A year on from starting this website, here I am; mug of tea in hand, preparing to tell you how La Donna celebrated her 26th year on this delicious earth.

This years celebration was a collaborative secret mission created by the wonderful La Mama Mangia, Innscredible and LuckyGirlKate.

One thing you must know about me, I hate surprises. Well actually, I love surprises. I hate knowing I'm getting a surprise. It's maddening, I simply must know. The fun of a surprise is completely removed if I know a surprise is coming. I have to know. Tell me that you have a surprise for me, be prepared for an onslaught of "What is it? Can I have it now?  Just tell me! Can I have a clue?" You will hate me and probably take my surprise away.

With this in mind, my wonderful partner decided to tell me I had a surprise in February. He kept this up for the full 3 months leading up to my birthday. My only hints were sensible shoes, nice clothes and London. Torture.

May 14th arrives. I have finished work for 21 glorious days, travelled 4hrs (by car) from my home in the North East to my hometown in Hertfordshire. Stood in La Mamas kitchen; coffee in hand, puppy dogs at my feet, desperation pouring from me. I was put out of my misery. My birthday present was Theo Randall's Meat Masterclass. LuckyGirlKate and I would be heading out on the Saturday Morning to The Intercontinental for a day spent in Theo Randall's kitchen followed by a wine tasting with the Sommelier and 3 course lunch.

There could be no better birthday present. The surprise was certainly worth the maddening wait.

The 16th arrived and we set off for London.  A short jump on a train and quick jaunt in a taxi and we had arrived at The Intercontinental. My birthday had officially began.

We were warmly greeted and offered coffees and a selection of pastries whilst we, and maybe 8 other guests, waited in the bar. After a short break we were welcomed by Theo and lead into the rabbit warren-esque kitchen.

Huddled between the smouldering charcoal grill and expanses of steel worktop we were shown 4 different meat dishes. 

Firstly was a beautiful leg of spring lamb. Theo made quick work of deboning the leg into its 3 main muscles, one was the cushion the other names I am sad to say have escaped me. The lamb was marinated in lemon, rosemary, garlic and olive oil, before be placed over the blisteringly hot coals. The eruption of smells was glorious and makes me envious of those who have ready access to a barbecue. It's a perfect dish for a nice late summer lunch, or to be greedily devoured in an over stuffed sandwich.

Whilst the lamb sizzled melodically on the grill we were treated to beef carpaccio. The beef fillet, thin enough to be hung as stained glass in a church window, was topped with rocket, pine nuts and generous shavings of Parmesan. Plus a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar for good measure. I will admit raw meat has never really been high on my last meal list but the simplicity of this dish won me over. Not to mention I'm a sucker for Balsamic Vinegar. However this dish was completely, for lack of a better word, inhaled in seconds by myself and an young Australian gent.

Now anyone who has read my Seasonal Saturday Review will have seen the Guinea Fowl stuffed with Thyme, Mascarpone and Parma Ham. This was next on the list. Deboning a Guinea Fowl has never looked so easy. I'm yet to try this myself but its a must. After stuffing the meat with delicious parma ham wrapped balls of cheese it was seared in an hot pan before being sat on top of a slice of Pagnotta and roasted in the oven. The bread soaks up all the juices of the bird and turns into the Best Fried Bread EVER.

The final dish we were treated to a Ragù using the tail of the beef fillet from the carpaccio. Now a good Ragù can take hours, upon hours to prepare. This was 10 minutes, and it was heaven. Red wine, rosemary, soffritto and the fillet paired with pasta made by the man himself. It does not get better.

Lesson complete it was lunch time. By this point I think I would have been sated enough with everything I had tried. Nothing but pure greed kept me going. 

Lunch consisted of Smoked Eel, Baby Beetroot and Horseradish for myself, and as my friend is currently expecting, she received Buffalo Mozzarella with marinated vegetables. I ate half of hers I am unashamed to say. For our next course we had seared beef with lentils, roasted tomatoes and salsa verde. It was served beautifully rare and would order this again and again. Finally it was time for the famous Amalfi Lemon Tart, just as good as I remembered only this time I didn't have to share. The addition of a candle wasn't unwelcome either. 

Throughout the meal we had a wonderful Sommelier telling us the finer facts about Italian wine. I've never really been a fan of wine and feel as though I'm missing out on a whole part of the food experience. The wine pairings were greatly welcomed and shall be enjoyed in future. There were 2 Whites and 2 Reds, 1 Prosecco and 1 Moscato. A wine map of Italy and list of all the wines we were given to each guest. This has now been stored safely and will be purchased in the future.

The day drew to a close and we were each given a copy of Theo Randalls newest cookbook My Simple Italian. Which also contains the recipe for the zucchini fritte so I highly recommend this to everyone. 

Once again Theo Randall at The Intercontinental was amazing. The food and staff and Theo himself were fabulous. It made my birthday everything I wanted and more.