A Place for Pieces: Food

Spring-spiration | The Easter Edition

12:47

©bungabungaldn

There is no way I could talk about spring without first mentioning one of the best parts of it, and that is Easter. Just like Christmas, Easter has it's own trademark products, images and visuals associated with it that we get bombarded with every year. Some of which include Easter eggs, fluffy stick-on chicks for kids crafts, bunny rabbits and OTT cartoon illustration of Jesus with light beams radiating from him.

Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate the chocolate (Cadbury's Mini Eggs for the win 🙌) and those fluffy stick-on chicks take me back to my primary school days, but what are the original foundations of Easter?

Easter follows Lent (which you can read a little about in my Pancake Day post here) in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and pays a fundamental part in the heart of Christianity. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy Week, the week in the lead-up to Easter and honours Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem on a donkey, where crowds of people came to greet and worship him, throwing palm leaves on the road. Later in the week, is Maundy Thursday, the day that remembers the night of the Passover meal Jesus had with his disciples, most commonly known as the Last Supper. Here Jesus talks of his upcoming death and tells his disciples to love and serve one another. Today Christians remember this by breaking bread and drinking wine together, known as the act of taking Communion. Next is Good Friday, where the church recognises the crucifixtion, suffering and death of Jesus and what it means to their faith. But that isn't the end as Easter Sunday acknowledges his resurrection and his triumph over death. If you want to read the full detailed story, you can find Palm it in the Bible in the book of John chapter 12 (Palm Sunday) and Matthew chapter 26 to 28.

Easter is about redemption and love, but is also a time that celebrates, new life, hope and joy, all the things that also comes with spring too, another reason that makes it a great season. That being said, I enjoy celebrating Easter and am a sucker for all the extras the comes with it (chocolate included) so here are some great things you can do this Easter weekend. Speaking of chocolate...

| EASTER EGG HUNTS AND TRAILS |

If Easter is more of a family affair for you with little ones, head on down to Hampton Court Palace who are hosting an Easter Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt around the gardens, with other activities including chocolate tasting.

Or visit Lauderdale House for their Easter Egg-stravaganza, where they'll be, well, Easter eggs, an egg hunt AND Easter egg decorating!

If you're more of a Cadbury's fan than Lindt, Cadbury's have their own string of egg hunts at Ham House, Osterly Park and Morden Hall Park, just to name a few. If chocolate surrounded by beautiful surroundings isn't enough to make it a great day out for the whole family, then the fact that all proceeds go towards funding vital conservation work should do the trick.

| THEMED FOOD AND DRINK |

©astervictoria

Adults, don't worry there is some Lindt fun in the line-up for you as well. Chocolate Easter egg cocktails, Easter egg pizzas and about a billion Easter themed afternoon teas across the city. The Chocolate Surprise cocktail served in a giant chocolate egg at Aster is by far a fantastic way to jazz up an Easter themed brunch menu. The standout however titled 'The Eggs-troadinaire Pizza' complete with a custard base (instead of tomato sauce) and Creme Eggs, Mini Eggs and Lindt chocolate bunnies for toppings.

| THE PASSION OF JESUS |

©LondonTown

Come and see the story Good Friday, brought to life in a moving performance right in the centre of Trafalgar Square. Back for the ninth year in a row, with more than 100 cast members from the Wintershall Players accompanied by doves, horses and donkeys, will be putting on a lifelike rendition of the crucifixion. An event that usually draws in tens of thousands each year, and is an ideal event to attend before or after a contemplative service.

| WESTMINSTER ABBEY AND ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL |

©stpaulscathedral

There will be services taking place at Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral and all churches across London over the duration of the Easter Weekend. All of which you can visit freely - a great opportunity to do so if you haven't been to either the Abbey or Cathedral.

Don't worry if you can't make it into the centre of London though, you can pop into your local church for any of the services happening. Going to a service is a a great way to connect to the heart of Easter. Different churches will have different service times, so be sure to check times on each date in advance.

| SUNDAY ROAST |

©scoffandbanter

Now it wouldn't be Easter Sunday if there was no Sunday roast involved. I don't know about you, but a having a roast on Easter Sunday has always been a tradition. Whether that's going out to feast on your favourite pub lunch or cooking up a storm at home, a roast is a must. To celebrate Easter, Scoff & Banter in Kensington has been highly recommended, offering a signature roast to the sound of live jazz.

Whatever it is you end up doing this weekend, whether you'll be spending it reflecting and celebrating at church, or making the most of a long overdue bank holiday, I wish you all a Happy Easter. May it involved plenty of chocolate!

Dates in Operation
Hampton Court Easter Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt: 26th March - 15th April
Lauderdale House Easter Egg-stravaganza: 1st April
Cadbury's Easter Egg Hunts: 30th March - 1st April
Aster Brunch: 26th March - 2nd April
The Passion of Jesus: - Two 90min live performances at 12pm and 3.15pm
Scoff & Banter: 1st April, 1pm-4pm

Eating Out

7 Places to go for Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday | London

21:42

It seems as though people are creating a 'National Day' for everything lately especially when it comes to food. We've recently had National Shortbread Day, National Toast Day is coming up and last week there was WORLD Nutella Day. I know. I hear you. You're thinking, "all these things are great, why should we have a special day to celebrate them? Shouldn't they be celebrated and more importantly eaten all the time?"

Well next week there's a big one coming up too, that's right, Pancake Day is here! A day known to all but not because someone wanted to make it a 'national day'. Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday, it's original name, is a traditional feast day which proceeds Lent, a 40-day fasting and reflection period in the Christian calendar, that lasts up until Easter *queue giant Lindt Chocolate Easter Bunny*. Shrove Tuesday became a great way for practicing Christians to use up any foods that were given up for Lent, such as butter, eggs and milk, the same ingredients that go into making a pancake.

So with Shrove Tuesday being only a couple of days away, here are seven great places you can get your pancake fix in London. Just like how there are greasy deep pan lovers and those who prefer the classic Italian thin crust when it comes to pizza, and people who drink their morning juice with pulp and those who can only tolerate it without, the same goes with pancakes. Whether you go gooey eyed over the fluffy American style, buttermilk pancakes or can't resist a lemon and sugar drenched crêpe, there's a location here for everyone.

| THE ATTENDANT |

Ever tried vanilla oat pancakes with raspberry puree, apple and elderflower compote with lemon and cinnamon cream, topped with a crunchy nut granola? Probably not - and now you have to! Known for it's coffee and vibrant atmosphere, The Attendant features the pancake stack of dreams on their menu that's the perfect amount of sweet, but not too sweet to have with one of their savoury sides.

The vanilla oat flavour and texture of the pancakes gives it an old-school, homemade-by-Mum feel, plus, the added sprinkle of granola provides that extra somethin'-somethin' that will revolutionise the way you make your own pancakes by adding granola to your list of toppings. It's definitely a healthier alternative to the traditional buttermilk pancakes too. By the time you've finished, you'll find yourself scraping every last inch of the apple and elderflower compote off your plate.
- (Pancake stack - £8.50)

| THE BREAKFAST CLUB |

Now it would be wrong to talk about pancakes in London and not mention The Brekky Club. Renowned for their annual Pancake Day challenge, to help raise money for charity, why no try your hand at attempting to eat 12 pancakes in 12 minutes or less. If you lose, you'll have to pay the full bill and they'll donate all profits to their volunteering programme Good Day Productions. Plus there's no need to book.

Prefer not to die of a pancake induced coma, then why not just try some of their limited edition menu where they have teamed up and with some other foodie wonders to create some cracking pancake collabs. Look out for their Eton Mess pancake with The Meringue Girls, Pizza Pancake with Pizza Pilgrims and Fried Chicken pancake with Coqfighter.

- Pancake Day Challenge - across all cafés - 13th Feb only

- Limited edition menu - across all cafés - 12th to 18th Feb

| CATALYST ROASTERS |

All hail the pancakes of insta-dreams! As beautiful as this looks I had to opt out of going to give them a try as I don't eat bananas, or blueberries, but I know these fruits are a popular breakfast combination, so I had to include this. Featuring a grilled banana, poached blackberries, crème fresh, coffee maple syrup, candied almonds and berries, the pancakes at Catalyst Cafe, have been a foodie hit so far.

Just like The Attendant, Catalyst is known for their coffee - and is a close neighbour just on Gray's Inn Road - so while you're there, why not try their own home roasted coffee too. It's modern, minimal interior and downtown New York atmosphere is a hit and they are known for giving pretty good portions, so there will be no leaving and still feeling hungry.

- Pancakes - £7.00

| CRÊPEAFFAIRE |

Crêpes, crêpes, crêpes. All the crêpes you can imagine. Sweet, savoury, mini, they've got it, with over 33, yes, that's 33 flavours to choose from including Ferroro Rocher, Apple Crumble, Pesto Mozzarella & Eggs Benedict. Their crêpes are light and fresh and can be made with wheat flour or there is a gluten free buckwheat galette version too.

Want them for breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner? They'll have anything and everything to cater to your crêpe needs, whether you want to sit in, or grab one to go. Oh and no need worry about booking a table here, as they have seven locations dotted across London.

| THE DINER |

Just like The Breakfast Club, these guys take Pancake Day seriously and have a limited edition menu to celebrate the day! If you're after the classic American diner feel then look no further (the proof is in the name). Famous for being family friendly, it's signature 50s decor their all day "generously portioned" breakfast pancakes are enough to fill you for a week. Their special Pancake Day menu, is on another level though.

There's a Oreo inspired buttermilk stack with marshmallow fluff, topped with crushed Oreo and bottomless maple syrup. You heard me. Bottomless. Maple. Syrup!
If you're after a more gluttonous affair for your Shrove Tuesday feasting then look no further. Plus, if you're looking for another excuse to go there, tag them in your Pancake Day images on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #DINERGRAM, for a chance to win a £100 voucher to spend at The Diner.
- All day breakfast pancakes start from £6.50.
- Limited edition menu - across all locations - 13th Feb only

| MAMIE'S |

Here's another spot if crêpes are more you're thing but also, if you want your dining experience to be a little more boozy. Covent Garden's Mamie's isn't just a crêperie but is home to a basement cider bar! London. Forever full of wonders. The small open kitchen is great for watching the chefs at work, preparing your crêpes of choice which you can order from an iPad system, stationed at each table. Boozy and high tech.

You can make your crêpe dairy free or make it vegan. Their Brittany inspired menu provides fillings one would never contemplate of even being compatible. Big cheese fan? If so, La Rabelais, a savoury galette that incorporates goats cheese, Emmental, camembert and blue cheese, is the one for you. There's no such thing as too much cheese.
- Sweet crêpes from £3.50
- Savoury crêpes from £9.25

| WHERE THE PANCAKES ARE |

The name says it all! Thought you'd heard of the most innovative pancake already? Well you haven't seen these guys in action. Is it a pancake? Is it a Yorkshire pudding? ...Does it matter? Not really. especially when they taste this great! Named, the "Dutch Baby", these pancakes (yes they are pancakes) come served in a cast-iron pan and when they cooked, the rise creating hollow pockets. Not too keen on your pancakes resembling a Yorkshire pud, then on Tuesday they'll be serving up two stacks of some of their popular buttermilk ones, like their Hummingbird pancakes topped with cinnamon poached pineapple, house cream, pomegranates, toasted coconut, lime syrup and zest.

To raise a glass to Shrove Tuesday, the restaurant will have a special pop-up seconds away from there home in Flat Iron Square, as well as host a three-legged pancake race alongside sustainable food brand Rubies in the Rubble.

Hopefully some of these places have tickled your fancy and you're booking a table stat! Wherever you end up this shrove Tuesday, I hope you feast well!

Spring-spiration | The Easter Edition

7 Places to go for Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday | London

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