Blog Posts by Vanessa Green

Restaurants have embraced technology that aims to improve the dining experience. Here are seven restaurants that have installed ground-breaking gadgets to make eating out more 'hi-tech'.

Gadget-lovers will love London's pan-Asian restaurant Inamo. Instead of placing an order with a waiter, you use interactive table-tops to order food, play games and watch the kitchen via a 'chef-cam'. Bored of the setting? You can also change the colours and pattern of the 'tablecloth'. Inamo explains that the table-tops work with a combination of 'overhead projection technology' and 'wireless touch panels embedded in the table'. Inamo currently has two locations in London - on Regent Street and in Soho, with a 'Luxury Set Menu' costing £30.

At many McDonald's restaurants in Europe you can now order your food at a self-service kiosk. Just select your choices from the

Serves 6

• 125g/4oz butter and extra for greasing
• 125g/4oz sugar
• 125g/4oz flour
• 75g/3oz cocoa
• 2tsp baking powder 
• 3 medium eggs
• For the chocolate sauce:
• 50g/2oz butter
• 100g bar 70 per cent cocoa solids plain chocolate, chopped
• 1tbsp golden syrup
• 150ml pot double cream

Directions

1) In a food processor, whizz butter, sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder. With processor running, add eggs one at a time. When mixture is all combined, turn it into a 900ml/1½ pint pudding basin, with greased base and sides lined with greaseproof paper.
pudding basin, smooth down, cover with clear film and microwave on high for 6 mins.

2) Meanwhile, in a bowl, melt together butter, chocolate and golden syrup over a pan of hot water. Once melted, stir in cream (this will thicken sauce). Pour over pudding to serve.

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Easy steamed syrup pudding

Trendy chocolate desserts

Simple choc cupcakes with white choc frosting recipe

I was selected to write this dating blog from a pool of millions of hunky candidates due to my reasonable strike rate persuading women to go on dates with me. That's not always the case though.

One group of women with whom I have never had any success is that most glamorous species: the barmaid. Along with models, Hollyoaks actresses and lifeguards I would say that, as a general rule, barmaids are the fittest sub-category of woman.

[See also: Is it possible to pull a girl on a bus?]

True, in reality they may hate working in a bar and it may represent the crushing of all their dreams, but for me they retain an otherworldly status. Just like I wouldn't ask out Megan Fox if I bumped into her in Beverley Hills, I also wouldn't ask out a hot barmaid serving me a drink. That's because 1.) She is busy at work, 2.) Any flirtatiousness I detect is probably just part of her job and 3.) She probably gets asked out by blokes in this bar about 30 times a day. In other words, because she's a

It’s double trouble in Hollywood as the celebrity twin phenomenon adds new mum Mariah Carey to its roster. But which other famous couples are the proud parents of twins? Check out the fast growing twin trend that’s taking Hollywood by storm.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon welcomed their first children into the world on Saturday 30th April. Moroccan and Monroe Cannon were coincidently born on the couple’s third wedding anniversary. Like many celebs, Mariah and Nick announced the birth and thanked their fans via Twitter. Mariah wrote, 'I wish I could personally thank all those around the world who continue 2 send congrats+prayers for #dembabies! Mariah made the world wait to find out the names of her twins by only revealing the first letter of their names, M, and finally revealing their full monikers on 4 May. 

[Revealed: Mariah Carey announces her twins' names]

Juila Roberts and Daniel Moder

Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder kick started the trend of twins

Andrew Jose, of Andrew Jose Salon in Charlotte Street, London presents step by step instructions on curling hair with a hair straighteners and creating great and pretty bouncy curls.

Step 1: Use rounded plates

You should use an iron with a rounded, beveled plate design to create the perfect curl.
If your iron doesn't have rounded plates, it will create unnatural dents in your hair.
The rounded plates are what give you the smooth, flowing curl.

[See also: The most flattering make up for your face shape]

Step 2: Place the hair

Holding the iron at the end, and place your hair over the section and wrap your hair around the bottom plate.  Gently close the plates, lightly gripping the hair.

Step 3: Move and rotate

As you glide the iron down towards the end, rotate outwards.

Step 4: Create bigger curls

For bigger curls, take larger sections of hair and use the same rotating motion.

Step 5: Start lower down

Don't start too close to the roots, because this creates too much volume near the top

Ingredients

• Half a tablespoon vegetable oil
• 5 spring onions, finely sliced
• 400 grams lean beef mince
• Few dashes Tabasco sauce
• Quarter teaspoon paprika
• 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
• 2  x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 8  flour tortillas
• 125 grams mature cheddar, grated
• 1 large handful coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Fry spring onions for 3-5min until just softened. Empty into a large bowl. Over high heat, brown beef for 5min until cooked through. Stir in Tabasco, paprika and garlic and cook for 1min. Add the tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 10min. Tip the beef mixture into the bowl with the spring onions.

[See also: Top 5 'bad' foods that are good for you]

2. Wipe pan clean, then return to a medium heat. Put a tortillas in the pan, then spoon over ¼ each of the beef mixture, cheese and coriander. Top with another tortilla and heat through for 3min.

3. Using a spatula, flip the quesadilla and cook on the other side for 3min. Slide on to a board,

Ingredients

• 8  boneless, skinless chicken breasts, scored
• 4  garlic cloves, crushed
• 8  spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2.5cm (1in) piece root ginger, coarsely grated
• 60 mls fresh coriander leaves
• 60 mls sweet chilli sauce
• 60 mls light soy sauce
• 60 mls runny honey
• Juice of 2 limes

Method

1. Put the chicken in a large, shallow, sealable container and season well. Add the garlic, onions, ginger and half the coriander leaves.

2. Mix together sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, honey and lime juice. Pour over the chicken, stir to coat, then cover and chill for 2-24hrs.

[Related: How to make the perfect roast chicken] 

3. Cook the chicken on the hot barbecue for 20min, turning from time to time, until cooked through (the juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife). Sprinkle with the remaining coriander to serve.

4. Cook's tip: Wash hands thoroughly before and after touching raw meat. Never let uncooked chicken touch other cooked or raw foods, and scrub boards and

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram(s) (2lb 4oz) extra-lean minced beef, preferably organic
• 10 mls salt
• 30 mls steak seasoning
• 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes
• 2 large shallots
• 4 small cocktail gherkins
• 6 large soft traditional rolls
• A little sunflower oil to brush
• 6 slice(s) havarti or raclette cheese
• 90 mls mustard mayonnaise
• 6  lettuce leaves such as frisée or batavia

Method

1. Tip the extra-lean minced beef into a large bowl and add the salt, steak seasoning and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Wash and dry your hands, then use them to mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.

2. Lightly oil the inside of six 10cm (4in) rosti rings and put on a foil-lined baking sheet. Press meat firmly into the rings, or use your hands to shape the mixture into six even-sized patties. Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 1hr.

3. Around 15min before you start to cook the burgers, thickly slice the tomatoes, thinly slice the shallots into rings and slice the cocktail gherkins lengthways. Set aside.