The Sneaky Magpie

Hubby has been working awfully long hours lately and the baby goes to bed at 19.00 so I have nice long evening to myself. Not that I don’t miss my husband…or the little bug.

Today I was pottering round the kitchen preparing a summery salad and cherry clafoutis. Here are the recipes:

Salad:

Roast 5 beetroots with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and fresh thyme for 30 min in 180 degrees Celsius. Boil few new potatoes. Wash salad leaves. Boil 4 eggs. Beetroots and potatoes are dressed with mayonnaise, creme fraiche, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a bunch of chopped dill.

Clafoutis:

The recipe is from Skye Gyngell’s book My Favorite Ingredients.

40g butter

600g cherries

zest of one lemon

100g sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a saucepan melt the butter till bubbly but not brown, add cherries, sugar, cinnamon and lemon and cook for 10-15 minutes till the cherries are soft and the juice nice and sticky. Pour 2/3 of the cherries into your baking dish and reserve the rest for later.

2 eggs

3 tbsp sugar

100ml cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

75g ground almonds

75g sifter flour

pinch of salt

Cream egg yolks and sugar till pale and fluffy, add cream, vanilla, flour and almonds. Beat up the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks and gently fold it in. Cover the cherries and bake for 20min in 200 degrees Celsius. I added some flaked almonds on the top for an extra crunch.

Let it cool for 5 minutes and serve with the cherry sauce.

May I add I did not eat the whole dessert myself!

And there is some visual entertainment too. As you know I like a good TV drama. The Kennedys failed terribly, it is so dull I couldn’t bare to watch it even though I only caught the 3rd episode. But I was in for a real treat – Mildred Pierce. Kate Winslet is excellent, there is a real nasty character, a sneaky character, amazing production design of my favorite era, captivating plot and great costumes. What not to like?

I have simply had enough of this horridly dull weather. Overcast skies, rain, cold, wind…with the odd sunny day to tease us. I am craving sun and warmth, I want to go for long walks without fear of having my head ripped off by the wind or the bug getting a chill.

I still go out for a walk every day but it is not enjoyable. I would like to discover my neighborhood better, enjoy the surrounding parks and my own garden.

There is hope though. It is March and this sounds way better than January or February. The first mini daffodils are blooming in my front garden. Peonies are starting to break through the ground and neighbors have plenty of snow drops and crocuses cheering the street up. And the biggest improvement so far – the days are getting longer and longer.

All the garlic and onions we planted are growing beautifully and we have to start sowing the rest of the veg as March is a big month for gardening.

Freddie is changing fast, he was 10 weeks old last Tuesday and he is so active, he ‘talks’ to his Miffy mobile, plays in baby gym for longer than ever, attempts to walk when supported under the arm pits and smiles a lot. He also stays awake for longer and doesn’t fall asleep as soon as I put him in the pram. Such a joy. I have a bit more time to myself as well with regular naps and the new skill to play on his own. He hates his belly time. We read a lot of books and sing songs and chat. We had our first big trip to Wales and he slept for most of the train journey. He also had his first immunizations – a massive drama. He is 9 cm longer and 2kg heavier, my arms are getting muscly.

For indoor entertainment I have chosen a lot of classics. I started with Mayor of Casterbridge which is one of those exciting stories like The Count of Monte Cristo, I am nearly at the end and am enjoying it tremendously. I have gone bit mad with ordering books though. The next is The Age of Innocence, then Dangerous Liaisons. The Guardian ran a list of 10 most neglected classics which inspired me to order few of them, the full list:

The Blank Wall by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding

The Rector’s Daughter by F.M. Mayor

The Wife by Meg Wolitzer

A Way of Life, Like Any Other by Darcy O’Brien

Ann Veronica by H.G. Wells

The Victorian Chaise – Longue by Marghanita Laski

The Real Charlotte by Somerville and Ross

School for Love bu Olivia Manning

The Odd Women by George Gissing

The Vet’s Daughter by Barbara Comyns

Have you read any of these books?

I have also ordered The ballad of the Sad Cafe after a very strong recommendation.

I also get some time to watch films, I have few period dramas: The Mayor of Casterbridge, Middlemarch, Our Mutual Friend and Far from The Madding Crowd. I am enjoying South Riding on BBC, a great adaptation by Andrew Davies with the wonderful Anna Maxwell Martin. And my guilty pleasure – Masterchef HOWEVER I hated the two first x factor style episodes. And why is Greg the mean guy now?

If you are interested in fashion check out this great documentary about Alexander McQueen and Izzy Blow. There is also The Model Agency which I am about to watch.

Speaking of fashion I am waiting for my new spring shoe boots to arrive any moment now (yes, I am getting both colors). I am thinking black tights and shorts with these, or a good short skirt. Unfortunately I cannot wear dresses at the moment. A leather jacket and aviators will complete the look.

Fingers crossed next week the spring is here!

My weekend started at Osteria Antica Bologna in Northcote Road, a nice family run Italian restaurant where I enjoyed delicious scallops with lentil, apple and parsley salad accompanied by good wine and fabulous company. I actually tried to recreate the lentil salad but it wasn’t as good, truth be told I used the wrong kind of apple. If you are ever in Clapham Junction area do go, it’s a fantastic place for lunch, dinner or drink. Beware of a slow service but the wait will be worth it!

Saturday was all about food shopping and a very early spring cleaning of the flat, we have thrown out a bagful of old papers and organised a lot of cupboards. We also visited the local charity shop to offload some stuff where I couldn’t resist buying F.Scott Fitzgerald collection of short stories for 50p.

After last two weeks of ebay madness I hardly have things to get rid of which feels so good.

Sunday was spent on cooking and playing with my little niece. I baked Allegra McEvedy’s Swedish apple cake which is more of a pudding than a cake, especially when served with good vanilla ice cream. Very easy recipe, it takes about 10-15 minutes to put everything together and 50 min to bake.

Got to read a little too, Vogue and ELLE arrived, The Sunday Times had a good article on Mad Men which btw won the best drama at Golden Globes for the 3rd year in a row, well deserved!

I am reading Chekhov’s stories and this weekend I enjoyed Ward no6. I also got D.V. by Diana Vreeland which I am very much looking forward to. Following the Norman Parkinson show at Somerset House I decided to re-read The Golden Age of Couture – the book accompaniment to one of my favorite exhibitions.

I watched the rather bad Breaking and Entering (a total waste of time) and the very graphic yet beautifully shot Antichrist.

Few things I am looking forward to:

a visual feast of A Single Man thanks to Dan Bishop

visiting V&A to see Quilts, Grace Kelly and Horace Walpole shows, and might even pop in to see a rather intriguing sounding The Metropolitan Police Service’s Investigation of Fakes and Forgeries

Foal and Tuffin at Fashion and Textile Museum should be fun, along with a stroll down Bermondsey Street

William Eggleston at Victoria Miro Gallery

Irving Penn Portraits at NPG

whole lot of good stuff at the Tate Galleries

buying some plants – I quite like the idea of mother-in-law’s tongue in nice mid-century pots, at the moment I own no plants whatsoever, even my basil died so this will be a challenge.

Desperate to catch all the shows before they end I organised a tight schedule and stuck to it this weekend.

On Friday night I saw Ed Ruscha at the Hayward Gallery which was good but not mind blowing. Definitely few very good paintings. Afterward my friends and I went to BFI for some drinks, the new bar on the riverfront is so much nicer than the old setup and the chips are excellent too!

On Saturday I met another friend of mine at RA and saw Wild Thing: Epstein, Gaudier-Brzeska and Gill. A truly wonderful collection of sculptures and sketches. The most impressive being Bird Swallowing a Fish by Gaudier-Brzeska and Epstein’s Portrait of Iris Beerbohm Tree and the spectacular Rock Drill. Amazing show, really worth a visit.

We had a quick lunch in Soho and headed down to Somerset House to see Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour. Another great exhibition, a lot of pictures of Parkinson’s wife and iconic shots of Jerry Hall from the 70s. Well worth a visit, especially if you enjoyed Golden Age of Couture at V&A a couple of years ago.

Warmed up by the museum hopping we decided to end the trip at The National Picture Gallery to see the very entertaining Beatles to Bowie: the 60s exposed.

I watched very moving Wajda’s Katyn – a film about an incident from WWII and its aftermath that not many people know of.

And I almost finished watching Mad Men season 3, a thought of only 2 episodes left to watch is making me depressed. Drooling over Betty Draper’s outfits.

I had a great day today and yesterday, I have posted near to 30 items on ebay and they caused a stir! Fingers crossed all will sell which will give my wardrobe much needed breathing space. I have decided that if I haven’t worn something for a year or longer I will never wear it again and it must go. I have also revisited the boxes of designer treasures that are not such treasures now I look at them, no classics, time to go. My fashion investments will remain in the bag and shoe stock.

I have loaded a bag for charity shop and will deliver it to Oxfam with all the ebay failures.

You know all the tasks that get put away like mending your clothing, polishing shoes and sewing missing buttons on? They have been staring at me from the depths of my wardrobe for some time and yesterday I finally faced them all at the same time. Such a relief.

I have invested into a small catering business in Philippines on Kiva. I really hope these ladies do well.

I have purchased two nice belts from All Saints, in brown and black leather. They are my only sales hunts so far, unfortunately the other belt sold out so I don’t have a picture.

I have really cracked on with my book pile, I have managed to read:

High Raise the Roof Beam, Carpenters by J.D. Salinger

Seymour an Introduction by J.D. Salinger

Nine Stories by J.D.Salinger

I know it is a lot of Salinger but he is such a good writer, I also found out that he is still alive, 100 years old!

The Most Beautiful Woman in Town by Charles Bukowski

The Faithful River by Stefan Zeromski

I have decided to put away Ulysses and The Corporation, at least for now.

So the only remaining books left are Tropic of Capricorn and some Chekhov stories and plays. This means I will be able to move onto some brand new books very soon. Really looking forward to it.

I have watched the 2 new episodes of Cranford and am awaiting the DVD of the first series, I might even start reading the books. I am quite glad I have not discovered it earlier because I am in real need of a costume drama fix.

I have made it to Tate Britain today to see the wonderful Turner and the Masters show, they had some amazing Rembrandts and Canalettos. I also checked out the Turner Prize which is definitely better than last year’s and glimpsed at some beautiful sculptures in the hall. This reminds me of few more exhibitions I must see and the time is running out. Especially for Ed Ruscha at The Hayward (Friday 6.00-10.00pm two for one deal) on till the 10th of January, Maharaja at V&A till 17th January and Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Eric Gill at The Royal Academy till 24th January. I knew I left it too late and now will have to rush.

The Mill by Rembrandt

And tomorrow I will have to take it easy….

Things that kept me company this month:

Masterchef Professionals – always a sucker for cooking shows

Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers – got few inspirations and I really really want an allotment, or at least a garden, or both!

Emma – BBC series and the book, very amusing. Johnny Lee Miller is excellent as Mr Knightly

Sandra Juto’s beautiful photos

Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour – I wanna go and travel to all those beautiful places in Europe

Every year BBC produces an excellent period drama and I am a real sucker for these. In the perfect world it would be written by Andrew Davies.

Last year I was treated to Tess of the D’Urbervilles (I was crying my eyes out, book had the same effect on me) and Davies’ Little Dorrit which was excellent.

I was wondering what treats will come my way this year and it turns out there is a new adaptation of Jane Austin’s Emma which I watched last night and ITV are showing The Forsyte Saga as of next Sunday which is one of my favorite novels ever, I haven’t seen this adaptation before so fingers crossed it’s good.

I really enjoyed the first episode of Emma and it made me reach for the book as I couldn’t possible wait a week to see what will happen next!

Autumn is already looking better!

Yet another difficult project at work, they seem to come thick and fast nowadays.

I missed The Sartorialist book signing yesterday at Liberty as I was stuck in the office till 21.30!  Today was a bit better but still late.

Feeling tired and lazy.

I am going to curl my legs up on the sofa, have a bowl of pasta and watch Jamie Oliver’s new show which btw is pretty bad but hey, it is on TV and doesn’t demand any thinking.

If Jane made me smile with her post, thank you!

I feel slightly spoiled, after a week away I took this Friday off as well since my friend was visiting from Amsterdam, on top of it Monday is a bank holiday meaning 4 day weekend and two 4 day work weeks.

The weather was nice and on Friday my friends and I walked to Brixton Market and had a quick bite at Rosie’s and a massive catchup.

Saturday was not bad either and we had a picnic by my friend’s pool (yes, an outdoor pool in London!). I made an apricot cake, same recipe as tea cakes but in one piece and baked for about an hour, apricots and ground almonds on top. I love this recipe, it is so adaptable and the cake is not too sweet.

Sunday came and so did the autumn, tricked by the sunshine outside I put on a summer dress and was off for a day in town. Oh my Lord, I was so cold and felt totally silly with my summer attire, luckily I was not the only one. I didn’t give up though and off we went to Tate Modern to see a couple of exhibitions.

Natalia Goncharova ‘The Cyclist’

The first one was Futurism, this starts with Marinetti’s Futurist Manifesto and has a great representation of artists including Boccioni, Carrà, the Cubist movement, Russian avant-garde and the Duchamp brothers to name very very few. The show explains the relationship with Cubism as well as movements directly created from it like Orphism and Vorticism with great examples of all of them. There is Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, Duchamp-Villon’s The Large Horse, Robert Delaunay’s The Cardiff Team, Natalia Goncharova’s The Cyclist (one of my favorite painting in the exhibition), Severini’s vibrant The Dance of the Pan-Pan at the “Monico” and Nevinson’s La Mitraillause.

C.R.W. Nevinson ‘La Mitraillause’

The Futurists loved speed, movement, modern machinery, streets, telegraphs, cars, planes, war. Morinetti was massively opposed pretty much the whole past, especially English decorative arts, romanticism, Pre-Raphaelits, revival trends and so on. He was also a misogynist and called for women to become more masculine so both sexes are the same, this strongly emerged in Russia where male and female artists became equal, one of the best being Liubov Popova, something that did not happen in Europe till much later.

Futurism died with the WWI, it was revived after the war but very soon it was overtaken by the … future, and other trends that evolved from it like Art Deco, Constructivism, Surrealism and Dada.

Robert Delaunay ‘The Cardiff Team’

I came out of the exhibition feeling very well informed, I finally fully understood the movement and wanted to find out more. The exhibition ends on the 20th of September.

We also had a look at Per Kirkeby’s show, I must admit, I am not a fun.

Then we headed to town to grab a bite at Pollo Bar in Old Compton Street where we indulged on pizza and good Chianti.

We finished the day by popping to few shops to check out the winter collections, high on my list is a winter coat and the first contender is this A.P.C. beauty but single breasted.

Now I am sitting wrapped in a woolly cardigan, drinking a cup of tea and planning tomorrow. I also must find the time to go to The Hayward, The Serpentine and The Whitechapel galleries before the exhibitions change.

I finally got my last disc of Mad Men, it was a very painful realisation that it will be a while before season three comes out in UK but the clever people at AMC made the 1st episode available online, fingers crossed they will do it every week!

First I got a horrible cold which knocked me out of action for the whole weekend. Then I was super busy with a project for the rest of the week, ending up on a shoot in a stinking burger joint in Yeading. Don’t ask me where it is, I still don’t know.

I feel like the last week was taken away from me and wasted. On top of it my very good friend was staying with us, she was in London on another shoot, and I hardly got to see her!

Anyway, it’s Friday today, can’t wait to go home and rest and eat healthily and just be.

In the mean time my new camera arrived from Scotland and looks like it has never been used, yay! I am now waiting for a memory card and then I will shoot away.

Have few films to watch (damn you Love Films for sending a film instead of the 3rd disc of Mad Men!), few items to go on ebay, I am going to see Coco with a friend on Saturday evening. Perhaps go for a walk in a nice green park with no mobile phone reception.

I also need to prepare for my trip next week, my first break this year, a small one too…