“How great it feels to eat out in a restaurant again, spritz in hand, al fresco, on a lazy summer evening in London,” wrote London-based foodie and BBC presenter Leyla Kazim in a recent Instagram post. “Turns out I missed it, a lot.”
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How great it feels to eat out in a restaurant again, spritz in hand, al fresco, on a lazy summer evening in London 🍸 Turns out I missed it, a lot. I'm so thankful for the places that have been able to reopen with all the necessary social distancing measures in place, and appreciate the huge amount of planning and hard work that's gone into that. __ No one knows what the future holds, but I very much hope glorious restaurants like @elliotslondon in @boroughmarket will still be a part of it. It's important we support them as much as we are able to – spending our money with the creative, wonderful independents – in order to help them survive. Remember, the big chains will be better equipped to make it through the other side of these strange times. The small places are fighting every day to stay afloat, and it's us – their customers – that can throw them the lifeline they need by giving them our business. Huge thanks to Elliots for the invite and the stellar food – not one dud dish (and @onehungryasian for the great company). My visit was so long overdue 💙 __ What's everyone's thoughts and feelings about dining out at the moment? Have you eaten in a restaurant since more have reopened? If so, where did you go and what was the experience like? Do you plan to start visiting restaurants again any time soon? 🍽️ . . . . . #timeoutlondon #mysecretlondon #loves_london #london_enthusiast #visitlondon #igerslondon #londonsbest #mydarlinglondon #toplondonphoto #londonforyou #ilovelondon #thisislondon #explorelondon #lifeinlondon #wheninlondon #mytinyatlaslondon #londonlove #london4all #london_city_photo #instalondon #londonpop #london_only #londontown #londonlife #londoncalling #londonlondon #londoners #londonbylondoners #london🇬🇧 #boroughmarket
A post shared by Leyla Kazim (@thecutlerychronicles) on Aug 17, 2020 at 7:23am PDT
With her occupation and passion tied strongly with food, “missing it” is an understatement. Known for her bubbly personality and down to earth approach when it comes to dining, Kazim is the mastermind behind The Cutlery Chronicles , where she shares her global culinary stories from around the world.
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Here's a very easy recipe for fantastic Turkish Cypriot lamb köftes (meatballs) – this should help teleport you to the warmth of the Mediterranean ☀️ Organic lamb is my favourite meat and lamb is a staple in Turkish cuisine (I am half Turkish Cypriot). So I'm very happy to be working with @trylamblovelamb sharing my family's traditional recipe for this classic dish. Hit save and if you give it a go, please let me know what you think 😊 So what are your thoughts on lamb? Do you cook with it much? Do you have a favourite recipe? Have you had any amazing lamb dishes on your travels? 🌍 Turkish Cypriot Lamb Köftes Serves 6 / Appx. 30 köftes Ingredients 🛒 1kg / 2.2lbs lamb mince (preferably organic) 1.5kg / 3.3lbs potatoes, peeled and grated (Cyprus potatoes if you can find them) 1 x onion, finely chopped Big bunch flat leafed parsley, finely chopped 1 x egg, whisked 3 tsp cinnamon 3 tsp dried mint Salt Pepper Vegetable oil for frying __ Sprinkle grated potatoes with good pinch of salt and set aside for 5 mins. Squeeze all the excess water out through tea towel or muslin. Squeeze hard! __ In a large bowl, combine mince, onion, parsley, egg, cinnamon, mint, season well with salt and pepper. Add the grated potato and combine. __ With damp hands, mould the mince mix into sausages or balls, about 50g / 1.7oz each. Place köftes on a plate. __ At this stage you can freeze any extra köftes. Allow to defrost in fridge overnight and come up to room temp before continuing with next steps. __ Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and shallow fry köftes on medium heat for about 10 mins until they're brown all over and cooked through. __ Serve with lemon wedges and extra parsley. Brilliant alongside dolma, hummus, cacik, salad, bread, PICKLES. How did I forget the pickles!! 🙈 #TravelWithLamb . . . . . #gastropost #foodmatters #foodinstagram #foodilike #foodphotooftheday #foodphotograph #foodandwine #beautifulcuisines #thekitchen #tablesituation #bhgfood #todayfood #instayummy #epicurious #lifeandthyme #tastemade #londonfoodie #makeitdelicious #thekitchn #seriouseats #quarantinecooking #healthyrecipe #easyrecipes #cookingathome #cookingwithlove #cookingisfun #happycooking
A post shared by Leyla Kazim (@thecutlerychronicles) on Sep 27, 2020 at 9:11am PDT
Her travels and food exploration also came to fruition with the Lonely Planet guide The Ultimate Eatlist, The World’s Top 500 Food Experiences , which Kazim published in 2018. In other words: Kazim understands the importance of eating out. “I’m so thankful for the places that have been able to reopen with all the necessary social distancing measures in place,” she writes, “and appreciate the huge amount of planning and hard work that’s gone into that.”
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Hello friends, how are you all doing? We have a long Bank Holiday weekend in the UK which means even more of an excuse than usual to rustle up a delicious spread for optimal grazing. I'm continuing the joie de vivre theme at home courtesy of @tastefrancemagazine {AD} with this French charcuterie spread, sourdough and @isignyuk butter 🇫🇷 __ On the table: olives, bread, caperberries, tapenade, cherry tomatoes, saucisson sec de Provence, rosette salami, French jambon, chicken liver pate, cornichons and some beers #TasteFrance #TasteFranceMagazine 🍻 __ There was also a bake this weekend in the form of my first 100% whole wheat sourdough! 😬 I will share more about how that went with you guys in due course… In the meantime, please share with me what you guys have been cooking / eating this weekend 🤗 . . . . . #gastropost #foodmatters #foodinstagram #foodilike #foodphotooftheday #foodphotograph #foodandwine #beautifulcuisines #thekitchen #tablesituation #bhgfood #todayfood #instayummy #charcuterieboard #sourdoughbread #sourdoughclub #epicurious #lifeandthyme #charcuterie #cheeses #cheeseplate #tastemade #londonfoodie #makeitdelicious @todayfood #thekitchn #cheeseplease #seriouseats #quarantinecooking
A post shared by Leyla Kazim (@thecutlerychronicles) on May 10, 2020 at 9:58am PDT
Inspired by the exceptional cooking she was brought up with by her Mauritian mother and Turkish-Cypriot father, this is one multicultural food blogger that knows to appreciates the huge range of flavors available in the culinary world.
And while it might take some adjustment to travel in the days after COVID-19, Kazim acknowledges the importance of supporting small restaurants and local eateries in the meanwhile. “Remember, the big chains will be better equipped to make it through the other side of these strange times,” she writes. “The small places are fighting every day to stay afloat, and it’s us – their customers – that can throw them the lifeline they need by giving them our business”
You’d want to join in on her journies (either around the world or around London).