Tuesday 4 February 2014

February 2014 Instagramy Post Part 1

I know there has been a polar vortex but there must have been a time vortex as well because we are near mid Febs!! 
When did that happen?

I suppose between meals...
Been eating a lot.
Went to the Shed in Kensington.
That space has been quite a few different restaurants 
but this is my favourite incarnation of the spot.
 The chef's brother raises all the pigs and lamb and his mum makes wine from her vineyards in West Sussex!  
White wine from the Nutbourne vineyards is very drinkable indeed.
Finally got my act in gear and went to Denmark!
Where I ate some more...
Finally went to Noma which I wrote about here.

 While I was there, 
my friends and I got a tour of Noma's test kitchen and
 staff canteen.


I could have gotten a news breaking scoop.
Rene Redzepi, the head chef at Noma, 
tweeted "cod sperm" on the 5th of Feb.
But I could have told you that four days earlier!


Yes I had eaten ants, crickets, and bee larvae.
But that was a close call - perhaps it is for the spring menu? 

Future dishes on the kitchen blackboard.
Even Noma was talking about kale.


All the various dishes tried out to match the plate to the taste.

Do you label all your ingredients in the kitchen?

 

If so, well done.
 

If not, how would you know where your 
icelandic moss and xanthum gum is? 
Come on people, get your act together.

 

Curious to know what brand oven the #2 restaurant uses?
 Gaggenau.

The day after we arrived in Copenhagen, it snowed...
 and snowed...
 and snowed...
 But it was so darn beautiful. 
Plus it was my first snowfall of the year.
 That is the frozen river with snow settling on top.
 There was a flock of birds settling in the middle of the river.
All those pics were no filter - just as is by the way. 
I have never seen any vista so black and white in real life!


The mood was so festive and buildings look better with snow.
My friends and I had to give up any semblance of style and trudged through the snow to make it to our lunch at Geranium 
presently ranked at #45 in the world.

 
 That place is amazing and I had THE best bread and butter I have ever had in my entire life there.
 Soooo good that it deserves at least two pictures and 
I don't even like oats. The opinion was unanimous as well.
The butter was whipped but then they put the buttermilk back in somehow with wild onion flowers.
The bread was a cross between a sourdough and a brioche.
Can't stop thinking about it.

After lunch we were so full but dinner time came around and 
we decided to have a simple meal.
We went to a traditional Danish inn.
 Thought I would try the Danish version of 
Wiener Schnitzel with herring on top.
 I wanted to match it with a very local Danish beer so 
asked the waitress her suggestion.
She said Carlsberg and I protested saying I wanted a very local beer.
She then pointed and said the brewery was a few blocks away.
How do you say seen off in Danish?

Was going to wear these kitten heels that hit my current fetish for 
leopard print I finally found in one of my packed boxes for my lunch at Geranium or Noma...


but then had to borrow my friend's spare snow shoes instead.

Trust me when I say that while the Danes are super stylish in general but they don't bother in the wintertime.
It's about staying alive.
Keep warm or cool out there folks depending where you are! x

41 comments:

  1. I love Scandinavia and Finland in winter...thanks for the great snow shots!! Leslie in Portland, Oregon

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    1. As stark as it was in the winter I bet it is just a field of wildflowers in the summer. I wish I could have taken better pictures for you Leslie!

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  2. Always love your Insta posts. That list on the wall at Noma sounds absolutely awful. I have no desire to eat Cod sperm. Or lichen (unless in survival mode while lost in a forest somewhere). There are very good reasons why these things are not mainstream foods eaten by all.
    I do label my containers, however I did that a long time ago (pre children) and some of the labels don't match up with the contents any more - like the container that says cous-cous on it, but in fact contains frozen banana pieces in the freezer.
    Love those Manolos. You'll have to get them out for a few dinners out in London - I find they go well with jeans. xx

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    1. Well it is good to know if you are ever camping out in Scandinavia - you can get by knowing what is edible! I now am happy they didn't try and feed us rotted shark but then again that is more Icelandic. I bought a labeling thingo and I am ready to label everything now! I am looking forward to wearing my heels now that I found them again but I bought them years ago and only wore them once... xx

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  3. Oh come on, I know you have had sperm before...oh, did I really just write that. Anyway, my feeling about bread and butter are met. One part bread, five parts butter.

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    1. Apologies if this is a family blog.

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    2. Blue Booby - I am going to wash your mouth out with soap young lady

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    3. *stifled giggle*

      I used to eat so much butter that the local shop thought I was a baker - at my peak I ate a block of butter every two days!

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  4. I also like these posts, it's fun to see what you've been up to! Snow is beautiful, we keep getting more but I don't care, I'm used to it and I don't even mind the cold. I have all of those Brora sweaters after all.
    Those shoes are so so pretty, they will be nice in spring.
    I like the sound of your friends too, they seem a good sort!
    Sometimes I do label my jars but only in the baking cupboard and no moss lichen.

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    1. Brora has served you very well indeed! My friend who lent me the shoes used to live in Canada and just came back from there so had a spare set and she was wearing Canadian goose which luckily we don't have the need for in England. It is raining heavily so I may have to wait a while before I can whip them out!

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  5. Thanks for these photos of Copenhagen, that's some place I'd like to visit some day.

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    1. I hope you get there very soon but I suggest summer because while it was beautiful it got dark so early and it truly was black and white!

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  6. I keep all my food labelled.... in its original packaging! So much effort and planning at Noma. Even the staff canteen area is fabulous- wonder how fabulous it would be if they weren't giving 'behind the scenes tours'! Those shoes are adorable.

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    1. Yes so many diagrams and I feel like I am not properly cooking something without a flowchart!

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  7. Love these posts too; the bread and butter looks so so delicious, I'd love a taste of that, laughing at the Carslberg story, I haven't snow either this year, boo hoo.

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    1. You would have gone crazy over that bread!! So much rain this year ( well for some but not in London ) and now snow. I do sometimes feel we get robbed as we don't get the hot summer but nor do we get ski weather...

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    2. Not in London - lets hope so! The flooding is getting closer by the hour. Does Manolo made waders I wonder?

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    3. Mind you the Thames was very bloated and seemed to be bursting a few weeks ago so I do wonder...Gosh I hope there is no need for Mr Blahnik to think about designing them!

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    4. Think waders may be more Gaultier than Blahnik.
      Can you imagine the mayhem if London does flood!

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    5. Perish the thought as London can't even handle snow...

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  8. I hear the Danes, it's about staying alive at this point. We got more snow in NYC Sunday night and more is expected this week. I feel like I moved to the northernmost regions of Canada and nobody told me. Love the Manolos, my what stylish shoes! I hope you got a chance to wear them indoors at least! My favorite ingredient from the bins above is this: smoking dust. Ha, gotta love it. XO, Jill

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    1. I hear that this is the winter from the game of thrones! Just you wait Jill - Heinz will come up with their version of smoking dust! xx

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  9. Hahahaha....the beer incident...getting pointed to the direction of the local brewery! What's onion ash?? I like the ranking of the restaurant...#45 in the world! Can't imagine an ad/PR agency using that credential. It's only for individuals and establishments totally secure about their image--which I like. That's a whole lot of snow! It's beautiful and scary at the same time. Did they tell you how they catch trout sperm?? I just wanna know, I might catch one, too :D

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    1. I don't know the answer to either of your questions!! seen off again...Although I really would love to know how they catch this new delicacy hehehehe! x

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  10. I don't usually label my foods, but now you have me thinking that I should! I certainly enjoy things being organized but it seems that I can never keep them that way. My drawers are always a big mess. The bread and butter looks amazing. It's easy for me to fill up on that (and wine of course!) I'm not so sure about the sperm .. is it high in protein;)?? You are far more adventurous than I will ever be.

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    1. Oh I don't label food either but then again I don't stock smoking dust in my pantry...I do wonder what they will come up with next but good to know if you are stuck out in the wilderness and need to do a culinary McGuyver!

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  11. I drink a 'coughing tea' here when I have a cold and it has Icelandic moss in it. I will take a picture for you.

    I love to label! We don't currently own a labeller though my husband would be thrilled if we did. A family of nerds.

    Lovely shoes! Hope you catch a break from the rain. We are having a mild winter here, it feels very strange.

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    1. I think I have a few teas that have it in as well but actually moss tastes good when fried. We are having a mild winter in London but the rest of the UK is drowning...It is a bit strange as it seems like there is a catch...

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  12. So the leopard kittens were left playing in the hotel room? Well at least they had a nice excursion across the water. The mole on that menu sounded really frightening, that are such ratty creatures aren't they? I def dont' label foods, they don't stay in the fridge long enough and anything in the pantry gets forgotten about. What a lovely mini break you had (as Bridget Jones would say) isn't it funny when you live in London you just don't get around to going to certain countries?

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    1. Yes they haven't been out for about 4 years! It is crazy that it is only an hour and a half away and yet this was my first time there!! I need to get my act together.

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  13. So much fun to see the white-out - since I don't have to live through it:).

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    1. I love how rain in certain parts makes news and snow is just another day else where!

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  14. Love your Instagram posts! Have only passed through Copenhagen - we flew in and then straight on to the train for Malmo. I'd love to go back and take a closer look at the city. Very interesting peek at Noma's pantry -"smoking dust", "iota" and "sifted glands" sound quite ominous!! Your Manolos look so pretty. Hopefully the weather will warm up soon, so you can wear them out. We are buried under snow here in Canada. I have been living in my Canada Goose parka for months now!

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    1. I went to Malmo too - i think it is so cool to go over that Bridge!!! If I lived in Canada - you would have to buy Canada Goose or you would suffer!

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  15. Naomi, Loved reading all about your trip. Too funny about the shoes. Makes sense though...Why bother? Just love those leopard heels! Gorgeous. Looks like a lot of fun. Denmark is next on my list to visit. Last year we got to Holland and Belgium, and I'm mad we didn't get up there. However, I'll need to see an ingredient list before I do eat there... Lol. x Kim

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  16. Next time my offspring tell me I am too organised and particular in the kitchen, I will refer them to your post on Noma's and let them see what true organisation looks like. My kitchen is anarchy in comparison.

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  17. The leopard kittens are divine! I always find photos of other people's snow more engaging that the snow outside my door (perhaps because I don't have to shovel it!)

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