Kiki's Kitchen-Chocolate Meringues

I didn't do a cooking/baking post for a while so here's one today. Considering I'm a sugar fiend (so very bad for me, I know...), this recipe is also from the saccharine sweet category.  Hope you like it; it's delicious and you can make it from ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard.

You will need: 

3 egg whites

150g golden caster sugar

50g good quality dark chocolate

1) Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.

2) Line baking tray with greaseproof paper.

3) In a clean and dry bowl whisk egg whites til they form soft peaks.

4) Gradually whisk in the sugar and whisk til the mixture is glossy and soft peaks are formed.

5) Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over the pan of simmering water.

6) Gently fold the melted chocolate into meringue.

7) Spoon or pipe the mixture onto prepared tray.

8) Cook for 50 minutes then turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool completely inside the oven.

9) Once the meringues are cooled, eat them with wild abandon. If there are any left (I doubt it), store them in an airtight container.

 

 

 

Shop London: Celestine Eleven

Located firmly in the heartland of Shoreditch hipster heaven is this little gem of a concept store "Celestine Eleven".

It's founded by Tena Strok and it's best described as an alternative luxury store. In there you can both pick up a cute little number by Meadham Kirchhoff  and have a class of dynamic yoga. Art lovers can pick up a photography book or two and there's also an apothecary selling all kinds of luxurious lotions and potions.

So if you like to cater to your mind as well as to your body when shopping, don't forget to pop in "Celestine Eleven" next time you're in East London.

Celestine Eleven

4 Holywell Lane

EC2A 3ET London

*The photos were taken by me and originally appeared in "Gloria" magazine.

 

 

Eat London: Wild Goose Bakery

We all know that I love my cakes. So there was no one happier than me when a new bakery opened a stone's throw away from my house. Yay! The Wild Goose Bakery is located in Leytonstone, East London and is run by a very knowledgeable and friendly husband and wife team. 

The minute you walk in you can tell the bakery is a labour of love for them; simple, artisanal homemade food and lovingly sourced tea and coffees are all on the menu. There are breads, soups, cakes, brownies and much more...

The decor is simple but cute and the food is delicious.

I had a lemon and strawberry cake which was perfectly moist and tasty as well as the delicious latte.

I know East London is a bit off the beaten path for most people, but if you do happen to be in the neighbourhood, do try this family run bakery. 

I wore:

Necklace: oNecklace

Sweater: ASOS

Watch: Olivia Burton

Jeans: Mango

Bracelet: Ottoman Hands

Shoes: Zara

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Don't forget to stop by my Twitter and Facebook to say "Hi". :) Have a great weekend, everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Eat London: Kipferl

The other day I decided to venture to my old stomping ground of Angel, Islington. I used to live there for well over a decade before moving to suburbia.  Whilst there, I spied an Austrian cafe: Kipferl.

"Look, an Austrian cafe!"; I said to The Husband.

"Hmmmpf...."

"They'll probably have sausages there."; I continued

"Well, in that case, let's go in."

So in we went.

Cafe is light and airy and serves traditional Austrian fare. They also do all day breakfast and brunch which is always a winner in my book. Mind you, don't expect the full English; their breakfast is a strictly continental affair.

I had a mountain cheese omelette with walnuts as well as a Linzertorte (more nuts! yay!) and a coffee. The portions are not huge, but they are satisfying enough. Linzertorte in particular was just yummy. If you happen to be in Angel, this is a nice little option for a quick snack or cake and coffee (or both if you're a greedy so and so like me).

I wore:

Blazer: Zara

T-shirt: POP Cph

Necklace: Kenneth Jay Lane

Jeans: Mango

Sandals: Zara

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Rings: Dogeared; Kris Nations

 

 

 

 

 

Eat London: Belgique

Living in a far, faaaaar corner of deepest, darkest  East London has its benefits (Epping Forest, quiet streets, village like atmosphere), but it also has its drawbacks. Namely, not very many decent places to eat. Sure, I can hop on the tube and be in Central London in 20 minutes, but sometimes I just don't feel like it. So thank God for Belgique, a small East London/Essex only chain of Belgian brasseries. I love going there for breakfast, brunch...or just tea and a cake. Their cakes especially are delicious and it's worth mentioning they have a selection of goodies to buy and take home too (biscuit spread, anyone?...yummy). So, if you find yourself in the area, do pay them a visit. Your waist won't thank you for it, but your tastebuds will. 

I wore:

Sweater: J.Crew

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Jeans: Mango

Sandals: Zara

Bracelet: Fiorelli

Rings: Dogeared; Kris Nations 

Necklace: oNecklace

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kiki's Kitchen-Passion Fruit Rice Pudding

If you've been following this blog for any amount of time, you'll know that I like my food. No matter how hard I try to eat healthy, when faced with anything sweet (or savoury, or sour...or...anything really), my resolve crumbles. So to celebrate my sweet tooth, I'll bring you the ultimate in comfort desserts-RICE PUDDING. 

This one has a nice little tropical twist to it, but don't be fooled by all the fruit....this is still as calorific as it gets. 

Ingredients:

175g jasmine rice

600ml milk

125 caster sugar

6 cardamom pods (split open)

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

150ml double cream (lightly whipped)

4-6 passion fruits

berries to decorate

1) Place the jasmine rice in a pot with milk, sugar, cardamom pods, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring frequently, on low for around half an hour (or until rice is tender and milk absorbed). Add some extra milk if necessary.

2) Leave the rice to cool slightly and remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick.

3) Fold the cream into the rice mixture.

4) Halve the passion fruits and scoop the insides into a bowl.

5) Layer the rice with the passion fruit in glass bowls, decorate with berries and enjoy. 

 

Explore London: Borough Market

As you all may know by now, I'm a foodie. And one of the best places for foodies in London, is Borough Market , one of the oldest and largest food markets in London. I go there to get quality food and ingredients, gawp at people (I can't help it, sorry), enjoy the atmosphere and kill homesickness by shopping at Taste Croatia. My other favourite is Karaway Bakery which sells the most amazing Russian breads and pastries. So, if you find yourself in London, give it a go. Try to avoid going on Saturday as it can get very crowded. Of course, with all this food on display, you're bound to get peckish.  Avoid "Fish!" restaurant in the market itself; I found it overpriced and not particularly good (the fish was overcooked and not well seasoned). The better option is to sample directly from the market stalls or, if you prefer to sit down, try one of the many restaurants just outside the market itself.

 

 

 

 

 

Kiki's Kitchen - Strawberry And Raspberry Muffins

I felt a bit Nigella today (or maybe Mary Berry...hmmm) so I made these delish muffins. The Husband said he had better in "Costa". Obviously that means that from now on he can fetch all his food in "Costa" and I will have all homemade pies, muffins and cakes for myself.

Ingredients:

250g plain flour

100g golden caster sugar

75g raspberries

75g strawberries

75g butter (at room temperature)

175ml milk

1 egg

1tbsp baking powder

1) Pre heat the oven to 200c

2) Mix the sugar and baking powder in a bowl and then sieve in the flour

3) Mix the butter into the flour mixture

4) In a separate bowl beat an egg and milk together, then add to the flour mixture and mix well

5) Remove the stalks from strawberries and cut them in half

6) Add both raspberries and strawberries to the muffin mixture

7) Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin and place in the oven for about 25 minutes or until muffins have risen. 

8) Eat them all by yourself and don't give any to husbands and boyfriends. They might say they had better at a national coffee house chain.

 

Kiki's Kitchen - Clementine Trifle

Remember when I threatened more lifestyle content on my blog? Well, here it is. Something that passes for cooking chez moi.
It's a variation on trifle, a popular dessert in the UK. Original goes waaaay back (16th century) and contains sponge, fruit, custard cream and, if you're feeling naughty, a smidgen of alcoholic beverage.
This particular recipe is bastardized version of trifle courtesy of Tesco and then further bastardized by me.
Here we go...

You'll need:
8 clementines
25g butter
4tbsp unrefined brown sugar
ginger loaf cake (I used this one by McVitie's...but you can also make your own )
250g mascarpone
200g Greek style yogurt
2tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

To make:
1) Peel 4 of the clementines, halve them and set aside.
2) Juice the other 4 clementines into the small saucepan, add the butter and sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. Raise the cooking temperature and continue cooking, stirring all the time until thick and syrupy. When cooked add the halved clemetines into the mixture, cut side down, cover and set aside for about 10 minutes.
3) Cut the ginger loaf into cubes and place into a glass serving bowl. Remove fruit from syrup and pour half of syrup over the loaf cubes. Mix together the mascarpone, yogurt, honey and cinnamon and cover the ginger loaf pieces with it.
4) Arrange clementine halves, cut side up, over the mascarpone cream in the bowl and drizzle with remaining syrup. Chill in the fridge for half an hour (or more). Tuck in!

Happy 2014!

New year...new hopes and new dreams. Today was time for taking stock and making plans for future. In 2014, I'm hoping for a better work-life balance, a bit less kilos (I must go easy on the cakes), better finances, more photos to be taken, better organization, less procrastination, more travel, more time for cooking (nor sure if that is compatible with less kilos...hmmm...) and to stay loved, happy and healthy.
In terms of blogging...I'm hoping to find time to post a bit more and create more lifestyle content. Some things will be going (beauty boxes reviews....lots of views on those posts, but all beauty bloggers are doing those reviews, so I might as well leave them out and use that time to create different content), some new things will be coming (streetstyle) and some things will be staying the same (outfit posts).
I hope you will keep following and reading my blog. I wish you all a very, very awesome 2014!.

Favourite Places-Borjana's Vienna (guest post)

Do you know Borjana ? She's the girl behind a "Beeswonderland" blog, the girl pulling off all the latest trends, instantly recognizable by her shock of black curls styled into an edgy short style, foodie lover (a girl after my own heart) and a Bosnian transplant to Vienna. Who better then to tell us a bit about her favourite place (a popular weekend flea market Naschmarkt) in Vienna than her?
 
   1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and the place where you live?

My name is Borjana, I’m 27 years old and I was born and raised in Bosnia. Two years ago I moved to Vienna, one of the most beautiful places one can visit in Europe.

 2) What prompted the move to Vienna and why Vienna?

I fell in love. With The Guy and The City. :)

      3) How and when did you first get interested in fashion and do you think it (fashion) is important?

When I was a girl I forced my mom to sew clothes for my Barbie doll, my doll had to have even bras and bikinis! I use fashion as a way of expressing myself and my mood, so it’s not seriously taken.

   4) How would you describe Viennese style and how does it differ from style back home in Bosnia? 

 Worlds apart! Bosnian girls are more dressed up, and more than half the stores Viennese girls have  are not even available in Bosnia. Imagine what would they do if they have H&M, for example?!

 When I see a good looking girl on the streets of Vienna, nine times out of ten she’s an ex  Yugoslavian citizen!

      5) How would you describe your own personal style?

   I don’t want to put myself in a box, since I love to have fun and try different things. Maybe “playful”  is the word, then? 

    6) Top three places to visit in Vienna?

 Schoenbrunn, Naschmarkt and inner city.

      7) Tell us a bit about market you chose for your favourite place in Vienna and why did you choose it?

It’s most famous Viennese flea market with different world cuisines. My Saturday mornings are always spent in the same café which feels like home now. 

 8) Favourite brands/places to shop?

Everyone who follows my blog is familiar with my H&M and Zara obsession. I love how they’re always on trend with affordable prices. But I would trade them for a Topshop store in Vienna in a second! :D

Vienna is famous for its second hand shops too, so I love to peek in some of them from time to time. Of course, the best offers are at flea markets.

      9) Are there any style icons you admire?

 I admire girls on the street with strict shopping budget who manage to always look perfectly put together and on trend.

     Of course, during fashion week seasons, I’m always browsing Google for streetstyle phoptos of  Christine Centenera, Miroslava Duma and Taylor Tomasi Hill.

      10) Which current trends do you like and which do you dislike?

 I’m obsessed with cropped tops to the point  that I’m starting to bore my readers! As for disliking something, I really can’t say, since a lot of things that I expressly said “Never” to, found the way to my closet. One word – Birkenstock. Oh, yes I did.

      11) Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

New York, working in fashion in  an office with the perfect view of the city, a kid in the kindergarten, a husband picking us both up after work. No, seriously. I’d be more than happy if the blog brings me more experiences in traveling and meeting new friends. If not, I’ll be a lawyer. :)

  Borjana was wearing:
Kimono: H&M Trend 
Shorts: Vintage Levi's
Shoes:  PersunMall 
Sunglasses:  ZeroUV 

 I hope you enjoyed a little peek into Borjana's world and her little corner of Vienna.
You can follow her blog here: Beeswonderland 
She's also on Facebook  and Instagram