Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

Washington D.C Air BnB stay

by Leave a Comment

We are gearing up for our very first stay in an Air BnB in the U.K. Naturally, that reminded me of our very first stay anywhere in the world in an Air BnB,

Seems like it was ages ago, in Washington D.C – our first ever trip across the pond too! We were so excited because we were off to spend Thanksgiving with our family in the USA and meet our cousins and my cute nephews! Sightseeing in New York was obviously on my mind but I was very eagerly looking forward to a short trip to Washington D.C

I found Cody’s air BnB listing easily and the booking process was very easy. We were lucky to get a booking with him because of all the positive reviews he had already earned.

I was looking for a place from where it would be easy to commute to the main tourist spots and also a safe, clean and lively neighbourhood with a spattering of good cafe’s. This listing ticked all the boxes.

I sent Cody a message asking few questions regarding location etc and once he accepted my booking request, it was smooth sailing from there on.

On the day we arrived, there was slight confusion but Thanks to Cody being such a fab host it was resolved pretty quickly! The previous occupant has not followed instructions to leave the key safely and this had delayed our check-in time. So basically, we then had to leave our luggage with Cody while he arranged to have our room clean and ready for us.

But that gave us a chance to walk around and explore our surroundings and we found an amazing cafe and bookstore called Busboys and Poets and spent a happy few hours sipping coffee and relaxing.

When we walked into Cody’s flat, everything was neatly arranged and looked exactly like the photos he has on the Air BnB listing.

A short flight of stairs leading to level one houses two bedrooms, the ensuite one was occupied and we had one large bedroom with a comfortable double bed ready for us.

Neatly folded towels left on the bed were a nice touch. The bathroom outside was huge and we were the only ones using it – woohoo!

Cody’s fridge was stashed with various things which he said we could use, though we had all our meals outside and didn’t really need anything it was good to know he is so generous. Plates and coffee mugs, cutlery was available to use and we washed whatever we used which was only a few mugs and spoons for our morning coffee and cereal. There were various types of sweeteners and milk also stocked up in the fridge. On the morning we checked our we briefly met Cody’s partner but unfortunately because of Cody’s busy schedule ( he is a nurse) we couldn’t spend any quality time with him.

The refrigerator door had loads of post-its with lovely messages from guests who had also enjoyed Cody’s warm hospitality.

On the day we arrived the weather was lovely but the ext day it was really rainy! If it had been sunny, we would have loved to spend time in his lovely little front garden with a cuppa.

We had booked our bus journey online from London and after a busy morning where we managed to pack in some last minute sightseeing, we took a cab and sped off to the bus station. Somehow though, I was very happy to get back to get back to New York! New York reminds me so much of Bombay city – the pace, the vibe, the spirit and the general feeling of being in a big, buzzing city – it simply can’t be compared!

Have you been to Washington D.C? And have you ever booked an Air BnB accommodation? Tell me what it was like in comments below – I love hearing from you!

*We booked and paid for our stay, travel, and food in full.  No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always this is an honest account of my experience. All information is correct to my knowledge but would advise anyone using this post as a guideline to please check for updated information.

 

Top 5 fun things to do in Amsterdam

by 6 Comments

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

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

Exploring the food scene in East Village, New York

Walking Tours fascinate me, 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 defences crumbling!

Now one would think that after eating at 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 like one 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?

Springtime at Keukenhof – The Garden of Europe

by 32 Comments

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.

Christmas Lunch at River Cottage

by Leave a Comment

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 for 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, but 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 a tamarind and green tomato chutney, goats 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 though 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.

Christmas at River Cottage

*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.

Behind the scenes at a free range Happy Eggs Co farm

by 15 Comments

Happy Eggs – Behind the scenes at a free-range farm in rural England

Scrambled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, in an omelette, in a frittata – whichever way you like your eggs, they are an unbeatable source of protein and unsurprisingly, a much-loved way to kick start the day with a power-packed breakfast. I have always loved eggs especially runny scrambled ones like the ones my Baba makes for breakfast. It was hard for me then, to say no to a tempting invitation by Happy Eggs to come visit their farm up in Tring.

Happy Eggs Farm Visit
Happy Eggs Florentine
Happy Egg Co

Travelling to Happy Eggs farm from London

Having read so much, about how Happy Eggs Co like to have their girls roam around freely, this was a chance for me to experience things firsthand. So on a perfectly fine summer afternoon, I set out from London to the Hertfordshire. Arriving from London on the day would have been a nightmare, so I decided to stay one night in the village nearby the farm.

After a rather nightmarish re-routing of my otherwise straightforward journey to Luton, I finally managed to get there only about two hours late, thanks to cancelled and delayed trains. Thankfully, after that bit, it was a just quick drive from Luton station into the picturesque countryside.

No better way to recharge my batteries than a quick getaway out of London city limits. After I checked into the Five Bells Vintage Inn, I met lovely Jane who writes at The Hedgecombers for a quick drink and dinner. It was absolutely fabulous catching up with her after months. Jane is just one of the many amazing bloggers I have met at FBC and over the years we all have become really good friends. While Jane went back to her cute camper van for the night, I settled in early to ensure I got to the farm on time.

120 acres of space at the Bulborne Happy Eggs Co. Farm

Bulborne Happy Egg Farm

Feeling Egg-tastic at the Happy Eggs farm at Bulborne

Breakfast at the B&B with Jane was a quick affair and I even got to ride with her to the farm in that camper van – Woohoo!!! – quite a treat for a city like me! We lost our way a bit and after driving around in circles for a bit we finally made our way to Bulborne farm. We were greeted by a big bunch of bloggers and the Happy Egg co team.

It was a good that we had an early breakfast then, as we missed the morning treats laid out for us. After a quick introduction we all donned fresh blue overalls and sipped into wellies – I have NEVER walked for so many hours in wellies before but it was not as bad as I thought it would be.

Happy Hens at the Happy Eggs Farm

Happy Eggs Farm at Bulborne is an Organic farm spread across 120 acres of open,lush green space

Farmer JP of Bulborne farm is one of the many farmers who work with Noble Foods, the company that owns the Happy Egg brand. Bulborne Farm houses 14,000 girls as the hens are known or VIBS – very important birds in a space spread across 120 acres. This farm is a fully organic farm which means it is audited by bodies such as Organic Food Federation or Organic Farmers & Growers. This is in addition, to being certified and audited by the BEIC Lion Code.

Happy Hens at Happy Egg Co farms

All the Free Range, Barn and Organic farms that Noble Foods works with are also certified and audited by the RSPCA Freedom Food Scheme – a scheme to ensure hen welfare giving them not just wide open spaces to roam around freely but also to ensuring that they have access to dust-baths and specially designed activity kits, exactly like the one you see in my photo below.

Activity Kits for hens at Happy Eggs farm

Specially designed activity kit at Bulforne farm for Hen welfare

The focus on hen welfare and production of free-range eggs is given so much importance that they even sponsor research into work that how to create and maintain a stress free environment for the girls and keep them happy. After all Happy Hens produce Happy eggs!

Happy hens at Bulborne Farm - Happy Eggs

At the hen-house, ( no pun intended!) we saw the hens run outside to enjoy the sunshine, all the while, clucking away very happily. As we stood and took in what Farmer JP told us about a typical day in the life of an egg farmer, the hens roamed around freely around our group, not in the least perturbed by our presence.

Happy Hens at the Happy Eggs Farm

While one part of our group went inside the hen house to look at how it is designed and what facilities are provided to ensure the hens are healthy and happy and feel safe while laying eggs, we took turns holding these handsome birds. The naughty hen I held tried to peck at my hand and escaped from my hands before I could pose for a decent picture – naughty girl!

Happy Hens posing for our cameras - Happy Egg farm at Bulborne

Did you know that a hen lays an egg every 26 hours? Or that hens need dust to keep themselves clean and well-groomed? Hens are very intelligent beings and quite inquisitive by nature. To ensure that they get to satisfy their natural curiosity, each farm ensures that at least 20% of every open area must have trees planted on it.

Space aplenty and lots of trees and foliage at Happy Egg farm in Bulborne

Farmer JP explained that he understands the difference between a happy clucking and would know of his girls were unhappy instantly. One of the indicators as I already mentioned is that the hens are fearless around humans, also the hens at his farm have a very healthy and shiny set of feathers.

Happy Hens at the Happy Eggs Farm

Now that we have established that these eggs truly are free-range, how do we differentiate between the taste of eggs laid by happy hens versus caged hens? Farmer JP told us that the happy state of mind and healthy living conditions of his Happy hens results in tastier eggs. Also, fewer eggs with defects are found. These defects include a thin shell or wrinkled eggshell, which are indicators that the hens are under stress.

Jp explains why Happy Eggs are tastier because they are free range

Ergonomically designed housing for hens at Happy Eggs farm

As I walked into the e hen house, I steeled myself for an assault on my olfactory senses – what with all the pee and poo of hens, but honestly I was quite pleasantly surprised. There was dust flying around, thanks a bunch of excited hens who were jumping around in their dust-bath and cackling loudly as if exchanging some juicy gossip.

JP explained that the feeders, waste management system and egg collection areas are designed to ensure that hens are well-fed, their living space is kept clean, all this also designed to provide privacy for the hens when they want to lay eggs.

Inside a Happy Egg co farm hen house
Happy Hens enjoying a dust bath
Happy Hens have a gossip - cluck cluck!

On being quizzed about an article in the Daily Mail about hens being caged, we were informed that those hens were being treated for an illness and the article was factually incorrect. A claim that was backed by RSPCA. Sadly, as the article was not fact-based, it was followed by an apology later. Unfortunately, bad news spreads like a virus and this affects all the farmers who strive to maintain high standards. I speak from my personal experience of my visit to Bulborne farm which I can assure you, was very clean. To maintain the level of hygiene we witnessed on the day, I am positive that there is a lot of work hard involved backed by careful consideration towards hen welfare. Happy Egg farms at Bulborne contribute to research and have performed better than expected during all their audits, yes, even the ones that happen unannounced and when least expected.

Picking eggs at the Happy Eggs farm

We then picked some of the freshly laid eggs and had a look at the area where the eggs are stored before being shipped out. The stamping of the eggs is a manual process and the unique codes help identify exactly which farm they originate from. The eggs are graded by size and packed into the trademark cheery yellow cartons that are so easily recognisable on supermarket shelves.

Freshly picked Happy Eggs
Happy Eggs of various sizes
Freshly picked Happy Eggs

Famished after all that hard work we headed back to the base where a freshly prepared four course meal awaited. Chefs from Jackson & Rye restaurants in London cooked us a feast of smoked devilled eggs as canapes’ sprinkled with chives and a taste of delicious mayo, creamy avocados and spinach in Eggs Florentine.

Devilled Happy eggs
Happy Eggs Florentine

This was followed by a massive portion of the classic Mexican treat – Huevos Rancheros – loved the perfectly poached eggs on top oozing golden yolk and the fresh tomatoes and guacamole. Dessert was a Pecan tart which I wolfed down at lightening speed.

Huevos Rancheros with Happy Eggs
Huevos Rancheros with Happy Eggs
Pecan Tart at the Happy Eggs Farm

To truly understand the meaning of free range and how gold standards are achieved and maintained one must experience at close quarters how a Happy Egg farm is managed. By no means, an easy task, the passion that the whole team here has towards hen welfare is evident from the love they have for these birds.

Recipe inspiration from my kitchen

While I have you here, can I interest in you in some of my egg-tastic recipes? Have a gander and leave me a comment (or two) if you rustle up any of these dishes :

I was so egg-cited to meet some of my fellow food bloggers who came along for this farm visit. They were egg-cellent company! Alex Ryder writes at The Gingey Bites  Heidi Roberts blogs at Kitchen Talk and travels

Visiting Tring? Have a look at my review of the beautiful Five Bells Vintage Inn here.

Disclaimer:  With thanks to the Happy Eggs co for having me as a guest at Tring and Bulborne Free Range Happy Egg Co Farm. Many Thanks to Farmer JP and his team for a fabulous day out. 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. 

A slice of Costa Rica – Casado

by 2 Comments

With summer firmly on it’s way out and Autumn settling in, the chilly nights demand some great comfort food. I wanted to try something different so I choose a popular Costa Rican dish – Casado. Why? Well, it’s the ideal comfort food, easy to put together and tastes amazing! Best part is it’s very easy on the pocket and if you plate it well, it looks like a posh meal – no one would guess what went into making it!

Costa Rican Casado

Costa Rican Casado

Casado literally means a ‘married man’ and it is said that the name probably originates from how the local men expected food to be served when they were eating outside so that it reminded them of familiar tastes of a home cooked meal. An authentic Casado which is served at ‘sodas’ or local cafes is accompanied by what is known as a Lizano sauce. The brand name Lizano is now generic and retails in N. America.  Since this sauce is yet to hit UK shores ( believe me I did a fair bit of looking around in shops that sell Mexican ingredients, Asian, Carribean and most of my local supermarkets) I finally decided to make my own ,which was a great decision – why ? Well scope to experiment and innovate for one, coupled with freedom to incorporate easy to procure, local ingredients – resulting in a deliciously moorish creation! A traditional root vegetables dish from Costa Rico called Picadillo is a popular side dish with rice and tortillas. You can safely say that the gravy sauce is a marriage of sorts between the Lizano sauce and the Picadillo. I have done a fair amount of customisation and the most interesting part of cooking Casado was creating the gravy sauce, combining it with root vegetables and serving it as a wholesome gravy side dish. Let’s get started with the sauce aka gravy as this will take the most time to cook of all the other sides.

Costa Rican Casado

Costa Rican Casado

Recipe is good for 2 with generous helpings.

Root Vegetable Gravy Side

Prep & Cooking Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium juicy tomato – finely chopped
  • 2 small red onions finely chopped
  • 3 medium carrots chopped into tiny cubes
  • 3 small sweet fresh peppers finely chopped
  • A handful of cauliflower florets
  • A handful of very finely chopped sweet potato
  • 1 heaped tbsp of finely grated celeriac
  • A pinch of garlic puree
  • Half a dry red Kashmiri chilli
  • ½ tsp of thick tamarind puree
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp freshly grated black pepper
  •  1/2 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • Salt as per taste
  • A handful of finely chopped coriander

Method:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat oil and add the chopped onions, add the garlic puree and cumin powder and stir well.
  2. When the onion starts to reduce add the bay leaves, the chopped tomato and chopped sweet peppers, stir the the tomato & peppers around vigorously bit to get them to release their juices and reduce the flame to a minimum.
  3. Throw in the finely chopped carrot cubes, sweet potato, grated celeriac, tomato puree and add enough water to cover this mixture.
  4. Cook with lid on till the sweet potato and carrots begin to soften, then it’s time to toss in the cauliflower florets, season with the dry red chilli,tamarind,cracked black pepper, salt and sugar and give it a good stir.
  5. Let this cook on a low flame with lid for about 25 minutes.
  6. Keep opening the lid, stirring and adjusting the water if it becomes to run dry, we need a gravy like consistency.
  7. When it done, add some finely chopped coriander in the tamarind should give it a bit of tangy twist, while the dried Kashmiri chilli gives it colour and mild heat, the sweet pepper and tomato puree work their magic together and the gravy is delicious and wholesome what with so many veggies hidden inside!

Root Vegetable Gravy Sauce

Red Kidney bean side

Prep and Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of red kidney beans
  • 1 medium sized red onion
  • 2 large tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp garlic puree
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté the chopped onions, add the garlic puree and stir well.
  2. After the onion has sautéed, add the tomato puree and stir then add the beans and mix well.

Red onions for Kidney Beans

Red onions for Kidney Beans

  1. Add some water to the mixture and reduce the flame to a minimum, cook with a lid on but check often so that it does not burn or run dry.
  2. 4.Since the canned and ready to eat red kidney beans are preserved in salty water, check the taste before adding in any more salt, chuck in some dry red chilli flakes for flavour and set aside.

Red Kidney Bean side is done

Red Kidney Bean side is done

Boiled white rice

  • Cook 1 cup rice using exactly double the water and a pinch of salt

Fried Plantain

  • Peel and chop the plantain into large chunks and fry in hot oil in a kadhai or wok until they are a light brown. It’s easy for them to char so get them out as soon as the colour turns a golden shade of brown, allow to cool on a plate on a bit of kitchen roll to soak excess oil.

Plaintains peeled

  • Don’t fret if like me you can’t peel the plantain I simply use a knife and remove the thick green skin, even if that means that the plantain pieces are hexagonal or cubes now, well I never was too good at geometry 😉

Frying Plantains in Kadhai

Fish

  • Casado can be served with meat, fish or chicken. Chop one large fillet of fresh salmon and pan fry both sides till done in about 1 tbsp oil.

Salmon Pan Shallow Fry

Cheese Tortilla

  • Heat a large flour tortilla –shop bought on a pan and adds a generous helping of grated parmesan cheese on tortilla. Just as the tortilla heats up and the cheese shows sign of melting fold the tortilla in half and flip over and toast each side till you have a crispy yum cheesy tortilla, slice into neat triangles ready to be served.

Tortilla on pan with grated cheddar

Cabbage Salad

  • Chop a fresh cabbage fine to get one large handful of cabbage, add half a red onion and a small handful of finely chopped cucumber, squeeze half a lime, sprinkle some cracked black pepper, a small amount of fresh finely chopped coriander and toss all these together. Easy-peasy right?

Folded Tortilla

Serve the steaming hot rice with the salmon on the side, topped with some of the root vegetable gravy. Mop up the beans with the cheesy tortilla and munch on the sweet fried plantain with generous bites of the tangy cabbage salad in between mouthfuls of everything else.

Costa Rican Casado

Costa Rican Casado

A week in North Wales – my Travelogue Part 2 – South Stack Lighthouse and Cemaes Bay

by 6 Comments

Exploring Ceames Bay

A travelogue is my way of documenting an online diary. Also, hopefully, a guide to future visitors to Wales to use this as a guide for their travels. So why not browse through Part 1 of my travelogue about Holyhead.

After a fabulous day spent walking and lazing on a sandy beach, we had an early start the next day, highly excited that we were off to see a lighthouse. Now for this excursion we booked a cab as that’s the only way to get there of you do not drive, or you could take bus no 22 from Summer Hill in Holyhead town to the RSPB South Stack Cliffs bird reserve housed inside the delightful Elin’s Tower.

An interesting memory from the day at beach before I tell you all about South stack – The previous evening (Day 2 – 28th July’13 -Sun) we went looking for a place to get some dinner and chanced upon a cute little Italian place on the tiny high street called Graces Bistro which is now closed, I’d imagine it would have had issues surviving because even when we went there, they were out of many things early in the evening and the wine was overpriced. I must admit though that the food was delicious – an Indian – Bangladeshi place called Saffron is now open in its place.

1-27th July-3rd Aug North Wales1

We also had an interesting time at a place called The Edinburgh Castle – The EddieBar, – which is just opposite the ferry line and was packed on Day 2 – Sunday – 28th July’13 – we had a very satisfying lunch of Spaghetti Bolognese and Burger and chips, the way the locals were there in great numbers and enjoying the roast I’d say we missed some brilliant Sunday Carvery…

Which also reminds me that the day we reached Holyhead (Day 1 – 27th July’13 – Sat)  we found only one pub open close to LIDL near the railway station – The Boston Arms, very welcoming, we were served hot food and decent beer even late in the afternoon, nothing makes me happier than good fish-n-chips after a long train journey – wouldn’t you agree?

1-27th July-3rd Aug North Wales

Day 3: Major Sightseeing – South Stack Lighthouse – A 19th-century gem

4-IMG_3760 (Copy)

There is a 400 step stone stairway that leads to a suspension bridge over a dead drop that leads to the lighthouse. A mixture of fear and awe-filled me while walking this stairway – fear of being on a bridge that is the only support – a sturdy one – not to worry – that leads to this stunning 28 m structure across a chasm and awe for the aluminium bridge that was rebuilt and opened to people in 1997. In the early days an aerial hempen cable ropeway to bridge the deep chasm between the rock on which the lighthouse stands and the mainland –  a hempen cable which was 21 metres above sea level (!!!) was used along which a sliding basket was drawn which carried a passenger or stores- brrrr (shudder – shudder!) finally replaced by a sturdier iron suspension bridge in 1828 – this was replaced in 1983 but replaced by the new aluminium one for safety reasons.

3-IMG_3696 (Copy)

Built-in 1808 to facilitate better navigation in the area of the surrounding waters. The lighthouse is now automated and remotely controlled and monitored from the Trinity House Operational Control Centre in Harwich, Essex.

5-IMG_3773 (Copy)

(In the photograph above, notice the white aluminium bridge like a closed cage)

We took a guided tour of the lighthouse, where we were given a peek into the history and fascinating facts were shared. We also climbed up a very narrow stairwell as far as visitors are allowed to go and I was the last to go down this one – praying hard – while giggling kids stood downstairs wondering why I was making such a fuss 😉

After a relaxed walk down 400 steps we strolled to Elin’s Tower which now doubles up as an RSPB information centre and an awesome place for bird watching – for several breeding seabirds, including puffins – we even spotted one – bobbing about on the water, what a treat it was spotting it with the help of the staff and their binoculars- loved it! And a great spot for amazing views of the lighthouse. It also has a cute tourist shop and cafe where we sat outside and ate some food. Much-needed sustenance I’d say – if you sit outside watch your food like a hawk or one of the many naughty birds is going to steal it before you can say the word hello!

2-IMG_3778 (Copy)

Its good to know that: Ellin’s Tower and the Visitor Centre are open all year, with viewpoint, are wheelchair and pushchair accessible and a network of footpaths provides access to the whole reserve.

1-North Wales Trip2

( In the top left-hand side of this collage – check out the wings of the sea gull as it is flying away after robbing someone’s lunch – naughty bird!)

Hubster and I were really feeling adventurous so after the cab dropped us back at Holyhead we boarded bus no 61 to Cemaes Bay. I was really not sure if it was wise doing this considering the buses back are not very frequent after 6 pm and we were really cutting it very close.

But again we have done this thing before, not the journey I mean literally but yes hopping onto a bus going pretty much anywhere, it’s mad thrilling especially if it’s late evening – sometimes in various places we just wait for the bus to turn back and drop us off into town close to our place of stay for the night. But we have ALWAYS met very chatty and fun locals, including the bus drivers, have seen the most amazing spots like when we took a bus into the villagey part at Brighton, it was mad fun, we saw rolling hills and the setting sun and that part of Brighton which is away from the madness of peak touristy places – it is always fun and totally worth it! 🙂

The bus dropped us close to a lovely beach at Bull Bay, Amlwch Port, we walked along the quiet beach and drank in the stunning views…..few families swimming, walking along the fabulous beach and admiring the pretty little harbour in the distance.

1-2013-07-29 17.36.15 (Copy)
1-27th July-3rd Aug North Wales2

A long dreamy walk along the Anglesey Coastal Path later, as we made our way to the bus stop, located on a quiet street, all shops shut for the day, very quiet and no sign of anyone about we chanced upon a fabulous cafe – Coffee Cups-  at the Cemaes Heritage Centre, run by a very friendly couple, who happened to have lived in Surrey at some pint, what fun, and while they made us a really quick cream tea, I went crazy with my camera taking pictures of the lovely cafe and well-maintained back garden. Both husband-wife duo -Carole and Roy Kearey – knew the area well and shared many tips with us, even offered us a ride back into Holyhead if the bus didn’t show up, that was so kind of them. But most importantly they saved me from a rather persistent BEE that insisted on joining in our little tea party – humph… we took cover indoors and managed to finish our Welsh tea, locally made cones, fresh jam and clotted cream with yummy strawberries – in peace.

1-North Wales Trip3

Did I mention I fell in love with the china they used too? 🙂

1-27th July-3rd Aug North Wales3

Safely back in Holyhead by the trusty bus service that arrived right on time, we spent the evening strolling around the Maritime Museum, watching the sunset and listening to the noisy seagulls…amazingly in that quite setting their screams were part of the calm…

Of course dinner was fish and chips – fresh and delicious – most fun I had was saving my meal from the seagulls…

1-27th July-3rd Aug North Wales4

Stay with me as I take you the beautiful Llanberis, home to the tallest peak in England and Wales – the majestic Snowdon.

References

**All hyperlinks in the post lead to information websites – check out bus routes before planning a journey. All information is correct to my knowledge but would advise anyone using this post as a guideline to please check for updated information.

A week in North Wales – my Travelogue Part 1

by 2 Comments

In and Around Holyhead – Day 1 and 2

It’s never easy to try and summarize all the wonderful feelings one goes through on vacation especially in such a scenic place like the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales. The many lakes, mountains, nature trails, and remains of many magnificent castles make it difficult to not only go visit the best ones but also to do justice to the travelogue by giving useful information to anyone else trying to plan a trip. I don’t promise to live to these expectations I have and as a reader am sure you will to but I shall try my very best.

rt

Hubby and I both gave serious thought to how we should see Wales and decided to start with North Wales to satiate my desire to see beaches and his to see the mighty Snowdon. I love that we could do both in one trip. Since it was pretty much a last-minute trip I had like a few hours to research, call the BnB’s that I had shortlisted, book, and draw up an itinerary. Thankfully all the honest and helpful reviews on TripAdvisor and the many listings on sites like Booking.com helped me plan our trip.

Will try and share as much of our experiences our this week back in 2013 as I can, I am loving seeing our photos and chatting with my husband about how amazing this trip was – as I write it up – makes it all the more enjoyable revisiting a week of fabulous sightseeing and an unexpected achievement!

18-IMG_4135 (Copy)

Day 1: Arriving from London to Holy Head by train: Euston – Chester – Crewe – Holyhead

We boarded a Virgin Train from Euston- these super fast electric horses that take you to your destination in a flash! I love that as it allows for one to use the rest of the day quickly settling in and walking around familiarizing oneself with the new place and basically collecting brochures, finding a good place to eat and just getting a good local ale from a local pub – always a pleasure in Wales as the Welsh locals wherever we went were very warm, welcoming and chatty.

After 3 train changes ones getting that familiar feeling that … of being well out of London city limits. The First Great Western Rail -a charming 3 coach train journey that whizzes past brilliantly beautiful beaches from Crewe to Holyhead.

The evening we arrived we went to a local pub which is very to Travel Lodge – and a Black Sabbath tribute band called Electric Funeral played some really cool numbers. Love the unexpected I say!

After our unexpected beer evening at The Blossoms where we were swinging away, we could only find emergency food, late at night,at the Globe Cafe next door, it a small little place but very – VERY busy on weekend evenings – try their curry sauce it’s weirdly yum after lots of beer 😉

Day 2: Trearddur Bay

Day 2: Spent eating, drinking beer, walking around Trearddur bay…sand under our feet, the sea breeze in our hair…  and just chilling – the days of doing nothing without guilt – umm – how rare are these days…

1-IMG_3610 (Copy)

I am truly a sailor’s daughter and the allure of miles of sandy beaches with views like that … I find simply irresistible. We met a fit couple who were walking the coastline of Wales, having just sent off their youngest out in the world, they finally had taken off for themselves – I love bumping into people like that, always very interesting and at times highly inspiring.

1-IMG_3601 (Copy)

Rockpools abound, one can walk along the beach or go on boating and fishing trips or even scuba diving. Enthusiastic people can even get walking all the way towards South Stack and the stunningly beautiful old lighthouse and RSPB Reserve.

1-IMG_3650 (Copy)

Bus service from Holyhead to the beach is available, the bus service is not great but dependable, we left around 4 pm and had to wait for less than 15 mins for a ride back into town, not bad huh? Check bus time-tables here.

In my next post I shall share some photographs of our walk along with South stack where we had breathtaking views of the sea and the walk up to the lighthouse, a visit to a quiet secluded beach, and an unplanned visit to a quaint tea shop in Cemaes Bay.

We stayed at Travel Lodge while in Holyhead, as their ad’s claim the beds are very comfortable, it was exceptionally warm. as we went there in the last week of July. Don’t bother taking their breakfast deal, go out and discover the village, you will find a decent breakfast place or two in the smallest of towns – only advice – wake up early – after 11:30 am scope of getting scrambled eggs on toast is bleak.

Inspired to Travel and discover Wales for yourself? Here are a few tourist information sites you might find useful:

P.S: This is from my travel diaries back in 2013, have been meaning to share my travel tales forever now, finally shall share all my adventures so far in the coming months!

Recent Posts