Crumbs to Crunch

If you go for a walk in the woods at this time of year, you might get a whiff of garlic. That's because it is prime wild garlic season! I spent a wonderful afternoon after work, foraging in the nearby forest. Wild garlic has long green leaves and small white flowers. It smells like garlic but tastes a lot milder than the garlic you get from the shops. Not only is the taste amazing but it is also free!  I used my wild garlic to make wild garlic and cheddar scones . Nothing went to waste, I used the leaves and the flowers in the scone mixture. The scones were so light and had a crispy cheesy top with a hint of garlic. They were a hit with my family so I definitely need to return to the woods to forage some more! It's a great excuse to get outside and be creative in the kitchen. You could make garlic bread, pesto or bubble and squeak.  The Telegraph  have a useful beginners guide for foraging wild garlic. The National Trust also have a guide on their...

After celebrating the arrival of Spring in Japan , it was high time to do the same in England. While in Japan it's all about blossom, England has to offer some fantastic bluebells.  Hatchlands in Surrey is a stately home famous for its large collection of pianos and harpsichords. However the star attraction that day was to be found in the forest.  I followed the trail past a tree house and eventually came across a bluebell glade. It was a magical sight, I even found a fairy sized door at the bottom of one of the tree trunks. I knocked but there was no answer... After losing myself amongst the bluebells, I headed to the stables which have been converted into a delightful tea room. I came late in the day and was crestfallen at the lack of cake. However there was some Victoria Sponge still going. I'd forgotten just how good Victoria Sponge is, often mistaking it as a boring choice but now consider it a classic. I had suc...

We've been around the world and tried many strange ice creams, from the tomato flavoured ice cream of Nice to the salt ice cream of Dublin . However, nothing quite matches the crazy ice creams available at Karafuneya Coffee in Kyoto. As soon as you enter this lovely cafe in the Sanjo area of Kyoto, you are greeted by an enormous number of plastic models representing the amazing desserts. The best thing about Karafuneya is the sheer range of sundaes. We were equally thrilled by the classic chocolate and strawberry parfaits and the slightly more unusual Japanese flavours, such as macha and black sesame. There were even enormous sundaes (about 2 feet tall) that you can share with all your friends. However, the real eye catchers are the more outlandish ice cream combinations. We spotted a model for a French fries parfait, a deep fried chicken parfait and an American hot dog parfait. The models actually looked surprisingly delicious, but we weren't feeling too adventurous. So ...