James Martin will be signing copies of his biography ‘Driven’ in which he reveals his “hunger for success and a thirst for speed” which have both turned him from a humble Yorkshire lad into a British cooking sensation.

There is more information on the events on the Waterstones website but the dates are:

WATERSTONE’S YORK 28 Thursday, 11 December 2008, 11:00AM – 12:00PM
WATERSTONE’S LEADENHALL MARKET Friday, 12 December 2008, 1:00PM – 2:00PM
WATERSTONE’S LAKESIDE Monday, 15 December 2008, 12:30PM – 1:30PM
WATERSTONE’S BROMLEY GLADES Monday, 15 December 2008, 5:00PM – 6:00PM

And if you can’t make those dates you can buy the book direct from Waterstones for £11.99

The latest recipe in Aldi’s podcast series, which is available at both YouTube and iTunes, is the marvellous Phil Vickery showing us how to make his famous Christmas Chocolate Dessert, please have a look:

One of London’s top chefs has put himself up for auction on eBay for Christmas.

David Duverger, 32, head chef of renowned Chelsea restaurant Papillon, is offering to prepare Christmas Day lunch at the home of the highest bidder for charity. He will travel anywhere in the UK to prepare a traditional French Christmas lunch for 1pm for the highest bidder and up to seven guests.

David previously worked at two Michelin-starred restaurants, Pyramide de Fernand Point and Le Clos de la Voilette, in his native France. He came up with the idea to raise money for his chosen charity, Children with Leukaemia when he realised his work commitments over Christmas meant he had to stay in London and not return home to his family in France.

David Duverger said: “It’s the best way I could think of to use the talents I have for a charity that’s very important to me. Seven years ago I lost my three year old nephew to cancer. I hope to raise a lot of money.”

David will prepare a meal based around the host’s requirements, but his recommended menu comprises:

Champagne and Canapes
Foie Grad Terrine and Mulled Pear Chutney
Braised turbot with champagne sauce
Truffle-stuffed Bresse chicken with winter vegetables
Buche de Noel

David will arrive at the highest bidder’s home on Christmas Day morning and prepare lunch for a maximum of eight people to serve at 1pm. If the householder lives more than 100 miles from central London, David is asking that a hotel room is provided for the night before. The minimum bid on eBay for David to cook Christmas lunch will be £800.

The auction is now live on eBay and will run until Wednesday 10 December – you can find it on eBay by searching for ‘David Duverger Papillon‘.

Who do you turn to when it’s Christmas Eve and the turkey you’ve just lugged home from the shops won’t go in the oven? Or the recipe says “stuff the neck end” – and you just can’t tell which end is which?

You call the turkey hotline of course!

And you won’t be alone. Hundreds of people ring this freephone SOS number in the lead-up to the Big Day. They are reassured by the fact it is manned by real live people, not machines, right up until 5pm on Christmas Eve. But as the countdown to Christmas gets closer, the callers get more desperate…

How can I make the turkey cook quicker this year to stop everyone getting drunk before dinner?…Can I cook it from frozen?…Can I part-cook it then finish it off when I get to my mother-in-laws?…Will my 25lb turkey thaw before tomorrow morning? (The answer to that one is no – blag an invitation to a friend’s for lunch because a bird that size will take a couple of days to defrost).

One thing callers don’t have to worry about is embarrassment – the turkey hotline has heard it all before!

Call 0800 783 9994 and try it out – it’s good to talk!

With criticism levied at cereals for their excessive salt and sugar content on the increase Karolina Gardiner reacted to a gap in the market for a healthy, nutritious and balanced cereal. With her aim of spearheading a new generation of ‘super cereals’, Karolina created a unique granola recipe with the help of dietitians and extensive research that could encompass every spectrum of nutrition.

Each box of Perfekt has been carefully created to combine the ideal 60:40 ratio of carbohydrates and protein (including all the essential fatty acids) needed for optimum health. All ingredients are of the highest organic grade nourishing the body with precious iron, zinc and magnesium.

The company’s success is already showing results since its launch as its already secured listings with major health distributors Fresh & Wild, Whole Foods Market, Daylesford Organic stores and Planet Organic, and will be stocked in Waitrose for a nationwide rollout in February 2009. Each costs around £4.99.

A low GI food, Perfekt granolas are made with the finest organic-grade ingredients, from Omega-rich Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil to Agave Nectar, a natural fructose from the blue Agave plant which gives a delicately sweet taste but without the calories of sugar or honey.

The range currently includes Organic Granola Nuts and Seeds and two entirely unique granolas: Nut Free Organic Granola with Pink Apple and Naturally Gluten Free Organic Granola with Quinoa Nuts and Seeds to enable allergy sufferers the chance to enjoy the tastes and benefits of a perfectly balanced granola.