My inner hippy...

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I still love finding the best things over at the design squish blog...I think it appeals to my inner hippy....

Recipe Sharing

Persian Quince Casserole served with Saffron Rice,Slow Cooked Lamb with Broad Bean & Dill Rice, Mixed Salad and fresh herbs; and an opportunity to share recipes with family in London last weekend.

... and another invitation to share recipes, but this time by email. Like other blog writers I often receive requests to endorse products or put links to other websites on mine. I usually avoid doing so because my blog is personal and I don't really want it to become commercial with lots of advertisements. Unless maybe for some little craft or art project,or good cause. But if I love something, like Marmite, I tell you about it, the same way I would any friend. I have tested things like my gorgeous tagine and then given an honest review, or even had free giveaways to share with readers, and I'm really happy with those too.

But I've been asked to contribute to an online resource that sounds as though it will be very useful, and to ask if anyone else would like to do so. It's a wikiproject called Mycitycuisine a travellers guide to local cuisine. You can link to it and have a look for yourself here if you would like and then maybe share some dishes local to your city....

...hum...I'm not sure what I would consider to be our local dish...

Lights..Camera...Action

Walking past Bleroni's in Jericho yesterday we pricked up our ears at the cry of "action"...and looked over to see a spot of filming going on...(you can hear too if you listen carefully.)I wonder what it was. I don't think an episode of Lewis...no lovely Laurence Fox about...although they could have been filming the back story, or maybe it's a low budget independent film... 'A' recognised the actresses but couldn't remember their names or anything they'd been in! I never recognise people when I see them off the big screen...so I was no better

...except at Easter when I popped into Waitrose in Abingdon to do a spot of food shopping and walked straight into diminutive Helena Bonham Carter, all dark hair piled up on her head, vintage floral dress and black flip-flops...I told H and she said the flip-plops were probably Vivienne Westwood... Miss B-C looked me straight in the eye a bit like a startled hare! I wasn't sure whether to tell her that I love her work, that I had enjoyed The Kings Speech, or just pretend I didn't recognise her. I'm not sure of the etiquette of these things. She looked as though she might just want to get on with selecting olives in the deli section, so I walked on. I feel so bad that I didn't just smile...I would have to any other shopper. I then turned a corner and almost walked into her partner Tim Burton pushing an over-flowing shopping trolley, all wild black hair, looking twice as tall and dressed head to toe in black! I think I was more than a little star struck...

The funny things is that of all the actresses H.B-C is probably the one who I should least recognise considering her filmogrophy and the costumes required...Planet of the Apes, Sweeney Todd, Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland...mmm...curious...

The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

"My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody" Mrs Catherick, The Woman in White, p489, Wilkie Collins, 1868

A gentle 19th century mystery...I think that's how I would describe The Woman in White, penned by Wilkie Collins in 1868; and coincidentally another story that unfolds using the medium of letters and journal entries.  I suppose a bit like modern day blog posts...albeit long ones.  A great bedside-table book to pick up and read a couple of chapters, before turning in for the night.

Don't get me wrong though, there's a lot going on in the novel, beginning with exciting meetings early on in the narrative. Lots of strong characters...and equally weak ones...one grown woman treated as an eight year old girl might be, in the most infuriatingly, patronising way by everyone that she associates with. I had to keep reminding myself 'when' it was written...I won't give too much away as I think the novel is all about plot.

I couldn't help but feeling that I was watching a soap opera in the throws of a very exciting plot-line, that was being stretched out just a little bit too far, before actually reaching the climax.

Then I realised why.  It was common practise in the 19c to serialise novels in journals and periodicals. I remember reading that this was how Charles Dickens first published The Pickwick Papers.

I mentioned this to H and she confirmed my suspicion,  asking if I'd noticed that all the chapters ended on cliff hangers...I hadn't...possibly if I had I would have been a little less impatient.

This  was a great read, I always wanted to go back for more, but I think (again baring in mind when it was written) that the author could have truncated it just a little bit when adapting it from  the serialisation.

For now...I think I'll take a page out of Mrs C's book...I don't want to keep my buttered toast waiting...

Making Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's St Clements Squash

My venture into Elderflower cordial making was so successful that I decided to have a go at Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall's St Clements orange and lemon squash recipe. I'm now totally hooked on squash-making... it's easier than baking a cake!

His recipe makes a really fruity orange/lemon drink using equal parts of lemon and orange juice...I think I may have spotted a minor error in his quantities it should read 500mls of each... My organic juicing box (which was really good value for money) had more oranges than lemons and so my juice had a higher orange/lemon ratio. The resulting squash was so fruity...it reminded me of orange icelollies we used to have as children. Like with the elderflower cordial once made you dilute to taste and again I found it works really well with tonic water...It reminded me of Britvik orange...I wonder if  they still make it...

Even easier than making squash is pure juice using a juicer.  One of my favourite combinations is:-
one small beetroot, an apple (preferably Royal Gala or Jazz) and a couple of small carrots.

 This makes the most delicious refreshingly sweet start to the day...and the colour is amazing...

My Creative Space

I’m always burning my oven mitts and however much I wash them they still look dirty. There’s still lots of wear left in them…so I decide to upcycle mine…give them a new coat (a bit like the one I made for the sofa) but this time not only using random fairisle knitting, I also used my new found love of crochet!

this is linked over to our creative space there's some amazing things going on over there, why not check them out...

Monty Python - Ministry of Silly Walks

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I know this is really silly...but it is funny...just give it a minute...

Hummingbird Bakery Marshmallow Cupcakes

This is the first recipe I've tried from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I made them for H's birthday at the weekend...appropriate since she bought me the book for christmas...maybe a subtle hint...

Hummingbird cupcakes are amazing and if ever you get the opportunity to visit one of the shops do...the Black Bottom Cupcakes are positively orgasmic...

I'd heard mixed reviews about the actual recipe book though, so was presently surprised at how straight forward and easy it is to use. You can link to the marshmallow cupcake recipe here if you'd like to try making them.

Once you've weighed out all your ingredients you just mix all the dry ones and the softened butter together in a freestanding mixer with a paddle attachment. Or like me with a handheld one, until they resemble bread crumbs.

Then mix in the wet ingredients and three quarter fill the cases with the batter, bake...and then leave to cool...

Then the fun begins!

You scoop little hollows of cake out of each one and fill with melted marshmallows...this bit was not as easy as it looks as you can see from my attempt...because the melted marshmallow gets all stringy like mozarella cheese on a pizza as it cools down...













...but the doesn't matter because that all gets covered over with the scrumptuos marshmallow frosting...

There's going to be no stopping my cupcake baking from this point on...the lavender cupcakes look beautiful, so do the the green tea ones...and there are cookies and muffins and pies and cheesecakes...not to mention special cakes like the Brooklyn Blackout Cake... I've got to make a graduation cake for next week...so maybe I'll try that one...

The marshmallow birthday cupcakes had been planned for a birthday picnic in Richmond park that sadly got rained off. H suggested Esfahan Persian restaurant in Putney and then a walk by the river.

The foods was very good. We've eaten at a number of Persian resteraunts in London and foodwise this would rate amongst the top ones. I even tried an intriguing drink called Sekanjebin with delicious sweet sour taste...

...an amazing day...

Mint and Peapod Soup

I could eat garden peas until they are coming out of my ears!

The tiny new ones are so fresh and sweet that they don’t even need cooking. They are delicious raw in salads.

But it seems a waste to throw all those pods away, so I decided to have a go at making pea-pod soup. Boy, am I glad I did. It’s delicious. I was amazed to find a number of recipes online, including a chilled one by Mark Hix that looks awesome...so much greener than mine...you can link to it here.     This is my pea-pod recipe.


Mint and Pea-pod Soup
Ingredients:
500grams of pea-pods
One red onion, finely sliced
Two sticks of celery, chopped
A heart of pak choi, chopped
One and a half litres of stock
A few leaves of fresh mint
A handful of peas
Olive oil for frying
Black pepper and Sea salt


Method:

• Fry the onion in olive oil in a heavy based saucepan until it has caramelised. I used a red onion because I love the flavour and they are supposed to be really good for anyone with allergies like me. If you want your soup to look even greener I would suggest using a white one.
• Meanwhile wash and top the pods, de-stringing if necessary...the younger the better..
• Once the onions are cooked, add the celery and pak choi and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. 
• Add the hot stock and a couple of mint leaves, bring to the boil and simmer until the pods are tender.
• Blend the soup and then sieve into a jug or large bowl.
• Return to the pan or serving dish, check and adjust seasoning.
• Add the raw baby peas, or cooked larger ones and a couple mint leaves to garnish. It would also be lovely with a little double cream or creme fraiche.

This is a really lovely soup. It doesn't have the sweetness of pea soup, but a much earthier deeper flavour which is really complemented by the addition of the fresh uncooked peas...I'm so glad I didn't compost the pods....


...although I am a little concerned that I may be turning into a version of Barbara Good from the Goodlife!

Anyone for a glass of pea-pod 2011?

Lamp Love

I've had these old French lamps on my desktop for ages since I was looking for an old school or industrial lamp. I didn't get one because they were all over budget but I couldn't bare to delete them because they are all so lovely. So I decided to post them here for posterity so I can tidy up my screen but still look at them when I want.

I found them here, as well as lots of other lovely ones too.