Rhubarb rhubarb

I was really chuffed today when someone I work with, apropos of nothing in particular, gave me a bag of homegrown rhubarb. I think rhubarb is a love/hate thing, but I really like it. I even like seeing it growing with its huge, exotic, poisonous leaves. Incidentally, if the leaves are poisonous, how come you can eat the stems? In the winter I like rhubarb crumble but that is a bit unseasonal with the nice weather we are miraculously enjoying. So I thought I would try something from my fab new cookbook The Delicious Miss Dahl (by Sophie Dahl, ex supermodel) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miss-Dahls-Voluptuous-Delights-Sophie/dp/0007261179 which actually has lots of interesting, healthy and simple recipes as well as the chosen Rhubarb Eton Mess with Rosewater. Eton mess sounds weirdly upper crust and school dinnery but is actually just any fruit mixed with meringue bits and whipped cream. Hmm think I might have a relaxing cooking weekend this weekend. And drink beer in the promised sunshine. And wear suncream cos I am burned again from sitting outside the castle eating my packed lunch.

Americans call it thrifting

Certainly thrifting sounds more glamourous, but I'd call it charity shop shopping. Yes, I can afford to buy new stuff but I like the thrill of the chase and not wearing what everyone else is. In 'The Glass of Fashion' by Cecil Beaton (top book btw, full of inspiring anecdotes about great fashion eccentrics from the 1900s to 1960s.) there is a great story of two ladies who turned up at a party in identical black dresses trimmed with ostrich feathers. One, in an act of very expensive panache, nipped into the toilet with some scissors and came out waving the fathers like a fan. Anyway, my latest buy was a 60s style shift dress in bright pink silk by LK Bennett for £15. Only problem is, I always buy dresses and coats cos they are the only things that usually aren't totally trashed by the time people give them away. I must admit, I am a bit leery of buying second hand shoes, hats and night/underwear for hygiene reasons. Who buys second hand underwear, really?

Wandering around

On my way back from paying in a cheque (is it just me who finds banks stressful and frustrating) the sun was shining so I thought I would randomly wander. I popped into an interesting shop I am always passing where I found a girl making handbags (http://www.tyttipeltoniemi.com/). The shop sold many gorgeous things, all fiendlishly expensive. It was fascinating to watch her cutting the leather etc though. Then I wandered through the Victorian Nellfield Graveyard, very peaceful in the middle of the city bettp://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/nescotland/graveyards/grnellfd.htm. I nipped into a small gift shop on my way back where I bought a bizzarre necklace with my birthday money (http://www.onebuttonuk.com/). It looks like blobs of coloured plasticine in glass beads if that makes any sense.

Newcastle

Just got back from a fantastic trip to Newcastle, which is an amazing place to spend a long weekend. We stayed in the Malmaison hotel which overlooks the millennium bridge (left). One night in the bar we saw it being raised and illuminated in rainbow colours which was a wonderful moment. Recommended things include: just walking around the river and town centre area which boast buildings from the 1200s to 1900s and dramatic multi-level streetscapes of bridges, stairs etc. Shopping: especially independent department store Fenwicks and Attica Vintage which sells gorgeous vintage clothes, homewares and furniture mainly from the 50s and 60s. Attica is on Old George Yard, a Ripper-ish set of brick back lanes full of groovy record shops etc. Culture-wise: the Laing Art gallery is Ok but was mostly closed when we went, fun exhibition on photographs of British pop bands of the 60s though. The Baltic Gallery has challenging art installations and a very nice shop. The Discovery museum was fun too. An unexpected highlight was Maker Faire at the science centre, with inventors, geeks, crafters with robots, gadgets and techy art things. The crafters had placed knitted graffiti around the city on trees, railings, parking meters etc.

Fridge related Dessert Malfunction

(Not actually my fridge, some fridge in Tel-Aviv brought to you by the wonder of the internet...)

Looking out of the window at endless snow and not wanting to cave and put the heating on=cooking session. Techical fail yesterday though. Following the excellent chocolate mousse I made I moved on to lemon. It all looked good until I put it in the fridge, where it slowly sank and re-liquified itself in an entropic manner (all things return to the chaos from whence they came). This follows the Creme Brulee failure where it completely re-liquified as I grilled the sugar topping under the grill. Must get more gas for my kitchen blowtorch my bro gave me. Desserts are very tricky but I keep trying.

Speaking of I really enjoyed this top programme on cooking with chocolate: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qzh52/Raymond_Blancs_Kitchen_Secrets_Chocolate/

Raymond's pretty scary, with kitchen staff cowering in fear, but the food looked fantastic. I was most impressed by the chocolate coffeecup and saucer full of coffee ice-cream: genius!

Knitting Projects

Back on the knitting again! Just completed fingerless gloves in Rowan Tapestry (made in flat pieces so easypeasy). Blue stitching was replaced with pink to tone in as I was feeling fussy. Now started chunky scarf in Rowan Big Wool for better half. Scarf is recycled from my first ever project, a shapeless, lumpy and functionless knitted 'rug'.

Cooking Book Heaven

The first of a series of lists, (I am slightly obsessed by lists). Best and most favourite cookery books. I buy a lot of cookery books and then only use a few, I'm afraid.

FRENCH

Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier and How to Cook by Ginette Mathiot. French cooking is much simpler and healthier than most people think. It's all about good ingredients.

GENERAL

How to Eat by Nigella Lawson and The Action Cookbook by Len Deighton. Both of these are fun and inspiring and have food you really want to eat in them.

BAKING

How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson and Exceptional Cakes by Dan Lepard. Nigella's baking tastes great but often looks weird, Dan's is tricky but surpassingly delicious.