The Sugar Bar

This time of the year, when the Christmas spirit is shining bright for everyone to see in our cities, in our homes, in our demeanor and smiles, we get out our mince pies and pass them round the table. Amidst the clinking of tea cups and teapots when girlfriends catch up and the men fuss about with carving the meats, playful banter and random storytelling fill the house like the scent of baking mince pies and mulling red wine. December is one of those months which makes one a little more pensive, a little more loving and invokes a great desire to be generous and to share.

Mince pies – an adorable tiny lil’ thing – always reminds me of this sharing spirit. A batch baked for all around the table with another rising in the oven to give away to friends or storebought for the housemates, neighbours and yours truly. They’re small, bite-sized but flavoursome and heartwarming when eaten lightly toasted. More often that not, lips and fingers are burned trying to get to the pies just out of the oven since they never stick around for long; that of course, is their one major flaw. They simply disappear too quick. A friend of mine who swears that she can bake nothing but that mysterious concoction out of a brownie mix box is actually pretty awesome with homebaked mince pies. Twice now in the past two Christmases have I had the honour of tasting her homebaked mince pies (in the comforts of her home, in front of the telly a la couch potato) which were always lightly dusted with icing sugar, made with champagne flavoured mincemeat and perfect to a T! And somehow, these were always more delicious and satisfying than the perfectly shaped, perfectly filled M&S Luxury Mince Pies.

Christmas food makes me realise how fortunate I am every year that we manage to celebrate it. When we were children, Christmas was all about setting up our plastic Christmas tree, decorating it with ribbons, bobbles, tinsel and fairy lights until the poor tree was absolutely weighted down with a heaving amount of Christmas accessories. The icing on the cake was finding the best ‘hiding spot’ within the tree to hide each others’ presents. As the years passed, our family upgraded ourselves and started faithfully purchasing imported live Christmas trees. It was wonderful. And ugh, was it expensive on our end of the globe! But Christmas time meant a mild sweet perfume of pine pervading our home and of course, that wonderful hassle of decorating it just perfectly. This year, we’ve done away with the tree with the realisation that Christmas isn’t centered around a tree. Rather, our Christmas means much to us like the Chinese Lunar New Year in which our focus lies upon the Christmas dinner, on our round dining table and in the reunion of our family. It’s the one event I never miss out on even when I’m half a world away from home. It forces me to acknowledge the fact that I have loving family members who treasure me despite my flaws, who accept everything about me and go out of the way to make sure that I am safe, happy and healthy. I count my blessings come December time, thank God for watching over me and look forward to new chapters of my life which are about to burst forth with the advent of the new year.

This year, I can definitely feel a new door opening in my life. One door has shut and although that was a terribly sad and nostalgic thing to experience, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t eager to see where this new door leads. A new year, a new journey, new people to meet and of course, new cuisines to experience. Let’s not forget that there’ll be more kitchen disasters occurring where I’m at. Nevertheless, 2011 is for me a time to kick myself into shape in all aspects of my life. That’s good news really! Expect some changes on this blog too. I hope to get it looking a little prettier, a little neater, a little better – version 2011 2.01 EX.

Meanwhile, we’re having lots of cake in the house celebrating my sister A’s 28th birthday. We have tonnes of food all ready for a big-ass barbecue – ribs, steak, chicken kebabs, etc. I’m sure the dogs will be going insane with the smell of ribs on the grill. On the sweet side of all things straight from the oven, we’ve some oddly shaped slightly awkward little mince pies lightly dusted with icing sugar. Spicy, sweet, tart, zesty and all encased in the best bit of all – the shortcrust pastry! The size of mince pies are too inviting, almost at the ready to be popped into your mouth. But try not to knock ‘em back too quick because there is much magic in mince pies. Bite into the crust and out will ooze delicious mincemeat, and a little taste of the home, the hearth, and love. Ok, now rub away those goosebumps I know I got a little cheesy, wash ‘em back with a frothy cappuccino, a chai latte or just a simple cuppa tea. And so, I’m outta here to go guard my share.

• Looking for the recipe? Recipe can be found from My Cooking Hut here who has a store of amazing recipes!

The English weather can be described here in one word, or rather one sound – a big fat SIGH.

My Monday blues can be summed up in one word, or also one sound – a big fat SIGH.

But both can be resolved with a brunch date, with a gorgeous friend of mine (and fellow Ferragamo fiend) to boot? Sorted.

So here we shared a lovely pot of coffee, sweetening it with shiny crystals of brown sugar straight from a recycled black treacle tin, stirring then sipping them nice and slow despite the gathering grey clouds. What I love about Albion Cafe, Bakery and Food Store is definitely the fact that you can sit outside on the tables and red chairs lining the street. It faces some quaint little shops on the peaceful and rather dignified Boundary Street. During the summer, it is simply wonderful to sit out in the sun on their glossy red coffee shop chairs next to wooden crates of fresh cauliflower, cabbages, etc. A great spot to leisurely have brunch whilst people-watching fellow East Londoners drifting through from Shoreditch High Street or Brick Lane. And remember my post on Fried Eggs & Sage? Yep, you’ll find Albion just turning the corner from the infamous Leila’s Shop.

Portobello Mushrooms on Toast

Mushroom Omelette

My lunch mate and I both ordered mushrooms. I admit it isn’t in the least bit exciting especially when the menu offers so much more, like great British caff food and even some pub classics (crackling & apple sauce, duck eggs on toast, bangers & mash, etc). It was very tempting I’ll tell you that though. Their drinks menu is extensive and impressive, especially the elderflower cooler which is a must-try IMHO. Anyhow, P and I are mushroom fanatics. And we strangely have similar cravings at the same time. Can’t understand that? Me neither. We’re as similar as night…and later that night (quoted from Monica of Friends, guilty as charged). We both have unhealthy obsessions with Ferragamos, long brown hair of nearly the same shade, even ugly spots in the exact same places on our faces come that funny time of the month, share a passionate love for red Chanel lipsticks and full-fat salted butter. And we both love to brunch! A friendship made to last.

Our gorgeous and friendly hunk of a waiter came with hot coffee pronto. Lunch followed fairly swiftly. My portobello mushrooms were very flavourful and juicy on brown toast, generously drizzled with olive oil and garnished with chopped parsley. P’s omelette was at least an inch thick and uber creamy, which she ate with brown toast and oodles of butter. Albion boasts quality ingredients and straightforward food. It is exactly that and more – soul-warming food, the type that makes you forget your daily worries, the wintry chills of autumn and the impending ugly of rain clouds.

It started raining in a bit. Grey, wet, nippy and generally miserable with a capital M. Felt a bit like wet dogs getting rained on en route to Brick Lane where P lives. But shortly before that, we had had some awesome food action. And so we were still happy and pretty mushroom-smug, no doubt about that. When you’ve got good food in your belly, it’s nearly impossible to be grumpy. Don’t you agree?

Albion Cafe, Bakery and Food Store
2-4 Boundary Street
Shoreditch
London
E2 7DD
• http://www.albioncaff.co.uk •

Once again, just a short and sweet post about yet another scrummy place. I love my eggs. I never used to as a kid, they made me feel ill – like nauseous I’m-gonna-be-sick type of ill. But now, it’s a completely different story. I love it. LOVE. And when I need an egg-fix, if I’m lazy to fix myself breakfast, I normally head to The Breakfast Club which is only like a 5 minute walk from me.

Maybe it’s the sun, or maybe it’s the need to sit outside facing the roads like cafés in Paris, which drew me to this quaint little café in Shoreditch. Not a big menu, not much variety. And served by a lanky freakishly tall dude who looks about twelve. Nice, huh. But the eggs were delicious. The toast, on the other hand, I’m a bit hesitant about. It was certainly good bread but over-toasted and it threatened to rip my mouth apart or break my teeth. Fail.

Nevertheless, lemme stress this again. Eggs = good.

The combination of eggs fried in truckloads of good olive oil, generously seasoned with cracked sea salt and lots of black pepper plus crisp sage leaves on each yolk eager to be dampened by creamy yolk when you break the membrane? Heaven.

Enough said.

Leila’s Shop
17 Calvert Avenue
Shoreditch
London
E2 7JP