Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

Top 5 fun things to do in Amsterdam

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Don’t miss out on these fabulously fun things to do in Amsterdam!

Hello Folks! It’s that time of the year again for us when we feverishly make travel plans, budget our trips, and hope and pray that everything goes to plan. February is the month of birthday and anniversary celebrations in our family. Starting last year we have celebrated landmark birthdays and anniversaries and this we wanted to plan a holiday that will create memories for a lifetime.

So after much research, I finally booked a holiday to an amazing destination. Last year, our annual February celebrations were spent in Venice. We had a really romantic short break and enjoyed great food, lots of fabulous Italian wine and fell madly in love with Venice – so much so that we made a promise to ourselves to visit again in exactly five years’ time.(Why 5 years? well we have pretty elaborate travel plans and places we want to tick off our bucket list until then!)

For now, I would love to share my Top 5 fun things to do while in Amsterdam, we visited last year over the Easter break and loved every minute of our stay.

Amsterdam evening canal cruise – Cruising along the canals during the evening is the best time to see the lights and take in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city. Its a whole new experience compared to a daytime cruise. 

Cycle across Amsterdam: Pretend to be one of the locals for a few hours by cycling around the city. It can be quite a thrilling experience, especially at night! Riding along the canals and ringing your cycle bell to make your way through crowded narrow cobbled streets is quite exciting. Fuel up along the way at one of the many traditional brown cafes. 

Cycling across Amsterdam

Explore De Pijp: 19th-century architecture sits comfortably alongside modern structures.  Sample authentic Dutch street food at the city’s largest street market Albert Cuyp Market. Shops for souveniers or just stroll around admiring the various offerings from the street vendors. Also home to the Heineken Experience, step inside the red-brick building to go on a bottle ride on their interesting tour and of course sample a pint or two 😉

Wind down at Vondel Park: After a long day of admiring art at the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum, get some downtime at Vondel Park. This large green space offers an escape from the hustle-bustle of the busy city streets. Grab a coffee from the posh restaurant cafe and relax on the green lawns. If you enjoy people watching, this is the place for you, scores of enthusiastic cyclists riding past, tulips in full bloom during spring.

Eat from one of the many FEBO vending machines : Cheap and cheerful food was never more fun than getting piping hot and filling treats from FEBO. This chain of food vending machines dots the main tourist areas in Amsterdam. Perfect after you haven’t spent the day guzzling loads of beer or after a late-night walk around the pretty.

Though spring can be chilly in Europe, we only needed extra layers when we visited Keukenhof gardens, the rest of the trip we managed with light jackets and I always had my trusted scarf from FatFace wrapped around my neck to keep me cosy. Easter break brings in throngs of tourists to Amsterdam as is to be expected so advance bookings for some of the bigger attractions are highly recommended – coming up soon – a short guide to which attractions to book in advance and some money-saving tips to ace your trip to the Netherlands. To plan your day – trip to Keukenhof have a look at my detailed how-to guide here.

Here are some recommendations to plan well and make the most of your visit to this beautiful and vibrant city:

Looking for pointers about where to stay while in Amsterdam? Then you might want to read my review about my stay at the Steigenberger Hotel in Schipol

Have you done any of my top 5 fun things while in Amsterdam? Leave me a comment and let me know. I always enjoy reading through all your comments on my blog and my social media posts 🙂

Two-night stay with Premier Inn, Southampton

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Exploring the food scene in Southampton was on the cards when I planned a short two-day trip to Southampton. Every year I explore new places when I go to events like blog camp, this is a great way for me to explore the food and local culture. With lots of things planned during our two-night stay, I wanted to ensure a comfortable and rested evening with a clean and well-equipped room. Premier Inn has two locations in Southampton and my friends Heidi, Nayna and me stayed at the one in City Centre.

The other branch is at West Quay. Southampton offers lots of options for stay as it is home to one of U,K’s top-ranked universities. Naturally, like most other university towns, lots of good budget stay and food options are available. So an opportunity to review Premier Inn for our short-stay was great as it ticked most of my must-haves.

These are my basic Budget Hotel must-haves:

  • Comfy clean bed
  • Spotlessly clean bathroom
  • Close to transport links
  • Safe, quiet and with easy access to local eateries
  • Breakfast options
  • Free wifi
  • Easy booking options online

I wanted something close to the railway station, within walking distance from the city centre and ideally not too far away from the harbour as we were to spend the day aboard a luxury cruise liner called Msc Preziosa.

Premier Inn guarantees a good night’s sleep or your money back and with their luxury king-size Hypnos beds am sure they fulfil this guarantee.

Check-in was a breeze and our rooms were all cleaned and ready for us to move in. After setting the temperature to a toasty 19 deg, I sat down to enjoy a much-needed cuppa. The room comes with a kettle and some basic tea and coffee making facilities.

We did have the option to get the generous Premier Inn breakfast but decided against it as we had an early start the next day.

My double-room came equipped with a king-size comfy bed, a sofa and massive table with all sorts of plug points. This made coming back after a long day and checking emails over the free 24/ 7  wifi, very easy. I normally carry my DSLR camera and along with my phone and battery pack, need to charge all of them. No problem there, as the room was well-equipped with all modern day amenities and several plug-points.

The bathroom with a bath-tub had a basic shower gel and was spotlessly clean.

Extra fluffy pillows, a toasty duvet, the luxuriously comfortable bed and the blackout curtains ( to leave the outside world – well- outside) ensured I slept through the night, both nights and woke up re-energised.

Premier Inn is a great budget option, especially for short stays. You cannot fault the good night’s sleep promise and the other basic amenities are exactly what you would need. They are certainly a popular choice and have won many awards in the mid-range category and come with a high ranking on TripAdvisor too.

What is it that you look for when you book short stays or business trips? I would love to know your thoughts and I always read and reply to comments with suggestions, queries and tips, besides I love hearing experiences from fellow travellers.

Why not check out what Heidi thought of her stay in Premier Inn, Southampton by having a read of her review post here

*With thanks to Premier Inn for offering a complimentary two-night stay. As usual, all opinions expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was offered for a positive review.

Exploring the food scene in East Village, New York

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Exploring the food scene in East Village, New York

Walking Tours fascinate me, and always have. There is no better way to really explore a city than to walk around, wander and allow yourself to wander.

During our first ever visit across the pond, over Thanksgiving, two years ago, we decided to take as many recommendations from friends and family for foodie places and visit as many as possible.

But New York is such a huge city and wrapping your head around the travel routes or getting to the best foodie spots is not possible without a proper plan or maybe a good walking tour. We found a free walking tour online and took a chance and booked it.

One of the reasons I was drawn to this tour was the opportunity to sample foods from various cultures in the space of an hour. How else can you devour Kosher treats to Eastern European sausages and a large portion of ice cream all in the space of few hours 😉

After walking along the Brooklyn Bridge the day before and clicking a million photos I was eager to explore another part of the Big Apple. The group wasn’t too big which is always good, have seen very large walking tour groups many a time in London and I really feel for the tourists.

It’s always a good idea to start off with a Frankfurter aka a hot dog. Papaya King has been in business since 1932 and everyone from Julia Child to Martha Stewart. Who can say no to a hot dog declared as the best in NYC by the likes of Anthony Bourdain?

Another very interesting stop was Baczynsky Meat Market, established in 1970 by Baczynsky who came to the east village all the way from Ukraine. Give the kielbasa or smoked sausage a try, they are smoked in-house and while you are at it, why not take home some of their delicious smoked ham?

Our guide shared some local history with us as we strolled into a fantastic Jewish Bakery called Moishe’s Bake Shop. My DH and our lovely hostess for our stay in NYC were as eager as I was to sample some treats and we picked the rugelach. I couldn’t stop at one and took comfort in the fact that many of the other folks on the tour also gave into the temptation of a second helping. In the face of such a wide variety of fantastic baked goods, which Moishe’s have been baking since 1978,  I don’t blame anyone for their defenses crumbling!

Now one would think that after eating so much food, we would firmly refuse any ice cream, that too American portions being massive it was a complete no-no. But the last stop on the tour had Star Wars-themed ice cream on offer…hum… we were on holiday after all;)

Multi-cultural cities like New York always remind me of the vibe that cities like Mumbai and London exude. They seem to embrace every culture and make it their own.

Walking food tours epitomise one thing – that there is no better way than to travel the world via your taste buds without a passport!

Though the tour as such is free, you do have to pay at each stop to sample the food but most places do offer generous portions for a few dollars. I did tip our guide quite generously though some folks who didn’t wait to get desserts didn’t, it is a matter of personal choice.

After the tour, we took detailed instructions to get back to Upper Manhattan then promptly lost our way (again) Change of plan on the spur of the moment, and Thanks to some tips from friendly folk we found our way to Greenwich Village and spent a few happy hours exploring the place – also a fab way to walk off the calories we consumed eating such a variety of delicious food. To explore the various places the tour guide will take you to and their tours check out details here

Coming up on Travelsfortaste soon:

  • Top 5 things to do in New York City
  • How to plan a short break in Washington D.C
  • Photo feature – Central Park

Meanwhile, why not read some of my other travel adventures including my experience of a local London walking tour?

Honey Afternoon Tea at St. Ermins, London

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Afternoon Tea with friends is on top my list when it comes to a relaxed day out in London. And a few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to experience a delicious Honey themed afternoon tea at the exquisite tea room of the tastefully decorated and very plush 4-star rated St Ermins Hotel in Westminster, with my favourite fellow food-obsessed bloggers.

The delicious honey comes from their very own rooftop which is home to 350,00 Buckfast Bees. Much like the regal design of St Ermins tea room, the bees get to wander around the royal parks surrounding St. Ermins. Because these friendly bees have access to such a wide variety of blooms in the capital city’s well-maintained and stunning royal parks, it translates into a unique flavour profile for the honey.

The location for St Ermins is unbeatable, located right among some of London’s most popular landmarks, this  4-star hotel boasts an impressive history. The hotel played a vital role during WWII with historic meetings and clandestine exchanges between spies. Even today St. Ermins is an important historical landmark with rumours suggesting a secret underground tunnel running from the grand stairway in the main lobby, all the way up to the houses of parliament!

The reception rooms echo drama and ooze charm thanks to the famous Victorian theatre designer J.P. Briggs.

The limited edition Honey themed afternoon tea buzz-worthy menu is special thanks to the bees who call the hotel their home. I try and eat GF as much as possible now and the GF honey tea that I choose was quite delicious. The large variety of teas on offer will leave you spoilt for choice. I cannot resist a fruity infusion and my berry flavoured tea was very refreshing and a fabulous accompaniment to the sandwiches.

Savoury bites include the classic salmon sandwich and a moreish honey mustard chicken sandwich on brown bread and a delicious portion of glazed pork loin on rye bread smothered with cheddar and a richly flavoured onion chutney.

The star of the sweet offerings was an innovative dessert called the mini beehive  – a pretty honey flavoured orange and yoghurt mousse pot

Honey afternoon tea at St Ermins

This afternoon tea option comes with unlimited bubbly which Heidi and I, enjoyed while we took lots of photos of tea-cups and edible treats, while Nayna relished a refreshing glass of freshly made orange juice.

While you are savouring your cuppa do gaze at the amazing vintage silverware collection on display.

No afternoon tea is complete without some freshly baked scones slathered with clotted cream and jam. Inevitably our conversation drifted towards the eternal debate – Cream first or Jam?! Which way do you like your scones?

To make this Honey themed afternoon tea even more exciting, you get to adopt a bee, complete with an adoption certificate. You can view the beautiful terrace area where the bees buzz around, safely from behind the glass.

Tempted to visit London’s 1st Bee hotel? Head here to book yourself in for a bee-licious treat and a chance to adopt your very own bee. Psst… You might want to hurry as the unlimited prosecco offers runs out on the 27th of Nov, you wouldn’t want to miss out that now would you? 😉

Curious to explore more options for Afternoon Tea in London? Why not browse through my blog and read about my experiences in various places:

*With thanks to the team at St Ermins for inviting me.  All opinions expressed are as always my own. No monetary compensation was provided for a positive review.

Halloween Forgotten Graveyard Cake

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Halloween is just around the corner and it is a great excuse to get creative with your bakes. ( As if you need any more excuses that the excitement surrounding this year’s GBBO! I can’t wait for the final next week …eeekkkkkk) Because its also half-term, baking with kids around should involve easy recipes and loads of scope for little hands to get involved.

I decided to bake a delicious cake which, am sure little people will love to ‘help’ you bake, especially the chocolatey ‘graves’ that top that cake. This spookalicious Forgotten Graveyard cake depicts an old, derelict graveyard which most times lies forgotten outside a sleepy village. But on Halloween night, a strange grey slime starting sliding across the ground which has suddenly turned a blood red colour ….. all the old coffins are now surrounded by maggots that seem to be growing in numbers. The only witness to these horrors seems to be an old tree trunk and a rickety fence that is falling apart in many places… wait hang on.. what is that? A green alien hand or a zombie crawling out of the slime… who knows what will happen next….. 😉

Brrrr… 🙂 Am sure you and your little helpers can add more spooky effects to the cake! Just let their imagination run wild like I did. But first, let’s get to grips with the basics!

For my graveyard cake slab, I have followed a simple but brilliant Red Velvet cake recipe from here. Their triple-tested recipe is literally fool-proof so that folks like me can bake without worrying about any goof-ups. The only thing I have modified is the cream cheese frosting quantities to suit this particular bake. If you cannot find buttermilk use low fat pouring yoghurt, just add about 50 ml of water to bring up the total volume of buttermilk to 284ml

Manjiri

Halloween Forgotten Graveyard Cake – frosting

5 from 18 votes
Spookaliciouscream cheese frosting in a ghostly shade of grey
Print Recipe
Servings: 4
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 300 gm Icing Sugar
  • 250 gm Unsalted melted butter
  • 250 gm Cream Cheese

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Tray
  • Hand held blender
  • Spatula

Method
 

  1. Melt the softened unslated butter in the microwave for 30 sec
  2. Sieve the icing sugar into a mixing bowl
  3. Pourthe butter over it and mix well
  4. Add the cream cheese
  5. Using a toothpaste add 2 drops of black food colouring and with another toothpick, add 1 drop of ivory food colouring – they mix to give a spooky and slimy grey colour to the frosting
  6. Blend into a smooth paste with a hand blender for almost 4 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar granules are totally mixed into the butter and cream cheese
  7. To decorate the cake I only used a small amount and after my nephews had a go at decorating I slathered on the remaining slime all over the cake slab – made for a very happy 2 year old 😉
  8. Of you would rather not use up the whole buttercream, simply change the colour to anything you fancy and freeze – keeps for 3 weeks in an airtight box in the freezer
  9. To use thaw overnight in the refrigerator and blend for minutes to get the same texture again
  10. Once thawed use it all up, do not refreeze

For the chocolate coffins:

Manjiri

Chocolatey coffin shaped cake toppers

5 from 18 votes
Unleashyour creativity by mixing up the fillings and flavours for each cchocolate coffin!
Print Recipe
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Milk chocolate bar
  • Mixed nuts roughly chopped

Method
 

  1. Break up the chocolate bar into a glass bowl and place it over a vessel containing boiled water
  2. Use a spatula to mix in a handful of roughly chopped mixed nuts into the chocolate
  3. If you want to use any strong flavours then use a bar of chilli or salted caramel flavoured chocolate or any flavour that takes your fancy
  4. Spoon mixture into coffin shaped moulds and allow to set in the refrigerator for atleast 20 minutes
  5. Once set, they should come off the mould pretty easily
  6. Place them on the graveyard cake however you like
  7. This mixture makes 6 coffin shaped chocolate cake toppers

To make the alien hand I used a tiny amount of green coloured sugar frosting and ‘painted’ nails using black food colour and a toothpick. For the tree stump I have used a Cadburys flake and for the chocolate fence surrounding the graveyard perimeter, I used mint chocolate sticks. A small amount of cream cheese frosting applied using a toothpick serves as edible glue to attach the sticks to the sides of Forgotten Graveyard cake. The ‘maggots’ on the graveyard cake are simply shaved chocolate curls.

What I really want to mention here is though that I used my new OXO non-stick pro cake tin and am very happy with the result. The tray is sturdy and my cake came off very easily, thanks to the two-layer coating which is PFOA-free, and ceramic-reinforced. This also makes this gorgeous cake tin scratch, stain, corrosion and abrasion resistant.   I didn’t need to use baking parchment – which I find very fiddly. The reason the cake came off so easily was the beautiful micro-textured pattern which allows for even baking.

And after my cake completely cooled I moved it to my superb new OXO non-stick Pro commercial grade baking plate. This wide baking sheet gave me enough surface area, around the bake to decorate and display my creation, making it really easy to photograph it too. Spreading the grey ‘slime’ cream cheese frosting was a doddle thanks to the handy OXO bent icing wand.

Image courtesy OXO

Now if you are wondering how you can get your hands on these gorgeous OXO non-stick baking accessories, I have some exciting news for all of you. One of you can win a set of baking gear from OXO worth £50 as a special festive treat! How? All you need to do win this cool bakeware bundle worth £50 from OXO is to enter the giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

CONGRATULATIONS to the winner Sidrah A and Thanks to everyone who participated!

Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

  • One lucky winner will be picked automatically by Rafflecopter.
  • Deadline for entering this contest is 26th Nov’ 2017 midnight GMT.
  • Entry is open only to residents of the U.K, except Scotland and Ireland.
  • All entrants must be 18 years old and above.
  • Increase your chances of winning by visiting daily and tweeting out the pre-recorded tweet, provided you have completed all other steps the first time when they enter.
  • The giveaway prize as mentioned is a bakeware bundle worth £50 from OXO consisting of a Non-Stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Tin, 11″ Balloon Whisk, 7 Piece Measuring Cup Set and a Bent Icing Knife.
  • Neither OXO, nor I am liable for any damage of giveaway prize in transit.
  • Please allow a minimum of 15 days for delivery of the prize, which may reach earlier or later. The giveaway prize will be sent directly by OXO.
  • The prize is as stated: it is non- transferable and no cash or any other alternatives are available.
  • I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who does not complete all the steps mentioned above.
  • The winner will be notified on 27th Nov’ 2017  on Twitter by me and here on my blog post. I shall tag the winner on Twitter via their twitter id. If you are declared as the winner you agree to allow me and OXO to contact you via email id and share your details with OXO who will arrange for the goody bag to be sent out to you, to have your name announced here on my blog post and on Twitter.
  • If the winner fails to respond by 30th Nov’ 2017  then another winner will be chosen at Random.

*With thanks to OXO. *Sponsored posts help me keep my blog going and I can continue sharing fun recipe ideas with all of you.

NEED MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION TO GET BAKING?

Why not check out my other recipes here:

Paneer Firecracker Parcels

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A delicious paneer starter for special occasions

 The countdown to the most opulent and bright Hindu festival of the year has begun. DIWALI – the festival of lights is knocking on our doors. Delicious spicy shredded paneer bhurji encased in a delicate filo pastry parcel and baked to just the right temperature. These bite-sized mini parcels of deliciousness pack a punch of flavour and are certain to become a crowd-pleaser in no time. These mini ‘firecrackers’ explode when bitten into engulfing one’s palate in a riot of beautiful flavours and textures.

Easy Vegetarian Party food recipe, a sure-fire crowd-pleaser

A great recipe to rustle up quickly and impress guests, perfect for both at a planned party or for surprising those guests that drop in unexpectedly. And with ASDA by my side, I can bring home all these beautiful ingredients and unleash my creative side in the kitchen. It also gives me an opportunity to save some precious time and spend it with those that matter most – my family – and celebrate this amazing and lively festival with pomp and pageantry – at home.

Paneer Firecracker Parcels
manjirichitnis

PANEER FIRECRACKER PARCELS

Delicious, Vegetraian and festive this is a great recipe torustle up quickly and impress guests, perfect for both at a planned party orfor surprising those guests that drop in unexpectedly.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Fusion Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams Paneer
  • 2 sheets Filo pastry
  • 1 handful cashews and almonds for purée
  • 2 Red onions medium sized
  • 1.5 small juicy sweet tomatoes
  • 2 Sweet Peppers (small, sweet crunchyones)
  • 2 tbsp Tomato purée
  • 4 tbsp Oil
  • 1 small pinch Asafoetida
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin (jeera)
  • 2 Green chillies
  • 1 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 1.5 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tsp Garam masala
  • 2 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
  • 1/4 tsp Kasoori methi
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • 1/2 tsp salt or as per taste
  • 2 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 handful Almonds + cashew nuts +Raisins ( for garnishing)

Equipment

  • Pan, Oven

Method
 

  1. Grate the paneer to get longcheese like curls, set aside
  2. Soak a handful of cashews andalmonds in warm water, it becomes easier to peel off the skin, peel and leavethem to soften in lukewarm water. Once they soften, make a thick smooth pasteof the cashews and almonds. Set aside
  3. Remove the seeds and thenroughly chop the tomatoes
  4. In a heavy bottomed pan heat 1tbsp oil, then reduce the flame and add a pinch of asafoetida and 1/2 tspginger garlic paste, roughly chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 1/2 a green chillies chopped roughly, 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
  5. Cook on a medium flame forabout 2 mins, stirring to ensure the paste doesn’t burn or overcook
  6. Remove this mixture fromthe pan and allow to cool, once it has cooled down blend the mixture tomake a thick paste. Add 1 tbsp water to blend to a smooth consistency
  7. Meanwhile, start on the peppers by removing all the seeds andfinely chopping the sweet peppers into tiny bite-sized cubes,similarly chop the red onions very fine. Set aside
  8. In the same pan add 3tbsp oil, when the oil is hot sputter some cumin seeds and add 1/2tsp  ginger garlic paste, reduce the flame
  9. Then add the chopped onions andreduce the flame to low, allow the onions to brown slightly while stirringoccasionally
  10. Now add the dry powdermasalas (garam masala, 1/4 tsp black pepper powder, red chilli powder,coriander powder) and saute well until the onions are reduced and releasea strong aroma. To ensure the onions and masalas don’t burn, stir occasionallywhile they reduce
  11. To this, addthis cashew-almond paste and the thick tomato mixture and mix wellThen add in the chopped sweet peppersand cook them until they begin to soften.
  12. Now add in the gratedpaneer, turmeric powder, kasoori methi and finely choppedcoriander leaves. Cook on a low flame until the mixturethickens it looses all its excess moisture. Do not cook with a lid on, do notadd water and ensure that you stir occasionally
  13. Allow this mixture to cool completelyand then rshapeinto tiny bround balls. On a baking sheet lay open the filopastry pack and use two sheets to make a strong outer covering
  14. Cut the sheet using a pizzacutter into large rectangles. If you find this fiddly place the sheet on amuffin tray and cut using a scissor
  15. Drizzle some melted butter or use anoil spray to line the inside of the sheets
  16. Add one small paneer mixture ballinto each filo rectangle and gently fold to make a neat parcel, spray someoil over this and cook in a pre-heated oven at about 150 deg cel (fan oven). Keep an eye so that the outer filopastry does not burn
  17. While this is in the oven heat gheein a small pan and add the raisins, they are ready when they begin to swell insize, then dunk in some skinless whole cashew nuts and skinless whole almondsfry them in the ghee too, once done, remove and set aside
  18. When the parcels turn a toasty lightbrown colour on the outside, they are done, remove and serve on a prettyplatter on a bed of chopped coriander, sprinkle ghee roasted nuts on top tomimic tiny jewels
Spicy paneer bhurji encased in delicate filo pastry parcels

This dish is meant to tease the palate before a festive meal. The vibrant spices ensure an explosion of flavour and the rich cashew-almond paste adds a regal twist which also balances the flavours ensuring those who are not partial to heaty spices can savour this dish too. Congratulations – you have in your repertoire a cracking crowd-pleaser recipe. Now all you need to do is to go stock up that list of ingredients 😉 – time crunch? No problem – shop online!

Spicy paneer bhurji encased in delicate filo pastry parcels

ASDA has some really cool offers for Diwali, why not check out the special Diwali offers here before you head out to ASDA?  I have stocked up on oil, ghee, spices and a few store cupboard essentials – after all, it helps to have time-saving tricks up our sleeve!

*With thanks to ASDA. As always, all opinions expressed are always my own.

Springtime at Keukenhof – The Garden of Europe

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My Visit to the World’s largest Tulip Garden – Memories of spring at Keukenhof

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the Tulip Garden at Keukenhof is the famous song from the famous Bollywood film SilaSila. A mega success from at the box office in the 70’s, this Yash Raj film saw the popular screen couple Amitabh Bacchan with Rekha at the gardens, Bacchan serenading his lady love, surrounded by a sea of stunning tulips and the melodious title track playing …..sighhh…

How to plan a trip to Keukenhof

Even today, that song remains one the most popular song from that era. And as you can now imagine, I have been dreaming of visiting these beautiful gardens forever. Finally this year, we made the trip to Holland, especially for the Tulips.

It was still early spring but most of the blossoms were in full bloom. But no matter how many pictures you see online, nothing compares to the feeling of walking into Keukenhof Gardens for the very first time.

We managed to leave as early as possible from our hotel, made our way to Schiphol airport/railway station and took the shuttle to the gardens. A quick 30-minute journey and you will be at Lisse, where the garden is located. When you are about to approach the gardens, you will be greeted by huge fields of tulips in all possible colours, we saw stunning shades of lavender and cream and rows and rows of bright red and yellow tulips.

I was a bit apprehensive when I saw a large number of tourist buses parked outside, but it was peak season for the tulips and a bank holiday weekend so crowds were to be expected.

Once inside we were greeted by friendly staff and handed a handy free map of the gardens.

History of the world’s largest Tulip garden

The world’s largest spring flower garden which is home to a mind-boggling variety of tulips was originally a kitchen garden! Dating back to the 15th century, this was once home to a Bavarian countess whose kitchen was supplied by produce from these gardens. Hence, the name – Keukenhof which in literal translation means kitchen garden. After being passed on from the Dutch noble family, in the 16th century, an admiral took over the estate and built the Keukenhof Castle in 1641.

In the 19th century, landscape architects Jan David Zocher and his son, famous for their work at Amsterdam Vondel park re-designed the castle grounds to what we see today. Later in 1949, the then-mayor of Lisse, threw open the gardens to floricultural commerce and even today more than 500 exhibitors showcase their plants, bulbs, and blossoms in over 20 shows. So do make sure you don’t miss out on the custom made floral displays and do go and see the indoor exhibits. Be prepared to feast your eyes on not just tulips but stunning roses and a huge variety of flowers and potted plants.

Millions of spring blooms that grace these gardens give picture postcard-perfect opportunities for budding photographers.

Though the best time to visit the gardens is mid- April, when we did, over the Easter break, the garden is open to the public from March end to mid-May.

Because the gardens are massive it is essential you chalk out a route for yourself and it is possible to walk through the whole garden in a few hours while packing in a quick lunch. That is, of course, possible if you do not linger around too much at any one spot – or you could if you like walk around and pick a favourite spot (like the one below) and spend some quality time there admiring the blooms and the grounds.

This was the best time we had during our trip to the Netherlands. And although I did resist the impulse to run through the tulip fields pretending to be Rekha to my Bacchan, I did manage to tick the number one place off from my list of ‘Top 5 – Must see places to see in the world’  (and yes we did manage to get this picture clicked, that’s about as much of a Bollywood-style pose that I can force out of the hubby)

Evert year the flower parade dates move so the best thing is to keep an eye on the official website before booking your holiday. To plan your trip and make the most of your vacation, here are some important details.

Where: Keukenhof gardens are located in Lisse, Netherlands (Holland)

Opening Times: 8 am – 7:30 pm usually, please check for the day you choose to visit

Transport:

Keukenhof is located at Lisse in the Netherlands, a 30-minute bus journey from Amsterdam. There is a bus leaving every 15 minutes from Schiphol airport to the garden. There are good transport links from all the major cities of the Hague, Haarlem and  Leiden.  Hoofddorp is a popular tourist location to stay during peak season too with loads of hotels in the town with regular shuttle services to Schiphol.

For tickets and information visit the official website: Keukenhof, Holland and for more detailed information to help you plan your stay in Holland visit the official website Visit Holland

How to plan a trip to Keukenhof

Coming up soon on Travelsfortaste Blog: 

*With thanks to Visit Holland for our tickets to view this stunning Tulip Garden.

Keukenhof Garden – Holland

** All opinions expressed are as always my own. No compensation of any kind was provided for a positive review or for writing this post.

Where to find the best Aussie Burgers in Earsfield

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Paired with a great beer, I think, a juicy burger hits the spot and nothing comes close to this divine
combination. But enough about beer already, how about burger and wine pairings? Ben’s Canteen
seems to have that sorted.

A local favourite, the Bens Canteen branch on  Earsfield high street, is a trendy burger joint which has a great selection of wine to go with their Aussie style burgers. To sample the burgers, I decided to visit this new local hot spot. Located a stone’s throw from the train station, Ben’s Canteen has a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Large bay windows and a long wooden table right by the entrance beg you to sit down and enjoy a bottle of red while your order is prepared.

Though their epic scotch egg seemed quite tempting, we choose the pulled pork nachos to share. Packed full of flavour, the slow cooked pork was fall-off -the bone succulent – melt in your mouth meaty goodness. Coupled with melted cheese, the crunchy nachos are the ultimate treat in comfort eating. If like me, you can’t resist a gin and tonic then do try one of their innovative combinations – eight in all to be precise. My favourite – the Gin Mare strangely pairs well with the nacho starter.

For mains, we tried the trio of mini burgers, a fabulous combination of the cheese burger, the Hawaiian and my personal favourite – the Hot, crispy fried chicken burger. The regular cheese burger doesn’t disappoint with a fresh taste and satisfying combination of American cheese, pickles and juicy beef. What more could you want in a cheese burger? Though if I was to go back for a guilty treat – which I am sure I will, the Hawaain is what I would pick –
pulled pork and a pineapple fritter with red cabbage slaw tops the charts in terms of crunchy meaty goodness.

The hot crispy fried chicken burger satiates cravings for spice and flavour. Soft chicken breast encased in a moreish buttermilk batter with kimchi and spring onions finished off with a fiery Korean hot sauce before being slapped between fresh buns. Absolutely divine!

I like how they have kept the burger menu simple because each of the burgers we tried was fabulous. For all those hours, before visiting, that I spent browsing Instagram and drooling over photos of tempting burgers, salivating over melted cheese oozing from a meaty burger and dreaming of dripping egg yolks in buns, Ben’s Canteen did not disappoint. Not only did I get my burger fix and how, but also I absolutely loved washing them down with a great variety of wines. Given a choice, I would always pick a good Malbec but the Pinot Noir has also proven to be a reliable companion to the Hawaiian pulled pork burger.

Earsfield High Street has a spattering of some great local cafes and restaurants that serve everything from artisan coffee to Nepalese momos. Ben’s Canteen fits right in. No surprise then that, in past year or so, since it opened its doors, this has already become a popular joint amongst locals – they seem to cater to all tastes – everything from brunch time cocktails and bottomless bubbles to gooey cheese burgers AND everything in between (Brixton sourdough toast – here I come!)

It’s not just the great wine pairings that draw in the crowds at Ben’s, they also have a tempting brunch
menu and some really great cocktails. They are dog-friendly and local. In my book, they tick all the boxes.

*With thanks to Bens Canteen for an invite. All opinions expressed are as always my own. No monetary compensation was provided for a positive review.

 

Pure – authentic Indian Cooking at Fulham, London

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Fulham High street is always buzzing with activity and is dotted by an assortment of eateries. Nestled among them is one hidden gem called Pure Indian Cooking. With a female chef, Shilpa Dandekar at the helm this is a neighbourhood restaurant with a loyal set of patrons.

The minimalist interiors at Pure belie the superior quality of food and service served up by the husband-wife duo. who have worked with some of London’s finest high-end names. Chef Shilpa has worked with the likes of Chef Raymond Blanc OBE. Both Faheem and Shilpa began their career with the Taj group and then continued to work with big names like The Bombay Brasserie and the Michelin-starred Quilon.

Cocktails with familiar Indian flavours like mango and chilli, I always find very tempting and the Mango Chilli Margarita at Pure is quite bold and refreshing.

We tried a range of starters but loved the Patra Chaat and seared scallops the most. What makes the patra chaat so special is the fusion of a popular street food – chaat with all it’s lively flavours married to a very homely familiar taste – that of patra or fried colocasia leaves. One bite of the patra and memories of my aai making ‘aloo chya vadya’ (patra in marathi) came flooding, reminding me how much I miss watching her cook, especially during Ganpati when she always very painstakingly makes these from scratch.

The scallops are fresh and the flavours are brilliant. The kebabs were fabulous simply they were cooked to perfection. The spices used for marination come through in every juicy mouthful and meat lovers will be left wanting for more.

With the starters setting the bar high, we were expecting a great set of dishes for mains to follow as well. And Chef Shilpa did not disappoint. Crab kokum fry – crab shell stuffed with spicy crab meat – was our favourite. Inspired by dishes the chef has eaten in her childhood home in the western coastal parts of India, dishes like the crab kokum fry, Lamb sukke and Mango curry are simple homely yet delightful dishes created with love and passion which clearly shine through.

I would also highly recommend the lassoni palak – leafy spinach cooked to a creamy consistency and tempered with burnt garlic – perfect with a large helping of rice and some prawn masala – ummm – so comforting and satisfying.

The Apricot Halwa is very moreish, as the different flavours are delicately balanced together. A dessert such as this befitting of a trained and experienced chef’s repertoire.

True to its name, the food at Pure is just that – pure, earthy and full of flavour yet with crafted with expert knowledge and the very best ingredients and produce. I would go back purely for the

I would go back purely for the patra chaat, crab kokum fry and the lamb dish and we do hope to make the most of the fact that this delightful restaurant is in our neck of the woods. But for those who can’t get to Fulham, there is a great opportunity to sample this talented chef’s cooking at her supper club called the ‘Modern Indian regional journey’. To book the supper club and to explore the menu in detail head to the restaurant’s website.

*With thanks to Humayun Hussain for the invite and Chef Shilpa Dandekar and Faheem for their warm hospitality. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Cinnamon Pecan Gluten Free Coffee Cake

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Cake! Brilliantly easy afternoon tea cake with crunchy pecans and lots of cinnamon. Plus it’s Gluten-Free!

After a really long time, today I felt like baking a really big cake. Sometimes the desire to bake just takes over and then I have to get all my baking paraphernalia out and just enjoy the process. This classic coffee cake is what we in the U.K would serve for afternoon tea and doesn’t actually contain coffee. It is a modified recipe for a classic sour cream coffee cake.  This cinnamon pecan coffee cake is not also gluten-free.

I am particularly pleased with the outcome of this one because I literally just threw things together and poured the entire cake mixture into my lovely removable bottom cake tin.

The idea of a cinnamon pecan coffee cake had been dancing around in my head for a few days now after I found an easy recipe on Betty Crocker. But of course, I had to tweak the ingredients and swap a few things here and there. I also prefer cakes just as they are minus the fuss of drizzle or icing or anything terribly fancy. Or maybe I am just lazy like that 😉

Another reason I am rather pleased with the outcome of this bake is that I have been working with alternative flours for a while now. Ever since I made these fluffy GF, dairy-free finger millet pancakes with no eggs and no refined sugar almost 2 years ago, I have made many more things using various flours.

I currently am rather obsessed with Teff flour and have even made some very yummy pancakes with them. But unfortunately haven’t been able to get the recipe up on time for Pancake Day today! And though I have finally managed to finally get back to blogging after a hectic but fun 3-month project, I still have to get all my ducks in a row. Looking for healthy pancake recipes? Try my Finger millet and blueberry GF, dairy-free and refined sugar-free, eggless pancake recipe, or why not try my mixed flours amaranth and finger millet mixed berry GF pancakes recipe – which is also dairy-free and eggless and can be made vegan!

So this baking session also gave me an opportunity to finally try the sample of gluten-free self-raising flour sent to me by the lovely Vicki or ‘Free from Fairy’. I too have studied Biochemistry after my B.sc in Lifesciences. I didn’t pursue my research in Biochemistry though as I did my MBA in Marketing and life took me on another track. But I have always loved reading about and understanding the science behind food and various ingredients.

And I am very satisfied with the consistency and results with Vicki’s fabulous blend of self-raising flour – Gluten-free whole grain which is also rice-free and has a mix of teff, sorghum, and buckwheat. All of these flours I love working with!

So here is my version of the recipe, I do hope you make this cake and enjoy it with your afternoon cuppa as it is ‘Time for a cuppa’ Day – a week where the charity Dementia, U.K raise awareness and support fund-raising activities. Also, it was St. David’s day yesterday, and yes I love the google doodle but I am also happy that I have been to Wales four times in the last six years – that’s a lot! Lucky me, twice to enjoy my stay and do every a food blogger would love to do, with some really good blogger friends and the other two times to explore the beauty of Wales and relish the food.

I have used Fairtrade dark chocolate in my recipe as 27th Feb was the start of the Fairtrade Fortnight. I met and spoke to many interesting brands at the Fairtrade Christmas show last year in July in London, more on that in another post coming soon.

But both A and me, are very drawn to Wales, especially to Snowdon. I did start writing a series of travel posts about our Welsh adventure but never really managed to publish all my posts. Why not have a look at what we got up to at Holyhead in my post here and also check out the breathtaking views from Southstack lighthouse in my post here?

Lastly, I swapped sugar with Natvia, so all these swaps make it a healthy bake right 😉 Definitely lighter on the conscience, in moderation of course!

Manjiri Chitnis

Cinnamon Pecan Gluten Free Coffee Cake

Classic coffee cake recipe with tweaks –
An easy toput together cake recipe, a quick bake for afternoon tea, an all-rounder, getsfull marks for being easy, quick, GF and fun to make!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings: 15 pieces
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the Cinnamon Pecan Gluten Free Coffee Cake
  • 3 cups Free from Fairy's self-raising flour i.e 385 grams
  • 1.5 cups sugar substitute like Natvia
  • 1.5 tsp Baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp Baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1.5 cups Soured Cream
  • 1.5 tsp Vanilla

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Tray
  • Hand-held blender/ Food processor/ Mixer/ Stand Mixer
  • Spatula
  • Measuring spoons
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Sieve

Method
 

  1. Chop the pecans roughly and add to a small bowl. Break the dark chocolate bar into small pieces by hand. Mix the cinnamon powder and brown sugar and set aside
  2. In a large mixing bowl sieve, the flour, and the sugar – just to ensure no lumps go into. Add the baking powder and baking soda, softened unsalted butter, vanilla and eggs did not use an electric mixer just used a large spatula and mixed the whole thing together well until a proper thick mix was formed. Then I added in the soured cream and mixed well again
  3. Now pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius
  4. Grease a 12'' cake tin using a generous blob of the unsalted butter and pour enough cake mixture to make a thin layer then sprinkle some of the pecan mixture. Repeat at least 3 times until all the cake and pecan mixture is alternatively used up
  5. Bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven at 18 degree Celsius for one hour
  6. Check using a toothpick or a thin knife to check if the cake is done by inserting it into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean then the cake is done
  7. Place the cake tin on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before releasing the removable base of the tin
  8. Serve with freshly brewed tea
  9. Stores well in the refrigerator for at least a week in an air-tight tin

This cake contains soured cream and I wouldn’t keep it for longer than a week refrigerated but would love to hear from you if you have stored it longer and how.

Happy Baking!

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