Tag: bakery

Scandinavia’s Christmas City & Rudolph for Lunch.

Scandinavia’s Christmas City & Rudolph for Lunch.

We decided a few months ago that we would try and take a weekend trip once a month while we are here in London, to take advantage of the proximity of so many amazing countries. However, this thoroughly unaffordable goal could only be accomplished if we had very few other requirements for the trips. So, it was decided that we would keep an eye on Eurostar and flight sales, and book the best deals that came across our inboxes. Wherever they were to.

When we were booking our Christmas trip I added one other requirement. It had to be Christmas-y. So when £19 fares to Gothenburg, Sweden came up for a weekend mid-December, we booked straight away to visit what many call Scandinavia’s Christmas City. And boy, was it Christmas-y. Everywhere we turned… Christmas. We stayed with a lovely couple in the Masthugget district, in their gorgeous flat.
Read more

A Scone Adventure in Marylebone + barista training at Climpson & Sons.

A Scone Adventure in Marylebone + barista training at Climpson & Sons.

The past few months in London have been lovely, because it has been like a revolving door of friends from Melbourne popping in and out. It’s been ridiculous actually – a lot of my spare time has been spent with friends from back home, whether they have moved here or are just passing through. My friend Namita has been on an epic Europe adventure on her own, and has been in and out of London over the past few months. She is heading back to Australia next week so we decided to go on a scone adventure as our last hurrah.

It was her first English scone, so I of course took her to my go-to when downtown, Gails Artisan Bakery. They toaster-press their scones, and they are moist and buttery, just like home. I have an issue with many British scones, in that they are too dry! But not these.
Read more

An Easter Sunday morning in Amsterdam.

An Easter Sunday morning in Amsterdam.

I’ve started working at a gorgeous little place in Victoria Park Village. I moved into a lovely flat facing the park, in the middle of my favourite place in London. I love Hackney, it has a wonderful vibe – and Victoria Park Village feels like a little English country town. My first day at work, word got around the village that there was a new girl at the Deli Downstairs, and I started to realise what a tight-knit little community I have chosen to become a part of.

But more on my lovely work and village later. We were closed on Easter Sunday, and quite quiet as many people around the village had gone away for school holidays. I had four days off (as did Husni) so we decided to head over to the Netherlands for a long weekend.
Read more

A day in the French quarter with Muffuletta sandwiches + a Jazz Brunch.

A day in the French quarter with Muffuletta sandwiches + a Jazz Brunch.

Last day in New Orleans, and it is what most of the town considers a recovery day after Mardi Gras.

We were up bright and early however, for a Jazz Brunch at The Court of Two Sisters in the French Quarter. After a big meal of pecan pie, grits and grillades, turtle soup, shrimp creole, bananas foster on pancakes, jambalaya and cajun corn salad, we spent the rest of the day wandering the French Quarter, checking out the French Market and picking up some food for the dinner I am cooking for Lee and Anthony tonight, as a thank you for letting us stay.
Read more

White girl gets a fork, best pancakes ever, a rice pudding cafe + an urban high-rise park.

White girl gets a fork, best pancakes ever, a rice pudding cafe + an urban high-rise park.

I stayed in my hotel room until midday. My feet hurt. I needed to sort out my luggage, get myself re-centered. And to be honest, I just needed a sleep in. New York is so ever-bustling and busy, it was nice to sit 13 floors above it all in the quiet and recharge. There is a lot to do here, but I am not sure I could live here. Those that do seem busy, unhappy, and often stuck.

I am used to dancing in the street, smiles and laughter, and singing tram conductors. Today I was walking along Broadway, listening to Daylight by Matt and Kim, smiling and dancing a little when I stopped at the traffic lights. People actually looked at me grumpily. Why are you happy? They seemed to be thinking.

At noon I checked out, turned over my bags to luggage storage and set out to SoHo. I had four destinations today, first was the High Line Urban Park. Last time I was in New York this park was in planning stage, and I had always wanted to visit New York again so I could go here. The city turned an abandoned high rise train line into an urban park high above street level, spanning 1 mile (1.6 kms). It was a super sunny day, and the sunlight reflected off the piles of snow to blind those walking the paths. I can imagine this would be beautiful in summer, but in winter it was still nice to walk so high above the city – the air almost seemed cleaner there.
Read more

The invention of the Cronut.

The invention of the Cronut.

Today was the day I was to get up at 6AM and take the subway down to Dominique Ansel’s Bakery in SoHo, to line up for two hours for a taste of a Cronut from the place they were invented. If you haven’t heard of them, Cronuts are a worldwide sensation at the moment – they are basically a donut, filled and topped with assorted creams, made from a croissant pastry. Moist but flaky and covered in sugar, they have been replicated all around the world, but it is here at Dominique’s that they originated.
Read more

Vegan brunch, Gaiwan tea ceremony, hiking the wildwood trail + hot blueberry tea cocktails.

Vegan brunch, Gaiwan tea ceremony, hiking the wildwood trail + hot blueberry tea cocktails.

Walked down to Hawthorn and wandered the strip for a while – got lost in the huge Powell’s books, and then walked over the road to Harlow, Portlands premier vegan joint. Being a non-vegan, it is hard for vegan places to match what I could get somewhere else, but Harlow over-delivered. Cold-pressed coffee with coconut milk, bittersweet chocolate and agave accompanied my ridiculously amazing meal.
Read more

Lamingtons for Australia Day in the Wild West of the USA.

Lamingtons for Australia Day in the Wild West of the USA.

I was told as soon as I left Australia for my adventure around the world I would have a newfound sense of patriotism. I have always been patriotic about Melbourne (maybe because it is the best place in the world?), but have never really been a flag-toting, sausage eating, Crikey-shouting Aussie.

My friends in Melbourne have always been super organised with our bigger parties – we are huge fans of facebook events. It works for me because now I have gone, they invite me to everything anyway so I can see what is happening back at home. So when I saw the group was heading out for an Australia Day Picnic and rowing a boat to Herring Island, I remembered how my American friends Sam and Nina would always host parties on the American holidays like the 4th July. So, as an Australian, I felt it was my duty to host an Australia Day party here in Phoenix, Arizona.

I got a little excited about the prospect of introducing our friends to a bit of Australian culture. It wouldn’t be Australia day without lamingtons, so I baked a sponge and set to work putting together some Aussie baked deliciousness. For my non-Australian readers, lamingtons are a dense sponge cake filled with raspberry jam, dipped in a chocolate syrupy sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut.

Our friends Erin and Brandon showed up with their super cute son, Liam. He loved to pose for the camera!
Read more

Of pies, chocolate and heirloom seed banks.

Of pies, chocolate and heirloom seed banks.

Petaluma is one of those towns that not many people would think of as a tourist destination. But on the road back to San Francisco it was a great overnight foodie stop at the end of the Sonoma Cheese Trail.

We were a little sick of cheese by the time we got there, so the many Zagat and Michelin recommended restaurants serving pies, chocolate, sandwiches, soups and pastas were a welcome relief. The Petaluma Pie Company decorates the walls with cut out pie tins, and do sweet and savoury pies in every flavour you can think of. Viva Cocolate have chocolate to take away, eat in, and they also offer chocolate classes.

On the way into town, we saw this little guy watching us from afar. As we got closer, we realised he had one brown and one blue eye. He was so calm, a little sad, and all alone. I am sure his owner was near, but I wanted to bundle him up in my jacket and take him home.
Read more

A bakery on California Route 1.

A bakery on California Route 1.

Driving into Point Arena along California Route 1 Coastal Road, the town doesn’t differ much from the few before and after. Small, quiet, and fairly unexciting (except for the stunning ocean views), it was a pleasant surprise to discover Franny’s gorgeous bakery. A group of chatting women stand in a pink kitchen, rolling out cinnamon and chocolate pastries, tying Christmas cake up with twine, and putting hot buttered rum apple pies in the old-fashioned deck oven. Jams and preserves line the front wall in flavours that would make any foodies mouth water: Apricot chipotle, mint and strawberry, carrot cake, blubarb (blueberry and rhubarb).

Housemade chocolates in flavours like Poire Williams (pear liquor) and earl grey infused ganache, and Thai red curry peanut butter sit perched above cute, handmade cupcakes, tres leches cakes, cookies and slices.
Read more

A few days in Wellington with orcs, artisanal charcuteries + tamarillo cupcakes.

A few days in Wellington with orcs, artisanal charcuteries + tamarillo cupcakes.

After a day hiking the volcanoes, we trudged back to the campervan and drove four hours down to Wellington. We finally got in late in the evening, and drove the windy, hilly streets to find what could possibly be the coolest hostel I have seen in a while. We parked our little van on the corner, loaded our stuff into our rooms, and hit the streets to look for food.

We walked the entire city, where everyone was out and about, drinking, eating, partying. I’d heard of a New Orleans themed diner at the other end of the city, so we head over to Sweet Mothers Kitchen and got ourselves a booth. We grabbed some po’boys and hush puppies and sat around chatting.
Read more

© Copyright 2023 Lani Kingston