So where did this new found admiration for vegans come from? If any of my friends or co workers had told me I would be writing about this a year ago, I would have said no way… I love my meat and fish. Goodness I just LOVE food and cooking as everyone knows but this is the point.
I’m not writing this blog because I’m a now turned vegan, that will most likely NEVER happen in my life but on this recent journey around the world for the last 8 months I’ve found this new admiration and respect for vegans.
I’m not sure where to start with New Zealand. Most of these blogs begin with food but on this occasion I find the country so far beyond beautiful I cant resist but to start with its ever changing bucolic beautiful landscapes. Fortunately we had 10 weeks travelling around NZ in our purchased car. We named him Auberge and so our journey began exploring this country.
I feel like this may be quoting or sounding similar to a phrase everyone knows but here goes.
‘Everyone has a dream’. It can vary from wanting to be famous, to being a millionaire one day, to having kids, being an olympic champion or maybe owning your own business. In my case there is absolutely no desire to be famous or even be a millionaire but there has always been the dream of owning my own place. My own little piece of me translated through food, a place where people come because...
I normally start the food blog towards the end of my time spent in a destination after writing notes but this time around I find myself too excited not to mention Min & Mays cooking lesson. Set tucked away from the tourist chaos in their little village on Inle lake surrounded by a 60% floating tomato farm. I should add they are one village of 156 villages on Inle lake. It seems a small lake but with suburbs kind of thing it doesn’t at all feel congested, you wouldn’t even think it possible that there are many inhabitants living there to be honest.
We arrived in Nepal with the intention of hiking to the Annapurna base camp (A.B.C) and exploring the local food as we do so. Setting off on a 10 day hike into the Himalayas not yet knowing we would be testing ourselves to new physical and mental limits whilst soaking up the beyond beautiful views.
So, I’m in Buffalo NY. Not one of the most likely places to take a holiday for a week but I have a bestie now living here so I thought I'd share my experience of this pretty cool place. She’s been here 3 months, working super hard and yet to venture out, leaving me free to do precisely what I love doing. Exploring, adventuring and eating!
After visiting Barcelona I find myself compelled to write this blog. Many people recommended it to me for the food but I also visited for a personal treat. The title is how I saw it. Beautiful Simple, there was an air to Barcelona like London and Paris, food buzzing around, a cafe culture, the smells, the visuals, the market!
What Fun! I recently catered for a friends wedding. Being a young couple and very much lovers of New York and cool eateries combined with my love of street food we thought we would go with a street feast themed wedding menu.
Using personal ideas suiting the lovely couple, our little touches brought the food to life. Collecting jam jars for a year, spending hours stamping brown greaseproof paper with their personalized stamp to the love that went into the tender melt in your mouth lamb shoulder. All contributing towards a fun interactive wedding feast.
I was recently asked to partake in an interview for SportsDiscovery.net. A blog page not only in memory of Nick Broad but also in exploration of cutting edge sports science amongst others.
Nick Broad was a renowned nutritionist in his field who sadly passed away. His work continues to thrive on through this blog. Myself being someone that worked with Nick, him being my mentor for sports performance food, giving me the first introduction into the style of food I quickly fell in love with. Changing my previous experience and taking it onto a new direction with his guidance.
A female chef? Or just chef?
This topic came up in a recent article and with it being a subject close to my heart a good friend tagged me in the post. Spurred from a comment made by a male chef.
“girls in the kitchen,” he felt that women lack “a lot of that fire in a chef’s belly you need,” and that “That’s probably why there [are] not so many female chefs.”
It is hard for us not to retaliate in some way to comments made like this. Especially as we have such mutual respect for fellow chefs ourselves.
A challenge - An experience - A success
With all this talk on vietnamese food and it literally making my taste buds tingle at the memory of it all, surely it’s about time to cater for a Vietnamese diner party.
Timing working in its mysterious ways – a friend enquired for a dinner party. I mentioned a Vietnamese themed night and they went for it. Then… the challenge began.
I can't talk about the food from travelling all the time. I'm English at the end of the day (a quarter Italian in there too). Anyhow an english girls got cravings.
An english roast dinner- bangers and mash- bubble and squeak- roast potatoes- a full english breakfast- an English cup of tea- fresh scones or just a simple sausage sandwich.
Vietnamese FRESH spring rolls 'Goi Cuon'
Unless you eat Vietnamese food you may not have come across these fresh spring rolls before. Delicious!
Fresh spring roll meaning NOT fried. They can be made various different ways.Wrapped in rice paper or wrapped in lettuce leaves. These are the two versions I gratefully tasted.
They are as the name says 'fresh' you can taste the flavors inside. Commonly they tend to be filled with - Pork -King prawn- glass noodles - or rice- lettuce leaves- fresh herbs-dipping sauce.
Vietnamese food you blew not only my taste buds away but my way of thinking. It’s the interaction with the food. You don’t sit down for a formal meal in Vietnam you almost assemble it together yourself as you go about the streets taking your fancy.
Hong Kong
Take me to the other side of the world where Asian food is my option meaning open your eyes Lottie, take it all in and taste away. Throwing me into the absolute craziness of traffic, masses of people and shopping that Hong Kong offers, a first hostel experience then finally a good friend shows me the way. The food way. Don’t get me wrong seeing sights is obviously a huge part of the trip but food does tend to be the first thing on my mind
