Gini's Cakes & Bakes

Back home!

I got up full of energy B-)

I went back to Camden Town to get the presents I wanted to buy earlier. Got some things for myself too :0)

London is really expensive. Except for the Dr. Martens… So I tried them on. The sales guy shook my hand and handed over a paper with his phone number. I felt like I was in a movie or something. 

This morning I wanted to go back to Camden Town, to buy some presents maybe and have some street food, or go to Southbank to wander on the banks of the Thames. Wellll… It was neither of these.

I spent the time before my evening shift with Jan. He took me to L’ETO, one of his favorite places to have some pastries. We had the pistachio de and the saffron dulce the leche. The cakes were soaked in dulce de leche. Yep, definitely trying something like this when I’m back home.

This morning I followed a sourdough bread workshop in the Dusty Knuckle Bakery, a bakery/bread shop/cafe, specialized in sourdough bread.

I wasn’t sure which shift I had today, but I left for the early one. This way I could celebrate my birthday in the afternoon and evening.

Today I had another day off from my Nopi-stage. My very first plan was to have a nice goodbye breakfast with Kjell and then explore London on the other side of the river. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have another ‘yolo’ calling.

Today I didn’t have to work and spent the whole day with Kjell. We had a good breakfast and then headed to Kew Gardens, recommended by a few chefs. 

Today I decided to go straight to Nopi after my shower. I got there exactly on time. 

When I came in I felt the chefs were somehow a bit more stressed than I was used to. The reason was that since it’s Easter weekend, ingredients were delivered for the coming 3 days. So there was much prep extra to do.

Yesterday I asked chef Carlos to change shifts, so I hit the road early this morning. What a difference! While I was used to hasty business people rushing down the streets, and full coffee houses, I was alone in the street when I left my apartment at 7:30. There were garbage and cardboards everywhere and it smelled a bit like ‘de Vlasmarkt’ during the ‘Gentse feesten’ ^^

I discovered a nice little bakery very close to my apartment where they have 3 sorts of buns (cinnamon, cardamom and saffron) and some really tasty looking bread (I should get one when I go back to Belgium). Gini’s heaven :0)

I started my day having breakfast in the sun. Then I went to Regent Park where I just chilled in the grass. Tough life… :0p

Bought lunch, did a little siesta in my apartment and headed to Nopi, wondering what my second shift would bring. Can you tell I’m more relaxed? :0)

Today I’m starting my internship in Nopi. I’ll be doing the evening shifts, starting at 16h. So this means I have plenty of time to explore London. 

Monday April 15.. I’ve been counting down the days.. Today is the day.. I’m going to London baby! 

I have these sleepless nights.
When I have to bake, these are a blessing, but when I am supposed to sleep they are less amusing. Then I start thinking. About anything.
A few weeks ago, during one of those nights,I had a yolo-moment… Hey, maybe I could do an internship in one of Ottolenghi’s restaurants! I wrote a mail, waited just one more day to send it (read and re-read it a few hundred times) and then finally pressed the send-button. After a week I got an answer.

It’s only quite recently I got to know Ottolenghi’s cuisine. A few years ago a friend told me he had this amazing cookbook ‘Nopi’. Since I love cooking I just had to get my hands on this book. A few weeks later it was my birthday.. The perfect gift. I got it from my brother.

(meer…)