Gordon Ramsey's Maze

I decided to surprise Stefan with an Easter lunch at one of Gordon Ramsey's restaurants. I chose Maze because the menu looked very unique and was supposed to be a mix of French and Asian foods. Another contributing factor was that their head chef Jason Atherton had previously worked at ElBulli - the number one ranked restaurant in the world.

Lunch was extremely delicious. The portions are small, because it's more of a tasting menu, but we still left feeling adequately fed.

Here are the dishes that we had:

One of the things that I really appreciate about a tasting menu is that you can try things that you would probably never consider - for me that would include frog legs. I did end up giving mine to Stefan, simply because I have a mental block against it, but the rest of the dish was good.


This was one of my favorite dishes of the day. I love sorbet of any kind and savory sorbets are so interesting. Avocado and crab infused mayonnaise really made this dish decadent.


I loved the idea of elevating such humble foods. I found myself asking what the chefs cook for themselves when they are at home and how they were able to create such a light and flavorful cheese. You really can't even see it, but it was wonderful - the summer truffles on it didn't hurt either.

Although this fish didn't come with the typical British 'chips' it was perfectly prepared. The prawn butter was really a nice compliment.

I opted out of this dish, because I don't eat lamb, but Stefan really enjoyed it. I love the presentation - it was at least appealing for me to look at.

I think I could have eaten several of these. It was so delicately prepared, but the flavors were really intense and delicious.

This dish was a throw back to the 1980's when it was popular. I don't really know what the cake like exterior was made from, because it tasted slightly like marshmallows.

The last course came when the meal was over, which was a nice touch. I was just telling Stefan that we needed some Easter chocolates - and then there they were.

I would highly recommend getting reservations, if you're able to, when you visit London.

Interestingly it was in Grosvenor Square, where Maze is also located, that the tragic nuclear poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko happened at the Millennium Hotel. It's so eerie to think about.

Buckingham Palace

Easter morning we went to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the Tower of London. I was amazed at the amount of tourists who had come to see the changing of the guards. We were just passing through.

It really made me think about daily life of the Royal family. It's probably a good thing that they don't know any different, because I think I would feel like a real prisoner living like that.

The guards were warming up and playing songs like Cococabana, which was definitely not expected. I guess even the most serious of beefeaters needs to have fun once in a while.

We played tourists and had our photos taken as we admired the flower gardens. It's nice to see that Spring has finally arrived.

Outside Big Ben was a large protest against the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankans, which we had also seen the day before at Hyde Park. People are definitely good at planning large gatherings to get attention for their causes. That always strikes me as such a European way to get things done, but it definitely works when done peacefully.

And then it was time for Stefan's Easter surprise...

Waterloo, Thames, + Chinatown

On our way to the Borough Market we decided to walk along the Thames and see a few of the sites along the way. It was another drizzly day, but that didn't keep the locals or tourists from shopping and exploring the city.

We ended up at the Waterloo tube line since many of the lines were undergoing construction, however it happened to be a pleasant detour.

'The Tunnel' as it is called, is a place of authorized graffiti. I like the idea of having an evolving and ever changing canvas that people can gather at and modify.

Nearly every inch of wall is covered - some places have more interesting or sophisticated designs, while other places are simply people leaving their mark.

On the sign at the opening of the tunnel it states:

No Sexism. No racism. No Adverts.
Please take empty cans and litter home.
All painting on grey walls will be removed.
You don't have to be a gangster to paint here, so please don't behave like one.

I would have painted something myself if we had paint. I guess I'll have to buy some next time and think of something creative in the meantime.

The painters must be pretty dedicated - we saw several who brought buckets of paint and many must bring ladders to reach the heights so far up. It's very impressive. I would be intrigued to see how much it changes over the course of time.

Walking along the Thames was a big contrast from the colored area at Waterloo. It was nice to see people relaxing, especially the adorable father and son who built a little bench on the shore for a game of chess. What great memories that little guy will have from such a thoughtful Dad.

After walking through town all day we made our way to Chinatown and our appetites had finally returned from visiting the Borough Market. It was perfect timing because we saw Haozhan, a modern oriental restaurant.

I ordered wasabi prawns, because I have a not so slight wasabi obsession and then we also had the fried ice cream for dessert. The entire dinner was great, as was the day.

Borough Market

Several friends suggested we visit the Borough Market, which is only open several days a week. The website gave me an idea of what to expect, however I was definitely not prepared for endless amounts and types of foods. It was really wonderful.

The colors and textures are so visually stunning - not to mention the options are slightly overwhelming. The typical produce is available as are many other more obscure options. There are both fresh ingredients and prepared food, so there really is something for everyone from many corners of the world.

The crowds can be slightly discouraging and sometimes I got frustrated feeling as though I was being herded around, but it's still worth the trip. It was interesting to see which vendors had the longest lines.

The fish mongers looked like they were very busy. I was impressed with the selection, but I'm certain it doesn't hurt to be on an island. I can see why the market would be buzzing right before the weekend. We have the Viktualienmarket here in Munich, although it doesn't have as open of a market feeling with street vendors.

After walking through the market and taking photos of the beautifully presented foods we tried to pair things down and figure out what we wanted to eat.

I was even surprised to see a German booth as well as a booth serving traditional Swiss raclette. Definitely go early and with an empty stomach because there is a constant crowd and always something else that looks delectable. As we were look around Stefan asked if it was open the next day, because he was enjoying himself so much.

In attempt to be healthy we started with a fresh smoothie and a shot of wheatgrass, which they said was equal to three days worth of green vegetables.

For lunch, I chose a veggie burger, which was very filling and Stefan opted for a venison burger, although they had other unique meats like ostrich as well.

Unfortunately I couldn't eat any of the pastries or buy any of the fresh ingredients to cook with. Next time I know to get a pastry first, so I won't be stuffed to the gills. I took a picture of the baklava that looked very similar to the ones we sampled in Cairo. It was labeled, so I'm hoping to find a few of the recipes and try my hand at that.

In addition to the various foods there were also plenty of beautiful flowers. It's such a colorful and visually appealing market and definitely worth the trip if you happen to be in the area Thursday - Saturday.

London's Tube

Since I love subways we went to the London Transport museum, which is directly at the Covent Garden subway (as a side note I wouldn't recommend taking the steps when exiting - there are 193 of them!).

The museum is very kid oriented and unfortunately a little less than I hoped it would be, however the little ones were enjoying themselves. There was a lot to look at, but maybe because I've been to the Deutsches Museum and was able to see how subways were built.

This museum didn't seem as sophisticated, but they did have large exhibits of their underground art series. In all fairness it's dedicated to all forms of transport and not exclusively subways.

The Tube has such an interesting graphic quality - it's easily identifiable and I really appreciate that they have taken a rather mundane space and used it as an art platform. The marketing posters are interesting and definitely have a lot of visual appeal.

The gift shop was really impressive. I loved that you could purchase posters and virtually anything with the tube map on it.

I bought several dish towels for my slightly subway inspired kitchen and my quintessential children's book. They also had toys, dish wear, and clothes, as well as many books spanning all topics of transportation. The shop itself is definitely worth a visit.

London

We had such a fantastic time in London and it was nice to see it with more seasoned eyes.

During my first trip, 6 years ago, I remember being awestruck. Now, after having lived abroad for a couple years in a non-English speaking country, I especially loved the familiarity in language, seeing friends, and touches from home in shopping and restaurants (although we didn't eat at any of them) - I simply appreciated that they were there.

It was also nice to see London on sale for a change. The exchange rate has drastically changed (.90€ = 1£) and even with the 10% price difference, things were very affordable. It was also obvious the price reflection hasn't caught up, because several shops had price tags with € and £'s - but even so it was substantially cheaper to buy in £'s.

Despite the great exchange rate, we didn't spend too much time shopping.

Since we flew in late on Thursday we decided to get an early start and walk around our cute neighborhood - Bloomsbury. It's right in the middle of things and even with the gentle mist it was a really nice walk.

When I visited 6 years ago I went to visit my neighbor and a few friends that were studying abroad from my university. They lived right by Russell Square and it was very surreal to be back and vaguely remember things. I'd love to look at those old pictures and see where the heck I was.

On our way through town we stopped at the British Museum, which is such an amazing collection. One of the things that impresses me the most is that it's completely free, which is how I believe it should be.

You can stroll through and just check things out as you have time. It's great for the proletariat and keeps art and culture accessible to everyone.

We were very intrigued by their large Egyptian art collection, particularly because our guide in Cairo was constantly telling us things were 'in the British Museum'. I remembered seeing the Rosetta Stone on my last trip, but it's very incredible to really think how that one discovery changed the course of history and our knowledge of the past.

I also loved seeing one of the maoi from the Easter Islands. It's so nice to see the size of things and it definitely piques my curiosity into the creators and history of such amazing works.

Last time I visited London was also in the Spring. All of the rain could make things dreary, but there's the pay off of beautiful flowers doting the city and giving a bit more color to the surrounds. It's the kind of city that still finds a way to glow, even with overcasts and drizzly weather.

Even with the rain people were out exploring the markets and walking the streets. That could also be due to the Easter weekend and stores closing for the holiday, but I think London always has a liveliness to it.

For lunch we met up with Caitlin, Liane, Jessica and her husband at Wahaca, which is a 'Mexican street food' restaurant. The food and company were both fantastic. It's so nice to meet up with other expats who have the common bond of the trials and tribulations that come from being an international couple.

I have to admit I'm envious that they are able to meet up with each other more frequently and that they have so many touches of home at their fingertips. I guess we just have to plan more trips to visit - even for a short weekend or overnight getaway the food, shopping, and meeting with friends is certainly well worth it.

The food at Wahaca comes in small portions, which was so nice because it allowed us to sample many dishes that we dearly miss. I still can't figure out why (edible) Mexican hasn't made it's way over the the channel to mainland Europe. I guess we're a little less progressive over here.

Spotted by Locals

It's no secret that I love to travel and spend hours and hours of my life planning for trips... not only planning, but making them happen. 

I love to find obscure restaurants, beautiful quiet spaces, interesting street art, tiny details, and meticulously designed hotels. Every single aspect makes me feel alive and I wouldn't trade my life for anything. 

I'm obviously a very visual person and learning about things through my own eyes and experiences is for me what life is about. Thankfully Stefan understands my enthusiasm and is willing to go to most places that interest me.

Sometimes the best way to experience a city is to wander around and get a bit lost, but I can't deny I'm a planner. I want to visit the best pastry shops, restaurants, museums, and stores, to really soak in the culture. Through my travels I prepare by talking to my friends, who span the globe, and try to get their local perspective. I also read, read, read. 

It always warms my little heart when Stefan tells me he can't believe the hotel we're staying in or the restaurant we just got reservations at for dinner. He doesn't get loads of time off, so I really want to make sure he enjoys it as much as I do.

This week I stumbled upon Spotted by Locals and I am loving it. Suddenly the cities where I don't know someone feel like people are opening their secret resources to me, which is why I want to share it with you.

Right now only Europe is represented, but it's such a stellar idea.

I can't wait to share some of the wonderful places we'll be visiting this week in London. I already have a few surprises I'm looking forward to.

Happy Travels! 

chèvre rosemary cheesecakes

This weekend I decided to bake some chèvre rosemary cheesecakes with a biscotti crust that I saw on food gawker.

Lately I've had a bit of an obsession with rosemary - and I love goat cheese. It helps to have a willing person to test my recipes on, although Stefan's not as harsh a critic as I am. I should be happy about that.

These we both agreed were really delicious. I only made 1/3 of the original recipe considering we're only two people and I'm trying to be healthy, but it still made 10 small cakes.

I also used low fat cream cheese and butter, but the recipe still worked. I'm sure it would be even better with real butter and cream cheese.

Once again, food gawker doesn't disappoint. 

Tortilla de Patatas

My friend Julia, from Spain, invited me over to make a traditional Spanish dish - Tortilla de Patatas (a Spanish potato omelette).

It's slightly comical that she was teaching me how to make a Spanish dish and explaining it in German, but it's nice for both of us to use the German we've been working hard on mastering.

Between our travels and conflicting schedules I think it would be fun to start cooking with Julia and my other classmates (yes, you Cait!). We've all hit moments of frustration here in attempting to create a food from home that doesn't quite work out, due to the different ingredients or kitchen equipment. It would be a great refresher for our German and everyone loves delicious food!

If others would are interested in cooking together I think it would be a lot of fun to make a new cookbook of international recipes - direct from people who come from other places.

I don't know exactly what people would be interested in learning from America, although Andrea expressed in my blueberry muffins after he saw my most recent baked goods cookbook.

We'll see what happens!

So here are a few photos and the explanation of how to make a traditional 'Tortilla de Patatas'.

Julia said she makes this dish once every week or so and that it reminds her of home. She usually serves it for dinner with a salad and she loves making it to take to the biergartens.

The ingredients are simple: potatoes, eggs, onion, olive oil, salt, and the ingredients of your choice. 

Here's how we did it:

• Skin the potatoes
  
• Cut them into thin slices
  
• Cut an onion to taste and add it to the potatoes
  
• Heat some olive oil in a pan on the stove
  
• Add the potato / onion mix and allow them to cook for 20 minutes or until soft and able to be broken up.
  
• Next, the potatoes are added to a bowl and eggs are mixed in. 
  
• In a separate pan, lightly coat it with olive oil and pour the combined eggs and potatoes together on medium-high heat. 
  
• Julia's only secret for flipping the tortilla is using a footed plate that she can hold over the pan to slide it out and cook the other side. 

I added some fleur de sel, since I add it to virtually all foods. That's it - and the results are quick and delicious.

Grandma

My Grandma received her Sistine Chapel puzzle a couple weeks back. I hear she's putting it together, although it is quite a struggle. All of the little intricate boxes definitely make things more complicated, but my sister and Mom were visited when she received it and she was so excited. I'm hoping my sister sends me a few pictures once she completes it... and I'm also hoping she is still happy we sent it.

I thought of my her the other day again when I saw the cookie jar that I wanted to get her for Christmas. Remember her enormous cookie jar collection?

This cookie jar I went to buy in December, but it was sold out, and then we raced around trying to figure out what to get her. Let me just say cookie jars aren't very common in Germany. Now I just have to get back home for her birthday or give it to her at Christmas.