London Diaries - Time for a Cuppa - Farm Girl

So..Amma's here and I don't have a clue how the days are running past me. If there's anyone in this world who enjoys strolling through markets tirelessly and can do it over and over again and not complain or get bored, it has to be her. Well, I do know of a few others, but amma's enthusiasm is something else. 

We had reserved one afternoon for a lazy but thorough stroll around Portobello Market in Notting Hill, she remembered the little details of this place from her previous visit but we just had to go there again. 

We left home after lunch as amma still doesn't prefer eating out here as the options offered on the table just don't live up to her taste buds, so a post lunch getaway is what we settled for. 

We walked the entire length of Portobello road all the way from Notting Hill Station, stopping at most shops - Alice was a must, the map shop & the photo prints shop was ticked off too. We did a quick mandatory 'Cake stop' at the hummingbird bakery for the sweet tooth. After about 4 hours of wandering we headed back to Notting hill and was craving for a quiet little place where we could sit down, may be warm ourselves up and reflect on what we did. Yeah... I know that sounds too profound for a random walk in the market, but    such places so unique calls for a bit of that.

We stumbled upon Farm Girl for 2 specific things - the Wisteria creeper that grew on it's doorway (which is my new found love this season)  and the writing on the wall. A bit of a weirdo here, but yes, this is exactly what made me walk in. 

It was a quirky little cafe at first sight, a bit hippieish and spoke healthy, fresh, calm, colourful, everything goes the day you make it kinda place.  The green tiled decor gave the place a garden feel which is most welcome.

The options at the bar were not too many but we just wanted some a warm drink so I picked the afternoon blend for my tea and amma choose a latte - oh yes! we love our coffee with lots of milk.  We settled down at a corner table and were greeted to a big pitcher of water with lemon. Any place which offers generous amounts of water without asking scores immediately with me. We really needed that. 

Just as we settled in I had to get us an almond croissant which won over the banana & coconut cake. No regrets! It was probably one of the best Almond croissant I had in a very long time.  The tea & coffee with the friendly smiley staff all went down a treat. We felt rejuvenated from this little stop. All the cutlery were colourful stoneware which was  earthly and yet very stylish. 

I looked through the menu & it offers dairy free options , including ice creams for the lactose intolerant. I had to tell my friend about this place as she would really appreciate places that cater to those who need dairy free. 

It was an expensive place, so on those terms it makes me think I should explore an alternative, but for which it ticks the box for what you'd look for in a coffee shop and given that it's such a quaint one on an otherwise busy street. 

 

I follow 'Foodism'

A very common Sunday of mine starts with a nice warming cup of coffee followed by a good south Indian breakfast - either a simple home made uppittu (Upma as it's known) or dosa or most likely a visit to SB, Saravana Bhavan has been our new friend for Sunday breakfasts, one that's almost a brunch. 

We just returned having had our fill on this grey-is-the-colour-of-the-day kinda Sunday. I have made myself another cup of tea - well, the weak type where the tea bag goes in with loads of hot water and a dash of milk which I shamefully call tea but is a lazy substitute for it. 

Well, I am that person who thinks about what I'm having for lunch and plan for dinner while sipping my morning cup of coffee. I am quite a foodie and off late I see that this is getting into more of an obsession. 

Today will be slightly different, with a tummy that's so full and a nagging ache in the back, it will be a day when I would give my kitchen and myself a rest (at least for the first half a day) and try to re-live the foodie moments on this page.  

I believe in eating at least one freshly cooked meal every day and that constantly motivates me to try something different. 

And the more home sick I get, the better is the food - in my humble opinion.  

My mind automatically travels to those days we went to 4th Block Jayanagar for no rhyme or reason but definitely returned with a tasty palate. 

So while I was pondering over the thoughts and memories, I thought my home-sickness had reached it's highest best when I clicked this pic - the joy of filling up the little containers of the masala-dabba which I termed 'South India in a box' defines my upbringing and deepens my roots and connects me with the food I cook. 

Home-Made is the bigger yearning than anything else. So I tried giving a go at quite a few things - the itch to get it done was huge and in all this I have enjoyed the journey. 

The Iyengar bakery craving is something that might never stop - when the simple masala toast and congress kadlekai  which is ideal with the afternoon tea made my mouth water, my kitchen ended up witnessing it. 

It's weird how my mind switches from I-have-to-eat-healthy-NO-MATTER-WHAT and I-don't-care-about-the-calories-IT-HAS-TO-BE-TASTY!  So, I see myself in making strange concoctions of a kind to fill me up  - some work, some don't.

The healthy being a carrot-ginger-Orange juice drink which I picked from the 'Joe and the Juice' bar which names this drink aptly 'Go-away-Doc'.  This coupled with cherry-tomato bruschetta went down a treat.

The unhealthy being my 2-cheese Macaroni which was a random craving on another day which had to answered.  Tried the mascarpone cheese which was a good creamy add to the nutty cheddar. 

A home-made (yes! I go again) guacamole for the nachos one evening as having the nachos served at All-bar-one was what my taste-buds demanded this weekend. 

 Though I have seen myself giving a try at cooking different cuisine, I am probably better and most comfortable in cooking Indian.And I can say that in the past month or so that my kitchen has made it's way to the 'Paratewali galli'. I am pretty much stuffing my chapati dough with whatever I get my hands on. Can you see that just to give the authentic 'Gobi Parata' a twist, I mixed brocolli to it? 

One of other paratas being this which is a food-blog I follow and enjoy!  

Retail Therapy these days is heading straight to the 'home' sections of any store and I am so excited to have picked a couple of utensils, some kind of kitchenware and of course a stop over at the groceries which sums up my shopping trip almost every single time. 

My most favourite shops have now become the food and grocery outlets - going to Tesco or M&S food gives me unspeakable joy while I spent a couple of hours at a cloth store and got completely bored and irritated. 

Lastly, some of the food blogs have made me drop everything I had got my hands at reading and if you happen to be someone who enjoys browsing through ForestFeast is highly recommended as it beautifully combines food, photography, writing and painting with the most key ingredient 'Simplicity'. Having given more than a recipe a try, it is my hot favourite now. 

I have no patience in waiting for my food to be photographed -my food travels from my pan to the plate and into my mouth with not enough time for this step called 'presentation', though some may say it's important, it's not high on my list at the moment - so pardon the crappy photos on this blog. 

London Diaries - Time for a Cuppa - Yumchaa

Firstly, lets get this clear. Yumchaa is a chain of tea shops now sprouting up at many different places in London but this one I am talking about is a Yumchaa in Camden Lock overlooking the little food market and the canal and makes you feel like you have walked into one of those quaint little tea stalls tucked away in a little alley in a perfect little town.

Stepping into the rugged unfinished walls and decor just makes you ease out and feel relaxed that nothing around you including you needs to be in an orderly way. Just let go, sip tea and be with yourself. 

The selection of teas are remarkable. My post, many months ago on tea was the first one to take me into the world of different teas, but this took me to a whole new level.  

You can pick from black, green and white (never knew they existed). The tea leaves are places in little mugs which you can smell into and read through the description of what goes into the tea. 

I picked Wild Rose - the aroma of the rose petals with the earthy flavour of tea was just the thing I enjoyed. 

You get the rules of working through your tea (well.. nothing too strict) and get one of the prettiest tea pots to dive into the warmth.

The selection of cakes and the way they are displayed makes you wanna grab a bite. 

I've been there a few times now and would recommend as a stop over from walking around the otherwise busy Camden Market. 

London Diaries - Time for a Cuppa - White Mulberries

Any time is a good time for Coffee - whoever said this (if at all), said it right. I am a coffee person during the day and a tea person during the late afternoons and evenings and would not mind spending a free moment at a coffee shop. Ask to meet me at a coffee shop and I am ever ready.

This cold winter's day in London, having a day off, I set out to gallivant around the streets of the city. I made up my mind to pick a warm little coffee shop to spend the afternoon. St. Katherine's docks was one of the first few places I had visited in London and had fallen for the place instantly.

White Mulberries is tucked away amongst other cafes, delis and shops bang in the middle of the docks.

Having had a rather heavy meal with a friend this afternoon I decided on coffee and a sweet treat.  Flat white was my pick and it was well worth it.

The simple décor with exposed brick and views over the dock makes you wanna sit there forever sipping the warmth. Ideal place with a book or to browse.

It was perhaps the first time I had toasted banana bread, the right amount of sweet, crunch and buttery goodness - I would give my vote for the best I have had so far in London. The other cake loaves looked yumm too.

Lunch was not on my mind, so I didn't bother much, though there were no veggie options for the sandwiches and rolls the ones that were displayed looked freshly made and full of fillings - I bet it would be good.

The staff were friendly, pretty much every one who walked in had a chat with the barista.

I would definitely go back to this one and oh! I also have a loyalty card!

Cheat's Cookery - Potato Cutlets

Well! According to me this isn't cheating, but having known so many people back home who prepare every component of this dish at home I'd resign to calling mine cheats cookery as many things are shop bought in my case.

Ok....now that I have got my foreword out of the system I'll write about my potato cutlet saga. 

All I wanted to prepare for the evening meal was a simple aloo jeera with a few spices - cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, some turmeric and salt to taste and serve this as a chunky potato side dish. What I however ended up with were overboiled potatoes and so it was a masala mash that ended up with in my pan. It also was extremely spicy - you see I love spicy food so much that I went a bit over board this time.

I thought of making cutlets out of these immediately and chopped a whole lot of onions, carrots, got my peas and ginger mince ready. After the prepping up I decided to make it with just the potatoes and not add anything else - mainly coz the quantity was so much that it would have been enough for 6-8 people.

Ingredients:

Potato mix- 

Potatoes - boiled and over boiled works just fine!

Jeera powder

Chilli powder

Cumin powder

Turmeric

Salt to taste

Seasoning - oil, cumin, mustard, asaphoetida 

Coriander 

Chutneys to serve (the cheat factor) 

Green chutney - mother's recipe's Bombay sandwich chutney has got me completely

Date & tamarind chutney

Sweet chilli sauce - not a great option but my cutlets were so spicy that I thought. It would help.

Prepping the Cutlets-

Corn Flour - 2tbsp (add water to thin it)

Breadcrumbs  (the cheat factor)

How I made it:

I made nice big patties out of my potato mix and dunked them in corn flour, rubbed them against bread crumbs and toasted them on either sides and voila! My cutlets were ready.

How I enjoyed it:

I served them with all my chutneys and as it still was extremely spicy I finished it off with a dollop of curd/yogurt. This made a perfect anytime snack, I had one during tea, another as my evening snack and couple of them for dinner.

London Diaries - Table for One - Spuntino

The brief visit on a busy weekend evening made me fall in love with this place. I knew that minute that I had to go back. 

Spuntino - The extremely friendly & chilled out barmen cum waiters, the setting of bar stools and the walk in - take a seat - take it easy vibe the place brings with it are the key highlights. Love the fact that you are offered water as soon as you sit down like when you're visiting someone at their home and just when you are settling in and finding your bearings you already have the menu in front of you with water served with a cup of pop-corn with spice mix beside it. This was enough to make me love the place.

The menu has a mix of finger food to tapas style starters to filling mains with a great array of desserts. As a vegetarian I don't really pay attention to items which are not edible to me, but I bet if veggie options are good there is no need to think of what's available for the I can eat everything person in you. 

I settled in for a wild mushroom pizzette and unfortunately had no room for dessert but the cheesecake & the peanut butter & jelly sandwich looked sinfully yumm.

This tops my 'Table for One' list of places to eat, drink & spend a worthy me time. Must visit just for the different 'style' of food, service, ambiance, concept Spuntino brings with it.

Cheat's Cookery - Tomato Saaru (Rasam)

Anna-Saaru (Rice & Rasam) is our staple meal. It's funny how after a couple of days of having all types of food our heart's crave for this simple wholesome meal full of flavour. Sunday evening is typically anna-saaru time, to comfort me from the weekend that is done and prepare me for the week of work and the mundaness that comes with it.

Saaru is a any-day, any-time dish for me.  I am (used to be) strict about a couple of things when it comes to this dish -  I don't prepare it if I don't have nice ripe tomatoes and a fresh bunch of coriander. Everything else can be substituted - lime instead of the tamarind sauce, sugar instead of jaggery, even moong dal instead of toor dal. Now, are you thinking that all this is cheating already?

Well, the last week I  cheated on one of the main ingredients - the tomatoes. Are you thinking of the obvious substitute - canned tomatoes? No! By the way, I do have an odd feeling about canned food, can't bring myself to use them. Hmmm, that's another story in itself. 

I had bought this bottle of passata sauce from the little shop selling all stuff organic (Now, that makes me think that everything there is healthy and natural!, Weird how the mind operates).  I thought of making a simple spaghetti pasta with tomato sauce and ground black pepper and not fuss about with any other ingredient. This passata sauce was made of sun-dried tomatoes (one of the bestest things that I have found in the western world).

I bought this for a crazy day when work was too much, eating out was not an option. A day like that did happen, but the craving  was for Indian, ghar ka khana (home made) which made me do this version of saaru. 

I just kept a pan and put all the ingredients in the pan, brought it to a boil, added the tadka (seasoning) and served it hot with rice.  So, I ended up making an otherwise authentic south indian staple meal by using pasta sauce! 

Ingredients

Passata - 1/2 the bottle ( The cheat factor) 

Saarina Pudi - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Ground black pepper - 1 tsp

Water - to thin it. 

Salt to taste

For the tadka:

Sunflower Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin - a pinch

Mustard - a pinch

asafoetida (another key ingredient)

curry leaves 

coriander (nothing happens in my kitchen without this)

It was the easiest tomato saaru ever and tasted heavenly with the sun-dried tomatoes giving a huge earthy flavour with both sweet and tang bursting in the mouth. 

London Diaries - Market Hop - Borough Market

If there is one thing that I constantly think about other than near and dear ones is 'Food' . I have mostly been a foodie, I enjoy the sight, the thought, the smell, the taste of food and experimenting with it so much that I often think about what I want for lunch and dinner while sipping my morning coffee. Yeah....I know what you're thinking. Pathetic!  

I have used the word 'craving' so many times that no one gets any ideas about it any more. (You know what ideas I am talking about....A 30+ year old, being married for a while now...Yes, That!) 

London is best for its markets (among a few other things). I read somewhere that there are more than 150 markets in London alone. One of them being Borough Market is synonymous with Food and for those who know the Foodie in me will know exactly why I drool over this place and what makes me write about it. 

This place was what made me wish, for the very first time and I admit it that I was a Non-Vegetarian, that I ate meat. The place did not succeed in making me one, but I (not so secretly anymore) wish that I could taste it all!

This market has a lot of character. It sits in a very miss-able spot under the train tracks of the London Bridge Station, beside Southwark Cathedral. The entrance to the market is through small alleyways or a staircase which looks like it will take you down a conservatory. 

I'm sure guide books about London would give you a much glamorous description of the setting and I'll spare you from that.

Most of the Vendors there are either farmers, people who own small businesses - cottage industry-like, people who are passionate about food and who wanted to convert their home-recipe to a commercial venture. Basically,it feels like everyone there enjoys food and the buzz about it. 

It's hard to say which section of the market is better... The stalls selling varieties of cheese, pickles, olives, oils, cakes, chocolates making you stop by to have a taste. The grocery section laying out a vibrant display of fresh fruit & veg, some of whose names I wouldn't know or wonder how one would cook them. The fresh food market selling a variety of cuisine...raclette, falafel wraps, burgers, pies, Paella. The wine section with its vast display of booze from the vineyards of the old and new world. I don't know what I love the most about the place. You might have noticed me conveniently missing the oyster bars, the sea food section, the hog roasts and the barbecue stalls here. 

It's a brilliant way to spend a Saturday morning/afternoon,though the place can get pretty crowded. Of course for me,  I don't mind the crowd, it's just people like you and me who makes the crowd, isn't it? 

I'd love to take anyone who visits me here to Borough.... Not everyone would get the hoo haa about it, but you know you just need to be a food lover. London does offer many such unique markets but this definitely tops my list. I probably have a zillion pictures I have taken of this place saved across 3 laptops and 2 hard drives, being too lazy to pick, sort, select and upload I have chosen some random ones to give you a feel for the place. 

If you are in London, do yourself a favour and visit Borough Market on a Saturday (sunny day would be great, but not worth waiting for it in this city) ....you won't regret the trip! 

The collage is a view of most of the sign boards. I ended up going there on a day the market was closed and I could read all the boards and quotes on the walls which are otherwise covered by the stalls. 

You got to have the Borough Market Chocolate Brownie or any other sweet pastry or cake for sure here

Nibble on a piece of cheese or two

Taste a chutney, pickle, jam or mustard...something....

And pack some goodness back home..