Hayley Fuller's Cakes

 Happy Halloween everyone! :)

Halloween Barbie Cake by Hayley Fuller- made of 3 marbled cake layers

At our office *chomp* we're rather spoiled by the lovely Hayley and her nomnom-worthy baked goodies. Occasionally *munch*, she brings in a cake and we circle like vultures until there are mere crumbs left. *gobble*

Now, all you lucky people can order your own bespoke cake - Hayley makes custom ordered stuff like KFC-shaped cupcakes, Angry Birds gamescapes, as well as more traditional cupcakes and birthday cakes.

If you've got any questions/requests, her email is im@hayleyfuller.co.uk



Happy eating,


Kitsune

Hangry

"When you are so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry, frustrated or both."
- Urban Dictionary

Experimental Food Society

Apologies, but I have at least one more post before writing about normal food again!

This one is about the Experimental Food Society. I wish I knew more about it - it seems to be a combination of food and art, two loves of mine. However its not entirely clear if all of what is created is actually meant to be eaten!

They have an Experimental Food Society Spectacular this weekend starting Friday 21st October at the Truman Brewery. I might pop by the exhibition (£5) but alas my budget at the moment doesn't stretch to attend the banquet (£60) which I'm sure will look and taste fantabulous.

If someone does go, be sure to take lots of pics and report back! :)


Happy eating,

Kitsune

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Update (28/10/2011):

So, I did end up going on the Saturday for the exhibition! It didn't have quite as much to see as I had expected (I think I went at the wrong time since there was a lot more in the papers than I remember seeing!) but what was there was pretty good. I didn't get to taste any of it since I doubt the artists (/chefs?) would have appreciated bite marks on their works of art so I just took pics instead:

Pretty, edible flowers by Rosalind Miller 

Rosalind Miller hard at work

Gothic Chocolate House by Paul Wayne Gregory

Scott O'Hara with his sugar eagle

 Look closely in between the two halves - didn't notice that at the time!!!

A fellow food enthusiast poking the Dodo cake by Michelle Wibowo to see its its real

I'd be quite cosy in this! No mortgage required, just a sweet tooth.

Chocolate Train by Carl Warner, photographer - he also had a collection of his 'foodscapes' at the exhibition 

 My favourite - a Curly Wurly Eiffel Tower by Paul Baker

 Teeny tiny cupcakes :)

I'm not actually sure what this is - but it was fascinating none the less!

Hand-shaped baked goods

Other highlights that I didn't get to take a picture of included edible clothes, camel milk ice cream, medicinal marshmallows, and baked goods even teenier than the cupcakes pictured above - they were baked in quails eggs!

I wonder how the banquet was?!

Happy eating,

Kitsune

Insects

I came across this picture gallery today. Some nutritious snacks reserved for the more adventurous methinks.

The first time I came across insects prepared for the sole purpose of eating was on my first trip ever to Hong Kong. We went to a traditional Chinese medicine shop and stacked on the rows and rows of shelves were a massive variety of  stuff I never would have considered edible before. Huge centipedes in jars, dried lizards on sticks and deer antlers sliced and stored in big vats to name but a few.

Now, you may think it is only countries in the far reaches of the world where they munch insects. Not so - it's surprisingly easy to find insects sold as a 'delicacy' in London!

The first time I stumbled upon them in London, it was actually in Selfridges of all places. Walking through the food section, I found scorpion vodkas, worm lollipops and chocolate covered ants. Bit of a shocker among the luxury goods! [Note: haven't seen them there in a while. Possibly not sold there any more, this was a loooong time ago.] I soon learnt that although in other parts of the world it might be medicine, an über-cheap food source, or even a marketing gimmick for tequila; in London's unique little bubble insects are an expensive delicacy!

Currently, insects are being sold in a few of the capital's most uptown shops: Fortnum and Masons are selling what I'm sure are lovely BBQ flavour worm crisps, and Harvey Nichols are selling a wide variety of the stuff I originally saw in Selfridges that time, by Edible.

Of course, there is also a restaurant where you can get crunchy little bugs served to you - Archipelago (which also serves a wide range of meat, including kangaroo and crocodile) near Goodge Street serves a few dishes that will have you crunching away.

Chocolate-covered scorpion @ Archipelago

Their infamous love bug salad is a lovely leafy green salad with fried locust and cricket sprinkled on top; or perhaps their sweet desserts are more to your liking - chocolate covered scorpion or bumble bee brulee anyone??? Somehow I've managed to try them all and they weren't as bad as I was expecting!


How many of you have got your protein fix this way? :)



Happy eating,

Kitsune

Roast Om Nom Nom

If I said what it actually was, would it kill the magic? :)

@ The Draft House, Tower Bridge. I recommend their Stiegl Radler beer - a grapefruit shandy, mmm...

Thanks to Tinhead for the pic which was better than mine :P



Happy eating,

Kitsune