Hot cross buns for a happy Easter

This blog is proving to be quite a confessional forum for me. I’ve shared that I’ve never made pancakes before, that I’m not a pub fan and now, I have yet another revelation: I’ve never eaten hot cross buns. In England hot cross buns are very common, emerging en masse on the supermarket shelves around January, indicating that Easter is “around the corner”.

The neighbourhood watch

I’ve decided to create a blog section called “The Neighbourhood Watch”, with posts that will highlight different areas of London. Yesterday I discovered Barnes and Northcote Road (a quaint street close to Clapham Junction) and I felt it was time to write about neighbourhoods, streets  and independent shops I particularly like.

A visit to Madrid: you say Goya, I say croqueta

I spent a wonderful weekend in Madrid and came home with a camera filled with food photos and a stomach yearning for more pata negra. I was primarily in Madrid to see El Clásico (that’s the top match between Real Madrid – Barcelona, for you who are less enthused about football) but of course, I also managed to explore a lot of Madrid’s cucina tipica. You can say I exercised food tourism at its best.

Red alert for the appetite control cracker

I’m not the one to diss a company or product, but I need to vent some frustration over GG’s Scandinavian Bran Crispbread. It tastes like paper. With wheat bran floating around in your mouth. If you’ve ever experienced a bad hangover with a mouth as dry as the Atacama Desert, you know what I’m talking about.

I should’ve realised what I bought into from the diet-friendly “Slimming World” name, but firstly, I was completely oblivious to this label when I bought it and secondly, I’m not looking to diet, I want a thick slice of brie with my crispbread not cottage cheese with radish (the serving suggestion on the package). I have learnt my lesson folks, and realise this is not for me. It’s probably excellent if you’re trying to lose some pounds, but I’m certainly not in need of “the appetite control cracker”. I’m off to Sweden next week, so Leksands here we come…

I believe this image is the American version, if you wish to see or purchase this product go to Holland and Barrett.

What a taco extravaganza

I’m going to introduce you to a typical Swedish dish. Dare I say it’s more popular than pizza and meatballs, two other quintessentially Swedish food favourites? Tacos arrived big in Sweden during the 90s. I remember the first time I had it a food trendy friend’s birthday party. Since I was used to eating pork tender loin with potato dauphinois for celebration events, tacos was mindblowing.