New cookbook

Whimsical bakehouse. Even the name of the book is quirky. I got this book because I saw that there was a cookies and cream icing recipe. I love this book. Theres great decorating ideas, recipes and even how to make sugar paste roses. Its such a fun book and its great for making birthday cakes. I used it to make the cookies and cream icing which was delicious. I will be posting the picture and recipe for the cookies and cream icing soon. Its not my favourite cookbook but its heaps of fun.

Turkish restaurant

I had never been to a Turkish restaurant until I was taken to Limon. I always thought turkish food was just about greasy kebabs but oh how I was wrong. I really liked Limon.The interior isn't stunning or anything but the food is good. I had chicken with Halloumi, humus, Sucuk(turkish sausage) and some other little side plates. Lets say it was very filling with the rice and very tasking. Its really got me a humus addiction now and thinking about it(especially since its close to lunch) is making me want to have some.Its a great place for lunch if your in wimbledon.

My favourite cupcake place in the world

SPRINKLES

If you ever go to LA this is the place to go. Its on Rodeo drive so you can go all the amazing shops such as Barneys, Saks and all the designers. You often see celebrities with the sprinkles bag.

The cupcakes are amazing.They are so pretty and really cute.

My favourite was the madagascan vanilla. I remember eating and thinking happy thoughts.

It is also known to be the original cupcake bakery

Also if you go to america and want to bring sprinkles back home then you can buy their baking kits from places like William-Sonama. Next time I go to america I have to get hold of one.

Bangalore express

So I went to an Indian restaurant called Bangalore express. Its like a indian version of wagamamas with the placemat menues and the benches that are shared. There were also ladders where you could sit in a balcony esqu area. Its kind of like bunk beds but with tables and chairs. It was so cool but unfortunetly because there was five of us we weren't allowed to sit there. It was still a fun place. Ive got to say though the food wasn't amazing. It wasn't expensive though but it still wasn't satisfactory for the price. I have definetly tasted better Indian for a cheaper price. Its fun to go with your friends but if you want a good Indian then its not the place to go.But I really did like the concept and the atmosphere.

The best banana loaf

Just a quick note to say I think I have found the best banana loaf. I had it in costas. Its called the banana and walnut loaf and I absolutely loved it. The texture is so crumbly and the sweetness was just right. I had it with the costas caramel crunch frascato and it was great for a nice sunny day. I used to always go to starbucks and recently Ive been going to costas more. I think Ill be going even more with that banana loaf there.

Brick lane 10th annual curry festival

So a friend of mine asked me to go with him to the Brick lane curry festival on Bank holiday monday(31 may 10). All he had to say was free samples and I was there. You got to try samples and vote for which curry house you liked the best. There was lots of free cobra (I don't like beer) for people who wanted to have some.

There was bollywood dancing and other entertainment. I had never been to brick lane so it was an experience.

Just walking through Brick lane makes you hungry because all you can smell is curry.

There also have a huge variety of amazing indian sweet shops.

I ended up getting some Baklava there( I know its middle eastern).

If you get the chance you should definetly go to the festival. There is a chance to buy the dishes the festival too.

Disappointing Italian food

I went to spaghetti house which is an Italian chain on oxford circus and we had a pizza. Lets just say it was a big disappointment. It lacked flavour and my pizza had bits of egg shell on it. I didn't like it. But looking at what my neighbour table was eating,which was a cheesy lasagne, it looked really good. I don't think ill be going back here. I would rather go to Pizza express if I want a quick pizza thats a good price and tasty. To be honest the service wasn't that amazing either. Maybe other chains would be better.

Delia's banana and chocolate chip slices

So yesterday I felt like baking when I got back home from work so I thought I would make delia smith's banana and chocolate chip slices since I had an overripe banana. Can I just say this is an amazing quick snack.It was so tasty and the chocolate chips were so melty and the texture was king of like a cookie/blondie. I love it and I will be making it over and over again. So heres the recipe.I didn't put the cream cheese filling on mine because I didn't have an cream cheese but it still tasted amazing.

Ingredients
2 large, very ripe bananas, peeled and roughly chopped into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces
3 oz (75 g) dark chocolate chips, or 3 oz (75 g) dark chocolate, chopped small
9 oz (250 g) self-raising flour
5 oz (150 g) cold butter, cut into small cubes
5 oz (150 g) golden caster sugar
cocoa powder for dusting, if you like
For the filling:
9 oz (250 g) cream cheese
¾ oz (20 g) golden caster sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).

Method
First of all, sift the flour into a large, roomy mixing bowl. Then add the butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (you can do this stage in a food processor, if you like). Next, stir in the sugar, chopped bananas and the chocolate (don’t be alarmed, it will look like a crumble mix). Now press the mixture evenly into the greased and lined tin and bake it on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes or until it is firm to touch in the centre and lightly golden. Leave the slice in the tin until it is cold. While the slice is cooling, make the topping by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl until light and fluffy, then cover with clingfilm and chill until needed. To finish, remove the slice from the tin to a wire rack, spread the chilled topping over, dust lightly with cocoa powder, if you like, and cut it into 12 pieces. Store in the fridge if the slice is not all eaten in one go.

Monmouth coffee

So many people have said positive things about monmouth coffee and then I read about it in Taschens London so I thought I would have to check it out. So I went there with my bf for breakfast. We first went to the London Bridge one which was overcrowded so we ended up going to the covent garden one. Its so rustic and I really liked the feel. you had to share the benches. While we were waiting to be seated we got to try different types of coffee. The pastries on display looked so delicious. I found it hard to choose. I ended up opting for the Pain au raisin and wasn't disappointed. I had a latte to company that and I can honestly say they reputation doesn't lie. It was really good coffee. I will definetly be going there again and buying coffee beans from them. Its a great gift for people too. If you had to go to a monmouth coffee I would definetly say go to the covent garden one.

Interactive restaurant

So I went to Inamo an interactive restautaunt with asian fusion food. It was really fun because you ordered the food via a computer system on ur table. The food was good but you should go there more for the experience. Its situated in soho near the soho hummingbird bakery. I loved the passionfruit martinis there as well so thats one to go for. The price is ok not cheap but not too expensive. Its a great place to go with a group of friends and share all the dishes so you get to try everything. I had wild boar, sushi and scallops. Its a fun place to go.

New challenge

So my favourite chocolate is raefellos and so Ive been looking up recipes online so I can make my own ones because sometimes they are hard to find. Therefore thats what I am going to be on the lookout for. The best recipe and then I am going to make some home made ones.

Wheat free cupcakes

So I saw some Sweet things wheat free cupcakes.

What can I say they were vanilla and were in selfridges so I had to get it. I was a bit worried about how it would taste. I was really surprised because it tasted really nice. The cake had a more crumbly texture than the usual cupcake and the icing was delicious as of course it had vanilla pods. My sister said it is up there with her favourite cupcakes.

Sobo cookies

I kept seeing sobo cookies in selfridges and harvey nichols and I knew I had to get them. Their cookies are really big and just looked so tasty. So i got my sister and myself some of their cookies. I wasn;t too impressed with the chocolate cookie because it wasn't soft enough but i really liked the chocolate and hazelnut cookies because there was a great crunch.

Chouquette

So I went to Pauls in london bridge train station the other day and needed a snack so I got some chouquettes. They were light pastries with all this sugar coating and they were delicious. I had been looking for chouquettes for years after I tried it in France but didn't know what they were. So I finally found them and I am happy. So heres a picture and recipe from the blog chocolate and zucchini.

- 6 tablespoons (75 g) unsalted butter, diced- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt- 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar- 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour, sifted- 4 eggs, at room temperature- Pearl sugar for sprinkling (see note)For the sugar syrup:- 2 tablespoons sugar- 2 tablespoons water

Makes about 40.Resting time: 30 minutes.
Make sure you have all the ingredients measured out before you start. Combine the butter, salt, sugar, and 1 cup (240 ml) fresh water in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, add the flour all at once, and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until well blended. Return the pan over medium-low heat and keep stirring until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Let cool for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day; you have just made choux pastry.
Make the sugar syrup: combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Sprinkle pearl sugar evenly on the prepared sheet. Remove the batter from the fridge and use two teaspoons – or a piping bag fitted with a plain tip – to form small balls of batter, about the size of a walnut, that you will plop on the prepared sheet, leaving an inch of space between them. Brush with the sugar syrup using a pastry brush, and sprinkle with pearl sugar. (There will be some unused pearl sugar on the sheet, but don't worry about it now; you can collect the grains after baking and reuse them for another batch.)
Bake for 20 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown (never ever open the oven door during the first 10 minutes of baking). Turn off the oven, open the door just a crack, and leave the chouquettes in for another 5 minutes to prevent a temperature shock, which would cause them to deflate.
Transfer to a rack and let cool completely before serving. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, and reheat for 5 minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven to restore the original texture.

Heres her blog.

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/

Jeff de Bruges

My sister and I came across Jeff de Bruges by accident when we were going to Mews of Mayfair and we fell in love straight away.So I bought my sister and myself some Jeff de Bruges chocolates when I went home last weekend. The shop is so cute and the chocolates look amazing. I got two of the cornetto looking chocolates and lets say they were amazing. It was like tasting a larger version of the bottom of the cornetto. Nice creamy chocolate, Hazelnut and wafer. Omg it was heaven. My sister loved it too. She said it was like eating an ice cream. All in all I am in love with jeff de burges chocolates. Thank you Bond street for having this shop.

Dorie Greenspans French chocolate brownies

This weekend I am going to make dorie greenspans french chocolate brownies. Its making me hungry thinking about it. I like reading dorie Greenspans blog. All her food just looks so amazing and I really want to buy her cookbooks. So heres the recipe.

French chocolate Brownies

Adapted from “Baking: From My Home to Yours,” by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)

Time: 1 1/4 hours
12 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, plus 1 teaspoon melted butter for brushing pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in pieces
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts or hazelnuts (optional).

1. Place a rack just below center of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square pan with foil and brush with melted butter.
2. In a bowl, whisk flour and salt together. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt remaining butter and chocolate together. Stir often and remove from heat when a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth.
3. In a mixer, beat eggs and sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix at low speed until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix 30 seconds, then finish mixing by hand, adding nuts if using. Pour into prepared pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, until top is dry. Let cool in pan, then lift out and cut into bars or wrap in foil.
Yield: 12 to 16 brownies.

I will put up pictures of how it turns out.

Heres Dorie's Blog
http://www.doriegreenspan.com/

Sticky honey, tomato and mustard chicken recipe

Last weekend I made a recipe from delicious magazine website for my family. Its the sticky honey, tomato and mustard chicken. It was very easy to make to my my surprise (because you add tomato ketchup) it tasted really good. My family really enjoyed it. So heres the recipe.

Ingredients
4 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp Worcestershire or soy sauce
8 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1kg skinless chicken drumsticks or thighs, or mixture of both
4 tomatoes, quartered

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7. In a large roasting tin, mix together the honey, Worcestershire or soy sauce, ketchup and mustard. Season to taste. Add the chicken and toss well until it’s evenly coated, then bake for 15 minutes.
2. Turn the chicken pieces over and bake for another 15 minutes. Spoon off any surface fat from the sauce. Turn the chicken over again, add the tomatoes and coat in the sauce. Bake for a further 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked, the tomatoes are tender and the sauce is sticky.
3. Serve with potato wedges and salad.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 323kcals, 6.3g fat (1.7g saturated), 43.5g protein, 24.5g carbs, 24.1g sugar, 2.1g salt

Frozen yogurt again

So I had a frozen yogurt craving so I went with my friend to a place called Milkinit in clapham. They do crepes,smoothies and frozen yogurt. There was a a large variety of toppings. Ive got to say after moosh it was a disappointment. The brownies were ok kind of dry. The frozen yogurt was ok not amazing. I had a savory crepe which was ok but a bit too salty. The interior is red gates with flowers around it. It kind of didn't look like the other frozen yogurt places. There aren't many seating places and the doors open so it gets cold. They could do so much more with the decor.But I guess since they don't even have a website its early days. One good thing was the service was really good and the girl who works there is so lovely and was very helpful when it came to picking toppings.

Chocolate mascarpone cheesecake pots

So i spoke about the sticky, chewy, messy and gooey cookbook and I made the chocolate mascarpone cheesecake pots which were amazing and a really bit hit with my family. so heres the recipe for the dessert. Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

whipped cream

Preheat oven 325 degrees F

In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat before the cream starts to boil and add the chocolate, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Set aside and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk togeter the mascarpone and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until mixture is smooth. Add Vanilla and salk and whisk to combine.

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the mascarpone cheese mixture and whisk gently until smooth.

Put eight 4-ounce custard cups, ramekins or small ovenproof coffee cups in an empty 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Divide the chocolate cheesecake mixture among the cups.

Put the baking dish in the oven and then carefully pour boiling water into the pan, adding just enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the custard cups. cover with aluminum foil.

Bake until the tops of the cheesecakes appear solid but jiggle slightly when shaken, 30 to 40 minutes, The cheesecake pots will firm up as they cool. cool on wiring rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight before serving. Cheesecake pots can be prepared up to 2 days before serving.

To each cheesecake pot put some whipped cream on it.

I had my ones with some vanilla hagaan daz ice cream.

Something Fun

I am loving the whole walkers crisps different country foods. I knew crisps are such an unhealthy snack but its great when ur feeling a bit peckish. They are doing all the world flavours for the world cup. So far I have tried the German Batwurst sausage flavour and the English roast beef and yorkshire pudding. I really like these flavours and I think its great fun.

http://www.walkers.co.uk/flavourcup/index.html