The Accidental Stepford

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October 2010

Obsession of the Week: Petits Filous

Perhaps this should be titled my obsession of the past two weeks as that would be more accurate. For the past 14 days I have been plowing my way through teeny pots of petits filous and loving every petit mouthful. I guess I bought them on a whim; overcome by a wave of nostalgia for the days when my Mum would pack them in my lunchbox, I knew that I just had to have some. The strawberry pots are still clearly superior, but I have a new found respect for the raspberry and apricot pots, both of which I cruelly maligned in my youth. With only four out of my mammoth pack left, my trip down memory lane will soon be over, but perhaps this is for the best, as there is something unnatural about having to eat out of a container that most of my teaspoons struggle to fit into.

Oct 21, 2010
#Obsession of the Week #Food #Snack #Petits Filous
A Decadent Risotto of Roasted Garlic, Thyme, Mascarpone with Breadcrumbs and Almonds

I made this risotto last week, it’s one of my favourites and was actually the first risotto I ever made. My sister and I made it for my Dad for Father’s Day a few years back and since then it has been a hit with everyone I have made it for. The mascarpone makes this a luxurious risotto, whilst the flavours of the sweet roasted garlic and thyme combined with the toasted breadcrumbs and almonds makes this a more-ish dish.

The recipe is by Jamie Oliver, and a copy of it can be found here.

Oct 19, 2010
#Risotto #Italian #Recipe #Food #Jamie Oliver
Icing Sugar Cannot Save Everything

This week I made a custard tart. It started off really well, the pastry was easy to make and happily filled my flan tin. Then it all went wrong: I hadn’t weighed it all down properly so it puffed up in a couple of places, I accidentally overfilled the case and then I proceded to slosh so more of the filling onto the out/inside of the oven, leaving me with very little tart. When it came out of the oven there was pastry visible in one place! So I did what all cooks would do in my situation, I dusted the tart heavily with icing sugar. It still looked awful. Two days later only one slice has been eaten. FAIL.

Oct 16, 2010
#Food #Desert #Custard Tart #Culinary Failure
That's So Gay

[I originally contributed this hurried article for the November 2009 issue of an online student magazine called The Tribe, but thought in the light of recent events in America it was worth re-posting here.]

———————————————————————

The recent Stonewall poster campaign ran with the words: ‘Some people are gay. Get over it!’ 

Britain desperately needs to. 

When Stephen Gately tragically died recently, the majority of the media focus was on his sexuality. Whether it was the thinly veiled prejudice of Jan Moir’s article, or a rehashing of his coming out in 1999, the British press concentrated on the fact that he was gay. Admittedly Gately’s decision to come out was a bold move, but surely there was more to say about his life than this? Then there is the attention that Donal Og Cusak, a famous goalkeeper in the world of Irish Hurling, received for joining those out of the closet. He of course deserves to be praised for taking this brave step, but his admission only further emphasises the lack of openly gay men in sport (however that is a whole other issue). If recent events have taught us anything it is that being gay is still considered a big deal. 

Something that should be considered a big deal is homophobia. Despite being a relatively gay-friendly town, homophobic abuse occurs in St Andrews - from the random drunken insult (bizarrely even in the Gay Bop last year) to a beer mat being thrown at a lesbian couple out on a date. However these instances of homophobia are on such a small scale when compared to some of the incidents that occur nationally, many of which go unreported. A recent example is the violent assault on Police trainee James Parkes, who was attacked by a gang of around 20 people outside of a club in the city centre of Liverpool. The attack was reportedly unprovoked and motivated solely by the fact that Parkes was gay. 

How does such a horrific thing still happen in Britain today? Perhaps the answer lies in how homophobia is tackled in schools. Speaking to a teacher at a Greater London primary school I was shocked by how she was told to deal with homophobia at her school. If a pupil is heard making a racist comment by a member of staff then the incident goes on the child’s record and is reported to (and potentially investigated by) the local governing body. A similar protocol is in place for anti-Semitism and other prejudice relating to religious beliefs. There is no such protocol for homophobia. If a teacher hears a student calling a member of their peer group “faggot” or “dyke”, the teacher would not be obligated to do anything about it. 

In Britain there seems to be an insincere attitude of tolerance towards the homosexual community; Gays can adopt, can have civil partnerships, are allowed in the military… However actually witnessing the results of this tolerance, such as seeing two people of the same sex kissing in public, still provokes a negative reaction from a surprising number of people. The prevailing attitude in Britain seems to be that people are free to be gay so long as they don’t flaunt it - conferring equality without actually wanting to confront what it would mean for society. Is this not a pretty shoddy way to treat at least 6% of the population?

Oct 13, 2010
#Journalism #LGBT #Gay Rights #Gay #Equality
Pesto alla Genovese

Today I tried my hand at making fresh pesto. I used Delia Smith’s recipe from her book Delia’s Vegetarian Collection, but there are tonnes of recipes out there that I’m sure are just as good. It was incredibly easy, though it required a tonne of basil, and Vassili II (our basil plant) is looking very bare now.

———————————————————————

Ingredients:

  • 50g fresh basil
  • 1 fat garlic clove, peeled and crushed
  • 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 25g parmesan, grated
  • Salt

Method:

  1. Put the basil, garlic, pine nuts and oil into a blender with some salt. Blend until you have a smooth puree.
  2. Transfer the puree to a bowl and stir in the grated parmesan. Presto you have some pesto.
Oct 12, 2010 1 note
#Pesto #Food #Recipe #Italian #Delia Smith
My Beautiful Laundrette

I spend far too much time doing laundry. The poor clothes horse can’t take it anymore.

Oct 12, 2010
#Stepford-ness #Laundry
What I am Reading at the Moment

I know what you’re thinking, pretentious much? But I am indeed reading Machiavelli’s The Prince. It was not my choice. The Mr and I wrote each other a list of ten books that the other one had to read. The one I gave him was full of Henry James, Bret Easton Ellis and Ernest Hemingway. What I received in return were books of political theory and biographies… yeah… Having already tackled John McCain’s memoirs (yes I did soldier my way through that) I now turn my attention to the slimmest item on his list. Like most people I am aware of the basic premise of The Prince and I guess it is something I “should” read at some point in my life, so why not now?

Oct 11, 2010
#Machiavelli #The Prince #Books #Political theory
Obsession of the Week: The Commonwealth Games

Ok so they said it would be a disaster, and there is a severe lack of crowd support, but I’m really enjoying the coverage of the Commonwealth Games in Dehli. Maybe my underappreciation of the games in the past is due to the fact that I have never had so much free time to dedicate to watching them (maybe this illustrates how empty my life has become). My one little gripe is the lack of tennis coverage from the BBC: several matches on the opening day, one quick match shown on Tuesday, none Wednesday and Thursday, and then full coverage on Friday (today) when a lot of home interest have been knocked out. Still it’s only a minor issue. I have found myself avidly watching archery matches, swimming races, squash matches… and avoiding weightlifting and boxing, of course. In my opinion the games are entertaining, pretty competitive, and still relevant today. I am now tempted to get tickets for Glasgow 2014, as well as London 2012.

Oct 8, 2010
#Obsession of the Week #Commonwealth Games
Coffee Coffee Coffee

There is an episode of Gilmore Girls (yes, I am an unashamed fan of that show) where Lorelei (played by Lauren Graham) runs into a coffee shop demanding “Coffee coffee coffee!” and as a caffeine enthusiast this is how I feel every morning. Does this make me a coffee addict? And is this really a bad thing?

A quick search of the web and you can find numerous website proclaiming the dangers of coffee (and a few listing its benefits). This BBC article from 2007 outlines the perils of drinking excessive amounts of coffee: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6945697.stm, from restlessness and nervousness to delirium and seizures if you really over do it, but would anyone actually drink the necessary 20+ cups a day to experience these effects? And is there anything wrong in having 3 or 4 mugs a day?

I love lattes, americanos, cappucinos, espressos (should I be saying cappucini etc?), filtered coffee, cafetiere coffee, even instant coffee; I will drink them all. My flatmate and I in my last year of university co-owned 6 cafetieres and come the end of the day they all needed washing up, which says it all really. Yet I believe I could give coffee up if I had to, I would miss it but I know I am capable of it. There are days when I don’t partake of a cup of delicious java (or even mediocre coffee), but I don’t experience withdrawal symptoms… so I guess despite sometimes jokingly referring to myself as a “coffee addict” I am not one, as I display no real signs of addiction. That does not rule out me developing one in the future, and this is where the well known mantra ‘everything in moderation’ rears its mundane head.

So what leads to immoderate consumption of coffee? I must admit I scoffed when I heard a few years back that Robbie Williams had checked himself into rehab for a caffeine addiction, but maybe I was too quick to judge. Like all drugs, an addiction to caffeine can really mess a person up, so perhaps it’s time we took it more seriously. Having said that, I know that tomorrow morning I’m going to wake up, stagger into the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee, and, most importantly, enjoy drinking it immensely.

[Currently I fill my cafetiere with Taylor of Harrogate’s Brasilia blend, however my favourite brand has got to be Lavazza]

Oct 8, 2010
#Caffeine #Coffee #Gilmore Girls #Addiction
“‘You ought to write’; they had one and all said it to him from the first; and he fancied he might have begun sooner if he had not been urged on by their watchful fondness. Everybody wanted him to write - everybody had decided he ought to, that he would, that he must be persuaded to; and the incessant imperceptible pressure of encouragement - the assumption of those about him that because it would be good for him to write he must naturally be able to - acted on his restive nerves as a stronger deterrent than disapproval.”—Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country
Oct 5, 2010
#Edith Wharton #Writing #Quote #The Custom of the Country
The Most Exciting Things in My Cupboard

Oct 4, 2010
#Hello Panda #Food #Biscuits #Koala Biscuits
Obsession of the Week: The Music of Sheryl Crow

 Dipping into my i-tunes I rediscovered my love for Sheryl Crow. She is such a versatile singer and has recorded some truly amazing songs. Here are 10 of her best (in no particular order):

  1. ‘I Shall Believe’, from Tuesday Night Club (1993)
  2. 'Weather Channel’, from C'mon C'mon (2002)
  3. 'Everyday Is A Winding Road’, from Sheryl Crow (1996)
  4. 'Strong Enough’, from Tuesday Night Club (1993)
  5. 'Lullaby for Wyatt’, from Detours (2008)
  6. 'I Know Why’, from Wildflower (2005)
  7. 'Abilene’, from C'mon C'mon (2002)
  8. 'My Favorite Mistake’, from The Globe Sessions (1998)
  9. 'Light in Your Eyes’, from The Very Best of Sheryl Crow (2003)
  10. 'Make It Go Away’, from Detours (2008)
Oct 1, 2010 1 note
#Sheryl Crow #Music #Obsession of the Week
The Long Journey Home

I love visiting Oxford and have been there many times since I was young. Attending an interview there yesterday was an enjoyable experience, but it made the return to the ugliness of Wolverhampton all the more depressing.

Oct 1, 2010
#Oxford #Beautiful Places

September 2010

Play
Sep 28, 2010
#Yann Tiersen #Music #Amelie
Crusty Cob Loaf

Inspired by the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off, yesterday the Mr and I decided to try our hand at baking bread. I had never made bread from scratch before so it was a relief that it turned out as well as it did. We used the recipe for a cob loaf from the show, which can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/paul_hollywoods_crusty_83536 and I fully intend to use it again in the future

Sep 26, 2010 1 note
#Baking #Food #Cob Loaf #Bread #The Great British Bake Off
Obsession of the Week: Blogs by Tennis Players

I am obsessed with tennis, and I love gaining an insight into the personalities of the ATP and WTA tours through their blogs. Reading about their daily lives, their ambitions, the things they go through in order to compete, their injury troubles etc humanises players and never ceases to fill me with respect and admiration. Some of the blogs out there written by touring pros are a little stilted, especially those written for the ATP and WTA websites, so I have compiled 3 of the best (in my humble opinion) to share with you all:

  1. Anne Keothavong (http://www.tennishead.net/blogs/Anne-Keothavong-Blog/): I have so much respect for Anne and all the set-backs she has had. She is incredibly honest and you’ve got to give her credit about that.
  2. Dmitry Tursunov blogs from Estoril, Dmitry Tursunov (http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2006/blogs/dmitrytursunov.aspx): A classic. I know I slated blogs on tour websites, but Dima is a comedy genius, and the corresponding blog by Bryanne Stewart on the WTA website is also great (http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/blog/20060505/bryanne-stewarts-estoril-blog_2257191_1677680).
  3. ‘Road to Success’, Megan Moulton-Levy (http://meganmoultonlevy.blogspot.com/): Megan writes from the heart and that really comes across in her writing.
Sep 24, 2010
#Blogging #Obsession of the Week #Tennis #Megan Moulton-Levy #Dmitry Tursunov #Anne Keothavong #Bryanne Stewart
Finn and Charlie are Hitchedhitchedcomic.com

I’m not really into webcomics, but I love this one and look forward to it every week. Charlie and Finn are such a cute couple.

Sep 22, 2010
What I Am Reading At The Moment

Currently I am reading The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. My love affair with Wharton’s novels began with The Age of Innocence five years ago, but until this year I had not had the opportunity to read another of her books. That changed when I spotted a new edition of The House of Mirth in a bookshop in July, which I quickly devoured within days of purchase. Earlier this month I was surprised to see The Custom of the Country in a bookshop and just had to buy it too - am I missing something? Are schools in Britain finally teaching the mighty Edith Wharton? Whatever the reason for the revival I must say I am so glad that there is suddenly a glut of her novels out there for people to enjoy.

Wharton has often been dismissed as a lightweight immitator of Henry James, but I feel this is an unfair comparison, as there is a lot more to her writing than this criticism implies. Wharton’s prose can match Austen for its satirical acidity, as well as be emotionally heart-wrenching, and reflects Wharton’s interest in Social Anthropology (Just read Ellen’s farewell dinner in The Age of Innocence to understand what I mean).

I truly hope that The Custom of the Country lives up to her other novels, and so far I’m thoroughly enjoying reading about the deliciously self-absorbed Undine Spragg.

Sep 22, 2010
#Edith Wharton #Reading #Novels #Books #The Custom of the Country
Lemon Tart

Last night the Mr came home to inform me that we had been invited over for dinner by one of his colleagues. Cue mild panic and the resolution that I’d bake a lemon tart. I made the same tart a few weeks back after news that the Mr’s aunt and uncle were stopping by and the panic attack that bombshell brought on [excuse the melodrama].

As the previous post about my vanilla biscuit fiasco suggests sweet things are not my forte in the kitchen, however the last time I made the tart it came out surprisingly well, so I was hoping for a repeat success. I found the pastry to be a little troublesome, but it seemed to work out ok. I used Fran Warde’s recipe from her book New Bistro, and have included the recipe below.

———————————————————————

Fran Warde’s Lemon Tart

For the pastry:

  • 150g plain flour
  • 75g cold butter, diced into small pieces
  • 25g caster sugar
  • 1 large egg

For the filling:

  • 2 eggs
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 175ml double cream
  • the juice and zest of 2 lemons
  • icing sugar for dusting
  1. For the pastry, place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together quickly using your finger tips until the mixture resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix through. Whisk the egg, then stir into the pastry to form a dough ball. Wrag the dough in clingfilm and chill it for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 190C. Place the chilled pastry on a work surface, press out with the heel of your hand, then roll out to fit a 23cm loose-based flan tin. Do not stretch the pastry to fit. Trim away the excess from around the edge, and prick the base with a fork. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans, then cook for 20 mins.
  3. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C. Remove the beans and the parchment and return the flan case to the oven and bake for a further 10 mins.
  4. Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk the eggs and caster sugar, then add all but 2 tablespoons of the cream, and the lemon juice and zest, and mix together. Pour into the prepared pastry case and cook for 10 mins. Swirl in the remaining cream to create a marbled effect, then continue to cook for a further 20 mins until the filling is just set.
  5. Leave to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving.
Sep 21, 2010 1 note
#Lemon tart #Fran Warde #Recipe #Desert #Cooking
Play
Sep 21, 2010
#Black Swan #Natalie Portman #Cinema #Film #Movies #Trailers
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST HUMAN MEMORY?

Playing in the garden with my older sister.

Sep 21, 2010
Putting your worst foot forward

I had intended to start off this blog with a culinary success of some sort. Sadly this is not to be the case as I managed to fail at making biscuits. Despite having spent my teen years making biscuits and cookies, I managed to whip up some of the most bland vanilla creations known to man. Perhaps that is too strong a condemnation of them, but I don’t feel that it is worth copying out the recipe.

My baking disaster is perhaps an apt way to begin this, as it demonstrates that I am several miles off being the perfect Stepford husband. As ‘The Accidental Stepford’ suggests, the role of homemaker is not one I expected to find myself in at this stage in my life. I am 23 and a recent graduate. I have dreams and ambitions. These have been put on hold due to a combinations of factors. Firstly, the economic climate. This sounds like a massive cop out I know, the job market has always been tough and the chances of landing your dream job straight out of university have always been slim, but I can safely say that it is extra tough now. Secondly, I am living in the part of the country where there is a shortage of jobs in the industry I want to get into; publishing. Yes there are a few publishers in the West Midlands, Tindal Street Press (www.tindalstreet.co.uk) for instance, but there is hardly a glut of entry level positions available. So, for the past month I have been keeping house whilst my partner goes off to work every day. In between writing job applications I am in charge of cooking, laundry, ironing, cleaning, and the scary thing is that I’m starting to take pride in my work.

The fact that I have effectively become a house-husband is something that initially I found amusing. I joked about my new found love of the domestic, but ultimately it terrifies me. I am constantly plagued by the fear that this is my life. With the rejection letters/ e-mails/ phone calls piling up I have come to the conclusion that I ought to embrace my new found calling of house-husbandry, and you never know, if I distract myself with trying out new recipes and obsessing about keeping the hob clean, then maybe I shall suddenly find myself employed…

Sep 20, 2010
#baking #publishing #unemployment #house-husbandry
“Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.”—Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
Sep 20, 2010
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