elizabethelakes, Author at Linen and Lavender

Daring Dishes: Xiao Long Bao

July 17, 2020

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Like my last post, this is another to fill the dog days of a quarantine summer. Who yet knows what will be the ramifications on the world from this pandemic, but I suspect there is going to be something about new hobbies, cooking at home, and taking on ambitious projects that you may otherwise never have undertaken. For me, I’m not sure I ever had the intention in life to attempt soup dumplings. I enjoy them, but I always relegated them to the list of things that you eat at restaurants, too much work to ever attempt home-made. “Leave that to the experts at Din Tai Fung” that’s what I always thought.

in food

Daring Dishes: Canelé

by elizabethelakes

July 11, 2020

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A long time, eons, an age ago, my mother and I decided to make the iconic canelé pastry. Not for the faint of heart, it’s a worthy challenge for any quarantined baker looking for their next time-consuming project. Multiple steps, speciality cooking gadgets, non-standard pantry items, what’s not to like?

in travel

Amalfi Dreams

by elizabethelakes

June 19, 2020

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I never wrote about my life-changing trip to the Amalfi Coast! Dear me, I am SO sorry. Sorry for you if you haven’t been to the Amalfi Coast, and sorry again if you didn’t get to experience it vicariously through me! Now seems the perfect time to bring it up again because guess what? You can’t go anywhere. Neither can I. We are all stuck in our respective houses, flats, apartments, shoeboxes, wherever you call home. I don’t know if it’s a particularly healthy thing to do, but many of us are dreaming of our next adventure. I read an article once that said people are actually happiest when they are planning their next holiday, not necessarily when they are on said holiday. So, in this time of quarantine, I hope to give you a bit of happiness and perhaps persuade you towards your next getaway.

in food, life, London Guides, travel

The Hampstead Guide

by elizabethelakes

June 9, 2020

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I lived in Hampstead for a year. One glorious year. And I still live in close proximity to the Heath and Hampstead Village so I think it’s finally time for me to publish my thoughts on the food up for offer in Hampstead.

In fact, Hampstead holds some of the most restaurants in London that I would actually return to voluntarily. I’ve written about Hampstead before. How perfect it is in every way. If you find yourself in this magical corner of London, this is my top hit list for food.

in travel

Four Rules for a Successful Girl Trip

by elizabethelakes

April 18, 2019

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Let’s talk about the healing power of a good old fashioned girl trip. Could we call them old fashioned? They probably haven’t been around for very long on account of women having no rights and not being able to do anything or go anywhere without express permission from their husbands. You can see what kind of mood I’m in as I write this.