Leftovers #188
The fact is that I am perennially early for everything, even my own surprise party. I only have my father to blame – a man who has instilled in me a keen sense of timeliness: to always ready ten minutes before you are expected anywhere. I arrived only 5 minutes early apparently, but the surprise was no less sweet! Almost all of my Cornish community gathered at the back of 45 Queen Street, where the birthday chandeliers hung to mark the occasion (when they are up and lit, you know it’s a celebration).
Bottles of sparkling and little metal trays of fries were passed around; kids roared and giggled; my number one girl Gwen wagged her tail and licked so hard I temporarily lost an earring. Friends streamed in throughout the night, pals with sleeping babies stretched windows as far as they could. We ate burgers, we hugged copious amounts, I didn’t cry but I was on the verge many times. I came home with arm fulls of flowers and cards and bottles of wine and a second hand book titled ‘The Observers Book of Sea and Seashore’, drunk and in love with everyone.
Never not thinking about how lucky I am for brilliant friends by the coast and in the city, where I celebrated in similar style a couple of weekends ago, over pints, a game of darts and a late night curry with some of my favourite faces! Was just missing Kyla Ruddell – although I’ve just booked flights to see her in August, so it will soon come.
Anyway, here are some good things to consume this weekend, both bodily and culturally. May you all have the chance to hug your friends this Taurus season!
Good things to consume (bodily)
Of course one of the first things I did was cook a chicken – spatchcocked and roasted over some Jersey royal potatoes. It was a small bird, around 1.3kg, and I roasted it for 40 mins total – 220º for the first 20 mins, then out to baste; and 200º for the last 20 mins. I haven’t used that technique before (usually prefer to cook it lower and slower), but it was juicy, tender, crispy skinned and 10/10. Salted it generously, stuffed some butter under the skin and a drizzled enough olive oil to coat the skin. I let it rest for 10 mins and in the pan with all the juices, I added a spoonful of wholegrain mustard and a couple spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt and turned it into a sauce for some cooked spring greens and cabbage.
I had written ‘COURGETTE RICE’ in my notebook after a solo meal at Goodbye Horses last week. I didn’t order it but had already thoughts about tossing in charred lemon and marinated feta. Here’s my recipe-not-recipe:
Popped to the Mussel Shoal in Porthleven with some pals on Saturday and just a reminder that crispy fries, aioli and garlicky prawns with chopped parsley is a perfect meal.
It’s asparagus season! A friend dropped off some hand-picked stems, which I boiled until just tender, chucked in an ice bath and then ate dipped into homemade mayo. Had a pot of crab that needed to be eaten (as you do) so spooned in some of that mayo, a squeeze of lemon and scooped in a Dr Kargs emmental and pumpkin seed cracker as a very extravagant and luxurious midday snack in my garden.
Will be starting up studio lunches at Colt very soon (as soon as we have, you know, designed and made our furniture); but for me and Jess whilst working on the plan for the year, I made a cold buckwheat noodle salad with a tofu / ginger / soy dressing. Recipe coming next week!
Good things to cook this weekend:
Really into this creamy olive oil lemonade where you blitz a whole lemon.
Sticky apricot chicken with ricotta and peas and asparagus? Yes please.
Don’t know enough about Tunisian food - this recipe for brik a yolk-filled fried sandwich stuffed with potatoes, tuna and harissa sounds like what my current hangover needs right now.
I am really craving burgers right now and if I had a meat grinder and the patience to bake my own buns, this is what I’d be doing.
There is not a world where I’m making my own pizza, BUT every time I see a Ted’s Zaza post, I’m seriously tempted. Mortadella + pistachio pesto??
Newly obsessed with Keelin O’Shanahan’s cooking vids (is she the new, Irish Nigella?) – was inspired by her brined roast chicky recipe.
I love Nasim Lahbici’s recipes because they’re always so colourful and packed with veggies: his sesame caesar salad is no exception.
Good things to consume (culturally)
Longtime fan of film maker Joachim Trier – here’s a Dirt profile through the lens of his former skateboarding career.
Didn’t get too invested in the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni feud, but thought this Slow Newscast episode from The Observer was thoughtful and interesting.
Is my wisdom over the past 35 years ‘cultural’? Sort of. Give it a read:
Devoured Rooster on HBO Max. I fancy Charly Clive and Phil Dunster equally.
Racing through ‘Colored Telelvision’ by Danzy Senna, which examines race (and bi-raciality) and relationships, class and creative ambition through the lens of a Black family living in LA.
Once, so long ago, she’d made a list of all the cities she’d lived in her life and the impression they’d left on her. Brooklyn to her was the grayest. London was the warmest. Paris was the coldest. San Francisco was the whitest. Atlanta was the blackest. Cambridge was the bluest. Los Angeles was the loneliest and the most free.
I have Folk Bitch Trio’s album on repeat:
Good things to consume (aesthetically)
The theme: lamps
Bought Andu Masebo’s build-it-yourself metal A4 Lamp from Unit D so quick for the studio.
Bumped into Jesse Butterfield at Milan Design Week and am always so impressed by his work with lighting – how he mixes materials in a way that feels both robust and elegant.
One of my favourite pieces in my house is Lola Lely’s light she made for Atelier100: sheets of paper painted in custom Atelier Ellis paint, moulded and dipped in wax to seal everything.
I’ve always lusted after Palefire’s hand-painted lights – they play with shape, texture and colour in such a beautiful way.
