if you can't eat it, it's not love

This is out of my blog-league, and completely irrelevant to food, but i am so in love with this blogger, her wonderful style and way of talking - i mean writing - that i have to give her a mention:
http://www.thesmallobject.com/stenopad/wordpress/

I had been thinking recently that it would be good to have somewhere to store information about anything crafty I undertake, but was quite decided that it wouldn't be another blog as I am already so badly disciplined with this food one. I am so entirely sporadic and un-dedicated that it would be massively infrequent: something else to start, neglect and feel bad about.

In addition, being an irritating purist over cataloguing means I can't bring myself to add craft posts to this food blog. Messy, messy! Currently i jot notes and drawings in a book and take photographs to keep track, but - and you knew there would be a but - inspiration has been creeping up on me in waves. First the cheap fabric at Shepherd's Bush market... next the subscription to Vogue... threading up my beautiful Singer sewing machine ... reading up on how to expand a trouser dart ... scribbling down how to make a circle skirt to go Lindy hop dancing in, from here:
http://www.burdastyle.com/

...it all adds up to a bit of an infatuation. I am certain it won't overtake the food though: let's face it, you can't exactly eat sewing. It's just useful to be able to expand a trouser dart when you've eaten too much.

love-ly food

I chide myself that I don't seem to have made a note of the superb, if dodgily named, 'Food lab' by 'Mood for food'. I fell in love with it incrementally: first the coffee, then the people, the chilled out music. Then I had a savoury muffin with Rose, which we envisaged as a sweet muffin but stuffed with glorious savoury cheese and bacon and herbs... but which was an ENGLISH muffin filled with bacon and egg. And top notch.

Next I was seduced by the cakes: properly, deliciously home made and the prices not so N1 that I couldn't go back again. But this all felt like dipping one's toe, so the last couple of times I went the whole breakfast hog and had eggs florentine - fast turning into my benchmark breakfast of choice.

And what eggs! Interestingly, on the first occasion the spinach had chilli flakes mixed through which, though not an upfront flavour, gave a delicious background note. The second time, the flakes came as a wide, sprinkled smile under the muffin/egg eyes. Disconcerting and it didn't taste as well, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

The eggs benny, breakfast of choice for the gent, deserve a mention too: a democratic exchange meant we tasted both. And, I suspect, both enjoyed our own the most.


http://www.moodforfood.co.uk/

cold comfort

I have said it before and I'll say it again: if you have a cold you need some comfort and some spice. And if it's swine flu then you'll need even more comfort, to get rid of the taste of tamiflu.

See how topical I am? I was aching all over and decidedly grumpy by lunchtime today so I cold-shouldered my stilton leftovers feast and headed to Peyton and Byrne to pretend I'm a lady what lunches. I think I ate carrot soup - I guessed from the colour - but having taste buds in a state of hibernation I wasn't sure of anything but the salt. Textures however are the taste-disabled person's friend: the bread was crispy outside, chewy within; the butter a fat sheet over this, the soup very thick, very pureed.

Recalling the gent, I delicately pushed rather than pulled the spoon. And it was a good portion too! The only disappointment of the hour was that I couldn't get the last crossword clue. If someone knows 'beat' in 6 with letters something like _E_E_T then please tell me, and in return I'll tell you the best thing to do with a carrot mountain.

Time for a honey and lemon, I think...


http://www.peytonandbyrne.com/

Christian festival, pagan weekend

Mayday bank holiday and the christening of my ginger neph.

On Sunday morning I took break from filling vol-au-vents with my aunt, sister and Mrs I., to slip away into the garden. The month of May can transform anywhere: pink-white apple blossom confetti-ed the lawn, wild strawberries flowered, and that bright green blanket of spring was everywhere. Which is a rather florid way of saying the whole garden seemed to be waiting for the party to begin.

Catering for 70 must be daunting, but aunts and uncles appeared with plates of sandwiches, someone manned a bar, Rose conjured up a beach bucket to fill with bags of children's snacks and Mrs I's tray bakes of cake filled borrowed plates.

The meringues especially remind me of family weddings more than 20 years ago.

Whilst not being strictly necessary at 4pm, the food drew people outside, gave strangers a talking point and helped rescue more than one stilted conversation. It was all madly appreciated and I hope Mrs I. was not too tired from all the organising... Liz and Mark's champagne 'for when everyone has gone' was perfectly pitched!

And the left over brie and stilton was a great lunch with olives and salad today.