London Calling

"It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop." — Wisdom of Confucius

[londoncallingundisguised]

Our German Christmas Feast -a food tradition

There's only one dish for Christmas Eve really: beef!

Well... First of all, you might know that we Germans have our big Christmas on Chrstmas Eve rather than Christmas day. In fact, we call it the 'holy night' and then cound the following two days: '1st day of Christmas' and '2nd day of Christmas'. Thus, Christmas Eve is all about presents and food -and quite a lot of people still go to church.

Traditional German Christmas dishes

At school, I learnt that the British have turkey as their traditional Christmas (Day) dish. In Germany, we have quite a few Christmas dishes. Some have roasts, others goose or poultry (turkey is less common however) and some even have "Bockwurst" (special sausages -what else?!) and potatoe salad. Our Christmas Eve dish has been beef in red wine sauce with red cabbage and dumplings forever...

The "Extrawurst" -special treatment

At some point, I dicided that I didn't feel like beef anymore. Maybe I never really liked it as I once vomitted all over the table when I was little -actually my brother pulls my leg every year with that story... Anyway, I don't really like the taste of beef and also there was BSE. Therefore, I usually get a special treatment: vegetarian Schnitzel. To be fair, nowadays I have a bit of meat too...

Boxing Day / "2nd day of Christmas"

Christmas Day is usually very calm in our house and we eat the left-overs from Christmas Eve. On Boxing Day however, the house gets really lively: many relatives come over and Mum always shines with her delicious goose and rabbit dishes -she even does her own dumplings! Every meat has its own sauce and even though there are 'rules' which meat comes with which side, we all love to mix and match.

So this is (our German food) Christmas...

[londoncallingundisguised]

The magical remote control -my sentimental attachment to my English phone

When was the last time you got a new phone?

What's your phone like?

What's your WhatsApp?

Above you see my phone. No, I'm not joking. I am a 28-year-old money-making media person with a social media twist and this is my phone. I was a promotional Pay-As-You-Go contract during the World Cup 2006. To be honest, I don't even know what it's called neither could I find it online. We I did find was a blogpost about an updated version for the World Cup 2010.

To be fair, I DO have another phone. My German phone, a Sony Ericsson w810i -not that much better in times of smartphones though.

Back to the Alcatel. It features:

a full colour display

auto-correct(ish)

a massive vibration -comes in handy when you misplace it in silent mode

a incredibly long-lasting battery ("Während die iPhoner schon längst disconnected sind, spreche ich immer noch fröhlich weiter.")

no matter how often/hard you drop it, it will always break into 3 pieces: body, battery, cover -I call it the BBC quality

a highly patriotic England flag

You might think I'm awkward and weird but wait until you run out of battery next time...

So why would anyone steal this phone? Exactly. No one would:

The lost and found story

Besides me always being lucky, here is how my little English phone found its way back to me. It is an ordinary Tuesday. Football is on: England vs. Germany. Just before the match starts, I receive a phone call:

"Do you want a spare ticket for Depeche Mode tonight -it's free?!"

What a hard decision but soon I'm on my way to the O2. Wisely, I dropped my backpack with my MacBook at a safe place. The concert was great and everybody danced, screamed, jumped and had a good time. For some (awkward) reason I had 100 free minutes to "Your Country" which apparently was Germany (on an English contract!) granted by my network. I decided to call Mum from the concert -which left her in some kind of shock I suppose.

After that my little phone was 'lost'.

Besides that, someone lost her wallet (no, not me this time). When I got out of the cab, I wanted to make sure nothing else got lost on the back seat. However, the driver (who we intentionally picked as he had a sweet cheeky smile) distracted me by asking me to shut the door properly.

It was only the next morning when I finally realized that my little phone was gone.

After a long last working day at Comptoir, receive a Facebook message:

"The taxi driver called. He's got your phone and will drop it at mine tonight."

Man, that was a relief! Have you ever been a day without your mobile?

The charge for the fare was about half of the phones value (I'm talking recent top-up credit) but I would have been super sad without my little English remote control. Also, bear in mind that those remotes don't do clouds or any kind of synchronisation of your contacts.

[londoncallingundisguised]

Lebanese (food) seduction -impressions from working for a Lebanese restaurant chain

During the past three months I have worked for and with Tony Kitous, the owner and Creative Director of the restaurants Comptoir Libanais, Shawa, Levant and Kenza.

Before that, I had never tried Lebanese food. It took one dinner at Levant and I was Lebanized!! Since then, I had the joy and the pleasure to have my lunch at Comptoir Wigmore Street and I discovered divine dishes.

Halloumi (croissant) I've always been loving halloumi cheese which I first tried on Cyprus (where it comes from). Hearing about a halloumi croissant however, clearly surprised me. When I first tried it, I was amazed and instantly addicted.

Morning boosters Before my proper breakfast, I started my (work) day with a hot ginger and fresh mint water which I soon got known for (inline with giving me a slight awkward look). Another no brainer is my daily carrot and ginger juice -a fresh home made boost in the day!

Naughty treats In my little naughty moments, I had a mira lemonade (made with mint, lemon, orange blossom and ice)... so amazing! Also, it's a drink that "refills itself" as my friend said. When the ice melts, you will still taste great flavours rather than just water. When I felt really naughty, I had a cranberry and chocolate brownie or osmaliyah (filo pastry filled with cream) and a nice latte with a froth head and chocolate on top (Oliver, you're the man).

Half naughty treat A little less naughty -as fat free- is the frozen yoghurt. Normally served with dates and honey, I had it plain with just sesame seeds as I am fructose intolerant.

Standard dishes One of my standard lunch choices was cheese sambousek (Lebanese cheese, parsley and cinnamon) served with a yummy harissa dip which gives you and extra kick and organic rice as a side. Another favourite dish of mine was the halloumi man'ousha (Lebanese flat bread) that I cheekily enhances with extra halloumi and tabbouleh salad (parsley, cracked wheat, tomatoes, mint and spring onions with a lemon and olive oil dressing).

Make it big, make it tagine Very popular dishes at Comptoir are the tagines, especially the meaty ones. I only had the Aubergine tagine which was really good. It was just to much for lunch for me. I like to finish my plate, however in the Lebanese culture this means that the cook did not give you enough.

Passion However, working for Tony and the company wasn't only about delicious food. The restaurants are full of interesting an inspiring people, both customers and members of staff. Besides different flavours, the restaurants fill your experience with different personalities, inspiring interior designs.

Marketing "So, was eating her job?" I hear you say. No no but who can work on an empty stomach. I was Tony's personal marketing manager and helped out at Comptoir's marketing. My responsibilities included, managing Tony's social media channels and the development of his website, the launch of his very first cookbook "Comptoir Libanais" and to coordinate media and press events. For example, we went to the Happy Foodie Festival.

I really enjoyed being 'part of the family' and thank everyone for the great work.

Spread the passion!

[londoncallingundisguised]

The Happy Foodie Festival Happy birthday, foodie!

Have you ever heard of Rickmansworth? I haven't and to be fair I still struggle to pronounce it correctly -maybe that's me being very German for once.

So why exactly would I go all the way to Rickmansworth (about 20min on the train from Marylebone) on my birthday? Because the Happy Foodie Festival by Random House hosts loads of chefs, foodies, cooking demonstrations and obviously food.

The Food Hall

Located in a massive girls' school (yes, I get lost a few times and the short cut goes through a chapel), the main hall is decorated nicely in food. I am particularly drawn to Tina Bakes and her cakes. My passion for tiffins is shared by Tony Kitous, author of the Lebanese cookbook "Comptoir Libanais". Following a recipe from Levi Roots, the tiffin has an unusual ginger twist.

That isn't the only spice twist however."Chalfront Chillies" promise to 'blow your mind. They show you that chillies can go with almost everything...

The Revival Rooms offer a nice tea break to wind down for a reasonable price.

Last but not least, The Carved Angel that try to seduce everyone with 'forbidden' fruits. I really like their (colourful) designs!

The Spice Panel - Around the world

Following the spicy twist of the Food Hall, I join the "Around the world" panel that featured Van Tran, Anh Vu (authors of "The Vietnamese Market Cookbook"), Steve "Stevie" Parle (autor of "Spice Trip" and presenter of the Channel 4 show "Spice Trip") and Tony Kitous (author of "Comptoir Libanais").

Well, if that isn't a spicy mix!

With Stevie describing himself as the new 'Spice Boy' that is looking for more members for his group, giggles are on his side. Later he says how amazed he was when he first saw his own children starting to help Daddy in the kitchen.

Tony and his za'atar spice (a mix of oregano, basil thyme, thyme and savory) kick off. His passion about Lebanese food and the za'atar samples gain great popularity. He also receives applause when giving his bunch of flowers to a lady in the audience and every now and then you see him kissing some women on the cheeks after signing their books -charming Lebanese hospitality I suppose.

Anh and Van have very interesting stories about their childhood in Vietnam to tell, like when they didn't have a fridge and they were buying fresh food products from the markets every day.

Shelina Permalloo - live cooking

"Why do you marinate the fish before you fry it?"

Shelina: (short pause) "Because the fish likes it."

Very charming, upbeat and full of great and funny advice, Shelina Permalloo is definitely the woman when it comes to great and entertaining live cooking sessions. Last year's winner of MasterChef, Shelina surely brings "Sunshine on a Plate" and into the kitchen.

Take home goodies

I'm pretty sure everyone who made the effort to come out to Rickmansworth will have bought something: (signed) cookbooks, cookery gifts and some nibbles, chillies and definitely (my birthday) cake or rather tiffin.

Take home message

Enjoy food with people that value it as much as you do.

Make cooking fun:

"I marinate the fish because he likes it."

Spice girls are past, Spice boys are the future

Try new (Lebanese) flavours and be passionate about food

Get infectuated and inspired by happy foodies!

[londoncallingundisguised]

Visit Original Link

Meet Evelyn Anyiri and Na’Omi Canart - part III

Na'Omi and Evelyn are giving great career advice. It's about social media, networking and taking every opportunity serious.

Get inspired, follow their advice and make it happen!

[londoncallingundisguised]

Visit Original Link

Meet Evelyn Anyiri and Na’Omi Canart - part II

Na'Omi and Evelyn speak about the University of Westminster and its diversity, opportunities and a student's learning curve.

They also give away what inspired them to run the Accounting and Management Society.

Tune in to get some great career advice!

[londoncallingundisguised]

Visit Original Link

Meet Evelyn Anyiri and Na'Omi Canart

Evelyn Anyiri and Na'Omi Canart were President and Vice President of the Accounting and Management Society of the University of Westminster during the academic year (2012-2013).

Not only that they set me on fire about all their activities and events, they infecutated many Westminster Business School students.

Here is an intro of what they did.

[londoncallingundisguised]

For coffee lovers -my personal review

After several coffees, frappuccinos, muffins rather tiffins and many customer service/barista experiences, I decided to write about my favourite coffee shops in London.

London offers an incredible amount of coffee shops and whereas Germany only has one big chain -Starbucks- London has several like Costa, Néro, Prèt-A-Manger, Starbucks, EAT and Joe & Juice (although they rather specialize in juices).

Now coffee is a big issue to many people. There seem to be billions of possibilities to mix, roast, blend and drink your coffee. I used to drink Starbucks' 'White Café Mocha' and Néro's 'White Chocolate Mocha' as they use white chocolate syrup instead of vanilla (HUGE difference). Nowadays, I feel less 'sweet' and therefore I usually go with a normal latte (with chocolate on top though -I never get why chocolate is reserved for cappuccinos). During summer, I like to have frappuccinos.

Costa Costa coffee is not really my favourite but I guess it is the chain where I buy most of my coffees. Reasons for that are:

Costa franchises at the University of Westminster (you won't get any cheaper coffee I suppose)

Costa makes my favourite treat: the 'Chocolate Tiffin' -I LOVE it! It is a triangular cake with a chocolate topping and it contains raisins an biscuit crumbles -YUM

Unfortunately, I don't really like the taste of Costa coffee (also I believe that the University uses a different roast or prepares it differently) but most of the time I am simply to lazy/stingy to buy the coffee at another place. The best thing about Costa at the University is that they are happy to do my 'special versions' (chocolate on top of the latte/less ice in a frappuccino). In contrast, the staff of ordinary shops is usually less friendly and open to my new creations ("That won't taste nice!"). In addition, I had several problems with my 'Costa Club Card' (points were deleted and franchise stores couldn't even swipe the card). However, that's only my overall experience and I will always come back for the Tiffin!

Néro The Italian flavoured coffee shop. Even though the coffee seems to taste slightly stronger and many of the baristas have an Italian background and who are wearing tops with "Italian" and "Milan", there is no Néro store in Milan. Most of the baristas are very nice (unfortunately those at the busy stores were less friendly in general) and the 'Iced White Chocolate Mocha' is my favourite drink. I need to warn you: It's like a whole meal! Néro usually adds free sprinkles on top (if you ask for it) and one barista even gave me the left-over of the 'Iced White Chocolate Mocha' mix -AMAZING! Unfortunately, there is only one size of the (Iced) 'White Chocolate Mocha' and it is quite massive -either let it replace a meal or share.

Prèt-A-Manger I must say that Prèt-A-Manger wasn't really recognized as a quality coffee shop until about three months ago. I did have a 'Halloumi Wrap' before -which is absolutely fantastic- but I'd never really tried the coffee. Once I had realized that Prèt uses mainly organic products and offers really healthy snacks, I was in love. And the coffee is YUM! Overall, the Prèt staff is very friendly and upbeat. Unfortunately, there are no iced (coffee) drinks on the menu.

Starbucks Probably the most popular chain. I do like the 'White Café Mocha' (also the iced version), I like their additional shakers (vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and chocolate) and their logo. The idea of making your coffee experience more personal is honourable but the whole name thing is really annoying, especially because they barely get the names right and sometimes the baristas don't even bother when you offer to spell the name. Once, I was served by a really lovely girl who asked how my day was instead of asking for my name. When I replied that it didn't go to well but I'll make the best of it, she drew a nice smiley on my cup -great customer service! The frappuccino happy hour was pretty disappointing. Our office had 1-8 drinks per day and we tried almost every flavour but all of them are super-sweet. Even when we added another espresso shot, it didn't make much of a difference... My recommendation: 'White Mocha Frappuccino' (basically an iced 'White Café Mocha' but you have to ask for it).

In a nutshell, all coffee shops have something (different/unique) to offer and I will most likely continue to by from all of them. However, I have my tendencies:

A Costa Chocolate Tiffin and a Prèt Latte and an 'Iced White Chocolate Mocha' from Néro on a hot day

[londoncallingundisguised]

Ben & Jerry's Ice-cream -confessions of an ice-cream lover

To be fair, Ben & Jerry's is everywhere rather than something that stands for the London Cuisine. However, I first tried Ben & Jerry's in London many years ago. Also, London has far more scoop shops than Germany. The next German scoop shop is about one hour from my home town away. It is about three years ago that I visited it on Ben & Jerry's yearly "Free Cone Day".

This year, I didn't have to travel that far: there were about 3 scoop shops in walking distance. I was bound to get my free cone (well... at least one!) There were loads of people dressed as cow to raise awareness for Ben & Jerry's campaign that fights for better keeping conditions. I couldn't resist to take some cow pictures. James West was particularly charming!

It was only some weeks later that I first read about the Ben & Jerry's "Core Tour" that promotes the new flavours which consist a soft (chocolate or fruity) core. It was no doubt I had to go. The pictures were taken from the pop-up scoop shop at the Riverwalk, Southbank. I also went to the Covent Garden stop but I forgot my camera as I spontaneously went on my lunch break.

There were several flavours to try and I had 'Peanut Butter Me Up' which was nice but a little to fruity for me (I prefer the 'Peanut Butter Cup' flavour I had on the "Free Cone Day") and the 'Blondie Brownie' which was extremely yum! At home I also tried the 'Dough-ble Whammy'. It was nice but 'Blondie Brownie' remains my favourite (in line with 'Half baked' which is divine with middle-melting chocolate puddings)!

Either way, Ben & Jerry's is a great ice-cream and they always do fun stuff. At the same time, the company cares about quality (Fairtrade) and the environment (wood spoons and several campaigns).

Unfortunately, it is very addictive and you still have to burn off those calories yourself...

[londoncallingundisguised]

My Whole Foods experiences -certified 100% awesome

As heard in the WFM customer audio footage (http://londoncallingundisguised.tumblr.com/post/51638172742/wfm-audio), the Whole Foods Markets are said to offer high quality products at reasonable prices. I wanted to try the food myself and bought a slice of pizza, a spinach feta roll, a pot of guacamole and a German Weizenbier (that I had never seen before).

The pizza certainly was divine. Full of juicy tomatoes, great dough and yummy cheese rounded up by spinach and mushrooms. The spinach feta roll had a nice hearty taste and I liked the sesame seeds that were sprinkled around it.

Everything was totally full of flavour.

Later I had a bread with the homemade guacamole dip. It is one of the bestselling products of the Whole Foods Market. Again, it was full of flavour and I appreciated the fresh taste of the avocados as they are the base of guacamole, it all comes down to their quality! Even though I did pick the "hot" version of the dip (on purpose), the dip was not very spicy. However, guacamole is not meant to be a spicy dip as far as I know.

At home I tried a "Steph Weiss" beer. Now that was a funny story. Even though I am German, I neither new the beer nor did I know if it was a typical Weizenbier or just an ordinary lager. Actually, I got most of the team members confused as they couldn't figure out which kind of beer it was. Well as soon as I tried it, I knew. Just in case the team members from the Piccadilly shop read this: It is a Weizenbier ;) I guess the crucial hint is the "Weiss" in the name and also the "Weissbier" caption on the side of the label.

All in all, the food was absolutely amazing! The only downside was that I felt some symptoms of my fructose intolerance after I had the pizza. Maybe that was due to the fruity tomato juice or maybe it contains some honey (a popular natural sweetener) which contains 36% fructose and would therefore not be too good to have for me.

Anyway, the Whole Foods Market definitely produces quality food that is super delicious. Make sure you don't miss out on your next visit to London! 

[londoncallingundisguised]

Visit Original Link

Customer Impressions from the Whole Foods Market Piccadilly Circus, London.

What makes the whole Foods Market special?

What is your favourite product?

Recorded on 27th June 2013.

[londoncallingundisguised]

The Whole Foods Markets in London -good food "Made Right Here"

I love my food.

Ever since I worked at the Vegetaria, a German organic-certified vegetarian restaurant, I got to know and therefore I appreciate good food. Now there are loads of different supermarkets in the UK. Besides Marks and Spencer food halls which I really love as you can tell be reading my blog, I love shopping at the Whole Foods Markets. 

The Whole Foods Markets are spread widely throughout London (I mostly shop at the store at Piccadilly Circus as it is big and central) and they sell natural high quality products. The Whole Foods Markets philosophy includes "meet your producer", an approach of high relevance after the latest horse meat scandals. In addition, the Whole Foods Markets sell loads of organic and exotic products that they know like the back of their hand.

And there is more: the product line "Made Right Here" consists of products that were freshly prepared in-store. Can it get any better?

Yes, it can.

Whole Foods Market is more to me than just food (and beauty) products. It is the whole atmosphere. It is feeling welcome and valued. It's the smile on a team member's face. It's about showing interest in each other and caring for each other.

See the person as a WHOLE, offering the best of FOODS, and creating a MARKET atmosphere.

And the downsides? Well, maybe not always easy to afford (with a student's budget). However, when you look at what you get (and what you spend on eating out), it's priceless. 

[londoncallingundisguised]

Camden Town -one of my favourite places in London

Whoever asks me for advice on nice places in London will definitely get Camden as one option. Camden is a place you must not miss when you come to London. No matter which age you are, what your social background is or what you are interested in, Camden is a place to be. I have never heard of anyone that didn't like Camden at all.

Camden has its own atmosphere.

Colourful house fronts, unique scooter benches, artists, world food and various fashion, food and creative stalls -Camden has a lot to offer.

I highly recommend to arrive early because Camden has become highly popular. Actually, they close Camden Town tube station between 1-3pm these days because it simply gets too busy. If you don't want to walk to Mornington Crescent station (about 10min walk) or if you'd like to avoid the (tourist) crowds, make sure you visit Camden in the morning.

If you arrive at Camden on an empty stomach, you might be happy about the many free food samples (especially buttered chicken). Some of them are not too bad, but personally I rather try more exotic flavours from other countries.  My favourite place to eat is the vegetarian Restaurant inSpiral (http://www.inspiralled.net/) -very delicious homemade vegetarian and even vegan food.

It is also worth taking a (coffee/tea) break by the canal to see the nice little boats pass through the locks and to take a walk along the canal.

The worst thing that could happen on your Camden experience is that you miss out some parts. Camden has several little markets and sometimes visitors don't find all of them. Make sure you go to the very end.

[londoncallingundisguised]

The hidden origin -how you can tell I'm German

Quite frequently, people wonder which nationality I am. When I then make them guess, popular answers are: Australian or Canadian. Only sometimes the answer is German and I am really happy that people can't tell by my accent that I'm German. I mean some accents can be cute but most strong accents are just ... well a no-go for me. However, I love imitating various accents. Whenever I learn a foreign language, I am really picky with pronunciation even if I get the words right. Isn't it nice to sound French? I speak a bit of French, not very much though but I always try to sound French as much as possible. On a funny side, check out Jason Headley's clip "A little French" and you'll perfectly know what I'm talking about...

Some of my English/international friends sometimes say I am very organized and punctual and I know my German fellows will laugh out loud now :D However, it's all about relations: When I look at the attendance, participation and preparation concerning my University of Westminster modules, I must say our little German group was usually the one that worked the hardest and most efficient. At the same time, I thought I did very little compared to some other German modules.

The feature that is most likely to reveal someone's nationality however, is food (in line with eating habits).

As a German, I obviously love bread, sausages and beer (especially "Weissbier").

Sausages - Bratwurst Well, I'm not that obsessed with sausages to be fair but I am really disappointed by English sausages. They are just not anywhere closed to the taste of German "Bratwurst" or "Currywurst". I must admit that I haven't tried "Herman ze German" (a German sausage shop in London) but instead I have had a "German Bratwurst" at "The Winter Wonderland" in Hyde Park for 4 Pound that wasn't anything like a Bratwurst! The "German Bratwurst" at Borough Market however, is quite nice and they even have "Hela Ketchup" which you hardly get in the UK -unless you pay a fortune compared to the German price.

Bread It's similar with wholegrain bread. The Brits love their sandwiches and some of them are even wholegrain and/or seeded, fair enough. Even though there are more and more (premium) bakeries that now offer quality wholegrain bread that tastes nice, they are overexpensive. Personally, I look out for reduced bread from Marks and Spencer like the  "Irish Soda Bread" and the super seeded bread or I buy the Sainsbury's Organic wholegrain bread or -if I'm on a budget, I get Lidl's wholegrain bread. However, the best bread you can get will be at Borough Market and at premium and organic bakeries. Oh and to be honest, I'm not really a rye bread fan but after all this fluffy (or toasted) bread, it was quite nice to enjoy something different.

Beer The big beer debate will go on forever I guess. Some love ale, others love stout, only few like shandy (but it's coming) and there is still the temperature issue. I like my beer cold. that's for sure. I used to be a shandy girl which in my case meant, I liked beer and cola much better than pure beer. However, as soon as I had a couple of beer pints in London, I got used to it. I guess it's the after-work-pint culture. Luckily, I am happy to have non-alcoholic beer as well as I can see many Brits get addicted to their after-work pint. One of my absolute favourite beers is "Franziskaner Weissbier", especially the non-alcoholic one (as it doesn't taste to strong and it's super refreshing). Unfortunately, London doesn't have the non-alcoholic Franziskaner and even the ordinary one cost me triple the German price when it was on special offer. The most important thing about Weissbier however, is to serve it in the right glass. The whole pouring procedure is an art of its own. I'm ok with having pints without proper heads but when it comes to Weissbier, there is no other way than the head-way!

German brands I can't live without

dm / Alverde / Alnatura "There's nothing you can't get in London." YES, THERE IS. You can't get "dm" ("Alnatura" & "Alverde") products! "dm" is a German drug store similar to Boots/Superdrug and maybe it also has a bit of Holland & Barrett. "Alverde" stands for premium cosmetics. The ingredients are as natural as possible and I just can't live without them. Essentials are their tooth paste/water, day/night cream, body lotion, shower peeling and lip balm. "Alnatura" is an expanding food company with several stores throughout Germany and a selection of their products in every "dm" store. I love their taste, their exotic ingredients and their amazing value for money. Both, "Alverde" and "Alnatura" products have been tested many times by objective and well-known German customer service organisations ("Stiftung Warentest", "Ökotest") which makes them more than trustworthy. Even though there are some British alternatives, I haven't found an all-in-one that is comparable with these brands (especially when it comes to price)!

Dr. Oetker As I love Pizza, I sometimes go for frozen pizza and as stated in my review, Dr. is one of my overall favourites: great taste, good quality and amazing value for money (in fact it's even cheaper in London than it is in Germany).

Chocolate We all have a sweet tooth sometimes, don't we. I do have a weak spot for chocolate, especially dark chocolate (Fairtrade organic are my favourites). I usually buy Lidl's Fairglobe Dark Chocolate. However, sometimes I try new flavours and I quite like Milka's Oreo Chocolate (49 Cents on special offer in Germany compared to 1 GBP in London!) When I saw that Cadbury does an Oreo version as well, I tried it (again 1 GBP on special offer) but I didn't like it as much as the Milka on. In addition, I don't really like the Cadbury taste, especially compared to German chocolate.

Well, lots of products I miss but if my craving for German brands becomes unbearable, Mum sends over a parcel with my favourite products, just like she did for Easter.  Not to worry, there are maaaaaany English products I love (and miss when I'm back home)! 

[londoncallingundisguised]

Pizza, pizza! Mamma mia - taste the difference! 

Well, I must admit: I LOVE pizza! I am a really healthy person but some days I'm really craving for pizza. In case that happens during lunch time and I am close to a Whole Foods Market, I'll most likely have one of their divine slices. However, most of the time, it will be after work when it's late and I just can't be bothered to cook or it's the weekend and I am about to go out and there's not much time left.

Then I usually grab a frozen pizza. Actually, some of my flatmates here in London say that I have pizza all the time (at least about as much as I have Marks & Spencer food). Most of the times I will buy a pizza Margherita and then add some sweet corn and rocket salad ("grass" as my flatmates say). I do that because the best (fresh) pizza that I ever had was a "Pizza Mimosa" in Milan. It was a Margherita that had sweet corn and rocket salad and it tasted divine!

As I like to experiment, I usually try different brands and here are my results:

Pizza Express The popular pizzeria chain also offers frozen pizza and sometimes you may be lucky and get special offers. As I'd never had Pizza Express, I was unbiased and then pleasantly surprised: great packaging (in line with the 'handmade' product) and yummy taste. The dough was nice and crisp, the tomato juice full of flavour and the cheese tasted actually tasted like cheese taste. Definitely a great option, good quality and very delicious. However, usually more expensive than most frozen pizzas.

Dr. Oetker Ristorante As a German, I love my German food -well most of it at least! The first time, I tried Pizza Ristorante in London was when it was on an amazing offer at ASDA. It was about to be one of those student's pizza nights and we students love a great bargain, don't we?! And the pizza was MIND-BLOWING! I mean, sure there is nothing like fresh pizza but personally I loved the taste -particularly of the Ristorante Funghi- and the value for money ratio was simply incredible! To be fair the Funghi is quite oily but you don't really expect pizza to be healthy, do you? Dr. Oetker Pizza Ristorante is definitely my first choice in London (so far) when it comes to value for money and it is the frozen pizza that I have the most.

Sainsbury's Sainsbury's has a great range of products and is one of my favourite supermarkets in London. I particularly like the "SO - Sainsbury's Organic" line. However, I am not a great fan of their pizzas. The "Sainsbury's Italian Margherita" wasn't to bad but I definitely expect more from an 'Italian' label. Really disappointing was the normal "Thin & Crisp Margherita". It is 'thin and crisp' however it's quite tasteless. Even though it says "Mozzarella Cheese" and "Mature Cheddar Cheese" on the package, I'm not sure if contains real cheese as it didn't taste like cheese. Instead, it rather felt like cardboard between my teeth. Even my spinach and sweet corn toppings couldn't make up for it. As it says "Improved recipe" on the package, I wonder how it did taste before?! There are definitely other brands that offer a better quality for the same or just slightly more expensive price so Sainsbury's "Taste the difference".

[londoncallingundisguised]

Getting in shape

Run London, run. Next weekend is the "London Marathon" (I am NOT part of it). It's one of the biggest charity events worldwide and London's citycentre will be crowded.

 I love my sports.

Not only that it keeps me healthy (a ran away from a massive cold that was around), it makes me feel great. It gives my a boost -an endorphin boost. I feel more balanced. In addition I look good. Now, that Spring is finally approaching, another great benefit.

I'm not doing sports to impress other people. However, I can't hide that it feels nice when people looking at me in a certain way while I work out. I got a feeling that the Londoners are more confident in making compliments. Even though the English are said to be a bit prudish, I get more comments during my runs than in Germany. Yesterday, a man said "Girl, you gotta six-pack!" I hadn't even realized how my tummy muscles had developed and he made me smile.

However, the greatest feeling is when I come home, have my shower (contrast bath) and my bamboo self-massage followed by a skin treatment with arnica oil. It's amazing. To round it all up, I have a wheatgrass shot and a great breakfast. Sometimes, it's scrambled eggs, sometimes porridge and sometimes rice pudding or semolina. Unfortunately, not much fruit (juices) since I was diagnosed fructose intolerant. Nowadays I have my little treats like a piece of dark fairtrade chocolate (Lidl) or a couple of cookies. The latter occur occasionally when my residence puts up a nice free (!!) coffee/tea and cookie table in line with London's most popular free morning paper, the Metro.

This is London.

This is my life.

I love it.

[londoncallingundisguised]

Gritish Easter -turning a British Easter German, with a little help from my Mum

 As a German, I am used to Easter bunnies. Well, London does have some (mostly imported by Lindt though :D) but the Britons are more into Easter eggs. Big eggs of big brands like Cadbury's, Kit Kat and Galaxy. If you ask me, they should really stick with their chocolate bars! I am also very much into Easter hunts. To be fair, there are quite a few "Egg Hunt Trails" in London but either I haven't found the good ones yet or they don't exist. Therefore, I created my own exciting Easter Hunt (http://mandsfood.tumblr.com/post/47207660574/colin-easter) and had a great coffee table with my Belgian friends. Something I love about Easter in Germany are the Easter fires. Going to church and then warming up by the fire is just amazing -not gonna happen with "health and safety" in London, is it?!

So as I didn't get to Germany this Easter, German Easter came to me:

Mum send me a big parcel packed with Easter surprises: The traditional Lindt Gold Bunny, organic Alnatura treats, REAL rye bread (even German supermarket chains sell inappropriate "German rye bread") and a leaf of my favourite wholegrain bread. Unfortunately, the parcel arrived early -as Mum had sent it early "to be sure it arrives in time"- and I didn't open it until Sunday! Well, nothing beats German quality: the bread was still alright :)

So, even though I didn't go home, I had my typical Easter breakfast:

-bread with eggs, salad cress, ketchup and mayo (which I replaced by sweet chili sauce: really yum) -rolls with butter and Lindt Gold Bunny chocolate (I didn't get rolls and my butter is salted but the latter turned out to be really tasty and also the Lidl bread did a great job in rounding the taste off)

Thank you for everyone that was with me this Easter!

It doesn't matter where you are, there are always people that care -near and far.

It's the little things that matter.

A special thanks to my Mum -I love you x