Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : Food

Who said vegans can't eat chocolate? The Slabb review

When I mention to people that I'm vegan and that I cannot eat milk chocolate, I'm often confronted with shocked and confused faces. "How can you live without Cadburys", they say and, "how can you even like dark chocolate." The truth is, before going vegan I never really liked dark chocolate. I would always avoid the Bournville in the box and I would sniff my nose up at dark chocolate even though people told me all about the health benefits. However, since becoming vegan I've discovered there's a lot more to dark chocolate than people realise and a lot of variety.

With the booming vegan market, there are more companies than ever before offering vegan chocolate from small independent stores on Etsy to the big established chocolate brands such as Hotel Chocolat. Vegan chocolate has also become a lot more experimental - gone are the days where vegans were just given the darkest, most bitter chocolates in the tin, there are now vegan 'milk chocolates' made from coconut milk, creamy vegan truffles and vegan honeycomb minus the honey.

A new brand that I have been excited to try is The Slabb. The Slabb is an online chocolate company owned by Holly & Stuart and as well as selling dairy chocolates, they have an extensive vegan range with a variety of unique flavours. In January, Holly and Stuart launched a Kickstarter campaign called the #100Slabbchallenge, to create 100 different flavours of chocolate this year, with each chocolate being limited edition and the 'Vegan Party One' is one of the chocolates I was given to try.

The 'Vegan Party One' is a rich dark chocolate topped with party favourites such as party rings, sprinkles, jam and vegan marshmallows. It is a fun party bar perfect for a girly night in or for those looking to add a little bit of fun in their lives. The ingredients complement each other perfectly with the party rings adding crunch and texture and the jam adding extra sweetness to the chocolate - it was great to see a vegan chocolate that had a lot of character and it isn't just the standard 'dark chocolate'. The party edition would make an ideal present for a loved one as it is so colourful, unique and charming and the packaging is girly, yet sophisticated. These bars retail at £5.50 which I think is a bargain for such a unique, limited edition product and I can't wait to hear about the next vegan chocolate they create.

Have you tried any of The Slabb products before?

I'm not usually one for eating junk food, but when I was invited to review Knaves Kitchen in Leeds and saw their vegan junk food menu, I knew it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. As a vegan, I'm always looking for exciting, unique dishes that challenge the perceptions of what vegans actually eat - we don't always eat salads and large plates of vegetables. Knaves Kitchen, situated in Oporto on Call Lane features a creative vegan menu, consisting of a vegan favourite 'seitan', which is a gluten meat substitute that can be made into a variety of complex dishes.

Dishes on the Knaves Kitchen menu includes lots of comfort dishes from 'fish finger wraps' to Katsu curries and onion bhaji burgers, all of which are reasonably priced and great portion sizes. Their cocktail menu is also just as creative - one of my favourites of the night being a pineapple concoction served with a side of frazzles to give it a sweet and savoury vibe.

The food at Knaves Kitchen was exceptional and the dishes that they were able to create with seitan were outstanding, you wouldn't even think half of them were vegan. Their kebab dishes were extra 'meaty', their tofu katsu curry had the perfect amount of crunch and their fish finger sandwich was heavenly especially the secret recipe for tartar sauce. The star of the show for me, however, was the onion bhaji burger, it oozed flavour, had the perfect amount of crunch and it was highly satisfying - so much so, that I dived straight in and forgot to take a picture!

If you're looking to experiment with veganism, but don't like the idea of going straight to the deep end with whole-food vegan recipes, I completely recommend visiting Knaves Kitchen - I would also suggest that those who eat meat give it a try, because Knaves Kitchen proves that life without meat doesn't have to be boring.

Have you been to Knaves Kitchen before?

When you first decide to go vegan or plant-based, it can be difficult knowing where to start when looking for meal inspiration, especially if you work long hours and don't have the time to cook. Whilst there's a plethora of meat alternatives on the market, consuming them every day isn't the healthiest option when you're trying to ensure that your recommended vitamin and mineral intake. As someone who has gone plant-based not only for animal reasons but for health too, I always try to make sure that I get as much food from all the vegan food groups as possible and plan out all my meals to get a head start. The majority of my meals are foods that I've chucked together last minute, although I do try to make sure I cook at least two recipes out of my cookbooks each week to help me learn new cooking skills and give me enthusiasm for my plant-based lifestyle.

This week marks six months of me being vegan and a whopping fifteen years of being vegetarian and nearly every week, I'm asked by family and friends 'what do I eat?' I'm lucky that growing up my parents and friends supported my vegetarian lifestyle and although many still don't understand, they have adapted well to me being vegan too. Today I thought I would put together a small overview of

some of the meals I eat each week to give those looking to go plant-based some inspiration.

Pulled jackfruit burgers

Pulled jackfruit is possibly one of my favourite quick meals to make and it is really low cost - if you have a Chinese supermarket in your local town, you can pick up a tin of jackfruit for only £1. I usually coat the jackfruit with paprika, garlic and onion powder then roast in my favourite BBQ sauce along with some black beans for extra protein. To accompany the dish, I usually make sweet potato fries and have either a side salad or some grilled veggies.

Avocado and hummus flatbread

If I'm working from home, I like to make myself either homemade soup or a fresh flatbread for my lunch, like the one above. The flatbread is made from 200g flour (or wholemeal flour) and a splash of water, salt and pepper and I usually mix some chia seeds for extra protein. The mixture is kneaded and then rolled out into the desired shape and lightly toasted in a pan. I've topped this with hummus, avocado and some veggies.

Scrambled ackee bowl

Ackee is one of the most underrated 'egg' substitutes when it comes to veganism - it looks like a scrambled egg and is really creamy and filling. Ackee is, in fact, a Caribbean fruit, but it goes so well with spinach, peppers and slices of toast. I usually season my Ackee with garlic powder, onion powder and some chilli flakes for an extra kick.

Jackfruit and mushroom stroganoff with horseradish mash potato

This recipe is from one of my Simply Cook subscription boxes where they send you a spice kit to make a specific meal. Instead of using just mushrooms I've added jackfruit for extra texture and substituted a few of the ingredients to make it vegan. In fact, a lot of the Simply Cook boxes can be very easily adapted to a vegan diet.

Fajita bowl with tortilla chips

One of my favourite recipes at the moment is this fajita bowl with homemade tortilla chips. The recipe was in one of my issues of Vegan Living magazine and it is incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is cook some peppers and red onion with chilli powder, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper with some tomato paste and then cut some large tortilla bread into triangles and bake them. There are many different recipes for this online and it's so easy to do - I've topped my bowl with some avocado and fresh coriander.

'Cream cheese' and sundried tomato sandwich

Sometimes all you need is a nice carby sandwich and my favourite one to make is a vegan cream cheese sandwich with sundried tomatoes, spinach and some balsamic. The cream cheese is made from soaked cashew nuts blended with nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and garlic and onion powder.

Chia flatbread pizza with sweet potato fries

One of my weekend staple dishes is a homemade vegan pizza - which is really easy to make and affordable too. I made the chia bread by using part flour, part water, part chia seeds and mixing them all together to make a dough and then I grill it on the hob. I then add tomato paste and all my favourite veggies. Sometimes I will also add 'tempeh bacon' made by marinating tempeh in soya sauce, paprika and maple syrup. I usually serve this with sweet potato fries or wedges and a glass of wine to celebrate the weekend.

What are your favourite vegan dishes?

Vegan food over the last year has seen a surge in popularity, creating a demand for more plant-based cuisine in restaurants all over the UK, not just in dedicated vegan eateries. Eating out as a vegan was something that always daunted me and initially put me off my transition to a plant-based diet, but now more than ever it is becoming easier to grab food on the go and even dine in some of the best a la carte restaurants. The Leeds foodie scene has adapted incredibly well to the veganisms newfound followers and we're seeing more and more vegan menus popping up all over the city. One of the newest restaurants to announce their vegan offering is the ultra trendy, Japanese tapas bar Issho, situated in Victoria Gate and a few days ago, I was invited to try it.

The word Issho is Japanese for 'together', which is a pretty apt name for a restaurant that is incredibly open to dietary requirements. Whether you're with co-workers or looking to head somewhere for a date night, Isshos low lighting, relaxed, but sophisticated surroundings make it the perfect place to come together and enjoy the array of Japanese sharing dishes, sakes and Asian inspired cocktails.

Issho's vegan menu boasts nine sharing dishes and six snacks ranging from sushi to tempura to hot pots and bao buns. It is recommended that you order 4-5 dishes each to give you a full range of dishes to share. I opted for the Maki, the pumpkin tempura and a bao bun with spicy tofu. The Maki rolled with cucumber, peppers, cabbage and lettuce was incredibly fresh and flavoursome and beautifully presented - it was great to see a vegan dish that had so much thought put into it. The pumpkin tempura had a lovely crisp outer layer and soft, melt in the mouth pumpkin inside, it wasn't too greasy and there was plenty to share between us. The Bao bun had the crispiest tofu inside and the bun itself was light and bouncy, everything you could want to satisfy your bao bun cravings.

Between us, we also ordered some pumpkin miso gyozas and the robata grilled sweet potato with smoked lime coconut butter. The grilled sweet potato was a simple, yet incredible dish and possibly the star of the show. The robata grill gave it such a smokey barbeque flavouring and the lime added an extra zing to the dish. The pumpkin gyoza was exactly as a gyoza should be - flavoursome, moreish and cooked to perfection.

I'm not usually a dessert fan, but after seeing the superb quality of our main dishes, our curiosity got the better of us and we felt that we couldn't leave without sampling the remainder of the vegan. The only vegan dessert available is sorbet - which is usually the case as vegan desserts can be quite complex, but it did not disappoint. Our sorbet selection consisted of mango, green apple and sake, black cherry and lychee flavours and each of them were the perfect palate cleanser for the meal. Incredibly fresh, very juicy and not too overly sweet, it was a great way to end the night.

If you love Japanese food and you're looking for somewhere with a classy atmosphere, Issho is a great choice. I left with the restaurant feeling incredibly satisfied, wowed at their vegan menu and with an appetite to visit again.

Have you been to Issho before?

*This meal was complimentary in exchange for this review. All views are my own.

When it comes to Christmas dinners, vegans often draw the short straw and end up with very limited options or nothing at all. Although veganism is on the rise in the UK and more restaurants are doing their part to keep up with the trend, the traditional Christmas dinner is still one meal that many restaurants haven't found alternatives for. Turtle Bay has always been one of my favourite restaurant chains - their interiors are vibrant and welcoming, the atmosphere is always fantastic and their menu is perfect for those with dietary requests. With this all in mind, I was incredibly happy to see not just one, but several vegan options on the new Turtle Bay Christmas menu and even more delighted when I was asked if I wanted to try it out.

For those who are not familiar with the brand, Turtle Bay is a Caribbean restaurant chain with over 40 restaurants nationwide. Their menu is inspired by flavours found on the Caribbean islands, featuring a plethora of jerk and coconut based options. During the summer, the Turtle Bay menu had a vegetarian and vegan revamp, adding several new dishes to their existing menu and this has followed through to Christmas menu, which features two vegan starters, two vegan mains and a vegan dessert.

There are three options for the Turtle Bay Christmas menu, a three-course lunch meal priced at £15, a four-course all-day menu at £25 or a platter menu priced at £9. The menu consists of a few Turtle Bay classics such as sweet corn fritters and flatbreads but also has a few new Christmas inspired options such as the 'Trini Spiced Chickpea curry'.

For my starter, I decided to have the sweetcorn fritters which is one of my favourite dishes at Turtle Bay. The sweetcorn fritters are lightly battered, soft in the centre and the outer layer has a delicate crunch. The dish is served with a West Indian sauce and pickled onion and herb salad which adds a wonderful tangy flavour to the dish. My husband opted for the other vegan option, the 'Trini Doubles' which consisted of two 'puffed up' roti flatbreads topped with curried chickpeas and a cucumber and mango chutney.

There were two vegan options for the main course, which was lovely to see. I decided to try the new 'Trini Spiced Chickpea Curry' and my husband went for the 'Spinach, Aubergine and Sweet Potato Curry'. The chickpea curry was really well seasoned and quite spicy, whereas the spinach and aubergine curry was more fragrant. Both dishes were incredibly filling and left us struggling for the room for dessert.

Although we felt rather full, we decided it was dessert was too tempting to pass up. We initially ordered the dairy-free ice-cream which is listed as the only vegan option on the dessert menu, but they had run out. The chef, however, told us that without the ice-cream the brownie is in fact vegan, which was a fantastic surprise and we ended up ordering that instead. The brownie was soft in the centre, gooey and everything that a brownie should be. It was delightfully rich, but not overpowering and was the perfect way to end our meal. My only complaint is that the brownie isn't listed as vegan on the original menu - I'm sure a lot of vegans like myself would be ecstatic to see that they are able to order it.

Overall I was really impressed with the Turtle Bay Christmas menu, not only for their fantastic food but the fact that they have made an effort to please a variety of dietary requests including gluten-free, at what is possibly the hardest time of the year to find free-from alternatives. Turtle Bay still remains one of my favourite high-street chains and I'm pleased that I will be able to head there for my Christmas celebrations too.

Have you dined at Turtle Bay before?

*This meal was complimentary, but all views are my own.

Dining out when you first turn vegan can be a troublesome affair with many restaurants not entirely knowing what 'veganism' really is and many having very limited options. Unfortunately, it isn't a rare occurrence for vegans to be handed a plate of vegetables, while their carnivorous counterparts tuck into a three-course meal with all the trimmings, most of which can be easily adapted to plant-based if the chef has an imagination. Thankfully for a lot of vegans out there, over the last twelve months, there has been a rise in popularity in veganism, subsequently leading to more restaurants offering vegan options than ever before. Wagamama, Nandos, Pizza Express, Zizzis, to name but a few, have all jumped in on the plant-based action and added more options to their menus.

Earlier this week, I headed out with my husband to a vegan night held at my local Brasserie Blanc in Leeds. This was an entirely one-off, bespoke event, which was the brainchild of one of the managers after seeing an increase in vegan customers. They decided to test their chefs' culinary skills and create a three-course meal for one night only, in hope that would become popular and they could put on more of these events in future.

I love Brasserie Blanc due to their fresh produce, beautiful tab settings and relaxing ambience of their restaurants. I had been a few times when I was vegetarian but never vegan, so I was excited to see what they had to offer. The menu had been curated using seasonal, fresh produce and there were a plethora of options which was a delight to see. As a 'newbie' vegan, it was great to have the opportunity to sample some vegan a-la-carte food without feeling like the 'awkward' customer.

For starter, I opted for the 'Wild Mushroom Fricasse' which arrived with a side of bread. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection, with the perfect amount of herbs and oil, with the juices seeping to the bottom of the bowl - perfect for mopping up with a slice of fresh, crusted white bread. The portion was filling and generous and it was a great to start the meal.

In between courses we ordered a glass of wine from the specially created vegan wine menu for the evening. It was great to see that level of detail going into the menu as many people automatically assume that all alcohol is vegan when this isn't the case, as most wines, unfortunately, are filtered using fish. For my main course, I choose the chickpea cakes which a smoky tomato dressing and chickpea salad -this again was a delight. The manager informed me that this used to be on the menu and was quite a popular dish, I hope they add this back as I would definitely return for it.

The creme de la creme, the finale of the evening was the most beautiful coconut creme brulee that I've ever eaten. It tasted incredibly light but moreish with a soft vanilla coconut cream and a crunch sugared top. It tasted just like a dairy creme brulee, but even better and it was light on the palette and left you feeling refreshed at the end of the meal.

The meal came to around £60, which included a complimentary glass of prosecco, three courses for two adults and a coffee (along with soya milk) at the end, which I think is a fantastic price. I'm a little bit disappointed that this is a once off as I would love to experience this all again, but I am grateful for the wonderful meal and the attention to detail of all the staff. It was great to see a business in the local community doing more for vegans and championing vegan food, hop, fully it will lead to more restaurants doing the same.

Have you been to a Brasserie Blanc before?

It is hard to imagine Leeds without Victoria Gate. Since its arrival only last year, it helped transform the city in many ways, by introducing a luxurious shopping district to what was once a run-down area of the town and also being one of the main reasons Leeds made it into the Top 10 of Lonely Planet's 'Best Places in Europe'. Victoria Gate merges the old, with the new - bringing the Victorian arcade across the street known as Victoria Quarter together with a new, state of the art shopping centre Victoria Gate, collectively known as Victoria Leeds. Over the last twelve months, Victoria Leeds has established itself as the hotspot for luxury shopping, drinking and of course dinning.

There are several restaurants in Victoria Gate and to give me a taste of what they offer, I was invited last night on a foodie tour of the shopping centre, where I was given a three-course meal to review, with each course being in a different restaurant. As a newly proclaimed vegan, I was a little bit apprehensive about what would be on offer, but I also knew I was in for a treat.

Our starter took place in Le Pain Quotidien, an organic bakery which specialises in Belgian cuisine and uses only seasonal produce. LPQ is one of my favourite eateries in Victoria Gate and I was excited to start my culinary tour in familar terrority. LPQ has such a homely feel and I love the finishing touches they add to the tables to give them a seasonal feel. The main table in the restaurant featured an array of autumnal pumpkins and flowers. For my starter, I ordered the french onion soup which was served with a crisp garlic bread and a soya yoghurt dressing. The soup was rich, flavoursome and warming, a perfect starter for the colder autumn nights that are beginning to settle in.

Once we had finished our starter, we nipped around the corner to Cau for our main course. Cau is an Argentinan steakhouse with a beautiful sleek black and white decor, an extravagant glass ceiling and balconies overlooking the main shopping centre. Cau was the restaurant I was the most anxious about as I didn't know whether they would cater for vegans, but the staff were amazing and listed so many items on the menu that they would have been happy to 'veganise' for me - including flatbreads, pasta and different salads. As I'm trying to be healthy, I decided to go for the superfood salad without the goats' cheese and I wasn't disappointed. The ingredients were incredibly fresh, the colours of the salad look amazing, it was a large, filling portion and the mustard dressing was moreish.

Our last course was at the newly opened East 59th, a New York-style bar and Grill on the third floor of the shopping centre, which features a beautiful outdoor roof terrace. The menu features modern twists on American foodie classics, curated by Executive Chef Lee Murdoch who is also in charge of the menus at Angelica and Crafthouse. I opted for the sorbet sundae with chickpea cream for my dessert and it was incredible. It was an explosion of flavour from the juicy cherries to the tart lemon sorbet. The chickpea cream was a revolution and I was also impressed by the vegan meringue, also made from chickpeas. It was an incredible dessert and it really made a change from the standard bowl of sorbet that vegans are usually offered. I would happily eat this dessert again.

My foodie journey of Victoria Leeds was a night to remember - I learnt about two new restaurants, trialled several new dishes and had a great time getting to know the staff who work really hard to maintain this level of excellence that has everyone in Leeds talking about all these places. Victoria Leeds has everything you could wish from cafes to a la carte dining and also a £10 million casino perfect for cocktails to finish the night off. If you're visiting Leeds, Victoria Gate should be on your radar.

Have you dined at Victoria Gate before?

Northern Tea House is a beautiful tea house in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire and it is a place I love dearly. The cakes are always freshly made with gluten-free and vegan options readily available, the china teacups help make every cup of tea feel special and the staff always go above and beyond to make all their customers smile. Over the last few years, I have spent many a Saturday or Sunday afternoon frequenting this little cafe, sometimes with friends, other times with my husband and today I thought it was about time that I shared one of my favourite little gems in Huddersfield with you.

Northern Tea House first opened their doors back in 2015 and they became a welcomed addition to the Huddersfield food and drink scene. The tea house is conveniently situated next to Kingsgate, the towns busiest shopping centre and they are never short of customers. On a weekend, grabbing a seat at Northern Tea House can be quite difficult, but once seated it is worth the wait. The decor has a welcoming modern, vintage twist with industrial style furniture styled alongside vintage crockery and black and white photographs hanging from the walls. They have an extensive menu filled with cakes, sandwiches, hot and cold dishes, many of which are suitable for an array of dietary requirements.

Last week I went to Northern Tea House with a few of my friends for afternoon tea and I ordered a vegan option. Finding a vegan afternoon tea can be quite difficult as a lot of cakes are full to the brim with eggs and dairy, however, Nothern Tea House already has quite a substantial vegan menu and was more than happy to accommodate my needs. My pot of tea came with its own little jug of soya milk and my afternoon tea comprised of hummus and chargrilled vegetable sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches, a light, fresh lemon drizzle cake and two moreish dark chocolate coconut slices, that I could happily eat every day. The afternoon tea came to £14.95 and I was able to box up some of the items I couldn't finish eating.

If you're looking for a place to meet up with friends, your partner or colleagues and grab a coffee, tea or a light lunch, Northern Tea House is the perfect place for you to visit. I would definitely recommend popping in if you have the time.

Have you been to Northern Tea House?

*I have NOT been paid or compensated to write this review, I wrote it because I genuinely enjoy visiting

I have always been a fan of Marco Pierre White's restaurants and although they are predominantly steak houses, I've found the few vegetarian options that I've had highly enjoyable and each of the restaurants I have visited, the decor has been exceptional. Last week I was invited to check out the new cocktail and food menu at Marco's New York Italian in Leeds and I couldn't wait.

Marco's New York Italian, Leeds opened in April this year and the restaurant offers an extensive Italian/American menu consisting of all the classics such as pizza and lasagne, as well a few nice surprises like the new addition of the quinoa superfood salad. This particular restaurant has been highly anticipated on the Leeds food scene for the last few years as Leeds is the birthplace of the man behind the restaurant, Marco Pierre White.

The evening began by talking through some of the cocktails on Marco's menu and a brief history of how cocktails began, back in the prohibition era in America. Marco's cocktail menu has all the much-loved favourites such as Martini's and Daiquaris, as well as a few house specials such as 'The Golden Cadillac' - a mixture of Galliano, creme de cacao, orange juice and cream and 'Blood and Sand' which comprised of Chivas 12 year old whisky, sweet vermouth, Cherry Heering and orange juice.

Once the cocktail briefing had finished, we were given the chance to have a go at creating our favourite drinks from the menu. I opted for the classic 'Pornstar Martini' which is made by mixing fresh passion fruit, Absolut vanilla vodka, Passoa and lime juice, with a shot of Prosecco on the side. It's a refreshing, fruity cocktail that isn't too sweet and it is always my drink of choice on a night out. This particular cocktail had a smooth vanilla finish due to the Absolut vanilla vodka.

To soak up all the alcohol we had just been given, we were then taken into the main restaurant and served some dishes from the new food menu. We started with pizza, garlic bread, olives and nuts to share, then proceeded with a variety of salads, lasagne and pasta dishes. My favourites during the evening were the margarita pizza which had a lovely crunchy base, plenty of herby flavours and a topping that wasn't too greasy, the wild mushroom lasagne which was rich and indulgent, but not too heavy and the Quinoa salad which tasted fresh and juicy.

After we had made our way through all the delicious main courses, we were then greeted with a plethora of mouth watering desserts from this Manhattan Milkshaker which came complete with a New York cheesecake on top, to a naughty, but irresistible Chicago hot brownie with chocolate sauce. At this point, my lactose-intolerance was in overdrive (I usually avoid dairy at all cost), but I wasn't going to let that stop me from sampling the cheesecake. It was creamy, light and melted in my mouth and it went incredibly well with the rich strawberry milkshake that my husband was only happy to oblige when it came to polishing it off. It was the perfect ending to a great night and a wonderful meal.

Have you dined at Marco's New York Italian before?

One of my favourite aspects of travel is trying new food, whether it is from a street food vendor or browsing some of the best foodie markets in Europe. There's something about food that really brings people of all cultures together and when you're on holiday, food is one of the best ways to get to know the country you are visiting, by either sampling the local delicacies or speaking to the people who eat it.

Travel has enabled me to try a lot of food that I never thought I would be able to experience and has introduced me to a lot of new flavours. From eating stirfrys and curries in Thailand to eating sauerkraut in Germany, Paella in Spain and even feasting on all the different local delicacies that various parts of Britain has to offer, travelling has really played an influence on what I cook from home and for the better.

I've become more experimental

Since travelling to Thailand back in 2015 and even lesser known parts of Europe, I have become much more experimental with what I eat. When I was in Thailand I fell in love with 'morning glory' which is a stirfry of different vegetables and I love trying all the different curries. Most of my diet these days in now Thai orientated as I love the flavours.

It has made being vegetarian less boring

So many people ask me if I get bored of being vegetarian, but I really don't. The key to never getting bored of a vegetarian diet is learning different cooking methods of all your vegetables and learning how to inject flavour into your dishes - most of which can easily be picked up by trying many different types of cuisines.

I appreciate different cultures

One of my favourite food experiences was visiting the Klienmarkthalle in Frankfurt as it was full to the brim of shoppers sampling different food and market traders boasting about their wares. I was able to peer into peoples shopping baskets and see what people in Germany were picking up as their staple shopping ingredients and I browsed the stalls and discovered lots of different pastries unique to that area. It made me appreciate food that each country has to offer, so much so that it has now become a slight addiction. I try to make myself try lots of food from different countries every month so I can learn more about the culture and why they eat the things that they do.

You don't have to travel far to experience the plethora of cuisines that embraces our planet these days. Most towns have a variety of ethnic stores from Polish supermarkets to Asian superstores and even our own high street supermarkets are becoming much more savvy to world food, incorporating food from all seven different continents into one scrumptious food aisle. So many brands are now coining in on that fact that people want to try new food and have different food experiences.

One of the latest recipes I have cooked is from Thai Taste, a brand which specialises in authentic Thai ingredients and it is a Pumpkin (can be substituted for butternut squash), Galangal coconut curry, which is so aromatic that it reminds me of being back in Thailand. The recipe has been designed by Thai restaurateur Seb Holmes to inspire customers to create restaurant-quality Thai food at home. The recipe is vegan, gluten free and incredibly easy to make, it's perfect for those who want to try new flavours or relive their own travel memories.

Pumpkin, Galangal and Coconut Soup

Serves: 2 (GF/VE)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 small pumpkin, roughly 50-60kg, peeled and sliced into 2cm by 2 cm pieces (or squash can be used)

8 Thai Shallots, peeled and slightly bruised

1 head pak choy, tough stem removed and leaves sliced in half

2 green birds eye chillies

1 teaspoon Thai Taste chopped Kaffir lime leaves

2 sticks lemongrass

10g Galangal peeled

2 coriander roots

2-3 teaspoons Thai Taste soy sauce

200ml vegetable stock

1 tablespoon of Thai Taste Tamarind Paste

300ml Thai Taste coconut milk

100g Thai Taste rice vermicelli noodles, left soaking for 10 minutes until soft and then refreshed under cold water

10g Thai sweet basil

1 lime, juiced

Method

Firstly, in a small sauce pain bring a little bit of water to the boil and then submerge pumpkin into it. Leave this to simmer and cook gently for 3-4 minutes until soft and then remove from heat.

Next place vegetable stock, 100ml of the coconut cream, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, tamarind, galangal, coriander roots, birds eye chillies, lemongrass, lime leaves, pumpkin, pak choy and Thai shallots into a medium saucepan and bring to simmer.

Once simmering continue to cook gently for 4-5 minutes until all vegetables have softened and flavours infused. Finish by adding rest of the coconut milk and sweet basil and serve into soup bowls lined with vermicelli noodles. The dish should be creamy, salty, a little bit spicy and aromatic with a fresh hint of lime.

Many of the ingredients for this dish can be purchased in jar form from Thai Taste, who gave me some of these products so I could test the recipe out for myself.

What is your favourite cuisine?

Borough Market made the headlines in June 2017 as one of the places in London hit by deadly, unpredicted terrorist attack. The attack targeted people on a Saturday evening enjoying themselves in nearby bars and restaurants at Borough Market, killing eight people. Since the events only eight weeks ago, the market has been steadily rebuilding itself and restoring normality. Borough Market has always been one place I wanted to visit in London and now, more than ever it seemed more poignant for me to go pay my respects and visit the traders whose livelihoods have been temporarily destroyed.

When I visited Borough Market last week, it was a hive of busy tourists and locals soaking in the market atmosphere , feasting on all of what Borough Market has to offer and enjoying their Saturday. It was a place bursting with energy, from the enthusiastic market traders selling their products to the hoards of tourists making the most of every photo opportunity. From the moment I entered the building, I fell in love. It was full to the parameters of foodie favourites from all around the world, as well as catering for so many different dietary requests. The fruit looked colourful and fresh and the scents that filled the air gave me hunger pangs. It was a market place determined to move on from recent events and live life to the full.

I decided to write this post on why you should visit Borough market because there's so much to see and do. Whether you're stocking up for a picnic on a day trip to London or fancy a meal with friends, Borough Market needs to be on your London bucket list.

As Borough market is a quintessential English market place, there's plenty of hog roasts, burgers and meat stands on offer, but one thing that really captured my attention was the plethora of vegan food available. From these juicy mock burgers to hummus stands and vegan curries, there's just so much to choose from which is great for those with dietary requirements and it makes Borough Market the perfect place to visit with friends all of whom have different foodie needs.

Another item that Borough Market has in abundance is freshly squeezed fruit juices. You can get almost any fruit juices from Borough Market from watermelon to your typical orange, pineapple and apple juices. They are great for anyone looking for a morning pickup, lunch time refresher or an evening pre-drinking quencher.

As previously mentioned, the fruit in Borough market is as fresh as it gets and there's vast quantities of it over in the fruit and vegetable market. I was really impressed with the prices of this fruit - my friends and I managed to get two punnets of strawberries for a £1 whereas supermarkets sell just one of them for around the £2 mark. If you live locally London, it is worth visiting the market to stock up on fresh fruit and veggies.

If you're gluten free, dairy free or wheat free, I also stumbled across a lovely bakery in Borough market selling vegan creamed buns in a variety of flavours, as well as gluten free ginger men, to name but a few products. Unfortunately I didn't get the time to sample these, but they are definitely on my radar for my next visit, which I'm planning before the end of this year.

Once we had browsed the market, my friends and I set off to Jubilee Gardens for a picnic, where we sat down and ate some of our foodie findings - pepper Focaccia bread, strawberries, freshly made samosas and a few sneaky buys from M&S.

My visit to Borough market was brief, but very exciting and I was glad that I got the opportunity to visit the hustle and bustle of the Saturday market. It reminded me that life is short and that Saturday's are the best days to go spend quality time with the ones you love and what brings people together? Food, of course.

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