V&A Reading Rooms in London

Today I thought I would blog about a recent discovery in London–The V&A Reading Rooms. About a year ago I bought a LivingSocial coupon for £10.00, which included a bottle of Prosecco and 15% off the purchase of a book at the V&A Reading Rooms. I had never heard about it and it was located in South Kensington, an area I don’t get to much, so I thought it would be fun to try something new. Since I lived in London and spend the equivalent of about two months a year here, I am constantly looking for new and different things to do off the beaten path.

So, on a chilly spring day the beginning of last year, my boyfriend and I set off to find the V&A Reading Rooms, which turned out to be a Notting Hill-esque bookshop with a bar that serves everything from a cappuccino to a hot toddy to a gin and tonic, little snack treats are also available. We spent about an hour and a half sitting at the bar sipping our Prosecco and perusing the books – seriously, can book shopping get any better? It was a totally relaxing afternoon and we had such a wonderful time that I decided on my current trip to London that I would return.

This time I set off after lunch on my own to rediscover the bookshop that I loved so much and I can report that a year later it is just as we left it. I sipped a glass of Prosecco, browsed the books (two of which I purchased), and worked on my blog. It was the perfect activity for a freezing cold, overcast afternoon. The setting is very London-esque and the sparkling wine very vacation oriented – the best of both worlds.

I encourage everyone to check out the V&A Reading Rooms when next in London (just down the street from the Victoria & Albert Museum; nearest tube – South Kensington). Stop in for a coffee or cocktail, and spend an hour or two looking at the books – it is the perfect venue.

My final rating: 5 stars (out of 5) — A truly delightful experience.

For more information visit: http://www.vandareadingrooms.co.uk/

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” –Samuel Johnson

Pumpkin Soup

The other day my boyfriend and I were discussing how little pumpkin is used (particularly in the canned form) after Thanksgiving. I personally love the flavor of pumpkin and think it can be used well after the holidays, in both sweet and savory dishes. In fact, recently my friend had a Top Chef pumpkin competition where all invitees were asked to bring an appetizer, main course, or dessert using pumpkin – and the results were quite interesting! Not only were there such things as pumpkin ravioli and pumpkin cheesecake, but there were such surprises as a pumpkin pie cake, a pumpkin chili, and most delectable to me – roasted pumpkin with a garlic yogurt sauce, a recipe that I have made for a dinner party after tasting it at the competition – delicious! (Note: For the pumpkin challenge, I made Martha Stewart’s pumpkin bread pudding with a dulce de leche sauce – it also turned out quite well.)

I have never really cooked with pumpkin in a savory way, minus recreating the roasted pumpkin, but my boyfriend (who is also quite creative in the kitchen) and I decided we could take on the challenge and created a dish from scratch using the canned pumpkin left in the cupboard.

Our results are below:

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 sausages (Johnsonville brats work best)
1 cup spinach
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup skim or 1% milk
Dash of whole milk (depending on level of thickness)
Fresh chopped sage, about 3 leaves

Directions
1. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil.
2. When the pan is hot, add chopped or broken sage leaves (about 3 or 4) and 3 minced garlic cloves.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add diced onion, cook until soft and translucent.
4. Next, take both sausages and slit lengthways, peeling off the casing. Once off, cut the sausages lengthways and dice into 1/4 inch cubes; add to pan.
5. Once sausage is cooked all the way through, remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.
6. Next, add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan (wiping down excess oil before use) and heat to medium-high.
7. When the pan is heated, add 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin and 3 cups 1% milk; stir to combine.
8. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and add sausage and onion mixture and 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans; stir to combine and simmer.
9. Add a dash of whole milk and 1 cup of spinach, simmer for at least 5 minutes before serving.
10. Serve with a French baguette and Enjoy!

While I know that soup may not be the most creative of dishes, I will say that the flavors melded nicely together and with the addition of the sausage, it was quite hearty. Upon tasting it, I was immediately filled with warmth and memories of Thanksgiving! It perfectly complimented the insanely cold weather and gave us the opportunity to further prolong the holiday season. Enjoy!