Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Chocolate fish and Macarons











Well, F&M were hot on the macaron craze before it hit Melbourne it seems. We also have artisan chocolate fish and a gorgeous little chocolate shop.

Fortnum and Mason: Part 2 Bikkies
















Here is just a sample of the types of biscuits you could find at F&M. We have the soldiers, ladies and gentleman (very upper crust), nursery rhyme biscuits and the various artisan bears. Also check out the adorable doll's house of jam. Doesn't everyone store their's that way?

Fortnum and Mason: Part 1
















Welcome to Fortnum and Mason. I must have taken the majority of my photos from the whole trip at this fine establishment. Upmarket supermarket/bakery/cakeshop still doesn't quite describe it. It is posh to the extreme!
F&M stocks all manor of British essentials: marmalades and jams, tea sets, candied fruit and statues. (Although the last are not for sale. And yes, it does look like I'm putting my hand up his jacket. Nothing untoward is happening though :)).

Marmite and Huggy Bears (but not together)











Some of the regular grocery items that I thought deserved photos. And marmite really is horrid!

The Butcher, Kosher Section at Tesco & Lunch







Still in Golders we went to pick up supplies from the butcher, and were surprised to find the place empty of people around noon, despite the fact that Shabbat didn't start until about 9pm and there was still so much meat available.
And they had "Aunty Vita" salami!
We had lunch at a kosher eatery, whose same began with "White" ended with "express" and had a word in the middle that I cant recall.
I had lovely lamb chops and it felt like an eternity since I had eaten meat.
After lunch we visited Tesco and checked out the kosher section, which included a "fresh" (?) roast beef sandwich. So there you go.

Golders Green: Part 1
















On Friday we decided to visit Golders Green on the tube. I was excited to see the kosher food on display and was perhaps a little too excited by all the kosher shopfronts we encountered. As it was Friday, many places had already closed for the weekend but we found plenty to keep ourselves amused.
Note: The sign in the Blooms window is explaining that they are no longer is business. Just missed it :(

Sunday, December 19, 2010

London: Part 1







In London, our first stop was the Borough Markets. We found a lovely olive stall that let us sample as many as we like, especially the large green buttery young'uns (not yet matured). There was an unusual amount of foie gras and pate available.

Overseas Travel: Dubai







In the middle of this year I was lucky enough to do some travelling. I visited London and Ireland, and stopped over in Dubai. What follows are the culinary delights I experienced. Firstly, the Dubai airport, an absolute haven from the heat, with Arabic Pringles and Kraft cheese spread. And does anyone else think Clorets sound like toilet cleaner...