Cookies and Scream, Vegan Dream

For those of you who think that being a vegan is no fun, think again. Believe it or not, these delicious treats are all milk, egg and wheat free (yes I’m talking to you too gluten free folks), and best of all they taste just as amazing as they look.

You can find these (and plenty more) hidden away at Cookies and Scream in Camden Lock Market, London.

From peanut butter and jelly cookies to marshmallow brownie goodies (ask the staff to warm these up), you won’t be a able to tell the difference between these babies and any other baked goods, well except that these taste sooo much better!

Oh and did I mention that they also do vegan milkshakes?… Yep.

Go check them out at Camden Lock Market, last orders are at 17:30 so get there quick and nab yourself some vegan friendly treats! For further details click here. Enjoy!

Merci.

An afternoon stroll down Boulevard Beaumarchais led to the discovery of Merci general store that literally, generally sells everything. We sat outside their  used books cafe (seeing as they sell everything)  and sipped on hot cocoa before browsing their shelves.

hot cocoa and green tea bites

books for days

Merci is located at 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, nearest Metro stops Filles du Calvaire and Saint Sebastien Froissart. Close by is the Rue de Vieille du Temple and the region of Le Marais for shopping and dining.

Merci.

 

Eat Healthy at Borough Market

Travelers, take some time out of your busy tourist itinerary to visit Borough Market for a bite to eat. Londoners, ditch the supermarket and stock up your fridge with a range of natural produce and world foods at Borough Market!

Visit the market on Thursday, Friday or Saturday for the largest variety of market stall goodness.

 

Ripe

I’ve been converted to buying my fruit and veg at Turnips!

http://turnipsboroughmarket.com/

Fresh

As a big zucchini fan I couldn’t believe my eyes when I spotted these beauties.

Grow Your Own

As well as stunning fruit and veg, you can delight your senses (and stomach) with food from all around the world.

My favorite cheese stall would have to be Jumi London, with its fine Swiss cheese produce.

Swiss Cheese by Jumi

and here are some more of my personal favorites…

 

Sweet Treat

Dip into some truffle, honey and cheese.

A La Francaise

Une Normandie a Londres is a perfect place to buy your French cheeses and meats.

Picante

Catch of the Day

Sample some fresh oysters with a glass of prosecco at one of the various fresh fish stalls at Borough Market.

Take Me to the Turkish

There are a few olive stalls in the market though my personal favorite was this Turkish one.

Pot of Love

Flower Power

These little beauties made my day!

So abandon the usual Trafalgar Sq./Covent Garden/Notting Hill tourist traps for a bit of flavor and traditional London market life at Borough Market. Stick around until 4pm when the stalls begin to close for discounts and bargains.

How to get there: Take the tube to either London Bridge (Northern, Jubilee Line) or Borough (Northern Line), the market is a stone throw’s away. 

Love London.

http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foodie in Italy

It’s not everyday that I get excited about visiting the supermarket. I could easily spend an unnecessary amount of time in the vegetable section of an Italian grocery store.

Locally sourced fresh vegetables at the supermarket in Perdonone

 

Zucchine, Italian staple food. It’s in most dishes and grows everywhere.

Humongous apples that actually smell like apples!

Italians love their apricots and so do I

This one’s for the cheese lovers everywhere

It doesn’t get better than this

Sweets for my sweet

Coffee culture

Single espresso

Cannoli, a deliciously sweet and filling Sicilian pastry dessert.

Holy Cannoli

And vegetarian pizza for dinner.

Italian pizza. Words cannot express how I feel about this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I HEART Camden Town

Forgive me Father for I have sinned, it has been over a week since I last posted on my blog.

I have to admit that I have been busy with ‘other preoccupations’ including preparations for various trips such as my return to Italy in a couple of weeks. I have also been ill. I am very much bunged up with a cold which I assumed was just hay-fever. This hasn’t stopped me from venturing out and doing what I love most, which is a combination of discovering new and beautiful places as well as fine dining.

Yesterday I spent a sunny afternoon in my local area, Camden Town. Here are some things I love to do in Camden.

Let’s get the food part out of the way.

Market Food at Camden Town Lock Market

I love the Lock Market, especially the food court on the weekends. Nations unite as market stalls produce Latin America, Caribbean, Asian, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Italian, British and other such world foods. My favorite has to be the stall that sells corn bread wraps. I love the black bean, meat and plantain wrap. It’s fresh, homemade, wheat free and delicious.

Savory snacks and a coconut smoothie at Made in Brazil

Brazilians have quite literally taken over the gaff. Camden Town has a growing Brazilian population and with that comes fine dinning and food stalls. I love Made in Brazil on Inverness Street. This restaurant has been here for quite some time now though I am yet to be bored of their menu. Brazilians are big on savory snacks, yesterday I sampled their bolinho de bacalhao (salted fish cakes), coxinhas (chicken parcels) and cassava (manioc) chips. These were all watered down nicely with a fresh coconut smoothie. For mains my friend had the feijoada, the national dish of Brazil and I had the moqueca, a  fish dish from Bahia in the north.

Moqueca, a fish dish from Bahia, northern Brazil

After wolfing down our food we went in search of shoes (any excuse to go for a brisk walk in order to digest our heavy meals). I love shoes and especially shoes from Author. Author have recently branched out with stores in central London, East and in West London’s Portobello Market. They also have a cute little boutique in Camden Town. Yesterday I fell in love with these babies by MTNG Originals. Classic and perfect for the summer.

MTNG Originals Sandals

If I could spend a warm summer’s day anywhere in London, it would be on Primrose Hill. Primrose Hill is a little world away from the world, a hill of a park in Chalk Farm that connects Camden with Regents Park. Many a fine summer’s days have been spent in Primrose Hill with friends and picnics. Check out the amazing view of the London skyline from the very top!

Primrose Hill

 

Catch a sunset on Primrose Hill

Regent’s Park and the Canal. My sister and I regularly walk down the canal. We love to check out the little boat houses that stretch down the canal from Camden Market to Little Venice in St. John’s Wood. I also love checking out the mansions in Regent’s Park, we walk past picking out our future homes for when we’re rich and famous. My current favorite is this one:

My Home (one day, hopefully, one day, probably not.)

Regent’s Canal

Regent’s Canal

 

Boat Houses on Regent’s Canal

Not Holland, Regent’s Canal

So if it’s a summer’s day, without a cloud in sight, visit Camden Town for some fine dinning, alternative shopping and a walk around somewhere quite nice.