An Ace Iced Tea

There's no doubt that Kyoto is a pretty amazing city: attractive canals; the occasional glimpse of a Geisha; great food (even for a veggie) and far more temples than you could possibly shake a stick (or ring a bell) at. But the most significant thing about Kyoto for me was that it was where I finally learned to look up. Finding addresses in Japanese cities is basically a nightmare; and finding a bar to pop into for a quick drink is no mean feat either. But in Kyoto I cracked it.

Maid in Japan

From reading my last post you could be forgiven for thinking that Japan is simply a country of tranquil tearooms, zen gardens and traditions stretching back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. But, as I hinted, there is a whole other side to the place, and for my money it's a side every bit as interesting. Nowhere is this other side more evident than in Tokyo. Tokyo is quite definitely my kind of town: streets as busy as Oxford Street on a Saturday; neon lights that dazzle your eyes; and noise emanating from shops, arcades and even passing trucks. It may rain a lot (witness the umbrella cover dispensers outside every shop) and it may not be the most beautiful of places but it really feels alive.

Japanese Tea - The Bitter & The Sweet

So, I'm finally back from my extended (thank you ash cloud) trip to Japan. And it was fantastic. I saw, ate and, of course, drank so many amazing things it's hard to know where to begin. Before I travelled eastwards I'd hoped that I might be able to have tea in at least one or two traditional tea houses, but I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would be indulging virtually every other day! As wonderful and individual as each of these experiences was I think writing about all of them might stretch everyone's patience so I have decided to concentrate on the tea that made the biggest impact on me.

Stranded in Tea Heaven

Sorry for the longer than expected hiatus. Thanks to the cloud of volcanic ash I am stranded in Tokyo. Although with delights such as Matcha Tea Cake to console me things could be worse... Hopefully normal service will resume sometime soon.

A Little Tea Break

I am currently in Japan - a country so obsessed with tea, there are vending machines selling iced versions every 100 metres. So please excuse my lack of posts over the coming weeks.
I will be back with tales of tea nirvana soon!

Lavender & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Much as I love cupcakes – and in fact cakes in general – there are times when biscuits are called for; one such time was the other day. I had arranged to go to Miss O's for lunch and it wasn't until about an hour before I was due to leave that it hit me – I hadn't made anything sweet to take along. Never one to let an opportunity for baking pass me by I started searching for a recipe. What did I have in the cupboard? All of the usual basics: flour, butter, sugar etc. But what could give these biscuits a taste of the unexpected..? Chocolate – never wrong but hardly a shocking choice. And then it hit me: my old favourite, lavender. Perfect. I could make a sweet biscuit with lavender and chocolate chips.

Little Blog Awards

I just wanted to post a little note to say thank you so much to everyone who has voted for me in the Dorset Cereals Little Blog Awards: I am currently in second place - which is very exciting! If you haven't voted yet and would like a chance to win a case of lovely Dorset Cereals - not to mention making me very happy in the process - please click on the link below.