Going Home…

After one whole year away from all the beautiful people I love dearly and have MISSED EVERY SINGLE DAY(like you wouldn’t even understand) I simply had to go home.

My life would of course be much easier if all of my friends and family were located in the same city, but like most families, they are strewn out around the United States.

It’s always going to be challenging to see all of the folks that I would like to when I visit. It’s simply not possible. I will also miss weddings, births, and killer dinner parties whilst I’m abroad.

This is just a sad reality of my spectacularly fun new life. ;(

We flew into Cleveland first because that’s where a big chunk of my family live.

My beautiful Aunts did their best to make our stay the most relaxing and fun few days imaginable…

I even got to spend some quality time with the family pets!

And no trip to CLE is complete without stopping by Cedar Point.

We rodes some epic and terrifying coasters…

Ate some massive BBQ turkey legs…

Then we passed out from jet lag exhaustion!

Followed by a quick flight to Nashville!!

I immediately had a bar party and invited everyone to come out and give me a year’s worth of hugs.

They complied!

Toasts were made…

I was so excited to spend time with some of my besties…

And baby!

OOooohhh baby!

This one made me want one of my own…

Even with fussy scrunched up sad baby face…

There were lots of babies being made whilst I was away…

Big fat squooshy pretty babies!!!

And some of the babies I knew a year ago weren’t babies anymore, but little tiny people…

Simon made some new friends as well…Of the furry variety…

And the wacky-conspiracy-theory-Jesus-loving-rocker-chick variety…

Crazy girls are the hottest. Always. That is a fact.

LOVE YOU LALA. Forevs. PS. Her Dad MIGHT be Ziggy Stardust. FYI.

Moving on…

My mom was as pretty as I remember her being…

My brother was still a massive fantasy football dweeb…

Gorgeous sunny Murphmurph was just as gorgeous and sunny as ever…

Becca was still awesome and smart and sharing her love of great food…

She and her fantastic fiance took us out to Dinner at Silo http://www.silotn.com

Exceptional and elevated Southern cuisine welcoming me home proved to be JUST what I needed…

Especially deviled eggs three ways…

Deep fried greenbeans…

And pork belly…

We even visited my beloved Bombay Palace http://www.bombaypalacetn.com/

They were all super excited to see me too! Awwwwww!

Actually, we did a lot of eating.

And of course, we had to work some of it off…

No better place than Edwin Warner Park…

So that was our trip back to Nashville via Cleveland. A ton of photos I know, but some super wonderful days with friends and family! Hopefully I’ll be back sooner than later and can see more of my loved ones this time! See ya soon Nashville xx

One last Spain post for my foodies…

I just wanted to share some of the food I DEVOURED in Spain for those of you who live to eat…

I promise I’ll be quick!

A simple lunch…

Followed by a decadent dinner…

Tomato and goat cheese salad

Beef carpaccio with sheep’s-milk cheese

Tuna carpaccio with pink peppercorn and dill

Filet mignon with foie

Vanilla bean panna cotta with black currants…

Me pre-FACESTUFF

Me in action!

Grilled calamari for another yummy lunch…

A little scampi party…

Tasty tapas…

That is all! I hope you salivated at least a little!

Next up: LONG overdue Nashville Trip posts!!!

Christmas in Spain…

Hi Friends. Sorry it takes me forever and ever to post lately.
I’m a busy little worker bee in hustle-y bustle-y ole Londontown. You must forgive me!

Needless to say, spending Christmas in Spain was exceptionally cool (as you have probably surmised from my last few posts).

I don’t celebrate Christmas for religious reasons (because I’m not a religious lady) but to be honest, I LOVE the aesthetic of Christmas.

Big fat glittery Christmas trees and shiny foil wrapping paper get me all swoony inside.

Eggnog, chocolate truffles, and roasted meat? Yes please.

To get to do, see, and experience all of these things in fancy pants Spain with my beautiful and FUN Spanish family was simply the best.

There was so much food. So many presents. It was quite simply the loveliest and merriest of Christmases I could imagine ever having.

I present it to you with limited comment!

The boys worked hard to prepare Christmas dinner…

They even served everyone!

My paleo plate!

The wine began to flow and so did the laughter!

And then the machetes?

And of course…dishes were tackled…

Snuggles were had…

Feliz Navidad!!!!! xx

Becca’s visit!

Leaving Nashville a year ago was a mixed bag.
I was super sad to leave my friends and family, but extremely excited to marry my sweetheart and stoked to be starting a new life in London.

I worried that no one would ever come visit me.

I mean, I did move 4,000 miles away and across the Atlantic Ocean.
Tickets are expensive and taking time off work is tough(especially for Americans).

But lo and behold, this has not stopped people from continuing to make the journey.

Which, makes me feel REALLY LOVED.

I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that I happen live in one of the coolest city’s in the world, but I like to think that it’s only a tiny part of why people have made the trip.

Becca is one of my GIRLS!
We worked together for years and she is probably the most reliable and trustworthy person I know.
She also threw my bachelorette brunch and has generally just always been an incredibly great friend to me.

When I found out she was going to come visit me I literally jumped up and down in my bedroom screaming “BECCA’S GONNA COME SEEEEEE MEEEEEEE!!!!!” at the top of my lungs while my dog looked at me with distinct disapproval of my volume level.

We had a REALLY good time and saw ALL OF THE THINGS.

We were out and about every single day walking (and shopping) our butts off.

I have photographic evidence of all the funtimes.
Most of the photos are of Becca because she’s just really super pretty.

A day exploring Greenwich…

The Prime Meridian Line-where time begins!

Becca is also a MAJOR Harry Potter fan.
She took a bus one of the days she was visiting and went on a 3 hour superfan tour the Studio where they filmed all of the HP movies.

All by herself. Awwwww..

Bearing this in mind, it was simply imperative that she visit the Millenium Bridge as it is apparently featured in a scene of one of the films where some scary smoke monster thing flies over it or destroys it or something?

Clearly I haven’t seen the films.

She was a little excited.

Simply adorable.

Here we are slurping down a few beautiful craft cocktails at Bar Social…

And then snarfing down some gorgeously sinful pizza in Shoreditch…

And beer…

And the prettiest little butter lettuce & avocado salad…

Did I mention that Sir Noodles fell in love with Becca during her stay?

(she’s totally channeling some ultra hot Uma Thurman in this shot)

Exploring Salisbury + Salisbury Cathedral with the hubbs and the Noodz.

Sunday Roast…

Let’s all just take a moment of silence for how breathtaking my friend is.

Unfortunately she couldn’t stay forever and had to go home. SADFACE.

Til next time!

xxoo

Scotland O Scotland

I have always wanted to go to Scotland.
More than most people…and I’m not exactly sure why.
I probably watched too much Braveheart growing up.

Oh wait, maybe it’s the accent. I LOVE that accent.

Or the sheep.

Or these MASSIVELY ADORABLE HIGHLAND COWS.

(BTW, Rob Manningham took this great shot, not moi)

UGH. WANT ONE. Soooooo bad.

No matter!

The point is, I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Scotland and I finally got my wish!

HOORAY!

First Stop, St. Andrews!

Lunch was at Mitchell Deli…http://www.mitchellsdeli.co.uk/#

The Decor reminded me very much of Marche and Margot from Nashville…

And the food was AMAZING.

NEXT UP, EDINBURGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adventures with Duck

Although my status as a carnivore has for the most part, been on a down trend, every so often I break away and indulge in some good old-fashioned meat-eating.
My favorite animal to eat is duck.
The deliciously tasty and most excellent duck.
The skin especially, is just down right decadent.

Guh.

How can one commit to a life of complete vegetarianism after tasting duck skin?

Tell me this!

My spectacular trip to London this Summer involved my first ever Peking Duck experience, which I shall never forget, no matter how many more brain injuries I sustain in my life.

The started out with no plans of a duck feast in sight.
We did a little sight-seeing…

Hung out in the park and acted like annoyingly adorable teenagers…

Met up with QT and consumed some wine on a boat bar on the Thames River…

Before you know it we were on a tipsy mission, wandering the streets of London in search of the duck feast to end all duck feasts…

Soon enough we were seated in a fabulously elegant Chinese restaurant ordering a duck and a half, and even more wine…

Moi, patiently awaiting the duck feast!

Snacks!

THE DUCK!!!

MMMMmmmmmmm…

Duck Skin…

The spread…

So here is what you do to make your taste buds have the biggest most fantastical explosive party in your mouth ever…

You take a pancake, you spread some plum sauce on it, you add cucumber and spring onions…

You grab a nice tender chunk of duck meat and top it with a crispy crunchy lacquered duck skin crackling and you roll it up as quickly as possible; inhaling it like you are in a prison camp.

Because it disappears fast!

QT tries to hide the shame of shoveling duck into his mouth…

Oh! And they clean the rest of the duck and stir fry it with bean sprouts!

There is no shame! Only joy!

Wow. That was an awesome day.

So the other night, I attempted to make my first duck and roasties using the UK fan oven.

DUCK!

Check out those taters atop my new Acacia chopping block…

And the finished product!

MAGNIFICENT! CRISPY SKIN, TENDER DUCK!

Super easy to make!

Simply sear the duck legs for a few moments on a hot skillet til the skin gets nice and brown and transfer to the oven with raw sliced potatoes for 1.25 hours on 190 degrees Celcius
(for UK fan ovens).

You can season the potatoes however you wish, although I just opted for simple salt & pepper.
As the duck legs cook, the fat seeps out of the duck and cooks the potatoes to the most gorgeous crispy golden brown, while also enriching it with a truly sinful flavour.

Here is the US equivalent…375 F for 1.25 hours
(Remember, I’m all British now)

Okay y’all…more later! Back to veggies and soymilk for me!

Is there anything as delicious as a warm taco?

Yesterday was a seriously super rad day.

Work was bearable.

There was a delightful afternoon rain shower that kind of cooled off the hot nasty summer day.

I went and saw “Inception” (THAT MOVIE IS SPECTACULAR…except for all that unnecessary snow-mobile crap at the end)

And to top that all off, the lovely and talented Teresa of Mas Tacos was sweet enough to offer me an invite to the trial run or “soft opening” of her new stationary Mas Tacos shop!

First of all, the design aesthetic of her new place is beyond awesome.

Definitely Retro, but done in a smart way with a minimalist approach.

Her juke box is basically the best thing ever because:

1.) It’s free
2.) There are no record/song titles listed, so you just choose a letter and a number and see what happens! FUN!

The cacti situation was basically perfect.

This one made me wish I had flowers up in my do’.

This one was your typical “lean to the lefty”… AHEM.

And this guy was my buddy. He’s pretty.

ALSO, check out the light fixtures….so freaking smart…

It is truly the details that make a place interesting and beautiful.
Mas Tacos felt like home.
That sort of communal feeling of a tiny cafeteria or eating in a friends awesome living room.

WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO BUY TACOS FROM THESE ADORABLE LIL LADIES?

I asked Teresa if she was tired and this was her response!

Awwww….She’s so happy!!

Oh yeah. Delicious creamy-dreamy-magical-cool-that-fiery-mouth-off Hor Chata.

Always order this. It is god’s super special gift to the universe.
Trust.

And now, THE TACOS!

TACO #1: Quinoa with roasted tomatillo salsa, potato, jalapeno, corn, red cabbage, sour cream, lime, and cilantro!

TACO #2: Fried Tilapia with spicy dill yogurt, red cabbage, red onion, fresh lime, and cilantro!

I took a lot of pictures. They are just so pretty.

So pretty IN MY MOUTH!

Don’t ask me to pick a favorite because I WILL NEVER PICK A FAVORITE.

I was pretty much in Taco Heaven.

Because baby jayzus loves me despite my persistant disbelief in him, she opened her shop up two blocks from my house!!!
That means there will be a lot more taco consumption in my future.

Like, I may stop cooking altogether.

The restaurant is gorgeous.

The jukebox helps you take your taco experience to the max.

I love the gold paint. I love the layout of the place.

I love the retro-tastic trash can that I didn’t get a photograph of but will at some point.
(Again, trust me it’s wicked cool.)

I think you have a winner here Teresa. Congrats!
I’ll still be looking out for the taco truck, but I’m so excited to be able to get tacos on MY schedule now.

Mas Tacos will be opening officially this coming Tuesday July 27th at 11am til 8pm!
732 McFerrin Avenue
Nashville, TN
37206

Review: Sky Blue Coffee & Bistro East Nashville

I don’t like giving places bad reviews. Especially when I walk into the place and it’s everything I would want a tiny little neighborhood bistro to be.
Awesome local art on the walls, quirky retro salt shakers, trivial pursuit cards stacked up next to the sugar caddy beckoning you to play, and most importantly, a fantastic-looking menu full of tasty breakfast/ lunch options.
I have heard good things about Sky Blue Coffee & Bistro from a lot of people recently and was very excited to try it out for myself.
Upon my arrival, I stood around for a few seconds and then just sat myself because the server looked really busy.
It was a rainy day, dreary, humid, and I was ready for a pick-me-up.
The dining room at Sky Blue is tiny and cozy, with these sweet retro-printed vinyl tablecloths that I absolutely loved.
We sat there for quite awhile before I even had a menu and then a bit longer before I had anything to drink.
Eventually I put my order in.
I ordered Buttermilk pancakes, home fries, and veggie sausage.
I also ordered coffee and I was very pleased to see (and taste!) that it was Drew’s Brews locally roasted coffee. http://www.drewsbrewscoffee.com/

So, I must say that I’m okay with waiting a reasonable amount of time for food.
I’m pretty patient when I know that what I’m about to eat is going to be worth the wait.
That being said, I waited nearly 45 minutes for a few simple breakfast items when the whole place had emptied out except for one other table.

My pancakes were massive, very fluffy, took up most of the plate, although the veggie sausage looked sort of dry, the home fries looked perfect!

The pancakes were good except for one fact, that the bottoms were scortched to holy hell.
C’mon.
I mean…you burn it, remake it. Please don’t hide it by presenting the pretty side up.
I can taste the charred part when I eat it!!

I also had to wait another 5 minutes to et the server’s attention to get some butter.
(maybe they should put that in a ramekin on the side with the syrup they bring? Just a thought…)
Unfortunately the part I was most excited about, my potatoes, were completely cold.
The ketchup the server brought us was nearly frozen which did not help the cold potatoes whatsoever.
One of the veggie sausages was delicious and not too dry, and the next one was hard as a rock and stayed on the plate untouched.
The coffee was great, although brewed a bit weaker than Marche serves Drews Brews.
The flavor and seasoning of the potatoes was lovely and had the temperature been correct I would be raving about them.
Honest.
Maybe it was the rain, the fact that it was the end of breakfast service…who knows.
Every review can’t be glowing I suppose, but it sucks because I live to support my community restaurants and was kinda bummed that I couldn’t gush relentlessly about Sky Blue the way I have about other East Nashville Bistro’s like Marche.
I will be back. But I will probably order the omelet next time.

http://www.skybluecoffee.com/www.skybluecoffee.com/Welcome.html

REVIEW: Cantina Laredo in the Gulch.

The area of town where I work has undergone a huge rehab in the last 5 years, transforming from old empty factory buildings and abandoned gravel parking lots, to a booming district full of restaurants, music venues, retail, modern high-rise condos, and even our very first Urban Outfitters! The Gulch is also the first LEED certified neighborhoods in the South!
Go Green! Yee-Haw!
Here is a recent shot of “The Gulch” in Nashville, TN.

Anyway, across the street from the Supper Club where I work, a Cantina Laredo opened last week and I was lucky enough to get a “soft-opening” invite (where the restaurant is closed to the public but open invite-only for guests to come in and try the food for free and give the servers/kitchen some practice)
I was pretty excited for a few reasons. First, I have heard a lot of great things about the place, secondly I freak out over good Tex-mex, and lastly because it was going to be free!!!!
MAMA LIKES FREE.
The one thing that had me hung up from the start is the fact that they describe themselves as “gourmet Mexican food.”
Isn’t that a bit of an oxymoron??
Regardless of my natural skepticism, I remained hopeful until Sunday rolled around and I could see for myself whether Cantina was really worth all of the fuss.
I really wanted to be blown out of the water with this food.
Okay so let’s start with the chips and salsa duo brought to the table right from the moment we sat down.

One salsa was served hot, one was cold, and they were both pretty spicy. I would have prefered a sweet mild version also, but beggars can’t be assholes, so I dealt with it by stuffing my little face.
Onto the most memorable item of the evening: The Tableside Guacamole.
Yes, “tableside”…….as in, they prepare it directly at the table….including such all-star ingredients as: fresh avocado, cilantro, sea salt, garlic, onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, & lime juice. It was really delicious and wonderful.
Seriously.
I should also mention how delicious the margaritas were. Fresh lime & and lemon juice…no syrupy sour mix…just fresh juice. Outstanding!

Onto the entrees!
We ordered 3 different entrees and shared them amongst ourselves:
1.) ENCHILADAS DE CAMARONES~
consisting of shrimp, monterey jack cheese and roasted peppers in enchiladas
on a bed of spinach and vegetables topped with sour cream
poblano sauce and cost $16.99
These were good, but not amazing.
Kind of bland.
The shrimp were well cooked and the spinach was a nice touch. The menu says “grilled veggies” but there were only onions lurking beneath the spinach so I’m not sure what that’s all about. The presentation was pretty but I had a hard time pointing out what was “gourmet” about the dish…
Pictured below:

2.) SHRIMP FLAUTAS~
Three fried tortillas rolled up and stuffed with shrimp, monterey jack cheese and fresh jalapeños served with a cilantro sour cream and grilled veggies and cost $15.29
These were very tasty, but mostly because the fried tortillas had such a nice crunch and the cilantro sour cream was a near perfect addition. The shrimp on the ends stuck out of the tortillas, tails still attached, (which I suppose was simply a presentation aspect, but it made eating them a pain in the ass because you had to pull them out, sever the tail and then stuff it back in there yourself….ehhh…)
This dish came with grilled veggies so maybe they just forgot to put them on the enchilada plate?
Pictured below:

3.) CAMARON POBLANO ASADA~
Carne asada steak wrapped around a poblano pepper filled with
sautéed shrimp, mushrooms, onions and monterey jack cheese,
served on a bed of chimichurri sauce and cost $21.49
This was definitely the winner of the three despite the fact that everyone agreed the steak was WAY WAY WAY too salty. We were all shocked at how tender the meat was, and the pepper stuffed with cheese & shrimp was just really freakin’ tasty.
Pictured Below:

Finally, we ordered two desserts:
1.) Flan:
I had never had Flan but my Stepfather raved about it and I was certainly not dissapointed! Yum.
AND
2.) Apple pie with sizzling brandy butter and cinnamon ice cream:

I seriously had to fight the overwhelming urge to rub the bubbling brandy butter all over my naked body, but my parents were present so I reeled it in.
Honestly….. the Margaritas, Guacamole, & Apple Pie were the shining moments..
I’m still not sure what was “gourmet” about the meal except fancy presentation and fresh ingredients.
It was good tex-mex, albeit a bit pricey for what was delivered.
After it was all said and done, it didn’t blow my mind.
But Mama Loves the FREE!
Check it out sometime:http://www.cantinalaredo.com/

I heart Pesto

P1060682, originally uploaded by Jamie Susan.

I’m not going to lie. I didn’t always like pesto. I just didn’t grow up eating fancy food. Yes, pesto was considered “fancy” in my house. I don’t know how I made it through to an adult with the crap I ate growing up. Not that my parents didn’t cook healthy meals, because they did, and still do. It was quite simply that my palate was mature enough to appreciate only a few things: cheese pizza, mint chocolate chip ice cream, animal crackers, and the sweet bitterness of teenage heartbreak.
It is important to note that I also grew up in a household where although the cooking was healthy, it was certainly limited to a few predictable staples and seldom creative or adventurous. Oftentimes, us teens were informed by the folks that it was “fend for yourselves night,” (which meant that due to my parents busy schedule and growing intolerance for our complaints about their cooking, we were ON OUR OWN!) So, that ussually meant that I either melted cheese on a plate and ate it with a fork, or perhaps dug into a box of chips ahoy until my mouth hurt from all of the sugar while watching Singled Out. (I miss that stupid show)
Luckily as I grew up, I became curious about cuisine and was fortunate enough to make friends whom possessed more daring culinary backgrounds than myself. Eventually these wonderful people took pity on me and introduced me to the wide and mesmerizing universe of TASTE!
Somewhere along this journey I met Pesto! And oh how I adore thee! I don’t know how I made it this long without you on my pastas, pizzas,salads, and sammies!
Pesto and I have always had a thing for each other, but this year we finally took the plunge and fell into a deep, unalterable, planet-shifting love together. It’s a sickness, I’m sure of it..
I haven’t been able to find anything savory that doesn’t become AWESOME after a little dab of the green stuff.
I barely ever eat marinara anymore because upon first bite, I wish it was pesto. It’s like trying to love your new boyfriend, but knowing deep down that your ex was so much better. Maybe it’s not quite like that, but you follow.
So tonight I made a quick and simple dinner using my darling beloved pesto. Farfalle pasta, fresh peas, parmesan, and pesto tossed together in such a way that brings stars to my eyes and a flutter to my heart! Dreamy and Delicious and much better than getting sick on chips ahoy or picking at melted cheese on a plate!