Crumbs to Crunch

Are you a fan of apple pie? If you are, then Hirosaki might just be the place for you! Hirosaki is in Aomori, a prefecture in the Tohoku region in the north of Japan. Aomori is famous for its delicious apples, and nowhere is this fruit more greatly celebrated than in the city of Hirosaki. There are over 50 shops in the town selling different types of apple pie. With so many options, it can seem overwhelming. How can you possibly find the perfect pie for you?! Well, the answer is simple. All you need is the Apple pie map !  Not only does the map tell you all the different locations for pie shops and bakeries, it also rates each pie on its sweetness, sourness and amount of cinnamon. My personal favourite is  スリーブリッヂ or Three Bridge, a cute little bakery near Hirosaki station. Their pie is rated 3/5 for sweetness and sourness. But don't take my word for it, head to Hirosaki and do your own research! There's plenty of pies to enjoy and beautiful sites ...

I've always loved the film 'Waitress' so when I heard that it was being turned into a broadway musical  I couldn't wait to see it. However, I knew that I had to be prepared- watching a 2 hour musical about pie-making was sure to make me feel hungry! Therefore, before the show, I went to Peetee's Pie Company to nip any cravings in the bud. Peetee's has a phenomenal selection of pies. It was so hard to chose just one! In the end, I went for a raspberry and apple whilst my friend got a mud pie. At the last minute, I decided to get a slice of New York cheesecake too- I was in the Big Apple after all! The pies were some of the best I've ever eaten, with buttery, crumbly pastry and perfect fillings. However, the real star of the show was the cheesecake. Normally I consider New York cheesecake to be a plain flavour, but it was so rich and creamy, much better than any New York cheesecake I've ever had. I wish I could eat it again! The combination of perfe...

Our kitchen has turned into an orchard. We have so many pears from the garden, we are literally tripping over them!  Here is a recipe for the ultimate comfort food to solve the pear overload - pear and blackberry pie. Ingredients - 1 pack of shortcrust pastry - 500g (or you could make your own) - a handful of blackberries - 4  ripe pears - 1 tbsp brown sugar - 1 tsp cinnamon - milk - 9 inch/23 cm pie dish Method 1. Cut the pears into bite-sized chunks. 2. Put the pears in a saucepan. Add the sugar and cinnamon. Stew on a low heat for 5 minutes or until the pears become softer. 3. Roll out half of the pastry and put onto the bottom of a greased pie dish. 4. Put the pear filling in the pie dish and then add the blackberries. 5. Roll out the other half of the pastry. Put the pastry on top of the fruit to make a lid for the pie. Neaten up the edges and add some slits in the pastry to let the steam escape during cooking. 6. Brush...

Food and history are my two favourite things in the world. Put them together they make a killer combination. My recent visit to Henry VIII's palace, Hampton Court, did just that! To celebrate Hampton Court's 500 anniversary, a series of short plays about the well known inhabitants are being staged in the splendid rooms and courtyards. I witnessed Henry VIII composing some music, Elizabeth I interrogating a Scottish envoy about Mary Queen of Scots as well as Shakespeare's company rehearsing 'the Scottish play'. These sketches all took place in the rooms where their real counterparts plotted and schemed which made the whole place come alive.  Elizabeth I As you can tell from Henry VIII's rather large physique, feasts played an important role in court life. The kitchens where these vast banquets were prepared are still on show and even have a man operating a spit to invite tourists to get cooking! There is even a chocolate kitchen, one of the first o...