Sunday 16 June 2019

Part of Iberica's ongoing series of regional #Spanish menus, we've now reached #Galicia in the North West of Spain. This is Albariño territory. in the province of Pontevedra sits the denomination of Rías Baixas, the source of many of Spain’s finest white wines. Our preview of the menu started with an aperitif of this delicious Vermouth, made from Albariño grapes. I'm not usually a fan of Vermouth, but this one did change my mind - a juicy sweetness, with just a hint of herbaceous bitters. It almost tempted me away from the Cava;) On the menu there's Savel, a special Galician blue cheese and a whioe series of dishes: Pulpo a Feira (octopus with cachelo potatoes and paprika), White asparagus and sea asparagus with salicornia, a savoury marine vegetable and Zamburinas a la Gallega (queen scallops in a rich sauce with Alberino wine and serrano ham). There's a tasting flight of Albarino wines priced at £16 and more local wines. And of course the Nordesia vermouth which you can drink straight or top with fevertree tonic. The Gallician menu runs through June and July and from my taster, it's definitely worth trying! How to get a real taste for the regional food of Spain without leaving London - @ibericarestaurants #ibericaxgalicia #galicia #galicianfood #galiciantapas#albarino #tapasbar #tapasrestaurant #londonfoodie #londonfoodblogger #ukbloggers #bloggersuk #lbloggersuk #fbloggersuk #ukfoodie #goodfoodandwine #toplondonrestaurants #londonunattached #TBIN #TTOT


Saturday 6 April 2019

This is the Cutty Sark. Take the DLR to - you've guessed it - 'Cutty Sark' and follow the signs down to the river where you'll find the beautifully restored clipper, part of the #UNESCO World Heritage Site at Royal Museums Greenwich. Built in 1869 as a tea clipper, it's unbelievable that this stunning ship was the fastest of its time during its years as a British merchant ship. She visited sixteen countries and travelled the equivalent of two and a half voyages to the moon and back. The Cutty Sark was originally built to serve the China tea trade, carrying almost 10 millions lbs of tea between 1870 and 1877. Today, she is the world’s only surviving clipper and this year, 2019 celebrates its 150th birthday. The name 'Cutty Sark' comes from the nickname of the witch Nannie Dee in Robert Burns's 1791 poem Tam o' Shanter. The ship's figurehead which you can just see in this photo is a carving of Nannie Dee with long black hair holding a grey horse's tail in her hand. And that nick-name is a reference to Nannie Dee's short 'sark' (chemise). Open to visitors, you can board the Cutty Sark and take a look around. There's even a little theatre on board. And, once you've finished you can enjoy an afternoon tea 'underneath' the Cutty Sark (literally!). A great day out for everyone. #ExploreGreenwich ⛵️ #CuttySark @royalmuseumsgreenwich #travelblogger #instatbn #writetotravel #instapassport #postcardsfromtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #ttot #tbin #travelblog #bbctravel #secretplace #ThisIsLondon #londoncity #londontown #thisislondon #londonlife #londonblogger #londonstreets #londonisopen #londonist #londonlove #lovelondon #igerslondon #ig_london #ilovelondon #londoncalling #londonfashion


Thursday 7 March 2019

( #Presstrip ) I have a soft spot for @Fortnums but didn't really know much about it till a little tour of the famous store with @London.Westend - I did know the story about the business having originated from one of Queen Anne's footmen selling candle-ends from the royal court. And I also knew that #Fortnums have supplied goods to royalty since 1707. I didn't know that they also invented the food hamper (though I DID know how aspirational a Fortnum's hamper is - and I do still have my own empty one!). I was a little suprised by the window display at the moment but it turns out that Mr Heinz arrived at Fortnum & Mason with five cases of tinned goods - and the whole lot were bought. Thus Heinz Baked Beans were introduced to the British public. To celebrate its 150th Anniversary, Heinz has partnered with Fortnum's to create limited edition Fortnum & Mason labels. And, just as it was in 1886, they are exclusively available at Fortnum’s. If your poison isn't baked beans, you could try the chocolate asparagus or Scotch Egg (Fortnum's invented the 'non-chocolate' scotch egg too). Or you could make for the Parlour and enjoy a decadent icecream sundae. What better way to treat your mum for #MothersDay? The perfect solution for #WestEndMums⁣ ⁣ #touristinmycity #beautifulLondon #TBIN #TTOT #prettylittlelondon #londonlife #LoveLondon #LondonisOpen #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #visitlondon #instalondon #prettycitylondon #ilovelondon #mydarlingLondon


Saturday 23 February 2019

Making Ensaimada in Palma - a traditional sweet bread made by coating thinly rolled out sheets of dough with pork lard (which gives rise to the bread's name as the word for pork lard is 'saïm'). The sheets are rolled out on an olive oil coated board then spread with lard before being spun into long cigar-shaped rolls that are coiled and allowed to rise for 24 hours. Then, the whole creation is baked. We had a chance to watch the baker at work in one of Palma's emblematic shops - Fornet de la Soca. The oven in the picture is the oldest in the City and Tomeu Arbona who owns the shop is a collector of old recipes from the Balearic Islands. His bread is part of the Good Bread Route of Spain, one of only 80 bakeries in Spain and the only representative of the Balearics! He's also published a book 'Rebosteria tradicional de Mallorca' covering the pastries and confectionery of Mallorca from the Middle Ages to the 1960s. More about the emblematic shops to come - we visited a handful of these unique, traditional places - from wickerwork to shoes, from toys to handmade glass. But of course, somehow I've ended up focussing on food! #PassionforPalma @passionforpalma @fornetdelasoca #TBIN #TTOT #UNESCO #exploremore #travelawesome #wanderful #writetotravel #luxfood #exploringtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #mytinyatlas #natgeography #darlingescapes #letsgobeyond #palmademallorca #palma #visitpalma #palmamallorca #presstrip #Mallorca #citybreak #wintertravel #igerspalma #igersbaleares #spaincities