Tefal cook off with friends & Cook4me in London

Last updated on November 19th, 2023 at 12:26 am

Last week, I was invited to Tefal’s cook4me cook off with five of my blogging friends. I didn’t know what to expect at first but knowing the group of amazing ladies that were attending and being a huge foodie, I was all in from the start. It was my first event that wasn’t full of fifty or more other bloggers and one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. The ladies did an amazing job planning it out and making it really feel just like a girlie luncheon in London. This is one of the things I love most about the blogosphere bringing so many inspiring lovely ladies into my life as real friends now. 

But we were there for a cook off and to test out the new Tefal Cook4me fast cooker, two teams, three on each, three courses throughout the day. We really gave the cook4me a challenge as well in terms of making a three course meal and washing in between. I hadn’t heard of it before. I was a huge fan of my slow cooker, anything to make more time with family instead of in the kitchen. I always hated how long slow cookers took, if you didn’t prepare in the morning you missed out.  This has over 30 recipes you can make in 15 minutes. What parent doesn’t love the sound of that?

The table was set beautifully and the light from the sun roof poured in, a food styling paradise. I could have played with my food as much as eating it. Sometimes it’s nice to do something a little different and even better with friends. Before I started blogging I really struggled to make memories and the UK my home. Blogging brought so many like minded friends into my life and also brought out passions I didn’t know I had like food styling. The concept of making over 30 recipes in less than 15 minutes just makes me think how much more time I could have photographing and styling my food and of course more time at the table with my family, but that’s a given. 

The Tefal Cook4me not only is a fast cooker but it’s intelligent too. No more having to have recipe books getting spilled on or losing your favorite recipes. You follow the instructions on the screen using the dial below to go through to each step. It literally does the work for you. There were so many recipes to choose from for starters, mains, and desserts. The machine really did impress me. I love that you can choose what you want to cook, and how long you have to cook it and you can find hundreds more recipes online that people have been testing out too. 

The cook off began and it was a friendly competition. I promise I wasn’t sabotaging the other team’s risotto when I measured out their “oil” hehe. The competitiveness in me was on form but really the cook4me made it impossible to mess up so both teams were winners in the end. We did different menus. Team One had Vegetable Soup starter as well as Team Two. Team One then went on to make Lamb Stew and Pear in Red Wine dessert. Team Two then went on to make Butternut Squash Risotto (my fave) and Chocolate Molten dessert. In the end, we all shared everyone’s meals to taste test what the cook4me could really do. 

TEAM ONE:

The soup was delicious and one my family would love and I could easily alter to make a few dozen varieties to this recipe. I love once you perfect a recipe you can start changing it and creating other delicious ones. It was made in minutes which was great. I am used to having to wait to boil all the vegetables so they are soft and fall apart. The cook4me did that faster and I didn’t have to stir or watch. The flavor was delicious too. I could see myself making it for a starter for a dinner party as you can choose how many people you want to make it for 2, 4, or 6. 

The other team made the Butternut Squash risotto. It’s always been my favorite meal when eating out but I have never been able to make a good one at home, yet. I have already added a cook4me to my Christmas list just because of this recipe alone. It was perfect. 

My team made the Lamb Stew which was nice. I have never cooked lamb before as I didn’t really know how and Mr P I know would have loved this dish. I would probably add thicker sauce for added flavor or even use a beef broth instead but what I was most focused on with this dish was how fast it cooked and the lamb was juicy and fell apart perfectly when you bit into it. 

Dessert is everyone’s favorite dish right? Or just mine? That’s ok, I will eat yours for you. My team made Pear in Red Wine with cinnamon. It was lovely. You could easily put dessert on while your guests were eating their main dishes and it would be hot and ready. I love that once the recipes are done cooking it stays on warm so there is never that accident of leaving the cooker on high too long and burning your dishes. Team Two made the most amazing chocolate molten dessert in little glasses dishes. I can picture myself making this at Christmas time and garnishing them with edible gold dust for a festive feel. I know the food styling never ends in my head when it comes to food.

I had such an amazing time at the Tefal cook4me cook off event in London last week. I can’t thank them enough for introducing me to this fast cooker and the chance to hang out with friends and feel pampered while cooking a three course meal. I don’t think I have ever felt so relaxed cooking so much food, it was easy. The conversations flowed over delicious healthy meals that were made in minutes giving us all time to catch up with each other instead. That’s what gathering to share food should be about the food and company not slaving over the stove. This way no cook misses out. We all chatted about Fritha and Katie’s pregancies both of whom looking dashing and glowing as ever. We chatted about all our new school starters, it’s a blogger boom for babies and for new school starters too this year. It’s great to share so much in common with these ladies. You never feel alone in your experiences as a parent when you are apart of the blogosphere in my experience. 

Morgana and I have been friends for years, before blogging for both of us, and after the event we made the most of being in London and headed off to Covent Gardens for drinks and shopping. We spent the evening laughing and having a great girlie time. As parents we are so busy running the house, the kids, and our jobs each and every day and sometimes it’s nice to feel pampered and get out and be me, again. This day definitely felt like that for me.  

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