Top 5 Places To Eat In Reykjavik - Iceland

Hello... is there anyone out there? It's been a while but I'm still here, promise! Life has been a little bit hectic lately but in the best possible way. Adam and I recently came back from our very first holiday, to Iceland. I have wanted to go for so long and with it being the run-up to Christmas it made it extra special. We were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, experience the Blue Lagoon and appreciate the beautiful views from the Hallgrimskirkja Church. Reykjavik looked so pretty from the top, almost like a toy town with its coloured roofs covered in a sprinkling of snow.

Then of course, came the food. It was excellent but expensive. I didn't expect to pay £7 for a packet of crisps but that's for another day. I have to say we didn't have one bad meal whilst we were there so it was definitely worth it. I've put together my top five recommendations, so if you're heading to Iceland be sure to check at least one of them out.

Braud & Co

First on the list is Braud & Co. This multi-coloured, graffiti adorned building houses a pretty amazing bakery. The pastries were literally glistening from the window as we walked past and the smell was something else (insert drooling emoji). They had just whipped out a fresh batch of cinnamon buns from the oven so we grabbed a couple and ventured up to the Hallgrimskirkja Church. We went back just before heading to the airport to grab a couple more for our journey home. I wish we had more artisan places like this back home, although my waistline probably wouldn't agree.

Reykjavik Chips

Next up is Reykjavik Chips, "where fries are twice as nice" and believe me they really are! Reykjavik Chips had popped up on various social channels when looking for places to eat. We'd just been for a very blustery walk along the seafront after a trip to the Harpa Concert Hall so these chips were a delightful little pick me up. You select your portion size and then your sauce. We went for sweet mustard and garlic which were perfect for sharing.

Ostabudin

I think this was actually my favourite meal. We'd wandered around peering through windows trying to find something we liked the look of and this ticked all the boxes for both of us. The decor, the atmosphere and most importantly the food. Once we'd been back to the hotel and freshened up we headed for dinner at Ostabudin. We started with the Icelandic cheese board which looked beautiful and tasted heavenly. I particularly enjoyed the Icelandic Camembert. Again, we went for the same main, this time it was Goose confit with reindeer meatballs. This was something else! The meat was incredibly rich but the cranberry sauce cut through it perfectly. I would love to try and recreate this one day.

Saeta Svinio Gastropub

I think it was the plastic pig outside this place that caught my eye. I ventured up to look at the menu by the door and the next thing we were being shown to our table. The atmosphere in this place was great. Cosy and ambient, perfect when you've been freezing your bits off outside. We both opted for the rump steak burger sandwiched between a beer-brioche bun with red onion jam, Icelandic cheese, truffle mayo and a generous portion of waffle fries on the side. When it came to dessert we were both pretty stuffed so decided to share. We went for a trio of traditional Icelandic cream puffs. These were basically like profiteroles filled with raspberry, Noa Kropp which is an Icelandic chocolate candy and dulch de leche. They were delicious and a perfect end to the meal.

Laekjarbrekka

We spent our last day exploring Reykjavik and decided to have our last supper at Laekjarbrekka which was just down the road from the hotel. I still hadn't had any fish at this point so I went for the Icelandic salted cod with langoustine whilst Adam opted for the slow cooked lamb shank. We shared a chocolate fondant for dessert which they made from scratch and was utterly delicious. I finished the meal with a cocktail whilst Adam stuck to the Icelandic beer.

I have to say this has to be the best holiday I've ever been on. Amazing place, amazing food and amazing company. I'm already excited to start planning our next holiday, any recommendations would be greatly received.

Cherry Marshmallow & Choc Chip Cookies

Each year at work we support a charity and this year it's Stand Up To Cancer. The money raised through Stand Up To Cancer goes towards funding clinical research. Their aim is to get ground-breaking treatments and cures to people facing cancer as soon as possible. It's such a great cause and we have loads of great fundraising events coming up in the office over the next few weeks. It kicked off today with a bake sale so I obviously wanted to contribute. I went for these cherry, marshmallow and choc chip cookies. I was a little pushed for time so this super easy recipe was perfect for whipping up a fresh batch last night.

Ingredients:

200g Butter
225g Caster Sugar
300g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Medium Egg (beaten)
100g Chocolate Chips
2 tbsps Mini Marshmallows
8-10 Glace Cherries (halved)

Method:

1. Grease a baking tray or line with baking parchment and heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3.
2. Melt the butter then place in a bowl with the caster sugar and mix together.
3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and salt into the butter and sugar mixture. Then add in the marshmallows, chocolate chips and glace cherries mixing everything together by hand.
4. Once the mix is like a smooth dough, add the beaten egg and knead, again using your hands.
5. Divide the mixture into balls and place them on the baking tray making sure you space them out as they spread when they bake. Flatten each ball with the back of a spoon.
6. Place the tray in the oven and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. They're ready when the edges turn a bit golden and they smell like heaven!

Post For A Post Day

These days we tend to live our lives through the internet. Whether it’s uploading our holiday snaps to Facebook or finding the best Snapchat filter for our latest story. The truth of the matter is that most of us probably spend too much time shackled to our phones. Hands up, I am guilty of this! I waste away the hours trying to perfect my Instagram grid when in all honestly does it even matter? I feel I sometimes run the risk of not being in the moment as I’m too easily distracted by this device in my hand.

Don't get me wrong, social media is great for keeping in touch with friends and family. Text messages and email are perfect for dropping a line when you haven't got time to call but it's not quite the same as talking in person. I understand it's not feasible for me to drive two hours to see one of my closest friends every time I want to catch up, but then a text doesn't always cut it. I also feel like I run the risk of neglecting friends, especially in a group chat situation, when you've missed the last 30 messages and haven't got the willpower to go through and catch up. 

Sometimes it's nice to leave the technology behind and go back to basics. I love receiving letters in the post as it feels far more personal. However, the art of physically sending something to a loved one is dying out with 40% of millennials confessing to never having sent a handwritten letter, 46% have never sent a surprise parcel and 42% have never sent a thank you card to a loved one. To be honest I'm not surprised by these statistics but I am a little saddened to think that there are people out there that have never posted a handwritten letter! 

When I heard that ipostparcels.com had launched the first ever national 'Post For A Post Day' I knew I wanted in! Its aim is to encourage people to send a meaningful form of communication, whether it be a handwritten letter or surprise parcel instead of sending a text or posting a message via social media, putting the emotion back into posting. So I'm sending my friend this Martin Parr Book. A fun collection of food pictures documenting the simple notion that 'we are what we eat'. Real Food celebrated all things food through the eyes of the renowned British photographer, Martin Parr. Perfect as we're both food and photography lovers! I will also be including a handwritten note to pop in alongside the book. 

So how can you get involved? Instead of communicating with your loved ones via text message or social media, send them a surprise parcel for FREE. To post a small parcel (up to 2kg) for free on 'Post For A Post Day' simply enter the code PFAP at the checkout. For further information click here. The first 100 people to redeem the code between the 18th - 22nd September 2017 will be able to post their parcel for free, so don't hang around! Don't forget to share what you've posted and why using the hashtag #PostForAPost

Raspberry Gin Cheesecake

So it turns out that Gin Jam is a thing and it's pretty bloomin' delicious. I recently received a jar in the Pinkster Gin and Goodies Hamper. The jam is an entirely natural by-product made with fresh raspberries left over from the Pinkster gin production, pretty clever huh? When first sampling this boozy jam it became clear that it belonged on top of a cheesecake. So without further ado, check out the recipe below. I've already made this cheesecake three times in the past two weeks so it's safe to say it's been a hit!

Ingredients:

185g Crumbled Digestive Biscuits
110g Soft Unsalted Butter
300g Cream Cheese
60g Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
300ml Double Cream
Pinkster Gin Jam
Fresh Raspberries

Method:

1. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they turn to crumbs.

2. Then melt the butter in a microwave and add to make the mixture clump.

3. Press the mixture into a 20cm (8 inch) springform tin, press a little up the sides to form a slight ridge.

4. Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. 

5. Whip the double cream, and then fold into the cream cheese mixture. 

6. Spoon the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight. 

7. When ready to serve, remove from the tin and spread the gin jam over the top. 

8. Decorate with fresh raspberries.

If you're feeling extra fancy you could create a marbled effect on top with the jam or try mixing some of the fresh raspberries through the cream cheese mixture. Also, don't feel like you have to stop at raspberries, I think this recipe would work just as well with strawberries or cherries. The possibilities are endless! 

Pinkster - Gin and Goodies Hamper

Are you a self-professed gin lover like myself or do you know someone who's partial to a G&T or three? Then the Pinkster - Gin and Goodies Hamper is the answer to your prayers!

If you're a keen gin drinker, like myself, you may well have already sampled Pinkster gin but in case you haven't here's a bit of background info. Pinkster is an artisan gin, hand-steeped in fresh raspberries, locally grown near Cambridge. The raspberries give the gin a subtle pink hue as well as a delicious mild fruit flavour. Best of all they recycle the raspberries and sell them in farm shops and food halls as Boozy Berries and Gin Jam (genius!).

The Pinkster wicker hamper contains a bottle of gin, a jar of their scrummy Gin Jam and two Fever-Tree tonics. As tonics go I'd always opt for Fever-Tree as the perfect accompaniment so this got a big thumbs up from me. Teamed with the Pinkster gin and a sprig of mint you really can't go wrong.

Then we come to the boozy Gin Jam which is literally amazing! I may have had a couple of spoonfuls straight out of the jar when first opening it. Just the thought of having it on toast had me salivating but then the idea of a gin-soaked raspberry cheesecake or punchy Eton Mess started to sound more appealing. Pinkster even recommend adding the jam to the gin (I know, another genius idea!) to create their signature 'Gin 'n' Jam Cockail', recipe below.

Gin 'n' Jam Cocktail

50ml Pinkster Gin
10ml Lemon Juice
2 tbsp of Gin Jam
Handful of Raspberries

Shake the gin, lemon juice and jam together and serve over crushed ice. Garnish with a second spoon of Gin Jam and raspberries. I'm yet to try this but will be sure to let you know my thoughts when I do.

So if you're looking to treat yourself or the gin lover in your life I'd definitely opt for this. Refreshing fruity gin, great tonic and yummy alcoholic jam all in a delightful picnic hamper that you can use time and time again, what's not to love?

Joe's Southern Table & Bar - Covent Garden

Joe's Southern Table and Bar is located in the heart of Covent Garden. The former warehouse now serves up American comfort food and quirky cocktails. Spread across three levels, including a basement bar, this place has a fun and vibrant atmosphere.

I'd heard good things about their signature fried chicken so opted for the Buffalo Bun which consisted of a Southern fried chicken thigh, hot Buffalo sauce, Monterey Jack cheese, blue cheese cream and pickled cucumber. Now I have to say the chicken was pretty damn good as was the side of mac 'n' cheese. Unfortunately the fries seasoned with 'chicken salt' were not so great, bordering on bland, maybe they'd forgotten to sprinkle it on...

Then came the cocktails. I'd spotted their cocktail sharer's on Instagram a little while ago. We're talking drinks served in tin teapots, popcorn cups and ceramic heads! Yes it sounds a bit insane but it was right up my street. I went for the Cherry Lincoln and I wasn't disappointed. Jim Beam Red Stag bourbon, Disaronno amaretto, lemon juice and pineapple juice, served up in Abraham Lincoln's head. It was a cocktail sharer but I may have *accidentally* drank it all to myself... hiccup!

If you're in Covent Garden I'd definitely recommend checking this place out for a drink or two. It did get quite noisy as the evening went on so I'd say it's the perfect destination for a few beverages on a Friday night rather than a quiet meal with the family.

Liquid Gold Layer Cake

A little while ago I picked up a copy of the Cool Layer Cakes cookbook. As I was flicking through I saw the recipe for this cake and I just knew I had to make it. I have tweaked the original recipe slightly but my oh my is it good! Moist banana and chocolate chip cake, peanut butter frosting, caramel sauce and crunchy peanut brittle all combined in one cake makes for a winning combo (unless you're allergic to nuts). Anyway, I definitely feel like I've said cake too many times now so I'll stop blabbering so you can check out the recipe below.

Ingredients:

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake:
120g Unsalted Butter
200g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Very Ripe, Medium or Large Bananas (broken into chunks)
110g Sour Cream
1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
200g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
100g Dark Chocolate Chips or Chunks (minimum 53% cocoa solids)

Caramel Sauce:
225g Caster Sugar
85g Unsalted Butter (chopped into chunks)
125ml Double Cream
60ml Water

Peanut Butter Frosting:
110g Butter
220g Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Milk

Peanut Praline:
150g Caster Sugar
2 tbsp Water
100g Salted Peanuts 

Method:

Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 160°C and grease and line two 20 cm round cakes tins.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the banana chunks until combined.
4. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
5. Gently mix in the flour and baking soda and then add the chocolate chips.
6. Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes.

Caramel Sauce:
1. Heat the sugar and water in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat.
2. Do not stir the sugar, but swirl the saucepan to help dissolve if necessary.
3. When the liquid sugar becomes a deep amber colour, add the butter. The mixture will then foam up and thicken.
4. Whisk until the butter melts, then take the saucepan off the heat and mix in the cream.
5. Cool in the saucepan to room temperature. Don't worry if the sauce seems thin at first, it will soon thicken.

Peanut Butter Frosting:
1. Beat the butter and icing sugar together. If the butter is too hard, soften slightly in the microwave.
2. Add the peanut butter and mix together.
3. Add a tablespoon of milk if the mixture is too stiff.

Praline:
1. Heat the sugar and water in a large saucepan set over a medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved. Do not stir.
2. Scatter the peanuts across a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
3. When the liquid sugar is a deep amber colour, pour it over the nuts.
4. Spread it with an oiled spatula to create an even, thin layer.
5. Allow to set, then tap the praline with the end of a rolling pin to break into shards.

Finish:
1. Level the top of the cake and cut in half.
2. Place the first layer on a cake stand and apply buttercream followed by a drizzle of the caramel sauce.
3. Spread an even and neat layer on the top.
4. Stick the praline shards into the top of the cake at angles. Add the praline crumbs for added crunch and texture.

Top 5 Food Stalls - Camden Market

Aside from its vibrant atmosphere and jumble of eclectic clothing and gift stalls, Camden Market is where its at if you're looking for scrumptious street food in London. I've put together a small list of the top five food stalls from my most recent visit. There's plenty of others I would have liked to have tried but unfortunately you can only eat so much in a day (life is so unfair).

Nazari - Falafel Flatbread

First up was this falafel flatbread from Nazari which was beyond delicious and probably the best I'd ever tasted. Teamed with hummus, baby leaves, lightly dressed cabbage slaw, pomegranate seeds, yoghurt mint garlic tahini and chilli sauce, all wrapped up in a freshly made flatbread. This Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fusion of flavours was an absolute delight. I also opted for the addition of Halloumi which, let's face it, was probably the best decision I made all day.

Makatcha - Rendang 

Makatcha make their Rendang curry using coconut cream, lemon grass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. They serve with fluffy rice, fresh vegetables, Malaysian peanut sauce and Singaporean achar for the perfect Indonesian taste sensation. This is without a doubt the sort of a dish you want to recreate when you get back home.

Oli Baba - Halloumi Fries

So next up was Oli Baba's infamous Halloumi fries. Back in 2015 these guys caused quite the food riot with their delicious cheesy fries and are still going from strength to strength. Topped with a Middle Eastern sauce, mint leaves, chilli flakes and pomegranate seeds these dreamy deep fried cheese strips are worth every artery clogging calorie.

Perfect Poffertjes - Dutch Pancakes

When I spotted Perfect Poffertjes whipping up a fresh batch of Dutch pancakes I was literally pushing my way to the front of the queue. These little pockets of fluffy goodness are just something else. Great topped with butter and a sprinkling of sugar or (my personal preference) half a pot of Nutella drizzled on top! Probably great to share but I wouldn't know because I scoffed them all.

Lantana Cafe - Hot Chocolate

Finally we stopped off at Lantana Cafe which is located in the middle of Camden Lock Market. So it technically isn't a food stall but I just had to include it. Offering a variety of homemade cakes and speciality coffee this is a great little cafe to stop and take a break from the bustling market outside. As well as serving excellent coffee the hot chocolate was pretty special too, like drinking a cup of melted chocolate, I was in heaven. 

So next time you're in Camden make sure you arrive hungry and dig into the amazing selection of street food on offer. I'm already looking forward to my next visit, however my waistline probably isn't.

Afternoon Tea at Malmaison

I celebrated my birthday back in March with the most amazing afternoon tea at Malmaison in Birmingham. The boutique hotel is situated within the Mailbox, just a stone's throw away from the shops, perfect for a day of shopping and eating (obviously my favourite activity).

We were seated in the Chez Mal Bar as apposed to the Brasserie. I had pre-booked so at first I was a little disappointed but soon realised the bar was far quieter which meant the service was excellent. Before we'd had chance to finish our first cup of tea they were offering to refill the whole pot!

Their twist on a classic afternoon tea was like nothing I'd seen before. The berry smoothies were served in adorable glass milk bottles and tasted even better than they looked and can we just take a minute to appreciate the miniature burgers. I mean, burgers + afternoon tea = winning combo!

Smoked salmon and warm chipotle chicken wraps made up the rest of the savoury delights. Then came the sweet treats, we're talking salted chocolate brownies, cherry polenta cake, strawberry & Amaretto cream and the dreamiest mango and vanilla pavlovas. Oh and not forgetting a warm fruit scone with jam and cream because it wouldn't be afternoon tea without it, right?

So if you're planning a trip here make sure you wear something with an elasticated waistband as you'll be carrying a little food baby by the end of it! This place definitely exceeded all of my expectations so if you're looking for afternoon tea with a difference this is the place for you!

Easter Mini Egg Cookies

Happy Easter! It's finally acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner, hooray! If you're overwhelmed with sweet treats this Easter or have found yourself knee deep in Mini Eggs (one can only dream) then why not try this super quick and easy recipe. You won't regret it!

Ingredients:

100g Butter
100g Light Brown Sugar
1 Medium Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
200g Self-Raising Flour
1 Pack of Cadbury Mini Eggs

Method:

1. Preheat oven 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Mix the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and vanilla extract and finally the flour to form a dough.
2. Crush half a pack of Mini Eggs in a cellophane bag using a rolling pin and then mix into the dough.
3. Roll out golf ball size pieces of dough and place on the baking tray. Press the dough down and ensure they're not too close together as they'll spread in the oven.
4. Place the remaining Mini Eggs on top of the cookie dough, I went for three on each.
5. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden and leave to cool.