Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

Chocolate Afternoon Tea at The Landmark Hotel

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Afternoon Tea – it is all about the experience and not just about perfectly made sandwiches or warm scones. It is all about the setting, the atmosphere – don’t you think?

I love sampling the afternoon tea at various places around London and I couldn’t turn down an invite from Fiona to accompany her to The Landmark.

Winter Garden at The Landmark, Marylebone

Through a grand stone arch up a flight of stairs, when one enters into the soaring Winter Garden, it is quite a breathtaking experience.

The massive central courtyard is a beautiful space flooded with natural light. The glass roof that covers the atrium sits at a massive height, creating a huge dome surrounded by the rooms on all sides. Tall palm trees add to the grandeur of the Winter Garden.

Rich Victorian Heritage of The Landmark Hotel, London

The Landmark Hotel at Marylebone is built around a huge central courtyard. When it was first opened in 1899 it was called the Great Central Hotel. Sir Edward Watkin has envisioned the creation of the Great Central Railway, Marylebone Station and a Grand Hotel for its elite passengers.

When his health failed him, the project was taken over by Edward Montagu, the Earl of Wharncliffe. At this time the site was bought by the famous furniture store chain of the times Maples. To match the grandeur of luxury hotels of the time, the hotel was designed around a vast courtyard that delivered guests directly into the courtyard by horse and carriage offering them privacy. The glass roof and airy interior made for a very dramatic entrance and ensured all rooms got adequate light and air.

The hotel changed hands once again in 1988 when the new roof to the atrium was raised and the winter garden was designed. Windsor Hotel was the name proposed at this time, but it reopened as the Regent in 1993 under new management. Two years later it was renamed The Landmark Hotel.

Award-winning Afternoon Tea

Our welcome glass of bubbly was the Champagne de Castelnau Brut Reserve. Then we picked our teas and picked a theme for our pastries. I choose to have the chocolate afternoon tea while my companion picked the classic afternoon tea.

Picking a tea to pair with my chocolate tea was quite easy as the Smooth Caramel sounded like it was made to pair with the chocolatey delights on my afternoon tea menu.

Our afternoon tea came laid out on elegant trays on shiny silver trays. The steaming hot teas came in beautiful silver teapots.

We thoroughly enjoyed our sandwich selection which consisted of deliciously fresh cucumber sandwiches (which I loved and couldn’t get enough of), coronation chicken on walnut bread, Lapsang Souchong tea-smoked Scottish salmon sandwiches which were a hit with my companion, and organic egg mayonnaise with mustard and cress. The sandwiches were so fresh and delicious that we asked for more.

My chocolate-themed pastries included a decadent blood orange and white chocolate mousse which was also my absolute favourite. The other chocolatey delights were a milk chocolate dacquoise sponge with hazelnut Chantilly cream, a beautiful banana, pecan nut, and milk chocolate cake and a perfectly formed large coconut and chocolate macaroon topped with a tiny dollop of delicate edible gold foil.

My companion picked the Earl Grey tea which was a bit too strong for her liking. She loved her pastry selection from the classic afternoon tea though. It included a rhubarb and lemon meringue tartlet which looked very tempting, a pretty looking simnel cake with dried fruits spices and marzipan, a delicious dark and white chocolate sphere which was my companion’s favourite pick from the lot and last but not the least a salted caramel macaroon. 

The scones we were served also offered a selection depending on our choice of afternoon tea. So while I enjoyed a selection of plain and chocolate scones, Fiona was served plain and fruit scones. I loved that we could pick two jams from a really good selection of jams. This was for me was a big plus point in favour of this whole afternoon tea experience. The other positives, of course, include the fabulously fresh sandwiches, the lovely selection of premium teas and the exquisite selection of chocolate pastries.

I picked a gooseberry and elderflower jam to go with my scones and clotted cream which I thought went really well with the warm scones, especially the chocolate scones. An unexpected but very pleasant combination of flavours. My companion picked apricot jam which she thought paired really well with the fruity scones, as expected. We had plenty of clotted cream to smother our scones with and am sure we would have managed to eat a few more scones if we hadn’t done round two of the sandwiches.

I would rate this experience amongst my Top 5 afternoon teas in London and I have tried quite a few. I love the location for this hotel too and that definitely adds to the score. With Marylebone station right around the corner, this grand venue has loads of offer. So you not only enjoy a delicious afternoon tea served in pretty silver wear by very attentive and polite staff but you always experience being inside a larger than life Winter Garden, sitting in a quiet seating area surrounded by tall Palm trees looking up at glass roof atrium and enjoy the soft music thanks to a harpist playing in the background.

To book this luxurious afternoon tea experience at The Landmark Hotel check out their menu and other details on their website here: The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone, London.

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

Looking for more options for places to eat at while in Marylebone, why not read Fiona’s review about Twist Kitchen, an independent local restaurant in the area.

* With thanks to Fiona who blogs at London Unattached and The Landmark Hotel for the invite. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No monetary compensation was offered.

Greek Cookery Class with Jet2

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Celebrating Greek cuisine

Greek cuisine has always fascinated me and though I haven’t yet been to Greece (I know!) I do, very often dream of visiting this stunningly beautiful destination. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Greek cuisine is moussaka and tzatziki. This popular cuisine has some much to offer with dishes made using fresh fish, delicious meat, cheese and of course plenty of vegetables.

Jet2.com invited me to a Greek cookery class a few weeks ago to celebrate the launch of two new destinations in Greece for 2020. The azure waters of the coast at Lefkas and the quieter beach town of Parga can go onto your travel itinerary for 2020 with Jet2

#JetMe2theGreek event with Jet2

To celebrate the two new destinations for 2020, Jet2 came up with the wonderful idea of celebrating Greek cuisine with a cookery class.

Jenius social kitchen organised a very enjoyable group cooking class for us. A very talented chef and her team patiently taught a large group of us how to quickly rustle up a five-course Greek feast.

We cooked a very simple but beautiful summery greek salad, stuffed peppers and stuffed juicy tomatoes, delicate filo pastry parcels stuffed with two different fillings, skewers, and my absolute favourite tzatziki.

All of us were divided into groups and each group made generous portions of each dish. There was great attention given to all guests, ensuring that everyone’s dietary requirements were met.

I personally loved making the filo pastry parcels because they were so delicate to handle and it was great to pick up some pro tips on how to create the perfect triangular shape and not overdo the stuffing.

It was an incredibly warm and humid summer evening and the salad proved to be a crowd favourite. The recipe created by the chef at Jenius social Kitchen, we followed is very easy to re-create at home and can complement any main dish very nicely. Why not create this dish at home and enjoy it while you plan your Greek adventure for 2020?

Greek Salad
Ingredients:
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red onion
• Handful of Kalamata olives
• 80g feta cheese
• Glug of Greek extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 8 fresh mint leaves
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

  1. Cut the tomatoes into 2cm wedges.
  2. Quarter the cucumber and cut into chunks.
  3. Peel and thinly slice the red onion.
  4. Halve the Kalamata olives.
  5. Roll the mint leaves up and thinly slice into ribbons, place these into a small bowl with the
    oregano, salt and pepper, and mix.
  6. Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl, along with the seasoning and some extra virgin olive
    oil and mix.
  7. Chop or crumble the feta on top of the salad to serve.

After all that hard work, we enjoyed a proper Greek feast at the huge and neatly set table. The menu was perfect for a summer evening and the stuffed filo parcels and skewers dipped into the cooling dip went down a treat. The wine kept flowing thanks to the fab team at Jenius social kitchen.

Ready to fly to Greece for a relaxing holiday soon? Well why not consider Lefkas and Parga where you can fly straight into with Jet2.com.

Lefkas and Parga

Lefkas – home to spectacular scenery and stunning sandy beaches. The turquoise waters, wild olive groves, and breathtaking hills are the stuff dream holidays are made of.

Lefkas, Greece

Parga – Sitting on the slope, this picture-postcard perfect town has the best of both worlds. Cobalt sea and rugged hillside dotted with traditional terracotta-topped houses. This beach town is home to unspoilt white sand beaches and a promenade that will coax even the most camera-shy out of their shell to proudly pose for pictures.

Parga,Greece

*With thanks to Jet2 Holidays for an invite.

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.

Maplin Photo Walk around Central London

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One of my hobbies has always been photography. Growing up I have always asked my Baba to gift me camera’s. I do have a few old camera’s still stashed away in a drawer at my Mum’s place back in India.

I really started exploring my way with a point and shoot camera during my college days in Mumbai. I even made a bit of pocket money selling prints from the photos that developed from film. I do wish I had continued with experimenting and developing my own film but I do plan to get into that soon!

After moving to London, I used small cameras for a while until my darling husband gifted me my first ever DSLR Camera. Armed with my Canon, I have travelled to various destinations all over the world and photographed my way through lot of foodie events, food festivals, cooking demos with leading chefs and even managed to do some paid work. Some of my most exciting meet-up’s in London have been with budding photography enthusiats and I have found some long-lasting friendships thanks to this shared passion too.

On my first visit to Mumbai after I moved to London, I went on a photo walk in the evening with my friend A who is a talented photographer himself. I love vibrant colours and open markets and India has these in abundance.The photograph below won me an prize for an online contest in India. It means the essence of Diwali for me. I was born and raised in Mumbai and for me the festival of lights Diwali is one of the best times of the year.

This photo of a flowering tea is somethig I would set-up to play around with different elements and use them to photograph food and drinks at home. I love collecting photography props. Yes, I am that crazy woman who will swoon over cool finds in charity shops and carboot sales 🙂

But like many of my hobbies, this has moved to the back burner now. Time to get behind the lens again.

And what better day to make this decision than on World Photo Day – August 19th!

A while back when Maplin invited me to join in with a select group of bloggers and freelancer for a Photo Walk through Central London, I was beyond excited!

We met up with talented professional photographer Kay Ford at Covent Garden and walked through to Neal’s Yard and then Chinatown. Kaye shared some of her top tips on clicking photos in busy areas like Central London with lots of people milling about. I loved the tips she shared about composing a photo and how to work with a DSLR camera.

Kaye encouraged us to really get into street photography, something I do struggle with. There is always so much happening in Covent Garden with so may tourists, street performers, vendors, street food and it is always alive, buzzing and full of colour. So many photo opportunities!

Though I clicked close to a 150 photos with my Canon camera during this photo walk, it seems minsicule in comparison to the massive number of photo albums I have stored on my laptop and external hard drives. This is where Maplin comes in with photo storage solutions.

Our photo walk took us just over half an hour and we walked starting from Brigit’s Bakery across Coivent Garden, Neal’s Yard and through Chinatown and via Cecil Court (the inspiration behind Diagon Alley in the famous Harry Potter series) back to Brigit’s Bakery.

To view all social media photos from this fun event look up the hashtag #maplinphotowalk

We enjoyed a delicious Afternoon Tea at Brigits’s Bakery and it was the most wonderful way to wrap up an afternoon of walking across the streets of Central London and getting top tips from Kaye.

Here I am putting into practise one of Kaye’s tips – create a ‘photo within a photo’ effect

Here is a photo of the city from Waterloo Bridge taken a few days after this photo walk.

To read my detailed post about the fabulous sit-down Afternoon Tea at Brigit’s Bakery check out my blog post here.

Looking for Travel Inspiration around London or other parts of the U.K, then have a browse through my travel posts below:

*With thanks to Maplin and the PR agency for the invite. Thanks to Kaye Ford for a memorable experience and sharing so many wonderful photography tips, also a huge thank-you to Brigit’s Bakery for a wonderful complimentary Afternoon Tea. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No monetary compensation was offered. 

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!

NEED MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION TO GET BAKING?

Why not check out my other recipes here:

BBQ pulled pork and aromatic Noodle soup

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Enjoy summery flavours mixed with a warming aromatic bowl of spicy noodle soup with Iceland Foods new BBQ Mississippi pulled pork from the World Famous Foods range

Winter evenings in February are always unpredictable, even though some days are warm, evenings are always chilly. During transition periods the trio of cold, cough and flu makes an appearance. At such times I mostly crave a hearty filling bowl of soupy noodles with a spicy zing and yesterday I had the perfect excuse – a chilly evening -and a freezer full of frozen delights from Iceland Foods World Famous Foods range. I cannot resist juicy BBQ pulled pork and thought an aromatic warming noodle soup topped with BBQ pulled pork was an apt choice – soup to warm your cockles and BBQ flavours to welcome the new season which is just around the corner.

Isn’t it great that you can enjoy summery flavours from across the world at any time you please by just stocking up your freezer with these delightfully diverse and flavoursome foods? The sheer convenience of having the #PowerofFrozen at your fingertips allowing you to create a whole host of budget-friendly, tasty meals that not only you and your family can enjoy but are perfect crowd-pleasers.

To make their frozen range even more convenient is the Chilled Life on the products, which clearly states how long a product can stay in the fridge to ensure that its high quality and taste are not impacted. The smart way to free up precious freezer space especially in the summer!

To make the meal healthy I used zero fat, low calorie and low carb, gluten-free noodles, and very little oil on high heat. You could swap the oil for a 1 cal oil spray too.

BBQ pulled pork Soup with aromatic low-carb, GF noodles

Iceland Foods has re-christened their slow-cooked range as the World famous foods range.

Manjiri Chitnis

BBQ pulled Pork and aromatic noodle soup

Easy recipe for Smoky BBQ pulled Pork in a delicious aromatic noodle soup
Print Recipe
Servings: 2 People
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 550 grams BBQ Mississippi Pulled Pork
  • 350 grams Beef stock from a 450 gm shop bought jar
  • 240 grams gm of mixed tender stem broccoli green beans, pak choi
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 pack bared naked noodles
  • 1/2 thumb-sized Cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 thumb-sized Ginger – peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 Thai red chilli – thinly sliced
  • 1/2 a stick of fresh fragrant lemongrass
  • 1/2 a medium sized red onion sliced lengthwise
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic deskinned and smashed roughly with the flat end of a knife
  • a pinch of brown castor sugar
  • Handful of fresh coriander roughly chopped
  • Some fresh chopped spring onion to garnish
  • 1 lime sliced into wedges
  • 2 medium boiled eggs

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Wok

Method
 

  1. Defrost the BBQ Mississippi pulled pork in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use
  2. Place for 40 mins at 180 °C in a pre-heated oven
  3. While the pork is heating in the oven, start with the noodle preparation
  4. Heat a wok on medium heat
  5. When the wok is hot add sesame oil and add the cinnamon, garlic, ginger and red onion
  6. Cook on medium heat until the garlic and red onion turn a nice brown, then add the green beans and broccoli
  7. Stir fry the green for about a minute on medium low heat before pouring in the beef stock
  8. Add some water to thicken the stock if it is too thick and then added the cooked noodles. Throw in the sliced lemongrass stalk and sugar
  9. If you are using noodles that need to be cooked beforehand, simply follow pack instructions.
  10. I used Barenaked Noodles as they are zero fat, low in calories and extremely low carb
  11. Add the pak choi and cook covered on a low heat for about one minute
  12. To serve, add the noodle soup in each bowl then garnish with fresh coriander and some chopped spring onion. Place about 2 heaped tbsp of pulled pork in each bowl
  13. Serve with a wedge of lime
  14. Serve hot
BBQ Mississippi Pulled Pork
BBQ Mississippi Pulled Pork
BBQ Pulled Pork aromatic spicy noodle soup

Both hubby and I loved the thick and flavourful rich BBQ sauce and used some of the leftover sauce to drizzle over mushrooms stuffed with mature cheddar and oven cooked with just a spritz of chilli garlic oil – the result was mouth watering!

BBQ Pulled Pork spicy noodle soup

The entire range of World famous foods is available in stores at Iceland Foods from 20th Feb’17. The World famous range includes: Hoisin Duck Wings, OHSicilian Half Chicken, BBQ Mississippi Pulled Pork, BBQ Texan Down & Dirty Pulled Brisket, BBQ Memphis Baby Back Ribs, Minted Lamb Shanks, Garlic & Rosemary Lamb Leg. To find out more head to the Iceland Foods site here.

LOOKING FOR EASY TO MAKE, DELICIOUS SOUP AND STEW RECIPES? WHY NOT BROWSE THROUGH SOME OF MY EASY TO FOLLOW RECIPES:

This post was commissioned by Iceland Foods. As always all opinions are always my own.

Egg based Tea Time Treats – February 2017

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Put all your eggs into one basket for this exciting linky bloggers!

The new year seems to be hurtling us ahead in time at a lightning speed. January came and went in the blink of an eye! And before we know it we are already in Feb and the annual frenzy surrounding Valentine’s day seems to be in the air.

Every evening while I return from my evening stroll I happen to pass by a beautiful flower shop. The florist has gone a bit overboard this year with a massive heart-shaped display of red roses, red balloons and cute cuddly teddy bears! I think looking at that window display every day has subconsciously influenced me into purchasing a heart-shaped baking tray – believe me, I have resisted for many years now but this year, I just succumbed to the temptation.

So a heart-shaped cake or two will soon feature on the blog! That got my co-hosts, Jo and Karen thinking about the theme for this month’s #TeaTimeTreats linky and we all unanimously agreed on  EGGS!

lavenderandlovage_teatime

The vital ingredient to most sweet and savoury #TeaTimeTreats, eggs are not just for breakfast! Think muffins, cakes, cupcakes, sandwiches, quiches, french toast, pakodas, sweet and savoury delights! The possibilities are endless 🙂 Afternoon tea never felt so egg-citing 😉

Freshly picked Happy Eggs

Just a few reasons we at the #TeaTimeTreats team love EGGS!

  • Eggs are so versatile to cook with and they are easy on the pocket.
  • Eggs are DELICIOUS , great for kids and adults alike.
  • ONE egg has 13 essential vitamins and minerals.
  • ONE egg contains 6 gms of protein – wow!
  • Eggs are an egg-cellent source of vitamin D, vitamin B12, phosphorus and riboflavin
  • Eggs are great for those looking to loose weight as they can easily be incorporated into a healthy meal plan to support a regular exercise regime.
Egg Hopper
Chocolate Coconut Cake with Coconut flavoured Icing
Chocolate Coconut Cake with Coconut flavoured Icing
Ragi and Blueberry Pancakes , Finger Millet Blueberry Pancakes, Nachni chya god polya

So please do join in and link up with us for this month’s #TeaTimeTreats linky, can’t wait to see your cakes, pancakes, bakes, muffins, rolls, wraps, stuffed delights, crispy delights, fried temptations, based goodies, sweet treats, savoury treats and other creative recipes with egg as one of the ingredients- bring it on!

Tea-Time-Treats-Logosmall

Meanwhile, if you are looking for some recipe inspiration for leftover ingredients from Christmas that are still lurking around in your freezers, then have a look at these 7 creative ideas to have some fun cooking for tea.

7 tea time treat recipe ideas – January 2017 #TeaTimeTreats recipe round-up by Jo of Jo’s Kitchen Blog.

Just a gentle reminder of some simple rules to follow while linking up to #TeaTimeTreats

Rules:

  • Post your recipe on your blog with a link to Lavender and Lovage, Travels for Taste and Jo’s Kitchen and mention the relevant month’s host and attach the Tea Time Treats logo as shown on the event page.
  • Add Tea Time Treats in your blog post as a label/tag.
  • The recipe can be one of your own or one you’ve seen elsewhere.  You are welcome to republish old recipes/posts but please add the information about this challenge.
  • Please be as creative with the theme as you like.
  • If you put your post on Twitter please mention @KarenBurnsBooth,  @travelsfortaste, @Jos_Kitchen  and #teatimetreats in your message and we will re-tweet all those we see.
  • You do not need to enter every month to join in with the challenge.
  • Your post can be submitted for other blogging challenges, just make sure this complies with the rules of the other challenge.
  • VIP: Add your recipe link to the live linky posted at the bottom of every challenge post.
  • If using a recipe from another person, book, website, chef or blog, you must link back to the original recipe and not reproduce the recipe in full in your post. You must also use your OWN images for the recipe and not the original images, unless you have permission to do so, with appropriate links and any other information requested by the photo’s owner added to the image.

Get your creative hats on bloggers and make some magic happen with those eggs! Am so egg-cited to see what you come up with! (Don’t blame for being so egg-static!)

(Copy and paste the code below into your Text editor to embed the logo into your blog post)

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.lavenderandlovage.com/tea-time-treats" title="Tea Time
lavenderandlovage_teatime

Please add you Afternoon Tea and Tea Time Treats recipe links below!
THANK YOU and have a dreamy, happy and lovely February 2017, may every tea time be filled with inspirational recipes and eggy treats!
 Manjiri, Karen and Jo xxx

Fruity Tea at The Wallace Collection

Devilled Happy eggs

Christmas Lunch at River Cottage

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Winter at River Cottage

River Cottage is an experience and after the power-packed day, I spent there last year with Foodies 100, I couldn’t turn down an invitation to go back this year.

River Cottage

Thankfully, my friends and I managed to find rooms at the same gorgeous B&B which we stayed at last year, Millwater House run by Tim and Ruth. This year in addition to maintaining very clean rooms, a stunning reception, and dining area, and a massive back garden complete with a  green-house they also built a makeshift disco in a barn and kept the signage as a memory and a huge rack to grade and store the excess supply of apples from the many fruit-laden trees that dot the driveway.

Last year thanks to Heidi’s husband the very kind Mr. R, we ( Tina, Nayna, and I ) managed to go see the beach at Lyme Regis and explore the beautiful town and even have a fabulous dinner at one of the best sea-food places in town.

This year though we spent our extra day off, window-shopping and shopping for props.

Unlike last year, when we had brilliant sunny weather and had a farm tour, kitchen garden tour, a fabulous baking session in the superb teaching kitchen and not to mention some cracking blogger training sessions, this year gave us an opportunity to really connect with other bloggers. We had a brainstorming session where everyone shared their tips – everything from increasing social media following to scheduling blog posts and collaborating.

River Cottage
Christmas at River Cottage

The main hall at River cottage was decorated with pretty flowers and pumpkins of all shapes and varieties of adorned tables. It could have been a setting for a dreamy country wedding.

Christmas at River Cottage

We were given an insight into brining of meat and vegetables and I managed to learn a few great tricks.

Though I did enjoy spending some time in the huge yurt and loved how toasty and warm it is inside with the fireplace, of course, the best part was the fantastic festive dinner.

Inside the yurt at the River Cottage

We started off by enjoying eating some of the fantastic sharing platters with pork and leek croquettes with tamarind and green tomato chutney, goat’s cheese, beetroot, honey, and fennel on impossibly thin crispbread, mussels served with a scattering of finely chopped red onion and a few other gorgeous dishes.

Inside the yurt at the River Cottage

For starters, we were served celeriac ravioli with wild mushrooms and leaves – what an absolutely satisfying dish this was. I craved an extra portion …alas, it was not to be 😉

Starters at River Cottage

River Cottage brines and cures their own meats of course, as they use natural ingredients versus the nitrates used in commercial varieties. For my main course, I enjoyed some succulent ‘fall off the bone soft’ River Cottage pork, brined in cider served on a bed of carrot puree, fried savoy cabbage, and braised beans. Probably the only time I have felt like asking for helpings of cabbage;)

Mains at River Cottage

The dessert was a perfectly formed honeycomb crème brûlée served with apple puree, the puree had a really sharp taste though. The best part was of the dessert were these divine wafer-thin apple crisps.

Crème brûlée at the River Cottage Christmas Blogger Lunch

I am so glad I wore layers and purchased a fab new pair of warm gloves before we made our way to the farm. It was a very cold evening and a crazy tractor ride to and fro to the farm was just one of the things that made the evening really fun.

I am not entirely certain whether I feel brave enough to cure or brine meat on my own though, but I am certainly hoping I can go back to River Cottage sometime soon to pick up some more kitchen skills.

This wonderful experience also reminded me of the past events organised by Foodies 100 and one such was a Blog Camp at Birmingham. I was only in Birmingham for a day but would love to go back and properly explore the city, especially the food scene there. Meanwhile, my fellow blogger has written an interesting blog post about her visit to Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Centre with her children, do check it out if you need ideas of day trips ideal for families.

Christmas at River Cottage

Looking for Travel Inspiration around London or other parts of the U.K, then have a browse through my travel posts below:

*With thanks to Foodies100 for organising such a Christmas Lunch and the talented team at River Cottage for an unforgettable experience. As always all opinions expressed are as always my own. No incentive was provided for a positive review.

Pickling with Sarsons new speciality blend vinegar

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When life gives you lemons, make a jar of – yes you guessed right – Lemon Pickle! No proper Indian meal is complete without a bit of pickle on the side. Growing up my mum pickled every possible vegetable and fruit that she would get her hands on , whatever was seasonal and also many times what took her fancy. That is why I was curious to experience how pickles are made using Sarsons vinegar, which now I know is a a very different and easy way to create great tasting pickles.

I cannot resist a good mango or lemon pickle – both of which are firm favourites in our family. But pickled chillies, garlic and even fish come a close second and third. As a preservation technique pickling is almost 4000 years old and am proud to say it started in India with cucumbers.

Fresh ingredients are always the best for pickles

U.K’s leading vinegar brand has launched a new speciality blend this year and I spent a happy evening pickling bright coloured peppers . The condiments which lend any pickle their distinctive flavour are already a part of these unique Sarson Vinegar and are a must try for anyone who is remotely interested in making pickles. Not only do Sarsons speciality vinegars have the added benefit of coriander seeds, black peppercorns and pink peppercorns, they also help extend the life of your pickles. For recipe inspiration, hints and tips have a browse through the Sarsons website.

Sarsons speciality vinegar for pickling
Sarsons speicality pickling Vinegar

The beauty of this process of pickling is that all you need to do is chop what vegetable you would like to pickle and add in the beautiful speciality blend. Ensuring that the Kilner jars used are sterilised properly to prevent any illness and also ensuring that only the most fresh produce is used at all times.

Sarsons speciality vinegar for pickling

At the event, Denise Tollyfield was at hand to provide her top tips and guide us through the process of making pickles. My friends Nayna and Heidi bottled cucumber while Vaishali and me worked on the peppers. Must say we were quite the team.

Pickling peppers with Sarsons

Denise recommends boiling the lids of the Kilner Jars separately as they have a rubber ring to ensure the jar shuts tight and prevents leakage – this shouldn’t be oven dried whereas the jars should be sterilised in a pre-heated oven for at least ten minutes. The most important tip she shared is that when pouring the prepared pickle into the sterilised jar – both the glass jar and the pickled mixture should be equally hot. Before sealing the filled jars its best to add enough vingear to cover all the vegetables in the pickle.

Top pickling tips from Denise

I was quite tempted to amp up the heat in our pickled peppers so we added a naughty red chilli sliced into or jars. The garlic pickle looked so good that I was really craving to try some but alas, once the jars were sealed we would have to wait for a a few hours to allow the flavours to mature before enjoying the fruits of our labour. Just remember to label and date each pickle and store them in a cool and ideally dark place,

Garlic pickle with Sarsns Vinegar and Kilner

No better way to spend a chilly winter evening than with friends like Nayna and Heidi doing something we love, working with food and even better when it turns into a chance meeting with another passionate foodie like Vaishali.

Pickling with Sarsons Vinegar

There is a definite joy in working with the best possible ingredients especially fresh produce as it guarantees great results each time.  I cannot wait to create more fun pickles and add mini jars to share with my friends and family in their Diwali and Christmas gift Hampers.

Fresh produce gives great results each time when pickling with Sarsons
Sarsons Pickles in Kilner Jars

Disclaimer:  With thanks to Sarsons for the invite. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated monetarily for this post.

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