A Perfect Weekend :: whoops...accidentally re-published...

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art--

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--
No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever--or else swoon to death

John Keats

Lovely time with Hannah at the weekend we watched Bright Star again and loved it just as much as the first time. Had a fleeting visit to the Lucien Pissarro in England: Eragny Press 1895-1914 exhibition at the Ashmolean including a beautiful tiny copy of Keats, La Belle Dame Sans Merci and planned to visit Keats House in Hampstead as soon as we all have time to catch up again...

She brought me Lime and Basil bath and shower gel by Grand Tour because she knew I'd love the colours. It smells amazing, lovely and fresh and it has no parabens,no mineral oils, no harsh preservative and no artificial colours which is even better. A friend sent chocolates. They didn't last very long...John Keats biography by Andrew Motions now to be added on my never ending list of books to order...apparently it's complusive reading...

all the stills are from Jane Campion's Bright Star

ticktock and a tale of one chicken.

There are three alarm clocks ticking next to me. I love the gentle rhythmic beat. It’s one of those old fashioned sounds like the tapping of typewriter keys that always take me back to my childhood. I remember playing games in the hallway with my three sisters, listening to dad hammering away on his old Adler typewriter in his smoke filled study. Mum would call one of us to take a mug of tea to him. When it was my turn I’d knock on the door, the typing would stop, “come into the office” he’d say in a mock, stern voice. I’d step into the fog and carefully place it on the drawing board, being extremely careful not to spill any. I was pleased to be allowed into his (rather unhealthy...well extremely unhealthy) world, and spend a bit of time with my hero.

One ticking clock is good, three is excessive...I don’t have an urgent appointment that I’m afraid of missing. It’s just that we bought lots of lovely vintage things at the weekend, including the clocks. We wound them all up last night to check if they work. They work; they are working with a vengeance. I’m contemplating taking two outside. 

It was fifteen degrees yesterday, today the temperature has dropped and rain with tiny hailstones is pounding on the roof, adding another element to the percussion. It's inches of rain and I'm worried the main road will be flooded again, and glad that we managed a quick trip into town at the weekend while we could. The towpath was visible so we cut along the river bank. I was missing the book shops and the library. We came back, loaded up with books and dvd's. Oh and lot's of ideas after a scoot through the covered market and speedy look in my favourite Toast. 

Winter's bones with Jennifer lawrence 

Rabbit Hole with Nicole Kidman.

A tale of one chicken:

When there are only two of you at home one chicken can go a long, long way. Especially if it's a good sized one and neither of you are big meat eaters. 

I made the following with my medium sized chicken:

• Salad olivier a Russian salad that I make the economical way that mama (A's mum) used to, boiling the potatoes and eggs in the same pan. Less fuel...less washing up.

• Poached chicken with Persian barbary rice, served with salad, sour yoghurt and garlic that has been pickled until sweet and caramelised. 

• Clear chicken soup made whilst poaching the chicken for the other two recipes. 

To make a clear chicken soup you will need:

• One chicken, with the excess fat removed 
• A good sized leek or two small ones cut lengthwise and then chopped into small pieces, washed very well to remove any soil.
• One good sized carrot, peeled, sliced and cut in half if necessary
• One of two potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly
• One peeled, halved and then sliced parsnip
• A piece of swede (rutabaga), peeled and then chopped into small pieces.
• A couple of bay leaves and any fresh herbs that you have. Rosemary and thyme work well. If you don't have any fresh, dried are the next best thing.
• A handful or two of fresh spinach leaves. 
• One  lemon
• Sea salt and crushed black pepper.

method:

1. Simply wash the chicken and place into a solid pan.
2. Add all the other ingredients
3. Place on the hob, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and leave until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables tender. 
4. In the last minute or so add the spinach. 
5. Remove the chicken and allow to drain. Select some nice pieces of meat and place into soup dishes.
6. Check the seasoning of the soup and adjust if necessary and then ladle over the chicken in the soup bowls.
7. Serve with lots of fresh lemon squeezed into it. 
8. The remaining chicken is succulent and tender, perfect for making the salad olivier, for sandwich filling or to serve with the barbari rice. 

This is my favourite chicken soup. It's very fresh and light. Sometimes I make it with a little ground turmeric or saffron. Other times with noodles or pasta. It is the best thing when you have a bad throat or are coming down with the flu. It is so easy to make and so tasty. But at any time it's a lovely comforting soup...and it's always nice to have a bit of home comfort. 

Thank you, for all the lovely comments, emails and messages about the last post. The naughty blog is still up there but doesn't seem to be copying any new content. I've taken on board all the good advice from you and am processing it. 

Thank you for caring.

Happy new month. I hope that it's a very good one for you. 

debx

weekending

Portobello road buskers

Nephews and friends' band More Like Trees

 images via,

via

I said I was too busy to go but then tagged along with 'A'  for the ride. He had meetings in London and while he was working I met up with his sister, and my sister P, and her husband. They've just moved to the metropolis, closer to their musician/artist sons, right in the heart of urban culture, with theatres, galleries and museums on their doorstep. I suggested we meet at Portobello road. There was no time for shopping we were too busy talking. Except for a nimble look in The Cloth Shop like a small child in a sweetshop. There's a feast in there for my eyes and finger tips, I touched the  incredible fabrics, the Swedish linen, vintage Hungarian flour sacks, Indian braid, Welsh blankets and bobbins of thread and bindings, all sorts of oddities. It was good to just look and admire...Oh and touch...I can't help touching...

We ate at Portobello organic kitchen. Tiny little pixi bowls of green soup, served with equally tiny warm white rolls. It was delicious, delicate but packed with flavour. I'm pretty sure that it was pea and parsley. Possibly the recipe here. 

Later my grown-up girl met up with us, with newly auburn hair all swept up and piled  on top of her head, looking gorgeous as usual. We spotted buskers. I love live-music. I applaud the musicians...I could never perform in public.  Not the best, but gutsy. Maybe I'm biased and think no-one can ever compare with my nephews' band. 

We took 'H' to Charlies for some lunch, and I tucked into Torta della Nonna. Pastry tart with lemon patisserie cream, topped with almonds, pine nuts and a dusting of sugar snow...Very naughty but very nice with crumbly melt in the mouth pastry...I found a recipe here if you'd like to make one yourself.

We circled the market stalls 'til the wind started howling and blowing things off them. They began to rattle and shake and looked as though they were about to launch. Metal pegs that kept the canvas roofs in place and shoe boxes scooped up and blew through the air, we had to duck to avoid them. Lightning lit the sky, the  heavens opened and thunder crashed. We got soaked to the skin, literally. It was so mild that no-one really minded, we just looked at each other and laughed. Then dashed for the tube, persuading my H to come back to A's sister, where we were staying, and have supper. Getting back just as the others arrived for an extended family and friends evening, cooking and eating and catching up...It was the best time. 

Sunday it was just me and A's sister. A grey, grey day with wind howling down the chimney...We had lots of plans but they all vanished when we looked through the window and decided it was preferable to remain pyjama clad watching Out of Africa, than brave the wind and rain. 

If you get a chance to re-watch it, do. It is beautiful and soppily romantic. The costumes are gorgeous and Meryl Streep at her most lovely. She even looked gorgeous with wet hair. It took us ages, literally hours, to watch the film as we 'oohed' and 'aahed', and paused, and rewound, so that we could check 'that' blouse or 'this' dress again, to see how it was made, discuss it and then plan our own, dream, 'Out of Africa' inspired summer wardrobe.

We made our way back to Oxford with the car bursting with jars and bottles. I even found a kilo jar of pure raw honey collected from Linden blossom in wild forests in Lithuania, complete with hand printed brown card label tied on with string. It was a very busy weekend...but oh so good...

I made plans with sis, P, to meet up in Camden Passage next time, to visit Loop. I can't wait...just imagine all those yarns...

linking with amanda