Author Archives: Food Network UK

Working the market stall

Initially we started at the farmer’s market where we lived in West London. Having navigated the odd politics involved, we first pitched a stall in March 2007.  We focused on the things we knew, primarily home-baked American treats, and were armed with all the positive feedback from family and colleagues on either side of the pond.  While we investigated requests for classic British items such as Victoria Sponge or Battenburg Cake, we opted to stay our course.  We had tasted far too many mediocre UK versions of US recipes such as Red Velvet Cake that we decided we had no place in pretending to know how to bake a Christmas cake or other uniquely British puds (American and/or other readers insert dessert here).  To our surprise, our taste testers had steered us in the right direction and momentum started to build.

Continue reading →

The Outsider Tart Shop

While we were in New York it seemed a new bakery opened on a weekly basis and, for kicks (or so we thought), we toyed with the idea of opening a bakeshop ourselves.  We both had a passion for it and OD, a quick study, was gaining confidence in all things butter and sugar.  For the most part that idea fell into the same file as the let’s-run-a-marathon idea. Once the dogs were ready to go, we opted to set sail for the UK in October 2005.  Otis was born with a heart condition that precludes his being sedated for flight and we also thought sailing was a poetic way to embark on a new chapter.  FYI, cruising the Atlantic is boring. (It was nice, but yes very boring, OD)  As we settled into London, we stumbled upon the rather extensive collection of farmer’s markets throughout the city. We could think of no better way to orient ourselves to our new surroundings than to eat our way across town. And back. Alas it wasn’t the most palatable of journeys for us in part because we weren’t finding our new local cuisine to our taste not to mention some of it was just bloody (← also very British) awful.  It was also amazing to learn how much we craved something familiar when living in a new environment.

Continue reading →

When our two favourite (Outsider) tarts told us about their plans to tour Texas on a great baking tour, we were hooked. When they promised a bite-by-bite diary of their adventure, cake and all, we were sold.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be bringing you updates from their travels as they taste their way around Texas, from Houston to Amarillo, Laredo to Austin. But first find out how it all started from “the two Davids” of Outsider Tart, a bakery in Chiswick…

David Lesniak and David Muniz of Outsider Tart

Continue reading →