Jumpsuit / ASOS
Scarf / Vintage
Shoes / Vans
Monday, 9 May 2016
Thursday, 5 May 2016
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
A LITTLE GUIDE TO YORKSHIRE
After an absolutely lovely Christmas last year (in fact probably the best I've ever had) in the Yorkshire countryside with my "surrogate" British family, a massive shoutout by the way to my friend Maddie and the whole family Orme who invited me and instantly treated me like their own, so generous and welcoming that I can't ever thank them enough, I couldn't help but embark on another little Northern adventure, leaving the hustle and bustle of London behind for a weekend and getting the clan to show me a little more of this part of the UK!
I can be a very judgemental when it comes to anything outside London at the best of times ("What they have Byron and Pret in Leeds?!".."Yes Stella, we don't live in the stone age outside London you know!") but I ended up having yet another truly fantastic weekend surrounded by equally great people and defying a lot of the preconceptions I had of going anywhere outside the M25. Once our very fun and boozy Virgin train ride on the Friday eve was done, I enjoyed two days filled with great food at even greater prices, great company and a whiff of countryside air and greenery. I am already planning a return trip in the summer to see York which we didn't manage to squeeze in this time, cook up some BBQ's and hang out with a family that has very much made me feel at home, something I am eternally grateful for.
Below are my foodie highlights but please let me know if I have missed any must-sees as I will be sure to check them out next time! Also look out for another Yorkshire related foodie post very soon. Three cooking obsessed girls (Maddie, her mum and I) let loose at a farmers market and armed with the best selection of cook books resulted in quite the feast!
COFFEE & CAKES AT MRS ATHA'S - LEEDS
Headrow Houses is very East London and as much as I hate being a bit cliché, inevitably living, working and partying in this part of the world I can't help but love anything that is on the good side of hip. And this place definitely is just that. Every floor fulfills a different purpose and comes with a slightly different concept- a super cool rooftop bar, which it was a little too cold to enjoy on this occasion, an event space, a restaurant and a tropically inspired cocktail which we settled for on this occasion. Cocktails are well made, cheap- once you sign up for a free Headrow House membership only £8 for two of their speciality gin cocktails during their happy hour, served in amazing goblets and a real joy to drink. It's the sort of place I'd be wasting way too much time and money at were it in my neighbourhood and could as easily be in New York's East Village as it is 2 minute walk from Leeds's town centre with it's young, fresh and vibrant feel.
I can be a very judgemental when it comes to anything outside London at the best of times ("What they have Byron and Pret in Leeds?!".."Yes Stella, we don't live in the stone age outside London you know!") but I ended up having yet another truly fantastic weekend surrounded by equally great people and defying a lot of the preconceptions I had of going anywhere outside the M25. Once our very fun and boozy Virgin train ride on the Friday eve was done, I enjoyed two days filled with great food at even greater prices, great company and a whiff of countryside air and greenery. I am already planning a return trip in the summer to see York which we didn't manage to squeeze in this time, cook up some BBQ's and hang out with a family that has very much made me feel at home, something I am eternally grateful for.
Below are my foodie highlights but please let me know if I have missed any must-sees as I will be sure to check them out next time! Also look out for another Yorkshire related foodie post very soon. Three cooking obsessed girls (Maddie, her mum and I) let loose at a farmers market and armed with the best selection of cook books resulted in quite the feast!
COFFEE & CAKES AT MRS ATHA'S - LEEDS
I am a massive coffee snob- heck I have nearly made barristas cry on several occasions when my cappuccino wasn't frothed properly (it is a bit of a running joke in my office how many times I go back to complain about my morning dose of caffeine) and my guide/host/colleague/all round friend Maddie was very aware of that, promising me truly great coffee at this little gem in the centre of Leeds and thankfully she wasn't wrong! With all the characteristics of the independent coffee shops I love so much in London -artisan cakes, bearded barristas etc. it definitely made me feel at home immediately but it wasn't just the looks that impressed. My cappuccino was super smooth, creamy and with not a hint of bitterness. One of the best cups of coffee I've had this year so far and a must try for anyone living in or visiting Leeds!
DRINKS AT HEADROW HOUSE - LEEDS
Headrow Houses is very East London and as much as I hate being a bit cliché, inevitably living, working and partying in this part of the world I can't help but love anything that is on the good side of hip. And this place definitely is just that. Every floor fulfills a different purpose and comes with a slightly different concept- a super cool rooftop bar, which it was a little too cold to enjoy on this occasion, an event space, a restaurant and a tropically inspired cocktail which we settled for on this occasion. Cocktails are well made, cheap- once you sign up for a free Headrow House membership only £8 for two of their speciality gin cocktails during their happy hour, served in amazing goblets and a real joy to drink. It's the sort of place I'd be wasting way too much time and money at were it in my neighbourhood and could as easily be in New York's East Village as it is 2 minute walk from Leeds's town centre with it's young, fresh and vibrant feel.
MACAROONS AT BETTY'S - HARROGATE
Betty's bakery and tearoom is a real British institution and it's Afternoon tea a thing of legends that people happily queue hours for. Yes, the two macaroons I had to takeaway may not have been the best ones I have every had but this place is nonetheless magical and a must visit if you are in the area. It's like time has pretty much stood still here since they first opened their doors in 1919- staff in old school ruffled aprons and uniforms, every baked good carefully presented like a jewel and service wonderfully eccentric and accommodating and like they are serving the Queen not a cynical 24 year old London girl. It's great to see that places like this still thrive despite fickle culinary trends and fades and sitting down for their afternoon tea, with our without a bit of a wait, is without a doubt pretty high on my list of foodie things I still need to try!
THAI FOOD AT ZAAP - LEEDS
Before our train back to London we had just enough time for a quick, tasty (and after our massive home cooked veggie feast the night before) relatively healthy dinner. Maddie immediately suggested Zaap, not far from Leeds's city centre, and was met with immediate doubts from my side. You know when you try a cuisine once somewhere bad and it kind of puts you off it for good? Well I've had some rather lacklustre Thai food in the past and had somehow managed to avoid it altogether for a few years to the point were I would happily put my nose up at the thought of a Pad Thai without ever having tried one. However after a quick instagram stalk, thank the lord for being able to geotag search a restaurant, helping avoid eating out disappointments all round, I decided to give Zaap a go- everything I saw looking incredibly fresh and tasty. The restaurant is super colourful and fun inside (a sort of Thai version of Lebanese chain Comptoir Libanis), prices are ridiculously good with almost all mains under a tenner and the food is just as good as Maddie promised. I went for the classic Pad Thai in the end and it turned out to be a noodle dish bursting full of flavour, topped with crunchy peanut, huge and juicy prawns and finished off with a real chilli kick. Zaap completely changed my perception of Thai food and if they had a London branch, here is hoping for one soon, I would have already returned to sample more of their dishes. I didn't think a Thai restaurant in Leeds out of all places would change my opinion of this cuisine but it sure did!
Monday, 2 May 2016
ALL WHITE
Jumper / Fruit Of The Loom
Skirt / American Apparel
Shoes / Superga
Sunglasses / Quay Australia
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Monday, 25 April 2016
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Monday, 18 April 2016
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
AMY'S KITCHEN - GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE READY MEALS THAT ROCK
Being intolerant or allergic to anything is
never fun and when I found out that my belly and gluten don’t get on overly well I
can’t say I was particularly over the moon. I mean we all know gluten is in basically anything that is tasty- pizza, pasta, bread, you name it (thank god my
favourite food, ice cream, has remained safe).
Of course I still sometimes resolutely say FUCK IT and eat gluten
anyway, suffering from a rather sore tummy for the days to follow, and boy is
it worth it when it’s an amazing pizza or you are out to eat somewhere and don’t want to be that person missing out BUT luckily we now live in a time
where having a dietary requirement is more catered for than ever before and you don't necessarily have to miss out on the good (gluten) things in life.
One of my favourite discoveries on the hunt
for gluten free goodies thus far has undoubtedly been Amy’s Kitchen. While London’s restaurants scene offers more
and more gluten and dairy free as well as vegan options these days, big
supermarkets and their selection of ready meals aren’t usually as accommodating
which is why I was so shocked and pleasantly surprised that Amy's offers exactly
this range of super tasty ready meals that come in gluten free and vegan
options in the freezer aisle of most supermarkets!
And they do it well, in fact,
originating from America, some of their ready meals, particularly the super
cheesy mac n cheese better than their typical Tesco or Sainsbury’s counterparts.
Even my friends without intolerances were barely able to notice the slight differences
in ingredients, using rice pasta instead of normal pasta and a creamy almond
based sauce instead of a dairy version and with super reasonable prices between
£2 and £5 a pop they provide a quick, and comforting meal of the sorts I
thought I could no longer enjoy.
I’ve tried a few of their meals by now so
below my two favourites! Even if you don’t have any intolerance these are super
tasty and a great addition to any freezer which have made my life a hell of a lot
easier.
Made with rice pasta instead of normal
pasta, which just looking at it gives me an uneasy stomach these days, this is hands down my favourite of Amy's offering. Proper cheesy, the American style, this is pure comfort food and ready in
just a few minutes from frozen. I’ve made it habit to have one in the freezer
at all time and with them also doing vegan version with cheeze it is the
ultimate hangover cure to cater for all.
I loooove a good stir fry and this one is
one of the best ready meal varieties I’ve tried, gluten free or not. The thing
is most “Chinese” inspired ready meals are, let’s be honest, pretty disgusting,
sticky sauces that taste of nothing tossed with very few, very overcooked
vegetables and finished off with some limp egg noodles, neither giving you the
satisfaction of a greasy takeaway version or the wholesomeness of a home cooked
meal.
This however is properly tasty. A good
amount of crunchy veg (shitake mushrooms, broccoli, julienned carrots and lots
more) is combined with an absolutely fantastic cashew cream sauce, God knows
how it is that creamy without a hint of dairy, tofu and rice noodles and makes
for one damn tasty and also healthy ready meal that rivals something you would
order out for a lot more money! I’ve already bought it several times and it has
become a real regular choice of mine and once again flavours won me over before
I even considered that it also catered to my none gluten needs!
I’ve also sampled and loved their gluten
free Veggie lasagna and a variety of their warming and hearty tinned soups, all
delivering in their flavour, wholesomeness and commitment to making something
first and foremost delicious and not just a gluten or dairy free alternative
that can’t measure up to the originals.
Monday, 11 April 2016
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Monday, 4 April 2016
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