Searching for Bits of Home

Laura Kobak  

Staying in London for nearly 9 months, I had to find the best spots for two items my life would not be complete without — cupcakes and lattes. As many people know, I have a serious sweet tooth, and there’s no hiding it. I’m from New York City, home of the cupcake craze, so London faced the serious competition of “Crumbs,” “Magnolia Bakery,” and “Buttercup Bake Shop.” After a ton of online research I had my compiled list of go-to bakeries.
Labeled as having “US-style cupcakes,” “Hummingbird Bakery” looked promising. With a location on Portobello Road (home to the famous Portobello market), the wait on a Saturday was nearly twenty minutes. With great online reviews, my expectations were high. Unfortunately, with the plain vanilla, I was left disappointed. Neither the cake nor the frosting did it for me. Another bakery off my list was “Violet,” a stall at the Broadway Market in Hackney, which I traveled to with directions in hand. These small cupcakes had the best frosting of all my tastings, but the cake I found dry and lacking in flavor. Additionally, I tried “Lola’s Cupcakes,” “Ella’s Bakehouse,” “Beas of Bloomsbury,” “Crumbs and Dollies,” and “Buttercup Cake Shop” to no avail. (See, I wasn’t kidding about my sweet tooth.) The place that took the cake (pun intended) was “Primrose Bakery.” Not perfect, and not up to the standards of my New York comparisons, but definitely the best of the lot. The cake was moist enough and the frosting was sweet enough, and the rose-flavored cupcake was surprisingly tasteful. Jude Law, Kate Moss, and U2 frequent the bakery’s locations, so at least my taste is agreeable amongst celebrities.

Now, as anyone college-aged and older will agree with me, coffee is a necessity of life. Studying film abroad, many mornings were spent in the dark watching movies. I needed something in hand to help get me through. Exchange rates are never fun, so price was a key factor in my decision-making. Starbucks, of course, was available on several corners, but I vowed to myself that I would not frequent any American chain while abroad. With Starbucks off the list I had to find a viable alternative. The other two main chains available were “Costa Coffee” and “Caffe Nero.” After looking at the prices, there was really no competition: “Caffe Nero” was the winner. With a stamp card for every 9th cup free, I was a relatively frequent customer of this chain. During the winter season I had an amaretto latte, which was to die for. “Monmouth Coffee Company” made a deliciously creamy latte as well, but with a hefty price tag and no “skinny” option, a visit there was more of a treat.

So, if you ever visit London and need a pick-me-up or a sweet treat, you know where to go!
Fun Fact: The British version of a cupcake is called a “fairy cake”. (It sounds much more enchanting than plain old “cupcake” if you ask me.) Also, a “tall” at Starbucks in America is equal to a medium-sized drink in Europe.
Updated 11/19/2011 4:45pm

Basque Country

Emily Kastl  

If paella and bocadillos in Madrid weren’t enough to satiate your appetite for Spanish cuisine, you’re in for a treat! The next destination on our walking tour is Basque Country. This region, in the northern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, takes its culinary influences from a variety of areas. Near the coast you’re likely to find fresh seafood, but once you cross over the mountains (and by cross, I mean walk—something I had the exhausting “privilege” of doing) and move inland, you’ll come across cured meats and legumes. Not only is the food of Basque country unique, but so are the people; instead of speaking Spanish they speak Basque. You can imagine my surprise at being immersed in yet another language I didn’t know. The list is up to two, in case you’re counting.
My food-hangover from Madrid turned into a literal illness shortly after we started walking the Camino de Santiago (our 500 mile pilgramage originating in the 10th century); apparently gulping water from a mountain “drinking fountain” is a good way to get the stomach flu. Therefore, I am sad to report my first Basque cuisine experience was less than ideal. And of course I had to become deathly ill while we were in an awesome town with lots of sight-seeing opportunities: Pamplona. With my culinary quest in mind, I mustered my last bit of strength to head out for lunch. Unfortunately, such a festive experience as lunch in Pamplona at a traditional Cideria (cider mill) became a spectator sport for me. I looked on as my group members had some of the most delicious looking fish, pasta, and salads I have ever seen. I also observed as they retrieved “sidra” (cider) from a giant tapped barrel and enjoyed the good cheer that comes along with Basque cider. “Good cheer” from cider, you may be asking? The Basque people let their cider ferment for one month in order to let the natural sugars found in the apples turn into alcohol. There’s your good cheer.

Here are some of my group members collecting “sidra” in Pamplona

Once I was able to recover a little from “Santiago’s Revenge,” I was eager to get in on the food fun that all of my group members were having. Since I had been surviving on Aquarius (Spain’s version of Gatorade) and bread for a week, I couldn’t wait for some actual substance and to embrace all Basque country had to offer. Here’s what one of my first meals after coming back to life looked like:

This plate was Basque food in a nut shell…or chickpea? Since we were inland, we saw more meats than seafood and had lots of stewed vegetables. What struck me most about Basque food was its simplicity. Rather than spicing everything to death, they accentuate the natural flavors of the ingredients. I mean, this plate looks pretty simple, right? Meat, potatoes, veggies-it’s got all the basics, and that’s the best part.
As I tried to ignore the fact that my body still wasn’t too keen on eating solid foods, I was lucky to have a welcomed distraction: pintxos. These little guys are the Basque version of tappas and are to die for. No matter what you’re in the mood for, there’s a good chance you will find something to satisfy your cravings…and in mini form! That’s the joy of pintxos—they’re small so there’s lots of room for sampling. Staked on top of a small piece of bread, you’ll find a wide variety of toppings: cured meats, fish, tortilla de español (egg and potato quiche), and croquettes, which are my personal favorite. What can be better than a small fried roll stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese? They’re served best while watching a soccer match at a local bar.

Croquettes

I hope your feet aren’t too tired yet! Next time, our walking tour of Spanish cuisine takes us to the region of Galicia. Get ready for Celtic traditions, witches, bagpipes, and some of the best seafood on this earth.