17 Sunday Mar 2013
Happy St Paddy’s Day everyone. I must admit mine, this year, hasn’t been the most exciting which is shameful considering I am Irish. Normally it’s tradition to head out to a pub on the Saturday then Parade on the Sunday but this year the most I’ve done in regards to celebrating is making an Irish coffee ahh! Oh and watching the Rugby – I know Ireland weren’t playing but watching sport counts a little wouldn’t you say?
03 Sunday Mar 2013
Tags
Brighton, Charlie's Emporium, Days out, Food for Friends, Food for Friends Sunday Roast, Magic Mike, Pic n Mix Brighton, Sydney Street
The weekend just gone was a lovely weekend with lots of food, fun and lack of sun! Last Friday night I caught up with my girl mates and we had a great night consisting of lots of food and Magic Mike! I had actually seen Magic Mike only a few weeks ago but nothing beats watching it with 6 other girls. We all screamed and laughed so much at the dance routines especially at Matthew McConaughey in his tight shorts and crop top! The seven of us sat around a round table laid out with bowls filled with bacon bits, cheese, olives and sun-blushed tomatoes and were then served pesto pasta. It’s something I never have too often but it really is just such a delicious dish especially with all the added bits. Not only that but we had it with pizza bread, wine and some strawberry cheesecake with ice cream for dessert. Stuffed after that? Pretty much but we still managed to fit in some popcorn too. I love these nights, we hadn’t done it in ages and to be honest it was probably more fun than going out plus I didn’t have a hangover on Saturday. Double bonus!
22 Friday Feb 2013
I know it’s a bit of a late post considering it’s a week after Pancake day but who says you can’t eat pancakes all year round! However last Tuesday was officially Pancake Day so of course I was going to make some. I always remember the excitement of having pancakes when I was little. Being one of four, I would come home to my mum in the kitchen whipping up some batter and making delicious pancakes. Annoyingly she would always give the first pancake to the oldest in the family meaning I was always third in line. We wouldn’t even have anything savoury for dinner just get straight to eating the pancakes and have at least five each, mostly always with simply lemon and sugar. It probably wasn’t until a few years ago that I started having them with nutella and have never looked back.
04 Monday Feb 2013
When I was little I received Roald Dahl’s ‘Revolting Recipes’ which had all sorts of brilliant recipes such as lick-able wallpaper and Baked Alaska with warm ice cream, but one recipe which always stood out was the mean feast that was Bruce Bogtrotter’s Chocolate fudge cake. Well, you’ve probably guessed from my title that I haven’t made that cake (probably due to the fact I couldn’t find the book!) but I have made what I think is a good equivalent!
This delicious chocolate recipe has been created by Angela Nilsen and it had hundreds of positive reviews so I thought I better try it out. I used to always make cakes with either Cadbury’s or quite often with the plain cooking one from whichever supermarket I was shopping in. However, sometimes you just need to use a good quality chocolate and in this case I used Lindt 70% (which I can’t get enough of at the moment!) and one bar of Bourneville. I chose Cadbury’s Bourneville mainly for price reasons as it was slightly cheaper but I don’t think it made much difference to the taste of the cake.
25 Friday Jan 2013
Wholemeal Soda Bread
This week I had Wednesday off so what better way to spend a day off when it’s snowing and cold outside than to whack the oven on and get down to some baking. If I’m truthfully honest I quite fancied a lie in but when you want one it doesn’t happen so I woke up the same time I would for work and thought I might as well bake some bread.
The recipe is taken from Paul Hollywood’s ‘How to Bake’ a book I bought for my boyfriend for Christmas but took back as I liked it to much!
14 Monday Jan 2013
Banana Bread
Baking is something I absolutely love doing, however I never get round to doing enough of. This is possibly due to the fact that I end up eating the majority of what I produce which isn’t good for the waistline! However with the New Year ahead and with the weekend being quite a chilled one I thought it was about time to start baking again.
To kick off my baking, I’m starting with a family favourite and that is Banana Bread.
There are so many ways to make banana bread and lots of different ingredients you can add to it such as chocolate, nuts or cinnamon. However as I didn’t have the time to get to the shops I thought I’d go with the basic banana bread as it needs hardly any ingredients at all!
Ingredients:
• 75g butter , softened
• 110g golden caster sugar
• 125g plain flour
• 100g wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 4 ripe bananas , mashed
• 50g pecans , each snapped in half
Banana Bread Ingredients
Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 170C/gas 4. Line a 450g loaf tin with some butter or butter a parchment case if you have one to line the tin.
2. Beat the butter, sugar, flours, baking powder, eggs and banana together.
3. Stir in the nuts and spoon into a lined and buttered 450g loaf tin.
4. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
It’s super easy and if you don’t have pecans you can use wlanuts or leave it out altogether although it does give a nice extra crunch.
If the sponge is soft and boucy under your touch, you’ll know it’s a good bake. Mine was slightly crumbly which means it might’ve needed a little longer in the oven, but the taste was delcious and the texture soft so it entirely depends on how you like it.
Overall a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Preparation only takes 10 to fifteen minutes and then it’s left in the oven. It went in no time at all and was lovely especially with a good cup of tea.
29 Saturday Dec 2012
Posted in Film
As a big fan of Joe Wright’s work I have finally managed to get round to watching Anna Karenina. Being a lover of costume drama I had high hopes for the film, however it was rather different from what I had in mind…
Anna Karenina
Dir: Joe Wright / UK / 2012 / 130 mins / 12A
Joe Wright’s adaptation of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina stands apart from the several others that have been done before him due to his imagination, creativity and his postmodernist take on filmmaking.
The tragic story of a married aristocrat torn between a passionate love affair and maintaining her status in 19th century high Russian society, is adapted in a refreshing way in that Wright uses an old majestic theatre as the setting to unravel her tale. The majority of the story is divulged within the confined walls of the theatre and this is demonstrated by the changing backdrops, dances that lead to new settings or moments in time, and also through objects such as toy trains being used to portray the train journeys that take Anna away from Russia.
All the world’s a stage
This created effect of making a film that feels as though you are in a theatre is both inspiring and interesting yet also quite claustrophobic at times. Although the set can be beautiful and imaginative, rare scenes such as the ones where we follow the peasant, Levin, break away from the confinement of the theatre walls come as a refreshing change.
With a screenplay by Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in love) and production design by Sarah Greenwood (Atonement) Wright is known for working with the same crew members and this can be said for his cast also. A valuable actress since her seventeen year old debut as Lara in Campiotti’s Doctor Zhivago and a clear muse for Wright, this is the third film he has chosen Keira Knightly as a lead. However, although her performance is strong it is not until she begins to become more emotional that I had any impression for her performance. Jude Law, however is the surprise performance, playing a character unlike his standard charming type and evokes sympathy at times which can’t always be said in the case for Anna.
Anna and Vronsky
As the film follows her destructive path, falling out of Russian society, dividing Anna between her husband and child to bask in her passionate affair, we feel less sympathetic for her, and in her last act of suffering as she commits suicide there is not the same dramatic effect as Wright was able to create in both Atonement and Pride and Prejudice.
All that said it is still definitely worth a visit to the cinema for the cinematography alone. There is also a treat of British talent, including Ruth Wilson and Kelly MacDonald, which although, small in part, add an extra bonus to the film.
The magic in Wright’s film lies in the emotions of the characters being reflected in the way in which he films Anna Karenina. The idea of the film being mostly shot in a studio, created as a theatre, was not only due to budget reasons and vision but because it encapsulates a crucial theme in the novel, that the life in Russian society is like being on a stage and is also how Anna see’s life and it is our opportunity to see this too.
26 Wednesday Dec 2012
Posted in Film
Tags
Mickey Mouse Club, Romance, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling Films, The Notebook
For many the name Ryan Gosling only started to mean something after he played the loving Noah Calhoun in The Notebook, an emotional story about the power of love and how it can keep going despite all its obstacles. However, for true fans of Mr Gosling, they will know that he had been in the public light for quite some time before then.
Born on 12 November 1980, UK fans would be excited to know that he was born in London, however, sorry to dash hopes, but this was London, Ontario. His family soon moved to Cornwall, Ontario where Ryan was home-schooled by his mother. His strict upbringing would later act in his favour as it helped him get in the mind-set of certain character roles.
Ryan first began his career at the tender age of 12 after beating 17,000 others auditioning for a place on the Mickey Mouse Club. Alongside him were future stars in the making, including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. The Mickey Mouse Club focused on the children’s three talents, singing acting and dancing, and although talented in all three it was in acting where his talents shone. Gosling said himself that he used to dread the dance routines and look forward to the sketch shows as he felt he wasn’t a natural dancer. Despite this he has proved he is capable of both singing and dancing, displaying some smooth dance moves in his films as well as showcasing his vocal talents in his own band Dead Man’s Bones.
Ryan in The Mickey Mouse Club
After two years of The Mickey Mouse Club and living with Justin Timberlake, Gosling set out to become an actor and roles in Young Hercules (1998), Remember The Titans (2000) and Murder by Numbers (2002) soon followed.
In Murder by Numbers Ryan plays Richard Heywood who with his classmate Justin (Michael Pitt) believe they can carry out the ‘perfect’ murder. That is until detective Cassie Mayweather (SandraBullock) becomes too involved with the case. There are scenes in the film where Richard flirts with Cassie only to be rebuffed, however in real life a romance began between them and lasted almost two years. Unfortunately the fifteen year age gap became too much and they grew apart.
Romance blossoming on set though is something Ryan only knows too well and this once again brings us back to The Notebook (2004). The role of Noah was written with Gosling in mind and although not normally one for taking on a romantic lead, he loved the story and the character and therefore was happy to get involved in the project. The role of Allie was a little bit more difficult to find as the director was now searching for someone who would have strong chemistry with Ryan. Rachel McAdams, who had only been in a couple of films at the time, was the one to knock them off their feet and do an amazing audition.
Noah and Allie in The Notebook
The love/hate relationship presented on screen in The Notebook is one that transcended the screen and off camera Ryan and Rachel dated for over three years. To everyone they seemed like the perfect couple, both being born in the same hospital only two years apart, and both gorgeous and talented, however it was not to last.
Although they have parted ways, both acting careers have soared and in the last five years, Ryan Gosling has firmly planted himself as a ‘sex symbol’ as well as a credible and extremely good actor who seems extremely wise in the role choices he makes.
Blue Valentine (2010) displays sparks of Noah and his romantic side in the films flashbacks where Gosling’s character Dean falls in love at first sight and pursues the girl of his dreams. However Blue Valentine is a contemporary tale of love and the ups and downs that come with it. Ryan in the present is not quite what he was when he first met Cindy (Michelle Williams) and the contrast in character gives a glimpse of what Gosling could end up looking like and it isn’t good! Thankfully for Hollywood and a good diet, he shouldn’t turn out this way.
Since then Gosling has been in hit after hit, firstly playing a getaway driver in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive (2011) a sensational film with an incredible soundtrack , a press secretary in Clooney’s The Ides of March (2011) and of course as the photo shopped hottie in Ficarra’s Crazy Stupid Love.
Mr Hottie in Crazy Stupid Love
2012 has been a big year for Gosling and 2013 looks to be a better one. Now dating Eva Mendes who he met on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines and with a stream of films due out this year I know what films I’ll be heading to the cinema to see.
23 Sunday Dec 2012
Posted in Film
Christmas is always a favourite time of years for films. I happily anticipate the day when the packed weekend guide arrives and I can get out my red pen and highlight all the things I want to watch! The fact that I never get round to even half the things I want to watch doesn’t matter; it’s still as fun all the same. Not only is there plenty to watch on TV but classic Christmas films are re-released to cinemas, therefore creating a fantastic excuse for cinemas, especially independent, to put on an amazing event alongside it.
Some of the best events I have seen advertised belong to The Everyman Cinema. Life of Pi and The Hobbit may be currently showing however The Everyman’s return of Enchanted Pictures has been taking place all of this month. Turning the Old Vic Tunnels into a cosy Winter Wonderland, The Everyman cinema have brought the likes of Edward Scissorhands, It’s a Wonderful Life and Home Alone to screens beneath the streets of London.
Providing homemade pizza, mulled wine and log cabin bars, the Everyman really think about the cosiness and warmth that is associated with Christmas and therefore it is not surprising that tickets were sold out exceptionally fast! Luckily the Everyman are always putting on some wonderful events and you can check them out here: http://www.everymancinema.com/oldvictunnels
The Prince Charles on the other hand have been doing what they do best, Double Bills, this time, however, it’s Christmas Double Bills! Home Alone and Elf back to back on Boxing Day are films we straight away associate with Christmas, whereas Die Hard and Gremlins maybe not so much. However they are still always Christmas favourites, with Empire magazine itself voting Die Hard as the number one Christmas Film.
A great selection of Christmas Films out in cinemas to see and there’s also the standard films on Television. We’ve already had E.T and A Christmas Carol, you can bet Home Alone, White Christmas and some form of Shrek film will be on too. It is great to see the favourite’s popping up on the guide however I do feel sometimes it feels like the same films every year. I always love certain films like, Twins and Love Actually but there are certain things I’d like to see more of rather than The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz . Then again it might be a good year to try something new for Christmas.
One thing I am excited about is The Snowman and The Snowdog. It’s been thirty years since Raymond Brigg’s animation, The Snowman made its debut, so it will be super interesting to see how the Snowman and The Snowdog is received. Others that must be watched are The Railway Children and of course Enchanted (Hello Mr McDreamy!)
So with plenty to watch and a week off work, I know I’ll definitely be trying to cram in some TV goodness. Those red circles might just be looked upon again!
21 Wednesday Nov 2012
Tags
Auberge Du Chocolat, Food Festivals, Good Food, Good Food Festival 2012, Kensington Olympia, Wine map, wine tasting
Sundays are always a good excuse for indulging in a few little treats, especially as it’s getting close to Christmas I find myself just wanting to stay in, snuggled up with a glass of mulled wine. So what better way to spend a Sunday than down at Kensington Olympia, for the Good Food Festival 2012.
The idea of sampling different foods and wine was just too good an opportunity to miss and lucky for me, my boyfriend was able to pick us up a couple of tickets for the bargain price of £10 each.
Arriving just after 2p.m we were amazed by the sheer size of the place and immediately excited by the variety of stalls and different foods that were available to try. This was the final day of three that the Good Food Festival was being showcased and if the stall holders were tired they definitely didn’t show it. Rather they were engaging, informed us about their product and welcomed us to try it. The first thing I sampled and wish I had bought now, as when I went back two hours later it was all sold out was the maple-smoked olive oil. With a little bit of bread on the side, I must have sampled at least ten pieces. Oils, vinegars and jams were the on every corner and so for one to stand out it had to be special.
One thing I was looking forward to the most was seeing what type of cakes and chocolate would be at the festival. These cakes (below) belonged to Holly Cupcakes and just looked absolutely amazing! The stall sold them in boxes or separately as well as selling cupcake decorating tools such as piping equipment, decorative casing and edible glitter. You can see more of her cakes at http://www.hollycupcakes.com
Christmas Cakes
Other stand out cake stores included The Little Round Cake Company and Gower Cottage Brownies where they produced an incredibly gooey baileys brownie. For those wanting the taste but not the calories there was Mariella -the Skinny Bakery. The cake slices were wrapped in see-through packaging displaying the tempting contents, however, also displaying the calories which were incredibly low for a decent sized slice of chocolate fudge cake!
The Christmas spirit was definitely in the air with several stalls showcasing christmas cake and santa shaped chocolates making lovely presents for friends and family.
Auberge du Chocolat
This stall was from Auberge Du Chocolat where they had the loveliest chocolate gifts wraped up and packaged so beautifully. Inside these little boxes were chocolate covered coins and on sampling the chocolate it was smooth and delicious.
After sampling lots of cake and delicious chocolate I stumbled across a stand where there were 4 trays filled with what looked like flapjack. On closer inspection it was a gluten free energy bar called 9 bar. The flavours consisted of Pumpkin, Original, Peanut, Flax and Nutty. I sampled all five and they were really delicious and extremely addictive. I actually came back to this stall several times and bought a couple of bars. At 250 calories the 9 bar is made up of pumpkin seeds, vegetable oil, sesamee seeds and hemp seeds, they are healthy and promote that they will give you energy. In my case I just find that once you start on them you can’t stop, however they are quite filling. A perfect alternative for that chocolaty snack, without feeling guilty, these 9 bars are going to be popular!
Another nice indulgent treat was the Hot Chocolate stand we came across called A&G Chocolatl. A super fan of Options belgian hot chocolate I’ve been quite set in my ways when it comes to hot chocolate, I mean a nice cup for only 40 calrories, you can’t go wrong really. However this luxurious pure hot chocolate made straight from the cacoa bean had me hooked. The cocoa beans are roasted and fermented just as you would do with coffee and therefore the natural flavours of the cocoa bean are locked in tight. It just needs hot water and is simple to make. You can find out more about Choclatl at chcoclatl.co.uk. The recepies page is particularly fun to look at with a suggestion of hot chocolate and a splash of rum. Sounds pretty tasty to me!
So we had tried cheeses, including a curry cheese from The Cheshire Cheese Company (very good -most definitely recommended), Chocolate, Cakes and a variety of oils, by now our stomachs were looking for something substantial. We had seen a sausage stall earlier with a long que that looked pretty impressive but we wanted to see what else was on offer. There was so much choice! Upstairs was the dining experience where you could exchange money for tokens and then try out different foods from the famous chefs. This got me very excited however after queing for the Almond encrusted masala grilled lamp chop with spiced turnip mash that I particularly fancied, by the time I got to it, it was sold out. Therefore the sausage it was and it wasn’t a bad choice at all. I went for the Wild boar and apple which came in a floury white bun and was produced by The Great British Sausage company. Although we didn’t have the dining experience it was a fantastic idea and extremely popular. Not only was there a variety of dishes but a particular wine was recommended to go with each dish also.
Venison and Wild Boar and Apple Sausages
Staying on the topic of wine, whilst we were upstairs investigating the Dining Experience we saw that there was the wine experience taking place also. Dozens of stalls of wine took up one side of the olympia and for a deposit of £2 you could pick up a little wine glass and go and sample as many to your hearts content. This was such a fabulous opportunity and a great chance to learn about what wines were best for different occasions. At first I flitted through the stalls trying as many as could, whilst my boyfriend felt obliged to strike up a conversation before sampling the wine, I was on a mission to get through as many different types as I could. Free wine, how can you say no? However as I moved around the stalls and saw how passionate the people selling it were I too became engrossed in wanting to learn more about where the wines came from and what best food would go with which.
The wine map was particularly interesting. Designed like the tube map it listed all the different types of wines and liked you to others you might like going on your taste buds. We could have spent over an hour trying all the wines but unfortunately the festival was coming to an end and we wanted to buy a few more food products before leaving. The wine had started to kick in too leaving us feeling all light headed and slightly tipsy.
Post lots of wine!!
Finishing off with some more samples of ice cream, jams and the wonderful maple smoked olive oil (not all at once!) we bought the last few bits, including more chocolate and some smoked cheese and headed on our way. It had been a great day, exploring the different stalls and getting a glimpse of chef demonstrations. Recommended to all I will definitely be going back next year.
TEA and TAKES 