British berry season

 

LONDON – With summer here, berries are now in season and taste fantastic. I love the different varieties. There’s so much that you can make with berries. Jam is on my to do list.  But first I decided to make a British classic – Eton mess. It’s so simple and so good. My guests didn’t waste any time in eating this dessert.

Eton Mess

1. Crush meringues into small pieces and place in a dessert bowl.
2. Whip some cream and small amount of sugar and spoon a few dobs on top
3. Sprinkle liberally with berries.

According to google, Eton mess is traditionally served at Eton College’s annual cricket game against Harrow School.

Note: A true Eton mess is served with strawberries. But it’s just as good with any type of berry really.

Spring resolutions

LONDON, UK – I resolve to cook and bake more this year. Since living in London I’ve bought a number of cookbooks and yet I still buy ready meals. I used to spend a lot more time in the kitchen, but I guess I just got lazy.

Now, instead of just page turning and admiring the photos, I’m going to focus on three books that I plan to use to sharpen my kitchen skills:

Lily Vanilli’s Sweet Tooth by Gizzi Erskine (she owns the fabulous cafe by Columbia Road)

Jamie’s Great Britain by Jamie Oliver and

Taco’s, Quesadillas and Burritos by Laura Washburn.

WARNING: I bought Lily Vanilli’s Sweet Tooth from Anthropologie for £20. BIG mistake. It’s available on Amazon for £8.

I want to bake a cake first…I’ve already bought the 9″ cake pans. So I’m getting excited. Can you recommend any cook books?

The last days of Autumn

LIMEHOUSE, LONDON – As I head to my tube stop each morning on my way to work, I’m noticing that autumn is slowly passing on and winter is settling in.

I took this photo from my balcony this morning. There’s a small park just around the corner from me and all the leaves are dropping and carpeting the floor. And the flowers are gone and just the buds remain.

I’m sure you’ll agree that Autumn is special because it also means bringing out the cinammon and nutmeg and making some soup. There are so many great recipes. Here’s a few I’d like to try:

Pumpkin Soup

Apple pancakes with cider syrup

Rhubarb crumble muffins

Do you have any recipes that you would recommend?