Has The Mouse gone abroad? Hehe, not at all.

You know how I love pictures—especially when they involve food. (Check out my photo tours of Boston’s legendary Haymarket, Brooksby Farm in Peabody, Lyndell’s Bakery, and Salem at Halloween.)

My dear friend Kang over at London Eater kindly agreed to do a photo tour of London’s King’s Road Market for me.

Kang is eating his way through London—and sharing the experience with inimitable excitement, charm, and style. Oh, and knowledge. He knows a thing or two about good food. Check out his blog and I think you’ll see why we’re so fond of him here at The Hungry Mouse.

One quick note…we have a new format!

I wanted to bring the site more in line with the way I present my recipes: visually. That’s why we’ve smooshed our layout around to make more of our content readily accessible and user friendly for you. We hope you guys like it!

And with that, take it away, Kang!

Walk with me at King’s Road Market in London, won’t you?

by Kang Leong of London Eater

Writing my first guest post for an American audience had me scratching my head about how to best describe the city I live in. London has had its fair share of US media attention—I can remember when Ross went to London to get married and Rachel shared a plane with Hugh Laurie (Now Dr. House, then one part of the acclaimed British comedic duo Fry & Laurie … yes folks, he is indeed, English.)

And then of course, there was that film about a fictional American mega star (played by Julia Roberts) falling in love with Hugh ‘Mr. Floppy Hair’ Grant. It sent (and continues to send) millions of tourist from all over the globe to the now legendary Portebello Market in Notting Hill, London. I’m about to burst bubbles because Portebello ain’t the only cool food market in the Big Smoke—there are cooler ones.

How many more?

The short answer is a lot more, certainly within London, there are plenty of food markets set up along closed roads during the weekends where locals can buy fresh produce.

The great thing about food markets of course, is the buzz—the atmosphere of bustling haggling, the chatter from the crowds and the smell. Oh, the smell always gets me going.

I live in a fairly affluent part of London in the Kensington & Chelsea borough, the main high street for that part of London is called King’s Road—it’s where Prince William’s girlfriend lives. In addition to a smattering of shops of all sorts of posh brands which I will never afford; it is home of Saatchi Galleries and it turns into a mini food market on weekends.

Let’s get the tour on the road

So you may or may not have noticed but in London , we like our sweet things. At least I do, pudding is the most important part of my meal (I never miss out) and one of the food trends on the rise over on this side of the pond are cupcakes. I managed to snap a picture of quite a beautiful rainbow of colours on sale at the cupcake vendor. Mmmm.

Now here’s a little known fact about London—it’s completely multicultural and that means that it is possible to find rather authentic world cuisines as there are large communities dotted around the city to support those foods.

Here, is a vendor selling some Malaysian curry puffs…

…Right next to some brilliant French style artisan breads.

Over in Europe, we love our stone baked breads and sourdoughs, bit of Serrano or Parma ham, bit of mozzarella, in the oven for 10 minutes and that’s the making of a great lunch.

Speaking of cured meats—here’s the man in charge of a delicious leg of parma ham. Yum. Perhaps the greatest bit about food markets is the people. He saw me snapping away at all the wonderful food and as I panned my camera to him, this dude jumped back from his ham and gave me a ‘whoa’.

Whoa.

The raw stuff

Personally, I think that the best beef in the world is Kobe beef. I’ve had Australian wagyu, which is nice, but it pales in comparison with the Japanese stuff. I’ve only ever had low grade Kobe beef and I’ve heard great things about Prime USDA beef—but they don’t export to the UK, so I can’t really deliver my piece about it.

As for British beef—it may not have the best rep but it’s actually pretty good. No let me rephrase, English beef is horrible, but Scottish Beef is gold. They come from the Aberdeen Angus breed and I’m guessing it has something to do with the healthy grass diet and the rain in Scotland. Scotch beef is full of flavour, tender and when dry aged properly—can rival the best of them out there.

Scotland also means rock oysters!!

Yet more sweet things in the form of pastry. Lots of icing and this picture with all the Burgundian red reminds of the Christmas that’s just gone…

… And speaking of the multiculturalism, here’s a shot of some Mediterranean food.

And some Caribbean delights! While the food looked great, the shop owner didn’t quite appreciate me snapping photos of her food and I was turned away moments after I took the shot.

Lasting moments

I’m really more a coffee than a tea person and if you’re looking for the real cream tea, you need to head north to Yorkshire than in London. Having said that—it’s still a lovely basket of scones there. Mmmm …

Finally, it just would be injustice if I didn’t include a picture of pie! The usual suspects come in flavours of chicken and mushroom, cheese and onion but my favourite has got to be steak and Guinness. If you’re ever on the wrong side of the Atlantic—this should be at the top of your eating list.

And that’s it, I hope you enjoyed this little virtual trip around this London food market—hope I did sufficiently to whet your appetite and perhaps tempt you to do a trip to London in the near future. ‘Til then, happy eating!

***

Kang Leong runs London Eater, a food blog about the best places to grab a bite in London—as well as commentary on general food trends, latest developments in London, and wine. Go have a nibble with him at LondonEater.com.

Don’t forget to enter our contest to win one of Jamie Oliver’s Nintendo DS games. I have 3 to give away! Click here for details and to enter.

***
Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved. Content and pictures for “Walk with me at King’s Market Road, won’t you?”, copyright Kang Leong, republished here with permission.

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Here are 10 neat foodie finds that won’t drain your piggy bank. All the prices are accurate as of tonight.

1. Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid—$19.99
Every once in a while, Calphalon has a ridiculously good sale. This pan lists for $168 and it’s marked down to $19.99. Yep, I said $168. Not a bad deal, eh?

December 23 update—This pan jumped to $39.99 today. (Thanks for the heads up, Cuz!) Sigh. Sometimes the really good Amazon deals just don’t last that long. That said, still not a bad deal.

2. Le Creuset Stoneware Petite Blueberry Casserole—$24.95
Alrighty, this one isn’t really marked down, but it is still under the $30 mark. This little guy measures about 5″ x 5″ x 5″ and holds about 13 oz.

3. How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition): 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food—$21
I love Mark Bittman’s writing. (Want a preview? Check out his New York Times column.) This thick volume lists for $35 and is marked down to $21.

4. A Subscription to Saveur Magazine—$19.95
If you bought it on the newsstand every month, you’d pay about $45. Subscribe for a year for $19.95. Hands down, this is the one magazine I most anticipate getting every month. (Go have a nibble on their online content.)

5. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, by Harold McGee—$26.40
You probably know by now that I love to understand how things work. And that’s just what McGee does in this book: He explains the science behind how we cook. This book lists for $40, and is marked down to $26.40. (Check out McGee’s blog featuring some of his articles from the New York Times.)

6. Cuisipro Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker—$24.99
As someone who loves yogurt—and has a soft spot for trying to make homemade versions of store-bought things—I’ve always kind of wanted one of these. This lists for $50.00, and is marked down to $24.99.

7. Nigella Lawson Mini Salt Pig—$11.95
I have one of these in robin’s egg blue and love it. It’s a neat way to keep salt within reach as you cook. It lists for $19.99 and is marked down to $11.95. Pair it with a good bag of sea salt.

8. The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook—$23.10
If I could only have one book on baking, this would be it. The good folks at King Arthur Flour know a thing or two about making mouthwatering breads, cakes, and cookies. It lists for $35 and is marked down to $23.10.

9. The Complete Meat Cookbook (Hardcover), by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly—$22.05
You know how the Mouse loves meat! I’ve owned this book for years, and I consistently refer to it even today. For a little more information, here’s my review (with different cover art). It lists for $35 and is marked down to $22.05.

10. Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking—$15.61
Just as the title says, this book is packed with bits of Julia Child’s kitchen wisdom. It makes a great gift for the budding chef in your life—or just about anyone who loves food. It lists for $22.95 and is marked down to $15.61.

All of these gifts are linked back to Amazon.com. Now, if you’re like me, you might tend to leave a bunch of holiday shopping to the last minute. Here’s Amazon’s shipping chart, so you know just how far you can push it this year.

Prices and timing are accurate as of this evening, but are subject to change. Please double check your purchases and orders to make sure they’re what you expect.

Here are some other limited-time, seasonal offers that we’re happy to pass along

Some are foodie-related, some are just good deals that might help you out with last-minute gifts.

Chefs Catalog

Martha Stewart for 1-800-Flowers

My Wines Direct

Cheryl & Co. Fresh Baked Desserts

Just Because Baskets

Beautorium (natural, organic beauty emporium)

Turkish Towels

Origins

Sirius Radio

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Wow.

OK. It’s late in the evening after a long day, so this may be me being impressed with something overly simplistic.

But…this seems like a really neat idea—especially if you’re a cocktail connoisseur.

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you: Whiskey Stones!

I saw these on Daily Candy today, and thought they were too neat not to pass along—especially with the holidays coming. These soapstone cubes are just under an inch cubed and are made in Vermont.

Just pop them in your freezer, then in your drink to enjoy a cocktail or cordial that gets chilled, but never loses an ounce of its punch.

When you’re done, simply rinse them off then stick them back in the freezer to chill again.

Lekker sells a set of 8 stones for just under $16. (Lekker also has a ton of other neat house and kitchen-y type items if you’re on the lookout for unique gifts this holiday season.)

The Hungry Mouse Verdict?

These might just be the perfect stocking stuffer for the whiskey drinker in your life who has everything.

***
Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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That said, I’m surprisingly not a huge fan of gadgets in the kitchen. At least, not any more. Despite this, I still can’t stop myself from regularly scanning kitchen catalogs to peek at the newest version of the next big thing.

And with Thanksgiving approaching, the catalogs are full of tools designed to save you time and energy around turkey day—and leave your change purse a little lighter.

Five of my most interesting finds are listed below. Take a look and see if they have any merit for your holiday kitchen.

Five Thanksgiving Kitchen Gadgets: I’m a reformed kitchen gadget-teer

Well, mostly. When I first started to cook, I bought every interesting kitchen thing that I could possibly use. After 3 or 4 of my kitchen drawers virtually exploded with what essentially became—for lack of a better term—crap (albeit rather expensive crap), I decided to go back to basics.

I got rid of a lot of stuff over the years, and I’ve never once missed anything that I pitched or gave away.

For example, I tossed my garlic peeler (you know, that little tube that looks like a Chinese finger trap) when I realized I could get the paper off a clove faster with a knife.

But I’d be really unhappy without my garlic press. I cook with a lot of fresh garlic and I hate mincing cloves by hand unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s an older version of this model by Zyliss, and I use it whenever I can get away with pressed garlic instead of minced.

Of course, gadget use depends on how you cook. At this point, there are only a handful that I can’t live without. My garlic press, surely. My meat grinder (if that counts as a gadget). My microplane. My wooden lemon reamer.

What about you?

I’m really curious about what other cooks use most in their kitchen.

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? Which do you never, ever use? If you had to toss all but three, which would you keep?

Five Thanksgiving gadgets

I’ve seen a few things in the last week that have made me raise an eyebrow. Here are a few. Some might be useful (or have a one-shot use). Others might only be good for a giggle or two.

1. Stuffing Cage

This first one is this Stuffing Cage, made by RPI Group, and sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $9.99.

The idea is that you fill it with stuffing, then insert it into your turkey before roasting. It’s supposed to make it easier to pull the stuffing out of the bird. It works with turkeys that are 14 lbs. or more.

This is a clever idea, but I’m not sure I would ever use it. (I think I just kind of like the idea of a ball of stuffing shaped like a football.) When I make stuffing, I usually cook it in a separate pan, not in the bird itself.

2. Roast and Serve Turkey Lifter

The Cuisipro Roast and Serve rack holds up to 25 lbs. and sells for $19.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

The idea with this one is that you use it as your roasting rack, then pick it up by the handles to transfer your bird to a serving platter. Once you position the rack, you slide out the red-tipped pin, the rack comes apart in two pieces, and your bird falls just where you want it. No muss, no fuss. It also comes in a mini version that holds up to 12 lbs.

If I made a giant turkey, I might consider buying one of these, as larger birds can be a bit unwieldy for a small mouse to move.

3. Nifty Three-Tier Oven Rack

The Nifty Three-Tier Oven Rack, made by Nifty Home Products, creates two extra baking shelves in your oven and can hold “heavy casseroles,” according to the description. Chef’s Catalog sells it for $19.99.

From this picture, it seems like it’s fairly secure, though I’d probably be very careful sliding the actual shelf in and out. Dimensions are: 10 5/8″ L x 13 7/8″ W x 10 1/2″ H.

Now, these racks have been around for a while, but for some reason, this one looks particularly sturdy to me. I could actually see myself using it. My kitchen only has one oven, and space is at a premium during holiday parties. It also folds flat, so it would be easy to store. All pluses in my book.

4. The Food Loop

The Food Loop by fusionbrands sells for $15 and is an adjustable silicone band that you use to quickly truss food for cooking. The idea is that it replaces traditional cooking twine and/or toothpicks. It kind of functions like a food-safe zip-tie.

Each loop is heat resistant up to 675 degrees and adjusts from 1 to 4 inches. You can also link two together for a larger loop.

I can’t decide if these are kind of useful, just plain silly—or both. Cooking.com has them on sale right now for $9.95, so if ever there was a time to try them, it would be now…

5. The Food Loop Lace

Building on the idea of The Food Loop, fusionbrands also sells a very entertaining assortment of other gadgets, including this silicone poultry lacer ($10).

This actually looks kind of neat. It would eliminate the need for threading a poultry needle and making a knot large enough that wouldn’t break through a bird’s skin with the smallest amount of pressure.

What do you think?

So…Would you guys use any of these? Do you have any personal favorites of your own? Which gadgets couldn’t you live without?

***
Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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Needless to say, I lost my mind when I saw this this morning:

Target is selling these pink LED GummiLights by Jellio for $79.99. (You heard me right: That’s almost 80 bucks.) These little suckers are made of rubber, and are powered by three lithium batteries. They stand only seven inches high and also come in blue.

They must be specially made for Target, since Jellio sells the bears directly in a range of colors for $125 each or $500 for five. Incidently, Jellio also makes a few other food-inspired pieces of furniture, including the Cupcake Table, Candy Button Bench, and the Cupcake Seat.

Now, the Jellio bear is fantastic, but I wondered if I could find a similar light for less. (After all, it’s hard to have just one gummi bear.) My dear friend Wendy Friedman from Grand tipped me off to the MyPetLamp’s Terribear sold by Offi.

At $59, this little guy is slightly less expensive. He’s powered by a light bulb, and has a cord instead of batteries. He’s also 11 inches high, so he’s taller than Target’s bear. He also has a matching Dachshund companion. I like this bear a lot, but he looks more like a honey—not gummi—bear to me.

It’s a very gummi world
Intrigued about the idea of gummi decor, I did some poking around, wondering if other people share my gummi bear love.

And as it turns out, lots of people do.

In fact, I’m kind of surprised by all of the non-edible gummi bear themed things out there. So, while it’s a little early to be talking about shopping for stocking stuffers, I thought I’d share my findings with you.

Gummi Bear Soap
These glycerin Gummi Bear Soaps are handmade and come in eight different flavors: Lemonade, Grape Soda, Strawberry, Lemon, Lime, Orange Dream, Watermelon Mania, and Raspberry Blitz. Get your set of 12 for $4.50 from Body Beautiful’s shop at Etsy.com.

Gummy Bear Necklace
If you’d rather wear your bear, check out this solid sterling silver Gummy Bear Necklace from Perpetual Kid for $59.99. It measures about 3/4 of an inch and comes on an 18-inch sterling silver ball chain.

Red Gummi Bear Earrings
For a more realistic rendering, Luster Studio makes gummi bear earrings in a variety of jewel tones. Order yours from Etsy.com for about $6 a pair.

Anatomie Gummi Bar print, by artist Jason Freeny
And if you’d like to get to know your bear from the inside out, you might like the print Anatomie Gummi Bär by artist and illustrator Jason Freeny. Order yours from him at MoistProduction.com for $59.

You can also get Freeny’s design in a protective GelaSkin for your iPhone 3G from Amazon for $14.95. It even comes with matching wallpaper downloads.

Gummi Bear Erasers
These Gummy Bear Erasers are part pencil eraser and part pencil sharpener. Get them for $2.50 each at See Jane Work.

Gummi Bear Stamp
Leave the Mark of the Gummi Bear (doesn’t that sound ever-so-slightly ominous) wherever you go with this Gummi Bear Stamp from Stampin Up sold by Faeriesmak on Etsy.com for $5.

Gummi Bear Chandelier by artist Ya Ya Chou
I don’t think this one is for sale, but it’s too cool not to share. Created by Taiwanese artist Ya Ya Chou, this chandelier is composed mainly of my little gummi friends.

The Lumibär
Finally, I came across The Lumibär by German designers Klein and Leidig (sold by Elmar Flötotto). He’s been around since 1995, so quite possibly, he could be the original light up gummi—and tallest, at just over 22 inches high. I’m having a hard time finding them in the states, but Connox in Germany seems to ship them.

While all this stuff is really kind of fabulous and strange, I wasn’t able to unearth anything that remotely mimicked the jelly-like GummiLights that sparked my investigation.

I’m guessing that I might be placing an order sometime in the future. Or, as The Angry Chef told me, “Christmas is coming, Mouse.”

***
Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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