The Ultimate Healthy Snack Extraordinaire

Don't you find that you crave more sugar in the winter than you would during other seasons? I don't know about you but all I want to do is wolf down pounds and pounds of sweets and chocolates to keep me warm during the work week. And lately I've been fighting the urge to bite into that 4pm birthday cake at the office while all I want to do is stuff my face silly with carbs. Weird? I don't know. I think we all need the sugary fuel to get us through the day in the cold, dreary London winter days.

It's hand picked, all natural, little drops of fruity sunshiny goodness called Urban Fruit that have kept me going these past few weeks. It's a simple concept, really. This London-based simple food company hand picks fresh fruit from lush flowery trees when they're at their ripest, peel them, cut them into strips, bake them gently and voila! With no added sugars and additives and with 200 calories a pack that will last you through two snacks, I have found my 4pm sugar-binge alternative! Mango, Pineapple, Cherry, Strawberry & Apple, take your pick.

Find your healthy snack sugar-binge alternative at Whole Foods Kensington

Like Ham & Cheese on Crack

You've probably been to Pret numerous times on your daily breakfast run and thought to yourself, God, it's that same old thing again; "a yoghurt and raspberry jam parfait, please, take away". Off you go, with a grunt and a softly-dying appetite, at the thought of swallowing down yet another tasteless breakfast this week. It's doesn't have to be that way, zesties. Weekday breakfast can be fun again! This morning, I took the adventurous road down the bakery aisle at Pret and bought myself a melty crispy, goldeny brown Ham & Cheese croissant. I did it. Carbs for breakfast, zestie, it's a fact. So sue me.

It's got all the winner ingredients for a happy breakfast and a splendid start to the day: the ham, the bacon, the cheese, the juicy tomato sauce, the crispy crust - it basically is 352 calories of pure goodness. I can't wait til tomorrow morning. Did I just hear my alarm clock?

In the Pret a Manger near you.

Muffins Are So Yesterday

#Forget about doughnuts, gelato and choc chip cookies
#Muffins are so yesterday
#At Wafflemeister I lost my heart
#OMG, just discovered WM and I'm in heaven

These are some of the tweets on Wafflemeister's Twitter. That's right, it's all about waffles these days (yes, and about Twitter too, as I've discovered for myself). And guess what? Waffles don't have to be rich in fat, sugar and cholesterol to be a tasty delight. At Wafflemeister, that's not what it's about. The all-natural Waffle dough recipe at the South Ken Waffle Bar is made from organic and fresh ingredients, and topped with all-natural chocolate, berries, nuts, whipped cream and coconut flakes! Have it for breakfast, dessert or for your 5pm snack. Have it as a midnight munch. The place is open til 00:00. You can go for the no-fuss dark or milk chocolate drizzle option or the banana, nuts and fudgetastic waffle spectaculaire. Hey, what other important decisions do you have to make this week?

Check out WM's new Notting Hill spot on Portobello Road.

Zesties. Go. Indulge.

Wafflemeister:

26 Cromwell Place

SW7 2DL 

020 7193 8649

&

137 Portobello Road

London W11 2DY

020 7221 1153

Oh and come follow me on Twitter!

Snob Food Limited

My unequivocal love for food has made itself quite public through this blog, and I have no shame for it in my heart. I am, and forever will be, a die hard foodie; a closet fat kid if you will. I was once scolded by an English teacher for eating a candy bar in class. It was disturbing my classmates, she said. "It is frowned upon in this school to treat the classroom like a cafeteria." That God awful teacher with a God awful bad ear for foreign languages, and who insisted the sound "the" was pronounced "zhe". Keep in mind, this was the French system, where rules made educators feel more worthy than their students, and most of all - it made them feel powerful. Most of the time, these rules were completely uncalled for or even made up. Since when has eating a candy bar in class disturbed anyone? I don't think so. Ever since I was a little girl, I've tricked my mind into believing that I didn't like sweets - for the sake of keeping my grades up, I guess.  

But now that it's no longer a matter of grades and being liked by your teachers, it's a duty of mine to try to enjoy (and share) my guilty pleasures to their fullest potential. Like this new discovery of mine, the awesomely handsome snob food cafe called Napket. No guilty consciences allowed in here. Licking your upper lip like the first time you stepped into a candy store is recommended. Better yet, it's encouraged. Think of that movie Chocolat. Johnny Depp isn't the only delicious thing worth saving your appetite for. Think of a chocolate torsadé or a double chocolate brioche for breakfast. Think of colourful summer salads, made up of puy lentils, bloody beetroot, fresh parsley and feta cheese for lunch. Think of a bowl of freshly cut tropical fruit for dessert and a frothy chocolatey cappuccino to keep you from falling asleep at your desk. No sin here.

The makers of Napket clearly have a passion for design and beautiful things. What with the oak-wood walls, the library-bar look and the romantic lighting, everything about the decor shouts out elegance and taste. And of course, the yummy dishes are as fancy as they are delicious, and are best enjoyed on Napket's regal chairs, reading the latest Metro gossip under a stylish chandelier - no less.  Who's teaching who a lesson now? Or should I say "whom"...

 

You can find Napket in various locations throughout London:
61 Piccadilly, W1J ODY
5 Vigo Street, W1S 3HD
6 Brook Street, W1S 1BB
34 Royal Exchange, EC3V 3 LP
342 Kings Road, SW3 5UR

The London Gelato Fan Club

I have decided to change my blog name to London Gelato Fan Club. Just kidding. No, seriously though. London has a number of things at your disposal, but one thing it lacks in is a half-decent gelateria. I should start a fan club. A place, where like-minded gelato aficionados like myself can gather around and discuss the latest gelato spots of London. Serious topics deserve fan clubs. Like football, cheese and musicians, gelato deserves a Facebook page too. And if there already is one, let me know and I want in. I have had a special thing for gelato ever since living in Rome a few years ago, but I haven't found an equivalent since arriving in London. I've missed a good double scoop of gelato. Back in Rome, almost daily, I would wander down the streets aimlessly, feeling the sunshine on my shoulders, hungry for the sweet kiss of an ice cream cone. Weirdly enough, I have always found the sensation of biting into a rich and creamy scoop of straciatella ice cream to be equally as satisfying as a first kiss. And like kissing, gelato tastes even better when it's the first in a while.

So hold onto your chair, Zesties, as I have had the pleasure of smacking my lips onto one of London's best gelatos, and one of the shops happens to be right around the corner from my flat! Gelato Mio, the ultimate and authentic Italian gelateria, is actually spread four ways throughout West London, and is conveniently located in Notting Hill/Holland Park, St Johns Wood and Fulham. They offer fantastic and original flavours from nutella and caramel, to melon and tiramisu. 

There is something there for everyone, even the football fans! Check out their website or go visit the parlour for a sneek peak at the national teams' flavours, with Italy being represented by Olive Oil, France by Goat Cheese, Brazil by Caipirinha and England by Pimm's! Not sure how I feel about the goat cheese ice cream, but you've gotta applaud the Italians for their creativity and their talent with producing delicious things.

Gelato Mio

138 Holland Park Avenue, Notting Hill

37 Pembridge Road, Notting Hill

138 St. John's Wood High Street, St John's Wood

495 Fulham Palace Road, Fulham

The Travel Cookie - the Best Way to Start Your Holiday

I was raised in a home, where cooking and food were a big part of our lives. And we ate meals together. We enjoyed our meals as a family around the dinner table. Much of these food traditions meant that we also were encouraged, growing up, to discuss a topic of a certain level of importance around the dinner table. So that's what we did. We ate and we discussed. And we laughed some. We filled the air with serious and not so serious conversations - about school, politics, philosophy, art. I have fond memories of these family meals. They stuck with me somehow. Sometimes the smell of freshly cooked langoustines dipped in mayonnaise wafts right beneath my nose and I can see myself chatting about De Gaulle and WW2 in my little summer dress ate age 15, my legs propped up on the chair. However, while I truly enjoyed these precious family moments, my favourite moments were spent sitting on top of the kitchen island, baking CCCs with my mother. Chocolate Chip Cookies were the weekend treat for all of us. But baking them was quality time for my mom and me. So yes, I have to admit, my standards for CCC baking are unexpectedly high. When I think CCC, I think Magic.

Moving on slightly from the family topic, but still very much on the cookie topic, I tried a CCC yesterday that would make your little mouths water from jealousy and glutony. I call it the Travel Cookie. They're actually called Millies Cookies and you'll find the bake shop at most train stations.

And while I rarely take the train, there is one time when I do - when I am off to Paddington and Victoria en route to Gatwick and Heathrow. Final destination: ding ding ding...holiday, baby. So, may I introduce to you, one of the best cookies I have bit into and chewed on since my arrival in London. The fantastic, the mouth-watering, the delicious Millies Chocolate Chip Cookie. And for those who are feeling adventurous, the chip flavours vary from lemon meringue and raspberry to caramel and butterscotch. Too much, too good. But a great way to start the holiday.

Millies Cookies
Available at most London Train Stations
Including Victoria, Paddington, Waterloo, London Bridge, Liverpool Street
and also sold nationwide

A Little Bit of Paris Zest

Paris is just as amazing as everyone says. After returning from a mini break in the city of Love, I can confidently make the claim that Paris is the most magical city in the world. Don't get me wrong, London is my new home and I have embraced it as the new city of my heart. But Paris oozes class and elegance. It is the hub of all that is fashion, art and food. There is no point in denying it. Paris is simply put, the one and only capital of cool. And the more I return, the more I play around with the idea that I might eventually move there to live. I'm consistently charmed by Paris. Overwhelmed by all of its quirks, weirdnesses and character flaws. And because Paris is so full of flaws, I love it. Because Paris is so full of flaws, and I accept myself as a flawed French American girl, I can't help but daydream about a future life within its beautiful city walls. This is why, after much thought and consideration, I have decided to put a list together that would summarize, in a typically London Zest Top 10 fashion, my favourite zesty activities and spots in the future city of my heart, Paris.

1. For an all around fantastic shopping experience: Le Bon Marche has everything to offer, from cosmetics and menswear, to high end designers and a fantastic selection of ladies pret a porter. Vanessa Bruno, APC, Maje, Sandro and Tsumori Chisato, the racks of this 19th century monument offer an exciting array of contemporary fashion.

Le Bon Marche, Rue de Sevres, 6eme Arrondissement

 

2. For some fancy food shopping: if you're a bourgeois lady heading to the shops to prepare for a dinner party in your Haussman style palace apartment, then you'll probably love to come to La Grande Epicerie inside Le Bon Marche, for your foie gras and epicerie items. It truly is Alibaba's cave when it comes to the delicacies a gourmet supermarket can offer.

La Grande Epicerie, Rue de Sevres, 6eme Arrondissement

3. For some uber-cool neighborhood boutique shopping: visit le Marais, 3e arrondissement. As usual it started all with the gays. It turns out, it is now the hippest shopping neighborhood in Paris. You'll find the upmarket labels like Isabel Marant (my fave!) and you'll also spot some reasonably priced quirky shoe boutiques like Mellow Yellow.

Isabel Marant, Rue Debelleyme, 3eme Arrondissement

4. For the best rose and people watching: La Palette is the epitome of Parisien bobo (bourgeois boheme) style, elegance and nostalgia, where The APC-clad youngsters and hipsters circle and dot this perfectly sectioned terrasse of the super hip 6eme arrondissement.

 La Palette, Rue de Seine, 6eme Arrondissment

5. For a scrumpscious "burgers and hipsters" combo: also located in Le Marais 3eme arrondissement, Cafe Charlot houses the best burgers in town if you're feeling like being kooky in the homeland of Coq au Vin and Poulet Frites. Order it with a side of freaking good looking people, dressed to impress the crowds of this delightful little cafe.

 Cafe Charlot, Rue de Bretagne, 3eme Arrondissment

6. For the best new hip restaurant to be and be seen: Le Derriere has "Cool New Hot Spot" written all over it. Industrially chic and fantastifally fashionable, this place loosely translated into "The Bottom (or behind)" is not only a fun people-watching venue but it also guarantees an ecclectic variety of fusion French dishes mixed with traditional fare. Un vrai delice is all I can say. Also, while you're there, don't forget to check outt he room behind the closet upstairs. Secrets are coveted in this mysterious little fumoir area.

Le Derriere, Rue des Gravilliers,  3eme Arrondissement

7. For some Paris by night: Le Curio Parlor is reminiscent of New York's Lower East Side Freeman's restaurant and bar. Taxidermy is not the only strange element you'll find in the curious parlour-type venue. Aside from stuffed foxes and pheasants hanging from the walls, you'll relish on some eccentric cocktails recipes and eye-poppingly gorgeous locals.

Curio Parlor, Rue des Bernardins, 5eme Arrondissment

8. For the best cheap eats: Situated smack in the middle of the Jewish quarter of Le Marais, L'As du Falafel has been a go-to favourite cheap-eats location of mine for years and I always recommend it to Paris visitors, looking for a bit of exotic food in their Parisien diet. This is by far the best falafel I've ever tasted. Try the Shwarma as well. While your breath will suffer for hours on end, the moment you bite into this little package of paradise, your mind will draw a blank as to where you even live.

L'As du Falafel, Rue des Rosiers, 3eme Arrondissement

9. For some tea and macaroons Parisien style: La Duree in Saint Germain des Pres, has been on my Top 10 list for a while. I'm a caramel macaroon fan and La Duree is the only answer to my sweet afternoon cravings.

La Duree, Rue Jacob, 6eme Arrondissement

10. For an afternoon nap in the sun: La Places des Vosges is in my mind, the most beautifully quaint slice of Parisien paradise. Lay yourself down with a novel in hand and doze off into a deep sleep under the warm Spring sun.

Place des Vosges, 3eme Arrondissement

Colour Me My Cupcake

When I was in New York I could easily have survived on cupcakes and Diet Coke. I know, gross and completely illogical. I lived right around the corner from the Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery, which offered some of the best red velvet cupcakes with the most velvety frosting on top, like its name suggests. From then on, my cupcake expectations have been elevated to a very high standard. In my opinion, London is still learning to make great cupcakes. What can I say? It's an American tradition. Like bagels, muffins and burgers. Some things just taste better in their original country.

 

Candy Cakes, Kingly Court off Carnaby Street

Lately though, I've been opening up my cupcake horizons quite a bit, desperately trying to find my new go-to cupcake place. Hummingbird, yeah okay. Lola's, fine. Ottolenghi, slightly better. Candy Cakes (Monmouth Street, Goodge Street and Kingly Court) is my latest cupcake discovery. It's not revolutionary in taste. You've got the dough, the frosting, the unbelievable sweet aftertaste and the strange artificial colouring. But the playfulness is quite unbeatable. Talk about playful. Finally an original and kooky take on cupcakes.

Clowns, footballs and fairies, the cupcake decorating is completely out of the box. Bright greens, reds and yellows, Candy Cakes is not afraid to overdo it with the primary colours in its frosting palette. Though more of a kid heaven, due to its slight Alice in Wonderland colour scheme, you'll definitely find yourself a slice of paradise as well. A cuppa tea and and a little playful eating never hurt anyone. Also on the menu: Made to Order cakes and cupcakes. Pick out your frosting colour, your dough flavour and your decoration of choice. You've got yourself an original creation.

Fancy a Snog?

No I'm not trying to come on to you whoever you are...though I'm sure you're very a fine looking person. And yes, I know, the title of my post is a bit misleading. But let me make this clear I'm not talking about snogging in the way that the urban dictionary would: "Verb: to interface passionately with another being, creating a field of physical obsession and focused arousal, and centered on the lips, mouth and tongue." What the hell are they talking about???? Are the writers of this site on crack? How on earth did they come up with this absurd definition? "creating a field of physical obsession and focused arousal?" What? What the hell is focused arousal anyhow? Who says that?

Anyways, no, my entry is not about sex, sorry kids. I am referring to food, yet again. More specifically frozen yoghurt, a trend well-known to my fellow Americans but not as much by my newly acquired friends here in London. By Snog, I am referring to the delicious and uber-trendy frozen yoghurt place in South Kensington, Soho and Westfield.

Snog is a delightful place, selling delightful "healthy" (we'll see) frozen yoghurt made from all-good  and delightful stuff, with almost no calories. Just like a tic-tac! Grab some green tea or original flavoured yoghurt, and top it off with some Nestle choc chips, fresh fruits or granola! Don't mock the tone. Instead, check out the health benefits below.

I think it says it all. Pinkberry started it all in the States. Snog is just another "Healthy" Frozen Yoghurt chain trying to make it in the UK. But it's good. It's really good. Give it a go, give it a snog, it's truly sensational!

Sit Down, Relax, Enjoy Your Chair

I never thought I'd say this but I want to thank the London Bus Company for making my life a lot more enjoyable. Also, I want to thank them for taking me places and showing me London in a way I never thought I could. Believe it or not I've discovered a multitude of places, just by sitting on the top tier of that big red bus, sometimes at the very front, my nose stuck to the front window, taking in all sorts of awesome new sights. I love the bus. There I said it. No shame in that, it's not like I've got the luxury of a car, a vespa or a bycicle...at least not yet. So I take what I'm given. I guess you could say I've been blessed with the numerous possibilities of public transport and I am embracing them with arms wide open. Except for the always tardy circle line, the never reliable district line and the occasionally annoying central line (have I covered them all?), I happen to be relatively accepting of the underground system. But yes, I do prefer the bus, now an increasingly important tool in my blogging research.

The Cupcake Company, Kensington Church Street

The other day, on the bus, I was delighted to let my eyes wonder towards the latest addition to the cupcake
trend in London, right there, 5 minutes away from my flat, on the adorable Kensington Church Street, the one and only Cupcake Company. This little jewel-like cupcake shop releases amazing American scents and flavors of frosting, sugar, creamy vanillas and chocolates all the way down to Notting Hill Gate station. You can smell it from a mile away. Eventhough all I can smell is danger...trying to stay away, trying to stay away.

Much to my delight, a fantastic furniture and chair shop also located on Kensington Church Street has made its way onto my blogging radar. Jimmie Martin's crazy, kooky, rock n' roll Union Jack chairs, and delirious and extravagant sofas are to die for and must not be missed. His unique and playful collection of chairs and sofas plays on antique 18th century royal designs mixed with Brit pop culture imagery, such as the Queen of England's famous portrait, an english Bulldog and dachsund, or the most popular one of all, the splendid Union Jack- making for an eclectic, modern and original selection of upolstered furniture. Not that this concept is at all revolutionary, but it shows no pretense of conveying anything else either. His gallery is worth checking out for it is a true London gem!

Jimmie Martin's Famous Union Jack Chair

Sunday Lazy Sundays

Gotta love those lazy London weekends. The ones where you put on your lazy shirt and no one judges you...or do they? Those weekends filled with nothing...well, not nothing, but nearly nothing. Let me explain. No, I am not bumming around, relishing in the freedom of unemployment. And yes, I'm trying very hard to get my act together. My weeks are active and dynamically-charged and jam-packed with the usual gym, blog, job hunt routine. I work very hard at that and I plan on keeping it that way. But stuck in limbo between finishing grad school and starting a career, I find myself, on weekends, to be filled with boundless and incredible energy to do absolutely nothing, especially when nothing consists of lounging around in my new gorgeous and very very adult flat. Veggying out in bed on Saturdays (and Sundays) reading girly mags, surfing the net and the blogosphere. Renting movies from the indie flick Notting Hill Gate Video City. Having friends pop by for some Pringles and tea. Visiting friends/family in Islington. Strolling hapharzardly from Islington to Primrose Hill and making awesomely zesty discoveries without expecting to. Looking forward to Monday mornings so I can blog about them. Then blogging about them. Yeah, it's a nice feeling.

So after all of this ramble and nothing-talk, I must share my unleashed excitement for Primrose Hill. It is absolutely not surprising how, over time, celebrity and non-celebrity residents alike, have chosen it as their neighborhood over any other neighborhood in London. From Kate Moss, Agyness Deyn, Rachel Weisz and Enrique(!), to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and Jude Law, all have lived at one point or another in this gorgeous area. In my view, this is why: first of all, it is blessed with one of London's most breathtaking views from the top of its hills, beating the LondonEye's view by a landslide. Second, its houses and buildings live and breathe pure Londonness, offering the most exclusive sneak peaks into its residents' living rooms (have I mentioned how much of a voyeur I have become ever since I've moved here?) Third, it offers three of the most important things an area should offer, and those include: an awesome neighborhood pub, a cupcake shop, and last but not least, a gem of a vintage boutique, and all of these are located on one street: Gloucester Avenue!


The pub, for one,  is called the Lansdowne . And this is no ordinary pub. It is what I call a girl-friendly pub, a pub where girls like myself can feel comfortable in and drink a glass of wine, or a half pint of light beer, without getting the evil stare from the beer snob sitting next to you. It is also one of my faves because it offers oh so yummy pizza, with oh so zesty toppings.

The cupcake shop is called Primrose Bakery. It is lovely and delicious and you will love it. Need I say more?  

And this below is Shikasuki Vintage Boutique. These photos speak for themselves. Though I thought I could add a couple of reasons as to why this is a must-go, must-see. As you walk in, you all of a sudden belong to another planet, another world, a place where twirling and zipping back to childhood are not only allowed, but encouraged. There is almost a jewel-like quality to this place. The boudoir, sparkly,  glittery and cozy decor adds to its quirkiness as a clothing-and-other-stuff shop. Because not only will you find all of these dresses that you played dress-up in as a little girl, but you will also end up believing that you are Alice and Shikasuki is your Wonderland.


               Shikasuki Vintage Boutique, Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill

Mayfair Lady at the Rose Bakery

I am moving again! Weeeeeee! Not far, just a smidgen south of where I am at the moment. My flat is a mess, my head is a mess, my life...well, is a mess, but surprisingly I am still standing. My student days are behind me, and I am looking forward now. To what? Yeah. About that. I have no friggin clue but at least I am looking forward, right? I've always been a fan of staying positive, though, and enjoying the wee things in life that make you feel special. Like for example: I looooove cupcakes or any baked goods with frosting on top. There's something about the fluff of the dough mixed with the nutty crunchiness and the smoothness of the creamy rich squirt of heaven that they put on top, that makes me feel all fuzzy inside. It's a mystery to me why I haven't keeled over from gluttony yet. My friends at work used to call me the closet fat kid. Soooooo un-PC, right? I thought so. Take a cinnamon roll from Gail's for example.  Isn't funny how something so sweet and delicious can give you a better perspective on life. What about a lovely dinner with friends on a Saturday night? Isn't fantastic how being around the people you love makes you feel warm, happy and full of glee. 

A good friend of mine visited from Paris last weekend. As we were aimlessly meandering down Piccadilly on Friday, she had the glorious idea of popping into Dover Street Market for a bite of lunch. No need to express to you how awesomely quirky this store is. Most of you Londoners have probably already been and it's no news to you that this is a real London hot spot...even though you probably don't end up buying anything most of the time (Comme des Garcons...um, who wears that?). You also probably have elevatored yourself up to the fourth floor (4F) where you catch yourself standing in the middle of a magical London lunch spot. The Rose Bakery at DSM is what I call a true London gem. It has everything from the yummy soups, quiches and salads, organic granola and cappucinos (cappuccini?), the absolute best carrot cake you have EVER tasted, and it is crowded with the cool Mayfair fashion, art and advertising professionals, who add to a decor that is at once sophisticated and relaxed. It is the hub of all that is cool in Mayfair. And the great thing is, on a warm and sunny day, you can take it all outside onto the balcony, where you can look down onto Albermarle Street and the rooftops of the Brown's Hotel. You'll enjoy a truly fantastic London moment and will leave happy, satisfied and a wee bit plumpier.

Rose Bakery at Dover Street Market

Carrot Cupcake at the Rose Bakery