OFFICIALLY A LONDONER!

Dear readers,

as of tomorrow morning I sign a tenancy agreement, pack my bags and move into a fantabulously lovely house in brilliant Brixton with one half of awesome food-blogging duo Salad Club. And so begins a whole new life and a whole new chapter and a whole new food adventure as I am now free of the constraints of living at home and not eating or cooking whatever the hell I please!

I have Brixton market on my doorstep, the buzzing haven of activity that is Brixville in the Granville Arcade, some ace pubs and bars and a wonderful variety of cultures and gastronomies just waiting to be discovered. I've realised this blog - which started as a place to share recipes, instead became a restaurant review site - which is fine as I am always game for eating out, but it's not what I had really wanted it to be. So as of tomorrow, when I am once again master of my own eating and have the joy of a great kitchen to cook in, the recipes shall return.

I am imposing a set of rules on myself, that I hope to maintain as much as possible, even if it may become harder once I get a job. They are as follows:

1. As much food as possible to be sourced from Brixton market.

2. As much in season produce as possible

3. Meat no more than twice a week

4. Meat must be organic and form a sustainable source

5. Fish must be from a sustainable source or MSC certified

6. Increase intake of pulses and grains

7. Waste as little as possible - I am very conscious of being wasteful with my food... not recession-friendly, or very green!

The above (except for number 1) also apply to eating out. It is also my serious aim to start learning more about wine. Properly. Hence I am packing my guide to the wines of Italy for a bout of study.

So voilà! New house. New mentality. New approach. New adventures. Bon voyage I say!

Broadway Market and the First Swim of 2010!

I took a trip to London Fields this weekend, up Hackney way to explore the Broadway Market and get my fix of sunshine in the park there, which boasts one of the few heated lidos in London. Whilst strolling through the charmin market, with its preponderance of double bass-playing doo-wop buskers, I managed to pack away a Damascan felafel wrap with pickles and lemon tahini, a tangy seasonal veggie curry with cumin rice and a couple of portuguese custard tarts as well as some proper cloudy apple and rasberry juice from Chegworth Farm.
All that before plunging into the cool waters of the lido for the first splash around of 2010, and very welcome it was too, if only to soothe the sunburn (yes!!!) aquired whilst snoozing under the plane-free sunny skies. More volcanic ash please Iceland, the skies over London have never been so peaceful!










To get to London Fields, I took the 26 bus from Liverpool St to St. Joseph's Hospice then walked down Westgate Street to the edge of the market. Or you can take the National Rail service to London Fields train station...

St Lawrence Food Hall - Toronto

St. Lawrence food market is a traditional covered city centre market with a permanent food hall with deli foods from all the different ethnicities represented in Toronto (hundreds! its fantastically diverse) and a Farmer's Market on Saturdays in an adjoining hall.

THe first is exciting because you'll get a hold of great ethnic foods and all the stalls allow you to taste and try things out, check out the hot chipotle dips at the mexican counter, or Bubble TEa at the Japanese diner...

The latter is exciting because it showcases local Ontario farmer's produce, including some incredibly shaped and coloured gourds (Oh my gourd! exclaimed my friend...), purple peppers, emu oil (as you do...) and of course, peameal bacon, sizzling hot and slathered in wholegrain shallot mustard from a counter which sells over 100 varieties of the condiment!!!

Chat with local farmers, hear some great buskers and organise a great packed lunch to take with you to the lake-front.