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Noma, Copenhagen
In a stroke of luck, I was able to snag a last minute reservation at Noma, just days after it was crowned the number one restaurant in the world by the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards. Noma is renowned in the gastronomic world and needs little introduction. It held the top spot on the list for three years beginning in 2010, until it was ousted by Spanish restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, so the reclaiming of the title just a couple weeks ago was understandably pretty sweet. Led by chef-owner René Redzepi, the restaurant was one of the pioneers of “new nordic cuisine” and is known around the world for its meticulous attention to detail and unique ingredients foraged from the local countryside and seashore. My husband and I are no strangers to traveling for food, so we didn’t think twice about hopping on a plane for a rare chance to eat at Noma. As you can probably imagine, reservations are extremely hard to come by, so I was very lucky to have found a cancellation for a table for two a few days before.
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Paleo Bread
On my quest for healthy, clean recipes, I came across a very popular recipe for “Paleo Bread” from Elana’s Pantry, a cooking and baking blog specialising in grain-free recipes. With wholesome ingredients like almond flour, coconut flour, flaxmeal and coconut oil, there is no doubt this homemade bread packs a nutritional punch. There is no white or whole wheat flour and no white sugar, making this bread totally gluten free and refined sugar free, and, of course,
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Iced Matcha Almond Milk Latte
My latest health obsession is matcha green tea and my favourite way to enjoy it is in the form of a refreshing iced latte. Matcha is a super concentrated form of green tea that is ground into a powder from the actual tea leaves, which are traditionally thrown out in regular old green tea out once steeped. Matcha is the only form of tea where you actually ingest the whole leaf, which is where all of the vitamins and minerals are. The result is a
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Triple Berry Superfood Smoothie
For a healthy, energizing breakfast or afternoon snack, you can’t beat a nutrient-packed homemade smoothie. I have been experimenting with dozens of combinations lately and I’m excited to share with you one of my favourites – a Triple Berry Superfood Smoothie. I used a base of almond milk and added three types of berries — strawberries, raspberries, and goji berries (which are packed full of antioxidants and vitamins) — as well as
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La Taberna de Lucio, Madrid
I was in Madrid over the weekend and sampled some truly amazing Spanish food. On the day before we left, we checked out La Taberna de Lucio, a tapas bar on Cava Baja known for their to-die-for eggs. Taberna de Lucio is owned by the landmark restaurant Casa Lucio, which is located just across the street.
La Taberna de Lucio’s signature dish is Huevos Estrellados and it sure did not disappoint. The dish consisted of three perfectly fried sunny side up eggs smashed over a
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Gwyneth’s Bummer Bars
I recently picked up Gwyneth Paltrow’s book, It’s All Good, and, in short — I’m obsessed. I have tried 6+ recipes within the last few days and all have been fantastic. Having said that, I do not think I’ve ever seen so many different opinions on a mere cookbook – some people love it, some despise it and want to blog about it constantly. I really like her style of cooking. She advocates clean eating and tries to cook with healthy, natural ingredients including lots of fruits, vegetables, natural sweeteners and “good for you” grains. It’s a concept I could get very used to and, with recipes like these, I think anyone would enjoy them regardless of the obvious health benefits.
Yesterday I decided to make Gwyneth’s “Bummer Bars,” which are a healthy form of a granola bar made instead with quinoa flakes, ground flaxseeds, prunes, walnuts, maple syrup, olive oil and plenty of warm spices.
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Pierre Hermé, Paris
During my visit to Paris last weekend, I was delighted to finally check out the famed pâtisserie Pierre Hermé on rue Bonaparte in the sixth arrondissement. Pierre Hermé is an acclaimed French pastry chef who Vogue dubbed, “The Picasso of Pastry,” and upon entering his boutique it is not hard to see why. Rows upon rows of meticulously crafted brioche, millefeuille, ganache and truffles sat next to hundreds of brightly coloured, shimmering macarons. He has several boutiques, including a couple in London and Tokyo, however, the one I visited in Saint-Germain des Prés is his first boutique, opened in 2002, and perhaps his most special.
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Snickarbacken 7, Stockholm
On my first day in Stockholm, I quickly learned the café culture is huge part of life for people living in the city. We visited a few very good coffee shops during our visit, with one in particular really standing out and that was Snickarbacken 7. This hip little café rivalled some of my favourite spots in NYC’s East Village (this is a huge compliment coming from a 7+ year east village former resident), so I am excited to share some snaps and tell you more about it. It’s located on a tiny side street in the city centre and is in fact not only a café, but an exhibition space and a concept store all in one. It has this cool purple lighting and lot of funky furniture and cutting-edge decor. The idea of a
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Östermalms Korvspecialist, Stockholm
On our last day in Stockholm, we made a visit to the famous Östermalms Korvspecialist, a gourmet “hot dog stand” that cooks up mouth-watering sandwiches a few steps away from the Östermalms food hall. The stand has been featured on many food shows and makes an appearance in my trusty Where Chefs Eat book, so, with all this fuss, I initially wasn’t sure if the food would live up to all of the buzz.
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Restaurant Frantzén, Stockholm
My husband and I spent a snowy weekend in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, where we enjoyed a memorable meal at 2-Michelin starred Restaurant Frantzén. Located on scenic Lilla Nygatan in the historic Gamla Stan district, Frantzén impressed us from the moment we were met by the dapper doorman standing outside the restaurant. We opted to do the “early supper,” which allowed us to take our time and enjoy what turned out to be a true gastronomic journey.
Led by chef Björn Frantzén, the cuisine can best be described as “modern Scandinavian,” however, it’s more than that and the dishes touch on different influences from around the world, including, most notably, Asian cooking. Although there is no disputing the food is innovative and top notch, what got my attention was the
