Longitude 199 East means we’re about to enter our third century of scans, and feels like we’re already racing back home to 0. The stream of local latitudinal fare’s still way non-mainstream; We start our cooking trail at the Cook Islands, 15 tiny volcanic islands and atolls covering 2.2million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. Mangaia is notable for its abundance of coconuts (zzz) and pupu (sic) – the snail shells painstakingly threaded into its famous ‘eis’ neckbands, while pukapuka, like our group, is renowned for its beautiful girls No kidding: the US once claimed sovereignty over many of the islands under its 1857 guano act – paraphraseable, pre-Rumsfield, as ‘your shit is my shit.’

Further North Jarvis island was mined for just this poopoo prize. Its sole resident committed suicide in 1883 and the island is now uninhabited, “unincorporated and unorganised.” The adjacent Line Islands stretch over 2,000 km from the confetti of Kiribati (or Gilberts) in the West towards Hawaii. Kiribati has its own London & Poland on Christmas Island Though one of the world’s poorest countries and dependent on exports of fish and coconut, the former has also been home to all sorts of hi-tech developments, from the laying of the Pacific cable to Japan’s current development of a Spaceport. J. Maarten Troost wrote the autobiographical “The Sex Lives of Cannibals” here. Smiling whilst dancing is generally considered vulgar here.

And then, at last, as we alight on mainland Alaska, we find our 2nd US state: the nineteen moments of Hawaii (once Sandwich), where everyone greets each other with love and their traditional feast is called a luau. Like so many of these gorgeous Pacific islands, Hawaii seems to exemplify our Latitudinal travels, blending tourism and agriculture, its islands awash with macadamia, papaya, coffee beans and drinkers. Martha says she’ll join us with her hula later.

Avarua or Arorangi, Hanapepe or Honolulu, Kekaha or Kilauea, who’s hitching a Shoreditch ride with us?

So there I was at Shoreditch Church and enjoying a beautiful day of sunshine and a whole lot of strangers – the nicest strangers ever. While they weren’t all from my neighborhood, they were all frequent participants in the Latitudinal dining scheme. Everyone brought a dish inspired by one of the countries on the 199 marker, which meant lots of fish, fruit, salad … and a surprising lack of SPAM! Each person had an opportunity to talk about what they brought, ingredients, cooking methods, etc. Everything was good, but my vote goes for the slow cooked chicken legs. Tasty!

Photo via Latitudinal Cuisine

I made an ‘Alaskan’ salmon and dill dip, which I spread over some salad leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and served with lemon on the side. The dip is quite good and easy to make. The recipe follows:

1 (14 3/4 oz.) can salmon, drained <- I had fresh packaged smoked salmon from M&S
1 c. dairy sour cream
3 tbsp. green onions, chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash bottled hot pepper sauce <- I did not add this because I did not have any on hand

Photo via Latitudinal Cuisine

I also made Hawaiian nut loaf. It took a bit more than the 50-60 minutes it stated on the recipe, but other than it being quite crumbly, the taste was good.

Ingredients
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
* 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together eggs, butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the pineapple and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

There were a lot of wonderful dishes to try and everyone was so nice. It really is a great event and such a nice way to meet other people. I hope to meet up with the Latitudinal group again as they continue to travel the world culinarily.

I have heard of Trader Vic’s before, but had no idea what to expect. When I stepped through the door and was greeted by Polynesian statues, I got the giggles – this would be fun, I thought to myself!

As I walked down the stairs, there was a mix of decor – from the carpet that seemed like it belonged in a Ruby Tuesday’s to the coral, shells, tiki men and … oh my gosh is that really a canoe filled with fruity cocktails?!

Indeed, folks! This place is full-on themed from the walls to the staff. It seemed out of place for the location, but the clientele was easy on the eye!

They had a great bar and the staff was very attentive. I cant say much about the food, as I only had a (pretty decent) BBQ rib, but this place could be a whole lot of fun for a party.

I rarely get out of the ‘ditch, so a trip to Clapham – SOUTH! – seems like a trip to the country. Thank goodness it’s only just a 30min ride on the Northern line because I cant wait to go back!

The Avalon is a lovely, large pub with huge tables outside for large groups to gather. There’s seating inside and a dining area just beyond the main pub area.

Our gathering sent us straight out the back into a large garden space. I’m impressed with the size of it because it went back much farther than seemed possible.

There is a large grill outside and since we were there for a grilled meat class, it was the perfect venue for a sunny summer evening.

With plenty of Pimms to get me going, I popped on an apron and helped put some mince rump burgers on the grill. They were huge! Once cooked, we dressed them up with salad and creams and munched while our second course got going.

Next up was peri-peri chicken. We watched the marinade mix in the food processer before getting generously massaged onto the massive butterflied breasts. Served up with some salad – delish!

Our final tasting was Cumberland sausage – blanched before grilling! This might have been the best trick I learned all night – cook your sausage then grill them just to get the skin nice and carmelized. Truthfully, they were perfect!

I checked out the menu, gazed at the other plates passing by (especially the desserts) and declared I needed to come to Clapham more often – with friends – to Avalon!

Check out my review of The ‘Avalon’ Gastro Pub – I am katmabufay – on Qype

Even more difficult to spot are the big shots behind the camera. I mean, if you saw Bryan Singer walking down the street, would you know it’s him? No, probably not.

Yet, there I was…in a club…in the VIP section… with a guard giving the nod to go behind the velvet rope…with Bryan Singer. Well, not so much with, but enough to be included in the exclusive space. I totally chickened out in asking whether he needed a new production coordinator. Dang.

Note to self: drink the free champagne and grow a pair. How often do you hang out with director/producers of major motion pictures? Yeah, not often. But for a moment I could say, “I’m with Bryan Singer”, and get the nod.

More photos of Brighton by my travel partner Charles on his photostream.

Though I took a six week absence from you, I owe you an apology. It’s been a long time since my last letter to you. I remember a friend telling me once that she felt funny about calling me or writing me after such a long time of not communicating. She thought that maybe too much time had passed and we would be unable to retain our connection as friends. I told her she was silly and off we went on our merry way.

I’m such a hypocrite.

It’s been so long since I’ve last written, I had been thinking of ending our affair and hiding it away. I feel like this is some sort of confessional where the public can pass judgment.

‘Forgive me, blog & readers (psst – you out there?), for I have been lazy. It has been three months since my last post.’

There. I said it. I’m a bad blogger.

Maybe I only judge myself. Perhaps I just want one less thing on my list of responsibilities. I go to work and then after work I am busy doing networking meetings, tastings, events, watching shows, enjoying friends. When I have a night to myself, I just want to sit and do nothing. I make a meal and watch some episodes or a movie and spend far too much time on Facebook and Twitter. I guess I just don’t feel like blogging, but I’m trying to start out slowly and make Sunday my writing day. It is MY day and I will use it to bring back some balance to my life.

I bought myself a big treat today. I now own a bike. (Thanks, Gumtree!) It has a name – Hercules! No kidding! It actually says that. It’s a vintage Hercules Balmoral bike, complete with wicker basket. I just need a bell!

I also picked up a serious load of flowers today at Columbia Road flower market. I will tell you a secret. OK, well, it’s probably a well-known one, but still. Go after 2:30pm to get your flowers and you’ll get a ridiculous deal. I need to check out a book from the library or something. I have no idea what half of them are, but I know they are pretty! It makes me feel good to have lots of green inside since we lack a garden outside. (In American, that’d be a front/back-yard.)

The not-so great news on the blogging front is that my camera has died. I was brought a loaner today (thanks, Laura!), so I may be able to snap some photos again soon. Till then, it’s all iPhone, baby. I’ll be looking into whether my camera can be repaired or if I need to purchase a new one. I’m looking at photos I admire and finding out what camera is responsible. That’s one way to get a referral.

So, that’s me, London Town. I’m back and I’m going to try to be better and not make this one of those sad, clichéd posts about it’s been so long since… and then follow it by another huge silence. I’ll find a support group to hold me accountable if I need to!

xx

I had no expectations, but I think I was still somewhat surprised that it was a ‘fast food’-type place by the look of it. But after meeting the guys and being offered a nice, thick mango lassi, I relaxed at a table and enjoyed watching Qype members challenge Sam to win a week’s worth of Moolis!

Then, the chutney came out: mint/apple, tamarind, roasted cumin raita, tomato (my absolute favorite), and spicy green chilli. Served alongside toasted poppadoms, I was in munching heaven. Each chutney was tasty and vibrant. I wanted to take them all home with me! After being told that they are made fresh daily that I would have to consume them the same day, my thoughts of a week of munching were dashed.

Getting thirsty again, I asked for a lemonade with mint (they also offer one with Indian rock salt?!) before heading into the kitchen to learn about R2D2 and Moolita. These two machines are responsible for helping churn out hundreds of roti daily. After seeing a demonstration, learning about the ingredients and history, we were able to taste one directly off the grill. Yum.

We also were treated to the recipe and demonstration of the mint and apple chutney. I will be making this at home for sure!
Ingredients:
1 bunch of mint – chopped
1 bunch of cilantro – chopped
1 green apple – chopped
1 green chilli – whole
10g fresh ginger or ginger puree
1 lemon – juiced
salt and water for taste/consistency

Directions:
Add the lemon juice to the blender first to prevent discoloration of the bright green. Then, slowly add the ingredients to the blender by the fistful. Add cold water to aid the rotation if it becomes to thick.
Serve with poppadoms, roti or your prefered dipping food.

Finally, we were able to taste a Mooli for ourselves. I chose a beef mooli, which is kerala beef with crunchy coconut, raita and salsa. It was delish. I considered trying the goat with punjabi potatoes, but I admit that I was not feeling adventurous. I did hear rave reviews that it was really tasty, though.

I will definitely return to Mooli’s. It has a convenient location in Soho, the prices (less than a fiver!!) work for my budget, the ingredients are super fresh and the staff is charming and hospitable. What more could you ask for?

Check out my review of Mooli’s – I am katmabufay – on Qype

Stop 1: New London Architecture on Store Street
Stop 2: Dog Cemetery inside Hyde Park (closed to the public)
Stop 3: Shunt near London Bridge Station (check website for opening times and tickets)
Stop 4: Traffic Light Tree in Canary Wharf
Stop 5: Marker by which distance to London is measured is found near Trafalgar Square
Stop 6: Miniature St. Paul’s Cathedral/Ladies Statues on Vauxhall Bridge
Stop 7: Wellcome Trust
Stop 8: Soviet T34 tank off Old Kent Road, Bermondsey
Stop 9: OXO Tower, Southbank
Stop10: Windsor, Pembroke, Dublin, Edinboro Castle pubs, Camden Town

For more unusual sights, check out GoUnusual.

I just happened to log on right 5 seconds after @Vogue_London tweeted this:

So I hit the retweet button and then checked the search for the hashtag.

Looky there! I was first. I waited a few minutes and then saw this pop up:

HURRAH! So I’m going to Cirque du Soleil tonight to see Varekai. I’m super excited. I’ve never had the opportunity to see a Cirque performance before. They are showing at Royal Albert Hall, which is a magnificent venue.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!!

About twenty minutes later, I saw a tweet from @LOVEFiLM about a special screening.

I didn’t read about the movie or see if there were extra details. I just figured I’d reply with Angelina Jolie:

Since Twitter limits the message to 140 characters (and this screenshot became blurry in the resizing), the full version would read:
Angelina Jolie: She wore a vial of former husband Jonny Lee Miller’s blood around her neck; She married Billy Bob Thornton and had his name tattooed on her shoulder (before having it covered up); shared a very controversial kiss with her brother at the Golden Globes when she won for Girl, Interrupted; and appears to be making her own mini UN through adoption.

Apparently, my answer won over the jugdes:

Now I am on the guest list for a special multimedia screening of The Crazies, which looks scary despite the slightly unoriginal sounding plot. I have a conflict currently, so I’m seeing if I can switch things around so I can attend, assuming I can talk someone into going with me. I need someone who doesnt mind that I cover my eyes, plug my ears or dig my nails into their arm. Any takers?

When people ask me why I use Twitter, I give them a ton of reasons. Yesterday is a good example of why. Who doesn’t love winning a free night out? On the business side of it, Vogue and LOVEFiLM both received some extra tweets from me yesterday, along with the responses and RTs of many others during the competitions. Just as I won something from them yesterday, I hope they win something from me: followers from my list. I’ll be sure to tweet the love today and Monday to show my appreciation.