I have professed my love of the highly stylized movie before and the recent rendition of Emma proves to be a delicious addition to the genre. It’s a frothy confection with interiors awash in pink and pastels, reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film, punctuated by the vibrant jewel tones of some of the outfits. I’m pretty sure this is what it would look like to take up residence inside a macaron box. And while the clothes may be exquisite, with a breathtaking attention to detail, it must be said that it is the sublime hats which rather steal the show.…
A small selection of books set in England which are as light and airy as sponge but nicely grounded in solid writing. They are not going to blow your mind with their deep insight, they may not be Lincoln in the Bardo clever and their endings might be a little too neat and tidy, but sometimes, especially now that the holiday season is upon us, that is exactly what an afternoon cup of tea requires. And maybe a plate of biscuits. Definitely a plate of biscuits. ~Mr Rosenblum Dreams in English Natasha Solomons In 1937 Jack Rosenblum, along with his…
Read More Charming And Quirky English Novels To Accompany Your Afternoon Cup of Tea
British flapjacks are nothing like American flapjacks. Think granola bar, not pancake. They’re a little bit chewy, a little bit crunchy and nerdily uncool in their humble, oaty goodness–as compared to something like, say, the macaron, that superstar of the Parisian high style pastry world. Flapjacks are rich in buttery, caramelly goodness and have a surprising depth of flavour for something so simple. I make mine with a bit of lemon zest which rounds out and deepens all the toasty notes. And unlike the fussy macaron, flapjacks are ridiculously easy to make. In less than 10 minutes the ingredients are…
Britain certainly has no shortage of dark and gritty crime dramas but sometimes what’s needed is crime which is silly and irreverent. Bright and bubbly. Death by cheese, perhaps. Here are a handful of shows which keep things on the lighter side without sacrificing (too much) in the substance department. ~Midsomer Murders There is a running joke about the body count in Midsomer Murders. At 2-3 bodies per episode over 20 years of broadcasting, the fictional county of Midsomer is clearly the most dangerous place to live in England. It is, however, quintessentially British, with gorgeous gardens, quaint village pubs,…
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! Because The Salt Path was a book chosen purely for its cover, I didn’t even realise this was a memoir until I started reading. Instinctively I balked, but it quickly turned into an unputdownable read and one that will surely stay with me for a very long time. Raynor Winn and her husband Moth lose everything due to a bad investment and a friend’s betrayal. After years of fighting in the courts which…
Rumours abound about the origin of Eton Mess. Some involve clumsy animals whilst others talk of dropped food being picked up off the floor, reconstructed and eaten anyway. Not terribly appetizing. Regardless, Eton Mess is a classic dessert made with those most classic of English ingredients: strawberries and cream. The Eton part of the name is derived from Eton College where it was (apparently) traditionally served at the annual cricket match between Eton and Harrow. The “Mess” comes from how the dessert is constructed; folded together to look a bit, well, messy. This is not the most elegant of desserts.…
Wimbledon starts today. That oldest of tennis tournaments. The only one played on grass, the one considered the granddaddy of tennis titles and the one with such a strict dress code (whites only) that in 2013 Roger Federer was asked to change his shoes because the soles were bright orange. The first Wimbledon championship was held on June 9th 1877 and was advertised as a “lawn tennis meeting, open to all amateurs”. Except women. Of course. Twenty two men showed up and played with wooden rackets and hand sewn flannel balls. Two hundred people watched. In 1884, women were allowed…
~If you missed the fab hats at Ascot last week, take a butcher’s, here, here and here. ~And while we’re on the subject of the Royals, there’s perfection and then there’s taking an hour to iron a sheet. ~This review of Trader Joe’s new products, courtesy of Bon Appetit, is laugh out loud hilarious. ~There really are no words for this craziness. ~And this craziness? Wow. Plenty of words. None of them good. ~How is this even possible? ~Why a teacher quits. ~Pulled by the allure of great packaging I recently bought these chips. Fabulous chips, amazing flavours. Bubbly and…
~The Night Tiger Yangsze Choo In 1930’s Malaysia, smart and ambitious Ji Lin works as a dressmaker’s apprentice but dreams of becoming a nurse. At night she moonlights as a dance hall girl in order to pay off her mother’s mahjong debts. One evening, while dancing with a rather unsavory character, she accidentally comes into possession of a severed finger in a jar. Meanwhile, eleven year old Chinese houseboy, Ren is tasked by Dr. McFarlane, who is on his deathbed, with finding his masters severed finger so it can be buried with him, thus preventing his soul from eternally wandering the…
During a summertime trip to France a couple of years ago, I was able to visit the village of Oradour-sur-Glane, 15 miles outside of Limoges. It was here, on the warm sunny afternoon of Saturday, June 10th in 1944, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, 75 years ago today, that the Nazis murdered 642 villagers. Only seven people were lucky enough to survive. The villagers were brought together in the main square, believing that this was yet another routine identity check. Instead, the men were separated out and taken to six barns. Here, they were machine gunned and the bodies,…
