Pages

Monday 28 November 2011

'Contents Of The Fridge' Cooking

I think I have mentioned before how bad I am at following recipes; it is a rare event when I buy all the correct ingredients and follow a recipe to the letter, although I usually stick to baking recipes - they have a habit of producing disastrous results if tinkered with too much. My usual method of concocting meals is to look in the fridge, then chuck the contents in a pan together and see what happens. Obviously this produces a rather wide range of results, but as I am usually only cooking for myself, so long as it is just edible then no worries! Sometimes I am actually pleased with what I end up with, and this was one such momentous occasion. I call it (unimaginatively perhaps), Hot potato salad:
Ingredients (approximately for 1):
New potatoes - A few, chopped smallish
Spinach - Couple of handfuls
Red bell pepper - 1/2
Onion (white or red) - To taste, but I used approx 1 tablespoon chopped
Creme fraiche - Couple of tablespoons
Wholegrain mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Small red chilli - To taste
Garlic puree (or fresh if you are less lazy than me) - 1/2 tablespoon, less if fresh
Fresh coriander - loads if you love the stuff like me!

Boil the potatoes in seasoned water with a bit of mixed herbs chucked in if you fancy. Finely chop the pepper, onion and chilli. Mix together the creme fraiche, mustard and garlic, then mix in the chopped vegetables. When the potatoes are soft, drain and stir in the spinach, wilting for a moment if you want (I didn't). Stir in the creme fraiche mixture, season to taste, sprinkle (heap) fresh chopped coriander on top, et voila!

Barely a recipe, but I thought I would share anyway, plus, I won't forget it now either!

Saturday 19 November 2011

Wanderings Through Georgian Space And Time

I am having a Bath weekend this week, and that means trying to get out of my boring anti-social house and doing stuff, to save myself from going slightly nuts before monday. It always seems strange to me that we work for five days and only have two to play, but then if I have a weekend on my own without the company of my lovely boyfriend or friends, I find myself going a little bit mental if I sit still for too long, sad I know. Anyway, such ponderings mean you would of found me this saturday wandering through the streets of Bath. Photography ensues.


Bath is of course a perfect city for just wandering. Even though I spent 3 years here doing my undergraduate degree, I still love it and it's Georgian delights, and the honey-coloured Bath stone makes the city seem really individual, and the architecture more pleasing than greyer counterparts. I stumbled on a cute vintage and handmade christmas market so have actually made a start on the dreaded christmas shopping, although after spending a little time wandering around the main shopping streets I have now vowed to try and complete said shopping online, I hate (most) people! I also stopped in at the free art gallery right in the centre of the town, which is quite good for a quick browse. A good place to get a bit of peace as well, from busy streets to the practically empty galleries, just through a set of doors, quite a contrast. In these recession-hit times, people seem pretty keen to keep on shopping . . .

I then stopped in at my favourite place in the world for wasting an hour or so, the greatest bookshop in Bath, possibly the world; Mr B's. It is a good size, stretching over 3 floors, and really relaxed and cosy. The staff are brilliant too, I got some great recommendations last time I was in; Any P.G. Wodehouse fans out there, get yourself a copy of Stella Gibbons 'Cold Comfort Farm', best book I have read in a while. Plus they don't mind you hanging out and browsing for ages, and the stairway is papered with comic strips!


Overall, good Saturday : )

Tuesday 8 November 2011

I'm British, Therefore I WIll Do A Post Entirely About Weather

Hello, post opportunities are a little thin on the ground at the moment due to nasty horrible British autumn weather, and my photography skills are no match for the resulting poor light conditions, especially with my 6 year old compact camera in hand (I will get that new camera one day ! ). However, just before the weather went severely downhill I got a few quick snaps on my way to university, not a bad commute really :)


Please go away miserable drizzle, bring on some beautiful crisp winter mornings, here's looking forward to some frost coated pictures.