An English Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving–since I started celebrating it back in 2000– has always been one of my favourite holidays. Think about it: you don't have to buy tons of presents, you get to eat A LOT, and hang out with people that, though they may drive you mad at times, you love. The whole sentiment behind it is pretty kickin' also. I don't think people are grateful enough of the time. Yeah, that's right. I'm getting all preachy on yo ass.

So, I realised some time ago that I hadn't celebrated Thanksgiving since 2005. This kind of upset me, and I felt like I was missing out. So I decided that I would cook Thanksgiving dinner for my housemates on the day. Then we invited a couple more people. Then a couple more. Before I knew it I was preparing to cook a meal for 15 people. And you know what? It. was. awesome. Everyone came over, we drank, we ate far too much food, and we were merry.


Here's a rundown of the whole shebang:
turkey
stuffing
pigs in blankets (thank you Kat)
devils on horseback (thanks again, Kat)
roast potatoes
sweet potato-orange mash
green beans (thank you Jamie)
corn on the cob and broccoli (thank you Vivi)
roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and pomegranate seeds
maple-glazed butternut squash
buttermilk biscuits
gravy (thank you Katemonster)
apple and blackberry pie
homemade belgian chocolate ice cream

Keep an eye out for some of the above recipes. I will post when I stop being full.

Foodie travel: Barcelona, Spain, London and Canterbury, UK

I just got back from a glorious two-week holiday. First on the journey was Barcelona, to catch up with some family and friends. After that, I journeyed back to my uni town of Canterbury. I spent a wonderful week there: eating and drinking (mostly drinking) and catching up with some of the most wonderful people I know. I finished off my trip with a few days in London visiting my sister and soaking up the sunny city.

A wonderful part of the holiday, aside from all the wonderful sights and people I got to see, was all the WONDERFUL food that I had (oh, I'm such a fattie). I made sure to make a note of them to share with you all, so here goes:

By the way, could I say wonderful more?

BARCELONA:

Txapela (Passeig de Gràcia, 8-10): A wonderful little place on one of the main streets of Barcelona that do very reasonably priced little Catalunyan pinchos.

George Payne (Plaza Urquinaona, 5): An Irish pub (yes, we're such tourists) that does great British food, if that's what you're looking for.

Gelato Fratello (Passeig Joan de Borbo): The BEST ice cream I think I've ever had. Right on the waterfront. Can't go wrong.

La Boqueria (La Rambla, 100): Barcelona's well-known food market DEFINITELY met up to my expectations. So much of every food you could ever want; plus, pretty colours!

CANTERBURY:

Deeson's (25 Sun Street): This is one of my favourite places to go in Canterbury, and where I went for my birthday lunch with my sister. They do great British, using local produce. Fabbo.

Photos courtesy of deesonsrestaurant.co.uk

The Parrot (1-9 Church Lane, St Radigunds): A great traditional English pub that's started serving up some amazing food. Check it out for good eats and great atmosphere.


LONDON:

Antipasto and Pasta (511 Battersea Park Road): A tiny authentic little Italian in Battersea. The service great– the staff are all really friendly– and every Thursday the entire menu is half price!

Photo courtesy of qype.com

Saf, Whole Foods (63-97 Kensington High Street): A Vegan-friendly raw food place that just opened up in the Whole Foods on High Street Kensington. An interesting twist on things like nachos, ravioli, and sushi.

Byron (300 King's Road): An AMAZING burger place on the King's Road. The burgers are cooked amazingly and you can have pretty much anything on it that you want. Don't expect a huge amount more than burger food, though.

Photos courtesy of byronhamburgers.com