Leftovers #157

Creative tips and retreats; good things to eat in the heat; July playlist unlocked

Cured my blues by getting into them – a week of diving into velvet seas until I washed away the bad feelings. My toxic trait is forgetting that I have free will, so I will often go days without leaving a place, know that it’s why I feel sad, then remember I can get in my car and drive to somewhere (else) beautiful. Another toxic trait is thinking I’m just a ‘creature of habit’ but sometimes that’s just masquerading a fear of doing new things, especially on my own, but the clamber across coast paths and down overgrown paths and lying on rocks on white sand beaches with less than five people is worth the strangely crippling fear of not knowing where to park (therapy abounds).

Anywhere, some good things to cook, eat, read and listen to this week.

Creativity Returns

Highly recommend going somewhere with zero signal for an entire afternoon - or just turn your phone on airplane mode. I walked the South West Coast Path and swam and drank a pint in the sun and ready my book and it actually managed to inspire some creativity – lots of notes and writing and ideas came up, which had previously been stagnating in my digital media driven brain.

I then strolled down the promenade, did an hour long sauna session then had two negronis at the bar after with friends. We talked about food and design and doing a pop up that mixes those two things and I feel like I’m back????

My point is: nature + no signal + friends + sweat + your favourite drink = inspiration.

Joan, Again, Forever

Speaking of books, I’ve been devouring “The World According To Joan Didion” by Evelyn McDonnell. Yes. I’m reading yet another book about Joan. But I love how this one is structured - not as a biography, but more as chaptered essays, each based on one subject or object close to Joan’s heart: snakes, men, typewriters, stingrays et al.

Good things I’ve eaten this week:

• Gochujang orzo and tahini meatballs for literal DAYS because I made so much on Sunday. Reheated leftovers with a little water + tomato paste + gochujang + borlotti beans so it was a sort of like a pasta e fagiole. Then on the final night of meatballs, I fried them up and added them to a big salad of: grated cabbage, borlotti beans, feta, cucumbers, avocado, salad leaves, radish sprouts and toasted pistachios!

Spicy meatballs + gochujang orzo

• TOMATOES ON TOAST. Homemade garlic mayo + fancy, fridge cold heritage tomato, flaky salt, chopped chives, olive oil, crunchy white sourdough toast. A perfect heatwave breakfast IMHO.

• Persimmons so ripe they feel like a water bed - straight from the fridge and eaten over the sink. It’s the new peach.

  

  

• Spanish tortilla (obviously) and kumquats on the beach – I have been iterating the recipe and I think I’ve decided cutting the potatoes in half then slicing them a little thicker and cooking in a larger cast iron pan for a longer time – then adding onions in at the end and cooking them down so they’re a little caramelised works best. Then I’ve been doing 5 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks to go with three medium sized potatoes and one large onion. You want the mixture to be thick and not viscous. If it feels too eggy I’ll often pour some of the mixture out.

• Fish finger tacos with homemade slaw (thinly sliced cabbage, spring onions, cukes, coriander with homemade garlic mayo = 1 egg + 175ml neutral olive oil = in a narrow-ish tall vessel, let it settle for 15 seconds, hand blender head over the egg, blend on a low-ish setting, don’t move until it emulsifies then add a squeeze of lemon, 1 grated garlic clove and 1/2 tsp salt); a perfect BLT from The Honey Pot in Penzance, sat on the doorstep of my studio at 4pm in the sun.

Good things I want to eat this week:

• Summer lasagne. I have this weird thing where I believe I don’t make lasagnes? I should change that.

• Heirloom tomato noodles. Cold. Fresh. Heatwave proof.

• I personally do not own an air fryer but if I did I would be making this Bun Cha using it – lemongrass chicken thighs are my kryptonite.

• I need a salty mint cucumber margarita immediately.

• Crudo is also a new thing for me to make – so this salmon number with a peachy aguachile?!

The roasting tin I didn’t know I needed

I read this T Magazine piece on Danish jewellery designer Sophie Bille Brahe’s midsummer lunch on the beach and screenshotted this image of langoustines roasting on a barbecue, and immediately image-searched it because I believe the key to achieving this life is by owning this roasting tin.

The Farm Residency

If anyone is need of a self-imposed creative retreat in the Danish countryside, my friend Carla has a brilliant farm just outside of Copenhagen. I’ve stayed here before and can confirm it is truly inspiring. Carla is the founder of Space10, the now archived research lab for IKEA that had run on innovation and ideation for ten years. She’s put her incredible design and creative mindset into this farm - it’s a space for introspection, community and to fire up ideas. I’m thinking of going for a long weekend this winter to finally write the book I’ve been saying I’d write for five years. Maybe see you there?

July Playlist

A work in progress as ever but the new Wolf Alice song slaps and also remember Please Forgive Me by David Gray??