Run Kitty Run: June wrap-up
Hello again, strangers!
OK, so I didn’t manage to beat my overall distance covered from last month, but I did pretty well! 119.3 miles vs. May’s 152.8 miles. Breaking that down, it was:
- 74.3 miles of cycling
- 11.2 miles of running (just have not felt up for it lately…
) - 1.6 miles of swimming (heehee)
- 25.4 miles of hiking (i.e. cross country walking)
- 7 miles of walking (not counting walks <1mile, such as to the shops etc.)
My barbell lifts personal bests to date:
- Barbell Squat: 95lbs (previously 65 lbs)
- Deadlift:130lbs (previously 108 lbs)
- Pendlay Row: 90lbs (previously 75 lbs)
- Barbell Bench Press: 70lbs (previously 55 lbs)
- Overhead Press: 65lbs (previously 50 lbs)
I managed the first 4 weeks of Strong Lifts 5×5, then had to pull out of that (at least for the time being). Because I’m on a calorie deficit, I think the rapid increase in weight for the lifts was too much for me to keep up with. Instead, I’ve started with New Rules of Lifting for Women – Week 1 is done, and whilst it was hard work, it was manageable! I continue to mix in the odd run, some nice countryside cycle rides, punching heavy bag, and lovely yoga 
I swim a couple of times a month, so I’ll try to keep that up.
I had a look at my local gym (Mike’s Gym, “Suffolk’s no. 1 Powerlifting Gym”, ulp…) as I really need a squat rack to use. It’s fairly small, but really well equipped, and just down the road. However, because it’s a powerlifting gym, the majority of regular customers are big, muscly grunting men, and at the moment, I think that’s a little too intimidating for me. Plus, there’s no pool (which is a big thing for me if I’m paying a monthly set fee). So I’ve not decided yet – I’ve got a couple of gyms I want to look around near my new work place (3 weeks to go! hang on, I haven’t blogged about New Job. Should do. Later.), so we’ll see.
I’m also finally into a healthy BMI range (24.98!) at a weight of 155lbs (11stone 1). So, so pleased with this. That’s a total loss of 19lbs since the start of the year. Plus, I fit into all my clothes now, and I even got rid of quite a few as they were REALLY too big.
So that’s:
- Weight: 155lbs (May was 160lbs)
- BMI: 24.98 (no record for May)
- Body fat (estimate): 26% (May was 26.6%)
- Waist: 30.5″ (May was 33″)
- Hips: 37.5″ (May was 40″)
Intermittent Fasting continues to go well – some days are harder than others, but overall it is a lot easier to keep on top of my calorie intake by “skipping” breakfast. It has taken incredible will power, but it works out really well for me.
I’m still calorie counting (some might call it obsessive, I call it diligence) with MyFitnessPal. One thing that has become clear is that I need to plan better for my macros and my vits & minerals – especially since being of a (mostly) lactose free diet, I need to up my calcium intake significantly. Other than that, things are going well!
And finally: I like my own back now. Please excuse the underwear, but really it’s necessary to be able to appreciate my awesome back.
Run Kitty Run: May wrap-up
Right, I’ve just come off a 14.5 hour shift at work, so this’ll be a short one. Just a quick wrap up of my exercise happenings in May (more for me than for you lot, I’ll admit).
I ran a total of 47.8 miles
I cycled a total of 92.4 miles
My barbell lifts, personal bests to date:
Barbell Squat: 65 lbs
Deadlift: 108 lbs
Pendlay Row: 75 lbs
Barbell Bench Press: 55 lbs
Overhead Press: 50 lbs
For next month, I hope to blow these records out of the water. I also hope to do more swimming, more hiking (I managed a measly 12.3 miles this month), and keep up punching the heavy bag. It would be lovely to be able to run 10k in a single session by end of June, but I won’t hold my breath on that one. Stamina in cycling needs to improve – I want to do a 60 mile cycle at the beginning of August.
The lifts WILL be epic by end of June – just you see.
I have also been doing Intermittent Fasting (16/8) for the last week or so. It really works for me.
Oh, and did I mention I’ve lost weight? I never fit in these shorts before – they’re a size 12, just in time for summer:
Northumbria
I have had one busy week. One more to go.
I’m up in Northumberland, getting fresh air and pretending I have not a care in the world. I think it’s working, but I’m not 100% sure yet.
Some things I’ve done:
Been dragged up Humbleton hill nearly every morning. Ben is an avid mountain goat, but charging up a slope before breakfast is not exactly my idea of fun. Nevertheless, the view is marvellous. I am, however, hideously unfit.
Berwick upon Tweed. A bit of a crumbling town if I’m honest, but still good fun. Nice little curio shops, ancient fortifications, and one big gorgeous bridge.
Etal village fete. Etal is a cute little village mainly consisting of a ruined castle, a pub, a tea room and some fields. Their fete was equally adorable, with rare Hebridean sheep (that look like Darth Vader), much homemade jam, Clydesdales and locally made burgers.
Kielder water. Actually a fair old trek from where we’re staying, but worth it to see this marvel of engineering – a huge man made lake (dam!) and the UK’s largest man made forest. We took the Osprey pleasure cruiser to see the lake properly.
Local produce. Ok, getting meat from the town butcher is cool, but getting eggs (still warm) from the lady living next door is AWESOME.
Car acrobatics. Thursday was very rainy. My car’s tyres are pretty worn. I have been hassling Ben to help me get them replaced for some months. I think Thursday made the point. On a wet, and thankfully deserted country road, Ben lost control on a skid, and we did a beautiful 360 into a hedge. Surprisingly, there is only a very small dink in the back of my car, although I thought I was going to throw up after the event. But yes – suitably dramatic, could have been SO much worse, and yay, I wasn’t driving at the time. Needless to say, we are getting those tyres replaced today.
Pot-a-doodle-do. After the car incident, I needed some calm activity to soothe my nerves. So, pottery painting was a suitable rainy day activity. Ben has made me an apology plate, I have done a life-affirming pasta bowl. Pics when we get them.
Edinburgh. Yesterday, we drove across the border to my favourite city. A good 10 hours of wandering ensued, and we even took in a show at the Edinburgh Fringe (EastEnd Cabaret, venue 170, is free, hilarious and well worth a look if you’re at the fringe). Note: parking in Edinburgh has gotten considerably more expensive over the last couple of years, so be warned if you’re driving in.
Anyway, I have tyres to get done, and another week of adventuring to do. Cheerio!
FINAL Mental Health Forum
Sorry about the distinct lack of posts lately – things have got a bit, well, mad around here over the last few weeks. And it’s not even the dissertation that’s doing it. Ergh.
But:
Are you free this afternoon? Fancy taking part in the LAST instalment of what has been an increasingly successful series of mental health forums?
The fifth and final in the Wax/Owen mental health forums is today! Come along to the Menier Chocolate Factory from 2-4pm to join in the discussion. Here comes the blurb…
Due to overwhelming demand Ruby Wax and Judith Owen’s show ‘Losing It’ will return to theMenier Chocolate Factory on 17th May until 18th June
SANE is delighted to announce that we will be holding a series of mental health forums as part of the latest run.
Download the Press Release.
Each week there will be an opportunity to listen to leading experts from the fields of psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience. Ruby Wax, Judith Owen and Marjorie Wallace founder and chief executive of SANE, will then join the expert for a question and answer session.
The schedule of speakers is as follows:
16th June – Camila Batmanghelidjh, Kids Company
This initiative follows on from the incredible success of Wax and Owen’s piece, ‘Losing It’. Here’s what the celebrities have been saying…
“This show is too important, too funny and thought-provoking, too touching and inspiring to miss. I recommend it wholeheartedly: it’s fabulous.”
Joanna Lumley
“Absolutely marvelous… Judith’s songs are beautiful.”
Ronnie Wood
“It’s ingeniuous and hysterical and blisteringly honest. Ruby Wax and Judith Owen explode the silence on mental illness, go where people have not dared to go before. They tell the tale that most want to pretend they have never experienced. And it’s reaaaaaally funny and you get wise at the same time. And if you are the depressed one, this is up there with Prozac with no known side effects.”
Helena Bonham Carter
Reach the Beach 2011
On Saturday, Ben and I had an early start. We were going to Hersham Hounds to pick up a dog for a day at the beach.
Every year, Hersham Hounds (the Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare Trust) organises a mass exodus to East Head Beach, West Wittering (near Chichester in West Sussex) – volunteers, dog owners, supporters of the trust all take greyhounds in the (quite) long journey down to the coast.
We arrived at HH’s sanctuary in Esher at about 8:30am. We were to get a big boy called Rooster.
“Is there any reason you’re only taking one dog..?”
“Um… Not really. We could take two.”
“Only his girlfriend has been crying. We didn’t think she’d want to go, but as soon as we started getting the other dogs ready to go, she was getting really upset.”
So, two dogs. Big Rooster (9 years) and his tiny, timid girlfriend, Nala (10). Rooster was really friendly, really lively, very cheeky. Nala, by contrast, quiet and just wanted to sit in the back of the car.
Rooster and Nala
Greys travel really, really well. They just sit in the back of the car, quite happy and patient. And it’s quite a trek from London to Chichester.
With on brief stop at a petrol station to get snacks, we got to the beach around 11am. There were photographers to take pictures of everyone and their dogs on the beach itself, but no sign of those yet. I’ll let you know when they’re available.
There were some activities, too. I didn’t partake, but it was fun to watch man&dog 100 yard dash (and there was an equivalent event for the ladies, too). Oh, and a Bonio&spoon race.
As greys have a penchant for running very fast (and taking a negative interest in things that move, but are not greys), it was leashes and muzzles all round. These docile lovelies don’t look like they’d hurt a fly, but things can go wrong, so we prepared for the worst: it would be terrible to damage the reputation of greyhounds.
Nala and I were happy to take a very gentle walk along the beach. Rooster wanted to run, so Ben was in charge of that. Luckily, Ben brought a change of clothes – he ended up in the sea. Brrr.
And finally, the obligatory picnic. Nala was not interested – she hopped right back into the car, and sat there for the remainder. Rooster was VERY interested indeed in our sausage rolls. He had his own punnet of cocktail sausages, but still got jealous of our food. Incorrigible.
And then, at around 2pm, it started to get a bit chilly – we’d been lucky, as the weather had held until that point. So back in the car with the dogs, and back to Esher. Nala went straight to bed, unsurprisingly. What lovely doggies.
If you fancy, you can always ask to borrow a grey for a day, to help with dog walking. HH are always grateful for volunteer dog walkers and the like. And they have LOVELY dogs. Go on – give a dog a walk. Get in touch with Hersham Hounds to find out more.
Mental Health Forum #4
Are you free this afternoon? Fancy taking part in the next instalment of what has been an increasingly successful series of mental health forums?
The fourth in the Wax/Owen mental health forums is today! Come along to the Menier Chocolate Factory from 2-4pm to join in the discussion. Here comes the blurb…
Due to overwhelming demand Ruby Wax and Judith Owen’s show ‘Losing It’ will return to theMenier Chocolate Factory on 17th May until 18th June
SANE is delighted to announce that we will be holding a series of mental health forums as part of the latest run.
Download the Press Release.
Each week there will be an opportunity to listen to leading experts from the fields of psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience. Ruby Wax, Judith Owen and Marjorie Wallace founder and chief executive of SANE, will then join the expert for a question and answer session.
The schedule of speakers is as follows:
9th June – Professor Mark Williams, Clinical Psychologist, Oxford
16th June – Camila Batmanghelidjh, Kids Company
This initiative follows on from the incredible success of Wax and Owen’s piece, ‘Losing It’. Here’s what the celebrities have been saying…
“This show is too important, too funny and thought-provoking, too touching and inspiring to miss. I recommend it wholeheartedly: it’s fabulous.”
Joanna Lumley
“Absolutely marvelous… Judith’s songs are beautiful.”
Ronnie Wood
“It’s ingeniuous and hysterical and blisteringly honest. Ruby Wax and Judith Owen explode the silence on mental illness, go where people have not dared to go before. They tell the tale that most want to pretend they have never experienced. And it’s reaaaaaally funny and you get wise at the same time. And if you are the depressed one, this is up there with Prozac with no known side effects.”
Helena Bonham Carter
Mental Health Forum #3
Just a quick reminder, as I’m busy baking cakes for…:
The third in the Wax/Owen mental health forums is today! Come along to the Menier Chocolate Factory from 2-4pm to join in the discussion. Here comes the blurb…
Due to overwhelming demand Ruby Wax and Judith Owen’s show ‘Losing It’ will return to theMenier Chocolate Factory on 17th May until 18th June
SANE is delighted to announce that we will be holding a series of mental health forums as part of the latest run.
Download the Press Release.
Each week there will be an opportunity to listen to leading experts from the fields of psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience. Ruby Wax, Judith Owen and Marjorie Wallace founder and chief executive of SANE, will then join the expert for a question and answer session.
The schedule of speakers is as follows:
2nd June – Professor Shitij Kapur, Institute of Psychiatry
9th June – Professor Mark Williams, Clinical Psychologist, Oxford
16th June – Camila Batmanghelidjh, Kids Company
This initiative follows on from the incredible success of Wax and Owen’s piece, ‘Losing It’. Here’s what the celebrities have been saying…
“This show is too important, too funny and thought-provoking, too touching and inspiring to miss. I recommend it wholeheartedly: it’s fabulous.”
Joanna Lumley
“Absolutely marvelous… Judith’s songs are beautiful.”
Ronnie Wood
“It’s ingeniuous and hysterical and blisteringly honest. Ruby Wax and Judith Owen explode the silence on mental illness, go where people have not dared to go before. They tell the tale that most want to pretend they have never experienced. And it’s reaaaaaally funny and you get wise at the same time. And if you are the depressed one, this is up there with Prozac with no known side effects.”
Helena Bonham Carter
I Want Never Gets: Summer Cocktails
Now that the sun is shining, it’s time for barbecues and cocktails. Now, barbies are straight forward – heat and meat usually does the trick. But cocktails? Cocktails I’m not so good at. I wish I could make a good cocktail.
So here are some important ingredients for making cocktails -
A set of ultra pretty cocktail glasses – I love these sophisticated ones from John Lewis, priced at £50 for a set of four.
A cocktail shaker set, obviously. And this one from Heal’s is pretty swish, and comes with everything you need. Nice price at £36, too.
A cocktail recipe book! 500 Cocktails (available from Amazon) by Wendy Sweetser is fairly comprehensive (I mean…. 500!), and it helps with shaking techniques, and the fundamentals of mixing.
Argh, I want mojitos.
Food: The Cafe In The Crypt
London – Eating & Drinking – Cafes & Coffee Shops
I LOVE St Martin-in-the-Field’s café in the crypt. It’s so wonderfully weird.
Yes, it’s a café in a crypt. Yes, underground. With old tombstones on the floor.
You might think it sounds a little creepy, but it really isn’t. Café in the Crypt is cosy, quirky and charming. They serve refreshments pretty much all day, with meals available at lunch and dinner. Whilst choice of food is fairly limited (one meat/fish dish or one vege dish, or a selection of cold salads etc.) it is always top notch quality, and reasonably priced.
Yesterday, as they were in the area, my mum, aunty and I went there for a lunch of fish and chips, with mushy peas and freshly made tartar sauce. Far too big a portion to finish on one’s own, and only £8 for the privilege. The menu changes daily.
It’s a buffet cart affair, so don’t go there expecting table service.
The Crypt also has a gift shop, art gallery space, brass rubbing and host live music events (notably their jazz night’s). Well worth a visit.
Check out my review of The Cafe In The Crypt – I am astridkitti – on Qype
Food: Kennedy’s in London
London – Eating & Drinking – Fastfood & Takeaway – Fish & Chips
Kennedy’s are arguably the best fish and chip shop in Streatham. I would happily argue this until blue in the face.
Last night, I got myself some post-surgery celebration chips – with cod, onion gravy and mushy peas. You know how you have to fast before surgery, even if it’s minor? Well, by the time I got home at 8pm, I was famished. Kennedy’s made it all ok. Kennedy’s are WONDERFUL. Not only is the fish superbly white and fluffy, in a crisp, golden batter, and the chips fat and plentiful, but the service is efficient. Long live properly FAST food.
The mushy peas were nothing to write home about (not bad, but not amazing like the fish and the chips). But the onion gravy? Om nom nom.
I ended up stuffed after just half a plateful – I guess that comes from fasting all day. But leftover chips for breakfast? Thank you very much…
Check out my review of Kennedy’s – I am astridkitti – on Qype
The Great British Summer Picnic
OK, yesterday was possibly not the loveliest, sunniest day for a picnic, but we went for it. Maybe that’s the joy of the Great British Picnic – braving the potential chills, packing a coat (just in case), having a bracing romp through some fields to work up an appetite, before breaking out the feast.
I know I checked-in at Wimbledon Park yesterday afternoon (Qype), but we changed our minds and headed on to Boxhill in Surrey. A little quieter, a little more rural.
After a stomp around the woods (and even up some gentle inclines – dear god, I need to get fit), we got our brand new picnic basket (only £20 from Dartford market) out of the car and set up next to the river Mole.
I’d made up a veritable feast, composed mainly of fresh produce from Dartford (we were there on Saturday). Ham sandwiches, in seeded rolls from the baker’s stall. We also got a big onion bhaji, a big spring roll and a samosa from said baker. The ham was off the bone at the butchers shop, which also supplied us with mini Cornish pasties and a bag of real pork scratchings.
With a bottle of red and some elderflower cordial, all it took was some hummus and carrot sticks, and we were off.
We picked a relatively quiet spot, but there were still dog walkers about. Some were pretty aloof, and I’m still surprised by the snobbishness of strangers – a smile and a “hello!” doesn’t cost a thing, people. That said, there were some friendly ones that struck up casual small talk. Everyone coveted our picnic.
Oh, and Ben found a pork scratching that looked like a prawn. Yay!
What’s your favourite thing to put in your picnic basket?
Food: Cottons
After being on my to-do list for over a year, I finally tried the Caribbean restaurant, Cottons in Camden on Friday. I went with my boyfriend Ben and our friends Angharad and Paul.
The first thing that struck me was that I could only book a table for either 5 our 9:15 pm. Weird, as neither of those are traditionally times people want to eat dinner. No matter – we would hang out in the famous rum bar until our table was free at 9:15.
Cottons’ rum bar was smaller than I had imagined and very popular, leading to a bit of a cramped cocktail experience. But as the other patrons were cheerful and the cocktails were amazing, this didn’t bother us for long.
Behind the bar is a huge wall of rum (above), and the cocktail menu uses them very creatively. I started on the hard stuff with the Killer Doppo (for types of rum, below) whilst Angharad went for Cool Runnings (cucumber heavy! Very refreshing). Paul stayed on the Red Stripe all night (you can’t win them all) and Ben unimaginatively went for a Long Island Iced Tea (not even looking at the menu!)
Us girls then tried the China Breeze (with coconut rum and lychee juice) and we soon found ourselves at our table.
Our table was a cosy little booth – the ceilings were quite low, and the while set up made us feel like we were on a boat.
Starters comprised Ben and I sharing jerk pork ribs, Angharad with some black eye bean fritters and Paul had shredded sweet chilli chicken (I think). It all disappeared quickly, and then the lads and I sopped up the remaining jerk sauce with complimentary dough bread.
Whilst we were waiting for our mains, we ordered some more drinks – Angharad went back to Cool Runnings (a good film!) while I moved on to El Draque (made with mint and tea leaves). Paul was still on the Red Stripe, and Ben asked for… a whisky. Our waiter couldn’t believe it, and (rightly) refused to serve him whisky in a rum bar! To our surprise, he soon returned with half a dozen different rums for Ben to try, adamant that he would find one akin to whisky that he would like. He did, but I’ll be damned if I can remember what it was. This super-star treatment (and this particular waiter, in fact) made our evening not good but great.
Mains came. Angharad had barely looked at the menu before homing in on curried goat with peas an’ rrrrice. Paul went for a jerk spiced lamb shank (mm, jerk) sitting on a bed of sweet potato mash and wilted spinach, and Ben and I defied convention by sharing a main – the mixed jerk meat grill. We did bulk it up with a side of dumplings and coleslaw, but sharing a main led us to feel satisfied rather than stuffed – watch out, restaurants, we might do this more often in future. Sorry.
The food at Cottons was delicious – good portion sizes, and going beyond the barbecue, into the restaurant. Rather than just a chunk of meat with a handful of rice (my experience at Stratford’s Caribbean Scene), Cottons offered really top quality cuisine, beautifully flavoured. I particularly loved the jerk belly pork. I was also intrigued by some of the more unusual menu options, such as jerk venison. Maybe next time.
Cottons was clean, with a friendly atmosphere. The waiter service was friendly and, as I mentioned above, very helpful in guiding our choices. My only criticism would be the unusual table booking times (which led us to get home at beyond midnight – not ideal, considering we only had a meal out, not a night on the lash). Whilst I had originally considered the premises “cramped”, given the atmosphere, I would now changed that evaluation to “cosy”. Definitely recommended, even if you forego the meal – the cocktails were amazing!
Food: Empress of Sichaun
On Sunday, after the wonderful Damnation of Faust (it was about 3 hours – 3-6pm) we wandered down to London’s vibrant Chinatown (I don’t usually use the word “vibrant”, but Chinatown deserves it).
We did some pre-dinner window-shopping, then looked for a restaurant. We had nothing specific in mind, just that we wanted something good.
We ended up outside the door of the Empress of Sichaun, and quickly decided we wanted in. They had chilli peppercorn squid – that was enough for us (also, they did that hotpot I was talking about, but we weren’t in the mood for that).
I was on menu choosing duty – so, a bottle of red (a Rioja), and some cold starters. I went for “Bang Bang Chicken” (which was like a cold chicken satay – a LOT nicer than it sounds) and thinly sliced pork in garlic and chilli sauce. Both were excellent – I could smell the garlic before it even arrived at the table. My only criticism was that there were some bits of gristle in the chicken, which were a bit gross. Nevermind.
Oh, and I was so ravenous that I forgot to take a photo of those. Oops. On to mains!
Our waitress asked if we wanted a short break before commencing mains, and I chose to take her up on that. We had ordered quite a few dishes.
I went for the chilli peppercorn squid (of course! Always a winner), as well as double cooked pork belly slices in garlic and chilli (garlic much? Oh well – cleans the blood and all that). We also had some broccoli steamed with garlic (seriously) and some steamed rice.
Ben struggles with chopsticks.
All dishes involved were amazing – the squid, as always, stole the show. I want to know how to cook squid like that – it’s so MEATY. The pork belly slices were like the starter, in that they were cut incredibly thin, giving a bacon-like mouthfeel. No bad thing. Tonnes of garlic on the broccoli, and everything was the right level of spicy. Very clean flavours, beautifully presented, generous portion sizes.
We ate everything, except a couple of broccoli florets and a handful of rice (there is always too much rice).
Then, straining, we were presented with some deep-fried pumpkin cakes, arranged in a stack, with a candle on top. After a rousing round of “Happy Birthday” (adorable), we managed one of the scotch-pancake sized treats each, and took the other three home. I think Ben got a photo on his phone, so I’ll upload that later on.
EDIT: here you go!
I popped a hefty tip on the bill. The Empress of Sichaun comes with huge recommendations. Get ye to Chinatown.
The Empress of Sichaun is at 6 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BG, in London’s Chinatown.
tel: 020 7734 8128
Two courses, with wine and followed by Chinese tea (and we certainly didn’t go hungry), about £40 a head
Tell them I sent you.
Wai, Hello Kitty
Holy crap, look what just arrived in the post (in one piece!)
I told you my sister-in-law was a master baker (sorry, I can’t resist saying that).
Books: Cooking For Geeks
I got this bad boy as a belated Christmas present from my big brother (see here why it was late), but I can confidently proclaim: it was well worth the wait.
This weighty tome from Jeff Potter looks like a text book, but dear lord, if all my text books were this readable, I would have read them all cover to cover by now.
Cooking For Geeks is made up of some science, some “hacks”, some interviews, and tonnes of little nuggets of fascinating facts.
Maybe you’ll love it for the recipes (whilst I haven’t yet tried any, they all sound amazing). Maybe you’ll love it for the miracle berries, or many of the other weird and wonderful additives (which sound AMAZING and I must experiment). Maybe you’ll love it for the stupidly dangerous over-clocked oven (pizza cooked in 45 seconds, anyone?).
If you’re me, you’ll surprise yourself by finding the section on pathogens the most interesting.
The only annoying thing is probably the fact that this book is written by an American, for Americans. Broiling? Seriously? It’s a grill. Also, the references to the FSA make you wonder about our own, British food standards. Must…do further research…
But the problems presented by that fact are minimal. Far too small a problem to detract from the pure joy that is getting immersed into the strange and wonderful world of geeky cooking. Yay!
There is also a Cooking For Geeks website to accompany the book. Double win.
Broadstairs
Ben and I had marvellous designs to escape London before the royal wedding. We’re not big on royalty or crowds or any of that, so we thought we’d run away to the coast. There is a cave at Broadstairs that Ben has wanted to sleep in for years, and now seemed as good a time as any.
We left London at 6:50 yesterday morning. We got to Margate around 9. It was frigging freezing. We stopped at Angela’s Cafe (no customer toilets? Hmm.) by the seafront for some breakfast, then made our way to the supermarket for supplies. We decided to buy some burgers to cook on the little camping stove for dinner, as well as getting a lot of biscuits and so forth.
We then headed on the Joss Bay. It was super cold, so on went the winter coats (cry – I thought I was done with mine until October).
We went for a wander down the beach – aside from us, the only brave souls out and about were dog walkers. There were some insane surfers at about 9pm that night, but little during the day.
A walk up to the intended cave showed us a not so promising start: the chalk roof over the entrance had caved in, leaving a massive pile of rubble and a foreboding sign. Of course, Ben pays signs no heed…
And after a hell of a lot of convincing, I am helped up to the cave, too (good photo opportunity). It was clear we weren’t the only ones that ignore notices – there were signs that someone had recently been up there for a drink and a little campfire.
We weren’t so insane as to hop into the sea at this point – the wind was quite something, and it was overcast. Instead, we thought we’d head back to Margate for a dander. A bit of shopping (including Primark – it just seemed right, in Margate), and then the all-important fish and chips at Beano’s (we were by the sea, afterall). Well, I say fish and chips. I had scampi and chips (with gravy, om nom) whilst Ben had chips and a battered sausage.
Then (because outside London, shops SHUT at unreasonably early times) we wandered down the seafront to look at the old amusement arcades (Ben loves arcades – yay for arcade games!). We shot a few things (House of the Dead 2 is good fun) and had a laugh at the lameness of the prizes available.
After this, we drove back to Joss Bay. And it started raining. And it was still cold. And we wussed out. Fine, there, you win. It was just too bloody miserable for sleeping on the beach, even in a cave (which gets tide-locked). And London (and home) was just too temptingly close. So here we are, in London, on D-day.
I have so far managed to not watch any Royal Wedding stuff on the telly (I really have no interest – I bear the lovely couple no ill will, but they are just people… I don’t know them or anything). In fact, I stayed in bed until about 10 – yay for Bank Holiday Friday.
We’re still thinking about driving out to the country side this afternoon to make those burgers.
Food: Oishiii
Yesterday, I told Ben that I fancied some Japanese nosh. I thought we’d just wander down the road to our local (Oishii) but instead he took me for a mystery motorbike ride around the city.
We swung by Westminster to have a gander (and a laugh) at all the folks that had set up there, then turned north. We ended up in Stoke Newington, where Ben had found another Japanese restaurant called Oishiii (note the extra “i” – madness!) which turned out to be a mighty good find.
Whilst munching complimentary wasabi peas (yay!) we got in our drinks. Ben wanted to try a shot if barley shochu (which is not unpleasant, but doesn’t really taste of anything) and I had one of Japan’s finest mainstream beers, Kirin Ichiban.
Ben is not that hot on Japanese food – he’s a bit of a novice with chopsticks and he hates seafood (except squid). As such, he set me the task of ordering the food.
I chose myself a small selection of sushi as a starter (what is it that’s so nommy about sushi? I can’t get enough…)
And for Ben,i ordered tempura squid.
Both starters were delicious, and of course, we shared a bit I’d each other’s. Don’t worry – a couple of my sushi rolls were fish free, so not an issue for fish phobic Ben.
Next up, mains. I treated Ben to a fish of rice topped with deep fried chicken steak and set in an omelette (chicken katsudon).
I had a prawn and chicken number, also sitting on a bed of rice (ankake donburi).
Both dishes were delicious, in enough sauce whilst not being sloppy. Not too salty either, which I think a lot of Far Eastern food suffers from. The rice was lovely, sticky, fat short-grain sushi rice (and watching Ben try to eat rice with chopsticks is an event that should charge an entry fee. Slowed down his eating though, which can’t be bad).
At under £25 a head for two courses, this place comes highly recommended – the food was delicious, the service polite (if a little slow) and the restaurant unpretentious. I want to go again!
You can find Oishiii on Stoke Newington’s Church Street.
Dubai: Stuff Your Face
Today’s post revolves around the food wot I et in Dubai. Yes, it does merit its own post.
Food is in abundance in Dubai. Emaraties have a particularly sweet tooth (my mum argues that this is because they don’t drink alcohol, but personally I think they’re right to accept that sugar is awesome). There are cakes and sweets available pretty much everywhere, but not really chocolate so much (it’s a hot country – I may have mentioned this before).
So that explains the huge sweet shop -
And there were pastries et al all over the place. Golly gee whizz.
But we ate surprisingly little by way of puddings. Maybe that’s because there was meat to be had, and I am way more susceptible to meat than sweets (and that’s saying something).
One of the restaurants we dropped into was the Butcher’s Shop, down at the Jumeirah Beach Resort. Here, like a butcher’s shop, you could buy cuts of meat to take away. Or you could select a cut of meat to eat there in the restaurant. And it can be bigger than “standard size” if you really want. Standard size was big enough for me, to be honest -
Om nom. It was sooooo good. Wagyu beef, nonetheless. And they’re right – it is the best steak evarrr.
Another restaurant we went to was in the China District in Dubai’s International City. International City is on the outskirts of Dubai, essentially providing cheap accommodation to Dubai’s foreign workers. It’s made up of some generic looking buildings, each slightly architecturally personalised to represent different cultural districts (e.g. the Moroccan District had Moorish doorways).
We went to a restaurant called Little Sheep for a Chinese food experience ENTIRELY new to me – Hot Pot.
Essentially, you get a massive pot of stock, which is set on a hot plate that’s built into your table. The hot plate keeps the pot bubbling gently, whilst you prepare your food. You can order a variety of dipping dishes, including thinly sliced cuts of meat, noodles, mushrooms, vegetables, seaweed knots.. We went for beef, black fungus, knotted seaweed, and a couple of salad leaf dishes (which don’t so much cook as wilt dramatically). It’s a really fun and sociable meal, and since getting back into the UK, I’ve found a shop in Brixton that sells Hot Pot stock, and even a restaurant in London that does Mongolian hotpot…
Oh, but the big finalé of the week… The Fairmont Brunch. Oh yes oh yes oh yes! My mum and dad were so excited to take me to this (they’ve been a few times before). For a small fortune, you gain access to three hours of gluttonny and as much Moet et Chandon as you can pour down your gullet.
The food comprises every conceivable cuisine under the sun, including sushi bars, a huge pudding bar, and even a shawarma kebab rotisserie. I was in heaven. Needless to say I had about a dozen courses, and was rightly stuffed and drunk as a skunk by kicking out time.
Friday brunches are becoming more and more popular in the hotels in Dubai, but Fairmont is reknowed for being the original and best. My parents do spoil me. And I ain’t complainin’.
Tomorrow: Yes, but what is there to do in Dubai..?
Food: Homemade Pizza
Everyone loves pizza (not true actually, I have a couple of friends who have declared a hatred of the stuff). OK, pizza is a good fall-back meal. But some pizzas are better than others. We all have our favourite toppings (I LOVE capers and the odd anchovy. Ben is a meat fiend).
And is it just me, or are takeaway pizzas getting really expensive? Hmm.
There is something really satisfying about making your own pizzas (from scratch, I mean, dough and all). You can control the thickness of the base, load on whatever and as many toppings as you like, and get creative with stuffed crusts if you’re feeling brave.
Pizza is REALLY EASY TO MAKE. Please don’t be afraid – don’t be fooled, it’s really straight forward. Here, I’ll show you…
You will need:
- 250ml warm water
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried yeast
- 375g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Whatever toppings your heart desires
MAKE IT, GODDAMNIT!
- In a small jug, mix the water with the sugar an yeast. Yay, yeast! It stinks like stale beer, but it’s aliiiiive. Let the mixture stand in a warm place (in the sun, or on top of the tumble dryer (on) are good ones) for about 10 mins to let it froth a bit
- Pour the yeasty water into a bowl with the floor and salt, and hand mix until combines. Splat the dough out onto a clean, floured surface, and knead it for another 10 mins. This is very therapeutic. Imagine it’s someone’s face (someone you don’t like, ideally).
- Pop the dough into an oiled bowl, and cover with a damp tea-towel. Leave in a warm place (airing cupboard? Above a radiator? Just not under a cat) for about an hour. It’ll double in size – very exciting!
- While the dough is expanding and expanding in all of the directions it can whizz, prepare your toppings. Certain things will need pre-cooking – mushrooms, onions for example. But peppers, capers, cheese, deli meats, sweetcorn will all be fine. Use your intuition
- When the dough is nearly ready, preheat your oven to about 200 degrees C.
- Your dough will make two decently sized pizzas (or one ENORMOUS one). So out onto a tray it goes (half or all of the dough, depending on how many pizzas you want), squish squish til it’s your desired thickness. There is little science to this.
- Put on your toppings! I advise a base of tomato purée or something similar – passata, pesto are both good too. But why not try gentleman’s relish, or Marmite if you’re brave (it’ll be damn salty)? I like to put cheese on last of all, as it goes all melty over the top and prevents some of the other toppings from burning.
- In the oven for 15 mins
- EAT.
Other topping ideas -
- Try different cheeses – not just mozarella, but how about feta, brie, or your other favourite cheese?
- PEAS. I <3 peas so hard.
- Olives, ofc.
- Try different cured meats - pepperoni is not the only option. Parma ham, thinly sliced chorizo, sliced bratwurst all work well.
- Sun-blushed tomatoes make a nice change from “normal” ones.
- Pineapple isn’t the only fruit. Srsly. Try figs.
- CRACK AN EGG ON IT. OMG this is one of my favourites. But please be aware that you may have to bake the pizza a lot longer (and in a less hot oven) to cook it nicely through. Maybe you want to fry the egg in a pan and just dump it on the cooked pizza?
Catching up with old friends
On Facebook a few days ago, I mentioned that my life had changed inconceivably in the past few years. So it was lovely to have the chance to catch up with a group of old friends yesterday, and pretend I’m not almost, basically, an adult.
I hadn’t gotten together with Beth, Naseeb and Sarah (not as a group, anyway) for about four years, so the chance to have lunch and a proper catch up was awesome. I don’t think we’ve changed much at all (a conversation I had with Beth & John’s friend Gareth last week – do we change much at all over our lifetimes? Intrinsically, I mean?)
Sure, our circumstances have changed a fair bit (in a few months time, they’ll join me in the wonderful world of being graduates) but we’re still the same people. Which is reassuring. And awesome.
I have awesome friends <3
Food: Liquid Chocolat
Last week, I had my charming friend Sarah over to stay. Needless to say, I loved having her over – she was wonderful company, even if I was too exhausted to be entertaining.
While she was here, she gifted unto me this beautiful little jar from Hotel Chocolat – it’s hot chocolate, but not as you know it!
Pieces of actual chocolate, caramel, and tiny sugar hearts, to be molten into hot milk, make for the most deliciously rich hot chocolate I have had in a long time.
Unravelled Commandments #1
Thou shalt not covet thy boyfriend’s breakfast. Your omelette is Just Fine.
Food: My Old Dutch
Last night, I met up with Angharad and a group of her friends (including the long awaited meeting of Victoria!)
We met for pancakey wonderfulness at My Old Dutch, a cute little Dutch pancake restaurant not far from Holborn station.
All that needs to be said is that the pancakes were enormous, so understandably Angharad struggled to get through her chilli con carne-filled pancake. I thoroughly enjoyed (and completely polished off) my “Amsterdammer” – a pancake with apple slices, bacon and maple syrup. There are rumours circulating that I also finished Angharad’s pancake for her, but I will neither confirm nor deny this.
