Last weekend I reacquainted myself with Portobello, one of my favourite London markets, and took the opportunity to play with my new DSLR.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Photo Diary: Portobello Market
If you're looking for something to do this weekend, why not play at being a tourist and have a wander down Portobello Road. You'll find everything from fine antique books to boutique fashion, handmade jewellery and loads of vintage finds. It's great for people watching and there are tons of yummy eats too. Just make sure to get there early - it's not exactly a hidden gem and by midday the hordes of tourists have decended.
Last weekend I reacquainted myself with Portobello, one of my favourite London markets, and took the opportunity to play with my new DSLR.
Last weekend I reacquainted myself with Portobello, one of my favourite London markets, and took the opportunity to play with my new DSLR.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Welcome to La Cave
Nestled amongst the smart boutiques and elegant cafes of South Kensington lies a very smart cheese and wine shop. A very smart cheese and wine shop indeed. La Cave a Fromage is an Aladdin's cave of charcuterie, specialist oils, breads and, of course, more cheese than you can possibly imagine. Laid out beautifully in large refrigerated cabinets, with vintage cheese wheel covers adorning the walls, there are cheeses from all four corners of the globe. Ewe's cheese, goats cheese, blue cheese, red cheese, pasteurised, unpasteurised and everything in between.
Whilst wine tasting might be a tried and tested concept, recently my lovely sister treated my father and I to wine tasting with a twist - expert cheese pairings from La Cave a Fromage's 'exotic' selection.
We took our seats with around 15 other eager foodies on a long table at the shop's centre. Laid out in front of us was a "balanced cheeseboard" beautifully arranged on a simple slate, several wine glasses, and enough varieties bread to make even the most committed Atkins follower turn. As our delightful hosts explained, a balanced cheeseboard is one that comprises the full range of textures, milks, strengths and countries.And that evening we were set to cover the breadth of Europe at least.
That evening we chowed down on everything from a creamy Taupinieres goats cheese from Acquitaine, through to Spanish Manchego, a wine-washed Appenzeller Swiss cheese, an extra mature Italian Taleggio and an unusual Irish Crozier Blue. However, the stand out cheese was a rich and velvety Gratte Paille, which hails from the same region as Brie in France but is infinitely more delicious and complex than its often-dull cousin. Served with a sweet kick in the form of white truffle honey, this cheese packs a shocking 90% fat but is oh-so-good. Perhaps one to eat in moderation and save for the special occasions? But don't forget the truffle honey, that really made it.
Luckily for me, my favourite cheese came paired with my favourite wine: a fabulous Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache blend (and no, I hadn't heard of the latter two grapes either!) called Le Desire (2006, Cotes de Rousillon). It was smooth and clean, and lacked the bitter after taste that in my opinion makes a lot of reds hard work. We tried three other wines that evening, a white Bergerac Sec (also fantastic) a richer red Syrah/Mourvedre and a very sweet dessert-like win Maury Dore (Grenache/Banylus blend) and all complimented the cheese perfectly. I really couldn't fault our hosts on that. I only wish I hadn't eaten a sandwich before arriving because I ate at least my own body weight in artisan bread!
Tastings at La Cave a Fromage definitely get the thumbs up from me. You can order your tickets and find out their dates at La Cave's website (below) or by calling 0207 581 1804
La Cave a Fromage
24-5 Cromwell Place,
South Kensington, London
SW7 2LD
www.la-cave.co.uk
Whilst wine tasting might be a tried and tested concept, recently my lovely sister treated my father and I to wine tasting with a twist - expert cheese pairings from La Cave a Fromage's 'exotic' selection.
We took our seats with around 15 other eager foodies on a long table at the shop's centre. Laid out in front of us was a "balanced cheeseboard" beautifully arranged on a simple slate, several wine glasses, and enough varieties bread to make even the most committed Atkins follower turn. As our delightful hosts explained, a balanced cheeseboard is one that comprises the full range of textures, milks, strengths and countries.And that evening we were set to cover the breadth of Europe at least.
That evening we chowed down on everything from a creamy Taupinieres goats cheese from Acquitaine, through to Spanish Manchego, a wine-washed Appenzeller Swiss cheese, an extra mature Italian Taleggio and an unusual Irish Crozier Blue. However, the stand out cheese was a rich and velvety Gratte Paille, which hails from the same region as Brie in France but is infinitely more delicious and complex than its often-dull cousin. Served with a sweet kick in the form of white truffle honey, this cheese packs a shocking 90% fat but is oh-so-good. Perhaps one to eat in moderation and save for the special occasions? But don't forget the truffle honey, that really made it.
Luckily for me, my favourite cheese came paired with my favourite wine: a fabulous Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache blend (and no, I hadn't heard of the latter two grapes either!) called Le Desire (2006, Cotes de Rousillon). It was smooth and clean, and lacked the bitter after taste that in my opinion makes a lot of reds hard work. We tried three other wines that evening, a white Bergerac Sec (also fantastic) a richer red Syrah/Mourvedre and a very sweet dessert-like win Maury Dore (Grenache/Banylus blend) and all complimented the cheese perfectly. I really couldn't fault our hosts on that. I only wish I hadn't eaten a sandwich before arriving because I ate at least my own body weight in artisan bread!
Tastings at La Cave a Fromage definitely get the thumbs up from me. You can order your tickets and find out their dates at La Cave's website (below) or by calling 0207 581 1804
La Cave a Fromage
24-5 Cromwell Place,
South Kensington, London
SW7 2LD
www.la-cave.co.uk
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Brunch at its best
Last weekend I was meeting up with my old uni housemate who has recently moved to London from her home town of Middlesbrough. She had previously commented on how I always take her to nice places that she would otherwise never know existed, especially in Fulham (Hurrah!). The pressure was on and tummies were rumbling, I tentatively suggested we try brunch at Del Aziz, tucked away behind the Broadway on Vanston Place; I had only ever had dinner previously (our first ever post-don't judge!).
Jess and I are both huge fans of Love Walk and so I was pleased to see Del Aziz equally as packed and popular. The delicatessen was groaning with goodies and mine and my friend’s eyes were practically on stalks when we saw the brunch menu. Declaring that these were her favourite type of cafe’s I felt confident that we had made a good choice and hoped that she could re-create a slice of her much loved North East breakfast spot in SW6! All around us were groups of friends and couples, plates laden with eggs Benedict, Florentine, Spanish omelettes, pancakes, French omelettes- it was unadulterated porn for brunch lovers.
My friend opted for a ‘Wild Orchard’ tea to start and I copied her it sounded so delicious; ‘mouth watering fruits of melon and peach harmoniously blended with pure China white tea leaves’. They have a full tea menu with over 28 artisan teas- as well as juices, smoothies and infusions.
To eat I decided on the ‘build your own omelette’ with ham, mushroom, sautéed potatoes and salad- it was definitely more lunch than brunch but very reasonably priced at £8.95. My friend had the Eggs Florentine and devoured every mouthful, loving the creaminess of the kasaar cheese and hollandaise sauce. The service was very good, especially considering they were full to the rafters and we were really impressed that the tea’s, juices and breakfasts only came to £30 including service. A fun and lively place that I will definitely be returning to- more like these around Fulham Broadway please!
Jess and I are both huge fans of Love Walk and so I was pleased to see Del Aziz equally as packed and popular. The delicatessen was groaning with goodies and mine and my friend’s eyes were practically on stalks when we saw the brunch menu. Declaring that these were her favourite type of cafe’s I felt confident that we had made a good choice and hoped that she could re-create a slice of her much loved North East breakfast spot in SW6! All around us were groups of friends and couples, plates laden with eggs Benedict, Florentine, Spanish omelettes, pancakes, French omelettes- it was unadulterated porn for brunch lovers.
My friend opted for a ‘Wild Orchard’ tea to start and I copied her it sounded so delicious; ‘mouth watering fruits of melon and peach harmoniously blended with pure China white tea leaves’. They have a full tea menu with over 28 artisan teas- as well as juices, smoothies and infusions.
To eat I decided on the ‘build your own omelette’ with ham, mushroom, sautéed potatoes and salad- it was definitely more lunch than brunch but very reasonably priced at £8.95. My friend had the Eggs Florentine and devoured every mouthful, loving the creaminess of the kasaar cheese and hollandaise sauce. The service was very good, especially considering they were full to the rafters and we were really impressed that the tea’s, juices and breakfasts only came to £30 including service. A fun and lively place that I will definitely be returning to- more like these around Fulham Broadway please!
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