Yelly Eats

The Nordic Bakery

Yelly

I am a lover of cinnamon.  Cinnamon bun, cinnamon cake, cinnamon rolls…you name it, if it has cinnamon I will want to try it!

The year I moved to England, Alan told me about this little tucked away coffee place called the Nordic Bakery that made really good cinnamon buns.  It was in Golden Square in Soho and being a non-native, when we went to pay a visit to it, it seemed to take forever to get to it (of course I’ve completely changed my mind now because I know that everything – well, mostly everything – in London is within walking distance of each other!).  When we got there, the place was packed and very busy and we ordered a cinnamon bun.  They packed it for us, and we took it back to the flat.  I had it and was a tiny bit disappointed.  It was nice – but to me, it was nothing to write home about.

I have, however, kept an open mind.  I liked the vibe of Nordic Bakery while I was there (it was probably not even 5 minutes) but the blue and dark wood interiors were indelibly stamped in my mind.  Every time we chanced upon Golden Square, I looked at Nordic Bakery and wanted to go in, sit down, have a coffee and a pastry (or four!).

Then just this month, I had the opportunity to enjoy the Nordic Bakery twice in 2 weekends.  Everything was delicious!  Even the cinnamon bun which I thought was disappointing the first time I had it.  Everything was really good because, for me, a recalcitrant diabetic with a sweet tooth, everything sweet is to be taken in moderation, and the goodies on offer were not toothache-inducingly sweet!

With a lovely chocolate sprinkled cup of cappuccino (I loved their coffee but will probably try one with an extra shot of espresso next time)

Nordic Bakery's cappuccino

I enjoyed their deliciously spiced lingonberry bun.  There was a lovely aroma of cardamom that went really well with the sweet-tartness of the lingonberry jam that was generously spread over the top of the very light cake.

Nordic Bakery's lingonberry bun

Yesterday, I had a selection of pastries: the savoury but deliciously creamy potato Karelian pie

Nordic Bakery's potato Karelian pie

followed by the yummy apple Tosca bun (it looked like it was going to be so sweet but it wasn’t! It was lovely and light and the apple flavour came through each beautiful bite!)

Nordic Bakery's apple Tosca bun

and I had the classic cinnamon bun to finish.  The cinnmon bun is one of Nordic Bakery’s best selling products.  By the time we had finished our coffee and cakes the once full basket on the counter was empty!  This isn’t your typical doughy cinnamon roll.  The layers are thin and light and oh-so-cinnamony.  The outer layers are also thin but almost crispy that they crackle when you slice or bit into them.  It has certainly redeemed itself!  It goes way too well with a hot cup of coffee!

Nordic Bakery's classic Cinnamon bun

I was so intrigued by the Tosca bun that I had to buy the cookbook.  It is filled with the wonderful recipes of all the Nordic Bakery favourites.  It’s not going to stop me from eating at the Nordic Bakery but it will certainly tide me over until my next visit!

Nordic Bakery Cookbook

My first Nordic Bakery cookbook bake is the Tosca cake.  It was so easy to make!  Am so excited to have coffee this afternoon (it’s a bit sad, isn’t it?)!  Join me for a slice?

My version of Nordic Bakery's Tosca cake

You need to visit the Nordic Bakery if you’re in London.  It’s a really nice place to have coffee and something sweet or something savoury.  The staff are helpful and are ever so patient when you have questions about the food on offer.  The service is quick and I love how everything is served in pretty plates, trays and mugs of varying shades of blue.   I’ve yet to try the rye bread sandwiches but they look so delicious and I intend to try one when I pay my next visit.  They have a branch in the Golden Square in Soho.  Apart from the Soho branch, they have one on New Cavendish Street and on Dorset Street, both in Marylebone.

Yelly Eats

Style over substance

Yelly

Ping pong

I love dimsum.  Particularly siu mai.  I’ve always thought that if dimsum was the universe, siu mai (and it’s numerous varieties) was the point of the big bang.  Where everything started.  But that’s my opinion.  I’m sure Chinese cuisine historians have differing opinions.

I miss the Philippines and it’s numerous siu mai kiosks dotted around.  If you wanted siu mai, there would be some small kiosk that you could go to to satisfy the craving.  It’s not so available here in the UK.  While Chinese takeaway is a favourite and every town, no matter how small, will have a Chinese takeaway establishment, not all the takeaways have dimsum.  The closest thing to dimsum is wanton soup, which is, thankfully, available on all the Chinese takeaway menus where I live.  Small favours, and am very thankful for them!

I am a huge fan of the dimsum trolley service.  Ladies going around the restaurant, pushing steaming trolleys filled with tiny bamboo steam baskets filled with unknown goodies.  I love the excitement of finding out what the trolley is carrying: siu mai, dumplings, hakaw, beef balls, char siu pork in puff pastry, spring rolls, crab dumplings, crispy prawn balls, turnip cakes and the occasional lotus wrapped sticky rice parcel.  I’ve since started mourning the loss of 2 restaurants that did trolley service really well.  There was a restaurant that I only remember as CCK in Chinatown.  It stopped its trolley service, then turned into an all-you-can-eat then closed down.  Then came New World.  It was dimsum perfection — for a while.  The service and the quality of food has since declined and it’s been 2 years since I’ve been.  People have suggested going to Royal China either in Bayswater or Baker Street but I haven’t had the time to.  Since New World, I’ve only ever gone to dimsum restaurants that serve you dimsum after you order them.

We went to the newly opened Ping Pong brance in Westfield Stratford yesterday.  The only word that comes to mind is horrible.  They didn’t have prawn or pork siu mai (which, in my opinion, is the backbone of dimsum choices), the dimsum was bland and oversteamed.  When the steaming baskets came to the table, you uncovered a gelatinous mess!  Everything needed a bit of flavour because everything was basically globs of nothing.  Even the soy and the chilli oil and sauce were bland.  For all the colour and styling in the restaurant space everything faded into the beigeness of the food.  And never again am I coming back to a Ping Pong branch.  It didn’t live up to the hype.  And it was all style and no substance.

 

Yelly Writes

Struggling

Yelly

I am struggling to blog these days.

While I would love nothing more than to blog about food, the books I’ve read (I’ve managed to finish reading Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You!  Hurray me!), the places Alan and I have been to eat, the musicals I’ve seen, it feels a bit self-indulgent.  My father is still very ill and I feel that any enjoyment I feel about my life here is not allowed.  He would say otherwise of course, because he has always said that I should live my life, that I should live the life I dreamed.  But I cannot help but feel selfish.

I will write properly because to write about them would be honouring my father’s wishes.  But right now I will allow myself to worry about him.  Tomorrow is Sunday and Skype day.  I will be able to chat with them and see all of them.

There are days when my grip on my faith is loosed by doubt.  Why is my Abba still ill?  Why is God letting him go through all this pain?  But then I am reminded that these are questions that I mustn’t really ask.  Because the God I believe in does not want His children to suffer.  The God I believe in will turn a bad situation into a good one.  The God I believe in is the God that heals.  The God I believe in is a God who will take His children in His arms and comfort them.  I know that I cannot understand my God’s wisdom because that is beyond my understanding.  I must trust in His plan.

In His perfect time and according to His perfect plan.

That is what I must hold on to.

Yelly Writes

Hayfever schmayfever

Yelly

My head is pounding, my eyes are itchy, my nose is stuffy and my throat is scratchy.  Lovely eh?  All this after taking hayfever meds.

This is the only thing I don’t like about Spring!  I may just take myself off to bed and attempt to sleep this off.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day!

 

hayfever meds

Yelly Writes

Mothers Day

Yelly

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Today we all celebrate our very own superwomen.  I’m lucky because I get to celebrate Mothers Day twice.  Today in the UK, as it’s Mothering Sunday and during the second Sunday in May when the Philippines (and I think most of the world) celebrates Mothers Day.

My dearest Ima. there are so many things I would like to thank you for. I thank the Lord daily for you, for all the things you do for us, for all the things you have done for us, for all the things you have given us and the things you give to us. But most of all, I thank you for raising us in a household founded on faith. Your faith has sustained us even during the most difficult of times. Your faith has buoyed us during the storms of life and we will forever be blessed by your daily testament of faith. Your faith has sustained ours and has strengthened our faith in God. That is your most precious gift to us.

Happy Mothers Day Mama!  Today, most especially, I wish I could hug you.  I love you.

Yelly Reads

Book du jour: Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously

Yelly

Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell.  “A culinary legend provides a frustrated office worker a new recipe for life.”

I’ve got the paperback version. 320 pages, size 1.9 x 13.2 x 19.8 cm.  Published by Penguin Books.  That being said, I also have the Kindle version!  But because this is one of my favourite books, I am going to go old style and read the actual book!

I’ve probably read this book at least 9 times.  I’ve watched the movie more!  In fact, as I write this blog entry, it’s on.  Right now.  I’ve got Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Amy Adams on my TV screen.

It’s my comfort movie because I watch it whenever I’m home ill.  It fills me with hope that someday, my blog will mean something, that someone will read it and think, “Hey, that girl has something to say and she says it well!”  That is the dream.

I love this book because it’s about someone I can relate to.  I can relate to the experiences and it’s someone who knows about the Bataan Death March (which my grandfather was part of — he was a Philippine World War II veteran)!  Every time I read it, I just smile.  I would love to meet Julie Powell.  I would love to pick her brains.  I would love to say, “How in the world did you manage to start living the dream?!?”

Because that is the dream.  To write.  In my case it’s to write about food.

So I am about to embark into another journey into the world of Julie Powell challenging herself to cook through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  And, oh boy, am I going to enjoy this particular ride.  Again.

Julie_and_julia

Yelly Writes

Comfort seeking

Yelly

These are challenging times.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know that I’ve been worrying over my father, who is still in hospital.  We encountered a setback today.  He was supposed to go home tomorrow but that’s not happening now.  I still believe that he is in the best place that he can be.  He has the best doctors and he is where he can be treated immediately.  I know that science can only do so much.  The rest I believe that God will take care of.

I am feeling a little delicate tonight.  I know that I will cry at a drop of a hat.  So I’m trying to entertain myself.  I’ve got Mary Berry on the telly cooking her perfect beef stew and I am trying to blog.  I am desperately trying not to be morose but I think I am failing miserably.

I’d like nothing better than to go to bed and pull the duvet over my head.  And maybe have a good cry.

Sorry everyone.  Pass the kleenex.