Farewells and Goodbyes: To Friendships, Autumn and Everlasting Wine (s)

Hi guys!!!

Welcome back!!! I hope the rainy weather hasn't upset your Monday too much. We have entered the last week of November and once again, like the past weeks, we woke up to receive raindrops on a Monday. It's uncanny, really, how a Sunday can be gloriously sunny and a Monday so gray and blue. Still, the day has permitted me to complete a list of tasks that I've been putting off. 

Gonna miss these lovely autumn colors...
December arrives soon

I found myself quite melancholic and sad last week, as I gave notice to my agency that I would be vacating the property next month. I am truly sad, knowing my time here in London is quickly coming to an end. It seems I just arrived a month ago. I've grown accustomed to my cozy flat, my neighbors, the hustle and bustle and noisy locals on those crazy weekends. It's as if I haven't lived anywhere else in years. But no need to feel sad...at least I try to tell myself. We have much to celebrate and look forward too. 

This past week was very busy!!! Monday evening I joined friends for a farewell dinner at a small italian restaurant in South Kensington (Cacciari's) as a great friend moves to Paris at the end of the month. We wish you the best of luck Mara!!! You'll be missed :(. Tuesday evening I joined another dinner in a small Persian restaurant near Edgware Road. Great food and amazing prices!!! The starter alone could have been enough, but the lamb was so good, I couldn't stop. I needed a tea before bed.

So going back to the kitchens, last week was our very last week of practicals. Apart from the assessments we shall face later on this week, we will no longer be cooking in there. Ok, so the sadness continues. My apologies.  It's hard not to feel a bit melancholic. To add another dose of sadness, the school waved goodbye to one of the very best teachers we've had as he embarked on a quest to open a new school in Turkey!!! We wish him the very best of luck in his future endeavors. We'll miss you Chef Christophe. 

Chef Christophe et les schtroumpfs

Anyhow, we continued our work with chocolate, making a chocolate box and a chocolate train!!! It was a short, but good practice, as this Thursday we face our Chocolate Work Assessment, which includes making another chocolate box and a set of 12 identical truffles. I've mentioned before how much I dislike working with chocolate and to be truly honest, I cannot wait for Thursday to come. Wish us luck!!!

Last week, started off with a technical class, during which we were given a breakdown of how our assessments this week would be. Everything seems pretty straightforward, but we'll see how it goes. The following day we started with our chocolate box and had a practice round on the truffles we are to make during the exam. In short words, it was an interesting practical. I had a general idea of how I wanted my box to look like. Due to my annoying habit of just diving into whatever I'm doing and not giving it a second thought, I ended up having a mirror problem with the base and the lid of my box. In the end, it ended up looking like a fish, but the chef was pleased and even said I should consider sticking to the design for the assessment. He also said I should add height to the structure as it seemed a bit flat. We are to use 5 different techniques when making the box and I ticked them all off making my box. So if I do stick to the design, I may pass. The truffles on the other hand were a major disaster. I have no idea what I did wrong with the ganache as it didn't want to set, which was essential to properly seal the truffles. I ended up with a few good ones, some okay ones and ones the chef said were catastrophic. I laughed. You couldn't help but to, as they were truly a disaster. But I managed to make them okay once, and I trust my skills will allow me to do so again on Thursday.

It was meant to be a teardrop, but the result is still nice :)

Thursday morning we got to class, ready to begin our work on the chocolate train. This workshop was divided into two separate days and we made all the preparations on the day, simply to show up on Friday to assemble it. It took a bit longer to make it all, but we managed. After class, we headed to a small restaurant nearby and had a great chicken pie with peas and mash. It was absolutely amazing!!! Since I've been here, I haven't had many traditional British dishes, as I find most of their food a bit bland, but this was delicious!!! Because it was Thanksgiving, I was in a cheerful mood and I got chocolates for everyone. I am not American, but I did grow up celebrating the holiday and I love it!!! So, a belated Thanksgiving to you all. Our dinner that night was cancelled due to unforeseen events but it has been rescheduled for this week. I am making an apple strudel and I hope I manage to roll it properly :). 

I still had a lovely dinner. It was a traditional Thanksgiving feast, but it was good nonetheless. I joined some of my friends and we headed to Bubbledogs. The restaurant opened not long ago, and we've been trying to get in several times. We managed, after queuing for at least an hour in the cold...yeah, trust me it wasn't easy. The place offers gourmet hotdogs and champagne. It was an intriguing experience. We ordered a bottle of champagne and I had a BLT hotdog: bacon wrapped with caramelized lettuce and truffle mayo.  It was really good!!! I was very tired and only ate one. My friends, each  had two or three, and we had sweet potato fries and tots on the side. Can you say yummy? 

Oh yes!!!

A BLT dog with some bubbly on the side

Check it out:

BUBBLEDOGS

70 Charlotte St

W1T 4QG

020 7637 7770

With groggy eyes, I woke up on Friday to finish off our week. The kitchen was busy and loud with chatter as we assembled our creations. The train was made up using egg shell molds, resting atop a chocolate bar. The result was quite lovely. With a small roof, a door, windows, wheels and a chimney, they looked cartoonish. Most of us added eyes. I added cotton to the chimney to add the sense of steam coming out. Soon class was finished, after a session of photos, we left our last practical with happy and melancholic faces. The day wasn't over, so we headed for a quick lunch to East Street (we love it, remember) and I ordered the Daging Lembu Goreng this time (rump steak strips, with ginger, fresh shallots and an oyster sauce.) Excellent choice!!! Try it out sometime.

My version of the Hogwarts Express hehehe

We headed back to school for our final wine lecture. We tried a series of sweet fortified wines and assessed food pairings with some canapés provided by the production kitchen in school. Some of them were really good, whereas other pairings did not work at all. I found it fascinating to know that a sweet wine really compliments a sweet dessert. It's just about finding a balance. I would have never thought of adding a sweet drink to an already sweet dessert. The result is interesting. 

And speaking of wine, Saturday night, I hosted a wine night/potluck dinner. We had an incredibly, amazing time. Bruschetta, cheese, crackers, white wine sangria, wine, brigadeiros, lolly cakes, sugar cookies, garlic and onion bread, and even butter I-LOVE-YOU chicken, the night turned out spectacularly fun. So the food combination sounds funny, and I haven't included all of it, but it was great. We then headed out to my favorite pub here and Camden and the fun continued. It was a memorable night. I didn't appreciate the cleaning the following morning, but it was well worth it. 

The beginning of a memorable night

I spent half of my Sunday in bed, the other half cleaning. After mass in the evening, we headed to a Thai restaurant I'd heard about before. One of us had already been there and vouched for the food. I have such a passion for great food and I wasn't disappointed. The restaurant's called Patara. We ordered   mixed dumplings as appetizers, which were scrumptious and so well presented. My main dish was Gang Ped Nua (red coconut curry of tender beef fillet, Thai eggplant and sweet basil). WOW!!! I didn't join the dinner conversation...I was engrossed in my plate. Hehehehe, I know...I just love food!!!

Great choice Gis!!!

Check it out:

PATARA

15 Greek St

W1D 4DP

020 7437 1071

We all headed home and I stayed up till midnight on a Christmas movie marathon...well, if two counts as a marathon. I didn't even finish How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I was falling asleep. The busy Monday chatter woke me up from my calm sleep. I guess I finally caught up with my rest. I ran my errands and tied loose ends.  One of my very best friends is coming to London this evening and she has no idea I'll be greeting her with a sign at the airport. So don't tell!!! :)

Anyways, I hope you all had a fun weekend and are ready to see November off with a smile as December greets us this coming Saturday!!!

Until next time.

xx

Chocolate-Dipped Fingers and Cakes Galore

Hi guys!!!

And welcome back. Can you believe it?!?! November is almost over, paving way to one of the most glorious months of the year. With a hand in my pocket and the other clutching my purse, I have walked the busy streets of London this past weekend and found myself ogling at all the beautiful Christmas displays and lights that have taken to adorn this charming city. To be honest, my idea of a peaceful walk does not involve Oxford Street in this time of year. Thousands upon thousands of people, both locals and tourists have taken to the early Christmas shopping, making my walks next to impossible. A sense of loneliness and claustrophobia, both, simultaneously envelope me when I see the massive crowds. However, this happens in every big city, in every country in the world that celebrates the joyous occasion of Christmas. London is no stranger. But I digress...

The week began with a technical class; the second part of a two-part technical demonstration on how to make a croquembouche: a towering structure made with pastry cream filled choux. I find this dessert a bomb of elegance and classiness and very regal. I have known it to be a traditional French wedding cake my whole life...although I've never seen one at a wedding back home.The chef made two different towers and decorated one with pulled sugar flowers. I hope to have one on my wedding day...but that's another subject hehehe. A croquembouche can be whichever height you want it to be and they are fairly easy to make. The tricky part comes when you pipe the choux, as they have to be similar in size to make the assembly easy and level. They are then dipped in caramel and stuck together in prism form with a hollow center. They are quite yummy. Have you ever seen one? If not, I hope the picture entices you to try one.

Chef's Festive Croquembouche

We turn our heads back to the kitchens, where this past week, we found ourselves elbow deep in chocolate. Yes, folks, we finally entered the module I feared. Don't take me wrong here. I live for chocolate...a fact my skin likes to remind me every so often. But I do hate the look of my lovely chef whites after a session with chocolate and let me tell you something I never understood at home when the laundry was being done. Chocolate is a nightmare to deal with. 

Last week we found ourselves divided into three groups, each making a set of six different chocolate varieties. Molded truffles, slab ganaches and confectionery. My group in particular worked on Nougat Truffles, Lemon Curd Truffles, Lavender infused, slab ganache Chocolates, Spiked Rum Truffles, Caramel Mou and Nougat de Montelimar. The work was divided into four workshops, with the work finished by Friday morning, when all that was left for our group to do was slather the Caramel Mou with tempered milk chocolate. It was then cut into small logs. It was delicious. We had also made the previous day, each a set of molded truffles. This was to practice for our Chocolate Module Assessment, which will include producing a chocolate box and twelve identical molded truffles. 

Lemon Curd Truffles

Thursday afternoon, as I headed home for a baking session at home. We were to have a birthday dinner the following evening and I needed to start my preparations. I whipped up a batch of the Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake, all courtesy of The Cake Merchant. http://cakemerchant.com/2012/11/07/vanilla-bean-birthday-cake/. The recipe called for cake flour, which I cannot find to this day in the supermarkets near by, so I made a substitute, like I did for Juliana's Red Velvet cake, with a 1/4 cup of corn flour instead of the plain flour. It worked on the other cake, but it compacted the cake batter in this one. I ended up with a cake that in texture seemed more like a tight brioche dough. I still made use of it, and the following afternoon I whipped up the frosting and masked my cake. The result was lovely, very girlish and I headed to dinner.

Fluffy, cloud-like buttercream frosting

We met at The Living Room, in Heddon Street, in a lively and boisterous atmosphere. I hadn't been there before and I enjoyed cocktails, a starter and a main dish. I ordered a butternut squash, Dolcelatte, walnut and honey tart for starter and a pan fried sea bass, with orange scented broccoli and lentil casserole, which was quite tasty; every bit of a great meal. Drinks all around, laughter and even the occasional dance moves from Miss Kendra, all encompassed our festive evening. 

Pan fried sea bass with orange scented broccoli
and a lentil casserole

The time for dessert approached and as the candles were being blown, anxiety hit me. I was sitting with a table full of future pastry chefs, and I alone would face the scrutiny of my cake...tick-tock, tick-tock. Cake was being passed around and I held my breathe for what seemed forever. I breathed with relief as the first words I heard were Brava!!! The taste of vanilla made for the tightness of the cake. A small piece would have been enough, as it was quite dense, but our gracious birthday girl insisted on small brick-sized pieces. So my work had not been in vain. The cake was enjoyed and that was my only worry. I headed home a little after midnight, with sleep in eyes and dozed off in seconds. 

Birthday girl blowing out those  beautiful angel flames
(Seriously...they are the coolest candles ever!!!)

Check it out:

The Living Room

3-9 Heddon St

London

W1B 4BE

020 7292 0570

I'm still trying to recover some lost sleep, as Thursday night, after a busy day in the school kitchens and a busy afternoon in my own kitchen, I arrived at the cinema for a midnight screening of the Breaking Dawn. I know, I feel it too. But I had made a promise of going and I kept it. Not a fan of the story, I have to say the movie wasn't bad. I was lost in parts, as I didn't read the book (again, I am not a fan...), but it was ok. I paid for it the next morning when I had to go to school. 

So we returned to the kitchens Friday morning to finish it all. We arranged our products on a paper lined tray and our Chef came round to try our molded truffles for the exam and the six other chocolate varieties we produced. We received good comments on everything, with small tweaks to be amended here and there. All in all, it was a fine week, with the slight annoyance I have with tempering chocolate, as I still need to master this skill.

Lemon Curd Truffles, Lavender Chocolate, Nougat Truffles
Spiked Rum Truffles, Caramel Mou and Nougat de Montelimar

The amount of chocolates we took home that day was enough to last until next year. I have given most of them away, and it's always nice to hear how good they are/were. It goes to show we all did a fine job. I got home and assembled a long overdue cake. A cake that had been ordered in June. A birthday cake. I'm still embarrassed to know it's taken me so long to do it. In a few words, the cake was a raspberry, macaron cake. Friday evening I baked the macarons, and I assembled the cake on Saturday. It was a vanilla bean macaron layer, topped with a raspberry chantilly (the original recipe was with strawberries), topped with fresh raspberries and this done again on a second layer. The result was pleasant. 

Vanilla Bean and Raspberry Heaven

Try out the recipes. All credits go to Annie's Eats and Brave Tart.

http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/04/29/vanilla-bean-macarons-with-raspberry-filling/

http://bravetart.com/recipes/StrawberryChantillyGF

Saturday evening I joined an enthusiastic crowd for a celebratory dinner. A few friends took part in the Men's Health Survival of the Fittest run here in London and they wished to commemorate the act. We headed to MASH (Modern American Steakhouse), a Danish chain with a venue newly opened here in London, two weeks to be exact. I ordered a magnificent Danish, aged, sirloin steak and as a big meat eater, let me tell you, no other word fits my state: WOW...it melted in my mouth...something I though impossible. But yes, they managed to do so, when I ordered my meat medium rare (my apologies to my vegetarian followers). We didn't order any starters and simply went for the red. We did however order several sides and sauces. No dessert was needed on my part. A good red wine had accompanied the dinner and I finished with a double macchiatto (like I said...I was sleep deprived). We headed for a last drink to Novikov, which isn't really my kind of place, but in good company, all is well. 

Check it out:

MASH

77 Brewer St

London

W1F 9ZN

020 7734 2608

After a few hours sleep, Sunday greeted me with a sunny side and I joined the masses for some quick shopping on the bustling streets. It was a long day overall and I was only to happy to find myself home again, being surprised by my friend Lucas at the door, as he picked up his macaron/raspberry cake. His verdict: AMAZING!!! So don't be shy and try out my version of both recipes. It doesn't disappoint ;).

Layer upon delicious layer...
made mini macarons on the side as well

Sleep came sooner than I thought and I drifted off to finally catch some rest. Rays of sunshine received me this morning as I headed out. Rain is scheduled for tomorrow, but it doesn't matter. My days here in London are counted and I aim to make the best of them. I head to South Kensington tonight, for a farewell dinner for a dear friend who also leaves London soon.

This week we shall continue to dip our fingers in chocolate as we attempt to create elegant chocolate boxes and trains. Wish us luck!!!

Until next time.

xx

Tea Time at School

Hi guys!!!

And welcome back. Cold weather is officially with us; even so, I trust you all had a lovely weekend. I know I did. It was uneventful, but quite relaxing. 

As you know, last week we hosted our Afternoon Tea Party and the preparations for it required two, long and busy days. Between twenty-nine students and the aid of three chefs, we managed to prepare twenty-four miniature desserts for an average of forty-eight guests. The result was well worth the effort.

2 days, 29 students, 3 chefs = All twenty-four desserts

On day one, we were assigned a group and each group was to make three desserts. As we were four, the work load seemed lessened: emphasis on the seemed. It took us an hour alone to zest a total of thirty-three lemons and make a pâte sucrée, both elements belonging to different desserts and between two. Meanwhile, our teammates were busy working on the remaining dessert, which consisted of slicing oranges and poaching them in a syrup. 

Official name: Clairfontaine.

Once this was done, we proceeded to working on making the orange mousse, baking the lemon cakes and rolling the pâte sucrée and lining the molds. By the end of the day, the orange mousse had been assembled, the pâte sablé had been made and the lemon cakes were baked. The remaining poached orange slices would be dried in a low temperature oven for hours to come (the chefs looked out for them), as they were part of the decoration for the mousses. 

Lemon cake!!! I forgot to take a complete picture.

The following morning we baked the sablé, blind baked the tarts, and decorated the lemon cakes. This was followed by the cooking of a crème brulée, which filled the tart molds and assembling the mousses and fruit tarts. Once we were finished and had cleaned up, we helped out other groups which still had some work to do. 

Yummy crème brulée fruit tarts

After an hour long and well deserved break, we returned to the kitchens, all twenty-nine of us. We were divided into groups and while some remained in the kitchens plating up the cake stands and silver trays, others (myself included) headed to our venue upstairs to prepare the cutlery and crockery to be used. After polishing, folding napkins into fans, arranging the tables, and assigned a table to wait on, our guest began arriving.

The event was a success!!! Tea was served and we were congratulated on our hard work by many guests. Because everything was sweet, a lot of the desserts were leftover (and I mean a lot!!!) We all got to take boxes filled with goodies home. It was a short, three day week, but a truly exhausting one.

I hope I get an invite next time

I spent most of my Friday cooped up inside my flat. The cold weather was enough reason to stay inside, warm and cozy. I joined friends for a drink Friday night but I returned home early. I continued baking Saturday, making a long-promised, New York style cheesecake for a dear friend (she said it was amazing!!!) I felt a wave of relief. Despite baking so many cheesecakes in the past, I had NEVER baked a New York style cheesecake. I can now tick it off my to do list. Interested in making one? This recipe helped me.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/Cheesecake.html

All credits go to the Joy of Baking :)

Dinnertime approached and I met up with two of my dearest friends for a girly dinner at Polpo in Covent Garden. I've been to Polpo only once before, and the menu had changed slightly. The Goat Cheese, Honey and Grape bruschetta was to die for!!! Accompanied by great food, great wine and great friends, my Saturday ended on a happy note. 

Check it out:

Polpo

6 Maiden Lane

WC2E 7NA

020 7836 8448

I can't recall if I told you where I live? Well, I lived in merry Camden, close to the beautiful Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, which is where I found myself on sunny, Sunday morning. I had not once visited the place in my months living here (I know...it's shameful) and I was in awe. It was rather hazy in the distance but the panoramic view of London was breathtaking. While my friend explored the place a bit, and took pictures, I silently sat down on a bench and enjoyed my coffee. It truly was breathtaking. Have you ever been? If not, it is definitely a place to visit when you find yourself in London.

Perhaps not the best picture...it was quite hazy.
Can you see St. Paul's dome? 

The rest of my Sunday passed in a blur, with so much to do. After a quick dinner watching Ice Age (gotta love Sid), I slipped into bed happily.

We woke up today with a gray sky and the pitter-patter of the rain. A sense of peace fills me when I watch the rain fall and despite my initial laziness, I ran my errands and practiced my Chocoholics Heaven cake (my final dessert and assessment). I changed a few details on it and the results were good. We'll see tomorrow how it goes, when I removed the cake ring.

I hope you all had a great Monday and I wish you a pleasant evening.

Until next time.
xx

Autumn, Messy & Sweet, Autumn

Hi there and a belated Happy Halloween!!!

I hope you're having a wonderful Monday. 

Windy and cold weather has been ruling the atmosphere here in merry ol' London and I just love it. I've been freezing almost every day and dealing with a murdering cough but all in all, I have to say it's the most wonderful time of the year (Mr. Andy Williams would agree :p). Christmas is in the air, slowly approaching and you can smell it. Yes, I mean smell. Mulled wine, apples and cinnamon, spiced lattes. Oh, how I love this time of the year. 

Success!!! Say hello to Jack Skellington. Thank you Mr. Burton.

We are quickly coming to an end with our culinary adventures as we finish our course next month. It is a sad thought, but ironically, one that fills me with joy. We will finally be named CHEFS!!! It is a dream come true and I feel so scared. We are so near to the end that it seems just out of reach. So wish us luck as we bake our way through our assessments.

This past week we worked on the mise en place of plated desserts. It is quite a fun thing to do, plate a dessert. What I didn't account for was how creative you have to be in the use of decorations and space. I was fairly disappointed in my ability to plate the desserts we prepared. I guess it isn't my strong point. However, I congratulate my friends and classmates on their fine jobs!!! Some of them truly created masterpieces: sleek and elegant. 

It was a long, tiring week, with a class each day. It sounds relaxing enough but to be honest, I think we all prefer having back to back classes during a day than attending school for one class every day. Halloween was upon on us and despite the plans made, I did not (for the first time in a couple of years) dress up and head out. I found myself with a terrible cough, having a hot chocolate. The day had been long enough, preparing the mise en place for the following day's plating of desserts. I did however give out chocolate lollipops, in commemoration of the trick or treat celebration. Perhaps as I attended an American School for a good 15 years, I am used to saying Happy Halloween on the day. Here in London, the inclination to celebrate All Hallow's Eve is a bit lessened. So, I did get a couple of odd looks as I handed out lollipops, chanting Happy Halloween, like a 5 year-old trick-or-treating. It was rather amusing.

The week's menu included a Mirabelle Tart with a chocolate glazed chiboust cream, a Chocolate Mousse with a Rosemary-Amaretto cream and a Ricotta Bavarian Cream with a Raspberry compote. 

In the world of dessert plating, less is more. However, when you have to include so many components, it is sometimes hard. More experience in the area is what we need to fully grasp this concept (myself specifically). 

Mirabelle Tart with Chocolate Glazed Chiboust Cream
and Strawberry and Balsamic Coulis

My hands tend to shake whenever I work with fragile items, such as my chocolate decorations and the tuiles we bake and shape. It simply takes practice. One day for sure, I will master it. As you can see, the coulis was a bit too runny, and it ended up soaking the bottom of the tart. It was good, but it definitely needs work.

Chocolate Mousse with Rosemary-Amaretto Cream

This next dessert was disappointing. I made the mistake of plating the mousse the wrong way. If I were to serve this, the customer would have full view of the seam of the marbled chocolate decoration. It should have been at the back. It is a detail we need to bear in mind. The next problem was the cream. It needed to be chenelled. This means it needed to look smooth, a technique that requires two hot spoons. Our cream wasn't sufficiently chilled to allow this, so it began to melt. It look like a messy ice cream scoop. The chef mentioned the contrast of the chocolates wasn't nice. In my opinion, it lacks color and creativity. What do you think?

Ricotta Bavarian with Raspberry Compote

The very last dessert and our second assessment was the Ricotta Bavarian on Friday. We added orange zest to ours and the result was magnificent. Absolutely delicious!!! Despite the remarks on the compote being runny (I did look for the bleeding effect.), the chef seemed somewhat pleased. It wasn't his favorite I could tell, but it wasn't my greatest effort either. Most of my decorations broke due to my stress and shaking and a lovely D10 (disinfectant) bottle crushing my tuiles, so I had to work with what I had. I thought it looked lovely and appealing enough. The flavor did the rest. Like I said, it isn't my strong suit. Despite my wild imagination, I have trouble conveying my artistic flair in my creations. I guess I rely on words to do so. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, no?

So that was our hands on work. We also had a technical on Verrines on Thursday. The chef said it was something new, added to the curriculum, a result of the changing of assessments. It was a short interesting technical with much to see and learn. In short words, a verrine is a dessert that comprises different layers within a small glass. It is typically French and they are a great addition to parties. The chef made two different ones which we tasted. My favorite was the Raspberry Sorbet and Lime Jelly verrine. 

YUMMY!!!

So that concluded the week of culinary adventures in the school's kitchens. The weekend was upon us and we layered up for a short night out (I'm still sick!!!). A couple of drinks at The Ten Bells pub and Sushi Samba with great company was the cherry on top of a long week. I haven't eaten at the Sushi Samba here in London. I've only ever been to the one in Chicago, but I imagine the food will be equally good. Still, if interested in great drinks (try the Pablo Pizcobar!!!) and amazing views, check it out!!!

Sushi Samba

Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate

London EC2N 4AY

020 3640 7330

Saturday we had lunch at Nopi once again and although the butternut squash rotolo that I craved wasn't on the menu that day, the aged sirloin I had was amazing. A bit too much after so many different starters, but I have hungry friends and they aided me in my task. We were then treated to complimentary desserts by our gracious hostess and they were both really, REALLY good!!! I need to research some more food adjectives hahahahaha.

Strawberry and Pomegranate Mess
(double cream and crushed meringues)

Sunday came and left in a blink, as I joined dear friends on a brunch at Sophie's Steakhouse in Fulham Road, were they were trying out their breakfast menu and it was free for the past month. The offer is no longer available, but definitely try it out sometime. The Eggs Royale were great!!! A mulled wine and brazilian churro were my dessert, walking through the busy Camden Market. 

Sophie's Steakhouse

311-313 Fulham Road

London SW10 9QH

020 7352 0088

Yesterday night, I tried Vietnamese Pho for the very first time at Cay Tre in Soho. Definitely recommend trying it sometime. After a long, foodie weekend, I pulled on my flannel pjs and headed to bed. I was only too happy to see the sun shining this beautiful Monday morning.

I wish you all a lovely week and I'll let you know how we keep on in the school kitchens!!!

This week we are hosting our Afternoon Tea Party. Wish us luck!!!

Until next time.

xx