This is probably old hat to most New Yorkers, but the hottest sweet treat to hit London in 2010 is the Whoopie Pie.  They might look like bizarre rejects from La Duree, but these are not so much giant misshaped macaroons  as a sort of sandwich of cookies with a cream filling from New England. Harrods have recently upped the ante and made this  school break snack into a bona fide gourmet delicacy, with flavours including red velvet, pistachio and gingerbread.

However, Harrods is not the only place in London you can sample some whoopie goodness, Hummingbird Bakery has been doing them for ages, and I’m pretty sure I spotted some at Happening Bagels in Finsbury Park.

New Yorkers are spoilt for choice when it comes to whoopie, but the pies at Baked and Magnolia Bakery are particularly famous, the latter branching out to include a ‘whoopie cookie’ consisting of maple cream cheese sandwiched between brown sugar cookies.

One of our Metrotwin contributors Catty recently had a go at making machta green tea whoopies, proving beyond doubt that this is the versatile sweet hit of 2010. Check out her results and read the recipe on her website.

Incidentally, if anyone wants to email me explaining the origin of the name, that would be great, as currently all I can think about is:

Photo by freakgirl and tedreese via Flickr used under a Creative Commons License

Some rather nifty buildings near Tower Bridge by *ahem* anyadriscoll

If you’ve taken an interesting photo of your city, why not email it to us at editor@metrotwin, saying where it is and your flickr account/website we should link it to, and we’ll put it on the site!

If you happen to go looking for the future and wind up somewhere near Tower Bridge, you could check out these places:

Anchor Tap – a lovely, cosy traditional pub (oddly just around the corner from this futuristic utopia)

The London Dungeons – I still maintain one of the worst hours of my life was spent in this place, but if you ENJOY being scared and shouted at by actors covered in fake blood (and bearing in mind that your dear editor gets freaked out by reading horror synopses on Wikipedia), then this is probably right up your street.

HMS Belfast- you can learn all about British Naval history on this Second World War gunship. Or you can run around pretending to be a sailor, imagining you’re shooting the cruise ships that go up and down the Thames outside. Loser.

Teapod - Why not retire to this cute little cafe, where you can have a pot of tea, eat a scone, and upload hundreds of photos of yourself running around HMS Belfast like an idiot, using their free wi-fi.

One of the greatest things about London and New York is their diversity – it makes life (and this dear website) so much more interesting. Today, for example, we have four new lists for you that are all completely different in theme, but are united in helping you to discover something new in your city. Oh, but if you happen to be a gay Australian ice skater with a weakness for cake you may be particularly pleased!

Going Down Under – Who knew there were so many Aussie/Kiwi places in New York? Whether you’re wanting to watch the Wallabies thrash their opponents at some ungodly NYC hour or relive your travelling days by chowing down a meat pie, this list by NYKnifeAndFork is for you!

London’s Best Afternoon Teas – A world away from great hunks of antipodean steak and larger, this list by Bon Vivant is full of cucumber sandwiches, scones and exquisite blends of tea served in fine bone china. Think it’s just for girls? Think again – the Mandeville Hotel specialises in a men’s afternoon tea – you’ll get whisky and a selection of games alongside heartier-than-expected portions of chai and cake.

The Cutting Edge – Why not take advantage of New York’s rather bracing clime and attempt a spot of al fresco ice skating? After which, you can take advantage of this useful list and find a nearby place to warm your feet (and fill your stomach)

Gay London – Finally, Metrotwin has a list for all you confirmed bachelor/bahelorettes out there. Compiled by fruit-fly extraordinaire moi (with a little help from my friends) it’s a mixture of fun, legendary and ‘hot right now’ places, that hopefully won’t be distinctly ‘over’ before you finish this paragraph. We want to do an accompanying Gay New York list, so please, send us your suggestions, and we’ll put them on the site!

Photos by alisonlongrigg and darrell berry used under a Creative Commons License

Another Nickel in the Machine is, to my mind, one of the most interesting London-centric websites on the net.  A fascinating compendium of stories and photographs  detailing the lesser-known history of the Big Smoke, from the Skiffle dens of 1950’s Soho to the African prince of Petticoat Lane, it’s easy to lose whole lunchtimes reading it! I managed to track down creator Rob Baker, and asked him a few questions about London and his work.

Your daytime job as a freelance television producer is a world away from the Another Nickel. Can you tell me what inspired you to start the blog?

Two or three years ago I had started to find new music via music blogs other than the more traditional sources I suppose and I thought I’d create my own music blog. It was named after a line in my favourite Frank Sinatra song ‘One For My Baby’ and refers to putting a coin in a juke box which would play some music that was ‘easy and sad’. The name fitted rather well for a music blog especially as I think I like ‘easy and sad’ music, although I’m not entirely sure what it is. Anyway, the name ended up completely irrelevant for a blog about the history of London, but it’s a bit too late to change now.

The thing that makes Another Nickel stand out from the crowd of London history blogs is the incredible amount of research you put into each post and the unusual facts and photographical evidence you uncover. How do you find out so much about such seemingly forgotten London characters as ‘Brilliant Chang’ and Alan Diment?

I read quite a lot about London and when I come across a character that is new to me I start trying to find more about him or her. Usually and interesting story or collection of facts come to light. Most of the stuff I write about was once popular or well-known but just forgotten about these days. In the end it isn’t too difficult to find information if you spend too long at the National Archives or spend too much money at second-hand bookshops and abebooks.co.uk.

What is your favourite area of London and why?

My favourite area, by a long way, is Soho, its given me so many stories for Nickel I have actually had to stop myself writing about the area recently. I fear for Soho these days and its probably best to visit it quick before it loses its louchness and becomes just another area of London.

Where are your favourite London haunts?

Wong Kei Chinese restaurant in Wardour Street although, unfortunately the waiters aren’t as hilariously rude as they used to be, but the Singapore Noodles still seem to taste the same. ‘The Heights’ bar at the top of the St George’s Hotel in Langham Place by BBC Broadcasting House. The bar is average really but oh the view, the view. The Olde Cheshire Cheese pub in Fleet Street and Battersea Power Station once known as ‘The Cathedral of Electrons’.

What have been your favourite posts on the site?

The Adam Diment post all about a swinging sixties author who completely disappeared in 1974 never to be heard of again. The hippy squat at Piccadilly, the London school strike and the Peasouper post were fun as well. Read more…

It was actually one of our Metrotwin Mumbai bloggers, the excellent Shilpa Bhatnagar, who came across this event. On March 1st at Oxfam Books on Marylebone High Street, renowned New York poets David Lehman and Mark Ford will be reading some of their work alongside five Young British Poets (YBPs?) to celebrate the launch of Oxfam’s poetry DVD ‘Asking the Shadows to Dance’.

Perfectly Metrotwin non?

I recently attended my first poetry reading. Whilst I admit I was there somewhat under duress as the night clashed with both pancake day and the Brit Awards, I was ultimately glad I swapped trashy live TV and fried batter for a bit of culture.  It was an open mic night and yes, some of the poets (usually middle aged women with works titled things like ‘WHY DOES NO ONE LIKE ME? A lament in twelve verses’) were so utterly cringy I was squirming behind my glass of box wine. However, some of the poetry was really moving and powerful – a composition about belatedly finding a message from a now dead friend on an answerphone is the one that sticks out in the memory – so I would definitely recommend going to a reading if you have the chance. I mean have you got to lose? They repeat Eastenders  on BBC3 now you know…

If you’re in the area you could check out the following:

Daunt Bookshop – A charming Edwardian book shop

The Orrery – Smart restaurant with a divine roof terrace (not a huge amount of use in this weather!)

Providores – Renowned for its unusual brunch – think Blueberry fritters and grilled chorizo.

If you’re in New York and yearn to hear some rhythm and verse:

Ding Dong Lounge – Punk rock poetry in this gritty little bar.

The Mercantile Library – a library and writers retreat that also puts on poetry nights.

Pete’s Candy Store – Poetry readings, bingo and more take place in this intimate W’berg bar.

Photo by yesfuture used under a Creative Commons License