Flibbertygibbet

Out on the town

Last night I was invited to a corporate hospitality do at the Open Air Theatre, to see a production of Gigi.  It was suitably atmospheric, with a backdrop of trees bathed in pastel light in the darkness, and fairylights strung through the bushes (unlike the sunshine of the press photos above).  The occasional drunk who could be heard shouting in Regent's Park didn't detract...much.  From our position up in the gods it was difficult to see the performers' faces clearly, but gradually the identity of the actor  with the distinctive voice playing the uncle revealed itself - Topol, who was wonderful, as were Millicent Martin and Linda Thorson.  I found myself suffering from severe milinery envy for most of the ensemble's fabulous hats.

We all agreed that the pair playing Gigi and Gaston were somewhat irritating and everyone in the audience had a rueful chuckle at 'Thank Heaven For Little Girls'.  Can't imagine something similar coming up in the next Disney flick. 

Tonight I joined a group of Ravellers, mostly from out of town for a dinner organised by Claire, ahead of tomorrow's I Knit Day.  Great tapas, great chat.  A relatively early night to get ready for tomorrow...lots to do.  Sewing machine shop (just returning a DVD. Definitely, not buying anything...No.) Off to Victoria and then more culture tomorrow night.  And puppets...

When life gives you lemons...

...make this cake.

Nigella's Lemon-Syrup Loaf Cake

Cake:
125g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
175g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons milk

See here for conversions

Syrup: 
Juice of 1/5 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
100g of icing sugar

23 x 13 x 7 cm loaf tin, buttered and lined, preheat the oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4.

Method: 

• Cream the butter and sugar
• Add eggs and lemon zest, beat in well
• Add the sieved flour and salt, folding in gently but thoroughly
• Add the milk, mix in
• Spoon into loaf tin and put cake in oven for 45 mins, or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean
• While it's cooking, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice, over a low heat
• As soon as you take the cake out, puncture holes all over the top and pour the syrup on to let it soak in. Make sure there are lots of holes in the top so it doesn't all go down the sides.
• Wait until it's completely cold to take it out of the tin.
• Devour.

Nigella also suggests putting some Limoncello in the syrup.  I used to have an automatic reaction to the word, which came from being offered a shot of something that approximated Lemsip mixed with vinegar after an Italian meal - you know, as soon as you hear the word, your face screws up so tight that you develop a tick in one eye.
But way back when, part of my honeymoon was spent in Capri, here.  (You know it's ludicrously posh when it's the sort of place that has 5 Star hotels, and 5 Star Luxury hotels)  One of the things that they do rather well on Capri is the local Limoncello.  Of course looking back now, I have Limoncello memories of that time - bittersweet, but better than you might imagine.  No word from the divorce solicitor last week but hopefully good news on that front soon. Waiting is driving me nuts.

As always, I'd recommend Nigella's first book.  My only quibble with the many recipes I've made from here, is that the quantities given for the Dense Damp Chocolate Loaf Cake are too great for the tin specified, so a lot of it spills over the side.  Not such a bad complaint, really. 

If you bake it...

...they will come.

The refreshments for tomorrow are almost done.  Some bread baking and buttercream frosting to come in the morning.  Ye better bring your sweet tooths (teeth?) with you.

The earlier part of tonight was spent with P, celebrating good things, good friends, good news and good times.  All good, really...

As usual of late, I have ridiculously overcommitted myself from tomorrow through Thursday.  God help me.  And my liver. Bring it on!

Great goods come in small parcels

Over the past couple of days, many beeyoutiful things have been delivered to me. I've already told you about some of them.  Dolly the dressform arrived.  I've called her Dolly because she sort of is one, plus bizarrely I've taken to saying hello to her everytime I see her, she was quickly constructed and is now taking pride of place in the bedroom. (Best light in the whole house)  I love a company that thinks to actually supply the phillips screwdriver that's required for assembly in the box with her.  That's the sort of service I'm looking for.  Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to use to pad her out to my dimensions - hips and shoulders are ok but the middle - well it just doesn't expand enough!  It's a very peculiar thing to do actually, as you turn her little dials to imitate your own shape and then look, with your head tilted slight to one side and say 'Really??....bugger.'

Yesterday it was a delicious envelope of booty from the lovely Helene - postcards from La Droguerie which is on the list of must-visit places for the next time I go back to Paris. 

Helene's blog has a great tutorial for a little crocheted basket - dear god, this April crochet workshop simply can't come quickly enough! My lovely grandmother sent me some money for my birthday and it's being spend on some more Rowan DK for the blanket that I will be crocheting.  The only dilemma now, as Helen pointed out, is blanket vs granny squares. That's a conundrum for another day.  I've fancied making a pinboard like the one Ali made for ages - and these postcards need a home so I better get on to it!

Helene also mentioned the intrinsic confusion that comes from trying to interpret US measurements - just exactly what is a cup of butter? I did find some sort of conversion, and used my lovely Nigella measuring cups and  spoons to make these:

which are a monster version of AfricanKelli's Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies for Saturday. Not to self - if recipe says it makes three dozen, you probably shouldn't be dropping them out with a tablespoon.    I also tried to get more oats but couldn't (was wondering about using my posh muesli but then thought maybe not - btw their fruity porridge is amazing.  This is coming from a woman who doesn't like porridge) so thought I'd have to make do with what I had, about 2 cups.  And also missed the bit in the recipe about needing to add in a couple of extra cups of oats in addition to the main list of ingredients/or premix.  I added the closest thing I had, which was... chopped apricots.  They came out pretty well!  I may have to ask my neighbour to hold on to them until tomorrow.

In other baking news, I made the old reliable:

Nigella's Dense Damp Chocolate Loaf Cake.  The recipe is below - though paraphrased for quick typing, and minus her wonderful prose - and can I just say that the quantities below are supposed to fill a 2lb loaf tin but in fact, as you can see, they pretty much fill two.  So what I usually do is make one giant 'mushroom cloud' cake where it spills over the edge, and put a baking sheet underneath as she suggests.  So you get a cake plus a free muffin which you eat - cook's privilege.  If you use two tins, then just serve your guests thicker slabs of the not-so-tall cake. It's definitely better after a couple of days, like gingerbread. Or warm each slice in the microwave and serve with a ball of vanilla ice cream.

Today brought more good things from the postman - from Jennifer!  Funky emerald rick rack for my apron, and some delightful ribbons, in 'an ode to spring'.  I know exactly what I'm going to do with them all, too! Plus a beautiful handmade card and even with the perfect stamps - thank you so much.  I've been so utterly spoiled by all you bloggy friends this week - constantly touched by all of you.

Dense Damp Chocolate Loaf Cake
225g soft unsalted butter
375g dark musovado sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g best dark chocolate, melted
200g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
250ml boiling water
[23 x 13 x 7 cm loaf tin] - a 2lb tin basically

Preheat oven to 190c/gas mark 5
Put a baking sheet underneath in case of drips (always happens with this cake) and line the tin.  John Lewis does parchment liners.
1.  Cream the butter and sugar
2.  Add eggs and vanilla, beating in well.
3.  Fold in the melted, slightly cooled chocolate, blend but don't overbeat.
4. Add the bicarb to the flour, then add the flour mix spoon by spoon alternately with the boiling water. The batter will be really runny.
5.  Pour into the lined tin, bake for 30 mins.
6. Turn the oven down to 170c/gas mark 3 and cook for about another 15 mins.  The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside so an inserted cake-tester or skewer won't come out clean.
7.  Put loaf tin on a wire rack and let it cool completely before turning out.

It will sink in the middle, and it improves over a couple of days

One of our dinosaurs is missing

Because I bit his chocolately little head off, and yummy it was too. I tell you, the torture of having large bowls of melted chocolate in the house when you're trying to eat sensibly...

No, they are all still living in the fridge.  Extinction looms tomorrow.

Here's the birthday girl's actual present:  Meet Bronty.

I'm not sure about the button eyes - I might take them off and repurpose his nostrils as eyes.  With a black dot or something.  Plus I'm thinking that I may have mixed him up slightly with a stegasaurus.  Should he have (what is the word? spikes? spines? ridges?  I am losing my capacity for language. Probably after the world's longest post yesterday) bumpy bits?  Mind you, it's not like the brontosaurus ever existed, really, so I figure I'll be ok.  But if any three year old is going to know the difference, it will be his new owner.

Remember the film?

Feed a cold

Cut a small butternut squash in half. Scrape out the seeds.

Drizzle with olive oil, bake  in the oven until soft.  (I find putting it on at 100 degrees then forgetting about it while watching ER for an hour and a half works well...)

If the squash isn't quite cooked, turn the oven up on high while you chop bacon and fry it.

That's better.  Carbon adds flavour.

Lob the squash into a saucepan and cover with stock, then puree in the pan if you have a hand-held blender as I do.  Transfer to serving bowl, add the bacon and serve.

Feel warmer.

* also good with roasted garlic pureed into it