I wanted to tell you about a cute little book I received called Cafe London, Brunch, Lunch, Coffee and Afternoon Tea, edited by Zena Alkayat. With this being the height of the tourist season and this book being small enough to easily slip into your purse, it could not come at a better time! Enjoy London the Cafe London way introducing you to the unusual, the classic and the esoteric. Small enough to fit into your purse, take it with you when you shop, consult it for a different lunch experience and rely on it for an adventure.
It's efficiently divided into sections depending on what you are looking for, ie brunch, lunch, coffee, cakes and bakes, or afternoon tea . . . as well as options if you are looking for something artsy, unusual, alfresco, etc. There is a bit of something here for every taste.
If you are looking for a decent spot for a bit of breakfast . . .
A hot drink and a biscuit . . .
Full on Afternoon Teas . . .
A rustic atmosphere . . .
Or a delicious lunch . . .
There is a bit of something for everyone in this handy guide with the prospect of exploration and discovering a multitude of new cafes to dine at when you are down in London either for the day or for a number of days. Your appetite is whetted by short, descriptive text detailing on what is for offer in each cafe mentioned. I can see that this would be a very valuable resource and compendium for the London visitor, and I, for one, will be bringing it with me on my next visit down to The Big Smoke!
Cafe London, edited by Zena Alkayat
Published by Frances Lincoln
Photography by Kim Lightboy
RRP ££9.99 UK/ $14.99 US/ $ 17.99 CAN
ISBN - 978-0-7112-3745-2
Our Black Currant bush is fruiting at the moment and providing us with oodles and oodles of lovely black berries. I just adore black currants, don't you?
Oh, I do so love the lighter meals which we eat in the summertime with all of the fresh fruit and vegetables that are available. My salad loving heart has been having a hay day!
No surprise here, we like hotdogs in this house, and no, it doesn't really matter to us what they are made of.
We don't care and we don't want to know. In all truth knowing probably wouldn't change our minds. We like em and we like treating ourselves to one every now and again.
When I was a child we used to be able to buy "Whistle Dogs" at the A&W . . . or I guess I should say we dreamt about having "Whistle Dogs" at the A&W.
When I was a child we used to be able to buy "Whistle Dogs" at the A&W . . . or I guess I should say we dreamt about having "Whistle Dogs" at the A&W.
There was no A&W near us so it was more a dream than a reality. The closest one was about 30 miles away, so not someplace we ever got to . . .
There is one in the local mall back home now and its a pretty popular place.
I don't know if "Whistle Dogs" are still on the menu or not. Its been a while . . .
If you are from the UK, you are probably scratching your head and thinking "Whistle Dog?"
I'll put you out of your misery. Its a hot dog/frankfurter wrapped in streaky bacon and grilled.
This dog knocks the "Whistle Dog" out of the ball park . . . no pun intended.
Not only is it wrapped in bacon before grilling, but its also soaked in BBQ sauce first . . . popped into a Brioche bun, and then topped with homemade Onion Strings.
To. Die. For. I served it with Sweet Potato Wedges, coz sweet potatoes are healthy, dontcha know!
These are delicious, full stop. A great summertime treat!
8 smoked frankfurters
8 slices of streaky bacon
8 TBS honey BBQ Sauce
8 brioche burger buns
For the onions:
1 medium cooking onion
225ml buttermilk (1 cup)
210g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
vegetable oil for frying
You will also need:
your favourite hot dog garnishes (mustard, relish, etc.)
To
make the onions, peel the onion, cut in half and then cut into thin
half moons. Place the sliced onion into the buttermilk and let sit for
half an hour. Whisk together the flour, sat and black peper. Take the
sliced onions from the buttermilk and shake lightly to remove any excess
flour. Drop into the flour and toss together to combine. Heat the
oil until hot. Fry the onion strings in the heated oil until golden
brown. Scoop out as they brown and drain on paper towelling. Keep warm in a low oven.
Toss
the hotdogs in BBQ sauce in a large bowl. Wrap each dog in a streaky
bacon slice, securing the ends with toothpicks. Grill until the bacon
is crispy and the dogs are heated through. Spoon any BBQ sauce left in
the bowl over top of the dogs.
Place the cooked dogs in the
split brioche buns (toast or not as you desire) top with the onion
strings and any garnishes you want. Serve immediately.
Happy Independance Day to all my American Friends! Enjoy your day and stay safe!
Bon Appetit!
*BBQ Bacon and Onion String Dogs*
Makes 8 Happy Independance Day to all my American Friends! Enjoy your day and stay safe!
Bon Appetit!
If you are looking for a really quick, simple and adaptable dessert this summer look no further! 10-Second Cheesecakes fit the bill on all counts!
Quintessentially British, these recipes will help Wimbleton tennis fans across the UK to celebrate the grand slam in style, with some indulgent sweet treats. Who needs strawberries and cream when you have cake and pavlova?
Well, I have to say the weather this summer so far has been absolutely horrible! Rainy and cold, cold, cold. As I write this (Thursday June 30th) we are debating on whether we want to put the heat on or not. My sensible side says no, just put on a sweater, but the wimpy part of me wants to give in!
These sandwiches make for a nice light and healthy supper when it gets too hot to cook, or when you are starving at the end of the day and can't be asked to cook. Not only are they quick and easy to make, but they are diabetic friendly also!
I was looking to make us a delicious lunch today, that was not only scrumptious, but also fairly healthy. Todd and I both are on medication for high cholesterol and I am a diabetic, so eating healthier is the order of the day around here most days. It is a real pain getting older, but then again its a blessing as so many people don't get the chance to do just that.
Sweet Corn Muffins are the perfect addition to suppers like that delicious White Chicken Chili I showed you yesterday! Corn and chili are a marriage made in heaven, don't you know!
There is one thing with the British weather that you can rely on for sure, and that is that it is highly unpredictable and unreliable! Today (Sunday) has been cold and rainy. The perfect day to make something delicious like this White Chicken Chillie!
I profess to having a certain fondness for donuts, especially the cake type. I like those ones much more than the yeast once, although they are also certainly very good and have their place. But give me a chocolate sour cream or plain sour cream donut over a crueller any day of the week! Love, Love, LOVE!
I had some fresh ravioi in the refrigerator that needed using up the other day and so I created a delicious and quick casserole that went down a real treat. I used a spinach and ricotta variety and these flavours worked very well together, but I am sure they would also work very well with a cheese or a beef ravioli.
I was recently sent a jar of Yutaka Korean Kimchi to try and I decided to put it to good use in a recipe for Kimchi Mac and Cheese that I had saved some time back. It sounded delicious at the time and I thought it would be a great way to showcase this great product. I was not wrong!
I am a great fan of Mediterranean flavours . . . oregano, feta cheese, olives, lemons, tomatoes, cucumbers . . . coriander. Greek salad. Yum! Yum!
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