Cookbooks

Cookbooks are definitely my weakness, above are just a few that I've either been given or brought recently (and there are a few others on my list right now too!) but the thing is, I look through these books but I haven't cooked much from the yet. I was going to challenge myself to make one new dish from the books I already have every sunday, but this year for sundays we've been to my parents for dinner, I've been sick and then we had David Byrne.....so it hasn't happened. I figure I should just relax the rules and just cook something new any night that feels right. The aim is to take a picture and post about them here too, that probably won't be every week but it should be a nice challenge.

Rachel Khoo

I have been cooking quite a lot lately, more for myself than for Island Menu, not because I don't want to but because at this time of year the light goes so quickly which makes it impossible to photograph dinners, quite frustrating!

Anyway for my birthday a few weeks back I got a copy of Rachel Khoo's Little Paris Kitchen, then of course had to watch the tv series, and I loved it and felt rather inspired again. We cooked her beouf bourguinon for mother's day (along with Heston Blumenthal's thrice cooked chips and churros for desert) and it worked so well. There are quite a few other recipes I want to try but these cheesy potato nests look amazing!! (suspect they would require a run afterwards!)

Jane Eyre

I’ve written about three draft posts lately and scrapped them all, guess I’m still feeling a bit unsure of what to write here. Anyway it’s been pretty uneventful this week. But I did get to finally see Jane Eyre (why is Australia so slow at getting films? It’s the same with Midnight in Paris) and despite the fact that it is a much lighter version with big omissions and changes, I actually rather liked it, a lot. Perhaps more than other versions.

I might have mentioned it but Jane Eyre is my all time favourite story, and strangely now every time I go back to it, which is probably once a year, think of Nenah Cherry and Youssou N'Dour's song 7 seconds. I had this song on (very) heavy rotation the first time I ever read the book, I think I was about 13. The two have become intertwined.

This Weekend

My mind is on a million things at the moment so I apologise in advance, I think april is going to be a poor month for blogging. This weekend I had a massive to do list that I haven't even dented, and to be honest all I felt like doing was taking some time out and curling up to re-read Jane Eyre for the umpteenth time. It's one of my favourite stories and I can't wait to see the new film (although I think we have to wait until August here). I hope everyone had a lovely weekend out there.

Roald Dahl's writing shed

I always loved Roald Dahl's books, they are the most magical stories so I loved coming across his little writing shed in World of Interiors, isn't it amazing!

here and here for bigger.

Good Mail Day

My copy of Sundays are for Lovers arrived, it is wonderful, so many lovely pictures. I have such a big list of books I'd love to order right now including:

Great British Food from Canteen
Paris Made by Hand
this lovely copy of Jane Eyre
Megan Morton's Home Love and
The Selby Is In Your Place.

Winter feels like the perfect time for ordering books! I'd love to know what's on other people's lists?

I Love Macarons

I've had my eye on this book since before christmas, and today I finally took one home. The instructions are step by step and detailed so maybe my second attempt will be better than my first, either way it is a beautiful book to look through.

Simply Paris

um…I’m not entirely sure where Monday went…oh wait yes I spent most of the day using the photocopier at work ugh, dull, dull!

So I have a bit of a thing about Paris at the moment, I suppose every girl does at some stage. Anyway last year when Jen went there I loved her images so much and now she has produced a little book, it looks wonderful and I can’t wait for it to arrive in my letterbox!

Interior Love

This weeks interior love pictures both come from the Real Living Christmas edition, two amazing bookcases. I love the styling in the white one and the gorgeous chandaliers sitting on the top and the bottom picture completely satisfies my current love of pink. So pretty.

Stories

I think these new Popular Penguins are fantastic and love that there are a few new and modern titles in the mix. Ever since I moved into my little flat I’ve been feeling the need to curl up with a good book, but with them being so expensive these days, and only limited time I’ve read four this year…. absolutely woeful! So my plan is to pick up a few Penguins, High Fidelity, Love in a Cold Climate, and Breakfast at Tiffanys and get re-acquainted with that fantastic feeling of being lost to new (and loved) stories. If you have any other suggestions on what to read I’d love to hear them.

Inspiration

I have been feeling a bit under the weather the past week, so I decided I needed some new inspiration to cheer me up a little. I updated my notice board (although it's maybe a tad wintery), ordered some new books, and listened to some new music. Cold War Kids for Rd and the new Lyrics Born for me. I was so close to getting the new Portishead, but then thought maybe I needed something a little more cheerful. Has anyone been listening to the new Portishead, is it worth getting?

Fabric

When I was younger my mum would buy World of Interiors magazines every month (she still does) and I would pour over them (I still do). The one thing I loved most was all the advertisements for fabrics, Colefax and Fowler, Osborne and Little, Designers Guild, always thinking how great it would be to be a fabric designer. Well maybe in some small way this beautiful looking book by Lena Corwin will allow me a little taste of designing and making my own fabric.

Rufus and Other Adventures

We had such a wonderful night out last night, it had been a warm sticky day at work so it was fantastic to be out and about feeling so free. We started off with a cold beer and then went to the launch of a book that I have no doubt will be a journey of a read. Followed by dinner at a fish restaurant by the water, which was very yum indeed. We left dinner and after walking a while I relised the buckle had fallen off my bag, so I went back and walked straight into a man holding it out for me, it was quite a strange experience, he didn't say anything just gave it to me.

So then we went to see lovely Rufus Wainwright, that man has such an amazing voice. He didn't bring his band down, it was just him and his piano and on occassion his guitar. My favourite track by far was Going to A Town, and this song has been on high rotation at home for the past week or so and when he played it it was so brilliant. That feeling when you love a song so much and you hear it played live has to be one of my most favourite things ever! I also loved Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk and California.

Very Good Indeed

This year one of my aims is to cook lots of fresh and healthy dishes and try new recipes more often. I was given the new Nigella Lawson book for christmas, and so far have cooked several dishes from it, but this was the best by far (although I am a terrible sweet tooth!) It's a nectarine and blueberry galette, perfectly simply, I am sure it would be just as lovely with any other combination of seasonal fruit. Here is the recipe because it's very good indeed!

Nectarine and Blueberry Galette

1 x 375g shop-bought rolled puff pastry
2 x 15ml tablespoons apricot conserve
2 x 15ml tablespoons double cream
1 x nectarine sliced in 16 segments
125g blueberries
2 x tablespoons demerara sugar

Preheat the over to 220 degrees celcius
Lay the puff pastry on a lined baking sheet, and using a sharp knife score a frame around the edge, about 2cm in from the edge.
In a small bowl mix together the apricot conserve and double cream and spread on the pastry within the frame.
Arrange the fruit on top and sprinkle with the demerara sugar before baking for 15 minutes.
Cut into slices and eat while warm.

Relaxing

Hi there,
I hope everyone had a wonderful and merry christmas, I certainly did, so much lovely food, champagne and special gifts to give and receive. It was very enjoyable and I am a little sad that it is all over, however I am still on holidays and that is something to be very pleased about. I have a large pile of books and magazines to get through and hopefully if the sun decides to come out (please please do!) I intend to sit in the new sun lounge chair rd bought for me with a large hat, big sunnies and work my way through the pile, perhaps with the odd ice cream along the way. Unfortunately it is slightly miserable out there so it will have to be inside curled up with a snoring grey kitty. Lovely!

A Little Reading

Today has been a bit of a lazy day, but there have been some lovely highlights. The very kind Liss of Daydream Lily wrote a lovely post mentioning me, and talking about why we blog and how great it can be when you find people you really relate to and with situations similar to your own. Something I really strongly agree with and find it so wonderful to be included in a post about.

Then I discovered that they have made this book into a film, Atonement is a moving and emotive story, which I have read several times now and is a book that stays in my mind. I am so pleased about the actors chosen to play the characters, somtimes with books I love that are then made into films I just can't watch because of the actors chosen, but this time it's perfect to me. So now it's a long wait till Boxing Day!

I have read quite a few Ian McEwan books now and I really like his writing style, and they have all had quite different and unusual plots. These days it is hard to find time to sit and read a book, especially because I become so absorbed by it and just have to be left alone till it's finished. Then come out at the end feeling a little disjointed with reality (a good feeling). I really should make a more concerted effort to read because it really is one of the best things in the world to be taken to a different place.

Photo is of some work in progress.