Fashion Friday: Etsy - Quench Metal Works

Another great ring. This one from Etsy shop Quench Metal Works. 

Being a part of the blogosphere - even for just the short 3 months that I've been here - has taught me so much, and Etsy may be the best thing I've learned. 

For those of you who still don't know what Etsy is, go check it out - just make sure you don't have anything pressing to do because I guarantee you'll get lost in the fabulous world of Etsy for hours. 

Cheers!

Fashion Friday: A Cautionary Tale

Last week, winter really hit London hard. It was absolutely freezing. There was enough snow on the ground to make walking a treacherous activity in anything except for ugly shoes with some heavy duty traction; and I was sick to death of being cold EVEN for the sake of fashion. Furthermore, I was just getting over a particularly debilitation cold which made me tired and grumpy (and apparently a bit senile as is evident by the previous sentence).

Anyway... with all these factors playing key roles in my wardrobe deciding game this particular morning, my main concerns were simple: comfort and warmth. To this end, I threw on some corduroys that were just a hair too baggy and a tad too long, an oversized t-shirt that didn't tuck in quite right and a sweater wrap that just didn't have quite enough structure to pull the whole thing together. On top of all that mess, I threw on my big, black, dirty (but fabulous) Hunter wellies (with the sock insert of course). I left the accessories out of the equation completely. Before anyone gets too horrified, I did at least manage to put on some mascara and blush before sloshing out the door, and I was sure to pack my cute shoes in my bag to put on once I made it through the snow drift. Still, it seems needless to say that I was not looking my best on this day, and here I am coming to the point of the story...

It is, of course, on this sloppy of all sloppy days that I run into my office crush. I'd been trying to catch his eye for months with impeccably cut dresses, impossibly high heels, and totally fabo accessories, and I'd all but given up hope that I would get a chance to reel him in. Well, here he was, making polite conversation in his beautiful suit while I looked like Farmer Brown's daughter on a trip to the big city.

Moral of the story folks: Even if its cold and nasty and awful outside and you just don't feel like getting dressed properly - do it! You never know who you may run into.

So, here is some outfit inspiration for looking great even when you just want to be warm and comfy:

1. I love this One Pocket Sweater from Chinti and Parker, and it comes in so many great colors (though I think the gray with navy pocket shown here is my fave). Now, I know I talked about Chinti and Parker last week, but I just can't get over this brand, and no post combining winter, comfy and cozy would be complete without a shout out to Chinti and Parker.

2. This outfit via The Sche Report is hot! I love the sweater dress look. It's so versatile. You can express your style in anyway with a sweater dress. I like how this take has a little bit of an edgy flair. Even on a day when you're feeling kinda frumpy, this outfit has the punch to pull you out of your slump - or at least keep you looking great even if you're not feelin' it. 

3. It took me a trip across The Pond to realize how great Top Shop is, but now there's no going back! I always find something fabulous in there, and the prices are so reasonable. This outfit just proves my point. I love that capes are in this year, and I'm totally digging the "Heeled Hiking Boot" look. I even bought a pair for myself!

4. Don't you just love this oversized sweater from Ami Dans La Rue via ShopBop? Plus, I'm totally digging her bling!

5. Another great look from ShopBop. I think the fur vest is brilliant (though I would have to go for an equally awesome faux version)

Tasty Tuesday: Hummingbird Bakery

My roommates mother did a terrible, awful, wonderful thing this week. She sent my roommate a box of 12 beautiful cupcakes from The Hummingbird Bakery, and these cupcakes are so darn stinking good that I just can't stop thinking about them. I thought I'd share the yumminess so that at least maybe I wont be the only one day dreaming such sweet dreams.

Check these out: Black Bottom Cupcakes - dark chocolate sponge cake with a cheesecake center and cream cheese frosting. 

Londoners - run, don't walk, to your nearest Hummingbird Bakery!

Music Monday: Three's Company!

Aeroplane - We Can't Fly
My new running playlist fave!
Admittedly, I don't usually go for anything even remotely resembling techno/electronic, but this has got an awesome beat.


Janelle Monae - Tightrope
This song makes me wanna wiggle; the video makes me smile; and - damn - the girl can sing! Who could ask for anything more?


Mt Desolation - State of our Affairs
Beautiful instrumentals. Beautiful voice. Beautiful baby blues.
What I wouldn't give to be that microphone!

Fashion Friday: Chinti and Parker

 From Elle magazine to the New York Times and even TimeOut London, everybody's buzzing about new uber-eco-friendly label Chinti and Parker.

This brand has it all: style, comfort and even an attitude towards environmental responsibility. Each of their products has that "favorite t" air with out the run-down, worn-out look that comes with "favorite t" status. 

I love this camel colored sweater with elbow patches from the Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. It's like the sweater you stole from Dad when you were a teen with a modern woman twist... and no holes. 

Good Things - Holidays 2010

By now, the Thanksgiving leftovers have dwindled down to that last useless spoonful of cranberry sauce, a brussels sprout or two and a pumpkin pie pan full of gram-cracker-crust crumbs. The first snow has been coming down hard all day here in London, and, though its not sticking to the pavement yet, a beautiful, pristine, white dusting has settled on roofs, in flower beds and across the top of the Tower of London. My head is buzzing with Christmas carol snippets - "Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!" The Holidays have settled in.

With my multi-cultural holiday upbringing, I can't help but note that the first night of Hanukkah begins tonight, and - with no menorah and a pathetic excuse for a kitchen set up - there is slim chance that I will get to celebrate the Festival of Lights properly this year, so I've done some sifting through cyberspace to try and make up. It will be a vicarious sort of celebration this year.

1. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but here's a shot of a holiday table setting from years past that I thought was rather brilliant. The flower arrangement was my pride and joy: purple kale, orange spray roses and green hydrangeas all arranged in a beautiful china soup terrine. 

For the table cloth, I took a little bit of inspiration from designer John Saladino's book Villa where he discusses layering fabrics on a table instead of using just one table cloth. In my version, I first laid out a very old, very stained and very sentimental vintage lace table cloth. The middle of the cloth had some gross brown stainage and was quite wrinkled, but the beautiful lace detailing around the edge was too sweet to pass up. Next, I threw a flax colored linen table cloth over the lace - making sure to let the lace peak through just around the edges. Voila! A beautiful, unique table covering with much more dimension and character than a single table cloth could ever provide. Layering is a great way to get to honor old heirloom table cloths with out fear of getting any nasty stains on them. Plus, all that extra material makes for some nice padding for your best china to sit on and keeps clanking of glasses, flatware and dishes down to a nice muted thud. 

To top it all off, the "nice" dishes add a lovely touch, and a few candles dress up any table setting perfectly. 

2. I absolutely love this menorah, or Hanukiah if we're being exact, from The Modern Tribe. It is simple yet whimsical and would make the perfect addition to any modern Jewish family's Hanukkah celebration. 

3. Another rendition on the menorah from Branch Home. Each block on this menorah is an individual piece and can be arranged in the form of a menorah. Other times in the year, the pieces can be separated and used about the house in any form or function you choose. I'm not sure if it's exactly kosher to be able to use the menorah for anything other than its intended purpose - celebrating Hanukkah - but this piece is certainly a beautiful addition to any home. I love the way the warm blond wood looks paired with white candles. 

4. No Hanukkah celebration is complete with out a little blue and silver/white. I love this version from Epicurious.com. I love how crisp the gift boxes look with their perfectly folded lines and straight edges. Plus, who doesn't love a soothing, beautiful blue and white color plate?

5. Another holiday decorating scheme - this one for those who celebrate the red and green way. I love how clean and not over-done this look is. It doesn't scream Christmas; it quietly whispers it. It is elegant yet festive. 

6. No matter the occasion, a good holiday celebration is never complete without some beautiful flowers, and eHow gives some great tips on how to make your own. I love the height of this arrangement which adds a modern air to the decor but still keeps it warm and fun. Plus, depending on the color combinations of ornaments, this same design can be used for almost any occasion!

7. Latkes may be my favorite part about Hanukkah. I mean come on - a little potato, a little crunch, throw in some salt and pepper, top with sour cream - Heaven! (... or whatever the Jewish equivalent is. I still haven't quite figured that one out). Everybody's got their own way to do latkes, but The Budding Cook  seems to have a winning rendition as does Deb from Smitten Kitchen. 

I hope I've inspired a little holiday cheer. 

Happy Hanukkah! 

  

Tasty Tuesday: Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

If my internship has taught me anything, its that, when I'm bored, I love to eat. Since I'm trying to save my waistline, I try not to take too many snacks to the office as - in my semi-conscious internship induced mind fog - I may eat anything in sight. So, instead of eating, I think about eating. A yummy, though not particularly original, concoction I conjured up one especailly slow afternoon: Rosemary Roasted Potatoes. 

Since I'm cooking for one (and hoping for some leftovers) these days, the ingredient amounts may seem a little measly but measurements can easily be multiplied to suit your needs. 

Ingredients:
1 cup baby new potatoes quartered
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 - 1 tablespoon Rosemary
Sea Salt
Pepper


Recipe


Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Mix quartered potatoes in a large bow with olive oil. Using your hands, toss the potatoes a bit to make sure the oil coats them evenly.
Sprinkle in the rosemary. Start with about a 1/2 tablespoon, and toss the potatoes and rosemary together. Add more rosemary if the mood suits you. In my opinion, the rosemary should add gentle flavor to the potatoes, but not be too overpowering. No one wants to gnaw through dense layers of thick, prickly rosemary leaves to get to the yummy soft potato part!
Finally, throw in some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I'd say about two or three cranks of the pepper mill should do it and a teaspoon or so of salt, but really its all subjective on this one.
Make sure to toss this mixture well. Lay the potatoes on the roasting pan, and pop them in the oven. Cook until the potatoes are lightly golden brown and soft enough to stick a fork in but not too mushy. I recommend between 20 and 30 minutes depending on the oven and personal preferences.

Note: Though I skipped this step this time, sprinkling a little grated Parmesan over the top before putting in the oven would be a lovely additional touch!

Enjoy!

Music Monday: Lissie

I'm really into this new artist I've discovered - Lissie.

I love her slightly gritty, raspy voice not to mention the great beat she's got going on!

Belated Fashion Friday: Stella & Dot

Ok, admittedly sometimes I can be a little behind the buzz on what's the latest in fashion, but I'm getting much better! So, maybe everyone else already knew about this great site, but I just recently ran into California based jewelery designer Stella & Dot, and I'm in love. Everything on their website is so fantastic - from the spunky wrap-around bracelet/necklaces in great colors, to the charm necklaces (that I've ben COVETING... eh-he-hem... parents, take note). I was having quite a difficult time picking a favorite to share here, but this pearly firework of a ring eventually won out:

I'm picturing it with a fab-o black cocktail dress, killer heels, and a swanky glass of bubbly for the Holidays. 

Cheers!

Tasty Tuesday: Best Brownie I Ever Bought

On Friday, The St. Katharine Docks Good Food Market opened, and boy am I lucky, because the St. Katharine's Docks are spitting distance (if you're really good) from my desk at Dow Jones. The market displayed beaucoups de stalls featuring food from all over the world - and I mean ALL over: from American pulled pork BBQ to Thai green curry chicken and pad thai to vats of Portuguese chorizo dishes and more. UN, eat your heart out!

But let me get to the point - the brownies. Oh my lord!

Usually, I am rather under impressed by purchased brownies. They always seem to pale in comparison to an afternoon of double boilers, cracked egg shells and licking the pan followed by an evening of fresh, warm, perfectly gooey homemade brownies, so I almost passed up heaven when I saw these brownies. Fortunately, a friend of mine brought me to my senses. These brownies, made by UK catering team Tatenda, were absolutely to die for.

Tatenda is apparently famous for their brownies - with good reason -, and they were displaying quite a variety of flavors and concoctions of chocolate-y goodness. Fortunately for my taste buds and my waistband, they were selling bite-sized versions of each. I chose to sample the bite-sized caramel and peanut brownie - I'm a sucker for the salt and sweet combo - kinda like a snickers but WAY better, and the chocolate espresso brownie - because who can pass up nature's two best creations: chocolate and coffee. 

My life will never be the same. 

To Market, To Market...

Last weekend, I headed out to East London to do some field research for my upcoming art history paper. I jumped on the district line and headed out to the Aldgate East tube stop. Exiting the station, I turned left and walked down Commercial Street a couple of blocks until reaching Old Spitalfields Market... I've asked around and, unfortunately, Spitalfields is pronounced just as its written.... yeah. Anyway, the market is caty-corner to the towering gray Christ Church - you can't miss it - and fortunately the market is an infinately more pleasante experience than its name might suggest. Duck under the red brick archway and into a veritable paradise!

Spitalfields Market is a haven for consumers and intellectuals alike. Shops, stalls, restaurants, and food stands abound. The shops (permanent) and stalls (Sunday only) at Spitalfields Market sell anything from flowers and chocolate to refurbished furniture to unique wardrobe additions, fabulous accessories and succulent bites to eat. Plus, the scene is ripe for people watching. And, if all that is not enough to entice you, the history and architecture of the place is as rich and vibrant as the weekly characters the market attracts.  

The Spitalfields Market site has been the gathering point for sellers of goods from "bulky vegetables" in the late 17th century to "flesh, fowl and roots" and later silk in the 1800's. The market underwent renovations in the 1990's, and today it reflects the spirit of London through its melding of old and new to create a new, unique space that honors the past while welcoming the future.

A set of modern steal gates usher visitors into the historical market. 

A frosted glass sculpture is etched with the details of some the history of the Spitalfields Market site. 

An iron staircase leads up from the cobblestone floor to rows of colorfully lit frosted windows. 

After I had soaked up my fill of Spitalfields Market, I found my way back to Commercial St., but I wasn't quite through with my exploration for the weekend, so I headed North towards Shoreditch High St. At Shoreditch High, I took a right. 

Passing the marvelously modern stainless steal Shoreditch High Street station, I toook another right at Bethnal Green and made sure to keep to the right on to Sclater St as Bethnal Green split to the left. Finally, after one more right hand turn, I found myself on the famous Brick Lane. 

Though at first I saw nothing but another cobblestone street lined with old houses, to my delight, I could hear the cries of street vendors around the next bend. I followed my ear, and soon the colorful wares of a fresh fruit and veggie market stretched before me.

The colors popped against the day's dreary gray backdrop. 

I wandered down Brick Lane taking in the sites, smells and sounds around me. As I drifted further South, the market stalls lining the street filled out and diversified, but I was only interested in the smells. The slightly prickly scent of curry mingled with pungent smoke that poured off of street grills cooking well marinated pork, beef and chicken. The nostalgia provoking aroma of citrus, cinnamon, nutmeg and wine poured from the copious vats of mulled wine. Whiffs of espresso flitted playfully in between the rest. Grills sizzled, pots gurgled and vendors cackled and called. I beamed. What fun I had stumbled upon!

As I wandered the streets, I noticed that there were pockets of vigorous activity followed by small pockets of comparatively less activity. After further examination, I realized that this was because the Brick Lane market was actually comprised of a series of smaller markets all catering to the same crowd of people ambling down Brick Lane. Some of the markets included the Backyard Market, the Sunday Upmarket, the Vintage Market and the Boiler House Food Hall. 

The Boiler House Food Hall, held in the old Truman Brewery, was, in my opinion, the real gem of the lot. This was an old warehouse filled to the brim with food stalls featuring street food from every corner of the world. And if I thought the smells were titillating before, the fragrances that mingled in the air here were practically orgasmic. I highly encourage everyone to give the Boiler House Food Hall a go. 

Exhausted and full, I wandered my way back to the Aldgate East stop making sure to catch a glimpse of Fournier Street - a street particularly crowded with old Georgian style town homes - on my way.     

Click for more information on Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane.

Paris, Je t'aime!

Bonjour mes amies, et bienvenue a mon 48 heures a Paris!

Despite the persistent and vexing precipitation, Paris was full of sights to be seen, so see I did! 

Obviously, a trip to Paris must include a visit to the Louve. Beware, the prices are steep, the lines long and the galleries crowded. If this isn't you're thing, at least be sure to snag a photo-op with the iconic museum. 

Of course, a trip to Notre Dame is also practically required. Weather you're a history buff, an art fanatic, a religious afficionado or a story enthusiast, there is something that will interest you at Notre Dame. From breath taking gothic architecture complete with stained glass windows, and impossibly vaulted stone cealings, to tales of Quasimodo, a trip to Notre Dame is well worth it. 

If you find yourself needing to take shelter from the elements be they rain, sun, sleet or car exhaust, and in need of a fix of Parisian fashion, head to Les Galeries Lafayette - the fantastically fabulous French answer to Harrod's. Be sure to comb all the floors thoroughly. You never know what sort of treasures you may find!

If you're lucky enough to be in Paris during the Holiday season - which, it seems, starts immediatly after Halloween in Europe as they are lacking the Thanksgiving tradition and distinctive Black Thursday that follows - be sure to look up while in the main lobby to catch a glimpse of the great decorations and oversized tree. 

Should you need to rest your feet and perhaps to refuel, ride the escalators all the way up to the top floor, and grab a table next to a window and a cafe au lait at the food court. Be sure to check out the view from the top. Who knows what you may spot!

Even if you managed to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower from afar, a proper trip is a must. The tower is beautiful at night!

For dinner, be sure to hit up Le Refuge des Fondus. As the name suggests, fondue restaurant in Montmartre. They don't take reservations - as far as I can tell - and the place is tiny and packed! The atmosphere is festive to say the least. 

  

If you choose to dine at popular meal times, be willing to wait outside for a bit. It is well worth it. As soon as a spot big enough for your party opens up, you are whisked in and directed to one of two long skinny communal tables. Both are pushed up against the wall with only enough room for a person to squeeze in behind. You may briefly wonder how one gets into this small space between table and wall, but in one swift motion, the waiter pulls out a chair and holds out his hand indicating that you should take his hand, stand on the chair, and climb over table and fellow diners into the nook behind the table. 

Warning: if you are wearing a short dress or skirt, you may want to request that a more appropriately dressed dining mate do the climbing bit - unless of course you would like to attract cat calls and whistles from the international male clientele. 

Once seated, you are quickly presented with a platter of aperitifs and what I'm guessing is a taste of a cognac sort of drink. Your wine order, served in a baby bottle, quickly follows as does a bubbling pot of cheese and meat fondue complete with bread, steak and potatoes for dipping. Dessert, if you choose, is also included in this quite reasonable fixed price feast. 

Whether intoxicated by food, drink, atmosphere or all of the above, a night at Refuge des Fondus will culminate in much laughter and merry making and is well worth the trip. 

Check out this review at Where Are You, Olga?

For those whose stomachs aren't too full for a bit of drinking and dancing after dinner, Montemartre has quite a few clubs and bars that will satisfy your party bug. Stumble into almost anyone of them and you're sure to be in for a fun night and to meet quite a few characters. 

It's also worth spending some time in Montemartre during the day. In fact, this is my absolute favorite area in Paris. The streets are winding and narrow and bustling with out door cafes, street performers, artists etc. The energy is high, and you get the feeling that you will find something fantastic around each bend. In fact, this is probably the truth. 

I love the way the green from the oxidized copper contrasts with the surrounding grey features and dribbles down the roof here. 

Be sure to visit the beautiful, all white, church - Sacre Coeur. 

And, take in the breath taking view of Paris from the steps of the church. 

Au revoir, mes amies!

A happy cappuccino for a happy Tuesday!

Fashion Friday: Whit Pozgay

So, this week I have been obsessing about fashion. The obsession started when I re-stumbled across website Daily Candy (as mentioned earlier this week). Since then, I've been scouring blogs, perusing websites, and browsing glossy pages all the while trying to pretend that I actually know what I'm looking at, talking about and reading about.

All this obsessing and incessant blog searching, googling etc has led to some major inspiration and even some cool finds. One of my favorite finds has been the work of emerging designer Whit Pozgay. I love the clean lines and sophisticated yet fun femininity of her first ever Fall 2010 line!

This coat is one of my favorite pieces from the collection. 

Check her out, and enjoy!

Cheers!

Chunky and Funky

No, I'm not talking about something disgusting that may be staring up at you from the toilet bowl after a particularly wild night at the Pub. I'm talking about this fantastic new jewelry line I found thanks to my rediscovery of the brilliant website Daily Candy.

I am absolutely in love with this ring by Sylvie Markovina:

I'm totally envisioning wearing it with something casually sweet and feminine like leggings and a comfy long sweater with flats...

Mock Chicken and Butternut Squash Casserole

One of my new favorite fall flavors is butternut squash, and I have taken to using it in as many dishes as possible. Here is one I made a few nights ago that I think turned out particularly well.

Mock Chicken and Butternut Squash Casserole


2 cups Wheat Pasta of choice. I used fusilli but penne or any similar shape should work just fine.
1 Chicken breast
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 cup Butternut Squash chopped
1 clove Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
Sea Salt
Pepper
Garam Masala

Since I was just cooking for me, I roughly used the measurements above and had plenty left over for lunch the next day... and then some, but the measurements can easily be adapted to accommodate as many people as needed.

1. Cook the pasta following the directions on the packaging.
2. Coat your favorite pan in non-stick medium of choice - non-stick spray or olive oil.
3. Sprinkle both sides of chicken breast with salt, and pepper (optional) and place in pan on medium heat. Cook completely.
4. Place butternut squash on roasting pan. Lightly coat with olive oil. Sprinkle roughly 2 pinches of salt, pepper, and garam masala and add chopped garlic clove. Mix completely and place in oven on high heat until squash can be easily poked with a fork.
5. Layer the bottom of casserole dish with pasta. Shred chicken breast. Add chicken, squash and tomatoes to pasta. Mix. Grate a thin layer of parmesan over the top.
6. Bake in oven on medium heat until pasta begins to brown slightly.
7. Remove and serve!

Trick or Treat!

I have been so wrapped up in class and interning that I hadn't really realized that fall had crept in until it fell into my lap this morning. Halloween is always one of my favorite holidays, not because of the silly costumes or the candy or the parties - though those are all good too. I love Halloween because it means fall has most likely settled in and started to take its effects: changes in the leaves, the temperature, the light...

In honor of the holiday and the coming of fall, I wanted to take a trip to a pumpkin patch I had heard of on one of my favorite sites for ideas on things to do: Time Out London. The patch was at an old estate named Osterley House which is conveniently accessible by tube on the Picadilly line. To get there, take a West bound tube towards Heathrow and get off at Osterley. Exit the Osterley stop. Turn right, and follow the signs toward Osterley Park. You can't miss it.

The entrance to the property takes you down a long wooded driveway. Cows and horses graze in the pastures that line either side of the path, and the air is cool and clean. It smells of earth and fallen leaves. About halfway down, on the right side, there's a small flower and vegetable market where products that are grown on the farm are sold.

Continuing along the pathway brings you to a beautiful pond full of geese, swans and other waterfowl.

While beautiful trees line the south side of the pond, to the north, the trees open up onto a pristine lawn. The neo-classical mansion Osterley house sits regally above the plush green. 

Front

Back

To the right of the house is a beautiful little garden. Well, I'm sure its beautiful in spring and summer when things are flourishing and flowering in it. Today though, the leaves were the stars. Everything was on fire - a garden of phoenixes blazing in vibrant death. 

 When I finally came to the pumpkin patch, it had clearly been picked over and wasn't even worth a photo shot, but not to worry. I found some gorgeous pumpkins to satisfy my holiday craving framing the door to the garden greenhouse. 

Mission accomplished, I made my way home making sure to stop and buy a pumpkin of my own from the farm market. All in all, a lovely Halloween treat. 

To continue my Halloween festivities, I decided to go home and roast some pumpkin seeds. Inspired by a recipe from one of my new favorite blogs, The Passionate Cook, I set out to make some pumpkin magic. 

First, I followed The Passionate Cook's recipe ... loosely. 

I started with 100 grams of pumpkin seeds. Her recipe calls for unhulled seeds, but I could only fined the hulled version in Sainsbury's which turned out just fine. 

I dumped the seeds in a mixing bowl, melted some butter - just enough to coat the seeds but not drown them - and poured the butter over the seeds and stirred making sure that they were all evenly coated. 

Next, I threw in some sea salt to taste, I recommend at least two big pinches, and shook some Garam Masala on top - also to taste. I mixed this all together and then put the seeds on a baking sheet and into the oven at 150C (about 300F) for 40 minutes or so - until the seeds were crisp. 

Once the seeds were good and roasted, I removed them from the oven and mixed in one clove of chopped garlic. 

Serve warm or let cool completely and store in a glass jar for later snacking!

These savory seeds turned out great, but then I wanted to get a little creative. Some of my favorite fall flavors include cinnamon, chocolate and brown sugar. I thought I might throw these flavors in with some of my extra seeds. 

Following the same loose recipe as above, I mixed two batches of seeds with a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Next, I melted some dark chocolate and sprinkled it over half of the brown sugar and cinnamon seeds. 

Finally, I took the remaining 100 grams of pumpkin seeds, which were still plain, and completely covered them in chocolate. **Note - when you take the chocolate seeds out of the oven, be sure to let them cool completely before trying to move them from the baking sheet otherwise they loose some of their chocolate coating**

I put all three of these roasted seed recipes in the oven separately each for about 40 minutes on 150C.

Viola! I ended up with four lovely batches of roasted pumpkin seeds to share with my flat mates, and a very festive Halloween day. 

A Trip to Oz

Today, I ventured to Brixton Village one of London's many hidden gems. The market sits, surprisingly enough, at the Brixton Tube stop - the very most southern stop of the Victoria line - and was quite easy to get to. After glancing at the tube map, I feared it would take ages and ages to reach the Brixton stop, but in actuality it was a quite painless 20 minutes max journey. To get to the market, after exiting the Brixton station, turn right and continue down the sidewalk until reaching Arcade rode. Here, make another right. Almost immediately, store fronts and stalls will begin to pop up. The Caribbean music that blares from almost all of them lets you know you've found the place. Toto, we're not in Kensington anymore!
Keep walking towards the sound of the music, and soon, on the left-hand side of the street, there will be a big blue archway that announces Brixton Village. Duck under this archway and find yourself in another world. Don't mind the smell of fish coming from the fresh fish stall close to the entrance. Check it out if you're brave enough! Welcome to Brixton Village, formerly known as Granville Arcade.

Brixton Village is located in a 1930's arcade market also known as Granville Arcade. It's a fantastic open space with great vaulted ceilings and soft lighting. By 2009, the market was falling into disarray, and Space Makers Agency, a group which helps to restore communities, swept in. Space Makers Agency has worked tirelessly to restore the area by bringing local businesses to the arcade - shops, restaurants, live music, galleries etc. They started by restoring 20 store fronts and inviting local businesses to use the space rent free for 3 months. Today, 18 of the original 20 shops have signed permanent leases.

I stopped in at this great resale shop called Rejuvenate. As the sign suggests, there really is a little bit of something for everyone in here: clothes, shoes, jewelry, nick nacks, and the owner was absolutely adorable. 

Along with a gaggle of fascinatingly fantastic shops and stalls, there was also plenty of food to go around such as The Cornercopia, Etta's Seafood Kitchen, Federation Coffee, and even a crepe place decked out in paper skeletons and papel picado in celebration of Halloween. 

Federation coffee - apparently London's best coffee - looked fantastic, but it was pretty packed, so I kept looking. 

I decided on Columbian restaurant El Rancho de Lalo. Like all the other restaurants in Brixton Village, it was tiny and packed. As I settled myself at my table for one, I took in my surroundings. The smells coming out of the kitchen literally inches from my table were mouth watering, and I noticed that not a single person in the place was speaking english. This was particularly promising as I've just about had it with English cooking. I decided to order the Arepa con Carne and a Corona. I was expecting something in sandwich form, but when my order was up, this is what they put in front of me!

The 'carne' part was absolutely fantastic - perfectly grilled, melt in my mouth, fajita curled my toes. The corn meal pancake part was pretty good too, but a little mealy and charred for my taste. I would have preferred a little fluff to my corn meal, but I suppose that's the nature of the thing.  

After my lunch, I wandered through the more typical market part of Brixton Market... pop up stalls full of junk to buy at whole sale prices: soap, batteries, paper towels; scarves; fake bags; jewelry; and lots and lots of meat - ick!

Click to read more about Brixton Village.