spider tea light holder, £3 all from Sainsbury's]

Hasn’t this year flown by? And with Halloween on Monday, suddenly this weekend is the one to throw a fabulously scary Halloween party. But have you left it all too late? Not necessarily. With supermarkets and department stores providing a plethora of hauntingly good props, costumes and accessories, all you need to do is round up your friends for a spine-chillingly good party.  Read more... (700 words, 4 images, estimated 2:48 mins reading time)

Young talented Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy is creating a buzz within the UK food scene and at the age of 27 already has much to celebrate. Currently Executive Chef at London’s renowned El Pirata Detapas, featured in Gordon Ramsay’s Best Restaurant, Omar has recently opened Tapas Revolution  – a tapas bar in the heart of Westfield.  Known for his culinary skills in traditional Spanish cuisine, Omar’s food has been described as ‘exquisite’ and ‘authentic’.  Read more... (358 words, 3 images, estimated 1:26 mins reading time)

With his boyish good looks, culinary talent beyond his years and passion for great food, it is little wonder that Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy is compared to our very own food revolutionary Jamie Oliver. Like Jamie, Omar wants to change the way that we look at food and bring good quality Spanish food to the people of the United Kingdom making it popular in the same way that Italian or Thai has become.  Read more... (1139 words, 2 images, estimated 4:33 mins reading time)

Sadly, it is time to retire the Pimm’s for another year, but one thing that you can enjoy as the cold weather blows in is a good red wine by a roaring fire. Bordeaux in France is known for its extensive full-bodied reds, but there is a lot more to the region than just the heavy and often pricey bottles of red that we are used to.  Read more... (415 words, 3 images, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)

This is the perfect comforting salad, the crispy pancetta and eggs give texture and richness to the salad and the cress a crunch. It is a great salad to serve at a barbecue but also I’d serve it for supper with a selection of cold meats  – a word of warning though, once you start eating this its very hard to stop!  Read more... (206 words, 3 images, estimated 49 secs reading time)

According to a new survey into the baking habits of the nation, nearly 90% of us agree that making cakes is more fun and satisfying than buying them from a shop.  Read more... (849 words, 4 images, estimated 3:24 mins reading time)