My Notting Hill: Jamie Oliver's Recipease

When we first moved to England,

I would do a 2 hour commute

into London for work...

and then another 2 hours home.

(And I loved it.)

In the evenings,

the first hour was on the tube

getting to Paddington

where I would hop on a train

and haul my buns

back out to Oxford.

In London during commuter hours,

free newspapers are passed out

to commuters as the enter the tube entrances.

I love sitting on the packed-yet-silent tubes

and listening the ruffles of newspapers.

Because there's no cell service (yet),

it is like a time transport

to people reading books & papers.

(And I loved that, too.)

I remember reading the Evening Standard

on the tube one night

the first few months we lived in England.

There was 30-Minute Meal insert

by this English chef, Jamie Oliver...

he was cooking with exotic ingredients

like "rocket" and "coriander"

and making weird sounding things

like Portuguese tarts for dessert.

For some reason,

I kept the paper

and it's still sitting in my recipe book today.

Now that I've been here a while

(3.5 years already!),

I realize what a naive little pup I was.

Jamie Oliver is practically the king of the cooking scene here.

(And "rocket" & "coriander" is actually just arugula & cilantro. Oops.)

While I still don't have an affinity for Portuguese tarts,

I have fallen in love with Mr. Oliver.

He taught me to roast a perfect chicken, afterall.

And, now, he set up shop in our neighborhood

with the cutest place you ever did see:

RECIPEASE.

Cooking classes, cute baking goods,

take away meals for dinner,

gorgeous baked goods & coffee for easy snagging,

and of course- a restaurant with his yummy recipes.

It's a sweet place

that's easy to find

right above the Notting Hill Gate tube station...

Stop by. 

Either grab a coffee

or sit a while 

in the sunny windows upstairs

over a gorgeous plate of his yummy creatiions.

(I personally dig the thai green curry or the spiced carrot pancake with hummous!)

*    *   *

RECIPEASE

92-94 Notting Hill Gate

London W11 3QB

(other locations available here)

*photography by Noah Darnell

Now You Know: Champagne?

If there's one thing I've learned

while living in France,

is that people are particular 

about their sparkling wine....

Excusez-moi, "champagne."

Because, in France, mon ami,

you can find Champagne

most every where you go...

since it's made there.

If you go to a cafe in London,

you may find other bubbles on the menu

but just because it's pretty and sparkling,

doesn't mean it's "Champagne."

It could sparkling wine from Italy, Spain or Napa.

(Though, you won't see American wine on a European menu too often.)

Champagne is the name that is given ONLY

to sparkling wine grown in the Champagne region in France.

Only.

And they get really fussy if you give it's name 

to anything that isn't from that area.

So here's a quick tutorial for you 

so that you can speak of the sparkling

and babble of bubbles 

correctly where ever it is

you find yourself.

Are there bubbles in your glass?

It's sparkling!

Is it from France?

Then it's probably Champagne...

but check that the bottle says so.

Is it from Italy?

Then it's not Champagne- it's prosecco.

Is it from Spain?

Then it's not Champagne- it's cava.

* * * 

Look at that.

We've all got a bit smarter 

and more refined.

Cheers to that.

*image via

"Today I'm..."

I found myself going down a rabbit hole

of old memories tonight

by watching some of the videos I made

when we first moved to England.

I'm so glad I made them.

They are some of the best treasures I have.

I don't know why, 

but this one has always been one of my favorites.

Maybe it's because it combines travel + home.

Two things that typically compete,

but are both equally tied for first in my heart.

It also makes me excited

to remember what we've seen

and what adventures await us.

In case this looks too easy...

People always ask me 

how we travel with a baby.

Well, we just do.

It's possible...

and it's not too painful

at this stage in our life.

In fact, it's actually pretty fun.

But don't be fooled...

it's not always easy.

No matter how serene

our pictures may seem...

well, she's still a baby.

Have a great weekend!

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

My Notting Hill: Talkhouse Coffee

Our friend Reuben is generally very nice...

except when it comes to coffee.

You should have seen the snarl I got when I asked if 

he had served instant coffee after we had dinner  at their house one night.

The death look was given and noted.

So when he says that a place by our flat has really good coffee,

we listen.

Well, actually, Tyler listens

and then takes me....

and then I remember that this was the place

 that Reuben was talking up so much.

Talkhouse sits on Portobello Road,

at the end of the market.

It's a small coffee shop

that discreetly boasts

that it's barista won 3rd in the 

World Latte Art Competition.

(Who knew such existed, right?)

But not only does Talkhouse serve coffee so fancy

that it could make a hipster feel insecure

but the food is top notch.

We reallllly love the St. John's custard donut

and the chocolate chip cookie sprinkled with sea salt.

Yum.

The lunch options are also really good quality

and amazingly fresh.

If it's nice outside,

snag a seat in the outdoor garden area

at the wayyyyy back of the shop.

(Just keep going, it's there. I promise.)

Enjoy this good, good place.

I know you won't be disappointed.

Talkhouse Coffee

275 Portobello Road

London W11 1LR

*photos by Noah Darnell

One Lost.

Over the past year,

in moments when I've felt emotions

that I can only express through writing out

or a brief flit of unashamed honesty...

I've typed out the story of my delivery

to share on here with you.

But, to be honest, it's just a lot for a blog post...

and I feel a bit weird 

putting the most painful moment of my life

out on the internet

for anyone to stare at.

If I thought it might help someone 

in any was possible, I would...

but our situation was so tragically unique

that I don't have to worry that it might happen 

to anyone else by me not raising awareness.

If I ever see you in person

and you want to talk about it,

I'll explain it to you then...

But because when I do meet blog readers

and I realize how little I have exactly shared,

I do want to share a few things with you

that can help you understand things a bit more...

First, our daughter was not miscarried, nor was she stillborn.

We didn't find out that anything was "wrong" with her before delivery, 

and we didn't expect anything other than two healthy daughters.

She was full-term. She was born, lived, and she died when she was two days old.

To our surprise, she was Viola's identical twin sister...

and she was prettier than we could have ever imagined our chid could be. 

Today, you would know her as Evelyn...

And the combination of our two daughters

would leave us exhausted, broke, homebound...

and stuck with the feeling that we were

 the luckiest people to have ever lived.

.  .  .

I'm not sure how you're supposed to write

about the first anniversary

of your daughter's death,

but here I find myself trying to do it justice.

I'm sure there are other people who have done it

that could offer an example to me,

but you can't replicate the words of anyone else

when you find yourself in a moment like this.

So, in the name of nothing going as we had planned

and in the hope of everything ultimately working out for good,

I can only offer these words a year out:

I miss my daughter. 

I miss the year that has passed without her,

and I mourn the years ahead that will slip quietly by

without her in them.

But I cling to the hope that God's love is greater

and that this world is fleeting.

In a moment like this, I realize

that what other hope can we have?

.  .  .

I'd also like to say thank you.

Thank for you being there with us.

Not only did you buffer the awkwardness 

of sharing with the internet

that your delivery went terrible and you lost a child,

but you responded in the kindest of ways.

You poured out thoughtfulness through your words,

you eased the hurt with meals and gifts,

you connected with others behind the scenes

to relentlessly show us how much you cared.

You taught me how to love those who hurt,

and I hope to never forget it.

But most importantly,

thank you for celebrating our daughter's life

and grieving our daughter's death.

Your interest and compassion give significance to her life.

As her parents who endlessly grieve such a short end,

there's no greater gift that can be given 

than the one you have offered 

through acknowledging her life and it's value.

From the bottom of my heart,

thanks.

The Lovely Drawer: Pad Thai

When we moved to Oxford,

I fell in love with Thai food.

I'll be honest:

before we moved over,

I don't think I have ever had it.

Why? What? 

Why was I wasting so much of my life?

These are all valid questions.

And to be honest:

I can't give you a good reason. 

I guess it just hadn't made it to Tejas yet.

But oh me-oh-my... 

I fell hard for some Pad Kee Mao

(from Oxford's Old Tom Thai),

and now Thai takeout

(from Walmer Castle or The Churchill Arms)

is a weekly happening in our home.

The great news is-

there is an Asian supermarket

about 100 yards from our flat.

So now, I just need to put this recipe into use

and save the cash from our takeout bill

for something special.

Who knows...

it could be save up for a vacation to Thailand

when I can go to town on some authentic deliciousness.

Welcome back, Teri,

and thanks for bringing this amazing dish our way.

Yum.

*        *        *

Surely everyone likes Pad Thai? Well perhaps if you have a peanut allergy it's not top of your 'to make' list but it's a winner none the less. This recipe is a mixture of handy tips from my neighbour who recently cooked us this yummy dinner and a bit of good old experimentation. Now it's something I'll cook time and time again. 

You can equally enjoy this meal with chicken instead. I know some people get creeped out by seafood. (Personally, I could eat my body weight in the stuff!)

HOMEMADE ZINGY PAD THAI 

(serves four)

1. Make a marinade for the prawns using the chilli flakes, one garlic clove (minced) and half the coriander (read: cilantro). Marinade for at least an hour but ideally over night.

2. Thinly slice your onion and fry on a medium heat with some vegetable oil in a pan. Mince the other two garlic cloves into the plan and then add the bean sprouts.

3. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to the boil and add your noodles to cook. 

4. Mix the juice of 2 and half of the limes, sugar and fish sauce and chilli sauce in a bowl or jug. Mix well and add to the frying pan.

5. Turn down to a low heat and add your peanut butter, stirring to combine. Then add your prawns and marinade and cook.

6. Once your noodles are cooked, before draining, transfer a ladle's worth into the pad thai pan to give the sauce creaminess. You can add more depending on the consistency you like.

7. Add the noodles to the pad thai pan as well and combine on a low heat. 

8. Pour your peanuts into a blender and pulse until they become small pieces. When your prawns are pink, serve your pad thai with the peanuts sprinkled on top, the rest of your coriander (chopped) and a wedge of lime to squeeze on each.

9. Now you can devour it all! 

*      *     * 

Oh my yum.

Who's having me over for Pad Thai?

Please?

. . .

Get a bigger dose of Teri's creativity & aesthetic at The Lovely Drawer.

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Paris Style: First Impressions

I'm a sucker for the style

of Parisian women.

I mean, who's not.

Girls love it.

Guys love it.

It's pretty perfect.

I'm a few days in

and already rethinking

my own closet 

and trying to put together 

some new looks with what I already have...

And then of course,

there's everything I wish I had.

Let's window shop

and put together an ensemble

that could blend us in 

to any cafe scene
or seat on the metro.

Because, afterall, in France

it isn't about standing out...

it's about looking effortlessly appropriate.

(PS. The JCREW pics are final sale with an extra 40% off with code: BIG40.)

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy