Keep Calm and Carry On: The Diary of Foodie and Gourmet

With another free week before my classes start, this past Tuesday, I visited one of my all time favorite museums in London: The Imperial War Museum (IWM). As the title implies, this is a museum dedicated to military conflict within the realm of British history, though it's main focus is World War I to the present day. I wanted to visit this museum last summer, when I was in London, but sadly, it was closed for renovations. With time on my hands and learning that I lived 15 minutes away walking, I was eager to see what changes had been made to the museum. When I walked in, it was like I was in a completely different museum!  The architecture was much more modern and sleek, making use of white and silver, and the displays in the foyer were much more impressive. The ceiling of the museum played host to a variety of air planes, whilst the ground hosted land vehicles and the remains of weapons. Quite an entrance! I took this picture from the 2nd floor, to give you a sense of w...

This past Friday, I got a chance to explore Borough Market. Now, I've been to the market dozens of times, but this was my first proper adventure, since arriving in London on the 10th. My friend, C, who was visiting from LA had never been here, so I insisted that she join me. Can't let her go back to the States without visiting this London gem! Although it was a Friday afternoon, we arrived around 3:30, so it was off peak, making walking around the market much easier. Don't get me wrong, it was still crowded, but at least it wasn't mobbed! We went from stall to stall, seeing all of the magnificent bounty the market had to offer. From the produce stands to the meat and seafood stands to the desserts to the prepared foods, our mouths were salivating and we couldn't wait to get tasting. Gorgeous selection of seafood Yummy seafood paella Beautiful and colorful produce selection So many meats! I've never seen so much Turkish Delight! ...

Tonight for dinner, I experimented with a recipe that my boyfriend has used a couple of times. Last week, he asked me to help him find a pork recipe and it was then that I stumbled upon this parmesan baked pork chops recipe. Not only did this recipe look delicious, it also looked really easy to make. R has made it twice and has told me that he really liked it. With that in mind, I felt that it was time for me to give it a try. I didn't have any pork in my fridge, so I decided to substitute chicken breast. I mean, how different could it be --- right? Following the original recipe, I made the changes of using chicken, as well as other seasoning.  Not only was this dish super easy to prepare, it was very easy to make and tasted stunning! I loved every mouthful. The crunchiness of the crust, the succulent meat, and the balance of seasonings really made this dish a winner. I would definitely recommend this as an easy weeknight dinner or something to enjoy on the weekends. I kn...

This past Thursday afternoon, I had my MA induction at King's College. This induction was basically a welcome to the War Studies department and walked us through important things like how to register for classes and the inner workings of the department. I can't say that it was particularly exciting, but some parts of the orientation did yield helpful information. Before my induction, I arrived at campus early and was fortunate enough to explore a bit. King's is a huge university, with campuses all over London, but the campus that I am based at is the Strand Campus. It is a stone's throw from Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square, nestled right next to Somerset House, and is at the doorstep of the River Thames. Beautiful and convenient location. Part of Somerset House, which is right next to King's College's Strand Campus As I walked around, I was mesmerized by the gorgeous architecture. I am not an expert on architecture and art history, but I want to de...

After being in London for a little over one week, I was fortunate enough to meet a college friend of mine for a proper afternoon tea. My friend, C, is in London for a week as a post-bar exam present. Funny, we were both in Manhattan for two years and we always planned on getting together, but never got around to it. When we met for tea, we were laughing about how ironic it is that now that we are both in London, we promptly manage to meet up! C was staying at the very beautiful and posh Milestone Hotel, near Kensington Palace, quite close to High Street Kensington. Since C's hotel offered a very nice afternoon tea service, we agreed to meet there at 3 pm. On the day we met, it was pouring rain -- perfect for schmoozing and sipping tea.  We had a few options for tea, but ultimately decided upon the traditional afternoon tea service. This came with finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, as well as a selection of cakes. Everything was absolutely delicious! C and...

After a busy morning of moving in to my flat and shopping for living essentials, my cousin and I decided to visit Borough Market for a spot of lunch. I wrote about Borough Market last summer, when I was last in London, but just to quickly recap: Borough Market is a giant food and produce market, located near London Bridge, and it is one of my most favorite places in London. Now I live about 15 minutes away walking, which will either be amazing or disastrous for my wallet! Normally, I could spend hours wandering the market, bouncing from stall to stall, but today, I was rather exhausted. I was still slightly jet lagged, was recovering from the stress of moving, and knackered from hours of shopping. On this occasion, my priority at the market was to find some delicious lunch!  We did a bit of strolling, but JH and I quickly made our way to a really yummy Ethiopian food stall that he likes. I'll admit, I don't really know anything about Ethiopian food, but I trust my cous...