Spring – when the world opens up once more and we can lift our faces to the warmth of sunshine and the pink of cherry blossoms. A time when it just feels right to lighten our eating habits. And what better ingredient to turn to than asparagus, the vegetable harbinger of spring with its bright, fresh earthiness. Combine it with an egg and a few shavings of parmesan and you have a delightfully easy dinner. Add a crusty loaf of bread and glass of crisp white wine and you’ve dressed it up for company. While you can certainly steam the…
Pudding&Mess Posts
By Its Cover is a series of posts wherein I read a book based solely on my love of the cover. No reading the jacket, no checking reviews! Oh, the sheer elegance of this cover. The soft taupe with the pale blush of the flower punctuated by that classic red lip and nail and just a hint of sparkle. Divine. This lady is the embodiment of southern sophistication — all put-together calm and good breeding. So what is this cover telling me? Well, I think it’s safe to say that Charleston is a major character. I’m thinking love story set in high…
There are few desserts I enjoy more than a good fruit crumble. You can keep your cake this and chocolate that ’cause for me there’s nothing better than warm fruit with a sweet, buttery topping. Just about any single or combination of fruit can be used for crumble, but for spring that classic pairing of strawberry and rhubarb fits the bill perfectly. I know that most of the world seems to love oats in crumble topping but that’s a firm no for me. Now, if I was at your home for dinner and you served it that way for dessert,…
Foyle’s War This is the most unhurried of shows. No theatrics or explosive drama, just quietly understated performances and solidly written episodes. And all of it underscored by the oh-so-subtle and muted performance of Michael Kitchen who brilliantly plays the title character. Inspector Foyle is the master of the arched brow, twitch of the mouth and fleeting smile of mock surprise, expressing so much of what he has to say while saying nothing at all. And then — the dry zinger of a comment that puts someone firmly in their place. Foyle is a police officer in the seaside town of…
I went into a local restaurant recently and asked for one of my favourite drinks — a Kir Royale. It’s a classic cocktail and one I have ordered many, many times over the years. On this particular occasion, however, the waiter was unfamiliar with it. Not too surprising — he was pretty young. I explained that it was simply champagne and creme de cassis, suggesting that surely the bartender would know how to make it. Except that she didn’t either and not only that — creme de cassis wasn’t even in the building The outcome of this story is that…
While not a particularly familiar face on this side of the Atlantic, Robson Green has starred in many a fabulous TV show in England, and I must confess to having something of a secret crush on him. I don’t know if it’s his boyish, cheeky charm or his Geordie accent but I would probably watch him in just about anything. On second thought, I take that back. He has several shows about fishing…not seen any of them. There are three in particular, however, that are well worth the watch, although two of them are a bit gruesome. Touching Evil After…
Today is my daughter’s 12th birthday. It is also the inauguration of America’s 45th President. As far as my daughter, Evie, is concerned, two worlds have collided and she is not happy about it. For months now she has lamented such an event, wailing with all the drama exclusive to 11 year old girls. We have laughed indulgently many a time before politely asking her to bring the amateur dramatics down a notch or two, because, really, it was never going to happen. And yet here we stand on this fateful day, about to watch (or not watch, as the…
By Its Cover is a series of posts wherein I read a book solely on my love of the cover. No reading the jacket, no checking reviews! I grabbed this book on the way out of the library, drawn by its whimsical rendering of double decker buses. To be honest, I have a rather bad habit of leaving the library with a stack of books that I can barely carry let alone find time to read. But after perusing the first few pages of this short book, I was pulled in by its clever writing and charmingly daft premise: that the perfect timing…