Businesses v.s Bloggers (Two News Articles that Made Me Face-Palm)

I came across this news article a couple of days ago and I could not help but laugh a little at how face-palmingly silly some people can get. I'm thinking of doing some restaurant reviews myself soon, so I really want to vent my own feelings on reviews.

Basically, the first article is about a UK based blogger who posted a bad review about a shoe shop in Ireland. The bad review itself was the second link after the shoe shops homepage on Google and of course, the owner of the shoe shop was outraged and claimed that if had affected his business. He could not produce any evidence that he was affected financially, however. The end result was that the shoe shop and blogger did resolve the issue, but a link to a forum where the shoe has been slated is still searchable on Google. I'm happy that the issue was resolved to a certain degree...

And then I found this other link, again on the BBC news website.
A French blogger was fined [!!] because her bad restaurant review was "too prominent on Google". The restaurant owners claimed that the review was financially hurting their business.

So many things to vent, about both articles! But mainly the second one.

Image from: brandeducationservices.com

Firstly about both articles, was the service at the shop and the restaurant that bad? I mean that bad, that you needed to write a scathing review about them? This could have all been avoided if the bloggers took a step back and went: "Is what I'm saying necessary?" In this day and age, one crappy review can indeed affect a business. Look at the reviews on TripAdviser or Yelp, some are helpful and honest. And there are some are just that so outrageously bad and harsh that you can't take them seriously. This is a classic example, I recently read a restaurant review that had 4 stars on Tripadvisor, but failed to met that 5th star because it had a view of the highstreet... The restaurant address is on the highstreet, that can't be helped...think before you write.

Most professional bloggers or reviewers, I'm sure know how to write a critical review without being rude or disrespectful.

In saying that however, if a restaurant or a shop etc, did have a bad food/service/whatever, then fair enough. Bloggers should be able to write whatever they want to without being punished for honest opinion. I'd like to think that all bloggers are open and honest enough to write a decent and balanced review, whether the blogger is nice or not. Damaging a business owners' ego is not a crime.

The fact that in the second article got taken to court and fined for an honest review is, ridiculous. Her review was popular on search engines. She should not be punished because its popular on the internet. What would happen if, every single bad review ever typed, got challenged and taken to court? It would be a waste of time and money. Rather then taking on bloggers and critiques', isn't it better to improve on what they were commenting on in the first place? Is it not better to look in on a business and think "Ok why did they say this about my business? Is there something I can improve on?"

I think what I'm trying to say that, rather then placing blame one party, blaming a bad review, a judge, the business owners, the bloggers, whoever! There are lessons to learn from both articles:

• Never underestimate the power of the online world, it can make or break you.
• Bloggers have got be as honest as they can be without completely trashing a place and ruining its reputation or compromising their writing.
• Business owners, if you get a bad review on Yelp (/insert other reviewing website here), respond in a respectful way. Really think about the comments and take some time to think how you would respond. You want to remain the professional business person you are.
• Again business owners, if your doing a good job and 99.9% of your customers are happy, one review will not 'financially ruin' you.
• Also, not everyone is going to like you. Blogger or business owner. The fact is there will always be a professional complainer out there, who is ready to tear you a new one. Respond politely and professionally.

But what do you think of the articles? Should bloggers and reviewers be more considerate towards hard-working business owners? Should search engines be blamed? Are these business owners taking these reviews to heart? or are they really being affected financially?
I'd love to hear you thoughts on this venting post, so leave a comment below.

Fat Friday Week 3: Easy French Toast

Its that's time of week again... Its Fat Fridays on Cupcakes, Cake and Passion. Check me out with being so consistent! I'm thinking of making this a regular thing now since, its been 1 and 2 weeks now. I'm getting a more organised and more consistent with posting, now that uni is finished *phew*. I've had so many ideas for the blog that I've adopted a little notebook to jot the ideas down before my sieve-y mind forgets. Right, back to this weeks Fat Friday recipe.

 

I'm packing up my stuff to move from London down to Portsmouth to move in with my boyfriend. How do pack an entire wardrobe in one case, hmm. I'll have to work that somehow. But this is why I'm going for an easy quick recipe that can be prepped, cooked and served in a matter of minutes.

 

Classic French Toast is something I thought I had never made before, that is, until I saw the recipe! Its eggy bread (a savoury stale bread dish), which is something my Grandad eats! So I'm guessing this isn't a modern idea. Anyways, French Toast (also known as Pan Perdu *I think that's how its spelt* *Checks Google* Yes that's the one) is made using stale bread. Using stale bread allows more of the batter to be absorbed and its a good way to avoid wastage. I believe its meant to be a breakfast dish, but it can be used as a dessert dish as well.

So if you've got a craving for something sweet and impressive and need to use the bread before it starts to get a little gross-French Toast is here to save the day!

Recipe: Serves 2 or 1 greedy person (Adapted really loosely from BBC Food Website)

• 2 free-range eggs
• 100ml Almond Milk
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 slices white bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, for frying
• Your favourite fruit  or topping (strawberries, raspberries or blueberries are nice)
• Honey, Maple syrup or Chantilly cream with a sprig of mint, is nice on top as well.

Equipment:

• Frying Pan
• Whisk
• Bowl
• Spatula
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Plate

1.Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the milk, icing sugar and cinnamon until well combined.

2.Soak the bread slices in the mixture

3.Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the soaked bread for 2-3 minutes on both sides or until crispy and golden. Be cautious, the batter may spit at you while frying. (Its because this batter has no manners. Don't take offense that's what its like.)

4.Remove the fried bread from the pan and drain on kitchen paper and set aside to cool a little.

 5.Chop up the fruit, if desired

 6. Arrange the warm toast, nicely, on the plate. Top with your favourite topping and stuff face.

 

Talk about indulgent breakfast! You'll be getting extra brownie points if you serve breakfast in bed.

 

Have a great weekend and Happy Baking!

Traditional Doughnuts

Hello and a great big welcome to Friday! Its not just Friday however, its Fat Friday! Where stuffing your face with food is encouraged. This week we're looking at doughnuts.

These are traditional jam filled doughnuts. Which are fluffy on the inside and have a little bite on the outside, thanks to the cinnamon sugar. I've chosen raspberry but feel free to add strawberry jam, custard or pastry cream. Doughnuts are easy-ish to make, the most difficult part is the cooking process. Doughnuts have a tendency to cook quickly and will float around all over the place. Also, hot oil is dangerous so this recipe isn't recommended for children. If you feel uncomfortable with hot oil, have someone who is more confident at cooking with it.
So with the health and safety out of the way, lets bake... I mean fry!

Ingredients: Will make 10 giant sized doughnuts, or 20 medium doughnuts (Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food Website)

• 500g strong white flour, plus a little extra
• 50g caster sugar
• 40g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 free-range eggs
• 2 x 7g sachets instant yeast
• 10g/¼oz salt
• 150ml/5fl oz warm milk
• 130ml/4½fl oz water
• 1 large jar smooth raspberry jam
• 300g sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• Loads of oil for frying (sunflower/vegetable)

Equipment:

• Deep fat fryer/Saucepan filled with oil
• Sieve
• Bowl
• Baking sheet x 2, one lined with flour and the other lined with sugar and cinnamon
• Disposable piping bag
• (Mixer with a dough hook attachment-Optional)
• Damp Tea-towel
• Spoon
• Slotted Spoon
• Small knife

 

1.Place all ingredients into a large bowl, holding back a 1/4 of the water and stir with your hands until a dough is formed. This will get messy, so please make sure your hands are clean.

2.Add the remaining water and knead the dough in the bowl for about 4 minutes. (Or you could mix with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook which is what I did).

3.Tip dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Again, I used a dough hook on a stand mixer and mix for 10 minutes.)

4.Place the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for an hour. Make yourself a cup of tea, wash up or maybe watch a bit of TV.

5.The dough will have doubled in size. Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface, and knead it a few times to knock the air out of it.

6.Divide the dough into 10/20 portions and shape each portion into a ball.

7.Place all balls onto a floured baking tray and allow to rise for an hour.

8.Preheat sunflower oil in a saucepan. Meanwhile get a baking sheet and mix the cinnamon and 300g sugar together on the tray.

9.Pop the doughnuts into the fat, cooking each side for about five minutes or until golden brown. Put around 3/4 in at a time to avoid them sticking

10. Remove the doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon and immediately roll into the sugared baking sheet.

11.Set aside and leave to cool.

12.When completely cold, cut into the side of the doughnut, reaching to the centre, this will be where the jam will go.

13.Spoon some smooth strawberry jam into a piping bag and pipe until full but not bursting.

What is your favourite jam filling? Want to share your Fat Friday food moment? Use the hashtag #fatfridays on Instagram and twitter.
Have a good weekend and happy baking (or frying..)!

Summer Raspberry Roulade

Hello and Happy Friday! Or should I say Happy Fat Friday! I love Fat Friday's its sort of like TGIF, but about gorging yourself on food purely because its Friday. Or is that just me? Maybe its just be who goes "Yeah! Its Friday! Stuff my face with food!". Anyway, its recipe time.  

Nothing says summer like a roulade, and what works better with sweet sticky meringue and smooth cream? Tart summery raspberries, of course. I had this recipe written up and ready to publish but had a serious lack of pictures. There wasn't even a picture of the end product... So it sat in the drafts for about, oh I don't know, 2 years?

I remember making this for the first time in my pastry class, this was when the blog first started my gosh! Its a good dessert to use up any leftover egg whites and cream. Lots of different fruit can also be used, try a tropical version with pineapple chunks or try mixing a little cocoa powder in the whipped cream for a taste of chocolate.  

Recipe: Meringue (My own recipe)
4 egg whites
275g caster sugar
Lots of Whipped Cream (I whip about 500ml double or whipping cream.)
200g Raspberries

Equipment:
Bowl
Electric mixer with the whisk attachment/Handheld whisk
Baking sheet lined with baking paper
Large palette knife
Clean teat-towel
 

1. Preheat the oven to 220c/200f/Gas Mark 7. Line the baking sheet with baking paper and set aside. 
 2. Whisk eggs whites to a soft peak. This should be white, foamy but still holding a peak.
3. Put your mixer on a low/medium speed and add the sugar gradually one tablespoon at a time every 10-15 seconds. This gives the time for the sugar to dissolve.

4 Once all the sugar has been incorporated, whisk for a further 2-3 minutes at a lower speed. The meringue should be stiff.

5. Spread onto a baking sheet using a palette knife and bake for 8 minutes until a pale golden colour. The reduce the heat to 160c/140f/Gas Mark 3 and bake for a further 15 minutes. 

6.Remove from the oven, the meringue should be firm to touch, not wet or soggy. Place on clean teatowl and remove from the baking paper. Set aside to cool

7.Meanwhile, whip the cream until it stands in stiff peaks. 

8. Once the meringue is cool, spread the cream over the meringue. Sprinkle some raspberries liberally.

9. The next part is a little tricky. Roll the meringue with the tea-towel to support the roll. This will keep you're fingers clean and will prevent it breaking.

 

What type of fruit would you put in your roulade? Want to share your Fat Friday foodie moment? Use the hashtag #fatfridays on Instagram and twitter or whatever the cool kids are using nowadays.

Have a good weekend and Happy Baking!

 

Home-made Raspberry Pink Lemonade

In the last two days its been really hot and humid here in the UK. I was going to do some baking but I found it so stifling and after a day's work, heat can make you so lazy. Instead of cooking, I made lemonade, for the first ever time! I've never thought to make it before! It was a good opportunity and why not? 

Also, I've been super busy planning my graduation ball (party time! woo!) and my actual graduation. I'm so excited and I can't believe its finally happening!! About damn time! I'll be posting pictures on instagram and will maybe do a vain follow-up post for it :D . In the meantime, put your feet-up, relax and sip this easy to make summer drink. 

Recipe:

Makes 4 glasses  (Recipe Adapted from Peggy Porschen Boutique Baking ) 

·      100ml fresh lemon juice

·      100g caster sugar

·      500ml spring water or filter water

·      60g fresh raspberries  

·      Ice cubes

·      Lemon or lime slices

 Equipment:

·       4 glasses plus pretty straws

·       Juicer

·       Saucepan
·       Sieve

·       Spoon

·       Jug

·       Saucepan

·       Bowl

1. Place the lemon juice, sugar and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. 
2.Simmer until all the sugar has dissolved and set aside to cool.

3. While the lemon liquid is cooling, place the raspberries into a sieve, with a bowl underneath, and pass through using a spoon. You should have a fresh raspberry juice. 

4.Add the raspberry juice to the cooled lemon liquid, mix and serve in glasses with ice and lime. Drink.  

iI'm just so in love with the colour of this. Its bright and vibrant. Perfect summer cooler drink. 
I hope you all have a great weekend in the sun! I'll see you after I graduate WOOO!!!

Banana and Salted Caramel Soy Smoothie

I found out recently that fruit smoothies are meant to be bad for you. I mean, just when you find an easy way to get 1 of your 5 a day or is it 1 of your 7 a day now? When you blend fruit together in a smoothie, all the sugars in the fruit go directly into your blood stream and gives you a sugar rush... and then a sugar crush. Its always better to eat the whole fruit, unblended.  In the meantime this smoothie will have to do, its not good for you but its very tasty and good for a chocolaty fix. I used Hotel Chocolate's Salted Caramel and Pecan Spread because its so tasty blends really nicely into a smoothie.

Recipe: Makes 4 little smoothies to drink or 2 for very greedy people

·       400ml Soy Milk
        2 teaspoons matcha green tea powder (I use teapigs Matcha)

·       4 teaspoons of dissolvable fibre power (I used Benefibre)
        5 tablespoons Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel and Pecan Spread/(or peanut butter).
        2 Bananas, chopped and frozen 
       (if using peanut butter blend 2 tablespoons of cocoa power to add some chocolatey goodness) 

Equipment:

·       Blender
        Freezer

·       Teaspoon

·       Tablespoon

·       Chopping Board
        Knife
        Baking Sheet lined with baking paper/silicone paper
        Glasses

1. Cut up the banana and place on a lined baking sheet and place into the freezer and leave for 3 hours or until frozen.
2.Put all the ingredients into a blender and whizz until fully combined and thick.
3. Pour into glasses and slurp.

Have you ever used up some bits in the fridge to make a smoothie or shake?

Easy Peanut-Butter and Jelly Brownies

Happy 4th July to all my American readers! I hope your having a fab day and to celebrate this occasion we've got an all time U.S.A favourite: peanut butter and jelly. I hope these brownies do this combo justice. Lets get started.
Peanut Butter and Jelly, that's jam to us British, is a fail-safe sandwich filling that has been made popular by the USA (thanks for that). Who knew it could work! When I first heard of the term PB and J I thought it was a type of pyjama. But times have moved on, I think for the better. 
These brownies take about 15-20 minutes to make as they are quite easy to make. What takes the biggest amount is the baking, which is 50 minutes. The reason for this is to slow bake the brownies to gooey perfection.

Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly (Jam) Brownie (Adapted from The Little Book of Lunch) 

·      350g dark chocolate (I used leftover chocolate for this so use good quality chocolate)

·      200g unsalted butter, softened (plus a little extra for greasing the tin)

·      450g golden caster sugar

·      4 eggs

·      100g plain flour, sifted 

·      5 tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter

·      5 tbsp Strawberry Jam
·      1 small pack of salted peanuts 

 Equipment:

·       23cm square cake tin, greased and line with greaseproof paper

·       Electric mixer/hand-held electric whisk

·       Sieve

·       Heatproof Bowl

·       Saucepan

·       Bowl

·       Knife

·       Tablespoon

·       Teaspoon

1.    Pre heat the oven to 170c/325c/ Gas mark 3. Grease and line the tin.

2. In a heatproof bowl placed over a small amount of boiling water in a saucepan, to melt the chocolate and butter. Set aside to cool a little. 

3. In a bowl beat the eggs and sugar until shiny. Gently mix in the melted chocolate and butter mixture and fold in the sifted flour.

4. Roughly mix in 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter into the brownie batter.  

5. Pour the brownie mix into the lined tin. 
6.Drop the last 3 tablespoons of peanut butter into the brownie mix and swirl though roughly.
7. Drop the 5 tablespoons of jam into the mix and roughly swirl. This will create a marbled effect throughout and will taste fab!

8. Bake for 45-50 minutes until shiny and crispy on top. To make sure the brownies are cooked, stick a sharp knife in. If it comes out clean-ish then it’s ready (I'm sure you know that already right? You've read that enough times on the many blogs you've read before to know when a cake is done? Well... good for you!)Leave to cool in the tin.

9. Cut into small squares and moonch until you are full of peanut butter goodness.

I hope you all have a great weekend. How are you celebrating 4th of July?