Rachel Phipps

Recipe: Lemon Syrup Cupcakes For World Baking Day

2013-05-19T06:17:00.000+01:00

Today is World Baking Day, a day to step out of your comfort zone and bake something that you have never baked before. In honour of today and its challenge I thought I'd share with you a twist on one of the easiest and most basic bakes I know and that I have (literally) made countless times. When guests arrive at Pilgrims Nook for their stay we usually greet them with a handmade wooden trug of Pilgrims Nook grown vegetables and homemade preserves (usually whatever is seasonal) but during the Winter months, or when there is as not as much fresh produce to go around we fill the trugs with baked goods. The two most popular treats with both us in the kitchen and our guests are the vanilla cupcakes from Cake Days by The Hummingbird Bakery (some weekends I thought I was going to get repetitive strain injury frosting those things!) or Mary Berry's Lemon Loaf Cake from her Ultimate Cake Book (the book I learnt to bake from, incidentally!)

While they were originally destined for (and some did indeed end up as) lemonade, when I took a picture on Instagram of how huge the local Fresno lemons I picked up at the farmers market were, every instantly said lemon cake to me. So, I emailed my mother for the recipe which she dutifully sent me (thank you Mummy!), but then I realised I was not going to get very far with it. While I may be a massive butter snob, as demonstrated in previous posts when I have explained countless times my love for unsalted French butter, I have learnt from Mary Berry that when making deliciously light sponge cakes, using margarine is actually the way forward. Problem is, you can't get Stork (the only brand I consider) margarine in America, and frankly some of the margarine type butter products in the American supermarkets scare the hell out of me. So, world baking day is about stepping out of your comfort zone, right? While I'm totally confident with cooking the cooking alchemy of changing around ingredients, it was time to start messing around with the cake batter to try and make our beloved lemon loaf, but in the form of cupcakes as light as if they were made with margarine, but only made with real butter. The resulting recipe makes 18 cupcakes.

Look at the size of this lemon, compared to your average British supermarket fare. I have not seen these so big since I was in Sorrento!

1 Lemon
60g (1/4 cup) Butter, softened
60g (1/4 cup) Greek Yogurt (I use Total 0%)
240g (1 cup) Plain Flour
120g (1/2 cup) Caster Sugar (Granulated if you are in the USA)
115g (4oz) Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
120ml (1/2 cup) Milk

Pre-heat the oven to 165 Celsius (325 Fahrenheit). Beat together the butter, yogurt and caster sugar until you have a smooth batter. Add the eggs and beat until smooth again. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and the zest of the lemon to the mixture and beat until combined. (You could do all this beating in a food processor if you wanted.) Add the milk and beat until everything is mixed together and smooth. Half fill 18 cupcake cases with batter and bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until you can stick a cake tester in and remove it with the metal stick still clean. You can get these for literally about £1 on Amazon, or just use a wooden toothpick. Remove from the oven and make a couple of holes in each cake. Mix together the granulated sugar and the juice of the lemon in a small bowl and drizzle about two teaspoons of the syrup over the top of each cupcake. Allow to cool, and enjoy!

While the resulting cupcakes are not as light as the Mary Berry loaf, the cake is a bit denser, they are not at all heavy as provide the perfect slightly sticky, slightly tangy afternoon treat. I hope you enjoy them and hopefully make them today if you have a lemon on hand! Just a side note though, while the original lemon loaf these inspired will last a couple of days (if it has not been eating right away, that is!), but these cupcakes are best eaten the day they are made. What other recipes are you trying for World Baking Day?

Weekly Love: Week 134

2013-05-17T07:12:00.000+01:00

So, it is the time of year for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards, the only blog awards event in the year that I actually pay attention to! In 2011 Judging Covers, a book review website I write for was nominated as 'Best Lifestyle Blog', in 2012 my beauty blog 'The Glossy Guide' was nominated as 'Best New Beauty Blog', but much to my disappointment I've never managed to get Rachel Phipps into a category and I would really appreciate everyones support if I was to finally get Rachel Phipps in there for 2013. I thought about it long and hard, and while this is a lifestyle blog, it is more of a food blog with lifestyle content mixed in so I would really appreciate it if you could take a moment out of your weekend to nominate Rachel Phipps as 'Best Food Blog' this year. Nominations for The Glossy Guide in the 'Best Established Beauty Blog' category will also be greatly appreciated! Also, remember to nominate your favourite fashion bloggers in their categories too!

1. A beautiful sunny and hot Saturday spent at the beautiful Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena. | 2. This delicious 'French Berry' soda I picked up from Joan's On Third tastes exactly like a Diablo Fraise. | 3. LA in bloom at the Huntington. | 4. For a easy and delicious lunch or light supper supersize the English pub favourite of the classic prawn cocktail. | 5. Picking up goodies such as tortilla chips and pineapple juice in Trader Joe's to make some Cinco De Mayo goodies. | 6. A test run for a hopefully upcoming recipe for Strawberries & Cream Shortcakes.

Today I want to introduce Rachel Phipps' first round of sponsors on the blog, whose ads you may have already spotted in the sidebar and been over to check out their sites. First, we have amazing half French, half English, London based lifestyle blog Joy Felicity Jane. I'm personally a reader of Tania's beautifully photographed blog. I've particularly been enjoying her posts from the English Countryside recently.

Next up is SUJUU, an online jewellery and accessories boutique. Everyting is ethically sourced and made with love and care, and they stock designers such as Cinderella B, Aidai and Mirabelle. My personal picks from the store? This Hammered Gold Bangle, this gold Bea Bee Necklace and this Amethyst Bangle.

Finally is the very funny and aptly named lifestyle blog Venus Trapped In Mars. Ladies, especially my American readers? If you need a crash course in sports so you still know what your boyfriend and guy friends are going on about, but you still want things to be pretty and sparkly, it is Sarah's blog you need to be reading. I found her post yesterday on the calorie count in different beers an interesting read, and her drinking games revolving around different major players in the American sporting calendar is well worth bookmarking. If you want to sponsor Rachel Phipps with 20% off through the month of May, click here for more info.

7. There are beautiful purple Jacaranda blooming all over Los Angeles at the moment. Every time I see one it makes me smile. | 8. Indian Spiced Summer Vegetable Fritters served with a side salad and paprika dusted soured cream. After lots of requests for what was just a light supper I threw together out of leftovers on Instagram and other social media to feature as a recipe post, I'm going to have another play around with it this weekend. | 9. Old (and mock old) sculpture make for great photos, again at the Huntington. | 10. Classic M&M's: the only way to get through writing an essay. | 11. For an even better version of the classic Strawberries & Cream, whip lemon zest into mascarpone. | 12. I've been drinking so much thyme infused lemonade recently; look out for the recipe in June!

Why in a time of austerity eating out has never been so fashionable and popular. (This article is from London's Stylist magazine, but relevant to other cities too!)
Food and restaurant photos from Dishoom in Shoreditch. This is why I can't wait to eat there.
Everything you need to know about J.Crew opening in London.
Garance Dore illustrates her picks what you should buy in French pharmacies on your travels.
This is the best set of travel photos from Palm Springs I've seen in a long time - so vibrant!
The To 20 Lipsticks That Contain Lead. This list may surprise you.
How To Walk Off A Plane Looking Like A Babe.
The Top 10 Artisan Bakeries In Britain.
I'm An Everygirl, And I Went To Culinary School.
Youtube is going to start putting some content behind a paywall.
Flavour & Language. How exactly do you go about describing something (food) with words, when it is an experience that should not really be quantifiable?
The latest edition of 'Top Shelf' on Into The Gloss, with Garance Dore.

Finally, I've decided that I want to trial a new feature in my 'Weekly Love' posts. I know one of the reasons you guys love them so much is because you enjoy finding new blogs to read through the sites I link to, but I think that can also work both ways too. So, below I've decided to play around with the a 'Simply Linked' widget where you can submit your own links to be shown at the bottom of each 'Weekly Love' post. If you have a blog post that you've posted during the two weeks since the last weekly love post; be it a recipe you are particularly proud of, photos you've posted from your recent travels or an outfit you are particularly proud of styling, I, as well as the rest of your fellow readers I'm sure would love to see it. Just a note, to make this fair on everyone, please only submit one link per website, link to a post and not just your home page. Any spam links I will take care of. Also, just to help with my little level of blog post consistance OCD, I would really appreciate it if you could title your link the exact title of your original blog post.

What have you been enjoying this week, and what do you have planned for the weekend? My weekend is going to be pretty work orientated, so thank god I'm on the home stretch; a month today I will be sitting my last exam at UCLA and my best friend Kathryn will be arriving from London for one last LA adventure!

10 Super Easy Recipe Ideas For World Baking Day

2013-05-16T06:22:00.000+01:00

This Sunday it is World Baking Day; a day where everyone, especially those of you who don't usually cook and bake are encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and bake something new, or for the more experienced bakers out there something that you find challenging. I don't know what I'm going to be trying my hand at making this weekend, yet, because trying to make something challenging is rather hard for me as I have a limited kitchen and equipment at the moment, but there will be a new recipe I formulated especially for World Baking Day here on the blog on Sunday; if you want to try it, be sure to have lemons and Greek yogurt on hand, as well as the usual baking ingredients. Also, I thought today to give you a few days to think I'd put together a list of 10 easy recipes, but a few with challenging elements from both this blog, and other sites I love for you to perhaps try your hand at this weekend.

1. Super Simple 3-Step Chocolate Brownies

These super easy chocolate brownies are on of the most popular recipes on my blog (and the most popular bake) and if you are new to baking, or you've never made brownies before they are something I'd suggest you try your hand at. This recipe uses cocoa powder instead of solid chocolate so that melting skill has completely been cut out. However, they still taste divine and I promise your friends and family will be pleased when presented with a massive pan of these on Sunday afternoon!

2. Peach Cobbler Scones

Joy The Baker's book is my go to for finding new and delicious things to bake, so when I was puytting together this list I thought it was only natural to turn to her blog to see what delicious morsels I could suggest. If you are lucky to love somewhere warm like I do at the moment you'll have noticed new season peaches are starting to pop up at the markets. If this is the case, how can you say no to these peach scones?

3. M&M Cookies

A recipe I simply conceived out of boredom and not having any chocolate chips on hand, these M&M cookies can be made with whatever miniature chocolate or 'candy' you happen to have left over, including M&M's, Smarties, Reeses Mini Peanut Butter Cups or any combination of the above. They are also very more-ish.

4. Nutella Rugelach

While my recipe for Nutella Rugelach is quite easy, it has some new techniques and some fiddly bits in it, so I'd recommend it for someone who can bake things like basic cookies and cupcakes with confidence and wants to try their hand at making something that provides a bit more of a showstopper effect, while still actually being simple. Once you have the dough down, you can also make these with jam.

5. Chocolate Baileys Mud Cake

This Chocolate Baileys Mud Cake from one of my regular blog reads Citrus and Candy has been doing the Pinterest rounds like crazy recently. It actually has very few ingredients and is very easy to make. I'd say the only challenging part is if you have never made chocolate ganache before, so this could be a good skill to try and master. Once you've got it, making luxurious chocolate ganache for cakes and truffles will be easy.

6. Salted Caramel Double Chocolate Rolo Cookies

If you fancy like making something 'on trend' it looks like the food worlds love for all things salted caramel does not show any signs of waining any time soon. My twist on my favourite go to chocolate chip cookie recipe uses Rolos instead of chocolate chips to easily take care of the 'caramel' element, and are finished with a sprinkling of chefs favourite Maldon Sea Salt. They're both delicious and decadent.

7. Limencello and Balsamic Strawberry Victoria Sponge Teacake

Currently acting as the cover image for my 'Cakes & Cookies' board on Pinterest, I've practically been counting the days until I am back in England and I have the suitable equipment to make Katie Quinn Davies' twist on the classic British Victoria Sponge with Limencello laced cream and balsamic strawberries making up the filling instead of my usual go to's of butter icing and good quality raspberry jam. This is the cake to make if you are baking for a crowd and you want to experiment with recipes already in your repertoire.

8. Double Stuff Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Filled Cookies

Another twist on my ever occurring go to cookie recipe (I will be eternally grateful to Lorraine Pascale for inventing it), this time with the all American, dentists worst nightmare of marshmallow fluff forming a gooey and all together amazing center for slightly smaller cookie versions. Bake these if you just want to be bad.

9. Maple Syrup Glazed Scones

Afte including the alternative Victoria Sponge recipe, I got thinking about what over twists on afternoon tea classics you could bake this Sunday and I remembered seeing Maple Syrup Glazed scones on the blog Raspberri Cupcakes a while back. Talk about taking two different traditions from each side of the pond.

10. Flourless Coconut Chocolate Drops

I made these Flourless Coconut Chocolate Drops off of the Shutterbean blog a few months ago. They were absolutely delicious, and I could not stop eating them. They're also easily adaptable to put your own choice of nibbles in (though the recipe calls for chocolate chips and nuts alongside the coconut that you actually need), and they are also perfect if you have the problem of being gluten free this World Baking Day.

Do you know what you are going to be trying your hand at for World Baking Day yet?

10 London Restaurants and Cafes I Can't Wait To Eat At (Part 2)

2013-05-14T07:00:00.000+01:00

So, after I posted my '10 London Restaurants and Cafes I Can't Wait To Eat At' in January (I had a really nostalgia meets excitement hit putting it together) I had such a great response from people who had enjoyed the list, and found it a really useful guide of where to try and eat in the city in lieu of my 'Places To Eat In London' being on hiatus until July when I get back from Los Angeles. Reader and fellow blogger Ashley has even decided to work through every restaurant on that list with her boyfriend, and documented her first visit from the list of Pizza East on her blog. Naturally I had to put another edition together, then!

1. Bill's, Covent Garden

Lets start this list off with another picture of a burger, shall we? Now Bill's is not actually specifically a burger joint, and while I have not actually eaten there yet I have attempted to a couple of times, but it has always been very full, and when you live in East London, and you've dragged yourself to Covent Garden for brunch on a Sunday morning you don't really want to be waiting until 2pm for a table, do you? However, this is not the fault of Bill's; I've heard amazing things about the food at every meal of the day, so no wonder it is always packed!

2. Lily Vanilli Bakery, Columbia Road

Now, Lily Vanilli's is a tricky one, as her Columbia Road bakery is only open on a Sunday which leaves a pretty small window for enjoying her delicious looking cakes. However, luckily the one day of the week she does open is a Sunday, because in her plum location on Columbia Road it provides East Londoners a haven to go for a bite to eat and a cup of coffee after browsing the famous flower market. That is one of my first Sundays when I move back to London at the end of the Summer sorted then! Who does not love flowers and cake in one place?

3. The Plough Bar & Kitchen, Clapham

While Clapham is a bit South of the river than I usually venture, I do have a couple of friends who live there, which means I don't mind going down there when I know there is someone I can drag out of their house to go to lunch, or won't moan at me for having to get up really early to get on the Northern Line to go somewhere for brunch. I'm not actually sure where I heard about The Plough Bar & Kitchen, but their sumptuous food photos on their website, like the one above, have me very, very excited.

4. The Nordic Bakery, Marylebone

Do you follow anyone from the Nordic states on Instagram? If you do, you will have had the experience of scrolling through your feed each morning and getting an eyeful of other peoples delicious looking Nordic pasties and coffees they are enjoying for breakfast. From what I have heard about it so far, The Nordic Bakery in Marylebone is the perfect place to go in London if you are a looking for a slice of that action.

5. Patty & Bun, Soho

It seems the moment I left London so many new and exciting burger joints started popping up, mainly in Soho. In my last post I noted I wanted to eat at Honest Burgers, but also pretty near the top of the list is Patty & Bun. Living in Los Angeles and having several cult burger stand alones and chains all around me I have learnt that so many different things make a good burger, and I don't think it is possible for there for be a 'best' burger in any city. Knowing my luck I'll find I wish I could mix and match from different burger joints like I do here; I buy my burgers from In-N-Out and my fries from Five Guys!

6. Brooklyn Bite, King's Road

There are two things which, when done well can never fail to satisfy. The first of these I just mentioned, the burger, and the second is obviously the pizza. Now, while I love making my own pizzas at home (my parents have told me over Skype numerous times they miss my pizza bases) nothing beats a well done pizza baked in a traditional pizza oven. Brooklyn Bite, obviously baking fresh New York style pizzas on the King's Road is something I've only recently heard about, but I think will make a great lunch while shopping in the area.

7. Peggy Porschen Cakes, Fitzrovia

I have a thing about bakeries that have their own cake books. My favourite cupcakes in Los Angeles come from Georgetown Cupcake, but I have heard the proportions in their books don't really work. In London, my favourite bakery is the Primrose Bakery in Primrose Hill, but I've flicked through their books and they look rather uninspiring. On the other hand, while I adore and bake out of all the time Cake Days by The Hummingbird Bakery I think the cupcakes in the actual Hummingbird Bakery are good, but not as good as I can make from the book. I don't own the book from Peggy Porschen, nor have I visited her store (though I have seen some pretty amazing photos on peoples blogs) but I have made her Limencello Layer Cake from a recipe in The English Home magazine which was actually divine. This has made me want the book, but after my Hummingbird experience I've decided I need to try what the actual in store cakes are like before I buy it.

8. Dishoom, Shoreditch

I don't really like Indian food. However, before I moved to America I did not like beef, before I learnt how to cook it well myself I did not like steak. While I was at boarding school I would have told you that I could not stand mashed potato, and I now like and eat vegetables too. My point is, is I think I don't like Indian food, but I'm also pretty sure I've never had real Indian food except for homemade traditional samosas, which I adore. See where I am going with this? I've heard great things about Dishoom and it has been around for quite a while, and it has a killer looking cocktail menu. I'm going to see if I like Indian food.

9. Honey & Co., Fitzrovia

Honey & Co. is a Middle Eastern restaurant in Fitzrovia from a former Ottolenghi pastry chef. If that is not an automatic recommendation for the food, I don't know what is. Think fresh flavours, many small dishes and an alternative evening meal; I can't wait to go - they are also open for breakfasts. There is also apparently a massive bidding war going on for their first book, just in proposal form, and talks of television.

10. Koya, Soho

Koya is a Japanese Udon joint. Just like I am aware that I have never actually taste real, good Indian food I am also aware that the only Japanese food I have ever eaten has been from Wagamamas, and while there is nothing wrong with Wagamamas (have you tasted their sorbets?!) I know that this is totally unacceptable and needs to be rectified. I picked Koya out of a Refinery 29 piece on the best ramen in London; their London section is still pretty new, but judging by how useful I find the restaurant pieces in Refinery 29 Los Angeles, I'm sure that Koya will be a pretty good bet for a good, authentic Japanese meal.

All images in this post are from the restaurants websites (except from the Lili Vanilli shot which is from the Benetton London blog). Where in London are you the most excited to eat next? My actual full list currently has 75 entries my last count!

Places To Eat In Los Angeles: Wurstküche, Venice

2013-05-13T02:03:00.000+01:00

I do rather love hotdogs, but I don't usually like junk food. I discovered the solution to this in London when I first discovered the now famous Big Apple Hot Dogs stand in Old Street, but now I'm living in Los Angeles I've had to find somewhere else to get my gourmet hotdog fix. Enter Wurstküche in Venice (they also have a branch Downtown) where I was rather impressed by their hip decor, delicious dips and extensive sausage choices.

After lots of deliberation, my pick? The Duck & Bacon hotdog topped with onions and sweet peppers. It was a delicious hotdog I was really impressed with, and I would recommend to any gourmet hotdog lovers. It was sweet, rich and satisfying and I will be ordering it again. What I won't be ordering again, however, is the double dipped Belgium Fries. I found they were a little bit too much and tasted a bit too much of frying oil for my liking; a bit of unnecessary stodge next to the delicous juicy flavours of the hotdogs. Maybe they are more suitable when you are also sampling some of the many Belgium draft beers Wurstküche has at the bar. The only problem with my not wishing to order the fries again (fyi, they are basically English chips, it is just that 'chips' to Americans are crisps!) is I won't be able to order the dip I chose to go with my fries again; the pesto mayonnaise It was simply divine, and made me question why I had never thought of that combo before. Please promise me you will try it and report back?

Finally, I want to leave you with the sausage in the bottom left hand corner of the cabinate that has had rave reviews and I wish I have been brave enough to try. I have no issues with eating rabbit at all, the rattlesnake? I'm totally up for trying new things, but I just could not get over the 'fuck that' voice in my head. I think rattlesnake sausages are the sort of thing you have to be fed and enjoy before you are told what was in them. I think this is why I like donkey sausages and salamis; the first time I ate a donkey sausage I did not know what was in it!

Angelenos, have you tried a Wurstküche hotdog yet? As for my readers in other cities, do you have a favourite gourmet hotdog stand or spot, or do you have any other London recommendations for me aside from Big Apple?

Swimwear For Girls With A Bigger Bust (2013 Edition)

2013-05-10T07:23:00.000+01:00

As promised and as by popular request I've decided to put together a 2013 edition of the post I wrote last June on where to buy and my picks for the upcoming Summer (if you're in Europe) and current (if you are here with me on the West Coast) swimwear if you, like me are one of us girls with a bigger bust and for whom just swanning into Topshop to pick up a new bikini or swimsuit is simply not an option. (If you are fortunate enough not to fall into this category lots of these styles are also made in sizes smaller than a DD cup, and you can also check out the post I wrote earlier this year with my picks of swimwear I would buy if I were like you!)

Pureda Portofino Bikini Top: £34, Pureda Portofino Bikini Briefs: £22

This fantastic two piece that I fell in love with the moment I saw it on the Bravissimo website is my number one pick for the Summer, and at the time of writing the bikini top should be on its way to me in Los Angeles to wear on Santa Monica beach. As quite a lot of the time when I'm not going in the water I wear just a bikini top instead of a bra with high waisted shorts by the coast I did not order the bottoms; I felt that the striped meant that the top would mix and match quite nicely from my two piece from last Summer.

Free Honolulu Bikini Top: £36, Free Honolulu Bikini Briefs: £23,, Bravissimo San Marino Swimsuit: £45

Especially if you are UK based (though I am using their quite reasonable £8-ish international shipping this year) Bravissimo is my favourite place to shop for all things underwired. They have a great selection from some big swimwear and lingerie brands like Freya and Panache as well as some lovely own design pieces, and hard to find anywhere else swimwear during the Summer months. They have a great catalogue and website, but if I remember correctly they have brick and mortar stores and there is one in Covent Garden.

Figleaves Midnight Grace Heidi Underwired Halter Bikini Top: £28 / $42, Figleaves Santa Maria Underwired Twist Bandeau: £28 / $42, Figleaves Sophina Twilight Underwired Padded Bikini Top: £32 / $48

Figleaves (which for my American readers also have a USA site) was my swimwear destination last year. They are a lot like Bravissimo, but with a lot more choice, but not with as good product photographs which is why, call me shallow, I usually look at Bravissimo first. The first bikini on the left is actually a new season pattern of the style I brought last year and I've been really, really happy with it. It is not brilliant if you want to actually swim lengths in in a pool (you may fall out!), but for playing around in the water, sitting in a hot tub or sunbathing on the beach and walking along the boardwalk, I have found it has been perfect. The fit is really good and flattering, and it has been comfortable enough for me to wear it at the beach all day without it pulling or digging in anywhere. It is from their 'Midnight Grace' own brand design collection, and off the back of this I would really recommend these styles.

Figleaves Midnight Grace Heidi Underwired Halterneck Swimsuit: £40 / $60

If you are more of a one piece kind of gal, while I don't think they had them last year, this year the 'Midnight Grace' collection has some rather awesome swimsuits in stock which correspond with their bikini styles; so you can have any design you want in the style you feel the most comfortable with and with full support.

Bodyglove Ray Of Light Bikini Top: $58, Bodygove Sealine Bikini Top: $57, Bodyglove Smoothies Sea Blue Bikini Top: $52

One of my readers recommended surfer brand Bodyglove for larger cup size styles in the USA. I love these fun colourful styles, even if the pictures are a bit more vegas than high fashion. Also, because they are a surf brand I think they should probably be quite versatile for actually doing things other than just sunbathing, too!

ASOS Black Mix and Match 50's Halter Padded Fuller Bust Bikini Top: £14 / $23.28, ASOS Mix and Match Side Tie Bikini Pant: £8 / $13.30, ASOS Fringed Fuller Bust Bikini Top: £16 / $26.60, ASOS Mix and Match Hipster Bikini Pant: £7 / $11.62, ASOS Mix and Match Twist Bandeau Fuller Bust Orange Bikini Top: £9 / $14.46

Ever since ASOS introduced their fuller bust swimwear range and started stocking other DD+ lines they have been the obvious choice for swimwear. Their basics are good value (just see the styles above, us bigger girls never used to be able to even contemplate things like fringing or and bandeau) and come in great mix and match options. This black, and the blue and white 50's style below are super flattering styles for girls like us.

Sunseeker Tropicana Print Balconette Bikini Top: £41.90 / $69.66, Sunseeker Tropicana Print V Boy Leg Bikini Short: £29.90 / $49.71, ASOS Floral Embellished Longline Fuller Bust Bikini Top: £24 / $39.90, ASOS Floral Embelished High Waisted Bikini Pant: £16 / $26.60, ASOS 50's Contrast Padded Fuller Bust Bikini Top: £16 / $26.60, ASOS High Waisted Bikini Pant: £14 / $23.28

Boux Avenue Lanzarote Bow Bikini Top: £24, Boux Avenue Bow Back Lanzarote Bikini Briefs: £12

I am aware that perhaps with the exception of ASOS, most of the brands and options I have listed come with higher price tags than average, and that is usually something us bigger girls unfortunately have to put up with. However, while the quality may not be as great as some of my favourite brands (though it is no different to the quality of an H&M bikini, for example) and I don't personally shop there myself, Boux Avenue is a great site to find bigger cup size swimwear. For example, this neon green bikini comes to a total of £36, about the price of your average DD+ bikini top. I'd recommend going for something like this if you just want it for a single occasion or quick holiday when you don't go on a lot of beach holidays, or you don't have access to a beach or a pool regularly and you won't get that much use out of it.

A parting note to some of my bigger busted readers; have you picked out your swimsuit for this year yet, and where will you be wearing it? Mine is destined for Santa Monica Beach, maybe the beach back in Kent and one or two pool parties slash barbecues.

Currently Reading: Blogger Edition #5

2013-05-09T06:01:00.000+01:00

It has been a while, (I wrote those words then looked back and realised that is exactly how I opened my last 'Currently Reading' post, too!) so I thought today I'd post the 5th instalment of one of the most popular features on my blog 'Currently Reading: Blogger Edition' where I share some of the blogs I have particularly been enjoying over recent months. You can find a list of my all time favourite blogs on my 'Blogs I Read' page, and you can catch up with the last four instalments of this series by clicking through: #1, #2, #3, #4.

1. Sarah at A House In The Hills

I've recently started to really love Sarah's blog (though I think I have been reading it for quite some time) as she really manages to embody LA and Southern Californian living; something that living in Los Angeles over the last 8 months has become part of my lifestyle and I hope to hold onto when I move back to London. Her outfits are bright and well styled, her recipes super healthy and delicous looking, and her photography flawless. You also get a real sense of who Sarah is behind the blog while reading, something I find important in a good blog.

2. Emily (& co.) at Into The Gloss

I know Into The Gloss is practically everyone's beauty read if you are into beauty blogs or not, but recently I've been enjoying the intelligent beauty pieces put together by Emily and her team, as well as their brilliant, but by blog standard fairly candid photos. If you some error of fate Into The Gloss is not yet on your radar, I urge you to check it out! A favourite of mine is their 'Top Shelf' column featuring creative insiders beauty cabinets.

3. Katie at What Katie Ate

I know Aussie based food and food photography blog What Katie Ate is the 'it' food blog to read, but I felt I would be amiss if I did not give it a mention here. I've started cooking things out of her book recently, and everything from there is so delicious and breathtakingly photographed. I also have so many showstopper recipes bookmarked for Summer including this twist on the classic Victoria Sponge Cake with balsamic strawberries and limoncello. Doesn't that just sound absolutly incredible?

4. Shini at Park & Cube

Every single time Shini posts a new post on her fashion centric, London based blog I get blown over by the beautiful photography and styling. However, what I really enjoy about her posts are the somethings witty, mostly bloody hilarious commentary at the bottom of the post after all the pretty pictures. Follow her for London photo porn and the find some of the cooler haunts in the city; is it bad I've spend so much time there I can tell from the background in this photo exactly where she is standing on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill? One of my absolute favourite roads in London, home to some of my favourite shops and restaurants!

5. Elsie & Emma at A Beautiful Mess

Believe it or not, I only started reading A Beautiful Mess quite recently, and I can't believe I have been missing out on all of Emma & Elsie's fantastic recipe and DIY posts over the last few years. They are a must visit if you are after super easy and simple supper and mouthwatering twists on traditional tipples and cocktails.

6. Emma at Poires au Chocolat

I have been reading Emma's food blog for quite a few months now, and I think it has to be my favourite British baking blog. I love the way she writes, her classic but still inventive recipes, beautiful but still simple food photography and the little skills I pick up from reading and doing from her posts that she picked up training in all things sweet at Le Cordon Bleu. You'll also find the odd taste test and history of food lesson on Emma's blog too, which makes it all the more wonderful. If you are not already reading Poires au Chocolat, you need to be!

7. Yara at This Chick's Got Style

I think I have been reading European Elle editor Yara's blog for quite a few years. It does not really fit the formula of blogs I enjoy to read; it is a fashion snapshot blog set in a city I'm not really interested in, but there is something about her way of presenting herself and her style which keeps me clicking through for every new post. I feel this is a must read for people who like personal style blogs that are about more than just pictures.

8. Carin at Paris In Four Months

Most of the links to stunning Paris photo porn I include in my 'Weekly Love' posts comes from Carin's blog. Sometimes her posts are just pictures of her wanderings through the streets of the city, and sometimes they are about her trips to museums and galleries. Her 'Weekend Reading' roundup of the weeks link posts are fantastically curated, and her photos from inside various Parisian patisseries have me drooling at my screen most weekends. If you are planning a trip to Paris, bookmark her blog to help you plan your trip.

9. Harriet at Where Is Harriet?

Harriet's blog is very personal to her, and I think the way she presents things like the pie she made for dinner the night before, or what she wore on her day off are fantastic. I think Harriet's blog was one of the first I ever read, and I can promise you that you'll always find something good to read there; she has always been consistant. One of the posts I look forward to the most in my week is her 'Lazy Sunday Links' where I always find great new sites to browse.

10. Kristabel at I Want You To Know

I've been reading Kristabel's blog for years, even before I met her in person on the London blogger circuit (and bumping into her outside the Tate Modern), but recently she has really, really upped her game. Not only does she have a beautiful new blog design that really captures the spirit of her site, but her photos and commentary on fashion and general style are unique and insightful. Fashion with a brain.

What blogs have you been particularly enjoying recently? I've love to see some of your picks in the comment section!

5 Showstopper Cakes I'd Really Like To Make

2013-05-08T05:46:00.000+01:00

Hands up whose favourite part of The Great British Bake Off is the final showstopper round? Seeing all those incredible and beautiful bakes come together? I don't really have much time to bake something special; the last time I did, I made Peggy Porschen's Limoncello Layer Cake for my leaving party, and I only got to sample one slice as it went pretty quickly. I really enjoyed making it, but it would have been nice to enjoy eating it a bit more! Other than that, usually I'm, just cooking evening meals, and biscuits and cookies to satisfy my sugar cravings during the day. Over the holidays, I'm usually working on testing and developing new recipes for the blog and for some of my other projects. But, I've decided. This coming Summer when I return to my mothers incredibly kitted out kitchen and my new Nigella Lawson cake stand I ordered at the beginning of the year waiting for me, I'm going to make sure I bake at least a couple big showstopper, celebration layer cakes. Just, well, because. I'm also going to enjoy more than one slice!

Maili's Peach Cake With Burnt Sugar Strands

Even though this cake is actually supposed to be a wedding cake, it is totally happening for a Summer Dinner party. Just look at those peaches, and the burnt sugar, and all that white frosting with the juices running down the side? Doesn't it just scream Summer? I've been hoarding peach recipes all year I want to try out when they are in season, how would this cake not be the perfect thing to kick that cooking spree off with?

Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake

I've had this recipe for a Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake bookmarked for quite a while, but it was not until I was drooling over something similar in the cake display case at The Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica (I'm posting a piece on my Huckleberry experience tomorrow) and I think stumbled across the recipe again while transferring all my recipe bookmarks to Evernote Food for iPad (such an amazing app to keep all the recipes you've stumbled across online all in one place, easy to browse and quite literally at your fingertips) did I realise that I can't let another year go past without attempting it. Prepare for death by chocolate.

Oreo Olallieberry Chocolate Layer Cake

It is not so much this cake I'm interested in making (though it will be a good chance to practice my layer cake frosting technique), but the slightly molten, slightly golden and slightly drippy ganache that tops it. That must take a level of skill and control to get it perfectly on top and down the sides of the cake like that, something I'd love to master. I might also put my own type of cookies in the middle of the cake, as I'm not a massive Orea fan. Or, make homemade Oreos to go in the middle? Now there is an idea!

Black Forest Style Christmas Berry Gateaux

Okay, so I know this is actually a Christmas showstopper, and I probably will be waiting until Christmas to make it, rather than making it a Summer project, but I really wanted to include it in this roundup as it just looks so fantastic, and really lives up to the point of this post. For those of you who are food blog savvy, you might recognise the style of the photo as being from one of my all time favourite food and food photography blogs; What Katie Ate. So make this a placeholder for some of the showstoppers she has at the back of her beautiful cookbook that I am slowly working my way through, some of which I might just get to making, and more importantly enjoying this Summer!

6-Layer Rich Malted-Chocolate Toasted Marshmallow Cake

Marshmallow. And chocolate. And lots of layers. Please explain to me what is not to love about this cake? I need to find a friend who has a birthday at a time when I'll be able to take the time to make them a nice, big indulgent layer cake. I think by the end of this post I'm running out of excuses to make them for myself, just because! Just imagine, this cake with the top littered with brightly coloured birthday candles? It would make my day for sure, especially as I did not get a birthday cake this year; it can be belated!

Have you got any big baking projects planned for the Summer? As well as making one or two layer cakes, I have so many barbecue related recipes and ideas I can't wait to be in front of the grill to try out!

Recipe: Indulgent 3 Ingredient Nutella Cheesecake Cups

2013-05-06T01:25:00.000+01:00

'Indulgent' is really the operative word when it comes to these single serving cheesecakes. I initially planned for this recipe to be one big round, classic shaped cheesecake, but then I realised that as well as mascarpone (I prefer not to use a light version as it is thicker) and Nutella, I would be using butter too and I felt that a lot of you would want to shoot me for the calorie count. So, instead of using something to bond the biscuit base together problem solved by serving these cheesecakes in single cups. Anyway, enjoy!

There is not really an ingredient list for this, more of a formula as not everyone will have the same size pots or cups, and will be making it for any number of people (talk about an easy show stopped dinner party dessert!) For the biscuit base, use as many crumbled Digestives (use Graham Crackers if you are in the USA) as you need for about a half inch thick base. Obviously if you are using slightly smaller cups, you'll need a thinner base. I used up the scrapings of my bowl in a shot glass, using just a few crumbs at the bottom for a study break treat.

The formula for the cheesecake mix is pretty simple; two parts mascarpone cheese to one part Nutella. I measured mine out using tablespoons. Make sure the mascarpone is room temperature to make sure it is easier to work, and the Nutella is only slightly warmed so it is not hot, but not rock solid but smooth instead. The Nutella will be fine to use out of the jar if you live in California, because due to reasons I debated in my Nutella Rugelach recipe post (I do rather enjoy experimenting with Nutella!) it always seems smooth and silky straight from the jar here. Beat the Nutella and mascarpone together until smooth and there are no lumps, then spoon into glasses over the biscuit layer. Smooth the top and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours so the cheesecake can set. Serve with a little sprig of fresh mint (I'm obsessed with the beautifully flavourful and fragrant California mint right now) sprouting out of the top, if you wish!

Let me know what you think, and if you do want to make this as a traditional cheesecake in a spring ring pan, you'll need to add half a teaspoon of melted butter per biscuit in your base, and allow that to refrigerate for about an hour before adding your cheesecake topping.

Weekly Love: Week 133

2013-05-03T07:07:00.000+01:00

I panicked when I realised that I have less than 8 weeks left living in Los Angeles and that there was so much I have not eaten yet. The two best meals I have had so far in the city have been my first ever Korean Barbecue experience at Soot Bull Jeep and fried chicken at Ludo Lefebvre's LudoTruck which I have been back to since. Both of these were food experiences I would not really go for; a minimalist shop front restaurant where you're looked at suspicious for being, well, not Korean, and a food truck; examples of why you must try everything and anything in life. I think this sense of panic was exacerbated by watching the first few episodes of Anthony Bordain's new documentary on CNN; Parts Unknown that you really must catch. While their is food it is not food centric; the first episode is a fascinating first look at Burma, somewhere where not many cameras have been before, and the second focuses on Los Angeles' Koreatown and a different side to the city most television shows really don't show you which I particularly enjoyed.

1. I will never have had enough of the ocean. | 2. A mid afternoon fresh cut fruit snack. Local strawberries, cantaloup melon and thinly shredded fresh mint is my favourite combination at the moment. | 3. Recipe testing with baby broccoli stems and salami. | 4. Consulting The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook on the subject of pizza dough. | 5. Sage advice on the 3rd Street Promenade. | 6. Homemade anchovy pizza.

I think she is crazy, even if it is for a good cause, but my very good friend Sherin is going to be abseiling down the Broadgate Tower in London where she works (that is 510 feet!) in aid of Mile End Climbing Wall that focuses on encouraging disadvantaged youth to develop themselves through physical activity. You can sponsor her abseil via Just Giving a) to help the cause, and b) because she believes the more money she raises the more chance of her not falling and dying (her words, not mine!) and I quite like my friends alive!

Also, the end of April means another 'Project LA' column over at The High Tea Cast. This month I have gone for something a bit different and written a shopping and eating guide to Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, one of my favourite hang outs and in my opinion the coolest street in the city. If you are planning on visiting Los Angeles any time soon, you would be amiss not to head down there for a meal and a wander.

7. Chocolate No.3 from Georgetown Cupcake. | 8. One of my favourite nail polish shades of the moment, 'Cheeky Chops' by Butter London. | 9. Obligatory palm tree shot on Venice Beach. | 10. I never thought I'd see the day J.Crew copied something from H&M. These necklaces look familiar to anyone?! | 11. Writing notes to people back home on pretty note cards from Sugar Paper Los Angeles and The Hummingbird Bakery. | 12. More pizza, this time with roasted garlic and anchovies (my favourite toppings) from 800 Degrees in Westwood.

10 Weird Wikipedia Articles You Just Have To Read.
Because really, we all want to have a photo tour of Emily Schuman's home.
The opportunity to visit French markets again is just one reason I'm excited for the Summer.
On May 16th Instagram is introducing tagging in photos. I for one am very excited about this.
This delicious looking homemade body butter is happening.
How to find wild garlic, well, in the wild.
Photos from inside the Musee Rodin in Paris.
So living in LA has turned me onto drinking raw pressed juice all the time, but the warmer weather has also made me obsessed with Agua Fresca. Great recipes for it here.
Garance Dore on how to look good in photographs.
London vs. New York: two magazine editors switch jobs and cities.
These beautiful photos of Paris in bloom really put a smile on my face.
Eating grilled eel with lemon in Venice. Or, why you should always try dishes recommended by a local companion when you are traveling.
Photos of French markets make me very, very happy.

Finally, do you remember last month I wrote a post introducing the new project from SYCO and Youtube, The You Generation and their 'Fantastic Food' category? Today sees the launch of another of their categories which I think will be of interest to a lot of you, their 'Stylist' category. Click here for more information, and I can't wait to see some of your entries!

What have you been enjoying this week, and what have you got planned for the weekend? I've got an art gallery trip for my Art History class tomorrow morning, and apart from that I am going to be putting together another recipe post I have planned (though I am very excited for the one that is going to go up on Monday!) and try to get my dissertation proposal finished for next year.

20% Off Advertising On Rachel Phipps With Passionfruit Ads

2013-05-02T05:55:00.000+01:00

In case you have not noticed yet, Rachel Phipps now looks a little different. While I tried to do it myself and ended up tearing my hair out yelling at pages of HTML code, I ended up hiring the amazing Gloria at Little White Whale Design Studio to install a special navigation bar at the top of my site. Now at the top of the page you'll find links to my style posts, my recipe index, a holding page for my new 'Cocktail Hour' column of cocktail recipes I'm going to be launching in July, a drop down menu of my 'Places To Eat' restaurant review columns by city, and a drop down of my travel articles by destination. On a quick design note, if you are looking for someone for any web design or coding projects, big or small I would really recommend Gloria; she was quick, speedy, good value for money and knew exactly what I wanted based off of my clumsy email description!

Anyway, this funky new navigation system which I keep gazing at with a smile on my face (I'm a web geek like that!) has opened up more space in my sidebar so I can really start to take sponsors for my blog. I've always offered ad spaces in 6 and 12 month blocks to brands and clients, but not really advertised the fact. (If this is something you would be interested in, get in touch with me via email!) However, I know buying space in bulk like this is not what everyone, especially small bloggers and businesses want, so I've recently installed Passionfruit Ads on my site, and they are actually pretty awesome; they have such an easy and slick interface.

You can buy ad space in my sidebar for 30 days at a time using the buttons above using Credit Card, Debit Card or Paypal (no more messing around with Paypal invoices!) and I have 8 slots available; four big banner ads like the ones I have in my sidebar currently (these will replace most of the current ones), and four small 148x148 (it means I can have a 4px gap in-between and make everything look pretty!) below these, with the option of my adding more of these smaller, more affordable spaces if they prove to be popular.

A bit more for potential advertisers, you want to know who you are reaching. Rachel Phipps readers are mostly female, and mainly fall into the 16-28 age bracket. About half of them are British (mostly from London), about a quarter are from the United States (mostly from Los Angeles and New York City) with a healthy scattering around Europe, too. Rachel Phipps readers love shopping and spending time with friends, either over a cup of coffee or checking out the newest 'it' restaurant to open in their area. They also love to travel and read about how to improve their own blogs (quite a few of them write their own), enjoy indulgent baking projects at the weekends and also like to know how to throw together a quick and simple meal mid-week.

To celebrate the launch of these ad spots, I've put together a promo code (another thing you can do with Passionfruit!) giving everyone who buys advertising in the month of May 20% off their purchase, and I will also feature your blog/ small business on the Rachel Phipps Facebook Page, on Twitter and in my 'Weekly Love' column on May 17th or 31st. Just enter NEWSPONSOR when prompted!

Blogger Talk: How Much Should I Charge For A Sponsored Post?

2013-05-01T06:09:00.000+01:00

Something I have been asked in many emails from readers, especially since I wrote my post 'Full Disclosure: How I Earn Money Off Of My Blog' is how I work out how much they should charge for sponsored posts when they have been approached by brands, PR companies of SEO agencies for the first time. It is a difficult question, because there is no 'one size fits all' answer to this question; it varies from person to person, blog to blog.

Photo by Nicole Anderson: Los Angeles, March 2013

I remember when I was confronted with the same question for the very first time. I had no idea how to reply to the email from the PR agency, but luckily I knew I was meeting one of my best blogger friends Sherin for a bit of shopping on Regents Street and a celebratory lunch later that day (I had just found out I had got into the study abroad programme and that I would be spending the next year living in California). I can remember very clearly standing at the counter while she paid in Gant asking her how much I should charge for a sponsored post, and I'm going to pass on the fantastic advice she gave me to you all.

First, think of the very, very minimum you would accept for a post. Think about what goes into it; your time, your skill and writing and maybe your photography and photo editing skills too. This should be your base mark. Obviously you want to be making more than this, to be making a profit, so if your figure is under £100 I would recommend adding about £20-£40 more onto it. If it is more than £100, whatever feels right, and if you were a client what you would pay. Once you have your figure of what you want to accept in mind, add whatever you added on for profit onto it again. You know in your head that what you charge is 'X' amount, but if you add to 'X' amount and make it 'Y' amount you have room for negotiation. If a brand accepts 'Y' amount at face value, great! If they come back to you and say it is a little more than you were looking to pay, you can negotiate down a little towards 'X' amount without losing out on what you originally had in your head as the lowest figure you would accept.

By using this formula, and after a few months of trial and error with numbers I came up with a set figure for Rachel Phipps and a more liquid one for The Glossy Guide. After a while you will get to know your traffic numbers and how sponsored posts perform, and it will be pretty intuitive to you when your traffic has gone up to the point where you know you should put your asking price up a little too. However, I want to take this moment to remind all of my lovely readers who happen to have blogs every time I get an email from a brand offering me much more than my figure 'X' to post about something that really does not fit in with my blog; it is not worth it. Your readers love and visit your blog because of you, and your content so if something does not feel right to you, no matter how much money you are offered it probably won't feel right to them either and you may be in danger of losing loyal readers because of it. In the long run, your readers are probably worth more to you than whatever figure you were offered.

Finally, I want to leave you with a link to Rosie's fantastic article for bloggers explaining Google's Terms of Service in relation to sponsored links and how not to fall a foul of them. It really is a must read if you are thinking of delving into the realm of sponsored posts and has some really handy tips, too.

A question for all my readers who are bloggers who offer sponsored posts on their site; how did you work out how much to charge?

Recipe: Huevos Rancheros from the Lakeland Magazine iPad App

2013-04-29T06:13:00.000+01:00

I think the earliest signs of my love of cooking was how much I loved reading certain pieces of my mothers post at the weekend breakfast table. The first thing I always grabbed was pretty normal; her BBC Good Food Magazine subscription. The other thing I enjoyed rifling through was slightly more strange but I enjoyed it none the less; the Lakeland Limited catalogue, in the days before they started opening stores up and down the country. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with what Lakeland has to offer, let me introduce you to a kitchen lovers heaven. Lakeland stock everything you could possibly want from the latest cake moulds and non stick pans, some of the best cling film I have ever used, preserve jars and labels cake decorations, ice cream makers and juicers, and other little kitchen gadgets that you never knew you needed until you came across it in their catalogue. My grandmother while she was alive was a particular fan; if Lakeland had brought out a new time saving gadget, you could guarantee you could find it in her kitchen. They also sell gourmet foods at Christmas, and a whole range of clever and hard to find cleaning products, but I hate cleaning so who cares.

For my American readers who won't have come across a Lakeland store or had a catalogue come through their letterboxes, Lakeland is basically Williams Sonoma, but just so much better. However, enough of my rambling about the store (I promise you this is not a sponsored post!) Today I wanted to introduce you to something that has been around about a year, but as I have only recently taken possession of an iPad, I have only just found out about; Lakeland's amazing (and free) magazine app on the newsstand which shares four seasonal issues a year full of great recipes, stunning food photography, entertaining ideas and some information and history about whatever is seasonal. iPad users can find it in the app store by searching for 'Lakeland Magazine' and as well as the current Summer issue, you can download all of the issues from the last year. I'm a little obsessed, and I think this has to be the best free find I've had for the iPad so far.

While I have a long list, especially from the current issue (which includes features on barbecuing, seafood, Greek food and ice cream) of things to try from it if is their Mexican food feature I'm particularly interested in, because in case you had not noticed I'm on a bit of a Mexican food kick at the moment! I thought I'd share with you from the magazine their recipe for Huevos Rancheros which I enjoyed as a delicious and filling Sunday morning brunch last weekend (I think this would be a great hang over cure dish with the chilli kicked up another notch) I've screen capped the feature rather than typed out the recipe, so you can get a feel for the apps layout and stunning photography. As you can see from my own picture of my egg and potatoes in this post, this recipe is easily quartered to be made for one in a ramekin. I also discovered mid week when I was running late for class but I had not eaten yet that day if you fry your egg and add the potatoes and the egg to a tortilla wrap instead of baking you will have made the best variation on a breakfast burrito ever.

I honestly can't wait to try a lot more recipes from the app, especially this Summer when I go back to England and I will have a fully equipped kitchen at my disposal. I've found since getting the iPad it has been amazing to have it in the kitchen with me while cooking off of blogs. Paid apps wise, I love my Evernote Food subscription which streams all my bookmarked recipes into one, but I think this is the best free app I have. Do any other fellow iPad users have any more foodie recommendations for me?

Student Suppers: Homemade Chicken Fajitas

2013-04-26T02:36:00.003+01:00

As a kid, fajitas were always a treat food in our family. I think with the exception of oriental starter nibbles from Marks & Spencer the only form of semi-pre made or processed food that ever crossed the threshold of my Mother's kitchen was the little red and yellow sachets of fajita spice mix that became popular just as I was entering my teens. There is just something about having a big bowl of something hot and meaty for you to make up your own wrap with, adding condiments and fillings out of little bowls to your own specific requirements that really appeals to a kid who usually has everything laid out for them on a plate, all of it to be eaten, including vegetables. I think that is why Crispy Oriental Duck was also a treat dinner favourite.

Fajitas were also a treat when we went out to eat, too. I remember there were two places in Canterbury where you could order a serving of still sizzling fajitas on their hot dish with a big bowl of salsas and dips, and one of those round little pancake dishes with the lid to keep your tortillas warm as you worked your way through the stack. At Marlowe's on Canterbury High Street it was all about getting crispy duck fajitas; a special treat version of an already 'treat' meal because they were only ever made with chicken at home. They also had a fantastic Mississippi Mud Pie mousse cake for dessert. I am still upset to this day that Marlowe's changed owners, because the food is just not very good anymore. Luckily, my second fajita location, Cafe des Amis by Westgate Towers is still doing good business and serving up great food (or they were when I left town last year, but the food has been pretty consistant for years); there it is all about all the different things to go in the fajita. While at home we only have our favourites of salsa and soured cream, at Cafe des you get served up a massive pinwheel of options of different types of beans, jalapeños etc. Their nachos and chocolate fondu for two are also to be recommended as are their fantastically potent passion fruit margaritas.

Anyway, back to homemade fajitas. Because we always got fajita mix in a packet, and in our house we usually make most things from scratch, even most oriental dishes I always thought it must be a pretty complex mix with loads of hard to find ingredients in, but when I stumbled across a few variations of fajita recipes online I started experimenting with spice blends, and I could not believe how easy, and how much cheaper it was to make your own fajitas at home. This latest edition of my 'Student Suppers' column of easy, simple and delicious meals great for students makes a serves two fajita meal with just one chicken breast, but I have found it does not heat up two badly so you can enjoy it two evenings in a row if you are just cooking for one and not a boyfriend, girlfriend or flatmate. Simply just add large flour tortillas and your choice of additions; I personally enjoy fresh salsa and soured cream, but I know cheese, lime wedges and guacamole are also popular.

1 Large Chicken Breast
Juice 1/2 Lime
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Light Olive or Vegetable Oil, plus extra for frying
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (it is this, not the chili powder so much that give this spice mix its kick, so if you prefer less spice, add only a pinch of this instead of the full amount)
1/4 tsp Dried Oregano
1 White Onion
1 Red Pepper
Salt

Combine the spices, oregano, olive oil, lime juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Slice the chicken into small bite sized strips and add to the bowl. Mix well so all the chicken is covered in spice marinade. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate. This can be done in advance, for example before you leave for class in the morning so your dinner will be relatively quick to put together in the evening after a long day even if you are multiplying the recipe up a couple of times to feed a lot of friends.

When you are ready to cook, slice your onion very thin wedge style, about a centimetre each in thickness. Slice the red pepper into salad style strips. Add a little oil to a large pan and over a medium to high heat fry the onions and the peppers together for a few minutes until the onions are almost soft and have a bit of colour. Now, as anyone who follows me on Instagram will know my fajitas happen in a Wok. While when you are cooking the usually proportion of ingredients for this recipe for the two of you everything will fit into most big saucepans, once you quantities start to get a bit bigger most of us don't have a (preferably non stick) pan big enough for the operation except for our Woks. Ever since my Dad figured out this was the only way we would be serving up fajitas for all three of us when we first started making them, now even if there are bigger and better pans on hand, when making fajitas I will always reach for my Wok; it works really well!

Add the chicken and any of its juices out of the marinade bowl and cook on a high heat for about 6 to 10 minutes until all the chicken is cooked and white all through. The exact timing will really depend on how thick you cooked your chicken pieces. Serve still in the pan to keep the chicken and vegetables warm, with warmed tortillas and everything in small bowls so people can help themselves. Coronas with lime wedges or homemade frozen margaritas recommended.

What is your favourite kind of Mexican food, either to enjoy out with friends or at home? I think it is the warmer weather and some great Mexican food I have been eating in LA over the last two weeks when the 'Summer' weather really started (I reviewed Blue Plate Taco in Santa Monica yesterday) but I have really been experimenting with Mexican foodstuffs at home more than ever.

Places To Eat In Los Angeles: Blue Plate Taco, Santa Monica

2013-04-25T05:27:00.000+01:00

Los Angeles natives may have noticed the pretty cool looking taco place that popped up on Ocean in the last month or so. I noticed it to. I also noticed that I have been living in Los Angeles for the last 8 months and I had yet to try any Mexican food, which frankly is criminal. This seemed then, like the perfect reason for me to go and try out Blue Plate Taco one Friday for a late lunch before a few hours spent in the sun at the beach.

Sometimes I really wish my Instagram shots had the clarity of my DSLR, because I manage framing miracles with them I never seem to be able to capture outside of my iPhone. In other news, about we have my Shrimp Tacos in a pepita salsa served with wedges of lime, cilantro crema and with sides of Blue Plate Taco's house rice and Mexican slaw. Katie had the Chicken Tacos with tomatillo, radish and scallions.

While everything we had was simply delicious and fantastically fresh, I was particularly impressed with the flavour balance in the Mexican slaw. But really, I will be going back to this place every time I'm in Santa Monica and after good Mexican food; I want to try their fish tacos, their chicken tacos and some of the seafood plates.

While we ate, I explained to my lunch date Katie, a LA native that the first time I was ever confronted with a taco (at Taqueria on Westbourne Grove in London) just before I moved to Los Angeles I actually had no clue how to eat it; we don't really have a mexican food culture in England past nachos and packet fajitas. I've been practicing on the tacos from TLT Food in Westwood when I'm there to pick up my favourite Steak Fries, but Blue Plate was the first time I managed to successfully eat both of the tacos on my plate without all the insides of it falling out the bottom and either all over me, or my plate!

Santa Monica beach and pier; recommended but not mandatory activity after you have enjoyed your tacos. Speaking of, what are all your favourite taco fillings? I'm rather new to the whole concept. People also put potato in tacos, right?

Summer Basics with LA Based Brand Splendid + Win A $1,000 Shopping Spree in their Coast to Coast Competition

2013-04-24T06:11:00.000+01:00

While I love the food here, and the beautiful weather and the general being in California part of my year abroad, I know the thing that I was most excited about last year when I was leaving England was the extended Summer, which started at the beginning of April here in Los Angeles. It was Summer dressing I was excited about. You see, most people think I'm a Winter wardrobe person. I love big knits, layers and wearing lots and lots of black, but that is only because that is what I'm comfortable in in London. However, when I actually have a tan (mine had been building for months) and the weather is such that you don't have to remember to take a cardigan with you to go over your sundress every time you leave the house, I actually prefer Summer dressing.

Image via Planet Blue

Los Angeles and Southern California are famous for their laid back style and attitude, and while I did not really 'get' it completely before I moved here and I still don't understand why this is, but there is something about this incredible city that makes you just go about life (and dressing) in such a more relaxed and laid back fashion than the rest of the Western world seems to. I wonder how long my new mental place is going to last once I've moved back to England?! Anyway, I thought talking about the mystery of the very real laid back West Coast style would be the perfect introduction to looking at some of my Summer picks from a LA based clothing brand I adore; Splendid and their Coast To Coast Facebook contest which is taking a look at the totally different style ethos' that exist on each coast of the United States. (Also, a quick note to my British readers, while Splendid is mainly only available in the States, they do offer international shipping to the UK, and you can find their clothes on sites like Shopbop that also ship.)

Splendid Chambray Shirt Dress: $198, Splendid Boat Neck Dress in 'Citrine': $138, Splendid Short Sleeved Shirt Dress: $118, Splendid Ditzy Chambray Shirt Dress: $198

I was in Bloomingdales at Santa Monica Place the other day (god I love that place!) and the moment I walked through the doors of the womans clothing department I gravitated to this Chambray Shirt Dress which was hanging on the end of the Splendid display. Okay, so I still need to try it on, but I think I have found this years Summer dress. They also make it in a Ditzy print. Failing that, I could always go for this shirt dress in my usual black, or now because I have a tan for the first time in my life this bright yellow? I'm currently having a bit of an obsession with bright yellow nail polish; how awesome is Butter London's 'Cheeky Chops'?

Emi-Jay for Splendid Pack of 3 Hair Ties: $8

When I first moved to Los Angeles the team at Splendid were kind enough to send me a welcome to the West Coast package, and as well as some of their fantastically soft tanks I've been wearing over my bikini in and around Santa Monica and Venice when I'm not actually on the beach, they send me a couple of packs of their hair ties from their Emi-Jay collaboration. I've never really got on with hair ties (I find cut up rounds of old tights suit my hair better) but I have now fallen head over heels with these fantastic bands, and because I know they are hard to get back home I will be stocking up before leaving California.

Splendid Woven Dolphin Shorts in 'Plum': $78, Splendid Chambray Dolphin Shorts: $88, Splendid Woven Dolphin Shorts in 'Waterfall': $78

Recently when I was in the Splendid store at The Grove and I was trying on some of their basic tees (I picked up a great plain black scoop neck) I asked the assistant to grab me some bottoms as I'd come in wearing a maxi dress. She passed me a pair of their Dolphin shorts, and I must say that they make for the perfect Summer basic. You can move about in them, they have a flattering fit and they come in so many different colours.

Anyway, now I've shown you some of the things I like from their current collection, for my American readers it is time for me to tell you about Splendid's Coast to Coast Facebook competition. Essentially to enter to win a $1,000 Splendid Gift Card, a one-on-one styling consultation with one of the Splendid team and the chance to be featured on the Splendid blog is to upload a look inspired by either the East or West Coast by May 1st.

I've entered this look which I feel really embodies West Coast style; it is something I would never have considered wearing before I moved here! You can vote for my look here, and enter your own look here! How would you define your style, regardless of where you live in the world? Are you more East Coast or West Coast?

This is a sponsored post. To read my policy on sponsored posts, please click here.

Outfit Post: Photo Shoot at Venice Canals & Abbot Kinney Blvd.

2013-04-22T06:13:00.000+01:00

One afternoon over Spring Break after iced coffee and juice from the Pressed Juicery at the amazing TOMS Flagship store on Abbot Kinney Boulevard my friend and amazing photographer Nicole and I planned to walk over to Venice's famous canals. As neither of us are LA natives it is somewhere that we had not ventured to before, and as we are both photographers we are always looking for the next beautiful photo spot (when we are together we also feel the need to Instagram everything in sight as no one is judging us!) As you can tell from Nicole's fantastic photos in this post, the canals were so beautiful, and I really recommend you head down there if you are visiting Los Angeles for a late afternoon walk; it is so idilic and along with the Getty Villa in Malibu it is one of the only places in Los Angeles where I don't feel like I'm in a city.

This photo is very typical of my life in Los Angeles. While I still look a bit more put together in my outfits than the average Angeleno, I have gone rather casual with tees and shorts or jeans, or just simple sun dresses most days. Heels are a distant memory; I'm usually wandering around in TOMS or Havianas, my eyes are always shaded by a big pair of sunglasses and quite a lot of the time I trade in my handbag for a big tote. This pretty awesome bag which is a particular favourite of mine I was given at the Canoe Inc. AW12 Press Day in London. While it came from London, I feel it is very fitting for Los Angeles as Canoe Inc. rep lots of the 'California Cool' brands like Vans and Volcom over on our side of the pond. While I am not one of those people who walk down the street texting, I do live with my phone in my hand. I would not be able to function without (the non-updated version of) Google Maps.

Colour Block Tee: J.Crew, Skinny Jeans: Levi's, Shoes: TOMS, Tote Bag: c/o Canoe Inc., Gold Locket: Gift, Purple Enamel Bangle: J.Crew, Sunglasses: Alexander McQueen c/o Sunglasses Shop

This is what happens to TOMS when you wear them half to death. I am rather in need of a new pair or two, but every time I see them in a store or I go for coffee at the flagship they seem to always be sold out of these, my go to navy pair, and any other styles I happen to like at the time in my size. I'm going to have to replace them soon, though, or I will be walking down the street one day and I will find stones are getting in the back!

This little trip out to the canals and to the TOMS Flagship also constituted my brand new iPad, and mor importantly my brand new Marc by Marc Jacobs iPad case's first outing. Ever season when I shoot street style around Somerset House during London Fashion Week I always got jealous of those girls who so effortlessly carried their bright neon Marc Jacobs iPad and laptop cases as clutches, so I honestly could not really resist! My nail polish is 'Fracas' by Chanel and I think it goes rather well with the purple accessories I had here, as well as with my bright pink lipstick which I purchased on a whim in the MAC store just off Carnaby Street in London last year while I was hanging out with a whole gaggle of my blogger friends in-between press days (the shade is called 'Impassioned').

Where was the last place you visited that was truly beautiful? Nicole and I are planning another adventure soon, so stay tuned for more of her beautiful photos from wherever we decide to head to next!

Weekly Love: Week 132

2013-04-19T06:13:00.000+01:00

Believe it or not, this week my parents told me that maybe I should try and relax a bit more and actually unplug. I know through my blog and Instagram it seems like all I do is go to the beach and eat out, but if you had told me how much work editing and writing one blog, editing and contributing to another, keeping up with work stuff and my university degree, even though it sounds a lot I would not have believed you how much it takes and how little downtime I have. Even in the shower I'm formulating new blogs posts, and and I'm thinking about ways to tweak the recipes I'm currently testing while I'm walking to class. The moment I wake up in the morning I grab my iPad and skim through the days emails. I know reading something that involves thinking about and staring at my iPad screen for hours at a time is not exactly what they meant, but on Sunday I actually managed to find a lovely couple of hours to relax in; if you feel like life is getting on top of you, sit down with the Sunday papers and read every article that interests you in every single section from cover to cover; you'll be surprised by how much more relaxed you feel at the end of it.

1. Spending a Friday afternoon chilling out on Santa Monica Beach. | 2. Lots of taco goodness at Blue Plate Taco on Ocean Boulevard, opposite Santa Monica Pier; it is a relatively new restaurant and I was very impressed. Expect a 'Places To Eat In Los Angeles' feature soon! | 3. Champagne Mango Agua Fresca to match my nail polish (a new Revlon shade that I am not entirely impressed with, still hunting for the perfect yellow!) picked up at Whole Foods when I stopped in to pick up some raspberries. | 4. Yogurtland with fresh mango, sprinkles and lots of strawberry and mango boba. | 5. Catching the latest episode of Have I Got News For You on my iPad now a new season has started is one of the highlights of my week. | 6. I've been experimenting with a new fajita recipe for my 'Student Suppers' column recently, which hopefully will be online soon. An unauthentic but still very effective habit I picked up from my Dad; my fajitas happen in a Wok!

Behind the scenes at Neals Yard Dairy.
Ashleigh and her boyfriend have decided to work their way through all the places on my list of 10 London Restaurants & Cafes I Can't Wait To Eat At. Their first stop? Pizza East.
The White Company has a fantastic DIY idea of growing herbs in their old burn out candle pots.
DIY Floral Shoelaces.
Annie took some pretty impressive and insightful photos as to daily life in the region on her recent visit to Delhi - I can't wait to see the shots from the rest of her trip!
5 amazing hotels to stay in all around the world.
Eating Quinoa may be good for you, but is it ethical?
Nicole Cari shares her favourite places in LA; her places are more around the Sliverlake, more laid back vibe and area than my blog features, which are very Westside-centric.
If you are in New York, you need to visit the Piperlime store in Soho.
You know Aussie swim brand We Are Handsome? They also make playing cards.
Elodie shares her favourite French Pharmacy products from the perspective of someone who grew up with them. I personally agree with her picks; there are so many I always grab when visiting my French home on her list.
Doesn't this Spring lunch time in Paris look simply perfect?

Change is afoot at The Glossy Guide, the makeup and beauty blog I write with my best friend Kathryn. Once we have been reunited in June and we've managed to fit in plenty of 'meetings' laid out in the sun on Santa Monica Beach we are going to be re-launching with a new style, design, the works. (You heard it here first!) over the next two months or so alongside our regular content we are going to be trialing some new style posts, the first of which I have written about high end hair care went online a few days ago. We'd love your feedback on the post, on The Glossy Guide in general, what we could do better, what features you absolutely love, and which you would not really mind if we scrapped.

Also, I want to say a big thank you to Katy, the editor of Creative Boom for featuring Rachel Phipps of one of Creative Boom's Top 10 Lifestyle Blogs For Food. I am flattered by the company I find myself alongside on the list, including Joy The Baker, A Beautiful Mess and one of my recent food blog crushes the insanely talented 17 year old Top With Cinnamon.

7. Bright pink blossoms so typical of LA. | 8. I love the chalk board in TLT Food in Westwood detailing the story behind TLT and The Lime Truck. | 9. Okay, so I may have had yet another meal at Toast.

I know there are still some people out there who do not fully understand Pinterest; so I think Laura Ashley's great guide is perfect to get you started.
If you are going to be in Paris sometime soon, this is where you need to eat dinner.
How to cook fried eggs for food photography.
Emily has put together a list of her favourite LA eats. There are some of my Westside favourites like Gjelina and The Tasting Kitchen on here, as well as some picks from East and Central LA; areas I do not really venture into.
Jamie King gets Coveteured.
Laetitia's Instagram snaps of her recent trip to LA capture the spirit of this city perfectly.
What to do when you have a zit: Into The Gloss' best acne cures.
5 Gourmet Getaways in Britain.
Did you know the classic French manicure actually comes from Hollywood?
5 Tips To Help You Vanish Acne This Spring.
Emma talks about the history of the seed cake in British literature.
Design Love Fest has put together a great guide to putting together blogger events.

Finally, while I usually try to keep my politics as far away from my blog as possible, I wanted to take a moment to honour Lady Margaret Thatcher who died last week. Either if you believed that she saved Britain or that she destroyed it, as I know the majority of my readers are British females we should take a moment to note the passing of our first British Woman Prime Minister. There are people who say she did nothing for women because while she was Prime Minister she did not do anything that could be singled out as specifically for women like governments after her did; she went after the difficult 'non female' briefs like finance and defence. She made it that being a woman did not matter; she was not able to do the highest job in our country because she was a woman, but because she was elected to the position and by being the same Prime Minister she would have been if she were a man, she did more for women than if she had made a big special out of womans issues in her premiership. She had the view on feminism that I do; it is nothing to do with woman being as good as or the same as men, but about everyone being judged according to how good they were at the job in hand, regardless of their sex.

What have you been enjoying this week, and what do you have planned for the weekend? This weekend I'm hoping to shoot a few upcoming recipes for the blog and tomorrow I'm going to head down to Abbot Kinney Boulevard to shoot some photos to go with this months instalment of my 'Project LA' column for The High Tea Cast.

Places To Eat In Los Angeles: Bottega Louie, Downtown

2013-04-18T01:39:00.000+01:00

I had been living in Los Angeles for 7 months before I first ventured Downtown. While I love cities like London, Paris and in a whole slew of Scandinavian countries, I really don't like big, dirty cities where the skyscrapers and massive high rise buildings loom over you, trapping you in. Living on Los Angeles' Westside with easy access to Venice, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood I have not really had much reason to venture much further. However, while as predicted I hated Downtown when I got there, only stayed for two hours and will be perfectly happy if I never go back, I am glad I went. Why? The reason I headed there in the first place: Bottega Louie, the place everyone talks about for French pastries, patisserie and traditional macarons in Los Angeles.

With window displays like this, if Bottega Louie is not a reason for a Westsider to venture Downtown, what is?

I have not seen eclairs this mouthwatering since I was last in Paris, and that was three years ago!

If you are looking for an incredible alternative to a birthday cake (I went to Bottega Louie the day before my 20th, and oh how I wished I could take one of these home with me!) or a breathtaking centrepiece for a engagement party or baby shower I don't think you can go wrong with one of their macaron towers.

Speaking of macarons, I did pick up a pretty purple box of five of their flavours in lieu of a birthday cake. Now, I fully intended to photograph the beautiful box and write flavour reviews and profiles of each one like I did when I went to 'Lette Macarons in Beverly Hills. However, I just ate them instead. You can scald me for being a bad blogger in the comments section if you are so inclined! Anyway, I had Rose, Salted Caramel, Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate Orange. The only two I have particularly strong memories of (they were all very good though) are the Rose, which I thought was nice and delicate, but the flavour was a little over powered by the sweetness of the macaron, and the Chocolate Orange which was tangy and divine with a rich and more-ish chocolate ganache center which I wish I'd had many, many more of. If I were to compare Bottega Louie to the other two macaron examples I've sampled in Los Angeles, 'Lette and the macarons from The Bouchon Bakery I'd say Bottega Louie's offerings were far superior to the macarons at Bouchon, which were just average, and not as good as from 'Lette which I thought were a lot better and fresher, with the exception of Bottega Louie's Chocolate orange one, of course.

Looking back at my photos from my trip to the very busy store, where there was just so much to look at, I regret not trying one of these pretty and delicious looking cupcakes with floral flavoured buttercream and preserve fillings. Well, it is an idea for me to try and bake for myself at home, then!

While it may seem like Bottega Louie is all about all things sweet, delicate and sugary, that is only half the story. I stopped there and had lunch in their large French bistro style dinning room as I had set aside my whole day for my trip Downtown. Before I get onto the food, just another thing about their dinning room; it is very, very loud. Don't get me wrong, and all the food being fed to people on other tables all looked as fantastic as mine did, but if you are looking for somewhere to have lunch where you can converse with your companion, don't choose to dine at Bottega Louie.

I had the Clam Linguini pictured above which was made with fresh pasta and a delicious and slightly creamy white wine sauce. The clams were well cooked and I really enjoyed the dish; especially the surprise addition of lobster to the sauce which was not listed on the menu. The service was also fantastic, better than in any other restaurant I've eaten in in Los Angeles since moving out here, which is why rather than choosing my own dessert from the menu or the pastry cabinet I went with my servers suggestion of the house dessert, a hot chocolate soufflé with a Crème Anglaise sauce. It was good, but nothing to get jump up and down about. I liked how it was brought to me and sauced at the table, and the Crème Anglaise was pretty perfect; I'd have that part of it again.

So I had some great recommendations from lots of my Los Angeles readers on places to get fantastic French macarons in LA in reply to my 'Lette post; where do you suggest I go other than Bottega Louie for exemplary French Patisserie?

Outfit Post: Dressing From My Mothers Wardrobe

2013-04-16T06:45:00.000+01:00

It was only when I left my apartment to head up to West Hollywood for some Sunday morning brunch and a bit of shopping at The Grove and on West 3rd Street did I realise that, with the exception of my accessories my entire outfit was made up of clothing that had once belonged to my mother; I am eternally thankful that we are the same size and she has excellent taste. I wish we also had the same shoe size; you have no idea how painful Jimmy Choo deliveries to the house were for me growing up. Of course they were never for me.

Sunglasses: Alexander McQueen c/o Sunglasses Shop, Cardigan: Monsoon, Maxi Dress: Vintage Precis, Handbag: Hobbs, Gold Locket: Gift, Watch: Citizen

This dress is quite literally my favourite thing in my wardrobe and it fits me like a glove. I feel so comfortable and beautiful wearing it, and it is also lovely that when I wear it, I remember occasions from my childhood when I can remember my mother wearing it too. I know I have shared photos of me wearing it on the blog before, but it has never had its own outfit post dedicated to it. I thought it was about time.

Brunch was consumed at The Little Next Door on West 3rd Street, and while it was supposed to be very good and it was very very busy with a big wait for a table any bigger than for two I was not impressed with my meal. However, I did really enjoy the complimentary bread that came with our meal; fresh, delicious and in no way artificial tasting like most bread I have consumed in America that has not been from a specialist artisan bakery. The dipping bowl was also delicious; as well as the typical balsamic vinegar and olive oil it was flavoured with crushed fennel seeds and what I think was dried oregano.

Does anyone else have treasured wardrobe pieces that you absolutely adore, and used to belong to a family member?

Recipe: Freshly Popped Parsley Butter Popcorn

2013-04-15T06:04:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I buy an ingredient for a recipe, I don't enjoy what I have made so decide not to make them again, but then I'm stuck with a big bag of something-or-other in my kitchen cupboard. The most recent ingredient I've gained a big bag of (it was the smallest I could buy!) is popcorn kernels Now, before I picked up this bag to try a recipe for popcorn cookies (which were an epic fail, by the way) I had never popped my own popcorn before, so by extension I had never experimented with my own popcorn toppings and flavourings before.

Something that annoys me about grocery shopping in California (okay, one thing, if you follow me on Twitter you'll know that there are actually hundreds) is when you buy parsley or cilantro (coriander) fresh, unlike the rest of the herbs that come in little plastic boxes, you have to buy the whole bunch, which only has a one or two day shelf life before it goes all limp and wilted in your vegetable crisper, unless you leave it propped up in a glass of water, and who has room to do that in their fridge anyway? So, one evening after a long day and I could not really be bothered to make dinner, and Revenge was on so I wanted something to munch while I watched I decided to just make a big bowl of salted butter popcorn. I love how popcorn is actually quite healthy, up until the moment when I pour a hell of a lot of melted butter over the top of it.
Anyway, I had an almost wilted parsley bunch left in the fridge while I just knew was not going to last until the next day when I could be bothered to actually cook something real, so I decided to see what would happen if I chopped it up really fine and tossed it in with my buttered popcorn. Next came the edition of some fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and my Freshly Popped Parsley Butter Popcorn was born. This makes a big bowl for sharing. I think it would make a great nibble to go with drinks in little boxes like I've used here.

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup (30g) Popcorn Kernels
2 tbsp (30g) Unsalted Butter
Handful of Curled Fresh Parsley, Chopped
Fine Sea Salt (I'd recommend French Fleur de Sel)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Put the oil in the bottom of a large lidded saucepan. Tip in the popcorn kernels and shimmy the pan around until they are all coated and are in a flat layer across the bottom of the pan. Put on the lid and set over a medium heat. When you hear the first kernel pop shake the pan gently, still with the lid on and over the heat until all the corn has popped. Remove from the heat. While you are waiting for the first kernel melt the butter over a low heat or in the microwave. Add the parsley and stir. Now, the amount of butter I have used is the minimum to get the flavour and get everything sticking together. However, I actually amp this up to 50g, but I'm used to French style cooking and I'm completely immune to caring how much butter is in whatever I happen to be eating, so it is up to personal preference.

Once you have removed the popcorn from the heat add half of it to a large mixing bowl. Pour over half the butter mixture and a little bit of salt and pepper. Mix well with a large spoon until the popcorn is coated with the butter and parsley. Add the rest of the popcorn to the bowl then the rest of the butter. Coat again, and add more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy, preferably curled up in front of a movie or if you live in Southern California like me, sitting on the patio enjoying some well deserved cocktails!

What are your personal popcorn preferences, salty or sweet?

Recipe: Super Simple 3-Step Chocolate Brownies

2013-04-12T06:32:00.000+01:00

I love brownies, but most of the time I am too lazy to make them. I know I'm the type of person who will happily make time for a 6 hour soup recipe (along with my father I once went through the two day process of making crispy aromatic duck with everything down to the pancakes made from scratch) but in my mind, something as simple as a brownie should not involve such an effort as melting the chocolate and carefully extracting them from the pan, not to mention the exact science of getting them perfectly cooked so they are not raw, but they are still gooey inside. No wonder Rose's infamous 'Slutty Brownies' are so popular; they not only contain so may things that are supposed to be terrible and calorific for you, but they are just so simple.

When I originally came across this recipe for chocolate brownies made with just cocoa powder, not the usual obligatory melted solid chocolate on Food 52 I honestly did not think that it would work, or that it would simply not taste as good as your classic brownie. I don't actually have a go to brownie in my repertoire so while I hoped these would work, I did not hold out much hope. Cocoa brownies, as my Twitter followers agreed with me when I voiced what I was trying on the afternoon of baking, tend to come out more like cake than brownie. However, as you have probably guessed by the fact I am now sharing this brownie recipe with you, they came out better than any brownie I had ever made before; dark, rich and crisp but slightly chewy on the outside, and gloriously gooey on the inside. The recipe is also deliciously low fuss.

As these brownies are rather rich and indulgent, while I did enjoy one after cutting and photographing while reading The Sunday Times on my iPad and drinking a tall glass of iced tea, I would recommend serving them with fresh berries and some creme fraiche as a decadent dessert. I think I'm also going to try baking the next time with fresh raspberries in the batter.

150g (10 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter
300g (1 1/4 cups) Caster Sugar (Granulated if you are in the USA)
110g (3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp) Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs, straight from the fridge
120g (1/2 cup) Plain (All Purpose) Flour

Step 1: Heat your oven to 160 degrees (325 Ferinheight). Place the butter, sugar, salt and cocoa powder in a medium to large heatproof bowl. A big pyrex mixing bowl is perfect for this; I am rather lost at the moment without the one in my mothers kitchen. They also cost about £6, and last literally forever unless you drop it. Place the bowl over a saucepan of hot water, simmering but not boiling so the bottom of the bowl is not sitting in water. Gradually stir every few minutes until the butter has melted and everything is combined. The mixture should be smooth, but slightly gritty. Set aside, off the water to cool.

Step 2: Line a 8 inch square tin with foil or good quality baking parchment while the mixture cools a little. Alternatively you can buy a disposable foil brownie tray. Beat in the vanilla extract with a balloon whisk followed by the eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth.

Step 3: Beat in the flour until the mixture is smooth and slightly glossy. Pour into the tin and bake on the bottom half of the oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and remove the foil and slice the brownies into 16 squares once completely cool.

Do you have a go to brownie recipe, or are you still looking out for one?

Future Travel Planning: Looking At Mediterranean Cruises

2013-04-11T06:04:00.000+01:00

People have mixed opinions on cruises. Some people think you can't see enough only visiting each city for a day, and some people absolutely hate the idea of being stuck on a ship with the same bunch of people out in the middle of the ocean for days on end. However, some people actually love the idea of a cruise as you get to see so much in such a short period of time in what is basically a floating hotel. I fall firmly into the latter category, as long as a cruise is done well. By this I mean beautifully big and well equipped ships with good chefs and stops in culturally relevant destinations, rather than smaller package holiday deals. For some reason it is always these ships that seem to hit the news for outbreaks of disease, and pirates.

Mykonos, Greece

I went on a couple of cruises in my early teens, and thanks to them I consider myself lucky to have been able to see so many incredible sights, place and cities so young. I'm a classics geek and it was on a cruise I got to see the colosseum the remains of the old Roman forum in Rome that I later went on to study doing my A Levels, and the ruins of Pompeii I had already read so much about, and on another cruise around the Scandinavian coast I got to see a view of all the tiny little islands with just one house on them and fishing villages that you can only see by boat along the beautiful Nordic coastline.

Venice Canals, Italy

Now I am starting my twenties cruising holds another appeal for me; food. I am still a total culture geek who relishes the idea of wandering a different historic town every day or treading the well worn path through some of the worlds most famous galleries (my trip to Russia's famous Hermitage museum was another cruise stop in St. Petersburg), but the idea of being able to sample the local food in a different city or town every day for a week or excites me no end. Not the coming but next Summer is a bit of a landmark year for both me with my graduation and 21st birthday, but also for my family with another landmark birthday so we have been talking about the three of us heading off on another cruise like we used to when I was younger and on Summer escapes from boarding school. Happily for me, this has lead to my third favourite type of online research after shopping and food research holiday research! I think all three of us like the idea of going to the Mediterranean again, (as you have probably gathered I've been on cruises around the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and the one I have not mentioned was around Egypt and up the Nile) with the only destination all three of us want to be included on the itinerary being Venice, a city I've never been to and my parents went on honeymoon, though personally I would quite like to go back to Naples, still with food on the brain! I thought I'd take this research as an opportunity to delve into the treasure trove of inspiration that is Pinterest and share some images from around the Mediterranean in a bit of an inspiration post, both for me and for any of you who might be planning a holiday in the next year or so.

Castelo de Vide, Portugal

Vernazza, Italy

St. Mark's Square, Venice, Italy

Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy

Are there any dream destinations that you wish you could just drop everything and head off to? While looking at these photos, I think I'm going to have to do a bit more research into seeing if any cruises do both Venice and Greece. It is far too long since I have been on any of the Greek islands, and just think of the food!

This is a sponsored post. To read my policy on sponsored posts, please click here.

The You Generation: Fantastic Food (Introducing The Worlds First Global Youtube Audition Process)

2013-04-09T06:21:00.000+01:00

It is no secret to anyone that my real passion is food. I think the fact that without actual intention on my part, many of my readers who have been around longer than most noticed that this website had basically become a food blog that just happened to have the odd outfit post and shopping or travel piece thrown in for balances sake. It has come to that sort of time for me that while I never really took university seriously in the first place, I can clearly see the end point where I am going to have to live in the real world, which means I have to think about a direction I want to go career wise. I have no solid plans yet (I try not to make them as they always end up broken) but I know I want to do something that combines my love of writing with my love of food. I also know that working in a professional kitchen would be my idea of hell (have you read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential?), so the type of people who have careers in food but don't have to go near a professional kitchen who spring to mind are Nigella Lawson, Nigel Slater and my favourite Times food critic Giles Coren. The problem is, times have changed a bit from when these people were starting out.

Supermodel Nicole Trunfino in the kitchen with Sous Style

A few weeks ago I was contacted about helping to promote the food section of something called 'The You Generation' which I want to take a moment to talk about, because I not only think it is the perfect vehicle for people looking to get into food presenting (while my main aim is to write about food, my experiences filming with Channel 4 have made me think that food presenting is not something I'd be adverse to, either) but for any of us of the digital generation to get into things like presenting, being a stylist, or even being in a girl band too. There are shows like The X Factor and Britian's Got Talent for singers and stage performers, but what about the rest of us with other talents that don't translate so well onto a stage? Well, it is funny that I should mention The X Factor and the Got Talent franchise because The You Generation has been set up by Syco Entertainment (Simon Cowell's production company) and Youtube to basically act as the first global online version of these shows. Youtube, after all has basically become its own television station, the good and the bad!

"The You Generation is the first global online audition process, giving people the chance to show off their extraordinary skills and win a prize - simply by uploading a video."

The You Generation is running over 52 weeks with 26 fortnightly contests showcasing different talents. Last fortnight the round for presenters was running, and yesterday saw the launch of Fantastic Food, looking for the talent in Youtube food videos, trying to find the next big thing. In the blogging world, forgetting the traditional food bloggers everyone seems to be trying to embrace food at the moment, from Chiara Ferragani's cooking videos with Lifestyle Mirror to recipes popping up on top outfit bloggers blogs, so this could not come at a better time, I think. I really wish I could enter but I don't have the set up for filming at the moment (but what would you guys think if I started making recipe videos?), so I am really glad to be on board in a blogging capacity instead.

So while they were laid out in the video I thought I'd clarify the rules, and of course the prize part! The competition will run until 11:59pm on Saturday 13th April. To enter you have to be 14 years old or over, and the video must be entirely your own work with no background music etc. for legal reasons. The prize is $2,000 for the category, and there is also a $5,000 prize for the best among all the categories a year from now. Also:

Your video must not be any more than 5 minutes long.
You must lick a spoon at some point (hello Nigella!)
The dish must contain a yellow ingredient, and a green ingredient.

You can enter by clicking HERE. I'd love to see any entries by my readers, so if you could tweet them at @makingmewonder I'd love to see them! You can also keep up with The You Generation and their upcoming contests by following them on Twitter and subscribing to The You Generation channel on Youtube.

The You Generation is open to applicants from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, UK, Czech Republic, France, Israel, Poland, Russia, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and the USA. Just to give a little bit of flavour for the things to come, some upcoming catagrories include one for Stylists, which I know lots more of my more fashion than foodie contingent among my readers might be wanting to enter, and girl bands.

Places To Eat In Los Angeles: Axe, Abbot Kinney Boulevard

2013-04-08T05:39:00.000+01:00

I have started to feel that the place to go for brunch on a weekend morning is Venice's Abbot Kinney Boulevard. If you fancy something sweet and delicious served with a both imaginative and potent cocktail, head to The Tasting Kitchen. If you fancy a delicious cream cheese bagel with your choice of salmon and a fresh pressed juice served in a mason jar you can't go wrong at Local 1205. If you fancy something fresh, local and fully of bright colours served with a nice chilled glass of rose or champagne I'd recommend Gjelina, but if you want something warm, delicious, seasonal and with a nice chilled atmosphere; you need to try brunch at Axe.

I have learnt that restaurants that have good, strong and consistant branding have better food; it shows care has been put into planning the restaurant and the experience for the diners, and it would be stupid for an owner to do all of that, and then not care about the food that is being served there.

While I'm not usually one to care about celebrity sightings, I do get lots of people asking me if I see any famous people around and about in Los Angeles. I did not realise this when I took the photo, not until I was seating on the other side of the room and saw his face the guy in the blue shirt is the actor Adrian Grenier (Vince in Entourage, Nate in The Devil Wears Prada) for anyone who is interested.

The moment I walked in the door and saw people brunching from big delicious bowls of soup I know I had to have one. After a lot of deliberation over which one I should have (the chicken sounded good, as did the sausage, lentil and fennel) I settled on the special; a vegetable soup bowl made with braised greens and topped with a poached egg and some delicious chilli oil. It was hot, delicious, filling and had the perfect bowl of flavours. I'm rather upset it was the special, as that means I can't go back and have it again. I know that soup does not seem the obvious brunch choice, but served with a couple of hunks of crusty bread, it was perfect.

Evie, as always had the granola. She informs me it had a delicious flavour due to the addition of different seeds, and it was served with a nice and tart natural yogurt and a divine honey, both of which I sampled.

Axe is great if you are on Abbot Kinney and you are looking for something a bit different for brunch, I think. Their salads also looked good and their pancakes are for people who like things made with many, many grains!